Jltt(ata, Ntm Qoth < 
 
 BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE 
 
 JACOB H. SCHIFF 
 
 ENDOWMENT FOR THE PROMOTION 
 
 OF STUDIES IN 
 
 HUMAN CIVILIZATION 
 
 1918 
 
CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
 3 1924 105 355 741 
 
The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924105355741 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 THIS VOLUME CONTAINS BIOGRAPHICAL 
 SKETCHES OF 
 
 THE LEADING CITIZENS OF 
 CAYUGA COUNTY 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 "Biography is the home aspect of history" 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 Biographical Review Publishing Company 
 
 1894 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 GONTEMPORARY records may be said to be a debt due from every generation to the 
 future. So much has the writing of annals and placing them in a permanent form 
 been neglected hitherto that an additional burden has fallen on the present, which, 
 besides doing its own work, must needs bravely endeavor to make up for things left undone 
 of old. Hence this volume of Cayuga County biographies, which, thanks to the co-operation 
 of an appreciative public and a faithful corps of assistants, we are enabled now to place before 
 our readers, while finding its subjects mostly among the living, men and women intent on the 
 business of to-day, mentions many of their ancestors, near and remote. Making the best use of 
 the material kindly furnished, we have here chronicled names of emigrants from the rugged 
 hills and wave-washed coasts of New England, and from the far-off cities and hamlets of the 
 Old World, some of whom came to the Oswego Basin long, long ago, while the sloping shores 
 of Cayuga Lake and the bold bluffs of Owasco and Skaneateles were yet covered with the 
 primeval forest, and, bravely enduring the toils and privations of frontier life, prepared the way 
 for the comforts and the inestimable advantages enjoyed by their descendants. Such progeni- 
 tors may well claim what a wise speaker has termed "a moral and philosophical respect, which 
 elevates the character and improves the heart." It is the nature of personal memoirs like the 
 present to increase in value as the years go by, wherefore the book should commend itself as 
 of more than passing interest and fleeting worth — a volume that will be prized by children's 
 children for one generation after another. 
 
 "The great lesson of biography," it has been well said, "is to show what man can be and 
 do at his best. A noble life put fairly on record acts like an inspiration." 
 
 Biographical Review Publishing Company. 
 November^ 1894. 
 

 y^^f^i"7^^^^x.-t^^-^-^ 
 
BIOSRAPHIGAL. 
 
 ORACE VARNUM HOW- 
 LAND. Dating from January 
 1850, and continuing to the 
 eve of his passing from earth, 
 on April 20, 1894, at his home 
 in Auburn, N.Y., this gentle- 
 man was an active lawyer in 
 Cayuga County, standing very 
 high among his associates. He was born in 
 Foster, Providence County, R.I., March 8, 
 1820, the son of Stephen and Catherine 
 (Young) Howland. The Howlands "belong 
 to old Quaker stock; and niany of this hon- 
 ored name are to be found in all parts of New 
 England, especially in Nantucket and New 
 Bedford. Stephen Howland, who was a son 
 of Dr. John Howland, remained farming in 
 Rhode Island until May 6, 1830, when his 
 boy Horace was ten years old; and then he 
 removed to a farm in Richfield, Otsego 
 County, N.Y., where he continued till his 
 death, July 10, 1874. 
 
 Stephen Howland's wife, Horace's mother, 
 was the daughter of Zadock Young, whose 
 first wife was Amy Greene, belonging to the 
 same kindred with General Nathaniel Greene, 
 of Revolutionary fame. The Greenes were 
 leading Friends in East Greenwich ; and Na- 
 thaniel was turned out of the Quaker frater- 
 
 nity because he would join the colonial army, 
 as Friends do not believe in war. Zadock 
 Young was a prominent attorney and judge; 
 and his home was at Scituate, twelve miles 
 from Providence. By this wife he had several 
 children; and after her death, which took 
 place in Scituate, he married Zylpha Knight, 
 a sister of Governor Knight, of Rhode Island. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Howland had twelve children, 
 whom they brought up carefully and intelli- 
 gently. The eldest, Henry Howland, resides 
 at Babcock Hill, Oneida County. The second 
 son was Horace Varnum Howland. Susan 
 Howland married Alfred Edward, of Richfield 
 Springs, where she died. Marian Howland 
 married Augustus Hurd, and died in Port 
 Byron. Harriet Howland became the wife of 
 George Davis, and died in the town of Win- 
 field. Angeline became wife of Isaac Cham- 
 pion, of Richfield, N.Y. Amy Howland, 
 named for her grandmother Greene, married 
 Orsemus Waterman, and died in Winfield. 
 Amaziah Howland died when only four years 
 old. Asa Howland died in Winfield. Celia 
 Howland is the wife of John Grandy, of 
 Richfield. Freelove Howland is the widow 
 of Norman Davis, of Columbia, Herkimer 
 County. Ruth is the present wife of George 
 Davis, of Winfield. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Till the age of fourteen Horace worked on 
 the home farm, attending the schools in Rich- 
 field and vicinity; but in 1834 he began 
 working for himself in the town of Winfield, 
 Herkimer County, where he spent the next 
 fifteen years of his life. Though forced to 
 be, as it were, the architect of his own educa- 
 tion, always regretting that his early school 
 advantages had not been greater, it must not 
 be inferred from this that his culture was en- 
 tirely neglected. At the age of sixteen he 
 read assiduously whatever books fell in his 
 way, and cultivated a decided literary taste. 
 At one time he was able, to attend the Baptist 
 Seminary and the old Liberal Institute in 
 Clinton, where he received a good academic 
 training. After making every preparation to 
 enter Hamilton College, he was deterred 
 therefrom, not by lack of health or mental 
 qualifications or even of money, for he was 
 able to earn his way, but by filial affection, 
 feeling it his duty to aid in providing his 
 parents with a home to make their old age 
 happier, a decision he never regretted. For 
 seven or eight years he taught school in dif- 
 ferent counties, giving his surplus earnings to 
 his father and mother; and from a school in 
 Columbia, Herkimer County, he came to 
 Auburn in March, 1849, when nearly thirty 
 years of age, and began the study of law with 
 Seward, Blatchford & Morgan on South 
 Street. At once he set for himself a daily 
 stint of a hundred pages, carefully making 
 notes thereon; and he fulfilled his resolution, 
 whether his task was finished by eight in the 
 evening or four the next morning. Moreover 
 
 he earned two dollars a night as overseer in 
 a saw-mill at Union Springs. So hard did he 
 work that in six months, November 9, 1 849, 
 he was admitted to the bar. Needing a vaca- 
 tion, he took it by teaching school for five 
 months in Mottville, sending home all but 
 eight dollars of his salary. Then he began, 
 in the village of Port Byron, the practice of 
 the profession in which he ever after con- 
 tinued with increasing fame, though he was 
 successful from the very start. Although not 
 caring for office, he was Supervisor of the 
 town of Mentz and president of the village 
 where he resided. 
 
 Mr. Howland was always deeply interested 
 in politics and outspoken in his opinions. 
 In fact, this admirable quality of frankness 
 would have stood in the way of political pre- 
 ferment. Soon after he began the practice of 
 law, the Know Nothing party arose, and he 
 was one of its strong supporters ; but later he 
 becanie. a Republican, with decided Prohibi- 
 tion tendencies. Though once nominated for 
 county Judge on the Republican ticket, and 
 defeated by Judge Day, he did not care to cul- 
 tivate partisanship, having too much practice 
 to attend to before courts in all parts of the 
 State and beyond its borders. Of one honor 
 he was rightly proud, that, at the request of 
 the Hon. William B. Woodin, in 1873 he 
 was made a member of the Convention for the 
 Revision of the State Constitution. On the 
 first of April, 1880, he made an important 
 change by removal from Port Byron to Au- 
 burn, and entered into partnership with his 
 student, the late E. O. Wheeler. After that 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 gentleman's death, in 1889, Mr. Rowland 
 continued the office alone for three years; and 
 he overtaxed his energies by attending not 
 only to the trial of his many cases, but to the 
 details of their preparation. This led to a 
 new partnership, in 1892, with William 
 Miller Collier; but early in 1894 Mr. Collier 
 withdrew from the firm, and then a new ar- 
 rangement was made with F. D. Wright and 
 F. C. Gushing, under the title of Rowland, 
 Wright & Cushing. 
 
 In 1852, on March 16, finding himself 
 pretty firmly established in business, Mr. 
 Rowland married Louisa Adaline Young, of 
 Richfield, whom he had long known, and who 
 was already distantly related to him by birth. 
 Her parents were Nathan and Betsey Young, 
 both of New England origin. After the sad 
 death of his old friend and partner, Mr. 
 Wheeler, that gentleman's widow and chil- 
 dren found a home in the generous and loving, 
 but childless, Rowland household at 60 East 
 Genesee Street, in a dwelling which Mr. 
 Rowland purchased before the removal of his 
 wife from Port Byron to Auburn. 
 
 No man was more respected in his profes- 
 sion; and he was grandly equipped for its 
 duties, not only by education and aptness, but 
 by the possession of a fine working library, 
 one of the largest in the country, which had 
 cost him at least eight thousand dollars. Not 
 very long before his decease he had an impor- 
 tant case before his old friend and instructor, 
 Judge Blatchford, in the Supreme Court at 
 Washington. Among his many criminal cli- 
 ents not one was condemned to death, and this 
 
 afforded him peculiar pleasure as a strong 
 opponent of capital punishment. A leading 
 trait in Mr. Rowland was his attachment to 
 localities, particularly to the farm in Rich- 
 field, where his boyhood was passed, and 
 where he wooed and won his Louisa; and 
 finally it became his, bought solely for the 
 sake of tender memories. It goes without say- 
 ing that such a man should be practically and 
 generously interested in charitable institu- 
 tions. Though not a church member he was 
 of great assistance to the Central Presbyterian 
 Society, serving as one of its Trustees for 
 many years. When interested in any subject, 
 he always gave it profound and original study. 
 For a decade he had been the leader of the 
 Bible class; and so faithful was he to the 
 trust that, when in 1892 his physician advised 
 him to give it up, that he might have more 
 time for needed rest, he persistently refused 
 to listen to this advice. A fortnight before 
 his death he told his family that he would 
 resign the post on the tenth anniversary of the 
 formation of the class, and it was a remark- 
 able coincidence that this anniversary should 
 be the very day when he was himself "called 
 unto that school " where " Christ himself doth 
 rule." 
 
 In the death of Mr. Rowland the commu- 
 nity lost a generous, impulsive, and sympa- 
 thetic helper, whose integrity was unques- 
 tioned and whose influence was ever on the 
 side of righteousness. To the last he re- 
 tained his clear mind, preparing a lengthy 
 legal brief only a few days before his death ; 
 and almost to the last, when not under the in- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 fluence of opiates, he talked with his friends, 
 repeatedly quoting Scripture. The burial 
 services were held in his home on Tuesday 
 afternoon, April 24; and the body, his no 
 longer, was taken to Fort Hill for interment. 
 Though he had been failing in health for two 
 years, the disease which finally ended his life 
 was valvular trouble of the heart, or angina 
 pectoris^ the same which terminated the ca- 
 reer of a great man of similar moral and 
 intellectual temperament, Charles Sumner. 
 Montaigne has said: "We are born to inquire 
 after truth : it belongs to a greater power to 
 possess it. It is not, as Democritus said, hid 
 in the bottom of the deep, but rather elevated 
 to an infinite height in the divine knowl- 
 edge." This utterance indicates Mr. How- 
 land's spirit, and his whole life is a practical 
 illustration of what a persevering man may 
 accomplish under free institutions. A steel 
 portrait of this distinguished gentleman 
 adorns the present volume. 
 
 e.H STEPHEN DRAKE, late of 
 Jordan, N.Y., was for upward of 
 half a century closely identified with the farm- 
 ing interests of Cayuga County, his pleasant 
 homestead being situated in the town of 
 Brutus. He was widely known and honored 
 throughout this section of the county; and in 
 his death on July 24, 1892, Brutus, whose 
 interests he had so much advanced by his 
 enterprise, has lost a valuable citizen. His 
 life record was a most praiseworthy one; and 
 his memory will long be cherished by the 
 
 many who had the pleasure of his friendship 
 for his integrity, sturdy worth, and countless 
 acts of benevolence and charity. Mr. Drake 
 was of New England antecedents; but New 
 York was the State of his nativity, he having 
 been born in Lafayette, Onondaga County, 
 June 13, 1814. 
 
 His parents, Asa and Experience (Est 
 Drake, were both of Massachusetts birth and 
 of English origin, Asa's father being enabled 
 to trace his ancestry back to that distin- 
 guished naval hero, Sir Francis Drake, who 
 first rounded Cape Horn and visited points on 
 the Pacific coast in 1579. Asa Drake, who 
 was of the fourth generation from Benjamin, 
 an emigrant of 1680, was among the earliest 
 of the settlers of Onondaga County, emigrat- 
 ing there before the days of railways or even 
 of public highways of any description, follow- 
 ing a path marked by blazed trees. He was 
 born near Boston, Mass., December 13, 1765, 
 and made his first trip to this part of New 
 York in 1785. A few paragraphs from the 
 graphic sketch of this pioneer penned by a 
 grand-daughter, Mrs. Martha Sherwood Ed- 
 wards, will not be out of place in this memoir 
 of his son : — 
 
 "At ten o'clock on the morning of the sec- 
 ond day from Utica the young explorer 
 reached the top of the hill which overlooks 
 the Jamesville ravine, then a wild, rocky, 
 densely wooded gorge, dark and dreary; and, 
 deeming it to be impassable for his horse, he 
 tethered him there, and proceeded on foot the 
 remaining four miles to the promised land. 
 His perseverance was well rewarded; for he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 13 
 
 was highly pleased with the location, timber, 
 and soil. Returning to his Eastern home, he 
 engaged in business there, which he pursued 
 for seven years, acquiring and husbanding the 
 means to establish an early settlement in his 
 future home. Early in 1792 he made his 
 al preparations to occupy his land. He 
 rchased in Boston an ox team, a wagon, 
 farm implements, some mechanical tools, 
 nails, hinges, and other like necessary arti- 
 cles for building, seed for planting, not only 
 of grains but of vegetables and fruits, and a 
 suitable outfit of personal requirements. For 
 several days prior to his leave-taking, the 
 family observed fasting and prayer. . . . 
 
 "So soon as he had reached his claim, he 
 selected a few acres of pleasant upland, not 
 very heavily wooded, for the location of his 
 buildings. There he camped for several days ; 
 and, by keeping a large bonfire constantly 
 ablaze, he and his cattle were rendered meas- 
 urably safe from the nightly prowlings of wild 
 beasts. A log cabin for himself was soon put 
 together and a log stable for his oxen. The 
 years 1793 and 1794 brought many another 
 settler into his neighborhood, to each of 
 whom he rendered all possible assistance, 
 sometimes lending seed, to be returned at the 
 next harvest. . . . His crops were bountiful, 
 especially of wheat; and he made rapid prog- 
 ress in building up a home, so that in a few 
 years he had a roomy log house, a good barn, 
 and suitable enclosures for sheep, cattle, and 
 swine, which were to be corralled every day 
 before sunset. He also planted orchards of 
 apple and cherry trees, with other small fruit, 
 
 and a large peach orchard. ... In 1806 Mr. 
 Drake built a large framed barn; and in 181 1 
 he erected a commodious brick house (the 
 brick having been burned on his own land), 
 which remains in good repair. There he dis- 
 pensed his generous hospitality in entertain- 
 ing friends, relatives, ministers of the gospel, 
 and new settlers, for weeks at a time. His 
 hand was always quick in kind deeds for 
 others, for his heart was true and fraternal. 
 Keenly alive to every interest of Church and 
 State, he assisted largely in building churches 
 and school-houses in his neighborhood. . . . 
 Before leaving his Eastern home, he presented 
 his father a colt which he had 'broken' for 
 riding. In 1806 his father, Nathan Drake, 
 arranged to visit or to 'look up,' as he termed 
 it, Asa in the Far West. The trip of three 
 hundred and fifty miles was made on that colt. 
 When the old gentleman reached Lafayette, 
 he was overcome with wonder and joy in find- 
 ing his son so prosperous. Broad, beautiful 
 fields of grain, good buildings, growing stock, 
 abundant and varied fruit, an interesting 
 wife and four thriving children, plenty, peace, 
 and happiness, instead of want and misery, 
 were presented to his view, and banished for- 
 ever all parental apprehension. This visit was 
 prolonged for six weeks ; and, on the morning 
 when he took his leave to return to his own 
 home, and had bidden good-bye to the family, 
 turning to the son he said: 'My son, I am 
 happily disappointed. I expected to find you 
 needy and poor. I brought along three hun- 
 dred dollars to help you with, but you are so 
 vastly better off than the boys at home I think 
 
14 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 I must take the money back for them.' The 
 son replied, 'That is right, father; do so by 
 all means.' The money was taken back to 
 the boys at home." 
 
 Asa Drake and his worthy wife, to whom 
 he was married February ii, 1799, spent 
 their last years in ease and plenty, he dying 
 at the age of about eighty-four, and she 
 when seventy-eight years old. They were 
 people of strict moral and religious prin- 
 ciples, and faithful members of the Presbyte- 
 rian church. Their household circle included 
 eight children, six daughters and two sons. 
 
 The boyhood and youth of Elijah, the sub- 
 ject of this brief sketch, were spent in his 
 native county; and the rudiments of his sub- 
 stantial education were laid in the schools of 
 Pompey Hill. He afterward attended the old 
 academy at Auburn, and completed his studies 
 at Andover, Mass. He remained a member 
 of the parental homestead until the time of 
 his marriage, which was solemnized June 15, 
 1837, Mary Wells Badger becoming his bride. 
 Mrs. Drake was born in Jamesville, Onondaga 
 County, February 15, 18 16, being a daughter 
 of Luther and Eunice (Wells) Badger, the 
 latter of whom was a native of Hartford, 
 Conn. 
 
 Luther Badger was a native of the old 
 Bay State, born in Partridgefield, Berkshire 
 County, April 16, 1785. While he was yet 
 a boy, his parents emigrated to Broome 
 County, New York, settling in the valley of 
 the Susquehanna, where he obtained his ele- 
 mentary education. He continued his studies 
 in the Hamilton Academy; and, being a brill- 
 
 iant student, with an inclination for a profes- 
 sional career, he began the study of law in 
 1807 under the tuition of William Eager, of 
 Manlius, Onondaga County, and five years later 
 he was admitted to the bar, being at that time 
 in the office of Randall & Wattles in New 
 Hartford, Oneida County. Mr. Badger opened 
 his first office in the town of Manlius, where 
 he attended so strictly to the duties of his pro- 
 fession for a number of years that his health 
 became impaired, and he was obliged to retire 
 from active practice. He was an influential 
 citizen of his town, taking a prominent part 
 in local and national affairs. During the 
 War of 1 8 12 he served with distinction, hav- 
 ing at first been attached to the staff of Colo- 
 nel Thaddeus M. Woods, as Sergeant-major, 
 and was afterwards promoted, holding the 
 office of Judge Advocate for the Twenty- 
 seventh Brigade of State Infantry, an office 
 which he filled satisfactorily for eight years, 
 when he retired from military service. In 
 1824 he was elected to the Nineteenth Con- 
 gress by the old Republican party, and served 
 his constituents with fidelity. A man of his 
 calibre and standing, with such eminent qual- 
 ifications for public life, is not often allowed 
 much leisure from official duties; and he 
 filled many government positions, such as 
 Proctor, Solicitor, Counsellor, and Advocate 
 of the United States courts, besides serving 
 as District Attorney of Broome County in 
 1846. His union with Eunice Wells, a 
 daughter of John Wells, took place in 181 1. 
 She died in 1845, leaving one child, 
 Mrs. Drake. He subsequently married Mrs. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 IS 
 
 Betsey (Dimmick) Avery, daughter of the 
 Hon. Davis Dimmick, of Montrose, Pa. Mr. 
 Badger was in sympathy with the religious 
 views of the Presbyterian church; but, his 
 last wife being a devoted member of the Bap- 
 tist church, he also joined that church. He 
 spent his last days at the home of his 
 daughter, Mrs. Drake, dying in 1869, at the 
 venerable age of eighty-four years. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Elijah S. Drake 
 and his wife settled on the farm where she 
 now lives, coming here in October, 1837. 
 The original purchase consisted of forty-one 
 acres of land, on which the improvements 
 were of little value. By steady perseverance, 
 good management, and judicious investments, 
 he improved the major part of the homestead, 
 erecting the buildings, clearing and fencing 
 the land, and buying adjacent property until 
 he had sixty-three acres of highly improved 
 and productive land, his estate comparing fav- 
 orably with any in the vicinity. For a period 
 of two years Mr. Drake was engaged in mer- 
 cantile business; but, preferring agriculture, 
 he spent the larger part of his time as a tiller 
 of the soil, an occupation in which he was 
 particularly successful. For some years he 
 filled the office of Superintendent of Section 
 7, Erie Canal. He was a man of fine personal 
 character, with exemplary habits, and well 
 deserved the confidence and respect accorded 
 him by all with whom he came in contact. 
 In politics he was a loyal Democrat. In re- 
 ligious matters he was a believer in the doc- 
 trines of the Presbyterian church. 
 
 Of the six children born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 
 Drake, the oldest, John B., an influential 
 citizen and the leading druggist of Weeds- 
 port, sacrificed his business and personal in- 
 terests to his country's needs. He helped to 
 organize Company F, One Hundred and 
 Eleventh New York Volunteer Infantry, and 
 was killed at the battle of Gettysburg July 3, 
 1863, aged twenty-six years. 
 
 "ORACE T. 
 
 Cook is the efficient 
 To 
 
 ^^ Treasurer of Cayuga County 
 
 this honorable position he was first 
 chosen in 1848; and he has therefore held it 
 for nearly half a century, longer than any 
 other county Treasurer in the State, his last 
 election having occurred in 1893, with no 
 opposition, a wise expression of the esteem 
 of his fellow-citizens, as well as a just tribute 
 to his faithfulness. The earliest incumbent 
 of the office about whom Mr. Cook can obtain 
 any information was Glen Cuyler, who was 
 Treasurer in 18 14, during the last war with 
 Great Britain ; and he was succeeded consecu- 
 tively by John H. Hardenburg, David C. 
 Stewart, and James C. Derby. But these 
 predecessors were all appointed by the Board 
 of Supervisors, whereas Mr. Cook was the 
 first Treasurer elected by the people after the 
 revision of the Constitution in 1846. 
 
 He was born in the town of Aurelius, in 
 this county, July 22, 1822, and was the .son 
 of Robert and Roxana (Foote) Cook. The 
 father was an early settler in Auburn, having 
 come from Aurelius to this town in 1825, 
 when Horace was only three years old and the 
 
i6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 population of Auburn hardly reached two thou- 
 sand. The prison had already been estab- 
 lished, however; and with it Mr. Robert Cook 
 was officially connected for a while, thereafter 
 turning his attention to real estate and other 
 similar lines of business until his death in 
 1845, just as he had passed his fifty-first 
 birthday. He and his wife were Presbyterian 
 communicants; and both the Footes and the 
 Cooks were of New England ancestry, Roxana 
 belonging to a prominent Rhode Island fam- 
 ily, though her mother was born in Vermont 
 and her father in Massachusetts. 
 
 Mr. Horace Cook was educated in the Au- 
 burn schools, and then read law with George 
 Rathbun, Esq., and with the distinguished 
 Governor and Secretary of State, William H. 
 Seward. In 1844 the youthful attorney was 
 admitted to the bar, after which he remained 
 in Mr. Seward's office a short time, engaged 
 in the practice of his profession. Both before 
 and after his election to the Treasurership 
 four years later, in 1848, he served as Justice 
 of the Peace. At first the requirements of 
 his new office were merely nominal, but they 
 rapidly increased, especially during the Re- 
 bellion. As the official books and papers had 
 all been destroyed by fire a year before Mr. 
 Cook's appointment, the records now existing 
 have all been made under his direction and 
 generally by his own hand, with the exception 
 of those of a single year, 1847. In war time 
 the service became very onerous, including 
 the payment of bounties and the tabulation of 
 the recipients thereof. His system of regis- 
 tration was so accurately complete that in a 
 
 moment he could turn to the record of any 
 soldier who had come under his supervision, 
 and give the history of every bond issued by 
 the county, though this transaction involved 
 millions of dollars. The task was herculean, 
 but such a man as the Cayuga County Treas- 
 urer soon adjusts his ability to a fresh emer- 
 gency. The subsequent payment of these 
 bonds came largely through his urgency; and, 
 when the last obligation was cancelled, in 
 1 87 1, Cayuga County could boast of being 
 one of the first to accomplish so desirable a 
 result, his policy of paying war debts with 
 war prices having been eminently successful. 
 This result he accomplished without extra 
 help, and in addition to his other duties. So 
 carefully was his military work done that the 
 county never lost the credit of a single volun- 
 teer belonging on its rolls and rightfully 
 reckoned in its quota. In the financial de- 
 partment not a bond was lost, and the only 
 two missing coupons were made good to the 
 parties to whom they lawfully belonged. The 
 election of an office-holder fifteen times run- 
 ning to the same station is almost unprece- 
 dented; and now Mr. Cook has an assistant in 
 the larger and finer treasury apartments, occu- 
 pied since 1883. 
 
 Of course such a good financial manager 
 finds himself in outside demand; and Mr. 
 Cook was one of the founders of the Cayuga 
 County Savings Bank, and has been one of its 
 Trustees and its President. That he should 
 be year after year Treasurer of the First Pres- 
 byterian Church in Auburn is likewise a 
 matter of course. When a new meeting-house 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 17 
 
 was needed, Mr. Cook was on the building 
 committee; and he was equally active when 
 the savings bank decided on having a new 
 stone edifice. Having also been President of 
 the Fort Hill Cemetery Association, he was 
 active in the erection of the stone chapel in 
 this beautiful ground. For a long time he 
 has occupied his house on Genesee Street, 
 near his place of business; and this home re- 
 mains as it was when he lost his beloved wife, 
 July 20, 1884. Her maiden name was Eliza 
 F. Kellogg. She was of Michigan, the town 
 of Allegan, and was a zealous and benevolent 
 member of the church, her father, John R. 
 Kellogg, having been a strong Presbyterian, 
 and her grandfather a stanch adherent of the 
 Scotch kirk. 
 
 Says a modern writer : " Much may be done 
 in those little shreds and patches of time 
 which every day produces, and which most 
 men throw away, but which, nevertheless, 
 will make at the end of it no small deduction 
 from the little life of man." 
 
 The lesson of these words is one Mr. Cook 
 long ago learned, and in such industrious 
 thoroughness lies the welfare of the State. 
 
 r^ENJAMIN VAN DUZEN BRUN- 
 ^^S DAGE. This name represents one 
 of the oldest families, if not the 
 oldest, in Sterling, the forefathers on both 
 sides coming into this region when it was one 
 vast wilderness. The Brundages are types of 
 the higher intelligence of the community; 
 and Mrs. Hannah Brundage is specially inter- 
 
 ested in the early history of the town and 
 county, everything relating to the primitive, 
 toilsome, and sometimes stirring and perilous 
 life of the pioneers. Mr. Brundage is a 
 farmer and gardener, residing in Sterling, 
 Fair Haven village, though born in Orange 
 County, September 15, 1825, just as the 
 chimes of the nineteenth century had rung 
 their first quarter. His father was John 
 Brundage. His mother was Elizabeth Van 
 Duzen, whose father, Benjamin Van Duzen, 
 came from Germany when a young man, and 
 cleared land for his farm in Orange County. 
 In his storehouse General Washington quar- 
 tered twenty-five soldiers over night, paying 
 liberally therefor. The men particularly en- 
 joyed the apples from the orchard, and gave to 
 one tree the name of "Comer apple," which 
 it still bears. On this farm Grandfather Van 
 Duzen spent his life, and there he died at the 
 age of seventy, a member of the Methodist 
 church. 
 
 John Brundage, Benjamin's father, was a 
 blacksmith in Cornwall, where he learned the 
 trade, and where he died at the age of forty- 
 seven, leaving a widow, who gave him a step- 
 father named Mead. John and Elizabeth 
 Van Duzen Brundage had two children: Ben- 
 jamin Van Duzen, the subject of this sketch, 
 named for his maternal grandfather; and 
 Elizabeth, named for her mother. When John 
 Brundage died, his son Benjamin was a child 
 three years old, but soon grew up as a 
 farmer's boy, and received his education in 
 the public schools. Soon after attaining his 
 majority he came to his present home, belong- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ing to the family of his wife, Hannah Cole, 
 whom he married on September 12, 185 1, and 
 who was the daughter of Darius and Ann 
 (Brinckerhoff) Cole. 
 
 Darius S. Cole came to this neighborhood 
 at the early age of sixteen, when the pioneers 
 had to find their way through the woods by 
 marking the trees. He began by clearing 
 thirty acres, given him by his father, and 
 afterwards added other acres thereto. 
 
 Ann Brinckerhoff Cole was born in Owasco, 
 Cayuga County, on December 23, 1801, and 
 died at the old homestead, now owned by 
 her son-in-law, Benjamin V. Brundage, in 
 Fair Haven, N.Y., August 14, 1889, aged 
 eighty-seven years, seven months, and twenty- 
 one days. When she was fifteen years of age, 
 her father, George Brinckerhoff, moved to 
 Wolcott, Wayne County, and became one of 
 the pioneers of what was then a new and 
 sparsely settled country, identifying himself 
 with the early growth and history of the town. 
 In 1 82 1 Ann was married to Darius S. Cole; 
 and they settled in what was at that time a 
 wilderness, now the site of the village of Fair 
 Haven, living there peacefully and happily 
 full half a century, she being for eighteen 
 years his survivor. Early identifying herself 
 with the workers in the Master's vineyard by 
 uniting when a mere child with the Presbyte- 
 rian church at Red Creek, Wayne County, 
 she ever maintained an exemplary Christian 
 character. In 1857 she joined by letter the 
 Presbyterian church at Fair Haven. Darius 
 S. Cole and his wife lived for many years in 
 a log cabin. They reared nine children — 
 
 Sarah, George, Jane, David, Hannah, Henry, 
 Philura, Laura, and Mary. A son, Daniel 
 died young. The daughters are scattered, liv- 
 ing in different parts of the United States. 
 Mr. Cole died at seventy-six years of age. 
 
 Mrs. Cole carded, spun, and wove cloth for 
 her children's clothing; and Mrs. Brundage 
 cherishes as heirlooms certain specimens of 
 her mother's handiwork, a century old. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin V. Brundage have 
 five sons. Alvin is a mechanic in New York 
 City, and married to Emma Cooper, of Ster- 
 ling, by whom he has four children, namely: 
 Benjamin, named for his Grandfather Brun- 
 dage; Maud; Ethel; and Edna Bell. Reves 
 Brundage is now a broker in Portland, Ore. 
 Harvey Brundage is a carpenter in Sterling 
 Centre, and married to Flora McCarkin, by 
 whom he has one child, Lena. Ernest E. 
 Brundage is a merchant in Harlem, N.Y. 
 On September 25, 1894, he was married to 
 Miss Celia A. Graves, of Watertown, N.Y. 
 Webster is a decorator, a member of the Har- 
 lem Decorating Company in New York City, 
 and married to Jennie Sweet. 
 
 Mrs. Benjamin Brundage's family, the 
 Coles, originally came into this region by 
 express teams, and were so homesick that 
 they tried to persuade the father to go back to 
 Owasco; but he persistently refused. They 
 had to go all the way by canoe to Oswego to 
 find a mill, a most important matter in those 
 days. Once they had a party of visitors; 
 and, while they were seated on a log in the 
 woods, Mrs. Ann Cole found near by some 
 little animals, which the ladies carried home, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 19 
 
 and which proved to be wolves. The old 
 wolves followed, and made things lively- 
 through the night; but the next day the ladies 
 bore their trophies to Auburn, where they re- 
 ceived a bounty of ten dollars for each of the 
 four pets. Mr. Brundage is a member of the 
 local Board of Health. In politics he is 
 Democratic, and was two years Street Com- 
 missioner; but he was never an aspirant for 
 office. In religion the family are Presbyte- 
 rians. In such human soil are rooted the 
 trees of American progress. 
 
 TT^HARLES GORTON ADAMS entered 
 I J| upon his responsible duties as Clerk 
 
 
 of Cayuga County with the new 
 
 year, 1892, the term of office being for three 
 years, and his election having taken place in 
 the autumn previous, 1891. He was born in 
 the city of Auburn, October 14, 1859, a son 
 of Joseph A. and Olive A. (Glass) Adams. 
 His father was a worthy native of the Green 
 Mountain State, where he was born in 1825 
 and lived till about 1845. Then he came to 
 Sennett, in Cayuga County, when this region 
 was scantily settled. At first he followed the 
 occupation of agriculture, whereto he had 
 been reared ; but later he removed to Auburn, 
 and began business as an architect and 
 builder, which he continued with marked suc- 
 cess, constructing a number of buildings, 
 which are now among the oldest and most his- 
 toric in the city. A public-spirited man, he 
 was one of the original members of the 
 Auburn Volunteer Fire Department. When 
 
 the Civil War broke out, he was in the prime 
 of middle life, and enlisted in the Third New 
 York Artillery, retaining his membership till 
 the close of the fratricidal contest, in 1865. 
 As a veteran he belongs to the Crocker Post 
 of the Grand Army of the Republic. Mrs. 
 Joseph A. Adams is a native of Onondaga 
 County, and still adorns the home she has 
 helped to make comfortable and attractive. 
 
 In his childhood and early youth Charles 
 G. Adams attended the city schools, to pre- 
 pare himself for the work of life. After a 
 term at the high school he found temporary 
 employment as clerk in a store; but in 1879, 
 at the age of twenty, he came into the County 
 Clerk's office as assistant. In the course of 
 ten years, in 1888, he was promoted to the 
 higher place of Deputy Clerk; and this posi- 
 tion he held four years — in fact, until his 
 election as chief of the office, a post for which 
 he was eminently fitted by more than a dozen 
 years of previous experience; and a most im- 
 portant office it is. He is an ardent Republi- 
 can, and has just received a renomination for 
 a second term. In the social line he belongs 
 to Ensenore Lodge of Odd Fellows, No. 438, 
 in Auburn. 
 
 Mr. Adams's marriage took place February 
 21, 1893, on the eve of the anniversary of 
 Washington's birthday; and his wife was 
 Frances Anthony, the daughter of Hicks An- 
 thony, of Ledyard, N.Y. The family at- 
 tend the Methodist church; and Mr. Adams 
 is greatly interested in the work of the Young 
 Men's Christian Association, in which he has 
 served on important committees. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 "Grant me neither property nor riches," is 
 the Scripture prayer; and the following stanza 
 may be found in one of Horace's poems, as 
 translated by the pious William Cowper: — 
 
 " He thai holds fust the golden infiiii, 
 And lives contentedly hctvvcon 
 
 The lillle and the '^ix-.a, 
 Keels iKit the wants that pinch the poor 
 Nor plagues that haunt the rich man's door." 
 
 Such language fitly describes Mr. Adams's 
 spirit. Amidst the hustling activity of mod- 
 ern American life, it is refreshing to find 
 some men working in cjuiet nooks. In the 
 world's grand marches the subalterns are 
 quite as important as the generals, for what 
 would the army be without them? The 
 Clerk of a large and industrious county, like 
 Cayuga, is brought into contact with "all 
 sorts and conditions of men," not forgetting 
 women, and has to deal with varied questions. 
 For usefulness in such a position, especially 
 if its incumbent wishes to make his recalling 
 and re-election sure, he must cherish the 
 virtues of affability, patience, and accuracy. 
 This Mr. Adams is able to do, being well 
 endowed by nature as well as grace; so the 
 community may look forward to being compe- 
 tently and faithfully served for years to come. 
 
 ILLIAM G. ITJCRCI':, one of the 
 oldest and most highly respected 
 settlers of the town of ]5rutus, Cayuga 
 County, N.Y., is spending the sunset of life 
 in quiet and retirement on his pleasant, well- 
 
 improved homestead. Ite is a self-maiU' man, 
 being one who started out by hiiust'lf early in 
 life, and by his perst'vi'raiu-e and industry has 
 accumulated a fine conipeteney. His com- 
 fortable dwelling, his barns, farm machinery, 
 and stock, all bespeak the supervision of an 
 intelligtMit and jirogressive l)iisinc'ss ni;ui, who 
 knows by what means his possessions have 
 been acquired, and jiroperiy realizes their 
 value. Mr. Pierce is a native of Massachu- 
 setts, born in the town of New lU'dford, June 
 C), i8li. His parents were Joseph and I-ydia 
 (Omans) Pierce, the former of whom was horn 
 in ]'>ristol County, Massachusetts, while his 
 mother was a native of Long Island. 
 
 Joseph I'ieree was a man of great enter- 
 prise, in his younger days a foundrymaii, ;i 
 miller, and also a part owner of a sailing 
 vessel. Relinquishing his trades for an agri- 
 cultural career, he came to ('a,yuga ('oiinty in 
 1817, moving his family and household furni- 
 ture and utensils with horses and wagons, 
 making the wearisome trij) through the woods 
 in fourteen days. I'.eing impressed with the 
 desirability of IJriilus as a place of location, 
 he jjurchased fifty acres adjoining Ihe farm 
 now owned by his son William, and by dint 
 of incessant (oil cleared and eultiviilcd Ihc 
 land, and won from the wilderness a (■f)mforl- 
 able home. Here he si)ent Ihe remaining 
 years of his life, dying September 20, 1K40. 
 He was a palriotic and loyal cili/.en, and 
 fought in his early years in defence of his 
 counlry in ils struggle for independence; and 
 his son William is one of the few surviving 
 children of veterans of the Revolution. He 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 21 
 
 was three times married, and was the father 
 of sixteen children, of whom William G. 
 Pierce and Desire, the widow of John T. 
 Thomas, a resident of Michigan, are the only 
 ones now living. Of their paternal grand- 
 father, Joseph Pierce, Sr., little is known 
 excepting that he passed the later years of his 
 life in the State of Massachusetts. 
 
 The subject of this brief narrative was but 
 six years old when brought to this county; 
 and the days of his youth and early manhood 
 were spent on the family homestead in Brutus, 
 where he attended the typical log cabin 
 school, which was supported by subscription, 
 each householder paying according to the num- 
 ber of pupils he sent to be taught. A fire of 
 logs in the huge fireplace heated the room, 
 the long benches were made of slabs, and the 
 goose-quill pens used by the children were 
 made by the teacher. Mrs. Lydia O. Pierce, 
 who was indeed a helpmeet to her husband, as 
 the minister's wedding counsels had enjoined, 
 carded, spun, and wove the material which 
 she afterward fashioned into garments for 
 herself and family, none of her sons having a 
 suit of "store clothes" until grown to man- 
 hood. The boots and shoes for the family 
 were made by the travelling cobbler, who 
 went from house to house, and remained an 
 inmate of each family until its members were 
 severally supplied with suitable footwear, an 
 occupation which was 'called "whipping the 
 cat." At the age of thirteen years William 
 began to be self-supporting. He first worked 
 as a farm laborer, receiving three dollars a 
 month, and was afterward employed in a 
 
 brickyard. He subsequently learned the 
 trade of a mason, brick-layer, and plasterer, 
 which was his principal occupation for up- 
 ward of fifty years ; and many of the substan- 
 tial brick buildings of this county testify 
 to the superiority of his workmanship. Mr. 
 Pierce was also interested in agriculture, and 
 carried on general farming in connection with 
 his other business from 1840. In 1867 he 
 bought the farm where he now resides, and 
 for several years was successfully engaged in 
 general agriculture, occupying a leading posi- 
 tion among the practical and skilful farmers 
 of this vicinity. His farm consists of seventy- 
 five acres of valuable land, well equipped and 
 well stocked. Of late years Mr. Pierce has 
 given up the active pursuits of life; and the 
 farm is ably managed by his son, Adelbert M. 
 Pierce, who is a worthy successor of his father 
 in the agricultural community. 
 
 Mr. Pierce has been twice married, his first 
 wife having been Lucinda DeWater, to whom 
 he was wedded in 1838. She was born in 
 Onondaga County, being a daughter of Benja- 
 min DeWater, and passed on to the other life 
 in 1 84s, leaving him with three little girls. 
 He was again married in 1847, on September 
 5, Mary Perry becoming his second wife. 
 She is a native of Oswego County, where she 
 was born October 13, 1827. Her parents, 
 Seth and Mary (Craw) Perry, have long since 
 passed to their final rest, her father having 
 died in early manhood, and her mother when 
 an aged woman of eighty-six years. Of the 
 union of Mr. and Mrs. Pierce two children are 
 now living, so the family circle includes five 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 children, namely: Mrs. Diana M. Wagoner, 
 who lives in Port Byron, N.Y. ; Mrs. Hannah 
 Fennell, of Skaneateles, N.Y.; Mrs. Louisa 
 Chatfield, who lives in the town of Sennett, 
 N.Y. ; Adelbert M. Pierce, the manager of 
 the home property; and Austin E. Pierce, a 
 farmer, living in Brutus. 
 
 Mr. William G. Pierce has always identi- 
 fied himself with the interests of this part of 
 the county, and has proved himself a valuable 
 and worthy citizen. He is a Republican in 
 politics, and for thirty-four years has served 
 as Highway Commissioner. Both he and his 
 amiable wife are liberal in their religious 
 views and earnest supporters of every feasible 
 scheme for the promotion of social progress, 
 for the advancement of the educational inter- 
 ests and the moral welfare of the town and 
 
 county. 
 
 — < ■ ■• > — — 
 
 ^RS. MELISSA J. MATTESON is 
 the eldest daughter of a large 
 and eminent family of Cayuga 
 County, and her many interests in different 
 localities have made her well known and 
 much respected, not only in Sennett, but also 
 in many places far beyond the limits of her 
 native town. Mrs. Matteson is the daughter 
 of Moses Moreland and the grand-daughter of 
 Stephen Moreland. The grandfather was 
 born in 1766, and his wife, Sally Marsh, in 
 1 77 1, both being natives of New Jersey, from 
 which State they moved about 1795 to Ball- 
 ston, Saratoga County, N.Y. In 1802 they 
 moved to Scipio, and kept a public house 
 where Bolts Corner now is, and ten years later 
 
 went to Auburn, residing there until the 
 death of Mrs. Moreland, March 18, 1833, 
 when Mr. Moreland went to live with his son 
 Moses in Sennett. Stephen Moreland died 
 August 22, 1848, leaving seven children, of 
 whom Moses was the eldest. 
 
 Moses Moreland was born November 13, 
 1800, and remained with his parents until he 
 was thirty years old. There is a tradition 
 which says that he was not very fond of 
 school, and was a frequent truant, so that at 
 an early age he gave up his books, and became 
 apprentice to a carpenter and joiner. This 
 trade being quite to his taste, he was very 
 successful, and was engaged with Clark Camp, 
 of Auburn, in building and repairing mills, 
 which connection gained for him a reputation 
 as a millwright and secured for him work in 
 various parts of the State. He built a saw- 
 mill on his own farm, and engaged in several 
 other enterprises, carrying on his farming at 
 the same time. His was a life of hard and 
 energetic labor, and few men can look back 
 upon such a varied and successful career. 
 Mrs. Moses Moreland was Nancy Putnam, 
 daughter of Lewis and Nancy (Wilson) Put- 
 nam, of the town of Brutus, Her father was 
 a native of Vermont, and settled in Brutus 
 in 1804, having previously (in 1794) married 
 Nancy Wilson at Salem, town of Hebron, 
 Washington County, N.Y. He was formerly 
 a wool-carder and cloth-dresser; but, after 
 coming to Brutus, he carried on a milling 
 business, together with farming. He was a 
 Justice of the Peace for twenty years and a 
 prominent man in all town affairs. The 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 23 
 
 numerous family of Putnams now living in 
 Brutus are descended from him. 
 
 Thus is indicated the honorable line 
 through which the children of Moses and 
 Nancy Moreland have descended. Mr. More- 
 land died September 4, 1884, aged eighty- 
 four years; and his wife died in 1893, aged 
 eighty-three. They had eight children, six 
 of whom are now living, as follows: Melissa, 
 who is the subject of this sketch; Lewis P., 
 born July 9, 1832, married Harriet Daniels of 
 Skaneateles, N.Y., and his children are Wil- 
 lis, Norah, and Lester. He resides in Mott- 
 ville, Onondaga County, and is engaged in 
 the manufacture of chairs. Ann E., born 
 November 21, 1834, married Willard Daniels, 
 of Skaneateles, in November, 1856, and has 
 one daughter, Alice. Parley W., born Octo- 
 ber 14, 1836, is a carpenter by trade, and 
 lives in the native town of his wife, Aurelia 
 Clapp, of Skaneateles, whom he married No- 
 vember 29, i860; and his children are Jay, 
 May, Gray. Nancy A., born April 26, 1841, 
 died March 24, 1842. Theodore M. was born 
 March 10, 1844. Alfred J. was born May 
 13, 1846. Lester E. was born October 22, 
 1848, and died January 6, 1852. 
 
 Melissa J. Moreland was born December i, 
 1830; and her young days were spent in 
 assisting her mother in the care of the dairy 
 and in the many duties which come to a 
 woman on a farm. She attended the school 
 of the district, and being bright and energetic 
 easily gained a reputation for good scholar- 
 ship. 
 
 At twenty-one she was married, March 18, 
 
 185 1, to Robert Matteson, of Sennett. Soon 
 after their marriage they removed to Iowa, 
 and engaged in the pursuit of agriculture. 
 
 They had but one child, a son, Frank L. 
 Matteson, who married Nellie Scott, of 
 Bremer County, Iowa, and has one child, 
 Jennie. Mr. Frank L. Matteson is now liv- 
 ing in Spokane, Wash., where he is engaged 
 in a store. Mr. Robert Matteson died in 
 1882 at the age of sixty-two; and Mrs. Matte- 
 son then left her Western home, and came 
 East to the old homestead in Sennett to be 
 with her two brothers, Theodore and Alfred. 
 These gentlemen were never separated from 
 their father until his death; and then they 
 purchased the interest of the other heirs, and 
 have lived on in the old home, carrying on 
 the farm together. In 1893 their most valu- 
 able barn was struck by lightning; but they 
 immediately rebuilt, although the loss was 
 not less than fifteen hundred dollars. These 
 gentlemen are not married, and Mrs. Matte- 
 son has kept house for them ever since the 
 death of her husband. The family are all 
 members of the Universalist church of Mott- 
 ville. 
 
 Moses Moreland was a member of the early 
 Whig party, and afterward became a Demo- 
 crat, although he made it a point to vote for 
 the best man, regardless of the party to which 
 he belonged; and in politics, as in other 
 things, the sons followed the example of the 
 father. Mrs. Matteson is justly proud of 
 being the eldest of a family so respected and 
 honored as that which bears the name of 
 Moreland. She is always ready with efficient 
 
24 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 help in all cases of sickness and trouble, and 
 her broad experience has made her advice 
 much sought after at all times. 
 
 "ON. CYRENUS WHEELER, Jr., 
 the well-known inventor of harvest- 
 ing machinery, ex-Mayor of the 
 city of Auburn, N.Y., was born on March 21, 
 1 81 7, at Seekonk, Bristol County, Mass. 
 This town was set off from Rehoboth in 
 18 12, and became a separate town, assuming 
 the original Indian name, composed of two 
 words, "seeki, " meaning black, and "konk," 
 goose — black goose — Seekonk River being a 
 favorite feeding-place for wild geese in the 
 fall of the year. The old town of Rehoboth, 
 the residence of the Wheeler family for sev- 
 eral generations, at one time embraced in its 
 greatest extent portions of the present towns 
 of Seekonk and Attleboro, Mass., and Cum- 
 berland, R.I., with that part of Swansea, 
 Mass., and Barrington, R.I., which was called 
 by the Indians Wannamoiset. The Wheelers 
 were active participants in all the stirring 
 events in the history of Rehoboth, five per- 
 sons of the name from that town appearing on 
 the muster-rolls of the Revolution. The rec- 
 ords of the town show that James Wheeler 
 had a son born to him in 1697, named James 
 Wheeler, Jr., and he had a son Jeremiah, 
 born 1731, who had Jeremiah, Jr., born 1753. 
 Cyrenus Wheeler, father of the subject of 
 this sketch, and a son of Jeremiah, Jr., and 
 Elizabeth (Thurber) Wheeler, was born at 
 Rehoboth, August 13, 1791, and died a't Ven- 
 
 ice, N.Y., July 4, 1887, lacking only thirty- 
 nine days of being ninety-six years of age. 
 His educational advantages were limited and 
 confined to the town school, and mainly to the 
 winter terms, which were short. At an early 
 age he was apprenticed to learn the machin- 
 ist's trade, which he acquired in the thorough 
 manner in which it was taught and practised 
 in those early days, seven years being the 
 term of service. In April, 18 16, he was 
 united in marriage with Thirza D. Evans, a 
 daughter of William and Meribah (Dilling- 
 ham) Evans, of Berkley, Bristol County, 
 Mass. With her he enjoyed a happy married 
 life of nearly sixty-eight years, her death oc- 
 curring February 13, 1884, when she was 
 eighty-seven years old. Her father, who 
 was of Welsh descent and a Revolutionary 
 pensioner, reached eighty-six years. Mrs. 
 Wheeler was a woman of superior intellectual 
 endowments, joined to those Christian graces 
 which fitted her to fill the sphere of wife and 
 mother, and to become the beloved centre of 
 a happy family circle, a woman whose kind- 
 ness of heart manifested itself in her good 
 works, and whom none knew but to love and 
 esteem. To her could have been fitly applied 
 these words of the last chapter of the Book of 
 Proverbs : " She openeth her mouth with wis- 
 dom; and in her tongue is the law of kind- 
 ness. She looketh well to the ways of her 
 household, and eateth not the bread of idle- 
 ness. Her children arise up, and call her 
 blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth 
 her." 
 
 To this couple were born five children, two 
 
artr iy Sau^ar AabrrnNY 
 
 A!l.«iic P.lli.tini] 2 Ennrnv.m, CaVX 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 29 
 
 sons and three daughters, of whom Cyrenus 
 Wheeler, Jr., is the eldest. Henry Josephus 
 Wheeler, the youngest, who was born Febru- 
 ary 22, 1834, married Cornelia Culver, and 
 resides with his family on the old homestead 
 of his father near Poplar Ridge in Venice, 
 N.Y. Candace M. Wheeler, born May i, 
 1 8 19, married John W. Vaughan (both now de- 
 ceased). Delana Borden, the second daugh- 
 ter, born December 13, 1822, married Charles 
 W. Manahan, of Norwalk, Ohio, and resided 
 there with her husband until her death, March 
 29, 1887. The youngest daughter, Marion 
 Isabella, born April 24, 1829, married Allen 
 Mosher, of Venice, N.Y., and now resides at 
 Aurora, Cayuga County. Mr. Wheeler began 
 his married life as a farmer, occupying and 
 cultivating a farm in the town of Seekonk. 
 The sterile soil sparingly rewarded his labors ; 
 and marketing cord wood in Providence, R.I., 
 some four or five miles distant, was resorted 
 to in the winter to increase his scanty in- 
 come. A few years satisfied him that farming 
 under such circumstances did not fill the 
 measure of his ambition, and he determined 
 to abandon that occupation, and return to his 
 earlier calling. Early in 1822 he removed 
 with his family, consisting of his wife and 
 two small children, to what was then known 
 as Wellington, now Dighton, Mass., and 
 entered the employ of Nathaniel Wheeler, an 
 uncle, as a machinist. In 1823, at the re- 
 quest of his brother Dexter, he went to Fall 
 River, Mass., and was there engaged at first 
 in the manufacture of cotton machinery, and 
 subsequently, with that brother and Edward 
 
 Mason, in the manufacture of cotton cloth, 
 which business they continued until 1833, 
 when it was sold to other parties, and he 
 moved with his family to Rehoboth, and occu- 
 pied the farm on which he was born. Dexter 
 Wheeler, whose health had failed, disposed of 
 his interest in the Fall River Manufacturing 
 Company, with which he had been actively 
 identified for more than twenty years, and 
 after several months of illness died at Reho- 
 both of consumption in the house in which he 
 was born, and on the farm where he unaided 
 inaugurated the manufacture of cotton yarn 
 thirty years before. 
 
 Dexter Wheeler late in the fall of 1834 
 visited Cayuga County, New York, and while 
 there contracted with Monmouth Purdy for the 
 purchase of his farm of two hundred and 
 twenty-five acres, lying in the town of Venice, 
 one mile south of Poplar Ridge. He returned 
 to Rehoboth seriously ill. In February fol- 
 lowing, Cyrenus, with his son Cyrenus, Jr., 
 visited Venice, and made arrangement for the 
 season's work, the former returning to Reho- 
 both and leaving his son upon the farm. In 
 May he removed with his family to the farm 
 in Venice, where he spent the remainder of 
 his days. During the early years of his resi- 
 dence upon the farm, he entered energetically 
 upon a series of improvements. Among them 
 was a thorough system of underdrainage, in 
 which he substituted pipe drain tile in place 
 of the cobblestones then in general use. The 
 roadway through his land was widened and 
 straightened, and neat posts and board fences 
 took the place of the zigzag rail fences. 
 
3° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Canada thistles abounded in some of the 
 fields. These were exterminated by frequent 
 ploughings during the season. New and com- 
 modious buildings were erected and neatly 
 painted. Always having a workshop on the 
 place, well supplied with tools, necessary 
 repairs were attended to in time; and there 
 was a place for everything and everything in 
 place. Though his sons succeeded him in 
 the management, Mr. Wheeler the elder never 
 lost his interest in the farm, and as long as 
 he lived attended personally to his horse, 
 cow, and pigs, and cultivated a small patch of 
 corn in addition to his garden, in which the 
 earliest and finest vegetables annually were 
 found. With few of the infirmities of a per- 
 son of his age, which neared a full century, 
 and an intellect unclouded until a short time 
 preceding his final sleep, he gave to his eldest 
 son, who sat by his bedside, minute directions 
 as to the settlement of his estate, what there 
 was of personal property, and where it could 
 be found. ' 
 
 Having obtained an elementary education, 
 Cyrenus Wheeler, Jr., when still a youth, en- 
 tered the machine shop and factory, and at an 
 early age became familiar with the use of 
 tools and the operations of machinery. Com- 
 mencing at first principles, his progress was 
 such that at the age of seventeen years he was 
 able to perform all the operations necessary to 
 convert the raw material into cloth. In the 
 new occupation of farming, begun in Cayuga 
 County in the spring of 1835, he also became 
 proficient; but the mechanical and inventive 
 traits of his character would assert them- 
 
 selves, and in a few more years he was spend- 
 ing more time in devising and constructing 
 labor-saving implements and machines than in 
 the cultivation of the land. Succeeding his 
 father in conducting the farm, he engaged in 
 experimental tests, carefully prosecuted, to 
 ascertain the relative value of different kinds 
 of food for stock and different kinds of fertil- 
 izers in the production of various crops. 
 Labor-saving machinery at that time was but 
 little in use. The cast-iron plough invented 
 by Jethrow Wood (who resided for many years 
 prior to his death, which occurred in 1834, 
 three-fourths of a mile west of Poplar Ridge) 
 was the most important and useful implement 
 then in use. Of Jethrow Wood, that distin- 
 guished citizen of Auburn, the late Secretary 
 Seward said, "No person has benefited his 
 country pecuniarily more, and no man has been 
 so inadequately rewarded." The hand scythe, 
 the hand cradle, and the hand rake were the 
 implements in use for gathering the bountiful 
 crops produced by the virgin soil of Cayuga 
 County. 
 
 The necessities of his business soon stimu- 
 lated Mr. Wheeler's inventive and construc- 
 tive talents; and seed-planters, horse pitch- 
 forks, feed-cutters, and numerous other highly 
 serviceable appliances rapidly appeared on the 
 farm to the wonder of his non-mechanical 
 neighbors. In 1852 his attention was di- 
 rected to the question of a machine for mow- 
 ing grass and harvesting grain, and in the 
 summer of 1853 he commenced practical ex- 
 periments in the field. The first machine 
 was constructed at Poplar Ridge, Cayuga 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 31 
 
 County, and was tried on his farm, one mile 
 south of that place, in stout grass thoroughly 
 wet by recent rains. This trial was pro- 
 nounced a perfect success by every one pres- 
 ent at the time. The cutting apparatus of the 
 machine consisted of a series of double-edged 
 pivoted shears or cutters, which worked well 
 at all times in wet grass, but failed to work 
 satisfactorily in dry, gummy grass; so that 
 the Hussy open guard and scalloped cutter 
 was substituted for the pivoted shears. Prior 
 to the invention of Mr. Wheeler mowing and 
 reaping machines were of the type known as 
 "stiff or rigid bar machines " and had a single 
 wheel for supporting the framework and im- 
 parting motion to the cutters. He added an- 
 other wheel for supporting the framework of 
 the machine, and connected the cutting appa- 
 ratus to the frame by an arrangement of 
 hinges and pivots at right angles to each 
 other, so that the cutting apparatus would 
 conform to the undulations of the ground un- 
 influenced by the motions of the supporting 
 wheels of the machinery. He was the first 
 man to put a hinged cutter bar on a mowing 
 or reaping machine ; and this he controlled by 
 a patent for twenty-one years, fourteen years 
 — the natural life of a patent — and an exten- 
 sion of seven years. He was also the first 
 man to put a reaping attachment to a hinged 
 bar machine. He further devised and applied 
 at the same time levers, by which the driver 
 in his seat could raise the cutting apparatus 
 to pass obstructions, and elevate or depress the 
 points of the cutters to cut lodged and tangled 
 grass or grain or a higher stubble, as desired. 
 
 By means of his system of hinging the cutting 
 apparatus to the frame, it could be folded to 
 the side of the main frame so that the ma- 
 chine could be transported with the same 
 facility as a cart. In the following year he 
 added a platform, reel, and raker's seat, 
 making it a combined machine, adapted to 
 the double purpose of mowing grass and cut- 
 ting grain, and provided with a system of 
 gearing of his devising convenient for boxing 
 and protecting from dirt. A self-rake was, 
 with other improvements, from time to time 
 added to the machine and protected by pat- 
 ents, forty-four having been obtained by him 
 for improvements in harvesting machinery. 
 He also purchased a large number, being at 
 one time the owner of more reaper patents 
 than any other person in the United States. 
 From 1853 to the present time more than one 
 and one-half millions of machines, containing 
 improvements embraced in his patents, have 
 been constructed. Though his efforts have 
 been mainly confined to harvesting machin- 
 ery, improvements in other classes of machin- 
 ery have been made, for which he has received 
 patents. September 8, 1891, he purchased 
 the Clothes Wringer Works at Auburn, which 
 had heretofore been unsuccessful; and, by 
 obtaining nine patents of his own for im- 
 provements and purchasing six others, he put 
 the works in sound financial condition. 
 
 Like all inventors, he found the public slow 
 to appreciate the advantages of his improve- 
 ments. With unwavering faith, however, in 
 their ultimate success, he devoted 'himself 
 with untiring industry to perfecting anci in- 
 
32 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 troducing them. In his field experiments his 
 crops were sown and freely sacrificed for that 
 purpose, and for thirty successive harvests he 
 followed his machines in the field. He trav- 
 elled extensively in all the grass and grain 
 growing States and Territories, and in 1863, 
 in the prosecution of this work, visited eigh- 
 teen different States, travelling over twenty- 
 three thousand miles. The value of the im- 
 provement once demonstrated, infringers be- 
 came active; and protracted and expensive 
 litigation followed, which required the same 
 energy and perseverance to sustain his rights 
 that had been shown in making, improving, 
 and introducing his inventions to the public. 
 Success in litigation after many years crowned 
 his efforts, and Mr. Wheeler to-day enjoys 
 the proud satisfaction of knowing that his 
 improvements are in use on every mowing 
 machine in the United States and in foreign 
 countries. In the field of mechanics and in- 
 vention his originality is a marked feature. 
 Fertile in his conceptions, he often found it 
 difficult to decide which of the several devices 
 suggested to his mind would best serve his 
 purpose; but his sound practical judgment 
 enabled him to choose such as led him to 
 success. 
 
 His machine prior to i860 was known 
 simply as the Wheeler machine, after which 
 up to 1874 it was called the "Cayuga Chief "; 
 from 1874 to the present time it has been 
 known as the "Wheeler," and, as now manu- 
 factured extensively by D. M. Osborne & Co., 
 Auburn, N.Y., is distinguished as Nos. 2, 5, 
 and 6. The earliest manufacture was at Pop- 
 
 lar Ridge, N.Y., by Shounds & Mosher. 
 They were succeeded by Reynolds & Co., who 
 continued to i860, when the works were 
 moved to Aurora, on Cayuga Lake, where the 
 advantages of shipment were better. In 1857 
 Dean & Machin manufactured the machine at 
 Auburn. In 1858 Ross, Dodge & Pomeroy, 
 in connection with Sheldon & Co. and Barber, 
 Sheldon & Co., carried on the business. In 
 1866 the Cayuga Chief Manufacturing Com- 
 pany was organized for continuing the manu- 
 facture, Mr. Wheeler being chosen President 
 of the company. In 1874 the concern was 
 consolidated with D. M. Osborne & Co., who 
 continue the manufacture at Auburn. Mr. 
 Wheeler sold out his interest in January, 
 1882, and retired from active business. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler has been three times married, 
 and has four children living. His first wife, 
 whom he married at Venice, N.Y., January 6, 
 1841, was Harriet, daughter of Charles and 
 Hannah (Benjamin) Kendall, who was born 
 at Venice, November 11, 18 19, and died at 
 the same place May 22, 1843. The children 
 of this union were a son and a daughter, 
 namely : Lucy Maria, born September 27, 
 1841; and Dexter, born May 18, 1843, who 
 married Fanny Hotchkiss, and resides on the 
 home farm near Poplar Ridge. Mr. Wheeler 
 was married the second time at Bethany, Gen- 
 esee County, N.Y., June 26, 1845, to Susan 
 K. Frary, daughter of Roswell and Fanny 
 (Kendall) Frary, who was born September 7, 
 1820, and died at Venice November 5, 1849, 
 leaving one daughter, Harriet Frary Wheeler, 
 born May 16, 1846. At Venice, December 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 33 
 
 26, 1850, Mr. Wheeler married Jane Barker, 
 daughter of John A. and Phebe (Ogden) 
 Barker, who was born at Venice, May 12, 
 1 82 1, and died January 5, 1894. They had 
 three children: the eldest, Charles Barker, 
 born December 27, 1851, married Frances 
 Munro, of Rochester, is a graduate of Will- 
 iams College, and a lawyer in successful prac- 
 tice in Buffalo; Allen Mosher, born January 
 22, 1853, died June 9, i860; Thirza Dilling- 
 ham, born January 22, 1857; died June 7, i860. 
 The death of Mrs. Wheeler after an illness 
 of several months called forth warm tributes 
 of affection and praise from her many friends 
 and associates in charitable work in Auburn. 
 In her young womanhood, as Miss Barker, she 
 was one of the most successful district school 
 teachers in Cayuga County. Shortly after 
 removing to this city Mrs. Wheeler became a 
 member of the Board of Managers of the Ca- 
 yuga Asylum for Destitute Children, and v/as 
 closely identified with its interests for nearly 
 twenty-eight years, being Recording Secre- 
 tary sixteen years. She was also long con- 
 nected with the management of the Home for 
 the Friendless, and was deeply and actively 
 interested in the Women's Educational and 
 Industrial Union, of which she was President 
 for several years. "She always strove to pro- 
 mote its interests, and to her untiring efforts 
 in the early history of this now flourishing 
 organization is due much of its success and 
 marked progress. At a special meeting of 
 the Union held on January 10, 1894, the fol- 
 lowing resolutions were adopted : — 
 
 "That we, members of the Auburn 
 
 Women's Educational and Industrial Union, 
 have heard with deep sorrow of the death of 
 our beloved friend and associate, Mrs. Jane 
 Barker Wheeler. From its organization she 
 has been a warm friend and firm believer in 
 the success of the work which her own active 
 efforts and generous liberality have done so 
 much to promote. In the offices held by her 
 as a member of the Board of Trustees and for 
 three years our honored President, she gave 
 faithful service, her sound judgment, rare 
 executive ability, and courage in the face of 
 difficulties making her invaluable as a leader 
 and guide. Our workers are falling, but the 
 work remains and goes on. The loss of such 
 a one from our ranks leaves a vacancy hard 
 to fill. Her gentle presence, her wise coun- 
 sel and ever ready helpfulness will be long 
 and sadly missed. But we recall her own 
 words. They came as a last message to in- 
 cite us to renewed activity in the cause she so 
 much loved: 'We must not relax our efforts 
 or lose our enthusiasm, and so fail to reap the 
 harvest for which such plentiful seed has been 
 sown.' A life so nobly spent needs no word 
 of praise, but it is the privilege of affection to 
 record the virtues and pay a last tribute to the 
 memory of one who will share our work on 
 earth no more. We are grateful for the les- 
 sons her life teaches of gentleness, of unsel- 
 fishness, and benevolence. Truly she has left 
 us an example. We deeply sympathize with 
 the surviving family, bereft of wife, mother, 
 and friend. May their hearts find comfort 
 that through faith and patience and suffer- 
 ing she has entered into rest." 
 
34 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Of the Women's Christian Temperence 
 Union in Auburn Mrs. Wheeler was one 
 of the first Presidents, and would have been 
 elected to the Presidency for the State, but 
 refused it in order to devote her time to 
 the home temperance work. She was also in- 
 terested in the Martha Washington Society, 
 and was long a member of the Central Presby- 
 terian Church, faithful in the discharge of her 
 home, her public, and social duties. "To a 
 charming personality was added a manner 
 sincere and unassuming, and the graces of 
 her noble Christian womanhood were always 
 apparent." 
 
 An excellent likeness of this estimable 
 lady may be seen beside that of her husband 
 on an adjoining page. 
 
 To a life of unusual business activity his 
 fellow-citizens have added public duties and 
 responsibilities, which Mr. Wheeler has 
 found time to discharge, it is believed, most 
 acceptably to all. He was four times in suc- 
 cession elected to the ofifice of Justice of the 
 Peace for the town of Venice, receiving on 
 the last occasion within two ballots of the 
 entire vote cast at the election. He con- 
 tinued to fill that ofifice until he removed to 
 Auburn. He also served two years as Super- 
 visor of the town. In 1881 he was elected 
 Mayor of Auburn. In 1883 he was re- 
 elected, and again in 1885, making six years 
 of continuous service. In the spring of 1889, 
 reluctantly accepting a fourth nomination for 
 the same ofifice, he was elected by a large 
 majority, and in March, 1891, finished the 
 eight years' service. In March, 1893, he was 
 
 made President of the Board of Water Com- 
 missioners of the City of Auburn, which posi- 
 tion he still holds. He has also become 
 quite prominent in military circles throughout 
 the State, on account of his efforts to estab- 
 lish the "Wheeler Rifles" and his connection 
 with this company, of which he was made 
 godfather. In fact, Mr. Wheeler has long 
 been identified with the business interests 
 and development of the beautiful city of his 
 adoption. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler is a gentleman of pleasing 
 address. His geniality invites acquaintance, 
 and his rare intelligence and kindly manners 
 inspire respect and friendship. His portrait, 
 which appears in connection with this biog- 
 raphy, will be of special interest to a large 
 circle of readers, who know him either per- 
 sonally or through his works, the products of 
 his inventive skill, whereby so many have 
 been richly profited. 
 
 W: 
 
 ILLIAM B. DeSHONG, a represen- 
 tative agriculturist of this part of 
 the county, is a well-known resident of the 
 town of Ledyard, where his fine and well- 
 appointed farm gives substantial evidence of 
 the excellent care and skill with which it is 
 managed, presenting a beautiful picture of 
 quiet country life, the abode of taste and re- 
 finement as well as of thrift and plenty. Mr. 
 DeShong is a native of Cayuga County, hav- 
 ing first opened his eyes to the beauty of this 
 world on the 19th of May, 1842, in the town 
 of Ledyard, being a son of Valencourt De- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 3S 
 
 Shong and a grandson of Henry G. DeShong, 
 who was a pioneer merchant of the village of 
 Levanna. 
 
 Henry G. DeShong was born in New Jersey 
 in the year i ^^6^ and spent the first few years 
 of his existence in the State of his nativity. 
 When a young man, he entered upon a mer- 
 cantile career, his first place of business being 
 in the city of Philadelphia, where he re- 
 mained but a few years before coming to New 
 York State. Coming directly to Cayuga 
 County, he opened a grocery store in Levanna, 
 and, subsequently buying land in the town of 
 Ledyard, carried on farming in conjunction 
 with his mercantile business, being for many 
 years closely identified with the industrial in- 
 terests of the town and village. He married 
 Rachel Dills, of Pennsylvania, whose only 
 child afterward became the wife of William 
 Crise. After the death of Rachel he married 
 her sister, Sally Dills; and both spent their 
 declining years on the parental homestead. 
 
 Valencourt DeShong was born during the 
 residence of his parents in Pennsylvania, 
 being a babe of three months when they 
 brought him on horseback to this county. 
 He was reared to manhood on his father's 
 farm, attending school whenever opportunity 
 offered, and assisting on the homestead at 
 other times. Being industrious arid economi- 
 cal, he began in early life to. accumulate 
 money, and invest it in land, his first purchase 
 being one hundred and sixty acres; and to 
 this he gradually added until at the time of 
 his death, in 1882, he was the owner of nine 
 hundred acres of as choice land as could be 
 
 found in the county. He was thoroughly 
 skilled in all matters pertaining to the culti- 
 vation of the soil, and, being a business man 
 of rare ability, made an unquestioned success 
 in his agricultural labors, and was ranked 
 among the foremost farmers of this region, 
 where his long and active life of seventy-four 
 years was spent. He married Maria L. Van 
 Buskirk, of Pennsylvania, who bore him three 
 children — Sarah, Henry B., and William B. 
 Sarah married Dr. N. B. Van Buskirk, of 
 whom a sketch is given in another part of this 
 biographical work. Henry B. married Eliza 
 Crise, a daughter of Henry G. and Ellen 
 (Dills) Crise, a sketch of whom may be found 
 elsewhere in this volume. 
 
 William B. DeShong received his prelimi- 
 nary education in the district schools of Led- 
 yard, supplementing that by study at the acad- 
 emy in Aurora, and during the days of his 
 youth and young manhood was practically 
 educated in the work of general husbandry. 
 At that time the toils of the field were ardu- 
 ous and almost endless, the labor-saving ma- 
 chinery of to-day being unknown; and to 
 successfully manage a large farm required in- 
 cessant industry, energetic perseverance, and 
 good judgment. Mr. DeShong proved him- 
 self possessed of all these, and, when called 
 upon to take charge of the parental homestead, 
 met with excellent results in his operations, 
 adding many and substantial improvements. 
 From the thrifty appearance of his farm it is 
 evident that he takes pride in his business, 
 his land being finely improved and under a 
 good state of cultivation, and well supplied 
 
36 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 with all the accessories of a first-class estate, 
 having a good set of farm buildings and an 
 ample supply of modern machinery to facili- 
 tate the otherwise slow and tedious work of 
 the farmer. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. DeShong and Miss 
 Carrie E. Lawrence was solemnized in 1881, 
 Mrs. DeShong being a daughter of Horace B. 
 and Mary A. Lawrence and a grand-daughter 
 of Dr. Asahel Lawrence, who was a graduate 
 of Amherst College. Dr. Lawrence came to 
 this county from Hartford, Conn., and settled 
 in what is now the village of Cayuga in the 
 year 1800. He followed Indian trails in his 
 practice, which extended as far west as 
 Rochester. He was the physician for the 
 Cayugas, and always a warm friend of the 
 tribe. His wife, Grace Dana Lawrence, be- 
 longed to the distinguished Dana family of 
 New York City, and was highly educated. 
 Mrs. DeShong is a woman of culture and re- 
 finement, whom it is a pleasure to meet in 
 social circles. She was graduated at the 
 Friends' Academy of Union Springs, and 
 afterwards for fourteen years was a valued 
 teacher in the high school of that village. 
 Into their pleasant household one son has 
 been born, Claude V., an intelligent and 
 active lad of eleven years. In politics Mr. 
 DeShong has always been identified with the 
 Republican party, and cast his first presiden- 
 tial vote in 1864 for Abraham Lincoln. He 
 is in all respects a worthy representative of 
 the enterprise, industry, and intelligence of 
 this county, and is a true and loyal citizen 
 and a valued member of society. 
 
 c? 
 
 |YRUS O. COOK, Pension Attorney 
 Government Claim Agent, comes 
 a family of illustrious ancestors, 
 from whom he inherits that love of freedom 
 and hatred of oppression which led him to 
 offer his services and fight gallantly for the 
 preservation of the nation. He was born in 
 Troy, N.Y., July 11, 1846, and is the son of 
 James M. and Eunice (Underwood) Cook, 
 natives of Rensselaer County. The Cooks 
 have been eminent in the history of the coun- 
 try, especially in the time of the colonies 
 and the Revolution. Mrs. Cook's family, the 
 Underwoods, came to this country from Scot- 
 land in the early part of the seventeenth 
 century, and located their home in Massachu- 
 setts, where they were closely connected with 
 the early life of the colony and prominent in 
 the politics of those days. They were strong 
 liberty lovers, and hated every kind of oppres- 
 sion, especially that of negro slavery, and 
 were so strong in the anti-slavery cause that 
 they never allowed any slaves kept within the 
 borders of their estates, even in those days 
 when this form of bond-service was a common 
 custom in New York. They were also strong 
 members of the Baptist church. Mrs. Cook 
 was born at Sand Lake, Rensselaer County, 
 N.Y., January, 1813, and was a daughter of 
 Reuben Underwood, a soldier in the War of 
 1812 and a shoemaker and dealer of Sand 
 Lake. 
 
 James M. Cook resided in Troy after his 
 marriage, where he was engaged in shipping. 
 He died at the time of the cholera epidemic 
 in 1849, at the age of thirty-six. After his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 37 
 
 death Mrs. Cook came with her father, Reu- 
 ben Underwood, to Auburn, where he had the 
 superintendence of the toll-gate on Clark 
 Street, Plank Road, the Underwoods being 
 stockholders in the toll road. Here she lived 
 until the time of her death, in i860. She left 
 a family of three sons: Edward E., who is 
 now Superintendent of Proof-room at the 
 State Printing Office at Albany; Cyrus O., of 
 Auburn; James M., Jr., who died in Ohio in 
 1865. 
 
 Cyrus O. Cook received a common school 
 education, and in his youth listened with the 
 greatest interest to the discussions of the time 
 upon political issues, so that, when the call 
 came for volunteers, he was ready to offer 
 himself for his country. He enlisted in Feb- 
 ruary, 1862, although he was not yet sixteen 
 years old ; and it was with much boyish pride 
 and manly enthusiasm that he became a mem- 
 ber of Company K of the Seventy-fifth New 
 York Volunteer Infantry. They were first 
 ordered to Pensacola, Fla. ; and then his com- 
 pany was ordered on detached garrison duty to 
 Fort Pickens, Santa Rosa Island, where they 
 were on duty until the following September. 
 They were then sent to join the regiment at 
 the barracks below New Orleans, where they 
 were soon made a part of the Reserve Brigade, 
 First Division, Nineteenth Army Corps, and 
 then went up the river. During this trip 
 Mr. Cook was taken seriously ill, and was left 
 behind at Carrollton. He soon recovered, 
 and joined his regiment again at Thibodeaux, 
 where the regiment was camped for the winter. 
 
 In the beginning of the year 1863 the regi- 
 
 ment accompanied General Banks on his first 
 Red River Expedition to Alexandria and back 
 to Simmesport on the Atchafalaya, thence by 
 way of the river to Port Hudson, and partici- 
 pated in the siege of that place from May 27 
 until June 14, 1863. Here Mr. Cook was 
 wounded, having his right thumb cut off close 
 to the hand, so that, much against his will,' 
 he was obliged to give up, and go to the Uni- 
 versity United States General Hospital at 
 New Orleans. After three weeks here, and 
 before his wound was fully healed, he was 
 given charge of one of the largest wards in 
 the hospital, which ward contained sixty-three 
 men. This was a great responsibility for a 
 boy of seventeen, and it shows the respect in 
 which he was held by his superiors. After 
 six months of this work, he was ordered to the 
 Veteran Reserve Corps, when he managed, 
 after a little sharp practice in using his dis- 
 abled hand, to get back into the ranks, keep- 
 ing his hand covered when he was examined. 
 At length he rejoined his regiment at New 
 Iberia; and, when soon after the regiment 
 re-enlisted, he was ruled off on account of his 
 hand, and with other veterans was transferred 
 to the Fourteenth New York Cavalry, and 
 went on Banks's second expedition with the 
 cattle-drivers of the Second Brigade. He 
 then, after the defeat at Sabine Cross Roads, 
 returned by way of Morganzia to Carrollton. 
 Being again disabled by illness, he was sent 
 back to University Hospital; and, after he 
 had partially recovered, he was given a posi- 
 tion as Orderly of the hospital. This he re- 
 tained until December 8, 1864, when he was 
 
38 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 honorably discharged on account of general 
 disability and the numerous wounds he had 
 received in his long service of two years and 
 eleven months. 
 
 Returning then to Auburn, after a few 
 months of rest he engaged in farming, but 
 soon found that his health did not allow of 
 any heavy work; and for four months more he 
 recruited, and then engaged in the painting 
 business. After his marriage in 1865 he re- 
 moved with his family to Toledo, Ohio, and 
 engaged in farming. In 1867 he returned to 
 Auburn, and once more took up the trade of 
 painter and decorator, remaining here until 
 1870, when he went to Seneca Falls, where 
 he carried on the same business for five years. 
 He again removed to Auburn in 1876, and 
 has since resided here. He first began his 
 work with pensions in 1877, beginning simply 
 to assist friends; and, finding himself success- 
 ful, he adopted it as a regular business in 
 1890, and now has become the leading Pen- 
 sion Agent in the city. Mr. Cook has also 
 been Census Enumerator. 
 
 Mr. Cook was married September 13, 1865, 
 to Miss Alice Goff, of Jordan, N.Y., who was 
 born July 18, 1850, daughter of William J. 
 and Louisa (Converse) Goff, and was well 
 educated in the public schools. Her father 
 was a cabinet manufacturer, and belonged to 
 one of the pioneer families of the town. Mrs. 
 Cook is the mother of nine children, namely : 
 Rose, who is the wife of Rev. D. S. Brown 
 of the Presbyterian church at Pike, Wyoming 
 County, N.Y., and who has one child, Bea- 
 trice, born October, 1887; Clara E.; Amos 
 
 W., commercial traveller; Eddie J., who died 
 when four years of age; Pearl; Edith; Lyla; 
 Keta; and David, who died November 7, 
 1893, at the age of three years. 
 
 Mr. Cook was formerly Adjutant of the 
 Union Veterans' Union, which is not active 
 now. He is also, as might well be expected, 
 an active member of the Grand Army, being 
 a member of Crocker Post, G. A. R. The 
 numbers of the veterans of the late war are 
 becoming smaller every year; and it is inter- 
 esting to note here one who can tell his per- 
 sonal experiences, and who passed through so 
 many thrilling scenes and saw so much active 
 service. He went from his home a smooth- 
 faced lad, with the thoughts and feelings of 
 a boy, and came home a man, old not in 
 years, but in experience; and in the three 
 years spent upon the battlefield, in the camp, 
 and in the hospital, he saw more of life and 
 its sadness and glory than many men see in a 
 life of threescore years and ten. That experi- 
 ence has fitted him for the different enter- 
 prises he has since undertaken, and has made 
 it possible for him to be of great use to his 
 fellow-townsmen. It is the earnest wish that 
 his life may be preserved for many years, and 
 that this veteran of the war may long be 
 looked up to as one of those who went will- 
 ingly to the front, ready to sacrifice every- 
 thing in the name of liberty and union. 
 
 /i>s 
 
 USTAV A. HENRY. Many of the 
 \P_L rnost thriving and enterprising 
 farmers of Cayuga County have come from the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 39 
 
 land beyond the sea, and of this number Mr. 
 Henry is a worthy representative. He was 
 born August 15, 1837, ^^ Southern Prussia, 
 which was also the place of nativity of his 
 progenitors for several generations. His 
 grandfather, Clements Henry, was a land- 
 holder there, and carried on a large brewery 
 in the same place, and was for many years 
 considered one of the wealthiest men in the 
 province. He met a premature death when 
 fifty years of age, being so severely scalded 
 that he died from his injuries. His wife 
 lived to a good old age. They reared a fam- 
 ily of six children — three boys and three 
 girls. 
 
 The parents of the subject of this brief 
 sketch, Thomas and Genevieve (Maichle) 
 Henry, were life-long residents of Prussia, the 
 father dying there at the age of forty-one 
 years; while his wife, who survived him, 
 lived to be sixty-five years old. Thomas 
 Henry was a man of some means, and carried 
 on a good business in general farming. To 
 him and his wife were born a family of five 
 children — three sons and two daughters, the 
 latter of whom both died when quite young. 
 Of the two brothers of Gustav, Fred still lives 
 in the Fatherland, and is actively engaged 
 in farming on the paternal homestead. The 
 other brother, William G., left home many 
 years ago ; and, not having been heard from 
 since, he is supposed to be dead. 
 
 Gustav A. Henry, it is needless to say, 
 received a good education in his native land, 
 and at the age of fourteen years, being of 
 an adventurous spirit, determined to seek 
 
 his fortune in America, the land of liberty. 
 Taking passage on the ship "Corinth" July 
 30, 1852, he landed in New York City after 
 a stormy voyage of sixty days. Proceeding to 
 Albany, he stayed there about six weeks. 
 Then, procuring work in a broom-corn factory, 
 he remained in the employment of the man- 
 ager for six months, receiving four dollars a 
 month wages. Subsequently finding work as 
 a farm laborer, he continued in the employ of 
 one man four years and four months. The 
 following eight or nine years he worked at 
 various industries ; and, being a young man of 
 good habits, industrious and faithful, frugal 
 in his expenditures, and wise in his savings, 
 he accumulated quite a sum of money. Com- 
 ing next to Cayuga County, he engaged in 
 carting in the city of Auburn, and continued 
 in that business seven years. In 1867 Mr. 
 Henry settled in the town of Cato, and, in- 
 vesting his hard-earned money in one hundred 
 and thirty acres of land, has since improved 
 the fine homestead where he now lives. With 
 characteristic perseverance and diligent labor 
 he has carried on mixed farming with unques- 
 tioned ability and success, having made the 
 many excellent improvements on the place 
 himself, his property now ranking among the 
 most valuable and well-kept estates in the 
 vicinity. 
 
 The union of Gustav A. Henry with Miss 
 Mary V. Neher, who was born in Germany in 
 1834, was solemnized July i, 1859. Their 
 pleasant household circle has been gradually 
 increased by the birth of thirteen children, of 
 whom six sons and two daughters are now liv- 
 
40 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ing, namely: Fred A., the eldest, resides in 
 Astoria, Ore., and in company with his 
 brother Frank, the third of the group, is a 
 dealer in real estate; William J., the second, 
 who lives in Auburn, N.Y., devotes his time 
 to the Columbian Knife and Bar Works, in 
 which he is a stockholder; John G. and 
 Charles M. are mechanics, employed in the 
 knife factory at Auburn; a daughter, Jennie, 
 is a dressmaker, and with a younger brother, 
 Gustav, Jr., and a sister, Mary E., lives at 
 home. 
 
 During their long residence in Cato Mr. 
 and Mrs. Henry have won the confidence of 
 their neighbors and friends, and are respected 
 by all for their many noble traits of character. 
 
 They are members of the Catholic church of 
 Cato, and in their daily lives exemplify the 
 truths therein taught. In local affairs Mr. 
 Henry takes an intelligent interest. He is a 
 strong Republican in, politics, and socially is 
 a member of the Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen of Cato. 
 
 C^ 
 
 ^HARLES F. GUION, Recorder of the 
 city of Auburn, Cayuga County, 
 N.Y., was born December 3, 1838, 
 at Meriden, Conn., and is the son of the Rev. 
 John Marshall Guion and Elizabeth Ives, his 
 wife, the family being of Huguenot descent. 
 The Rev. John Guion was an Episcopalian 
 clergyman, who was for some years settled at 
 New Britain. In i860 the family moved to 
 Seneca Falls, N.Y., where Mr. Guion was 
 rector of Trinity Church until the time of 
 
 his death, which occurred in 1876, leaving a 
 widow and five children, three sons and two 
 daughters, namely: John M. Guion, who died 
 at Seneca Falls in 1892; George Murray 
 Guion, now a resident of Chicago; Mrs. 
 Lansing Hoskins; Amelia B. Guion, also a 
 resident of Seneca Falls; and Charles F. 
 Guion, the subject of this biographical 
 mention. 
 
 Charles F. Guion received a good education 
 at the high school of New Britain, Conn., 
 and upon the conclusion of his scholastic 
 career was engaged from i860 to 1865 in the 
 drug business at Seneca Falls, having taken 
 the business from his brother, who was a vol- 
 unteer in the late war. In 1866 Mr. Guion 
 removed to Auburn, where he was engaged in 
 the manufacturing business, his establishment 
 being located in what is now the western part 
 of Auburn, but at that time being known as 
 part of the town of Aurelius. In 1868 it was 
 incorporated in the town of Auburn as the 
 Seventh Ward; and in 1870 Mr. Guion repre- 
 sented that ward in the Board of Aldermen, 
 serving in that capacity until 1878, when the 
 city was redistricted. In 1880 he was elected 
 Supervisor from the Eighth Ward, serving 
 three terms, and in 1883 received the appoint- 
 ment of Recorder for the city of Auburn in 
 succession to Mr. Cootes, who died soon after 
 his election. Mr. Guion has served in an of- 
 cial capacity during the greater part of his 
 residence in this city. Mr. Guion is a mem- 
 ber of Cayuga Lodge Knights of Pythias, and 
 is also a member of the Auburn Exempt Fire- 
 men's Association. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 41 
 
 Mr. Guion was married December 3, 1862, 
 to Miss Frances Augusta Milk, daughter of 
 Charles G. Milk, of this city. Three charm- 
 ing daughters are the fruit of the union, 
 namely: Frances A., wife of Fred N. 
 Whaley, of Auburn; Ella Gertrude; and 
 Elizabeth I. Guion. Both Mr. and Mrs. 
 Guion are Episcopalians, and are members 
 and supporters of St. Peter's Church. Mr. 
 Guion has ever been ready to devote his time 
 and attention to the interests of the city, and 
 that his work has been duly appreciated is 
 proved by his long tenure of office in the 
 various and important public positions to 
 which he has been elected by his fellow- 
 citizens. 
 
 <»■• > 
 
 "ARMON VAN PATTEN, a very 
 pleasant and agreeable farmer, living 
 near Sterling Station, cherishes a 
 great interest in biographical matters. In 
 any list of names attached to projects of pub- 
 lic welfare his signature is always at the 
 head, and he is never so happy as when help- 
 ing somebody else. Indeed, he is identified 
 with the interests of the town, where he was 
 born, near his present residence, April 10, 
 
 1833- 
 
 His great-grandfather, Nicholas Van Pat- 
 ten, lived many years in Albany County, in 
 the town of Guilderland, where he died. His 
 grandfather, John Van Patten, who was also 
 a farmer in Guilderland, had a son Christian, 
 born May 30, 1801 ; but later John came to 
 Cayuga County. Christian Van Patten also 
 came to Sterling after his marriage; and both 
 
 he and his father were among the earliest set- 
 tlers, clearing one hundred and fifty acres. 
 There Christian Van Patten lived till 1862, 
 and then made his home with his son Har- 
 mon, at whose house he died in April, 1893, 
 at the advanced age of ninety-two. Chris- 
 tian Van Patten's wife, Mary Relyea, with 
 whom he lived seventy-two years, was from an 
 Albany County agricultural family, a daugh- 
 ter of David and Ellen (Lagrange) Relyea, 
 neighbors of the Van Patten family, into 
 which Mary married. The Relyea chil- 
 dren were: Mynard; David, named for his 
 father; James; Abraham; Nancy; Madeline; 
 Mary, who became Mrs. Van Patten; Jane; 
 and Anna. The parents, David and Ellen 
 Relyea, were members of the Dutch Reformed 
 church, and died where they had always lived, 
 at the ages respectively of seventy-two and 
 sixty-nine. 
 
 Mrs. Mary Relyea Van Patten — still liv- 
 ing at the great age of ninety-three — is in 
 wonderful possession of all her faculties, 
 especially memory, and is a great reader. 
 Many facts in this sketch are of her contribu- 
 tion; for she keenly recalls her arrival here 
 with her young husband, when both had to 
 put their shoulders to the wheel. Her life 
 has been not only busy, but happy; and she 
 has borne fourteen children, two only dying 
 in infancy, and the following being still alive: 
 Margaret Ann, married to Wesley Hendrick, 
 of Wolcott; James; Ellen Mary, named for 
 her mother, and married to Alonzo Walsworth, 
 of Sterling; Nancy, married to Charles B. 
 Lyons, of Sterling; David, named for his ma- 
 
42 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ternal grandfather; Susan Jane, married to 
 George Blackwell, of Illinois; Rachel, mar- 
 ried to Lewis S. Marvon, of Sterling; Har- 
 mon, the special subject of this sketch; 
 Myndert; and Isabella. 
 
 Harmon was educated in the district school 
 and at Red Creek Academy. At twenty-one 
 he left home, and for nine years lived and 
 worked on another farm, one mile from his 
 present estate, to which in 1865 he returned, 
 and has been ever since devoted to its culti- 
 vation. In 1855, at the age of twenty-two, 
 he married for his first wife a distant kins- 
 woman, Rachel Relyea, daughter of Joseph 
 Relyea, a prominent dealer in agricultural 
 implements in Albany. She died in i860, 
 after five happy years of wedlock, leaving one 
 child, Cora Adell. Two years after Mr. Van 
 Patten married Caroline Matilda, daughter of 
 Ansel Abbott, of Wayne County, New York. 
 
 To go back a generation, Christian Van 
 Patten was five years Supervisor, and for many 
 years Justice of Peace. As a leader and elder 
 in the Presbyterian church, he has filled all 
 sorts of offices, and was elected a mem- 
 ber of the Assembly in 1844. His widow 
 has belonged to the same church for three- 
 quarters of a century, and every Sunday 
 attends divine worship, though the meeting- 
 house is located five miles away. It is nat- 
 ural that their son Harmon should also belong 
 to this church. He is likewise a member of 
 Fair Haven Lodge of Odd Fellows, No. 481, 
 and of the Ancient Order of United Work- 
 men. He is an adherent of the Republican 
 party, and has been Overseer of the Poor, 
 
 though caring naught for public office. In 
 
 fact, modesty is a notable trait in his nature; 
 
 but this rather enhances than lessens his 
 
 worth. 
 
 — < < ■ ■ I — - — 
 
 ,EV. BENONI I. IVES, D.D. True 
 religion consists not in a nice ortho- 
 doxy, but in a sincere love of truth 
 and in a hearty approbation of and compliance 
 with doctrines fundamentally good; not in 
 vain flourishes of outward performance, but in 
 an inward good complexion of mind; not in a 
 furious zeal for trivial circumstances, but in 
 a conscionable practising the substantial parts 
 of religion. Such has ever been the purpose 
 and life-work of the subject of the present 
 sketch, the Rev. Benoni I. Ives, D.D., of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Dr. Ives is of New England ancestry, his 
 grandfather, Josiah Ives, who was from Wy- 
 oming, Pa., having come to this State from 
 Vermont. Dr. Ives's father, Orin Ives, a 
 farmer by occupation, served through the 
 War of 18 12 under General Scott, being pres- 
 ent at the battle of Lundy's Lane and many 
 other important engagements. While still a 
 young man, he came to Tompkins County, New 
 York, and was there united in marriage to 
 Miss Mary Gibbs, a native of New Jersey. 
 Their son, Benoni I., was born in Lansing, 
 Tompkins County, January 2, 1822. His 
 father afterward removed to Stockbridge, 
 Ingham County, Mich. The lad received 
 his early education at the common school of 
 Lansing, N.Y., and while quite young went 
 to Michigan for three years, returning to this 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 43 
 
 State on account of the superior educational 
 advantages it afforded, attending the Macedon 
 Academy in Wayne County. When twenty 
 years of age, he experienced religion, being 
 converted at Belvidere, N.J., and, feeling that 
 he was called to the work of the ministry, 
 immediately entered upon a course of prepa- 
 ration for the same, being admitted on proba- 
 tion at the Conference at Utica in 1845. 
 
 After two years Mr. Ives was ordained 
 Deacon, being advanced to Eldership at the 
 expiration of four years. His first charges 
 were at Fleming and Stockbridge, at the 
 latter place having a wonderful revival, re- 
 ceiving two hundred persons into the church, 
 four of whom afterward became ministers, 
 one being the noted Rev. Dr. Warren, editor 
 of the Advocate at Syracuse. His next charge 
 was at Utica; and during his pastorship 
 there he organized a new society, and built 
 the New South Street Church. Coming to 
 Auburn in 1854, he was made pastor of the 
 First Church, which was his first residence in 
 this city. During his pastorate in Auburn, 
 he organized what is now the Wall Street 
 Church, of which he was pastor for three 
 years. In December, 1856, he was appointed 
 Chaplain to the Prison, retaining that posi- 
 tion for some eleven years, for three years of 
 the time also serving the Wall Street Church. 
 In 1868 he was appointed Presiding Elder of 
 the Auburn District for four years. At that 
 time the district had thirty-two charges. Dr. 
 Ives holding quarterly meetings. He also 
 held nine camp-meeetings in the district, 
 which were blessed with great success. 
 
 At the close of his Presiding Eldership of 
 this district, and at the request of the Board 
 of Bishops of the Conference, he took such a 
 relation to the Conference as allowed him to 
 devote his time to the dedication of churches, 
 of which kind of work he had already done a 
 great deal during his ministerial life. In the 
 prosecution of this work, during the first eight 
 years he travelled an average of twenty-four 
 thousand miles a year in railroad cars, dedi- 
 cating full one hundred churches a year in 
 Canada and the States. In this vast territory 
 he has dedicated in the neighborhood of two 
 thousand and fifty churches, and been instru- 
 mental in raising millions of money to meet 
 the expenses of their erection. In very many 
 cases -he has gone outside his own denomina- 
 tion, working with the Presbyterians, Congre- 
 gationalists, and Baptists, assisting the Rev. 
 Dr. Talmage in dedicating the three Taberna- 
 cles that were destroyed by fire. On three 
 occasions he has had charge of the State and 
 International Camp Meetings at Round Lake. 
 For two years he was agent of the Syracuse 
 University, and has been one of the Charter 
 Trustees since its organization, taking an ac- 
 tive and successful part in the raising of funds 
 for the University. He was Presiding Elder of 
 the Syracuse District for four years, which is 
 one of the most important districts, and was 
 also Presiding Elder of the Geneva District 
 for six years, which occupied him until 1892. 
 He is at the present time Secretary of the 
 Conference Endowment Fund, and is still 
 actively engaged in the dedication of 
 churches. 
 
44 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 The Rev. Mr. Ives received his degree of 
 D.D. from the Illinois Wesleyan University 
 in 1873. He is undoubtedly one of the 
 most powerful and magnetic speakers the 
 Methodist Episcopal church has ever had, 
 and is held in the highest estimation by the 
 members of that and other bodies. He has 
 always been earnestly interested in the tem- 
 perance cause, being at one time head of the 
 Sons of Temperance in the State of New 
 York, and has given temperance a most prom- 
 inent part all through his public life. He 
 was largely influential in bringing about lay 
 representation in the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and was four times a delegate to the 
 General Conference, the highest body in the 
 church. Dr. Ives has also played an active 
 part in the political world, being one of the 
 delegates to form the Republican party in his 
 State, and one of the committee to form its 
 platform at the Convention at Syracuse in the 
 summer of 1855. He had most intimate rela- 
 tions with all the strong Republican leaders 
 of that time from one end of the land to the 
 other, as for ten years, from 1856 to 1866, he 
 went over the State many times from Buffalo 
 to New York City, delivering political 
 speeches, Horace Greeley saying of him that 
 "he was the ablest platform speaker of the 
 Republican party." He was also engaged in 
 the Lincoln and Grant Presidential cam- 
 paigns. 
 
 Dr. Ives has been twice married. By his 
 first wife he had one son, Frank B., now a 
 prominent business man in this city. By his 
 second marriage, with Miss Julia Hosmer, 
 
 daughter of William Hosmer, the noted aboli- 
 tionist editor, he has two children: William 
 Hosmer Ives, a graduate of Syracuse Uni- 
 versity, and now teaching in the Stevens In- 
 stitute, Hoboken, a graduate of May, 1894, in 
 the law department of the University of 
 New York City ; and Julia Belle Ives a grad- 
 uate of Mt. Holyoke College and also of the 
 Syracuse University. 
 
 Dr. Ives has made his residence at No. 1 1 1 
 South Street, Auburn, for thirty years; and 
 it may be confidently stated that no man is 
 more respected by his fellow-citizens. He 
 early found that he had a mission to perform 
 in this world for which his talents precisely 
 fitted him, and, having found out what that 
 mission was, has thrown into it all the ener- 
 gies of his soul, seeking its accomplishment, 
 not his own glory. 
 
 ENRY TOSH, Postmaster at Fox 
 Ridge, having held the position ever 
 since the office was established here 
 in March, 1886, also station agent for the 
 New York Central Railroad at this point, 
 is a well-known citizen of Montezuma, and a 
 potent factor of the agricultural element of 
 this part of Cayuga County, of which he has 
 been a resident since two years of age. He 
 was born in Oswego County, New York, 
 April 17, 1857, being a son of James E. and 
 Mary J. (Carver^ Tosh, the former of whom 
 was born in Cayuga County, September 7, 
 1820, and the latter, February 15, 1833, ii^ the 
 town of Montezuma. Allen Tosh, the father 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 45 
 
 of James E., was a farmer by calling, devot- 
 ing the larger part of his life to that peaceful 
 vocation, in which he was quite successful. 
 Mr. Tosh and his wife Nellie passed their last 
 years near Cayuga County, he dying at the 
 age of sixty-three years, and she when sixty 
 years old. Their household circle comprised 
 nine children, of whom only two are now liv- 
 ing: Mrs. Mary Bain; and Johanna Tosh, of 
 Auburn, N.Y. 
 
 James E. Tosh was educated at the Aurora 
 High School and the Cayuga Academy. 
 Reaching manhood, he decided on an agri- 
 cultural career, and, buying sixty-five acres of 
 land in Oswego County, carried on mixed hus- 
 bandry there for five years. Selling that 
 property, Mr. Tosh then removed to Cayuga 
 County, and in 1856 bought the homestead 
 where his widow now resides. It contained 
 ninety-six acres of good land, which he man- 
 aged in a practical and able manner until the 
 time of his decease, which occurred May 19, 
 1884. He was a man of sound common sense, 
 possessing good judgment and ability, and, 
 being well versed in agricultural lore, brought 
 his homestead under a good state of cultiva- 
 tion, rendering it as productive and profitable 
 as any in the vicinity. He occupied a lead- 
 ing position among the honored residents of 
 his community, being a man of high moral 
 principles, liberal in his religious beliefs, a 
 Republican in politics, and a member of 
 Cayuga Lodge, A. F. & A. M. 
 
 He married Mary J. Carver, a daughter of 
 Jesse and Lotta (Ball) Carver, the former 
 having been a native of Catskill, N.Y., and 
 
 his wife a native of Montezuma. Mrs. Tosh 
 was a descendant of one of the original set- 
 tlers of this town, Samuel Ball, her maternal 
 grandfather, having come here nearly one 
 hundred years ago, when this part of the State 
 was a comparative wilderness. He found his 
 way to these wilds by following the Indian 
 trail, or a path marked by blazed trees, set- 
 tling here at a time when the bears, deer, 
 wolves, and other wild beasts, alone disputed 
 the rights of the Indians to the sole posses- 
 sion of the territory. He bought land of the 
 government, and, improving a homestead, here 
 passed his remaining days, having in the 
 mean time been largely instrumental in de- 
 veloping the resources and promoting the 
 growth of the town. James Tosh and his 
 wife reared four children, two of whom — 
 Henry and Mary — -are now living. One son, 
 Allen, died at the early age of twenty-two 
 years. He was a finely educated young man, 
 having been graduated from Port Byron Acad- 
 emy, after which he taught school one year, 
 when, his health failing, he sought the in- 
 vigorating though mild climate of Colorado; 
 but the hoped for relief came not, and he 
 soon afterward passed away in Denver. Jesse 
 died at the age of twenty-seven years. He 
 was a prosperous farmer. 
 
 Henry Tosh is a man of versatile talents, 
 and has been engaged in various occupations. 
 On reaching his majority, he began the battle 
 of life on his own account. Entering the 
 employment of Hiram Sibley, the well-known 
 seedsman of Rochester, N.Y., he became 
 superintendent of Fox Ridge and Savannah 
 
46 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 farms, Rowland Island, comprising four thou- 
 sand acres of land, and having at times as 
 many as forty-six men under his supervision. 
 This responsible position he held ten years, 
 one of his duties being to take charge of the 
 money and pay the workmen. Mr. Tosh has 
 also been largely engaged in public works, he 
 having built the bridge between Wayne and 
 Cayuga Counties, a substantial structure, thir- 
 teen hundred and eighty feet in length. In 
 1889 he left the employ of Mr. Sibley, and 
 since that time has been profitably engaged 
 in agriculture. He settled on a part of the 
 parental homestead, now owning eighty acres 
 of it, and in addition to this rents one hundred 
 and twenty acres of land, thus having two 
 hundred acres of good land under his control. 
 He owns and runs a steam hay-press. He 
 is an energetic and systematic agriculturist, 
 and has uniformly met with success in his 
 undertakings, being now in the enjoyment of 
 a comfortable competency, and is station 
 agent for the New York Central Railway 
 Company at this point. Mr. Tosh is also 
 warmly interested in local matters, and has 
 served at different times as Assessor of the 
 town, having been first elected when twenty- 
 two years old, and is now filling the office for 
 the third term. In politics he casts his vote 
 in support of the Democratic party. He 
 is a member of Montezuma Lodge, No. 176, 
 A. F. & A. M., and Port Byron Lodge, Morris 
 Chapter, and 156 K. A. M. Both he and his 
 wife are consistent members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. Their pleasant home, 
 which he erected in 1889, is the centre of a 
 
 gracious hospitality and a favorite place of 
 resort for their many friends. 
 
 On the 31st of March, 1883, Mr. Tosh was 
 united in marriage to Sarah Shotz, who was 
 born in Port Byron, June 10, 1865, a daughter 
 of George and Catherine Shotz, both of whom 
 are still living in Port Byron, where Mr. 
 Shotz is prosperously engaged in the grocery 
 trade. Mr. and Mrs. Tosh are the parents of 
 three children, as follows: Nellie, born Feb- 
 ruary 26, 1884; Allen H., born March 29, 
 1885; and Genevieve, born February 27, 
 1890. 
 
 Ji 
 
 R. FREDERICK H. PARKER, 
 physician and surgeon of Auburn, 
 Cayuga County, N.Y., was born in 
 Moravia in this county, April 19, 1855, son 
 of Edward D. and Mary E. (Field) Parker. 
 The family originally came from England to 
 this country. The great-grandfather of the 
 present generation, John, served with distinc- 
 tion in the Revolutionary War. The grand- 
 father David was a resident of Massachusetts, 
 and also for a time lived in Cayuga County. 
 Edward D., the father of the subject of this 
 sketch, was born at Billerica, Mass., and set- 
 tled in this county about 1850. His wife 
 was a native of Moravia, and was the daughter 
 of Elijah S. Field, a descendant of one of the 
 oldest families of Massachusetts. Her father 
 was assassinated in 1873, while acting in the 
 capacity of jailer. Edward D. Parker was a 
 tanner by trade, also owning a farm. He was 
 a veteran of the late Rebellion, serving first 
 with the Nineteenth New York Volunteer 
 
Frederick H. Parker. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 49 
 
 Infantry and afterward with the One Hun- 
 dred and Forty-seventh Volunteer Infantry, 
 being Captain in Company C in the latter 
 regiment, serving in that capacity until he 
 was wounded at the battle of Gettysburg, 
 when he was put into the Veteran .Reserve 
 Corps stationed at Concord, N.H., and re- 
 mained there until the close of the war. 
 During the latter part of his life he was en- 
 gaged in the wholesale liquor business at 
 Auburn. He was Alderman for the city of 
 Auburn, and was also a member of the Ma- 
 sonic Order. He died May ii, 1889. Mrs. 
 Parker died in 1868, leaving a family of three 
 children, namely: Frederick H.; Susie M., 
 married to George B. Wright; and Edward F., 
 who succeeded his father in the business. 
 
 The subject of this sketch received his edu- 
 cation in Oswego County, where the family 
 went in i860, remaining there until the close 
 of the war, and at the common and high 
 schools of Auburn. He was graduated at the 
 Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in 1877, 
 and spent some time in the compounding of 
 drugs. He afterward went to the medical 
 department of the University of the City of 
 New York, where he received his degree of 
 M.D. in 1881, and after a competitive exami- 
 nation was engaged for two years in the hos- 
 pitals of New York City, being at the Ran- 
 dall's Island Hospital for eighteen months, 
 and at the Bellevue Hospital, Outdoor Poor 
 Department for diseases of women. New 
 York Eye Infirmary, and the De Milt Dispen- 
 sary. After a thorough and complete prepara- 
 tion of nearly five years, in addition to his 
 
 previous pharmaceutical training, he located 
 his office in Auburn, where he has gained a 
 large practice, giving especial attention to the 
 diseases of women and children and diseases 
 of the eye. He is Attending Surgeon at the 
 Auburn City Hospital. 
 
 Dr. Parker was married September 12, 
 1883, to Miss Emily M. Olmsted of this city, 
 and has three children Susette — Louise, Mer- 
 rill Olmsted, and Frederick Sherman. He 
 is an attendant and supporter of the First 
 Presbyterian Church, of which his wife is a 
 member. 
 
 Dr. Parker has been a Health Officer of the 
 city for two and one-half years, and at present 
 is a member of the Board of Education, of 
 which in 1892 he was President. He has 
 always taken especial interest in various im- 
 portant secret organizations, being a member 
 of Auburn Lodge, No. 431, A. F. & A. M., 
 in which he holds the position of Past Master; 
 also a member of David's Chapter, No. 34, 
 and of the Salem Town Commandery, No. 16, 
 of which he is Captain-general. He is be- 
 sides a Noble of the Mystic Shrine of Damas- 
 cus Temple of Rochester, N.Y. 
 
 Dr. Parker has gained an extended reputa- 
 tion in the practice of his profession, his 
 long-continued studies and his wide experi- 
 ence giving him a knowledge and skill that 
 have won the confidence and esteem of his 
 patients, and have placed him in the front 
 ranks of the many noted medical men of the 
 city of Auburn. 
 
 The accompanying portrait of Dr. Freder- 
 ick H. Parker shows him in the prime of 
 
5° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 vigorous, active manhood, having before him, 
 it is to be trusted, many more years of hon- 
 ored usefulness in his wisely chosen and 
 faithfully followed profession. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM HOXIE was for nearly 
 fourscore years a resident of Cayuga 
 County, having been brought to Scipio by his 
 parents when only two years old; and from 
 that time until his death, which occurred in 
 1890, when he was seventy-eight years of age, 
 he was an interested witness of the various 
 changes that here took place, watching with 
 delight the rapid transformation of the heav- 
 ily timbered land into a rich and productive 
 agricultural country, and aiding by every 
 means within his power its growth and ad- 
 vancement. He was a native of New York, 
 born in Washington County in 181 2, being 
 a son of Joseph Hoxie, whose birth occurred 
 in the town of Easton. Washington County 
 was also the place of nativity of Joseph's 
 father, Zebulon Hoxie, who was a thrifty 
 farmer. He married Alice Hall; and both 
 spent their entire lives in that part of the 
 State, where they were prominent members of 
 the Society of Friends, as Mr. Hoxie's par- 
 ents, Zebulon, Sr., and Sarah Hoxie, of 
 Beekman, .Dutchess County, N.Y., had been 
 before them. 
 
 In 1806 Joseph Hoxie was united in mar- 
 riage to Eleanor Allen, the daughter of Ama- 
 ziah Allen, of Scipio; and eight years later 
 he removed with his family to Cayuga 
 County. Crossing the country with teams. 
 
 which were then the only means of land com- 
 munication, he came directly to the town of 
 Scipio, where he purchased eighty-two acres 
 of land. The only improvement on the prop- 
 erty was a house which had formerly been 
 used as a tavern. In common with the other 
 pioneers, he labored with untiring energy to 
 improve his land, and, as the years rolled by, 
 found himself possessed of a comfortable 
 homestead, well under cultivation. Moving 
 the original dwelling back, he built a sub- 
 stantial frame house and convenient farm 
 buildings, and there spent his declining years 
 in quiet contentment. His wife, who sur- 
 vived him, died in 1869, at the ripe old age of 
 fourscore years. Both were conscientious 
 members of the Friends' Society, in their 
 upright, unostentatious, peaceful lives prac- 
 tising the serene virtues of their faith. They 
 reared the following children: Allen, Zebu- 
 lon, Hannah, William, Sarah, Susan, and 
 Mary Jane. 
 
 William, the fourth of these, was educated 
 in the district schools of Scipio, and early in 
 life began to assist in the pioneer labor of 
 clearing a farm from the wilderness. Early 
 and late, with undiminished energy, he 
 worked as soon as physically able, felling the 
 giant progeny of the forest, upturning the 
 sod, planting the seed, and in harvest time 
 reaping the crops. In this manner he ob- 
 tained a practical knowledge of the various 
 branches of agriculture while young in years; 
 and, choosing farming as his life occupation, 
 he remained under the parental roof-tree, and 
 after the death of his father in 1851 he bought 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 SI 
 
 out the interest of the other heirs, and con- 
 tinued in its management. Thorough and 
 systematic in his methods, able and skilful in 
 his operations, and wise and judicious in the 
 use of his money, he made an unquestioned 
 success in his agricultural labors. From the 
 original homestead he sold forty acres of land; 
 and at the time of his decease he owned a 
 valuable farm of one hundred and sixteen 
 acres, all of which was in a good state of cul- 
 tivation, yielding a good income. In all of 
 his business transactions he was straightfor- 
 ward and fair dealing, and enjoyed in a 
 marked degree the confidence and good will of 
 his fellow-citizens and associates. In his 
 domestic life he was a kind husband and 
 father, attentive to the welfare of his house- 
 hold, where his kind presence was a daily 
 benediction, and will ever be missed. In the 
 Friends' Meeting he and his family always 
 worshipped, being esteemed members. 
 
 The maiden name of his wife, to whom he 
 was united in marriage March 17, 1854, was 
 Phoebe L. Battey, the daughter of Benjamin 
 and Mary (Leggett) Battey, of Vermont. 
 The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Hoxie 
 were Nicholas and Thankful (Baker) Battey, 
 natives of the Green Mountain State, while 
 her maternal grandparents were Charles and 
 Phoebe (Willson) Leggett, natives of Warren 
 County, New York; and all were members of 
 the Society of Friends. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hoxie reared four daugh- 
 ters — Mary E., Frances, Lillian E., and 
 Dorinda L. — two of whom are married. 
 Frances is the wife of Allington W. Wat- 
 
 kins, of Scipio; and Lillian E., of James M. 
 King, also of this town. The recent birth of 
 Phoebe M. King, a child of rare beauty and 
 promise, the first-born of James and Lillian, 
 is naturally a cause of great rejoicing in the 
 King and Hoxie households. 
 
 WARREN MEAD, Under-sheriff of 
 Cayuga County, was born in the town 
 of Genoa, Cayuga County, N.Y., No- 
 vember 2, 1845, aiid is the son of James and 
 Nancy (Tupper) Mead. His great-grand- 
 father, an elder James Mead, came to Genoa 
 in 1798, and took up what was known as a 
 Revolutionary land claim, he having been a 
 soldier in Lamb's Artillery during the war. 
 The grandfather of the subject of this sketch 
 was a Deacon of the Presbyterian church, and 
 was widely known in his day as "Deacon 
 James." He was married to Miss Sabra Les- 
 ter. James, the father of J. Warren Mead, 
 was born on the old homestead, where he en- 
 gaged in farming, and was also an extensive 
 stock-dealer, a trade in which he was engaged 
 before he was nineteen years of age. The old 
 homestead has never been conveyed other than 
 by will, and is now owned by John Mead. 
 James Mead was Supervisor for the town of 
 Genoa, and in the fall of 1862 was elected 
 Sheriff, serving from January i, 1863, to 
 December 31, 1865, during the trying times 
 of the war for the Union. He married a 
 Miss Nancy Tupper, who was born in 181 7, 
 a native of Genoa, and came of an old Ver- 
 mont family, being the daughter of Captain 
 
52 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Benjamin Tupper, a veteran of the War of 
 1812. The three children of Mr. and Mrs. 
 James Mead are Lina N. ; J. Warren; and 
 Charles H., of Kankakee, 111. All the fam- 
 ily are strong adherents of the Presbyterian 
 faith. 
 
 J. Warren Mead received his education at 
 the academy of Genoa and at the Auburn 
 Academy. In the term of his father's office 
 as Sheriff he received the appointment as 
 Deputy under him, continuing in the same 
 capacity under Sidney Mead and Sheriff Sa- 
 very. In 1874 he was nominated for the posi- 
 tion of Sheriff, but was defeated by the 
 fusion of Grangers, Prohibitionists, and Demo- 
 crats, who united on the opposing candidate. 
 In the mean time he engaged in farming at 
 Fleming; but in January, 1881, he came to 
 Auburn as Under-sheriff with John Choate, 
 serving for a term of three years, and again 
 under R. J. Myers for the same length of 
 time. In the fall of 1886 he was again nomi- 
 nated for the position of Sheriff, and this 
 time was elected, taking office January i, 
 1887, for three years. The failure of the 
 First National Bank made a large increase 
 of business; and, at the expiration of his 
 term as Sheriff, Mr. Keeler being elected, 
 he took the position of Under-sheriff, which 
 makes twenty-two years spent in a Sheriff's 
 capacity, by far the longest term of office held 
 by any one in this county, he having been 
 actively engaged all the time. He owns a 
 farm at Fleming, and has estates to look after 
 in the capacity of Trustee. Mr. Mead has 
 served his time in the Volunteer Fire Depart- 
 
 ment, from which he has his discharge; and 
 he is also a member of the Exempt Firemen. 
 
 Mr. Mead was married April 12, 1 871, to 
 Miss Eliza Clark of Fleming, daughter of 
 Alanson M. Clark, and has three children, 
 namely: Benjamin C, born in Fleming, 1873, 
 now a student at Harvard College; Fred, 
 born 1875; Harry, born 1877— both of the 
 latter being in the Auburn High School. 
 Mr. Mead united with the Central Presbyte- 
 rian Church in 1867; but, Mrs. Mead being 
 a Baptist, he attends and supports that 
 church. 
 
 A continuity of twenty-two years in a re- 
 sponsible public position is a proof that Mr. 
 Mead enjoys in a high degree the confidence 
 and respect of his fellow-townsmen; and, 
 being a man still in the prime of life, it is 
 safe to predict that he will long continue in 
 the performance of those duties which have 
 gained him universal approval and com- 
 mendation. 
 
 TEPHEN ROCKWELL, one of the 
 original settlers of the town of Cato, 
 Cayuga County, was born April 22, 
 1771, being a son of Joseph Rockwell, a resi- 
 dent of Saratoga County. He came here with 
 his family when this entire region was an 
 almost pathless wilderness, following the 
 track marked by blazed trees; and he and his 
 sons, David and Samuel, bought land, and 
 began the improvement of the homestead, 
 where his grand-daughter, Mrs. Grant, now 
 lives. Here he passed his remaining years, 
 dying at the age of sixty-nine. He married 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 53 
 
 for his first wife Phebe Clinton, and for his 
 second wife Sarah Wood, who survived him, 
 living to be upward of ninety years of age. 
 They were people of correct moral principles, 
 and were valued members of the Church of 
 the Disciples. 
 
 Samuel Rockwell was born during the res- 
 idence of his parents in Saratoga County, the 
 date of his birth being September 17, 1796. 
 He was reared on a farm, and in 1816 accom- 
 panied his father to this county, where in the 
 improvement of a homestead he did his full 
 share. Buying one hundred acres of heavily 
 timbered land, he labored with toilsome per- 
 severance in winter's cold and summer's heat 
 to place it under cultivation, enduring the 
 usual hardships and confronting the dangers 
 and difficulties of pioneer life. Wild tur- 
 keys, venison, and bear's meat furnished the 
 settlers of that early day with their principal 
 food until they had cleared sufficient land to 
 raise a few potatoes and some corn. Albany 
 was the nearest market; and their produce 
 had to be hauled across the country, often- 
 times a dangerous as well as a tedious trip. 
 On his homestead, containing one hundred 
 acres of fertile land, and being one of the 
 best farms in this locality, he built a block 
 house, in which he and his family lived for 
 many a day. 
 
 Mr. Rockwell married Anna Rhoades, who 
 was born in Milton, Saratoga County, October 
 26, 1804, the ceremony that made them one 
 being solemnized December 25, 1S22. Their 
 long and pleasant wedded life was fraught 
 with more happiness and less sorrow than 
 
 often falls to mortals here below; and on 
 Christmas day, 1872, they celebrated their 
 golden wedding, receiving the congratulations 
 and best wishes of a host of sincere friends. 
 Both lived several years after this happy occa- 
 sion, Mr. Rockwell passing away on the sec- 
 ond day of April, 1881, and his estimable 
 wife the following year, dying May 9, 1882, 
 they having lived fifty-eight years with no 
 death in their home. They reared six chil- 
 dren, all of whom were born on the home- 
 stead; and all are now living, their names 
 being as follows: Mrs. Phcebe A. Rockwell 
 Grant; Mrs. Mary Cowell, of Cato; Mrs. 
 Minerva Knapp, of Butler, Wayne County; 
 Mrs. Emma Putnam, of Jordan; Samuel Clin- 
 ton Rockwell, who lives on the home farm; 
 and David J. Rockwell, a resident of Council 
 Bluffs, Iowa. 
 
 Phoebe Ann Rockwell, daughter of Samuel 
 and Anna (Rhoades) Rockwell, was born on 
 December 3, 1824, in the town of Cato, on 
 the homestead which she now owns and occu- 
 pies. On the 1 2th of October, 1843, she was 
 united in marriage with William Grant, who 
 was also a native of New York, his birth hav- 
 ing occurred in Saratoga County on November 
 9, 1820. 
 
 When he was a small lad, his parents re- 
 moved to Cayuga County, his father, Abijah 
 Grant, buying a farm in the town of Cato 
 and living there many years. William, tak- 
 ing advantage of the facilities afforded him 
 for pursuing his studies, became a well-edu- 
 cated man, graduating from Cazenovia Semi- 
 nary with honors. After leaving school he 
 
54 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 turned his attention to farming in the west- 
 ern part of this State. He there carried on 
 general agriculture in a most prosperous man- 
 ner, being the larger part of the time in the 
 town of Brockport in Monroe County. In 
 1863 in response to his country's call for 
 volunteers, Mr. Grant enlisted in the One 
 Hundred and Fortieth Regiment, New York 
 Infantry, in Company H, and did gallant ser- 
 vice in several engagements. Being captured, 
 he was conveyed to Andersonville prison, and 
 after untold sufferings was removed to Flor- 
 ence, S.C., where he died October 20, 1864, 
 when forty-four years of age. 
 
 Mrs. Phoebe A. Grant, who also lives on 
 the old Rockwell homestead, owns one hun- 
 dred acres of land, and has one of the most 
 beautiful and attractive homes in the vicinity. 
 Her residence is a unique and quaint struct- 
 ure, built of cobblestones, and was erected 
 by her father, Samuel Rockwell, in 1846. 
 She is a woman of intelligence and refine- 
 ment, everywhere respected and esteemed for 
 her many noble traits of character, and is a 
 valued member of the Church of the Dis- 
 ciples. 
 
 C- 
 
 |OBERT L. DRUMMOND, LL.B., a 
 well-known and highly respected at- 
 torney of the city of Auburn, was 
 born in New York City, August 21, 1842, son 
 of James and Sarah (Loudon) Drummond. 
 His father was born April 11, 1797, in the 
 parish of Ednam, Jedburghshire, Scotland, at 
 the old family home on the banks of the 
 Tweed, and came to this country when he was I 
 
 thirty years of age. He married in August, 
 1839, Miss Sarah Loudon, of Kortright, Dela- 
 ware County, N.Y. She was born December 
 8, 181 1, daughter of Robert Loudon, a mem- 
 ber of one of the old county families. Mr. 
 James Drummond was a successful business 
 man in New York City, where he resided 
 until the year 1845, when he removed to Vic- 
 tory, Cayuga County, and there engaged in 
 the pursuit of farming until the time of his 
 death, March 18, 1873. His wife died March 
 23, 1 87 1. Both Mr. and Mrs. Drummond 
 were members and supporters of the Reformed 
 Presbyterian church. 
 
 Robert L. Drummond received his early 
 education in the common school at Victory 
 and at the Red Creek Union Academy. In 
 August, 1864, he enlisted in Company H, 
 One Hundred and Eleventh New York Vol- 
 unteer Infantry, to defend the union, and was 
 with the Third Brigade, First Division, Sec- 
 ond Corps, at the fighting before Petersburg, 
 where he was taken prisoner October 30, 
 1864. He was confined at Petersburg and 
 Libby prisons, afterward being sent to Salis- 
 bury, N.C. He was paroled March 2, 1865, 
 and was sent to Annapolis Parole Camp, 
 Maryland, and thence home, where after a 
 time he was sent to St. Mary's Hospital, New 
 York, remaining there until he received his 
 honorable discharge from the army. After 
 his army experience, Mr. Drummond took up 
 the profession of teaching, and in 1865 was 
 elected School Commissioner of the First 
 District, Cayuga County, and continued in 
 that capacity three years,- being afterward a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 55 
 
 teacher in the public schools of Auburn. 
 Deciding to take up the study of law, he en- 
 tered the law department of the Albany 
 University, where he was graduated with the 
 degree of LL.B., in the class of 1871, and 
 was at once admitted to the bar. In the fol- 
 lowing winter he was appointed Clerk of the 
 Banking and Insurance Committees, New 
 York State Assembly, at Albany; and in 
 May, 1873, he began the active practice of 
 his profession at Auburn, N.Y. His first law 
 partner was the Hon. E. A. Thomas, who was 
 afterward appointed a United States Judge, 
 upon which appointment the partnership ter- 
 minated, and Mr. Drummond continued in 
 practice alone. In the fall of 1878 he. was 
 elected on the Republican ticket to the posi- 
 tion of District Attorney, taking his seat of 
 office January i, 1879, and was twice re- 
 elected, a distinguished honor, being the 
 only third-term District Attorney ever elected 
 in this county. Upon resuming active prac- 
 tice, he entered into partnership with George 
 W. Nellis, which partnership continued for 
 two years under the name of Drummond & 
 Nellis; and since its terjnination Mr. Drum- 
 mond has practised alone. 
 
 Mr. Drummond has a large general law 
 practice, and has conducted several important 
 criminal cases. During his nine years of ser- 
 vice as District Attorney, no convictions were 
 ever reversed. He always conducted his 
 trials without notes or minutes of ■ evidence 
 taken. Among the cases prosecuted by Mr. 
 Drummond as District Attorney were the fol- 
 lowing: The People v. Daley, for robbery; 
 
 V. Naitman, for bigamy and for forgery; 7;. 
 Alvah H. Green, for incest; v. David Dunn, 
 for arson; v. Phelps, for arson; v. Robinson, 
 for poison; v. Petmecky, for murder; v. 
 Moon, for murder; v. Dickerson, for murder; 
 V. Stahlnecker, for murder; v. Campbell, for 
 abortion; v. French, for assault, first degree; 
 V. Mrs. Coppernoll, for assault, first degree; 
 V. The Six Italians, for assault, first degree; 
 V. Friend, for assault, first degree; v. Knapp, 
 for rape; v. Littleton, for rape; v. Clarence 
 F. Tier, for burglary and larceny; v. Schewe 
 (lager beer case); v. "Jimmy Hope," Man- 
 hattan Bank case, extradited from California, 
 Mr. Drummond's papers in the case having 
 gone through six months' litigation before 
 courts and judges of California. 
 
 These may be named as among the impor- 
 tant cases conducted by Mr. Drummond for 
 the defence since retiring from the District 
 Attorneyship : People v. Jerry Monissey, grand 
 larceny; v. William Sherman, sodomy; v. 
 Van Alstine, "Spurr robbery"; v. Lee Hong, 
 sodomy. 
 
 Mr. Drummond has been a member of the 
 County Committee and an active worker in 
 the Republican party. In 1892 he became 
 identified with the Democratic party, support- 
 ing Cleveland on account of the tariff issue, 
 and has since voted with that party. In addi- 
 tion to his law practice, he has found time to 
 indulge in agricultural pursuits, having a fine 
 farm situated partially within the city limits. 
 He makes his residence at 144 Franklin 
 Street, which is on the farm. Mr. Drum- 
 mond was married October 14, 1872, to Miss 
 
S6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Anna E. Burke, daughter of Nelson P. and 
 Fanny Burke, of Cato, and has four living 
 children; namely, Richard C. Steele, Nelson 
 Loudon, Alexander M., and Robert Wilfred 
 Drummond. Mr. Drummond is a member of 
 the Prisoners' War Association; and both he 
 and Mrs. Drummond are members and sup- 
 porters of the Calvary Presbyterian Church, of 
 which he has been one of the Elders for many 
 years. Mr. Drummond has filled the various 
 public offices to which he has been elected 
 with tact and discrimination, which has se- 
 cured him universal esteem and respect. He 
 is a fluent speaker, and has delivered several 
 lectures, one of special note being " Personal 
 Reminiscences of Prison Life during the War 
 of the Rebellion." 
 
 ll^^OWLAND D. LUNG, a veteran of 
 I r^ the late war, was born on July i, 
 ^— ^ 1843, ii^ the village of Locke, Ca- 
 yuga County, N.Y., of which he remains a 
 resident. His record affords an excellent 
 example for young men just entering the field 
 of active life, illustrating the virtue of patri- 
 otism, and showing the success attained by 
 honest industry and prudent thrift. On the 
 paternal side he is of New England antece- 
 dents, his grandfather Lung, of whom but 
 little is known, having been a native of 
 Connecticut. 
 
 Edwin Lung, the father of Rowland, was 
 also born in that State, but came to Cayuga 
 County when a lad of ten years, and was long 
 a resident of Moravia. He learned the trade 
 of a cabinet-maker, which was afterward his 
 
 chief occupation. In 1840 he removed to the 
 town of Locke, and was subsequently identi- 
 fied with its interests until the time of his 
 decease, in February, 1868, at the age of 
 sixty-four years. He married Nancy Lee, 
 who was born in this town in 1807, and here 
 departed from the scenes of her earthly labors, 
 dying September 25, 1892, at the venerable 
 age of eighty-five years. They were most ex- 
 cellent and worthy people, liberal in their 
 religious views, and kind and charitable to 
 all. Politically he was a Republican, and in 
 1848 served as Town Clerk. To him and his 
 wife three children were born, of whom Row- 
 land is the only one now living. The others 
 were Salome, the wife of Caleb Greenfield, 
 and Lucy, the wife of Samuel Greenleaf. 
 
 Rowland D. Lung was reared and educated 
 in the place of his nativity, and began life at 
 the foot of the ladder, without means or influ- 
 ence, and has step by step ascended the rungs 
 of prosperity, until he is now an honored and 
 prominent member of society and one of the 
 most useful and respected citizens of his com- 
 munity. When sixteen years old, he began 
 working out by the month, and continued as a 
 farm laborer for several years. Soon after 
 attaining his majority, he enlisted in the 
 service of his countr}', becoming a member of 
 Company D, Third New York Artillery, 
 under command of Captain Van Hoosen, and 
 served during the whole period of his enlist- 
 ment in North Carolina, where he was an 
 active participant in several battles. Mr. 
 Lung served until the close of the war, and 
 received his honorable discharge July 5, 1865, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S7 
 
 at Syracuse. Returning to Locke, he en- 
 gaged in farming for a short time, then en- 
 tered the grocery business in the village, 
 where he remained two years. Disposing of 
 his store, he next followed carpentering for 
 five years, when he gave that up to accept a 
 clerkship in the store of Theodore M. Guest, 
 with whom he remained eleven years. He 
 has since that time ' been in the employment 
 of J. N. Searles, having the entire charge of 
 the store, where he carries on an extensive 
 business in general merchandise. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Lung and Missouri 
 Hutchinson was solemnized January 15, 1867. 
 Mrs. Lung is a native of this county, and was 
 born in the town of Locke, being a daughter 
 of Orin and Alida (Winn) Hutchinson, 
 neither of whom is now living. The union 
 of Mr. Lung and his wife has been blessed by 
 the birth of two children — a. son, Walter E., 
 and a daughter, named Alida. Mr. Lung 
 occupies an important position among the in- 
 fluential citizens of the village of Locke, 
 where he has so long resided, and has uni- 
 formly given his support to the cause of 
 morality, sobriety, and good order, and in all 
 respects is esteemed as one of the most valu- 
 able citizens of the community. He has a 
 pleasant residence in the village, where he 
 and his amiable wife delight to entertain 
 their large circle of warm friends and ac- 
 quaintances. In politics he is a true Repub- 
 lican, taking a warm interest in local and 
 national affairs, and is prominent in Grand 
 Army of the Republic circles, being a mem- 
 ber of Guest Post, No. 337, of Locke. He 
 
 has served many years as Town Clerk, having 
 been first elected to the office in 1867. He 
 held the position until 1886, when, being in 
 business in Moravia, he could not well attend 
 to its duties, and refused a re-election. In 
 1890, being once more at home, he was again 
 elected to the same position, and has since 
 filled the office to the utmost satisfaction of 
 all concerned. Religiously, both he and his 
 wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, where he faithfully performs the 
 duties of Steward and Trustee. 
 
 M 
 
 R. CHARLES GILES STOCKING 
 is the foremost man in his profession 
 and neighborhood, and is one of the 
 oldest practitioners, not only in Spring Lake, 
 where he lives, and where he has so long been 
 an active and useful citizen, but throughout 
 the county. He is a Democrat, and attends 
 the Methodist church, of which his honored 
 progenitors were active adherents. He was 
 born on June 23, 1822, in Truxton, Cortland 
 County, N.Y., where his father, George A. 
 Stocking, a native of Haddam, Conn., was 
 then living. 
 
 The boy remained at home, attended the 
 district school, and worked in a clock factory 
 for his father till he was sixteen. One year 
 he was in Penn Yan, Yates County, N.Y., re- 
 porting for a paper. The next two years he 
 studied medicine with Dr. Griggs at Foster- 
 ville, and then attended Geneva College for 
 two years more, after which he studied another 
 couple of years with his brother Wesley, then 
 
58 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 located in Nanticoke, Broome County; and, 
 finally, was graduated at Berkshire Medical 
 College, Mass., in the class of 1846, when he 
 was twenty-four years old. The next year he 
 assisted his brother Wesley, but in 185 1 
 opened an office for himself in Westbury. In 
 1862 he opened a branch ofifice at Red Creek. 
 Three years later he removed to an Illinois 
 town two hundred miles south-west of Chi- 
 cago. In 1868 he came to Spring Lake, 
 where he has been ever since, except during 
 six months when he tried a second Western 
 experience. 
 
 Dr. Stocking was married in 1844, two 
 years before his graduation, to Mary Wood- 
 hull, with whom he formed an attachment 
 during his reportorial experience at Penn 
 Yan, she being a daughter of Benjamin and 
 Sarah Woodhull, of that town. From this 
 union have come two children. May is the 
 wife of John W. Knaggs, an insurance agent 
 in Bay City, Mich., and the mother of four 
 children — Walter, Camilla, Roy, Mary. The 
 other daughter, Dimies, is the wife of Charles 
 H. Denison, a lawyer, formerly of Bay City, 
 but now of New York. The beneficial influ- 
 ence in the community of such a man as Dr. 
 Stocking is incalculable. 
 
 M 
 
 AVID MONTGOMERY DUNNING, 
 (^ ■ Superintendent and Treasurer of the 
 Auburn Gas Light Company, is one 
 of the most prominent and respected citizens 
 of Auburn, N.Y. He was born December 
 30, 1844, in what is now the Seventh Ward 
 
 of Auburn, then a part of Aurelius, son of 
 Henry Silas and Jane (Wadsworth) Dunning. 
 His father, who was born at Aurelius, Sep- 
 tember 6, 1 8 16, was a farmer for several 
 years, and held the office of Justice of the 
 Peace for the town. He was also Superin- 
 tendent of the gas company from 1864 to 
 1868, and Supervisor and President of the 
 Cayuga County Agricultural Society. He 
 was a member of the First Baptist Church of 
 Auburn. He died April 22, 1871. His 
 wife, Jane, who was the daughter of Joseph 
 Wadsworth, one of the early scythe manufact- 
 urers of Auburn, died in 1869. 
 
 Ira Dunning, the paternal grandfather of 
 the subject of this brief biography, was born 
 at Salem, N.Y., March 23, 1789, and came 
 with his father to the town of Aurelius in the 
 winter of 1795-96. He was a farmer and 
 manufacturer, and was one of the builders of 
 Sing-Sing prison, with which he was offi- 
 cially connected for many years. He married 
 April 2, 1809, Susannah, daughter of Henry 
 Montgomery, who came from Vermont and 
 settled in Aurelius in 1796. His father, 
 Silas, was born at Brookfield, Conn., May 6, 
 1755, and died at Aurelius, September 25, 
 1830. He married Jerusha, daughter of Enos 
 Bristol, of Newtown, Conn. David Dunning, 
 father of Silas — born at Bridgeport, Conn., 
 September 6, 171 1, died at Brookfield in 
 1783 — married in [738 Hannah, daughter of 
 John and Abigail (Allen) Sheppard. David 
 was a son of Sergeant Benjamin, of Newtown, 
 Conn., born at Jamaica, L.I., about 1680, 
 who was son of Benjamin, of Jamaica, L.I., 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 59 
 
 supposed to have come from Devonshire, Eng- 
 land. A well-kept line of worthy ancestry. 
 
 David M. Dunning was first educated at 
 the Auburn Academy, afterward attending 
 Union College, graduating from there as civil 
 engineer in 1868. He returned to Auburn at 
 the completion of his college course, and, 
 during the construction of the Southern Cen- 
 tral Railroad, was engaged in the engineering 
 work of that road. Previous to his advent at 
 college he had been appointed City Surveyor, 
 which office he held during the year 1865. 
 He left the employ of the Southern Central 
 Road to accept the position of Treasurer of 
 the Auburn Gas Light Company ; and, on the 
 failure of his father's health, he took the 
 office of Superintendent as well. Mr. Dun- 
 ning and his father owned the largest interests 
 in the Gas Light Company, being Directors 
 and Trustees of the concern. At the time of 
 Mr. Dunning's first connection with the com- 
 pany they had about one-fifth of the terri- 
 tory now covered, and not more than a fifth 
 part of the present amount of gas was 
 consumed. 
 
 The Gas Light Company was established in 
 1850 as a private corporation, under an act of 
 the legislature passed February 16, 1848, 
 with the following named as directors: 
 George B. Chase, P. R. Freeoff, H. G. Ells- 
 worth, Paul D. Cornell, Z. M. Mason, Adam 
 Miller, Roland F. Russell, W. H. Van Tuyl, 
 and Benjamin F. Hall. The first officers of 
 the company were George B. Chase, Presi- 
 dent; B. F. Hall, Secretary; Z. M. Mason, 
 Treasurer; Thomas Hoadley, Engineer and Su- 
 
 perintendent. The works were located where 
 they now stand, near the prison. A limited 
 number of mains were laid that year, and the 
 company produced the first public gas ever 
 made in Ajuburn. In 1868 the business had 
 increased to such an extent that they had 
 about eight or ten miles of mains, and were 
 making from six to eight million feet of .gas 
 per year. The company at the present time 
 has thirty-five miles of mains, with an output 
 of forty-five million feet of gas per year, used 
 by one thousand families, and giving employ- 
 ment to about thirty people. Of late years 
 the company has manufactured tar and am- 
 monia, the income from which forms a very 
 important part of their revenue. The capital 
 of the company is one hundred and fifty thou- 
 sand dollars. 
 
 Mr. Dunning is the President of the Au- 
 burn Manufacturing Company, a large agri- 
 cultural implement manufactory, and with 
 which he became connected to close out the 
 business. In addition to his other interests, 
 he is also Vice-President of the Auburn Sav- 
 ings Bank, and has been a Trustee of the same 
 for over ten years. He takes a great interest 
 in the Cayuga County Historical Society, of 
 which he is an active and honored member. 
 For the past five years he has been one of the 
 Trustees of the City Hospital, and is also a 
 prominent meniber and Trustee of the Second 
 Presbyterian Church. He has served the city 
 as Alderman for the Seventh Ward, an office 
 also held by his father after it was taken into 
 
 the city. 
 
 Mr. Dunning was married March 22, 1871, 
 
6o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 to Miss Alice J., daughter of Charles B. 
 Hutchinson, of Auburn. Mrs. Dunning is a 
 native of Seneca Falls, her father coming to 
 Auburn in 1852. Of this marriage seven chil- 
 dren have been born; namely, Alice M., Char- 
 lotte E., Mary G., David M., Jr., Edith E., 
 Amy L., Charles H. 
 
 By reason of his upright life and long-con- 
 tinued, useful, and varied activity in the city 
 of his birth, Mr. David M. Dunning is ac- 
 corded most heartily that respect which is 
 paid to those who have helped to bring it to its 
 present state of development. 
 
 "IRAM THORNTON. In the annals 
 ^^ of Cayuga County no name stands 
 higher for industry and integrity or 
 sheds a clearer lustre than that of Thornton ; 
 and the gentleman designated at the head of 
 this sketch is a worthy representative of the 
 family bearing that name, who have been iden- 
 tified with the interests of this vicinity since 
 the early part of the present century. Mr. 
 Thornton occupies an honored position among 
 the prosperous and wealthy farmers of Cayuga 
 County; and, with a clean record of years 
 fruitful with deeds of usefulness and kind- 
 ness, and happy in having won the respect 
 and esteem of his fellow-men, he is now near- 
 ing the last milestone of life's journey, hav- 
 ing been born on July 12, 181 2, in the town 
 of Fleming. 
 
 The first members of the Thornton family 
 in America were two brothers, who came from 
 England as soldiers in the English army dur- 
 
 ing the time of the French and Indian War. 
 One of these brothers settled in Virginia, and 
 the other became a resident of New England. 
 From the latter, Jesse Thornton, the paternal 
 grandfather of Hiram was descended. Jesse 
 Thornton, who was born and reared in New 
 England, was a veteran of the Revolution. 
 He stood sentinel at the gate at West Point 
 when the arch-traitor, Benedict Arnold, 
 passed out to join the British. After the 
 close of the war Jesse Thornton came to Ca- 
 yuga County, and first settled in the town of 
 Ledyard, where he resided a few years, re- 
 moving then to Fleming, and there passing 
 the remaining days of his life. He mar- 
 ried Ann Hill while a resident of his New 
 England home, which was the birthplace of 
 several of their children, including a son, 
 Stephen. 
 
 Stephen Thornton left the shelter of the 
 parental roof-tree when a youth of sixteen 
 years, with eighteen pence in his pocket, his 
 only available assets. He walked the entire 
 distance of eighty miles from his home to 
 Cambridge, Washington County, N.Y., where 
 he soon found employment on a farm, with 
 wages of ten dollars a month. He worked 
 industriously, and, by dint of economy and 
 thrift, was enabled after a time to send his 
 father a suit of clothes and one hundred and 
 twenty-five dollars in clear cash, and from 
 that period considered himself free to do for 
 himself. Possessing a clear and active brain, 
 in a spirit of enterprise he made a trip to the 
 North or Hudson River, and there embarked 
 in the business of getting out dock-sticks and 
 
HiRflM Thornton, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 63 
 
 making shingles, which he rafted to Albany 
 to sell. He was in that city when Robert 
 Fulton was making his first experiments with 
 steamboats. In 1806 he came to Cayuga 
 County, making the journey from Washington 
 County on horseback, in company with two 
 commissioners who had been appointed to 
 select a location for the court-house. He 
 bought a tract of timbered land in the town of 
 Fleming, west of Fleming Hill, and at once 
 began to improve a farm. His means were 
 very limited, in consequence of which he had 
 to go in debt for his land. Times were hard, 
 money was scarce, and he knew not how to 
 meet his obligations. 
 
 While in this dilemma he started for Alle- 
 gany County, and there bought standing 
 timber, some of which he converted into 
 coarse lumber, and the remainder into 
 shingles. Then, making two rafts, he en- 
 trusted one to his brother: the other he took 
 himself down the Alleghany and Ohio Rivers 
 to Cincinnati,- where he disposed of it at a 
 good advantage. His brother, however, less 
 fortunate than himself, encountered low 
 water, and only got as far as Pittsburg, where 
 he met him on his return trip. After an ab- 
 sence of fifteen months, during which time he 
 had been engaged in various enterprises, he 
 returned to Fleming with sufficient money to 
 clear himself from debt. He engaged in gen- 
 eral farming with great success; and, with 
 characteristic enterprise, he opened a store 
 for the sale of general merchandise on his 
 farrn. He used to team his produce to Al- 
 bany or Utica, and there buy at wholesale 
 
 the goods that he afterward retailed to his nu- 
 merous patrons. After continuing this for a 
 number of years he removed to Fleming Hill, 
 where he erected a store and entered upon a 
 mercantile career. Having amassed a com- 
 petency, he spent his last years retired from 
 the active pursuits of life, dying at the age 
 of seventy-two years. His death was a sad 
 loss to the community in which he had spent 
 so many years of useful activity, and was uni- 
 versally lamented. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Charlotte Purchase, died at the age 
 of fifty-six years. Of the nine children born 
 to her and her husband, four are now living; 
 namely, Hiram, James, Seymour, and Mary J. 
 
 Hiram Thornton, the subject of this brief 
 biographical memoir, was reared to agricult- 
 ural pursuits, and started for himself when a 
 young man, with a capital of five hundred 
 dollars. Being convinced that a small tract 
 of land on which there was no indebtedness, 
 well cultivated and cared for, was preferable 
 to a large farm with a heavy mortgage, he 
 bought twenty-five acres in the northern part 
 of the town of Fleming, and there engaged 
 in his chosen occupation for a time. He then 
 purchased a farm two miles west of Fleming, 
 which he occupied for nine years, when he 
 moved to Fleming Hill, where he has since 
 lived. He has carried on general farming 
 and stock-raising with invariable success, and 
 in addition thereto has dealt somewhat in 
 real estate. Fortune has been kind to him in 
 every instance, and in all of his transactions 
 he has been prospered. 
 
 In the month of March, 1837, Mr. Thorn- 
 
64 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ton was united in marriage with Miss Mary 
 Smith, a native of the town of Ledyard and 
 a daughter of Arthur and Mary (Gorham) 
 Smith. A woman of great ability and far- 
 sightedness, she became his counsellor and 
 guiding star through life; and to her sagacity 
 and wisdom in business affairs much of his 
 success is due, and to her he gratefully ac- 
 cords due credit. In December, 1892, she 
 crossed to the brighter shore, exchanging the 
 cross of conflict for the crown of victory. To 
 hallow their union, one son was born, Hiram 
 Gorham, who married Ella Hardenburgh, and 
 resides in Ionia, Mich. Mr. Thornton is re- 
 spected and esteemed throughout the town, 
 and his generous interest in all that concerns 
 its public weal has exerted a marked influence 
 in advancing the various enterprises inaugu- 
 rated to develop its resources and promote its 
 prosperity. Politically, he is a sound Repub- 
 lican, and, religiously, is a member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, as was his excel- 
 lent wife, and is also a zealous worker in the 
 denomination. The excellent portrait of Mr. 
 Thornton on an adjoining page will be recog- 
 nized with pleasure by the friends and ac- 
 quaintances of this venerable citizen, and will 
 be viewed with interest by the general reader. 
 
 'AMES LYON, of the firm of Lyon & 
 Pierce, attorneys-at-law, of Auburn, 
 N.Y., is a native of the Emerald Isle, 
 whose sons have borne a conspicuous part in 
 the industrial development of this country, 
 and have distinguished themselves in trade. 
 
 in literature, and the professions. Mr. Lyon 
 was born in the south of Ireland in 1838, son 
 of James and Mary (Murphy) Lyon, and re- 
 ceived the elements of a common-school edu- 
 cation in his native place. His father was a 
 farmer, and the family had lived in the same 
 locality for several generations. 
 
 In early life the younger James left his na- 
 tive land for England, where he remained 
 until he reached the age of eighteen. Being 
 convinced of the possibilities of a more rapid 
 advancement in America, he proceeded to 
 this country, arriving during the height of 
 the Fremont campaign in 1856. He settled 
 in Onondaga County, New York, where, in 
 i860, he commenced the study of law. In 
 1863 he entered the law ofifices of the firm of 
 Porter, Allen & Beardsley, with whom he con- 
 tinued until he was admitted to the bar in 
 December of that year. In 1864 and to the 
 close of the Civil War he was a civilian clerk 
 in the military department of Newbern, N.C. 
 At the end of the war he returned to Auburn, 
 where he has resided ever since. In 1866 
 and 1867 he was elected City Clerk, and was 
 appointed City Attorney during the latter 
 year, which office he held for about twelve 
 years. Upon relinquishing this appointment 
 he devoted himself to his private practice, 
 and has continued in the active duties of the 
 same ever since. 
 
 Mr. Lyon's residence is at No. 148 North 
 Street, where he has lived for over twenty 
 years. He and his wife, Mary J. Dewey, for- 
 merly of Otisco, Onondaga County, are the par- 
 ents of five children, all of whom are living, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 6S 
 
 namely: Ada, wife of Albert Raeish, of Cal- 
 ais, Me., Henry G., James, Charles F., and 
 Frederick D. Mr. Lyon has held several 
 responsible and important positions. He was 
 for some years the attorney for the Southern 
 Central Railroad Company, and at the present 
 time is the attorney and one of the Trustees of 
 the Cayuga County Savings Bank. He has 
 not for many years taken a conspicuous part in 
 politics, but early allied himself to the Re- 
 publican party, of which he has been an ac- 
 tive though quiet supporter. Mr. Lyon is not 
 a member of any church, but is an attendant 
 of the First Presbyterian Church of this city, 
 for whose pastor he entertains the highest 
 regard because of his earnest but unostenta- 
 tious work in the interest of religion and 
 humanity. 
 
 I SJeORGE R. NASH is a man who has 
 \Pj made himself well known and popu- 
 lar through the columns of his well-conducted 
 and enterprising paper, the Weedsport Senti- 
 nel, of which he is editor and proprietor. 
 Mr. Nash is a descendant of English ances- 
 tors, and son of George and Charlotte Maria 
 (Cordelle) Nash. The elder George was a 
 native of Buckinghamshire, England, where 
 he was born in 1790. He was a carpenter, 
 architect, and contractor, and in 1832 came 
 from England with his wife and settled in 
 Albany, N.Y., where he engaged in business 
 and put up many important buildings. 
 
 Before coming to America Mr. Nash had 
 been married in England to Rachel Whitman. 
 She died in Albany, and left five children. 
 
 One son, George, Jr., died at the age of seven 
 years. The other children are as follows: 
 Sarah, and Jesse, and John H. Nash, of Al- 
 bany, — whose son, Willis G., is the Cashier 
 of the State Bank, which is in the oldest bank 
 building in America — and Lydia, who mar- 
 ried Oran Ott, for many years the purchasing 
 agent of the Illinois Central Railroad Com- 
 pany in Chicago, 111. In 1832, in Albany, 
 Mr. Nash married Charlotte Maria Cordelle, 
 of Kunttesshall, Suffolk County, England. 
 The Cordelle family originally came from 
 French Flanders, and is well known in Eng- 
 land; but there are only two families of that 
 name in this country. George R. was the 
 only child of this second marriage. Mr. 
 Nash died in Albany in 1873, and his wife's 
 death occurred in the same city. 
 
 George R. Nash received an excellent edu- 
 cation in the public schools of Albany, and 
 then worked in the printing-office of Weed, 
 Parsons & Co. In 1872 he came to Weeds- 
 port and bought the Sentinel, which had been 
 established since i860, and was a four-page 
 folio paper. It has a large circulation through 
 the northern part of Cayuga County. Mr. 
 Nash is a stanch Republican; and his paper 
 reflects the principles and views of its editor, 
 being a strong organ for that party in this 
 county. The county agency of the Eastern 
 Building & Loan Association, of Syracuse, 
 N.Y., is in the hands of Mr. Nash, and he 
 has made the undertaking successful far be- 
 yond the expectations of its projectors, having 
 established it on so firm and reliable a basis, 
 that he has secured a large amount of business. 
 
66 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 The wife of Mr. Nash was Ida L. Rogers, 
 of Verona, Oneida County, N.Y. They were 
 married July 2, 1873, and have two children, 
 Reva Cordelle and Edna R. 
 
 Mr. Nash holds an important position in 
 the life of the town of Weedsport. He is an 
 active worker for the Republican party, and 
 does much toward furthering the interests of 
 that party when he considers those interests 
 to be also for the general good of the town. 
 Through the columns of his paper he is able 
 not only to spread to a large territory the 
 news of the county, State, and nation, but he 
 succeeds in arousing in the minds of the many 
 readers of his pages a spirit of patriotism and 
 fellowship, and a wish for the constant im- 
 provement of social conditions. Through his 
 influence and that of his paper many projects 
 for the better management and control of the 
 public interests have been suggested and car- 
 ried out. He has a wide field of work before 
 him, and the strength and ability, already 
 shown in his enterprises have won him pres- 
 tige for his future undertakings. 
 
 'OHN CHOATE, senior member of the 
 firm of Choate Brothers, dealers in 
 hardware. Auburn, N.Y., was born in 
 Lansingburg, Rensselaer County, N.Y., Oc- 
 tober 25, 1824, son of Joseph and Sarah (Nel- 
 son) Choate. His father, a manufacturer of 
 machine cards at that place, was of New Eng- 
 land ancestry, being born in Massachusetts, 
 and was a lineal descendant of John Choate, 
 who came to this country from Essex, Eng- 
 
 land, in 1645. Joseph Choate came to Ca- 
 yuga County in the first half of the present 
 century, purchasing a farm near the city of 
 Auburn in 1835, moving to Auburn in 1840, 
 and establishing a hardware business there in 
 1843, under the firm name of Choate & Sons, 
 the subject of this sketch being one of the 
 members of the firm. The founder continued 
 in active business until 1854, when he re- 
 tired. He was a member of the First Baptist 
 Church of Auburn, and in politics was a 
 strong and active Whig, afterward becoming 
 a Republican, but was never an aspirant for 
 public office. He died in November, 1876, 
 leaving a family of seven children, namely: 
 Amanda, wife of Alonzo Cornell, of Will- 
 iamsport, Pa.; Helen Upton, now deceased; 
 Emily Choate; Joseph H., a resident of 
 Washington, Kan. ; John, the subject of this 
 sketch; Thomas N., one of the present firm; 
 and George R., of White Sulphur Springs, 
 Mont. 
 
 John, who was the second son, was educated 
 at the public school of Auburn, and on the 
 completion of his studies went into his 
 father's store. The firm has been in business 
 in Auburn for fifty-one years; and Mr. John 
 Choate, now its senior member, is the oldest 
 merchant, in point of continuous activity, of 
 any in the city. In 1854 the firm name was 
 changed to Choate Brothers, which has been 
 its style ever since. They have occupied the 
 same location since 1871, having a fine block, 
 one hundred and thirty feet deep, with five 
 stories and basement, also occupying two sto- 
 ries over the adjoining building. They are 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 67 
 
 extensive handlers of all kinds of heavy and 
 shelf hardware, stove-heaters, and tinware, 
 having the largest selection of stock in this 
 county, and giving employment to eight 
 people. Mr. Choate enlisted in Company H, 
 Seventy-fifth New York Volunteer Infantry, 
 September, 1861, going to the seat of war as 
 Captain, he having been the means of raising 
 the company. They first went to the Depart- 
 ment of the Gulf, being stationed successively 
 at Pensacola and New Orleans. Forced to 
 resign on account of ill-health after a little 
 over a year and a half of service, he returned 
 to the store, which had continued business 
 during his absence. 
 
 Mr. Choate was married January 7, 1851, 
 to Miss Rachel Chappel, of Aurelius, daugh- 
 ter of Russell Chappel. He is an attendant 
 of the First Baptist Church, of which Mrs. 
 Choate is also a member, and has been a sup- 
 porter and active worker and Trustee of the 
 church for thirty years, and was one of the 
 Trustees of the Building Committee when 
 the church was erected. Mr. Choate has occu- 
 pied several prominent public positions, being 
 Alderman of the Third Ward for six years. 
 He was also Chairman of the Republican 
 County Committee in 1876, during the Hayes 
 campaign, and filled the same position in 
 1878. In 1879 he was nominated and elected 
 Sheriff of Cayuga County, which position he 
 held in a highly efficient manner for one term. 
 He is a member of Crocker Post, Grand Army 
 of the Republic, No. 45. During the volun- 
 teer fire brigade period he was fireman and 
 foreman of the company for six or seven years. 
 
 It is owing to such public-spirited men as 
 Mr. Choate that the city of Auburn has at- 
 tained its present degree of prosperity, men 
 of his mental and moral calibre being neces- 
 sary adjuncts to the well-being of any com- 
 munity. Mr. Choate, during his life-long 
 residence in Auburn, has always enjoyed to 
 a high degree the respect and esteem of its 
 citizens, a tribute which is never withheld 
 from those who worthily deserve it. 
 
 75^1'ENRY LOCKE is a gentleman who 
 has enjoyed a varied experience, 
 possesses wide knowledge, is an 
 admirer of good books, yet is easily approach- 
 able, quick to recognize and aid every good 
 enterprise. Though a citizen of Conquest, he 
 was born in Lyme, Jefferson County, N.Y., 
 June 15, 1 841, his father, Reuben Locke, 
 being also a native of that place. Reuben 
 Locke, Sr., grandfather of Henry, came to 
 these parts from Massachusetts, and cleared a 
 tract of woodland, where he lived until his 
 death. He and his wife were good Meth- 
 odists, and in this faith and on this farm Reu- 
 ben, Jr., was reared till manhood, when he 
 removed to a farm adjoining, where he died in 
 1846, at the age of thirty-three, leaving a 
 widow, Sophia Lyons, and three children — 
 Alanson, Henry, and Sarah, now Mrs. Bray- 
 ton Priest, of Emersonville. Mrs. Reuben 
 Locke, Jr., was one of the five children of 
 Lansing Lyons, a life-long farmer of Jeffer- 
 son County, where she also spent her en- 
 tire years, dying November 19, 1889, aged 
 
68 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 seventy-four. Little Henry was but five years 
 old when his father died, and until he was of 
 age he lived on the parental farm with his 
 beloved mother. The Southern Rebellion 
 having broken out in 1861, in the next year, 
 August 8, Henry enlisted in the Tenth New 
 York Regiment, and was placed in artillery 
 service for the defence of Washington, D.C., 
 being connected with the Twenty-second 
 Army Corps. Later he served in the brigade 
 under Colonel Kibbe, of the Sixth New York 
 Artillery, and Brigadier-general Fero. In 
 1864 he was in the Eighteenth Corps, under 
 General Smith, where he belonged to the 
 First Brigade and was with Russell's division 
 of the Twenty-second Army Corps at the de- 
 fence of Washington. He was in the battle 
 at Cold Harbor; assault on Petersburg; mine 
 explosion, Cedar Creek, October 19, 1864; at 
 Bermuda Hundred, and the fall of Richmond; 
 taken prisoner the morning of April i, 1865; 
 and was released when the rebels surrendered 
 at Appomattox Court-house, the 9th, he hav- 
 ing spent one night in the famous Libby 
 prison. He served as Corporal, was mustered 
 out July 8, 1865, at Sackett's Harbor, and 
 is now a member of Lockwood Post No. 175 of 
 the Grand Army. Reared an agriculturist, 
 and always fond of this pursuit, he bought in 
 the centennial year the farm of sixty-eight 
 acres where he still resides, a mile from Con- 
 quest Village. 
 
 Mr. Locke was married, however, nearly ten 
 years earlier, not long after the war, to Eliza 
 Morris, one of the nine children of John and 
 Eleanor (Vaughan) Morris, who was herself 
 
 one of seven children — Mary, Eliza, Thomas, 
 Jeanette, Eleanor, Jennie, John. The father, 
 Mr. John Morris, was of Scotch descent, and 
 crossed the ocean a youth of sixteen. His wife 
 came from Ireland with her parents when a 
 child of twelve. At the time of their mar- 
 riage they lived in Montreal, but soon came 
 to Alexandria, Jefferson County, where Mr. 
 Morris worked at his trade as blacksmith until 
 his death, at the age of seventy-three. His 
 wife died at the age of sixty-eight. Mr. 
 Locke has always supported the Republican 
 party, and for eighteen years has been one of 
 the town Assessors. He and his family are 
 members of the Protestant Methodist church 
 at Spring Lake, though Mrs. Locke's parents 
 were Episcopalians; but such people are an 
 honor to any community, be their religion 
 and politics what they may. 
 
 ^ENJAMIN FRANKLIN WINE- 
 ^5^ GAR, a prominent wholesale mer- 
 chant of Auburn, was born in this 
 city May 24, 1853, and is the son of Zachariah 
 S. and Hannah (Hathorn) Winegar. The 
 Winegar family is of German descent, tracing 
 their ancestry back to the time of Oliver Wine- 
 gar, the progenitor of the family in America. 
 Oliyer was born in Switzerland in 1648, 
 where he lived until he arrived at manhood, 
 when he moved to Wiirtemberg, Germany, 
 and married a Miss Arnold, one son and sev- 
 eral daughters being born to them. In 1710 
 the son joined the colony of Palatines who 
 emigrated to New York under the fostering 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 69 
 
 care of Queen Anne of England, settling at 
 first near Germantown, on the Hudson River, 
 where they remained until 1724. He reared 
 a large family; but only one son reached man- 
 hood, Captain Garrett Winegar, who moved 
 to Hitchcock's Corner and built the first 
 flour-mill which ground the grain of the early 
 settlers of Sharon. He was a highly re- 
 spected man, and held several offices. He 
 was born in Germany in 1702, and died in 
 this country in 1755. Philip Winegar, the 
 grandfather of Benjamin, was one of the early 
 pioneers of the county, clearing the land and 
 starting a saw and woollen mill, the first in 
 that district. He was also engaged in the 
 canal-boat industry. He was one of the most 
 prominent and influential men of his day, 
 serving acceptably on the Board of Super- 
 visors. The grandmother. Miss Lydia 
 Mosher, was a Quakeress of English descent, 
 and lived to the advanced age of ninety-two 
 years. 
 
 Zachariah S. Winegar was born at Union 
 Springs, Cayuga County, in 1820, and early 
 began to work in the woollen mills, where he 
 learned the practical part of his trade, his 
 brothers, Essek M. and George W., also 
 learning the business, another brother, Caleb, 
 becoming an attorney and inventor. He had 
 also two sisters — Sara L., who married John 
 Sleeper, of Kalamazoo, Mich. ; and Margaret, 
 who married Isaac Eldridge, of Chicago. 
 Mr. Winegar came to Auburn with his father 
 about the year 1 848, and bought the property 
 long known as the Winegar Mills, making 
 extensive alterations, and occupying it as a 
 
 woollen manufactory; this being the first real 
 woollen manufactory in Auburn. After the 
 sale of the property in i860 Mr. Winegar con- 
 tinued with the purchasers until 1870 in the 
 capacity of superintendent, having spent his 
 whole life as a woollen manufacturer in this 
 county. He was an Assessor of the city for 
 several years, but was never an active politi- 
 cian. Mrs. Winegar came of an old and 
 well-known family, her grandfather being a 
 participant in the Revolutionary War. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Winegar had a family of seven chil- 
 dren, namely : Frances M., deceased; Benja- 
 min Franklin; Helen, deceased; Sarah E., 
 wife of Marvin E. Sargent; Clara, wife of 
 C. E. Harwood; George H., of Oakland, Me.; 
 and Ella, wife of J. Webb Griffin, of Chicago. 
 Benjamin Franklin Winegar was educated 
 at the public schools of this city, and was at 
 first employed in a store, afterward going to 
 the Auburn Manufacturing Company, and re- 
 maining with them until 187S, when he went 
 into business with John Elliott, his father-in- 
 law, as dealers in hides, pelts, and tallow, 
 continuing the partnership until the death of 
 Mr. Elliott in 1885, when he assumed control 
 of the business, which gives employment to 
 a large number of men. Mr. Winegar was 
 elected on the Republican ticket to serve his 
 ward as Alderman during the years 1890 and 
 1891, all of his family being strong and stanch 
 Republicans. He served on the Committees 
 of Police and Licenses, and was Chairman of 
 the Lamps and Lighting Committee. He was 
 elected a Police Commissioner in the spring 
 of 1892 for a terra of two years, which posi- 
 
70 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tion he has held with credit to himself and 
 acceptably to the people. He has always 
 been an active worker for his party, attending 
 all the conventions, such as county, Congres- 
 sional, and Senatorial, as delegate at large. 
 
 He has also at different times been on 
 the Republican City Committee and Central 
 Committee, and likewise takes a great inter- 
 est in the Auburn Gun Club, of which he is a 
 member. 
 
 Mr. Winegar was married September 3, 
 1873, to Miss Clara B., a daughter of Mr. 
 John Elliott, one of the best-known business 
 men of the city, and has two children; 
 namely, Benjamin F., Jr., and Ethel H. 
 Both Mr. and Mrs. Winegar are members and 
 supporters of the First Methodist Elpiscopal 
 Church. 
 
 Mr. Winegar is known as one of the most 
 successful business men in the city of Au- 
 burn, a position which he has attained through 
 his own efforts; and, although his work neces- 
 sitates much of his personal attention, he has 
 yet found time to serve his city in a thorough 
 and faithful manner in an official capacity. 
 He is now serving as Chief Clerk of the 
 Auburn prison, by appointment of James A. 
 Roberts, State Comptroller of New York. 
 
 AN BUREN M. STAFFORD is not 
 lacking in any quality belonging to a 
 Christian citizen and gentleman, for he is 
 ever ready to lend a hand when any good pro- 
 ject is afoot. Of course, these character- 
 istics have made him respected as a useful 
 
 member of the community of Fair Haven. 
 By trade he is a carpenter, but has been long 
 connected with the Southern Central & 
 Lehigh Valley Railroad as Foreman. He 
 was born in Sullivan, Madison County, N.Y., 
 September 24, 1847. 
 
 As Mr. Stafford has a fondness for geneal- 
 ogy, the writer is able to trace the points of 
 descent from his great-grandfather, John Staf- 
 ford, who was born i-'ebruary 9, 1740, and 
 died Novcmljcr 25, 1800, nine months after 
 the birth of the grandson (David's son John; 
 who was named after him. His wife Eunice, 
 four years his junior, was born in April, 
 1744, and died January 2, 1792. Their ten 
 children were: Catherine, born June 9, 1765, 
 died September 9, 1852; John, Jr., born No- 
 vember 22, 1766; David, the grandfather of 
 Van Buren, born March 16, 1768; Aaron, 
 born October 26, 1769, died in childhood, 
 1776, in the early part of the Revolution; 
 Eunice, named for her mother, born June 6, 
 1771, died in 1829; Priscilla, born August i, 
 1773, died in the same year with her sister 
 Eunice, 1829; Amos, born November 22, 
 1775, in the year of Lexington and Bunker 
 Hill, died in 1822; Jemima, born February 
 5, 1779, died in 1851; Edith, born February 
 II, 1782, died September 20, 1816; Clarissa, 
 born September 14, 1785. 
 
 This generation of Staffords lived in Penn- 
 sylvania; but the present .sketch is specially 
 concerned with John's second son and third 
 child, David, who came into Madison County 
 as a pioneer, in what is now the town of Fcn- 
 ner. On a spot cleared by his own hands he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 71 
 
 lived, loved, and labored till the day of his 
 death. David married young, when he was 
 hardly twenty-one, and had ten children: 
 Phebe, born October 10, 1789, died August 9, 
 1866; Sally, born January 12, 1791, died 
 April 17, 1862: Betsy, born September 7, 
 1792; David, named for his father, and born 
 October 3, 1794; Joseph, born July 6, 1798, 
 died October 18, 1S70; John, the father of 
 Van Buren, born July iT^ 1800, died April 
 26, 1S7S: Amos, born May 21. 1805, died 
 1849; Harry, born March 15, 1808: Ann, 
 born March 12. 18 10, died December 3, 
 1838; Mary, born September 13, 1813, died 
 Februar\- ly, 1876, in the centennial year. 
 David's son, John Stafford, spent only a few- 
 years at his home in Fenner, having gone into 
 public-house employment at an early age. 
 Having learned the carpenter's trade, he 
 worked a while in Cazenovia, then returned 
 to Fenner, where ho spent many years as 
 a carpenter, and finally removed to Fair 
 Haven, where he died. Before her marriage 
 Mrs. John Stafford was Melissa Hutchingson. 
 She was born in July, 1800, in Madison 
 County, and died in Fenner in 1874. She 
 was a Baptist church member. Eight chil- 
 dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. John Stafford. 
 Four have passed over the river, and the four 
 sur\fiving ones are as follows: David, named 
 for his paternal grandfather: Fidelia; Henry 
 M.; and Van Buren M., the subject of this 
 sketch. 
 
 The early years of \'an Buren M. Staf- 
 ford were passed in Cazenovia, where he at- 
 tended the public schools; but he continued 
 
 his education in Fenner, whither the family 
 moved in 185 1. Subsequently he worked 
 out by the day till he was of age. Indeed, he 
 continued to live under his father's roof-tree 
 even a few years after his marriage in 1870, 
 at the ago of twenty-two, while employed as 
 farmer and general mechanic. In 1874 he 
 removed to Fair Haven, and worked as 
 bridge foreman on the Southern Central & 
 Lehigh Valley Railroad for six years, when 
 he was promoted to the position he now holds 
 of foreman in the coal-shipping department. 
 In 1875, the year after he came to Fair 
 Haven, he built the attractive residence 
 which he has ever since occupied. His wife, 
 Eliza Albring, was born in Butler, Wayne 
 Countv, the daughter of a farmer, Joseph Al- 
 bring, and his wife, Betsy Potter. Mr. and 
 Mrs. \'an Buren M. Stafford have two sons. 
 John Homer is now attending the Fair Haven 
 Academv, a bright and respected young man, 
 named for his grandfather and great-grand- 
 father. The other, Joseph M., was trained to 
 wagon -making, and is married to Lucy 
 Powers, daughter of Chaunoy Powers, the vil- 
 lage wagon-maker, with whom his trade was 
 acquired. 
 
 Mr. \'an Buren M. Stafford belongs to the 
 Ancient Order of United \\'orkmen, and has 
 alwa\s \oted the Democratic ticket. The 
 family belong to the Methodist church, 
 wherein Mr. Stafford has held many offices, 
 such as Trustee, Steward, Treasurer of the 
 Board of Stewards, and assistant Sunday- 
 school superintednent, and is a member of 
 the local Board of Education. ]\Irs. Stafford 
 
72 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 is also a leader in the church, and an active 
 temperance worker. With such men to till 
 the ground and build the homes, and such 
 women to rear the children, there is abundant 
 hope for the future of our beloved land. 
 
 kEV. LOREN EASTWOOD has been 
 pastor of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church at Weedsport, Cayuga 
 County, since 1892. According to the cus- 
 toms of that denomination, Mr. Eastwood has 
 dwelt in many places; and in the towns where 
 he has been settled he will long, be remem- 
 bered both for the spiritual influence he has 
 exerted and for the material assistance he 
 has given in building and repairing church 
 edifices. He was born at Truxton, Cortland 
 County, N.Y., and was the son of Truman 
 and Almira (Simmons) Eastwood. The father 
 was a farmer, and died when his son was but 
 five years old. His grandfather was formerly 
 of Madison County, having originally come 
 from Massachusetts. The mother, Almira 
 Simmons, came from Massachusetts to Lenox, 
 Madison County, in her early life. 
 
 From his earliest years Loren Eastwood 
 manifested a great love for learning, and 
 after a common-school education spent every 
 moment he could spare in private reading. 
 This industry was rewarded by his being 
 allowed to enter the ministry at an early age. 
 In i860 he joined the Oneida Conference, 
 which appointed him to the charge of Sangers- 
 field circuit, afterward Waterville Station. 
 From i860 until 1862 he was at this place, 
 
 and then went to Litchfield circuit, Herki- 
 mer County, where he built a church at 
 Crane's Corners. The name of this charge 
 was at this time changed from Litchfield to 
 Cedar Lake. During his pastorate a gra- 
 cious revival brought scores of souls to 
 Christ, and greatly strengthened the charge. 
 His next field of labor was Jordanville Sta- 
 tion, where more than thirty members were 
 taken into the church. Thence he went to 
 Deansville, Oneida County, and after two 
 years to Verona, in the same county. Here 
 he stayed three years, during which time a 
 new church was built and additions made 
 to the membership. From its formation in 
 1868 he has been a member of the Central 
 New York Conference. In April; 1871, he 
 was appointed to Wolcott, Wayne County, 
 N.Y. This pastorate will long be remem- 
 bered for the energy and enthusiasm with 
 which he aroused the people to their need of 
 a new church edifice, which was built at a 
 cost of twenty-five thousand dollars. The 
 membership was increased by a third, and the 
 financial strength of the society was doubled. 
 The high regard and gratitude of the people 
 were manifested by the increased recompense 
 for his services which they bestowed upon 
 him. 
 
 After three years and a half at Wolcott the 
 Rev. Mr. Eastwood was sent to Watkins, 
 Schuyler County, where he began his preach- 
 ing in the Opera House, afterward assisting 
 in the dedication of the new church. Two 
 years later his charge was changed; and he 
 was given what is now West Genesee Street, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 73 
 
 Syracuse. His financial ability enabled him 
 to raise a debt of ten thousand dollars, paying 
 off the old mortgage of that amount; and 
 through him the society received a gift of a 
 parsonage worth eight hundred dollars. At 
 that time he was the only Protestant pastor in 
 the settlement of eight thousand inhabitants, 
 and the opposition of the Catholics was very 
 great; and all the financial undertakings of 
 their opponents they watched closely, stand- 
 ing ready to take the church edifice, should 
 their Protestant neighbors fail to raise the 
 funds necessary for carrying on their work. 
 By his brethren in the ministry as well as 
 this grateful church this was called an heroic 
 work and great success. His next charge was 
 at Skaneateles, Onondaga County, where he 
 instituted a movement which resulted in the 
 building of a new parsonage after he had left 
 there, two years later, and accepted the duties 
 of pastor at the First Ward Church at Syra- 
 cuse. Here he enjoyed three pleasant years, 
 during which the church debt was paid off and 
 the church repaired. At Phoenix, Oswego 
 County, which was his next charge, Mr. East- 
 wood contributed largely toward making it 
 possible to build a new church, a brick edi- 
 fice costing ten thousand dollars. He him- 
 self collected much of the necessary funds, 
 and took personal charge of the workmen, hir- 
 ing them and paying them off. A change 
 was now necessary, after such tiring work; 
 and Mr. Eastwood went to Baldwinsville, 
 where he remained the full disciplinary period 
 of five years. The revivals which he held in 
 his fourth year here were extremely interest- 
 
 ing, and the good they did is not soon to be 
 forgotten. After two years at Canastota, in 
 Madison County, he was settled at Weedsport 
 in the fall of 1892. The Rev. Mr. East- 
 wood is a Trustee of the Central New York 
 Conference, and one of the Board of Fi- 
 nance of the Mutual Aid Society of the East 
 Genesee Conference, and has been Secre- 
 tary of many of the committees of the Con- 
 ference. 
 
 Mr. Eastwood married Anna O. Roantree, 
 of Lenox, Madison County. She was a 
 daughter of James and Ann (Pinckney) Roan- 
 tree, and was of English ancestry, she herself 
 having been born in Middletown, Yorkshire, 
 England. Her father was born at the old 
 ancestral home at Market Wheaton, York- 
 shire; and, when his daughter was fifteen 
 years old, he left England and settled in 
 Lenox, and afterward in Vienna, Oneida 
 County, where he bought a mill and worked 
 at his trade as miller until his death. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Eastwood were married April 8, 
 1857; and they have two children, Ruth 
 Ann and Charles L. The daughter is the 
 wife of the Rev. B. W. Hutchinson, S.T.B., 
 President of the West Virginia Conference 
 Seminary at Buckhannon, W.Va. She has 
 two children — -Mark E. and Paul. Mrs. 
 Hutchinson is a graduate of Syracuse Univer- 
 sity, and has the degree of B.M. Her husband 
 was graduated at Ohio Wesleyan University, 
 at Delaware, Ohio, and afterward at the Bos- 
 ton University School of Theology. Charles 
 L. Eastwood is Secretary of the Eastern 
 Building and Loan Association in Syracuse. 
 
74 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 He married Georgiana N. McChisney; and 
 they have one child, Ruth. 
 
 Mr. Eastwood has had a long, useful life; 
 and his ministries have been full of good 
 works and faithful service for his Master. 
 Wherever he has been, his voice has not been 
 silent when he saw that the Lord had need of 
 a preacher. He has had much prejudice to 
 overcome, many difficulties to surmount, and 
 much opposition to resist ; but in every posi- 
 tion he has held he has, by his great ability, 
 his quiet persuasion, and his earnest enthusi- 
 asm, improved the material as well as the 
 spiritual condition of those who have looked 
 to him for help, comfort, and advice. With- 
 out thought of self, and with the spirit of the 
 Master manifested in all his acts, he has 
 labored faithfully in the vineyard; and all 
 who know him love to think of his deeds of 
 mercy and the words of love and inspiration 
 which this man of God has left with them. 
 
 (^>rLFRED K. McALPINE, A.M., Prin- 
 ^^ cipal of Aurora Academy, occupies a 
 V — conspicuous place among the promi- 
 nent educators of this part of the country, his 
 superior talents and scholarly attainments 
 eminently qualifying him for his important 
 work. No State in the Union, it may here be 
 said, possesses greater educational advantages 
 than the Empire State, special attention 
 being given to the instruction of the young, 
 irrespective of sex, throughout its length and 
 breadth, each county offering excellent facili- 
 ties for the acquirement of knowledge in all 
 
 grades, from the kindergarten for the child 
 of tender years to the higher institutions of 
 learning for more mature minds. Professor 
 McAlpine, who presides over one of these ad- 
 vanced schools, is of Scotch ancestry but a 
 native of Canada, having been born in the 
 town of Welland in the Province of Ontario, 
 which was also the place of birth of his 
 father, Alexander J. McAlpine, and of Jonas 
 McAlpine, his grandfather. 
 
 Alexander J. McAlpine was a well-educated 
 man, of broad and progressive views, and a 
 man of influence in his native town. Edu- 
 cated for a professional career, he commenced 
 his duties as a teacher, and for eight years 
 was a popular instructor in the schools of 
 Ontario. He subsequently turned his atten- 
 tion to agricultural pursuits, achieving excel- 
 lent results in general farming. He was a 
 man of much force of character, wise and ju- 
 dicious in his counsels, and became prominent 
 in local affairs, being considered authority on 
 all matters pertaining to the management of 
 the town's interests, and for many years 
 served as Justice of the Peace. The maiden 
 name of his wife, mother of our subject, was 
 Sophia Kennedy. Her father, the Rev. Jacob 
 Kennedy, of Smithville, Ont., was an old 
 pioneer of that part of Canada, and was a min- 
 ister of repute in the Methodist denomination. 
 His children, inheriting some of his mental 
 abilities, became eminent in professional cir- 
 cles, one of his sons. Dr. John T. Kennedy, 
 being a physician of prominence in New York 
 City. Mr. and Mrs. McAlpine reared nine 
 children; namely, Alfred K., Augustus W., 
 
Alfred K, Mc. Alpine, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 77 
 
 Ida L., Bruce F., John J., Irving W., 
 Charles B., William D., and David Lome. 
 Alfred K. McAlpine, the eldest child of this 
 family, received his elementary education in 
 the schools of his native country, and, after 
 completing the high school course, matricu- 
 lated at Scoville University in New Bruns- 
 wick, at which he was graduated with the 
 degree of B.A. He subsequently began his 
 public career as Professor of Languages and 
 Elocution in the Westchester County Insti- 
 tute, holding that position with great accept- 
 ance, having won the approval of the friends 
 and patrons of the college and the high regard 
 of the students, who presented him with a 
 valuable gold chain at the close of his services, 
 as a token of their esteem. The public press 
 of that vicinity also spoke very highly of his 
 ability as an instructor, deploring in no meas- 
 ured terms the loss to the literary and educa- 
 tional circles of the county occasioned by his 
 departure. Going thence to the Peekskill 
 Military Academy, Professor McAlpine was 
 for three years Professor of Classics, under 
 Professor Wright, an educator of repute in 
 this country. At the expiration of that time, 
 remaining still under the employ of Professor 
 Wright, he came to Aurora to assume the 
 charge of the educational department of the 
 Aurora Academy, and has since met with 
 almost phenomenal success in his labors. 
 After he had served in his present position 
 four years. Professor McAlpine asked for his 
 release; but the faculty, justly appreciating 
 his great value to the instutition, urged the 
 withdrawal of his resignation and made him 
 
 Principal of the academy, which office he has 
 filled in a most creditable manner since 1886. 
 Under his regime this institution is in a 
 flourishing condition, being at the present 
 time taxed to its fullest capacity, the enrol- 
 ment containing the names of pupils from 
 eighteen different States, their ages ranging 
 from twelve to twenty years. The high rank 
 which it sustains among other similar schools 
 is due to the joint efforts of Professor Wright, 
 President of the New York Military Acad- 
 emy, and Professor McAlpine, who are co- 
 managers of the school. Professor McAlpine 
 has a more than local reputation in his chosen 
 vocation, and has been the recipient of liter- 
 ary honors, Scoville University having con- 
 ferred upon him the degree of A.M. 
 
 On the 19th of July, 1883, the union of the 
 Professor with Miss Frances Howe, the 
 daughter of J. B. Howe, Surrogate of Au- 
 burn, was solemnized; but this marriage, so 
 full of promise of future joy and happiness, 
 was destined to be of short duration, Mrs. 
 McAlpine passing to the beautiful life beyond, 
 May 22, 1887. Professor McAlpine is a 
 valued member of the Masonic fraternity, 
 and has been Master of the Scipio Lodge for 
 two years. In social and literary circles he 
 is held in high esteem, and his integrity as 
 a man and loyalty as a citizen are unques- 
 tioned. Politically, he is a stanch Republi- 
 can, having, since becoming naturalized, in 
 April, 1885, cast his ballot with that party. 
 
 The portrait of Alfred K. McAlpine, 
 teacher, which has place on another page of 
 the "Review," will be recognized by many 
 
78 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 pupils and admiring friends as a faithful sem- 
 blance of this worthy son of Alpin, whose 
 the task 
 
 "Noblest that noble minds can ask." 
 
 Yp)ASUVIOUS H. king, Postmaster at 
 I J Port Byron and proprietor and editor 
 
 ^ ' ' ^ of a flourishing newspaper of that 
 town, the Port Byron Chronicle^ is a man who, 
 by his untiring efforts and indomitable en- 
 ergy, has done much toward the improvement 
 and advancement of that town, and has always 
 availed himself of the advantages of his posi- 
 tion as a public man to influence the people to 
 act for the best interests of the general public. 
 
 He was born in Batavia, Genesee County, 
 December 9, 1852, son of Richard and Maria 
 J. (Wells) King. Philip King, his paternal 
 great-grandfather, was a native of Massachu- 
 setts and of old Colonial ancestry, being a 
 descendant of Rufus King, one of the signers 
 of the Declaration of Independence. He 
 served a faithful term in the Revolutionary 
 War, in the First New York Regiment, from 
 which he received his discharge in June, 
 1783, signed by George Washington, which is 
 now in possession of his great-grandson. 
 Coming to Cayuga County, where he had a 
 military grant of six hundred and forty acres 
 of land in the western part of the old town of 
 Mentz, he built a log house on what is now 
 known as King Street, it being almost the 
 only house in that part of the country. 
 Philip King married a niece of General War- 
 ren, and lived to see nearly all of his land 
 
 cultivated. He was a representative man of 
 his time, being a firm supporter of the Whig 
 party, and as a member of the Baptist church 
 was very influential in the building of the 
 new church edifices in Mentz and also in the 
 village which is now the town of Throop. 
 Dying in 1851, he left a family of children, 
 all of whom had farms in Port Byron. They 
 were Jeremiah, Richard, Ezekiel, and Daniel. 
 Richard King, the grandfather of the subject 
 of this sketch, was born in Massachusetts, 
 and removed with his parents to Saratoga 
 County, not far from Albany. His early life 
 was spent on the farm ; but, when the War of 
 18 12 broke out, he shouldered his musket and 
 entered service, where he participated in the 
 battle of Fort Erie. He was an active mem- 
 ber of the Baptist church, and was proprietor 
 of the former Centre House on the old turn- 
 pike, continuing in this business until the 
 canal was built and travel moved in the other 
 direction. The old house is still standing on 
 his farm in the western part of Port Byron, a 
 relic of the early days and a landmark to the 
 passers-by. Richard King married Miss Lany 
 Scott, of Saratoga County; and they had six 
 children, as follows: Amos, Hannah, Philip, 
 Richard, Lasuvious, and Sarah, the latter 
 dying after reaching womanhood. Richard 
 King died in 1876, much respected and be- 
 loved by all. 
 
 His son, Richard King, Jr., the father of 
 Lasuvious H., was educated at the Jordan 
 Academy, and then fitted himself for a sur- 
 veyor, going to Wisconsin, where he was em- 
 ployed by the State to survey government 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 79 
 
 roads and lands, and making his home at 
 Sheboygan, in which place he built the first 
 frame house. When but twenty-two years of 
 age he married Miss Maria J. Wells, who was 
 then in her sixteenth year; and, after two 
 years of Western life, they removed to Port 
 Byron, where Mr. King taught school for a 
 few years, at the expiration of which time he 
 purchased the patent rights in the chain 
 pump business, then in its infancy. Here he 
 operated a factory, and later started another 
 in Batavia, after which his business rapidly 
 increased, not only at home, but throughout 
 Central and Western New York. Returning 
 to Port Byron in i860, he constructed what is 
 now O. B. Turner's dry dock and boat -yard, 
 located on the Erie Canal, operating this 
 until his retirement to his farm in 1873, 
 where he afterward died. In politics he was 
 a Republican, and always voted with his 
 party, although he never held any government 
 position. He was a member of the School 
 Board, having been interested in education 
 since early childhood, and also attended the 
 Baptist church. Maria J. Wells, the wife of 
 Richard King, Jr., was a daughter of Count 
 de Lansing Wells, of French Huguenot de- 
 scent, whose father was an early settler in 
 this country, taking part in the Indian wars. 
 The father of Maria Wells was one of the 
 leading attorneys of the Cayuga County bar, 
 and died in 1857; and her mother was a na- 
 tive of Port Byron, being born here in 1830, 
 and is still living. Eight children were born 
 to Richard and Maria Wells King, namely: 
 Luella, the wife of C. H. Castner, who is 
 
 now dead; Fanny, who was the wife of Fred 
 Horton, and died in 1888; Lasuvious H. ; C. 
 de Wells King, of Port Byron; Richard, of 
 Syracuse; Julia, wife of G. H. Horton, of 
 Syracuse; Grace, wife of Daniel Keefer, of 
 Dresden, N.Y.; and Lany, wife of Frank 
 Borgandus, of Syracuse. 
 
 Lasuvious H. King received his education 
 at the academy at Port Byron, after which he 
 learned the trade of boat-building and ship- 
 carpentering, later devoting his time to the 
 study of telegraphy. In 1883 he entered the 
 printing-office of the Port Byron Chronicle, 
 and at the end of twenty months purchased 
 the interests of the proprietor, continuing in 
 connection with that paper since that time, 
 increasing both its size and circulation and 
 making it one of the leading newspapers of 
 the county. A strong Republican himself, 
 he has used the columns of his paper as a 
 medium for setting forth and upholding the 
 principles of that party, and by his patience, 
 fortitude, and rare business ability, has made 
 this sheet one acknowledged by all to contain 
 the latest news of all affairs, set forth in the 
 best possible manner, and has given to it a 
 large circulation throughout the country in the 
 vicinity of Port Byron. It is now a paper of 
 seven columns, folio form, having been built 
 up almost entirely from the editorial page, 
 and now holds a place with the best news- 
 papers of the county. The office contains a 
 fine Babcock press, which is operated by 
 means of steam-power, being the first power 
 press in the town. 
 
 Mr. King has been Justice of the Peace for 
 
8o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the last five years, now serving in his second 
 term of four years, to which position he was 
 elected by the Republicans. He also holds 
 the office of Police Justice for the village of 
 Port Byron, which he has held for five years. 
 He has been connected with the Village Board 
 in the capacity of Clerk, and has been a mem- 
 ber of the Board of Education for three years. 
 He was appointed Postmaster in 1890 by Presi- 
 dent Harrison, and occupied that position in 
 August, the post-office at Port Byron being 
 numbered among the third-class offices of the 
 United States. Mr. King is a member of the 
 Rock Spring Lodge, I. O. O. F. ; Port Byron 
 Lodge, A. F. & A. M., No. 130; and Phintias 
 Lodge, No. 246, of Knights of Pythias. 
 
 January 22, 1886, he married Miss Carrie 
 A. Thomas, daughter of Gamaliel Thomas, of 
 Port Byron, and they have five children — • 
 Lasuvious, Jr., Fanny M., Nellie Bell, 
 Richard, and Lois V. Mrs. King was born 
 and educated in Port Byron, and is the grand- 
 daughter of George W. Milliner, an old pio- 
 neer settler of the town. Mr. and Mrs. King, 
 with their family, occupy a pleasant home in 
 the village, where they are highly respected 
 and hold a prominent place in the hearts of 
 their many friends and neighbors, whom they 
 are ever ready to help, and for whose interests 
 they are constantly laboring. 
 
 (sTr-DELBERT P. RICH, attorney-at-law, 
 
 ^^ was born in Cato, this county. May 
 
 V — - 16, i860, and is the eldest son of 
 
 Frank and Frances W. (Petty) Rich. For 
 
 three generations the heads of the family have 
 been engaged in the practice of law. The 
 grandfather, George R. Rich, was a lawyer in 
 practice at Cato, as was also his son Frank, 
 father of the subject of this biographical 
 notice. The father and grandfather were 
 Loan Commissioners for the county for many 
 years, and were well known and highly re- 
 spected. Frank Rich served during the war 
 as Captain of Company H, One Hundred and 
 Eleventh Regiment, New York State Vol- 
 unteers. 
 
 Adelbert P. Rich received his education at 
 the union school and academy at Cato, and at 
 a private school, after which he read law in 
 the office of his father, being admitted to the 
 bar in the spring of 1882, and locating his 
 office for practice in his native town. In 
 1883 he was elected Special County Judge, 
 serving for three years in that capacity, and 
 at the end of his term of office was elected 
 District Attorney, and served six years in that 
 office. In 1884 he moved to Auburn, and 
 engaged in the practice of his profession, first 
 with Mr. John A. Button as a partner, and 
 second, the former connection having been 
 dissolved, with Mr. E. Clarence Aiken, with 
 whom he is associated at the present time. 
 Mr. Rich was President of the Board of 
 Health in Cato Village in 1881 and 1882, dur- 
 ing the small-pox epidemic at that place, and 
 was for several years a member of the Board 
 of Health of the city of Auburn, and during 
 his residence in Cato, from 1881 to 1884, was 
 a member of the Board of Education. He has 
 also been a member and Master of Cato 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Lodge, A. F. & A. M. Mr. Rich is an 
 ardent Republican, and has served several 
 times as a member of the County Committee. 
 For the last ten years he has been President 
 of the Cato Wagon Manufacturing Company, 
 but devotes the greater part of his time to his 
 large legal practice. 
 
 Mr. Rich was married August 7, 188 1, to 
 Miss Ida M. Chase, of Cato, and has five chil- 
 dren; namely, Bertha, Frank C, Laura E., 
 Eugene M., and Harold R. Rich. Both Mr. 
 and Mrs. Rich are members of the First Bap- 
 tist Church of Auburn. 
 
 Mr. Rich has made an enviable record for 
 so young a man. The several positions of 
 trust and responsibility to which he has been 
 called have been filled in a manner reflecting 
 the highest credit upon himself, proving that 
 the confidence of the people which was freely 
 given to him, and the trust reposed in his 
 abilities, were not unworthily bestowed. 
 
 ^AMES V. WHEELHOUSE, one of the 
 
 most prosperous business men of the 
 village of Meridian and a substan- 
 tial representative of the mercantile interests 
 of Cayuga County, is a self-made man in 
 every sense implied by the term, his success 
 in life being due to his own unaided efforts. 
 At the age of thirteen years he began life for 
 himself, poor in pocket, but rich in energy 
 and ambition; and with sturdy industry and 
 judicious frugality he laboriously toiled on- 
 ward and upward, rising by slow degrees from 
 poverty to a condition of affluence and influ- 
 
 ence. Mr. Wheelhouse is a Pennsylvanian 
 by birth, having been born in the town of 
 Windham, Bradford County, December 13, 
 1856, and on the paternal side is of English 
 ancestry, his grandfather, William Wheel- 
 house, Sr., having been a life-long resident of 
 England. 
 
 His father, William Wheelhouse, Jr., was 
 a native of England, born in 18 17, in Eden- 
 boro, where he remained until about twenty- 
 six years of age. He then emigrated to the 
 United States, and, going to Pennsylvania, 
 bought a tract of wild land in Bradford 
 County, his first work on it being to clear 
 space enough to build a log house as a dwell- 
 ing-place. By dint of persevering toil he 
 succeeded in improving a very good farm, on 
 which he resided many years. He subse- 
 quently removed to Weltonville, Tioga County, 
 N.Y., and there entered the mercantile busi- 
 ness, opening a store for general merchandise, 
 which he carried on until his death, in 1866. 
 He married Caroline Peck, who was born near 
 Watertown, N.Y., and who died in Windham 
 Centre, Pa., in 1864, preceding him to the 
 fair world beyond by two years. They reared 
 a family of seven children, five of whom are 
 still living, the following being their record: 
 Margaret is the wife of Charles Lanning, of 
 Nichols, Tioga County; Mary A. married 
 J. E. Hamilton, of North Orwell, Pa. ; Susan 
 is the widow of Ephraim Matthews, of 
 Nichols; James V. is the subject of the pres- 
 ent sketch ; Catherine is the widow of Robert 
 Coryell, of Nichols. The deceased are as 
 follows : Carrie, who died at the age of four- 
 
82 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 teen months, and William, who died at the 
 age of thirty-two years. Mr. William Wheel- 
 house was a firm supporter of the principles of 
 the Republican party. 
 
 James was but nine years of age when his 
 father died, and he removed with his sisters 
 to Nichols, Tioga County, N.Y., and there 
 completed his school life, which was begun in 
 the place of his nativity. When thirteen 
 years of age, at a time when most boys need 
 the watchful care and counsel of father and 
 mother, he, who had been doubly bereaved by 
 the hand of death, began life on his own ac- 
 count; his first employment being on a farm, 
 where he received seven dollars a month. 
 After working as a farm laborer for three 
 years, he learned the tinner's trade, serving an 
 apprenticeship of three years with A. A. 
 Swinton in the town of Nichols. A youth 
 of eighteen, he came to Cayuga County in 
 1875, 3-i^'^' securing a position in the hard- 
 ware store of Chase & Hunt in Cato, he re- 
 mained with them three years and a half. 
 The following six months he spent in Au- 
 burn ; but, not satisfied with his work in that 
 place, he returned to Cato, and, entering the 
 store of Chase & Cole, successors of Chase & 
 Hunt, remained in their employment two 
 years. Buying the store of D. L. Spoor, a 
 hardware merchant of Meridian, in 1882, Mr. 
 Wheelhouse began his mercantile career; and, 
 by his systematic methods of conducting his 
 business, his strict attention to all of its de- 
 tails, and his thoroughly upright dealings, he 
 has met with most gratifying success, and 
 made for himself an honorable record. He has 
 
 enlarged his trade, and increased the value 
 of his stock, which was seventeen hundred 
 dollars at the time of his purchase, to five 
 thousand dollars, his store containing a full 
 line of first-class goods, the most complete of 
 any in the village. In 1887 Mr. Wheelhouse 
 bought an interest in the store of S. J. Chase, 
 a hardware merchant of Cato, and carried that 
 on in connection with his store in Meridian 
 for six years, when he disposed of his interest 
 there, and has since given his entire attention 
 to his business in Meridian. He is now oc- 
 cupying a fine two-story building in the vil- 
 lage, which he built last year; and, besides 
 this, he owns other property in the village, 
 and bids fair to become one of the wealthy 
 men of the place. 
 
 Mr. Wheelhouse was married in 1883, Miss 
 Emma L. Smith, a native of Cayuga County, 
 born in the town of Ira, becoming his bride. 
 Her parents were James and Panthiea Smith, 
 who were for many years esteemed residents 
 of Ira, where Mr. Smith was a successful agri- 
 culturist, living there until his death, which 
 occurred in 1870. His wife, who is still liv- 
 ing, resides with her daughter, Mrs. Wheel- 
 house, where she has a most pleasant home 
 and everything done for her that can add to 
 her comfort or her pleasure. Two children 
 have been born into the family circle of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Wheelhouse, only one of whom, 
 Una M., who was born May 27, 1886, is liv- 
 ing, little May, the pet of the household 
 having died at the age of six years. 
 
 In politics Mr. Wheelhouse affiliates with 
 the Republican party; and, although no aspi- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 83 
 
 rant for official honors, he has served as Vil- 
 lage Trustee. Socially, he is a member of 
 Cato Lodge, No. 141, A. F. & A. M., and of 
 Meridian Lodge, No. 142, A. O. U. W., and 
 belongs to the Knights of S. F. & I., Lodge 
 No. 81. Both he and his wife attend the 
 Baptist church, and are ever among the fore- 
 most in any good work. 
 
 KRANKLIN D. PUTNAM, M.D., one 
 of the active youngest practitioners of 
 Auburn, N.Y., was born in Cato, Cayuga 
 County, February 14, 1852, and is the son of 
 David and Teresa M. (Hunsiker) Putnam. 
 David Putnam was born at Tribes Hill, Mont- 
 gomery County, N.Y., December 11, 1823; 
 and his father, Jacob, was born at the same 
 place, June 19, 1785. Jacob was a successful 
 farmer and blacksmith, and during his long 
 and busy life accumulated a handsome prop- 
 erty. He came to Cato when quite young, 
 and died there, February 28, 1864, leaving 
 nine children, to each of whom he gave one 
 thousand dollars. David received a common- 
 school education at Cato, and, after com- 
 pleting his studies, immediately engaged in 
 farming. In 1854 he moved to the town of 
 Venice in this county, of which place he is 
 still a resident. Teresa Hunsiker, who was 
 born in the town of Owasco, September 4, 
 1828, became his wife January 24, 1850. 
 Two children were the fruit of the union; 
 namely, Franklin D. and Charles H., now a 
 successful farmer of Venice. 
 
 The future doctor received his first educa- 
 
 tion at the district school of Venice, after- 
 ward taking a two years' course of study at 
 the Friends' Academy at Union Springs. 
 Upon the completion of his school life, which 
 took place in his twentieth year, he began a 
 course of reading with H. D. Whitbeck, of 
 Venice, preparatory to entering the medical 
 profession, and in the fall of 1873 attended 
 lectures at the medical department of the 
 University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, after- 
 ward completing his studies at the Bellevue 
 Medical College, New York City, and graduat- 
 ing in the class of 1875. His first location 
 for practice was in the town of Locke, Cayuga 
 County, where he gained a large country prac- 
 tice; but, desirous of entering a more ex- 
 tensive field, he moved April i, 1892, to 
 Auburn, opening an office at 93 Wall Street. 
 His new venture has proved a success; for, 
 in the short space of time which has elapsed 
 since he came to Auburn, he has built up a 
 large and increasing practice. Dr. Putnam 
 has identified himself with numerous socie- 
 ties. He is a member of the Cayuga County 
 Medical Society, of which he has been Vice- 
 President, and of the Central New York Med- 
 ical Society. He is also a member of Auburn 
 Lodge, A. F. & A. M., No. 431; David 
 Chapter 34; Salem Town Coramandery, No. 
 16, Knights Templars, of which he has served 
 two terms as District Deputy Grand Master. 
 During his residence in Locke Dr. Putnam 
 served on the School Board, and was also 
 Health Ofiicer of the town, and at present is 
 Jail Physician, having been appointed in Jan- 
 uary, 1893, and reappointed in January, 1894. 
 
84 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Dr. Putnam was married October 29, 1878, 
 to Miss Alice E. Goodridge, of Auburn, one 
 son being the fruit of the union — C. Harold, 
 a bright and interesting boy. Dr. and Mrs. 
 Putnam are attendants and supporters of the 
 Wall Street Methodist Church. During his 
 short residence in Auburn Dr. Putnam has, by 
 his uniform courtesy of manner and prompt- 
 ness in placing his services, medical or other- 
 wise, at the disposal of all, gained for himself 
 the general respect and good will. 
 
 ^V resic 
 
 ILLIAM GULLIVER has been a 
 ident of Scipio for more than 
 forty years, and during that time he has estab- 
 lished for himself a reputation as a thoroughly 
 honest man and a good citizen. Many of the 
 most thrifty and successful agriculturists of 
 Cayuga County were born and reared on the 
 other side of the Atlantic; and to England, 
 especially, is the county indebted for some of 
 her most enterprising and prosperous citizens. 
 Prominent among these is the gentleman 
 whose name is placed at the head of this 
 sketch. 
 
 Mr. Gulliver was born in Wiltshire, Eng- 
 land, September 15, 18 18, being one of the 
 eight children of David and Jane Gulliver, 
 both of whom spent their entire lives in their 
 native country, where the father had the care 
 of one of the estates belonging to the Duke 
 of Somerset. John Gulliver, grandfather of 
 William, was also a life-long resident of 
 Wiltshire, where many of his descendants are 
 yet living. The parental household included 
 
 the following children: John, Thomas, 
 George, David, William, Mary, Catherine, 
 and Sarah E., of whom William, the fifth 
 son, and Sarah, who married Jehu Barnard 
 and emigrated to America in 1848, were the 
 only ones to leave their native land. 
 
 William Gulliver had very limited opportu- 
 nities for acquiring an education, attending 
 school but one year. When a little lad of 
 nine years he began to be a wage-earner, his 
 first employment being the active and not 
 very remunerative one of keeping birds off of 
 the crops. He was an industrious and ambi- 
 tious boy, and at the age of twelve years he 
 was advanced to the position of a teamster; 
 and three years later he received another pro- 
 motion, being made head teamster, remaining 
 thus engaged until twenty years old. Secur- 
 ing the position of keeper of the toll-gate on 
 the turnpike, he took the toll for two years, 
 when he married Sarah Golden, the daughter 
 of George and Hannah Golden; and during 
 the succeeding two years his wife attended 
 the gate, while he worked at any employment 
 he could find. Mr. Gulliver was subsequently 
 engaged for three years as the keeper of a 
 public house in Moundsbury, the inn standing 
 near the site formerly occupied by the Catho- 
 lic cathedral that Cromwell destroyed. See- 
 ing little opportunity for accumulating any 
 property in England, Mr. Gulliver, accom- 
 panied by his wife, emigrated to America in 
 1848, landing in New York City after a te- 
 dious voyage of six weeks and three days in 
 the bark "Elizabeth." After his arrival in 
 this country he worked for a short time with 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 8S 
 
 William King. Leaving New York, he came 
 to Cayuga County, sailing up the Hudson 
 River to Albany, thence by canal-boat to his 
 destination. When he reached Scipio his 
 moneyed capital consisted of just four shil- 
 lings and sixpence. But he had strong hands, 
 a willing heart, and a resolute spirit; and, 
 filled with a determination to succeed, he set 
 to work. After working out for three years 
 he had, by downright labor, perseverance, and 
 judicious economy, saved enough money to 
 warrant him in buying a home for himself and 
 wife. After purchasing a house and lot in 
 Scipioville Mr. Gulliver rented twenty-three 
 acres of land, also renting the farm he now 
 owns, working it on shares for some time. 
 In his operations he succeeded well; and in 
 1862 he bought the farm where he now resides, 
 and on which he has, from time to time, made 
 substantial improvements, having built a new 
 barn and corn-crib and entirely renovated 
 the other buildings, his homestead now com- 
 paring favorably with any in the vicinity. 
 He has also invested in other real estate, and 
 has a good farm of forty-seven and one-half 
 acres in the town of Ledyard. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Gulliver had no children of 
 their own; but in the kindness of their hearts 
 they took into their household a niece, Susie 
 K. Gulliver, and a nephew, Henry Golden, 
 whom they loved and cherished as tenderly as 
 if they were their own offspring, giving to 
 those relatives the advantages that they them- 
 selves were deprived of in their younger days. 
 Mr. Gulliver was six years ago bereft of his 
 estimable wife, who died September 10, i 
 
 Like himself, she was a conscientious and 
 valued member of the Methodist church' of 
 Scipioville. 
 
 Among the respected citizens of Scipio Mr. 
 Gulliver holds an assured place, his industry, 
 uprightness, and neighborly dealing having 
 gained for him the confidence and esteem of 
 the whole community. His loyalty to the 
 country of his adoption is never questioned; 
 and at the time of the Civil War, though 
 forty-five years of age, he stood the draft. 
 He became a naturalized citizen in 1853, and 
 since the formation of the Republican party 
 he has been one of its firmest adherents. Pre- 
 vious to that time he was identified with the 
 Whig party, and his first Presidential vote was 
 cast for General Winfield Scott. 
 
 ]CjTHAN ALLEN, whose family name oc- 
 Jn' cupies' a prominent place in the an- 
 nals of New England, its members being 
 noted for their heroic patriotism and bravery, 
 is numbered among the prosperous agricultu- 
 rists and respected citizens of Cayuga County, 
 and is the owner of a fine and well-appointed 
 farm, pleasantly situated in District No. 4, 
 in the town of Springport. He is a native 
 and to the "manner born," his birth having 
 occurred in Springport, May 21, 1828, on the 
 homestead which is yet in his possession. 
 In tracing his ancestry back a few genera- 
 tions, it is found that his great-grandfather 
 was Timothy Allen, a life-long resident of 
 Vermont. 
 
 His grandfather, Gideon Allen, who was a 
 
86 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 cousin of Ethan Allen of Revolutionary 
 fame, was himself a soldier in the Revolu- 
 tionary War, thereafter drawing a pension for 
 services at that trying time. In 1792 he left 
 the Green Mountain State, which was the 
 place of his nativity, and, coming to Cayuga 
 County, settled in Aurora. He proved an 
 able citizen of his adopted town, and served 
 its interests in various ways. His death 
 occurred March 12, 1841, at the patriarchal 
 age of ninety-four years. He was a land- 
 holder, he and two of his friends having pur- 
 chased two hundred and fifty acres of land, 
 which was in its primitive condition; and, 
 when the property was divided, he took 
 ninety-five acres, which constitutes the pres- 
 ent homestead. The maiden name of his wife 
 was Phoebe Beardsley. She was a native of 
 Washington County, and bore him eleven 
 children; namely, Lemuel, Justus, Silas, 
 Orison, Ezekiel, Zimri, Betsey, Thirza, 
 Sally, Loraina, and Diana, the two daugh- 
 ters last named being twins. 
 
 Zimri, the sixth child of Gideon and Phoebe, 
 and father of Ethan of the present sketch, was 
 born in Washington, and came to Cayuga 
 County with his parents in the latter part of 
 the last century. Obtaining a practical ex- 
 perience in the art of tilling the soil in his 
 youth, he became a farmer by choice in his 
 later years, remaining at home, and managing 
 the paternal farm. During the War of 18 12 
 he took an active part, serving until its close, 
 subsequently drawing a pension. Returning 
 to the homestead, he resumed his agricultural 
 labors, making that his permanent home. In 
 
 1869 he journeyed to Michigan to visit 
 friends, and while there was taken sick, 
 and died on the 14th of October. He was 
 three times married. His first wife was Abi- 
 gail St. John, the daughter of Joel St. John, 
 by whom he had four sons — Joel, Gideon, 
 Ira, and Ethan — and two daughters, Emily 
 and Phoebe. His second wife, who was be- 
 fore her marriage Ann Llewellyn, bore him 
 two children; namely, Lewis and Martha A. 
 His third wife, who was formerly Olive St. 
 John, had no children. Joel, the eldest son 
 by the first marriage, who resides in Perry, 
 married Loraina Hathaway, of Scipio. Gid- 
 eon is at present a resident of California. 
 Ira, who married Maria Newcomb, is now a 
 widower with two children, Lloyd N. and 
 Nancy A. Emily married John W. Bartlett, 
 and died July 9, 1841, leaving one son, 
 Charles A., who resides in Providence, R.I. 
 Phoebe married Eleazer Hathaway, and died 
 December 5, 1887, leaving no children. 
 Martha, daughter of the second wife, married 
 Lebbeus Barton, by whom she had six chil- 
 dren, four daughters and two sons; namely, 
 Albertene, Loraina, Clara, Stella, Zimri, and 
 Lebbeus. 
 
 Ethan Allen, the fourth son of Zimri and 
 Abigail, was reared to a strong and self- 
 reliant manhood on the parental homestead, 
 and was the recipient of good educational 
 opportunities, taking advantage of which, he 
 fitted himself for the position of an instructor 
 of the young, and for eight terms was engaged 
 in teaching, being thus employed in Spring- 
 port, Ledyard, and in Wyoming County. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 87 
 
 Giving up his professional life, Mr. Allen be- 
 came interested in agriculture, in which he 
 was actively engaged for three consecutive 
 years in the town of Ledyard, and afterward 
 for ten years on a farm south of the one where 
 he now resides, the ancestral acres, which 
 came into his hands by purchase in 1866. At 
 one time after coming here Mr. Allen retired 
 from active labor for four years, and resided 
 in the village of Union Springs, leaving his 
 farm in the care of his son. His homestead 
 is now in an admirable state of culture and a 
 valuable piece of property, owing to the sound 
 judgment and persistent energy with which he 
 has devoted himself to its management. 
 
 Mr. Allen married Mariette Schenck, a 
 daughter of Jacob Schenck, their nuptials 
 being celebrated in December, 1853. A 
 sketch of the father-in-law is given in another 
 part of this volume. Of the union of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Allen three children have been born, 
 of whom the following is the record: Charles 
 S., who married Laura A. Grover, of Flem- 
 ing, has six children — Lena G., Georgie 
 M., E. Grover, Florence, Roy C, and an 
 infant not yet named. Emily, who is the 
 wife of Edwin R. Chase, of Springport, has 
 three children — Laura L., Jesse A., and Iva 
 M. Mary E., who married George H. King, 
 of Scipio, has two children, the elder being 
 Susie M. 
 
 Although he does not take an active part in 
 politics, Mr. Allen is interested in general 
 and local affairs, and has served the town for 
 nine years as Assessor. He has been a stal- 
 wart Republican since the formation of the 
 
 party, and cast his first Presidential vote for 
 John C. Fremont. 
 
 M 
 
 R. THEO J. DICKERSON, vita- 
 f~. m pathic physician of Auburn, is a 
 man of wide experience, and 'one who 
 has given much time and thought to the study 
 of disease and the processes of alleviating suf- 
 fering. The vitapathic school is not so well 
 known in this State as some of the other 
 forms of practice, it being among the results 
 of the later investigations of the century. 
 This school treats diseases by the use of force, 
 magnetism, or electricity from either personal 
 or mechanical origin. 
 
 Theo J. Dickerson was born in Shawan- 
 gunk, Ulster County, N.Y., son of William 
 H. and Catherine S. (Weller) Dickerson. 
 His father, who was a farmer and merchant, 
 removed to Newburg on the Hudson when 
 Theo was but thirteen, and afterward moved 
 to Meriden, Conn. His mother was of Ger- 
 man descent, and had spent her youth in New 
 England. After the death of her husband 
 she moved with her family to New Haven, 
 Conn., where she lived the remainder of her 
 life. They were members of the old Dutch 
 Reformed church. 
 
 After receiving a good common-school edu- 
 cation the future physician learned the trade 
 of machinist at Newburg, and for twenty years 
 worked at that, going West to Kansas, where 
 there was a much better opening for me- 
 chanics. He lived for a time at Topeka, then 
 travelled through the State, and was there 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 during the border difficulty. The excitements 
 and dangers of that time appealed to young 
 Dickerson; and he joined the heroic little 
 band of John Brown, and went with him in his 
 noble defence of freedom. He was with him 
 at Osawatomie, Topeka, Lawrence, and Fort 
 Riley, Doniphan, and Solomon City. Dr. 
 Dickerson with one companion laid out the 
 latter place, there being but one log house 
 there at their arrival. He established a ferry 
 across the Solomon River. He had the con- 
 tract from the United States government to 
 carry the mails between Solomon City and 
 Junction City; and that, at the time of the 
 "border ruffians" and Missouri marauders, 
 was an undertaking which required much care 
 and courage. While he was at Solomon City, 
 the slavery troubles constantly increased, and 
 war was imminent. Early in the conflict Dr. 
 Dickerson enlisted in Company C, Ninth 
 Kansas Cavalry, and, marching through Kan- 
 sas and Arkansas, participated in the battles 
 of Springfield, Mo., Drywood, Cabin Creek, 
 Fort Riley, and Fort Scott. Three years 
 and four months he spent in the volunteer 
 service, being Commissary Sergeant ; but near 
 the close of the war he resigned that position, 
 and went into the ranks as a private. 
 
 After the close of the war, in the fall of 
 1864, he came to Auburn and engaged as a 
 machinist until 1871, and then went into the 
 railroad mail service, running from Fair 
 Haven to Sayre, Pa., and afterward from Syr- 
 acuse to Rochester on the Auburn division of 
 the New York Central Railroad, and then on 
 the main line and on the Lake Shore Railroad 
 
 between New York City and Cleveland, Ohio. 
 In 1 88 1 he began the practice of the magnetic 
 treatment, at the same time studying the sys- 
 tem, and afterward attending lectures in 
 Cincinnati, Ohio, in the American Health 
 College, from which he graduated, receiving 
 his diploma in 1886; and since that time he 
 has practised the vitapathic system of medi- 
 cine. He received the degree of M.D. in 
 1885 from the Michigan State Society of Ra- 
 tional Medicine. He has made a specialty of 
 chronic diseases and cancers, and with this 
 branch has been eminently successful. 
 
 Dr. Dickerson married Mary E. Stone, of 
 Auburn. The Doctor has established an ex- 
 cellent practice in this city, and his reputa- 
 tion and the report of the many remarkable 
 cures he has accomplished have brought to 
 him many cases from distant parts of the 
 State. This system of practice, though new 
 to this region, has been shown in all its 
 merits through the excellent management of 
 Dr. Dickerson. He is a man peculiarly fitted 
 for the work he has undertaken, and the re- 
 spect bestowed upon him by all those who 
 employ him manifests the success he has 
 attained. 
 
 OHN SHOEMAKER, a prominent citi- 
 zen of the town of Aurelius, who has 
 here profitably been engaged in general 
 agriculture for more than twoscore years, 
 occupies one of the most attractive of the 
 many beautiful homesteads to be found in Ca- 
 yuga County. He is a native of Springport, 
 born April 12, 1819, being the worthy de- 
 
Missing Page 
 
Missing Page 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 91 
 
 scendant of a representative family of pio- 
 neers of Central New York. 
 
 Jacob Shoemaker, grandfather of the above- 
 named John, was born and reared to man's 
 estate in Pennsylvania. In his early man- 
 hood he came to New York, bringing his 
 young family and all of his worldly goods 
 with him, the journey being performed with 
 ox teams. He settled in Lansing, Tompkins 
 County, where he bought a small farm of tim- 
 bered land, on which he built a log house to 
 shelter his family. In common with the 
 other pioneers of that day, he labored with 
 unceasing toil to improve his land, perform- 
 ing no inconsiderable part in helping to de- 
 velop the resources of that county. Indians 
 still inhabited the woods. Wild turkey, deer, 
 and other game were abundant, helping supply 
 the family larder. In the course of time he 
 improved an excellent farm, erected a frame 
 house near the old log cabin, and built good 
 farm buildings. There were no markets very 
 near; and the family lived on the products of 
 the farm and the fruits of the chase, the 
 clothing being of home manufacture, woven, 
 spun, and fashioned into garments by the 
 frugal housewife. There he and his good 
 wife, whose maiden name was Storms, spent 
 the remainder of their years. They were the 
 parents of several children. 
 
 John Shoemaker, Sr., son of Jacob, was 
 born during the residence of his parents in 
 their native State, Pennsylvania, being very 
 young when they took him to Lansing. His 
 opportunities for acquiring an education were 
 very limited; but he attended the pioneer 
 
 schools when he could, and in tender years 
 began to assist his father in his work of elim- 
 inating a farm from the wilderness. He was 
 an ambitious young man, full of push and 
 energy, and determined in his efforts to suc- 
 ceed in the battle of life. Following in the 
 footsteps of his parents, he became a pioneer, 
 coming to Springport in the latter part of the 
 last century, bringing all of his household 
 effects in an ox wagon. He bought a farm of 
 forty acres on the Springport road, but, not 
 having ready money, ran in debt for it. As 
 early as possible he sowed his wheat, and the 
 next fall teamed his crop to Albany, the near- 
 est market, and with the proceeds paid for his 
 land. In 1832 he built a brick house, which 
 is still standing on the farm, at the present 
 time occupied by a Mr. Conklin. During the 
 War of 1812 he was drafted into service, but 
 paid a substitute instead of entering the army. 
 He cleared a fine farm, meeting with excel- 
 lent success in his agricultural operations; 
 and there he passed the remaining years of 
 his life, a respected, honored, and prosperous 
 citizen. He married Polly Osmun, of Lan- 
 sing; and their household joys, cares, and 
 expenses were increased by the birth of eleven 
 children — namely, Israel, Jacob, Belinda, 
 John, Jr., Henry, Emily, Michael, Thomas, 
 Sally, Mary, and Libby. 
 
 John, the subject of the following brief 
 biography, was the fourth child and the third 
 son born to his parents. He attended the 
 district schools of Springport, gleaning his 
 education during the short terms of school, 
 and, as early as practicable, was initiated into 
 
92 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the mysteries of farming. He proved a faith- 
 ful worker, remaining on the homestead with 
 his father until 1840. In June of that year 
 Mr. Shoemaker began life on his own account, 
 going to Ogden, Monroe County, where he 
 bought of an uncle a farm of one hundred and 
 forty-six acres, for which he was to pay forty 
 dollars an acre. He had to go into debt for 
 the amount, but he worked steadily one year 
 alone; and the next spring his brother Henry 
 bought a portion of the farm, and they carried 
 it on together for two years. John then pur- 
 chased his brother's share, again becoming 
 sole possessor of it, and continued its man- 
 agement for eight years longer, being well 
 satisfied with the results of his labors. In 
 1850 he disposed of his property there, and, 
 coming to Aurelius, bought the farm he now 
 occupies, which is pleasantly located in Dis- 
 trict No. g, on the Springport road. His 
 efforts in cultivating and improving his home- 
 stead have been amply rewarded, his farm, 
 which has two good dwelling-houses and sub- 
 stantial and commodious barns and out-build- 
 ings, being a credit to him and an ornament 
 to the town. That Mr. Shoemaker has met 
 with great success throughout his life may be 
 attributed to his industry, skill, and keen 
 foresight, and the fact that he had for a wife 
 a woman of rare ability and excellent judg- 
 ment, one in whom he placed the utmost con- 
 fidence, ever giving heed to her wise counsels 
 and suggestions. 
 
 The maiden name of this estimable woman, 
 to whom he was wedded in 1842, was Mar- 
 garet J. Flynn. She was a daughter of Peter 
 
 and Castilla Flynn, of Springport. Their 
 union was blessed by the birth of five chil- 
 dren, the following being their record: 
 George L., who has been twice married, the 
 first wife having been Miss Ada Wheeler, 
 who died, leaving one daughter, his second 
 wife a Miss Pierce; Castilla, the wife of 
 Thomas Durfee, of Aurelius; Frances, who 
 married Adelbert Clapp, of Port Byron; Car- 
 rie, who married Edgar Thorpe, of Aureliu's; 
 and Ada, who became the wife of Hiram 
 Titus, Jr., of Aurelius. This pleasant house- 
 hold has been sadly bereft, Mrs. Shoemaker, 
 the devoted wife and mother, having been 
 called to the life beyond, October 17, 1887, 
 at the age of sixty-four years. Her memory 
 is still cherished, and her influence is potent 
 as in the days of yore. 
 
 Mr. Shoemaker cast his first presidential vote 
 for Martin Van Buren, and has always remained 
 a stanch Democrat. He is a man held in deep 
 respect throughout the community in which he 
 lives, his integrity and other sterling qualities 
 being everywhere recognized. A very good 
 likeness of this veteran of the harvest fields 
 appears on an adjoining page, giving addi- 
 tional interest to these brief memories of his 
 family. 
 
 GORTON W. ALLEN. This 
 gentleman, who is among the most 
 distinguished in the city of Au- 
 burn, where he has been a resident since 
 1861, is especially known as one of the 
 United States Commissioners for the great 
 Columbian Exposition of 1893. He was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 93 
 
 born at Lawrenceville, Chester County, Pa., 
 December 20, 1840, the son of Daniel Dudley 
 and Mary (Wair) Allen. The Aliens came 
 from old New England stock. Mr. Daniel 
 Allen was a mechanic, who removed from 
 New York to Pennsylvania in 1830. 
 
 Gorton began self-support very early. 
 Leaving school at thirteen, he was employed 
 in a store for three years, and then taught 
 school for as many years more. When he 
 reached the age of nineteen, in the year 1859, 
 he came to Union Springs in Cayuga County, 
 and passed two years on a farm. Then he 
 came to Auburn, for the purpose of reading 
 law with Allen & Beardsley, the senior mem- 
 ber of the firm being his uncle, William 
 Allen. At the end of a year he tried his 
 hand for a twelvemonth at book-keeping in 
 the Cayuga National Bank. When he was 
 twenty, the shot at Fort Sumter roused the 
 North to the peril in which the Union stood; 
 and two years later, in October, 1862, at the 
 expiration of his banking year, the young man 
 forsook his financial ledgers in order to enlist 
 in the One Hundred and Sixtieth New York 
 Volunteer Infantry as Adjutant. The regi- 
 ment was forthwith sent to the Department of 
 the Gulf of Mexico, and did valiant duty in 
 the campaign, which resulted in the fall of 
 Port Hudson, young Allen being that whole 
 year on the staff of Brigadier Godfrey Weit- 
 zel. Next Adjutant Allen was detailed by 
 the late General N. P. Banks to be clerk of 
 the Provost Court at New Orleans, where he 
 spent another year. Then in 1865, the war 
 being over, he came home, and went into the 
 
 business of manufacturing ploughs for three 
 years, being the first in this vicinity to weld 
 this indispensable agricultural implement of 
 steel instead of iron. In 1868 he became 
 connected with D. M. Osborne & Co., and 
 was gradually promoted, till in 1880 he was 
 elected Treasurer of the company. He held 
 this office for ten years, during which time he 
 was constantly brought into contact with the 
 thirteen hundred men employed by the con- 
 cern in all branches of its extensive plant. 
 On November i, 1890, he severed his busi- 
 ness relations with Mr. Osborne, having five 
 months before been appointed by President 
 Harrison one of the Chicago World's Fair 
 Commissioners, and finding that his position 
 would require at least half his time before the 
 fair opened and the whole of it afterward. 
 This Columbian Commission was composed 
 of two men from each State, nominated by 
 its Governor and appointed by the President, 
 whose privilege it was- to name eight addi- 
 tional Commissioners-at-large, of whom Mr. 
 Allen was one. It is well known how much 
 the members all did to expedite the gigantic 
 enterprise. When the Commission organ- 
 ized, Mr. Allen was chosen one of its four 
 Vice-Presidents; and one of the earliest duties 
 devolving upon him was to assist Chauncey 
 M. Depew and John Boyd Thatcher in arrang- 
 ing a dinner at Delmonico's Hotel in New 
 York City on the eve of Forefathers' Day, 
 December 21, 1 891, for a full consideration 
 of the duties of the State in reference to the 
 approaching fair. When the hundred rich 
 and honored guests were seated, Mr. Allen 
 
94 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 occupied a place at the right-hand corner of 
 the official table. Mr. Depew was even more 
 felicitous than usual in discharging his duties 
 as chairman. Among the last, but not least, 
 of the speakers, he humorously called upon 
 Mr. Allen, as representing the hayseed dis- 
 tricts, not previously heard from; and Mr. 
 Allen replied in a judiciously brief speech, 
 coming at once to the point. He predicted 
 absolute success for the fair, because it was 
 an expression of the wishes of the American 
 people, who find the word "failure" nowhere 
 except in the dictionary. Though New York 
 was sorry not to have the Columbian Exposi- 
 tion within her borders, her citizens would 
 heartily aid in crowning Chicago with vic- 
 tory; and he proposed that Governor Flower 
 be urged to have official inquiries immediately 
 made, so that the whole matter should be thor- 
 oughly understood by every inhabitant of the 
 Empire State. In reference to the money re- 
 quired by Chicago for the exposition, the 
 speaker was decidedly of the opinion that it 
 should come from the national government, not 
 as a gift — for the exhibition would never 
 have been accorded to the West, had any such 
 demand been anticipated — but as a loan, 
 to be repaid out of the receipts of the fair, in- 
 asmuch as Chicago should do at least as much 
 as the metropolis had promised when the pro- 
 ject was under Congressional consideration. 
 A full record of this excellent speech was 
 published next day in the Chicago Tribune, 
 with a picture of the banquet, a diagram of the 
 tables, and a portrait of Mr. Allen, with other 
 noted participants. 
 
 In connection with the approaching fair a 
 very important meeting of the National Com- 
 missioners was held in Chicago, where Mr. 
 Allen won great and deserved credit for the 
 broad views he maintained. As Chicago had 
 assumed the responsibility of the exposition, 
 he argued that details, especially as to loca- 
 tion, should be willingly left to that city; 
 while at the same time he strongly advocated 
 the claims of the Lake Front as the site of 
 the fine buildings proposed and the electric 
 plant. At last the preparatory work was over, 
 and the fair ready. Besides his general 
 duties at Chicago, Mr. Allen was a member 
 of the Committees on Electricity and Cere- 
 monies ; and he was also constantly at work, 
 both as Vice-President and as one of the six 
 General Managers of the New York State 
 Board, taking personal charge of the interests 
 of his State and the erection of its admired 
 building. 
 
 The city of Brooklyn did a great deal for 
 the exposition; and, while it was in progress, 
 in the latter part of June, 1893, many Brook- 
 lynites were present at a reception banquet 
 given largely in their honor. In the absence 
 of the chief executive officer, it fortunately 
 fell to Commissioner Allen's lot to be chair- 
 man. He not only spoke cordially and ge- 
 nially, but gave an extensive statement of 
 facts, which were recorded by the public prints 
 on account of their intrinsic value as well as 
 their cogent courtesy. He referred to the 
 dozen departments containing extensive New 
 York exhibits, from all forms of agriculture 
 to arts and ethnology, and showed how the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 95 
 
 figures proved the leadership of the Empire 
 State in electricity and the culture of hops, 
 and nearly made her the equal of Virginia 
 in tobacco. In bee culture, wool-shearing, 
 transportation, floriculture, forestry, wheat- 
 growing, mining, in stone, clay, and all sorts 
 of metallic work, in machinery and dynamite 
 — in fact, in almost every mentionable line of 
 work New York was on the alert and in the 
 thick of honorable emulation. In conclusion 
 he called especial attention to the working 
 model of the Elmira prison, sent from the 
 Rochester Industrial School, and to the huge 
 bas-relief map of the State; and then he 
 pointed proudly to woman's share in the great 
 fair. It would be difficult to find a better 
 compendium of New York enterprise than this 
 speech affords, though here only its barest 
 outline can be cited. 
 
 The fair over, in the fall of 1893 Mr. 
 Allen returned to Auburn, and once more 
 turned his attention to mercantile and manu- 
 facturing pursuits ; but he could not long re- 
 main in this quiet life, his talents being too 
 widely known to allow their concealment 
 under the trade bushel, however commodious 
 and useful. Since his previous retirement 
 from business Mr. Allen had been rapidly 
 fulfilling the predictions of confident friends 
 by renewed flights of oratory. He received 
 the sobriquet of the Western Tornado; and 
 his name was coupled with that of the gentle- 
 man who first bestowed that title upon him, 
 one of the most popular publicists of the day, 
 Chauncey M. Depew. When the latter was 
 made President and the former Vice-President 
 
 of the New York State World's Fair Commis- 
 sion, an Auburn paper paid them so felicitous 
 a compliment that it will bear repeating here: 
 "One can do all the talking, if necessary, and 
 some of the work; while the other can do all 
 the work, if necessary, and some of the talk- 
 ing. No man surpasses Depew in the magic 
 of his eloquence and oratorical gifts. No 
 man can outdo G. W. Allen when it comes 
 to executive capability." As his Commis- 
 sioner's appointment indicates, he has long 
 been an active Republican, high in local coun- 
 cils. Even before the fair, when the Na- 
 tional Republican Convention assembled in 
 Minneapolis, Mr. Allen was one of the two 
 delegates from his Congressional district. 
 Already, in 1880, 1884, and 1888, he had 
 served the Republican cause magnificently, 
 and in nearly every campaign, local and gen- 
 eral, his unselfish, generous, impulsive pres- 
 ence was felt, not only in declarations, but 
 in deeds and dollars; and that he should now 
 be delegated to that great gathering of his 
 party was no more than his due. Albeit Gen- 
 eral Harrison was not elected for the second 
 Presidential term, this was no fault of Mr. 
 Allen in aiding and abetting the nomination. 
 Though in this narration the chronological 
 sequence of Mr. Allen's career has been par- 
 tially reversed, for the sake of unity in set- 
 ting forth his Fair fame, it should be remem- 
 bered that the Minneapolis Convention had 
 preceded the great Chicago display of 1893. 
 Later, however, he might truly say, in the 
 language of Othello, "I have done the State 
 some service " ; and it was inevitable that he 
 
96 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 should be thought of for higher political pre- 
 ferment. In September of 1894 his name 
 came prominently before the Republican Con- 
 vention as a candidate for the position of 
 Lieutenant Governor of the State, as the name 
 of his friend and former colleague, Mr. 
 Depew, had been spoken of for the Gov- 
 ernorship. The party choice fell elsewhere; 
 but this effort was a harbinger of political 
 advancement, sure to be his fate in the near 
 future. Well has Longfellow said, "The 
 talent of success is nothing more than doing 
 what you can do well, and doing well what- 
 ever you do, without a thought of fame " ; 
 while with equal force the practical Samuel 
 Smiles declares: "It is a mistake to suppose 
 that men succeed through success. They 
 much oftener succeed through failure." 
 
 A concomitant of his relations to David M. 
 Osborne was a tenderer union in 1866 with 
 Mr. Osborne's youngest sister, Caroline Bulk- 
 ley Osborne, from whom he was parted by 
 death in 1888. Mrs. Allen left one son, 
 Munson Osborne Allen, who died in April, 
 1 89 1, just as he reached his majority. In 
 November, 1891, when he decided to devote 
 his time to the Chicago Fair, Mr. Allen 
 married his second wife, Ada R. Myers, of 
 Auburn. They continue to occupy their 
 beautiful home, a brick dwelling at No. 85 
 South Street, which Mr. Allen built in 1882. 
 Such a career as his lends point to the lines 
 of Pope : — 
 
 " It is not strength, but art, obtains the prize, 
 And to be swift is less than to be wise — 
 'Tis more by art than force of numerous strokes." 
 
 ILLIAM H. CARR, the leading 
 merchant of Meridian, is one of its 
 most substantial and prominent business men, 
 and an important factor in promoting its 
 advancement and prosperity. As a citizen he 
 is held in high repute, and by his excellent 
 character and straightforward business course 
 in life has fully established himself in the 
 esteem and confidence of his associates and 
 neighbors, winning an extensive and lucrative 
 patronage in this vicinity, his large store 
 containing a complete assortment of general 
 merchandise. He is a native of New York, 
 and proudly claims Cayuga County as the 
 place of his birth, which occurred in Port 
 Byron, July 6, 1841. 
 
 The Carr family came originally from Ire- 
 land, and possessed in a remarkable degree 
 the generous traits of the warm-hearted Irish 
 race. William T. Carr, Sr., who was born 
 and reared in Orange County, New York, 
 came from there when a young man, and set- 
 tled in Port Byron in 1800, being one of the 
 pioneers of this county. The land was then 
 in its virgin state, wolves, bears, deer, and 
 wild turkeys being abundant in the forests, 
 and often a source of terror to the inhabitants. 
 Mr. Carr was a tanner and currier by trade, 
 and pursued his occupation until his early 
 death at the age of forty-eight years. 
 
 William T., Jr., and Sophia (McCraken) 
 Carr, the parents of William H., were both 
 natives of New York, the mother having been 
 born in Washington County, while her 
 father's birth occurred in Orange County. 
 He was a small lad when his parents came to 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 97 
 
 Cayuga; and his life was afterward spent in 
 Port Byron, where he was prosperously en- 
 gaged in farming. He was a well-known 
 citizen, and much respected for his personal 
 worth, and was a stanch adherent of the Dem- 
 ocratic party. In his religious views he was 
 a Universalist. His wife was an esteemed 
 member of the Methodist church. Of their 
 four children only two are now living — Will- 
 iam H. and Frances, the wife of Rev. L. A. 
 Dibble, of Troy, N.Y. 
 
 William H. Carr, the subject of this brief 
 personal history, grew to manhood in his 
 native town, there receiving a substantial edu- 
 cation in its schools. At the age of seven- 
 teen he went to Saginaw, Mich., where he 
 learned the milling business, and was thus 
 occupied for some years. He subsequently 
 turned his attention to mercantile pursuits, 
 as more congenial to his tastes and abilities, 
 first opening a store of general merchandise in 
 the town of Ira, N.Y., where he remained six 
 years, meeting with good success. In 1889 
 Mr. Carr established his present place of busi- 
 ness in the village of Meridian; and, by his 
 upright and honorable transactions, courteous 
 and agreeable manners, and a ready willing- 
 ness to oblige all patrons, he has built up a 
 profitable trade, being one of the largest 
 dealers in this locality, carrying a stock 
 valued at from eight to ten thousand dollars, 
 with his annual sales amounting to from fif- 
 teen to eighteen thousand. His business has 
 rapidly increased; and, owing to its demands, 
 he has in the process of erection a large, two- 
 story brick building, twenty-eight by seventy 
 
 feet, into which he will remove as soon as it 
 is completed, and where he will endeavor to 
 still further accommodate his numerous cus- 
 tomers and friends. 
 
 Mr. Carr was united in marriage in 1861 to 
 Esther A. Somers, who was also born in Port 
 Byron. Their happy family circle has been 
 enlarged and brightened by the birth of four 
 children; namely, Elizabeth, Ida, Grace, and 
 William H., Jr. Mrs. Carr is a woman uni- 
 versally respected for her amiability and kind- 
 ness of heart, and is a consistent member of 
 the Presbyterian church. Mr. Carr is liberal 
 in his religious views and a prominent sup- 
 porter of the Democratic party. He takes an 
 active interest in the public welfare, and, 
 although no aspirant for political honors, was 
 elected and served as Supervisor in Ira, a 
 strong Republican town, in 1876 and 1877, 
 and as Town Clerk in the same town several 
 years, besides holding minor offices, and is at 
 present Notary Public. Socially, he is a 
 member of the A. F. & A. M. at Port Byron, 
 Lodge No. 130, and of the Ancient Order of 
 United Workmen, No. 142, of Meridian, also 
 belonging to the E. A. Union of Cato. 
 
 rON. WILLIAM P. ROBINSON, a 
 '=n prominent public-spirited citizen of 
 Auburn, present Supervisor of the 
 Ninth Ward, has been a resident of the same 
 precinct since 1841 ; but he was born in 
 Westerly, R.I., June 13, 1834. His father, 
 Dr. Horatio Robinson, and his mother, Mary 
 Robinson, were second cousins, and grand- 
 
98 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 children of Revolutionary soldiers. Both 
 were descended from the Rev. John Robin- 
 son, the Pilgrim pastor, who was not destined 
 to come with his flock from Holland to the 
 New World, but whose sons emigrated soon 
 after the "Mayflower's" famous first voyage 
 to Plymouth. Dr. Horatio Robinson studied 
 medicine with his father-in-law, and also was 
 graduated from the Berkshire Medical School 
 in Pittsfield, Mass. For a time he practised 
 his profession in Westerly, but later came with 
 his family to Potter, Yates County, N.Y. 
 Though formerly belonging to the allopathic 
 school, the Doctor was about this time con- 
 verted to homoeopathy, so he renewed his med- 
 ical studies at Seneca Falls with Dr. Biegler, 
 and was the first to introduce the new system 
 into Auburn, whither he removed in the sum- 
 mer of 1 84 1. Though so strenuously opposed 
 by physicians of the old school that they 
 actually tried to have him indicted for malprac- 
 tice by the grand jury, yet his practice rapidly 
 increased, such unfair antagonism only serving 
 as fuel for his popularity, which never after- 
 ward waned. In response to his efforts in 
 organizing the Homoeopathic Medical Society, 
 he was chosen its first President. In politics 
 he graduated from the Whig party to Republi- 
 canism; and in religion, as might be expected 
 of such a man, he was a liberal, and earnestly 
 devoted to the Universalist denomination. 
 At his death, in 1890, he left two sons and 
 one daughter. The elder son, Horatio Rob- 
 inson, Jr., followed his father's example by 
 becoming a physician, and was regarded by 
 the best professional judges as perhaps the 
 
 best practitioner in his city; but he died in 
 1 89 1 at the age of sixty-one, a year after his 
 father. A daughter, Margaret Robinson, be- 
 came the wife of Francis H. Bradley, and 
 died in New York City in 1869. William P. 
 is the younger son. The younger daugh- 
 ter, Elizabeth Ann, born in 1836, married 
 B. B. Snow, who for the past twenty years 
 has been Superintendent of Schools, and was 
 formerly County Clerk. 
 
 William P. Robinson received a common- 
 school education, and was then fitted for 
 Hamilton College. After graduation there 
 he was local editor of the Auburn Advertiser 
 for several years, during that period being 
 also Clerk of the Board of Supervisors for two 
 terms, and was three terms a Supervisor in the 
 Second Ward. In the fall of 1862 he was 
 elected to the State Assembly from the Sec- 
 ond Cayuga District; and he was re-elected 
 the next year, taking his seat in 1864. As 
 chairman of a most important committee, that 
 on cities, he was successful in obtaining a 
 charter for Wells College and for the Auburn 
 City Savings Bank, and also for the erection 
 of the New York Central & Hudson River 
 Railroad bridge across the Hudson River at 
 Albany. On the completion of this portion 
 of his political career Mr. Robinson began 
 the manufacture of corn-shellers and other 
 agricultural implements; but this did not 
 long keep him from public ofifice, for through 
 his warm friend, the Hon. Charles J. Folger, 
 he was appointed Deputy Commissioner of 
 Taxes of New York City, a place which he held 
 fourteen years. When Mr. Folger was made 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 99 
 
 Secretary of the United States Treasury in 
 1882, under President Arthur, Mr. Robinson 
 was appointed superintendent of the govern- 
 ment mill in Dalton, Mass., where all the 
 paper used in printing national bank-notes is 
 made. In 1887 he returned to Auburn, and 
 took charge of the publishing and printing 
 department of D. M. Osborne & Co. till 1890, 
 when he was elected Supervisor of the Ninth 
 Ward of the city, a kindred position to the 
 one he had previously held in Ward- Two; 
 and this place he has retained four years by 
 re-election, at the same time doing efficient 
 work for the Republican County Committee, 
 both as its Secretary and Chairman, being the 
 present incumbent of the latter place and also 
 Supervisor. 
 
 On Christmas Day, 1856, he married 
 Louise E. Smith, of Auburn, a sister of the 
 Hon. J. Wesley Smith, of the Albany Argus, 
 and of Byron C. C. Smith, a leading business 
 man of Auburn; and they have seven children, 
 who are severally making a good record, hav- 
 ing either already entered on active life or 
 being in advanced preparation. Julia Robin- 
 son is a teacher in the Auburn High School. 
 Charles Dwight Robinson is a Newburg mer- 
 chant. Mary Ann Robinson lives at home. 
 Frank D. Robinson is in business with his 
 brother Charles. Frederick William Robin- 
 son was graduated at Yale College in 1890, 
 and became a teacher in the Yale Preparatory 
 School of New York City. He is captain 
 of the athletic crew, and foremost in various 
 other muscular sports, having won the gold 
 medal for his all-round capability in this 
 
 direction. Louis E. Robinson and his sister 
 Agnes, the two youngest children, arc in 
 school. Their mother is an attractive lady, 
 lending additional lustre to their beautiful 
 home, 24 Court Street. 
 
 To Mr. Robinson might be applied the 
 words of the great Edmund Burke: "In a free 
 country every man thinks he has a concern in 
 all public matters, that he has a right to form 
 and a right to deliver an opinion on them. 
 This it is that fills such countries with men 
 of ability in all stations." A fellow-Super- 
 visor has pronounced Mr. Robinson the 
 strongest member of the Board; and those 
 who make his acquaintance find him a polished 
 gentleman, broadened by travel and by wide 
 contact with public men and public affairs. 
 Like its head, his household is filled with re- 
 finement and culture. 
 
 •^jVAMES A. GOULD is familiarly known 
 to the people of Scipio as the owner of 
 one of the finest homesteads within its 
 limits, on which he is successfully engaged in 
 cultivating the soil. Born in this town on 
 the loth of April, 1853, son of De Witt and 
 Hannah (Aiken) Gould, he is now in the 
 prime of life, and holds a prominent position 
 as an agriculturist of more than average intel- 
 ligence and skill. He is of good New Eng- 
 land stock, his grandfather, Joseph Gould, 
 having been born in the State of Vermont, 
 and there reared to manhood. He subse- 
 quently removed to Tompkins County, New 
 York, where he was among the earlier settlers, 
 
100 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and during the remainder of his life was there 
 engaged in farming. He married Betsey 
 Smiley, who passed her declining years in 
 Cayuga County, dying at the home of her son, 
 De Witt C. Gould. The other son, named 
 Benjamin, left home on attaining his major- 
 ity, and was never heard from afterward. 
 
 De Witt C. Gould, who was born in Tomp- 
 kins County, received his early education in 
 the district schools. He taught four terms in 
 the town of Scipio, two at Sherwood, and two 
 at Bolt's Corner. He afterward pursued his 
 studies at the Aurora Academy, and, desiring 
 to enter the legal profession, for which he 
 was well adapted, he read law at home; and, 
 though not admitted to the bar, he served for 
 many years as Justice of the Peace, his wise 
 decisions being always received without a dis- 
 senting voice. In 1841 he was united in 
 marriage to Hannah Aiken, the daughter of 
 James and Levisa Aiken, who were born, 
 bred, and married in Connecticut, and came 
 to Cayuga County when they were young, 
 Mrs. Aiken riding on horseback, bringing a 
 young infant with her. On the death of her 
 father Mrs. De Witt C. Gould inherited a 
 farm, which her husband subsequently man- 
 aged with the same systematic skill and enter- 
 prise that he had hitherto shown in all of his 
 work, having since added other land by pur- 
 chase, and has made many and substantial im- 
 provements. Here this worthy couple spent 
 many years of wedded usefulness and content ; 
 but on April 13, 1888, the loving wife, kind 
 mother, and faithful friend passed on to the 
 higher life, leaving a vacancy in the house- 
 
 hold and a pleasant memory that will ever be 
 tenderly cherished. Mr. De Witt C. Gould, 
 who still lives on the homestead, is one of the 
 most respected of the citizens of Scipio; and 
 with its progress and prosperity he has always 
 been closely identified, taking a genuine in- 
 terest in its educational and financial advance- 
 ment, and was for many years School Trustee, 
 and for nineteen years was Loan Commis- 
 sioner. 
 
 His son James was educated in the public 
 schools of Scipio, and on the home farm ob- 
 tained a practical experience in the art and 
 science of agriculture. At the age of twenty- 
 one years he took unto himself a wife, but did 
 not leave the parental hearthstone until three 
 years later, when he purchased one hundred 
 acres of land, a portion of which was in its 
 virgin state, and with characteristic energy 
 and industry began its improvement. He is 
 a broad-minded, liberal man, enterprising and 
 progressive in all matters; and in addition to 
 his general farming he carries on an extensive 
 business in stock-raising, having one of the 
 finest herds of registered Durham cattle to be 
 found in this locality. He spares neither 
 time nor expense in the improvement of his 
 property, and has in recent years put in more 
 than five miles of tile ditching. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. James A. Gould with 
 Miss Lois Emeline Chase was solemnized in 
 1874; and two years later their only child, 
 a son, named Wilson M., was born. He is a 
 youth of fine abilities, at present a student in 
 the Howland School, where he is fitting him- 
 self to enter a law school. Mrs. Gould is the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 daughter of John P. and Lois E. (Hart) 
 Chase, the former of whom was born in 
 Dutchess County, New York, November 23, 
 1820, and died February 7, 1890. He re- 
 moved from the place of his nativity to Ca- 
 yuga County, and, settling in Scipio, became 
 one of its most influential citizens, serving in 
 the various town and county offices, and for 
 fourteen years was Supervisor. He was an 
 ardent worker in the cause of temperance and 
 a prominent member of the society of Good 
 Templars. He led an honest, upright, Chris- 
 tian life, and was a conscientious member of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 In all Jthe walks of life, Mr. Gould is a 
 worthy representative of all that constitutes 
 an exemplary citizen, in his domestic rela- 
 tions being a devoted husband and a kind 
 father, in social life a pleasant and genial 
 companion, and in business circles an hon- 
 ored and trusted man, with whom it is a 
 pleasure to deal. In 1892 he was elected as 
 a member of the Board of Supervisors, and 
 as a School Trustee he has served most ac- 
 ceptably. Politically, he is a sound Republi- 
 can, and cast his first Presidential vote for 
 Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876. In his relig- 
 ious views he is a believer in the doctrines 
 of the Methodist church, of which his excel- 
 lent wife is a valued member. 
 
 I^^ELSON SCHENCK, a retired farmer 
 of Springport, has been a resident of 
 the town for more than fourscore 
 years, and in that time has witnessed many 
 
 wonderful transformations in the county, the 
 pathless forests giving way before the axe of 
 the pioneer, the log cabins of the forefathers 
 being replaced by commodious frame houses, 
 and the hamlets of the early time developing 
 into thriving villages and populous towns and 
 cities. Although Mr. Schenck was not yet 
 born when the first settlements were made, 
 his parents contributed their full share of 
 the pioneer labor. Mr. Schenck is of worthy 
 Dutch ancestry, his grandfather, Cornelius 
 Schenck, having emigrated from Holland to 
 the United States in early Colonial times, 
 being among the original settlers of New Jer- 
 sey, where he spent his remaining years. 
 
 John Schenck, son of Cornelius, was born 
 in New Jersey, and there spent the earlier 
 portion of his life. Having good mental 
 ability, he was given exceptional educational 
 advantages, and, fitting himself for the posi- 
 tion of a teacher, followed that profession sev- 
 eral years, achieving great success in his 
 labors. Desirous of turning his attention to 
 the pursuit of agriculture, he wended his way 
 westward, accompanied by his family; and, 
 finding that land could be bought at a nominal 
 price in Cayuga County, he settled in the 
 town of Genoa, where he began to clear a 
 farm, and, resuming his professional duties, 
 taught school in the winter season and 
 farmed in the summer. Subsequently remov- 
 ing to Springport, he bought a tract of land 
 on the Gully road, where he built up a fine 
 homestead, his broad and cultivated fields, 
 covered with waving grain, replacing the im- 
 mense tract of woodland. There he and his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 good wife, a true helpmate, sharing with him 
 the toils, privations, and discomforts of fron- 
 tier life, reared their large family of children, 
 training them to habits of industry and thrift. 
 At length, life's labors done, these brave and 
 faithful toilers passed on to the unseen world 
 beyond; and their mortal remains were laid to 
 rest in the family lot on the homestead. The 
 maiden name of Mrs. John Schenck was Polly 
 Quackenbush. She was a native of New Jer- 
 sey; and she and her husband were the 
 parents of fourteen children, namely: Cor- 
 nelius, born June lo, 1791 ; Nellie, born 
 April 29, 1793; Polly, born May 6, 179S; 
 Geshea, born September 24, 1796; Ruloff, 
 born February 4, 1798; Catherine, born 
 March 10, 1799; Sarah, born March 21, 
 1801; John, born December 22, 1802; Will- 
 iam, born February 20, 1804; Peter, born 
 August 12, 1805; Jacob, born December 7, 
 1806; Sylvanus, born February 25, 1809; 
 Sylvester, born April 29, 18 10; and Nelson, 
 born November 27, 181 1. 
 
 Nelson Schenck, the youngest of this fam- 
 ily group, is one of the few native-born oc- 
 togenarians of Springport, and occupies a 
 prominent position among its esteemed and 
 honored citizens. His whole life has been 
 spent within its precincts, he having in his 
 boyhood acquired his education in its district 
 schools, and later becoming actively engaged 
 in developing the resources by virtue of which 
 it is classed among the best of the unusually 
 fine agricultural regions to be found in this 
 part of the Empire State. Reared under the 
 parental roof-tree, he became familiar with 
 
 the manual labor of the farm when quite 
 young, and remained with his parents, assist- 
 ing in the management of the homestead for 
 forty years. On the death of his father Mr. 
 Schenck bought one hundred acres of the orig- 
 inal farm, and for seven years carried on 
 general agriculture in a most satisfactory 
 manner. He then sold that property to his 
 nephew, Cyrus Schenck, of whom a sketch 
 appears in another part of this volume, and 
 purchased the residence in Union Springs, 
 where he has since made his home. He is 
 an enterprising and intelligent man, and takes 
 an active interest in all matters pertaining to 
 the welfare of the town or county. In poli- 
 tics he is a strong Democrat, and does all that 
 he can to advance the interests of that party. 
 He married Matilda Bliss, a daughter of Briar 
 and Mehitable (Hubble) Bliss, both of whom 
 spent their declining years in the town of 
 Springport. Mrs. Bliss was a native of Ver- 
 mont. He died in 1875. 
 
 ■ < -* • •-»■ 
 
 "^^/Tllia 
 
 }^^ well- 
 
 ILLIAM HUGHES, D.D.S., is a 
 ^-known and popular resident of 
 Auburn, and one of the leading representa- 
 tives of the dental profession of that city. 
 Perhaps no professional calling so aptly illus- 
 trates the swift advance of science in this^« 
 de sikle period as that of dentistry. Perhaps 
 the most important branch of surgery, because 
 of its required application at some period of 
 life by almost every member of the human 
 family, it was yet, until very modern times, 
 left largely in the hands of charlatans and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 103 
 
 itinerant professors. Grandparents living 
 to-day can recall with shuddering remi- 
 niscence the barbarous methods in vogue in 
 their younger days; and the youth of the 
 present generation have reason to be thankful 
 that they live in times when intelligent 
 study, patient investigation, and careful ex- 
 periment have done so much to make life 
 pleasanter by banishing some of its greater 
 and minor ills, and modifying to so large an 
 extent human pain and suffering. In the val- 
 uable discoveries and improvements made in 
 dentistry in recent years, elevating it to the 
 dignity of a distinct and separate science, 
 America has taken a foremost place — so much 
 so that American methods are followed in 
 European countries, and European dentists in 
 many instances come to this country to study 
 and perfect themselves in their profession. 
 
 The subject of this biographical sketch, 
 however, came to this country at the age of 
 sixteen, and had no thought at that time of 
 entering his present calling. He was born in 
 County Armagh, Ireland, May 6, 1852, and is 
 the son of James and Mary Hughes. The 
 family came originally from Wales, but set- 
 tled in Ireland some three hundred years ago, 
 where, for the most part, they have remained 
 to the present day. Dr. Hughes was educated 
 in Ireland until his seventeenth year, when 
 he came unaccompanied to this country on a 
 visit, and took up his residence for some time 
 in Ithaca, N.Y. While here the sad news 
 came to him of his mother's death; and, feel- 
 ing that the strongest tie that bound him to 
 his native land was broken, he resolved to 
 
 make this country his future home. Remain- 
 ing in Ithaca from 1869 until 1884, he there 
 first felt attracted toward his future profjes- 
 sion, and began the study of dentistry in 1871 
 with Drs. Hoysradt and Franklin, two of the 
 most skilled and prominent dentists in the 
 State. Profiting by their instructions, he re- 
 mained with them three years until they dis- 
 solved partnership, when he formed a busi- 
 ness connection with Dr. G. W. Hoysradt, 
 they continuing together for nine years. In 
 1884 Dr. Hughes came to Auburn, and opened 
 an office at 139 Genesee Street, where he has 
 remained ever since, and, by means of his ac- 
 knowledged skill, close attention to his pro- 
 fessional duties, and unblemished personal 
 character, has succeeded in building up a large 
 and lucrative practice. 
 
 In connection with his professional calling. 
 Dr. Hughes has shown himself to be a man of 
 sound practical sense. He believes in the 
 good old adage that "prevention is better 
 than cure," and to this end has worked long 
 and faithfully to get a bill before the State 
 legislature, the provisions of which, when put 
 into practical operation, would confer incal- 
 culable benefit upon the rising generation. 
 The bill provides for properly qualified men 
 on salary to give instruction on the hygiene 
 of the teeth in the public schools. This pro- 
 posal has met with strong indorsement and 
 encouragement from prominent men, who 
 see the practical utility of the proposed bill. 
 Dr. Hughes has endeavored in many ways 
 to benefit his adopted city. He has occupied 
 a leading place on the Auburn Board of 
 
104 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Trade, and has been successfully active in in- 
 ducing substantial business concerns to estab- 
 lish'themselves in the city of Auburn. 
 
 In February, 1879, Dr. Hughes was united 
 in marriage to Miss Annette Hendrick, of 
 Penn Yan, who died, leaving no children. 
 His second marriage was to Miss Frankie 
 Lasher, April 27, 1892; and they are the 
 parents of one son, William David. The fam- 
 ily are members and attendants of the Holy 
 Family Church. 
 
 In political affairs Dr. Hughes is an active 
 and useful member of the Democratic party, 
 ever ready to render party service, but has 
 never been an aspirant for office, the duties of 
 his large practice engrossing his whole time. 
 During his residence in Auburn he has 
 gained a high standing in the community as a 
 citizen, the esteem of a wide circle of friends, 
 and the respect of men of all classes with 
 whom he has come into contact. Having 
 scarcely reached middle life, he may look for- 
 ward to a long future career of usefulness, 
 both in the sphere of professional activity and 
 in his more private relations as a man. 
 
 rON. SERENO ELISHA PAYNE, 
 the high-minded and able member of 
 the National House of Representa- 
 tives for the Twenty-eighth District of New 
 York, resides in Auburn, but was born in 
 Hamilton, Madison County, on June 26, 
 1843, the son of William Wallace and Betsey 
 (Sears) Payne. Two brothers Payne were 
 pioneer settlers in this region, coming from 
 
 Connecticut, taking up and clearing large 
 tracts of land where now stands the village of 
 Hamilton. To Samuel Payne, one of those 
 brothers, belonged the site of the then Madi- 
 son, now Colgate, University; and to the 
 other, Elisha Payne, belonged the site of the 
 present park, he being considered the founder 
 of the village, where he remained till his 
 death, which happened about the date of his 
 grandson Sereno's birth. 
 
 Elisha Payne's son, William W. Payne, 
 was born January 22, 18 14, in Hamilton, 
 where for a time he was a merchant. There- 
 after he left the place of his nativity, and 
 went to the Red River country in Louisiana 
 and to Texas, where he was in the same line 
 of trade, dealing in general merchandise. 
 Some time after Sereno's birth Mr. Payne 
 bought a farm in the town of Sennett, where 
 he remained till his death in 1863. He was 
 twice elected by the Republicans of the 
 Northern District of his county to represent 
 them in the General Assembly during the 
 years 1859 3-"^ i860. 
 
 His death was a distinct loss to the Repub- 
 lican party, of which he was one of the earli- 
 est members, and in which he was always 
 active, being fitted by education, as well as 
 natural ability, to fill any place whereto he 
 might be called. Mrs. Elisha Payne, who 
 died in 1867, was a native of Sennett, daugh- 
 ter of David Sears, a pioneer in Cayuga 
 County, and his wife, Mrs. Thankful Sears, 
 who was a daughter of a Baptist minister, the 
 Rev. David Irish, the first white preacher in 
 this region. Both the Sears and Payne fami- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 i°S 
 
 lies were strict adherents of the Baptist 
 church. Mr. and Mrs. Payne reared eight 
 children, four of whom are still living, the 
 subject of this sketch being the second in 
 order of their birth. Sereno E. Payne re- 
 ceived his education first in the district school 
 and then in Auburn Academy. At the age of 
 twenty-one he was graduated from Rochester 
 University in the class of 1864, receiving the 
 degree of A.B. Among his classmates was 
 Mr. Truman J. Backus, LL.D., who became 
 President of the famous Packer Institute in 
 Brooklyn, which position he now holds. 
 After leaving college, Mr. Payne read law 
 with Cox & Avery, of Auburn, and in 1866, 
 at the age of twenty-three, was admitted to 
 the bar by examination at the general term 
 held in Rochester. After remaining three 
 years in Cox & Avery's office, he entered into 
 partnership with John T. M. Davie; and this 
 relation lasted until Mr. Davie's election as 
 Surrogate in 1870, after which Mr. Payne 
 carried on business alone until he went to 
 Congress, though since that time he has asso- 
 ciated with himself John W. O'Brien as part- 
 ner. Meantime he held sundry local offices. 
 From 1868 to 1871 he was City Clerk; in 
 1871 and 1872, Supervisor; from 1873 to 
 1879, for two terms, District Attorney; from 
 1879 to 1882, President of Board of Educa- 
 tion. In 1882 he was elected to Congress on 
 the Republican ticket for what was then 
 called the Twenty-sixth Congressional Dis- 
 trict, comprising Cayuga, Wayne, and Seneca 
 Counties. While he was serving this term, 
 there was a readjustment, whereby the district 
 
 was changed to No. 27, with Oswego County 
 in place of Seneca. There was already a Re- 
 publican member from Oswego County in the 
 Forty-eighth Congress, Judge Newton W. 
 Nutting, who was likewise serving his first 
 term. Of course this caused a struggle be- 
 tween Judge Nutting and Mr. Payne, to see 
 which of the two should be his own successor, 
 as both could not be eligible to the place. 
 Mr. Payne carried the day in the Republican 
 Convention, and was elected to the Forty- 
 ninth Congress. 
 
 Two years later, after another struggle be- 
 tween the delegates from the two counties. 
 Judge Nutting was nominated for the Fiftieth 
 Congress. Thereupon Mr. Payne magnani- 
 mously went before the convention, and de- 
 clared that he did not believe in short terms, 
 but that there should be permanency in office, 
 in order to secure the best influence, and that 
 the district should retain any official as long 
 as he satisfactorily discharged his duties. 
 Furthermore, believing that Judge Nutting 
 would fulfil those requirements, Mr. Payne 
 declared his readiness to withdraw from the 
 field in favor of the Judge; and it was largely 
 through Mr. Payne's generous advocacy that 
 his opponent was renominated and elected to 
 the Fifty-first Congress, while harmony was 
 preserved in the Republican ranks. Judge 
 Nutting, however, was stricken with a fatal 
 malady before Congress assembled, and passed 
 beyond the strifes of earth. Then, without 
 solicitation on Mr. Payne's part, a new con- 
 vention assembled; and he was unanimously 
 renominated to fill the vacancy, and finally 
 
io6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 elected. In 1890 he was chosen for the 
 Fifty-second Congress. Then came another 
 change. A new apportionment was made 
 and a new district formed, the Twenty- 
 eighth, to include Cayuga, Wayne, Ontario, 
 Yates, and Cortland Counties; and Mr. Payne 
 became the representative of that district. 
 During his first term in the Forty-eighth 
 Congress he was placed upon two commit- 
 tees, one on the Revision of Laws, and the 
 other on Expenses of the Department of the 
 Interior. Ordinarily, neither of these com- 
 mittees has much of any business to transact; 
 but in this instance a sub-committee was ap- 
 pointed by the Interior Committee, to in- 
 vestigate the condition of the government 
 reservations at Hot Springs, Ark. Of this 
 sub-committee Mr. Payne was a member. A 
 thorough inquiry was made, and a report was 
 duly submitted, which has since been a fre- 
 quent subject of Congressional comment, and 
 has been the cause of saving large expenditures. 
 In the Forty-ninth Congress Mr. Payne was 
 appointed a member of the Committee on 
 Elections, before which some important cases 
 were brought, one of them being the claim of 
 Jacob Romies against Frank Hurd, the noted 
 free-trade advocate, of Toledo, Ohio. During 
 the deliberations in committee Mr. Payne took 
 advantage of a rule which had long passed 
 into a condition of innocuous desuetude. 
 This rule allowed any member, when called 
 upon for his vote, to give his reasons before 
 recording it. Mr. Payne made an hour's 
 speech in favor of Mr. Romies, and was cred- 
 ited with turning the scale in that gentleman's 
 
 favor, and securing him the majority vote in 
 committee. In the House debate on the sub- 
 ject Mr. Payne made a powerful address on 
 that side. That victory should perch on the 
 Romies banners was the more remarkable be- 
 cause there was in the House a Democratic 
 majority of eighty. When the Fifty-first 
 Congress assembled, Mr. Payne was appointed 
 a member of the Committee on Ways and 
 Means, a position he still occupies; and it 
 was in this committee that the McKinley 
 Bill, so called, was brought forward. Its 
 formulation embodied the result of five 
 months of solid work on the part of the eight 
 Republican members of the committee, Mr. 
 Payne being the only Republican member for 
 the Empire State, and consequently the only 
 direct representative of her great interests. 
 It has been truly said that of the four thou- 
 sand items embodied in this bill there was 
 scarcely one that did not interest the inhabi- 
 tants of some part of the State — a fact which 
 may convey some idea of the burden placed 
 upon the shoulders of the single Republican 
 who had the matter in charge. In the Fifty- 
 second Congress, when the tariff was under 
 discussion, Mr. Payne made several able 
 speeches on the subject; and at the special 
 session of the Fifty-third Congress, in the 
 summer of 1893, he spoke admirably on the 
 Election Bill and the Silver Question. In 
 the long session which followed, Mr. Payne 
 was in the front rank of the opposition to the 
 Wilson Bill. He made more than twoscore 
 speeches on various amendments offered by 
 himself and others, as well as more elaborate 
 
Hannah K, Winslow, 
 
William B, Winslow. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 remarks when the Wilson Bill was reported to 
 the House, and when the Brice-Gorman 
 amendment was finally agreed to. At the Re- 
 publican Convention held at Auburn on Sep- 
 tember 12, 1894, Mr. Payne was unanimously 
 renominated for his sixth term. Mr. Payne 
 has never forgotten any local necessity. Dur- 
 ing his first term of service he succeeded in 
 obtaining an appropriation for an Auburn 
 United States court-house and post-office, 
 which is one of the finest to be found in any 
 city of this size. On several occasions he 
 has secured the improvement of important 
 harbors on Lake Ontario. 
 
 In 1873, at the age of thirty, before he had 
 reached his Congressional period, Mr. Payne 
 was married to Gertrude Knapp, daughter of 
 Oscar F. Knapp, of Auburn; and they have 
 one son, William Knapp Payne, born in 1875, 
 and a member of the class of 1895 at Yale 
 College. 
 
 Emerson has said, " Honor and fortune 
 exist for him who always recognizes the 
 neighborhood of the great, always feels him- 
 self in the presence of high causes " ; and 
 Shakspere makes one of his characters de- 
 clare, "If I lose mine honor, I lose myself." 
 This fine sense of honor in Mr. Payne has 
 made a part of his own personality; and 
 never, especially in public life, has he forgot- 
 ten the truth embodied in certain words of the 
 famous Dr. Johnson: "Remember that noth- 
 ing will supply the want of prudence, and 
 that negligence and irregularity long contin- 
 ued will make knowledge useless, wit ridicu- 
 lous, and genius contemptible." 
 
 ,RS. HANNAH KELLETT WINS- 
 LOW, of Union Springs, is the 
 much respected widow of William 
 Barker Winslow. Her husband was born 
 February 8, 1807, five years before the last 
 struggle with Great Britain. His birthplace 
 was Ledyard; and he was the son of John and 
 Amy (Barker) Winslow, the paternal grand- 
 parents being Edward and Abigail (Davis) 
 Winslow. 
 
 Mr. John Winslow was born on September 
 24, 1764. His native place was Dartmouth, 
 Mass. ; and he was a descendant of the Wins- 
 lows who came to Plymouth in the "May- 
 flower." His wife, Amy Barker, to whom he 
 was married in Washington County, New 
 York, was born December 13, 1763. A few 
 years later they removed to Ledyard, Cayuga 
 County, three miles from Aurora, on the 
 State road. The Winslows were Friends, 
 and the Quaker meeting-house was built on a 
 portion of John Winslow's land. Until 1834, 
 when he was seventy years old, they lived on 
 the State road farm, and then bought another 
 farm in the same town, where both of them 
 died, Mr. Winslow on July 28, 1848, and his 
 wife five years later, in 1853. 
 
 William Barker Winslow had the usual 
 training of a country boy; that is, he went 
 to the district school and worked on the farm. 
 In due time he became the owner of a farm of 
 over three hundred acres, two and a half miles 
 east of Aurora and one of the finest in the 
 county; and he also had a saw-mill, and dealt 
 largely in lumber, a profitable business at all 
 times, but especially so when a country is 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 rapidly growing. He followed his birthright 
 religion as a Quaker, and was widely re- 
 spected as a good and industrious man. He 
 was a Whig and a Republican, but not a 
 politician, though his interest in education 
 led to his filling for many years the office of 
 School Clerk and Librarian. In 1869, when 
 he was over sixty years of age, the family re- 
 moved the village of Union Springs, where 
 they built a pleasant residence on the corner 
 of Centre and Ridgeway Streets; but Mr. 
 Winslow lived only three years to enjoy it, 
 for he died May 7, 1872, aged sixty-five. 
 
 Mr. William B. Winslow was not married 
 early. In fact, he had reached the age of 
 thirty-seven when he was united January 24, 
 1844, to Hannah Kellett, who was born in 
 Poplar Ridge, May 10, 1818, and was there- 
 fore twenty-six years old when she became 
 a bride. Her father, John Kellett, was an 
 Englishman, born at Emmont Bridge in 
 Westmoreland County, England, September 
 23; 17775 while the American colonies were 
 fighting for their independence. Little did 
 his parents dream that, when their baby grew 
 to young manhood, he would emigrate to the 
 new republic; but he did so, settling on the 
 State road, half a mile east of Poplar Ridge, 
 when he was about twenty-eight years old. 
 Then he bought land, and established a home, 
 taking for his wife Hannah Vannornum, who 
 was born in Washington County, New York, 
 November 8, 1781, before the Revolution was 
 fairly over, and was the daughter of Abram 
 and Margaret Vannornum, the latter belong- 
 ing to the Dunham family, of French extrac- 
 
 tion. The marriage of John Kellett and 
 Hannah Vannornum took place at the house 
 of a Friend, Isaac Mitchell, in Northville, 
 March 15, 1807, only two years after his 
 landing in New York City on March 20, 
 1805. Not only did Mr. Kellett have a prof- 
 itable farm of three hundred acres, but he was 
 also a leading stock-dealer, driving his cattle 
 all the way to New York; for this was ante- 
 rior to the days of railroads. At the time of 
 the War of 1812 he supplied the American 
 army with beef, and did not give up business 
 till his failing years made it impossible for 
 him to properly attend to it. Being greatly 
 respected, and having many friends through- 
 out the county, he was forced, almost against 
 his will, to fill a few minor offices; but he 
 had little or no ambition in this direction. 
 Mr. Kellett took his daughter Hannah into 
 his counting-room in 1830, when she was 
 only a dozen years old; and thus she learned 
 business methods and habits which have been 
 invaluable to her ever since. Father Kellett 
 was a member of the Established Church of 
 England, and attended the daughter church in 
 this country; but Mother Kellett was a Pres- 
 byterian. He died September 4, 1858, 
 twelve years after his daughter's marriage to 
 Mr. Winslow. Mrs. Kellett survived him 
 eleven years, dying May 5, 1869, at Poplar 
 Ridge, leaving a family of nine children. 
 
 Hannah Kellett received a good education, 
 first at the public schools, which she attended 
 till she was seventeen years old, and then in 
 what was called the New Hive School, at 
 Skaneateles, the foremost boarding-school in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 "3 
 
 this section. Beginning at the age of twenty- 
 two, slae taught school for two yeai's before 
 becoming the wife of Mr. Winslow. Since 
 1870 she has been a member of the Presbyte- 
 rian church, and is a valuable helper in the 
 community. Besides her two farms at Union 
 Springs, she owns another of one hundred 
 and eight acres, near Wells College, in Au- 
 rora, and at one time was the possessor of 
 still larger tracts of land in this county. 
 
 The Right Rev. Bishop Henry C. Potter, 
 at the Washington centennial service, held 
 in St. Paul's Church, New York City, April 
 30, 1889, said, "If there be no nobility of 
 descent, all the more indispensable is it that 
 there should be nobility of ascent, a character 
 so fine and high and pure that, as men come 
 within the circle of its influence, they invol- 
 untarily pay homage to that which is the 
 one pre-eminent distinction, the royalty of 
 virtue." Such grand and hopeful words are 
 made real in such lives as are set down in 
 this Winslow sketch. 
 
 Born in the second decade of the century, 
 Mrs. Hannah K. Winslow, now nearing her 
 eightieth year, is one of the oldest persons in 
 the county still living in the region where 
 they were born, and yet, enjoying the bless- 
 ing of health, with mental faculties unim- 
 paired, shows few of the marks of age, unless 
 as such be regarded the wisdom and serenity 
 which happily come from useful activity, 
 wide experience, and cheerful content. Her 
 portrait and that of Mr. Winslow accompany 
 this brief outline sketch of the two families. 
 
 The Winslow name stands among the first 
 
 in honorable distinction in the early annals of 
 New England, having been borneby two Gov- 
 ernors of Plymouth Colony. 
 
 |rjiEV. EDWARD PAYSON SPRAGUE, 
 A.B., D.D., Ph.D. This esteemed 
 clergyman, pastor of the Second 
 Presbyterian Church in Auburn, once de- 
 clared in a sermon that the best thing you can 
 say of any man is that he bore fitly and well 
 the name of Christian; and this is the very 
 thing that can be said of Dr. Sprague himself. 
 Though an eloquent preacher of the gospel 
 and in the habit of speaking without notes, he 
 is also a deep thinker, as broad and liberal in 
 his spirit as he is sincerely devout in his 
 convictions. 
 
 His lineage can be traced clearly back 
 seven generations to Edward Sprague, of the 
 town of Upway, Dorset County, England, 
 who died in 1614. Edward Sprague had a son 
 Ralph, who in 1628, fourteen years after his 
 father's death, left Upway, and came to 
 Salem, in Massachusetts Bay. Three years 
 later, just as Winthrop and his coadjutors 
 were settling Boston, Ralph Sprague's wife 
 bore him a son, Samuel, who removed to Mai- 
 den, and had a son, born there in 1666, and 
 named Samuel after his father. This Samuel 
 Sprague, Jr., had a son John, who was born 
 in 1707, and in 1752, at the age of forty-five, 
 moved to Killingly, Conn., where he died at 
 a good old age in 1796. John had a son Dan- 
 iel, the first of three Spragues bearing this 
 prophetic name, who was born in 1740, lived 
 
114 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 an agricultural life in Killingly, witnessed 
 the Revolutionary struggle, and died in 1826. 
 His son, Daniel Greene Sprague, was born 
 in 1796, and did not pass away till the latter 
 half of the present century, in 1873. He was 
 a minister by profession, and was graduated 
 from Brown University in the class of 18 19, 
 when he was twenty-three years old, and from 
 the Andover Theological Seminary three 
 years later, in 1822, when he was twenty-six. 
 He was presently ordained as a Congrega- 
 tional minister at North Mansfield, Conn., by 
 the Windham County Association, and sent 
 into the field by the Connecticut Home Mis- 
 sionary Society, with instructions " to labor 
 in the United States, west of the Alleghany 
 Mountains." He was associated with the 
 Rev. Mr. Catlin, a name famous in connec- 
 tion with Indian lore; and together they 
 started on horseback for a tour through the 
 State of New York, which was then by no 
 means the well-settled country that it is 
 to-day. They also went through Ohio, Ken- 
 tucky, Illinois, Indiana, and even into Mis- 
 souri, everywhere preaching the word of God, 
 and organizing, wherever it was feasible, 
 either a Congregational or Presbyterian soci- 
 ety, as seemed most expedient. After two 
 years of such devoted effort the Rev. Mr. 
 Sprague returned to his native State, intend- 
 ing to procure a suitable library and then go 
 West again, to take charge of a Presbyterian 
 church in Carrollton, 111. Truly says the 
 proverb, "Man proposes, but God disposes." 
 The Congregational pastor in Hampton, Conn., 
 happening to be ill, Mr. Sprague was invited 
 
 to take his place for a few months. So ac- 
 ceptable did his services prove that when the 
 pastor died, not long after, Mr. Sprague was 
 persuaded to give up his missionary plans and 
 stay in Hampton, which he did for nearly 
 twenty years. Subsequently he was settled 
 five years in Westchester, in the town of Col- 
 chester, near New London, Conn. In 1844 
 he became pastor of the First Presbyterian 
 Church in South Orange, N.J., a post which 
 he occupied sixteen years. The last dozen 
 years of his life were spent in retirement with 
 his son Edward, who was then residing in 
 Salem, Washington County, N.Y. This vet- 
 eran clergyman's first wife was Lucy Dan- 
 ielson, whose ancestors gave the name of 
 Danielsonville to her native Connecticut 
 town. She died August 28, 1827, leaving 
 only a daughter, who died at the age of eigh- 
 teen. Mr. Sprague married on March 11, 
 1829, Mrs. Caroline (Wood) White, the 
 widow of Jay White, of Amherst, Mass. 
 Mrs. Caroline Sprague outlived her second 
 husband six years, and died November 19, 
 1879, leaving several children. One of them, 
 a daughter by her former husband, was Caro- 
 line White, who married J. H. Denison, of 
 Newark, N.J., and died August 22, 1880. 
 Daniel J. Sprague lived in South Orange, 
 N.J., and later in New York City, where he 
 died January 20, 1888, having been a mem- 
 ber of the McKillop & Sprague Mercantile 
 Agency. Harriet Sprague became the wife of 
 John Lambert, M.D., and died in Salem, 
 N.Y., November 5, 1893. The mother of 
 these children was born the day after Christ- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 mas, 1 80 1, the daughter of Matthew Wood, of 
 Brookfield, Mass., where the family had lived 
 for several generations, and where Mr. Wood 
 was born February 12, 1770, and died March 
 15, 1826. 
 
 These deaths have made Dr. Edward P. 
 Sprague, who was the fifth child of his 
 parents, the Rev. Daniel G. and Caroline 
 (Wood) Sprague, the only living descendant, 
 except his own children, of his father's branch 
 of the Sprague family. He was born in 
 Westchester, Conn., October 18, 1843, and 
 was fitted for college at the Newark Academy 
 in New Jersey, and at Williston Seminary, 
 Easthampton, Mass. He entered the Uni- 
 versity of the City of New York in i860, and 
 was graduated at the head of his class in 1864, 
 taking the degree of A.B., with a prize for 
 the best Greek scholarship, and was chosen 
 valedictorian for his comrades. He was also 
 an enthusiastic member of the Zeta Psi fra- 
 ternity, and in the early days of base-ball 
 headed the organization of the university 
 team. In war-time he joined the Second New 
 Jersey Militia Regiment, and his gripsack 
 was packed for departure to the field of Antie- 
 tam; but, the quota of the State being al- 
 ready filled, he finished his college course, 
 and then followed his father's example and 
 advice by going to Andover, Mass., and study- 
 ing theology. He was graduated in 1867, 
 and while there was closely associated with 
 the Rev. Joseph Cook, somewhat noted for his 
 lectures; with President Ezra Brainerd, of 
 Middlebury College, Vt. ; with Dr. Edward T. 
 Bartlett, dean of the Philadelphia Episcopal 
 
 Divinity School; with the late Dr. John 
 Edgar, President of Wilson College, Cham- 
 bersburg. Pa. ; and with the Rev. Dr. Will- 
 iam J. Tucker, President of Dartmouth Col- 
 lege. 
 
 Edward Payson Sprague was ordained by 
 the Troy Presbytery, and duly installed as the 
 pastor of the Presbyterian church in Salem, 
 Washington County, N.Y., April 28, 1868, 
 and remained in this charge till October 23, 
 1 88 1, thirteen years, when he accepted the 
 pastorate of the First Presbyterian Church in 
 Meadville, Pa., where he was installed on 
 the 3d of November following. Six years 
 later, November 25, 1887, he was installed 
 over the Second Presbyterian Church in Au- 
 burn, N.Y., his present station. The church 
 edifice was remodelled while he preached in 
 Meadville. A similar change has been made 
 for him in Auburn, and a large organ pur- 
 chased, at a total cost of twelve thousand dol- 
 lars. The degree of Ph.D. he obtained by 
 passing the required examinations at the Alle- 
 ghany College in Meadville, and the well- 
 merited honorary degree of D.D. was con- 
 ferred upon him by his Alma Mater in 1887. 
 He is stated clerk of the Cayuga Presbytery, 
 is one of the Commissioners of the Au- 
 burn Theological Seminary, and has repeat- 
 edly been sent to the Presbyterian General 
 Assembly. In efforts to revise the Presbyte- 
 rian Confession of Faith, he was actively 
 associated with the late Rev. Dr. R. B. 
 Welch as a leader in the endeavor to liberal- 
 ize the denomination to which both belonged. 
 Dr. Sprague drew up and introduced, into 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 both the Portland and Washington assemblies, 
 the protests against the action of the General 
 Assembly adverse to the Rev. Dr. Briggs in 
 a recent celebrated case. Dr. Sprague is the 
 author of a History of the Salem Church, 
 which has been much quoted in later histo- 
 ries, and of a memorial of his beloved father; 
 and he has published various sermons. His 
 History of the Second Presbyterian Church 
 in Auburn was printed in the Advertiser for 
 July 10, 1893. 
 
 Dr. Sprague was married June 10, 1868, 
 two months after his ordination, to Sarah 
 Frances, daughter of Henry S. Dering, M.D., 
 of Setauket, Long Island, a descendant of 
 Henry Dering, who was born in Boston, Octo- 
 ber 6, 1684, died in 1750, belonging to the 
 oldest Saxon family in old England, whence 
 his father came in 1660. The Derings owned 
 vast acres in Kent. The head of the family 
 was killed in 1066, at the battle of Hastings, 
 in defence of Harold, the last of the Saxon 
 kings. Sir Edward Dering was created a bar- 
 onet by Charles I., and was a member of the 
 famous Long Parliament in Cromwell's day, 
 during the time of the Commonwealth. The 
 present titled representative of the family in 
 the mother country is Edward Cholmeley Der- 
 ing, the eighth baronet in regular succession. 
 The Derings who came to Massachusetts were 
 merchants, and afterward moved to Shelter 
 Island, N.Y., off the eastern end of Long 
 Island, which thus became their family es- 
 tate; while they entered largely into whaling 
 fishery, and sent their ships far over the seas. 
 
 Mrs. Sprague was educated at Miss Haven's 
 
 Seminary, New York City, and has two chil- 
 dren. Vesta Dering Sprague, born in 1870, 
 is a graduate of Wells College, in the class 
 of 1894; and Dering Jay Sprague, born in 
 1877, is still pursuing his studies preparatory 
 for college. The handsome brick building 
 in which their father preaches so ably is a 
 fine specimen of the Doric order of architect- 
 ure, and capable of seating some eight hun- 
 dred people; a'nd one thousand eight hundred 
 communicants have in the course of its his- 
 tory professed Christ through the influence of 
 this hallowed place. The name of Dr. 
 Sprague's city recalls the verses of Oliver 
 Goldsmith, addressed to 
 
 '■ Sweet Auburn, loveliest village of the plain," 
 
 and perchance suggests to many a listener 
 that poet's couplet about the pastor in ancient 
 Auburn, — 
 
 " Trutli from his lips prevailed with double sway, 
 And fools who came to scoff, remained to pray.'' 
 
 1 * •» » 
 
 vVACOB S. dills, whose well-managed, 
 highly productive farm is finely lo- 
 cated in District No. i in the town 
 of Ledyard, of which he has been a resident 
 for more than a half-century, occupies a 
 prominent position among the more intelli- 
 gent, enterprising, and active citizens of 
 Cayuga County. He is a native of Pennsyl- 
 vania, born in Monroe County, September 12, 
 1 83 1, being a son of Henry Dills, of the town 
 of Dills Ferry, Pa. 
 
 That little Pennsylvania town, located in 
 Cumberland County, was named for an ances- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 117 
 
 tor of Mr. Dills, his great-grandfather, David 
 Henry Dills, having been its founder. He 
 was born and reared in the State of New Jer- 
 sey, and moved from there to Pennsylvania, 
 where, taking up a tract of land, he began 
 its improvement. He was followed by other 
 pioneers, the small settlement increased in 
 size, and Mr. Dills, who was an active, wide- 
 awake man of business, pushed forward every 
 enterprise calculated to bring people and trade 
 to the hamlet, which in his honor was subse- 
 quently named Dills Ferry. There he re- 
 mained, an honored citizen of the town, until 
 his decease, March 14, 1816, at the age. of 
 seventy-two years. The maiden name of the 
 good wife, a native of New Jersey, who 
 shared with him the hardships attendant upon 
 life in a new country, was Catherine Freese. 
 Henry Dills, the father of Jacob, as above 
 noted, was born, bred, and educated in the 
 town of Dills Ferry, where he began life on 
 his own account as a tiller of the soil. After 
 laboring there many years, deciding that a 
 change of location might prove beneficial to 
 his finances at least, in 1839 he removed 
 with his family to Cayuga County, travelling 
 in his own vehicle, which was a lumber 
 wagon, nine consecutive days before arriving 
 here. He brought all of his farming and 
 household goods with him, driving before him 
 his flock of sheep. He purchased a very good 
 farm, now known as the Grinnell farm, pay- 
 ing eighty dollars an acre for it. Six months 
 later he sold it at an advance of thirty-two 
 dollars per acre, receiving one hundred and 
 twelve dollars per acre for it. He subse- 
 
 quently bought another tract of land, giving 
 seventy-five dollars an acre, and continued the 
 improvements already begun on it. He sub- 
 sequently bought fifty acres of adjoining land, 
 and carried it all on with great success. He 
 was an industrious, progressive farmer, of 
 excellent business capacity, and continued 
 actively engaged in agricultural pursuits until 
 his death in 1874, at the advanced age of 
 eighty-six years. The maiden name of his 
 estimable wife, who survived him several 
 years, dying in 1882 in the eighty-first year 
 of her age, was Elizabeth Stroud. She was 
 a daughter of John and Betsey (Depuy) Stroud 
 and a grand-daughter of Colonel Jacob Stroud, 
 who served throughout the Revolutionary 
 War, being in command of a regiment. Of 
 their union were born five children, the first 
 four being thus enumerated : Rachel, who 
 married Jerome Crise, died February 16, 
 1888, leaving four children — Henry, Peter, 
 Adam, and Ellen; Ellen, who married Henry 
 Crise, died in 1852, leaving three children — 
 Elizabeth, George, and Eliza; William, who 
 died in 1853; James, who died in 1851. 
 
 Jacob S. Dills, the fifth of the group, whose 
 name leads this short biographical record, 
 was a little lad of eight years when he came 
 with his parents to Cayuga County, which has 
 since been his abiding-place. He received a 
 good common-school education; and, being 
 reared by a father who was well versed in the 
 intricacies of agriculture, he became famil- 
 iar with all of its branches at an early age, 
 and selected farming as his life occupation. 
 Being the only surviving member of the pa- 
 
ii8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 rental household, he is in possession of the 
 home farm, which he manages with the same 
 vigorous ability and varied skill that charac- 
 terized his father. He has continually in- 
 creased its value and added to its extent by 
 the purchase of one hundred and twenty-five 
 acres of fertile land, his homestead being now 
 one of the finest and most valuable in the 
 vicinity, well supplied with convenient build- 
 ings and all the appliances for carrying on his 
 work after the most approved modern methods. 
 The family residence, which he purchased in 
 1884, is a tasteful and substantial structure, 
 beautifully situated on the lake shore, and is 
 fully in keeping with the means and position 
 of the inmates, a credit to its owner and an 
 ornament to the neighborhood. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Dills with Mary N. 
 Brown, the daughter of the Rev. E. C. and 
 Anna (Kern) Brown, of Eaton, Madison 
 County, was solemnized November 13, 1866. 
 Mrs. Dills, who is an accomplished and cult- 
 ured woman, after completing the academical 
 course at Cazenovia Academy, was engaged in 
 teaching until her marriage at the age of 
 twenty-two years. Since that important event 
 she has been a true and devoted wife, a tender 
 mother, and a most eificient manager of her 
 home duties, presiding with gentle grace and 
 dignity over her household, and rearing her 
 children in paths of rectitude and usefulness. 
 The home circle comprises five intelligent and 
 promising children, namely: Elizabeth E., 
 who was graduated from the Syracuse High 
 School with the class of 1889, and is now 
 teaching in Union Springs; Henry E., a 
 
 teacher in Scipio Centre, and a graduate of 
 the class of 1890 of the Syracuse High 
 School; William B., who was graduated from 
 the Syracuse Academy, and intends to study 
 medicine; Anna F. ; and Robert Depuy. 
 Mr. Dills and his family occupy a pleasant 
 social position among the people of this com- 
 munity, by whom they are respected for their 
 many virtues, and heartily liked for their 
 frank, open-hearted hospitality and genial and 
 kindly manners. They take a deep interest 
 in the educational and moral advancement of 
 the community, and are consistent members of 
 the Union Springs Methodist church. In 
 politics Mr. Dills is a stanch Republican, 
 and cast his first Presidential vote for John 
 C. Fremont in 1856. 
 
 T^HARLES STANDART is a promi- 
 I J| nent and wealthy citizen of Auburn, 
 — ^ where he has lived since 1821, with 
 the exception of twenty-seven years of his 
 earliest manhood, spent in Ohio. He was 
 not born in Auburn, however, but in the vil- 
 lage of New Hartford, Oneida County, on 
 May 30, 1802, just after Jefferson had de- 
 feated John Adams in the Presidential con- 
 test. His grandfather Standart was a purser 
 on board a British man-of-war, and died in 
 1768. The purser's son George, the father 
 of Charles, was born in the metropolis of New 
 England in 1766; and there he grew up and 
 learned the trade of shoemaking, which ill- 
 health and the need of open-air exercise sub- 
 sequently compelled him to relinquish. This 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 119 
 
 led to his removal in 1794 to Oneida County, 
 New York, with his family; for already, 
 about the year 1785, he had married Lucy 
 Williams, who belonged to an old family lo- 
 cated in Roxbury, and Lucy's mother be- 
 longed to another ancient Colonial family, 
 the Winslows. Mr. Standart bought wild 
 land in New Hartford, where he continued 
 farming till 1821, when he removed with 
 his family to Auburn. There they bought 
 another farm, which afterward came into 
 Charles Standart's possession, and whereon 
 he now resides; for the purchase included one 
 hundred and sixty acres in what is now a pop- 
 ulous part of the city. George Standart and 
 his wife were evidently independent and pro- 
 gressive thinkers ; for they belonged to the 
 Universalist church in its cradle days, when 
 any serious departure from the previously 
 accepted religious standards incurred frowns 
 and contumely. They had eleven children, 
 of whom Charles was the sixth; and all of 
 the eleven lived to maturity. 
 
 Charles Standart was educated at New 
 Hartford, in a school where a hundred pupils, 
 of all ages and both sexes, were huddled into 
 a small room, under one teacher; and, if such 
 schools turned out able and well-trained men 
 and women, as they certainly did, it was par- 
 tially because the master had little time for 
 any one urchin separately, and the scholars 
 had to delve for themselves in the mine of 
 knowledge, and do their own thinking, with 
 small aid from instructors, text-books, or 
 maps, and with no scientific apparatus. As 
 Charles was ten years old when the War of 
 
 1812 began, he remembers distinctly some- 
 thing of that struggle, which spread a cloud 
 of anxiety over the entire lake region of New 
 York, especially in the towns near the Cana- 
 dian border; and this belligerent period was 
 the more indelibly impressed upon the lad's 
 memory by the fact that his father was unwill- 
 ingly pressed into service for the transporta- 
 tion of British troops from Utica to Buffalo. 
 When the family removed to Auburn, Charles, 
 already a stalwart youth of nineteen, was 
 sent a few weeks ahead, to live on a large 
 farm of three hundred acres, bought by an 
 uncle, Noah Olmstead, nearly thirty years 
 before, in 1794. Even in 1821 the roads 
 were poor, and ran mostly through the un- 
 cleared forest. Two years later, having at- 
 tained his majority, Charles went to that part 
 of Northern Ohio now called Erie County, 
 where he was one of the first to engage in the 
 produce and commission business along the 
 Great Lakes. That region was as yet sparsely 
 settled, the mails being brought from Buffalo 
 by cattle teams; and a wide field was thus 
 opened to enterprising men like Mr. Standart, 
 who in October, 1828, bought the first lot of 
 wheat ever forwarded to Buffalo from that 
 locality. As there were nine thousand 
 bushels, it had to be shipped in two cargoes, 
 the boats in that day not being equal to such 
 a large freight; and, as the grain was stowed 
 in bulk, it had to be bailed out, so to speak, 
 in buckets into the canal-boats, wherein it 
 was conveyed for inland distribution. At the 
 end of a dozen years Mr. Standart sold out 
 this business at a handsome profit, in order 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 to carry on farming in Huron township, where 
 he already lived. 
 
 After thirteen years more he sold his land 
 in Huron, and came back to Auburn in 1850, 
 meaning to live a more retired life, though 
 the oversight of Ohio property compelled him 
 to go back and forth between his old home 
 and new till 1868. This return to Auburn 
 was partially occasioned by his parents' fail- 
 ing health. His mother died in 1853; and, 
 when the old gentleman died, in 1855, 
 Charles administered on the estate, paid off 
 the legacies, and took possession of the home- 
 stead, where he permanently established him- 
 self, though not till thirty years later, in 
 1884, did he build his house, one of the most 
 elegant residences in the city, at 200 North 
 Street. A portion of the land has been sold 
 for building lots, but most of it he has re- 
 tained. As his Ohio affairs demanded less 
 and less of his attention, his natural activity 
 led him to take a personal interest in various 
 local institutions, such as the Cayuga County 
 Savings Bank, of which he has been ten years 
 Vice-President. He is also a Trustee of the 
 Auburn Orphan Asylum, and was President of 
 the Board for thirty years, having done a vast 
 deal of work for the institution, besides aid- 
 • ing it financially. He is also a Trustee of the 
 City Hospital. His building operations have 
 afforded employment to many mechanics ; and 
 he is a stockholder in several manufacturing 
 companies, which provide industries for hun- 
 dreds of work-people. 
 
 In 1830 Mr. Standart married Ann M. 
 Emmons, of Ohio. This union was not 
 
 blessed with children. Th-e wife died in 
 1887, an adherent of the Presbyterian church, 
 in which she had been reared ; for she had 
 never embraced her husband's Universalist 
 tenets, although they had lived happily to- 
 gether over half a century. Though now a 
 very old man, having passed his fourscore 
 years and ten, Mr. Standart is strong, well- 
 preserved, and clear-headed; and he can look 
 back over a. career which has been ever on- 
 ward and upward, while for the future he may 
 well exclaim with Wordsworth, — ■ 
 
 " Though inland far we be, 
 Our souls have sight of that immortal sea 
 Which brought us hither." 
 
 If' 
 
 F. BAGGERLY, of Cato, founder 
 of the Cato Citizen, was born April 
 3, 1842, at Savannah, Wayne County, N.Y., 
 and is the son of H. Owen and Olive (Dewey) 
 Baggerly, the former of whom was born De- 
 cember 8, 1 8 14, in the town of Phelps, On- 
 tario County, and was the son of Peter and 
 Jane Baggerly, who came from the vicinity of 
 Baltimore, Md. Mr. Baggerly received his 
 education in Ontario County. He was mar- 
 ried April 12, 1837, to Miss Olive Dewey, 
 and moved to Savannah in May of that year, 
 where he lived until his death, which took 
 place December 29, 1891. He was Commis- 
 sioner of Highways, and held several other 
 local offices. In religion he was a faithful 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 the circuit riding preachers making his house 
 their stopping-place. He was from the first 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 a strong anti-slavery man.and a powerful tem- 
 perance advocate, and was one of the few 
 men who voted for both William H. and Ben- 
 jamin Harrison for Presidents. In politics 
 a strong Whig and Republican, his first vote 
 was cast for William H. Seward for Governor 
 of the State. His wife, Olive Dewey Bag- 
 gerly, was born May 23, 181 7, at Manchester, 
 Ontario County, a daughter of Jedediah 
 Dewey, who came there from Connecticut, 
 and was of New England ancestry. Mr. 
 Dewey was born May 15, 1.777, at Sufifield, 
 Conn. He came to Ontario County in 1798, 
 being one of the first settlers there, where he 
 engaged in farming, and remained on the farm 
 he first took up until his death, in 1859. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Baggerly were the parents of twelve 
 children, of whom they reared nine. 
 
 W. F. Baggerly received his early educa- 
 tion in the common schools, Clifton Spring 
 Academy, and the Savannah Union School. 
 Upon the completion of his school life he 
 engaged in farming in Savannah. In 1886 he 
 sold his farm, and then travelled for six years 
 in the interest of various newspapers. April 
 4, 1893, he came to Cato, and established the 
 Cato Citizen, a four-page, seven-column, bright 
 and newsy local sheet, having a circulation of 
 seven hundred copies, and by dint of energy 
 has worked up a fine line of advertisements. 
 He has fitted up his press-room thoroughly 
 with new stock, which includes a cylinder 
 press and good outfit. Mr. Baggerly is a 
 member of Savannah Lodge, No. 764, 
 A. F. & A. M. He was an unsuccessful can- 
 didate for the legislature from the First As- 
 
 sembly District of Wayne County in 1884, 
 but ran ahead of his ticket in his own town, 
 and has held various local offices in the town 
 of his nativity. 
 
 October 12, 1870, he was united in mar- 
 riage to Miss Jennie Dunham, of Lysander, 
 Onondaga County, N.Y. They have five chil- 
 dren; namely, Olive H., Arthur C, Blaine 
 G., Fred, and Freda. The family are attend- 
 ants of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Bag- 
 gerly is a man diligent in business and of no 
 mean intellectual powers, and is one emi- 
 nently qualified to fill the editorial chair, and 
 keep the Cato Citizen up to the high standard 
 it has already attained. 
 
 'fisYOHN MARSH has been for many years 
 well known throughout the town of 
 Ledyard as one of its most skilful and 
 prosperous farmers, having a fine estate, 
 which is well improved, with ample and sub- 
 stantial buildings to fully serve the various 
 purposes of the prosperous agriculturist. The 
 most successful lives are often the most de- 
 void of stirring events, and this seems true of 
 Mr. Marsh. His modest account of himself 
 contains no thrilling history of personal ad- 
 venture. From others, however, one can 
 learn of his many fine personal traits of char- 
 acter, his honest integrity, and trustworthi- 
 ness in every relation of life, and of his 
 possession of those qualities that constitute a 
 sood man and a true citizen. He is a native 
 of Cayuga County, born in Aurora, April 6, 
 18 1 3, son of Ephraim C. Marsh, who was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 born in the town of Claverack, Columbia 
 County, N.Y., August 20, 1786. 
 
 His grandfather, John Marsh, of Columbia 
 County, served four years in the Revolution- 
 ary army, being one of the many brave sol- 
 diers that fought in defence of liberty. He 
 subsequently joined the old Cincinnati Soci- 
 ety, which was composed of Revolutionary 
 soldiers, and was the Secretary of the pre- 
 liminary meeting of that organization, the 
 famous General Knox having been its first 
 President. After the close of the war he re- 
 moved to New York City, where he remained 
 until his death from yellow fever, in 1796. 
 He married Mehitable Coleman, of New Jer- 
 sey, who died in 1798. They reared four 
 children: John, who died in 1829; Ephraim 
 C, who died in 1842; Mehitable, who died 
 in 1868; and Eliza A., whose death occurred 
 in 1866. 
 
 Ephraim C. Marsh, father of John, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch, was reared to man's estate 
 in Morristown, N.Y., and, besides becoming 
 a practical farmer, learned the printer's trade, 
 at which he worked for some time. After 
 the death of his parents he lived with an 
 aunt for a while, and then, marrying, estab- 
 lished a home of his own. His father had 
 three tracts of land granted him for military 
 service, two of them being in Onondaga 
 County, and the other in Cayuga County, 
 two miles south of Aurora. On this latter 
 Ephraim C. settled in 1808, and, entering at 
 once into agricultural pursuits, became one of 
 the leading farmers of the county, and served 
 two terms in the State legislature. He was an 
 
 enterprising, keen-sighted man, much inter- 
 ested in raising fine stock, and was the first 
 man to bring Saxony sheep into this county. 
 The maiden name of his wife, to whom he 
 was wedded September 5, 1808, was Eliza- 
 beth Emmell. She was a native of Morris- 
 town, N.J., and a daughter of George 
 Emmell, who was born in Frankfort, Germany, 
 in 1750, and, emigrating to this country, 
 died in New Jersey, January 22, 1826. Her 
 mother, formerly Martha Winans, was born at 
 Bottle Hill, N.J., November 12, 1760, and 
 died in February, 1845. ^r. and Mrs. 
 Ephraim C. Marsh reared eight children; 
 namely, Susan A., Elizabeth, John, George, 
 Mehitable, Sophia, Mary, and Coleman. 
 
 John Marsh, of whom we write, is the only 
 member of the parental household now living, 
 the others having long since passed to the 
 "life elysian, whose portal we call death." 
 In the district schools of Aurora he acquired 
 his education, and, having been thoroughly 
 drilled on the homestead in everything pertain- 
 ing to life on a farm, chose agriculture as 
 his occupation. The practical training of his 
 youth was of inestimable advantage to him in 
 later years, and to it he owes much of the 
 success which has been his through the many 
 years of his busy and useful life. In him the 
 agricultural interests of Cayuga County have 
 had a worthy representative, and the town of 
 Ledyard a citizen honest and true. He has 
 watched with the warmest interest the growth 
 of his native town, and no man is more 
 cheerful or willing to assist in enterprises 
 tending toward its advancement. Mr. Marsh 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 123 
 
 is a decided Democrat, and faithfully sustains 
 the principles of that party, as he has done 
 since casting his first Presidential vote, which 
 was given to Martin Van Buren, in 1836. 
 He was Postmaster at Aurora from 1853 to 
 1861. 
 
 His marriage with Miss Rebecca Rich- 
 mond, daughter of Jonathan and Rebecca 
 (Almy) Richmond, of Aurora, was solemnized 
 in Aurora, August 16, 1837; and of their 
 union three children were born, as follows : 
 Rebecca, who was married to Augustus C. 
 Sandford, of Ithaca, October 6, t868, has five 
 children — John T., Floyd H., Gertrude M., 
 Benjamin E., and Clara R. ; Charles J. ; and 
 William F., who in March, 1892, married 
 Mary Culver, of Onondaga County. 
 
 B 
 
 R. M. P. CONWAY, a prominent 
 j^ m physician and surgeon of Auburn, 
 N.Y., was born at Ithaca, in this 
 State, October 3, i860, and is the son of Pat- 
 rick and Bridget Conway. The father and 
 mother were born in Ireland, but came to this 
 country many years ago. Mr. Conway was a 
 business man of Ithaca for nearly twenty 
 years, and served acceptably as Collector of 
 Taxes for two terms. He died April 18, 
 1888, his widow surviving him. 
 
 Young Conway received his early education 
 at the public schools of Ithaca, afterward 
 taking a four years' classical course at the 
 Ottawa University, Canada, and in 1879 en- 
 tered the medical department of the Uni- 
 versity of Michigan, where he studied for one 
 
 year, afterward spending two years at the Col- 
 lege of Physicians and Surgeons, Baltimore, 
 graduating from thence in the class of 1883. 
 Soon after his graduation he came to Auburn 
 to engage in practice, but left here in 1887, 
 going to the New York Polyclinic Hospital, 
 where he took a post-graduate course, and re- 
 ceived a diploma. In January, 1888, he re- 
 turned to Auburn, and resumed his practice, 
 which is now a large and general one. Dr. 
 Conway is a member of the Cayuga County 
 Medical Society and of the Central New 
 York Medical Association. In 1890 he at- 
 tended the annual meeting of the British 
 Medical Association at Birmingham, Eng- 
 land, and was afterward a member of the 
 Tenth International Medical Congress, held 
 in Berlin, Germany. He spent some time 
 travelling abroad, visiting the hospitals at 
 Vienna, Paris, and London, where he gained 
 much information useful to him in his 
 profession. 
 
 Dr. Conway is President of the local branch 
 of the Co-operative Building Bank of New 
 York City, a noble and useful institution. 
 He is also examining physician for a num- 
 ber of societies and insurance organizations. 
 The Doctor is a Democrat in politics; but 
 his sterling worth was recognized by the Re- 
 publican Common Council, and he was elected 
 a Health Commissioner in 1884, serving for 
 three years. At the present time he is one of 
 the Excise Commissioners for the city. He 
 has been a member of the Democratic City 
 and Central Committee, and at one time was 
 actively engaged in politics. He is a member 
 
124 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of the Holy Family Catholic Church of Au- 
 burn. Dr. Conway has had a large and ex- 
 tended medical training, which has placed 
 him among the most learned of his profession 
 in the county — a fact which is duly appreci- 
 ated by the community at large, and attested 
 by his large and increasing practice. 
 
 i:^: 
 
 M H. ELDREDGE, of Weeds- 
 dealer in coal, wood, and 
 masons' building supplies, is one of the lead- 
 ing young merchants of his native town, and 
 one who is prominent in the public affairs, of 
 the place. He was born in Weedsport, Octo- 
 ber 14, 1859. 
 
 His father, Stephen D. Eldredge, was born 
 in Jordan, Onondaga County, April 12, 1828; 
 and his grandfather, John Eldredge, was one 
 of the pioneer settlers of the county. When 
 Stephen was but six or eight years of age, his 
 father moved to Cato, where he engaged in 
 the hotel business. About half a century ago 
 Stephen came to Weedsport, where he worked 
 at farming, afterward becoming clerk in the 
 store of William B. Havens, who carried on a 
 grocery business. Later he went to work 
 with William Faatz in the grocery and provi- 
 sion business, and afterward became a partner 
 of that gentleman. This experience enabled 
 him to start out for himself, and establish a 
 good and thriving trade in the groceries line, 
 in which he continued until 1890, when he 
 retired. His wife was a daughter of Ira 
 Stevens, and she came of a family well known 
 and prominent in the county. Her great- 
 
 grandfather, William Stevens, was the founder 
 of the town of Weedsport, settling there in 
 1 801. He was of an old Massachusetts fam- 
 ily, and in his youth started out from his 
 home in the old Bay State, and settled in 
 New York, where he engaged in farming, and 
 also conducted a hotel. Others soon joined 
 him, and the small settlement became a town, 
 which was at first known as Macedonia, and 
 was afterward called Weedsport. The mar- 
 riage of Stephen D. Eldredge to Miss Stevens 
 occurred in 1858. Mr. Eldredge died April 
 18, 1892, leaving his widow and two children, 
 William H. and Minnie E., wife of Wil- 
 lard G. Adams, of Weedsport. 
 
 William H. Eldredge received his educa- 
 tion in the common schools and at the Weeds- 
 port Academy. After serving a few years as 
 clerk in his father's store, he was employed 
 for several years by D. M. Osborne & Co., of 
 Auburn, as commercial traveller for that firm. 
 Returning to Weedsport in 1882, he engaged 
 in the coal, wood, and lumber business, the 
 firm being known as Streeter & Eldredge. 
 At the end of the year Mr. Eldredge sold out 
 his share of the business, and bought an in- 
 terest in the hay industry of the place, buy- 
 ing and selling hay and shipping it to New 
 England until ]888, when he bought out a 
 branch of Mitchell Brothers' business, and 
 has since extended his stock, so that it now 
 includes sewer pipes, bricks, and all kinds of 
 masons' materials and implements. 
 
 In 1884 Mr. Eldredge was married to Lot- 
 tie N. Adkinson, of Seneca Falls, N.Y. ; 
 and they have two children — Ethel E. and 
 
Elisha Cuok. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 127 
 
 Harry M. Mr. Eldredge has been Town 
 Clerk for the town of Brutus from 1890 up to 
 the present time, having been elected on the 
 Republican ticket. He is a member of the 
 Southern Central Lodge, Independent Order 
 of Odd Fellows, No. 249, and Weedsport En- 
 campment, No. 61, of which he is Chief 
 Patriarch. He is also a member of Canton 
 Syracuse, No. 6. Mr. Eldredge is held in 
 high regard by his associates, and is one of 
 the successful merchants of his town. His 
 influence and assistance are always sought in 
 behalf of undertakings for the public good and 
 the advancement of the best interests of the 
 community. 
 
 4^ •^» 
 
 "jCjLISHA COOK stands prominent among 
 Jn^the intelligent and enterprising agri- 
 culturists of the Empire State, of whom, per- 
 haps, no other county can boast of so large a 
 number in proportion to its population as Ca- 
 yuga. Mr. Cook's fine homestead and farm, 
 beautifully located in the town of Venice, on 
 the Ridge road, and consisting of one hun- 
 dred and eighty acres of choice land, on which 
 he has erected a handsome residence, a sub- 
 stantial barn, and all other necessary out- 
 buildings, is a well-appointed and a well-kept 
 estate, his stock and machinery being of first- 
 class description; and everything about the 
 premises indicates the thrift, industry, and 
 keen judgment of its proprietor. The owner 
 is a native of the Buckeye State, where he 
 was born on January 8, 1839. 
 
 An elder Elisha Cook, grandfather of the 
 present, was born in York County, Pennsyl- 
 
 vania, but when a young man went to Mary- 
 land, where he thenceforward spent the larger 
 portion of his life, finally departing from the 
 scenes of his earthly labors. The father of 
 the subject of this sketch was Nathan Cook, 
 who was born in Pennsylvania during the 
 residence of his parents in York County. He 
 left the State of his nativity when a young 
 man, settling in Ohio, where he lived until 
 1863. During that year he came to New 
 York, and, establishing himself in Venice, 
 has since made this his permanent abiding- 
 place. 
 
 Elisha Cook, son of Nathan and grandson 
 of the first-named Elisha, received a substan- 
 tial education in the days of his youth, hav- 
 ing been graduated from Mount Pleasant 
 Academy, in Jefferson County, Ohio, where 
 he was fitted for a professional career. After 
 leaving school he was engaged for a time in 
 teaching, beginning his pedagogical efforts in 
 a district school, subsequently being one of 
 the corps of teachers in the Mount Pleasant 
 Academy. Abandoning teaching as an occu- 
 pation, Mr. Cook turned his attention toward 
 agriculture, which has since been his princi- 
 pal industry. Coming with his father to Ca- 
 yuga County in 1863, he bought one hundred 
 and fifty acres of land, for which he was 
 obliged to run into debt. But, with the reso- 
 lute and ambitious spirit of sturdy manhood, 
 he set to work with a determination to suc- 
 ceed; and, ere many years had slipped by, he 
 had cleared the farm of its indebtedness, 
 erected new buildings, stocked his farm, and 
 was on the sure road to success. Prosperity 
 
128 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 has smiled on his every effort; and now, 
 while yet in the prime of life, he has secured 
 a comfortable competence, and occupies a 
 leading position among the thrifty farmers of 
 Cayuga County. 
 
 His union in marriage with Miss Abbie H. 
 Cook, daughter of Stacey Cook, of Salem, 
 Ohio, was solemnized in i86i, and has been 
 blessed by the birth of two children — Charles 
 H. and Mattie C. Both are married, Charles 
 having been united in wedlock to Genevieve 
 H. Lyon, the daughter of fiiram and Abbie 
 (Gifford) Lyon, of Ledyard, and Mattie being 
 the wife of Coral D. Beardsley, a veterinary 
 surgeon of Auburn. Mr. Cook is a thor- 
 oughly upright, honest man, always dealing 
 fairly and squarely by all ; and his estimable 
 character, as well as his capability, has given 
 him an important place among the civic offi- 
 cials of his adopted town. He has served 
 on the Board of Supervisors six consecutive 
 years, having been first elected to the posi- 
 tion in 1877. He has also been an Overseer 
 of the Poor, serving with satisfaction to all 
 concerned. Socially, Mr. Cook is a member 
 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and 
 belongs to the New York State Grange, and 
 in the society of Good Templars is prominent. 
 He has been identified with the Republican 
 party since its organization, and in its ranks 
 no truer or more faithful supporter of its prin- 
 ciples can be found. His first Presidential 
 vote was cast in i860 for Abraham Lincoln. 
 The publishers are pleased to give place in 
 these pages to a portrait of this influential 
 and public-spirited citizen. 
 
 DWIN A. HAVENS, of Auburn, has 
 his home at No. 15 Havens Avenue, a 
 street named for himself; and this indicates 
 his occupation, which is that of builder and 
 contractor. Since 1857 he has lived in this 
 city; but he was born at Port Byron, in the 
 same county, on June 27, 1837, amid the 
 great national business panic. His mother, 
 whose maiden name was Matilda Kent, be- 
 longed to a family of pioneer traders in Ca- 
 yuga County; and his father was William 
 Havens. Of Grandfather Havens, William's 
 father, very little is known; but his wife was 
 an Owen. Her father was a Lieutenant in 
 the War of 18 12; and her grandfather, who 
 fought in the Revolution, was of French de- 
 scent, his wife being a Welshwoman. 
 
 William Havens was born shortly after the 
 beginning of the century, in 1803, in Massa- 
 chusetts; but soon after his birth the family 
 came to Cayuga County, where he subse- 
 quently grew up, and married Miss Kent. He 
 early found employment with John S. Beach, 
 the controller and owner of so many canal- 
 boats, owner also of large flour-mills at Port 
 Byron. It was part of William Havens's 
 duty to take charge of this flour to Albany, 
 running what was called a line-boat, this 
 being T;onsidered a good business in those 
 days. He died in 1843, when he was only 
 forty years of age, in the very prime of life, 
 and when his boy Edwin was only six, though 
 there were five other children for the widowed 
 mother to care for, all of them young, and 
 one a babe in arms. The eldest was John 
 Havens, now a resident of Auburn. Next 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 129 
 
 came Caroline Havens, who married William 
 Timerson, also of Auburn. Then came Wal- 
 ter and William Havens, twins, the latter sub- 
 sequently going to Virginia, where he fought 
 for the Union in the great Civil War, as did 
 his brother Edwin. The next -child died 
 young. Edwin Havens was the fifth ; and the 
 name of the last and youngest, William 
 Henry Harrison Havens, points to 1840 as the 
 time of his birth, when political feeling ran so 
 high after the financial disasters of 1837, and 
 General Harrison was triumphantly elected 
 President by the Whig party. This boy went 
 to sea in 1855, when only fifteen years old, and 
 probably died in foreign parts, as thirty years 
 have passed without any intelligence of him. 
 After outliving her husband nearly forty years, 
 the mother died on March 15, 1880, aged sev- 
 enty-four, having been born in 1806. 
 
 Edwin was educated in Owasco and in 
 Weedsport, living two years with his grand- 
 mother, and with his uncle, Bennett Havens, 
 seven years on a farm. At the age of nine- 
 teen he was apprenticed to Jacob Chatterton, 
 to learn carpentry. After he reached his ma- 
 jority he still continued to work for Mr. Chat- 
 terton, boarding in his employer's family till 
 1 86 1, when the war broke out. Into the 
 mouth of one of his characters Shakspere puts 
 these lines: — 
 
 " In peace there's nothing so becomes a man 
 As modest stillness and humility ; 
 But, when the blast of war blows in our ears, 
 Then imitate the action of the tiger." 
 
 On April 17 Edwin enlisted, at President 
 Lincoln's first call, in Company B of the 
 
 Nineteenth New York Volunteer Infantry. 
 After a few weeks at Elm.ira the regiment 
 was sent to Washington, and there formed 
 part of the corps which fought the first Vir- 
 ginia campaign. Though not in the thick of 
 the disaster, these New York boys shared the 
 inglorious defeat at Bull Run, and then came 
 back into camp near the capital, on General 
 Lee's estate at Arlington. The men had en- 
 listed for two years in the service of the 
 State, but only for three months in the 
 United States service, and most of them sup- 
 posed they could not be held longer in the 
 Federal army; but Edwin felt sure, from the 
 hour of enlistment, that New York State had 
 the legal right to transfer its two years' claim 
 to the general government, and so it proved. 
 From Arlington they were ordered to North 
 Carolina under General Burnside, the Nine- 
 teenth New York Volunteer Infantry now 
 being changed to the Third New York Artil- 
 lery. For three months, in the latter part of 
 1862, the new artillery regiment was sta- 
 tioned at Newbern as headquarters, though 
 the boys were sent on various expeditions to 
 Kingston, Goldsboro, Whitehall, and other 
 points, and were engaged in many defensive 
 skirmishes. At last the term of enlistment 
 was over, in the spring of 1863; and Edwin 
 came home. The relief was the more wel- 
 come, because no furlough had been granted 
 him; and he had been in constant charge, 
 with the rank of Sergeant, of a twenty-pound 
 field-piece. Already he was betrothed to an 
 Owasco girl, Cordelia Miller; and they were 
 married in the January after his return from 
 
13° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the seat of war. But he soon re-enlisted, and 
 in December went back to serve in his old 
 place, in Company E of the Third New York 
 Artillery, still on duty at Newbern. The 
 next March, 1864, there was a change of 
 scene. The troops were sent to Yorktown 
 and Fortress Monroe, where they embarked in 
 steamers for Bermuda Hundred, as part of 
 Butler's expedition, the passage being so long 
 that they did not reach their destination till 
 May. At the battle of Drury's Bluff, May 
 16, Sergeant Havens was so unfortunate as to 
 receive, from a bursting shell, wounds which 
 incapacitated him entirely from duty for the 
 next half-year, which he passed in the hospi- 
 tal at Point Lookout. During his convales- 
 cence his wife was allowed to visit him; and 
 this was their last interview, for she died 
 there in 1864, before his discharge from the 
 ranks. When he was able to resume his mil- 
 itary position, his regiment was in front of 
 Richmond, where it remained till the close of 
 the war, in 1865, when Havens had seen three 
 and a half years of real service. The boys 
 were in the grand review, and then marched 
 to Baltimore, where they took the cars home- 
 ward to Elmira, to be mustered out. 
 
 Says Thomas Carlyle : "Blessed is he who 
 has found his work ; let him ask no other 
 blessedness. He has a work, a life-purpose. 
 Labor is life." Presently this returned sol- 
 dier is to be seen in Auburn, working at his 
 old trade as a journeyman, though soon he is 
 in business on his own account, and for the 
 next quarter-century is doing a very large 
 amount of building and contracts. 
 
 On April 4, 1866, he was again married, 
 this time to Mary Lyddon, of Auburn, who 
 was born in Auburn, June 18, 1837. Her 
 father, William Lyddon, who came here from 
 England, married her mother in Philadelphia, 
 where Mrs. Lyddon was educated, and lived 
 nearly all her life, though born in England. 
 Mr. Havens is a charter member of Seward 
 Post of the Grand Army, and votes with the 
 Republican party. In religion he is a worthy 
 member of the Second Baptist church. 
 
 ENRY H. FENN, dealer in hardware 
 and stoves, is one of the leading 
 business men of Port Byron, and 
 highly respected by all who know him, as a 
 man of tried and trusted integrity and up- 
 rightness. His father was a member of one 
 of the old families of Bridgewater, Litchfield 
 County, Conn., where he was born in 1800. 
 He learned the trade of hat-making in Rox- 
 bury, which was only two miles distant. As 
 a member of the Congregational church, he 
 was honored and respected by all of his asso- 
 ciates, and died in Roxbury in 1885. His 
 wife, the mother of the subject of this sketch, 
 was a descendant of one of the old families of 
 Connecticut, the Livingstones, who are well 
 known throughout the State. She was born 
 in Washington, Conn., in 1809, and died in 
 1869, being the mother of thirteen children, 
 nine of whom were living at the time of her 
 death. 
 
 Henry H. Fenn was born in Roxbury, 
 Conn., May 6, 1836, receiving his early edq- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 131 
 
 cation in the public schools of that town, and 
 later attending the Roxbury Academy. From 
 the time he was very young he helped his 
 father, who owned a large establishment for 
 those days, having thirteen men in his em- 
 ploy; and here he learned hat-making in all 
 its branches. Leaving home, he went to 
 Danbury, Conn., then to Brooklyn, and later 
 to Yonkers, N.Y., in which place he was em- 
 ployed for three years as foreman in the 
 service of Warring, Baldwin & Co., who oper- 
 ated a large factory, turning out five hundred 
 dozen hats a day. 
 
 Yonkers was the home of Mr. Fenn and his 
 family until March, 1865, when they returned 
 to Roxbury, where Mr. Fenn was engaged in 
 farming until 1883. He was an active Re- 
 publican, although he never aspired to office, 
 being content with voting for those . men 
 whom he considered best qualified to manage 
 the affairs of town and State. He and his 
 wife were earnest members of the Congrega- 
 tional church, and did much toward the sup- 
 port of that organization. In 1883 they re- 
 moved to Port Byron, where Mr. Fenn pur- 
 chased one-half the interest in the store of 
 O. W. Burritt & Brother, of Weedsport, after 
 which the firm name became Burritt & Fenn, 
 and continued as such until i8gi. He is at 
 present the agent for O. W. Burritt & 
 Brother, of Weedsport, being proprietor of 
 the only hardware store in Port Byron, and 
 carrying a large stock, besides operating a 
 large tin-shop, having roofing, plumbing, and 
 heating establishments in connection with the 
 store. 
 
 On December 28, 1858, Mr. Fenn married 
 Miss Sarah Burritt, daughter of Roswell Bur- 
 ritt, a farmer; she was born in Roxbury, 
 Conn., August 20, 1836, and was educated at 
 the academy of that town. Two daughters 
 have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Fenn — Fan- 
 nie M. and Vera B., both of whom are 
 graduates of the Port Byron Academy. The 
 family are all members of the Presbyterian 
 church at this place, of which Mr. Fenn is 
 Elder and Trustee. 
 
 Mr. Fenn is much interested in educa- 
 tional matters, having been a member of the 
 Village Board of Education. He is highly 
 respected as a citizen, and much beloved as a 
 friend by all who know him ; and his influ- 
 ence as a man of honor and integrity is felt 
 throughout the town, whose interests he has at 
 heart, and for the welfare of which he is ever 
 laboring. 
 
 M 
 
 R. WILLIAM S. CHEESMAN, one 
 of the leading physicians and sur- 
 geons of Auburn, is a practitioner of 
 much experience and a close student of the 
 science which he has chosen as a profession. 
 He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., February 10, 
 1853, son of William S. and Mary (Shaur- 
 man) Cheesman. His advantages for secur- 
 ing a superior education were good, and he 
 improved them to the utmost. He was a stu- 
 dent in the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, 
 where he received practical training not ex- 
 celled in any school in the country. In 1875 
 he graduated from Princeton with the degree 
 of A.M., after which he studied with Dr. 
 
132 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Henry B. Sands, of New York, and later in 
 a college in New York City, from which he 
 was graduated in 1879. Dr. Cheesman was 
 Resident Doctor at Bellevue Hospital for a 
 year and a half, and afterward took the prac- 
 tice of a friend who was going abroad. He 
 came to Auburn in 1881, where he has since 
 been established, and where he has built up 
 an excellent practice. His reputation as a 
 surgeon, to which branch of his profession 
 he has given particular attention, extends 
 throughout the county. He is a member of 
 Cayuga County Medical Society, of which he 
 has been President, member of the Central 
 New York Medical Society, Fellow of the 
 New York Academy of Medicine, and is sur- 
 geon to the Auburn City Hospital. Dr. 
 Cheesman has recently spent a year in foreign 
 study, chiefly in the hospitals of Berlin and 
 Vienna. He is a constant contributor to the 
 medical press of the country, his writings 
 appearing in various periodicals. He is also 
 a member of the State Medical Society, and 
 an honorary member of the Onondaga Medical 
 Society. 
 
 Dr. Cheesman is a man whose services are 
 much sought, both as a physician and sur- 
 geon. His great success in the cases that 
 have come under his charge and the many 
 difficult operations that he has successfully 
 performed have placed him in an eminent 
 position among the authorities on medicine 
 and surgery throughout the State. His ge- 
 nial manner and pleasant words make him 
 a welcome visitor to the well and strong, as 
 well as to the sufferer to whom he ministers. 
 
 He is a man who, if life and health be spared 
 him, has before him many years of usefulness 
 in his noble calling. 
 
 ILLOTSON REED is a prominent 
 farmer and mechanic, long residing in 
 Sterling Centre, though his birth was at 
 Palmyra, Wayne County, on the very last day 
 of the year 18 19. His great-grandfather 
 came from New England, and settled in 
 Dutchess County, where he remained until 
 his death. The old man's son, the grand- 
 father of the subject of this sketch, was born 
 in that county, but went early to Danube, 
 Herkimer County, where he became the owner 
 of a farm of two hundred and forty acres, and 
 spent the rest of a long life. 
 
 Grandfather Reed's son Amos was born on 
 the Danube farm, June 22, 1797, shortly after 
 Washington had given place to John Adams, 
 as second President of the United States. 
 Not only did young Amos learn farming, but 
 also the trade of tanner and currier, though 
 finally he became a tailor. He went to Wis- 
 consin, where he carried on a farm for many 
 years; but later he returned to Sterling, 
 where he died, aged eighty-six, in the home 
 of his son Tillotson. Amos H. Reed's wife 
 was Sarah Catherine Brockway, and belonged 
 in the neighborhood of Palmyra. Her father 
 came to America with two brothers before the 
 Revolution, and settled in Wayne County. 
 During the patriotic contest they were located 
 near Marion; and all three served in the ranks, 
 Mr. Reed's father serving for six months as 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 133 
 
 a private in the cavalry in the War of 181 2. 
 Amos H. Reed not only worked at his trade 
 in Palmyra, but owned and ran the first canal- 
 boat from Palmyra to Albany; and it was dur- 
 ing the trial trip that his wife died, at the 
 early age of twenty-five, leaving her husband 
 with three motherless children, of whom the 
 eldest is the subject of this sketch. The 
 second, Alvira, is the widow of John Jones, 
 of Herkimer County, New York. The third, 
 Charles, died at the age of thirty-five. 
 
 At the time of his mother's death Tillotson 
 was only five years old, and lived awhile with 
 an aunt, but subsequently returned to his 
 father. In early life he went to Little Falls, 
 and from there went to Ilion; but later he 
 came back to Danube, where he learned his 
 trade as carpenter, which he pursued for many 
 years in that and the adjoining towns. His 
 next move was to Frankfort, where he pur- 
 chased a farm, which he carried on for a 
 dozen years. Then he came to his present 
 home, and, buying another farm, conducted 
 that, besides following his trade. In 1847, 
 January 14, at the age of twenty-eight, he 
 married Barbara Miller, daughter of Major 
 Henry Miller, of Danube; and they have four 
 children: Henry M., married to Clementine 
 Shockey, by whom he has one child, Peal; 
 Julia, married to James Taber, whose father's 
 life is given in this work; Frank Amos, 
 named for his grandfather Reed, and married 
 to Elizabeth Holmes; William B., named 
 for a friend, and married to Elizabeth Will- 
 iams, daughter of William Williams. Dur- 
 ing recent years his son, William B. Reed, 
 
 has managed the farm, Mr. Reed devoting 
 himself for six years to the office of High- 
 way Commissioner, which he still fills, hav- 
 ing been elected for the sixth term. He 
 votes the Republican ticket, and is an honor 
 to his party. His wife is a faithful and val- 
 ued member of the Baptist church, and both 
 are highly esteemed in the community in 
 which they dwell. 
 
 ENJAMIN M. WILCOX, a public- 
 spirited, influential citizen of Au- 
 burn, N.Y., now prosperously en- 
 gaged in the manufacture of ladies' shoes, 
 was born in Fleming, Cayuga County, in 
 1854, and is the son of Joseph and Lydia 
 (Martin) Wilcox. Both his parents were 
 born at Frome, Somersetshire, England, the 
 father being engaged for twenty-one years in 
 coal-mining in that country. Coming to 
 America in 1853, Joseph Wilcox settled first 
 in the town of Fleming, and moved to Auburn 
 in 1865, engaging in the business of a con- 
 tractor, also running a farm. He is still a 
 citizen of Auburn, and a member of the First 
 Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 
 Benjamin received his early education at 
 the common and high schools of Auburn; 
 and at the completion of his school life, in 
 1870, accepted a position as messenger in the 
 County Clerk's office, in which capacity he 
 remained until July, 1876, when he was ap- 
 pointed Deputy County Clerk and Clerk of 
 the Board of Supervisors. In the fall of 1882 
 Mr. Wilcox was elected to the office of 
 
134 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 County Clerk, commencing his duties in Jan- 
 uary, 1883, and was subsequently elected for 
 three consecutive terms, which was the first 
 time for over half a century that any man had 
 been able to hold an office for more than two 
 consecutive terms. Upon his retirement from 
 this position the bar of Auburn presented 
 Mr. Wilcox with a very fine testimonial in 
 recognition of his useful services, efficiency, 
 and unfailing courtesy in the performance of 
 his onerous duties. 
 
 Mr. Wilcox has always taken a very active 
 and prominent part in politics, having been 
 Chairman of the Republican County Commit- 
 tee on several different occasions, also serving 
 as Secretary for the same body. The good 
 work he had done for his party was duly 
 appreciated by them; and in the fall of 1893 
 he was nominated and elected as a member of 
 the Assembly for Cayuga County, taking his 
 seat January i, 1894. He has since been 
 nominated for the second time. In April, 
 1892, he became interested, with Mr. Gor- 
 ham, in the manufacture of ladies' shoes, and 
 is now conducting a very large and steadily 
 increasing business in that important branch 
 of industry. 
 
 In religious belief Mr. Wilcox is a Meth- 
 odist, and is a member of the First Methodist 
 Episcopal Church of Auburn. He is also a 
 prominent Odd Fellow, being District Deputy 
 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 
 He was united in marriage August 19, 1875, 
 to Miss Mary A. Kirkpatrick, of this city, 
 and has four children; namely, Dwelley K., 
 James Stanley, Florence, and Mary Irene, 
 
 It is the lot of some men to be born great, 
 while others have to achieve greatness. Ben- 
 jamin M. Wilcox was clearly destined to be 
 the architect of his own fortune. Having 
 begun on a low rung of the ladder of attain- 
 ments, by close application, untiring energy, 
 and diligent use of his faculties and opportu- 
 nities, he is proving himself a useful and 
 worthy citizen, and is rapidly making his way 
 to the top. 
 
 < W * I 
 
 DWARD SMITH, an industrious and 
 well-to-do agriculturist of the town of 
 Moravia, is the proprietor of a fine homestead, 
 which in regard to its appointments compares 
 favorably with any in the locality. The neat- 
 ness and orderly appearance of the property 
 manifest to the most casual observer the thrift 
 and care of the proprietor, and show con- 
 clusively that he has a thorough understand- 
 ing of his business, and exercises excellent 
 judgment in its management. Mr. Smith is 
 a native of New York, and first saw the light 
 of this beautiful world in the town of Herki- 
 mer, July 22,. 1843. His parents, Benjamin 
 and Mary (^Harter) Smith, were both born, 
 reared, and educated in Herkimer County. 
 
 The Smith family were pioneers of Herki- 
 mer County, and have been for many gen- 
 erations numbered among its most honored 
 residents. Jacob Smith, the grandfather of 
 our subject, was born within its limits, and 
 was, without doubt, the youngest soldier of 
 the Revolutionary War, he having served as 
 picket guard when a little lad of seven years. 
 He learned the trade of a tanner and currier 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ^35 
 
 in his early life, and worked at it a great deal 
 of his time. In 1846 Benjamin, son of 
 Jacob Smith, bought a farm of two hundred 
 acres in Truxton, Cortland County. His eld- 
 est son dying shortly after their removal to 
 this farm, he became discouraged, and sold 
 it, intending to go back to Herkimer; but, 
 changing his mind, he rented a farm, and 
 lived there four years. In the year 1850 he 
 came to Cayuga County, and, purchasing one 
 hundred and thirty-seven acres of land in the 
 town of Niles, improved a fine homestead. 
 He carried on general farming and stock- 
 raising with good success, became identified 
 with the agricultural interests of this vicin- 
 ity, and was numbered among the leading men 
 of his day. On their pleasant home farm he 
 and his wife spent their remaining years, he 
 passing away at the age of seventy-three 
 years, and she in the sixty-third year of her 
 age. He was an earnest advocate of the 
 principles of the Democratic party, and, al- 
 though liberal in his religious views, was not 
 connected with any church organization. Of 
 the eight children born of their union four are 
 now living, as follows: Nancy X., the wife of 
 Henry Helmer, resides in Herkimer County; 
 Elizabeth married Austin Camp, and lives in 
 Moravia; Edward, the subject of this sketch; 
 Cornelia, the wife of Smith Bowen, is a resi- 
 dent of Cortland County. 
 
 Edward Smith was six years of age when 
 his parents removed to this county; and the 
 years of his youth and early manhood were 
 spent in the town of Niles, where he began 
 his school life, which was afterward ended by 
 
 attendance at Moravia Academy. On the 
 family homestead he acquired a practical 
 knowledge and experience of the art of farm- 
 ing, as he remained an inmate of the parental 
 household and was an able assistant on the 
 farm until the age of thirty-three years, when, 
 having won the affections of an estimable 
 young lady. Miss Jennie Edick, a school- 
 teacher, he established a home of his own. 
 
 Their troth was plighted at the marriage 
 altar on the nth of October, 1876. Mrs. 
 Smith is a daughter of Michael and Sophia 
 (Fulmer) Edick, and is a native of Jefferson 
 County. ]\Ir. Edick was a blacksmith by 
 trade, and was also a successful farmer and 
 well known in his locality as a man of honor 
 and veracity. Both he and his wife are now 
 living in the town of Skaneateles. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Smith bought a 
 farm of one hundred and forty acres in the 
 town of Moravia, and operated it seven years, 
 making many and necessary improvements. 
 He then disposed of one-half of it, and has 
 since resided on the remaining half, which he 
 has brought under an excellent state of culti- 
 vation. He has erected a good set of build- 
 ings, which are models of comfort and con- 
 venience, and which, with their neat and 
 attractive surroundings, evince the thrift and 
 prosperit)' of the owner. He is carrying on 
 general farming with satisfactory results, year 
 by year adding to his wealth, rapidly growing 
 into the esteem and respect of his neighbors, 
 and is already a valuable member of the com- 
 munity. In his political views ^Ir. Smith 
 coincides with the principles of the Demo- 
 
136 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 cratic party, although he takes little interest 
 in politics outside of his duty in attending to 
 the elective franchise. He is a man of strong 
 convictions, independent in his opinions, and 
 liberal in his religious beliefs. Two children 
 have come to bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. 
 Edward Smith — Milton E. and Arthur J., 
 both of whom are attending school. 
 
 /iXc 
 
 EORGE F. WEBER, Ph.M., M.D, a 
 \|£_J_ rising young physician of Ira, where 
 he has an extensive and lucrative practice, is 
 fast winning for himself a prominent and hon- 
 orable name in the medical profession of Ca- 
 yuga County. He is a native of New York, 
 and was born in the town of Lysander, Onon- 
 daga County, October 15, 1863, of German 
 parentage. His father, Frederick Weber, was 
 born in Southern Germany, and there grew 
 to maturity. In his younger days he learned 
 the mason's trade, which he followed several 
 years in his native country. Arriving at 
 years of manhood, he formed a matrimonial 
 alliance with Susan Lang; and shortly after 
 their union this young couple left their Euro- 
 pean home, emigrating to America in 1853. 
 Coming to this part of New York State, and 
 being pleased with the aspect of the country, 
 he purchased a farm in the town of Lysander, 
 and has since that time occupied himself in 
 improving and beautifying it. With charac- 
 teristic German thrift and enterprise, he has 
 assiduously attended to the minutest details 
 of his business, and now holds a fine position 
 among the prosperous and progressive farmers 
 
 and stock-raisers of Onondaga County. He 
 and his wife are the parents of two children, 
 namely : Katie, who is the wife of James 
 Harris, a successful farmer of the town of Ira; 
 and a son, whose name heads this sketch. 
 Mr. Weber is a man of substantial worth, in 
 his political views sustaining the principles 
 of the Republican party; and, religiously, 
 both he and his wife are conscientious mem- 
 bers of the Congregational church. 
 
 The younger days of George F. Weber were 
 spent in the pursuit of knowledge, first in the 
 district schools of his native town, and later 
 at Jordan Academy, at which he was grad- 
 uated in 1 88 1. He then entered the literary 
 department of Cornell University, and, after 
 four years of diligent application to his 
 studies, was graduated at that institution in 
 1885. He then began his professional life as 
 a teacher, and was for a time one of the in- 
 structors in a graded school, and afterward one 
 of the corps of teachers in the State Normal 
 School at New Paltz, Ulster County, N.Y., 
 where he remained a year, having charge of 
 the mathematical department in that institu- 
 tion. In the mean time he had decided to 
 enter the medical profession; and, accord- 
 ingly, he next entered the College of Physi- 
 cians and Surgeons in Baltimore, Md., where 
 he was graduated in 1888. Soon after receiv- 
 ing his diploma. Dr. Weber came to this 
 county, and, locating his office in the town of 
 Ira, has since been actively engaged in his 
 chosen work. He has made rapid strides in 
 his professional career, and is often intrusted 
 with important business in connection with 
 
1^ I i 
 
 ' •'-J'' t^Jr.SXalls r,-nj. Iff,- -»'* 
 
 < ^/^(^iPl^CO^ 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 139 
 
 his practice, his wisdom and skill in dealing 
 with difficult cases having gained for him 
 the confidence of the entire community, and 
 placed him among the physicians of repute in 
 this locality. He has been successful from 
 the start, and deserves credit for the position 
 he has won, not only as a physician, but as 
 one of the most popular and esteemed citizens 
 of the town. 
 
 The Doctor is a man of good financial abil- 
 ity, and in all of his business transactions he 
 has always acted with strict regard to veracity 
 and honor. He is yet a single man, probably 
 having been too much engrossed with the 
 duties of his profession to study the unsolved 
 problem, "Is marriage a failure?" His re- 
 ligious belief coincides with the teachings of 
 the Congregational church. In politics he is 
 identified with the Republican party; and, 
 socially, he is a member of the Knights of 
 Pythias of Hannibal. He takes great interest 
 in local affairs, but bends all of his energy to 
 making a success of his chosen profession. 
 
 ;.YLVESTER WILLARD, M.D., for 
 a long time the leading physician 
 in Auburn, N.Y., was born in Say- 
 brook, Conn., December 24, 1798. He was 
 descended from the Saxon house of Wie- 
 lardus. This family was in England when 
 William the Norman became its conqueror. 
 Doubtless the ancestor then living was on the 
 Norman side, as he was permitted to retain 
 his estates. Certain it is that the name Wie- 
 lardus is thrice mentioned in the Doomsday 
 
 Book as having extensive landed possessions 
 in Horsemonden, in the County of Kent, 
 where the race lived for many generations, 
 though little further is known about the Wie- 
 larduses, save the general fact that they be- 
 longed to the class called gentry. Not till 
 A.D. 1300, more than two hundred years after 
 the conquest, was the name Wielardus finally 
 established as Wyllard or Willard, and their 
 freeholds located in Sussex as well as Kent. 
 Among the descendants was Richard Willard, 
 of Horsemonden. His will, dated 1616, the 
 very year of Shakspere's death and will, is 
 still preserved, only a few words being illeg- 
 ible. It is written on large sheets of some- 
 what coarse paper, and on the wax seal is the 
 impression of an oak-tree. 
 
 Richard Willard's son Simon crossed the 
 ocean in 1634, four years after the settlement 
 of Boston, and at first lived for a while in 
 Cambridge, which was then called Newtown. 
 He traded with the Indians for furs, and 
 was the leader of a small company of men 
 who ventured into the interior in search of 
 "fresh woods and pastures new." On Septem- 
 ber 2, 163s, in the very year after his arrival 
 in Massachusetts Bay, a grant was received 
 from the General Court to establish a new 
 colony, which the founders wished to do by a 
 fair purchase. They selected a place six 
 miles up the river, and named it Concord. 
 The first frame house built by them was a 
 dwelling for their minister, the Rev. Peter 
 Bulkeley, and the Elder, the Rev. Mr. Jones. 
 At this house a committee met; and here 
 Messrs. Willard and Spencer paid the repre- 
 
140 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 sentative Indians — Squaw Sachem, Tahatta- 
 wan, and Nimrod — the consideration price in 
 wampumpeage, cloth, cutlery, etc. After the 
 payment Mr. Willard, pointing to the four 
 quarters of the world — east, west, north, and 
 south — declared that they had bought three 
 miles from that place in each direction; and 
 the Indians manifested their full consent 
 thereto. The Major then received a grant 
 here of two thousand acres of land, one thou- 
 sand of which he deeded to Robert Blood, 
 who married his daughter Elizabeth, as her 
 dowry.. In the Antinomian controversy, 
 which so greatly agitated the colony, Mr. 
 Willard attached himself to his devoted 
 friend, the Concord pastor, the Rev. Peter 
 Bulkeley, and what was known as the Mod- 
 erate Party; for they believed in Christian 
 charity and the exercise of good works rather 
 than in fanciful theories. In the organiza- 
 tion of the town of Concord Mr. Willard was 
 chosen Clerk of the Writs, and continued in 
 the office by annual election for nineteen 
 years. The following year he was appointed 
 Surveyor of Arms, and directed "to exercise 
 the military company of Concord." His first 
 military commission in the colony was that of 
 Lieutenant Commandant, in 1637. Later he 
 was made Sergeant-major, or Major, ranking 
 next to Major-general. His military service 
 was continuous for forty years; and for the 
 same period, with but few interruptions, he 
 filled many important civil offices. In 1654 
 he was chosen Assistant, or Magistrate, and 
 held the office by annual election for twenty- 
 two successive years. He was also inti- 
 
 mately associated with the apostle Eliot in 
 his preaching to the Indians. In 1675 King 
 Philip's War broke out; and Major Wil- 
 lard was constantly engaged in his military 
 duties, being chief commander of the Middle- 
 sex regiment, with his headquarters at Nona- 
 coika. He also had charge of the expedition 
 against the Narragansetts in 1676, a hundred 
 years before the Revolution. Having then 
 been in command of the Middlesex regiment 
 for twenty-one years, at the age of seventy he 
 was again called to active service by the in- 
 vasion of the Nipmuck Indians, spreading 
 devastation wherever they went. Smaller 
 tribes joined them, and there was a general 
 gathering about Brookfield. Major Willard 
 had been ordered by the government to go in 
 a different direction; but messengers, who 
 fortunately escaped from Brookfield, ran after 
 him, and entreated him to come to their aid. 
 He could not refuse, and returned to them 
 just in time to save the community from a 
 frightful massacre. The Rev. Cotton Mather, 
 writing at a subsequent period, says : — 
 
 "Our memorable Major Willard, on Au- 
 gust 4, in the morning, setting forth with a 
 party of men, to visit and scare a nation of 
 suspected Indians in the neighborhood, re- 
 ceived, by a strange accident, some seasonable 
 advice of the doleful condition wherein our 
 brethren at Quaboag [Brookfield], thirty miles 
 distant from him, were ensnared; and there- 
 fore, turning his course thither, this valiant 
 commander, with forty-eight men, arrived at 
 night into the halls of these besieged people, 
 and bravely raised the siege by driving the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 141 
 
 beasts of prey each to their dens, after he had 
 first sacrificed many of them unto the Divine 
 Vengeance. Thus, undoubtedly, was this 
 poor people delivered." 
 
 The Rev. Increase Mather says : — 
 
 "In the very nick of opportunity God sent 
 that worthy Major Willard, who, with forty- 
 eight men, set upon the Indians, and caused 
 them to turn their backs." 
 
 In Charlestown, Mass., April 24, 1676, 
 aged seventy-two, the Major died of an epi- 
 demic cold, probably what would now be 
 called the grip. He was first married in 
 England, to Mary Sharpe, who accompanied 
 him across the Atlantic; but he entered 
 wedlock twice after her death, first with 
 Elizabeth Dunster, a sister of President Dun- 
 ster, of Harvard College, and second, having 
 again been widowed, with Mary Dunster. 
 Major Willard left two sons, Josiah and Sam- 
 uel. The latter, born in 1640 and dying in 
 1707, was for years pastor of the historic Old 
 South Church, Boston. He was also elected 
 the first President of Harvard College; but, 
 declining to leave his pulpit, he was finally 
 chosen Vice-President, with the functions of 
 President. The descendants of Major Wil- 
 lard have walked worthily in his footsteps; 
 and among them is the well-known temper- 
 ance leader. Miss Frances E. Willard. 
 
 The special subject of the present sketch, 
 Dr. Sylvester Willard, was descended from 
 the eldest son of the Major, Josiah Willard, 
 who was born about 1638, and died at Weth- 
 ersfield, Conn., in 1679. His wife was Han- 
 nah Hosmer, of Hartford, a daughter of 
 
 Thomas Hosmer, and belonging to the same 
 kindred with Harriet Hosmer, the famous 
 sculptor. Josiah Willard's eldest son was 
 Captain Samuel Willard, who married Sarah 
 Clark, and died in Saybrook, Conn., in 1713. 
 Captain Samuel Willard's eldest son was 
 another Samuel Willard, who bore the high 
 title of Colonel. He married Sarah, daugh- 
 ter of the Hon. George Stillman, of Hadley, 
 and died August 2, 1774, just before the Rev- 
 olutionary outbreak. He was a man of gen- 
 ius, an eminent citizen of Saybrook, and 
 distinguished as Speaker of the House of 
 Representatives. Legal papers, dated 1733 
 and 1740, and entered by himself as Reg- 
 istrar, show that, with two others, he was 
 appointed by the General Court to apportion 
 the undivided lands of the colony. 
 
 On June 30, 1758, according to a deed still 
 preserved, "for the love and affection that he 
 bears to his loving son George, he grants to 
 him, and his heirs forever, the possession of 
 his negro boy Lucas." This son George mar- 
 ried Hannah Merrill, of Killingworth, Conn., 
 and died in 1781. The elder of their two 
 sons, another George, died in the Revolution- 
 ary army, at White Plains, bravely fighting for 
 his country. The other son. Colonel Daniel 
 Willard, married Sarah Silliman, daughter of 
 the Rev. Robert Silliman, of Saybrook, and 
 a cousin of Professor Silliman, of Yale Col- 
 lege; and it is a remarkable fact that both 
 Colonel Daniel and his wife died on the same 
 day, in 181 3. Colonel Daniel Willard in- 
 herited a handsome estate, and was a well- 
 educated gentleman, of fine presence and 
 
142 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 dignified manners. He resided on the plan- 
 tation received by his father in the division 
 of the colony. His first commission, as 
 " Lieutenant of the Fifth Troop of Horse, in 
 the First Regiment of Light Dragoons, in 
 said State of Connecticut, in America, and 
 signed by Samuel Huntington, Esquire, Cap- 
 tain General and Commander-in-Chief, in and 
 over the State of Connecticut, in America," 
 is still in the possession of his descendants. 
 He was a man of decided theological opin- 
 ions, with the will and capacity to defend 
 them. 
 
 This brings the reader down to Dr. Sylves- 
 ter Willard, who was born the day before 
 Christmas, 1798, the fifth and youngest son of 
 Colonel Daniel Willard, and was not quite 
 fifteen when his father died. Sylvester's 
 early education was obtained from the Say- 
 brook schools and private study. He read for 
 his profession, and attended lectures in New 
 York City. His first practice was in Sennett 
 or Brutus, Cayuga County, N.Y. He used to 
 travel everywhere about the country on horse- 
 back, with saddle-bags well filled; for. then 
 there were no drug stores to which prescrip- 
 tions could be sent. In this sparsely settled 
 region he served ten years, and then married 
 Jane Frances Case, only daughter of Erastus 
 Case, belonging to a prominent Connecticut 
 family, her mother's name before marriage 
 being Mary Pettibone. After their marriage 
 the Willards lived with Mr. Case for a few 
 years in Connecticut, the Doctor aiding his 
 father-in-law in his business affairs. In 1840 
 business called him to Chicago, when it was 
 
 a town of less than five thousand inhabitants ; 
 and there he remained three years, thereafter 
 coming to Auburn, which henceforth re- 
 mained his abiding-place. Here he not only 
 treated patients, but invested in manufact- 
 ures, land, and railways. For a quarter-cen- 
 tury he was President of the Oswego Starch 
 Company, and for ninteen years President of 
 the Auburn Savings Bank, of which he was 
 an organizer. For over forty years he was an 
 Elder in the First Presbyterian Church, and 
 gave liberally toward the erection of its pres- 
 ent house of worship, besides acting as Presi- 
 dent of the Cayuga County Bible Society for 
 twenty years; and at one time he was Trustee 
 of Elmira Female College. 
 
 On several occasions he gave generously to 
 the Auburn Theological School, in which he 
 early became interested, serving forty years 
 as Secretary of its Board of Trustees; and 
 one department of the institution fitly bears 
 his name. While in Chicago he was active 
 in establishing the Second Presbyterian Par- 
 ish, on Wabash Avenue, of which the Rev. 
 Dr. McPherson is now pastor. Dr. Willard 
 was chosen one of its first three Elders ; and it 
 was he who presented the call to Dr. Patter- 
 son, when that gentleman became the first 
 pastor. Though often asked to be a candidate 
 for office, Dr. Willard was no politician. He 
 was a Whig in sentiment in the old times, 
 and afterward a Republican. During the 
 great Civil War he presided at a mass meet- 
 ing of fifteen thousand people, and made the 
 first speech. He was a member of the Cayuga 
 County Medical Society, which at the time 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 143 
 
 of his death, at its regular meeting, May 12, 
 1886, adopted the following report, signed by 
 Lansing H. Briggs, W. S. Cheesman, and 
 F. H. Parker: — 
 
 "The good men who, eighty years ago, in- 
 augurated our society have long since closed 
 the door of time behind them. Their im- 
 mediate successors (the connecting link be- 
 tween those venerated pioneers and the pres- 
 ent membership) have also gone hence, our 
 late beloved brother, Dr. Sylvester Willard, 
 being the last surviving member of that band. 
 Indeed, he was the Nestor of the profession. 
 Three generations have been enlightened and 
 benefited by his ever-willing and valuable 
 counsels, in grateful acknowledgment of 
 which and of our appreciation of him as a 
 man and citizen we would respectfully and 
 sincerely say that the long and varied profes- 
 sional experience of the .late Dr. Sylvester 
 Willard, his quick observation and conception 
 of disease in its ever-varying phases, his 
 promptness in meeting and successfully com- 
 bating them, his untiring devotion to and 
 sincerely felt sympathy with his patients and 
 their sorrowing friends, eminently entitle him 
 to be distinguished as the Good Physician. 
 His genial and courteous intercourse with his 
 professional brethren, his readiness to listen 
 to professional suggestions and at all times 
 to freely impart the result of his ripe experi- 
 ence, his considerate kindness and encour- 
 agement, so grateful to the young in the 
 profession, his active interest to the last in 
 our society, had especially endeared him to 
 us; and we unfeignedly lament his departure. 
 
 and at the same time tender his family our 
 deeply felt sympathy." 
 
 The Doctor's death on March 12, 1886, 
 was caused by pneumonia, after an illness of 
 only two days. Mrs. Willard was born in 
 18 1 3, the very year of the death of Dr. Wil- 
 lard's father; and she died July 9, 1890, hav- 
 ing outlived her husband only four years. 
 They left only two children — Georgiana and 
 Caroline — who in 1894 erected for the Theo- 
 logical Seminary, in memory of both parents, 
 a memorial chapel in the Romanesque style, 
 the interior finished and decorated by the Tif- 
 fany Decorating Company of New York. 
 This building is designed to seat comfortably 
 three hundred people. The organ is from 
 Steer & Turner, of Springfield, Mass.; and 
 the large window is a beautiful stained-glass 
 picture of Christ and Saint Peter. The whole 
 gift cost fifty thousand dollars. 
 
 This beautiful granite memorial suggests 
 another, written not in stone, but "on the 
 fleshly tables " of human hearts — the address 
 made at his funeral, March 15, 1886, by the 
 Rev. Willis J. Beecher, D.D., a professor in 
 the seminary. After referring to the length 
 of Dr. Willard' s connection with Auburn, be- 
 ginning sixty-three years before, and to the 
 inadequacy of any spoken word as compared 
 with the lesson of his silent lips, the speaker 
 dwelt upon their deceased friend's conscious- 
 ness of faithful intention in whatever he did, 
 his professional unwillingness to make a su- 
 perficial diagnosis or give merely conven- 
 tional prescriptions, his determination that no 
 patient should suffer by any carelessness on 
 
144 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the physician's part, his equal faithfulness in 
 business interests, in his willingness to face 
 even painful duties, in his presence at every 
 meeting where it was his duty to be. 
 
 "The Doctor was cautious because never 
 disposed to shirk the responsibility arising 
 from any action, whether medical or financial, 
 which he had initiated or approved; and he 
 sought not for brilliant, but for wise, results. 
 These qualities made him indefatigably in- 
 dustrious, not merely in youth, but in old 
 age, when wealth and years might have been an 
 excuse for resting on the oars of past achieve- 
 ment. He was as careful to have charities 
 worthily bestowed as to have investments 
 well made, and he personally investigated 
 every doubtful case. This activity did not 
 hinder his pursuit of culture, which he found, 
 not only in books, but in conversation with 
 every man he met; for he had friends eminent 
 in all ranks, and was especially rich in his 
 study of the Scriptures. Neither property 
 nor preoccupation was ever allowed to abate 
 that friendliness which was his most salient 
 characteristic. Said a humble man: 'The 
 Doctor was always a good friend to us colored 
 people. He would speak to us when he met 
 us on the street, same as to white folks.' 
 Nor was it the poor alone who received his 
 aid. Young men found in him a helper, and 
 he visited the afflicted and the unfortunate. 
 
 "The root of these traits was his religion, 
 not worn on his sleeve for exhibition, but 
 the outgrowth of 'Christ formed within,' and 
 pulsing in the generous hand, not only toward 
 his own parish and to Westminster and Cal- 
 
 vary Churches, but to most of the religious 
 societies in the city, not to mention Mary- 
 ville College, the Young Men's Christian 
 Association, and general denominational ef- 
 forts. Nor was this generosity merely eccle- 
 siastical, for it touched all the distressed and 
 needy as with a wand of light. Worldly 
 prosperity was to the Doctor a sacred trust ; 
 yet his benevolence was too sagacious to 
 admit its bestowal ever to pauperize its recip- 
 ients by encouraging their immorality, in- 
 dolence, or waste. In the home and the 
 Sunday - school, in conversation and in a 
 revival, the stream of his piety ran with 
 undeviating clearness and purity, because it 
 was not perfunctory, but came from the heart. 
 Yet he felt always that, if he entered heaven, 
 it would be as a sinner saved by grace, and 
 not because of his goodness. His was a 
 wholesome life to the very end." 
 
 In conclusion Professor Beecher said of 
 Dr. Willard's death-bed, "If his thoughts 
 wandered, it was in green pastures and beside 
 waters of rest." In almost his last breath he 
 asked for a short prayer, adding that he 
 thought he might fall asleep; and so he did, 
 only to wake where "praying is altogether 
 joy." 
 
 The interest of the foregoing biographical 
 memoir is enhanced by the accompanying 
 steel-engraved portrait of this eminent and 
 beloved physician and true-hearted philan- 
 thropist, whose name will long be held in 
 grateful remembrance, being to other souls 
 "a cup of strength," enkindling "generous 
 ardor." 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1 45 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM W. HARRIS, a retired 
 farmer, residing in the town of 
 Cato, having accomplished a satisfactory work 
 in his chosen occupation, and acquired a com- 
 petency to live on in his declining years, is 
 now enjoying to the utmost the well-merited 
 reward of his long-continued, unremitting 
 toil. Mr. Harris is of pure English descent, 
 the first member of the family to emigrate to 
 America having crossed the ocean, it is be- 
 lieved, in the "Mayflower," although not in- 
 cluded in the passenger list of the first voy- 
 age. His posterity are scattered throughout 
 the length and breadth of the land, the name 
 Harris being prominent in the annals of many 
 a State, county, or town. The subject of this 
 sketch is a native of New York, having first 
 seen the light, June 2, 1822, in the town of 
 Berne, Albany County. His grandfather, 
 Jeremiah Harris, was one of the pioneer set- 
 tlers of Broome County, where he assisted in 
 levelling the vast forest and placing a part of 
 the land under cultivation. He subsequently 
 removed to Albany County, where he spent 
 his last days. He reared a family of six chil- 
 dren, two sons and four daughters, of whom 
 two are now living; namely, Mrs. Amanda 
 Wright and Mrs. Nathaniel Palmer, both of 
 Albany County. 
 
 Solomon Harris, father of William, was 
 born in Broome County, New York, and there 
 spent the earlier years of his life. He was a 
 farmer by occupation, and, removing to Al- 
 bany County, was there engaged in general 
 agriculture until 1835, when he came to Ca- 
 yuga County. He settled in the town of Ira, 
 
 which was still heavily timbered, few of the 
 farms being cleared, and for a time worked 
 land on shares. Wild game, now considered 
 a luxury, was then plentiful, and formed a part 
 of the subsistence of the people. The elder 
 Harris removed from Ira to Cato, residing 
 there for a time, going hence to Chemung 
 County, and settling near the town of Elmira, 
 where his death occurred in 1854, at the age 
 of threescore years. He was twice married, 
 the fruits of his first union being fifteen chil- 
 dren, and of the second one child. Of these 
 sixteen children eight are yet living. The 
 maiden name of his first wife, mother of Will- 
 iam, was Rebecca Cowell. After her de- 
 cease he married Mrs. Fay, who died in 1845, 
 when about forty-five years of age. 
 
 William W. Harris received a good com- 
 mon-school education, attending the district 
 schools of his native county, and, after the 
 family removed to Cayuga County, when he 
 was thirteen years old, finishing his school- 
 ing here. Being one of a large family of 
 children, it became necessary for him to assist 
 his parents in its support as early in life as 
 possible; and at the age of sixteen years he 
 began working out by the month. He was an 
 industrious, faithful lad, and, after working 
 on a farm awhile, secured work in Weedsport 
 as a clerk in the store of Aaron Bayless, stay- 
 ing there two years. On the farm he received 
 eleven dollars a month wages; and, being 
 economical and frugal in his habits, in the 
 course of time he saved four hundred dollars, 
 besides giving his parents a fair portion of 
 his earnings. 
 
146 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Harris did not become a landholder 
 until after his marriage, his first piece of prop- 
 erty being fifty-six acres of land in the town 
 of Cato, on which he lived two years. Sell- 
 ing that farm, he purchased a tract of land in 
 the town of Ira, where he successfully en- 
 gaged in general farming for fourteen years. 
 He then disposed of that to advantage, and, 
 buying one hundred and thirty acres of land 
 in the same town, continued his agricultural 
 occupations for a period of five years, when he 
 had the misfortune to be burned out. Rather 
 than rebuild on the same place, he sold that 
 farm, and bought the one where he now lives, 
 taking possession of it in 1873. During the 
 twenty and more years he has occupied it, he 
 has greatly improved the property, having en- 
 tirely renovated the buildings, putting up new 
 where necessary, and placed the land in good 
 yielding condition, his homestead being now 
 one of the most attractive and valuable in the 
 locality. Mr. Harris, feeling that he has 
 performed his share of hard labor, has retired 
 from the active cares of life, and now leases 
 his farm to a responsible farmer, who looks 
 well after its management. 
 
 As soon as he had accumulated enough 
 money to warrant him in assuming the re- 
 sponsibilities of a household, Mr. Harris was 
 united in marriage to Louis R. Birch, the 
 ceremony being celebrated January 30, 1847. 
 Mrs. Harris was born in the town of Niles 
 Cayuga County, a daughter of Jeremiah and 
 Lydia (Stowe) Birch, the mother being a 
 native of New Hampshire, and the father of 
 Cayuga County. Mr. Birch was for many 
 
 years a successful farmer of Niles, but after- 
 ward removed to the town of Ira, where he 
 died while yet in the prime of life, being but 
 fifty-four years of age. Mrs. Birch survived 
 him many years, dying at the age of seventy- 
 two years. They reared four children, of 
 whom two are now living. The paternal 
 grandfather of Mrs. Harris, Jeremiah Birch, 
 Sr., was one of the early settlers of Cayuga 
 County, and was for many years quite promi- 
 nent in the management of local affairs, 
 being widely known in this part of the 
 county. He lived to a ripe old age, dying in 
 this county in 1829. 
 
 Into the household circle of Mr. Harris and 
 his amiable wife six children have been born, 
 four of whom are now living, namely: Walter 
 M., an inventor and pattern-maker, who lives 
 in Auburn; William D., a carpenter in the 
 village of Cato; Jennie E., who is the wife of 
 the Rev. Gilbert J. Ellis, pastor of the 
 Church of the Disciples in Galesburg, 111. ; 
 and Emma G., the wife of Samuel M. Law- 
 rence, a hardware merchant in the village of 
 Cato. Two children have passed on to the 
 realms of a brighter existence, Harvey B. 
 having died when a little lad of five years, 
 and Lydia R., the wife of Henry L. Downs, 
 departing from the scenes of this earth at the 
 age of forty-four years. 
 
 Mr. Harris is a firm supporter of the prin- 
 ciples of the Republican party, and has ever 
 taken a great interest in public affairs, and 
 has done good service to his town in various 
 offices, having been Highway Commissioner 
 one year, Town Clerk two years, and Justice of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 147 
 
 the Peace three years, performing the duties 
 of each office faithfully and satisfactorily. 
 His business dealings have ever been charac- 
 terized by fairness and honesty, and he and 
 his good wife are held in high respect 
 throughout the community. In religious 
 matters they are both conscientious members 
 of the Church of the Disciples. 
 
 REDERICK TOMLINSON PEET was 
 educated at Brooklyn Polytechnic and 
 Churchill Military Academy at Sing-Sing, 
 N.Y. On the day that Fort Sumter was fired 
 on, in the early part of 1861, he joined the 
 Seventh New York State Militia, and the 
 same day started with the regiment for Wash- 
 ington. He served with the Seventh Regi- 
 ment until it was mustered out of the United 
 States service, when he joined the First 
 United States Sharpshooters as Second 
 Lieutenant, Company H, Colonel Berdan com- 
 manding. He served with them and with the 
 Army of the Potomac, in the Fifth and Third 
 Corps, until July of 1862. He served through 
 the Peninsula Campaign, under General 
 McClellan, at the siege of Yorktown, in en- 
 gagements on the Chickahominy, and at Han- 
 over Court-house, Savage Station, White Oak 
 Swamp, and Glendale, or Frazer's Farm. He 
 was severely wounded June 30, 1862, at the 
 last-named battle, and was taken prisoner and 
 sent to Libby prison at Richmond. Through 
 the kindness of Colonel Chilton, chief of staff 
 of General Robert E. Lee, who sent his medi- 
 cal director to look after him, he was sent 
 
 home on parole to await exchange of prison- 
 ers. Some months later he reported for duty 
 at headquarters of the United States Marine 
 Corps, Washington, and later joined the Ma- 
 rine Battalion, and was sent to Folly and 
 Morris Islands, Charleston Harbor, S.C. He 
 served until Fort Wagner was taken, and until 
 the battalion was ordered North. He served 
 on United States ship "Ossipee," temporary 
 duty. Stone Inlet, S.C, also on United States 
 ship "Niagara," in European w.aters, and was 
 promoted to be First Lieutenant while on this 
 cruise. He was also on duty at Washington, 
 Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Mare Island, Cal., 
 from which place he resigned his commission, 
 and bought a ranch in Los Angeles. A few 
 years later he returned to his home in Brook- 
 lyn. He was made Secretary of the I. & W. 
 Railway Company, built the extension into 
 Auburn, and was General Manager for several 
 years, making Auburn his place of residence. 
 Mr. Peet is a member of the Grand Army of 
 the Republic and of the military order of the 
 Loyal Legion. 
 
 The pater-lineal ancestry of Mr. Peet is 
 traced in the following paragraphs to the 
 immigrant progenitor of the family in Amer- 
 ica: — 
 
 Frederick Tomlinson Peet, Auburn, mer- 
 chant, born in Brooklyn, N.Y., August 7, 
 1841, married January 4, 1887, Mrs. Cornelia 
 (Sartwell) Chapman, daughter of Henry J. 
 Sartwell, of Auburn, N.Y. ; son of 
 
 Frederick Tomlinson Peet, of Brooklyn, 
 N.Y., born in Bridgeport, Conn., December 
 21, 1799, married March 12, 1822, Elizabeth 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Lockwood, daughter of Lambert and Elizabeth 
 (Roe) Lockwood (grand-daughter of the Rev. 
 Azel Roe, of Woodbridge, NJ.), died De- 
 cember 1 8, 1866; son of 
 
 William Peet, 2d, born in Stratford (now 
 Trumbull), Conn., June i, 1763, married De- 
 cember 25, 1785, Mrs. Jemima Darrow, widow 
 of Edmund Darrow and daughter of Zechariah 
 and Emma (Lewis) Tomlinson, died February 
 7, 1850; son of 
 
 William Peet, born in Stratford, Conn., 
 January 29, 1743, married Beulah, daughter of 
 John Nichols, died in Old Farms, 1786; son of 
 
 Thomas Peet, born July 15, 1698, in Strat- 
 ford, Conn., married January 7, 1724, Phebe, 
 daughter of Abraham and Rachel (Kellogg) 
 Nichols, died October 12, 1760; son of 
 
 Benjamin Peet, 2d., born August 31, 1665, 
 married Priscilla Fairchild, daughter of 
 Thomas and Katharine (Craig) Fairchild; 
 son of 
 
 Benjamin Peet, of Stratford, Conn., born 
 in England, married Phebe, daughter of Rich- 
 ard Butler, died May i, 1704; son of 
 
 John Peet, of Seven Oaks, or Dufifield 
 Parish, England, who sailed from London in 
 1635 in ship "Hopewell" (Burdock, master), 
 and settled in Stratford, 1638, married Sarah, 
 daughter of Richard Osborn, in England, died 
 in Stratford, 1678. 
 
 fg)7"0N. JOHN HOLMES, ex-President 
 of the village of Port Byron and a 
 leading member of the Democratic 
 party, has for many years been 'a successful 
 
 business man of the town, and known through- 
 out the county for his many interests. He 
 was born in Auburn, July 20, 1843, son of 
 Thomas and Margaret (Mullen) Holmes. 
 Plis parents were born in County Meath, Ire- 
 land, and after their marriage came to this 
 country, and settled in Cayuga County. They 
 had nine children, eight of whom came to 
 maturity. They were as follows: William, 
 who was killed by an accident on the New 
 York Central & Hudson River Railroad, on 
 which road he was in charge of a train; John, 
 the subject of this sketch; Mary, wife of 
 Augustus Sweet ; George, a resident of Port 
 Byron; Maggie, now Mrs. Burrus, of Lyons, 
 N.Y.; Thomas, of East Syracuse; Charles; 
 Kate, who is now Mrs. Graham. 
 
 John Holmes removed with his parents 
 when but twelve years of age to Port Byron, 
 and received there all the advantages for edu- 
 cation which the town afforded. At the call 
 for volunteers to go to the front and fight for 
 the nation and the principles of the North, he 
 was among the first to come forward for ser- 
 vice; and he enlisted in Company K, Third 
 New York Light Artillery, January 5, 1864, 
 and was sent to join the Army of the James. 
 He was at the siege of Petersburg, Richmond, 
 and the many skirmishes and smaller engage- 
 ments which that portion of the army were in, 
 and served until the war was over, being hon- 
 orably discharged on June 15, 1865. 
 
 At the close of the war Mr. Holmes re- 
 turned to Port Byron, and worked three years 
 for Kellar & Gale, acting as contractor on the 
 canal until the spring of 1872, when he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 149 
 
 opened a restaurant, and did excellent busi- 
 ness in this line, continuing and enlarging 
 his trade until in 1887 he added a first-class 
 grocery stock. He has now one of the lead- 
 ing grocery trades in the town, and gives 
 much time and attention to that branch of his 
 business. He owns a good farm in the town 
 of Mentz, which is also partly in Port Byron. 
 
 Mr. Holmes was married February 13, 1871, 
 to Mary Wall, of Port Byron, daughter of 
 James Wall. They have five children: Mary, 
 wife of J. Faatz, of Syracuse; Maggie; Anna; 
 Alice; John J. All the children have received 
 an excellent education, and two have just 
 finished a course of study at the academy. The 
 family are members of the Catholic church. 
 
 Mr. Holmes has held many public offices, 
 having been Constable and Collector of the 
 town of Mentz, and Trustee of the village, 
 and for two years was President of the village. 
 He has been an active member of the Demo- 
 cratic party, and is ready always to forego the 
 comforts of private life, if by so doing he can 
 do aught to benefit his fellow-townsmen or 
 further the interests of his party. He has 
 been County Committeeman for the town of 
 Mentz, and delegate to several conventions, 
 among others the State Gubernatorial Con- 
 vention. As may be seen by the official posi- 
 tion in which Mr. Holmes has been placed, 
 he is held by the people of the village to be 
 a most able and valued worker in their inter- 
 ests. His faithfulness in all his duties, his in- 
 tegnty, and his excellent good sense in all mat- 
 ters of business have caused him to be highly 
 respected in this and surrounding towns. 
 
 EPREDERICK COSSUM, a foremost cit- 
 I Is izen of Auburn, is also one of the 
 ablest business men of Cayuga County. He 
 was born in Cleveland, Oneida County, pre- 
 cisely ten days before Christmas, in the year 
 1842. His father, Francis Cossum, was born 
 in England, and came to this country in 
 young manhood, having been married before 
 immigration to Susannah Crump. At first 
 Mr. and Mrs. Cossum lived in Cleveland; but 
 in 1846, when Frederick was only four years 
 old, they came to Auburn, so that he was edu- 
 cated in the schools of this city, including 
 the old academy. 
 
 Though the War of the Rebellion broke out 
 when he was yet under nineteen, he at once 
 enlisted, September i, 1861, in the Seventy- 
 fifth New York Infantry, as a private, sailing 
 from New York to Key West, Fla. His 
 first experience of active battle was in the 
 bombardment of the island of Santa Rosa. 
 Next came the contests at Thibodeaux and 
 Brashear City, and the two days' fight at 
 Camp Bisland, La. From May 29 till its 
 surrender the regiment took its part in the 
 siege of Port Hudson. Already the youthful 
 soldier had been made Corporal and Sergeant; 
 and in the war records, on file at Washington 
 (volume 33, page 519), may be found this 
 entry : " Cossum, Sergeant Frederick, Seventy- 
 fifth Regiment, New York. During the as- 
 sault on the works at Port Hudson, in June, 
 1863, he was wounded, and went to the rear; 
 but three successive times he returned to the 
 fight, and was finally carried forcibly from 
 the field, after receiving five wounds." This 
 
15° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 bravery won for him his commission as First 
 Lieutenant. The regiment was presently- 
 sent from New Orleans to Washington, D.C., 
 by water, and was next heard of September 
 19, 1864, in the battle of Winchester, de- 
 signed to protect the capital from General 
 Early's raid. There Lieutenant Cossum was 
 shot through his left arm. One month from 
 that day he was again in active battle at 
 Cedar Creek, and the day after at Fisher's 
 Hill, these battles being followed by a series 
 of skirmishes up and down the valley, some of 
 them very fierce, which lasted to the close of 
 the campaign. The young hero was then re- 
 warded with a Captain's commission; but, as 
 the war was over, he did not care to accept 
 the title, unaccompanied by corresponding 
 duty. The National Tribune, speaking of 
 Lieutenant Cossum a few years later, called 
 him the luckiest man in the army, as he had 
 been wounded seven times, yet had not lost 
 an arm or a leg. 
 
 His four years of patriotic service having 
 now expired, Mr. Cossum found employment 
 in Auburn, in the hardware business, with 
 Choate & Brothers, and then with Sartwell, 
 Hough & Co., when they began the manufact- 
 ure of shoes in the same city. After this he 
 was associated with the Hon. Homer A. Lock- 
 wood and others in buying stock and in pub- 
 lishing the Auburn Daily Item, whereof Mr. 
 Cossum was financial manager from 1870 to 
 1 88 1, when he sold out his interest in the 
 •journal, and went into the paper business, 
 helping to establish the new firm of Wicks & 
 Cossum, with Forrest G. Wicks, the owner of 
 
 an extensive paper-mill at Skaneateles. Two 
 years later they took into partnership M. S. 
 Cuykendall. In 1887 the junior partners 
 bought out Mr. Wicks, and the name of the 
 firm has been since Cossum & Cuykendall. 
 This arrangement makes the junior member of 
 the firm the head of one of the oldest whole- 
 sale paper concerns in this vicinity. For 
 three years they occupied the stores numbered 
 24 and 26 Market Street, after which they 
 bought the old marble factory on the same 
 street, and there built in 1883 a four-story 
 brick block, measuring sixty feet by twenty- 
 five, with a basement sixteen feet high, ex- 
 tending back to the river. They do a large 
 home business, besides keeping three com- 
 mercial travellers continually on the road 
 throughout the Empire and Keystone States. 
 Meanwhile they have not relinquished the 
 sale of paper manufactured by the four Wicks 
 paper-mills and two pulp-mills at Skane- 
 ateles. 
 
 In recognition of his good citizenship Mr. 
 Cossum has been elected by the Republicans 
 Alderman from the Second Ward. At the 
 spring election of 1894 he was elected by a 
 very large majority a member of the city's 
 Board of Education; and to the duties of this 
 position, as in every other in which he has 
 been called to serve, he gives his most careful 
 consideration. In the erection of the beauti- 
 ful new school-house, known as the James 
 Street School, he took an active part, bending 
 every effort, and with success, to have a desir- 
 able, first-class building. His social disposi- 
 tion has made him a popular member of St. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 151 
 
 Paul's Masonic Lodge, whereof he has been 
 twenty-one years Secretary; and he also be- 
 longs to King David Chapter of Royal Arch 
 Masons, to the Salem Town Commandery, 
 Knights Templars, and to the Auburn Con- 
 sistory. Rising into the higher degrees as 
 far as the thirty-second, he has been Secretary 
 of four bodies working under the Scottish 
 rites. It need hardly be added that Mr. Cos- 
 sum is a Grand Army man, serving Seward 
 Post for seven terms as its commander. He 
 was a charter member of the old Avery Post, 
 and mustered in the members of Seward Post 
 at its organization. He has been an aid on 
 the staff of the National Grand Commander- 
 in-chief, and one of the forty-five delegates 
 to the National Encampment allowed by the 
 rules to this State. Under the new law of 
 1893 for the relief of distressed veterans, 
 Mr. Cossum attended to the disbursement of 
 over eighteen hundred dollars to claimants in 
 his neighborhood. 
 
 In 1866, August 15, about the time of his 
 going into the shoe business, Mr. Cossum 
 formed a yet more important alliance with 
 Catherine E. Vorhis, of Auburn, daughter of 
 Joseph B. Vorhis, representing one of the old 
 Holland families. Their one living son, 
 Frederick James Cossum, has shown some- 
 thing of his father's venturesome spirit by 
 going West, where he runs a stock farm in 
 South Dakota. Another son, Albert Robert 
 Cossum, died suddenly at the age of nine- 
 teen, while visiting in the home of their 
 friend, H. L. Storke, of Auburn, of whom a 
 special sketch may be found on another page. 
 
 Since their marriage the Cossums have lived 
 in their pleasant home at No. 2 Mary Street; 
 and the family belong to the Episcopal Parish 
 of St. Peter's, whereof Mr. Cossum is an as- 
 sistant Vestryman. 
 
 Machiavelli wrote thus of military men: 
 "A soldier ought to consider peace as only a 
 breathing-spell, which gives him leisure to 
 contrive,' and furnishes ability to execute, 
 military plans." But this great wire-puller 
 could not foresee the difference between a 
 mercenary soldier of fortune in the Middle 
 Ages and patriots who fight for principle — 
 men like Washington, who could be first in 
 peace as well as first in war, or like the sub- 
 ject of this sketch, who has proved as success- 
 ful in the marts of trade as on the Union 
 battle-grounds. 
 
 |ALVIN T. BAKER, of Aurelius, is 
 one of the many enterprising men ex- 
 tensively engaged in farming in the 
 rich and fertile country of Central New York, 
 who bring to their calling good business 
 methods and excellent judgment, and whose 
 labors are crowned with success. He is a 
 native of Cayuga County, his birth having 
 occurred in Fleming, March 23, 1826, he 
 being now the eldest surviving son of the 
 late Allen and Eunice (Tupper) Baker. 
 
 His grandfather, John Baker, who was 
 born, bred, and educated in Berkshire County, 
 Massachusetts, when a young man migrated to 
 New York State, living for a few years in 
 Saratoga County, coming from there to Ca- 
 yuga County in 1808. The journey was made 
 
152 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 overland with teams, Mr. Baker bringing with 
 him his family and all his earthly effects, and 
 driving his stock. For some time after his 
 settlement in Cayuga County there were 
 neither railways nor canals, Clinton's "Big 
 Ditch," as the Erie Canal was dubbed, not 
 being completed until 1825, and the railways 
 still later. There being no convenient mar- 
 kets, the family were obliged to subsist on 
 the products of the soil and the wild game 
 that abounded in the adjacent forests. Mrs. 
 Baker, whose maiden name was Brewer, was a 
 native of the old Bay State, and, being en- 
 dowed with true Yankee thrift and ingenuity, 
 was a true helpmate to her husband all 
 through their pioneer experiences, looking 
 well after the affairs of the household, even 
 carding, spinning, weaving, and making the 
 clothes for each member of the family. Mr. 
 Baker was an industrious, energetic man, and 
 succeeded well in his efforts to clear a farm 
 from the wilderness, being enabled after a 
 time to build a frame house in place of the 
 log cabin which was their first habitation; 
 and he had a goodly number of acres under 
 cultivation, on which he raised profitable 
 crops. He subsequently removed to Tomp- 
 kins County, where he died. 
 
 Allen Baker, son of John, was a youth of 
 seventeen years when he came to Cayuga 
 County with his parents. Being reared to 
 agricultural pursuits, he naturally adopted 
 farming as his occupation. He was a man of 
 push and energy, diligent in his labors, spar- 
 ing no effort to make a success of anything 
 which he undertook. With these qualities it 
 
 is not surprising to learn that he became most 
 prosperous in his career, and that his chil- 
 dren, who naturally inherited some of his ex- 
 cellent traits of character, should likewise 
 become successful men of business. He 
 remained on the parental homestead until 
 ready to establish a home of his own, when he 
 purchased fourteen acres in the town of Flem- 
 ing, but later sold that, and bought forty acres 
 of land south of Fleming Hill, a few acres of 
 cleared land and a log house constituting the 
 only improvements at the time. He occupied 
 this place several years, making many im- 
 provements, then sold it at a great advance, 
 and moved to Genoa, where he resided six 
 years. From that place he came to the town 
 of Aurelius, and, buying a tract of land, at 
 once began its cultivation. He met with 
 good success ; and at the time of his death, in 
 1874, he was the possessor of one of the 
 choice farms of the county, consisting of up- 
 ward of two hundred acres of land, all under 
 an excellent state of cultivation. 
 
 Calvin T. Baker, the subject of this brief 
 personal narration, received a good education, 
 attending first the district school, and after- 
 ward the Auburn High School. On his 
 father's farm he had a practical drilling in 
 the various branches of agriculture, and re- 
 mained at home with his parents until his 
 marriage. Going then to Springport, he 
 bought a farm, and was a successful tiller of 
 the soil in that town for ten years. In 1859 
 Mr. Baker removed to Aurelius, and pur- 
 chased a farm on the south side of Genesee 
 Street, three and one-half miles from Auburn, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ^53 
 
 which he has since occupied. During these 
 years of residence here he has diligently im- 
 proved his property, continually adding to its 
 value, his beautiful homestead, with its fine 
 and substantial buildings, giving ample evi- 
 dence to the passer-by of his skill and good 
 taste as a practical farmer and rural house- 
 holder. 
 
 The union of Mr. Baker with Anna H. 
 Smith was solemnized September 25, 1849. 
 She is a daughter of Samuel and Mary (Doan) 
 Smith, of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. (For 
 further parental history see genealogy of the 
 Smith family.) Of the marriage of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Baker four children have been born, 
 only one of whom, Henry W., is now living. 
 Harvey S. died September 8, 1876; Warren 
 W. died March 14, 1871; and their only 
 daughter, Louisa A., passed on to the higher 
 life, June 8, 1893. She was the wife of Ben- 
 jamin Doane, and left three children — Es- 
 telle A., Calvin B., and Corson L. As 
 neighbors, friends, and citizens, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Baker are held in the highest regard through- 
 out the community in which they dwell, their 
 many sterling traits of character and correct 
 moral principles winning the respect of all. 
 Politically, he is an earnest supporter of the 
 principles of the Democratic party, and tast 
 his first vote for a Presidential candidate for 
 Lewis Cass. 
 
 KREDERICK INNIS ALLEN, Ph.B., a 
 prominent Auburn lawyer, was born in 
 this city, January 19, 1859, the son of Will- 
 iam and Sarah (Palmer) Allen, who were 
 
 married May 29, 1856. On both sides he is 
 descended from the Pilgrim Fathers. On the 
 paternal side he is one of the ninth genera- 
 tion, counting from George Allen, who came 
 to Plymouth in 1635, and in 1637 was a 
 founder of the town of Sandwich, Mass., the 
 first town settled on Cape Cod, wherefrom, 
 in 1641-43, he was Deputy to the General 
 Court. From this immigrant, George, the 
 line of descent was through George, Jr., Dan- 
 iel, Daniel, Jr., Ebenezer, a third Daniel, a 
 second Ebenezer, and William, to Frederick. 
 The older Aliens were Quakers, and suffered 
 persecution on that score; and as late as 
 1850 the second Ebenezer Allen was still a 
 Friend, when he came as a pioneer to Cayuga 
 County. The parents of Mrs. William Allen 
 were Innis Bromley and Susan (Candee) 
 Palmer, of St. Louis. Mr. L B. Palmer was 
 a Lieutenant in the War of 181 2, and taken 
 to Quebec as a prisoner by the British. He 
 was descended from William Palmer, one of 
 the Pilgrims who came to Plymouth in the 
 good ship "Fortune" in 1621, even earlier 
 than the Aliens. 
 
 William Allen was born in Greenfield, 
 Saratoga County, in 181 7, September 25. 
 The next spring the family moved to that part 
 of Scipio afterward called Ledyard, where the 
 father continued in the agricultural pursuits 
 whereto he had been reared, though he was a 
 well-educated man, and belonged to a schol- 
 arly race. On this Ledyard farm William 
 Allen spent his early life, and received his 
 preparatory schooling, though his greatest 
 gain in this respect came from his own efforts 
 
154 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 as master of a district school, inducing 
 habits of study never outgrown. He also 
 began at this time the study of medicine, but 
 was obliged to give it up on account of cer- 
 tain physical disabilities, which made this 
 pursuit inadvisable. So he turned his atten- 
 tion to law, in the oifice of David Wright, 
 Esq., with whom he entered into partnership, 
 after due examination and admission to the 
 bar, in 1837. Mr. Allen was also associated 
 with John L. Porter, Alonzo G. Beardsley, 
 and Theodore M. Pomeroy, in the successive 
 and successful firms of Porter & Allen, Allen 
 & Beardsley, Allen & Pomeroy, his practice 
 and popularity ever on the increase. His 
 practice later was principally in the field of 
 patent law; and he was for many years 
 attorney for the Hinge Bar Association, 
 which controlled the manufacture of harvest- 
 ing machines for the whole country. In fact, 
 for a long time he devoted himself almost 
 exclusively to promoting the interests of this 
 company. 
 
 At the outbreak of the Rebellion he was 
 anxious to enlist, feeling this to be a moral 
 duty; but he was prevented by the loss of his 
 right e)'e, which had been injured in child- 
 hood, so he devoted himself to raising the 
 town's quota of recruits, and aiding the local 
 charities called forth by the war. Perhaps 
 his inability to go to war led to his appoint- 
 ment to the only public office he ever held, 
 that of Postmaster, receiving his nomination 
 from the first Republican President, Abraham 
 Lincoln, in 1861, and holding the position 
 till 1869, after Lincoln's martyrdom and the 
 
 expiration of Andrew Johnson's administra- 
 tion, into the beginning of Grant's first term. 
 He was very active in retaining in Auburn 
 the Theological Seminary, when its transfer 
 to Aurora was proposed, though this involved 
 raising a large sum of money, equal to the 
 benefaction offered from Aurora; and he did 
 the work with a full heart, albeit the school 
 is Presbyterian, and he, though by birthright 
 a Quaker, was a member of the Episcopal 
 church, having been a Vestryman of St. 
 Peter's Parish for nineteen years. He was a 
 Director of the National Exchange Bank, a 
 Trustee of the Auburn Water-works Com- 
 pany, of the Auburn Manufacturing Com- 
 pany, and several other similar enterprises. 
 
 During his latter years, though still con- 
 nected with the firm bearing his name, Mr. 
 Allen travelled extensively, hoping to obtain 
 relief, in some locality and climate, from the 
 disease with which he had suffered so much — 
 asthma. Though he did not marry Miss 
 Palmer till three years later, Mr. Allen took 
 up his permanent residence in Auburn in 
 1853, on the corner of James and Orchard 
 Streets. This has been the family home ever 
 since; and there Mr. William Allen died, 
 January 7, 1881, aged sixty-four, leaving two 
 sons — ^ William Palmer Allen and Frederick 
 Innis Allen. Their mother is still living in 
 Auburn. 
 
 Frederick was born in the Auburn home, 
 and attended the city public schools, but was 
 fitted for college at Phillips Academy, An- 
 dover, Mass., and was graduated at Yale Col- 
 lege in the class of 1879, at the age of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ^55 
 
 twenty, with the degree of Ph.B. His pro- 
 fession he studied in his native city, with 
 Judge W. E. Hughitt and with the law firm 
 of Hurlburt & Underwood; and he was ad- 
 mitted to the bar by examination at the 
 general term of the Supreme Court held in 
 Rochester in October, 1882. After three 
 years' professional work in this direction 
 Mr. Allen was admitted to practice in the 
 Supreme Court of the nation; and since that 
 time he has given his attention chiefly to 
 important cases before United States courts, 
 especially those connected with the Patent 
 Office. As might be inferred from his ante- 
 cedents, he is an active Republican, and was 
 nominated for City Judge, though this hap- 
 pened in a year when his entire party ticket 
 was defeated in the city. He has succeeded 
 his father as Vestryman of St. Peter's Church; 
 and he is Trustee of the Cayuga County His- 
 torical Society, in which he is very active. 
 Of the Auburn City Club Mr. Allen is one of 
 the founders, and also of the Society for the 
 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Of both 
 the Auburn Water-works Company and the 
 Empire State Telegraph and Telephone Com- 
 pany he is a Director. As a yachtsman, 
 he is Commodore of the flourishing Owasco 
 Yacht Club, of which he was a chief or- 
 ganizer. 
 
 Frederick I. Allen was married on June 3, 
 1884, when he began the practice of law, to 
 Cornelia M. Seward, the daughter of General 
 William H. Seward, and a grand-daughter of 
 the distinguished statesman. From this mar- 
 riage have come three promising boys — Will- 
 
 iam Seward Allen, Ralph Palmer Allen, and 
 Lloyd Seward Allen; and the family home is 
 at 52 South Street. 
 
 EWIS TABER, a prominent and pros- 
 perous farmer in Sterling Centre, 
 was born in Easton, Washington 
 County, N.Y., April 25, 1828, son of Henry 
 Taber, a native of that town, and grandson of 
 John Taber, a Rhode Island gentleman, who 
 came to Easton as a pioneer, clearing land for 
 the permanent home. There Henry Taber 
 lived until he attained his majority, when he 
 purchased a neighboring farm, which he car- 
 ried on until the end of his industrious life 
 in 1865, at the age of sixty-five. 
 
 Henry Taber' s wife, Margaret Hayner, was 
 also born in Easton, the daughter of Corne- 
 lius Hayner, belonging to a German family 
 who crossed the ocean to settle in Pennsyl- 
 vania, where the pioneer died at the age of 
 eighty, and where his wife also lies buried. 
 Mrs. Henry Taber died in January, 1894, at 
 the ripe age of ninety -six, after over seventy 
 years' membership of the neighboring Baptist 
 church at Greenwich, which she joined in the 
 bloom of her young womanhood. She and 
 her husband grew up side by side (as did 
 Lewis and his wife in the next generation); 
 and they reared five children: James Hayner, 
 still living on the homestead ; Harold; Rus- 
 sell; Lewis; John M. Grandfather and 
 Grandmother Hayner had eleven children — 
 Mercy, Sarah, Betsy, Rhuy, Mary, John, 
 Alexander, Kenyon, Nathan, Levinda, Har- 
 
TS6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 riet; and this patriarch was himself one of 
 twelve children. 
 
 Lewis Taber remained on the paternal farm 
 till 1 85 1, when he was twenty-three years 
 old, and married Sarah P. Crandel. After a 
 year's residence in Argyle, in the same 
 county, the young couple returned to their 
 birthplace for a year, thence removing to 
 Oswego County, where Lewis became the 
 owner of a farm which he tilled for three 
 years. Thence they came to Sterling. 
 Here in 1874, after a few changes, they 
 settled down on their present farm of seventy- 
 four acres near the village; though Mr. 
 Taber also owns another and larger estate of 
 three hundred acres. A life-long Repub- 
 lican, he held for three years the important 
 office of Town Assessor. The family attend 
 the Baptist church. 
 
 Mrs. Lewis Taber was one of the five chil- 
 dren of Alexander and Mary (James) Crandel 
 
 — Eliza, Fidelia, Mary, Sarah, Catherine. 
 Mother and Father Crandel died respectively 
 at the ages of sixty-four and seventy-five. 
 Mrs. Crandel's father was Joseph James, an 
 old resident of Greenwich, where he was one 
 of the early settlers, and reared ten children 
 
 — Bartlett, Sabin, Daniel, Joseph, William, 
 Anson, Eliza, Dorcas, Harriet Levinda, and 
 Abby. 
 
 Ten children have also been born to Mr. 
 and Mrs. Lewis Taber. The eldest, James, 
 married Julia Reed; and they have three chil- 
 dren: Charles; Milton Lewis, named for his 
 grandfather; and George Delbert. Alfred L. 
 Taber married Mattie Morse, and has two 
 
 children: Theodore; and Sarah Louise, named 
 for her grandmother Taber. Frank Hayner 
 Taber married first Minnie L. Caywood, by 
 whom he has one child — Nellie — and second 
 Minetto Curtis. The first daughter, Emma 
 G., married Orson Jones, and has one child, 
 Hermione. The next girl, Mary L., who 
 married E. G. Terry, has one child, Esther. 
 Margaret E. married James E. McFaddon, 
 and has two children — Harrie and Vernie. 
 Sarah is the wife of John H. Cooper. 
 Charles R. married Sarah Eddy, and has one 
 child, Eddy G. The youngest child is Fred. 
 Another son, William, died at the age of 
 thirty-two. The Tabers have also two great- 
 grandchildren — Walter and Ortie, the young 
 sons of James Taber's eldest son Charles, 
 who married Ida Wilson. 
 
 In these latter days, when so much is said, 
 and often truthfully, about sparse American 
 families, it is refreshing to come upon such 
 a group of households as are here presented, 
 as there are four generations of Tabers living, 
 loving, and thriving in the same neighbor- 
 hood, an honor to their country and the age in 
 which they live. 
 
 ~'wJ)/lLLIAM R 
 )^Y^ M.D., reput 
 
 RICHARDS LAIRD, 
 
 ted one of the most skil- 
 ful physicians and surgeons of Auburn, was 
 born in the town of Fleming, Cayuga County, 
 N.Y., October 19, 1845, and is the son of 
 Andrew and Abby Maria (Richards) Laird. 
 The family, as the name would imply, is of 
 Scotch descent, the grandfather coming from 
 
William R, Laird. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 159 
 
 Scotland when he was four years old. His 
 wife, who was a Miss Jeannette Hamilton, 
 was also of Scotch ancestry, and was born on 
 the high seas, coming over to this country. 
 Mr. Andrew Laird was born at Mayfield, Ful- 
 ton County, N.Y., May 11, 1814, and was 
 there engaged in the business of a carriage 
 manufacturer, coming to this county when he 
 was nineteen years of age, and settling in the 
 town of Springport. He afterward removed 
 to Union Springs, and carried on his business 
 there for nearly fifty years. He was well 
 known and highly respected in all of the 
 southern part of Cayuga County; and, al- 
 though not an office-seeker, he was a strong 
 and prominent Whig, afterward becoming 
 a Republican, and was also one of the earli- 
 est and most active supporters of the tem- 
 perance cause. He departed this life at 
 Union Springs in 1879. Mrs. Laird was 
 the daughter of Simeon and Mary (Chid- 
 ester) Richards, and was also born in Ca- 
 yuga County. The Richards family was one 
 of the early pioneers, removing from Sara- 
 toga to Cayuga County in 1805, settling in 
 the town of Scipio, where they engaged in 
 the pursuit of farming. Mrs. Laird died in 
 December, 1848, at the early age of thirty- 
 seven. 
 
 Dr. W. R. Laird received his youthful edu- 
 cation at the common school and academy at 
 Union Springs, and at the early age of eigh- 
 teen years, which was toward the close of the 
 Civil War, enlisted in Battery B, Third New 
 York Light Artillery, being detailed for duty 
 on the southern coast, serving for one year, 
 
 when he was discharged under general orders 
 at the termination of the war. In the year 
 1865 he entered the wholesale house of Hay- 
 den & Letchworth of Auburn, where he was 
 employed as salesman and book-keeper, re- 
 maining with that firm until October i, 1869, 
 at which time, his health failing him, he was 
 obliged to seek the mild climate of the South, 
 going to Spottsylvania Court-house, Va., re- 
 maining there until the year 1874. In that 
 year he returned to New York State, and went 
 into the office of Dr. John M. Farrington, of 
 Trumansburg, N.Y., to pursue the study of 
 medicine. Having a natural talent and lik- 
 ing for this study, he subsequently entered 
 the University of Buffalo, and, after gradua- 
 tion in the class of 1880, located his office at 
 Auburn, where he practised until 1883, when 
 he took the post-graduate course at the Uni- 
 versity of New York, which included an ex- 
 tensive hospital course. He then returned to 
 this city, and has remained here ever since, 
 having gained a large and lucrative general 
 practice, his natural talents and industry 
 classing him among the most successful phy- 
 sicians in the city. 
 
 Mr. Laird is a member of numerous socie- 
 ties, including the Cayuga County Medical 
 Society; and he is an original member of the 
 New York State Medical Association, an ex- 
 First-Vice-President of the New York Central 
 Medical Association. In addition to the 
 above, he is a member of the St. Paul's 
 Lodge, A. F. & A. M., No. 124, and of the 
 Salem Town Ancient and Accepted Scottish 
 Rites, being a thirty-second degree member. 
 
i6o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and Medical Examiner and member of the 
 American Order of United Workmen and 
 Knights of Honor, a member of the Executive 
 Committee of the Third District New York 
 State Medical Association, and a member of 
 Crocker Post, Grand Army of the Republic, 
 of which he is also Surgeon. He has been 
 Supervisor of the Seventh Ward, and Chair- 
 man of the City Republican Committee for 
 several terms, and also Physician for the 
 Cayuga County poor for the city of Auburn. 
 In the various public positions in which he 
 has served he has always given the highest 
 satisfaction, and commanded universal es- 
 teem. 
 
 Dr. Laird was married February 9, 1869, 
 to Miss Mary E. Hedger, of Slaterville 
 Springs, N.Y., a daughter of William J. and 
 Lois A. (Babcock) Hedger, the family being 
 one of the oldest in New York State. Two 
 children were the fruit of the union, namely: 
 Louis K. R. Laird, who is now a Junior at 
 Hamilton College, having graduated in the 
 class of 1 891 in the classical course at the 
 Auburn High School; and Willie K., twin 
 brother of Louis, who died, aged three 
 months. 
 
 Dr. Laird had his office and residence on 
 Wall Street until April i, 1892, when he 
 bought a beautiful house at No. 97 North 
 Street, where he has since had his home and 
 office. Dr. Laird, his wife, and son are all 
 members of St. Peter's Church (Episcopal), 
 Genesee Street, Auburn. 
 
 An excellent portrait of Dr. Laird graces 
 this gallery of Cayuga County worthies. 
 
 §ULIUS O. BAKER, living on his 
 pleasant homestead in the town of 
 Aurelius, his birthplace, is numbered 
 among the successful and well-to-do farmers 
 of Cayuga County, where he has spent a busy 
 life, actively engaged in the cultivation of 
 the soil. He was born on October 29, 1829, 
 a son of Samuel Baker, whose birth was in 
 New York City, September 30, 1790. 
 
 Samuel Baker, Sr., the grandfather of Ju- 
 lius, was also a native of New York City, and 
 there passed the earlier part of his life. 
 When a young man, he emigrated with his 
 family to Tompkins County, being among the 
 original settlers of the place. He made the 
 journey through the forests with ox teams, 
 carrying his wife and children and all his 
 worldly possessions. He bought four hun- 
 dred acres of land, which was in its primitive 
 condition ; and, after building a log cabin for 
 a dwelling-place, he began to clear a farm 
 from the wilderness. Settlements were then 
 few in these parts : the now beautiful city 
 of Auburn was known as Hardenburgh's 
 Corners, and contained one store only, and 
 very few habitations. Albany was the near- 
 est market for the farm produce; and, the 
 facilities for transportation being very lim- 
 ited, the trips to and from there were made 
 with teams across the country, consuming 
 more time than is now required to cross the 
 country from the shores of the broad Atlantic 
 to the Pacific Slope. The wily red man 
 then roamed the woods; and wolves, deer, 
 and rattlesnakes were to be seen not infre- 
 quently on and around the homestead of Mr. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 i6i 
 
 Baker in those days. The family provisions 
 were supplied from the products of the land 
 or obtained with the rifle from the forests. 
 The clothing was spun and woven by the hard- 
 working housewife, who willingly performed 
 her share of the labors of the faithful pioneer. 
 She also taught her daughters the useful art 
 of spinning, and the subject of this sketch 
 has still in his possession linen that his 
 mother spun and wove when he was a little 
 lad. The maiden name of the wife of Sam- 
 uel Baker, Sr., grandmother of Julius, was 
 Anna Hyatt. She was a native of New York, 
 and both she and her husband spent their last 
 days on their new homestead. 
 
 Samuel Baker, Jr., acquired what education 
 he had in the pioneer schools of his day, and, 
 having good mechanical ability, learned the 
 trade of a blacksmith in Genoa, when a young 
 man, working at it for some time thereafter. 
 Being reared on a farm, he had acquired 
 valuable experience in agricultural work; 
 and, when ready to establish a home of his 
 own, being then twenty-five years of age, his 
 father bought him a tract of land in the town 
 of Aurelius, and there he began his business 
 career. He was an energetic, resolute, man, 
 industrious and persevering, and in the course 
 of time improved a fine farm, erected a good 
 house and convenient farm buildings. Al- 
 though not one of the earliest settlers of the 
 locality, he had much pioneer work to do, 
 contributing his part toward the development 
 and growth of this part of the county. Here 
 he lived a long and useful life, dying on his 
 homestead, January 19, 1867. He married 
 
 Hannah White, the daughter of John White, 
 of Monmouth County, New Jersey. They 
 reared a family of three children; namely, 
 Harrison P. (deceased), John W., and Ju- 
 lius O. 
 
 Julius O. Baker received his education in 
 the same school that his son now attends. 
 Being brought up on a farm, he early became 
 familiar with the different branches of farm 
 labor, and, when old enough to be of use, 
 began working for his father; and afterward, 
 his father being an invalid for many years, he 
 assumed the entire charge of the homestead, 
 which he managed with ability, his practical 
 judgment and systematic business methods 
 bringing him excellent success in all of his 
 operations. 
 
 An important step in the life of Mr. Baker 
 was taken on the twenty-third day of October, 
 1854, when he was united in the holy bonds 
 of matrimony to Matilda A. Woolley, a 
 daughter of William and Catherine (Talladay) 
 Woolley, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. They have 
 one son, named Harrison H., who is still at 
 home with his parents. Their only daughter, 
 Delia Estelle, died at the age of six years. 
 
 Mr. Baker has ever been a man of high 
 moral principles and upright conduct; and 
 he and his excellent wife are now in their 
 declining years enjoying the well-deserved 
 comforts of life, secure in the friendship and 
 respect of their community. Politically, his 
 sympathies are with the Prohibitionists, 
 though he formerly affiliated with the Demo- 
 cratic party, casting his first Presidential vote 
 for Zachary Taylor. He is naturally of a 
 
l62 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 modest and retiring disposition, and has de- 
 clined all public offices of trust. 
 
 tl- 
 
 lAYMOND D. ELMER, who is a lib- 
 eral-minded farmer of the village of 
 Emerson, in the town of Conquest, 
 was born in Mentz, March 29, 1848. He is 
 a supporter of the Republican party, and a 
 member of the Methodist church; but his 
 wife, like her progenitors, belongs to the 
 Christian church. The paternal grandfather 
 of Mr. Elmer was an early settler on the 
 Mentz farm where he lived and died. His 
 son Joseph, father of Raymond, lived many 
 years in the same town, but later came to 
 Conquest, cleared the farm, and worked 
 thereon until claimed by death at the age of 
 sixty-four. Joseph Elmer's wife was a Sem- 
 pronius woman, Elinor Breck; and they 
 reared three children, who are all now living: 
 Clarissa, the wife of Samuel Young, a Con- 
 quest farmer; William, a Conquest farmer; 
 Raymond, the subject of this sketch. Their 
 mother spent her last years in Conquest, and 
 died aged sixty-seven. 
 
 Raymond passed his earliest years in the 
 vicinity of Mentz, where he of course attended 
 the public school. He was a dozen years old 
 when the family removed to Conquest. Com- 
 ing of age, he took a neighboring farm on 
 shares for a time. Then, marrying, he 
 worked a season for his father-in-law. Next 
 he bought a small estate in Conquest, which 
 he carried on for seven years. Then he re- 
 moved into the village, and bought another 
 
 farm, where he passed another seven years, 
 after which he returned to his father-in-law's 
 farm, and cared for his wife's family as long 
 as they lived. In 1893 he came to the Emer- 
 son farm, where he still resides. His mar- 
 riage took place December 13, 1876, at the 
 close of the centennial year of the United 
 States. His wife was Mary J. Van Blaricum, 
 one of three daughters of Arthur and Bertha 
 (Wilson) Van Blaricum; and they have one 
 son, Charles A. Elmer, born March 18, 1878, 
 who assists his father on the farm. Mrs. 
 Elmer's young sister, Sadie Van Blaricum, 
 who was the wife of Charles Stephens, of 
 Conquest, died December 7, 1892, leaving 
 one daughter, Clara. A second sister, Clara 
 I. Van Blaricum, wife of Frank Russell, died 
 December 6, 1890. 
 
 The Van Blaricum family were among the 
 early settlers in this region. Mrs. Elmer's 
 parents died at the ages of fifty-six and fifty- 
 eight, members of the Christian church in 
 Emerson. Mrs. Elmer's paternal grandpar- 
 ents were John and Louise (Abrams) Van 
 Blaricum, and they were married February 13, 
 1830. Grandfather John was born September 
 30, 1806, and Grandmother Louise January 
 15, 1810. They reared eleven children: 
 Mary B., born the day after Christmas, 1831 ; 
 Harriet B., in 1832; Arthur, the father of 
 Mrs. Elmer, 1834; Millard, June 15, 1836; 
 John, March 28, 1838; Adelaide, March 4, 
 1841; Adelisa, 1842; Walter, August 14, 
 1843; Stephen, March 28, 1845; Charity, 
 January 29, 1848; Helen, April 12, 1851. 
 
 The great-grandfather of Mrs. Elmer, James 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 163 
 
 I. Willson, was born just before the Revolu- 
 tion, September 27, 1771. His wife, Mar- 
 garet Giles, was born a few months earlier, 
 February 2, 1771. They were married March 
 8, 1792. Their nine children were: Jerusha 
 B., born December 7, 1792; David, October 
 27, 1794; Judith, May 5, 1797; Margaret, 
 August 26, 1799; Hugh W., February 4, 
 1802; Jeanette, October 17, 1804; Elizabeth, 
 October 4, 181 1; James, Jr., February 19, 
 1813; Daniel, September 24, 181 5. 
 
 Mrs. Raymond Elmer's maternal grand- 
 father was James Willson, Jr., the third of 
 the four sons above named. He was born in 
 Sennett. His first wife was Polly Freeland; 
 and they were married March 23, 1834. She 
 died in 1841 ; and he then married Mary Ann 
 Brown, May 29, 1842. 
 
 The members of this family have been 
 industrious and useful citizens, greatly 
 respected for many sterling virtues. 
 
 rpjENJAMIN CUTLER LEONARD, 
 ^'iS a worthy representative of an hon- 
 ored pioneer family of Cayuga 
 County and one of the most highly esteemed 
 residents of the town of Sennett, has during 
 his long and active life been prominently 
 identified with its development and progress; 
 and, as opportunity has occurred, he has given 
 his influence to encourage the establishment 
 of enterprises conducive to the public welfare. 
 He was born March 9, 1823, in the town of 
 Sennett, which has ever been his abiding- 
 place. He comes of sturdy New England an- 
 
 cestry, distinguished alike for their morality, 
 intelligence, and industry, his father, Ezra 
 Leonard, having been a native of Shaftsbury, 
 Bennington County, Vt., and his paternal 
 grandfather, Nathan Leonard, having been 
 born in Hardwick, Worcester County, Mass. 
 The emigrant ancestors of the family settled 
 in Taunton, Bristol County, Mass., at an 
 early day. 
 
 In 1796 Nathan Leonard left his home 
 among the Green Mountains, and came to this 
 State, settling in that part of Onondaga 
 County that is now included in the town of 
 Sennett. There being neither railways nor 
 canals in the country, the distance was trav- 
 ersed in teams, through an almost unbroken 
 forest — a mode of travel necessarily slow 
 and at times dangerous. He purchased three 
 thousand acres of timber land; and soon the 
 ringing strokes of his axe were heard, as he 
 levelled the giants of the forest. His son, 
 who had settled in this locality the previous 
 year, had erected a log house near the eastern 
 line of Sennett, into which he and his family 
 moved. Later Mr. Leonard built a post and 
 beam house, which he occupied many years. 
 The country was then but thinly populated; 
 and bears, deer, wolves, and other wild beasts 
 of the forest were plentiful, and often did 
 great damage to the early crops of the pioneer 
 settlers. There were no. convenient markets; 
 and the families hereabouts subsisted from the 
 products of the land, and from the game to 
 be found in the woods. Mrs. Leonard, who 
 bravely gave up the comforts of her Eastern 
 home to share with her husband the privations 
 
164 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and hardships of frontier life, cheerfully per- 
 formed her share of the labor, carding, spin- 
 ning, and weaving the homespun with which 
 her family was clothed, and with her own 
 hands fashioning the garments they wore. 
 Mr. Leonard superintended the clearing of a 
 large portion of the land, and the placing of 
 it under cultivation, and, in addition to his 
 other labors, was one of the first tavern- 
 keepers of this locality. On the homestead 
 which he had reclaimed from the wilderness 
 he spent the remainder of his life, dying at 
 sixty-three. His wife, Amittai Cutler, who 
 long survived him, died at the venerable age 
 of ninety-two years. 
 
 Ezra Leonard was reared on the parental 
 homestead, and made farming his principal 
 occupation through life. On the death of his 
 father he and his brother Benjamin bought 
 out the interest of the other heirs, and to- 
 gether carried on the homestead property for 
 several years. Then, buying out his brother's 
 share, he continued engaged in general farm- 
 ing there until his death, which occurred 
 when he was sixty-three years old. He was 
 twice married. His first wife, the mother of 
 the younger Benjamin, whose name stands at 
 the head of this sketch, was Laura Howe, a 
 daughter of Bowers Howe, of Connecticut. 
 She died at the age of forty-nine years, leav- 
 ing three children — Mary, Benjamin Cutler, 
 and Bowers. Mary, who married Joab L. 
 Clift, resides on the old homestead. Bowers, 
 the youngest child, lives in Auburn. 
 
 Benjamin C. Leonard received a substantial 
 primary education in the district school of his 
 
 native town; and this was supplemented by 
 attendance first at a select school in Skane- 
 ateles, then at Monroe Academy, and later at 
 Onondaga Hollow Academy, where he took a 
 special course in surveying. Having become 
 familiar with agricultural ■ pursuits in his 
 younger days, Mr. Leonard chose farming as 
 his life occupation, and also did much of the 
 surveying required in this vicinity, and in this 
 manner obtained a thorough knowledge of the 
 topography of many of the towns of Cayuga 
 County. On attaining his majority, he re- 
 ceived firom his father one hundred acres of 
 the home farm, which he carried on success- 
 fully until 1850, when he traded it for the 
 farm he now owns and occupies, still continu- 
 ing his works of improvement. He has 
 erected a good set of farm buildings, and here 
 carries on general farming in an intelligent 
 and skilful manner, his labors being well re- 
 paid by the fine crops produced in his fertile 
 and well-tilled fields. 
 
 Mr. Leonard is a man of excellent business 
 capacities; and his early education and his 
 habits of thought and observation have tended 
 to provide him with a good fund of general 
 information, which has proved valuable in 
 every respect, placing him among the influen- 
 tial citizens of the town. No man is more 
 deeply interested in the growth and prosperity 
 of his native town than he, and none more 
 willing to contribute of his time and means to 
 further its interests. He has served with 
 fidelity in the various offices of trust and 
 responsibility to which he has been elected by 
 his fellow-townsmen, has been Supervisor four 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 i6s 
 
 years, and Justice of the Peace — an office 
 which he still holds — for the past twenty 
 years, and during the whole term of his in- 
 cumbency has been a peacemaker rather than 
 an encourager of litigation. He cast his first 
 Presidential ballot in 1844, voting for James 
 K. Polk. Differing from the Democratic 
 party on the slavery question, he became one 
 of the strongest advocates of the principles of 
 the Republican party, and was a delegate to 
 the first Republican State Convention, held in 
 Syracuse in 1854. 
 
 <^»^» 
 
 fffiTUDGE WOOLSEY R. HOPKINS, 
 B.A., LL.B., of Auburn, was born in 
 this city, December 9, 1850, and is 
 the son of the Rev. Samuel M. and Mary J. 
 (Heacock) Hopkins. The father of the sub- 
 ject of this sketch, who was a Presbyterian 
 minister, was a graduate of Yale College, and 
 also a student one year at Amherst College. 
 He was a native of Albany, N.Y., the family 
 on both sides of the house being originally of 
 Connecticut origin, and some of the ancestors 
 serving in the Revolutionary War. The Rev. 
 Samuel Hopkins, after holding for forty-six 
 years the Chair of Church History in the Au- 
 burn Theological Seminary, resigned his pro- 
 fessorship in 1893, and now lives retired in 
 this city. 
 
 Judge Hopkins was educated in the common 
 schools of his native city and the old Auburn 
 Academy, afterward attending Hamilton Col- 
 lege, where he was graduated B.A. in the 
 class of 1 87 1. After spending some time in I 
 
 travel abroad, he in 1873 attended the Albany 
 Law School, from whence he graduated with 
 the degree of LL.B. in 1874, reading law at 
 the same time with A. E. Patterson, of Buf- 
 falo, and being admitted to the bar in the 
 same year. He at first located himself for 
 practice alone in Buffalo, but afterward 
 went into partnership with Mr. Patterson, 
 which continued for some years. In 1884 
 Judge Hopkins came to Auburn, and formed 
 a partnership with P. A. Hendricks, now of 
 New York City. This union continued until 
 1888, since which time he has practised alone. 
 
 Judge Hopkins has always been an active 
 worker in the Democratic ranks, being con- 
 nected with the City and County Democratic 
 Committee, his first political preferment, 
 however, being his election to the position of 
 City Judge, which took place in 1891. 
 
 Judge Hopkins is a member of the Auburn 
 City Club, and a prominent supporter of the 
 Second Presbyterian Church. He is a cul- 
 tivated and highly talented man, and well 
 versed in all the intricacies of the law — a 
 necessary attainment in one occupying the re- 
 sponsible position of a Judge, a position for 
 which he has shown himself to be pre-emi- 
 nently fitted. 
 
 --^^^y^^AJOR byron e. osborn, md., 
 
 F I —t one of the oldest practitioners of 
 i^ >«_ this county, having located his 
 
 office here immediately after the war, was 
 born at Hannibal, Oswego County,' N.Y., 
 March 15, 1832, son of William and Sabrina 
 (Ketchum) Osborn. The father was a native 
 
i66 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of Saratoga County, the family, which was of 
 English ancestry, having moved there from 
 New England. William Osborn was a musi- 
 cian in the War of 1812, and was a highly 
 educated man. He taught school for many 
 years in Saratoga County, in his later years 
 coming to Oswego, where he engaged in farm- 
 ing near Hannibal Centre. Mr. Osborn died 
 in Oswego, and his wife in Ontario. Both 
 were active members of the Methodist Episco- 
 pal church. Mr. Osborn, although never an 
 aspirant for the honor and emoluments of 
 office, held different positions of public trust, 
 as Justice of the Peace and Assistant Sheriff, 
 whose duties he discharged with promptitude 
 and efficiency. 
 
 Byron E. Osborn received his early educa- 
 tion at Fulton, and at the F"alley Seminary, 
 which was a celebrated Methodist institution, 
 after which he taught school in Oswego 
 County for some years. He began the study 
 of medicine with Dr. C. G. Bacon, of Fulton, 
 at that time one of the leading practitioners 
 of the country, attended medical lectures at 
 Geneva and the Albany Medical College, and 
 graduated from the latter in the class of 1854. 
 He started in practice at once in Oswego, 
 N.Y., and soon afterward took as partner Dr. 
 John Hart, a graduate of the Buffalo Medical 
 College. Dr. Osborn was appointed Health 
 Physician of the city of Oswego, and also had 
 charge of the Marine Hospital, east of the 
 fort, remaining there for two years, when on 
 account of ill-health he went to Waupun, 
 where the State prison was located. There 
 had been no surgeon in that part of the coun- I 
 
 try, and Dr. Osborn soon built up a large 
 practice; but, the population being very scat- 
 tered, he had to drive many miles to attend 
 his patients. 
 
 In 1858 he removed to St. Joseph, Mo., 
 where he practised until 1861, when the war 
 broke out. He was living at that time among 
 rebels, and, as he had always been a Demo- 
 crat, was supposed to be in sympathy with 
 them. The times finally became so troublous 
 that every one had to take sides actively; and, 
 as Dr. Osborn did not feel like deserting the 
 United States that had used him so well, as 
 through the influence of prominent men he 
 had obtained a gratuitous medical course at 
 Albany, he decided to leave Missouri. At 
 that time the Republican citizens of Missouri 
 were forming a gathering that had a sem- 
 blance to a mob, to meet the Governor of 
 Iowa, and assist him and his detachment, who 
 were coming down to meet Price on his raid. 
 Leaving home on horseback in the night, and 
 spending most of the time in a cornfield, he 
 at break of day started north across the 
 prairie, riding all day. At night he heard 
 the beat of a drum, and, following the sound, 
 came up with the organized mob spoken of 
 before. As he had eaten nothing for twenty- 
 four hours, he joined this force; and the next' 
 day, meeting the forces under the Governor of 
 Iowa, they together marched to St. Joseph. 
 The men were mostly without change of 
 clothes; and, as many were sick, Dr. Osborn 
 took charge of them. 
 
 On arriving at St. Joseph, they organized 
 into three different regiments of State militia, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 167 
 
 with which he served for six months under 
 General B. F. Loan, as surgeon of his regi- 
 ment. He established the first hospital that 
 was erected in St. Joseph during the war, his 
 service being mostly in that city. At the 
 expiration of six months he was mustered 
 out, receiving a department order to go to St. 
 Louis, Mo., before the Board of United States 
 Medical Examiners for the Army. After hav- 
 ing successfully passed the examination, he 
 was recommended by the Board to Governor 
 Gamble for an honorable appointment to the 
 first regiment organized, and was detailed to 
 the First Regiment of Cavalry under Colonel 
 McFarran. On order of Brigadier-general 
 Loan, he was sent on detached service to es- 
 tablish a post hospital at Lexington, Mo., 
 where the different regiments could send the 
 sick and wounded. After forming the hos- 
 pital, he remained at it for over two years. 
 Through exposure and fatigue and working in 
 the small-pox epidemic, he became disabled 
 and sick, but remained for some time longer, 
 until, finding that his prospect of recovery 
 was poor, he resigned on a medical certificate, 
 and was honorably discharged, after spending 
 nearly three years in the service, retiring 
 with the rank of Major. He had at the hos- 
 pital an average of one hundred and eighty- 
 five patients per day under his care, being 
 assisted by several assistant surgeons and 
 aids. 
 
 After leaving the army. Dr. Osborn came 
 to Auburn, the home of his friends, and pur- 
 chased land, still owning a very fine farm in 
 Seneca County. He started up his practice 
 
 in this city, which has developed into a large 
 and lucrative one, to which, however, he has 
 not been able to devote his full time, his old 
 troubles connected with his army experiences 
 seriously interfering with his work. He now 
 draws a pension of twenty-five dollars per 
 month, in recognition of the chronic ailments 
 brought on by overwork and exposure in the 
 war. 
 
 Dr. Osborn was married October 12, 1854, 
 to Miss Ruth E. Harmon, a resident of this 
 city, where she was born August 6, 1832, 
 a daughter of Reese Harmon, a well-known 
 resident of this county. Two children have 
 been born to them — Harmon R. and Byron 
 E., Jr. Dr. Osborn is a member of the Ca- 
 yuga County Medical Society and of the 
 State Medical Society. He is also a member 
 of Seward Post, Grand Army of the Republic, 
 of which he has been Surgeon for several 
 terms. He has been closely identified with 
 the Prohibition party of this county, having 
 been Chairman of the Central County Com- 
 mittee. Both Dr. and Mrs. Osborn are mem- 
 bers and supporters of the First Baptist 
 Church of Auburn. 
 
 Dr. Osborn has had a busy and eventful 
 life, his services during the war being espe- 
 cially noteworthy; and, although not an ac- 
 tive participant in battle, yet his life and 
 health were as much at stake as if he had been 
 amid the thick of shot and shell. Always on 
 the alert to alleviate the distress and suffer- 
 ings of those around him, his impaired health 
 to-day is a sufficient testimony to his devotion 
 to his country. 
 
i68 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 f^7"ENRY G. CRISE, a gentleman who 
 is now living in District No. i in 
 the town of Ledyard, is recognized 
 as one of the most intelligent men and thor- 
 ough-going farmers of Cayuga County, being 
 the owner of as comfortable a homestead as 
 can be found in this locality. During his 
 long and active life he has pursued the even 
 tenor of his way as an honest man and a good 
 citizen, advancing the interests of his commu- 
 nity as he has had opportunity and now in 
 his declining years is reaping the reward of 
 his many years of persistent toil, and enjoy- 
 ing the respect of his neighbors and friends. 
 He has been a life-long resident of Ledyard, 
 his birth having occurred here December 24, 
 1820. 
 
 On the paternal side he is of Dutch origin, 
 his grandfather, Bernet Crise, having been 
 born and reared to manhood in Holland. 
 Emigrating from there to the United States, 
 he settled in New Jersey prior to the Revolu- 
 tion; and, on the breaking out of that war, he 
 and two of his brothers were drafted into the 
 army, and served as gallant defenders of their 
 adopted country. In about 1800 Bernet Crise 
 came to Cayuga County, moving his family 
 and household utensils in wagons, and driv- 
 ing his domestic animals. They camped and 
 cooked by the roadside, and, milking the cows 
 nights and mornings, took the milk with 
 them, which was churned into butter by 
 the motion of the wagon. Following the 
 road made by Sullivan's army through long 
 stretches of beech woods, they arrived in Au- 
 relius, where he bought one hundred and fifty 
 
 acres of land, and began to improve it. But, 
 getting into a lawsuit with one Richardson, 
 he bought another tract, which became the 
 family homestead. The land was then in its 
 primitive condition ; and the dense forests 
 were inhabited by bears, deer, wolves, and 
 smaller animals, which roamed at will, and 
 often caused sad havoc in the new settle- 
 ments. In course of time he erected a frame 
 house; and, having cleared a goodly portion 
 of his land, here he and his good wife, whose 
 maiden name was Elizabeth Cool, passed the 
 remainder of their industrious and useful 
 lives, faithfully doing their part in promot- 
 ing the growth and prosperity of the young 
 settlement. 
 
 William Crise, son of Bernet and Eliza- 
 beth, was born during the residence of his 
 parents in Monmouth, N.J., coming with 
 them to Aurelius when about ten years old. 
 He was early initiated into the various duties 
 and labors that fall upon a farmer's son, his 
 help, when out of school, being needed by his 
 father. He remained on the parental home- 
 stead, where he received the practical training 
 that was of such advantage to him in after 
 years, until twenty-four years of age, when he 
 moved to a farm of his own in Ledyard, 
 and, making that his permanent abiding-place, 
 successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits, 
 living a happy and contented life until the 
 time of his decease, December 19, 1881, at 
 the venerable age of fourscore and ten years. 
 While a member of the parental household, he 
 was drafted into the army in the War of 1812. 
 He was twice married. The maiden name of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 169 
 
 his first wife, to whom he was united in 18 14, 
 was Eliza E. DeShong. She was a daughter 
 of Henry G. and Rachel (Dills) DeShong, 
 both of Cayuga County. A few years after 
 her death he married Josephine Warner, who 
 bore him two children — William and Char- 
 lotte J. Of his first marriage there were six 
 children, namely: Henry G. ; Ann E. Wat- 
 kins, of Scipioville; Rachel Allen; Sally A. 
 Watkins, of Scipioville; Eliza; and Mary A. 
 Hillman, of Levanna. After his first mar- 
 riage his whole life was spent on the farm 
 where he began housekeeping; and, with the 
 exception of one year previous, when he was 
 engaged in the plaster business with David 
 Yawger, he carried on general farming, meet- 
 ing with excellent results in his work. 
 
 Henry G. Crise received a substantial edu- 
 cation, attending first the district school, and 
 afterward the Aurora Academy; and this, 
 with the lessons in honesty, thrift, and indus- 
 try that he received from his worthy parents, 
 became the foundation for his future success. 
 As soon as he was old enough to work on the 
 farm, he began to assist in the various kinds of 
 labor incidental to an agricultural life, and at 
 an early age became familiar with its differ- 
 ent employments, and finally selected farming 
 as his life occupation. He is a man of more 
 than ordinary business capacity, a thorough 
 and skilful agriculturist; and his well-ap- 
 pointed and well-cultivated farm evinces in a 
 marked degree the thrift, ability, and excel- 
 lent management of the owner. 
 f I With the natural desire for a home of his 
 own, Mr. Crise assumed the responsibilities 
 
 of the head of a household in 1844, being then 
 united in marriage to Ellen Dills, a sister of 
 Jacob Dills, whose sketch is given in another 
 part of this volume. She was a most esti- 
 mable woman, a devoted wife and a tender 
 mother; and her early death in 1848 was an 
 irreparable loss to her husband and little fam- 
 ily, who hold her memory in tender regard. 
 Of the three children of the household the 
 following is the record : Elizabeth, who mar- 
 ried Lafayette Hoff, of Union Springs, has 
 one child, Asa. Eliza, who is the wife of 
 Henry G. DeShong, reared two children — 
 Roy C. and Georgie, deceased. George, who 
 married Gertie A. Richardson, has five chil- 
 dren — Natalie, Marion, Walter, Stewart, and 
 Richard. Politically, Mr. Crise is a stanch 
 advocate of the principles promulgated by the 
 Democratic party; and in 1844, when he cast 
 his first Presidential vote, it was for Martin 
 Van Buren. He is a true citizen in every 
 respect, and has an excellent reputation as a 
 straightforward and upright man. 
 
 AMES B. BURLEW is a horse dealer 
 of national reputation, having his home 
 at Union Springs, and his breeding 
 farm in Montezuma, ten miles away. He was 
 born in South Amboy, N.J., June 15, 1830, 
 the son of James Burlew and Sophia Wood, 
 daughter of Wynant Wood, of whose family 
 the particulars may be found in the sketch of 
 George P. Wood, elsewhere in this book. 
 The Burlew homestead was in South Amboy, 
 and the race is of German blood. 
 
lyo 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 There has been a James Burlew in three 
 successive generations of this family. Grand- 
 father James was a thriving farmer in South 
 Amboy. His son, the second James, moved 
 to Sheldralie, Seneca County, in 1835, when 
 the grandson, James B., was a child about five 
 years old; and there the family remained till 
 the father's death on the farm he had cleared 
 with his stalwart arms and plucky will. He 
 was a prominent and well-to-do man, and 
 raised ten children, all of whom survive ex- 
 cept the youngest son, Wood Franklin Bur- 
 lew, who was accidentally killed in 1892. 
 The eldest is James B., of Union Springs. 
 Next comes Abram Burlew, now an attorney 
 in Charleston, W.Va. The third is a daugh- 
 ter, now the widow of Benjamin White, of 
 Sheldrake. The fourth child, Kate Burlew, 
 still lives on the old place. Noyes Burlew is 
 a hardware dealer in West Virginia, near his 
 elder brother, Abram. Sophia is the wife of 
 Henry Cleveland, a Sheldrake farmer in easy 
 circumstances. Sarah is the wife of L. K. 
 Hillyer, of New Jersey. Anna is the wife of 
 H. M. Hill, a Rochester lawyer. 
 
 James B. Burlew attended the district 
 schools in Sheldrake and Ovid, and graduated 
 from the Albany Normal School in July, 
 1852, at the age of twenty-one. Then he 
 taught for ten years. First he was Assistant 
 Principal of the Lyons High School for two 
 years, then of the Alloway High School for 
 two years, next of the Clyde High School for 
 the same time, and finally of the Hackensack 
 High School, New Jersey, for four years. In 
 1862, believing that his health would be 
 
 benefited by outdoor life, he came to Union 
 Springs, and there started a livery stable, at 
 the same time buying his farm of two hundred 
 acres at Montezuma, for raising the finest 
 horses, devoting himself exclusively to fast 
 trotters. The estate is known as Champion 
 Stock Farm, and is a mile south of the vil- 
 lage. His horses come of the Champion, 
 Hambletonian, and Wilkes breeds. Always 
 there are nearly a hundred horses in Mr. 
 Burlew's large stables, including many brood 
 mares of the highest standard. A large num- 
 ber of horses he has taken on the road, year 
 by year, and has driven them on the first 
 tracks in the country, doing a large business 
 in the vicinity of Boston. Not forgetting his 
 former literary work, he has been a frequent 
 contributor to the Breeders^ Journal and to 
 Wallace'' s Weekly, and also to the local papers. 
 Such a man is sure to be in public office; and 
 Mr. Burlew has been nine terms Supervisor 
 for the town of Springport, part of the time 
 acting as President of the Board. He has 
 been a member of the Equalization Committee 
 three terms, and was Postmaster in Union 
 Springs four years under President Grant. 
 He has also been several terms President of 
 the Local Board of Education, and President 
 of the Village three terms, and one of the 
 School Trustees. From all this it may be 
 inferred that Mr. Burlew is a Republican 
 worker; and one would , naturally expect to 
 find him serving, as he does, on the County 
 Central Republican Committee. 
 
 At the age of twenty-five, on November 25, 
 185s, while still a teacher, he married Lydia 
 
Le Roy C, Lewis, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 173 
 
 A. Cornwell, of Union Springs, whose father, 
 now deceased, was one of the oldest and rich- 
 est farmers in the neighborhood; and it was 
 partly this connection which, seven years 
 after wedlock, led Mr. Burlew to go into busi- 
 ness in Union Springs. From this marriage 
 were born five children. Two of these, Clar- 
 ence and Minnie Burlew, died young. The 
 three living children are two daughters, Cor- 
 nelia and Carrie Burlew, and a son, DeWitt 
 Burlew, who is in business with his father. 
 All of them have been well educated; for 
 their father has not lost his early habits of 
 teaching and inquiry, though his employment 
 for over thirty years has been of so different 
 a character. 
 
 "Perseverance is king," says one writer. 
 "Perseverance is irresistible," says another. 
 Both phrases express the same idea; and it is 
 one fully grasped by such a man as Mr. Bur- 
 lew, who embodies the sentiment of the fa- 
 mous Dr. Samuel Johnson, who thus writes: 
 " Life affords no higher pleasure than that 
 of surmounting difficulties, passing from one 
 step of success to another, forming new 
 wishes, and seeing them gratified. He that 
 labors in any great or laudable undertaking 
 has his fatigues first supported by hope, and 
 afterward rewarded by joy." 
 
 EE ROY C. LEWIS, M.D., a promi- 
 nent physician in Auburn, was born 
 ■■"^ January 4, 1855, at Seneca Falls, 
 and is the son of William and Helen L. 
 (Sherman) Lewis. The father was a practical 
 
 mechanic and business man. Edward Lewis, 
 the grandfather, owned large tracts of land at 
 Seneca Falls, which he acquired after the 
 War of 18 12; but he was of English birth, 
 coming from the old country to Connecticut, 
 and thence to Seneca Falls. William Lewis 
 learned the trade of a machinist, and occupied 
 the responsible position of foreman for Cow- 
 ing & Co., in the Machinists' Foundry, 
 for twenty years, or until 1858, when he 
 bought a foundry, and continued business 
 until his death on November 29, 1872, at the 
 age of fifty. Le Roy received his early edu- 
 cation at the local schools and academy, 
 where he was known as a diligent and perse- 
 vering scholar. After the age of ten he 
 spent his vacations in the shop with his 
 father, learning all branches of machine-mak- 
 ing and moulding. At the age of nineteen 
 he began the study of medicine, buying a few 
 standard works, which he assiduously read; 
 but afterward he studied with Dr. W. A. 
 Swaby and Dr. H. J. Purdy, of Seneca Falls. 
 In 1876, amid the great Centennial Exhibi- 
 tion there, he went to Philadelphia to attend 
 the Jefferson Medical College, where he was 
 sraduated with honors in the class of 1878, 
 receiving flattering mention for his thesis on 
 "The Investigation of Sewerage." He also 
 spent some time in the Philadelphia Hospital 
 as nurse and assistant surgeon, carrying on 
 his studies at the same time. After receiving 
 his degree, he returned to Seneca Falls, 
 where he practised for a short time, and then 
 went to Orleans, Ontario County, where he 
 worked up a large country practice, being 
 
174 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Town Physician for one term. Leaving Or- 
 leans in 1883, he came to Auburn, and occu- 
 pied his present domicile, No. 14 Washington 
 Street. 
 
 Dr. Le Roy C. Lewis is a member of the 
 Cayuga County Medical Society, of which he 
 has been Secretary for two years ; and he is 
 also a member of the Central New York Med- 
 ical Association. He has a private hospital 
 on Washington Street, where he has received 
 patients from abroad. Though having a large 
 general practice, he confines himself chiefly to 
 surgical and obstetrical cases, and has per- 
 formed many successful operations. In his 
 extensive library of over eight thousand vol- 
 umes are some books centuries old. He is a 
 linguist of no mean pretensions, for he can 
 speak fluently French, German, Spanish, and 
 Latin; and this is a source of attraction to 
 his foreign patients. Without a teacher he 
 has acquired a practical knowledge of stenog- 
 raphy and telegraphy. At one time he was in 
 the secret service of the government, where 
 his sagacity enabled him to unearth crimes 
 which might otherwise have never been de- 
 tected. In the fraternal line he is a member 
 of the Cayuga Lodge of the Knights of Py- 
 thias, No. 143; and he is likewise a Free 
 Mason, belonging to Auburn Lodge, No. 431, 
 and to the David Royal Arch Chapter, No. 
 34. He is also an attendant and supporter of 
 the First Presbyterian Church, of which his 
 family are members. Not only does the Doc- 
 tor himself belong to the order of the Eastern 
 Star, but Mrs. Lewis is also greatly inter- 
 ested in the order, holding the office of Right 
 
 Worthy Associate Matron for the State of 
 New York. Dr. Lewis is a fine example of 
 a man who has had to depend solely upon his 
 own efforts, and whose steady application to 
 study, combined with a remarkable degree of 
 intelligence in grasping the knotty points of 
 his profession, has placed him on his present 
 pinnacle of success. In 1894 he purchased, 
 in behalf of a company, Utt's Point on Ca- 
 yuga Lake, for the purpose of erecting 
 thereon a sanitarium. The Point contains 
 about twenty acres, with several sulphur 
 springs, which are said to be the finest of 
 any in the State. 
 
 "Nothing," says Mirabeau, "is impossible 
 to the man who can and will. Is that neces- 
 sary? That shall be! This is the only law 
 of success." 
 
 rmo 
 
 FORGE S. ELLIS, as an important 
 V^X- factor in the industrial irjterests of 
 Levanna and as the descendant of an honored 
 pioneer of Cayuga County, is worthy of rep- 
 resentation in this biographical volume. He 
 IS a native of Cayuga County, having first 
 seen the light of this. world on December 15, 
 1843, in the town of Ledyard, which was also 
 the place of birth of his father, John Ellis. 
 
 Luke Ellis, the paternal grandfather of 
 George S., was born in Dutchess County, 
 New York, where he learned to plough, sow, 
 and reap, and selected farming as his occupa- 
 tion for life. Ambitious and energetic, he 
 thought to improve his fortunes by a change 
 of location; and, on reaching the age of man- 
 hood, he came to Cayuga County, and took up 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 175 
 
 one hundred acres of wild and heavily tim- 
 bered land in the town of Ledyard, on which 
 not the slightest attempt at improvement had 
 been made. This was in the year 1800, when 
 settlements were few and far between, and the 
 nearest market was Albany, to which place all 
 of the grain had to be transported by teams. 
 Clearing an opening in the forest, Mr. Ellis 
 built a log house, which had a dirt floor, and 
 was covered with shakes, this being the first 
 dwelling-place of his family. In those days 
 table luxuries were scarce, the early settlers 
 subsisting on the produce of their farms and 
 the game to be found in the surrounding for- 
 ests. It was some time before gardens could 
 be prepared to raise pumpkins, squashes, and 
 potatoes. The women for many years spun 
 and wove the linsey-woolsey for the family 
 clothing, and fashioned every garment. The 
 first grist-mill of this vicinity was built in 
 Waterloo, and saved many a weary journey to 
 the pioneer, who there subsequently carried 
 his surplus grain. By dint of diligent labor 
 well applied, toiling almost incessantly, he 
 improved a good farm, and replaced the log 
 cabin with a frame house, which in turn was 
 superseded by a yet more modern and commo- 
 dious structure. He married Christian Sloat, 
 whose parents removed to this county at about 
 the same time that he made his advent within 
 its precincts; and she was a true helpmeet 
 to him in his pioneer labors, doing her full 
 share in establishing their homestead. 
 
 John Ellis was one of twelve children born 
 to this pioneer family, and received his 
 schooling in the typical log school-house, fur- 
 
 nished with slab benches, in which auger 
 holes were bored, and wooden pins inserted 
 for legs. He was an industrious youth, and in 
 his early years became a boatman on the first 
 canal opened in Cayuga County, and was sub- 
 sequently employed for about twenty years on 
 the Erie Canal. Abandoning that occupa- 
 tion, he opened a warehouse in Levanna, and, 
 establishing a successful business, remained 
 here until his death, which occurred in Sep- 
 tember, 1880, at the age of sixty-four years. 
 He was a good and true man, and faithfully 
 performed the duties of a loyal citizen, for 
 seven years serving most acceptably as Post- 
 master. He married Alphena G. Bayne, the 
 daughter of Daniel and Rebecca Bayne; and 
 of their union two children were born — 
 George S. and Elias M. The latter married 
 Jessie Harris; and they have two bright and 
 interesting children — Edith and May. 
 
 George S. Ellis acquired the rudiments of 
 his education in the district schools, and 
 further pursued his studies in the academy at 
 Aurora. Being naturally self-reliant, he 
 started out from the parental home in early 
 manhood to become a self-supporting member 
 of society, and, having a good deal of busi- 
 ness tact and ability, he purchased a boat, 
 and for eight years transported freight on the 
 canal. In 1872 he came to Levanna, and 
 went into partnership with his father in the 
 warehouse business, and also secured employ- 
 ment with the Lehigh Valley Railway Com- 
 pany as station agent, and has since remained 
 here in that capacity, his kind and obliging 
 manner and prompt attention to his duties 
 
176 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 rendering him an invaluable official of the 
 road. Diligent and enterprising, he has 
 added other business to that of the railroad, 
 for nearly eighteen years having carried on an 
 extensive trade in coal and also dealt in lum- 
 ber to a considerable extent, and for nine 
 years has served as Postmaster, succeeding 
 his father. 
 
 Mr. Ellis married Mary E. Hoagland, the 
 daughter of Jonathan and Mary (Dean) Hoag- 
 land, of Springport, their nuptials having 
 been solemnized in 1870. Their union has 
 been blessed by the birth of three children — 
 Flora M., Marion F., and Cassie T. Flora, 
 the eldest daughter, is the wife of W. E. 
 Sullivan, of Corsicana, Tex. ; and they have 
 one child, Marion E. Mr. Ellis is an active 
 and capable business man, possessing excel- 
 lent judgment, and is amply endowed with 
 those qualities which constitute him a useful 
 and honorable citizen, and have secured for 
 him the highest respect and regard of his fel- 
 low-men. For thirty years he has been a 
 member of the Masonic fraternity. Politi- 
 cally, he is a strong advocate of the principles 
 of the Republican party; and his first Presi- 
 dential vote, cast in 1864, was for Abraham 
 Lincoln. 
 
 2UCIUS BALDWIN, of Aurelius, is an 
 excellent representative of those 
 ~*^ sturdy, thriving agriculturists of 
 Cayuga County who have attained success in 
 their useful vocation by shrewd foresight, 
 good management, and sheer persistency in 
 one line of effort. He is a native of New 
 
 York, born in Waterloo, Seneca County, Au- 
 gust 4, 1828, being a son of Daniel Baldwin, 
 who was a native of Morristown, N.J. His 
 great-grandfather, Elias Baldwin, one of the 
 earliest settlers of that State, was a weaver by 
 trade, and worked at it many years, using an 
 old-fashioned hand loom. Subsequently re- 
 linquishing his trade, he purchased a farm in 
 Morristown, where he spent his last days. 
 
 Elias Baldwin, Jr., son of the first-named, 
 was a native of New Jersey, and there passed 
 the earlier years of his life, working as a 
 farmer until some time after his marriage, 
 when he removed, with his wife and one 
 son, to New York, making his way through a 
 long stretch of beech woods to Seneca County, 
 bringing all of their household effects' — which 
 consisted of beds, furniture, kitchen utensils, 
 etc. — in an ox team, and driving their cows. 
 With them they also brought sufficient provi- 
 sions to last them through the journey, at 
 night camping by the roadside. In 1821 Mr. 
 Baldwin bought a farm in the town of Water- 
 loo, the only improvements on the place 
 being a log house, into which he moved with 
 his family, other children being subsequently 
 born to them. In the course of time, with 
 the assistance of his sons, he cleared a good 
 homestead, and lived there until after the 
 death of his wife, when he returned to New 
 Jersey. The maiden name of his wife, who 
 died in Waterloo, was Pamelia Smith. She 
 also was a native of New Jersey. 
 
 Daniel Baldwin, the eldest son of Elias and 
 Pamelia, was quite young when he accom- 
 panied his parents to Seneca County. He 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 177 
 
 acquired the greater part of his education in 
 the pioneer schools of Waterloo. Much labor 
 being required in clearing the land and pre- 
 paring it for cultivation, he was of great 
 assistance to his father in their new home, 
 and remained a member of the paternal house- 
 hold for many years. In 1843 he came to 
 Cayuga County, and, settling on a farm in 
 Montezuma, continued the improvements al- 
 ready begun, and ere his death, which oc- 
 curred in February, 1853, had a snug little 
 homestead. The maiden name of his wife was 
 Maria Leonard. She was a daughter of Paul 
 Leonard, of Caldwell, N.J. The children 
 born of their union were as follows: David 
 L., born in New Jersey; James H., Hyla E., 
 Lucius, and Mary E., all born in Waterloo. 
 
 Lucius Baldwin was educated in the district 
 schools of Waterloo, and, being reared to the 
 occupation of a farmer on the parental home- 
 stead, became familiar with agriculture in all 
 its branches, and in early life selected it as 
 the means by which he should earn a liveli- 
 hood. In 1859 he and his brothers, William 
 and James H., bought a tract of land in 
 Montezuma, Cayuga County, where they re- 
 mained two years, working together most suc- 
 cessfully. Lucius then, in company with his 
 brother William, purchased the farm that he 
 now occupies, which is pleasantly located in 
 District No. i of the town of Aurelius, mov- 
 ing here on June 20, 1861,. For a score of 
 years they managed it in partnership, securing 
 most profitable results from their work, the 
 land being rich and productive and yielding 
 excellent crops. In April, 1881, Mr. Bald- 
 
 win bought out the interest of his brother 
 William, and has carried on the farm by him- 
 self. His ability and sagacity as an agricult- 
 urist are unquestioned, the excellent condition 
 of his farm being indicative of his judicious 
 management, his industry and thrift. 
 
 Mr. Baldwin was united in marriage, in 
 1864, to Jane Freeland, the daughter of Eze- 
 kiel A. and Anna M. (Demont) Freeland. 
 Ezekiel Freeland was the son of John and 
 Elizabeth (Ward) Freeland, who were natives 
 of Morristown, N.J., and emigrated from 
 there to Seneca Falls when Ezekiel was about 
 nine years of age. They moved to a tract 
 of unimproved land, their first place of shelter 
 being a sheep-pen, in which they lived until 
 their neighbors helped them build a log 
 house. They had many rough experiences, 
 but were enabled to improve a comfortable 
 homestead and rear their family in comfort. 
 The union of Mr. Baldwin and his estimable 
 wife has been blessed by the birth of one 
 child, a son, named Fred O., who was born 
 when his parents were living in Seneca 
 County. Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin are esteemed 
 members of the Presbyterian church. In pol- 
 itics he is a sincere Republican, having sus- 
 tained the principles of that party since its 
 formation. His first Presidential vote was 
 cast for Henry Clay, in 1844. 
 
 f^AMES W. HART, attorney and coun- 
 sellor-at-law, and Assistant District 
 Attorney for Cayuga County, was born 
 at Maiden, on the Hudson, July 21, 1867, and 
 
178 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 is the son of William and Mary (Selover) 
 Hart. The father, the Rev. William Hart, ig 
 a retired Presbyterian minister, a Scotchman 
 by birth, who came to this country when a 
 young man, and, after pursuing his studies for 
 a term of years at the Auburn Theological Sem- 
 inary, was graduated with the degree of B.D. 
 He has held pastorates at Maiden, Washing- 
 ton, D.C., Bath, Me., and Westport, Conn., 
 but is now no longer engaged in active service. 
 Mrs. Hart is a native of Cayuga County. 
 
 James W. Hart received his early education 
 at Bath, Me., and the Westport, Conn., pub- 
 lic schools, afterward graduating from the 
 Auburn Academic High School. Upon leav- 
 ing school, Mr. Hart took up the study of 
 stenography, in which he became proficient, 
 and was employed in the capacity of stenog- 
 rapher for one year in New York City. He 
 afterward read law with Judge W. E. Hughit, 
 and also with Messrs. Underwood & Storke, of 
 this city. He was admitted to the bar, Octo- 
 ber 9, 1 89 1, by examination held at Roches- 
 ter, and, commencing practice in Auburn, 
 was immediately appointed to the position he 
 now occupies, by District Attorney Adelbert 
 P. Rich. Mr. Hart has an office at 87 Gene- 
 see Street, where he conducts a large and 
 growing practice. He is a member of the 
 Wheeler Rifles: Auburn Lodge, No. 431, 
 A. F. & A. M.; the City Club; and the Au- 
 burn Cyclers' Club; and is also an active 
 member of the Cayuga County Historical So- 
 ciety. Mr. Hart in religious belief follows 
 the faith of his forefathers, and is an attendant 
 of the First Presbyterian Church of Auburn. 
 
 Although young in the practice of his pro- 
 fession, Mr. Hart has already, it is thought, 
 demonstrated his ability to fill higher posi- 
 tions than the one he now so creditably 
 
 occupies. 
 
 « • ■ ■ > 
 
 TT^HARLES ANTHONY RATHBUN is 
 I J[ an upright and public-spirited farmer. 
 
 
 living in that part of the town of 
 
 Conquest called Emerson, where he was born 
 in 1841, April 25, and where his pleasant, 
 accommodating spirit makes him a favorite 
 with his fellow-townspeople. His name was 
 borne by an uncle, his father's brother, who 
 lived and died in Washington County. His 
 father, Samuel C. Rathbun, was born in that 
 county, and there remained till he was of age, 
 when he came to Cayuga County in 1830, 
 and bought a farm. A few years later he pur- 
 chased another farm, and finally removed to 
 Brutus, where he spent his declining years, 
 dying in the village of Weedsport, in the 
 same town, at the age of seventy-one. Mr. 
 Rathbun's wife was Hannah Young, of White- 
 hall, Washington County; and their four 
 children were Mary, deceased; Sarah Jane, 
 married to George Wright, of Weedsport; L. 
 Eveline, deceased; and Charles Anthony. 
 Their mother, having outlived her husband 
 and two of her children, still resides in 
 Weedsport, an active woman, at the advanced 
 age of eighty-four, and is still interested in 
 the Baptist church, of which she has long 
 been a member, like her husband and her 
 parents. 
 
 Miss L. Eveline Rathbun went to Rangoon, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 179 
 
 Burmah, as a missionary, and remained six 
 years, returning home on the death of her sis- 
 ter, to live with her mother, bringing with her 
 a Burmese girl to educate in English. After 
 staying at home two years, she felt it her duty 
 to return to Burmah and finish her work. 
 She went two hundred miles farther than be- 
 fore, up into Mandelay, where she founded a 
 school for boys, being very successful in her 
 arduous undertakings. Miss Rathbun died in 
 Burmah on October 5, 1888. 
 
 The gentleman whose name is placed at the 
 head of this sketch spent his first ten years at 
 home in Emerson, and then went to Brutus, 
 where he remained the next ten years, and 
 finished his schooling. Returning then to 
 his birthplace, he rebuilt the old house, add- 
 ing thereto a fine barn and other outbuildings, 
 specially adapted to the crops of hay and grain 
 to which the farm is devoted. On March 29, 
 1867, he married Eliza Taylor, one of the two 
 children of John and Catherine Taylor. Mrs. 
 Rathbun's kinsfolk have all been farmers, 
 spending their lives in Sennett, where her 
 father died at the age of sixty-seven, and her 
 mother at seventy-two. In politics Mr. Rath- 
 bun is a Republican, and has been a Road 
 Commissioner and Supervisor, his fellow-citi- 
 zens showing their appreciation of his faith- 
 fulness by re-electing him. His family at- 
 tend the Christian church in Emerson. 
 There are three children. One is a daughter, 
 Carrie, who is the wife of George Bates, a 
 farmer of Conquest, and has one child, Ruth 
 Eliza. The other children are sons — Henry 
 S. and Charles — both assisting their father 
 
 on the homestead. There are few things 
 going on of a nature to benefit the public, 
 either in town or country, which do not enlist 
 the interest and aid of the Rathbun family; 
 and their advice and co-operation are continu- 
 ally solicited. 
 
 (^OHN N. DIETEL, dealer in stoves, 
 lamps, zinc, and hardware, is one of 
 the prominent business men of Fair 
 Haven, a pleasant village in the town of 
 Sterling, Cayuga County, N.Y., where he has 
 been established for nineteen years. Mr. 
 Dietel was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1849, 
 and was the son of John and Katherine Dietel. 
 His mother was also a native of Germany, her 
 maiden name being Baumann. John Dietel, 
 the elder, was a mechanic, who worked at his 
 trade in the land of his birth, his life-long 
 home. 
 
 At fourteen years of age young John N., 
 who had by that time been bereft of his 
 father, crossed the Atlantic, accompanied by 
 his widowed mother, one sister, and an elder 
 brother, and, coming to the State of New 
 York, joined his three married sisters, who 
 were living in Syracuse. Learning the trade 
 of tinsmith, he continued to work at it in that 
 city, until in 1868 he moved to Auburn, 
 where he was employed by Joseph Anderson. 
 In 1875 he came to Fair Haven and started 
 in trade for himself. He built first a small 
 store; but, as the demand for his goods in- 
 creased, from time to time he enlarged both 
 stock and store, until he now does a thriving 
 business, and owns a large two-story building 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 on Main Street, also a beautiful residence a 
 short distance from the store. The public 
 house, also, which bears his name, the Hotel 
 Dietel, is owned by him. 
 
 Mr. Dietel has been twice married. His 
 first wife was Miss Barbara Hefte, of Switz- 
 erland, who died, leaving three children, 
 namely: Charles, a hardware dealer in Syra- 
 cuse; Josie and William, who are still at 
 home. His second marriage was with Miss 
 Louise Shultze, of Utica, N.Y., who has had 
 three children — Eveline, John Otto, and 
 Lucette. Mr. John Dietel is a member of 
 the Ancient Order of United Workmen and 
 the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His 
 popularity and the high esteem in which he is 
 held by his townsmen are shown by the fact 
 that he has for three years been chosen Presi- 
 dent of the village. Although not born in this 
 country, he is always interested in the affairs 
 of his adopted land, and is a good and trusted 
 citizen. 
 
 fSAAC PEARSON was born at Rowley, 
 Essex County, Mass., on the 26th of 
 February, 1770. From his parents he 
 inherited no other estate than a good, strong 
 constitution, a sound mind, and great energy 
 and perseverance. At an early age he found 
 himself thrown upon his own resources for 
 support; and, with that heartiness and vigor 
 for which he was all his life remarkable, he 
 began to earn his livelihood. He set out 
 with a laudable ambition of making his mark, 
 and the sequel proved how nobly he accom- 
 plished his mission. His attention was very 
 
 early turned to the subject of religion, which 
 seemed to him the most important. While a 
 mere boy, he thought long and seriously of 
 his obligations to God and his duties toward 
 his fellow-men. He pondered over the pas- 
 sages of Scripture which seemed most appro- 
 priate to his peculiar temperament and 
 circumstances. The words of the wise man, 
 "Remember thy Creator in the days of thy 
 youth," came home to his heart with all their 
 force and fervor. At this tender period he 
 became converted to the Christian faith; and 
 at the age of fifteen' years he joined the First 
 Baptist Church at Rowley, and was one of its 
 most active members during his stay in the 
 place. 
 
 By industry and economy, he had amassed 
 a sufficient sum at the age of twenty-five to 
 warrant his entering the matrimonial relation; 
 and he was accordingly united in marriage 
 to an accomplished and gifted lady, Sarah 
 Jackman. The union was productive of last- 
 ing happiness to both. It was not a copart- 
 nership entered into with the hope of financial 
 gain, or an alliance founded upon the hasty 
 impulse of a short acquaintance and hurried 
 courtship. It was that true union of spirit in 
 which hearts meet together on a common plane, 
 entwining each other with those finer tendrils 
 that knit kindred souls into close and lasting 
 bonds, which even death can never break. 
 The sunshine thrown around Mr. Pearson by 
 this happy relation gave fire and warmth to 
 his young manhood, and vigor to his maturer 
 years, and lent its genial glow to brighten the 
 closing hours of his earthly existence. The 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 children of this union were eight daughters 
 and four sons. The eldest passed away at a 
 very early age; three others joined her previ- 
 ous to their father's decease; and since that 
 occurrence six others have been reunited to 
 father, mother, brothers, and sisters in the 
 home above. The youngest son, Isaac Elihu 
 Pearson, who is the subject of another sketch, 
 is the only surviving child at this date, 1894. 
 In 1804, at the age of thirty-four, Mr. 
 Pearson removed with his family to the neigh- 
 boring town of Haverhill, Mass., where he 
 bought a farm, upon which he located himself 
 permanently. By letters from the Rowley 
 church he united with the First Baptist 
 Church at Haverhill, and became one of its 
 most active and efficient members. In 181 1 
 he was chosen Deacon, an office he held until 
 incapacitated by old age and feebleness from 
 attending longer, to its duties. At no period 
 of his life could he be called rich; but he 
 always had enough, with something to spare 
 for the needy and unfortunate, who never im- 
 portuned him in vain. In his religious views 
 and opinions he was no dogmatist, nor was he 
 a teacher of salvation through creeds. He 
 believed in being not only a hearer, but a 
 doer of the word. If those with whom he as- 
 sociated were not of his theological persua- 
 sion, it mattered but little to Mr. Pearson, if 
 only their lives conformed to the teachings 
 of the great Master. "The virtue of deeds," 
 he held, " is more than the virtue of words ; 
 and he who doeth is greater than he who say- 
 eth." This was the rule by which his whole 
 life was squared; and it built up in him the 
 
 hope of a higher and more glorious future exist- 
 ence, such a hope as comes only from "a con- 
 science void of offence" and belonging to a 
 mind at peace with itself and all the world 
 beside. It was this manner of living that 
 gave Mr. Pearson a character for probity, 
 honor, and integrity, second to no one in his 
 native and his adopted town, where the mem- 
 ory of his quiet but earnest deeds is still fresh 
 and green in the hearts of those who were re- 
 cipients of his bounty. His was indeed a 
 true life. As it drew near its close, he loved 
 to contemplate the glories of the world be- 
 yond, whereof he felt he should soon be an 
 inhabitant. He would sit entirely by himself 
 for hours together, absorbed in the thought 
 that this mortal form would soon be laid 
 aside; that death with master hand would 
 shortly turn the key that unlocks the casket; 
 that the old and worn-out bolts would fly back 
 into their sockets for the last time, leaving 
 his freed spirit young, fresh, and immortal, to 
 be borne by angels and good spirits to the 
 land of rest. Eight weeks before breathing 
 his last, being about eighty-five years of age, 
 he visited his daughter, Sarah Pearson Chase, 
 who was residing in Charlestown, Mass. ; 
 and here he remained until his departure 
 for the unseen world. Of no man could 
 more truthfully be sung Mrs. Barbauld's 
 hymn, in which he had himself often lifted 
 his voice: — 
 
 " How blest the righteous when he dies, 
 When sinks a weary soul to rest ! 
 How mildly beam the closing eyes, 
 
 How gently heaves the expiring breast ! ' 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 So fades a summer cloud away, 
 
 So sinks the gale when storms are o'er, 
 
 So gently shuts the eye of day. 
 So dies a wave along the shore." 
 
 It was not a little singular that Mr. Pearson 
 never kept his bed one hour on account of 
 sickness, up to the very day of his death. 
 He was remarkably temperate in eating and 
 drinking, and usually partook of the simplest 
 food. The day before he passed away he 
 complained of being a little unwell, but did 
 not feel seriously ill. On the last day his 
 daughter Harriet led him out, as was her cus- 
 tom, to dinner, which consisted of boiled rice 
 and milk. Of this he partook as usual, and 
 at the close of the meal was again led back to 
 the sitting-room. He then asked her to read 
 him something of her own selection. Taking 
 up a newspaper, her eye ran eagerly over its 
 columns for something which she thought 
 might be pleasing to her father. A piece en- 
 titled "Angel Ministration" was the first ap- 
 propriate thing to arrest her attention, and 
 she read it. The article breathed an undying 
 faith in the immortality of the human soul and 
 its existence after the demise of the body. 
 Right welcome was the language to that good 
 old man, who was even then hovering between 
 two worlds, awaiting the glad messenger that 
 was to call him to a diviner home. Four 
 hours later, at six o'clock in the evening, 
 when twilight shadows were deepening and 
 day went out with its noiseless roll, in the 
 presence of his beloved daughters, Sarah and 
 Harriet, and with his head resting on the 
 bosom of his son, he said, "Isaac, am I 
 
 dying?" and his spirit passed into those 
 brighter and holier mansions prepared for 
 those who love God. It did not seem like 
 death, so sweetly did he fall asleep, like all 
 nature around him. His last breath was as 
 imperceptible as the soft breeze of summer air 
 over the bosom of some placid sea, leaving 
 not even a ripple of agitation on its surface. 
 His children could not mourn him as dead; 
 for he still lived in memory as their affection- 
 ate father and a devoted husband, the kindest 
 and best of counsellors and guides; while the 
 thoughts of his pure life and worthy deeds 
 gladdened their hearts, more and more incit- 
 ing them to emulate his example. 
 
 fSAAC ELIHU PEARSON, an eminent 
 Auburn citizen, not wholly retired from 
 business, was born in the busy town of 
 Haverhill, Mass., April lo, 1813, in the very 
 midst of the War of 181 2, when for a season 
 the British were the captors of the national 
 capital. His mother's maiden name was 
 Sarah Jackman. Of the father, Isaac Pear- 
 son, a separate sketch is published in this 
 volume. He was a life-long farmer and lum- 
 berman, first in his native town of Rowley, 
 Essex County, Mass., and afterward in Haver- 
 hill, where he lived the larger part of his 
 eighty-five years. The ancestral root was Pu- 
 ritan; but the Pearsons early became earnest 
 Calvinistic Baptists of the old-fashioned sort, 
 Isaac being a Deacon for half a century and a 
 very consistent Christian. His wife, Sarah 
 Jackman, was born in the same town; and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 183 
 
 they had twelve children, all but one of whom 
 grew up and reared families of their own, 
 though Isaac E. is the only one now liv- 
 ing. The mother died in 1829, when young 
 Isaac was a lad of sixteen; and the father 
 was married again, four years later, to Mary 
 Eaton. 
 
 In the course of his life Mr. I. E. Pearson 
 has been engaged in many kinds of business, 
 having sold dry goods, groceries, cigars, 
 drugs, coal, real estate, besides manufactur- 
 ing matches and running a printing-office. 
 After leaving the Haverhill schools, his first 
 effort at self-support was in learning shoe- 
 making. He kept at this work till he was 
 twenty-five years old, when he sold out his 
 stock in trade and went to Lowell, where 
 he spent two years in acquiring the art of 
 making lucifer matches, which had somewhat 
 recently come into general use. At the age 
 of twenty-seven, in 1840, he went to Boston 
 as junior member of the firm of Byam & Pear- 
 son; and they soon did the largest match 
 business in the world. The shop was on 
 Union Street, at the North End, near Hay- 
 market Square and not far from Faneuil Hall 
 and Ouincy Market easterly and the Boston 
 & Maine Railroad station westerly. Their 
 goods were protected by patents, and they 
 were known in every civilized nation and 
 even among savages. Four hundred people 
 were employed in the factory. For a quarter 
 of a century the firm carried on this business, 
 and the name of Byam is even now connected 
 with brimstone. 
 
 About the commencement of the Civil War, 
 
 in 1861, they sold out; and Mr. Pearson 
 came to Auburn and began the coal traffic, 
 his first location being in large yards along 
 the line of the New York Central Railroad; 
 and soon he built a branch railway, to accom- 
 modate his heavy business. He also became 
 interested in a general store for the sale of 
 groceries and dry goods in Watertown, Wis., 
 which led him to dispose of his coal yards and 
 go West, where he was engaged in business 
 seven years, his family remaining in Auburn. 
 Meanwhile he did not long relinquish the coal 
 business, having bought into it again, soon 
 after selling out. Such a sagacious trader 
 did not fail to purchase land and build dwell- 
 ing-houses and brick blocks for stores, turn- 
 ing his capital over and over again. He has 
 also owned four farms in the county, measur- 
 ing hundreds of acres. For six years he lived 
 upon Elizabeth Street, but for twenty-five 
 years the family home has been in a fine 
 house on Owasco Street. Being a decided 
 temperance man, he has been several times 
 run for office by the Prohibition party, though 
 this ticket has not yet carried the day. He 
 has also been nominated on the Democratic 
 municipal and county tickets; but he would 
 never spend a penny on elections, and, per- 
 haps for that reason, has never been chosen 
 for any political office. Not to let his left 
 hand know what his right hand doeth has been 
 his rule of life. In his old account-books are 
 noted gifts of thousands of dollars to sisters, 
 nephews, nieces, and charities. Although 
 not a professed member of any church, Mr. 
 Pearson is one whose daily life is in harmony 
 
i84 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 with the teachings and example of the great 
 Master. To him religion is not a name nor 
 an empty form, but a practical reality, a mo- 
 tive power, guiding and controlling every act 
 of life and manifested day by day in all his 
 relations with his fellow-men. Such is the 
 true Christ-like spirit, to be not a hearer of 
 the word only, but a doer. This is the relig- 
 ion, not of the tongue, but of the heart and 
 life, and is potent for the advancement of the 
 Master's kingdom. 
 
 In 1861, about the time of his removal to 
 Auburn, at the age of forty-eight, Mr. Pear- 
 son married Mary Jennie King, daughter of 
 Andrew Milton and Charlotte (Fries) King, 
 of this city, though she spent part of her early 
 life half a mile off, in the village of Owasco, 
 on her grandfather Fries' s place, at that time 
 the property of her mother. As may be seen 
 in the special sketch devoted to Mrs. Pearson, 
 she is a high-principled and philanthropic 
 lady, heart and soul with her husband in the 
 temperance cause. She began as a worker in 
 the Band of Hope in childhood, and of late 
 has labored in the Woman's Christian Tem- 
 perance Union, having been in its local or- 
 ganization a charter member. President, su- 
 perintendent of the children, and a Delegate 
 to the National Assembly at its sessions in 
 Philadelphia, Boston, and Denver. Her work 
 among the young has been signally blessed ; 
 for she has administered the pledge to thou- 
 sands of children, and has the best temperance 
 library to be found in this region. She is 
 also a believer in woman's suffrage, and at- 
 tended the Women's Congress at its Washing- 
 
 ton meeting in 1894. For a year she was 
 Recording Secretary, and she is now Auditor 
 of the New York Woman's Suffrage Associa- 
 tion. She is also Secretary of the Society for 
 Political Education, and was a founder of the 
 order, being chosen its first President and re- 
 elected for a second term of office. Mrs. 
 Pearson is an adherent of the evangelical 
 faith, making a public profession of religion 
 in 1889, in company with her youngest son, 
 Charles Milton, not long before his sad death, 
 July 27, 1 89 1, at the age of sixteen, he hav- 
 ing been born October 27, 1874. Two other 
 sons have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. 
 Pearson. Isaac Elihu Pearson, Jr., born May 
 29, 1863, was educated in the Auburn schools 
 and in the Albany College of Pharmacy, and 
 is now a thriving druggist at 332 Genesee 
 Street, having been previously employed in 
 Elliott's and in William Dean's drug stores. 
 He is regarded as one of the most hon- 
 orable and best business men in the city. 
 The second son, George Crittenden Pearson, 
 was born January 13, 1865. After graduating 
 at the high school, he entered the hardware 
 business in the employ of D. A. Smith & 
 Co., with whom, in 1887, he became a part- 
 ner, the firm being one of the best known in 
 Central New York. George C. Pearson, like 
 his brother, Isaac E., Jr., is one of the best 
 and most honorably associated business men 
 in Auburn, and has a host of friends in the 
 business world. His beautiful home, charm- 
 ingly located on the east bank, overlooking 
 the Owasco outlet, is a part of his maternal 
 grandparents' large homestead. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 i8s 
 
 Mrs. Pearson's father, Andrew Milton 
 King, came to Owasco in his youth. Here 
 he met his future wife, and here they settled 
 down after their marriage. For a long time 
 he was a teacher in the Auburn schools, and 
 at the time of his death was master of one of 
 the oldest in the city, on Fulton Street, in a 
 building called the Bell School, because it 
 was the first in the county to have a bell hung 
 in its tower. Mr. King was also kept busy 
 with evening schools at different seasons, not 
 only for younger pupils, but for the instruc- 
 tion of those students in the Theological 
 Seminary who were deficient in elementary 
 training. Though cherishing his memory, 
 Mrs. Pearsoii never knew her father, as he 
 died six weeks prior to her birth and before he 
 had fairly reached his prime. Additional par- 
 ticulars of Mr. King's life may be found in 
 the special sketch of his father-in-law, Adam 
 Fries. The number three must be sacred 
 in Mrs. Pearson's eyes, for she had three 
 brothers as well as three sons. Andrew 
 Hawkins King, now retired, was formerly 
 City Collector in Auburn. William Fries 
 King is a building contractor and architect in 
 the same city. George Washington King is a 
 noted painter in oils and water colors. Their 
 mother, Charlotte Fries King, was a daughter 
 of Adam Fries; and they lived on the old 
 homestead in the town of Owasco, near the 
 foot of the lake, where she was born, April 
 17, 1806, and spent her maiden days till her 
 marriage with Mr. King in 1822. After his 
 early death, however, she continued to live in 
 Auburn, in her own independent house, till 
 
 1887, though since then she has been with her 
 only daughter, Mrs. Pearson. As far back as 
 1822 she joined the Presbyterian communion, 
 though not always connected with the same 
 parish, as she has part of the time lived in 
 the country. 
 
 Mrs. King's father, Adam Frijes, elsewhere 
 specially sketched in this volume, was born in 
 Friesland, Germany, but came to America 
 before the Revolution, and settled in New 
 Jersey, where he married Elizabeth Hawkins, 
 and soon after came with her to what was then 
 considered the wild West, Cayuga County, 
 where the early settlers had to fell the trees 
 and clear the way for their log cabins. Mr. 
 Fries lived here during the War of 1812, in 
 which several of his sons took a patriotic part. 
 He first took up a section of six hundred and 
 forty acres near the Owasco outlet, afterward 
 acquiring additional tracts of land along the 
 stream, where he erected one of the first saw- 
 mills in the neighborhood. As the settle- 
 ment grew apace, Mr. Fries was School 
 Trustee for many years, and a Deacon in the 
 Sand Beach Dutch Reformed Church, and was 
 an active citizen in all directions. The Fries 
 household was always cordially open to 
 preachers and travellers. There were eleven 
 children. Mr. Fries died in 1826, and his 
 wife in 1839. In this sketch is the record 
 of three good and strong families — the Pear- 
 sons, Kings, Frieses. The lives of such peo- 
 ple may well recall two poetic bits from 
 James Russell Lowell: — 
 
 " Before men made us citizens, great Nature made us 
 men,' 
 
1 86 
 
 mOG R A IMI I CW I, K KV 1 KW 
 
 • No man is born into tlio world whoso work 
 Is not born with him. Tlu-ro is ,ilwa\s worlv. 
 Anil tools to work withal, lor those who will; 
 And bk'ssod .iro the honiv hands of toil." 
 
 GiYfT^RS. JlCNNll': I\l. ri'.ARSON, ol 
 Aiihurii, wM.s born in thi.s cil\' on 
 Soptcnibcr jj, i8^), and wa.s the 
 soxonth chiUl of Andrew Milton and (."iiar- 
 lottc (Fries^ King. Iler graudparcnt.s on 
 her mother's side wore anionj;- the pioneer 
 .settlers of Caxiiga County. In the da\s of 
 her guileless childhood Jennie developed 
 those traits of unselfishness and benexolenee 
 whieh have distinguished her subsequent life. 
 Her mother generally had to yield to the 
 girl's tearful appeals to keep o\'er night an)' 
 tramp who might ask the fax'or. The happiest 
 moments of her life have been those wheit, in 
 the name and for the sake of the Redeemer of 
 men, she has extended her hand to uplift 
 others to a higher and nobler eondition. In 
 I1S61 she was united in nianiage to Isaae 
 Elihti I'earson, a native of lla\'erhil1, Mass. 
 (elsewhere sketeheil in this volume), a gentle- 
 man who for a qtiarter of a eentury had been 
 engaged in stieeessful manufaefuring enter- 
 prises and philanthropic work in Boston, lie 
 kept wholly aloof from aetive pcdities until 
 recent years, when he adopted the platform 
 of the Prohibition party, the only one upon 
 which he eotild consistently stand and consci- 
 entiously exercise his privileges as a citizen 
 and patriot. Since their union Mr. and Mrs. 
 Pearson have been zealous in the promotion of 
 religious and temperance causes. There is 
 
 scarcely a br.iuch of the Wiuiien's t."hristian 
 Temperance Union in which Mrs. Pearson has 
 tu>t been actixch' interested. l'"or some time 
 she heUl the oHice o{ State Sti|)erintendent of 
 the Juvenile Department, llci- temperance 
 Simihn-sclH)ol was for nian\- years carried on 
 with |ihenomenal results, thtnigh she was re- 
 luctant h' compelknl to relinquish this good 
 work on aeeiumt of the illness of her young- 
 est son, Charlie, now awaiting the arrival of 
 the loved ones of earth on the shores of the 
 land where sliadows ne\ei' come. The two 
 remaining sons, Isaac IClihu Pearson, Jr., anil 
 (K'orgc Crittenden Pearson, arc among the 
 many siiccessfid btisiness men of Aidnirn, 
 nobl}' seconding their mother in evcr\' good 
 word and work. In directing the multiform 
 agencies set in motion by Mrs. Pearson, she 
 has brought into full play the vigorous intel- 
 lect, sanguine tempcianient, and exquisitely 
 moulded sensibilities with which Cod has .so 
 richl)' endowed her. /\dd to these an execu- 
 tive ability of the highest order, and the 
 secret ol her power is at once manifest. 
 
 The decease of their \oungesl son in luly, 
 kSi)1, was a bereavement oi the heaviest kind, 
 and brought to the family messages of condo- 
 lence from Miss iM-anccs K. W'illard, Miss 
 Anna A. (uirdon, and many otheis whose 
 names are known throughout tlic nation. Re- 
 ferring to her loss in a letter l<) a friend, Mrs. 
 Pearson palhetically writes, "The very door- 
 knobs of the house speak of him." 'Phe fol- 
 lowing extracts are from the memorial ser- 
 vices over this worthy young man: — 
 
 "I remember him as full of mirth and vi- 
 
Jennie M, Pearson, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 189 
 
 vacity, with a buoyant and incessantly active 
 spirit, though he was always a good child. I 
 remember him as closely identified with his 
 mother in her varied channels of philan- 
 thropic endeavor. He was interested and 
 helpful, with a spirit and wisdom beyond his 
 years. He wears now upon his heart the 
 badge he much prized, received from London 
 in recognition of his ardent devotion as a 
 member of the Band of Mercy and of the 
 Loyal Temperance Legion. Not long since 
 he witnessed a good confession of faith in his 
 Lord and Master, and entered his divine fold 
 as a faithful disciple. His employer speaks 
 in no measured terms of his efficiency and 
 trustworthiness in business. From his earli- 
 est years he drew all hearts to him by his 
 winning ways and his unusually bright and 
 thoughtful traits, which were brought more 
 widely into notice by his remarkable interest 
 and helpfulness in the humanitarian work 
 which, in manifold ways, but especially in 
 temperance, commands the energetic attention 
 of his devoted mother, whose name, not only 
 in the community, but throughout the land, is 
 a synonyme of untiring zeal in every good 
 cause. His maturing powers were fulfilling 
 the fair promise of childhood in manly attri- 
 butes and in the unfolding even of genius, as 
 is witnessed in the products of his mechanical 
 and artistic skill, which are now sad memo- 
 rials of his noble aspiration and the profitable 
 employment of spare hours. His long illness 
 was borne with patience and submission, and 
 was marked by a heroic loyalty to principle." 
 For many years Mrs. Pearson was connected 
 
 with the Universalist church, but since 1888 
 she has been identified with the Central Pres- 
 byterian Church of Auburn. Her work in 
 the Women's Christian Temperance Union 
 dates from 1874. In prison and jail work she 
 has found a vent for her strong sympathies, 
 and has been divinely blessed. 
 
 " Many a helpless wreck, afar from land, 
 Has grasped the anchor of her slender hand. 
 And been drawn safely home." 
 
 Rev. Thomas Elgar, the well-known prison 
 evangelist, gratefully acknowledges that Mrs. 
 Pearson was instrumental in introducing him 
 into the work to which he has dedicated his 
 life. During the convention of the New 
 York State Woman Suffrage Association held 
 in Auburn in November, 1891, Mrs. Pearson 
 was elected Recording Secretary. Her home 
 has always been open to every laborer in the 
 interest of religion and humanity. It is 
 there, as wife and mother and hostess, that 
 the subject of this sketch is seen at her best. 
 Few lives have been so lavishly endowed by 
 God and so worthily honored by the children 
 of men. Concerning her efforts in training 
 the young, Mrs. Laura H. Griswold elo- 
 quently testifies : — 
 
 "I find it no easy task not to say too much, 
 for I have watched Mrs. Pearson and her work 
 during these years of patient toil with won- 
 dering admiration. Goethe says that at bot- 
 tom it does not signify whether we make pots 
 or dishes; for the reward of work well done 
 is in having done it." Surely, Mrs. Pearson 
 may claim this reward; and, better still, her 
 work has been the most holy that woman can 
 
igo 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 do, that of training little ones for God, 
 woman's God-given work. 
 
 If it be true that a word spoken in season is 
 the Mother of Ages, her work will be remem- 
 bered when her hands shall have been long 
 folded in final rest. Once Mrs. Pearson re- 
 marked to her friend, the Rev. Thomas Elgar, 
 that anybody who tried to do good would be 
 called a crank, to which he replied : " Yott 
 have never been so called, Mrs. Pearson, be- 
 cause you have never changed. You began 
 with good works, and have held on. So that 
 everybody expects you will be at work in 
 every reform and for every good object. No- 
 body expects otherwise. We ministers all 
 feel that, when j/07i ask a favor, we must grant 
 it . . ." — a response which pleased Mrs. 
 Pearson beyond any other tribute of the many 
 paid her. 
 
 The pleasing portrait of this white-ribboned 
 sister, so earnest and so eminent in philan- 
 thropic service, which adorns another page of 
 the "Review," will be highly appreciated by 
 many friends who have been prompted by her 
 example to lend a hand to the advancement of 
 worthy causes. 
 
 DAM FRIES was a very prominent 
 farmer and influential man, living in 
 Cayuga County nearly all his life. 
 He was born in Friesland, Germany, Febru- 
 ary 28, 1757, nearly a score of years prior to 
 the Revolution, and reached manhood in the 
 home of his adoption just as the country re- 
 sounded with the tidings of the Lexington 
 massacre and the Concord fight — intelligence 
 
 welcome to patriots, who could say with Sam 
 Adams, "What a glorious morning is this!" 
 as the hazy sun rose o'er the dewy plain; 
 while to others it was the harbinger of a fatal 
 contest with the mother country. Nor let it 
 be supposed that Adam Fries felt no personal 
 interest in the emancipation of the colonies; 
 for he came to the new country as a youth 
 before the Revolution began. 
 
 He first settled in New Jersey, where he 
 found Elizabeth King, who was born Novem- 
 ber 21, 1764, and was therefore seven years 
 the junior of the man she married, June 2, 
 1782, when she was eighteen and he was 
 twenty-five. They were wedded in New Jer- 
 sey, Sussex County, just as the Revolution 
 was over and Washington elected the first 
 President of the new republic, and came at 
 once to the wilds of what then seemed the Far 
 West — so far that Elizabeth's mother thought 
 she never could forgive Adam for taking her 
 girl away into the wilderness, to be "devoured 
 by wild beasts." Their first location was in 
 Scipio; but they soon removed to the outlet of 
 Owasco Creek, in order to secure water privi- 
 leges and power. Discharged soldiers were 
 receiving grants from the government, which 
 they often sold to men more venturesome than 
 themselves. Such a claim, of a square mile, 
 Adam Fries bought, paying therefor only a 
 few shillings an acre. There Mr. Fries lived 
 till two days after Christmas, 1826, long 
 enough to see the second war with Great Brit- 
 ain begin and end, and died lacking but a 
 single year of his threescore and ten. 
 
 Both Adam and his wife were hard and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 191 
 
 courageous workers. Their bravery was both 
 mental and moral as well as physical ; for 
 they were practical Christians, cultivating 
 what would now be called muscular Christian- 
 ity. Ecclesiastically, they belonged to the 
 Dutch Reformed Church, as nearest to the 
 Lutheran communion, in which Mr. Fries had 
 been reared. In this society he was ap- 
 pointed Deacon, and, as soon as a school was 
 established, became its Trustee. Any new- 
 comers in Owasco township found a welcome 
 in the Fries household; and they found more 
 than this — ^good counsel and aid in any new 
 undertaking, if it seemed to Mr. Fries judi- 
 cious. Did any one ask food, he never sent 
 him away empty, but would call one of the 
 boys and bid him measure out a bushel of 
 wheat; while Mrs. Fries would divide with 
 the applicant the calf, the lamb, or the pig 
 which happened to be serving the family for 
 meat that day. In such generosity Adam and 
 his wife were happily united. When Sunday 
 came, the team was harnessed, and a load of 
 passengers gathered for a drive to meeting. 
 No need to carry the youngsters : they could 
 well walk; but the older women and invalids 
 rode. One aged cripple always found a chair 
 placed for her in front of the pulpit by Mr. 
 Fries's thoughtfulness. This helpful couple 
 lived to see the neighborhood wax strong and 
 comparatively populous. They saw the prison 
 established, and there were liberal benefac- 
 tions from Father Fries when the old Presby- 
 terian meeting-house and the theological sem- 
 inary were built. Of such pioneers were writ- 
 ten the verses of the Rev. William P. Lunt: — 
 
 " When, driven by oppression's rod, 
 Our fathers fled beyond the sea. 
 Their care was first to lionor God, 
 And next to leave their children free. 
 
 " Above the forest's gloomy shade. 
 The altar and the school appeared : 
 On that the gifts of faith were laid ; 
 
 In this their precious hopes were reared." 
 
 Mrs. Elizabeth Fries used her knowledge 
 of herbs in doctoring her friends for miles 
 around. She was accustomed to ride horse- 
 back, carrying in the saddle-bags remedies for 
 the afflicted. As she was a great favorite 
 with the Indians, she encountered no difficul- 
 ties with them in these trips; but she did 
 have trouble with wild animals, and once 
 brought her axe to bear fatally upon a wolf 
 which was making too free with the sheep-pen 
 and stealing the lambs therefrom. Forty and 
 four years this faithful, fruitful. God-fearing, 
 and humanity-loving pair lived their life to- 
 gether; and in death they were divided by 
 only thirteen years, she passing away in 1839, 
 the very year when her son-in-law King died, 
 and when her grand-daughter, Jennie M. 
 King, was born. 
 
 Adam and Elizabeth Fries had eleven chil- 
 dren, all living to grow up and settle in the 
 neighborhood, several of the boys fighting in 
 the War of 181 2. One of the girls, Mrs. Cath- 
 erine Cox, lived to be one hundred and two 
 years and nine months old. Every one of 
 these eleven children received a slice from 
 the parental estate, which was "big enough to 
 give them all a farm," though a century later 
 there only remained in the Fries family some 
 
192 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 twenty of the parental acres, the property of 
 Mrs. Charlotte P'ries King, the youngest of 
 the family, who was born in 1806, April 17, 
 and died on June 17, 1894, at the advanced 
 age of eighty-eight years. Her husband, An- 
 drew Milton King, was born in January, 
 1800. Influenced partly by love of travel 
 and a desire to try the "hazard of new fort- 
 unes," he came to this region when he was 
 about twenty-one years old, not many years 
 before Adam Fries's death. Andrew was a 
 handsome lad, direct from New York City. 
 By chance he called at the Fries farmhouse, 
 to get a draught of sweet cider; for the press 
 there was the largest and, best in the county. 
 As he waited at the door for some response to 
 his rap, who should suddenly come from the 
 barn and hurry past him into the house but a 
 bright-eyed, rosy-cheeked, curly-haired, fair- 
 complexioned, sweet-faced, and blushing lass 
 of sixteen, holding up the corners of her 
 apron, which was filled with fresh eggs. As 
 she vanished from sight, the youthful visitor 
 was heard to exclaim, " I swear that girl shall 
 some day be my wife." Ascertaining that 
 Father Fries was School Trustee, Andrew 
 asked for the situation of teacher. Needless 
 to say that he soon had Charlotte for wife 
 as well as pupil. The wedding took place in 
 1822; and the old pastor, Dominie Ten Eyck, 
 was often heard to say of the twain, "The 
 handsomest couple I ever married ! " 
 
 Mr. King always remained in this part of 
 the county, still following teaching as his 
 profession. His last work was at school- 
 house No. I, called "the Bell," because it 
 
 was the first in the county to summon the 
 pupils with a pealing tocsin; but of this more 
 may be read in the section of this book set 
 apart for the biography of Isaac Elihu Pear- 
 son. In their early married life the Kings 
 lived on the outskirts of Auburn, where the 
 houses were far apart. One evening Char- 
 lotte was sitting with her children, holding in 
 her lap her sick babe, and wishing the hours 
 would "fly swifter round" for her husband's 
 return, when suddenly there smote upon her 
 ear the midnight shout of "Murder!" Her 
 first thought was of Andrew. Without paus- 
 ing to lay down her child, she hastily held 
 it, wrapped in her skirt, and rushed outside. 
 There her keen eyes caught the gleam of a 
 knife uplifted over a prostrate form. "Stop! 
 What are you doing?" was her startled cry; 
 and the assailant ran away. The victim was, 
 fortunately, not her husband, but a well- 
 known drover, just returning home with the 
 proceeds of a profitable cattle sale. He al- 
 ways declared that Charlotte King saved his 
 life; but he could not have valued that life 
 very highly, for the reward he next day 
 brought her was only half a sheep — not so 
 great a gift then as it would be to-day. After 
 seventeen years of wedded life Mrs. King lost 
 her husband, but by industrious economy she 
 managed to keep her little property intact 
 during her lifetime. Indeed, she did not 
 give up her home till she was eighty-two 
 years old, when she was over-persuaded to 
 break up housekeeping and live with her 
 daughter, Mrs. I. E. Pearson, where she 
 passed peacefully away on June 17. A 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 193 
 
 sweet-faced Christian woman, waiting the 
 call to her everlasting home, she often ex- 
 claimed, " How happy the time when we all 
 shall meet again ! " 
 
 W: 
 
 ILLIAM MERSEREAU, as a repre- 
 sentative of the worthy agricultu- 
 rists of Cayuga County as well as an honored 
 and respected citizen of Aurelius, is the sub- 
 ject of this brief history, wherein are recorded 
 a few of the more important events of his life. 
 A native of New York, born in Broome 
 County, October 7, 1815, for nearly half a 
 century he has been closely identified with the 
 interests of Cayuga County, occupying and 
 owning a farm, which, by indomitable perse- 
 verance in well-directed, skilful labor, he has 
 brought to its present fine condition. 
 
 Joshua Mersereau, his grandfather, was for 
 many years a resident of Staten Island, N.Y., 
 and there carried on the trade of a ship- 
 builder. During the Revolutionary War, in 
 which he served as a commissary, his ship- 
 yard was confiscated by the British and ruth- 
 lessly despoiled. After the cessation of 
 hostilities he removed to Broome County, 
 where he purchased a tract of timber land and 
 began the improvement of a homestead; but, 
 ere he had completed the work, he was seized 
 with an illness which shortly terminated in 
 his death. 
 
 Lawrence Mersereau, son of Joshua and the 
 father of William, had very limited opportu- 
 nities for acquiring an education, being 
 obliged at an early age to earn his own liv- 
 
 ing. He was a wide-awake, sturdy lad, not 
 afraid of work, readily turning his hand to 
 anything he could find to do. His first work 
 was with his father on the home farm ; and he 
 was afterward for thirty years employed as a 
 raftsman and lumberman on the Susquehanna 
 River. Subsequently he and his brother 
 purchased a farm in Broome County, which 
 they operated successfully until the establish- 
 ment of the railroad, when they sold it and 
 returned to the old homestead of their par- 
 ents. Living there but a few years, he then 
 removed to the town of Union, where he spent 
 his declining years, dying at the venerable 
 age of one hundred years and twenty days. 
 He was an honest, clear-headed, and public- 
 spirited man, taking an intelligent interest in 
 local and national affairs; and his first vote, 
 which he cast before he had attained his ma- 
 jority, was given for George Washington. 
 The maiden name of his wife was Hannah 
 Christopher; and to them were born nine 
 children; namely, Joshua, George, Lawrence, 
 William, John C, Hetty, Clarissa, Mary, and 
 Hannah, of whom Hannah and William are 
 the only ones now living. 
 
 William Mersereau received a limited edu- 
 cation in the district school, but acquired a 
 thorough knowledge of the mysteries of agri- 
 culture on the parental homestead, his early 
 experiences being of practical benefit to him 
 in after years. He remained at home, work- 
 ing with his father and on the river, until the 
 time of his marriage, in 1840. Then, buying 
 a small farm, he established his home in Aure- 
 lius, where he has since labored with unflag- 
 
194 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ging interest, aiding materially in the growth 
 and prosperity of the place. His skill in the 
 management of his land, and his unwearied 
 industry, soon enabled him to reap abundant 
 harvests of grain, which, in the early days of 
 his settlement here, brought good prices, he 
 having teamed to Seneca Falls many a load of 
 wheat for which he received two dollars a 
 bushel. 
 
 Mr. Mersereau has been twice married. 
 His first wife, who lived but a short time 
 after their union, was Miss Elizabeth Dunbar. 
 The maiden name of his second wife, to whom 
 he was united November 5, 1841, was Abbie 
 Baker. She was born near Peterboro, Madi- 
 son County, N.Y., June 8, 1820. Her par- 
 ents, Jonathan and Betsey (Beach) Baker, 
 were both natives of Connecticut, Mrs. Baker 
 having been born in the town of Stratford. 
 After their marriage they removed to New 
 York, becoming pioneers of Madison County, 
 remaining there several years. Subsequently 
 removing to Willet, Cortland County, Mr. 
 Baker purchased a tract of heavily timbered 
 land, on which he erected a log house, and at 
 once began to clear a farm. Selling that 
 property, he came to Cayuga County, where 
 he spent the remainder of his life, his four- 
 score years having been years of usefulness 
 and honor. Mrs. Baker, who survived him, 
 passed the declining years of her life at the 
 home of her daughter, Mrs. Mersereau, dying 
 at the advanced age of eighty-five years. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Mersereau have reared two 
 children, a son and a daughter, the following 
 being their record: William, who married 
 
 Miss Friedenberger, has four sons ; and Fanny 
 is the widow of the late David Kyle. Mr. 
 Mersereau is a man of undisputed integrity, 
 and during his long residence here has won 
 the confidence and esteem of his fellow-towns- 
 men in a marked degree, being eminently 
 worthy of the high regard in which he is held. 
 Politically, he who was formerly a Whig, 
 with the courage of his convictions, votes the 
 Independent ticket. He has been for forty 
 years a member of the Masonic fraternity. 
 
 UGENE VAN NOSTRAND is a splen- 
 did representative of the promising 
 young business men of Cayuga County, being 
 prominently identified with the industrial in- 
 terests of the village of Meridian, where he 
 is carrying on a thriving business in milling 
 and tanning, owning and operating a saw- 
 mill, grist-mill, and tannery, combined. He 
 is a wide-awake, industrious young man, pos- 
 sessing energy and excellent. executive ability, 
 and has already won for himself an assured 
 position among the leading business men of 
 this locality. He is a native of this county, 
 Ira being the town of his nativity, and No- 
 vember 10, i860, the date of his entrance into 
 this world. His parents, Elias and Phoebe 
 (Cooper) Van Nostrand, were also natives of 
 Cayuga County, both having been born in the 
 town of Conquest. 
 
 Frederick Van Nostrand, the father of 
 Elias, was one of the early settlers of Cayuga 
 County, and was an extensive landholder and 
 one of the most ambitious and well-to-do agri- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 195 
 
 culturists of Conquest, where he was at one 
 time the owner of eight hundred acres of land. 
 He improved an excellent homestead in that 
 town, and resided there until his death, when 
 sixty-three years of age. 
 
 Elias Van Nostrand received a practical 
 training in the various branches of agriculture 
 on his father's farm, and, when old enough 
 to choose an occupation, selected that of a 
 farmer. His first purchase of land was in the 
 town of Ira, where he improved a good farm. 
 He afterward removed to the town of Cato, 
 and, establishing himself on a farm there, 
 soon became known as one of the leading ag- 
 riculturists and business men of that place, 
 being well informed and practical, and a man 
 of more than average capacity for business of 
 any kind. He has been prospered in all of 
 his transactions; and he and his worthy wife 
 are now spending their declining days in ease 
 and comfort in the village of Meridian, re- 
 tired from active cares and labors. He is a 
 strong Democrat in politics, and possesses 
 those sterling qualities which constitute an 
 honest man and a good citizen. Wherever he 
 has lived, he has taken an active and intelli- 
 gent interest in local affairs. They are the 
 parents of five children, two sons and three 
 daughters, of whom the youngest, Jennie, 
 lives with them in the village of Meridian. 
 Another daughter, Estelle, is the wife of J. 
 Stone, a farmer in the town of Cato. Mary 
 is the wife of C. Cay wood, an agent for Ded- 
 rick hay presses, residing in Weedsport. 
 John, a farmer by occupation, resides in Cato. 
 Eugene Van Nostrand, the eldest child, 
 
 grew to man's estate in the town of Cato, and 
 was educated in the schools of Meridian. 
 During the days of his boyhood and youth he 
 assisted on the home farm, remaining with 
 his parents until about twenty years old, when 
 he started in life for himself. In 1892 Mr. 
 Van Nostrand purchased the old Seymour & 
 Allen tannery and mill located in Meridian, 
 and since that time has carried on a flourish- 
 ing business in milling, besides tanning about 
 two thousand hides annually. He has a good 
 property, his mill being the leading one of 
 this vicinity. He gives close attention to his 
 business, is prudent in the management of 
 his affairs and strictly honorable in his deal- 
 ings, and has won the confidence and respect 
 of all with whom he comes in contact. He is 
 a warm advocate of the principles promulgated 
 by the Democratic party, sustaining them by 
 voice and vote. Both he and his wife are 
 active members of the Baptist church. 
 
 Mr. Van Nostrand was united in wedlock 
 with Matilda Vaughn on October i, 1879; 
 and their union has been blessed by the birth 
 of five bright and happy children — Eugene, 
 Elva, Ruth, Edia, and Florence. Mrs. Van 
 Nostrand was born in the town of Cato, Ca- 
 yuga County, July 13, 1861, being a daughter 
 of Thomas Vaughn, a well-known farmer of 
 the town of Cato. 
 
 EV. WILLIAM SEARLS, D.D., of 
 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 who is now a resident of Auburn, 
 was born in the town of Geddes, Onondaga 
 
196 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 County, November 10, 1828. The Searls 
 family is among the oldest in New England, 
 John Searls having been one of the five house- 
 holders who founded what is now the city of 
 Springfield, Mass. This sturdy settler was 
 succeeded by three other Johns in regular 
 order before the advent of Dr. Searls's great- 
 grandfather, Elisha Searls, who was a lieuten- 
 ant under the Colonial government, and had a 
 son, Elisha Searls, Jr., the father of Samuel 
 and grandfather of the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Samuel Searls was a native of Northamp- 
 ton, Mass., not far north of Springfield, on 
 the same Connecticut River; and his wife 
 was Polly Cross, belonging to a Mohawk Val- 
 ley family of German descent. Samuel Searls 
 was already a man of some property when he 
 came to Geddes and opened a village store; 
 but he died soon after, while his son William 
 was a mere child; and the widow subse- 
 quently moved to Jordan, Onondaga County, 
 where she died in 1856, \yhen past fifty years 
 of age. Her son William was educated in the 
 common schools and the old academy, and in 
 Lewiston Seminary. His first employment 
 was in a store; but very soon he began a 
 course of theological study, with the view of 
 entering the ministry. His paternal ancestry 
 had all been Congregationalists, but William 
 inclined to Methodism. Its scholarly de- 
 mands were less a half-century ago than they 
 are to-day, and he was soon admitted to mem- 
 bership in the old Oneida Conference. He 
 was at once assigned to the pulpit in El- 
 bridge, and thereafter spent the full time 
 required by the Methodist discipline, in the 
 
 towns of Fleming, Skaneateles, Norwich, and 
 Ithaca. In this last-named town he was the 
 leader in erecting the meeting-house of the 
 First Methodist Parish, and afterward came to 
 Auburn, where he did a similar good work, 
 his society building its house of worship on 
 Exchange Street in 1867 and 1868. 
 
 The zealous pastor, now in the very prime 
 of his life and Christian activity, was then 
 transferred to Rome, Oneida County, N.Y. 
 When his ministry there was completed, he 
 received an appointment as Chaplain of the 
 prison near the home of his childhood and 
 former ministry — a city where he had already 
 troops of friends — and soon won the confi- 
 dence of the unfortunate outcasts who were 
 brought under his influence. No other 
 clergyman has ever held this position so long 
 as Dr. Searls; for he was there sixteen years, 
 from 1870 till 1886. Apart from his minis- 
 terial duties, he has for thirty years been a 
 luminous figure on the lecture rostrum, and 
 heard by admiring crowds from Maine to 
 Manitoba, having in 1893 taken an extensive 
 platform tour as far as Winnipeg, in the 
 North-west. Though not confining himself to 
 religious and philanthropic topics, he has 
 always given special attention to the cause of 
 temperance. Early foreseeing the great work 
 to be accomplished by the Sons of Temper- 
 ance, he joined that order, and in due time 
 was chosen Grand Worthy Patriarch for the 
 State of New York. He is also Director of 
 the tabernacle services held in the Thousand 
 Islands Park, in the St. Lawrence River, 
 during the summer season. His well-de- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 197 
 
 served degree of D.D. came from the St. 
 Lawrence University, and was a recognition 
 of character even more than of intellectual 
 ability. He is one of the Commissioners for 
 All Souls' Cemetery, President of the Board 
 of Trustees of the Auburn Home of the 
 Friendless, a Trustee of Seymour Library, 
 and Financial Secretary of Cazenovia Semi- 
 nary. 
 
 In 1848, at the early age of twenty, in the 
 town of Weedsport, Mr. Searls was married to 
 Catherine Spengler, of a family coming origi- 
 nally from Mannheim, Germany; and they 
 have had two children. Ella Augusta Searls, 
 born in 1850, became the wife of Judge 
 Edwin Woodin, of Auburn. Theodore John 
 Searls, born in 1855, is an attorney in the 
 same city, having graduated at the Auburn 
 High School and at Brown's College. For a 
 score of years the pleasant home of the Rev. 
 Dr. Searls and his family has been on Frank- 
 lin Street, at the corner of Beach Avenue. 
 His career and character verify the lines of 
 Ralph Waldo Emerson : — 
 
 " Nor knowest thou what argument 
 Thy life to thy neighbor's creed has lent. 
 All are needed by each one ; 
 Nothing is fair or good alone." 
 
 /STeORGE R. PETERSON, a well- 
 \^_|_ known and respected citizen, as well 
 as a progressive and prosperous farmer of the 
 town of Fleming, is the descendant of one of 
 its earliest pioneers, Cornelius Peterson, Sr., 
 who dauntlessly pushed his way into an uncul- 
 
 tivated country, and has left behind him a 
 record for steadiness of purpose and persistent 
 industry of which his descendants may well 
 be proud. Mr. Peterson is a native of Flem- 
 ing, and was born April 9, 1830. This town 
 was also the place of birth of his father, 
 Christopher Peterson, who was born May 26, 
 1799, almost at the close of the eighteenth 
 century. 
 
 Cornelius Peterson, Sr., the great-grand- 
 father of the subject of the present sketch, 
 was born in Somerset County, New Jersey, and 
 was of Dutch ancestry. Having spent more 
 than half his life in his native county, in June, 
 1796, accompanied by his family, he came to 
 this part of New York State, crossing the 
 intervening country with teams, bringing all 
 of his worldly possessions with him. He 
 bought from the government a tract of land in 
 what was then the town of Aurelius, Onon- 
 daga County, but is now included within the 
 limits of the town of Fleming, Cayuga 
 County. He bu-ilt a log house in the wilder- 
 ness; and, having no sawed lumber, he split 
 the planks for the floor and door, and rived 
 the shingles. He was a successful farmer, 
 and improved quite a large tract of his land 
 before his death. For, some years after com- 
 ing here the people of these parts lived en- 
 tirely on the products of the land or the wild 
 game found in the vicinity; and the energetic 
 women of the several households were accus- 
 tomed to card, spin, weave, and make all of 
 the clothing worn by the members thereof. 
 Their surplus grain they used to team to Al- 
 bany or Utica. The maiden name of the wife 
 
198 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of Great-grandfather Peterson was Hannah 
 Parsell. She was born in New Jersey, and 
 died on the family homestead in Fleming. 
 She reared ten children, seven sons and three 
 daughters — Richard, Cornelius, Jr., Ruloff, 
 George, Garrett, Jerome, Peter, Cornelia, 
 Anna, and Elsie. 
 
 Cornelius Peterson, Jr., the next in line of 
 descent, was born August 12, 1765, during 
 the residence of his parents in Somerset 
 County, New Jersey, and was there reared and 
 married. He emigrated to this county at the 
 same time that his parents did, and, with his 
 family, settled on a portion of the land that 
 his father purchased. He put up the custom- 
 ary log house of the pioneer, which, with its 
 puncheon floor and shake-covered roof, was 
 the family domicile for a number of years. 
 He afterward erected a frame house of more 
 pretentious style and dimensions, and, having 
 established a good homestead, resided there 
 until his death. On May 5, 1796, a few 
 weeks before he came here, he was united in 
 marriage with Maria Post, who was born in 
 New Jersey, July 26, 1776, being a daughter 
 of Christopher and Margaret (Bergen) Post, 
 both natives of New Jersey, who accompanied 
 the Peterson family to New York State, 
 and settled in the same locality. She, 
 too, died on the home farm, leaving five 
 children — Anna, Christopher, Maria, Mar- 
 garet, and Ida. 
 
 Christopher Peterson, son of Cornelius, Jr., 
 spent his entire life on the farm where he was 
 born. Being the only boy of the parental 
 household, his assistance was needed on the 
 
 farm; and he early became skilled in its vari- 
 ous labors, in which he continued to be en- 
 gaged during his brief earthly course, becom- 
 ing a successful agriculturist. At the age of 
 thirty-three years, he laid down the burdens 
 of this life, and passed to the joys of the 
 world beyond. His wife, Elsie Voorhees, 
 was a native of Fleming, being the daughter 
 of Abram and Elsie (Ten Eycke) Voorhees, 
 who were natives of New Jersey and pioneer 
 settlers of Cayuga County. Mrs. Elsie V. 
 Peterson survived her husband many years, 
 dying at the advanced age of seventy-two 
 years. They were the parents of five chil- 
 dren, namely: Cornelius; Abram, who died 
 when young; Morris; George R. ; and Maria. 
 George R. Peterson, youngest son of Chris- 
 topher and Elsie, was but little more than two 
 years of age when death deprived him of a 
 father's care; and he continued to live with 
 his grandparents, assisting as soon as able on 
 the farm, and attending the district school. 
 On attaining his majority, he began farming, 
 in company with his brothers, on the old 
 homestead of his grandfather; and seven years 
 later he settled on the farm he now owns and 
 occupies. This is a part of the land which 
 his great-grandfather redeemed from the wil- 
 derness, and his own grandchildren are the 
 sixth generation who have lived on the farm. 
 Mr. Peterson is a farmer of wide experience 
 and good ability; and his homestead, which 
 in point of improvements and equipments 
 ranks with the best in the vicinity, has a 
 beautiful location on the west bank of Owasco 
 Lake, and commands an extensive view of the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 199 
 
 lake and the territory beyond. Since the 
 days of his boyhood Mr. Peterson has wit- 
 nessed many changes throughout this locality, 
 and has contributed his full share as a good 
 citizen toward the development and growing 
 prosperity of his native county. Politically, 
 he is a stanch Republican and an earnest ad- 
 vocate of the principles of that party. 
 
 The union of Mr. Peterson with Miss Mary 
 Lucena Post was celebrated October 13, 1858. 
 Mrs. Peterson is a native of Fleming and a 
 daughter of Christopher G. and Martha Post, 
 of whom an extended sketch may be seen on 
 another page of this volume. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Peterson are the parents of six children, of 
 whom the following is the record: Emma R., 
 who married Samuel Swartout, and has one 
 child, Elsie; George Herbert, who married 
 Hattie Voorhees, and has two children — • 
 Bertha and Emma M.; Martha M. ; Elsie 
 Maria, the wife of the Rev. Charles Maar; 
 Anna; and Charles B. 
 
 §AMES ALEXANDER, a highly es- 
 teemed citizen of Auburn, present Su- 
 pervisor of the Tenth Ward, was born 
 at Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, August 6, 
 1820, and is the son of James and Janet (Mc- 
 Millan) Alexander. The father was there 
 engaged in the manufacture of carpets, doing 
 a good business. The family have always 
 been strong adherents of the Presbyterian 
 faith. The great-grandfather, Robert, and the 
 grandfather, father, and the subject of this 
 mention, who have all borne the baptismal 
 
 name of James, have all been Elders of the 
 church in direct succession. The family 
 came to this country in 1830, settling at 
 Thompsonville, Conn., where the Hartford 
 Carpet-works were erected, and living there 
 for thirty-five years. At Thompsonville a 
 settlement of Kilmarnock men were congre- 
 gated, having come to this country when 
 carpets were first manufactured. Mr. Alex- 
 ander, Sr., represented his town in the House 
 of Representatives, being the first man of 
 foreign birth to hold that position for the 
 town of Enfield. He was a grand man in 
 every respect, and was universally liked, his 
 opinions still being cited as an authority. 
 He departed this life in 1866, at the age of 
 seventy-two years. He left a family of four 
 sons, as follows: James, of Auburn; Robert 
 and John, residents of Springfield, Mass. ; 
 and Joseph, now at Huron, So. Dak. Seven 
 daughters were also born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Alexander, five of whom lived to maturity, 
 namely: Margaret, deceased wife of Francis 
 McGraw; Agnes, deceased wife of David C. 
 Bennett; Mary B., who died at the age of 
 twenty-five years; and Janet and Elizabeth 
 M., both deceased. 
 
 James Alexander received his early educa- 
 tion in his native town of Kilmarnock; and, 
 although he came to this country with his par- 
 ents at a very early age, he was already well 
 advanced, being an apt scholar, and has al- 
 ways been an insatiable reader, taking the 
 New York Tribune semi-weekly since its first 
 publication in 1846, and making a study of 
 politics since the campaign of 1832. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Alexander first learned the trade of 
 carpet-weaving, following that trade for about 
 thirteen years, until he attained the position 
 of foreman and overseer for one of the largest 
 carpet-weaving companies. In 1852 he came 
 to Auburn, and has been identified with car- 
 pet-weaving most of the years since then. 
 He was employed as superintendent in the 
 mill of Carhart & Nye for ten years, and dur- 
 ing the war went East for eight years, on 
 account of depression in trade. Upon his 
 return to Auburn he was employed by the 
 firms of Nye & Wait and Josiah Barber & 
 Son. For the last few years he has lived 
 retired from active work other than his offi- 
 cial labors. Mr. Alexander has served for 
 three years as Commissioner on the Board of 
 Health, and one year as Sanitary Inspector, 
 both of which positions he has filled accept- 
 ably. In 1892, 1893, and 1894 he was on 
 the Board of Supervisors, being elected on 
 the Republican ticket, of which party he is a 
 devoted adherent. He has been Chairman of 
 the Committee on Railroad Reports, a mem- 
 ber of the Law and Legislation Order, and 
 on the Committee on Excessive Taxation. 
 Mr. Alexander is a member of the Cen- 
 tral Presbyterian Church, of which he is 
 now the Senior Elder, having been an Elder 
 of the church for twenty years. He is a 
 strong temperance man, and has been promi- 
 nently identified with temperance work in 
 the city. 
 
 Mr. Alexander was married at Thompson- 
 ville in 1856 to Miss Helen Craig, a native 
 of Elderslie, Scotland, her native place being 
 
 within a stone's throw of the famous "Wal- 
 lace Tree." She came with her parents to 
 this country when four years old, first settling 
 in New Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander 
 have three children living, namely: Elizabeth 
 M., a teacher of music in the public schools 
 of Meadville, Pa. ; Janet M., Superintendent 
 of the Women's Educational and Industrial 
 Union of Auburn ; and James, a graduate of 
 the Auburn High School, formerly employed 
 in the National Bank of this city, but now out 
 West. 
 
 Mr. Alexander visited his old home in 
 Scotland in 1893, viewing the scenes of his 
 childhood days, recalling many pleasant asso- 
 ciations of those happy times. Mr. Alex- 
 ander has had a busy and eventful career, 
 setting forth with a purpose in life, and never 
 resting until he had accomplished it. To the 
 performance of his public duties, which have 
 been many and arduous, he has devoted his 
 time and attention in generous measure, 
 never begrudging any painstaking or any en- 
 croachment upon his leisure which had for its 
 object the good of the community. 
 
 -OAB L. CLIFT, a highly intelligent 
 and prosperous farmer of the town of 
 Sennett, Cayuga County, N.Y., is 
 well known in these parts for his varied inter- 
 ests and his prominence in public affairs. 
 He was born here September 16, 1818. His 
 father, William Clift, and his grandfather, Jo- 
 seph Clift, Sr., were natives of Connecticut. 
 The latter, after he had served his time as a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Revollitionary soldier, and had done his share 
 toward establishing a nation, decided to leave 
 his native State, and accordingly emigrated to 
 Shaftsbury, Vt., where he stayed but a short 
 time, and in 179S removed to the town of 
 Sennett, N.Y. Here he bought a tract of 
 land of about two hundred and thirty acres. 
 At that time Cayuga County was a vast wil- 
 derness, covered with mile after mile of for- 
 ests, in which wild animals roved at will, 
 and doubtless gazed curiously at the new set- 
 tlers. Prior to the removal of the family in 
 1794 Joseph Clift, Jr., an uncle of Joab, to- 
 gether with Nathan Leonard and his son 
 Joseph (whose niece afterward became Mrs. 
 Joab L. Clift), came to this county to explore 
 and select military bounty land. The pro- 
 spectors returning with good reports of the 
 country, both families at once started for 
 their new home, making the journey, accord- 
 ing to the custom of that day, with heavy 
 ox teams. Nathan Leonard settled on the 
 farm which has since become the home of 
 his grand-daughter, Joseph Clift, Sr., and 
 Joseph Leonard taking land a mile from there 
 and not far from Skaneateles Lake. The 
 house of the Clift family was soon erected. 
 It was a log cabin, having a blanket hung 
 over the opening for the door, and with few 
 of the comforts of modern dwellings. The 
 forest was the hunting-ground of Indians, who 
 had held the country for centuries, and who 
 were not pleased with the advances of these 
 white-faced strangers. Many a time, as the 
 mother looked up from her spinning, she saw 
 the red men lurking among the trees, and was 
 
 always glad to hear the sound of the father's 
 axe near at hand. The women of that time 
 had good cause to be brave, and their courage 
 was never wanting. A story is told of one 
 woman, Mrs. Joab L. Cliffs grandmother, 
 who drove an Indian from her door with a 
 long-handled fire shovel, and succeeded in so 
 frightening him that he was glad to escape 
 into the woods. Besides the constant dread of 
 Indians, the family suffered much from priva- 
 tion, living for several years on little besides 
 corn and beans. The corn was ground or 
 pounded in a hollowed stump by using a 
 spring-pole for a pestle. When they first 
 raised wheat in their clearing, it had to be 
 carried on a horse to mills at Manlius, 
 twenty-seven miles distant, where it was 
 ground. As times improved and the country 
 became more thickly settled, Joseph Clift, 
 Sr., built a large house and opened it to the 
 public, it being one of the first inns, or tav- 
 erns — as hotels then were mostly called — in 
 this part of the country. He was married to 
 Elizabeth Stanton, of Connecticut, who lived 
 to be eighty-four, and who with her husband 
 spent the last years of her life in the public 
 house which they had carried on for many 
 years. The Clift tavern stood on the Seneca 
 turnpike, about one mile south of the inn of 
 Nathan Leonard, Mrs. Cliffs grandfather, 
 who hung out his sign in 1798, on what was 
 called the "Geneva road," before the turn- 
 pike was built, a commissioner having come 
 through requiring every owner of a comfort- 
 able house to put out such a sign to encourage 
 immigration. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 William Clift was reared on the farm; and 
 his business interests were never separated 
 from those of his father, at the death of whom 
 he succeeded to the ownership of the property, 
 and continued in the hotel business, together 
 with farming, until the time of his death. 
 For more than fifty years the sign of the 
 Clifts might have been seen swinging at the 
 door of their ancient hostlery. About eight 
 years before his death he became blind, and 
 died at the advanced age of eighty-five. His 
 wife was Editha Lawrence, a native of Onon- 
 daga County, New York, and daughter of Joab 
 and Jemimah (Cross) Lawrence, of Vermont. 
 They had eight children — Elisha, Waterman, 
 Wills, Joab L., Myron, Elizabeth, Sarah, and 
 Helen. 
 
 Joab L. Clift was educated in the district 
 schools and the academy at Onondaga Hol- 
 low, afterward going to Elbridge Academy. 
 At about the age of twenty he taught for sev- 
 eral terms in the district schools. In 1843 
 he was married to Mary C, only daughter of 
 Ezra and Laura (Howe) Leonard; and, after 
 a few years at the Leonard homestead with his 
 wife's parents, he bought a farm near the old 
 home, working that until sickness made it 
 necessary to return to his wife's home. At 
 the death of Mr. Leonard Mrs. Clift suc- 
 ceeded to her father's estate, her brother's 
 interest being exchanged for the farm which 
 Mr. Clift had previously bought. On this 
 estate they have since lived, having a farm of 
 over two hundred acres, well improved and 
 containing excellent buildings well adapted 
 to farming and dairying. Their children are: 
 
 Laura, wife of Lewis B. Fitch, a resident of 
 Skaneateles, Onondaga County, N.Y., who is 
 the mother of two children — Mary C. and 
 Lucy A. Fitch; and Clara C, wife of Harry 
 Kennedy. 
 
 For twelve years Mr. Clift held the ofifice 
 of Justice of the Peace; and in 1866, when 
 the Savings Bank of Skaneateles was estab- 
 lished, he became very much interested in it, 
 and was made its President, which position 
 he held for fourteen years. The family are 
 members of the Universalist church of Mott- 
 ville. Mr. Clift is a stanch Republican and 
 a ready worker for the interests of his party. 
 The Clift and Leonard families have always 
 been closely associated; and their history has 
 shown the bond of sympathy that must exist 
 between men separated from the outside 
 world, who join together in mutual help 
 and good fellowship. Among the many relics 
 of the early life of the families which are 
 justly treasured by Mr. and Mrs. Clift are the 
 fire shovel already spoken of, and a pack saddle 
 on which Mrs. Cliffs grandfather made sev- 
 eral trips to Connecticut while establishing 
 his claim to his land, and also the old sign of 
 Nathan Leonard's inn. Mr. Leonard, it may 
 be mentioned, was a descendant of early set- 
 tlers of that name in Taunton, Mass. Mr. 
 Clift is a man highly respected by the entire 
 community, having held many offices of trust, 
 for which his education, being much better 
 than that of most men of his time, has admi- 
 rably fitted him, and never failing the confi- 
 dence which his fellow-townsmen have placed 
 in him. 
 
J, M, Dickson. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 205 
 
 M. DICKSON, M.D. Conspicuous 
 among the leading physicians of Ca- 
 yuga County, noteworthy for his keen 
 intelligence and high mental attainments, is 
 the subject of this brief personal history, who 
 is meeting with signal success in the practice 
 of his profession in the village of Cayuga, 
 where he has resided for the past fifteen years. 
 He is an Ohioan by birth, having made his 
 entry upon the stage of existence in Athens 
 County, in that State, on May 17, 1844, and 
 is of sturdy New England stock. His grand- 
 father, Henry Dickson, was a native of the 
 old Bay State, was there bred and educated, 
 and there wooed and won a fair bride. Mrs. 
 Dickson, coinciding with her husband in all 
 things, like him was desirous to join the en- 
 terprising band of resolute people who braved 
 the many hardships incidental to life on the 
 frontier in their efforts to secure a home. 
 Accordingly, bidding good-by to parents and 
 friends, they emigrated to the extreme west- 
 ern border of civilization, following the trail 
 of the pioneer to Ohio. They took up land 
 first in Guernsey County, then in Athens 
 County. They built a log cabin, and gradu- 
 ally cleared a good farm, and in their humble 
 but happy home passed the remainder of their 
 days. 
 
 William Dickson, the Doctor's father, re- 
 ceived his education in the district schools, 
 and assisted his parents in the work of im- 
 proving the farm, remaining with them until 
 his marriage, when he bought a tract of un- 
 broken land, containing forty acres, all of 
 which was covered with a heavy growth of 
 
 timber. Clearing a space, he erected a small 
 cabin of logs, in which he and his wife began 
 housekeeping. Athens County was then a 
 comparative wilderness, with only here and 
 there an open place, in which stood the cabin 
 of the early settler. On the deer, which 
 roamed through the forests at will, the family 
 largely depended for the winter supply of 
 meat for the table. Wild turkeys were more 
 plentiful than the barnyard fowl in those 
 days. Reptiles of various kinds were abun- 
 dant, and many times did the boys help their 
 mother kill rattlesnakes. After living there 
 a few years, Mr. Dickson removed to Iowa; 
 but, not being pleased with the West, he re- 
 turned in a short time to Ohio, where he 
 built a frame house on the farm which he had 
 purchased, which consisted of seventy-one 
 acres of rich and fertile land. At the time of 
 purchase his only assets were a pair of horses 
 and one hundred dollars of ready money. 
 With this scant capital to start on, he attained 
 success, his persevering energy, shrewd busi- 
 ness methods, and good judgment enabling 
 him in a very few years to pay off his in- 
 debtedness and begin anew. Continuing in 
 his agricultural labors, he remained on his 
 homestead until his death, which occurred in 
 1 89 1, at the age of seventy-three years. He 
 married Maria Lentner, daughter of Jacob 
 Lentner, of New Jersey, who was a Major in 
 the War of 18 12. Of their union were born 
 the following , children — Johanna, A. H., 
 J. M., Nancy J., Mary L., Lizzie M., and 
 Elisha B. 
 
 J. M. Dickson obtained the rudiments of 
 
2o6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 his education in the typical pioneer school- 
 house, which was built of logs, with puncheon 
 floors and benches, greased paper being used 
 for the windows. He afterward attended the 
 Atwood Institute at Albany, Ohio, and the 
 Normal School at Lebanon, subsequently be- 
 ginning the study of medicine under the di- 
 rection and tutelage of Dr. E. M. Bean, of 
 Athens, Ohio, going thence to the medical 
 college in Cincinnati, Ohio, from which he 
 was graduated in [878. Entering at once 
 upon his professional career. Dr. Dickson lo- 
 cated his office for practice in Mineral City, 
 Ohio, where he remained a year and a half, 
 successfully engaged in his chosen vocation. 
 Special inducements calling him to New 
 York, he then removed to Cayuga, where he 
 is meeting with flattering results in the exer- 
 cise of his profession, having gained an envi- 
 able reputation as a practitioner of skill, 
 which has already led to an extensive pa- 
 tronage. 
 
 Dr. Dickson formed a matrimonial alliance 
 with Eliza J. Culver, of Springport, N.Y., in 
 1876; but ere many years death invaded their 
 household, and she passed on to the life be- 
 yond in 1886, leaving no issue. Three years 
 later the Doctor wedded Margaret McDonald, 
 whose happy married life was of brief dura- 
 tion, her death occurring in 1891. 
 
 Dr. J. M. Dickson is a man of prominence 
 and influence in his community, progressive 
 and public-spirited, and has always been im- 
 bued with true patriotism, having, when quite 
 young, fought in his country's defence. En- 
 listing in Company K, Second Ohio Heavy 
 
 Artillery, in January, 1863, under the com- 
 mand of General Stoneman, joining the Army 
 of the Cumberland, he participated in many 
 engagements, being at Charleston and Knox- 
 ville, Tenn., through the sieges; and, accom- 
 panying General Stoneman, his company was 
 detailed to hold an important pass while they 
 captured the salt works. He served faithfully 
 until the close of the war, being mustered out 
 of service in August, 1865. In politics Dr. 
 Dickson is a Republican, and cast his first 
 vote for Abraham Lincoln. Socially, he is 
 a member of Cross Post, No. 78, Grand 
 Army of the Republic, of Seneca Falls. He 
 also belongs to the Masonic fraternity, having 
 united with Albany Lodge, No. 156, in 1875. 
 In the portrait accompanying this sketch 
 his many friends will recognize the familiar 
 features of this worthy disciple of iEsculapius 
 and loyal American citizen. 
 
 ESSE B. PIERSON, of Union Springs, 
 is one of the best known men of this 
 vicinity, distinguished both for his 
 own life and work and for the honored ances- 
 try from which he traces his descent. 
 
 In the middle of the seventeenth century 
 there dwelt in Newark, England, a certain 
 Abraham Pierson, a preacher of the gospel, 
 who joined a party of Hollanders, then about 
 to start for America, every trade and every 
 profession being represented among them. 
 In 1650 this little band landed in New Jer- 
 sey, and called their new home Newark, in 
 remembrance of the old home of their pastor, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 207 
 
 the Rev. Mr. Pierson. Thomas Pierson, son 
 of Abraham, was born October 10, 1667, and 
 received his early education from his father, 
 afterward going to Europe, and completing 
 his studies. When he returned to America, 
 he became the first President of Yale College. 
 His talents and his scholarship were excep- 
 tional for those times in this country, and his 
 position made him one of the most eminent 
 men of his time. For many years he re- 
 mained at Yale, and his statue may now be 
 seen on the college grounds. It is through 
 his son Timothy that the subject of this 
 sketch is descended. 
 
 Timothy was born March 22, 1709; and his 
 son Samuel, April 10, 1748. Then followed 
 another Timothy, who was the grandfather of 
 Jesse, and was born February 24, 1772, at 
 Morris Plains, N.J., which has been the fam- 
 ily home for over two hundred years. He 
 was a farmer; and his whole life was spent at 
 the homestead where his son Simeon was 
 born, May 20, 1804. They were members of 
 the Dutch Reformed church. Simeon learned 
 his trade of carriage-builder at Morristown, 
 and then went to Newark, where he engaged 
 in the same business. Here he married Han- 
 nah Bockoven, who was' born near Morristown, 
 March 22, 1805, and was the daughter of 
 Abram Bockoven, of the old Holland family 
 of that name. Abram Bockoven was but 
 sixteen years old at the time of the Revolu- 
 tion; and he remembered well the events of 
 those exciting times when the American army 
 was encamped near his father's farm, and 
 when he helped to draw wood to the camp for 
 
 the American soldiers. In 1830 Simeon 
 moved to Canoga, and established the first 
 carriage shop in Seneca County, and there 
 built the first buggy with elliptic iron springs, 
 having to make the journey to New Jersey, 
 and get the springs made in Newark. He 
 continued in this business all his life, having 
 a large factory, and employing many hands. 
 His work was always of the highest class; 
 and the demand for it was very extensive, he 
 having at one time carriages running in nine 
 different States. He and his wife were mem- 
 bers of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Pierson 
 died in 1876; but Mrs. Pierson is still living 
 at the good old age of ninety years, and is in 
 possession of all her faculties. 
 
 Jesse B. Pierson was born in Newark, N.J., 
 December 8, 1827, and when but three years 
 of age removed with his parents to Canoga, 
 where he received his education and learned 
 his trade with his father. He afterward be- 
 came a member of the firm, and for many 
 years managed the business, taking active 
 charge of affairs during the latter part of his 
 father's life. During the years that he was 
 in business in Canoga he was also Coroner of 
 the county. He moved to Union Springs in 
 1858, and continued in the carriage business 
 for five years, giving it up for a while at the 
 time of the war; but, when business revived, 
 he again became interested in it, and for two 
 years travelled for the Carriage Bending 
 Works, buying lumber for them. He estab- 
 lished a hub factory, which he sold after a 
 short time, and bought out a furniture firm, 
 carrying on also an undertaking business; 
 
2 08 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and for twenty-five years he has been the only 
 undertaker in the town, and also, except for 
 a few months, the only furniture dealer. 
 With but one exception, Mr. Pierson is the 
 oldest business man in the town, and still 
 gives much attention to his work, and acts as 
 silent partner in the firm, although he has re- 
 cently allowed his son Winthrop to attend to 
 the active trade. The corner block where his 
 store is situated was built by him. For four 
 years Mr. Pierson was Justice of the Peace, 
 and in that capacity has settled many estates. 
 
 Mr. Pierson married Delia Mandeville, -of 
 Ovid, Seneca County, February 22, 1853. 
 They have three children : Horace Greeley, a 
 druggist in Hornellsville; Winthrop, a part- 
 ner with his father; Ellis R., a travelling 
 salesman for a New York house. All are 
 members of the Presbyterian church, of which 
 Mr. Pierson has been Ruling Elder and Clerk 
 of the Session for thirty years. 
 
 The virtuous ancestors of this distinguished 
 family are fitly represented in the present day 
 by Jesse B. Pierson. When a man of such 
 exemplary character, such business ability, 
 and such a mind for the best things of life, is 
 found in these days, it is pleasant to trace 
 those traits of character most to be admired to 
 the training and the natural tendencies of the 
 early men of the line, who have long ago 
 passed away, but who have left behind them 
 that which is more lasting than earthly 
 wealth. Such is the case with the Piersons; 
 and it is the earnest wish of all who have 
 known Mr. Pierson through his many years of 
 useful life that the line may be long con- 
 
 tinued, and that many more generations of the 
 Pierson family shall be born, who shall be 
 proud to trace their ancestry to the early 
 Abraham, the pastor and teacher of Newark. 
 
 ^AJOR JOHN E. SAVERY, Dep- 
 uty Internal Revenue Collector of 
 the Twenty-first New York Dis- 
 trict, with office at Auburn, was born in the 
 town of Tully, Onondaga County, N.Y., July 
 23i 1835, and is the son of William and Mary 
 (Kevill) Savery. Both the father and mother 
 were natives of Devonshire, England, and 
 were married in that country, one child being 
 born to them there, who is now deceased. 
 Mr. Savery came to America in 1829, so- 
 journing first at Rochester, but soon afterward 
 returned to England for the purpose of bring- 
 ing his family. Upon his return he came to 
 Auburn, where he resided for one year, mov- 
 ing to Onondaga County previous to the birth 
 of the subject of this sketch. He at first 
 hired a mill, but soon built one for himself 
 on the same stream, his mill being one of the 
 first erected in Onondaga County. The mill 
 was destroyed by fire in 1845 ; and he removed 
 to Sterling, in Cayuga County, where he ope- 
 rated mills at a place called Martville, and 
 later on at Sterling Centre. In 185 1 he 
 bought a mill known as "Mason's Mills," 
 originally built by one Frazine, which was 
 the first mill erected in this county north of 
 Seneca River. This he owned and operated 
 until 1865, and then bought another at Sterl- 
 ing Valley, selling that mill in 1867. He 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 209 
 
 came to Auburn as a guard at the prison, 
 occupying that position until January i, 1869, 
 when he became a Deputy Sheriff under his 
 son, Major Savery, filling that position till 
 the time of his death, in 1871. William 
 Savery was a member of the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows, and also a prominent 
 Free Mason. His widow died at Syracuse 
 in 1882. They reared a family of five 
 children. 
 
 John E. Savery was educated in the district 
 schools and at Union Academy, Red Creek, 
 Wayne County, N.Y., after which he studied 
 law for one year with G. R. Rich, of Cato. 
 The legal profession not being to his liking, 
 he studied medicine and dentistry for five 
 years. He began the practice of dentistry 
 March, 1856, at Cafo, which he continued 
 until 1 86 1 with success. In September of 
 that year he raised Company G, Seventy-fifth 
 New York Volunteer Infantry, and was mus- 
 tered in as Captain of that company on Sep- 
 tember 20. The regiment was first sent to 
 Santa Rosa Island, Florida, taking part in the 
 campaign in Southern Florida until Septem- 
 ber, 1862. They were then sent to New 
 Orleans, in the Department of the Gulf, 
 under General Benjamin F. Butler. They 
 afterward shared in the campaigns of Western 
 Louisiana, being engaged in the first expedi- 
 tion up the Red River Valley, and in the 
 assault upon Port Hudson, May 27, 1863, 
 continuing in the investment of Port Hudson 
 until the second assault on the 14th of June 
 of the same year, where Captain Savery was 
 wounded so severely as to prevent further ac- 
 
 tive service. After a ninety days' leave of 
 absence, he was assigned to staff duty on Gen- 
 eral Banks's staff until March 10, 1864, when 
 he resigned on a surgeon's certificate of 
 disability, having served for nearly three 
 years in the severest part of the war. Hav- 
 ing commanded his regiment on the four- 
 teenth day of June, and served it in the ca- 
 pacity of Major, he was recommended for the 
 rank of Major on the completion of his term 
 of service. 
 
 Upon his return from the seat of war he 
 resided for one year in Syracuse, and then re- 
 turned to his old home in Cato, to continue 
 in the practice of dentistry. He represented 
 the town of Ira, in which a good part of the 
 village of Cato is located, during the years 
 1866 and 1867, and in the fall of 1868 was 
 elected Sheriff of the county on the Republi- 
 can ticket. He served with credit and dig- 
 nity in this position for three years, afterward 
 returning to the practice of his profession at 
 Auburn, with a branch office at Cato. In 
 1887 and 1888 he was called to the legisla- 
 ture, representing the First District of Ca- 
 yuga County, serving on the Prisons and 
 Excise Committees, among the most impor- 
 tant committees of the first year. In his sec- 
 ond year in the legislature he was appointed 
 Chairman of the Prisons Committee. He was 
 also a member of several others. The Fassett 
 Bill for Employment of Prisoners was passed 
 that year. Yates, of Schenectady, and Major 
 Savery both had in bills to the same point, 
 and before the passage of the Fassett Bill had 
 the important features of their respective bills 
 
210 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 incorporated in it, so the bill was really a bill 
 by Fassett, Savery, and Yates. He obtained 
 the appropriation of seven thousand five hun- 
 dred dollars for the building of stone-work at 
 the prison, and the putting in of a water- 
 wheel and dynamo for electric lighting, the 
 power being used for other purposes about the 
 prison. Upon the completion of a useful 
 term of service in the legislature he recom- 
 menced the practice of dentistry at Auburn 
 and Cato. His remarkable aptitude in the 
 discharge of the public offices which he had 
 held soon called him again to the front; and 
 on August I, 1890, he was appointed Deputy 
 Internal Revenue Collector — a position in 
 which he has served continuously since his 
 appointment by Collector A. Von Landverg, 
 Collector of the Twenty-first District, having 
 headquarters at Syracuse, under the Harrison 
 administration. 
 
 While business has called Major Savery 
 away from Cato, and his residence has not 
 been there for some time, still he retains a 
 very strong affection for that beautiful place; 
 and he has there his cemetery lot, on which 
 he has erected a fine monument. His first 
 vote on becoming of age was given for Fre- 
 mont in 1856; and he has continued faithful 
 to his first love, and in this year of our Lord 
 1894 is not ashamed of his party. He is a 
 member of Crocker Post, Grand Army of the 
 Republic, and has held every position that 
 the post could give, also that of Senior Vice 
 Commander of its Department of New York. 
 He is also a member of Cato Lodge, No. 141, 
 A. F. & A. M. 
 
 Major Savery was married to Miss Laura E. 
 Wallis, September 16, 1857, and has one 
 daughter, Grace M., wife of Stephen J. Rogers, 
 of Rochester, N.Y. Major Savery has been 
 an extensive traveller through all parts of the 
 United States, and will probably in the near 
 future turn his footsteps toward Europe. 
 
 Of Major Savery it can be truly said that 
 whatever he has turned his hand to he has 
 done well. His military life was a most dis- 
 tinguished one, he not laying down his arms 
 until compelled to do so by the severity of 
 wounds received in the defence of his country. 
 In the legislature and the various public 
 offices he has filled he has ever devoted his 
 whole time and energy to the duties of his 
 position, always mindful of the interests of 
 the people he represented. In his private 
 life he is known as a loving husband and 
 father, an honorable gentleman, every man's 
 friend and no man's enemy, one to whom 
 will be said when "taps" are sounded for 
 the last time, "Well done, thou good and 
 faithful servant! " 
 
 w»< 
 
 ILLIAM T. MATSON, an emi- 
 lently useful and esteemed citizen 
 of Cayuga County, is not only an able repre- 
 sentative of the legal profession, devoting a 
 portion of his time to the practice of law, but 
 is also an important member of the agricult- 
 ural community, owning and managing a 
 finely improved farm within the limits of the 
 town of Ira. In this town of his birth, which 
 occurred October 3, 1830, he is influential in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 211 
 
 social and political circles, and has one of the 
 most attractive homes in the vicinity. 
 
 Mr. Matson's grandfather, Eli Matson, was 
 born in Hadlyme, Conn., February ii, 1768. 
 He was a man of great energy and enterprise, 
 and, after carrying on general farming in his 
 native State for several years, decided to fol- 
 low the march of civilization westward, and 
 accordingly removed with his family to this 
 county in the early days of its settlement, in 
 1805, when 
 
 " The forests in their grandeur all proud and noble 
 stood, 
 Ere the woodman's blows rang echoing in the deep and 
 darksome wood." 
 
 In the town of Ira he bought a tract of wild 
 land,,, and in the ensuing years worked with 
 courage and perseverance to clear and im- 
 prove a homestead. His efforts were crowned 
 with success; and he became one of the lead- 
 ing farmers of this locality, and one of its 
 foremost citizens. Here he spent the remain- 
 der of his life, dying at a good old age, De- 
 cember 6, 1849. 
 
 Eli Matson served as a private in the War 
 of 1812, and afterward in the State militia 
 rose to the rank of Major-general. (His com- 
 mission, signed by Governor De Witt Clin- 
 ton, is still in the family.) In the autumn of 
 each year he used to travel on horseback over 
 the greater part of the State of New York to 
 inspect the regiments and preside at general 
 trainings. He also served for many years as 
 a Magistrate, or Justice of the Peace, in Ira. 
 The children of General Matson were : Roder- 
 
 ick, who served as the iirst Postmaster at 
 Port Byron; Eli S. ; Nathaniel, who removed 
 to the State of Missouri, where he afterward 
 served as County Judge; William, who died 
 while preparing himself for the profession of 
 law; and Susan, who married Edwin Huggins, 
 a lawyer of Fulton, Oswego County, N.Y. 
 
 Eli S. Matson, second son of Eli, was born 
 during the residence of his parents in East 
 Haddam, Conn., the date of his birth being 
 February 3, 1796. He was a young lad when 
 he came with his parents to this town, where 
 his boyhood days were passed, and where he 
 resided for many years, assisting in the im- 
 provement of the land. Industry, economy, 
 and integrity were the first and last lessons of 
 his early days, and were his guiding prin- 
 ciples through life. He was among the pros- 
 perous and respected farmers of his vicinity. 
 His last years were spent in the town of Ly- 
 sander, where his death occurred in his eigh- 
 tieth year, June 9, 1875. He married Delia 
 Townsend, a native of New York, born in 
 South Salem, September 29, 1803. She was 
 the daughter of William Townsend, who in 
 the year 181 7 removed from Salem, West- 
 chester County, to Cayuga County, with his 
 wife and five children, performing the jour- 
 ney in a one-horse wagon. He bought and 
 improved the farm now owned and occupied 
 by Chapman Townsend. Although the loca- 
 tion was a fortunate one, the clearing and 
 cultivation of a farm was a work of no small 
 magnitude; but, as years sped on, field after 
 field was added, and the log cabin, which was 
 his first dwelling-place, was replaced by a 
 
212 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 substantial frame house, his homestead be- 
 coming one of the best in the town. His 
 children were trained to habits of useful in- 
 dustry, his daughters becoming proficient in 
 the domestic arts, so that Delia, when in 1823 
 she became the wife of Mr. Matson, proved 
 herself a true helpmeet, ably assisting and 
 encouraging him in all of his labors. They 
 began housekeeping on the farm now owned 
 by Frank Terpenning, and during the years 
 of their occupancy they did much of the 
 pioneer work of improving a farm. Their 
 married life was of long duration, and an 
 especially happy one, being marred by few of 
 the trials and tribulations that usually fall to 
 mortals here below; and their golden wed- 
 ding, which was celebrated in 1873, was a 
 happy occasion for all. Mrs. Delia Matson 
 survived her husband many years, passing 
 away at her home in Floridaville, February 2, 
 1894, full of years and good works. She was 
 connected with the Congregational church of 
 Lysander, and was for many years its oldest 
 member. She and her husband were the par- 
 ents of three children, as follows: Augustine, 
 born February 12, 1827, is a farmer and 
 flower-gardener in Ira; William T., the sub- 
 ject of further mention below; Delia Ann is 
 the wife of Horace G. White, who served as 
 a Captain in the late Rebellion, and, being 
 taken prisoner, spent some time in Ander- 
 sonville and Libby prisons, finally making 
 his escape from the latter. He now resides 
 in Kansas with his family. 
 
 William T. Matson has passed the larger 
 part of his life within the borders of this 
 
 county. He received his early education in 
 the district schools of Ira, and afterward at- 
 tended Phalley Seminary at Fulton. Being a 
 bright and intelligent youth, and an ambitious 
 student, well adapted for a legal career, he 
 devoted much time to the study of law, fitting 
 himself for the bar. In addition to his pro- 
 fessional duties, Mr. Matson has also been ac- 
 tively interested in agricultural pursuits, and 
 is now living on his comfortable homestead in 
 the town of Ira, where he has eighty-five acres 
 of finely cultivated land. He is among the 
 oldest of the native-born citizens of this town, 
 and may well be classed as one who has con- 
 tributed his full share toward its growth and 
 improvement. He is a man of solid worth, 
 possessing in a high degree those traits that 
 command respect in the business world and 
 gain esteem among one's neighbors and as- 
 sociates; and his life record has been such as 
 to reflect credit on the town of his nativity. 
 He is a man of versatile talent, in all of his 
 transactions paying due regard to honor and 
 veracity, and for twenty-four years has served 
 with fidelity as Justice of the Peace. One 
 year he filled the office of Postmaster at Flor- 
 idaville— an office to which his daughter. 
 Miss Cora A. Matson, was appointed in 1892, 
 and which she still holds. Mr. Matson is 
 also a land surveyor, and for upward of 
 twenty-three years has followed that calling 
 to a considerable extent. 
 
 He was married on March 8, 1854, to Sarah 
 J. Brackett, who was born in the town of 
 Hannibal, January 29, 1834. Her parents, 
 Truman and Phoebe (Perkins) Brackett, were 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 213 
 
 natives of New York, her father having been 
 born in Delhi, Delaware County, March 23, 
 1806, and her mother in Hebron, Washington 
 County, June 23, 1813. Neither is now liv- 
 ing, Mr. Brackett having departed this life in 
 1876, and his wife on the ist of April, 1880. 
 Into every household some sorrow must come; 
 and that of Mr. Matson was made desolate in- 
 deed on May 10, 1882, when the beloved wife 
 and devoted mother was called from earth to 
 the higher life beyond. She left nine chil- 
 dren, namely: Willis E., also a Justice of the 
 Peace in Ira; Cora Adele and James T., liv- 
 ing in Ira; Stella J., a stenographer in New 
 York City; Harvey T., living in Hannibal; 
 Alice P., in Minnesota; Franklin B., in the 
 town of Ira; Roderick N., who was graduated 
 in the class of June, 1894, at Franklin Col- 
 lege, New Athens, Ohio, with first honors 
 and the valedictory, and is now a law student 
 in the office of Waters, McClennan & Waters, 
 Syracuse, N.Y. ; and Anna P., in the town of 
 Ira. Mrs. Matson was a consistent member 
 of the Methodist church, and a sincere Chris- 
 tian woman, her many virtues and amiable 
 traits of character winning the love and re- 
 spect of all. Mr. Matson is a member of the 
 same church with which his wife was identi- 
 fied. In politics he is a firm supporter of the 
 Republican party, and is now serving as Pen- 
 sion Agent. 
 
 Miss Cora A. Matson, the eldest daughter, 
 is one of the rising young poets of the day, 
 the graceful productions of her facile pen hav- 
 ing won for her a more than local reputation. 
 She is a native of the town of Ira, her birth 
 
 having occurred on January 7, 1859. She re- 
 ceived her education in the district schools 
 near her home, and in the graded schools of 
 Lysander, which she attended one term. Ex- 
 ceptionally endowed as to her perceptive and 
 imaginative powers, she continues to be a lov- 
 ing student of nature, as well as of books. 
 When quite young, she began to express her 
 thoughts in verse; and, when persuaded to 
 send some of her poems for publication, her 
 talent met with a ready recognition. The 
 press notices were so favorable and gracious 
 as to fill her with encouragement and pleas- 
 ure, emanating as they did from such standard 
 newspapers as the Boston Transcript, the New 
 York City Journalist, Springfield (Mass.) Re- 
 publican, Syracuse Standard, the Elmira Tele- 
 gram, the Chicago Times, Northern Christian 
 Advocate. Miss Matson is a regular writer 
 for several of the leading papers of the day. 
 A recent compilation of her works under the 
 title "As the Cardinal Flower" contains 
 eighty-nine poems, mostly songs of nature, 
 among them being "By the Lilies Blowing," 
 "Gone from June Days," "Lost Hopes," 
 "Beyond," and "A Day Dream." She does 
 not closet herself in the seclusion of her 
 room when she writes, making hard labor of 
 her literary work; but, while roaming in the 
 lovely fields and woods that surround her 
 home, she finds her subjects and her in- 
 spirations. 
 
 The reader will recognize tender feeling, 
 graceful diction, and true poetic merit in the 
 following selections from the pen of Miss 
 Matson : — 
 
214 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 A MEMORY OF LOIS. 
 
 (Written by Cora A. Matson for the Sunday Republican, 
 
 Springfield, Mass.) 
 
 The day when Lois wallced with me 
 
 September skies were blue ; 
 The woodbine on the wayside wall 
 
 Had found its autumn hue. 
 
 In gown of changing green and rose, 
 
 With undersleeves of white, 
 With skirt in loose and flowing folds. 
 
 With bodice trim and tight. 
 
 Her low-combed hair was just the shade 
 
 Of fallen chestnut burrs ; 
 The cheeks of mellow astrakhans 
 
 Are not more ripe than hers, 
 
 It seemed the mushrooms showed their caps 
 
 To win her eyes of brown ; 
 And for one look into their depths 
 
 The orchard boughs bent down. 
 
 A blossom of the early fall. 
 
 That later days would chill. 
 Dear girl, somewhere those eyes must wear 
 
 A gleam of summer still. 
 
 The rank weeds choke the orchard way 
 
 Where once we went and came ; 
 And mosses make the marble gray 
 
 That long has borne her name. 
 
 But with such still September days, 
 
 As Lois walked with me. 
 She flits before my vision now, 
 
 A happy memory. 
 Floridaville, N.Y., September, 1893. 
 
 HOW THE STONE WAS ROLLED AWAY. 
 
 BY COKA A. MATSON. 
 (Published in the Northern Christian Advocate.) 
 I cannot go to the chapel 
 
 To join in the morrow's cheer, 
 
 And mothers with babes at the altar. 
 As I with my own last year. 
 
 When the drops of baptismal water 
 Were laid on my baby's brow, 
 
 And I with my arms around her. 
 And she in the churchyard now. 
 
 The lilies out in the dooryard 
 
 Breathe sweet from each tall green stem ; 
 And low in the grass beside them 
 
 Shines the star of Bethlehem. 
 
 The daffodils, yellow and spicy. 
 
 By the garden entrance glow ; 
 And the pansies that all the winter 
 
 Have blossomed under the snow. 
 
 If I gather e'en one for the Easter — 
 Though last year so gladly I gave — 
 
 'Twill be but a mourning chaplet 
 To place on my darling's grave. 
 
 My joy for the resurrection 
 
 Has gone with my baby dead ; 
 As withered as now are the lilies 
 
 I wreathed round ray darling's head. 
 
 What to me is a far-off awaking ? 
 
 A hoped for sometime or somewhere .'' 
 I want my own little baby 
 
 With her tangle of flaxen hair. 
 
 I will pray all night till the morning 
 With my face to the churchyard : then 
 
 Perhaps the dear Lord will have pity, 
 And give me ray baby again. 
 
 A baby's sob through the stillness — 
 Pray, what does that sad sound mean ? 
 
 It comes from the cottage yonder : 
 'Tis the child of the Magdalene. 
 
 They have furnished her food and a shelter 
 For the pittance the town will give. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 2IS 
 
 Oh, why must my baby be taken, 
 While others, not needed, can live ? 
 
 A child with no one to claim it 
 
 Were better 'neath churchyard mould 
 
 By the side of its fallen mother ; 
 And I with my own to hold. 
 
 Again comes that moan through the midnight, 
 While the Pascal moon shines bright. 
 
 Christ pity that homeless baby 
 
 Who cries for her mother to-night ! 
 
 Three weeks has that mother been lying 
 'Neath a pauper's unmarked stone ; 
 
 Though the child of sin, yet she loved it. 
 And now it is sobbing alone. 
 
 O'er the hills breaks the dawn of the Easter ; 
 
 While the bell from the chapel gives 
 The call to a long, sweet service 
 
 Of joy that the Saviour lives. 
 
 While the daffodils tossed their sunshine 
 From the blades of new-grown green, 
 
 Through the open gate of the garden 
 Came the child of the Magdalene. 
 
 At the sight of the bare feet dimpled 
 'Neath the hem of the night-gown torn 
 
 Came a vision of shoes and stockings 
 And of dresses now unworn. 
 
 With the sight of the eyes like bluebells. 
 And the yellow curls unbrushed, 
 
 The flood of a vanished gladness 
 
 Through the soul of the mother rushed. 
 
 Then purer than crown of lilies, 
 Than perfume or spice more sweet. 
 
 An offering meet for the Easter 
 Was laid at the Saviour's feet. 
 
 For, clasped to the breast of the mother 
 As her own sweet child had been. 
 
 No longer unloved and homeless. 
 Was the child of the Magdalene. 
 Floridaville, N.Y., March, 1894. 
 
 KRANKLIN THORNTON stands sec- 
 ond to none among the v^rell-to-do 
 farmers of the town of Fleming whose records 
 are placed in this biographical volume to be 
 preserved for the perusal of coming genera- 
 tions. He is among the oldest of the native- 
 born citizens of the place, and now occupies 
 the house where his birth occurred, September 
 4, 1828. His father, Luther Thornton, it is 
 thought, was born in the town of Worcester, 
 Otsego County, N.Y., of New England ances- 
 try, being a son of Jesse Thornton, who was 
 of Rhode Island birth. Jesse Thornton was 
 a brave soldier in the Revolutionary War, and 
 was stationed as a sentinel at the gate at 
 West Point when Arnold passed out to join 
 the British. He subsequently removed to 
 Cayuga County, New York, stopping, how- 
 ever, on the way in Worcester, Otsego 
 County, where he lived for a time. On 
 coming to this county, he lived first in 
 Scipio, and in 1809 purchased twenty-five 
 acres of land, now included in the farm of 
 his grandson Franklin, paying two hundred 
 and fifty-six dollars and fifty cents for the 
 tract. He built a log house in which he re- 
 sided until his death in 1825. He married 
 Joanna Hill; and they reared eight children 
 — namely, Stephen, Ezra, Luther, Polly, Bet- 
 sey, Percy, Huldah, and Sally. 
 
2l6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Luther Thornton was nine years old when 
 he came to this county with his parents; and 
 he was reared and married in the town of 
 Fleming, and succeeded to the ownership of 
 the old homestead. After his marriage he 
 and his bride began their wedded life in the 
 old log house, and in that three of their chil- 
 dren were born. He continued his agricult- 
 ural pursuits, raised excellent crops each 
 year, and added many improvements to the 
 property, residing here until his death, at the 
 age of sixty-eight years. The maiden name 
 of his wife, who was born in the town of 
 Sterling, was Frances Gailey. Her father, 
 Andrew Gailey, was born in Ireland, of 
 Scotch ancestry, and, emigrating to this coun- 
 try, became a pioneer of the northern part of 
 Cayuga County, where he spent the remaining 
 years of his life. Mrs. Luther Thornton died 
 on the old homestead, at the age of fifty-nine 
 years. She bore her husband five children — 
 Phoebe F., Harriet Sturtevant, Lyman, 
 Franklin, and Jane. 
 
 Franklin Thornton was reared on the farm, 
 and in the mean time acquired a fair educa- 
 tion in the common schools of his district. 
 Having become thoroughly acquainted with 
 the various branches of agriculture, he chose 
 the independent calling of a farmer; and at 
 the time of his marriage he bought a farm 
 near the old homestead, where he lived eight 
 years. Selling that, he returned to the old 
 home farm, later becoming its proprietor, and 
 still owns and occupies it, carrying on gen- 
 eral farming. His place contains ninety- 
 three acres of rich and arable land, well 
 
 improved and judiciously cultivated, consti- 
 tuting one of the model farms of this vicinity. 
 Mr. Thornton was married December i8, 
 185s, to Augusta Austin. She is a native of 
 Onondaga County, where her birth occurred 
 February 13, 1835, in the town of Skane- 
 ateles, she being a daughter of Henry Austin, 
 who was born in New England. Her grand- 
 father, also named Henry Austin, emigrated 
 from New England to New York in 1794, and 
 settled in that part of Onondaga County now 
 included in the town of Owasco, Cayuga 
 County, where, purchasing a tract of wild 
 land, he erected a log cabin. At this early 
 time Judge Hardenburgh was the only resi- 
 dent on the present site of the city of Auburn. 
 Mr. Austin was a hard-working man, and 
 passed through all the privations and trials 
 incident to pioneer life, and continued a resi- 
 dent of Owasco as long as he lived. He mar- 
 ried Prudence Ensign. Henry Austin, Jr., 
 one of their children, was the father of Mrs. 
 Thornton. The boy was but an infant when 
 his parents brought him to this county; and 
 here he grew to manhood, receiving his edu- 
 cation in the pioneer schools. After his mar- 
 riage he emigrated to Ohio, taking his bride 
 with him, and making the trip on an ox sled. 
 Settling on land which his father had pre- 
 viously purchased, he lived there three years. 
 Then, selling his stock, he returned to 
 Owasco, where he purchased a woollen-mill, 
 which he operated a number of years. He 
 then bought a tract of land in Skaneateles, 
 and made a specialty of raising sheep. He 
 also raised flax; and his wife, who clad her 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 217 
 
 family in homespun, used to card, spin, and 
 weave the material with her own hands. He 
 met with great success in his farming, and 
 remained a resident of Skaneateles until his 
 death, March 28, 1875. The maiden name of 
 his wife, mother of Mrs. Thornton, was Mary 
 Tyler. She was born in Rhode Island; and, 
 being left an orphan at an early age, she was 
 brought up by her grandfather, Stephen Ben- 
 son. She survived her husband, and died in 
 1891, at the venerable age of ninety-one years. 
 She reared six children, as follows : Munson, 
 Elizabeth, Kellogg, Phila, Prudence, Au- 
 gusta. Three children died when young — 
 two in infancy, and Mary Ann at the age of 
 fourteen years. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Thornton are held in high es- 
 teem by the society which surrounds them, 
 and are- beloved for their many excellent qual- 
 ities of heart and mind. She is a valued 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church; 
 and in politics he is a firm believer in the Re- 
 publican party, supporting it by all the means 
 in his power. 
 
 J->^R. ALANSON QUIGLEY is the 
 ^ oldest practising dentist in the city 
 ^ of Auburn, and was born in Genoa, 
 in the same county, on May 19, 1823. His 
 grandfather, Robert Quigley, came as a pio- 
 neer to this region from New York City, the 
 earlier Quigleys being Protestants from the 
 north of the Emerald Isle. They were large 
 and athletic people; and, although bearing an 
 Irish name, their personal appearance indi- 
 cated the Scotch origin of the family. Rob- 
 
 ert was reared a farmer, and that was his 
 occupation in Genoa till the time of his 
 death. Robert Quigley's son John was born 
 in this county in 1798, not long before the 
 death of Washington. He grew up in Genoa, 
 where he married Sarah Maria Austin, who was 
 born in Massachusetts with the beginning of 
 the nineteenth century. Her father was Eng- 
 lish born, and came in his youth to this country. 
 John Quigley was a very skilful mechanic, 
 and known as the chief boat-builder at King's 
 Ferry, twenty miles south of Auburn, where 
 he spent most of his time, his home being 
 near Northville, for many years. In 1844, 
 when his son Alanson was of age, they moved 
 to Sheldrake, where he continued to build 
 boats for thirty years — in fact, as long as he 
 was able to do so, having the whole charge of 
 laying out and constructing craft which were 
 rated on all the great lakes as of the highest 
 value. He was at one time a Justice of the 
 Peace, and belonged to the Masonic body; 
 and both he and his wife, in their later years, 
 united with the Methodist church, wherein he 
 became a class-leader. His death took place 
 in Sheldrake on February 20, 1889, at the age 
 of ninety-one; and his wife outlived him only 
 a year, dying March 7, 1890. They had a 
 good patriarchal family of a dozen children, 
 Alanson being the eldest now living of the 
 eight who survived their parents. Ashbel 
 died at the early age of six. Austin Quig- 
 ley, bearing the mother's family name, lives 
 in Auburn. Mary Jane Quigley lives in Sen- 
 eca County with her sister Sarah, who mar- 
 ried Edward H. Neal, of Sheldrake. Harriet 
 
2l8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Quigley married William Kinch, and lives in 
 the West. Louisa Quigley died in Seneca 
 County, the wife of John Craven. David 
 Ogden Quigley is a citizen of Saginaw, Mich. 
 Lucy Quigley married Mr. Kinch, of Ca- 
 yuga County. 
 
 Alanson attended the Genoa common 
 schools, studied in private, and then went 
 into mechanical training in Genoa and Lud- 
 low, serving his time with Tompkins & Co. 
 in carriage building. For a while he worked 
 in Groton, Tompkins County, and then went 
 to Union Springs, where he remained five 
 years. While there, he was married, at the 
 age of twenty-five, on Christmas Eve, 1848, 
 ten years before he learned dentistry. His 
 wife, Minerva Bailey, was the daughter of 
 Barzilla Bailey, and met her husband in 
 Union Springs, though she was born in New 
 Jersey. After leaving the Springs, they came 
 to Sheldrake; and Mr. Quigley also worked 
 in Rushford, Allegany County, and in Dans- 
 ville, Livingston County. 
 
 The ancient philosopher, Aristotle, has 
 said, "To become an able man in any profes- 
 sion, there are three things necessary — nat- 
 ure, study, and practice." Such a thought 
 was at the heart of Alanson Quigley's sub- 
 sequent career. Having now acquired some 
 money ahead, he decided to study dentistry; 
 and in 1858, at the by no means early age of 
 thirty-five, he entered the office of Dr. P. B. 
 Bristol, of Dansville, N.Y., where he re- 
 mained three years, opening an office for him- 
 self in 1862. After a successful practice 
 there of nearly fifteen years, Dr. Quigley de- 
 
 cided to try his hand in a larger and more 
 growing place ; and this brought him to Au- 
 burn, February 13, 1875, when he bought the 
 solid old brick house at No. 14 Owasco 
 Street, where the family still resides, and 
 where his office also is situated. With his 
 experience, years, and vigorous physique, he 
 was soon able to gain a large patronage. He 
 belongs to the Seventh District Dental Asso- 
 ciation, and owns several houses and lots of 
 land in the city, having acquired his large 
 property solely by his own exertions. 
 
 Dr. and Mrs. Quigley have had two chil- 
 dren, though the younger daughter, Geor- 
 giana, born in 1851, was snatched from their 
 arms at the beautiful age of seventeen. The 
 elder daughter, Sarah Catherine Quigley, 
 born in 1849, is the wife of Adam Burkhart, 
 of Dansville; and they have two children: 
 George Alanson P. Burkhart, named for his 
 grandfathers; and Minerva Louisa Burkhart, 
 named for her grandmothers. 
 
 EFFERSON TRIPP ranks among the 
 prosperous farmers of Cayuga County, 
 the record of whose lives fills an im- 
 portant place in this volume. He is a native 
 of New York, born February 29, 1824, in 
 the town of Washington, Dutchess County, 
 which was the home of many of his ancestors. 
 There his great-grandfather, Timothy Tripp, 
 who was a life-long resident of the place, was 
 born February 22, 171 8, and in November, 
 1751, twenty -three years later, became the 
 father of a son, Samuel Tripp. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 One hundred years ago, on the 6th of April, 
 1794, was born to Samuel and his wife Mary 
 a son named for his father, his birth occurring 
 in Dutchess County, where he was reared and 
 educated. Samuel Tripp, Jr., was a farmer 
 by occupation, owning quite a tract of land in 
 that vicinity. Disposing of that property at 
 a good advantage, he came to Cayuga County 
 in 1836, making the journey from Albany to 
 Montezuma by the canal, and, having looked 
 over the intervening country, decided to settle 
 in this locality. He accordingly bought one 
 hundred and twenty-five acres of land in the 
 town of Ledyard, on which a good house had 
 been erected, and resumed his former voca- 
 tion, which was hereditary. He carried on 
 the improvements already begun, and in a few 
 years had a productive farm, well under culti- 
 vation, and in excellent condition. Here he 
 lived until 1859, when he retired from active 
 labor, spending his last days in serene and 
 quiet contentment. His wife, Alpha Arnold, 
 was a native of Quaker Hill, Dutchess 
 County, being a daughter of David and Mary 
 Arnold, the latter of whom lived to the vener- 
 able age of one hundred and one years. Of 
 their union five children were born, namely: 
 Alfred A., born August 23, 1822; Jefferson; 
 Helen, born April 7, 1832; David A., born 
 March 5, 1836; and Mary A., born December 
 20, 1839. With the exception of the second 
 son, all the members of this family have 
 passed on to the higher life, the mother dying 
 at the home of her surviving son, in the town 
 of Levanna, in the year 1881. 
 
 Jefferson Tripp was twelve years old when 
 
 he came to Ledyard, where he finished his 
 education in the district schools. When out 
 of school, he assisted his father on the home- 
 stead, thus obtaining a practical knowledge of 
 agriculture in various branches, and after 
 the death of his father managed the home 
 farm. 
 
 In 1874, purchasing a place at Levanna, he 
 at once set to work repairing and improving 
 the buildings, and placing the fertile land in 
 excellent productive condition. Of the many 
 enterprising and progressive agriculturists 
 and esteemed citizens of Ledyard Mr. Tripp 
 is a worthy representative, his life record 
 being creditable to himself, and also to his 
 good parents, who reared him in the paths of 
 industry and integrity, instilling into his 
 youthful mind those lessons of truthfulness, 
 honesty, and justice that have been his guid- 
 ing principles through life. He is a man of 
 much force of character, possessing the cour- 
 age of his convictions, being in political 
 affairs independent in his views, although he 
 was formerly a Republican, and cast his first 
 vote, in 1848, for Zachary Taylor. 
 
 An important event in the life of Mr. 
 Tripp was his marriage with Aurelia D. Hud- 
 son, which was solemnized in March, 1866. 
 Mrs. Tripp is the daughter of Pitts and Julia 
 (Oatman) Hudson, who were respected resi- 
 dents of Scipio, Cayuga County, her grand- 
 parents having been Richard and Anna (Pitts) 
 Hudson. A brother of Mrs. Tripp, Pitts O. 
 Hudson, served in the war of the late Rebell- 
 ion, taking an active part in many engage- 
 ments. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 " Into each life some rain must fall." 
 
 The truth which here finds poetic expression 
 is exemplified in the household of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Tripp; for, of the four children born of 
 their union, all passed away in the tender, 
 budding infancy, to bloom in the bright world 
 beyond. 
 
 " ' My Lord has need of these flowerets gay,' 
 The Reaper said, and smiled : 
 ' Dear tokens of the earth are they. 
 Where he was once a child.' 
 
 " And the mother gave, in tears and pain. 
 The flowers she most did love ; 
 She knew she should find them all again 
 In the fields of light above." 
 
 -OSEPH HARRISON PEARSON. 
 Sydney Smith has written: "Whatever 
 you are from nature, keep to it: never 
 desert your own line of talent. Be what nat- 
 ure intended you for, and you will succeed: 
 be anything else, and you will be ten thou- 
 sand times worse than nothing." The gentle- 
 man whose name stands at the head of this 
 sketch has shown by his career that he under- 
 stands fully the thought of this witty divine; 
 for he has measured his own ability, and 
 hewn his way straight to the line thus marked 
 out. 
 
 Mr. Pearson is a prominent coal-dealer in 
 the city of Auburn, where he has been a resi- 
 dent since 1869; but he is still better known 
 for his generous connection with the fire de- 
 partment of the city, upon which he has lav- 
 ished time, pains, and money. He was born 
 
 in the town of Bethlehem, Albany County, 
 December 9, 1843, the son of John and Maria 
 (Springstead) Pearson, both members of the 
 Church of the Disciples. The Pearsons are 
 descended from New England Puritan immi- 
 grants, and the Springsteads from German 
 immigrants in New York. Mr. John Pearson 
 was born in 1805, and died of old age, at 
 seventy-five, in 1880. He was a blacksmith 
 in his early days; but in 1848 he took up his 
 residence in the town of Cato, as a farmer. 
 There he remained over thirty years, or till 
 about the time of the United States Centen- 
 nial Celebration, when he rested from his 
 labors, and retired to Cato Village for his de- 
 clining years. 
 
 His son, Joseph Harrison Pearson, attended 
 school and worked on the home farm till he 
 was eighteen, when the Southern Rebellion 
 began. He did not wait for the draft, nor 
 even for President Lincoln's urgent calls for 
 three hundred thousand more, but enlisted as 
 a private when the war first broke out, in 
 April, 1861, in Company G of the. Nine- 
 teenth New York Volunteer Infantry, at 
 Weedsport. This regiment was under Fred- 
 erick Seward, and was ordered at once to the 
 Army of the Potomac. Though going out 
 among the three months' men under the first 
 national call, Mr. Pearson stayed in the ser- 
 vice till the next year, when he was dis- 
 charged, and came back to the home farm. A 
 few years later, in 1869, when he was twenty- 
 six, he came to Auburn, and opened a store 
 for the sale of general merchandise, which he 
 carried on for a score of years. Part of the 
 
John. B, Shrnk, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 223 
 
 time he was senior member of the firm of 
 Pearson & Rogers, and part of the time he 
 was without a partner. For a year he was in 
 the crockery business, and then turned his 
 attention to coal, opening a yard near the 
 Lehigh Valley Railroad, and doing the larg- 
 est business of that kind in the neighborhood. 
 In 1893 he sold out his yard, and is now in- 
 terested in the firm of D. Clapp & Co. He 
 also has been an extensive dealer in real es- 
 tate, owning a number of houses. As an 
 earnest Republican in politics, he has be- 
 longed to the ward and county committees. 
 
 In 1875 he married Hannah Stark, daughter 
 of Orange and Menuda Stark, of Cato; and 
 they have one child, J. Harrison Pearson, born 
 in 1878. Their home is in a very pleasant 
 house at No. 10 Lincoln Street. Mr. Pearson 
 belongs to Cato Lodge of Free Masons, and 
 also to King David Chapter, R. A. M.. and 
 Salem Town Commandery, Knights Templars. 
 Of the latter he was Commander at the time 
 of the meeting of the State Commandery in 
 Auburn several years ago. Of the Salem 
 Town Consistory he is also a member, and 
 was very active in its organization, having 
 been for two years the Thrice Potent Grand 
 Master, and a delegate to several triennial 
 conventions. 
 
 His most notable service has been for the 
 protection of the city, by his sagacious inter- 
 est in its fire department, wherewith he has 
 been associated a quarter of a century — in 
 fact, ever since coming to Auburn. He was 
 first a member of the Union Hose Company, 
 next he was assistant foreman and engineer. 
 
 and since 1880 he has been Fire Commis- 
 sioner. In this capacity he was an active 
 promoter of the change in the fire depart- 
 ment, which made it a regularly paid branch 
 of the municipal administration, instead of 
 leaving it dependent on voluntary and tran- 
 sient efforts. His interest in this matter has 
 been practical as well as theoretical. Half a 
 dozen times he has travelled to different parts 
 of the country to attend the national conven- 
 tions of chief engineers and fire commis- 
 sioners, and bring home the best suggestions 
 he could gather. The chemical apparatus was 
 adopted largely through his agency; and the 
 Hayes truck he procured on his personal re- 
 sponsibility, holding it till the city saw its 
 value, and took it off his hands, repaying the 
 three thousand dollars it cost, of which Mr. 
 Pearson had furnished two thousand and the 
 firemen the other one thousand. Upon its 
 brave firemen the community is largely de- 
 pendent, not only for extinguishing a confla- 
 gration, but for that stitch in time which saves 
 nine; and their efficiency is measured by the 
 completeness of their equipment. Mr. Pear- 
 son is not one of those of whom an ancient 
 writer has said, " Cowards do not count in 
 battle: they are there, but not in it"; for he 
 has borne nobly his shield in the conflict of 
 life, both for his city and country. 
 
 fs^OHN B. SHANK, a substantial and 
 prosperous farmer and a respected citi- 
 zen of Aurelius, is deserving of men- 
 tion in this biographical volume, being a 
 
224 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 worthy descendant of a representative pioneer 
 of Cayuga County. He was born in Spring- 
 port, N.Y., August 28, 181 5, of German an- 
 tecedents, his great-grandfather, John Shank, 
 having emigrated from Germany to New Jer- 
 sey, where he bought land and became a per- 
 manent resident. 
 
 A son of the emigrant, also named John 
 Shank, was born in New Jersey, and there 
 reared to agricultural pursuits. After follow- 
 ing that occupation for a few years in his na- 
 tive State, he and his family, accompanied by 
 a neighboring farmer named Yawger, started 
 for the Western frontier, making their way 
 through the almost pathless woods with their 
 household goods in a covered wagon. Com- 
 ing directly to this county, they settled in 
 Springport, their first step in establishing 
 themselves being to build a log house, in 
 which both families lived until the next 
 spring. Mr. Shank then took up one hundred 
 acres of land about one-half a mile from the 
 village of Union Springs, and at once began 
 to fell the trees and prepare the ground for 
 cultivation. There were no markets in the 
 vicinity, they even being obliged to go to 
 Montezuma to get their horses shod. Little 
 do the people of these later generations real- 
 ize the hardships and the trials endured, the 
 great ambition required, and the physical en- 
 durance demanded to secure the homes es- 
 tablished by the pioneers for themselves and 
 their descendants. How well they succeeded 
 in their efforts, the broad expanse of culti- 
 vated fields and the large and productive or- 
 chards that occupy the place formerly covered 
 
 by a dense forest, the commodious and even 
 elegant residences that have superseded the 
 log cabin, and the long trains of palace cars 
 that are used for transportation in place of 
 the wagon drawn by oxen or by horses, are a 
 strong testimony. What are now considered 
 indispensable necessaries of the larder were 
 then luxuries not thought of by the most opu- 
 lent. Every one lived on the productions of 
 the farm and dressed in garments of home- 
 spun. Mr. Shank and his wife, whose maiden 
 name was Eve Barrick, and who was a native 
 of New Jersey, spent the remainder of their 
 days on their homestead, the graves of both 
 being in the rural cemetery of Springport. 
 
 Peter Shank, son of John, Jr., and Eve 
 (Barrick) Shank, was born in Hunterdon 
 County, New Jersey, being very young when 
 he came with his parents to Springport, where 
 he obtained his education in the district 
 schools. In the pioneer labor of clearing a 
 farm he was of great assistance to his father, 
 who later in life gave him a portion of the 
 homestead on which he had so faithfully la- 
 bored. He married Rachel Rogers, a daugh- 
 ter of Robert and Mary (Lyon) Rogers, of 
 Pennsylvania. Mr. Shank lived but a few 
 years after his marriage, dying when only 
 thirty-two years of age, leaving his widow 
 with three small children — Elizabeth, John 
 B., and Robert R. Subsequently the mother 
 became the wife of Isaac Shank, a brother of 
 her iirst husband. The brothers had been 
 joint owners of the farm, and Isaac at once 
 took possession; and it is still in the family. 
 The children born of the union of Mr. and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 225 
 
 Mrs. Isaac Shank were as follows : Hulbert 
 B., Jesse L., Isaac V., Jotham W., Peter, 
 Phoebe A., Effie A., Jerome V., and Alex- 
 ander R. The father of these children pre- 
 ceded Mrs. Shank to the brighter world 
 beyond, dying October 3, 1863, while she 
 lived until February 13, 1872. 
 
 John B. Shank, son of Peter and Rachel, 
 received the rudiments of his education in the 
 public schools of Springport, completing his 
 studies at the Cayuga Academy. Choosing 
 farming for his occupation, he made a practi- 
 cal study of the various branches of that in- 
 dustry; and, being a youth of energy and 
 ambition, with more than ordinary business 
 capacity, he bought a farm of his own when 
 only twenty years old, having to wait until he 
 attained his majority before the deeds could 
 be made out to him. Two or three years later 
 he sold that property at an advantage, and 
 purchased one in the neighborhood of his 
 present home, where he carried on general 
 farming for ten years. Disposing of that, 
 Mr. Shank next bought land east of the vil- 
 lage of Cayuga, residing there until he came 
 to the ancestral homestead, on which he has 
 been industriously engaged in agricultural 
 pursuits for the past forty-three years, meet- 
 ing with exceptionally good results. 
 
 Mr. Shank was united in marriage in 
 1839 to Mary A. Davis, daughter of Shannon 
 and Elizabeth (Adams) Davis, who bore him 
 four children — Mary L., Clarence D., Wal- 
 lace E., and Bell. Mary L. married John A. 
 Patterson, of Aurelius. They had one child, 
 Carrie A., who died at the age of seventeen 
 
 years. Clarence D., who married Ermina 
 Cadmus, of Cayuga County, has three chil- 
 dren — Robert C, John R., and Clarence D., 
 Jr. Wallace E., who married Romain Gere, 
 of Auburn, has five children — Anna B., 
 Myra L., Charles R., Edith R., and Karl R. 
 Bell, who became the wife of William Cad- 
 mus, of Cayuga County, has two children — 
 Harold S. and Jessie B. S. Death invaded 
 this happy household on October 12, 1879, 
 taking the wife and mother to the realms be- 
 yond. Among the family reminiscences cher- 
 ished by Mr. Shank's children is that of the 
 visit paid to their grandmother Davis in the 
 early part of the century by her sister, who 
 rode from Philadelphia to Aurelius on horse- 
 back, and returned the same way — a feat 
 of endurance and daring which few women 
 would think themselves able to accomplish 
 now. 
 
 Throughout his many years of residence in 
 Aurelius Mr. Shank has ever evinced a warm 
 interest in local progress and improvements, 
 heartily endorsing all enterprises calculated to 
 benefit the town, and has served acceptably in 
 various offices of trust, having been a member 
 of the Excise Committee, an Assessor, and in 
 the years 1857 and 1858 one of the Supervi- 
 sors. Politically, he is a stanch supporter of 
 the principles of the Republican party. 
 
 The interest of the foregoing brief record is 
 increased by the accompanying portrait of this 
 highly respected citizen, who has long been 
 an active, useful member of society, and now 
 in his eightieth year retains in an unusual de- 
 gree his mental and physical vigor. 
 
226 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 « 
 
 SHBEL W. CARR, for many years 
 )ustice of the Peace, and one of the 
 older residents of Union Springs, 
 was born in that village August i, 1826, the 
 son of Hartman and Ann (Brock) Carr. The 
 father was born at Johnstown, N.Y., in 1796, 
 and when two years old was brought to this 
 town. His father, James Carr, was a Revo- 
 lutionary soldier, and belonged to Rhode 
 Island. The great -great-grandfather was 
 General Caleb Carr, who came from the north 
 of Ireland, settling in Rhode Island, where 
 he raised a large family. At the time of his 
 marriage to Miss Margaret Morrell, James 
 Carr moved to Johnstown, and in 1798 came 
 to what is now Springport, and took up a sol- 
 dier's claim of six hundred and forty acres 
 located on Cayuga Lake, one and a half miles 
 south of Union Springs, living there until the 
 time of his death in 1846. Mrs. Carr died in 
 1848, leaving the following family: John, 
 Jacob, Alexander, Jonathan, Hartman, James, 
 Daniel, Margaret, Betsey, and Deborah. 
 
 Hartman Carr grew up on the old home- 
 stead, where he learned the trade of a brick- 
 maker, having a yard at what is known as 
 Carr's Cove, he in all probability being the 
 first brickmaker in this town. He was in 
 partnership with his brother Jonathan, and 
 made the bricks for most of the old brick 
 buildings in the town, and gave employment 
 to quite a number of men. He was for many 
 years Commissioner of Highways. In poli- 
 tics he was a Whig, and afterward a Repub- 
 lican. He was married to Miss Brock, who 
 was born at Fishkill in 1798, coming with 
 
 her father to this town, where he was engaged 
 in developing the plaster business. Mrs. 
 Carr reared a family of fourteen children, 
 of whom ten are now living. Mary J., 
 widow of Benjamin Yard, of Union Springs; 
 John, a resident of this town ; Margaret, who 
 died at the age of twenty; Ashbel W. ; Har- 
 rison, deceased; Jonathan, a resident of Au- 
 burn; Deborah, wife of E. Ho£f; Betsey, 
 deceased wife of A. K. Whittlesee, of Union 
 Springs; Henry C, a United States Game 
 Protector; Hartman; Ellen, wife of George 
 Hall, of Ann Arbor, Mich.; Glorain, wife of 
 Albert Stoddard, of Fairport, N.Y. ; and 
 Charles, who resides on the homestead. Mr. 
 Carr died in October, 1876, Mrs. Carr surviv- 
 ing him for ten years. 
 
 Ashbel W. Carr received his education in 
 the district schools, and when seventeen years 
 old learned the trade of a shoemaker, working 
 at that calling for twenty years, always keep- 
 ing his residence at Union Springs, although 
 he travelled considerably through Michigan, 
 Indiana, Wisconsin, and Illinois, when boots 
 and shoes were made by custom work. He 
 enlisted in the Nineteenth New York Volun- 
 teer Infantry as a musician, and was after- 
 ward transferred to the Third New York 
 Artillery, going to Newbern, N.C., and par- 
 ticipating in all the battles from that time up 
 to the surrender. He was discharged on ac- 
 count of injury to his lungs, at the Washing- 
 ton Hospital, March 26, 1862. He has since 
 lived at Union Springs, where he has been 
 Express Agent for a number of years, and was 
 also in the railroad service as baggage master. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 227 
 
 In 1876 he was elected a Justice of the Peace, 
 holding the office for sixteen years, until Jan- 
 uary I, 1893, which is the longest term of 
 service of any Justice of the Peace here. He 
 continued as baggage master until 1888, since 
 which time he has retired from business. He 
 is now Street Commissioner, and has built a 
 very nice home on Cayuga Street, near the 
 lake. He has several mineral springs on his 
 estate of much medicinal virtue. He has 
 been Town Collector for four years, School 
 Trustee for six years. Overseer of the Poor 
 for four years, Constable for twenty years, 
 and Deputy Sheriff for seven years. 
 
 He was married August 2, 1856, to Miss 
 Abbie Slocum, daughter of William Slocum, 
 an old resident of Union Springs, who came 
 here from Dutchess County. Mr. Carr is a 
 member of Hoff Post, Grand Army of the Re- 
 public, No. 494, of which he is the Com- 
 mander. He is one of the oldest and most 
 respected residents of Union Springs, and has 
 filled almost every town office in the gift of 
 the citizens with distinction and credit. 
 
 Tt^EV. LEVI BIRD, M.A., Ph.D., one 
 I i^V^ of the most active and prominent 
 ■*- V-^ ministers of Auburn, N.Y., now 
 pastor of the First Independent Congrega- 
 tional Church, was born at Walsall, England, 
 April II, 1857, and is the son of George and 
 Elizabeth (Burton) Bird. The father was 
 employed in iron works, where he occupied 
 the position of foreman. He left England 
 when his son Levi was quite a child, and 
 
 came to Hazleton, Pa., where he still lives, 
 but has retired from active pursuits. He was 
 a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church for forty years, being active in all 
 temperance work. 
 
 The subject of this biographical mention 
 received his early education at a town called 
 Freeland, which has now a population of 
 about seven thousand, but was then only a 
 small village. Here he attended the public 
 school, and also indulged in private reading. 
 Mr. Bird became a member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church at the age of eighteen ; and 
 before he had attained his twentieth year he 
 was engaged in local preaching, walking 
 eight or ten miles on a Sunday, after a hard 
 week's work, to preach in the various near-by 
 mining towns. During the time he was en- 
 gaged in local preaching he was connected 
 with the Danville District of Central Penn- 
 sylvania Conference. In 1879 he went to 
 Kansas, where he was employed as a cow-boy 
 on the plains, after which, becoming con- 
 vinced of the necessity of further mental 
 training and higher attainments in learning, 
 he spent one year at Park College, a Presby- 
 terian institute at Kansas City, Mo. In his 
 noble endeavor for higher education he had 
 confidence enough in his own ability to suc- 
 ceed under adverse circumstances, and started 
 out without sufficient money to pay for hotel 
 accommodations, carrying his trunk into and 
 out of the village, and, being unfamiliar with 
 the locality, not knowing the whereabouts of 
 the college, he slept the first night — a cool 
 one in October — out of doors, with only a 
 
228 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 fence for shelter and dogs barking to keep 
 him company. He afterward spent three 
 years and a half in study at Cazenovia, N.Y., 
 dependent upon his own resources for a liv- 
 ing. He engaged in all kinds of odd jobs, 
 shovelling snow, making gardens, and doing 
 anything of an honorable nature in the way of 
 work that he could get. In 1884 he was 
 graduated at Cazenovia College with class 
 honors in oratory, taking the prize, "Gris- 
 wold's Poets and Poetry of England and 
 America." Upon leaving Cazenovia, he 
 preached for one year at Cato in the Metho- 
 dist Episcopal church, and then went to Alle- 
 ghany College, at Meadville, Pa., where he 
 spent three years, taking the classical course, 
 graduating in the class of 1888, as Poet Lau- 
 reate of the class, and receiving his degree 
 of B.A. 
 
 On September 13, 1888, he was united in 
 marriage to Miss Mary Crouch, daughter of 
 the Rev. J. M. Crouch, who is a strong and 
 prominent member of the Erie Conference, an 
 ardent temperance man, and an active worker 
 against the various forms of evil too often 
 condoned by society. Mrs. Bird is a very 
 cultivated woman, having received her early 
 education at Grove College. She graduates 
 in the Chautauqua course this year. Dr. Bird 
 joined the Central New York Conference, lo- 
 cating first at Venice Centre, where he built 
 up the Genoa Charge on the Venice Centre 
 Circuit, and is known as the father of that 
 church. His next charge was Canoga, Seneca 
 County, where he was instrumental in raising 
 a heavy church debt of one thousand seven 
 
 hundred dollars at Fayette, the undertaking 
 having been given up by all previous pastors. 
 He here finished his four years' course of 
 study in two, and was ordained an Elder at 
 Cortland. He then began the post-graduate 
 course in Alleghany College, receiving the de- 
 gree of M.A. one year later. Continuing his 
 studies for three years more, he received the 
 degree of Ph.D. in June, 1893, feeling that 
 he had completed the course of education he 
 had planned for himself when a poor boy on 
 the Kansas plains. 
 
 In the fall of 1891 the Rev. Dr. Bird came 
 to Auburn, where he was appointed pastor of 
 Trinity Church, serving in that capacity for 
 two years, making a strong stand against in- 
 temperance. Sabbath desecration, and other 
 kindred evils, preaching a strong course 
 of sermons on the most glaring sins of the 
 time. 
 
 His sermons were so powerful and touched 
 upon the weak points of so many people that 
 he was indicted; but the indictment was 
 quashed. At the end of two years he had 
 established a very strong following of friends 
 and supporters; but his active and fearless 
 denouncement of evil-doers in high and low 
 places did not meet with the approbation of 
 others in the conference. Charges were made 
 against him to the bishop, who appointed him 
 to one of the smallest churches in his district. 
 Feeling that his work was specially laid 
 out in larger fields. Dr. Bird withdrew from 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, and, with 
 many of his old members and friends, estab- 
 lished the Independent Congregational Pro- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 229 
 
 hibition Church, which is now in a very 
 prosperous condition, and promises to become 
 one of the strongest churches in this city. 
 Services are held at present in the Steel 
 Block, the membership continually growing 
 and increasing in strength. Dr. Bird is now 
 preaching a series of sermons on "Auburn's 
 Gilded Ways to Hell." He has delivered a 
 series of sermons on "Catholicism and the 
 Threatening Dangers of the Day." He is an 
 ardent Prohibitionist, and is one of the most 
 active speakers of the party in this part of the 
 State. The Rev. Dr. Bird has illustrated in 
 his own life the power of energy and perse- 
 verance in overcoming almost insurmountable 
 obstacles. His splendid example of obtain- 
 ing a thorough and wide education, without 
 adequate means at the start, is an object les- 
 son to every aspiring young man. During 
 his whole life he has ever been an ardent be- 
 liever and upholder of the truths of the Holy 
 Scriptures, his pure and blameless life being 
 a testimony to his faith. 
 
 ^-pVTVANVILLE E. KENYON, Presi- 
 I I I ^^"'- °^ *^^ village of Moravia, 
 H -L v_^ and editor of the Moravia Valley 
 Register, was born in the town of Colesville, 
 Broome County, N.Y., June 19, 1833, the 
 son of the Rev. John L. Kenyon, a Baptist 
 clergyman, who was born in Berlin, N.Y., 
 October 16, 1807, and Rhoda S. (Lewis) 
 Kenyon, born in Petersburg, N.Y., in 1809. 
 His paternal grandfather, Wells Kenyon, 
 came from Hopkinton, R.I., and was a soldier 
 
 in the War of the Revolution. His maternal 
 grandfather, the .Rev. Zebulon Lewis, came 
 from Stonington, Conn., and was one of the 
 early Methodist Episcopal ministers of Rens- 
 selaer County. Two daughters were also born 
 to the Rev. John L. and Rhoda S. Kenyon: 
 Elvira M., wife of Charles W. Tinker, of 
 Moravia; and Angeline L., who died in 1859. 
 Manville E. Kenyon was doubly orphaned 
 when less than eight years of age, and with 
 his younger sister Angeline was adopted by 
 Mr. and Mrs. Knight Springer, farmers in 
 the town of Sempronius. He worked upon 
 the farm, and attended the district school, 
 and in 1851-52 finished his education with 
 two terms in Skaneateles Academy. In 1853 
 he entered the store of P. H. Van Schaick, at 
 Sempronius, as a clerk. He continued this 
 occupation for the next five years, in Sem- 
 pronius, Rome, Moravia, and Auburn, and 
 was married August 19, 1858, to Miss Marion 
 M. Mather, daughter of Jehiel Mather, Esq., 
 of Sempronius. In 1859, in partnership with 
 T. W. Edmonds, he engaged in mercantile 
 business at Kelloggsville, N.Y., under the 
 firm name of Kenyon & Edmonds. In 1868 
 he returned to Moravia, sold goods for the 
 next two years, and in 1870, as Assistant 
 Marshal, took the United States census in the 
 towns of Moravia, Niles, and Owasco. Janu- 
 ary I, 1 87 1, he bought the Moravia Courier, 
 a weekly paper, changed its name to the Mo- 
 ravia Valley Register, in which he inaugu- 
 rated many improvements, largely increased 
 its circulation, and has ever since continued 
 its editor and publisher. 
 
230 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Kenyon is serving his third term as 
 President of Moravia Village. He is also 
 President of the Board of Education, of which 
 he has been ten years a member, and Presi- 
 dent of Powers Library Association. He was 
 elected a Justice of the Peace in 1882, and 
 Associate Justice of the County Court in 
 1885. He was the Democratic candidate for 
 member of Assembly in 1882 and 1883, and 
 in 1893 the candidate of his party for State 
 Senator. He was also a member of the State 
 conventions which nominated Grover Cleve- 
 land for Governor in 1882, Roswell P. Flower 
 in 1891, and David B. Hill in 1894. 
 
 He was made a Mason in 1866, has served 
 three years as Master of Sylvan Lodge, No. 
 41, and is a member of the Ancient and Ac- 
 cepted Scottish Rites. He has been Master 
 Workman of Moravia Lodge, American Order 
 of United Workmen, for ten years, and twelve 
 years its representative in the Grand Lodge. 
 He is also a Past Chancellor of Me-na-a-tha 
 Lodge, Knights of Pythias. He has been 
 many years an attendant at and supporter of 
 the Baptist church in Moravia, and a Trustee 
 of the same since 1883. 
 
 The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon 
 have been two: Amelia S., who died in 1862, 
 at the age of three years; and John Leland 
 Kenyon, who is associated with his father in 
 the printing and publishing business, the firm 
 name being M. E. Kenyon & Son. The high 
 esteem in which Mr. Kenyon is held in town 
 and county, and the position which he occu- 
 pies, is the result of his own industry, hon- 
 esty, and integrity. 
 
 AMES VAN DUWYNE, a successful 
 farmer residing about a mile south of 
 Auburn, Cayuga County, N.Y., was 
 born in Sempronius, March 19, 1823. His 
 father, John Van Duwyne, was a native of 
 Morris County, New Jersey, and was one of 
 the early settlers of Cayuga County, coming 
 there with his family from New Jersey, mak- 
 ing the journey, as was the custom in those 
 days, with a horse team, a very arduous under- 
 taking. He owned some property in his na- 
 tive State, which he traded for three hundred 
 acres of timber land in Cayuga County, in 
 what is now the town of Niles, then a part of 
 Sempronius. Upon this he built a log house 
 and barn, afterward purchasing thirty acres 
 more land and building a fine frame farm- 
 house. He cultivated his large farm with 
 great success, departing this life at the ad- 
 vanced age of eighty-seven, after leading an 
 honorable and upright life. He was twice 
 married. By his first marriage he had four 
 children — Henry, John, Margaret, and Peter. 
 By his second union, with the widow of Asa 
 Jackson, a daughter of James Van Tine, of 
 Pennsylvania, he had one son, James. 
 
 James Van Duwyne, the youngest of the 
 family, was educated in the district school. 
 At the age of twenty he commenced farming 
 on a portion of his father's property, his par- 
 ents afterward moving to his home, where 
 they spent their declining years. In 1853 he 
 received as his share a third of the old home- 
 stead, which he sold, removing to Ontario 
 County, New York, near Clifton Springs, 
 .where he engaged in farming, afterward mov- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 231 
 
 ing to the town of Phelps in the same county, 
 and remaining there four years. He next 
 went to Aurelius, Cayuga County, where he 
 lived for a year and a half, then bought a 
 farm near the foot of Owasco Lake. Four 
 days after he bought the property, and before 
 he had taken possession of it, the house was 
 consumed by fire, the family having to live in 
 the wagon-house until a new dwelling could 
 be built. He remained at Owasco for two 
 years, and then bought the farm upon which 
 he now resides. 
 
 Mr. Van Duwyne was married on Septem- 
 ber 19, 1847, to Augusta E. Harris, a native 
 of Great Harrington, Mass., the daughter of 
 William and Melinda (Rockefeller) Harris, 
 natives of Massachusetts, Mrs. Van Duwyne 
 being a cousin to John D. Rockefeller, the 
 celebrated "oil king." 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Van Duwyne have six chil- 
 dren, namely: Mary E., Mrs. M. Whitlock, 
 who resides in Michigan, and has two chil- 
 dren — Fred D. and Nellie A. Whitlock, her 
 son having a wife and one child, Marie; 
 William H., a baker, in Auburn, who is mar- 
 ried to Miss Emmeline Brace, and has one 
 child, Jessie; James O., who is proprietor of 
 a laundry in Auburn, and is married to Miss 
 Sarah Bainbridge, they having also one child, 
 Clara; Carrie M., married to John Q. Adams, 
 a carpenter and builder, the parents of two 
 children. May and Van Duwyne, both of 
 whom are dead. The two younger sons, J. 
 Burr and Frank W., both reside with their 
 parents. Mr. Van Duwyne and family are 
 members of the First Presbyterian Church of 
 
 Auburn. In politics Mr. Van Duwyne is a 
 Democrat. During his long and busy life 
 amid varied scenes and surroundings he has 
 always enjoyed the fullest confidence and es- 
 teem of his neighbors, and can look back with 
 complacency upon a life well spent. 
 
 "-fTJSATRICK SETRIGHT, late of the 
 \\^ town of Cato, was for many years 
 well known throughout this vicinity 
 as an industrious and enterprising farmer, a 
 patriotic citizen, a kind neighbor, a loving 
 husband and father; and his death, which 
 occurred March 16, 1883, at the homestead 
 where he had so long resided, was a cause of 
 general regret. 
 
 Mr. Setright was a native of Ireland, the 
 year of his birth being 1836. When a lad of 
 twelve years or thereabouts, he had the mis- 
 fortune to lose his father; and two years later, 
 in 1850, he and his widowed mother left their 
 old home, and, coming to the United States, 
 took up their abode in the town of Cato. 
 Here Patrick, who was a manly and industri- 
 ous lad, soon began his agricultural career, 
 and worked as a farm laborer by the month for 
 several years. He had early in life been im- 
 pressed with the necessity of saving his earn- 
 ings; and in course of time he had accumu- 
 lated some money, which he invested in land. 
 The Civil War being now in progress, he 
 offered his services in defence of his adopted 
 country, enlisting September i, 1864, in 
 Company C, Ninth New York Volunteer In- 
 fantry, under the command of Captain M. B. 
 
232 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Burkes, afterward taking part in several en- 
 gagements. On the morning of October 19, 
 1864, occurred the battle of Cedar Creek; 
 and here Mr. Setright received a severe 
 wound, but remained with the army until 
 July, 1865, when he received his honorable 
 discharge. Returning to Cato, he resumed 
 his occupation, on the farm which he had 
 previously bought, and where his widow now 
 resides. His first purchase consisted of 
 sixty-two acres of land, mostly unimproved; 
 and on this he labored with unceasing toil 
 until he had it under good cultivation, with 
 substantial improvements. As time moved 
 on, he bought more land, at the tinie of his 
 death his homstead containing ninety-eight 
 acres of rich and productive land. He was 
 a hard-working, honest, and highly respected 
 man, trustworthy and honorable in every way. 
 Mr. Setright was united in the bonds of 
 matrimony on March 17, 1866, with Bridget 
 Griffin, who was born in Ireland, February 
 I, 1843. Her parents, John and Mary 
 Griffin, who were both also natives of the 
 Emerald Isle, and were there reared and mar- 
 ried, came to America, as the poor man's 
 paradise, hoping to improve their financial 
 condition, and settled in New York State. 
 Mr. Griffin was a farmer by occupation, but 
 has also been engaged in public works; and 
 he and his good wife are both living in Cato, 
 he being a hale and hearty old gentleman of 
 eighty-three years, while Mrs. Griffin lightly 
 bears her seventy years. They reared four 
 children, all of whom are living, namely: 
 Mrs. Setright; James, who tends the main 
 
 gate at the State prison in Auburn ; John, 
 who lives in Cato, near the village of Merid- 
 ian; and Bartholomew, a resident of San 
 Franciso, Cal. 
 
 Mrs. Setright is a woman of superior busi- 
 ness ability, and since the death of her hus- 
 band has superintended the management of 
 the estate with excellent success. She has 
 continued the improvements already begun, 
 keeping the buildings erected by her husband 
 in thorough repair; and her fine homestead 
 bears evidence of -the thrift and enterprise 
 which first established it, and by which it has 
 since been carried on. She and her family 
 are esteemed members of the Catholic church, 
 as was Mr. Setright ; and he was also a strong 
 Democrat in his political views. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Setright reared six children, namely: 
 Mary, the wife of Peter O'Neil, a farmer in 
 Cato; Margaret; John; Ella; Patrick; and 
 James. 
 
 MMETT RHODES, a prominent busi- 
 ness man of Auburn, was born at Pom- 
 pey Hill, Onondaga County, N.Y., February 
 i/i 1 85 5) and is the son of George Andrew 
 and Charlotte C. (Young) Rhodes. His 
 father was born in the town of Lansing, 
 Tomp^kins County, the family being among 
 the early settlers in that town, taking up and 
 cultivating government land with marked suc- 
 cess, the old homestead never leaving the 
 family from the time of the grandfather, 
 Henry Rhodes. 
 
 George A. Rhodes received his education at 
 the academy of Genoa, in which institution he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 233 
 
 was afterward a teacher, being known as a fine 
 classical scholar, and one of the best educated 
 men in the vicinity. His life was mainly 
 spent on his farm at Genoa, where he removed 
 in 1857. He was a member of tlie Methodist 
 Episcopal church, of which he was an official 
 for many years. His death occurred at his 
 home in March, 1886. Mrs. Rhodes is a 
 native of the town of Locke, her father, 
 Hiram Young, being one of the early set- 
 tlers of Cayuga County. He was a veteran of 
 the Revolutionary War from this State. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Rhodes reared a family of seven 
 children, namely: Marion, wife of Charles 
 W. Hall, of Groton, N.Y. ; G. Dana, of El- 
 mira; Emmett; Wilbur C, of Binghamton; 
 John F., of Pennsylvania; Flora Ann, wife 
 of William Price, of Trumansburg; and 
 Hiram Henry, a resident of Kansas. 
 
 The home of Emmett Rhodes being situated 
 two miles from the nearest school, he received 
 his early education under the tuition of his 
 father. At the age of sixteen years he left 
 home to make his own way in the world; 
 and by industry he secured money enough to 
 enable him to attend the high school at 
 Ithaca, N.Y. On the completion of his 
 school life he began teaching school in Penn- 
 sylvania, and was later occupied in the same 
 profession in this county for several terms, 
 until the year 1879, when he went to Ithaca, 
 and engaged in the fire insurance business. 
 He afterward moved to Canandaigua, where he 
 bought out the firm of Couch & Co., but, sell- 
 ing out, was appointed special agent on the 
 road for the Continental Fire Insurance Com- 
 
 pany, spending most of his time at headquar- 
 ters in Wilmington, Del., and Baltimore. In 
 1885 he accepted the position of General 
 Agent of the Equitable Life Insurance Com- 
 pany, with headquarters at Auburn, in which 
 city he has built up a splendid business for 
 the company. 
 
 Mr. Rhodes was united in marriage April 
 21, 1881, to Miss Louie Miller, of Aurora, 
 N.Y., and has three children — Edith, Clar- 
 ence Dana, and Harold E. Rhodes. 
 
 Mr. Rhodes is a member of the First Meth- 
 odist Episcopal Church, of which he is a 
 Trustee and Treasurer of the Board of Trus- 
 tees, and also of the church. He is also a 
 member of the Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows, and of the Auburn City Club. Mr. 
 Rhodes has always taken an active interest in 
 the work of the Young Men's Christian Asso- 
 ciation, and has been a member of the Board 
 of Managers most of the time, and President 
 of the same for the last two years. During 
 the two years of his Presidency the Board has 
 cleared off an indebtedness of twenty thousand 
 dollars which was incurred in the erection of 
 the present fine building, which cost seventy- 
 five thousand dollars. 
 
 He has taken an active part in Republican 
 politics in the city and county, and has served 
 as delegate to many of the conventions. He 
 is a member of the Common Council, having 
 been elected Alderman in 1894 by a majority 
 of nearly two hundred from the Second Ward. 
 Mr. Rhodes has always been a hard and inde- 
 fatigable worker in everything he has taken 
 up, and his present success is due to his de- 
 
234 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 termination to conquer all obstacles. His 
 sterling worth and integrity have been duly 
 noted, and in whatever position he may serve 
 his city it can be assured of receiving his best 
 efforts. 
 
 iDWIN H. BALL, an extensive and 
 well-to-do agriculturist . in the early 
 prime of life, is prosperously engaged in his 
 independent vocation on one of the pleasantest 
 and most desirable homesteads in the town of 
 Sennett. It has a fine location in District 
 No. 6, and comprises one hundred and 
 seventy-five acres of fertile land under excel- 
 lent cultivation, and, with its comfortable and 
 convenient set of buildings and their neat and 
 tasteful surroundings, invariably attracts the 
 attention of the passer-by, and indicates to 
 what good purpose the proprietor has em- 
 ployed his time and means. His entire life 
 has been passed on the farm which he now 
 occupies, his birth having occurred here on 
 the 17th of March, 1859. He is the descend- 
 ant of a New Jersey family of stability and 
 worth, his father, Harvey Ball, having been 
 born in that State, January 18, 1809, and his 
 paternal grandfather, Samuel Ball, having 
 first seen the light of this world in the same 
 place, August 8, 1779. 
 
 Samuel Ball, who was a farmer of industri- 
 ous habits, spent the earlier years of his life 
 in the State of his nativity; but in 1824, 
 thinking to improve his chances for making 
 a fortune, he migrated to this part of New 
 York, bringing with him his wife and chil- 
 dren and all of their worldly effects, and set- 
 
 tled in Cayuga County. The journey was 
 made with teams, that being the most ex- 
 peditious mode of travelling in those primi- 
 tive days, before the country was spanned by 
 the network of railways and canals that now 
 render journeying so pleasant and rapid. He 
 bought a tract of densely wooded land that is 
 now included in the homestead of Edwin, and 
 began to clear it for cultivation. He erected 
 a house and barn, tilled sufficient land to 
 make a good living for himself and family, 
 and continued to reside here until his death, 
 December 17, 1854. The maiden name of his 
 wife, who survived him, dying on the home- 
 stead, September 17, 1859, was Mary Baldwin ; 
 and of their union four children were born, as 
 follows: Stephen, Maria, Hetty, and Harvey. 
 Harvey Ball, who took kindly to agricult- 
 ural pursuits in the days of his youth, suc- 
 ceeded his father in the ownership of the old 
 homestead, and here carried on general farm- 
 ing to a considerable extent the remainder of 
 his days. He spent an active and useful life, 
 rounding out five more years than the allotted 
 threescore and ten, departing from the scenes 
 of his earthly labors October 27, 1884. On 
 December 26, 1843, he was united in mar- 
 riage to Janet Dixon, who was born in the 
 town of Brutus, Cayuga County, being a 
 daughter of Moses and Jenny Dixon. She 
 survived her husband, and now makes her 
 home with her children, spending a large por- 
 tion of her time on the old homestead, with 
 her son Edwin. Of the children born to her 
 and her husband three are now living, Frank 
 and William being residents of Brutus. 
 
JoNfls Wood. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 237 
 
 Edwin H. Ball, the youngest of these sons, 
 spent the days of his childhood and youth in 
 very much the same manner as most farmers' 
 boys, attending school and helping in the 
 labors of the farm. He obtained a practical 
 knowledge of the science and art of agricult- 
 ure, and, as he reached maturer years, de- 
 cided on farming as his life occupation. On 
 the death of his father he succeeded him in 
 the ownership of the family homestead, and 
 has since carried on general farming with 
 ability and success. He has increased its 
 original acreage by the purchase of thirty-five 
 acres of adjacent land, and his added improve- 
 ments have all been of a most excellent 
 character. 
 
 Mr. Ball was married November 3, 1886, 
 Miss Elsie Peterson, a native of Fleming, 
 this county, and a daughter of Cornelius and 
 Helen Peterson, becoming his wife. Their 
 pleasant home circle includes two bright little 
 girls — Nettie Maud and Florence Augusta. 
 Mrs. Ball, who is a true Christian woman, 
 sharing with her husband the respect of the 
 community, is an esteemed member of the 
 Presbyterian church. Mr. Ball is politically 
 a champion of the principles of the Repub- 
 lican party, and, bearing a good reputation 
 throughout the community for honor and in- 
 tegrity, is a worthy member of society. 
 
 fONAS WOOD, an esteemed and thriv- 
 ing agriculturist of Cayuga County, 
 whose labors at an early period of his 
 life as a civil engineer gave him a thorough 
 
 acquaintance with its territory, was born in 
 the town of Venice, February 5, 1817. The 
 progenitors of the Wood family in America 
 were natives of Yorkshire, England, and were 
 a sturdy and industrious race of people. The 
 first member to come to America was Timothy 
 Wood, who settled in Long Island many years 
 prior to the Revolution, and was there the 
 victim of the wily Indians, who killed him 
 with poisoned arrows. He left three sons, 
 one of whom was the grandfather of the sub- 
 ject of the present biographical record, who 
 was named for him. 
 
 Jonas Wood, the elder, removed to Orange 
 County after the death of his father; but, 
 hearing glowing descriptions of this part of 
 the Empire State, which was looked upon by 
 many as the emigrant's Eldorado, he resolved 
 to see it, and to make it his future home if he 
 found that it sustained its inviting reputation. 
 Following the trail of the Indians from 
 Orange County to Cayuga County on horse- 
 back, he came to Venice in the very early 
 days of its settlement, and at a time when the 
 present city of Auburn contained but one 
 house. With a stout heart and a strong arm 
 he set to work; and ere long the ringing 
 blows of his axe might be heard as he felled 
 the mighty giants of the hitherto unbroken 
 forest to make a space on which he might 
 erect a humble log cabin to shelter himself 
 and family. He succeeded well in his toil- 
 some efforts ; and on the homestead which he 
 reclaimed from the wilderness he spent the 
 remainder of his laborious life, reaching the 
 venerable age of eighty-seven years, nine 
 
238 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 months, and fifteen days. He married a 
 Miss Seward, a relative of the late W. H. 
 Seward. 
 
 David Wood, son of the first Jonas and 
 father of the second of the name, was born 
 during the residence of his parents in Orange 
 County, New York, and was there reared and 
 educated. Finding the life of a farmer con- 
 genial to his tastes, he began life on his own 
 account as a tiller of the soil in his native 
 county, remaining there until the year 1794, 
 when he joined his father, who had settled in 
 Venice the previous year. Selecting what he 
 deemed the most desirable land in this vicin- 
 ity, it being a tract near his father's home- 
 stead, he soon cleared an opening in the 
 primeval woods, and on it built the typical 
 log house of the pioneer, and for many years 
 afterward was one of the foremost in advanc- 
 ing the settlement of his adopted town. 
 Bears, deer, wild turkeys, and other game 
 were plentiful; and the Indians were numer- 
 ous, though not often unfriendly. On the farm 
 of Mr. Wood there is an Indian burial-ground, 
 covering forty acres. The words of the poet 
 aptly describe the transformation that rapidly 
 followed the advent of the pioneer: — 
 
 " The beech and elm and maple, and e'en the sturdy 
 
 oak, 
 All bowed beneath the power of the axe's cleaving 
 
 stroke ; 
 The red man moved afar, the forests disappeared. 
 And the prosp'ring pale-faced people their pleasant 
 
 homesteads reared." 
 
 The log house which was the first dwelling- 
 place of himself and wife was the birthplace 
 
 of seven of his sons, and was replaced in 18 17 
 by a substantial frame house. Owing to 
 unjust proceedings, he was forced to buy his 
 land twice; and, not having ready cash to pay 
 for it, he walked back to Orange County, and 
 threshed grain with a flail to earn money to 
 make the payments on his farm. He was a 
 man of indomitable resolution and persever- 
 ance, and made good success in his untiring 
 efforts, clearing an excellent farm, whereon 
 he resided until his death, at the venerable 
 age of eighty-three years. He married Mar- 
 garet Stewart, the daughter of Robert Stew- 
 art, whose parents emigrated from Scotland 
 to America in Colonial times. Of their 
 union the following - named ten children 
 were born: David, Laban, Austin, William, 
 John, Robert, Jonas, James, Margaret, and 
 Mary. 
 
 Jonas was the seventh son born to his par- 
 ents, and was accordingly supposed to possess 
 remarkable, not to say supernatural, powers, 
 and always known as Doctor. He received 
 a liberal education, completing his studies at 
 the Aurora Academy, from which he was 
 graduated with honors. He became a civil 
 engineer of note; and no man in the county is 
 more familiar with its topography than he, as 
 for thirty years he was engaged in surveying 
 land, and during the time visited every local- 
 ity. Mr. Wood has always resided on the 
 parental homestead, and, since having the 
 management of it, has made marked improve- 
 ments, having erected new buildings of mod- 
 ern construction, his barn and out-buildings 
 being commodious and convenient, and his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 239 
 
 farm amply supplied with the necessary ap- 
 pliances for carrying on agricultural opera- 
 tions. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Wood with Sarah A. 
 Slocum, daughter of Peleg and Eliza (Allen) 
 Slocum, of New Bedford, Mass., was cele- 
 brated November 25, 1840. Of this union 
 were born two sons — George S. and Fred E. 
 The latter, who died at the age of thirty-eight 
 years, married Georgie Thomas; and they 
 reared one son, Fred W. Wood, of Dryden. 
 George married Elizabeth Avery, of Genoa; 
 and they are the parents of four children — 
 Lilly, Pearl, Fred, and Frank. Lilly, the 
 eldest of these grand-daughters of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Wood, is the wife of George Hull, and 
 has two children — Florence and Mabel. 
 Pearl, the second, married Edwin B. Mosher, 
 of Poplar Ridge; and they have two children 
 — Sidney and George E. 
 
 Mr. Jonas Wood is a man of solid worth; 
 and his abilities have received due recognition 
 from his fellow-citizens, who have placed him 
 on the Board of School Trustees, and he has 
 also served as Justice of the Peace for eight 
 years. During the late Civil War he took 
 out a lawyer's license, and exercised his legal 
 talent to the advantage of many of his fellow- 
 townsmen. In Masonic circles he is promi- 
 nent, being a member of Cayuga Lodge, No. 
 221. In politics he votes the Republican 
 ticket. His first Presidential vote was cast 
 for Martin Van Buren, in 1840. 
 
 The reader will be interested to see on an- 
 other page a likeness of this well-known and 
 highly useful citizen. 
 
 ||rj|EV. ABNER WAKELItY, one of 
 the early settlers of Ledyard, Ca- 
 yuga County, N.Y., was born No- 
 vember 22, 1769, in the town of Roxbury, 
 Litchfield County, Conn. The family name 
 was formerly Wakelee. About the year 1830 
 a part of the family changed it to Wakely and 
 Wakeley, imitating the style of an English 
 branch of their ancestors; while a consider- 
 able number of those residing in this country 
 still retain the original orthography. Abner 
 was the youngest of a family of six children, 
 and in early life manifested strong religious 
 tendencies, as well as the gifts of a natural 
 orator and speaker. Few men could so arouse 
 and move an audience. He chose the minis- 
 try almost as a matter of course. Early in 
 his religious career he became a Presbyte- 
 rian Deacon, but subsequently joined the Bap- 
 tists, was ordained a Baptist minister, and 
 with this latter sect continued the labors of 
 his life. His wife, Ruth Baily, was born in 
 Litchfield County, Conn., April 7, 1771. 
 They were the parents of six children — 
 Nancy, Anne, Susan, Truman, Sally, and 
 William. 
 
 About 1806 they emigrated to Chenango 
 County, N.Y., where his active ministerial 
 work began. He also preached at Nunda, 
 N.Y., and other places. Believing his ser- 
 vices in the cause of religion should be 
 rendered without salary or compensation, it 
 therefore became necessary to provide other 
 means of support; and he associated farm- 
 ing therewith. Calls from newly organized 
 churches in Venice, Scipio, and Springport 
 
24°. 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 induced him to come to Cayuga County about 
 the year 1810. In the winter of 1810-11, 
 having selected a location for his home, he 
 journeyed to Albany by sleigh, purchasing 
 from Governor Daniel D. Tompkins lot No. 
 143 of the East Cayuga Indian Reservation, 
 situated in the town of Ledyard. With the 
 assistance of his sons, a fine farm was cleared 
 up, a house and barn were built, orchards 
 were planted; and, although he supplied from 
 two to three churches for nearly thirty years, 
 he was also a thrifty and successful farmer. 
 
 He was of an active mental temperament, 
 with a powerful frame and constitution. He 
 possessed strong reasoning powers and com- 
 mon sense, appreciated wit and humor to an 
 unusual degree, was a good story-teller, was 
 cheerful and hopeful, but, above all, pos- 
 sessed a charity, benevolence, and sympathy 
 that won the love of all who knew him. His 
 wisdom in counsel was often sought, and his 
 advice usually followed. He was tolerant 
 toward all other denominations, holding hu- 
 manity above creeds, works and life above 
 professions of faith; and the immortality of 
 the soul was his cardinal thought. Few min- 
 isters in this county have celebrated more 
 marriages or officiated at more funerals. In 
 his limited sphere none were more highly 
 esteemed and loved. He died November 4, 
 1845, in his seventy-sixth year. His wife 
 followed him March 18, 1847, also in her 
 seventy - sixth year. None of his children 
 are now living. His eldest son, Truman 
 Wakeley, long a well-known resident of 
 Cayuga County, spent most of his life here. 
 
 retaining the parental home many years after 
 his father's death. He, too, was a man of 
 unusual physical and mental power, esteemed 
 for his wisdom, integrity, and general worth. 
 He died November 14, 1880, in his eighty- 
 third year. His widow, Mrs. J. B. Wakeley, 
 now in her eighty-third year, still survives 
 him, and, with the family of her son, Charles 
 C. Wakeley, resides at Levana, in the town 
 of Ledyard, they being the only descendants 
 of the family now living in this county. 
 
 OHN W. COAPMAN, one of the fore- 
 most agriculturists of the town of 
 Aurelius, none better known in its 
 history, is numbered among the sturdy, en- 
 ergetic, and successful farmers of Cayuga 
 County who thoroughly understand the voca- 
 tion which they follow, and are enabled to 
 carry it on with profit and pleasure. He is a 
 native of La Grange, Dutchess County, N.Y., 
 where he was born January 23, 18 16. His 
 father, John Coapman, was also born in that 
 county, of which it is supposed that his grand- 
 father, Jacob Coapman, who was born of Hol- 
 land parentage, was a life-long resident. 
 
 John Coapman, who had learned the trade 
 of a wheelwright when quite young, followed 
 that business for a number of years, then, 
 purchasing a farm in the town of La Grange, 
 engaged in general farming until the time of 
 his decease. He married Catherine Rappelle, 
 a daughter of James Rappelle, and a life-long 
 resident of Dutchess County, where both she 
 and her husband rounded out a full life of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 241 
 
 ninety-one years. Their houseliold circle in- 
 cluded ten children, of whom the subject of 
 this brief personal narration was the youngest. 
 
 John W. Coapman was reared to agricult- 
 ural pursuits, and remained an inmate of the 
 parental household until his twenty-first year. 
 At that time he took an important step toward 
 making a home and establishing himself in 
 life by securing an able and worthy helpmate 
 in the person of Elizabeth Ann Forman, 
 their union being celebrated December 29, 
 1836. Mrs. Coapman is a native of the Em- 
 pire State, having been born in the town 
 of Clinton, Dutchess County, September 16, 
 1816. Her father, Ambrose Forman, was 
 born in Pleasant Valley, and was a son of 
 Isaac and Annie (Horton) Forman, the former 
 a native of Dutchess County, and the latter 
 of Westchester County. Ambrose Forman 
 learned the trade of a blacksmith, but, after 
 following it a few years, abandoned it, and 
 became a farmer in the town of Poughkeepsie, 
 where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits 
 a number of years. He subsequently removed 
 to Cayuga County, and, buying a farm in the 
 town of Conquest, there passed the remainder 
 of his days. His wife, Clarissa Lyon, born 
 in the town of Clinton, was a daughter of 
 Jonathan and Elizabeth (Freeman) Lyon. 
 She survived her husband many years, and 
 died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Coap- 
 man. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Lyon 
 three children were born, namely: Clarissa, 
 Mrs. Coapman; Susan; and John. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Coapman began life 
 even with the world. Although poor in 
 
 pocket, he was blessed with strong hands, a 
 courageous heart, and a never-failing energy 
 that enabled him to cope successfully with all 
 difficulties that arose. He turned his atten- 
 tion to the pursuit of agriculture, renting land 
 of his father until 1849, when he came to Ca- 
 yuga County, and soon afterward bought fifty 
 acres of land in the town of Aurelius, his 
 original purchase being now included in his 
 present homestead property. His means were 
 very limited, and he could make but a small 
 cash payment. He continued his labors; and 
 in the course of time, by wise forethought, 
 intense application, and economy, he was 
 enabled to clear himself from debt, and to 
 accumulate a little capital, which he invested 
 in adjoining property, so that his valuable 
 farm now contains two hundred acres of as 
 rich and productive land as can be found in 
 this locality. It is finely located two miles 
 from the corporate limits of the city of Au- 
 burn, and is improved by two sets of substan- 
 tial farm buildings, and well equipped with 
 the necessary machinery for its cultivation. 
 The remarkable success with which Mr. 
 Coapman has met during his career has been 
 brought about by persistent energy, well- 
 directed toil, and exceptional business abil- 
 ity on his part; and he is well deserving of 
 the respect and confidence in which he is 
 everywhere held. In politics he cast his first 
 vote for Martin Van Buren, and has never 
 since swerved from party allegiance, always 
 sustaining the principles of the Democratic 
 party. He and his excellent wife are consist- 
 ent members of the Presbyterian church. 
 
242 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Their union was blessed by the birth of one 
 child, a son named John, who married Cas- 
 tilla Shoemaker. He died at the age of 
 thirty-two years, leaving his widow and two 
 sons — George and Clarence. 
 
 (^rOHN W. MILLS, who is closely iden- 
 
 i 
 
 tified with the agricultural and indus- 
 trial interests of Cayuga County, is 
 pleasantly situated in the town of Montezuma, 
 where- he is profitably engaged in general 
 farming on the Mills estate, which he is man- 
 aging with ability and success. As the 
 worthy descendant of an honored pioneer of 
 the county, he is especially deserving of men- 
 tion in this biographical volume. He is of 
 English antecedents, and is a native of Ca- 
 yuga County, having been born October 23, 
 1835, in the town of Montezuma, on the farm 
 where he now lives, which was also his 
 mother's birthplace. His father, Joseph 
 Mills, was born in New Jersey, January 13, 
 1793; and his mother, Hannah (Kitchel) 
 Mills, was born on December 21, 1801. 
 
 The paternal grandfather, Joseph Mills, 
 Sr., was born in England, and was there 
 reared to years of discretion. Emigrating to 
 the United States, he settled in New Jersey, 
 and continued a resident of that State as lone 
 
 o 
 
 as he lived, dying at a good old age. He was 
 a mason by trade, an excellent workman, and 
 plied the trowel as long as physically able. 
 His wife also rounded out a full period of 
 years, and died in her New Jersey home. 
 Demus Kitchel, the maternal grandfather 
 
 of the subject of this sketch, was likewise a 
 native of New Jersey, born March 4, 1772; 
 and his wife, whose maiden name was Sarah 
 Clark, was a daughter of the same State, Au- 
 gust 27, 1776, being the date of her birth. 
 Mr. Kitchel was for many years engaged in 
 farming in his native town; but, being 
 strongly impelled by the restive American 
 spirit that led so many to seek new locations 
 in the wild lands of this section of the coun- 
 try, he came here in the year 1800, perform- 
 ing the long journey in an ox team, bringing 
 his wife and family with him, Crossing the 
 Delaware River on the ice, he was unfortu- 
 nate enough to lose a part of his goods; but 
 he continued his way, being obliged at times 
 to cut his own road through the woods. 
 Being pleased with this locality, he bought 
 the land where his grandson is living, his 
 original purchase consisting of fifty acres 
 on which not a tree had been cut. He built 
 a log cabin of the typical pioneer style, 
 and, having cleared a sufficient space, planted 
 some wheat for his first crop. Wild animals 
 of all kinds were numerous and destructive, 
 bears, deer, wolves, foxes, and smaller game 
 frequently visiting the clearing; and the 
 growing grain had to be guarded to prevent 
 the deer from destroying it, while the young 
 stock had to be sheltered at night to keep 
 them from the howling wolves. One nic^ht, 
 hearing a pig squealing vigorously, Mr. Kit- 
 chel went out, and found a bear in the pen, 
 which he drove away. A few Indians of the 
 Cayuga and Seneca tribes still remained, but 
 they were for the most part friendly. On 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 243 
 
 the homestead an apple-tree is still standing, 
 and in bearing condition, which Mr. Kitchel 
 raised from a seed that he planted soon after 
 he first came here. He improved quite a 
 goodly portion of his land, considering the 
 short time he lived after settling on the place, 
 his death occurring April 2, 1803. To him 
 and his wife two daughters were born, one 
 being Hannah, the mother of Mr. Mills. 
 His widow afterward married again, and died 
 February 2, 1813, leaving two sons by her 
 second marriage. 
 
 Joseph Mills, Jr., was a young man when 
 he came here; and he first secured work as a 
 mason, a trade which he had learned of his 
 father, beginning to work with him when a 
 lad of fourteen years. This part of the coun- 
 try was then comparatively new; but the set- 
 tlements were growing rapidly, and he was 
 kept busily employed at his vocation. The 
 log cabins of the early pioneer were being 
 replaced by more pretentious structures of 
 brick or wood, and his services were in con- 
 stant demand. On the erection of the State 
 prison in Auburn he was constantly em- 
 ployed from the beginning until its comple- 
 tion. He also assisted in the building of the 
 St. James Hotel, and worked on many of the 
 other principal buildings of that city. On 
 December 31, 181 8, he was united in mar- 
 riage to Hannah Kitchel, who had inherited a 
 portion of her father's homestead property; 
 and here he subsequently engaged in farming, 
 in this occupation being very successful, at 
 one time owning one hundred and twenty-five 
 acres of land. He continued his farming 
 
 labors, working occasionally at his trade, 
 until his death, which occurred on the home- 
 stead, July I, 1863. His wife survived him 
 many years, dying September 14, 1891. She 
 was an estimable woman, possessing many ex- 
 cellent traits of character, a sincere Christian, 
 and one of the original members of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church of old Mentz. Her 
 husband was a stanch Democrat in politics. 
 They had a family of four children, as fol- 
 lows: Dennis K., born November 12, 1822, 
 resides on the home farm with his younger 
 brother, John W. Sarah Semantha, born 
 June 24, 1820, became the wife of Benjamin 
 Beach, and died in March, 1893. David H., 
 born March 23, 1825, died in March, 1891. 
 
 John W. Mills grew to maturity on the 
 family homestead, and acquired a substantial 
 education in the district schools of this town 
 and the Aurora Academy. In the mean time 
 he assisted in the various labors of the farm, 
 remaining at home with his parents until 
 twenty-two years of age. He then started in 
 life on his own account, first buying a tract of 
 land containing eighty acres. This was in 
 i860; and, after working on it for two years, 
 his efforts being rewarded with good results, 
 he bought fifty acres of adjoining land, all of 
 which was located in Montezuma, and con- 
 tinued his agricultural pursuits. He carried 
 on general farming and stock-raising, dealing 
 largely in sheep, and his principal crops being 
 small grains and hay. Twenty years later he 
 abandoned farming for a while, and, moving 
 to the village of Montezuma, lived there one 
 year. Coming then to the old homestead, he 
 
244 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 has since had the entire management of the 
 property, which consists of one hundred and 
 twenty acres of well-improved and fertile 
 land, on which he successfully pursues his 
 pleasant and independent occupation. This 
 homestead is not owned by him, but belongs 
 to the Mills estate, and constitutes with' its 
 excellent improvements one of the best and 
 most desirable pieces of property in the 
 neighborhood. 
 
 Mr. Mills was united in marriage with 
 Mary A. Reeve on September 9, 1857. She 
 was a native of this county, born in the town 
 of Aurelius, June 7, 1840. Her father, Will- 
 iam Reeve, an early and well-known settler of 
 this county, was for many years prominent in 
 local affairs, and served as Justice of the 
 Peace. His death occurred in Florida, being 
 caused by a stroke of apoplexy, when seventy 
 years old. On January 8, 1882, Mrs. Mills 
 joined the silent majority on the other side of 
 the river of death, leaving her husband and 
 three children to mourn her loss, the record 
 of the children being as follows: Warren W., 
 who was born February 16, 1859, is engaged 
 in farming, in Montezuma. Benjamin B., 
 born September 12, i860, is a farmer, and 
 lives in Montezuma. Carrie R., born July 7, 
 1871, lives at home. Mr. Mills was subse- 
 quently united in wedlock, in 1883, with Mrs. 
 Helen Martin, daughter of Eli Sherman, of 
 Cayuga County. 
 
 Mr. Mills has always been the encourager 
 and supporter of everything calculated to ad- 
 vance the welfare of his community, intellect- 
 ually, socially, and morally, and is greatly 
 
 respected by his fellow-citizens for his integ- 
 rity and ability. In politics he is a sound 
 Democrat, and sustains the principles of that 
 party by voice and vote. He has served as 
 Assessor for twenty years, giving perfect sat- 
 isfaction to all concerned. Religiously, he is 
 an esteemed member of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church, and socially is a member of 
 Montezuma Lodge, No. 176, A. F. & A. M. 
 
 M 
 
 E WITT F. AUSTIN, Civil Engi- 
 neer and City Surveyor of the city 
 of Auburn, N.Y., was born at Hart- 
 ford, Washington County, N.Y., August 5, 
 183 1, the son of David and Lucinda M. 
 (Brown) Austin, both parents being natives of 
 the same place. The grandfather, David 
 Austin, Sr., was a veteran of the War of 
 18 12, and, it is surmised, attained the rank of 
 Major, as he was always known by that mili- 
 tary title. Mrs. Austin was also a native of 
 Hartford, and a daughter of Major Daniel 
 Brown, a participant in the War of 1812. 
 Several of his brothers were in the War of the 
 Revolution, one being killed at the battle of 
 White Plains, and one wounded at the battle 
 of Bunker Hill. The Austin family were 
 among the earliest settlers in Washington 
 County. David Austin, Sr., was a large land- 
 owner and prominent man of his day. When 
 De Witt F. was three months old, his father 
 bought a farm in the town of Mentz, Cayuga 
 County, to which the family removed the 
 same season, remaining there for a number of 
 years, Mr. David Austin holding various town 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 2 45 
 
 offices. He lived in Weedsport, Cayuga 
 County, the last few years of his life, dying 
 there at the age of eighty-one, in 1881. Mrs. 
 Austin died in 1880, aged seventy-four years. 
 They left a family of three children, namely: 
 De Witt F. ; Mary, wife of George Wilmot, 
 of Tampa, Fla. ; and Morton B., also a resi- 
 dent of Tampa. 
 
 De Witt F. Austin was educated at ' the 
 common and district schools and Cazenovia 
 Seminary, the list of his classmates including 
 the now famous names of Phil Armour and 
 Wirt Dexter, of Chicago. Shortly after com- 
 ing of age he engaged in railroad engineering 
 on what was known as the Manitowoc & Mis- 
 sissippi Railroad in the State of Wisconsin. 
 He remained there five years, at the end of 
 which time he was First Assistant of the 
 Engineering Corps. In i860 he returned to 
 this State, and engaged in the lumber busi- 
 ness at Port Byron and Weedsport, continuing 
 in that business until 1882, when he took a 
 position in the engineering department of the 
 New York, West Shore & Buffalo Railway 
 Company. In 1885 he removed to Auburn, 
 and began the practice of his profession as a 
 civil engineer and surveyor, working for the 
 city most of the time. He was presently ap- 
 pointed by the Common Council to the office 
 of City Surveyor, and has been reappointed 
 every two years since. 
 
 Mr. Austin was married to Miss Martha 
 Fornerook, of Clyde, Wayne County. They 
 have one child, Eva M., the wife of James I. 
 Weed, of New York City. The family are 
 attendants of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 
 of which Mrs. Austin is a member. In poli- 
 tics Mr. Austin is a Republican. He was 
 made a Free and Accepted Mason in Port 
 Byron Lodge, No. 130, when twenty-one 
 years of age, and is now a member of Weeds- 
 port Lodge, No. 385, having held the offices 
 of Junior and Senior Warden. Mr. Austin is 
 considered one of the best engineers and sur- 
 veyors in this vicinity, and has filled the re- 
 sponsible position which he now occupies 
 with credit to himself and acceptably to the 
 people. 
 
 t mmm » 
 
 ^Y^jyTVlLLARD B. COBURN, Superin- 
 F I T tendent of the County Farm and 
 ^ >— ' Asylum for the Poor, which is 
 
 located in the town of Sennett, is a man of 
 prominence among the county officials, pos- 
 sessing in an eminent degree the discretion, 
 trustworthiness, and force of character requi- 
 site for the responsible position which he has 
 so well filled since he was called to its duties 
 in 1889. He is a native of this county, and 
 was born in the town of Sennett, May 28, 
 1 83 1, being a son of Keyes and Hannah 
 (Woodworth) Coburn. 
 
 His grandfather, Solomon Coburn, the 
 scion of an ancient and honored family of 
 New England, was born in what is now the 
 thriving manufacturing city of Lowell, Mass., 
 in the year 1760. He married Rachel May, 
 who was also a native of the old Bay State, 
 born in the town of Stoughton in 1780; and 
 their union resulted in the birth of nine chil- 
 dren — Silas, Isaac, Keyes, Rhoda, John 
 May, Orrin, Liba, Esther, and Solomon. 
 
246 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Although a hard-working, industrious man, 
 he was in humble circumstances, and unable 
 to give his children other education than that 
 afforded by the public schools of the town. 
 His wife and family were suddenly deprived 
 of his support by his untimely death, which 
 occurred by drowning, June 10, 1816, at 
 Braintree, Orange County, Vt., where he was 
 then living. In 1819 his widow married 
 Amos Hood, of Chelsea, Vt. ; and of this 
 union two children were born: Albert Or- 
 lando Hood, a resident of Vermont; and 
 Thomas M. Hood, of Michigan. Mrs. Hood 
 died at her home in Chelsea, January 7, 1850, 
 at the age of threescore years and ten. 
 
 Keyes Coburn was the third child born to 
 his parents, and by the death of his father 
 was thrown upon his own resources at the age 
 of thirteen years, and for several months 
 thereafter had no permanent home. In 1817 
 he was bound out to a farmer in the town of 
 Braintree, one Nathaniel Hutchinson, with 
 whom he lived until he attained his majority, 
 working on the farm in the summer and at- 
 tending school in the winter seasons. He 
 had some opportunity to earn a little money 
 in the mean time, and, being very saving, 
 accumulated enough to pay his expenses at 
 the academy in Randolph Centre for three 
 months, which he attended during the summer 
 term after leaving Mr. Hutchinson. The 
 next winter he taught school, and thus earned 
 sufficient to defray his expenses at the same 
 academy the following summer term. He 
 continued thus, working during vacations to 
 pay his tuition and expenses, until he ob- 
 
 tained a good education. In 1826 he went to 
 Niagara Falls, thence to Lyons, in Wayne 
 County, N.Y., where he taught school three 
 months, then returned to Vermont, where he 
 remained until 1828, when he came to the 
 town of Sennett. He came in company with 
 the Rev. Joseph Badger, a noted preacher of 
 the Christian church, with whom he had trav- 
 elled and worked in the cause of religion. 
 He was a man of great spirituality, and a 
 zealous advocate of his Master's cause; and in 
 January, 1829, he delivered his first sermon, 
 in a log school-house situated in the midst 
 of the fragrant pines, and from that time 
 preached on a circuit embracing the towns of 
 Camillus, Plainville, Cato, and Sennett. In 
 the latter place on August 4, 1830, he was 
 ordained and publicly installed as a minister 
 of the church, the services taking place in the 
 open air. For fifteen years he preached here 
 and at other places in Cayuga and Onondaga 
 Counties, and after that time preached occa- 
 sionally, but had no established circuit. He 
 never received a stated salary for his services, 
 his only remuneration being the free offerings 
 by contribution ; and these were by no means 
 munificent. In order to add to his means of 
 subsistence, he bought a small tract of land 
 near the village of Sennett, and here occupied 
 his time in general farming, when not other- 
 wise engaged, remaining here until the time 
 of his death, which occurred May 16, 1885. 
 Hannah Woodworth, to whom he was united 
 in matrimony on the fourth day of August, 
 1830, the day of his ordination and installa- 
 tion, was born in Albany County, New York, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 247 
 
 May I, 1804, being a daughter of Josiah and 
 Hannah (Andrews) Woodworth, both natives 
 of the same county. She died in March, 
 1864, leaving three children — Millard B., 
 Candice L., and J. Marvin Coburn. 
 
 Millard B., of whom we write, began when 
 but a boy to learn the trade of a painter and 
 grainer, which he followed until twenty-eight 
 years of age, when he went to Suspension 
 Bridge, and for a year was employed as a 
 clerk in a hotel. Going thence to Chicago, 
 111., he worked at his old trade for a year and 
 a half, and then secured employment with the 
 Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad 
 Company as fireman, and later as engineer, 
 remaining in the latter position until August, 
 1862. Responding then to his country's call 
 for volunteers, he enlisted in Company A, 
 Twenty-fourth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, 
 and served until after the close of the war. 
 His regiment was sent directly to the front, 
 and he participated with his comrades in many 
 of the important battles of the war, among 
 others being the battles of Perrysville, Stone, 
 River, and Chickamauga; and in the latter 
 engagement he was hit by a minie-ball and 
 severely wounded, the ball passing through 
 the elbow, and thence through his body. He 
 was taken to the field hospital, where he re- 
 mained ten weeks, then to the general hos- 
 pital in Nashville, and, after spending thirty 
 days there, received a two months' furlough. 
 At the expiration of that time Mr. Coburn 
 rejoined his regiment at Loudon, Tenn., and 
 was with Sherman in the Atlanta campaign, 
 participating in its various battles and in the 
 
 siege and capture of that city. His regiment 
 with others was sent to re-enforce General 
 Thomas, who was in pursuit of General Hood; 
 and in the battles of Franklin and Nashville 
 he was in active service. Mr. Coburn was 
 mustered into service as a private, but for 
 gallant and meritorious conduct was promoted 
 through the different grades to the rank of 
 First Lieutenant, and had command of the 
 company. In Jane, 1865, he received his 
 honorable discharge, and returned to the scenes 
 of his childhood. He now draws a pension 
 of seventeen dollars per month. After fol- 
 lowing his trade in Sennett for a year and a 
 half, he purchased a farm of forty acres, and 
 engaged in general agriculture. He con- 
 tinued thus employed until 1889, when, at 
 the earnest solicitation of the County Board, 
 he accepted his present responsible position, 
 and has since performed its duties with rare 
 fidelity and efficiency. 
 
 The marriage ceremony which united the 
 destinies of Mr. Coburn and Miss Lydia C. 
 Cook took place in September, 1865. Mrs. 
 Coburn is a native of Onondaga County, born 
 in the town of Elbridge, being a daughter of 
 Philip R. Cook, who was born in Springfield, 
 Otsego County, N.Y., in 1797. Her grand- 
 father, Paul Cook, was a brave soldier of the 
 War of 1812, dying in the service; and his 
 remains were buried in Canada. Philip R. 
 Cook removed to Onondaga County in 1826, 
 and, buying a tract of wild land in the town 
 of Elbridge, erected a frame house, one of the 
 first in that vicinity. He cleared a good part 
 of his land, and, after living on it a number 
 
248 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of years, sold it, and bought another farm 
 near by, on which he resided until his death, 
 in 1866. His wife, the mother of Mrs. Co- 
 burn, was Rebecca Cox, a native of New Jer- 
 sey. Her father, William Cox, resided in 
 New Jersey until the year 1807, when he re- 
 moved to Onondaga County, New York, per- 
 forming the entire journey with teams. He 
 bought a tract of heavily wooded land, and at 
 once began the almost Herculean labor of con- 
 structing a farm. Albany was the nearest 
 market and depot for supplies at that time; 
 and the deer, bears, and other wild beasts of 
 the forest had not fled before the advancing 
 steps of civilization. He lived, however, to 
 see the country well settled and himself the 
 owner of a good farm, well and substantially 
 improved. He was early in life imbued with 
 the principles of Christianity, and was a Dea- 
 con in the Christian church, and a zealous 
 worker in his Master's vineyard. In his 
 hospitable home the itinerant preacher ever 
 received a cordial welcome, and religious 
 meetings were often held beneath its roof. 
 Mrs. Cook, who passed to the world beyond in 
 1865, reared eight children; namely, Jerusha 
 M., Asenath A., Mary C, William C, 
 Charles E., Lydia C. (Mrs. Coburn), Jose- 
 phine E., and Cornelia J. 
 
 In politics Mr. Coburn is a steadfast adher- 
 ent to the principles formulated by the Re- 
 publican party, and, although not a seeker 
 after official position, has served twelve years 
 as Justice of the Peace. Socially, he is a 
 member of Crocker Post, Grand Army of the 
 Republic, of Weedsport Lodge, No. 385, 
 
 A. F. & A. M., and of Albany Lodge, Scot- 
 tish Rite, A. & A. S., and is a promi- 
 nent member of Sennett Lodge, No. 157, 
 A. O. U. W., of which he was one of the 
 organizers. His estimable wife is an active 
 member of the Baptist church, and an earnest 
 worker in the denomination. 
 
 MITH R. GLASGOW, who is in- 
 dustriously engaged in the prosecu- 
 tion of a calling upon which the 
 support and wealth of the nation largely de- 
 pends, and in which he is meeting with de- 
 served success, has been a resident of the 
 town of Montezuma since April 6, 1869, 
 when he bought the farm where he now 
 resides. His estate contains ninety-three 
 acres of as good land as can be found in this 
 vicinity, on which he has a tasteful and con- 
 venient residence, a good barn, and all the 
 out-buildings and machinery required by a 
 first-class modern agriculturist. Mr. Glasgow 
 is a native of this county, Auburn being the 
 place of his nativity, and January 2, 1843, 
 the date of his birth. 
 
 Robert Glasgow, father of the subject of 
 this sketch, was a native of Ireland, having 
 been born in County Tyrone, May 25, 1809. 
 His prospects for earning a livelihood there 
 not being very bright, he emigrated to Amer- 
 ica when a youth of nineteen years, and, com- 
 ing to Auburn soon after his arrival, entered 
 the employment of Mr. Munger, as a clerk in 
 his store, remaining with him eight years. 
 Having become familiar with the mercantile 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 249 
 
 business, he and his brother Samuel opened a 
 grocery store which they managed for some 
 time. Disposing of that business, Mr. Glas- 
 gow secured a position in the Auburn prison, 
 being first employed as a guard, and afterward 
 promoted to the office of Keeper, remaining 
 thus engaged several years. In 1855 he 
 moved to the town of Throop, and, buying a 
 farm there, carried on general farming four 
 years. The following two years he lived in 
 Mentz, removing thence to the town of 
 Owasco, where he resided twelve or more 
 years. He then came to Montezuma, and for 
 five years was a resident of this place, thence 
 to Auburn again, where he lived some years. 
 Then once more he came to Montezuma, where 
 he is still living, a hale and hearty old gentle- 
 man of eighty-three years. In politics he is 
 a faithful member of the Democratic party. 
 His first wife was Eliza Gilmore, who was a 
 native of this county, born in the town of 
 Throop in 1808. She was a woman of many 
 virtues, possessing a kindly and sympathetic 
 nature, winning the love and respect of all 
 with whom she came in contact. She was a 
 sincere Christian, and a member of the 
 Methodist church, to which her husband also 
 belongs. Mrs. Eliza Gilmore Glasgow died 
 in 1848, leaving two children, namely: Mary 
 E., the wife of George W. Bell, a farmer, liv- 
 ing in Montezuma; and Smith R. After the 
 death of his first wife Mr. Glasgow married 
 Sarah Bradley. She left one daughter, Sarah 
 Jane, the wife of Harry Wormer, a retired 
 farmer, who lives in Fair Haven, Cayuga 
 County. 
 
 Smith R. Glasgow lived in Auburn until 
 twelve years old, receiving his education in 
 the schools of that city, and remained at home 
 until twenty-three years of age. Choosing 
 farming as his life occupation, he began his 
 agricultural career by working out as a farm 
 laborer, receiving eight dollars a month as 
 compensation, which was then accounted good 
 wages. He had previously, however, been 
 engaged in teaching for fourteen terms, and 
 for seven consecutive terms taught in the 
 same building — a record which speaks well 
 for his ability and acceptance as an instructor 
 of youth. Abandoning the teacher's desk, he 
 next rented his father's farm on shares, man- 
 aging it successfully for two years. Then, 
 coming to Montezuma, he bought the farm on 
 which he now lives, and has since carried it 
 on with most gratifying results. His land is 
 fertile, and well adapted to the production of 
 the cereals common to this section of the 
 country; and he raises abundant crops of hay, 
 oats, corn, barley, and potatoes. He is also 
 much interested in raising fine stock, meeting 
 with success in this as in his other branches 
 of industry. 
 
 On April 19, 1866, Mr. Glasgow was mar- 
 ried to Eleanor M. Adams, a native of this 
 county, born in the town of Owasco, April 
 19, 1847. Her parents, John and Mary Ann 
 Adams, are now living in Owasco, where they 
 are held in high estimation, and are numbered 
 among the prosperous agriculturists of that 
 town. The family circle of Mr. and Mrs. 
 Glasgow has been completed by the birth of 
 three children, as follows: Mary E., who was 
 
2SO 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 born November 30, 1869, is the wife of Will- 
 iam B. Beach, a farmer, residing in Monte- 
 zuma. John R. B., who was born March 10, 
 1874, lives at home. Stella E., the youngest 
 child, was born November 16, 1882. 
 
 In local and national affairs Mr. Glasgow 
 evinces a deep interest, keeping well informed 
 on current events, contributing generously in 
 aid of enterprises calculated to promote the 
 prosperity of his town and county. In his 
 political views he affiliates with the Demo- 
 cratic party, and on that ticket was elected to 
 the office of Supervisor in 1892. He has also 
 served as Collector. He is liberal in his re- 
 ligious beliefs, with a strong inclination 
 toward the doctrines of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church. 
 
 -r^ATHAN J. BAKER, D.D.S., is a 
 I ^f successful dentist of Union Springs, 
 ^— ^ N.Y., where he has been engaged 
 in practice since October, 1891. His father, 
 Nathan S. Baker, a prominent merchant of 
 Canisteo, Steuben County, was born in that 
 town in 1828, and was educated at Alfred 
 University, after which he engaged in differ- 
 ent pursuits, including farming and the 
 lumber business. He married Miss Roxy 
 Ordway, who was born in the village of 
 Adrian in 1838, daughter of Enoch Ordway; 
 and they made their home at Canisteo, where 
 Mr. Baker was Captain in the Eighty-sixth 
 Regiment of New York Volunteers, and faith- 
 fully served in that capacity for three years. 
 Both are earnest members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, in which Mr. Baker holds 
 
 an important position. Jeremiah Baker, the 
 grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was 
 the first male child born in Steuben County, 
 to which his father moved at an early date. 
 He was a soldier of the War of 181 2, and a 
 prominent farmer and owner of a large tract 
 of land at Canisteo. Mr. Baker was greatly 
 interested in the political affairs of the State, 
 and represented his county in the Assembly. 
 The Methodist Episcopal church also received 
 its share of his attention; and for this organ- 
 ization he labored long and faithfully, hos- 
 pitably entertaining the early circuit-riding 
 preachers at his home for many years. 
 
 Nathan J. Baker, D.D.S., was born at 
 Adrian, N.Y., January 10, 1868, and attended 
 the schools of Adrian and Canisteo, graduat- 
 ing from the Canisteo Academy in the class 
 of 1885. He then assisted in his father's 
 store until, in 1887, he entered the office of 
 Dr. E. Sweet, Jr., as a student. After re- 
 maining with Dr. Sweet for two years, he 
 entered the Pennsylvania College of Dental 
 Surgery at Philadelphia, at which he was 
 graduated in the class of 1890. He also at- 
 tended the Jefferson Medical College. Re- 
 turning to Canisteo, Dr. Baker once more 
 went into Dr. Sweet's office, but later settled 
 at Union Springs, as the successor of Dr. 
 R. C. Tenny, having purchased his practice, 
 which had become quite remunerative, he be- 
 ing the only dentist in this part of the county. 
 Dr. Baker is a constant attendant at the 
 Presbyterian church, in all the interests of 
 which he is an earnest worker. He is an 
 energetic young man, upright and of good 
 
Daniel M, Bennett, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 253 
 
 principles, who is sure to make for himself an 
 enviable reputation in both the business and 
 social affairs of his adopted home. 
 
 "ON. DANIEL M. BENNETT has 
 been thirty years a resident of Au- 
 burn, of which city he is an Alder- 
 man from the Fourth Ward. By trade he is 
 a stone contractor, and is well known and es- 
 teemed by all classes of citizens. The place 
 of his birth was Amboy, Lee County, 111., 
 where he first saw the light on April 14, 
 1858. His parents were John and Catherine 
 (Haley) Bennett. His mother was born in 
 Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. When a 
 child, she came thence to Boston; and from 
 there she went to Illinois, where she was mar- 
 ried. Her husband, John Bennett, was a 
 stone-cutter by trade, and one of the earliest 
 emigrants to Illinois. Not long after his 
 marriage he returned with his family to Ca- 
 yuga County, where he had previously lived. 
 He was born in Gertine, Queen's County, 
 Ireland, and did not come into this neighbor- 
 hood till he was about twenty years old; but 
 he has since spent all his years here, except 
 the three or four at the West, where Daniel 
 was born. But, whether East or West, stone- 
 work was his fortune; and to this he has 
 given his undivided attention, though for 
 some years the firm has been J. Bennett & 
 Sons. Stone of all sorts is finished in their 
 yards for all sorts of buildings. They have 
 contracts for gas-works, railroads, bridges, for 
 dwelling-houses, and business blocks. 
 
 The Bennetts have six children. The eld- 
 est is Daniel. The next is the Rev. John 
 Thomas Bennett, of Chicago, who was edu- 
 cated in the ecclesiastical seminary at Bal- 
 timore. William Bennett is in the same 
 business as his father and eldest brother, 
 stone-cutting. Maggie Bennett is the eldest 
 daughter, and lives in Auburn. Katie is 
 married, and is also a resident of Auburn. 
 Mary Bennett still lives at home, and is the 
 organist of the church in the Catholic Parish 
 of St. Mary, of Skaneateles. 
 
 When the Bennetts returned from Illinois 
 and settled in Auburn, Daniel was still a 
 child. So he was educated here, first in the 
 public schools and afterward in the Benedic- 
 tine Brothers' School ' in Syracuse. School 
 days over, he went to work with his father, 
 and learned the family trade from bottom to 
 top. He was for a season employed in two 
 Ohio towns, Sandusky and Marblehead, on 
 government work ; but he returned to Auburn 
 in 1889, at the age of thirty-one, forming a 
 partnership with his father. Their extensive 
 quarries, located in the city, give employment 
 to twenty-five or thirty men, with eight or ten 
 teams. Their five acres of stone land are 
 well opened and developed, and they also hire 
 other quarries in the neighborhood; for no 
 firm exceeds theirs in the amount of business 
 done, which extends to Geneva, Seneca Falls, 
 and Canandaigua, not to mention other coun- 
 ties and the granite shipped to Pennsylvania 
 and Missouri. 
 
 For many years Mr. Daniel M. Bennett has 
 taken a very active interest in local politics 
 
254 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 on the Republican side. Many a time has he 
 been on the Party Committee in the Fourth 
 Ward, though this is known as the Demo- 
 cratic stronghold of the city. He was first 
 elected Alderman in 1889, the only Republi- 
 can who had been able to carry the day in that 
 vicinity for sixteen years. He served accept- 
 ably, and was Chairman of the Committee for 
 the Erection of the City Buildings, and was 
 also on the Street and Bridge Committee and 
 the Police and License Committee. At one 
 time, during the absence of his Honor the 
 Mayor, Alderman Bennett filled that office for 
 two months, his opponents being John Gerin, 
 M.D., and H. Clyde Johnson, .both noted offi- 
 cials; but he filled the gap ably. In the es- 
 tablishment of a separate jail for women he 
 was the leader, introducing the proper bill, 
 and attending to every detail. After his term 
 expired, a Democrat was elected to the vacant 
 place; but in 1894 he was again induced to 
 accept the nomination, and was again elected 
 by the largest majority ever given in the 
 ward. Again he was placed on the Bridge 
 and Street Committee, and on the Police and 
 License Committee; but this time he was 
 made Chairman of the latter, and also of the 
 committee in charge of the poor, and of the 
 water-mains and hydrants. To him belongs 
 the unique honor of being the only Alderman 
 with a place on four committees. 
 
 He was married June 22, 1887, at the age 
 of twenty-nine, to Maria Keenan, of Skane- 
 ateles Falls, the daughter of John Keenan; 
 and they have four children. Of the three 
 boys Frank Bennett was born in 1888, John 
 
 William Bennett in 1890, Daniel Bennett in 
 1892; and the one girl, Alice, was born in 
 1894. 
 
 A classic author has written, "Not stones, 
 nor wood, nor the art of artisans, make a 
 State; but where men are who know how to 
 take care of themselves, these are cities and 
 walls." This is eminently true of such pub- 
 lic-spirited citizens as Alderman Bennett, 
 whose portrait, accompanying this brief biog- 
 raphy, shows a man who lives not for himself 
 alone, but who holds dear the cause of human 
 rights and social improvement, one "who is 
 proud of his trade, and in stones has found 
 sermons, as suggested by the Shaksperean 
 line. He believes, with the Italian states- 
 man. Count Cavour, "In politics nothing is 
 so absurd as rancor," and might take to him- 
 self the statement of the poet, preacher, and 
 novelist, Charles Kingsley, "If you do any- 
 thing above party, the true-hearted ones of all 
 parties sympathize with you." 
 
 OHN S. BRANCH. Among the na- 
 tive-born citizens of Cayuga County 
 who have spent their lives within its 
 precincts, aiding in every possible way its 
 growth and development, whether relating to 
 its agricultural, manufacturing, or financial 
 interest, stands John S. Branch, whose birth 
 occurred in the town of Aurelius, September 
 6, 1 8 10, and who has a good record for length 
 of days and useful activity. On the paternal 
 side he is of French extraction, being the off- 
 spring of an ancient family who came from 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 2SS 
 
 France and settled in South Carolina in 
 early Colonial times. His grandfather, Asa 
 Branch, Sr., who was born in the Palmetto 
 State, afterward became a resident of Massa- 
 chusetts. Imbued with true American pa- 
 triotism, he enlisted as a soldier in the 
 Revolutionary War, doing brave service in 
 his country's defence. After the restoration 
 of peace he came with his father-in-law to Ca- 
 yuga County, and settled in the town of Au- 
 relius, where he did noble pioneer work, and 
 there spent the remainder of his life. He mar- 
 ried Mary Smith, daughter of John Smith, who 
 was of German origin, his ancestors in this 
 country having emigrated from Berlin, Ger- 
 many, in 1754, settling in Baltimore, Md. Mr. 
 Smith came from there to Aurelius in 1804, 
 with his family, subsequently making that 
 place his home. He was a blacksmith by trade. 
 Asa Branch, the elder, had a son Asa, who 
 was born in Massachusetts, and was there 
 reared and educated. He accompanied his 
 parents to Aurelius; and, before he had been 
 here many years, he was united in marriage to 
 Mary Smith, who bore him two children, 
 namely: Hezekiah, who was a soldier in the 
 late Civil War, losing his life at the battle of 
 Shiloh; and John S., the subject of this 
 brief biography. The earthly career of Asa 
 Branch, Jr., was short, his death occurring in 
 18 14, when he was but thirty-three years of 
 age, leaving his young widow with her two 
 small children to care for. 
 
 John S. Branch was reared to man's estate 
 in the place of his nativity, there acquiring 
 ample education to fit him for a worthy posi- 
 
 tion in the ranks of the world's workers, 
 among whom, being left fatherless in his ten- 
 der youth, he began to do his part at an early 
 age. He was by nature of an active and en- 
 terprising disposition, possessed of a resolute 
 will and an honorable ambition; and, being 
 thus equipped, he met with no failures in his 
 undertakings. He learned the trade of a car- 
 penter, and also became a land-holder, own- 
 ing a good farm in Fleming, being for some 
 time interested in agriculture. In 1843 Mr. 
 Branch, disposing of his property in the town 
 of Fleming, bought the beautiful homestead 
 where he has since resided, and on which he 
 has made substantial improvements. For up- 
 ward of thirty years he worked at his trade, 
 in the mean time building his handsome resi- 
 dence, which is a credit to his mechanical 
 skill and industry, as well as an ornament to 
 the neighborhood; and, besides this pleasant 
 home, many other dwellings in this vicinity 
 are the work of his hands, and each and all 
 bespeak his thorough knowledge of the differ- 
 ent branches of carpentry and joining. 
 
 Mr. Branch married Cynthia Gove, the 
 daughter of Daniel and Sally (Weisner) Gove, 
 of Vermont, their nuptials being solemnized 
 in the year 1837. Of this happy union there 
 are no children living. Mr. Branch is a 
 stanch and true citizen, always using his in- 
 fluence to promote the best interests of the 
 town, and well deserves the esteem and favor 
 in which he is held by all. He is a sound 
 Democrat; and, having cast his first Presi- 
 dential vote for Andrew Jackson in 1832, he 
 has never swerved from party allegiance. 
 
2s6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 |GBERT HOMEL is the leading furnish- 
 ing undertaker and insurance agent of 
 Port Byron, and has an extended reputation 
 throughout the county. His paternal grand- 
 father, Jeremiah Homel, a descendant of a good 
 old Dutch family, who came from Holland in 
 the early days of colonization, was one of the 
 pioneers of Greene County, New York, where 
 he lived, first in Durham and afterward in 
 Hunter. 
 
 George I. Homel, son of Jeremiah and 
 father of Egbert Homel, was born in Durham 
 in 1809, and was but two years of age when 
 his parents removed to Hunter, Greene 
 County. In 1837 George I. Homel moved to 
 Quarryville, Ulster County, N.Y., and there 
 engaged in the stone business until the spring 
 of 1 85 1, when he left for Cayuga County. 
 At Quarryville he became very active in the 
 militia, holding the office of Captain of the 
 company for several years. His next move 
 was to this county, where he bought a farm at 
 Conquest in 1843, which he occupied in 1851, 
 moving through from Ulster County by teams 
 in February; and here he remained for three 
 years, later living at Throop and Montezuma. 
 About 1865 Mr. Homel came to Port Byron, 
 and retired from active labor, but invested 
 in the hardware business, and was much in- 
 terested in public affairs until 1866, the time 
 of his death. He married Alida Schoonmaker, 
 daughter of John Schoonmaker, in 1829, her 
 death occurring in Port Byron on February 22, 
 1865, she having been the mother of two chil- 
 dren—Egbert and Sarah Catherine, who is 
 now the wife of John D. Degroff, of Auburn. 
 
 Egbert Homel was born at Hunter, Greene 
 County, N.Y., high up among the Catskill 
 Mountains, on September 30, 1834. He was 
 educated in the schools of Quarryville, Ulster 
 County, N.Y., and later attended the Maiden 
 Academy, after which he engaged in farming 
 with his father until the fall of 185 1, when 
 he learned the trade of carriage building. 
 This occupation employed him at Conquest, 
 and afterward at Port Byron; and then, after 
 devoting a short time to farming and the gro- 
 cery business, he left for Titusville, Pa., 
 where he engaged in the dray business, thence 
 returning in 1866 to Port Byron, at which 
 place he entered the hardware trade. In 1869 
 Mr. Homel purchased an undertaking and fur- 
 niture establishment; and, since closing out 
 the furniture, about four years, he has de- 
 voted his time exclusively to undertaking, in 
 which he is very efficient, having taken 
 charge of one thousand three hundred and 
 sixty-four funerals between the fall of 1869 
 and March, 1894. He is the only undertaker 
 of the town, and his services are sought 
 throughout the surrounding territory. Hav- 
 ing been one of the three men to organize the 
 Cayuga and Seneca County Undertaking As- 
 sociation, he is now its Secretary. He was 
 also one of the organizers of the State Con- 
 vention at Utica, the first undertakers' con- 
 vention ever held in New York, the object of 
 which was to promote the knowledge of the 
 business, and provide for more sociability and 
 co-operation among its members. Mr. Homel 
 is thoroughly skilled in the embalming proc- 
 ess, having taken diplomas from the Oriental 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 257 
 
 Embalming School of Boston, and the Roch- 
 ester School of Embalming. 
 
 In January, 1892, Mr. Homel purchased 
 the insurance business of his son-in-law, Mr. 
 Bunn, and is now agent for five of the strong- 
 est companies, and has the patronage of 
 many of the Port Byron citizens. He has oc- 
 cupied the position of Village Clerk, although 
 he could not be considered an aspirant for 
 office. He was for many years the Chief of 
 the fire department, and also the President 
 and Superintendent of the Mount Pleasant 
 Cemetery Association, which he organized in 
 July, 1892, being influential in the buying 
 and arranging of the new cemetery, adjoining 
 the old one on three sides. 
 
 On September 2, 1854, Mr. Homel married 
 Miss Hulda C. Jeffries, daughter of Gardiner 
 Jeffries, one of the oldest residents of Au- 
 burn; and they have four children: Ida, wife 
 of M. H. Bunn, now of Syracuse, who is the 
 mother of four children — Louise, Bertha, 
 Bessie, and George; Frederick O., of Chi- 
 cago, who married Miss Susan Jeffrie, and 
 has had two children — Freddie and Jennie; 
 George I., who is also in Chicago; and E. 
 Mertie, who resides at home. The family are 
 regular attendants of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, of which Mr. Homel has been Trustee 
 for many years. 
 
 In politics the subject of this sketch has 
 always been a Republican, and is a firm be- 
 liever in and supporter of the principles of 
 that party. He is a member of the Port 
 Byron Lodge, No. 130, to which organization 
 he has belonged for the last twenty-five or 
 
 thirty years. In the many places where Mr. 
 Homel has resided, and the different indus- 
 tries in which he has been interested, he has 
 always been regarded as a man of integrity and 
 honor, and is held in deep respect by the 
 community in which he now lives, and to pro- 
 mote whose advancement and prosperity he is 
 ever ready to lend a helping hand. 
 
 J'^AVID S. TOOHILL was born in 
 ^ Auburn, N.Y., May 7, 1854, and is 
 ■^ the son of David and Ann (Kelly) 
 Toohill. The father came from Ireland when 
 quite a young man, and was for many years 
 Superintendent in Barber's Woollen Mills, a 
 business he continued in until his death, 
 which occurred in October, 1853, at the early 
 age of thirty-six, six months previous to the 
 birth of the subject of this sketch. He left 
 a widow and a family of six children. Mrs. 
 Anna K. Toohill died in 1864. 
 
 David S. Toohill received his education in 
 the public schools of Auburn, and in 1869 
 was employed as clerk for W. M. Thomas & 
 Co., in the liquor business, remaining with 
 them for twenty years, being on the road for 
 them much of the latter years. In March, 
 1890, he formed a partnership with the sur- 
 viving partner of the firm, Mr. E. D. Parker, 
 the firm name being E. D. Parker & Co., 
 which continued until September, 1892, when 
 the firm dissolved; and in November of the 
 same year Mr. Toohill established a business 
 for himself at No. 7 State Street, occupying 
 two floors of the large store, and having a 
 
2s8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 large local and outside trade, travelling him- 
 self, and also keeping three men employed, 
 and is now doing one of the leading busi- 
 nesses of the city. Mr. Toohill has been an 
 active worker in the Democratic party for 
 many years, acting as committeeman and in 
 other capacities, and serving as Supervisor of 
 the Second Ward, the strongest Republican 
 ward in the city, which usually has a Repub- 
 lican majority of about three hundred, Mr. 
 Toohill being elected by a majority of sixty- 
 five votes. He has served on the County 
 Clerks', Sheriffs', and Coroners' Committees, 
 but has never been a candidate for any other 
 office. He is a member of St. Mary's Catho- 
 lic Church, and also belongs to the B. P. O. 
 Elks and the C. M. B. A. Royal Arcanum, of 
 which latter organization he is a member of 
 the Board of Trustees. Personally, Mr. Too- 
 hill has always been known as a genial, cour- 
 teous gentleman. His natural aptitude for 
 business has already placed him upon the high 
 road to affluence, which to one of his ability 
 would seem to be but a matter of a short 
 time. 
 
 Mr. Toohill was married November 22, 
 1876, to Miss Agnes Bump, of Rochester, 
 N.Y., a native of Alden, Erie County, and has 
 two children living; namely, Edward D. and 
 Isabella. 
 
 (sTVLFRED W. FOWLER, one of the 
 
 ^^ industrious and enterprising young 
 
 V — - farmers of the town of Montezuma, 
 
 has started out in life with fair prospects for 
 
 a prosperous future, his energy, ability, and 
 
 excellent business tact bidding fair to place 
 him erelong among the prominent husband- 
 men of this section of the county as an impor- 
 tant factor of its agricultural interests. Of 
 him it can be truly said that he is a native 
 and to the manner born, his birth having oc- 
 curred on the farm where he now resides, on 
 June 8, 1867. He is of English parentage, 
 William and Mary (^Kick) Fowler, his father 
 and mother, both being natives of England, 
 Lincolnshire having been the place of birth of 
 the former. 
 
 William Fowler spent the first fourteen 
 years of his life in his native country, coming 
 then to America, and settling in this part of 
 New York. Being dependent upon his own 
 efforts for a livelihood, he sought employment 
 as a farm laborer, and for several seasons 
 worked for ten dollars a month. He was a 
 hard-working young man; and, having been 
 reared to habits of prudence and economy, he 
 saved his earnings, and in a few years had 
 accumulated sufficient money to warrant him 
 in establishing a home of his own. He ac- 
 cordingly bought sixty acres of partially im- 
 proved land in the town of Throop, and 
 immediately began its cultivation. He suc- 
 ceeded beyond his most sanguine expecta- 
 tions, invested his surplus cash in other 
 lands, and is now the owner of four hundred 
 and fifty acres, being still prosperously en- 
 gaged as a general farmer on his pleasant 
 homestead on Aurelius Avenue, in the city of 
 Auburn. He ranks high among the progres- 
 sive agriculturists and substantial business 
 men of this county, and is everywhere re- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 259 
 
 spected as a man of honor and worth. He is 
 an uncompromising Democrat in politics, and 
 is liberal in his religious views, his wife 
 being a strong believer in the tenets of the 
 Disciples' church. Mrs. Fowler, who was 
 born in England, came to this country when 
 seven years old, and has here spent the larger 
 portion of her life. To her and her husband 
 a family of eight childrea have been born, of 
 whom the following are now living: Jay W., 
 a farmer residing in Throop; John G., a 
 farmer living in Montezuma; Emma, the wife 
 of Roscoe Young; and Alfred W., of Monte- 
 zuma. 
 
 Alfred was the youngest child born to his 
 parents ; and he grew to manhood on the farm 
 where he now lives, receiving his elementary 
 education in the district schools, and after- 
 ward attending a school at Port Byron. On 
 the homestead he was early trained to agri- 
 cultural pursuits, thus becoming well fitted 
 for his future occupation. At the age of 
 twenty-two years he rented fifty-six acres of 
 land, which he worked on shares, carrying on 
 general farming until his return to the old 
 Fowler homestead. Here he is following 
 his chosen vocation, having one hundred and 
 thirty-four acres, which he cultivates with 
 good results, the rich and fertile soil yielding 
 abundant harvests of hay and grain. Mr. 
 Fowler began his agricultural operations on a 
 small scale, but has continued to increase and 
 extend his business. He is an exceedingly 
 skilful agriculturist, and is in all respects a 
 valuable citizen of the town, fulfilling his 
 duties and obligations as such with fidelity. 
 
 In politics he is a stanch Democrat, and has 
 uniformly cast his vote in favor of the princi- 
 ples of that party. He is liberal in his re- 
 ligious views, and his estimable wife is a 
 member of the Church of the Disciples. 
 
 On the 13th of March, 1889, Mr. Fowler 
 was united in the holy bonds of matrimony 
 with Miss Anna Church, who is a native of 
 the Empire State, having been born in the 
 town of Wolcott, Wayne County. Their 
 home has been brightened by the birth of one 
 child, a bright little fellow, whom they have 
 named Earl Fowler. 
 
 Zr\HRISTOPHER B. MORGAN. 
 
 cy 1 
 
 
 Throughout Western New York the 
 
 name of Morgan is synonymous 
 
 with thrift, enterprise, and prosperity, in the 
 mercantile interests of this part of the Com- 
 monwealth standing pre-eminent, one Chris- 
 topher Morgan having been the pioneer 
 merchant of Aurora, opening in i8oi the first 
 store in this vicinity for the sale of general 
 merchandise, the business since that time 
 passing down from one generation to another 
 until now it is in the hands of the gentleman 
 whose name appears at the head of this 
 sketch. Under his judicious management the 
 business has lost none of its former prestige, 
 the firm of " Morgans, Merchants, Aurora, 
 Cayuga Lake, N.Y.," still occupying a prom- 
 inent position in the list of successful mer- 
 cantile houses of Cayuga County. Mr. 
 Morgan, who has some 'of the best blood of 
 New England coursing through his veins, is 
 
26o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 a native of Cayuga County, born in the town 
 of Ledyard, March 6, 1842, son of Richard 
 Morgan, who was also a native of this county, 
 born in Aurora, March 21, 1818. 
 
 The first of his paternal ancestors born on 
 this side of the Atlantic of whom he has any 
 record was his great-grandfather, Christopher 
 Morgan, whose birth occurred in Groton, 
 Conn., in the year 1747. He was a farmer 
 by occupation, and spent his entire life in his 
 native State. During the Revolutionary War 
 he took an active part, fulfilling his duties as 
 a brave soldier until its close. He married 
 twice, the maiden name of his first wife being 
 Deborah Ledyard, and that of his second wife 
 Margaret Gates, and of the two unions reared 
 a large family of children. 
 
 His son, Christopher Morgan, Jr., who was 
 a cousin of Governor E. D. Morgan, of New 
 York, was born in Groton in 1777. He ob- 
 tained his education in the public schools of 
 his native State, and was there reared to man- 
 hood, remaining under the parental roof -tree 
 until the time of his marriage with Nancy 
 Barber, a native of Connecticut, born August 
 29, 1785. He made his advent in Cayuga 
 County in the year 1800, when he was em- 
 ployed by the State to keep the books for the 
 company constructing the bridge across Ca- 
 yuga Lake. All land communication in those 
 days was by foot or horseback; and he, choos- 
 ing the former mode, walked the entire dis- 
 tance alone, following the bridle paths marked 
 by blazed trees between the scattered settle- 
 ments and clearings, arriving at Cayuga with 
 his axe on his shoulder. After retaining his 
 
 position as book-keeper for a year, he came to 
 Ledyard in 1801, and opened the first mercan- 
 tile store in the village of Aurora, which was 
 then the county seat. Beginning in a small 
 way, he gradually enlarged and extended his 
 operations, being successfully engaged in the 
 business until a short time prior to his death, 
 when he transferred his interests to his eldest 
 son, Edwin B. Morgan, in the year 1827. 
 During the War of 18 12 he served as a soldier 
 in the army, at that time acquiring the title 
 of Major, being afterward known as Major 
 Morgan. He was an important factor in pro- 
 moting the growth and improvement of the 
 town, being a man of sound judgment and 
 more than average business ability; and his 
 death, which occurred October 4, 1834, was a 
 loss to the public, as well as to his immediate 
 family. His estimable wife survived him 
 many years, dying at an advanced age, August 
 4, 1864. They reared six children — Ed- 
 win, Christopher, Henry, John, George, and 
 Richard. 
 
 Richard Morgan, the youngest of this 
 goodly group of sons, acquired a fair educa- 
 tion, attending first the district schools of 
 Aurora, and completing his studies in the 
 Cayuga Academy. Selecting farming as his 
 early occupation, he carried on mixed hus- 
 bandry four years on his farm in Levanna, 
 going thence to New London, Conn., where 
 many of his relatives are still living, and re- 
 mained there a year as a clerk in a store. 
 Returning to his home, he married, and soon 
 after relinquished agriculture, and entered 
 into the mercantile business with his brothers 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 261 
 
 Edwin and Henry, buying out the interest of 
 his brother George, who had been a member 
 of the firm twelve years. Six years later, in 
 in 1856, he purchased the interests of his 
 brothers, the firm then being known as Richard 
 Morgan. In 1863 he took his son, Christopher 
 B. Morgan, into the firm, the partnership con- 
 tinuing until 1882. His son having gone 
 West, Richard Morgan then carried on the 
 business himself, being one of the most active 
 and progressive merchants of the county until 
 the time of his death, which occurred Novem- 
 ber 23, 1890. He married in September, 
 1837, Eliza W. Avery, the daughter of Sam- 
 uel and Emily Avery, of Cayuga, with whom 
 he afterward enjoyed fifty-two years of happy 
 wedded life. She was of New England an- 
 cestry, her father having been a son of Samuel 
 Avery, who was a son of Humphrey Avery, a 
 native of Groton, Conn. Mr. and Mrs. Mor- 
 gan became the parents of two children, the 
 elder of whom, a daughter Emily, died Jan- 
 uary 15, 1844, at the age of six years. The 
 other was the son before named, and now to 
 receive more particular mention. 
 
 Christopher B. Morgan was well educated 
 for a business career, pursuing the higher 
 branches of his studies at the Aurora Acad- 
 emy and at a private school at Owasco Lake. 
 At the age of eighteen years he entered his 
 father's store as a clerk, discharging the 
 duties of the position with such ability and 
 fidelity that in 1863, when he attained his 
 majority, he was taken into the firm as a part- 
 ner. In 1882, disposing of his interest in 
 the store to his father, he removed to Grand 
 
 Rapids, Mich., where he entered into mercan- 
 tile business with his brother-in-law, their 
 store being devoted exclusively to the sale 
 of carpets and interior decorations. In that 
 place he carried on a thriving and lucrative 
 trade, remaining there until recalled home 
 owing to the enfeebled health of his father, 
 when he succeeded him in the business in 
 which he is now so successfully employed. 
 As above noted, this mercantile house was 
 established in 1801, being the oldest in these 
 parts of the country and one of the oldest in 
 the State, and has been without intermission 
 in the hands of some member of the Morgan 
 family, the firm names since its establishment 
 having been the following: Christopher Mor- 
 gan, 1801-27; Edwin B. Morgan, 1827-31; 
 E. B. & H. Morgan (Edwin B. and Henry 
 Morgan), 1831-38; H. & G. P. Morgan 
 (Edwin, Henry, and George P. Morgan), 
 1838-50; Morgans (Edwin B., Henry, and 
 Richard Morgan), 1850-56; Richard Mor- 
 gan, 1856-63; R. Morgan & Son (Richard 
 and Christopher B. Morgan), 1863-82; Rich- 
 ard Morgan, December, 1882; Estate of 
 Richard Morgan, November 23, 1890. 
 
 Mr. Morgan was in 1863 united in marriage 
 to Lucy M. Avery, the daughter of John B. 
 and Eliza (Starkweather) Avery, of Seneca 
 County. Their union has been blessed by 
 the birth of three children — Emily A., 
 Henry, and William A. Emily, the wife 
 of George Stanton, Jr., of Grand Rapids, 
 Mich., has one child, Richard M. William 
 married Wilhelma Morgan, of Penn Yan, N. Y., 
 and they have one child, Ralph C. Morgan. 
 
262 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 In local and national affairs the Morgan 
 family have ever taken an active interest, fill- 
 ing various offices with great acceptance to all 
 concerned, one being that of Postmaster, 
 Richard Morgan having been appointed to the 
 office by Abraham Lincoln, and his son Chris- 
 topher being appointed to the same position, 
 first by U. S. Grant in 1870; and, when he 
 removed to Michigan, his unexpired term was 
 filled by his father, the office being under 
 their supervision continuously until October, 
 1893, when under the present administration 
 it was taken from them. Edwin B. Morgan, 
 uncle of Christopher B., served his district 
 three terms in Congress, and was largely in- 
 terested in the express business of the coun- 
 try, being the first President of Wells, Fargo 
 & Co. He was one of the founders of the 
 New York Times, for many years holding the 
 controlling stock, and was a liberal donor to 
 public institutions of his State, by his will 
 endowing Wells College with three hundred 
 thousand dollars. The Hon. Christopher 
 Morgan, another uncle, was a law partner of 
 the Hon. William H. Seward and ot Judge 
 Blatchford, and was elected to represent his 
 district in Congress, being one of the young- 
 est, brightest, and most influential of its 
 members. Henry Morgan, a third uncle, a 
 man of great enterprise and ability, accepted 
 the contract to build the telegraph line be- 
 tween New York and San Francisco. 
 
 Christopher B. Morgan, characterized by 
 the same mental vigor, business aptitude, and 
 probity that distinguished his ancestors, holds 
 a high position among the prominent citizens 
 
 of Aurora, and is among the foremost to for- 
 ward all enterprises conducive to the general 
 welfare and advancement. He is an impor- 
 tant member of the Masonic order, and has 
 been Master of the Aurora Lodge. In his 
 political views he coincides with the Republi- 
 can party, and cast his first Presidential vote 
 for Abraham Lincoln in 1864. 
 
 OHN WHITE, master mechanic of the 
 Lehigh Valley Railroad shops at Au- 
 burn, is one of the best known and 
 most useful and popular men of this city, tak- 
 ing an active part in political and social 
 affairs. He belongs to a good old family of 
 Scotland, both his parents having been born 
 at Leith, a seaport town about a mile from 
 Edinburgh. James White, the father of the 
 subject of this sketch, was. a marine engineer 
 in Leith, where he married Miss Agnes Main. 
 It was in this home by the sea that John 
 White was born November 4, 1841. He re- 
 ceived his early education in the public 
 schools, afterward attending the Free Normal 
 School connected with the Free Presbyterian 
 Church of Scotland. In 1855, when but four- 
 teen years of age, he took an apprenticeship 
 of six years in Hawthorne & Co.'s Marine and 
 Locomotive Works. At the expiration of this 
 time he was thoroughly acquainted with all 
 the departments of the work, and determined 
 to start out to seek his fortune in a new coun- 
 try. Like so many of his sagacious and en- 
 terprising countrymen, he turned to America 
 as the field of promise for a successful career. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 263 
 
 and accordingly sailed from his old home in 
 bbnnie Scotland, with all the courage and 
 earnestness of purpose needful for a young 
 man just entering on a new life in a new coun- 
 try. Upon his arrival in New York he was 
 engaged at Delamater's Engine Works, but 
 left there to accept a position as foreman in 
 the Erie shops of Susquehanna, Pa. Here he 
 remained until July, 1882, having in charge 
 two hundred men. From Susquehanna he 
 went to Auburn, where he was appointed fore- 
 man of the shops, which position he held 
 until the following June, when he was made 
 Master Mechanic of the Southern Central 
 Railroad, now known as the Lehigh Valley 
 Railroad, in which capacity he now serves. 
 Mr. White has in charge all the running re- 
 pairs of the Auburn division of the Lehigh 
 Valley Railroad; and, while this was the 
 Southern Central, all of the rolling stock was 
 repaired under Mr. White's supervision. He 
 was elected Alderman for Ward Eight in 
 May, 1893, by the Republicans, with which 
 party he has always been identified ; and this 
 office he held for two years. 
 
 In July, 1864, Mr. White was married to 
 Margaret Hamilton, of New York City, who 
 was also a native of Scotland. Twelve chil- 
 dren have been born to them, all of whom are 
 living except Margaret, who died in Septem- 
 ber, 1892, at the age of twenty-one. These 
 children are: James, who is a locomotive en- 
 gineer of the New York Central Railroad; 
 Elizabeth, wife of William Springsteen, of 
 Susquehanna; Thomas, of New York; Agnes; 
 Jessie; Nellie and Isabel, who are twins; 
 
 John, who is serving his apprenticeship with 
 Mcintosh & Seymour, manufacturers of steam- 
 engines; William, who attends the high 
 school; George; and Andrew. The family 
 attend the Central Presbyterian Church, of 
 which they are valued members. 
 
 Mr. White is a member of the Common 
 Council, and holds positions on the Boards of 
 Commissioners on Drains and Sewers and on 
 Streets and Bridges. He is a member of St. 
 Paul's Lodge, A. F. & A. M., the chapter at 
 Great Bend, Pa., and Salem Town Command- 
 ery of Auburn, No. 16, Knights Templars, 
 having passed through the chairs of the Blue 
 Lodge, being Past Master Mason. 
 
 Mr. White is a man of noble character and 
 great business ability, who has won well-de- 
 served success by his thorough mastery of his 
 calling, fidelity to his trusts, and honest deal- 
 ings with all with whom he comes in contact; 
 and the respect in which he is held by all 
 gives evidence of his upright and manly life. 
 
 RASTUS WHEELER is a well-known 
 native resident of Fleming, Cayuga 
 County, N.Y. This town is fortunate in hav- 
 ing been settled by a remarkably enterprising, 
 industrious, and intelligent class of people; 
 and among the number were the parents of 
 both Mr. Wheeler and his wife. Mr. 
 Wheeler's birth occurred on May i, 1819. 
 He comes of an ancient and honored New 
 England family, his father, Parley Wheeler, 
 having been a native of Connecticut, and his 
 grandfather, Edward Wheeler, a life-long 
 
264 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 resident of that State. The latter was a 
 farmer by occupation; and the maiden name 
 of his wife, the grandmother of Erastus, was 
 Gear. 
 
 Parley Wheeler grew to manhood in Con- 
 necticut, and was there married. In 1804, 
 accompanied by his wife and two children, he 
 migrated to Cayuga County, making the long 
 journey with teams, and bringing all of his 
 household goods with him, bravely daring all 
 the hardships and privations incidental to life 
 in an undeveloped country, in order to pave 
 the way for those who followed, and to estab- 
 lish a home where his children and their de- 
 scendants might enjoy the comforts and even 
 the luxuries of life, without the labor and toil 
 in which his years were spent. He settled in 
 that part of the town of Aurelius that is now 
 included in the town of Fleming, and bought 
 a tract of land on which a few acres had been 
 cleared, and a small frame house had been 
 built. After he had cleared a large portion 
 of the land, he bought an adjoining farm, on 
 which there stood quite a commodious frame 
 house; and, with characteristic enterprise, he 
 added tavern-keeping to his agricultural 
 labors. There being neither railways nor 
 canals in this part of the country, he used to 
 team his surplus produce to Albany, and on 
 the return trip bring back merchandise; and, 
 his hotel being located on the main travelled 
 roads, he carried on an extensive trade. He 
 was thus employed for many years, and con- 
 tinued a resident of the town and one of its 
 most enterprising and valued citizens until 
 his death in 1846. He was twice married. 
 
 His first wife, whose maiden name was Edith 
 Smith, died in 18 10, and was the first person 
 buried in the M3'ers cemetery. He afterward 
 married Betsey (Sherwood) Warner, the 
 widow of Samuel Warner. By his first mar- 
 riage five children were born, and by his sec- 
 ond ten children, of whom the subject of this 
 biographical sketch was one. 
 
 Erastus Wheeler was reared to farm labor, 
 and received his education in the common 
 schools of his native town. He commenced 
 when quite young to assist on the home farm; 
 and, with the exception of one season, re- 
 mained with his father until twenty-five years 
 old. He then began life on his own account 
 by renting land on shares, performing all of 
 the work on the farm with oxen. At the ex- 
 piration of four years he bought a small place, 
 on which he lived two years, then, disposing 
 of that, bought the farm where he now resides. 
 This contains seventy-five acres of good land, 
 which he has placed under excellent tillage, 
 and on which he has made improvements of a 
 substantial character. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler has been twice married. The 
 maiden name of his first wife, to whom he 
 was wedded in 1845, was Sophia Smith. She 
 was born in Fleming, being a daughter of 
 Lebbeus and Polly (Chatfield) Smith. After 
 many years of happy married life, she passed 
 on to the world beyond, dying in 1876. Mr. 
 Wheeler subsequently married Mrs. Mariette 
 (Coffin) Doan, their nuptials being celebrated 
 in 1884. She was born in Scipio, and is a 
 lineal descendant of the well-known Cofifin 
 family of Nantucket, her grandfather, Darius 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 265 
 
 Coffin, having spent his entire life on that 
 island. Her father, Nathaniel Coffin, was 
 born and reared to manhood in Nantucket, 
 and in early pioneer days came to Cayuga 
 County, and, buying a tract of land in Scipio, 
 there engaged in general farming, and also 
 worked somewhat at his trade of carpentering, 
 until the time of his decease. The maiden 
 name of his wife, the mother of Mrs. 
 Wheeler, was Harriet Lawrence. She was 
 born in Springport, and was a daughter of Dr. 
 Asahel W. and Grace (Lathrop) Lawrence, 
 both of whom were natives of Hartford, Conn., 
 and early pioneer settlers of Springport. Dr. 
 Lawrence began the study of medicine at an 
 early age; and, being a close student and a 
 hard worker, taking a great interest in all the 
 departments of his profession, he acquired 
 great proficiency and won remarkable success 
 as a physician. Mrs. Wheeler remained with 
 her parents until twenty-three years of age, 
 when she was united in marriage to Amos T. 
 Doan, a native of Pennsylvania and a car- 
 penter by trade. He died in 1882, leaving 
 his widow and one son, Frank E. Doan. 
 The son married Carrie Drake; and they have 
 two children — Charles A. and Lawrence L. 
 
 By his first marriage Mr. Wheeler reared 
 five children, the following being their rec- 
 ord : Marietta, who married George W. Smith, 
 has four children — Lebbeus, Sophia, Nettie, 
 and Coral. Lemuel C, who married Alice 
 Carter, has two children — George and Ella. 
 Lebbeus died at the age of twenty-two years. 
 Charles married Minnie Hibbard; and they 
 have one child, Dan. Hannah M., the wife 
 
 of Charles Pinckney, has one child, Florence. 
 Politically, Mr. Wheeler belongs to the Re- 
 publican party, and warmly upholds its prin- 
 ciples at all times. He and his estimable 
 family have well performed their part in sus- 
 taining the intellectual and moral status of 
 their community, and have the respect and 
 confidence of the entire people. 
 
 M 
 
 EACON SAMUEL WHITMEE is 
 one of the many well-to-do agricult- 
 urists of Cayuga County who came 
 here from the British Isles, poor in purse, 
 but possessing an unlimited stock of energy 
 and perseverance, and who by untiring indus- 
 try and good management have succeeded in 
 acquiring a competence. Mr. Whitraee is the 
 owner of a well-appointed farm in the town of 
 Aurelius, where he is passing the evening of 
 his days in ease and comfort. He was born 
 October 19, 18 19, in Bedfordshire, which was 
 also the place of nativity of his ancestors 
 for many generations. There his great- 
 grandfather, Thomas Whitmee, a harness- 
 maker by trade, and his grandfather, Thomas 
 Whitmee, Jr., were life-long residents. 
 
 The grandfather died there at the venerable 
 age of ninety-two years; and his wife, who 
 survived him, lived to be ninety-three years 
 old. He was a tiller of the soil and one of 
 the wealthy farmers of the town, having the 
 care of five hundred acres of land. He was a 
 man of marked individuality, and at the time 
 of his death requested that his farm-wagon be 
 used instead of a hearse to convey his body to 
 
266 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 its last resting-place, and that his employees 
 on the farm be his bearers, his last wishes 
 being strictly conformed with. 
 
 The father of Samuel, the third Thomas 
 Whitmee in succession, was born August 3, 
 1786, in Bedfordshire, where he passed the 
 larger part of his life. He remained on the 
 home farm, assisting his father in its manage- 
 ment until his marriage, when his father 
 rented a farm for him in Buckinghamshire, 
 where he carried on general farming for five 
 years. He then returned to his native town, 
 remaining there until 1849, when he disposed 
 of all his property in England, and emigrated 
 with his family to America. He sailed from 
 Liverpool on the ship "St. Patrick," making 
 the passage to New York City in four weeks 
 and four days. After landing, the family 
 came directly to Cayuga County, settling in 
 Auburn. Mr. Whitmee was not sufficiently 
 vigorous to embark in any new business after 
 his arrival here, although he lived about nine 
 years. His death occurred on July 4, 1858. 
 The maiden name of his wife, to whom he 
 was wedded in 1805, was Elizabeth Old. She 
 was a native of Bedfordshire, born October 
 27, 1783, and died in Auburn, February 13, 
 1875. To her and her husband were born 
 fourteen children, two of whom, Samuel by 
 name, died at birth. The others were the 
 following: Thomas, James, Sarah J., Mary, 
 William, Peter, Hannah, Eliza, Samuel, 
 Jethro, William, and Jabez. 
 
 The subject of this brief personal record, 
 Samuel Whitmee, son of the third Thomas, 
 was educated in his native country, and there 
 
 received a practical training in the many 
 branches of agriculture, having worked with 
 his father on the home f-arm until the time of 
 his marriage. After that important event he 
 remained in his native country some years, 
 coming with his wife and two little sons — 
 Joseph and Harry — to Auburn in 1849. His 
 first employment in his adopted home was 
 with William Payne, the father of Sereno E. 
 Payne, and his next was that of peddling milk 
 for Abner Phelps. After working in various 
 places in the vicinity of Auburn, Mr. Whit- 
 mee bought a farm of twenty-eight acres, to 
 which he devoted his labors for a time. Hav- 
 ing a good opportunity to sell at an advance, 
 he did so in 1869, and at once purchased the 
 farm he now occupies. By industry and good 
 management he has brought his land to its 
 present fine condition, and made a most 
 pleasant and desirable home for his family 
 and an attractive place of resort for their 
 many friends. 
 
 During his residence in Bedfordshire Mr. 
 Whitmee married Eliza, daughter of Samuel 
 and Mary Chappell; and to them were born 
 six children, as follows: Joseph C, Harry 
 G., Emma M., George H., Jennie E., and 
 Lillie L. Joseph C, the eldest of his family 
 of children, was born in England in 1846, 
 being but three years old when he crossed the 
 broad Atlantic with his parents. He attended 
 the district schools of Sennett, Auburn, and 
 Aurelius, being graduated from the Auburn 
 Academy. After leaving school he worked 
 on the homestead with his father, and was in 
 partnership with him on the farm for twenty 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 267 
 
 years. He is the owner of sixty acres of val- 
 uable land bordering on Owasco Lake, where 
 he now resides. In 1872 he was united in 
 marriage to Adell Chase, daughter of David 
 and Lucinda (Hall) Chase, of Onondaga 
 County ; and they are the parents of two chil- 
 dren — Seward H. and May F. He is a 
 member of the United Workmen, and, relig- 
 iously, he and his household are esteemed 
 members of the First Baptist Church of Au- 
 burn. The second son, Harry G., is single, 
 and is in business in Auburn. George H., 
 the youngest son, married Etta Wilcox; and 
 they reside in Florida. They have two chil- 
 dren — Charles S. and Lansing B. Jennie E. 
 is the wife of Frank Colwell, of Auburn. 
 Lillie, who married James Lane, of Onondaga 
 County, has three children — Mabel, Willard, 
 and Bessie. Emma M., the third child and 
 eldest daughter, was married on July 5, 
 1894, to Orrin Greene, who died on the i8th 
 of the same month. She had been previously 
 married, in 1872, to George H. Shaw. 
 
 Mr. Whitmee is a man of unblemished 
 moral character, whose convictions regarding 
 duty are firm, and his integrity widely ac- 
 knowledged. In politics he has been iden- 
 tified with the Republican party since becom- 
 ing naturalized on January 20, 1856. Relig- 
 iously, he is a consistent member of the Bap- 
 tist church, which he serves as Deacon with 
 the utmost fidelity. It will be seen that his 
 services in the church are appreciated when it 
 is added that, on the fiftieth anniversary of the 
 marriage of Mr. Whitmee and his estimable 
 wife, the pastor of the church, the Rev. R. G. 
 
 Seymour, D.D., and his brother deacons gave 
 him a genuine surprise by presenting him 
 with a very handsomely engraved gold-headed 
 cane, a token of esteem and reverence which 
 he regards as one of his most precious 
 treasures . 
 
 DAM F. DATES, one of the most ex- 
 perienced and skilful blacksmiths of 
 Auburn, was born on Owasco Street 
 in this city, where Samuel Laurie's residence 
 now stands, February i, 1836, the third son 
 of John M. and Martha (Miller) Dates, and 
 grandson of William Dates, who came to 
 Owasco town from New Jersey in 1796. The 
 old original name of the family was "Dietz," 
 which indicates a German origin. The 
 grandfather, William, when a young man, 
 went to Pennsylvania, where he was married 
 to Margaret Monforte, daughter of Peter Mon- 
 forte, who originally owned the land upon 
 which the battle of Gettysburg was fought. 
 Mr. Dates subsequently came to Cayuga 
 County, and bought land in Owasco east of 
 the Martin land, all of it being wooded. He 
 was a blacksmith, and the only one in that 
 vicinity, men of his trade being so scarce 
 then that a criminal who was sentenced from 
 Aurora to the State prison was brought to 
 Owasco to have Mr. Dates put on the 
 shackles, after which he was taken to the 
 prison in New York City. People in those 
 days were often obliged to travel far to get 
 their blacksmithing performed, all the iron 
 work from Hardenburg's Corners (now Au- 
 burn) then going to Owasco, including the 
 
268 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 mill work. Colonel Hardenburg offered Mr. 
 Dates fifty acres of land where the Auburn 
 Theological Seminary now stands, if he would 
 move his shop there. He did not accept this 
 offer, not liking the country. Mr. Dates had 
 pear seeds sent in a letter from Pennsylvania, 
 which he planted, one of the trees commenc- 
 ing to bear fruit the year of the birth of one 
 of his daughters, about 1813, the tree at this 
 day still giving excellent fruit. Mr. Dates 
 died of an epidemic called "the black 
 tongue," which raged about 1812, shortly be- 
 fore his youngest child was born. Mrs. Dates 
 died in i860, aged ninety-three. She and 
 her husband were the parents of eight chil- 
 dren, namely: Peter, who was a blacksmith of 
 Owasco; Henry, a shoemaker; John M. and 
 Abraham, both also blacksmiths; Lettie, wife 
 of S. Sayres; Hannah, wife of Mr. Turner; 
 Maria; and Elizabeth. 
 
 John M. Dates, the third son of William, 
 received his education in the old log school- 
 house, afterward learning the blacksmith trade 
 by working with his father and his elder 
 brother, Peter. He opened a shop in Auburn 
 in 1826, and in 1827 opened another, where 
 he afterward lived, owning land there, upon 
 which he built a good residence, the spot now 
 being occupied by Mr. Laurie's barn. Mr. 
 Dates had a fine location for his shop, and did 
 a thriving business for those days. He was a 
 Democrat, but was not an active politician. 
 He became a fireman in 1826, and was an 
 active member. of the company for many years. 
 He married Miss Martha Miller of Owasco, 
 born in 1799; and they reared seven children, 
 
 namely: Margaret, widow of Henry Morse, of 
 Auburn; William, who was murdered in Cal- 
 ifornia in the winter of 1859; Lydia M., 
 wife of John Grover, of Chicago; Adam F., 
 subject of this sketch; Martha, wife of John 
 Holmes, of Auburn; Catherine, wife of John 
 M. Nickerson, of Auburn; and John M. 
 Dates, Jr., of Auburn. The father died in 
 1870, and the widowed mother in 1881. 
 
 Adam F. Dates received his education in 
 the old Bell School, where the Fulton Street 
 Church now stands, afterward working with 
 his father until 1858, when he went to Cali- 
 fornia, making the journey by way of the 
 Isthmus of Panama. He went into the mines 
 in Mariposa County, remaining there until 
 1859, doing well, also working at his trade of 
 a blacksmith, and leading the stirring life of 
 the adventurous Californian of those days, 
 buying and selling property, sometimes mak- 
 ing money and sometimes losing. After two 
 years he returned to Auburn and bought a 
 farm in the country, but soon sold it and 
 moved back to the city, buying the lot and 
 house at 106 Owasco Street, building thereon 
 a blacksmith shop. He moved into the house 
 November 15, 1861, and has lived there, 
 working at his trade ever since, using, with 
 the necessary additions, the old bellows, 
 anvil, and sledge which his father used. 
 
 Mr. Dates married September 8, i860. 
 Miss Mary Jane de Groff, daughter of Will- 
 iam de Groff, of Owasco, who was born on the 
 farm adjoining the Dates farm. They have 
 had but one child, who died young. Mr. 
 Dates is a Democrat in politics, but he may 
 
Jacob Schenck, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 271 
 
 be said to vote out of his vest pocket. Mr. 
 Dates, like his worthy and respected predeces- 
 sors, learned his trade thoroughly, thereby 
 keeping up the reputation for excellent work 
 which his forefathers enjoyed. He is a man 
 of sterling worth and integrity, and a true 
 American citizen. 
 
 TT^YRUS SCHENCK, farmer, a native 
 I J[ resident of Springport, Cayuga 
 
 ^•^ ^ County, was born on January 30, 
 
 1832. The agricultural interests of Cayuga 
 County are ably represented by men of prac- 
 tical sense, sound judgment, and excellent 
 business capacity; and, taking a foremost 
 position among these worthy sons of toil, are 
 the descendants of Jacob Schenck, one of 
 them being Cyrus above named. He is a 
 scion of one of the early Dutch families of 
 New Jersey, his great-grandfather, Cornelius 
 Schenck having been among the original set- 
 tlers of that State. 
 
 John Schenck, son of Cornelius, spent the 
 earlier portion of his life in New Jersey, liv- 
 ing there several years after his marriage. 
 He was an educated man, and for many years 
 a teacher of note. Following the tide of 
 emigration, he and one of his brothers, 
 Ruloff, accompanied by their wives and chil- 
 dren, came to the town of Genoa, Cayuga 
 County, performing the journey on horseback. 
 Staying there but a little while, he removed 
 to Springport, and, buying a farm of one hun- 
 dred and forty acres, on which a frame house 
 had already been erected, at once began its 
 
 improvement. From that time he engaged in 
 general farming, and, having a large family 
 of healthy boys and girls to assist him, made 
 notable success in his efforts, improving a 
 fine homestead, where he and his good wife 
 spent their declining years. Her maiden 
 name was Mary Quackenbush. She was a 
 native of New Jersey, and became the mother 
 of fourteen children, namely: Cornelius, born 
 June 10, 1791; Nellie, born April 29, 1793; 
 Mary, born May 6, 179S; Geshea, born Sep- 
 tember 24, 1796; Ruloff, born February 4, 
 1798; Catherine, born March 10, 1799; 
 Sarah, born March 21, 1801 ; John, born 
 December 22, 1802; William, born February 
 20, 1804; Peter, born August 12, 1805; 
 Jacob, born December 7, 1806; Sylvanus, 
 born February 25, 1809; Sylvester, born 
 April 29, 1 8 10; and Nelson, the only one 
 now living, born November 27, 181 1. 
 
 Jacob Schenck was the eleventh child and 
 the seventh son born to his parents, his birth 
 occurring in Genoa. He was reared and 
 educated in the town of Springport, and in 
 early life began his career as a farmer. To 
 aid and encourage him in his work, he took 
 unto himself a wife before he had attained his 
 majority, being married in his twenty-first 
 year; and they made a grand success in estab- 
 lishing a home. He was energetic and in- 
 dustrious; and by frugality and sagacious 
 management he was enabled in 1843 to buy 
 the homestead now occupied by Cyrus and 
 some of his sisters and brothers, taking pos- 
 session of it on the fourth day of April. His 
 marriage with Maria Roberts, daughter of 
 
272 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Benjamin and Betsey (Parish) Roberts, was 
 solemnized September 36, 1827; and for 
 nearly threescore years they trod the path of 
 life together, meeting with some sorrows and 
 adversities on the way, but with the joys far 
 outnumbering their troubles, she passing on to 
 the unseen shore, March 15, 1887, while he 
 lived, tenderly cared for by his devoted chil- 
 dren, until March 12, 1889. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Schenck were the par- 
 ents of ten children ; namely, Charles (de- 
 ceased), Mariette, Cyrus, Helen, Eliza A., 
 Sophia A., Harrison, Adelphia, H. Clay, and 
 Augusta. Charles, the only one not now liv- 
 ing, married Jane Bodine, of Mount Morris; 
 and they had one son, named Charles, Jr., who 
 married Carrie Chase, of Springport. Mari- 
 ette became the wife of Ethan Allen, of 
 Springport, and has three children — Charles, 
 Emily, and Mary; and of these Charles mar- 
 ried Laura Grover, and has six children, 
 Emily married Edwin Chase, and has three 
 children, and Mary married George King, 
 and has two children. Eliza married Oscar 
 Myers, of Springport, and has one child, The- 
 odora. Sophia married Orrin Clark, of Mich- 
 igan; and they have four sons and one 
 daughter — Leonard, John, and Clinton, liv- 
 ing; and Lewis and Nora, deceased. Harri- 
 son married Sarah Myers, of Springport, and 
 has had three children — Jefferson and Mary, 
 now living; and Albert, deceased. Jefferson 
 married Rose Webb, of Springport; and they 
 have one child, a son, H. Clay, who was born 
 October 4, 1846, and educated in the district 
 schools of Springport. He married Elizabeth 
 
 LaRowe, of Springport, the daughter of Asa 
 and Susan (Bowers) LaRowe. The remaining 
 children of Jacob Schenck — ■ Cyrus, Helen, 
 Adelphia, and Augusta — ^are unmarried, and 
 live on the homestead. They are numbered 
 among the respected and esteemed residents of 
 their town, and take an active interest in 
 everything that promises to benefit the com- 
 munity. In politics Cyrus Schenck affiliates 
 with the Democratic party. 
 
 On another page is presented a portrait of 
 Mr. Jacob Schenck, whose virtuous and pleas- 
 ing traits of character and the good works he 
 wrought while on earth are held in grateful 
 remembrance by his children, grandchildren, 
 and surviving friends. 
 
 SIThec 
 
 HEODORE J. SEARLS, a prominent 
 eH lawyer in the city of Auburn, was born 
 at Weedsport, in the same county of Cayuga, 
 on May 20, 1851. On another page of this 
 volume may be found a sketch of his father, 
 the Rev. William Searls, D.D. 
 
 Theodore was but a child when the family 
 removed to Ithaca, where he attended the 
 public schools, including the high; but 
 thereafter, at the age of seventeen, he was 
 graduated at Brown's Business College in Au- 
 burn, then one of the best institutions of its 
 kind in the State. From this school he went 
 immediately into the law office of the Hon. 
 J. T. M. Davie, afterward Surrogate of the 
 County; and he also read with the Hon. 
 E. A. Thomas, afterward a Judge in Wyoming 
 Territory. On account of his father's change 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 273 
 
 of residence to Rome, Oneida County, Tlieo- 
 dore there entered the office of the Hon. B. J. 
 Beach, a former member of the State Assem- 
 bly, and his associate, the Hon. A. H. 
 Bailey, who had been a member of Congress 
 in the beginning of the war, i86i, and in 
 1 871, while Theodore was his pupil, was 
 made County Judge. 
 
 •While with these gentlemen young Searls 
 not only was the regular correspondent of two 
 papers, one m Albany and the other in his 
 own cit}', but began writing a good deal of 
 poetry, which appeared in those journals, and 
 was favorably received, one piece, "Decora- 
 tion Day," eliciting a very complimentary 
 notice from the Rev. Thomas K. Beecher. 
 This poem was read at the Auburn Decoration 
 Day services in 1882, and here is in part what 
 Mr. Beecher wrote: "When men think more 
 of righteousness and God, there will be fewer 
 wars and lawsuits in the world." There came 
 also commendation from the Rev. Dwight 
 Williams, also a poet, and connected with the 
 Central New York Methodist Conference ; and 
 there was similar praise in the Roman Senti- 
 nel and other papers. In 1888 a poem called 
 "The Drunkard's Dream" and another on the 
 Scripture text, "Woman, behold thy son," 
 were published, and sprang at once into pop- 
 ularity. He was invited to read his effusions 
 at different public gatherings, and they were 
 also solicited by noted men for the same pur- 
 pose. Others of his poems were on such sub- 
 jects as "Beautiful Snow" and "Abraham's 
 Sacrifice"; and still others, "The Shadowy 
 Shore" and "Revery," are about to be pub- 
 
 lished, in company with a longer poem in 
 four parts, entitled "The Leper's Call." 
 
 Happily, not being led astray from the 
 straight path of labor in his chosen field by 
 these poetic diversions, after studying for two 
 years with Messrs. Beach and Bailey, who 
 were faithful with their pupils, Theodore 
 Searls was admitted to the bar by examination 
 at a general term of the Supreme Court, held 
 in Buffalo. This was on June 7, 1872, eigh- 
 teen days after reaching his majority. Of 
 this event the Roman Citizen, to whose col- 
 umns he had been a frequent contributor, said : 
 "We congratulate our young friend over his 
 success in passing an examination which was 
 close and searching and continued four hours; 
 and his friends will be glad to learn of his 
 going through the ordeal so triumphantly. 
 He is a talented and honorable young man, 
 and has the entire confidence of all who appre- 
 ciate modest yet real worth. He has formed 
 a business connection with an old Auburn 
 practitioner, and it is understood he will at 
 once commence the practice of law in that 
 city. We wish him abundant success." 
 This tribute shows how highly young Searls 
 was esteemed in the community where he had 
 spent his youth. 
 
 As intimated in the above extract, he came 
 at once to Auburn, and began practice in the 
 office of James Lyon. Though no partnership 
 existed between them, Mr. Lyon was always 
 ready to assist Mr. Searls in every feasible 
 way; for he was disposed to be very kind to 
 young men in his profession. The youthful 
 attorney continued in regular practice for 
 
274 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 some years, building up a good reputation for 
 both honesty and ability. Then for five years 
 he turned partly aside from the courts to try 
 his fortune in a mercantile direction, after 
 which he again resumed law practice, giving 
 his entire attention thereto. In 1888 he 
 left Auburn, and went to Bay City, Mich., 
 where he remained till May-day, 1892, at- 
 tending to certain special work which put his 
 legal ability to a very severe test, from which 
 he came out victorious. This proved such a 
 strain upon his health, however, that, after 
 returning to Auburn, he found it advisable to 
 spend a year aloof from his profession; but in 
 1894 he again resumed its arduous duties, 
 giving special attention to the care of real 
 estate and collections. In this branch he has 
 been associated with his two sons, William 
 Elmer Searls and Ray Elmer Searls, under 
 the firm title of T. J. Searls & Sons. Mr. 
 Searls was married in September, 1872, three 
 months after his admission to the bar, to 
 Helen R. Elmer, of Rome, a daughter of 
 L. E. Elmer, one of the most prominent mer- 
 chants of that city, and a bank President, 
 besides holding other responsible positions. 
 She was born March 7, 1852, and was edu- 
 cated in her native city and in Cazenovia 
 Seminary. Besides the two sons already 
 mentioned, born in 1873 and 1877, there are 
 two other children — Ella Marian Searls, born 
 in 1875; and Elmer Searls, born in 1880. 
 
 In politics Mr.. Searls is a Republican, 
 though never an office-holder; and the family 
 are connected with the Presbyterian church. 
 Mr. Searls is also a Past Commander of 
 
 Salem Town Commandery, No. 16, Knights 
 Templars, and an ex-member of the Second 
 Company, National Guards, State of New 
 York. In his " Comus " the great poet Mil- 
 ton has said, and these verses may be here 
 aptly quoted : — 
 
 " Virtue could see to do what virtue would, 
 By her own radiant light, though sun and moon 
 Were in the flat sea sunk. And Wisdom's self 
 Oft seeks to sweet retired solitude, 
 Where, with her best nurse, Contemplation, 
 She plumes her feathers and lets grow her wings. 
 That in the various bustle of resort 
 Were all too ruffled, and sometimes impaired. 
 He that has light within his own clear breast 
 May sit in the centre and enjoy bright day." 
 
 AMUEL N. FRANKLIN, a well- 
 known resident of Ledyard, has long 
 been familiar to the people of this 
 section of the country as one of their most 
 valued citizens, diligent and enterprising. 
 He was born in this town on May 28, 18 18, 
 his birth occurring on the homestead where 
 throughout boyhood, youth, early and later 
 manhood his life has been spent. He is of 
 New England ancestry, his father, Roswell 
 Franklin, having been born in the State of 
 Connecticut, October 22, 1768. 
 
 Roswell Franklin's father, also named Ros- 
 well, spent the earlier years of his life in 
 Connecticut, removing from there to Wilkes- 
 barre, Pa., presumably in the 1770's, when 
 that -part of the country was but sparsely set- 
 tled, the life of the bold pioneers being filled 
 with hardships and dangers. Not the least of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 275 
 
 their perils were those arising from the en- 
 mity of the dusky natives, who regarded this 
 invasion of their territory with natural indig- 
 nation and resentment, it requiring constant 
 vigilance on the part of the pioneer to ward 
 off their attacks. In one of their invasions 
 Mr. Franklin's first wife and two of her chil- 
 dren were killed by the Indians. Soon 
 afterward he came to Cayuga County on a 
 prospecting tour; and, being pleased with 
 the rich promises afforded by the country, he 
 returned to Pennsylvania for his family, com- 
 ing back with them in 1788, bringing along 
 his household utensils and his domestic ani- 
 mals, travelling with an ox team until he 
 reached Seneca Lake. On its shore he found 
 an old abandoned flat-boat, formerly used by 
 General Sullivan of Revolutionary fame, and, 
 taking possession of the boat, put all of his 
 goods and his family in it, and sailed both 
 lakes and Seneca River until he reached Au- 
 rora, where he settled on land now owned by 
 Henry A. Morgan. He was the first white 
 settler to build any kind of a house in this 
 vicinity; and it was quite an event in the 
 town s history, every white man for miles 
 around, the number aggregating sixteen, com- 
 ing to the raising. He took up a large tract 
 of land, which is now included in the present 
 site of the village of Aurora, but which at 
 that time was uninhabited save by the four- 
 footed and the feathered denizens of the for- 
 est, from the bear, deer, and wolves down to 
 the wild turkey and small fur-bearing ani- 
 mals. He cleared some of the land and 
 made many improvements, and was afterward 
 
 obliged to relinquish it to the Indians, as the 
 government drew the reservation line through 
 his homestead. He then bought it from the 
 Indians, but was cheated out of it by the ras- 
 cality of a man whom he trusted to go to Al- 
 bany for him, to get out his papers. This was 
 more than the poor man could bear; and, dis- 
 heartened and discouraged, be seized his gun, 
 and, going to the rear of his cabin, put an end 
 to his mortal life. He was twice married. 
 He had one brother and one sister — Stephen 
 and Olive. 
 
 Although Roswell Franklin, Jr., was quite 
 young when he was brought by his father to 
 the Pennsylvania home, many of the exciting 
 incidents of their life in Wilkesbarre made 
 an indelible impression upon his memory. 
 When ten years of age he was stolen by the 
 Indians, who kept him over two years, giving 
 him kind treatment and excellent care all of 
 the time. Upon one of his legs they tattooed 
 a deer, the mark never being known to any of 
 his friends until after his death. He was a 
 farmer by occupation, and traded for the place 
 now owned by his son Samuel, and here spent, 
 his last days, honored and respected by all 
 who knew him. The maiden name of his wife 
 was Pamelia Goodrich. They were the par- 
 ents of eight children; namely, John, Will- 
 iam, Betsey, Almira, Caroline, Ann Eliza, 
 Pamelia, and Samuel N. — of whom the last- 
 named and his sister Ann Eliza, who is up- 
 ward of ninety-two years of age, are the only 
 ones now living. 
 
 Samuel N. Franklin was reared, as before 
 mentioned, on the parental homestead in the 
 
276 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 town of Ledyard, attending the district 
 school and assisting in the labors of the farm. 
 Being the only son at home, much of the care 
 fell upon him; and, when he was sixteen years 
 old, his father being in feeble health, he as- 
 sumed the entire management of the home- 
 stead, continuing it until the present time. 
 His farm, which consists of one hundred and 
 fifty acres of fine land, is under an excellent 
 state of cultivation; and the broad fields of 
 grain, the green hillsides over which the 
 cattle roam, and the substantial and conven- 
 ient buildings, with their neat and tasteful 
 surroundings, all give visible evidence of the 
 good judgment and practical ability with 
 which the prosperous owner conducts his oper- 
 ations. One thing that especially attracts the 
 eye of the visitor is the beautiful flock of 
 Merino sheep, which is considered by many 
 to~ be the finest in Cayuga County. 
 
 When twenty-four years of age Mr. Frank- 
 lin was united in marriage to Emily Slocum, 
 the daughter of Elihu Slocum, of Genoa, 
 whose death, in 1869, was universally re- 
 gretted. Of their happy union one child was 
 born, a son named Howard H., who lives on 
 the homestead with his father. He married 
 Maggie Gibbs, of Livingston County; and 
 they have one son, Walter, who is the life of 
 the household and the pride of both father 
 and grandfather. Mr. Franklin and his fam- 
 ily are most pleasant, social people, and are 
 held in high consideration throughout the 
 intelligent community wherein they reside, 
 being ever helpful in promoting its welfare 
 and interests. In politics Mr. Franklin, 
 
 whose first Presidential vote, cast in 1840, was 
 for William Henry Harrison, has sustained the 
 principles of the Republican party since its 
 formation. 
 
 §OHN WRIGHT, who died at his home 
 in Throop on July 2, 1894, at the ad- 
 vanced age of ninety years, one month, 
 and ten days, was prominently identified with 
 the town for nearly half a century; and no 
 history of the place would be complete with- 
 out a brief review of the life of this venerable 
 citizen. From early youth his days were 
 neither idly nor uselessly spent. Born in 
 Ireland very near the beginning of the present 
 century, his birth having occurred May 22, 
 1804, he emigrated to this country when six- 
 teen years of age, and is a worthy representa- 
 tive of the foreign-born population, who, by 
 their sturdy physical strength, inborn frugal- 
 ity, industry, and thrift, have so materially 
 helped in the development of the resources of 
 their adopted country. His ancestors were 
 among the industrious residents of the Emer- 
 ald Isle, where his grandfather, William 
 Wright, and his father, also named William, 
 spent their entire lives, the father marrying 
 Mary Huey, who bore him three children; 
 namely, Mary, Samuel, and John. 
 
 In 1822, taking passage on the good ship 
 "Caledonia," young Wright, accompanied by 
 his sister Mary, found himself, after a six 
 weeks' voyage, in Charleston, S.C. For up- 
 ward of a score of years he made his home in 
 the sunny South, sojourning in the States of 
 North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 277 
 
 working much of the time at the printer's 
 trade, at which he became an .expert. Among 
 the special pieces of his handiwo'rk that might 
 be named was the famous Nullification Proc- 
 lamation of South Carolina in 1832, on 
 which he did all of the press-work. Mr. 
 Wright was also a resident of the Palmetto 
 State in 1833, when on the 13th of Novem- 
 ber occurred that grand and wonderful 
 celestial phenomenon, the great "meteoric 
 shower," universal over the United States, 
 but nowhere more sublime and brilliant than 
 in Charleston; and the memory of that mar- 
 vellous scene was one never to be effaced from 
 his memory. 
 
 In 1842 Mr. Wright made his way north- 
 ward to New York State, and shortly after- 
 ward was married to Nancy Gilmore, the 
 daughter of John Gilmore, of Throop. He 
 took his bride to his Southern home; but, she 
 being dissatisfied with that part of the coun- 
 try, he returned to Cayuga County in 1845, 
 and, coming to Throop, bought the farm of 
 his father-in-law, where he continued to re- 
 side, carrying on general agriculture with 
 excellent success. Mr. and Mrs. Wright 
 reared three children — Jennie, John, and 
 William. Both sons removed to Colorado 
 when young men; but, neither being very 
 robust, they contracted a disease of the lungs. 
 John, who married Helen Gilmore, died, leav- 
 ing her with a family of six children. Will- 
 iam married Carrie Mackintosh, by whom he 
 had four children. He and his wife died of 
 typhoid fever, leaving two children living. 
 The loss of these beloved sons was a severe 
 
 blow to the father, who, though still vigorous, 
 both mentally and physically, for one of his 
 advanced years, never recovered from the 
 shock of their death. Mr. Wright also suf- 
 fered another deep bereavement in the death 
 of his faithful life companion, from whom he 
 was called to part in 1889. Mrs. Nancy 
 Wright was a most estimable woman, an affec- 
 tionate wife and a devoted mother, spending 
 her long life of fourscore years in useful ac- 
 tivity. Jennie, the daughter, is unmarried 
 and remains at home, where she tenderly 
 cared for her aged father in his declining 
 yearsj wisely managing his business interests 
 and financial affairs. 
 
 Mr. Wright was always held in high esteem 
 as a business man and as a citizen. In his 
 political views he was a warm adherent of the 
 Democratic party, having cast his first Presi- 
 dential vote for Andrew Jackson. The tem- 
 perance cause had in him a sincere friend; 
 and many years ago he was Supervisor of the 
 old town of Mentz, having been elected on the 
 Temperance ticket. His religious beliefs 
 coincided with that of the old-school type of 
 Presbyterians. His wife was a member of 
 the Methodist church, and consistently lived 
 up to its teachings. Mary Wright, who was 
 two years older than her brother, made her 
 home with him in Throop until her death in 
 1 89 1, at the age of eighty-nine. 
 
 LMER C. WRIGHT was born Septem- 
 ber 13, 1853, in the town of Con- 
 quest, where he still lives. He and his 
 
278 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 brother Clarence together own one of the 
 finest farms in the county. It may be inter- 
 esting to trace a little their genealogy, for 
 blood tells. The grandfather, Isaac Wright, 
 first came from the Eastern States, as a Mentz 
 pioneer farmer and shoemaker. Later he re- 
 moved to Savannah, Wayne County, where he 
 died. His son Walter was born in Mentz, 
 Cayuga County, became a carpenter, and 
 worked at that trade many years in the eastern 
 part of Conquest, where he died in middle 
 life, at forty-five. Walter Wright married 
 Jane Frost, of Conquest, one of the five chil- 
 dren of Charles and Prudence (Halley) Frost, 
 who were among the first settlers hereabouts, 
 when the region was densely wooded. The 
 Frosts resided till 1890 on the farm they had 
 reclaimed; but after Mrs. Frost died at the 
 homestead, aged eighty, the octogenarian 
 widower lived with his grandson, Elmer 
 Wright, till his own death at eighty-seven. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wright belonged to the 
 Methodist church at Spring Lake. They had 
 three children, of whom Elmer, the subject of 
 this sketch, is the eldest, the other two being 
 Alice and Clarence. After the early death of 
 her husband the mother made her home with 
 her sons, but only lived to be fifty-nine. 
 
 Elmer Wright had the usual experience of 
 a country lad and a district school-boy, early 
 learning to do farm work. Reaching man- 
 hood, he carried on the farm for a few years; 
 but after the death of his mother he sold the 
 old place, and came to his present lovely 
 home at Spring Lake. In 1872, November 6, 
 at the early age of nineteen, he married Jean- 
 
 ette Manson, daughter of John Manson, a 
 blacksmith in Jefferson County. One child, 
 Gertie, was bt)rn to them, and is still living 
 with her father; but the wife died in 1883, 
 after eleven years of serene wedlock. Mr. 
 Wright then married Kate Usher, by whom 
 he has had two children, LeRoy and Pearl. 
 He is Republican in politics, has been one of 
 the Town Assessors, and is a rising man of 
 uncommon ability. The family attend the 
 Methodist church. 
 
 Mr. Clarence Wright, the brother of Elmer, 
 married Ida, daughter of John Van Notred, of 
 Conquest. Of this family it may be truly 
 said that their name, Wright, is suggestive of 
 the right principles in which they were reared 
 and by which they have lived. 
 
 (sTTLFRED PATRICK, florist and pro- 
 ^^ prietor of Melrose Nursery, whose 
 ^^-^ large greenhouses are at the corner 
 of Seward Avenue and Francis Street, has 
 been a resident of Auburn since April i, 
 1 88 1. He was born in Staffordshire, Eng- 
 land, of Scotch parents, and, when but a child 
 six weeks old, was taken by his parents to 
 Nottinghamshire, where his father had been 
 appointed to the position of "Clerk of the 
 Work," or agent of the estate at Clumber 
 Castle. 
 
 This estate, belonging to the Duke of New- 
 castle, is one of the largest in England, and 
 is a centre of much historic and romantic in- 
 terest. Here kings and nobles have stopped 
 and refreshed themselves on their journeys 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 279 
 
 through the country; here were the haunts of 
 Robin Hood and his merry men, where they 
 stopped the traveller and brought him before 
 their rustic tribunal, taking toll from the 
 wealthy and sending the poor away with a 
 present. In this romantic spot the children 
 of the "Clerk of the Work" grew up, and it 
 is no wonder that the attention of Alfred was 
 attracted to the art of cultivating the soil and 
 beautifying the country. The father, having 
 been a contractor and builder, paid much at- 
 tention to improving the castle and putting 
 up new buildings. He is now the oldest man 
 on the estate, the present Duke being the 
 third generation that he has served. This is, 
 of course, a great honor, and manifests the 
 integrity and ability of the man better than 
 words. He is a member of the Wesleyan 
 church. The mother died in i860 and left a 
 family of four children, namely: William 
 Charles, a builder in Black Pool, Lancashire, 
 England; Alfred, the subject of this sketch; 
 Joseph, who died in London in 1876; George, 
 who died in Australia in 1889. 
 
 Alfred Patrick was educated in public and 
 private schools in England, and then served 
 an apprenticeship of four years at the Duke 
 of Newcastle's as florist and landscape 
 gardener, afterward moving about from place 
 to place in Great Britain, and accepting any 
 position which would afford him increased 
 opportunities for extending his knowledge 
 of his art. In 1870 he took the position of 
 head man at Pelidwick House in Yorkshire, 
 and afterward a much better position at Ash- 
 ton Hays in Cheshire, an estate of twelve 
 
 thousand acres, of which he had full control, 
 and superintended the agriculture, floricult- 
 ure, and forestry, thus having great responsi- 
 bility. Being urged strongly and advised by 
 his friends to start in business for himself, he 
 began at Swansea in South Wales, and every- 
 thing looked promising, when his land was 
 completely washed out by the floods of 1872. 
 So great was the force of these freshets that 
 tall trees were carried away, and rocks so 
 large that four horses could not move them 
 were rolled on to his beautiful gardens, en- 
 tirely destroying everything and making the 
 land useless for his work. 
 
 Having thus lost everything, in less than a 
 week he accepted a position as head man at 
 Crumlin Hal], Monmouthshire, where he re- 
 mained five years. The gardens in this place 
 are very extensive and very beautiful, being 
 noted for their tropical fruits and plants; and 
 the greenhouses cover acres of ground. 
 While at Crumlin Hall Mr. Patrick refused 
 many offers which were better from a financial 
 point of view; but he had decided to come 
 to the United States, and accordingly left 
 Liverpool, September 9, 1881, going first to 
 Stamford, Conn., and finally coming to Au- 
 burn. Here he became acquainted with Mr. 
 Letchworth, who recognized his talents, and 
 at once engaged him to improve the landscape 
 of his property near the lake and also his 
 estate at Melrose. When Mr. Letchworth 
 left here three years later, Mr. Patrick 
 bought all his stock and greenhouses and 
 began business for himself. In 1883 he 
 bought the property at his present location. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and moved his stock here. He has since en- 
 larged his houses until he has over thirteen 
 thousand feet of glass and stands at the head 
 of the business here, his trade, both wholesale 
 and retail, extending into several States. 
 His specialty is roses; and at the right season 
 his rose houses are a most beautiful sight, 
 every known variety being represented. The 
 decorative department has also received much 
 attention, and his work in floral designs for 
 funerals is large. Many of the finest estates 
 of the city owe their beauty to his taste and 
 skill in landscape gardening. 
 
 Mr. Patrick was married in 1869 to Miss 
 Mary Ann Wetherspoon, of Hampshire, whose 
 father was a prominent grocer of Wolverhamp- 
 ton, England, and whose grandfather was 
 Mayor of Petersfield, Hampshire, England. 
 She was left an orphan at an early age, and 
 was living with relatives in Cardiff, South 
 Wales, when she was married. They have 
 several children living: Ernest A., who has 
 learned the business with his father; Eve- 
 line, wife of Frank Gove, of Auburn; Cath- 
 erine M. ; Percy B., who is with his father; 
 Annie; George Moses; and Alfred. Nellie, 
 aged eleven, died in July, 1889. Sidney 
 William, aged two months, was buried at 
 Manchester, England. 
 
 The family attend the Second Presbyterian 
 Church, of which Mrs. Patrick is a member. 
 Mr. Patrick is a member of the Auburn 
 Branch of the Equitable Aid Union, No. 45. 
 His taste and judgment are always sought by 
 those who are improving their own estates or 
 the public land of the city, his large interests 
 
 and wide experience having made him a val- 
 uable adviser on matters of decorative horti- 
 culture. Rightly to choose one's calling, to 
 master it by intelligent, patient plodding, to 
 pursue it with persistent zeal — this seems 
 to have been Mr. Patrick's way of ensuring 
 success; and what better could be devised? 
 
 OHN W. HAZARD, one of the enter- 
 prising and progressive agriculturists 
 and stock-raisers of Cayuga County, 
 who form an important element in its busi- 
 ness interests, is pleasantly located in the 
 town of Ledyard, where he has a well-man- 
 aged and highly productive farm, with a 
 substantial residence and good barns and out- 
 buildings — these, with their neat and pleas- 
 ant surroundings, giving visible evidence of 
 the thrift, intelligence, and culture of the 
 owner. 
 
 Mr. Hazard is a native of New England, 
 having been born in Peace Dale, a manufact- 
 uring village in South Kingston, R.I., De- 
 cember 4, 1830. This part of the State, long 
 known as Narragansett, was also the birth- 
 place of his father, William R. Hazard; his 
 grandfather, Rowland Hazard; and of his 
 great-grandfather, Thomas Hazard. The lat- 
 ter, who was familiarly known throughout his 
 native county as "College Tom," was a stu- 
 dent at Yale College prior to the year 1743, 
 when the college records were destroyed. He 
 became a prominent preacher in the Society of 
 Friends, and was one of the first in his com- 
 munity to relinquish the use of slave labor. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 His father, Robert, owner of a large landed 
 estate and several slaves, being greatly in- 
 censed thereat, threatened to disinherit him; 
 but he remained firm in his convictions, 
 and was largely instrumental in abolishing 
 the institution of slavery in the State. Hap- 
 pily, too — as was recorded not many years 
 since by one of his descendants, Thomas R. 
 Hazard, "Shepherd Tom," in "Recollections 
 of Olden Times" — "finally the father also 
 became convinced of the soundness of his 
 son's views, and, though one of the largest 
 slave-holders in New England, left by provi- 
 sion in his will — many years previous to the 
 passage of the Emancipation Act — all his 
 slaves free at his death, and divided his 
 property equally among his children." 
 
 Rowland Hazard, son of "College Tom" 
 and his wife, Elizabeth (Robinson) Hazard, 
 born in 1763, spent many years in Charleston, 
 S.C., where he was extensively engaged in 
 commerce. While there, he was united in 
 marriage in 1793 to Mary Peace, a native of 
 Barbadoes, daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth 
 (Gibson) Peace, and soon afterward, his trade 
 having been ruined through Napoleon's de- 
 crees, returned to Rhode Island, and engaged 
 in manufactures at Peace Dale. He subse- 
 quently removed to Dutchess County, New 
 York, where he passed the remainder of his 
 years, dying in 1835. His wife survived him 
 many )'ears, dying in Newport, R.I., in 1854. 
 Their household circle included nine children 
 — Isaac P., Thomas R., Eliza R. G., Row- 
 land G., William R., Joseph P., Isabella, 
 Mary, and Anna. 
 
 William R. Hazard, fourth son of Rowland, 
 received an excellent education, completing 
 his studies at the Westtown Boarding-school 
 near Philadelphia, Pa. After his graduation 
 he returned to his native State, and was there 
 engaged in agricultural pursuits for several 
 years. In 1831 he removed to Dutchess 
 County, New York, and for a quarter of a 
 century was an active and useful citizen. 
 Coming to Cayuga County in 1856, and being 
 pleased with the aspect of the country and 
 the richness and fertility of the land, he pur- 
 chased one hundred and eighty-two acres of 
 land in the town of Ledyard, and in 1857 
 resumed his farming operations. He was a 
 skilful, thorough, and systematic farmer, and 
 a man of unusual business tact and ability, 
 and during his residence here contributed 
 largely to the financial, literary, and social 
 prosperity of the town and county. He im- 
 proved his homestead, and, purchasing more 
 land in 1870, had one of the finest estates in 
 the vicinity. With true public spirit and 
 characteristic liberality, he aided every enter- 
 prise that would in any way advance the wel- 
 fare of the community, promote the growth of 
 the town, or elevate its educational and moral 
 status. Realizing that books are potent edu- 
 cators of mankind, he founded in 1884, at 
 Poplar Ridge, the Hazard Library, placing in 
 the hands of trustees seven hundred volumes 
 of choice books from standard authors. This 
 library, which contains a free reading-room, 
 is open to the public all day, and is thor- 
 oughly appreciated by the intelligent class of 
 citizens residing in that village, where his 
 
282 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 memory is gratefully cherished, and his name 
 spoken only in terms of reverence and love. 
 The death of William R. Hazard, which oc- 
 curred at his homestead in January, 1890, 
 was universally lamented, being an irreparable 
 loss to the community as well as to his im- 
 mediate family and his large circle of warm 
 friends. His wife, to whom he was wedded 
 in 1828, was Mary Wilbur, daughter of John 
 and Lydia (Collins) Wilbur, of Hopkinton, 
 R.I. ; and the happiness of their union was 
 completed by the birth of eight children, 
 namely: John W. ; Mary G., deceased; Lydia 
 C; Elizabeth; Rowland; Anna; William 
 W. ; and Isaac P. Lydia, who married 
 Franklin Hoag, has one child — Mary E. 
 Rowland married Phoebe A. Moore, and they 
 have one child — William. Anna, who is the 
 wife of Thomas Tierney, has five children — 
 J. Wilbur, Bertha H., Agnes L., Grace A., 
 and T. Leo. William married Rebecca 
 Haight, and they are the parents of one 
 child — Mary W. Isaac, who married Eliza- 
 beth Howland, has one child — Isaac P. 
 Hazard. 
 
 John W. Hazard, the eldest child born to 
 his parents, was an infant in his mother's 
 arms when he was taken to Dutchess County. 
 He there laid the foundation for his substan- 
 tial education, which was finished at the 
 Friends' Westtown Boarding-school near 
 Philadelphia, Pa. After leaving school, he 
 assisted his father on the farm; and, coming 
 with him to Cayuga County, he has since been 
 actively engaged in the occupation to which 
 he was reared. He has been twice married. 
 
 His first wife, whose maiden name was Adelia 
 Hoag, and to whom he was wedded in Sep- 
 tember, 1857, died in the bloom of young 
 womanhood, leaving one child — Charles M. 
 Mr. Hazard subsequently married Sarah E. 
 Raymond, their union being solemnized in 
 June, 1870. 
 
 Mr. Hazard has met with success and pros- 
 perity, and is closely identified with the in- 
 dustrial interests of his adopted town. Be- 
 sides conducting his extensive farm, Mr. 
 Hazard a few years ago purchased a saw-mill 
 at Poplar Ridge, which he continues to man- 
 age, carrying on quite a large business in 
 lumber. He is a man of great financial and 
 executive ability, and worthy to be classed 
 among the representative citizens of one of 
 the most prosperous counties of the Empire 
 State. In the welfare and progress of his 
 community he has ever taken a deep interest; 
 and in the midst of his numerous other duties 
 he finds time to intelligently serve as Chair- 
 man of the Board of Library Directors. Po- 
 litically, he is a stanch Republican, never 
 swerving from party allegiance. To use a 
 phrase long current in the family to denote 
 those of its members possessing in a marked 
 degree the forceful Hazard traits, vide "Rec- 
 ollections " above cited, he is evidently of the 
 genuine "Snip breed." 
 
 ^ELSON MASON, an agriculturist of 
 enterprise and skill, is a worthy rep- 
 resentative of those brave and loyal 
 citizens of the North who in the vigor of ro- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 283 
 
 bust manhood, inspired by patriotic motives, 
 on the outbreak of the Rebellion willingly 
 gave up their cherished personal ambitions 
 and desires to become enrolled among the de- 
 fenders of the imperilled nation. Not one of 
 that noble band of heroes should ever be for- 
 gotten or left unhonored; and in this bio- 
 graphical volume it is pleasant to place a brief 
 record of the life of Nelson Mason, who is a 
 native of Cayuga County, the town of Venice 
 being the place of his birth, which occurred 
 October 30, 1839. He is of New England 
 extraction, his great - grandfather, Joseph 
 Mason, who was a pioneer of Dutchess 
 County, New York, having been a native of 
 Connecticut. 
 
 Joseph Mason's son, Daniel Mason, the 
 next in Nelson's ancestral line, was born in 
 Dutchess County, and, early resolving to fol- 
 low farming as a business for life, was thus 
 engaged in his native town for many years. 
 Then, desiring to carry on his chosen occu- 
 pation on a more extensive scale, he came 
 with his family to Cayuga County, the year 
 of his removal being 1832. Settling at Pop- 
 lar Ridge, he and his son Alonzo bought one 
 hundred acres of land in partnership, the care 
 of which largely devolved upon his son, Dan- 
 iel himself then being past the prime of life. 
 He thenceforward continued a resident of. this 
 town, living on the homestead until his death 
 at an advanced age. 
 
 Alonzo Mason grew to manhood in the 
 county in which he was born; and, notwith- 
 standing the facilities for learning were lim- 
 ited in those days, he obtained what was 
 
 considered a good common-school education 
 and likewise a knowledge of the world about 
 him. As a farmer he began his industrial 
 career, and continued the pursuit of agricult- 
 ure throughout his life. After his arrival in 
 this county he labored with almost incessant 
 toil for several years in his efforts to improve 
 a homestead. Although his location was a 
 fortunate one, still the making of a farm was 
 a work of no small magnitude; but by slow 
 degrees field after field was placed under cul- 
 tivation, his industry and frugality meeting 
 with rich rewards, and before his death his 
 place was one of the most valuable in this 
 vicinity. His improvements were many and 
 of an excellent character, including a fine 
 house and convenient barn and out-buildings; 
 and in this pleasant home he passed the re- 
 mainder of his life, never wandering from his 
 fireside. He married Lydia Curtis, who 
 bore him nine children — Harriet, Lorenzo, 
 George, Caroline, Nelson, Jennie, Charles 
 W., Daniel, and Lowell. She lived to the 
 ripe old age of fourscore and eight years, 
 dying in 1893, having long outlived her hus- 
 band, he having passed from earth to his 
 home beyond the grave in 1877, when sev- 
 enty-four years of age. 
 
 Nelson, who was the third son and fifth 
 child of Alonzo and Lydia (Curtis) Mason, 
 acquired a fair education in the days of his 
 youth, attending District School No. 11 and 
 the Red Creek High School. After complet- 
 ing his studies, he taught school one term in 
 the town of Ledyard, but subsequently re- 
 turned to the paternal homestead, and assisted 
 
284 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 his father in the manual labor of the farm, 
 remaining there until after the beginning of 
 the Civil War. On August 20, 1862, he en- 
 listed in the One Hundred and Eleventh New 
 York Infantry, and served in that regiment 
 until after the battle of Gettysburg, when he 
 was taken prisoner and conveyed to Libby 
 prison. Subsequently the Woman's Relief 
 Corps of Pennsylvania took all sick soldiers 
 to Annapolis, Md., caring for them in the 
 hospital of that city. Mr. Mason desired to 
 return to his regiment, but the Provost Mar- 
 shal denied his request. During the time he 
 was in prison he kept thirty dollars secreted 
 on his person; and, although the rebels 
 searched him seven times, they found it not. 
 He did not submit patiently to his imprison- 
 ment, but required constant watching, and 
 was ke])t in the guard-house most of the time, 
 until he succeeded in making his escape. In 
 the mean time the friends and relatives of 
 Mr. Mason, who had given up all hope of ever 
 hearing from him again, supposing him to be 
 dead, held funeral services in his memory; 
 and their consequent joy and surprise on see- 
 ing him reappear in his native haunts can be 
 better imagined than described. After the 
 cessation of hostilities he resumed his ao-ri- 
 
 o 
 
 cultural labors, and in 1881 bought his pres- 
 ent place of residence, taking possession of it 
 in April. It contains seventy-three acres of 
 arable land, which he has brought to a good 
 state of cultivation. His broad fields of grain, 
 his fruitful orchards, and his well-kept cattle 
 all bespeak the thorough and skilful farmer 
 and the man of intelligence and thrift. His 
 
 homestead is one of the landmarks of this 
 region, noted as having been the scene of the 
 first murder committed in Cayuga County, a 
 pedler by the name of Nathan Adler having 
 been killed by Albert Baham in 1849. The 
 last bear killed in this county also met his 
 death on these premises at the hands of Dan- 
 iel Truman. 
 
 The 9th of December, 1873, was the date 
 of the marriage of Nelson Mason and Hattie 
 E. Shaw, the daughter of Theron and Eunice 
 (Bowker) Shaw. Their happy union has been 
 blessed by the birth of four children — Wil- 
 lie, Mary B., T. Alonzo, and Sue M. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Mason are excellent people, who, by 
 their kindness, benevolence, and undoubted 
 integrity of character, have readily won their 
 way to the trust and esteem of all in this 
 community. In politics he has always been 
 identified with the Republican party, having 
 cast his first Presidential vote in i860 for 
 Abraham Lincoln. 
 
 TJJHARLES W. SCHUTT, a prominent 
 \j[ contractor and builder of Auburn, was 
 
 ^ born in Bath, Steuben County, 
 
 N.Y., January 7, 1842, and is the younger of 
 the two sons of Isaac and Anna (Stevens) 
 Schutt. His brother William lives in Caro- 
 line, Tompkins County. The father was born 
 in Schoharie County in 181 2. The grand- 
 father Schutt came over to this country from 
 Amsterdam, Holland, about 1795, and settled 
 in Schoharie County, afterward moving to 
 Dryden, Tompkins County. Isaac Schutt re- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 285 
 
 ceived his education at Dryden, and then 
 served an apprenticeship to his brother as a 
 mason, afterward doing contracting and mason 
 work in Indiana and Michigan, where he went 
 about 1850. He died March 14, 1892. His 
 wife, Anna Stevens Schutt, who still lives on 
 a part of the old farm, was born at Ridgefield, 
 Conn., in 181 1. Mrs. Schutt's paternal 
 grandfather, who was of an old New England 
 family, served seven years in the Revolution- 
 ary army, and at the close of the war had a 
 grant of six hundred and forty acres of land 
 in Cayuga County, but never occupied it. 
 Her father, Harvey Stevens, was in the War 
 of 181 2, and in 181 3 moved to the town of 
 Caroline, Tompkins County, N.Y. He was 
 one of the prominent men of his day, owning 
 a large farm, which is still in the possession 
 of the family. 
 
 Charles W. .Schutt received his education 
 in the district schools of Caroline, and after- 
 ward went West with his father, but came 
 back and spent two terms in the old Ithaca 
 Academy. On September 10, 1861, he en- 
 listed in Company E, Sixty-fourth New York 
 Volunteer Infantry, and was sent to the Army 
 of the Potomac, the regiment being attached 
 to the First Brigade, First Division, Second 
 Army Corps. He was in every battle of the 
 Army of the Potomac, with the exception ot 
 the first battle of Bull Run. He was 
 wounded at the first battle of Fredericksburg, 
 but did not leave the field, being sent to 
 the field hospital. He was also seriously 
 wounded at Cold Harbor, but was back by the 
 time of the next heavy engagement. He was 
 
 commissioned first as Second Lieutenant of 
 the Sixty-fourth Regiment, then First Lieu- 
 tenant and Adjutant, and afterward Captain, 
 serving and drawing pay under these ranks. 
 He had command of two companies which 
 charged a section of artillery at South Sides 
 Road in the campaign of 1865, under General 
 Nelson A. Miles, taking two pieces of artil- 
 lery and a stand of colors — an act which he 
 bravely accomplished with the aid of only 
 twenty-two men out of his seventy-five. He 
 also bore an active part in the battle of An- 
 tietam. He was mustered out of the service 
 July II, 1865, at Elmira. After the war 
 Mr. Schutt engaged in farming in Tompkins 
 County for two years, and in 1867 moved to 
 Ithaca, and worked as .a carpenter on the first 
 university building that was put up. While 
 there, he worked for different contractors, and 
 also carried on business for himself, besides 
 taking up the study of architecture. Fie con- 
 tinued in business in Ithaca as an architect 
 and contractor until 1883. Upon coming to 
 Auburn, he worked for James C. Stout, con- 
 tractor and builder, remaining with him for 
 nine- years as foreman and Superintendent. 
 In 1892 Mr. Schutt went into business for 
 himself, and has had a large and increasing 
 patronage, among the principal buildings he 
 has constructed being the City Hospital and 
 the private sanitarium, giving employment to 
 from seventeen to twenty men. Mr. Schutt 
 was one of the original members of Ordway 
 Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Ithaca, 
 and its first Adjutant. 
 
 Mr. Schutt was married on July 6, 1864, 
 
286 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 to Miss Louisa Stevens, daughter of James 
 Stevens, of Caroline. They have two chil- 
 dren — Carrie and Charles Adelbert. The 
 family attend the First Methodist Episcopal 
 Church, of which Mrs. Schutt is a member. 
 The "clear grit" and backbone, or stability 
 of purpose, which Mr. Schutt exhibited in his 
 military career, have not been absent since 
 his return to civil life, as it is plainly his 
 resolute determination to succeed that has 
 prompted the efforts which have been -instru- 
 mental in raising him to his present position, 
 in which he is known as one of the best 
 builders in the city. 
 
 Tt^OBERT L. TOWNSEND, a highly 
 I rr^ esteemed resident of the town of 
 V— i^ Montezuma, where he is success- 
 fully engaged in general farming and stock- 
 raising, was born in Granville, Washington 
 County, February 7, 1831. His parents, 
 Samuel Townsend, born August 2, 1799, ^^'^ 
 Betsey (Taylor) Townsend, born June, 1803, 
 were both natives of Washington County, 
 whence they moved to Cayuga County a few 
 years after marriage. Mr. Townsend is of 
 good old New England ancestry, his paternal 
 grandfather, Calvin Townsend, having been 
 born and reared in the State of Massachu- 
 setts. In the early days of its settlement 
 Calvin Townsend migrated to Washington 
 County, New York, and, buying land there, 
 cleared a farm, and became one of its promi- 
 nent and influential citizens. He was a tan- 
 ner and currier by trade, and was actively 
 
 engaged in that business, in addition to his 
 agricultural work, as long as he was able to 
 engage in manual labor. He was a man of 
 marked individuality, giving much thoughtful 
 attention to the current topics of his day, 
 very strong in his religious beliefs, and was 
 an active and earnest worker in the Universal- 
 ist church, of which he was a member. His 
 long and useful life was terminated at the age 
 of eighty-six years; and his devoted wife, 
 whose maiden name was Mary Sill, died at 
 the same age, both passing away on the home- 
 stead. She was a devoted Christian woman, 
 and an esteemed member of the Baptist 
 church. They had a family of ten children, 
 five sons and five daughters, all of whom grew 
 to maturity, and two of whom are now living; 
 namely, Calvin, Jr., and his sister, Olive 
 Hatch, who together occupy the old Townsend 
 homestead in Washington County. 
 
 The maternal grandfather of the subject of 
 this sketch, Joseph Taylor, was a life-long 
 resident of the town of Granville, Washing- 
 ton County, where he was well known as one 
 of the foremost agriculturists of the place. 
 He was a loyal and patriotic citizen, and dur- 
 ing the War of 1812 he served with distinc- 
 tion as a Colonel in the army. At the age of 
 si.xty-seven years he dropped dead when about 
 his customary work, while leading a horse to 
 water, the end coming unexpectedly and with- 
 out warning. To him and his wife were born 
 five daughters and three sons, all of whom 
 lived to be men and women of great personal 
 worth, and have since passed to their final 
 rest. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 287 
 
 Samuel Townsend, son of Calvin and Mary 
 (Sill) Townsend, and father of Robert L., 
 spent the earlier years of his life in the place 
 of his birth, where he grew to a useful man- 
 hood. He learned the trades of shoemaker, 
 tanner, and currier, and, being thus equipped, 
 had no trouble in making a good living. De- 
 siring to establish a permanent home for 
 himself and family, he came to the newer part 
 of the State, where lands were cheaper and 
 the soil better adapted for farming purposes, 
 and, settling in Cayuga County, bought fifty 
 acres about three miles west of Port Byron. 
 This was in 1835, before the building of rail- 
 ways. Consequently, his journey was made 
 by canal-boat, a great improvement on the 
 ox team, but very slow and tedious compared 
 with the present expeditious and comfortable 
 mode of travelling. Three years later he sold 
 that farm, and, purchasing another fifty acres 
 in Fosterville, engaged in the labors of a gen- 
 eral farmer, remaining here the remainder of 
 his life. He possessed great activity and en- 
 ergy, and, being a man of strict integrity, 
 won the confidence and esteem of all. In 
 politics he was a stanch Democrat, and served 
 for some time as Road Commissioner. In 
 the fulness of years he was gathered to rest, 
 dying at the age of eighty-two. After the 
 decease of his first wife, who passed away at 
 the age of sixty-seven years, he married Mary 
 Ellen Tyler, a pleasant and helpful woman, 
 who now resides in Fosterville. Both she 
 and her husband, in their religious beliefs, 
 accepted the doctrines of the Methodist 
 church, of which they were members. He 
 
 reared a family of five children, as follows : 
 Charlotte L., wife of Charles Neller, lives in 
 Auburn; Robert L., in Montezuma; Lydia 
 L., who became the wife of Norman F. 
 Badgely, died at the age of fifty-six years ; 
 Nancy C, the wife of J. D. Nye, resides in 
 the town of Montezuma; and Frank D., a re- 
 tired farmer, lives in Auburn. 
 
 Robert L. Townsend was four years old 
 when he came to this county; and the days of 
 his boyhood and youth were spent in Monte- 
 zuma, his education being acquired in the 
 schools of Fosterville. Reared on the pa- 
 ternal farm, he acquired a thorough knowl- 
 edge of its labors, remaining with his parents 
 until twenty-three years old. On September 
 26, 1855, he was united in marriage to Jo- 
 sephine Lamb, who was born in the town of 
 Conquest, December 21, 1833. Her parents, 
 Frederick and Sarah (Ferry) Lamb, were re- 
 spected members of the farming community of 
 this section of Cayuga County. Mr. Lamb 
 was a native of the old Bay State, where he 
 was born in 181 1; while Mrs. Lamb was a 
 native of this county, born in the town of 
 Aurelius in 18 12. He was reared to agri- 
 cultural labors, but for three and one-half 
 years he abandoned farming and was engaged 
 as Keeper in the Auburn prison. Removing 
 from there to Aurelius, he bought a farm one 
 mile west of Fosterville, where he spent the 
 remainder of his days, dying May 27, 1874. 
 Being an enterprising man, possessing rare 
 financial ability, in addition to his farming 
 interests he loaned money, and during the 
 years of his life amassed a good deal of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 wealth. In politics he was a straight Demo- 
 crat, and in his religious views he was liberal. 
 His wife, who died September 21, 1867, was 
 an active Christian woman and a valued mem- 
 ber of the Baptist church. She bore her hus- 
 band six children, of whom the following is 
 the record: Josephine L. is the wife of Mr. 
 Townsend; Mary A., the widow of Samuel 
 Towner, lives in Connecticut; Hannah, the 
 wife of A. Bates, resides in Eaton County, 
 Mich. ; Betsey, who never married, died at 
 the age of forty-three years; Anna, the wife 
 of John Shaw, lives in Rochester, N.Y.; 
 Frederick, a farmer, resides in Michigan. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Townsend lived on 
 the farm of his father-in-law two years, then, 
 in 1858, bought the farm where he has since 
 resided. It is a most eligible location. The 
 estate comprises one hundred and twenty acres 
 of excellent land, all under good cultivation, 
 with neat and comfortable farm buildings, and 
 well equipped with all the modern appliances 
 for carrying on his work to 'advantage. In 
 connection with general farming he pays con- 
 siderable attention to dairying, and has eight 
 head of fine Jerseys and Holsteins. By his 
 industry and good management he has ac- 
 quired a competency; and, when he begins to 
 feel the infirmities of age creeping upon him, 
 he can sit under his own vine and fig-tree, 
 happy in the thought that his life has not 
 been spent in vain, and that the world is bet- 
 ter that he has lived. He holds a high 
 position in the regard of others in the commu- 
 nity, discharging his duties as a citizen with 
 promptness and fidelity. He is a Democrat 
 
 in politics, and has served as Overseer of the 
 Poor for one year. Socially, he is a member 
 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
 and is prominently connected with the 
 Throopsville Grange. Religiously, both he 
 and his wife are members in good standing 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church, and active 
 assistants in the good works of that denomina- 
 tion of Christians. 
 
 Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Townsend 
 five children have been born. Agnes ]., the 
 eldest, whose birth was on July 31, 1856, died 
 March 3, 1875. Horace R., born June 5, 
 1859, is married, and resides in Syracuse, 
 being an employee of the New York Central 
 Railway Company. Helen L., born July 5, 
 1 86 1, married George H. Macomber, a ste- 
 nographer, and lives in Auburn. Sarah R., 
 born August 20, 1868, resides in Buffalo, 
 being the wife of Wilson Culver, a trainman 
 on the New York Central Railway. Manley 
 S., born March 14, 1876, is a farmer by occu- 
 pation, and lives at home. 
 
 (^AMES M. GALE, who is doubtless the 
 oldest practical carpenter in the city 
 of Auburn, having worked at his trade 
 from 1835 until about four years ago, was 
 born at York, Westchester County, N.Y., 
 January 5, 1810, son of William and Polly 
 (Welch) Gale. Mrs. Gale was born in the 
 town of York. Her father was a carpenter by 
 trade, and one of the oldest settlers in the 
 town. The grandfather of James M. Gale 
 was a farmer in Westchester County, where 
 
jflMES M, Gale. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 291 
 
 he was well and favorably known. Mr. and 
 Mrs. William Gale moved to Cayuga County 
 in the summer of 181 1, settling at Genoa, 
 and, after working at his trade and also teach- 
 ing school there, being considered one of the 
 best teachers of the day, he moved to Locke. 
 At Locke he bought a farm of one hundred 
 acres, situated right in the woods, where he 
 built a good, comfortable log house, and, 
 clearing up his land, made as good a farm for 
 its size as any in the town. He was most of 
 the time Trustee of his district, and was also 
 elected School Commissioner. He was a 
 member of the Baptist church, as well as the 
 builder of the house of worship. He also put 
 up a large number of other buildings in that 
 locality. He departed this life in 1878, leav- 
 ing a family of thirteen living children, of 
 whom the subject of this sketch is the third. 
 
 James M. Gale was educated in the com- 
 mon schools, and also studied privately with 
 his father, and in 1826, when he was about 
 sixteen years old, learned the trade of a car- 
 penter, working for some time with his father, 
 and afterward as a journeyman, both in this 
 county and Tompkins County, until 1835, 
 when he came to Auburn, where he continued 
 at his trade. At the time he came to Auburn 
 the town may be said to have been in its in- 
 fancy, and Mr. Gale can point with pride to 
 many of the finest buildings and residences 
 which are the results of his handiwork. Mr. 
 Gale has also been employed on the wood- 
 working machinery of many of the mower and 
 reaper works, especially the old Hussey Mow- 
 ing Machine, which was the first one of its 
 
 kind put on the market. He has owned con- 
 siderable real estate at different times, build- 
 ing and selling a number of residences. He 
 now has the distinction of being the oldest 
 carpenter and builder in the city, and, al- 
 though he is getting along in years, is still 
 active, hale, and hearty, and doing such work 
 as he feels inclined to do. He has been As- 
 sessor for the city for several years, voting 
 first with the Whig party, and more recently 
 with the Republican. 
 
 Mr. Gale was married February 27, 1837, 
 to Miss Jane Peets, who was born in Lansing- 
 burg, N.Y., a daughter of Lewis Peets, one of 
 the oldest citizens of that place. The union 
 was productive of three children, namely: 
 Frances, deceased, who married Isaac Moore, 
 leaving one daughter, Maude; Egbert, a res- 
 ident of this city; and Harland P., who is 
 also a resident of Auburn. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Gale are members of the First Baptist Church, 
 with which he has been connected since 1839, 
 and has occupied the position of one of its 
 Trustees. 
 
 Mr. Gale is a man of excellent traits, being 
 of kindly and sympathetic disposition, benev- 
 olently disposed, and ever ready to exercise 
 philanthropy wherever it rests in his power to 
 do so. He resides at his charming residence 
 on Lincoln Street, of which he was the 
 builder. On another page may be seen a por- 
 trait of this useful and highly esteemed citi- 
 zen, who so faithfully served his day and 
 generation, and not a few of the works of 
 whose hands may be trusted to endure for 
 many years to come, causing his name long to 
 
295 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 be held in grateful, honored remembrance as 
 one of the makers of the city of Auburn. 
 
 "OWARD M. HASKELL, M.D., a 
 prominent physician and surgeon of 
 Weedsport, Cayuga County, was 
 born in Verona, Oneida County, N.Y., April 
 21, 1840, and is the son of Medefer and 
 Carrie (Thorndyke) Haskell. Both Mr. and 
 Mrs. Haskell were natives of Maine. The 
 father was born in 1808, and the mother in 
 1806. The family first settled in Boston, 
 afterward removing to Oneida County. The 
 grandfather, Jonathan Haskell, was a well- 
 known Maine farmer. The Thorndykes, Dr. 
 Haskell's maternal ancestors, took a promi- 
 nent part in the War of 18 12. After his 
 marriage, in 1835, Mr. Medefer Haskell came 
 to Verona, where he was for forty-nine years 
 ticket and station agent, being the oldest man 
 in point of service on the road at that time. 
 He remained at Verona until his death, which 
 took place in July, 1890. He had been in 
 Boston a member of Dr. Lyman Beecher's 
 church, and at Verona was a member of the 
 Presbyterian church. He left but one child, 
 Howard M., the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Howard M. Haskell received his education 
 at the public schools and seminary. In 1865 
 he entered the office of Dr. E. J. Lawton, of 
 Verona, as a student of medicine, afterward 
 attending lectures at the medical department 
 of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, 
 and graduating in the class of 1868. He 
 commenced the practice of his profession at 
 
 Onondaga Hill, remaining but a short time, 
 subsequently settling at Bath-on-the-Hudson, 
 from which place he removed to Weedsport. 
 While engaged in practice in Bath-on-the- 
 Hudson, he held the position of Health Offi- 
 cer for many years, and was also an active 
 worker in the Republican party. In Decem- 
 ber, 1889, Dr. Haskell was compelled to 
 leave a flourishing business on account of his 
 health, and went to Florida with his family. 
 After a year's rest he settled in Weedsport, 
 where he is building up a fine practice. He 
 has been for two years Health Officer and 
 Physician to the Poor. He is a member of 
 the Albany and the Onondaga Counties Med- 
 ical Society, also of the Knights of Pythias 
 Lodge at Bath-on-the-Hudson. 
 
 Dr. Haskell was married in April, 1867, 
 to Miss Ellen L. Sturdevant, a member of an 
 old and well-known family. Two children 
 were born to them, both of whom are de- 
 ceased, namely: Carrie E., who died, aged 
 twenty-one, in Florida; and Eddie H., who 
 died at the age of nine years. Dr. Haskell 
 is an exceedingly well-read man, with a wide 
 and varied experience. He keeps abreast of 
 the times in all matters pertaining to medical 
 science, being a skilled microscopist. 
 
 §OHN MARSHALL, an enterprising 
 farmer of the town of Fleming, Cayuga 
 County, N.Y., was born in this town, 
 September 26, 1855. His father, Robert 
 Marshall, was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, in 
 1824. His grandfather, Matthew, was also a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 293 
 
 native of the same place, following the trade 
 of a cooper. He was married to Margaret 
 Bowe, and reared three children — Mary, 
 Ellen, and Robert. In the year 1849, ^^ the 
 age of twenty-five, Robert Marshall emigrated 
 to America, starting from Liverpool in the 
 sailing-ship "Catao," landing in New Yorlv 
 after being thirty-eight days on the water. 
 Having remained in that city a short time, he 
 came to Cayuga .County, tarrying first in Au- 
 burn, and eventually settling in Fleming. 
 While in Fleming, he worked for one year for 
 the Hon. George I. Post, receiving ten dol- 
 lars and fifty cents per month. He subse- 
 quently worked for different parties for about 
 nineteen years. The first property he bought 
 consisted of one acre of land in Fleming. 
 He built a house upon this, and lived therein 
 for about nine years. In 1871 he purchased 
 a tract of land in Scipio, and started farming 
 for himself, remaining here for three years, 
 then selling the farm, and buying the property 
 upon which he and his son now reside. Mr. 
 Marshall was married in 1851 to Miss Mar- 
 garet Doyle, a native of County Wexford, 
 Ireland, and daughter of John and Ellen 
 (Birmigen) Doyle. Mrs. Marshall died in 
 1887, aged sixty-eight, leaving two children 
 — Ellen and John. Ellen is married to 
 Richard Mullally, a farmer of Fleming. 
 
 John Marshall, only son of Robert and Mar- 
 garet (Doyle) Marshall, was educated in the 
 district schools, and was brought up as a 
 farmer. Fond of reading, he continued his 
 studies, advancing in learning; and at the 
 age of twenty-seven he taught school for two 
 
 terms. In 1891 he was appointed Census- 
 taker for Fleming. He has also served as 
 Inspector of Elections. In 1893 he was 
 elected Supervisor, receiving the- honor of re- 
 election in 1894. Mr. Marshall was married 
 February 6, 1884, to Mary Ellen Bruton, 
 born in Venice, Cayuga County, a daughter of 
 Michael and Ann (Hanley) Bruton, both of 
 whom were born in County Meath, Ireland. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bruton came to America in 
 1854, settling first at Scipio, and afterward 
 moving to Venice. Mr. Bruton is now a 
 widower, residing in Genoa, Cayuga County. 
 Mr, and Mrs. Marshall have one child, Mar- 
 garet Ann Marshall. The family are attend- 
 ants and members of the Catholic church of 
 Auburn . 
 
 Mr. Marshall is earnest and persevering in 
 whatever he undertakes; and his personal 
 popularity is amply affirmed by the public 
 positions he has so creditably held, he being 
 a Democrat in politics, while the district is 
 strongly Republican. 
 
 ATRICK J. McCABE, for several 
 years Assessor for the city of Au- 
 burn, is b}' trade a mason, and has 
 for many years carried on contract business in 
 that line. For many generations the McCabe 
 family has been well known in County Meath, 
 Ireland; and here, in the early part of the 
 present century, was born Frank McCabe, 
 father of the subject of this sketch. He was 
 educated according to the traditions of those 
 days, and then learned the trade of mason. 
 
294 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 He was married to Ann Kenny, of the same 
 county; and the first part of their married life 
 was spent in Dublin and in Birkenhead, Eng- 
 land, where Mr. McCabe was employed in 
 building. In 1849 the family came to this 
 country, settling first in Rome, Oneida 
 County, N.Y., and then, after two years in 
 New York City, coming to Auburn. This 
 was in i860; and from that time until his 
 death, in 1892, he carried on a successful 
 business as contractor, doing the stone-work 
 on many of the important buildings of Au- 
 burn. Mrs. McCabe died in 1889. ' Both 
 she and her husband were faithful Catholics 
 in religion and members of St. Mary's 
 Church. 
 
 Patrick J. McCabe was born in the old 
 home in Ireland, March 19, 1847, and was 
 but two years old when the family came to 
 this country. He was educated at Rome and 
 Auburn, and then learned the trade of mason 
 with his father. After several years spent in 
 Brooklyn, New York City, and other places, 
 he returned to Auburn, and engaged in con- 
 tracting for himself. Up to the last three 
 years he attended strictly to business pertain- 
 ing to his trade, gaining an excellent reputa- 
 tion for careful and thorough work, and in his 
 affairs prospering accordingly. For the past 
 three years Mr. McCabe's official duties have 
 occupied the greater part of his time. For 
 nearly sixteen years the Democratic party had 
 not been represented on the Board of Assessors 
 of Auburn; and when in 1891 Mr. McCabe 
 was elected, it was considered a great victory 
 for the party to which he is devotedly at- 
 
 tached, and for which he has worked for years 
 without asking or receiving reward. 
 
 October 20, 1869, Mr. McCabe was married 
 to Miss Hannah Bergan, of Auburn ; and they 
 have eight children, all of whom are living. 
 They are Anna L., William B., Frank J., 
 Mary, Jennie, Joseph, Adelaide, Lizzie. 
 
 Mr. McCabe is a member of Branch No. 
 105 of the Catholic Mutual Benefit Associa- 
 tion; the Ancient Order of Hibernians, No. 
 I ; and the Brick-layers and Masons' Union. 
 He was foreman of the old No. 3 Niagara 
 Volunteer Fire Company, of which he was a 
 member for fifteen years; and was Assistant 
 Engineer of the fire department, and' is now 
 a member of the Exempt Firemen's Asso- 
 ciation. 
 
 Coming to this country when very young, 
 Patrick J. McCabe is quite as thorough an 
 American as if he had been born here; yet he 
 has not lost interest in the land of his birth, 
 and has always done what was in his power to 
 alleviate the sufferings of those of his coun- 
 trymen less fortunate than himself. JJnlike 
 many who come here from abroad, he has 
 taken an active interest in all the affairs of 
 his adopted land; and that, together with his 
 faithful work in the difficult office of Asses- 
 sor, has won for him the respect and confi- 
 dence of all who know him. 
 
 ^AMUEL OSBORN is numbered 
 among the well-to-do and thrifty 
 farmers of this county, and is the 
 owner of a comfortable and well-improved 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 295 
 
 homestead in the town of Fleming. The 
 place of his nativity, like that of many other 
 American citizens, was on the other side of 
 the broad Atlantic, his birth having occurred 
 in Bedfordshire, England, May 23, 18 17, he 
 being a son of Samuel R. Osborn and a 
 grandson of an earlier Samuel Osborn. The 
 latter was a life-long resident of England, and 
 spent his last years in Bedfordshire, his body 
 being laid to rest with that of his wife, whose 
 maiden name was Elizabeth York, in the old 
 churchyard of that place. They were the 
 parents of five children, named Elizabeth, 
 Samuel R., George, William, and James. 
 
 Samuel R. Osborn was the only member of 
 the parental household that ever left their na- 
 tive country. He was reared and married in 
 the town in which he first saw the light, re- 
 siding there until 1823. In the month of 
 June of that eventful year, accompanied by 
 his wife and seven little ones, he sailed from 
 Liverpool in the sailing-vessel "Rufus 
 King," and after a voyage of seven weeks 
 landed in New York City. He came directly 
 to Cayuga County, by way of the Hudson 
 River to Albany, thence taking passage on 
 the first canal-boat to carry passengers as far 
 west as Weedsport, where he disembarked, 
 and came thence to Auburn, having been two 
 months journeying from New York City. He 
 settled in Auburn, and here engaged in the 
 provision business, his being at one time the 
 only market in this locality. After carrying 
 on a thriving business for twenty years, he was 
 succeeded by his two oldest sons; and he re- 
 tired to a farm in the town of Fleming, where 
 
 he resided until his death, nineteen years 
 later, at the age of threescore and ten years. 
 The maiden name of his wife was Mary Bar- 
 nett. She was born in Nottinghamshire, 
 England, and was a daughter of William Bar- 
 nett. She also died in the town of Fleming, 
 after living a useful life of seventy years, and 
 having reared ten children; namely, Eliza, 
 Emery, William, Mary, Samuel, Joseph, 
 Maria, George L., Seth B., and Anna B. 
 
 The subject of this sketch, the fifth child 
 enumerated above, was a manly little lad of 
 six years when he came to America. He re- 
 ceived excellent educational advantages in 
 Auburn, attending first the district schools, 
 and afterward taking a thorough course of 
 study at the Auburn Academy, he being one 
 of one hundred and seventy-six students en- 
 rolled there at that time. He began when 
 quite young to assist his father in the market, 
 and at the age of sixteen years was appren- 
 ticed to learn the trade of a builder, serving 
 a five years' apprenticeship, and receiving 
 nine cents a day and his board. When 
 twenty-six years old, he went to Milwaukee, 
 and engaged as contractor and builder there, 
 being for a long time known as the "boy 
 builder." He remained in that city most of 
 the time for four years, and while there voted 
 for the admission of Wisconsin as a State of 
 the Union. Returning to Auburn, he fol- 
 lowed his trade here until after the death of 
 his father, when he purchased the interest of 
 the other heirs in the home farm, and has 
 since carried on general farming with excel- 
 lent financial results. He is an industrious 
 
296 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and skilful farmer, thoroughly understanding 
 the vocation in which he is engaged, and is 
 numbered among the respected and esteemed 
 citizens of the community in which he lives. 
 
 The union ot Mr. Osborn with Maria Roe 
 was solemnized in 1853. Mrs. Osborn, like 
 her husband, is a native of England, having 
 been born in Northamptonshire, being a 
 daughter of Mark and Nancy (Barnett) Roe. 
 Of the five children born to Mr. Osborn and 
 his wife, the following is the record: Annie 
 M., the wife of John B. O'Hara, lives in 
 Scipio; Barnett E., who married Bird Weber, 
 resides in Fleming; Mary, who married Or- 
 lando O'Hara, died March 25, 1893, leav- 
 ing two children — Enos B. and Clarence; 
 William H. died in his second year; George 
 J. is the eldest child of the parental house- 
 hold. Mr. and Mrs. Osborn are sincere 
 Christian people, and valued members of the 
 Baptist church, of which he has served as 
 Clerk for a number of years. 
 
 ^AMES H. BALDWIN. In Cayuga 
 County are to be found many prosper- 
 ous farmers who have amassed their 
 property by their own industry and good busi- 
 ness tact. Prominent among this number is 
 the subject of this sketch, who is the owner 
 of a finely improved farm in Montezuma, on 
 which he is extensively engaged in general 
 agriculture and stock-raising. He has made 
 the most of the opportunities afforded him, 
 taking advantage of modern progress in carry- 
 ing on his work; and everything about his 
 
 premises indicates the supervision of an intel- 
 ligent, capable man. He is a native of this 
 State, and was born in Seneca County, August 
 21, 1823, being a son of Daniel and Maria 
 (Leonard) Baldwin. 
 
 The Baldwin family came originally from 
 Wales, settling in the United States in old 
 Colonial times; and one of its members, a 
 brother of Elias Baldwin, the grandfather of 
 James, served in the Revolutionary War. 
 Elias Baldwin was a native of New Jersey, 
 where he passed a large part of his life. He 
 learned the trade of a weaver, at which he 
 worked in his younger days, but subsequently 
 abandoned it for agricultural pursuits. Pos- 
 sessing a venturesome and enterprising spirit, 
 and being desirous of becoming a landholder, 
 he and another young and unmarried man 
 made a prospecting tour to Seneca County, 
 performing the entire journey from New Jer- 
 sey on foot. They encountered many hard- 
 ships on the way, and were in constant danger 
 from the wild animals that infested the for- 
 ests, and from the Indians; for at that time, 
 in 1787, settlements were few and far be- 
 tween. In 1822 Mr. Baldwin again journeyed 
 to Seneca County, coming in the month of 
 March, bringing with him his wife and one 
 child, and performing the eight-day trip in a 
 sleigh. He settled in the town of Waterloo, 
 where he bought fifty acres of land, on which 
 the improvements already made consisted of 
 a log house, a log barn, and a thrifty young 
 orchard. On this farm he resided a number 
 of years, continually improving and clearing 
 the land, and patiently tilling the soil. His 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 297 
 
 heart still clinging to the State of his nativ- 
 ity, he subsequently returned to New Jersey, 
 where he died at the advanced age of eighty- 
 six years. He will long be remembered as 
 one of the pioneers of Waterloo, going there 
 when the country was new and but thinly set- 
 tled, his principal neighbors being Ephraim 
 Martin, a noted hunter, and his wife, who was 
 also an expert with the rifle, and was distin- 
 guished as having killed a bear; the Stahl- 
 necker family; Halsey Bidwell; Henry 
 Bunker; Richard Martin; Ezra Pease; and 
 William Ross — all of whom have long since 
 departed this life. Elias Baldwin married 
 Cornelia Smith; and they had a family of 
 ten children, of whom four sons and four 
 daughters grew to maturity, but none of whom 
 are now living. 
 
 Daniel Baldwin, son of Elias, was born in 
 Essex County, New Jersey, November 17, 
 1796, and in that State spent the earlier years 
 of his life. He was reared as a farmer, and 
 was engaged in that vocation the major portion 
 of his life, although for a few years he was 
 interested in mercantile business. He began 
 his agricultural labors in Seneca County, re- 
 maining there a number of years. In 1842 
 he came to Cayuga County, and settled in the 
 town of Montezuma, which was afterward his 
 permanent abiding-place, his death occurring 
 here, at the home of his son James, February 
 I, 1853. Maria Leonard, who became his 
 wife, was also a native of New Jersey, born in 
 Morris County, January 22, 1799; and she, 
 too, died at the son's home in Montezuma, 
 passing away November 4, 1889. Both she 
 
 and her husband were most estimable people, 
 and were held in high respect throughout the 
 community; and both were members in good 
 standing of the Presbyterian church. Of the 
 four sons and two daughters born to them, five 
 children are now living, the following being 
 the record of the family: David Leonard 
 died February 17, 1886, at the age of sixty- 
 six years; James H. lives in Montezuma; 
 Hila E. and Mary E. — who is the youngest 
 — make their home with James; Lucius and 
 William, farmers, reside in Aurelius. 
 
 James H. Baldwin received a good prac- 
 tical education in his native town, attending 
 first the district schools, and afterward being 
 a pupil in a select school in the village of 
 Waterloo, kept by D. W. Keeler, a noted in- 
 structor of that day. He resided with his 
 parents until seventeen years old, when he 
 started in life for himself, working at first by 
 the month, receiving ten dollars for each 
 month's labor. He continued thus employed 
 for three or four years, when, his father's 
 health failing, he returned home in 1844, 
 and has since remained a resident of this 
 town. His father did not own any land here; 
 and James, with a filial regard for his parents, 
 established a home for them, buying in 1847 
 the farm which he now occupies, and on 
 which they afterward lived and enjoyed the 
 comforts of life, tenderly cared for by their 
 children. This farm contains one hundred 
 and fifteen acres of fertile land, on which Mr. 
 Baldwin has made all the essential improve- 
 ments, its present high condition of cultivation 
 having been brought about by his unwearied 
 
298 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 labors and the exercise of the rare good judg- 
 ment with which he is possessed. Mr. Bald- 
 win has been unusually fortunate in his 
 business transactions, and by his straightfor- 
 ward methods and courteous manner in all of 
 his dealings has gained the good will of his 
 fellow-citizens and associates. He exerts a 
 healthful influence in his community, being 
 ever interested in its welfare, and has served 
 his townsmen as Assessor three years, as 
 Overseer of the Poor and as Highway Com- 
 missioner, each for a term of three years. 
 He is a good and true Republican in politics. 
 He sent a substitute to serve in the Federal 
 army in the late Rebellion. Both he and his 
 wife are members of the Presbyterian church, 
 and contribute liberally toward its support. 
 
 Mr. Baldwin has been twice married. His 
 first wife was Helen M. Palmer, a native of 
 this town, to whom he was united in 1876; 
 but their married life was brief, she having 
 crossed the river of death in 1878. February 
 15, 1 88 1, was the date of his union with 
 Frances L. Leonard. She was born April 
 30, 1844, in Syracuse, being a daughter of 
 John A. and Louisa (Sloan) Leonard. Her 
 father was a native of the town of Throop, and 
 her mother of Schenectady. Mr. Leonard 
 was a well-educated and intelligent man, tal- 
 ented in many directions, and was for many 
 years engaged in teaching. He was also in- 
 terested in agriculture to some extent, besides 
 giving some attention to other industries. In 
 politics he was a stanch supporter of the Re- 
 publican party. He was a man of high stand- 
 ing in his community, and he and his wife 
 
 were valued members of the Congregational 
 church. Both have passed to the life eternal, 
 she having died at the age of forty-two years, 
 while he lived to the age of sixty-six years. 
 They reared a family of nine children : Hen- 
 rietta; George B. ; James A.; Edward P.; 
 Frances, Mrs. Baldwin; Mary E. ; Josiah S. ; 
 Charlotte E. ; and Harriet J. The union of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin has been blessed by 
 the birth of one child, Edward L., who was 
 born August 26, 1884, and is now ten years 
 old. 
 
 OUIS NEWGASS, attorney and coun- 
 sellor-at-law, Justice of the Peace for 
 Cayuga County, New York, was 
 born at Kaiserslautern, Rhenish Bavaria, 
 Germany, January 10, 1854, and is the son of 
 Louis and Caroline (Dahlsheimer) Newgass. 
 Mr. Louis Newgass was engaged in the 
 leather and coal business, and also operated a 
 line of stage-coaches for the railroads. 
 
 Louis Newgass received his early education 
 in Germany, having a classical training and 
 acquiring some knowledge of English. After 
 his arrival in this country on December 22, 
 1870, he attended evening school in New 
 York City. Being able to speak and write 
 French, as well as German and English, he 
 was employed for a while as French corre- 
 spondent for a large banking house in New 
 York City. He afterward came to Tompkins 
 County, and attended school at Ithaca, at the 
 same time reading law with J. B. Kline. He 
 was admitted to practice by examination held 
 at the general term of court at Ithaca in 1880, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 299 
 
 and thereupon removed to Auburn, where he 
 located his office the same year, and by close 
 application to the duties of his profession has 
 established a large general and civil practice. 
 He was appointed by the Common Council to 
 iill a vacancy in that body in 1886, and at the 
 following election was chosen to fill an unex- 
 pired term of two years, being re-elected in 
 1890 for four years, and again re-elected in 
 1894 without opposition. 
 
 Mr. Newgass was married November 24-, 
 1 88 1, to Miss Nettie Wilmot, of Auburn; 
 and they have two children; namely, Harry 
 W. and Frieda E. Mr. Newgass is a mem- 
 ber of the K. O. T. M., of which he is a 
 Trustee, and is an attendant and supporter of 
 the Second Baptist Church. Mr. Newgass 
 has filled the various public positions to 
 which he has been elected with tact and dis- 
 crimination, and has easily demonstrated his 
 ability and fitness for higher honors. 
 
 bpRANCIS M. CORNWELL, one of the 
 \_\s enterprising, prosperous, and promi- 
 nent agriculturists of Cayuga County, is the 
 proprietor of an excellent farm lying in Dis- 
 trict No. 7 in the town of Springport, which 
 is the place of his nativity, the date of his 
 birth having been September 26, 1844. The 
 branch of the Cornwell family from which he 
 is descended have been numbered among the 
 respected residents of this county for many 
 years, his grandfather, Thomas Cornwell, Sr., 
 having settled within its borders in the early 
 part of the present century. 
 
 He was a native of New York, born on 
 Long Island, July 17, 1773, and was there 
 reared to maturity. He was a farmer by oc- 
 cupation, and on attaining his majority, in 
 1794, removed to Saratoga County, being one 
 of its earliest settlers, and, taking up two 
 hundred acres of timbered land, at once began 
 to improve a homestead for himself and fam- 
 ily. He accomplished much in the way of 
 clearing the land, and remained there until 
 18 16, when, having a favorable opportunity 
 to sell that property, he did so, and, accom- 
 panied by his family, came to Cayuga County. 
 The tedious journey through the wilderness 
 was performed in the winter season, the fam- 
 ily and their personal effects being trans- 
 ported hither by an ox team. Deciding to 
 take up his abode in the town of Scipio, he 
 purchased two hundred acres of land, on which 
 had been built a substantial frame house, 
 which in a well-preserved condition is still 
 standing, and is yet occupied. Continuing 
 his agricultural labors, he lived there until 
 1830, when another move brought him to the 
 town of Springport, where he bought the farm 
 now owned by his grandson, on which he 
 lived and toiled for many years. He subse- 
 quently bought two hundred and eighty acres 
 of land in Wyoming County; and there he en- 
 gaged in mixed husbandry until his death in 
 1853, at the venerable age of fourscore years. 
 He was twice married. His first wife, to 
 whom he was wedded in 1793, was Jemima 
 Bloomer, of Dutchess County, who bore him 
 the following children, namely: Gilbert, born 
 November 30, 1794; Nancy, born September 
 
300 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 27, 1796; Selah, born October 15, 1798; 
 Keziah, born July 14, 1800; Joshua, born 
 May 10, 1804; Thomas, Jr., born in Novem- 
 ber, 1806; Daniel, born March 4, 18 10; 
 William, born March 14, 1813; and Eliza 
 Ann, born June 11, 1815. The mother of 
 these children dying in 1823, Mr. Cornwell 
 subsequently married Margaret Hunt; and of 
 their union the following children were born : 
 Chauncey, Jerome, Emerson, Harrison, and 
 Maria. 
 
 Thomas Cornwell, Jr., received a liberal 
 education, attending the public schools of 
 Saratoga County and of Springport, and later 
 pursuing his studies at the academies of Au- 
 rora and Pompeii Hill, finishing his school 
 life in 1824, by taking a second course of 
 study at the academy in Aurora. Entering 
 upon a professional career, he taught school 
 for nearly fifteen years in his native town and 
 county, proving himself admirabjy adapted for 
 that high calling. In the mean while he had 
 become a landholder, having purchased a small 
 farm; and, on giving up his position as a 
 teacher, he turned his attention with marked 
 success to the cultivation of his land. He 
 gradually added to his original purchase, until 
 he had a fine farm, consisting of one hundred 
 acres of choice land, all in an excellent con- 
 dition. Like his father, he had two wives. 
 The first was Eliza Miller, to whom he was 
 united in 183 1, and who died in 1838, leaving 
 him with two children -^ Sarah Ann and 
 Mary. 
 
 The maiden name of his second wife was 
 Julia A. Alverson. She was a daughter of 
 
 Richard and Laura (Lewis) Alverson, and 
 was a native of Seneca County. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Alverson were pioneers of Wyoming 
 County, where they took up a tract of land 
 which was then in its primitive condition, 
 and, building a log cabin in the forest, labored 
 with the resolute will and persistent energy 
 that characterized the original settlers of this 
 beautiful country, and in course of time 
 cleared a valuable farm. Mr. Alverson was 
 a brave and patriotic man; and during the 
 War of 1S12 he enlisted in the army, serving 
 until the close of the war. Mrs. Alverson, 
 who ably assisted her husband in all of his 
 efforts to establish a home, was a woman of 
 culture and refinement, and during her younger 
 years was a teacher of repute. Of his second 
 marriage Mr. Cornwell reared four children 
 — Eliza, Henrietta, Francis- M., and Oscar. 
 Eliza J., born August 28, 1840, married 
 Maurice Sharpsteen, and has one child — 
 Addie. Henrietta, born September 17, 1842, 
 married George Bustin, of Syracuse, and 
 has three children — Henrietta and Harriet 
 (twins) and Mary. Oscar, born April 6, 
 1846, married Malanah Lamoreaux, of Seneca 
 County; and they have three children — 
 Mary, Kate, and Frank H. 
 
 Francis M. Cornwell, the eldest son of 
 Thomas and Julia A. (Alverson) Cornwell, re- 
 ceived his elementary education in the district 
 schools of his native town, supplementing it 
 by a course of study at the academy in Union 
 Springs. At home he received practical 
 training in the different branches of farm 
 work; and on the death of his father, which 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 301 
 
 occurred in 1871, he bought out the inter- 
 ests of the other heirs, and has since carried 
 on the farm with exceptionally good results, 
 finding pleasure and profit in his labors. His 
 productive fields and orchards, and the sleek 
 and well-fed cattle grazing on the hillsides 
 bear witness to the excellent judgment, skill, 
 and thorough method with which he conducts 
 his operations. Mr. Cornwell became the 
 head of a household in 1869, when he was 
 united in wedlock to Susan Brown, daughter 
 of Christopher and Lydia (Battey) Brown, of 
 Ledyard, by whom he has two children, 
 namely: Thomas, who was born in January, 
 1874; and Florence, whose birth occurred 
 in March, 1884. The former is now a stu- 
 dent in the Union Springs Academy. 
 
 As a man of good business ability and a 
 citizen of sterling worth, Mr. Francis M. 
 Cornwell occupies a fine position in his com- 
 munity, having the regard and confidence of 
 his fellow-townsmen, whom he has served, as 
 did his father before him, as Assessor and 
 School Trustee. In his political views he 
 sustains the principles promulgated by the 
 Republican party, and cast his first Presiden- 
 tial vote for Ulysses S. Grant in 1868. His 
 father, who took great interest in national 
 and local affairs, first voted for Andrew 
 
 Jackson. 
 
 — f ■ I — 
 
 ROWERS H. LEONARD, an enter- 
 'l^S prising and prominent land-owner in 
 various sections of theUnited States, 
 and residing at No. 93 East Genesee Street, 
 Auburn, N.Y., was born October 31, 1835, 
 
 in the town of Sennett. His parents were 
 Ezra and Laura (Howe) Leonard. The fam- 
 ily came from Vermont, Ezra leaving Shafts- 
 bur}', Bennington County, Vt., February, 
 1797, when he was ten years old, and settling 
 with his parents in the town of Sennett, at 
 that early day known as Marcellus. Ezra's 
 father, Nathan Leonard, was a brave Revolu- 
 tionary soldier, participating in the battle of 
 Lexington and other engagements of the war. 
 The first mention of the Leonard family in 
 this country dates from 1635, when Solomon 
 Leonard was allotted a piece of land by the 
 celebrated Miles Standish, the land being 
 located at Duxbury, Mass. Solomon Leonard 
 is believed to have come to this country from 
 Wales, arriving about the time of the Pil- 
 grim Fathers. After a few years' residence 
 at Duxbury he exchanged his land for a farm 
 at Bridgewater, Mass. 
 
 The subject of this biographical notice is a 
 direct descendant of Solomon Leonard, in the 
 following order. Moses Leonard, grandson 
 of Solomon, moved to Worcester County, 
 Massachusetts, about the year 171 8. He was 
 a prominent man in his day, being Selectman 
 of the village and an Ensign in the militia in 
 1725. At various periods of his life he lived 
 at Rutland, Barre, and Hardwick, Mass. He 
 died at an extreme old age. Ezra, his son, 
 was born September 19, 171 1, and moved with 
 his father to Brookfield in 1730, and in 1735 to 
 Hardwick. He was married in 1737 to Miss 
 Olive Smith, a daughter of Benjamin Smith, 
 one of the earliest settlers of Hardwick. He 
 was a very active man in the affairs of the 
 
302 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 town, and held a commission as Ensign in 
 Captain Josepli Warner's company at Fort 
 William Henry in 1757. He died at South 
 Wilbraham, Mass., June 29, 1798. His son 
 Nathan, the grandfather of the subject of this 
 sketch, was born at Hardwick Mass., Septem- 
 ber 25, 1743, and was married to Ammitta 
 Cutler, of Lexington, Mass., November 25, 
 1766. He was a minute-man at Lexington, 
 April 19, 1775, and held the commission of 
 a Captain in Colonel Nathaniel Wade's regi- 
 ment about 1778. He moved to Shaftsbury, 
 Vt., about 1780, and afterward to Marcellus, 
 this State, in 1797, becoming here a large 
 land-owner and proprietor of an inn. He 
 died at his home in Sennett, near Skaneat- 
 eles, in 181 5. 
 
 Ezra Leonard, son of Nathan and father of 
 Bowers H., was born at Shaftsbury, Vt., in 
 1787, and died in 1850. After his union in 
 marriage in 1817 with Laura Howe, a native 
 of New York State, he continued to live on 
 the old homestead in Sennett, engaged in 
 farming and holding various town offices of 
 responsibility. His wife's family came to 
 this State from Sheffield, Mass., about the 
 year 1800. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Leonard reared three 
 children, namely: Mary, who married Joab 
 L. Clift, now residing at the old home; Ben- 
 jamin C. Leonard, who has a fine farm in the 
 town of Sennett; and Bowers H., of the city 
 of Auburn. 
 
 Bowers H. Leonard received a good practi- 
 cal common-school education at Homer, Cort- 
 land County, and Clinton, Oneida County. 
 
 He was afterward engaged in the manufactur- 
 ing of malleable iron in New Haven County, 
 Conn. He subsequently spent two years in 
 Minnesota, where he purchased considerable 
 land. He returned from the West in 1857, 
 and was married to Miss Elizabeth Cuyken- 
 dall, of Owasco, N.Y., June 3, 1858. She 
 was the daughter of Wilhelmus and Mary 
 (Austin) Cuykendall, a prominent family of 
 that town. After his marriage he engaged in 
 mercantile pursuits at Owasco until 1874. 
 In 1874 and 1876 he sold out his farm and 
 store in Owasco, and removed to Auburn. 
 During his residence at Owasco Mr. Leonard 
 occupied the position of Post-master, resign- 
 ing his place when he sold out his property 
 there. Mr. Leonard has erected a beautiful 
 residence on East Genesee Street. He is 
 also the owner of the farm of his deceased an- 
 cestor. Bowers Howe, in the town of Sennett, 
 and is largely interested in Western lands, 
 and is likewise interested to some extent in 
 land in the Southern States. He has at vari- 
 ous times visited most of the States in the 
 Union. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Leonard have five children, 
 namely: Mary Annette, artist, now in New 
 York City; William E., residing with his 
 family on a farm in Sennett; Edward, en- 
 gaged in business in Auburn; Clara A., 
 lately a student at Vassar College, recently 
 married to Benjamin C. Wickes, druggist, of 
 Auburn; Lewis F., a graduate of the high 
 school, and engaged in the furniture business 
 with the firm of Richardson & Son, of Au- 
 burn. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 303 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Leonard and family are mem- 
 bers of the Universalist church. Mr. Leon- 
 ard has been fairly successful in his business 
 pursuits, the result of a combination of econ- 
 omy and sound judgment. He has usually 
 been interested in everything that would 
 promote the progress and prosperity of his 
 community. He is a man of high moral prin- 
 ciples, optimistic in his views of life, scrupu- 
 lously just in his dealings, inclined rather to 
 underestimate than to overestimate himself, 
 but generously appreciative of the merits of 
 others. 
 
 M. 
 
 T. MILLER, a highly respected 
 farmer of Owasco, was born in 
 this town, October 11, 1822. His 
 father, William Miller, was born in Newark, 
 N.J., son of Samuel, a native of Holland, 
 who emigrated to America, and settled in New 
 Jersey, where he took up farming, and. lived to 
 be about seventy years of age. William Mil- 
 ler and his wife, with a party of others, emi- 
 grated to Cayuga County some time previous 
 to 1795, coming with ox teams, bringing their 
 household goods and farming tools. Their 
 stock of provisions being exhausted before 
 they reached the end of their journey, they 
 subsisted for several days, it is said, on boiled 
 beech leaves. Two of his brothers settled in 
 Sennett, two in Owasco, and one in Phillips. 
 He himself settled in the northern part of 
 Owasco, where he bought a tract of timber 
 land of about one hundred and twenty acres. 
 On this he built a log house, which the fam- 
 ily occupied for fifty years, afterward building 
 
 a frame house. Mr. Miller was a blacksmith, 
 and had a shop on his premises, in which he 
 worked at the anvil, also carrying on general 
 farming, and operating a saw-mill. He died 
 at about sixty-three years of age. By his first 
 wife, Mary Van Winkle, he had six children, 
 whose names were Peter, Katie, Martha, Sal- 
 lie, Polly, and Charles. He was married, the 
 second time, to Phoebe McNeill, a native of 
 Pennsylvania and daughter of John McNeill. 
 She reared nine children; namely, Henry, 
 Aaron, Amy, Elizabeth, Lydia, George, 
 David, Dennis T., and Lucy. 
 
 Dennis T. Miller was educated in the 
 district schools, and reared to agricultural 
 pursuits, remaining with his parents until he 
 was twenty-three. After working out for 
 a while by the job and by the day, he then 
 went to New York City, where he was en- 
 gaged in the market, mostly dealing in poul- 
 try, remaining there, however, but a short 
 time, when he returned to Owasco, and took 
 up farming. He bought a farm in the south- 
 ern part of Sennett, and occupied it for one 
 year, when he sold it, and, buying the old 
 homestead, remained thereon for four years. 
 He afterward moved to Summer Hill, where 
 he purchased a desirable farm, and resided 
 there for seventeen years, busily employed in 
 its cultivation and improvement. He next 
 resided in Mentz four years, and in 1881 re- 
 moved again to Owasco, where he purchased 
 a farm of one hundred and fifty acres, and has 
 been engaged in general farming there ever 
 since. He was married January 11, 1852, to 
 Rebecca Van Benschoten, of Summer Hill, 
 
3°4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 daughter of John G. and Tryphena (Palmer) 
 Van Benschoten. Six children were born, 
 five of whom are living; namely, Tryphena, 
 George, Alice, Mary Ann, and Grace R. Mr. 
 Miller has varied the usual monotony of a 
 farmer's life by making his home in various 
 localities, from time to time seeking "fresh 
 vroods and pastures new." His character and 
 course have been such as to win the respect 
 and good will of those with whom he has had 
 dealings. 
 
 If- 
 
 ILLARD A. HOAGLAND, of Au- 
 burn, is the champion heel-and-toe 
 pedestrian of America. He was born at 
 Union Springs, May 19, 1862, the son of 
 Joshua M. and Harriet E. (Babcock) Hoag- 
 land. The father was also born at Union 
 Springs, and was a leading carriage manufact- 
 urer there many years. He came to Auburn 
 in 1880 as manager of the Auburn Driving 
 Park, being one of the foremost horsemen of 
 the county, training and driving many horses, 
 both for himself and others. In 1884 he went 
 to the Kellogg stock farm, the principal es- 
 tablishment of its kind in Central New York. 
 Thereafter he bought a farm just outside of 
 Moravia, and made arrangements for the con- 
 struction of a first-class race-track; but he 
 died April 6, 1885, before the completion of 
 his plans. He was a member of the Union 
 Springs Masonic Lodge, and well grounded in 
 the ritual of the order. His wife, still liv- 
 ing, was born at Homer in 1838, a daughter 
 of Minor Babcock, who was one of the early 
 settlers in Union Springs, where he carried 
 
 on a grocery; and he was so interested in 
 Masonry that he rose to the thirty-second 
 degree. 
 
 Charles E. Hoagland, father of Joshua M., 
 was a pioneer in Union Springs, at one time 
 owning the whole southern end of the town. 
 He came there from New Jersey in an ox team 
 with his father, the great-grandfather of Wil- 
 lard. The family was of German extraction, 
 and the great-grandfather and great-grand- 
 mother were the first persons interred in 
 Crane's burial-ground at Union Springs. 
 They and their son Charles were among the 
 founders of the Christian church at Union 
 Springs, the older gentleman giving the land 
 for the meeting-house, besides aiding in its 
 building. Grandfather Hoagland was a black- 
 smith and carriage-maker at Union Springs, 
 beginning business in a little brick shop still 
 standing. Later he removed to Montezuma, 
 and engaged in the grocery trade, but he died 
 in Rochester. He was a strong man, and 
 greatly respected in his day. 
 
 Willard A. Hoagland was a school-boy at 
 Union Springs till the age of sixteen, but 
 about that time he began showing his skill as 
 a walker. His first match was on the last 
 day of February, 1879, for which he trained 
 on a temporary track in a shop belonging to 
 the noted oarsman, Charles E. Courtney. 
 The race was at Union Springs, for a purse of 
 a hundred dollars; and young Hoagland' s 
 opponent was Michael Dai ley, of the same 
 town. Willard won in forty-five minutes. 
 Stimulated by this victory, he kept on in the 
 walking art, till he had won seventy-nine 
 
' '^■ '' V'■■^■:'WJ1^^^!:, r^ rr^f:m~ ' i'i ' Jr ■' ? ! rrJ:^ ^ 
 
 ^'■"^Ki, 
 
 
 ^^- 
 
 ^^^■'. 
 
 WiLLflRD R. HOflGLflND. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 307 
 
 races without a defeat. His early contests 
 were generally for distances of from five to 
 twenty miles; and before he was eighteen 
 years old he had defeated such men as P. H. 
 Armstrong, who had been the champion five- 
 mile walker of the country; E. C. Holski, the 
 champion ten-mile walker of America; and 
 George Hosmer, of Boston. Mr. Hoagland 
 walked ten miles in one hour, seventeen min- 
 utes, and thirty-seven seconds, and five miles 
 in thirty-seven minutes and twenty-two sec- 
 onds ; and this record has not yet been broken 
 in this country. In 1892, at the autumnal 
 fair in the Auburn Driving Park, he made a 
 one-mile record of six minutes and thirty- 
 three seconds, though the track was rough and 
 hard. As early as 1883, when he was 
 twenty-one, he took to long-distance racing. 
 The only man who has given him a hard rub 
 in this line is Dennis DriscoU, of Lynn, 
 Mass.; and even in contests with Driscoll 
 Hoagland won five races out of seven, each 
 from five to fifteen miles long. William 
 Meek, the ex-champion of the world, he con- 
 quered in three straight races, of ten, twelve, 
 and fifteen miles, respectively; and he also 
 distanced the champion fifty-mile walker of 
 England, A. W. Sinclair. On March 14 and 
 15, 1883, he made a home run of one hundred 
 and eight miles at Port Byron, beating Alex 
 Van Prague, of that town. A fortnight later 
 he had a similar victory at Auburn. Being 
 allowed to go as he pleased, Mr. Hoagland 
 covered one hundred and sixteen miles. In 
 the fall of 1885 he beat Clarence Smith, at 
 Walkerton, Ont., by accomplishing a ten-mile 
 
 walk in one hour, seventeen minutes, and 
 thirty-four seconds, thus breaking his own 
 previous record. The next event, probably 
 the greatest achievement of his life up to the 
 present time, took place at Auburn; and his 
 rival was C. N. Harriman, of Haverhill, 
 Mass. The prize was five hundred dollars. 
 Mr. Hoagland walked one hundred and 
 twenty-nine miles, and never once stepped off 
 the track or ate a mouthful during the first 
 hundred miles, which occupied eighteen hours 
 and four minutes. This record still stands 
 unsurpassed in the world. Though the race 
 was twenty-nine miles longer, this first heat 
 really decided the question; and. three thou- 
 sand dollars at once changed hands. 
 
 In thirty races Mr. Hoagland has been on 
 his feet from eight to twelve hours a day for 
 six days. These runs have taken place in all 
 parts of the country; and he has been the 
 winner at Washington, Baltimore, Syracuse, 
 St. Louis, and in other cities. His first race 
 by night as well as by day was at Kansas 
 City in October, 1887. There were eighteen 
 in the race at the beginning; but Hoagland 
 outwalked them all, doing four hundred and 
 eighty miles in one hundred and forty-two 
 hours, leaving the track for only seventeen 
 hours in all. On the Christmas week follow- 
 ing he won a similar race on the same track, 
 walking four hundred and sixty-nine miles, 
 and beating Frank Hart, ex-champion of the 
 whole world, whom he had already beaten in a 
 twenty-seven hour race at Binghamton, for 
 three hundred dollars a side. Mr. Hoagland 
 also walks in contests with horses, and was 
 
3o8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 able, at the county fair, to do a quarter-mile 
 while a horse was trotting half a mile. In 
 1887 he ran with twenty-five men in a go-as- 
 you-please race at Syracuse, for a three-hun- 
 dred-dollar prize. Heretofore he had never 
 done anything but walk, but now he began by 
 running. After the first five miles, however, 
 he settled down into his customary solid pace; 
 yet he outwalked all his antagonists, and cov- 
 ered one hundred and twenty-three miles in 
 twenty-seven hours. When roller-skating was 
 the rage, he walked in competition with the 
 skaters. He also does a successful business 
 as manager of troops of pedestrians, and likes 
 to make the round of agricultural fairs in 
 his professional capacity. He is a well-built 
 man, five feet and eleven and a half inches in 
 height. Ordinarily he weighs one hundred 
 and seventy pounds, but always trains himself 
 down to one hundred and sixty. He takes a 
 great interest in base-ball, and organized the 
 New York State League in 1885, which ter- 
 minated in the Eastern League. He acted as 
 umpire in 1891-92 of the North-western 
 League, and in 1894 umpired for the National 
 League. 
 
 On April 20, 1886, he married Nellie J. 
 Richardson, of Waterloo, N.Y. Says the 
 Kansas City Times : "He is to-day the cham- 
 pion heel-and-toe walker of the world, a great 
 pedestrian and a perfect gentleman, making 
 friends wherever he goes. His style when 
 walking is the embodiment of ease and grace, 
 and his speed is something phenomenal." 
 He obeys literally the scripture of Paul, who 
 drew his figure from the Olympic games: "So 
 
 run that ye may obtain." Says a German 
 writer, "He who says patience says courage, 
 endurance, strength." And well did Lord 
 Bacon write, " Great effects come of industry 
 and perseverance, for audacity doth bind and 
 mate the weaker sort of minds." 
 
 A likeness of this fleet-footed athlete, 
 whose remarkable pedestrianism has won him 
 widely extended fame, meets the eye of the 
 reader on an adjoining page. 
 
 ARVEY SMITH. The subject of 
 this sketch has been for many years 
 prominent among the successful 
 farmers and stock-raisers of the town of Flem- 
 ing, having one of the best-appointed home- 
 steads in his township, and on account of his 
 strict integrity and high moral character is 
 numbered among its most valued citizens. 
 He is a native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 
 where he was born May 16, 1824. He comes 
 of early English ancestry, being the lineal de- 
 scendant of one William Smith, who emi- 
 grated from England in 1689, and settled in 
 Wrightstown, Bucks County, Pa., where he 
 was one of its earliest settlers. He first 
 bought one hundred acres of land, but later 
 purchased other tracts, and resided there until 
 his death. He married Mary Croosdale, a 
 daughter of Thomas and Agnes Croosdale. 
 William's son, Thomas Smith, married Eliza- 
 beth Sanders; and, as far as known, they 
 were life-long residents of Bucks County, 
 Pennsylvania. The next in line of descent 
 was Samuel Smith, who married Jane Scho- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 309 
 
 field, a daughter of John and Jane Schofield; 
 and their son, William Smith, was the grand- 
 father of Harvey Smith. 
 
 This second William Smith was born in 
 Bucks County, Pennsylvania, September 2, 
 1751, and married Ann Harvey. He was a 
 tanner and a nursery-man, and conducted 
 quite an extensive business in both lines, re- 
 maining during his entire life a resident of 
 his native county. 
 
 Dr. Samuel Smith, son of William and 
 Ann (Harvey) Smith, was born in Bucks 
 County, March 23, 1796, and was there reared 
 and educated. In 1834 he migrated to Ca- 
 yuga County, coming with teams, as there 
 were then no railways, bringing with him his 
 family and a sufficient number of fruit-trees 
 to start a nursery. He purchased a tract of 
 land in the town of Fleming, and on it set out 
 the first nursery in this vicinity, and in its 
 care and management met with good success. 
 He had previously studied medicine; and in 
 1838 he was licensed to practise in the State 
 of New York, and was for many years num- 
 bered among the most able physicians of the 
 county. Besides attending faithfully to his 
 professional duties, he superintended his farm 
 and nursery, residing here until his removal 
 to Auburn. He there purchased property on 
 the corner of Washington and Wall Streets, 
 where he resided until his death, June 15, 
 1876, at the advanced age of eighty years. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Mary 
 Doane, was born in Bucks County, Pennsyl- 
 vania, and died in Auburn in 1888, at the 
 venerable age of ninety years. 
 
 Harvey Smith was ten years old when he 
 came with his parents, Dr. Samuel and Mary 
 (Doane) Smith, to Fleming; and he contin- 
 ued his studies in the pioneer schools of that 
 day, and can well remember the rude log 
 school-house, with slab benches, a large open 
 fireplace, and greased paper for window-panes. 
 He assisted on the home farm until twenty- 
 one years of age, when he began to learn the 
 trade of a mason, which he followed for four- 
 teen consecutive years, one year of that time 
 being spent in Washington, D.C. In 1857 
 he settled upon the farm he now owns and 
 occupies, and has since devoted his time and 
 attention to general farming, in which he has 
 been greatly prospered. 
 
 Before settling on his present property, Mr. 
 Smith took unto himself a trustworthy com- 
 panion to share his fortunes, his marriage 
 with Harriet Adelaide Allen having been sol- 
 emnized January 20, 1857. Mrs. Smith was 
 born in Dryden, Tompkins County, N.Y., 
 being a daughter of George R. Allen, a native 
 of the same town, and a grand-daughter of 
 Wyatt Allen, a pioneer of Tompkins County, 
 who was for many years engaged in farming, 
 living there until the time of his decease. 
 The maiden name of his first wife, grand- 
 mother of Mrs. Smith, was Greene. George 
 R. Allen was also a farmer by occupation, 
 and died in Dryden at the early age of thirty- 
 two years. He married Sarah Ann Benham, 
 who was born in Marcellus, Onondaga 
 County, and was a daughter of Isaac and Sally 
 A. (Baker) Benham. After the death of her 
 first husband, the father of Mrs. Smith, she 
 
310 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 married Wesley Hamilton, and died in 1892 
 at Asbury, Tompkins County. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Smith are the parents 
 of three children, the following: Frank C, 
 a physician, resides in Fleming (for further 
 particulars of his life, see his sketch, which 
 appears on another page of this volume); 
 George Harrison, a farmer, also lives in 
 Fleming; Mary A., who married Eugene La- 
 Rowe, resides in Springport. In his politics 
 Mr. Smith is a stanch adherent of the Repub- 
 lican party, as was his honored father. He is 
 a firm adherent of the Quaker faith, in which 
 he was reared, each member of the Smith 
 family — from William, the emigrant, down 
 to the present time — having been loyal 
 Friends. Mrs. Smith is a woman of strong 
 religious principles, and a conscientious mem- 
 ber of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 B 
 
 ON J. TABOR, the senior member of 
 (^ ■ the firm of Tabor & Sleight, dealers 
 in tobacco, and one of the leading 
 young men of the village of Meridian, occu- 
 pies a good position in financial and social 
 circles, and is an important factor of the agri- 
 cultural and mercantile interests of this part 
 of the county. He is a native of Cayuga 
 Count)', having first opened his eyes to the 
 light of this beautiful world, April 3, 1856, 
 on the old Tabor homestead, where his entire 
 life has been spent. His great-grandfather 
 Tabor, the scion of an ancient and honored 
 New England family, was born in Rhode 
 Island. He there learned the trade of ship- 
 
 builder, working fourteen years at apprentice 
 work, becoming proficient in every branch. 
 The larger portion of his life was spent in his 
 native State, although he and his faithful 
 wife removed to Cazenovia, Madison County, 
 N.Y., where their sons had settled; and both 
 closed their eyes on earthly scenes in that 
 town, and their bodies lie side by side in the 
 pleasant, rural cemetery. He passed a long 
 and useful life of eighty-four years, while his 
 wife, Nancy (Gibbs) Tabor, lived to the un- 
 usual age of ninety-seven years. 
 
 Nathaniel Tabor, the grandfather of the 
 subject of the present biography, was born in 
 Little Compton, R.I., September 18, 1787; 
 and his wife, whose maiden name was Debo- 
 rah Head, was a native of the same town, the 
 date of her birth being October 28, 1794. 
 He learned the ship-builder's trade of his 
 father, and for some years that was his prin- 
 cipal occupation. In 1804 he removed to 
 Madison County, settling in the town of Caze- 
 novia when it was but sparsely settled, the 
 clearings being few and far between. He 
 had a good deal of enterprise and business 
 ability; and soon he engaged in milling, own- 
 ing and running one of the first saw and 
 grist mills in the vicinity. As he accumu- 
 lated money, he invested it in land, having a 
 half-interest in two hundred acres which he 
 and his brother, Clark Tabor, owned together, 
 and carried on in partnership for twenty 
 years. Finally, disposing of his property in 
 Madison County, Nathaniel came to Cayuga 
 County, settling in the town of Ira, March 
 20, 1836. Purchasing a farm of one hundred 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 311 
 
 and forty acres, one-half m-ile north of the 
 village of Meridian, on which there were very 
 few improvements, he engaged in mixed hus- 
 bandry. With his old-time energy and vim, 
 he began its cultivation; and here, as else- 
 where, success followed his efforts. Invest- 
 ing his surplus capital in other land, he had at 
 the time of his death, which occurred on the 
 homestead in 1865, one hundred and fifty-five 
 acres of excellent land, his place being con- 
 sidered one of the best estates in this locality. 
 In his early days he was a Whig, as regarded 
 his politics; but on the organization of the 
 Republican party he became one of its firm 
 supporters. Both he and his wife were mem- 
 bers of the Baptist church, and faithful 
 workers in that denomination. Of their 
 union, which was celebrated April 14, 1818, 
 were born four sons, as follows: Daniel H., 
 born January 4, 1824 (see sketch which ap- 
 pears elsewhere in this volume); Asa M., 
 born December 3, 1825; George P., born 
 September 26, 1819, and Oliver P., born De- 
 cember 9, 1 82 1, both deceased. 
 
 Asa M. Tabor, the second son of Nathaniel, 
 is a native of Madison County, New York, 
 Cazenovia being the town of his birth. He 
 attended the district schools of that place 
 until ten years old, when he came with his 
 parents to Ira; and in this town and in Cato 
 he finished his schooling. On the home farm 
 he acquired a practical knowledge of agricult- 
 ure, and ably assisted his father in the work 
 of clearing and improving a homestead. This 
 farm, on which he had labored with such 
 fidelity and skill, came into his possession 
 
 after the death of his parents; and here he 
 lived for many years, attending to the inter- 
 ests of his property, and assisting in the de- 
 velopment and progress of the town, being 
 recognized by his fellow-citizens as a valued 
 member of the community. In 1887 Mr. 
 Tabor gave up the management of the farm to 
 his son Don, and moved into the village of 
 Meridian, becoming an occupant of the hand- 
 some and substantial brick residence which he 
 had just completed at a cost of six thousand 
 dollars. He did not, however, give up active 
 work, but is at present connected with his son 
 in the tobacco business. In politics he is 
 identified with the Republican party, support- 
 ing it by his influence and vote. His mar- 
 riage with Mary A. Horrigan was solemnized 
 February 2, 1855, in Cayuga County. She 
 was born in Ireland, August 28, 1832, being 
 a daughter of James W. and Mary Horrigan, 
 both natives of Ireland. Her father was born 
 on December 29, 1801, and her mother on 
 June 23, 1797- They emigrated to the 
 United States, and settled in Cayuga County, 
 where the death of Mr. Horrigan occurred 
 December 29, 1845. His wife survived him, 
 and is still living at a venerable age. Of 
 the union of Mr. and Mrs. Tabor two children 
 were born: Don J., of Meridian; and Elba 
 D., who was born March 11, 1860, and passed 
 from earth to the realms of light, October 20, 
 1886. Her early death was a grievous loss to 
 the family; and her mother,' who never fully 
 recovered from the shock, joined her in the 
 bright world beyond the following year, dying 
 in August, 1887. She was a woman of supe- 
 
312 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 rior character, possessing great patience and 
 fortitude, and was an esteemed member of the 
 Presbyterian church; while Mr. Tabor, who 
 upheld her in all of her good works, is very 
 liberal in his views. 
 
 Don J. Tabor acquired a good education in 
 the schools of Meridian, and grew to manhood 
 under the parental roof-tree, surrounded by 
 all the holy influences of a devoted mother's 
 care. He was early trained to agricultural 
 pursuits, in which he has continued to the 
 present time, having had the entire supervi- 
 sion of the homestead since 1887, carrying on 
 general farming in a most skilful manner, and 
 deriving excellent pecuniary results from his 
 labors. This work not being enough for one 
 of his enterprising spirit, he formed a part- 
 nership with H. A. Sleight, with whom, 
 under the name of Tabor & Sleight, dealers 
 in tobacco, he carries on one of the largest 
 and most extensive trades in the village, in 
 the year 1892 buying about five thousand 
 cases of that year's crop of tobacco. He is 
 a wide-awake, active man, of more than aver- 
 age ability, meriting and receiving the esteem 
 and good will of a legion of friends. In 
 politics Mr. Tabor is a stanch Republican, 
 taking a deep interest in the public welfare; 
 and during the years 1885 and 1886 he served 
 as Supervisor of the town of Ira. Socially, 
 he is an influential member of Meridian 
 Lodge, No. 81, S. F. I. Both he and his 
 accomplished wife are liberal in their relie- 
 ious views, kind and benevolent in their 
 actions, and perform much charitable work 
 in a quiet and unostentatious manner. 
 
 In early manhood Mr. Tabor was united in 
 marriage with Flora C. Cole, a native of Van 
 Buren, Onondaga County, their nuptials being 
 celebrated January 23, 1878; and their happy 
 union has been blessed by the birth of two 
 children — Lucile F. and Clara J. 
 
 WILLIAM B. 
 is briefly 
 
 WHITE, whose history 
 given in the following 
 lines, is an active and practical farmer in 
 the prime of life, pleasantly located on an 
 excellent farm in District No. 5 of the town 
 of Ledyard, which is also the place of his 
 birth, the date being January 17, 1848. He 
 is a worthy representative of an honored pio- 
 neer of Cayuga County, his grandfather. Coral 
 Case White, who was was born in Granville, 
 Washington County, N.Y., in the latter part 
 of last century, having been among the earlier 
 settlers of this part of the county. 
 
 About the year 1800 Mr. White, the elder, 
 visited Cayuga County with a view to settling 
 if the conditions were favorable. Finding- 
 
 o 
 
 the prospects very good, he returned to his 
 home in Washington County, where he was 
 united in marriage to Esther B. Johnson, a 
 brave New England girl, of Vermont birth, 
 and, accompanied by his bride, again started 
 westward. On reaching Tompkins County, 
 he concluded to settle, and, buying a piece of 
 land in Dryden, established a fulling-mill, 
 and was for some time engaged in making 
 cloth. He subsequently removed to this 
 county, and, erecting a mill in the town of 
 Ledyard, on the Lake road, carried on his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 313 
 
 manufacturing for many years, making most 
 of the cloth used by the farmers, exchanging 
 cloth for grain, and, selling the latter in Ver- 
 mont, made excellent profit. He was greatly 
 interested in local affairs, and of much assist- 
 ance in developing the resources of the town, 
 and during the War of 181 2 was three times 
 drafted into his country's service. To him 
 and his good wife were born four children ; 
 namely, Fidelia A., Statira J., Coral C, and 
 Adelle H. 
 
 Coral C. White, son of Coral Case and Es- 
 ther B. (Johnson) White, was a native of 
 Cayuga County, born in that part of the town 
 of Ledyard known as Moonshine, and was 
 there reared and educated, attending the dis- 
 trict school and then the academy. Selecting 
 the honorable occupation of farming as his 
 means of earning a livelihood, he purchased 
 one hundred and seventeen acres of land in 
 the north-eastern part of his native town, 
 which in the course of time, by the exercise 
 of well-directed, tireless efforts, yielded him 
 a comfortable competency. Here he brought, 
 to be the presiding genius of his household, 
 his bride, Cornelia A. Morgan, a daughter of 
 William Morgan, of Ledyard; and here their 
 wedded life was passed in useful labor, in 
 peace and contentment. The children born of 
 their union were four in number — William 
 B., Frances C, Charles S., and Frederic M. 
 The father was a good citizen in every sense 
 of the term, and was a leader in every enter- 
 prise tending to advance the general welfare. 
 He served his fellow-townsmen very accept- 
 ably as Justice of the Peace and as Road 
 
 Commissioner, and from 1884 until 1888 was 
 Supervisor. The following two years he was 
 a member of the General Assembly, and at 
 the expiration of his term retired from public 
 life. He was identified with the Masonic 
 order, as was his father, having joined that 
 fraternity many years ago. His death, which 
 occurred on his homestead in 1890, was 
 lamented by the community at large, who re- 
 spected and esteemed him for his honesty, 
 integrity, and many other fine traits of 
 character. 
 
 William B. White, the first child born to 
 his parents, Coral C. and Cornelia M. White, 
 received his early education in the district 
 schools, and later in life attended the acad- 
 emy, becoming quite proficient in the common 
 branches of study. During his youthful days 
 he was of great assistance on the home farm, 
 and acquired a liking for the farmer's occupa- 
 tion. At the age of twenty years he left the 
 parental homestead, and, turning his face 
 westward, sought his fortune in one of the 
 prairie States. Crossing the Mississippi 
 River, he proceeded to Franklin County, 
 Kansas, where he bought a tract of land, and 
 for eight years carried it on With a good deal 
 of success, living there during the time he 
 was away from home, with the exception of 
 one year, 1872, which he spent in the Indian 
 Territory. In 1876 Mr. White returned to 
 the place of his nativity, and, having rented 
 his property in Kansas, has since resided on 
 the homestead where he was born. He is an 
 esteemed and valued citizen of the town, con- 
 ducting all his business transactions in a 
 
314 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 straightforward and manly way; and he and 
 his excellent wife are held in high regard 
 throughout this vicinity. 
 
 The union of Mr. White with Mrs. Cathe- 
 rine L. Whipple was solemnized in 1888, 
 Mrs. White being a pleasant addition to 
 the social circles of Ledyard. In politics Mr. 
 White is a strong advocate of the principles 
 promulgated by the Republican party, and his 
 first Presidential vote was cast in 1876 for 
 Rutherford B. Hayes. 
 
 ^^S)/CLARENCE SHELDON, a mem- 
 \^Vv. ^^^ °^ ^^^ County Board of Super- 
 visors, representing the town of Sennett, is 
 an able exponent of its agricultural interests, 
 and is giving his attention to general farming 
 and stock-raising with excellent pecuniary 
 results. He is an energetic man of sound 
 business principles and good judgment, keep- 
 ing himself well posted on current events, 
 and occupies a good social position among the 
 esteemed residents of Sennett and vicinity. 
 He is a native of Cayuga County, New York, 
 born in the town of Brutus, August 8, 1852. 
 His father, William Sheldon, was born in the 
 same town on August 31, 1821, and was son 
 of Daniel Sheldon, a native of Connecticut, 
 the date of whose birth was April 15, 1794. 
 The parents of Daniel were Jacob and Mary 
 (Smith) Sheldon, both of whom were also of 
 Connecticut birth. 
 
 Jacob Sheldon, accompanied by his wife 
 and little ones, came to Cayuga County in 
 1796, and, buying three hundred acres of land 
 
 in what is now the town of Sennett, became 
 one of its first settlers, and a worthy repre- 
 sentative of the men whose shrewd foresight 
 and determined energy paved the way for the 
 colonization of this county. His first abode 
 was a double log house; and in that he kept 
 tavern for several years, being well known 
 throughout this region as a genial and accom- 
 modating host. He cleared quite a tract of 
 land, residing there until 18 10, when he pur- 
 chased another tract in the same town, nearer 
 the village of Sennett. After living there 
 two years, he removed to the town of Brutus, 
 where he bought two hundred and fourteen 
 acres of land, and began the improvement of a 
 homestead; and this is still in the possession 
 of his descendants. He was a man of great 
 enterprise, and in addition to his agricultural 
 labors operated two saw-mills at one time, 
 making good success with both of his under- 
 takings. His wife died on the home farm in 
 1814, and his death occurred at the same 
 place in 1821. They reared a family of 
 seven children; namely, Sylvester, Cephas, 
 Mary, Jacob, Daniel, John, and Enos. 
 
 Daniel Sheldon was but two years of age 
 when he came with his parents to Sennett, 
 and, being reared to farming pursuits, suc- 
 ceeded his father in the ownership of the old 
 homestead, and there resided until the time of 
 his death. Inheriting the ambitious and en- 
 ergetic spirit of his father, he carried on his 
 work with corresponding success, and in ad- 
 dition to general farming also operated a 
 saw-mill. He made a good deal of money, 
 and, investing his surplus capital in other 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 315 
 
 land, was the owner of six hundred acres of 
 excellent land at the time of his decease, 
 which occurred April 9, 1868. He married 
 Eliza Merritt, a daughter of Nathan and Eliz- 
 abeth Merritt; and she survived him a few 
 months, dying January 21, 1869. Of their 
 union seven children were born; namely, 
 John S., Eliza J., William, Lydia A., Har- 
 riet N., Erwin M., and Frances E. 
 
 William Sheldon, the third of these chil- 
 dren, was a life-long resident of this county, 
 and a prominent member of its agricultural 
 element. On the home farm he was early 
 initiated into the various branches of farming, 
 remaining an inmate of the parental house- 
 hold until his marriage. He then bought a 
 tract of land adjoining the old homestead; 
 but, having very little ready money, he was 
 obliged to run into debt for it. He began in 
 earnest the cultivation of the soil, repaired 
 the buildings, and, after making many sub- 
 stantial improvements, sold the property at an 
 advantageous price, and in 1857 came to Sen- 
 nett. Here he bought one hundred and sixty 
 acres of land, and engaged in general farm- 
 ing. He gradually increased his operations, 
 and became an extensive dealer in live stock; 
 and, as the years rolled on, he added by pur- 
 chase to the acreage of his farm, until at the 
 time of his death it comprised nine hundred 
 acres of good land. In February, 1893, he 
 passed to his heavenly home, leaving a good 
 record of a well-spent and useful life. He 
 married Eleanor P. Burritt, a native of Con- 
 necticut, and a daughter of Lewis and Polly 
 Burritt. Mrs. Sheldon still makes the old 
 
 place her home, but spends the larger part of 
 her time with her children, being ever a wel- 
 come visitor at their homes. She bore her 
 husband five children — George M., Adelbert 
 B., Frank N., W. Clarence, and Julia E. 
 
 W. Clarence Sheldon, fourth son of Will- 
 iam and Eleanor, was the recipient of good 
 educational advantages, and, after leaving the 
 district schools, attended the academy at El- 
 bridge. From early youth he assisted in the 
 labors of the farm, and at the age of seventeen 
 years became associated with his father in 
 farming and stock-dealing, and continued thus 
 successfully engaged until the death of his 
 honored sire, when he succeeded him in the 
 ownership of the home farm, and still con- 
 tinues his profitable work. 
 
 Mr. Sheldon was married on December i, 
 1880, to Miss Lulu S. Webster, a native of 
 Onondaga County, and a daughter of Samuel 
 and Mary (Averill) Webster. Their pleasant 
 home circle has been brightened and enli- 
 vened by the birth of three interesting chil- 
 dren, named Royal E., Bessie K., and George 
 Harrison. This brief record of the life 
 course of Mr. W. C. Sheldon shows him to be 
 a man of good business talent, sagacity, and 
 foresight; and these traits of character, which 
 are seconded by a high reputation for integ- 
 rity, have placed him among the most valu- 
 able citizens of Sennett, and have made him 
 influential in the management of public 
 affairs. He has always been a steadfast Re- 
 publican, and has served as Collector of the 
 town, and was elected as Supervisor in 1892, 
 1893, and again in 1894. Socially, he is a 
 
3i6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 member of Auburn Lodge, No. 385, A. F. 
 & A. M., and belongs to Sennett Lodge, No. 
 157, of the Ancient Order of United Work- 
 
 men. 
 
 Y?Vp)ANLEY T. TREAT, prominently 
 I I I connected with the building and 
 ^ ^^-^ early management of the Auburn 
 
 street railways, both as President and Super- 
 intendent, was born in the town of Mentz, 
 Cayuga County, N.Y., April 19, 1823, son of 
 Roswell and Deborah (Haddon) Treat. His 
 grandfather, Aaron Treat, came to Cayuga 
 County from New England about the year 
 1785. The site of the present city of Auburn 
 was then occupied by a single log building — - 
 a grocery — and was known as " Hardenburg's 
 Corner." He purchased six hundred acres of 
 new land in Mentz, and there made his home, 
 remaining for a number of years, when he 
 moved to Sterling, and from there fro Con- 
 quest, in both of which places he owned 
 farms. He was at different times Supervisor 
 and School Commissioner, and with his wife 
 helped to build the first church in the county. 
 They died at the home of their son Roswell, 
 both believers in the Methodist faith. 
 
 Roswell Treat was born and reared on the 
 farm in Cayuga County, and received his edu- 
 cation in Auburn. He followed his father in 
 farming, owning farms in what is now the 
 town of Throop, also in Conquest, of which 
 he was a resident for eighteen years, moving 
 from there to Victory, where he lived until 
 his death, in December, 1883, reaching the 
 good old age of eighty-five years. He was 
 
 always prominent in the towns in which he 
 lived, holding such responsible public offices 
 as Supervisor and Assessor. He and his wife 
 were members of the Methodist church. Mrs. 
 Treat's father, James Haddon, was also a pio- 
 neer of Cayuga County, and was a very devout 
 and earnest Methodist, frequently entertain- 
 ing the circuit riders of those early days in 
 his hospitable home. 
 
 Manley T. Treat received his early educa- - 
 tion in the common schools of Mentz and 
 Conquest. He engaged for a time in farming 
 in the town of Brutus, near Weedsport, mov- 
 ing from there to Conquest, where he lived 
 for five years. He then bought a farm in 
 Mentz, upon which he lived for eighteen 
 years, and for six years held the office of As- 
 sessor there. He moved to Auburn in 1867, 
 becoming interested in the street railways 
 here, which he helped to build. The first 
 line, then called the "Auburn Street Rail- 
 way," was located on Franklin and Genesee 
 Streets, and was two and one-half miles Ions. 
 Mr. Treat was one of the earliest Presidents 
 of this company, and all together held the 
 offices of President and Superintendent six or 
 seven years, until he resigned, and retired 
 from active business, at the age of sixty-five. 
 He was also Superintendent of the line run- 
 ning east on Wall Street. 
 
 Mr. Treat has been twice married. His 
 first wife, Mary J., whose maiden name was 
 Gilbert, came to Auburn with her father from 
 Connecticut when she was a little child. She 
 died August 30, 1880, at the age of fifty- 
 seven, leaving three children — Mary E., 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 317 
 
 Ellen Georgiana, and A. G. Treat. Mary E. 
 married George W. Dickinson, who was for 
 two terms a member of the New York As- 
 sembly. Ellen Georgiana married Milan 
 Ray, of Auburn; and A. G. Treat, whose 
 present home is in Auburn, married Miss 
 Mary Root, of Niagara Falls. On April 13, 
 1882, Mr. Manley T. Treat married Miss 
 Anna Arnold, of Aurelius, daughter of Morti- 
 mer and Lucinda (Fitch) Arnold. Mortimer 
 Arnold was a native of Cayuga County, and an 
 early resident of Aurelius, where, at the time 
 of his daughter's birth, he was a farmer. Mrs. 
 Lucinda Fitch Arnold was born in Albany, 
 N.Y. The grandfather of Miss Anna Arnold, 
 Nathan Arnold, came from Ballston Springs, 
 N.Y. He was a shoemaker; and, while work- 
 ing at his trade in Canada at the beginning 
 of the War of 18 12, he was pressed into ser- 
 vice, but escaped, and returned to this country. 
 Miss Arnold was educated in the schools of 
 Auburn, and, after graduating at the high 
 school, was a teacher in the Aurora Academy. 
 Mr. Manley T. Treat is a Trustee of the 
 Calvary Presbyterian Church of Auburn, of 
 which church both he and his wife are mem- 
 bers, he having previously been a Trustee of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church of Port 
 Byron, of which he was a member for twenty 
 years. Later he united with the First Pres- 
 byterian Church of Auburn, from which he 
 was received by letter into the membership of 
 Calvary Church. Mr. Treat has been closely 
 identified with the best interests of the city 
 of Auburn for many years, and is well known 
 as one of the most public-spirited citizens. 
 
 DGAR G. BALL, a well-to-do farmer 
 of the town of Montezuma, is the 
 owner of a fine homestead, on which he has 
 spent the greater part of his more than three- 
 score years, his birth having occurred here 
 November 8, 1827. He may properly be 
 numbered among the enterprising men who 
 have assisted in bringing Cayuga County to 
 its present proud position among its sister 
 counties, making it the home of so many of 
 the best class of people, worthy citizens noted 
 for their intelligence and ability. 
 
 Prominent among the early pioneers of 
 these parts was one Samuel Ball, grandfather 
 of the subject of this sketch, who left the 
 scenes of his childhood, and, bidding good-by 
 to friends and relatives, wended his way to 
 this region while yet it was in the possession 
 of the native aborigines, with the exception 
 of an occasional clearing, and the wolves, 
 deer, bears, and other wild animals roamed at 
 pleasure among its trackless wilds. Coming 
 to the town of Montezuma, he bought the land 
 now owned and occupied by his grandson ; and 
 soon after the ringing strokes of his axe might 
 be heard, as he levelled the first tree felled on 
 the farm. He erected a rude log house as his 
 first habitation ; and after many years of per- 
 severing toil and patient endurance he had 
 many acres improved and under cultivation 
 and a comfortable homestead, on which he and 
 his faithful wife, who had shared with him 
 all the privations of pioneering, passed their 
 declining years in comfort, living to a good 
 old age. They reared five children, none of 
 whom are now alive. 
 
3i8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Walter Ball, son of Samuel, spent the 
 entire period of his life on the Ball home- 
 stead, which his father had reclaimed from the 
 wilderness. He was a practical agriculturist, 
 having from the time of his earliest recollec- 
 tion labored hard on the home farm, devoting 
 his energies to its improvement. After the 
 death of his parents he bought the homestead 
 property; and, as years passed, he added to 
 its original acreage, and had a good farm of 
 one hundred and twenty acres, on which he 
 carried on general husbandry with excellent 
 success. On this farm he lived and labored 
 for sixty-five years; then, laying down the 
 burdens of this life, he passed on to the 
 realms beyond, leaving a worthy record as a 
 man of irreproachable character, an upright 
 citizen, and an encourager and supporter of 
 every enterprise for the public good. He 
 married Sarah Sanders, a native of New Jer- 
 sey; and to them were born seven children, 
 of whom the following five are now living, 
 namely: Charles W., a resident of Throop; 
 George and Lewis, who live in the West; 
 Edgar G., of Montezuma; and Josephine 
 Rogers, who resides in North Rose, Wayne 
 County. The father and mother were worthy 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 and- in politics Walter Ball was a strong 
 Democrat. 
 
 The subject of this brief personal history 
 grew to man's estate on the homestead, at- 
 tending the district schools when in session, 
 and in the interim assisting in the farm work. 
 Adopting agriculture as his occupation, he 
 hired himself out for a time as a laborer on a 
 
 farm, and received six dollars a month wages 
 for his first season. As his parents began to 
 feel the infirmities of age, and his father's 
 health gave way, he returned home to look 
 after and care for them, and assume the re- 
 sponsibility of the farm work. After their 
 deaths he bought out the interest of the other 
 heirs in the homestead, and has since resided 
 here, prosperously engaged in agriculture. 
 To the improvements previously made he has 
 materially added, having now a farm com- 
 paring favorably in all of its appointments 
 with any in the locality. He has a com- 
 fortable and convenient residence, good barns 
 and outbuildings, valuable farm implements, 
 and all the paraphernalia of a first-class 
 farm. 
 
 On December 31, 1849, Mr. Ball was united 
 in wedlock with Marinda Chappell, a native 
 of Montezuma, born January 29, 1829, being 
 a daughter of Ira and Orinda Chappell. Ira 
 Chappell was born November 23, 1790, and, 
 being by occupation a farmer, thought to bet- 
 ter his finances by purchasing land in Cayuga 
 County, where better farms could be pur- 
 chased for less money than in Otsego County, 
 from which he emigrated. Accordingly, buy- 
 ing a farm in the town of Montezuma, he im- 
 proved a line homestead, where he and his 
 wife afterward resided, he passing away at the 
 age of seventy years, and she when ninety 
 years old. He was an intelligent and useful 
 citizen, a man of good moral principles; and 
 both he and his wife were esteemed members 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church. In poli- 
 tics he affiliated with the Democratic party. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 319 
 
 Of the twelve children born of their marriage 
 nine are yet living, Mrs. Ball being the tenth 
 child in order of birth. 
 
 To Mr. Edgar G. Ball and his good wife a 
 family of ten children have been born, of 
 whom six are now living, as follows: Will- 
 iam and Eugene, who are farmers, reside in 
 Montezuma. Walter lives at home. Charles, 
 a farmer by occupation, also resides on the 
 home farm. Lucy, the wife of Henry Saun- 
 ders, a mechanic, lives in Fosterville, in the 
 town of Aurelius. Edgar, a farmer, lives at 
 home. The four deceased are: George, who 
 died at the age of nine years; Ira, who lived 
 to the age of twenty years; Eunice and one 
 other little one, who died in infancy. In 
 politics Mr. Ball is a Democrat, and, al- 
 though having an intelligent interest in all 
 matters relative to the public welfare, takes 
 no part in politics further than to attend the 
 polls and cast his vote. He is a man of broad 
 and progressive ideas, and in his religious 
 beliefs is quite liberal. 
 
 "t-TiTNARCUS P. SANDS, a well-to-do 
 F I ^ and highly respected citizen of 
 f^ V— ' Ledyard, who has been intimately 
 
 identified with its agricultural interests these 
 many years, is a native of Cayuga County, 
 having made his first appearance upon the 
 scenes of this life December 18, 1838, in the 
 town of Ledyard, being a son of Stephen 
 Sands. Reference to the Sands genealogical 
 table shows that he is descended from an an- 
 cient and honored family, having an excellent 
 
 record for good citizenship on two continents. 
 The name in England was formerly spelled 
 Sandys, and can be traced back to the time of 
 Edward the Confessor, a.d. 1041. 
 
 The progenitor of the family in America 
 was one James Sands, who was born, it is 
 said, in Reading, Berks County, England, in 
 1622, and when about twenty years of age 
 emigrated to the United States, landing at 
 Plymouth. In 1643 and again in 1644 he had 
 a grant of land in Portsmouth, R.I. Later 
 he became one of the sixteen original settlers 
 and proprietors of Block Island, which was 
 purchased in 1660, but not occupied till a 
 year or two later, when Captain Sands, as he 
 was known, received lot No. 12 in the north 
 part of the island, and, with one other, lots 
 14 and 15. He was very influential in the 
 colony, and there passed the remaining years 
 of his life, dying in March, 1695, at the age 
 of seventy-three years. A copy of his will, 
 which was made in 1694, is still preserved. 
 He left a widow, Sarah, and a family of six 
 children, four sons and two daughters — ■ John, 
 Samuel, James, Edward, Sarah, and Mercy. 
 His son James was born on Block Island 
 about 1662. Three of the sons, John, Sam- 
 uel, and James, removed to Long Island, the 
 two elder, who married daughters of Simon 
 Ray, settling at Cow Neck, while James set- 
 tled at Oyster Bay in 1696. The other son, 
 Edward, remained on Block Island. James 
 Sands, Jr., married Mary Cornwell, or Cor- 
 nell, in 1698 or 1697; and she bore him nine 
 children. He died at Oyster Bay in 1731, in 
 the fifty-eighth year of his age. 
 
320 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Othniel Sands, son of James and Mary 
 (Cornell) Sands, and great-great-grandfather 
 of the subject of this sketch, was born on 
 Long Island in 1699, and in 1728 married 
 Susan Lang. In 1746, accompanied by his 
 family, he removed to Westchester County, 
 New Yorii, settling in the town of Bedford, 
 where his death occurred in 1757, at the age 
 of fifty-eight years. He and his wife were 
 the parents of eleven children. Caleb, his 
 second son, was born at Oyster Bay in 1729, 
 and came with his father and mother to West- 
 chester County, where in 1756 he married 
 Peninah Owen, and there lived the rest of his 
 days, dying April 30, 1807. 
 
 Samuel Sands, the grandfather of Marcus 
 P. Sands, was born in the town of Bedford, 
 December 6, 1756, being the eldest child of 
 Caleb and Peninah. Sarah Dean, a sweet and 
 lovely woman of the Quaker faith, became his 
 wife; and their household circle was com- 
 pleted by the birth of ten children — Samuel, 
 Amos, David, Caleb, Jonathan, Stephen, Deb- 
 orah, Peninah, Sarah, and Anna. 
 
 Stephen Sands, the sixth child of this 
 group, was born in Bedford, Westchester 
 County, in 1792, was reared to maturity in 
 the place of his nativity, and, following in 
 the footsteps of his ancestors, began his career 
 as a tiller of the soil. Not content with his 
 future prospects in his home town, he removed 
 to New York City, where he was engaged for 
 several years in the grocery business. In 
 1823, accompanied by his wife and his two 
 children, Alexander and Rachel, the latter of 
 whom was born in New York City, he came to 
 
 Cayuga County, making the journey with his 
 own team, being nine days on the road. Set- 
 tling in Venice, he rented a farm on shares, 
 going thence to Aurora, where he worked as 
 a cooper for four years. He then came to 
 Ledyard, and, buying seventy-five acres of 
 land, which is included in the present home- 
 stead, began the work of improving a farm. 
 By persistent energy and unremitting toil he 
 succeeded admirably, in the course of a few 
 years purchasing twenty-five acres of adjoin- 
 ing land; and here he remained, a respected 
 resident of the town, until his death in 1865. 
 He was a man of upright conduct and high 
 moral character, honorable in all of his deal- 
 ings, and a firm believer in the Quaker faith 
 in which he was reared. In the days of his 
 young manhood he married Charity Piatt, the 
 daughter of Benoni and Charity (Reynolds) 
 Piatt, of North Castle, Westchester County, 
 who survived him many years, dying on the 
 homestead in 1890 at the ripe old age of 
 ninety-five years. Of their pleasant and har- 
 monious union five children were reared, 
 namely: Alexander, who lives in Wayne 
 County, in the town of Ontario, married Abi- 
 gail Bates, of Palmyra, and has no children; 
 Rachel; Alanson, who was born in 1833; 
 Marcus Piatt; and S. Adaline. 
 
 These children, with the exception of the 
 eldest son, are living on the homestead, in 
 which all are interested, the sons being num- 
 bered among the most prosperous and skilful 
 agriculturists of the vicinity. Since the 
 death of their father they have managed the 
 property in a most able manner, and have 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 321 
 
 added other land by purchase, their farm now 
 containing two hundred and fifty acres of rich 
 and productive land, all being under excellent 
 cultivation, with substantial improvements, 
 rendering it one of the most attractive and 
 valuable estates of the town, as well as the 
 source of a handsome income. The Messrs. 
 and Misses Sands are held in high esteem and 
 regard by all classes of people; and their 
 pleasant home is the centre of a generous hos- 
 pitality, which they dispense with a free hand 
 and heart to their many friends. In religious 
 matters they are in sympathy with the doc- 
 trines of the Presbyterian church, of which 
 they are regular attendants. Politically, the 
 sons are stanch adherents of the Republican 
 party, as was their father, Alanson, who was 
 drafted into service during the late Civil War, 
 having cast his first Presidential vote for John 
 C. Fremont in 1856, while Marcus first voted 
 for Abraham Lincoln in i860. 
 
 I^AMUEL JENNEY, Jr. The repre- 
 sentatives of the agricultural inter- 
 ests of Cayuga County acknowledge 
 this gentleman to be one of its most impor- 
 tant factors, he being a prosperous farmer and 
 influential citizen of Springport, who during 
 his long life, which has been spent within the 
 limits of this town, has been intimately iden- 
 tified with the progress and best interests of 
 the people. His birth occurred here March 
 8, 1 82 1. He comes of sound New England 
 stock, being a grandson of Caleb Jenney, who 
 was a farmer by occupation, and spent his 
 
 entire life in Massachusetts, dying in Fair- 
 haven, where he and his wife were both 
 buried. 
 
 Samuel Jenney, Sr., son of Caleb, was born 
 in Fairhaven in 1781. After completing 
 his school life, he learned the mason's trade, 
 working at it during his residence in the Bay 
 State. In the mean time he was married to 
 Lydia Smith, a native of New Bedford, 
 Mass., who with true Yankee spirit assisted 
 him, by her habits of industry and wise econ- 
 omy, in his efforts to gain a competence. In 
 181 3, when he decided to try bettering his 
 fortunes in the undeveloped country of the 
 Western frontier, she willingly accompanied 
 him. Accordingly, with their family of four 
 little ones, they started on the long trip in a 
 one-horse wagon, and were two weeks making 
 the journey to this country. At the village 
 of Union Springs they purchased a tract of 
 wild land, on which they lived and labored for 
 ten years. Selling that property, he bought 
 fifty acres of land one mile south of his first 
 purchase, where he cleared much of the land 
 and made substantial improvements, erecting 
 most of the buildings on the premises. They 
 subsequently removed to another farm, a little 
 farther east, and were there engaged in gen- 
 eral farming for many years. Retiring from 
 the active cares of life, their last days were 
 spent in comfortable ease in the village of 
 Springport, where Mr. Jenney died at the age 
 of threescore and ten years, in 1851, while his 
 wife survived him five years, dying in 1856. 
 They reared six children; namely, Mary, 
 Deborah, Abigail, James, Elizabeth, and 
 
322 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Samuel, Jr., of whom the four elder were 
 born in Massachusetts. 
 
 Samuel Jenney, Jr., the youngest of the 
 children of Samuel, Sr., has spent the many 
 and useful years of his life in the place of his 
 nativity, finding this beautiful and fertile 
 region perfectly congenial to his tastes, the 
 soil yielding to him of its fruits in a most 
 abundant manner, so that he has had no need 
 to seek a newer clime or richer fields and 
 pastures in his desire for a competence or a 
 fortune. Having been reared to the pursuit 
 of agriculture, he became a farmer from 
 choice, not necessity, and in his chosen vo- 
 cation has met with well-merited success 
 through his skill and capable management. 
 
 Mr. Jenney married Sally A. Sharpsteen, 
 daughter of John and Susan Sharpsteen, for- 
 merly of Dutchess County, their union being 
 solemnized in 1842. Their marriage was 
 blessed by the birth of two daughters — Sarah 
 J. and Delia M. The elder daughter, Sarah, 
 married Luther A. Stewart, of Springport; 
 and they have reared the following children, 
 namely: Abigail J.; Mary, who married 
 George Cole, of Orange County, and has two 
 children — Henry L. and Lizzie C. ; Samuel 
 J., who married Carrie Shank, of Springport; 
 and William H. The younger daughter, 
 Delia, is the wife of Franklin James, of 
 Newfield, Tompkins County. Mr. Jenney 
 was deprived of the companionship of his 
 wife Sally, the mother of his children, in 
 1880, when her death occurred on the home- 
 stead where she had passed so many happy 
 years. In 1887 Mr. Jenney was again mar- 
 
 ried, to Mrs. Esther Sharpsteen, who died 
 in 1893. 
 
 Mr. Jenney bears a good reputation in his 
 community as a man of honor and integrity, 
 who uniformly encourages all enterprises 
 tending to the general welfare of the town, 
 which he has served in various capacities 
 with credit to himself and satisfactorily to his 
 constituents, having been Supervisor in 1865 
 and 1866, Commissioner of the Highways four 
 years. Assessor at different times, aggregating 
 a period of twelve years, and Justice of the 
 Peace — an office which he still holds — six 
 years. Socially, he is a valued member of 
 the Masonic fraternity, having joined that 
 order thirty-three years ago. He cast his first 
 Presidential vote for Henry Clay; and since 
 the formation of the Republican party Mr. 
 Jenney has been one of its warmest adherents, 
 never missing a vote in town, county, or State 
 elections. 
 
 RTHUR M. GAYLORD, one of the 
 old settlers of the city of Auburn, has 
 resided here since 1850, and is a 
 well-known figure to all the inhabitants of 
 this and the surrounding towns. His grand- 
 father, who was a descendant of one of the 
 best of the old Quaker families of New Eng- 
 land, was a soldier in the War of 18 12, where 
 he fought with the invincible courage and for- 
 titude manifested by the patriots of those ex- 
 citing days. He was owner of a freight line 
 between Buffalo and Albany, on which he 
 used seven horses, making the journey be- 
 tween the two places in two weeks. At New 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 323 
 
 Hartford, Oneida County, not far from Utica, 
 he purchased land, and built his home; and 
 there he died at the age of eighty-four years. 
 
 The veteran's son George was born at Cox- 
 sackie, on the North River, February 27, 
 1805; and the greater part of his life was 
 spent in farming, although in his later years 
 he speculated to a considerable extent in 
 Western lands. He was educated at Clinton, 
 N.Y., and then moved to Hannibal, Oswego 
 County, where his father had given him fifty 
 acres of woodland and a complete farmer's 
 outfit. This land he cleared, and here built 
 his house. On October 16, 1834, at El- 
 bridge, George Gaylord married Miss Char- 
 lotte Holcomb, a daughter of Russell Hol- 
 comb, a farmer of Hastings, Oswego County. 
 After some years of farm life Mr. and 
 Mrs. Gaylord moved to Elbridge, Onondaga 
 County, to the hotel now known as the Mun- 
 roe House, of which Mr. Gaylord was pro- 
 prietor, and which was the first hotel in the 
 village, having been built for him. For four 
 or five years this was their home, after which 
 they left for Schroeppel, Oswego County, 
 where Mrs. Gaylord died, June 5, 1842. Mr. 
 Gaylord then went to Central Square, dying 
 in that village in 1851, and leaving a family 
 of two children, of whom only one, Arthur 
 M., now survives, his sister, Julia A. Gay- 
 lord, who was born May 10, 1838, having died 
 in 1854. 
 
 Arthur M. Gaylord was born in Hannibal, 
 Oswego County, N.Y., August 25, 1835, and 
 at an early age was left an orphan. After 
 acquiring his education at Central Square 
 
 and in the seminary at Whitestown, Oneida 
 County, he came to Auburn, where he learned 
 the furnace-making business, being employed 
 by his uncle, John B. Gaylord, whose home 
 was on the land now occupied by the Avery 
 House, and whose shop, a small, one-story 
 building, which was quite an extensive af- 
 fair for those days, was situated on Water 
 Street. 
 
 Here were manufactured furnaces, stoves, 
 and ploughs, the Gaylord plough being among 
 the productions of this enterprising firm. 
 Mr. Gaylord was a firm believer in the then 
 somewhat novel idea of beautifying the town 
 by means of shrubs and trees. Accordingly, 
 he himself in 1851 set out thirteen elm- 
 trees in front of the foundry, now J. C. 
 Stout's shop, which he watered every night 
 during that season by carrying two pails of 
 water to each. Leaving his uncle in 1854, 
 young Gaylord entered the employ of D. M. 
 Osborn, where he remained until the failure 
 of his employer. His next position was with 
 Mr. Holliday, whose place of business was 
 then on the site now occupied by A. W. 
 Stevens & Co.; but in 1861 they removed to 
 a new location on the Owasco Outlet and 
 Owasco Canal, where Mr. Gaylord remained 
 until 1866, when he accepted a position with 
 Allen, Ross & Co., and later purchased Mr. 
 E. P. Ross's ,share of the business, the firm 
 then being known as Ross, Gaylord & Co. 
 This firm conducted a large foundry and ma- 
 chine business, employing about one hundred 
 and thirty men, and manufacturing engines, 
 boilers, machines, tools, castings, and all 
 
324 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 kinds of structural and ornamental ironwork. 
 Mr. Allen Ross becoming agent of the Au- 
 burn prison, Mr. Joseph Miller joined the 
 company, which then became Gaylord, Ross & 
 Miller, afterward Gaylord & Miller, and still 
 later A. M. Gaylord & Co. After this time 
 Mr. Gaylord became sole owner for three 
 years, when he sold one-half the interest to 
 Mr. O'Connor, and the following summer dis- 
 posed of his remaining share. He next en- 
 gaged in the real estate business, buying a 
 farm in Seneca Falls and a foundry and ma- 
 chine-shop at Union Springs. Disposing of 
 this property, Mr. Gaylord retired from busi- 
 ness, and accepted the position of Assistant 
 Superintendent of Streets of Auburn. But 
 once more he entered business life, and en- 
 gaged in the iron trade for Mr. Thomas Jones. 
 In 1858 he married Miss Eleanor D. Brad- 
 burn, of Auburn, who was born in Perkins- 
 ville, Vt., daughter of James S. and Ann C. 
 (Lackey) Bradburn, both of whom were New 
 Englanders, the mother having been born in 
 Providence, R.I., and the father being a na- 
 tive of Massachusetts. Two children were 
 born of this union, but both died when very 
 young. Mr. Gaylord is a valued member of 
 the Democratic party, in the principles of 
 which he is a firm believer. Mr. Gaylord's 
 home is at the corner of Franklin and Fulton 
 Streets, where he has resided for thirty years, 
 being the oldest resident of those streets, with 
 one exception. He is a popular citizen of 
 Auburn, interested in all matters pertaining 
 to the advancement of the town, and honored 
 and respected by the whole community. 
 
 ^f'^jypVlCHAEL OGILSBIE, who died at 
 F- I —J his home in the town of Cato on 
 ^ ^-^ January 2, 1881, at the venerable 
 
 age of ninety-five years, was a worthy repre- 
 sentative of those sturdy pioneers who settled 
 in Cayuga County when the larger portion of 
 its territory was still clothed with the dense 
 growth of the virgin forest. The thrilling 
 scenes through which the early settlers passed 
 in opening up this section of the Common- 
 wealth must ever awaken for them emotions 
 of respect and reverence. To pave the way 
 for the present generation they endured untold 
 hardships and privations. Most of those 
 brave souls have passed away, full of years 
 and honor, leaving their children and chil- 
 dren's children to enjoy the fruits of their 
 many years of toil, thrift, and patient econ- 
 omy. The career of Mr. Ogilsbie was one 
 eminently useful and beneficial to the commu- 
 nity in which he resided, and all who knew 
 him gladly bear testimony to his sterling 
 worth and manly virtues. 
 
 Michael Ogilsbie was a native of New Jer- 
 sey, born in Raleigh, January i, 1786. On 
 the paternal side he was of Scotch origin, his 
 father, John Ogilsbie, having been born in 
 Scotland, March 25, 1763. He emigrated to 
 America when a young man, and, settling in 
 New Jersey, was there engaged in working at 
 the carpenter's trade for many years-. He 
 married Damaris Force, who was likewise a 
 native of New Jersey, born February 5, 1763. 
 Her parents were Thomas Palmer Force, who 
 was born October 12, 1733, and his wife 
 Agnes (Elston) Force, the date of whose birth 
 
Michael Ogilsbie, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 327 
 
 was June 11, 1728, the place of nativity of 
 either being unknown. 
 
 Michael was reared to manhood in his na- 
 tive town, and there learned the trade of a 
 carpenter and cabinet-maker, at which he 
 worked for some time. He subsequently 
 came to Cayuga County, and, after careful ex- 
 amination of the country about, decided to 
 take up his abode in the town of Cato, where 
 in 1815 he purchased the homestead which is 
 now owned by his children. The land was 
 still in its primitive condition, the ringing 
 strokes of the pioneer's axe not having touched 
 the monarchs of the forest; wild game of all 
 kinds was abundant, and Indians still lin- 
 gered in the neighborhood. With true pio- 
 neer grit and energy he began to clear the 
 land, and improve a farm. The residence of 
 the family was the customary log cabin, with 
 wooden hinges and wooden catches; and in his 
 hospitable home the latchstring ever hung out. 
 The cabin was heated by a log fire in the old- 
 fashioned fireplace; and the family were sus- 
 tained by simple fare, and clothed in home- 
 spun garments, woven and fashioned by the 
 prudent wife and mother. In this humble log 
 house the children of Michael Ogilsbie were 
 born and reared in those good old days of yore, 
 when every man was rated according to his 
 genuine worth and manliness rather than ac- 
 cording to the number of figures required to 
 express his bank account. Mr. Ogilsbie pur- 
 chased three hundred and twenty acres of land, 
 which he improved and cultivated industri- 
 ously, and during his life redeemed a large 
 portion of it from the wilderness, and carried 
 
 on an extensive business in general farming. 
 His improvements on the homestead were 
 many and substantial. In [828 he replaced 
 the log house by a large and convenient resi- 
 dence, which is to-day one of the finest dwel- 
 ling-houses in the locality, and, with its 
 spacious grounds and beautiful grove of trees 
 invariably arresting the attention of the 
 passer-by, makes the Ogilsbie estate one of 
 the most attractive and valuable pieces of 
 property in the town of Cato. 
 
 Mr. Ogilsbie, besides being one of the 
 early settlers of the town, was one of its most 
 valued and prominent citizens, and contrib- 
 uted his full quota toward its advancement. 
 To such men as he is due the present status of 
 one of the most wealthy and prosperous agri- 
 cultural regions of the Empire State. In 
 local affairs he was an important factor, and 
 served many years as Justice of the Peace, 
 and also as Supervisor. In politics he was 
 a strong Republican, and in their religious 
 views both he and his good wife were es- 
 teemed members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. His death, which occurred on the 
 old homestead nearly fourteen years ago, was 
 a loss to the community where he had so long 
 lived, as well as to his immediate family. 
 The mother preceded her husband to the bet- 
 ter land, dying on April 4, 1854. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Ogilsbie to Miss Mary 
 Spinning, a daughter of John and Mary (Con- 
 net) Spinning, was solemnized March 11, 
 1813; and of their union nine children were 
 born, three of whom — Hetta M., Lee, and 
 Judson — are deceased. The names of the six 
 
328 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 still living are as follows: Harriet, Lotta, 
 Ezra, John, Henrietta, and Joseph. With the 
 exception of one daughter, Henrietta, who re- 
 sides in the village of Weedsport in the town 
 of Brutus, these children all live in Cato. 
 
 The Ogilsbie homestead is still in the pos- 
 session of the family, and is ably managed by 
 Joseph Ogilsbie, assisted by his sisters; and 
 they occupy a conspicuous position among 
 the leading agriculturists of the vicinity, and 
 are held by the community in the highest 
 esteem and respect. 
 
 The portrait of Mr. Michael Ogilsbie here- 
 with presented will be regarded with unusual 
 interest, both on account of his great length 
 of days and of his extended influence and use- 
 fulness. 
 
 |DWARD J. JEWHURST, Chief of the 
 Au burn fire department, with which 
 he has been connected for twenty-five years, 
 was born in the city of Auburn, July 20, 
 1853, and is the son of Edward and Jane 
 (Lynd) Jewhurst. The father was an old 
 resident of Auburn, born at Rolvenden, Kent, 
 England, about 1823, that place having been 
 the home of the family for many generations. 
 He settled in Syracuse when about twenty 
 years of age, and was engaged as a dealer in 
 horses, being one of the oldest and most 
 prominent horse dealers in the town. When 
 he first came to Auburn, he engaged as coach- 
 man to one of the old residents, that having 
 been his employment when in England. He 
 afterward had a large stable for the sale of 
 horses, and was also lessee of the Drivino- 
 
 Park here, as well as at Syracuse, training 
 trotting horses at both places, being well 
 known to all owners of good horses throughout 
 the State. He is still living, but has retired 
 from active business. Mrs. Jewhurst is a na- 
 tive of Londonderry in the north of Ireland, 
 and comes of Scotch parentage. She moved 
 to Auburn with her family when quite a 
 child. Mr. and Mrs. Jewhurst have four 
 children, all of whom are living, namely: 
 Edward J., the subject of this sketch; Mary, 
 wife of John Hunter; Joseph L., of this city; 
 and Sarah L., wife of Adelbert Sadler, of 
 Elgin, 111. 
 
 Edward J. Jewhurst received a good practi- 
 cal education at the public schools of his na- 
 tive city, after which he learned the printing 
 business, working on the Northern Christian 
 Advocate, at that time printed by Mr. Will- 
 iam J; Moses. He was also with Mr. Moses 
 on the Bulletin, and was fourteen years in the 
 Advertiser office. For two years he was in 
 the oil region in Titusville, where he worked 
 in a store, and afterward returned to Auburn, 
 re-engaging in the printing business up to the 
 time of his permanent connection with the 
 fire department. 
 
 His first connection with the fire depart- 
 ment was as a volunteer in the spring of 1869, 
 joining the Logan Hook and Ladder Com- 
 pany. He remained in that until he went to 
 Titusville, and on his return joined the Ca- 
 yuga Hose Company, then newly reorganized, 
 serving in all the offices in that company, in- 
 cluding second assistant foreman, first assist- 
 ant, and also as foreman, the company electing 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 329 
 
 its own officers. In 1879 he was appointed 
 First Assistant Chief of the department; and 
 in August, 1880, he was appointed Chief of 
 the department, to fill a vacancy caused by 
 death. To be Chief of the fire department 
 means to be the head of all the companies of 
 the department in Auburn, to which respon- 
 sible position Mr. Jewhurst has been ap- 
 pointed every year since 1880. The city has 
 combined the office of Chief of the fire depart- 
 ment with that of Superintendent of the Fire 
 Alarm Telegraph, making a position requiring 
 the whole time of the incumbent. The depart- 
 ment consists of four entire pay companies 
 and three volunteer companies. The pay de- 
 partment consists of thirty men, and the vol- 
 unteer of about sixty in its three companies. 
 The pay companies are so located as to take 
 care of the more dangerous parts of the city. 
 The fire alarm stations are all connected with 
 the Chief's office. 
 
 Mr. Jewhurst was married May 18, 1877, 
 to Miss Helen A. Steel, of Weedsport, 
 daughter of William Steel, an old settler of 
 that place, a soldier in the late war, who was 
 taken prisoner, and confined in Andersonville 
 prison, where he was starved to death. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Jewhurst have four children, two 
 girls and two boys — Jennie L., William J., 
 Sarah L., and John H. The family are at- 
 tendants and supporters of the First Presbyte- 
 rian Church of Auburn. 
 
 Mr. Jewhurst is a prominent member of the 
 Knights of Maccabees, and of the Red Men. 
 He is also a member of the Royal Arcanum, 
 and the Equitable Aid Union. Mr. Jewhurst 
 
 has proved to be one of the most efficient 
 chiefs the fire department of Auburn has ever 
 had. Holding a position of grave responsibil- 
 ity, requiring coolness and discrimination, he 
 has shown his fitness for the office to which 
 he has been chosen for fourteen successive 
 years. 
 
 r?^TARLOW A. HOSKINS. Within the 
 limits of Cayuga County may be 
 seen some of the best farms to be 
 found in any part of the Empire State; and, 
 when one stops to consider the fact that a 
 century ago these same fruitful lands with 
 their substantial improvements were but a 
 long stretch of pathless woods, the amount of 
 energy, practical wisdom, and unceasing labor 
 required to bring the country to its pres- 
 ent productive and populous condition, can 
 scarcely be realized. Among the patient 
 and successful toilers who have assisted in its 
 transformation may be found the subject of 
 this sketch, who, although not a native of the 
 county, has passed more than a half-century 
 of his life within its precincts, devoting him- 
 self to the tilling of its soil and to works of 
 betterment. 
 
 Mr. Hoskins was born in Onondaga County, 
 July 24, 1829, the town of Onondaga being 
 the place of his nativity. He is the descend- 
 ant of a well-known family of New England. 
 His grandfather Hoskins was among the early 
 settlers of Connecticut, and died there, leav- 
 ing a widow, who married a Mr. Adams, and 
 moved to New York, making her home in 
 Onondaga County, which was then a tract of 
 
33° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 heavily timbered land, with very few settle- 
 ments. There she passed the remainder of 
 her years, dying in the town of Marcellus. 
 Gaylord Hoskins, her son by her first hus- 
 band, was born in 1781, in Windsor, Conn., 
 and was there reared to manhood. He at- 
 tended the district schools of his native town, 
 and when old enough to select an occupation 
 learned the trade of a shoemaker. When 
 quite a young man he emigrated to Onondaga 
 County. After his arrival he engaged in 
 shoemaking, and for thirty years carried on a 
 thriving business therein; but, being for five 
 years deprived of his eyesight, he relinquished 
 his trade, and on the restoration of his sight 
 engaged in agricultural work. He first pur- 
 chased a farm of sixty-five acres in Onondaga 
 County, which he managed profitably for some 
 time. Coming from there to Cayuga County, 
 he bought one hundred and fifty-seven acres 
 of land in Springport, where he carried on 
 general farming for a number of years. 
 Going thence to Fleming, he settled on Ridge 
 Farm, where he spent his last days, dying in 
 1867. He was a useful and respected citizen 
 of the county, patriotic and brave, and served 
 as a soldier in the War of 1812. 
 
 The maiden name of his wife, mother of 
 Harlow, was Thirza Gellett. She was a 
 daughter of Jonathan and Thirza (Clark) 
 Gellett, pioneers of the town of Cicero. Mr. 
 Gellett was among the original settlers of 
 Onondaga County, coming from Connecticut 
 to Cicero while it was yet a heavily timbered 
 country, and, buying a tract of land, built a 
 log cabin for himself and family. He labored 
 
 unremittingly in his efforts to establish a 
 home, having some rough experiences during 
 the first years of his pioneer life. Wild ani- 
 mals of all kinds were plentiful in the woods, 
 often menacing the sturdy farmers of their 
 vicinity. At one time Mr. Gellett treed a 
 bear on his own farm, and was obliged to 
 halloo himself hoarse calling for assistance. 
 Indians were numerous, but not troublesome, 
 their visits being mostly of a friendly nature. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hoskins reared five children — 
 Alson G., Chester A., Furber J., Sarah J., 
 and Harlow A. 
 
 Harlow A. Hoskins received his elementary 
 education in the district schools of Springport 
 and Fleming, finishing his studies in a select 
 school at Aurelius, under the supervision of 
 William Pinckney. On the homestead he 
 had a judicious training in the art of farm- 
 ing, and remained under the parental roof-tree 
 until thirty-four years of age, assisting in the 
 general labor and care of the farm. He then 
 bought a farm adjoining his father's, but, 
 after living there one year, sold it, and pur- 
 chased the one he now occupies. He has 
 made many and extensive improvements to his 
 property, having his land in an excellent con- 
 dition and his commodious buildings in good 
 repair. 
 
 In 1856 Mr. Hoskins was united in mar- 
 riage with Martha E. Hamblin, daughter of 
 William P. and Mary J. (Smith) Hamblin, 
 and a grand-daughter of Steven and Mary (El- 
 dridge) Hamblin, of Auburn. Her maternal 
 grandparents, St. Clair and Elizabeth (Mont- 
 gomery) Smith, were pioneers of Cayuga 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 331 
 
 County, coming to Aurelius when it was a 
 larger settlement than Auburn, which was 
 then known as. Hardenburg's Corners. They 
 lived here many years, but spent their last 
 days in Mentz. 
 
 The union of Mr. Hbskins and his wife has 
 been blessed by the birth of five children — 
 Jennie E., William G., Fred E. and Frank 
 M. (twins), and Delos W. Jennie married 
 B. A. Dean, of Fleming; and they have two 
 children — Warren H. and Stella M. Will- 
 iam, who lives in Sherwood, married Jennie 
 Tyler; and they are the parents of three chil- 
 dren — Lulu, Ruth, and Gaylord T. Fred 
 married Sadie Padbury, and has two children 
 — Chauncey and Burton. Frank married 
 Sarah Malcom, and they have one child, — 
 Hugh. Delos is studying medicine at the 
 New York Medical College, this being his 
 third year. Mr. Hoskins is a man of unques- 
 tioned integrity and ability, and a citizen of 
 influence and honor in his community. His 
 wife is a valued member of the Presbyterian 
 church. In politics he is a strong Republi- 
 can, having been identified with the interests 
 of that party since its formation. He cast 
 his first Presidential ballot for Henry Clay. 
 
 AUGUST KOENIG, proprietor of 
 jr Koenig's Brewery on State and 
 Grand Streets, Auburn, N.Y., was 
 born in New York City in 1867, and is the 
 son of William and Kate (Fleige) Koenig. 
 Mr. Koenig, Sr., was born in Germany sixty- 
 three years ago. He learned the trade of 
 
 brewing in Germany, and came to this coun- 
 try when a young man, working in New York 
 City and several other places. He went into 
 business in New York, and, being successful, 
 subsequently built a brewery in Auburn, 
 which consists of a fine three-story building 
 adapted to the brewing of lager beer. He 
 continued in business until 1891, when his 
 son, C. August Koenig, took charge of the 
 ■plant. Mr. Koenig was married to Miss Kate 
 Fleige, a native of Baden-Baden, Germany, 
 who came with her brother to this country 
 when quite young. Mr. and Mrs. William 
 Koenig have five children; namely, C. Au- 
 gust, Kate, William, Carrie, and Emma. 
 
 C. August Koenig received his education 
 in the public schools, and at a German board- 
 ing-school near New York. Upon leaving 
 school, he learned the business of brewing in 
 all its details, and, before taking the plant, 
 acted as superintendent for his father for 
 some years. Mr. Koenig has taken a course 
 in the Scientific School at New York, the fin- 
 est school for brewers in this country. The 
 Koenig Brewery gives employment to some 
 fifteen men, and is fitted up with all the latest 
 improvements in machinery, having a capacity 
 of about thirty thousand barrels, the product 
 being sold mainlyin Auburn and its vicinity. 
 
 Mr. Koenig is a member of Auburn Lodge, 
 A. F. & A. M., David Chapter, No. 34, 
 R. A. M., and Salem Town Commandery, No. 
 16, Knights Templars, also of the Mystic 
 Shrine of Rochester, having rapidly advanced 
 in the various degrees of Masonry. Mr. 
 Koenig has never taken any active part in 
 
332 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 politics, giving, his whole attention to his 
 business, which he conducts in a careful and 
 able manner, being well known as one of the 
 brightest young business men in the city of 
 Auburn. 
 
 R>'\ 
 
 ALVIN TRACY, formerly a promi- 
 Y nent and prosperous agriculturist of 
 
 VL^' 
 
 Cayuga County, whose death oc- 
 curred February 23, 1892, was one of the 
 best known and most respected citizens of the 
 town of Scipio, where his long life of more 
 than fourscore years was spent, his birth hav- 
 ing occurred in this town in the year 18 10. 
 
 Coming from a distinguished family of old 
 England, the Tracys in this county can trace 
 their ancestry through countless generations 
 to the Saxon kings of England, from whom 
 they are lineally descended. (See genealogy 
 of the family of Lieutenant Thomas Tracy, of 
 Norwich, Conn., compiled by Chancellor 
 Reuben H. Walworth, and published at Mil- 
 waukee, Wis., in 1889.) Thomas Tracy, the 
 first member of the Tracy family to come to 
 America, arrived in Massachusetts in April, 
 1636, having made the journey in the interest 
 of some English noblemen, and was in Salem 
 in February, 1637. He soon afterward re- 
 moved to Connecticut, going first to Say- 
 brook and thence to Wethersfield. In 1660 
 he settled in Norwich, having previously 
 traded with the Indians for land that is now 
 included in that city, which was the home of 
 the Tracy family for many a year. Lieuten- 
 ant Thomas Tracy represented the town in the 
 General Court of Connecticut twenty-seven 
 
 sessions, between October, 1662, and July, 
 1684. Norwich was the place of birth of 
 Nemiah Tracy, the grandfather, and of Alan- 
 son Tracy, the father of Calvin Tracy. 
 
 Alanson Tracy grew to manhood in the 
 place of his nativity; but, following the tide 
 of emigration, he came to Cayuga County in 
 1796, being one of the original settlers of the 
 county. He afterward married Miss Patty 
 Howe. On his arrival here he bought a tract 
 of land, and, after clearing a space on which 
 to build the customary log cabin, began the 
 arduous labor of improving a farm. Indians 
 roamed through the forests, and were not al- 
 ways friendly; and bears, wolves, and other 
 wild animals often caused terror in the new 
 settlement. One incident in the life of this 
 sturdy pioneer well illustrates some of the 
 thrilling experiences encountered by the early 
 settlers of this region. At one time, in com- 
 pany with one of his neighbors, he espied a 
 bear in his cornfield. Bruin at the same time 
 saw them, and, attacking the neighbor, 
 severely injured him. Mr. Tracy, having no 
 weapon of defence, jumped upon the bear's 
 back, and, holding on firmly to the ears of 
 the animal, was carried nearly a mile and a 
 half in that position, when fortunately his 
 brother happened along with an axe in his 
 hand ; and they soon had the pleasure of taking 
 Bruin's carcass home. Mr. Tracy was an 
 industrious, energetic man, with sagacious 
 foresight, and made rapid progress in the im- 
 provement of a homestead. In 181 3 the I02: 
 house was replaced by the substantial frame 
 house now occupied by his grand-daughter, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 333 
 
 Miss Elvira Tracy, and much of the land was 
 put in good yielding condition. He was an 
 able assistant in developing the resources of 
 the county, and took great pride in its steady 
 growth and prosperity. He was popular with 
 old and young, being familiarly known 
 throughout this locality as Captain Tracy. 
 Here he spent a long and useful life, dying at 
 the venerable age of eighty-one years. 
 
 Calvin Tracy was a life-long resident of 
 Scipio, being, educated at its district schools, 
 and on the parental homestead receiving a 
 careful home training, and there acquiring a 
 thorough knowledge of the most approved 
 methods of farming. From choice he became 
 a husbandman ; and, being practical in his 
 methods and wise in his investments, he be- 
 came an extensive landholder. This property 
 he managed with great ability and success, 
 and among the leading agriculturists of Ca- 
 yuga County he occupied a conspicuous posi- 
 tion. 
 
 Mr. Tracy was twice married. The maiden 
 name of his first wife was Sarah Green. She 
 bore him one child, Sarah Ann, who married 
 Augustus Bishop, of Scipio, and has four 
 children — Edward, Calvin, Harriet, and Nel- 
 lie. His second wife, to whom he was united 
 in 1834, was formerly Lucilla Hunt; and of 
 their marriage eight children were born ; 
 namely, Alanson, Elvira, Roland, Melinna, 
 Ellen, F. Hamilton, Franklin, and Ada. 
 Alanson enlisted in the Third Michigan Cav- 
 alry in the early part of the Rebellion, and 
 was an active participant in the battle of 
 Shiloh, and was in Grant's campaign of that 
 
 year. He served as Adjutant, and, while 
 placing pickets, was shot and wounded by the 
 enemy, afterward lying out all night. He 
 was removed to the hospital at Cincinnati, 
 where his death, which was caused by the 
 wound and the subsequent exposure, soon oc- 
 curred. Roland married Belle Bartlett; and 
 they have two children — Clarence and 
 Frances. Melinna married W. P. Fuller, for- 
 merly editor of a paper published in Hartford, 
 Conn. Ellen, who married John B. Alden, 
 the well-known publisher, of New York City, 
 died, leaving three children — John D., Rose, 
 and Ellen. Mr. Alden subsequently married 
 Ada Tracy, his late wife's sister; and they 
 have three children — Willie, Alanson, and 
 Calvin T. Hamilton married Lucia Van- 
 Tyne, of Erie County; and they are the par- 
 ents of two children — Calvin and Kitty. 
 Franklin married Angle Beman; and their 
 household circle includes five children — 
 Clara, Harry, Mille, Ada, and Frank. 
 
 Miss Elvira Tracy, the only member of the 
 parental circle that is unmarried, is a woman 
 of culture, possessing more than average ex- 
 ecutive ability. She occupies the homestead, 
 and conducts her business and farming affairs 
 intelligently and successfully, supervising the 
 management of the two hundred and twenty- 
 five acres of rich land that constitute her farm 
 with rare skill and judgment, having it all 
 under a good state of cultivation and well 
 stocked with cattle of a fine breed. She is 
 greatly respected in her community, where 
 she has distinguished herself for her womanly 
 virtues and kindliness of heart. 
 
334 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 M 
 
 R. MOSES M. FRYE, one of the 
 „ I leading homoeopathic physicians of 
 Auburn, was born in Erie County, 
 New York, February 2 1, 1841, and is the son 
 of Moses M. and Mary (Beverly) Frye. The 
 paternal grandfather, Jesse Frye, was a native 
 of New Hampshire, and followed trading in 
 company with others, who took advantage of 
 his honesty and unsuspicion, so that he lost 
 heavily. Coming to Erie County, he pur- 
 chased a farm on Cattaraugus Creek, and was 
 one of the early pioneers of that county. The 
 father Moses was also a farmer and trader. 
 Mrs. Mary (Beverly) Frye was born near 
 Schenectady, but was of New England ances- 
 try. Both Mr. and Mrs. Moses M. Frye were 
 members of the Universalist church. 
 
 Their son, Moses M. Frye, Jr., now M.D., 
 received his education at the common schools 
 of Auburn and the Auburn Academy, his par- 
 ents having come to live near Auburn when 
 he was quite young, and finished his studies 
 at the Clinton Institute, Hamilton. In July, 
 1862, shortly after the breaking out of the 
 Civil War, he enlisted in Seward's Regiment, 
 the One Hundred and Thirty-eighth New 
 York, which was shortly converted into the 
 Heavy Artillery. He was sent to the Army 
 of Virginia, and went through the campaign 
 of the Wilderness, afterward being at the fight 
 in front of Petersburg, where he was wounded, 
 he having been commissioned Second Lieu- 
 tenant before the Virginia campaign. He 
 was with General Butler at the unsuccessful 
 assault on Fort Fisher, and was afterward 
 with General Terry when the latter succeeded | 
 
 in capturing the place. He was next com- 
 missioned First Lieutenant of the Thirty- 
 ninth United States Colored Troops, serving 
 with them until after the surrender at Appo- 
 mattox. He remained in the army until the 
 close of the war, making a term of service of 
 three and a ha)f years, being mustered out in 
 December, 1865. 
 
 After the war Lieutenant Frye returned to 
 Auburn, but soon departed for the West, in 
 which region he travelled for two years. 
 Then, coming back to Auburn, he studied 
 medicine with Dr. C. W. Boyce, of this city, 
 later taking one term at the New York Ho- 
 moeopathic Medical College, and graduating 
 from the Hahneman Medical College of Phila- 
 delphia in the class of 1870. He next spent 
 a year at Owasco, and was afterward three 
 years in the New York hospitals. In 1874 
 he located his office in Auburn, where he has 
 a large general practice. Dr. Frye is a mem- 
 ber of the County Homoeopathic Society, of 
 which he has been President, and is also a 
 member of the State and American Institute 
 of Homoeopathy. He has occupied the posi- 
 tion of Coroner of Cayuga County for six 
 years. He is a stanch and active Republican, 
 but has never been an aspirant for office. 
 Besides his medical practice, Dr. Frye is 
 identified with A. W. Stevens & Co., and the 
 Newell & Co. mills of Elmira, and also re- 
 tains the old farm. Dr. Frye has been con- 
 nected with the Auburn City Hospital in an 
 official capacity. In religious belief he is a 
 liberal Christian, attending the Universalist 
 church of this city. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 335 
 
 In whatever position Dr. Frye has been 
 placed he has done his duty manfully, his 
 army record being a brave and noble one ; and 
 none the less does he pursue the course of 
 duty in the quieter walks of civil life, his 
 courtesy and efficiency gaining him universal 
 esteem and respect. 
 
 |N^\ORTER WHITE, a prosperous farmer 
 of Cayuga County, owns and occu- 
 pies a good homestead in the town 
 of Locke, where he is industriously tilling the 
 soil, and distinguishing himself by those reli- 
 able and substantial traits of character which 
 he has inherited from his sturdy New Eng- 
 land ancestors. He is a native of this county, 
 and now in his eightieth year, having been 
 born on September 22, 18 15, on the farm 
 where he now resides. His father, John 
 White, was born in Williamstown, Berkshire 
 County, Mass., and his mother, Eunice 
 (Heath) White, in Litchfield County, Con- 
 necticut. 
 
 His grandfather, John White, Sr., was born 
 in the old Bay State, in Colonial times; and 
 during the War of the Revolution he served 
 as a private in the Continental army. He 
 married Lydia Merrick; and, after farming 
 for a few years on the mountain sides of West- 
 ern Massachusetts, he came with his family 
 to this county, and settled in the town of 
 Scipio, where he lived for a short time. The 
 journey thither, which in these days of com- 
 paratively rapid locomotion can be made in a 
 few hours, then consumed as many days, 
 
 being made with teams through a nearly path- 
 less forest. Wild game still abounded; and 
 he trapped many a turkey for the family din- 
 ner, and occasionally a deer was added to the 
 larder's supply. Mr. White subsequently re- 
 moved to the town of Locke, and there en- 
 gaged in general farming. He was an honest, 
 God-fearing man, of pure and noble purposes, 
 and a valued member of the Universalist 
 church. He lived to the venerable age of 
 eighty-five years, dying then at the home of 
 his son, John White, Jr. His wife also died 
 in this town, passing away at the age of three 
 score years and ten. They reared a family of 
 eight children, the sons and daughters being 
 equally divided. 
 
 John White, Jr., who was born in 1790, 
 was a strong and hearty youth of fifteen years 
 when he came to this county, which was after- 
 ward his home. He finished his education in 
 the pioneer schools of Locke, and in early 
 manhood began his life as a farmer. He pur- 
 chased a tract of wild land from the govern- 
 ment, and devoted the best years of his life 
 to its improvement. He was a successful 
 farmer, and a business man of great ability. 
 
 In addition to tilling the soil, he was an 
 extensive dealer in live stock, and made a 
 good deal of money in buying and selling 
 horses. When about fifty years of age he 
 gave up his agricultural pursuits, and entered 
 upon a mercantile career, opening a store of 
 general merchandise in the village of Locke, 
 where for some time he carried on a lucrative 
 business. His death occurred in this pleas- 
 ant town of Locke, where he had been so long 
 
336 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 numbered among its most estimable citizens, 
 at the ripe old age of seventy-eight years. 
 He was a zealous advocate of the principles 
 of the Republican party; and both he and his 
 wife were active workers in the Baptist 
 church, to which both belonged. To him and 
 his wife, who rounded out eighty-five years, 
 two sons were born — Porter and Orlando. 
 The latter, who was a prominent and well- 
 known lawyer of Locke, died in this village, 
 at the age of forty-five years. 
 
 Porter White, having acquired a good edu- 
 cation in the days of his youth, attending the 
 Groton Academy after he left the district 
 school, began the work of life as a school- 
 teacher, and continued his pedagogical labors 
 many terms, teaching in this and adjoining 
 counties. Desiring a permanent location, 
 and having a predilection for agriculture, he 
 purchased from his father the parental home- 
 stead, and has since carried on mixed hus- 
 bandry with very satisfactory results. He has 
 been greatly prospered in his undertakings, 
 has added to the acreage of the original farm, 
 and has gradually increased his operations, 
 and now is especially interested in dairying, 
 having a herd of twenty-eight grade cattle. 
 His estate, which contains one hundred and 
 sixty acres of land, is in a fine state of culti- 
 vation, and supplied with all appliances for 
 carrying on agriculture after the most im- 
 proved methods. His buildings are substan- 
 tial and convenient, well adapted to the 
 storing of hay and grain and the shelter of 
 stock, everything within the house and about 
 the premises indicating the exercise of culti- 
 
 vated tastes and ample means, and showing 
 the supervision of an intelligeht man and a 
 practical and progressive farmer. 
 
 On October ii, 1838, Mr. White was 
 united in marriage with Lucinda Slocum, who 
 was born in North Stonington, Conn., June 
 10, 1816, being a daughter of Richard and 
 Lucy (Crandall) Slocum, both of whom were 
 born in New London County, Connecticut. 
 Mr. Slocum was a farmer by occupation, and 
 one of the well-to-do and respected citizens of 
 his town. He lived to be seventy-five years 
 old, and was twice married, the mother of 
 Mrs. White being a child of his first mar- 
 riage. H-e reared a family of four daughters 
 and three sons, of whom the following are 
 now living: James Slocum, a resident of the 
 village of Moravia; Mrs. Polly Holdredge, of 
 North Stonington, Conn.; and Mrs. White. 
 
 The family circle of Mr. and Mrs. Porter 
 White has been brightened by the birth of 
 seven children, of whom the following is a 
 brief record: Wealthy, the wife of M. Bower, 
 a farmer, resides in Lansing, Tompkins 
 County. John P., a farmer, lives in Mo- 
 ravia. Adelle, the widow of Duncan Mack- 
 intosh, lives with her parents at home. 
 Orlando, a farmer, is a resident of Lansing, 
 Tompkins County. Jane, the wife of Owen 
 Harris, a lawyer, resides in Warsaw, Wyo- 
 ming County, N.Y. Ida lives at home. 
 Charles, a farmer, lives in the town of Locke. 
 
 Mr. White and his wife are among the old- 
 est and most highly respected residents of 
 Locke, where he has spent his entire life, 
 witnessing its growth and ever-increasing 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 337 
 
 prosperity, and assisting every enterprise 
 tending to develop its resources, or promote 
 the general welfare of the community. He is 
 a man of foresight and excellent judgment, 
 and has filled with ability many of the town 
 offices, as Supervisor having served twelve 
 years, a longer period than any other man now 
 living. Both he and his wife are liberal in 
 their religious views, and politically he is a 
 stanch Republican. Socially, he is an es- 
 teemed member of Moravia Lodge, No. 4, 
 A. F. & A. M. 
 
 JUFrANK B. RYAN, M.D., is a leading' 
 I is physician in the town of Moravia, 
 where he has been located since 1892; and hej 
 is also the Coroner of Cayuga County. On 
 the banks of Lake Skaneateles he was born, 
 in the town of Niles, September 8, 1855, the 
 son of William and Martha (Dennis) Ryan.j! 
 The great-grandfather Ryan was a Revolu- 
 tionary soldier, who wisely went to Cortland;] 
 County, and took up the grant of a square 
 mile of territory in the town of Virgil, con-l 
 f erred upon him by a grateful State, as a par- 1 
 tial recompense for his military service. He 
 was an unassuming and devout man, a decided 
 Universalist in his religious convictions; and 
 he was also a very benevolent man, always 
 giving more than just wages to every em- 
 ployee, though not to the detriment of his 
 estate, for he died a rich man. 
 
 In character and religious opinions the old 
 gentleman's son Robert, the Doctor's grand- 
 father, was like his father. Robert Ryan was 
 
 in the War of 1812. He bought two hundred 
 acres on the banks of Lake Skaneateles, where 
 he lived until his death. His wife was Ellen 
 Hannah, and they reared nine children. Of 
 course one of these was William Ryan, named 
 above. The next, bearing his father's name 
 of Robert Ryan, went to Indiana with his 
 brother William when the country was new; 
 and there he remained. Eliza Ryan married 
 Edgar Mosman, of Niles. Harriet Ryan mar- 
 ried a Mr. Read, and died in young woman- 
 hood. Minerva Ryan married Abram Jones, 
 of Niles. Katie Ryan married Amos Den- 
 nis, also of Niles, a brother of her brother 
 William's wife. Charles Ryan lives in 
 Niles, and Jonathan Ryan in the town of 
 Locke. The youngest, Harvey, went to Cali- 
 fornia as one of the Forty-niners, but returned 
 to Niles for his permanent residence. The 
 mother of these children died at the extreme 
 age of ninety-seven, and her husband when 
 fifty years of age. 
 
 William Ryan was born in the same town 
 and on the same farm as his son Frank. As 
 already stated, he went in early life to In- 
 diana, accompanied by his brother Robert. 
 But William soon returned, and bought the 
 old homestead of the other heirs; and there 
 he lived till i860, when severe losses by fire 
 led to his removal into Cortland County, the 
 town of Virgil, where his great-grandfather's 
 Revolutionary claim was located. After 
 three years there, he went to Lisle, Broome 
 County, and engaged in the lumber trade in 
 addition to farming, doing an extensive busi- 
 ness. Later he went to Oneida County, and 
 
338 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 lived with his son Frank till 1889, when he 
 passed away. His marriage to Martha Den- 
 nis took place in Cayuga County. She was a 
 daughter of Lewis Dennis, a farmer in Mo- 
 ravia, and was born in that town; and they 
 had seven children — a lucky number. Rob- 
 ert Ryan is now a prominent real-estate dealer 
 in Denver, Col. Ann Eliza Ryan married 
 Sanford Price, then of Virgil, but more re- 
 cently of Springfield, Mass. Lewis Dennis 
 Ryan went West. Sarah Jane Ryan, now 
 deceased, married Mosman Dewitt. Mary 
 Ryan, also deceased, was the wife of David 
 C. Johnson, of Niles. Only three of these 
 children survive, the Doctor being the 
 youngest. 
 
 Frank B. Ryan first went to the Union 
 School in Virgil, and then to the public 
 school in Lisle. .When the family lived four 
 miles back in the country, he had to foot it to 
 and fro morning and night. He early found 
 employment in the office of G. S. Manning, 
 of Lisle, but still kept on at school till him- 
 self able to teach for a term. Then he 
 studied medicine, partly with Dr. John D. 
 Tripp, of Virgil, and partly with Dr. Hall, of 
 Lisle, besides attending the medical depart- 
 ment of the University of New York City, 
 where he was graduated in the class of 1874, 
 at the early age of nineteen. After a com- 
 petitive examination he served eighteen 
 months in the Charity Hospital, and then re- 
 turned to the neighborhood of his childhood's 
 home, to practice in KeJloggsville, where he 
 was the successor of Dr. Cooper. There he 
 married and remained eighteen years, receiv- 
 
 ing a large patronage; but in 1892 he thought 
 it advisable to remove to Moravia. While in 
 Kelloggsville he was elected Coroner for two 
 terms of three years each; and still later he 
 filled the same office for nine years. He be- 
 longs to the Cayuga County Medical Society, 
 and to the Cayuga County Physicians' Pro- 
 tective Union. In 1888 he made a canvass 
 for election to the State Assembly, but with- 
 drew from the contest because holding the 
 position of village Postmaster, which place he 
 filled for sorrie time, being a Republican in 
 politics. His home is in his beautiful brick 
 house on North Main Street, and an extensive 
 ride keeps him very busy. 
 
 On August 26, 1876, soon after beginning 
 his practice, he was married to Lillian Lee, a 
 daughter of Dwight Lee, proprietor of the old 
 Lee store in Kelloggsville; and they have 
 three children: Agnes Ryan, born in 1877; 
 Lee Ryan, born in 1880, and bearing the 
 maternal family name; Florence Ryan, born 
 in 1885. The family are supporters of the 
 Methodist church. 
 
 ■jTiDWIN A. AVERY, an old resident and 
 J m_ prominent citizen of Genoa, Cayuga 
 County, N.Y., was born at Ledyard, July 19, 
 1840. His father, Alfred, was born at Led- 
 yard in 1 8 10. The grandfather, Benjamin 
 Avery, who was of New England ancestry, 
 was born in Connecticut in 1776, and came to 
 Cayuga County in 1795, performing the jour- 
 ney on foot, and being forty days on the road. 
 At a later date a large number of the Avery 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 339 
 
 family left Connecticut and settled in Cayuga 
 County. 
 
 Benjamin Avery was of a careful and thrifty 
 turn of mind, and before his death owned 
 eleven hundred acres of land, which he farmed 
 in a successful manner. He married in 1807 
 Mercy Capen; and they brought up a family 
 of nine childen; namely, Lucy, Alfred, 
 Maria, Benjamin, William, Edwin, Edgar, 
 Charles, and Henry, all of whom were born at 
 Ledyard. Alfred was educated in his native 
 place, and was a merchant for about thirty 
 years at Talcott's Corners, afterward sell- 
 ing his business and residing at the homestead 
 of his wife at Genoa. He married in 1833 
 Mary J. Underbill, the daughter of Jesse and 
 Pamelia (Purdy) Underbill. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Avery bad three children — Henry M., Edwin 
 A., and Phoebe Jane. Henry M., who was 
 born August 9, 1838, and died January, 1888, 
 married Helen M. Guiles; and they had one 
 daughter, Helen L. Phoebe Jane Avery was 
 born February 25, 1846. The other son, the 
 subject of this sketch, was educated in his 
 native village of Ledyard, and received a 
 good common-school education. Upon leav- 
 ing school, he took up farming, and has been 
 engaged in that business for thirty years. 
 
 In 1868 Mr. Edwin A. Avery married Mary 
 E. Stark, the daughter of Paul and Nancy M. 
 Stark, of Venice. They have two children — 
 Jesse P. and Alfred, the latter of whom is now 
 attending school at Kingston Seminary. Mr. 
 Avery is a member of the Masonic order, and 
 has risen to a high and honorable position in 
 that body. In politics he is a Republican, 
 
 having cast his first Presidential vote for 
 Abraham Lincoln in 1864. Although a man 
 not desiring any office, his sterling worth was 
 soon discovered and appreciated. He occu- 
 pied a position on the Board of Supervisors 
 from 1888 to 1892. He was also elected to 
 the office of Assessor, a position he filled with 
 dignity and credit. During his residence at 
 Genoa Mr. Avery has always had greatly at 
 heart the public welfare, and his tact and dis- 
 crimination have been recognized by his fel- 
 low-townsmen in all matters pertaining to the 
 good of the town. 
 
 T^HARLES J. HEWITT, of the mer- 
 i J| cantile firm of J. S. Hewitt & Sons of 
 
 
 the town of Locke, is engaged with 
 
 his brothers. Fay D. and Lewis H. Hewitt, 
 in carrying on a substantial business in buy- 
 ing and selling hay. He is a native of Ca- 
 yuga County, having been born in the town of 
 Moravia, July 15, 1867, and is of good New 
 England stock, his great-grandparents, Louis 
 and Charlotte (Dean) Hewitt, having been 
 natives of the State of Connecticut. They 
 must have been numbered among the original 
 settlers of Moravia; for their son James, the 
 grandfather of Charles J., was born there on 
 April 30, 1792. He was one of the most suc- 
 cessful pioneer farmers of the county, and at 
 the time of his death, which occurred March 
 II, 1863, he was the owner of three hundred 
 and eighty acres of valuable land. He mar- 
 ried Phcebe Hitchcock, who was born January 
 8, 1798; and they became the parents of eight 
 
34° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 children, two of whom died when young, and 
 the following two are now living: Gordon, a 
 resident of Onondaga County; and Susan, the 
 wife of Day Lester, of Montville, Moravia. 
 
 This sketch follows the line of Jefferson 
 Smith Hewitt, one of the other four children 
 of James, who was born, bred, and obtained 
 his education in the town of Moravia, and in 
 early life turned his attention to the pursuit 
 of agriculture. He was for some years en- 
 gaged in tilling the soil on the old home 
 farm, which he owned for a while, but subse- 
 quently sold at an advantage. In 1866 he 
 removed to Onondaga County, and, purchas- 
 ing a farm of one hundred and four acres, re- 
 sumed his agricultural labors, remaining there 
 four years. Disposing of that property, he 
 came to the village of Locke in 1870, and 
 here opened a meat market, which he managed 
 for a short time. Then, after spending a year 
 in Richford, Tioga County, he again became 
 a land-holder, buying a farm in this town, 
 where, besides carrying on general farming, 
 he dealt extensively in live stock, building up 
 a lucrative trade. He was a man of exceed- 
 ingly good business ability, keen and quick to 
 take advantage of opportunities for new enter- 
 prises; and in 1889 he established the prod- 
 uce house of J. S. Hewitt & Sons, which has 
 since been conducted with success and rapidly 
 increasing dimensions. In 1891 he removed 
 to the village of Locke, and was here num- 
 bered among its most valued citizens until the 
 silver cord which bound him to earth was 
 loosed, and he passed on to the higher life, 
 March 6, 1894. In politics he was a stanch 
 
 Republican, in local affairs always manifest- 
 ing much interest, and serving judiciously as 
 Supervisor and Highway Commissioner, and in 
 many of the minor offices of the town. Re- 
 ligiously, both he and his estimable wife were 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 The maiden name of his wife was Melinda H. 
 Johnson. She was born January 19, 1845, 
 being a daughter of Charles and Sophronia 
 (Holden) Johnson. Her parents were es- 
 teemed members of the farming community of 
 Genoa, where they both died when about 
 thirty-five years of age. Mrs. Hewitt is still 
 living. She and her husband reared a fam- 
 ily of five boys, namely; Fay D., born De- 
 cember 29, 1864; Charles J., born July 15, 
 1867; Lewis H., who was born September 
 
 11, 1869, is married, and lives in Allegany 
 County, New York; J. Smith, born February 
 
 12, 1874, died September 9, 1891; and Orin 
 DeWitt, who was born April 15, 1879. 
 
 Charles J. Hewitt received a practical edu- 
 cation in the schools of Moravia, and in the 
 household of his honored parents was early 
 instructed in those high moral principles 
 which governed their own lives. On the 
 establishment of the firm of J. S. Hewitt & 
 Sons he became one of its members, and has 
 since continued an extensive dealer in hay, 
 the firm having handled six hundred car-loads 
 of that commodity in 1893, representing a 
 business of one hundred and twenty thousand 
 dollars, in addition to handling other produce 
 of all descriptions. 
 
 One of the most important events in the 
 life of Mr. Hewitt was his marriage, which 
 
Moses Dixon, Jr. 
 
MiNERVfi Barnes Dixon, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 343 
 
 took place on the 6th of November, i 
 Miss Adina M. Hart becoming his bride. 
 Two children have come to brighten the 
 household of their loving parents — Leroy F. 
 and Lena. Mrs. Hewitt is a native of the 
 town of Locke, being the daughter of Orse- 
 mas J. Hart, a prosperous farmer, and his 
 wife, Mary Hart, who passed from earth in 
 early womanhood. Mr. Hewitt is a very ca- 
 pable, wide-awake man, and has thus far met 
 with success in all of his undertakings, his 
 business being a most profitable one; and the 
 firm are now building two fine residences in 
 the village. He is a man of high standing in 
 financial and social circles, liberal in his 
 religious belief, a Republican in politics, and 
 a member of the Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows, belonging to Lodge No. 459. 
 
 'red DIXON,- a well-known farmer of 
 the town of Sennett, was born in this 
 place February 14, 1862. His father, Moses 
 Dixon, Jr., was born in the town of Brutus, 
 Cayuga County, in 1820, and his grandfather 
 in Dutchess County, New York. The great- 
 grandfather of Mr. Dixon, the first of the 
 family in this country, was a native of Ire- 
 land, and was one of the earliest settlers in 
 Dutchess County, where he followed farming 
 until his death. The grandfather was reared 
 to agricultural pursuits; and after his death 
 his son Moses came to Cayuga County, being 
 one of the founders of the town of Brutus, _ 
 which was in those days nothing but a scat- 
 tered and thinly populated village. A tract 
 
 of timbered land of about one hundred and 
 sixty acres was purchased, it being simply a 
 wilderness, wild game, such as deer and 
 bears, being plentiful. A log house and barn 
 were erected, which were used by the family 
 for a number of years. Provender being very 
 scarce, the cattle were fed by chopping down 
 small trees with tender leaves and shoots. 
 This had to be done until enough land had 
 been cleared to start grass. 
 
 Moses Dixon, Sr., was first married to Miss 
 Jennie Hopkins, his second wife being Miss 
 Abbie Herrick. Moses Dixon, Jr., father of 
 the subject of this sketch, was reared to agri- 
 cultural pursuits, remaining with his father 
 until his twenty-fourth year, when he married 
 and went to the town of Sennett, where he 
 bought one hundred and twelve acres of land, 
 about half of which was cleared and under 
 cultivation. The farm is situated about three 
 and a half miles from Auburn. For a few 
 years the family used the buildings which 
 were already on the place, afterward erecting 
 a handsome house and barn. Mr. Dixon 
 made a great deal of money by dealing in 
 wood, which he cut and had hauled to Au- 
 burn. He afterward purchased a farm of two 
 hundred and fourteen acres near Sennett Sta- 
 tion, and owned a half-interest in another of 
 one hundred and twenty acres. At the time 
 of his death he possessed in all about three 
 hundred and eighty-six acres, the money to 
 buy which he accumulated by his own exer- 
 tions. He died on his farm March 17, 1890, 
 in his seventy-first year. He was married in 
 1843 to Minerva Barnes, a daughter of Au- 
 
344 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 gustus and Betsy (Stork) Barnes, of Mentz, 
 now Throop, and had the following children: 
 Jay, Nancy, Day, Fred, and Clara. Jay and 
 Day died in childhood. Nancy is married to 
 Harry Crocker, and is now living in Sennett. 
 Clara remains at home with her mother. 
 
 Fred Dixon was educated in the district 
 schools of Sennett, and began when young to 
 assist his father on the farm. He succeeded 
 his father in the ownership of the property, 
 and has since added sixty acres, making a fine 
 farm of four hundred acres, all of which is 
 under cultivation and well improved. Mr. 
 Dixon is a first-class business man, and, like 
 his father, has the knack of making money. 
 He carries on general farming, also conduct- 
 ing a fine dairy. He has about sixty head of 
 stock, among them being some very fine 
 blooded Holstein cows. Mr. Dixon was mar- 
 ried March 24, 1886, to Miss Nettie Treat, 
 daughter of Horace and Naomi (Gooding) 
 Treat, of Throop. They had one son, who 
 died in infancy. Mrs. Dixon died March 24, 
 1892; and on December 20, 1893, Mr. Dixon 
 was united to Miss Etta Olmstead, daughter 
 of Silas Olmstead, of Sennett. 
 
 Mr. Dixon is a Republican in politics; but 
 the multifarious labors of his farm- take up all 
 his time, and he has therefore had no desire 
 for public office, although his abilities are 
 such that he would creditably fill any official 
 position to which he might be elected. The 
 accompanying portrait of Mr. Dixon shows 
 him in the vigor of early manhood, proprietor 
 of a large landed estate, owing no man any- 
 thing but neighborly good will, not living in 
 
 slothful ease, but honorably and successfully 
 intent on doing his part of the world's every- 
 day work, and doing it well. 
 
 YNN E. KIRTLAND, a young and 
 enterprising citizen of Genoa, Cayuga 
 County, N.Y., was born in Tru- 
 mansburg, N.Y., January 23, 1873. His 
 father, John C. Kirtland, is a native of 
 Rochester, N.Y., as was also the grandfather, 
 who was a well-known contractor and builder. 
 John C. Kirtland was educated in his native 
 town of Rochester, and learned the trade of 
 a mason under John Copeland. He was one 
 of the first to respond to the call for troops in 
 1861, enlisting in Company C, Eighty-ninth 
 New York Volunteer Infantry, as a private, 
 and at the conclusion of the war had risen 
 to the rank of Second Lieutenant. He was 
 twice wounded in action, once at Antietam, 
 and again at Cold Harbor. He went out as a 
 three-year man, re-enlisting on the expiration 
 of his term of service. He served under Gen- 
 erals McClellan, Burnside, Mead, and Grant, 
 and was present at the surrender of General 
 Lee. At the conclusion of the war he re- 
 turned to Rochester, and from there moved to ' 
 Trumansburg, where he purchased a farm, and 
 has also built a fine residence. Mr. Kirtland 
 was married to Miss Nellie F. Kellogg, and 
 five children were born to them; namely, 
 John C, Mary E., Lynn E., Raymond, 
 Edith. 
 
 Lynn E. Kirtland claims the distinction of 
 being the youngest editor of a legitimate 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 345 
 
 newspaper in the United States. He was 
 educated at Trumansburg, graduating from 
 the academy at that place in June, 1887. In 
 May, 1888, he, in company with H. M. 
 Wickes, now State printer at the State Hos- 
 pital, Willard, N.Y., started the Tribune at 
 Newfield, N.Y. This was an exceedingly 
 precarious journalistic enterprise, as, prior to 
 the establishment of the Tribune, this terri- 
 tory had been sedulously avoided by disciples 
 of the newspaper profession, for the reason 
 that its environment was supposed to make 
 successful newspaper work almost impossi- 
 ble. Nevertheless, the young firm oE Wickes 
 & Kirtland built up a fairly lucrative busi- 
 ness. In September, 1890, Mr. Kirtland re- 
 tired from the active management of the 
 Newfield Tribune, and became a student of 
 telegraphy at Willow Creek, N.Y., a station 
 on the Ithaca division of the Lehigh Valley. 
 In three months he became proficient in this 
 art, and was employed as extra operator by 
 the company. The prospect of a permanent 
 position not being very bright, he again en- 
 tered the journalistic arena, and founded the 
 Tribune at Genoa, N.Y., in May, 1891. 
 This field had been deserted a few months 
 previously by Smith Murphy, who for five 
 years had conducted the Weekly Herald, but 
 who had removed his plant to Auburn upon 
 the abandonment of the A. & W. Railroad. 
 The Tribune has recently been enlarged from 
 a five-column folio to a seven-column folio; 
 and the paper bears evidence that the in- 
 creased size has met with the approbation of 
 its patrons. Mr. Kirtland has successfully 
 
 combated many formidable obstacles, and by 
 boundless energy and fair dealing has placed 
 the Tribune in the front rank of country 
 weeklies. A young man of Mr. Kirtland's 
 pluck and enterprise is a decided acquisition 
 as a citizen in any town, and the people of 
 Genoa are to be congratulated upon having 
 him in their midst. 
 
 T^ORNELIUS ABRAHAM GROOT, 
 I J[ M.D., a native of Auburn, N.Y., 
 
 " where he is now engaged in the 
 
 practice of his profession, was for nearly 
 twenty years a foremost physician in the town 
 of Cato, where he established himself in 
 1876. He was born on April 3, 1837. The 
 Groot family, as the name indicates, came 
 from Holland stock. Dr. Groot's father was 
 Abraham Cornelius Groot, who, when a lad of 
 seventeen, came from Schenectady to Auburn 
 as a clerk, and afterward took for himself a 
 store on Genesee Street, opposite the bank- 
 ing house of William H. Seward & Co. 
 Still later he became a prosperous coal 
 dealer. Though never an office-seeker, he 
 was a decided Democrat in politics; and in 
 religion he was a Presbyterian. He died in 
 Syracuse in 1890. His wife was Sarah 
 Knower, of Welsh ancestry. Of their five 
 children they reared two. The elder, Cor- 
 nelius, is the subject of the present sketch; 
 and the younger, bearing the similar name of 
 Cornelia, is the wife of David D. Gregory, a 
 Syracuse merchant. 
 
 From the common school and old academy 
 
346 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in Auburn young Cornelius went to Union 
 College, where he was graduated in the class 
 of 1862, when he was twenty-five years of age. 
 He next studied medicine with Dr. Warren 
 Wilkie, of his native city, and then went to 
 the Albany School. The outbreak of the Re- 
 bellion afforded him a fine opportunity for 
 army experience, which he eagerly embraced; 
 and in 1863 he was sent as a medical cadet to 
 the United States Hospital in Mound City, 
 111. The next year he returned to Albany, 
 received his diploma, and then resumed ser- 
 vice as an army surgeon, with the pay and 
 rank of First Lieutenant, till the end of the 
 war in July, 1865. Then he went as far 
 West as Warren, 111., and Wiota, Wis., for 
 a while practising in both these places, and 
 thereafter returned to his native State, re- 
 maining a few years in Westbury, and one 
 year in Syracuse. His fondness for the West 
 now led him away out to Dakota, where he 
 took up a land claim; but he soon returned 
 once more to Westbury. There he lived 
 until his removal in the centennial year to 
 Cato, where he built up a iirst-class practice. 
 Tiring at length of the wearisome country 
 riding. Dr. Groot returned in March, 1894, to 
 his native city, Auburn. The Doctor belongs 
 to the Cayuga County Medical Society and to 
 the Cato Masonic Lodge. 
 
 His marriage took place August 24, 1865, 
 the next month after his military career was 
 finished; and his bride was a lady whose ac- 
 quaintance he had formed while studying in 
 Albany, Miss Anna M. Stevens, of that city. 
 They may_well be rather proud of walking up 
 
 the aisle in the Presbyterian church, followed 
 by their six children. Edith, the eldest, was 
 born in 1868, Sarah Louise in 1873, Mary 
 Electa in 1874, Georgiana in 1876, Abraham, 
 named for his father and grandfather, in 1877, 
 and William in 1878. The lamented Presi- 
 dent Garfield once said, "The children of 
 to-day will be the architects of our country's 
 destiny in 1900." Such families are indeed 
 the seed and soil of American prosperity. 
 
 W- 
 
 EBB J. GREENFIELD is the As- 
 stant Cashier in the Moravia Na- 
 tional Bank and also Supervisor for the town 
 of Moravia, where he lives and carries on an 
 extensive mercantile business. He was born 
 in the town of Genoa, Cayuga County, on 
 October 6, 1842, the only son of Elondo and 
 Mary M. (West; Greenfield. His grand- 
 father, John Webb Greenfield, came when a 
 young man to Niles, where he bought a large 
 tract of land, became a prominent citizen, was 
 known by everybody in the town, and by 
 everybody respected, and where he died in 
 1850, aged sixty-four. The father, Elondo 
 Greenfield, was born in Berlin, Rensselaer 
 County, October 25, 1812, at the time of the 
 war, and came to this county in his young 
 manhood. Though at first a merchant, in the 
 year 1844 he took the Moravia farm owned by 
 his father-in-law, Thomas West, who had 
 moved on to it in the year 1800, and had 
 cleared it; and there Mr. Greenfield lived and 
 worked till 1893, when he removed from his 
 farm into the village, where he died April 26 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 347 
 
 of that year, at the ripe age of eighty-one. 
 He was greatly interested in the Moravia 
 Agricultural Society, and was elected its 
 President year by year, with four exceptions, 
 from 1866 until near his death. His wife 
 was born on this farm, January 25, 181 5, and 
 was here wedded. As her husband shortly 
 came here to reside, here she lived till her 
 death, October 14, 1865, having had but the 
 one abiding-place in her half-century, with 
 the exception of two years. Her father came 
 originally from Saratoga County, and was 
 widely known in the southern part of Cayuga 
 County. He died at his homestead on 
 March 9, 1868, aged eighty-eight, after a 
 sixty-seven years' residence. Elondo and 
 Mary M. (West) Greenfield were the parents 
 of two children: Webb J., the only son; and 
 a daughter, Mary Francina Greenfield. 
 
 Webb J. Greenfield went to the common 
 school and to the old Moravia Academy, and 
 then kept on farming with his father till 
 1869, four years after his mother's death, 
 when he moved into the village, and took a 
 partnership in a hardware store, in the firm of 
 Hale & Greenfield, located in Union Block. 
 (Elsewhere in this volume may be found a 
 sketch of Mr. A. B. Hale.) After five years 
 the firm changed to Greenfield & Heald, Mr. 
 Hale retiring. After two more successful 
 years Mr. Greenfield withdrew from this 
 store, and went into the seed and produce 
 business, at the corner of Main and Cayuga 
 Streets. This was in 1876; and ever since 
 his business has been successful, produce 
 being shipped to the Eastern markets, besides 
 
 being sold nearer home. For a time this 
 business required Mr. Greenfield's undivided 
 attention; but in August, 1884, he became 
 connected with the Moravia Bank as Assist- 
 ant Cashier, and was also chosen a Director, 
 both of which positions he still holds. His 
 father was also a Director in this bank, and 
 one of its organizers; and both father and son 
 subscribed for its stock in the very outset. 
 Mr. Webb J. Greenfield was for nine years a 
 member of the Board of Education of Moravia 
 Union School, was elected Trustee of the vil- 
 lage of Moravia for the years of 1873, 1874, 
 and 1889, and was President of the village in 
 1874 and 1889, and served four years as Town 
 Clerk. For some fifteen years he was Secre- 
 tary of the Moravia Agricultural Society, in 
 which his father was so much interested, and 
 of which the son was elected as the old 
 gentleman's successor to the Presidency in 
 1894. In the same year he was elected Town 
 Supervisor for a term of two years by the 
 largest majority ever given any man in the 
 town, his name standing on the Republican 
 ticket. 
 
 On the last day of October, 1866, he mar- 
 ried Lydia Keeler, daughter of William 
 Keeler, now President of the Moravia Na- 
 tional Bank, and an old resident of the place, 
 where she was born February 20, 1842. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Greenfield have two children: Lucy 
 Minerva Greenfield, born in 1867; and Will- 
 iam Elondo Greenfield, born in 1870, and 
 now a clerk in the bank with his father. The 
 Greenfield family belong to the Episcopal par- 
 ish, wherein Mr. Greenfield is a Vestryman. 
 
348 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Besides his handsome residence on West Ca- 
 yuga Street he has built a house on Keeler 
 Avenue; and he owns also a farm outside the 
 town, as well as a share of the old homestead, 
 which is the joint property of his sister and 
 himself. 
 
 "Thou wilt enjoy tranquillity if thy heart 
 condemn thee not," says the saintly Thomas a 
 Kempis; and a modern saint, Ralph Waldo 
 Emerson, has said, "Coolness and absence of 
 heat and haste indicate fine qualities." 
 These restful qualities has Mr. Greenfield; 
 and to him also might apply the words of 
 Ruskin, : "There's no music in a rest that I 
 know of, but there's the making of music in 
 it. And people are always missing that part 
 of the life melody, always talking of perse- 
 verance and courage and fortitude; but pa- 
 tience is the finest and worthiest part of for- 
 titude, and the rarest, too." 
 
 ^CTlTsHA B. COBB. The town of Ven- 
 X^Lice, Cayuga County, N.Y., is a rich 
 and fruitful agricultural centre; and the men 
 who take the lead in conducting its farming 
 interests are self-reliant, sagacious, and enter- 
 prising. Among these the subject of this 
 sketch occupies no unimportant position. 
 Mr. Cobb is a native of New York, the place 
 of his nativity being the town of Dryden, 
 Tompkins County, and the date of his birth 
 July 8, 1827. He is the descendant of an old 
 and respected family of Massachusetts, in 
 which State his paternal grandfather died 
 when a young man. 
 
 William Cobb, the father of Elisha B., was 
 born in Massachusetts, and in early manhood 
 followed the march of civilization Westward, 
 coming on foot to Tompkins County about the 
 year 1800, and locating himself in the town 
 of Groton. He was then a single man; and 
 for some years after his arrival he was en- 
 gaged as a wool-carder, but subsequently pur- 
 chased a tract of land in Dryden, and became 
 a hewer of wood and a tiller of the soil, im- 
 proving a good homestead. Before her mar- 
 riage his wife was Achsah Bradley, her 
 parents having been Lemi and Ruth Bradley. 
 They reared the following children, namely: 
 William N., deceased; Nancy B. ; Lemi B. ; 
 Elisha B.; Emory; Edward L., deceased; 
 Cyrus B., deceased; and Harriet E. 
 
 Elisha B. Cobb was educated in Tompkins 
 County, attending the district schools of Dry- 
 den and the academy in Groton. After com- 
 pleting his education, he worked for his father 
 three years; then, feeling himself prepared 
 to enter upon an agricultural career, he rented 
 a farm on shares, and, marrying a young 
 woman accomplished in the domestic arts, and 
 well worthy to become the helpmate of an 
 ambitious young man, he started out, deter- 
 mined to win a place for himself in the world. 
 In 1849 he came to Cayuga County; and, 
 buying a farm in Venice, he was there ac- 
 tively engaged in farming for four years. 
 Going thence to Genoa, he bought land in 
 that town ; and in the ten years that he lived 
 there he was a successful farmer. Disposing 
 of his Genoa property, he next removed to 
 Talcott's Corners, where he remained eleven 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 349 
 
 months, when, selling the farm he had pur- 
 chased in that locality, he came once more 
 to Venice. Deciding to remain here, the 
 country being pleasing to his eye, he bought 
 the homestead which he now occupies, and 
 has since carried it on with signal success. 
 It contains one hundred and twenty acres of 
 excellent land, which he has managed in such 
 a judicious manner that he has secured the 
 best possible results from his labors. 
 
 The maiden name of the wife of Mr. Cobb 
 was Jane Cottanch; and their union resulted 
 in the birth of three children; namely, Will- 
 iam B., Sarah A., and Edward L. William, 
 who resides in Kankakee, 111., married 
 Amelia Conquer; and they have two children 
 — Clara and Arthur. Edward, who lives in 
 Venice, married Augusta King, of Genoa; 
 and they are the parents of one child, Louie. 
 Elisha B. Cobb is numbered among the most 
 respected citizens of Venice, and his honesty 
 and uprightness in all the affairs of life have 
 gained for him the confidence of the entire 
 community. His property he has accumu- 
 lated by downright hard labor and the exer- 
 cise of sound judgment in his dealings, 
 seconded by that wise econony that avoids 
 both extravagance and parsimony. He has 
 been Justice of the Peace for thirty years, 
 serving in Genoa and in Venice, and has ever 
 been a peacemaker rather than an encourager 
 of litigation; and he is now Notary Public. 
 He has also served acceptably as Assessor. 
 In politics he affiliates with the Republican 
 party, having been a strong supporter of its 
 principles since its organization. In 1848 
 
 he cast his first Presidential vote, giving it 
 for Zachary Taylor. 
 
 -fJ^EWMAN HAWLEY, a well-known 
 I I farmer of Sennett, Cayuga County, 
 ^— ^ N.Y., was born in the city of Au- 
 burn on October 8, 1847. His father, John 
 Hawley, was born in the county of Bucking- 
 ham, England, and was a drover. His grand- 
 father was also a native of the same place. 
 The father came to America in 1838, embark- 
 ing at the port of Liverpool, in a sailing- 
 vessel, which took six weeks to make the 
 passage. After landing in New York City, 
 he came by canal to Syracuse, and from there 
 by railroad to Auburn. He hired a farm 
 from Judge Richardson, which he carried on 
 for fourteen years, afterward buying a farm of 
 forty acres in the town of Aurelius, which he 
 at length sold, purchasing a larger one at 
 Sennett, near the city of Auburn, where he 
 remained about twenty-five years. He then 
 moved to Tompkins County, where he is now 
 living a retired life. He was married to 
 Miss Sarah Woolgrove, a native of England, 
 and had five children: Anna; Mary Ann; ' 
 Joseph, deceased;. George; and Newman. 
 
 Newman Hawley was educated in the dis- 
 trict and public schools. Upon the comple- 
 tion of his school life he engaged in farming, 
 remaining at home until his twenty-seventh 
 year, when he bought the farm of one hun- 
 dred and fifty acres upon which he now re- 
 sides, and which was formerly owned by his 
 wife's ancestors, the Lockwoods, having been 
 
35° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in their family many years. It is a very fine 
 and well-improved farm, containing a large 
 orchard of about three hundred apple-trees 
 and other fruits. 
 
 He was married October 22, 1874, to Miss 
 Betsey Hunt Lockwood, a daughter of Philo 
 J. and Sophia (Lockwood) Lockwood, of Sen- 
 nett. They have one son, Mortimer L. 
 Hawley. The family are members of the 
 Episcopal church of Auburn. Mr. Hawley is 
 a Republican in politics. 
 
 ~C[dWARD ALLANSON is a thriving 
 JQI farmer residing in the town of Victory, 
 Cayuga County, three miles from Cato, in 
 the town where he has been for many years, 
 though born in Saratoga County, June 23, 
 1829. His judgment is highly respected; for 
 he has been successful in whatever he has 
 undertaken, and may be accounted one of the 
 noble men of this section. His parents were 
 Arthur and Alice (Stringer) AUanson. 
 
 Arthur Allanson was born in England, son 
 of David Allanson, an English farmer, and 
 was also bred a farmer and cattle-dealer, but 
 accompanied his father to Canada, where he 
 remained till his majority. Then he came to 
 Saratoga County, where he farmed for several 
 years. Thence removing to Otsego County, 
 in Cherry Valley, he bought an estate, 
 whereon he spent some years. Next he re- 
 moved to Elgin, 111., where he died at the age 
 of sixty-four. His wife was Alice Stringer, 
 who was likewise of English birth. They 
 were married in Canada, and reared nine 
 
 children — William, George, Mary Ann, Ed- 
 ward, Richard, Alice, John W., Henry, Rob- 
 ert. Mrs. Alice Allanson died in the Illinois 
 Home, aged eighty-five. 
 
 Edward Allanson grew up, worked, and at- 
 tended school in Saratoga, Montgomery, and 
 Otsego Counties. In early manhood he came 
 to Victory, and bought a farm. For forty 
 years he has been a citizen of the town, and 
 has lived over thirty years on his present 
 estate and the one adjoining, with only one 
 or two intervals of absence. For his wife's 
 health he spent a year some time since at 
 Colorado Springs, where he bought a ranch, 
 and raised cattle. In New York City, for a 
 couple of years, he was in the wholesale com- 
 mission and produce business, and was also 
 engaged in shipping stock from Iowa and 
 Nebraska, and from the whole broad West, 
 wherever cattle were to be bought. 
 
 He married in 1852, at the age of twenty- 
 three, Rachel A. Hager, one of the six chil- 
 dren of William and Damaris (Rood) Hager. 
 The Hager family are Victory people, and 
 Mrs. Allanson was born in the very home 
 where she now lives. Only one child, how- 
 ever, has blessed their union, William A., 
 who is his father's assistant, and married to 
 Ella Sidney, daughter of Henry Sidney, a 
 farmer in Corunna, Mich. William and Ella 
 (Sidney) Allanson have, in their turn, one 
 son, Edward William Allanson. Mr. Edward 
 Allanson is a Democrat, and has served 
 his town five years as Supervisor. Such a 
 man is sure to be interested in all public 
 affairs, and has been an Assembly candidate. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 351 
 
 The family attend the Baptist church, in 
 which Mr. Allanson is Deacon. Young Mr. 
 Allanson shares the manly qualities of his 
 father and the respect which rightfully at- 
 tends such qualities. 
 
 W: 
 
 ILLIAM F. WAIT is a well-known 
 and universally respected resident 
 of Auburn, and a good representative of the 
 important manufacturing interests of that 
 city. He is the practical working member 
 of the Nye & Wait Carpet Co., which was 
 incorporated in 1889, with a capital stock of 
 one hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Wait was 
 born in the village of Hagaman's Mills, near 
 Amsterdam, N.Y., in 1846. The family 
 name in America dates back to the Colonial 
 days in Rhode Island. William Wait, the 
 father of William F. of this biographical 
 notice, was a carpet-maker, and in 1847 came 
 from Hagaman's Mills to Whitehall, where 
 he continued on in his old business until his 
 death in 1865, just as his son William was 
 attaining manhood. The mother, Mary Haigh 
 Wait, was a native of this country, but of 
 English ancestry, her parents having emi- 
 grated from the old country to America, and 
 settled in Glenham, Dutchess County, N.Y. 
 She is still living, and is passing her declin- 
 ing days with her sons, William F. and 
 Horace R. Wait. She is an old lady, much 
 respected, and is a faithful and consistent 
 member of the Baptist church. 
 
 William F. Wait received his early educa- 
 tion in Whitehall, and when still young 
 
 learned from his father the art of carpet-weav- 
 ing. At that time only hand looms were in 
 use. The Jacquard apparatus, however, then 
 controlled the pattern, substantially as it does 
 to-day, and the same materials were used; 
 but the motive power was very primitive, and 
 since then there have been great changes also 
 in the process of yarn-spinning. In 1871, 
 when twenty-five years of age, Mr. Wait came 
 to Auburn, and there formed the partnership of 
 Nye & Wait. L. W. Nye, the senior partner 
 of the firm, had already been engaged in the 
 same manufacture in the Barber Mills; but, 
 as the old cotton-mill he owned had been de- 
 stroyed by fire shortly previous to the advent 
 of Mr. Wait, he was not so employed when 
 the latter came to Auburn. The two became 
 acquainted through the influence of mutual 
 business friends in New York City. At 
 once, with typical American energy, they 
 fitted up the old mill with new power looms 
 and machinery for spinning both the worsted 
 and filling; and the new factory soon gave 
 employment to fifty work-people. From time 
 to time its owners have enlarged the plant, 
 increasing it from eight looms to over a hun- 
 dred, with spinning facilities to correspond. 
 Their factory is on the north side of the 
 city, and is fitted for both steam and water 
 power, though the river generally supplies 
 all the power needed through the Owasco Out- 
 let. The employees of the firm have in- 
 creased sevenfold in number, many of them 
 being skilled workmen; and the pay-roll is 
 correspondingly large. They devote their 
 attention mainly to ingrain carpets, which are 
 
352 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 sold by the H. B. Claflin Company of New 
 York City. The original partnership con- 
 tinued unbroken until the centennial year, 
 when they took into the business Mr. Nye's 
 son, George Hyatt Nye, though without 
 changing the firm name. Nor was there any 
 change in this respect when the elder Mr. 
 Nye died, nine years later, in 1885; but four 
 years afterward the business was incorporated 
 with G. H. Nye as President, and Mr. Wait 
 as Vice-President and also as Manager, for, 
 owing to his large practical knowledge, he 
 has always been in charge of the manufactur- 
 ing department. 
 
 The firm has established an enviable repu- 
 tation for the fine quality of their goods 
 and their straightforward business methods. 
 They have every reason to be gratified with 
 their past success, and to look forward to still 
 greater triumphs in the future. Mr. Wait is 
 the personification of earnest, active, and per- 
 severing industry; and his business qualities 
 have been widely recognized by the citizens of 
 Auburn. In 1892 he was appointed one of the 
 Water Commissioners, and is also one of the 
 Trustees of the Cayuga County Savings Bank. 
 
 In 1871, about the time of his coming to 
 Auburn, Mr. Wait was married to Miss Jane 
 B. Boyd, of the village of Whitehall, where 
 he had passed his early years. She died in 
 1876, leaving a daughter who bore her 
 mother's name, Jennie Boyd Wait. Three 
 years later, January 8, 1879, Mr. Wait waS 
 again married, this time to Miss Lydia Bryan, 
 daughter of Benjamin K. Bryan, of Schaghti- 
 coke. She still graces the home; and they 
 
 have one son, named both for father and 
 mother, William Bryan Wait. In 1891 Mr. 
 Wait built their elegant residence, at No. 
 2 1 1 Genesee Street, corner of Jefferson, on 
 the site where they had already made their 
 home for ten years. The family attend St. 
 Peter's Episcopal Church, of which Mrs. 
 Wait is a member, her husband being also 
 interested in parish affairs. They stand high 
 socially, and their pleasant home is often the 
 scene of a genuine but unostentatious hos- 
 pitality. 
 
 ■<^«^» 
 
 ACOB DeFORREST has resided in 
 the town of Ira as boy and man for 
 sixty years, and is well and favor- 
 ably known throughout this section of Cayuga 
 County. He has assisted in its development 
 in many ways, witnessing with patriotic pride 
 its growth and prosperity. He occupies the 
 old DeForrest homestead, where he has a 
 well-equipped and highly cultivated farm, on 
 which is a fine set of farm buildings, every- 
 thing about the place betokening the care of 
 a neat, capable, and thrifty owner. He has 
 accumulated his property by downright hard 
 labor, by that wise economy that knows how 
 to spend as well as to save, and by the exer- 
 cise of sound judgment in his dealings. His 
 entire life has been spent on this farm, where 
 his birth occurred February 27, 1834, he 
 being a son of John and Charity (Acker) De- 
 Forrest, both of whom were natives of Albany 
 County, his father having been born in the 
 town of Bethlehem, May 9, 1797, his mother 
 on April 18, 1798. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 353 
 
 In looking over the records of Albany 
 County, it is found that Mr. DeForrest's pa- 
 ternal great-grandfather was one of its earliest 
 settlers; and on the homestead which he 
 there improved occurred the birth of William 
 DeForrest, the grandfather of Jacob, on Feb- 
 ruary 28, 1760. William was there reared to 
 farming pursuits, and resided in that county 
 several years " after his marriage. Then, 
 being imbued with that enterprising spirit 
 characteristic of the early pioneers, he came 
 to Cayuga County in 18 14, bringing with him 
 his wife Abigail, who was born April 6, 
 1762, and their children. The tedious jour- 
 ney was performed with teams through the al- 
 most pathless woods. He settled in the town 
 of Ira; and, after carefully inspecting the 
 land hereabouts, he bought of one Charles 
 Green the farm which is now included in the 
 homestead of his grandson, the deed for which 
 bears the date of October 31, 18 14. Mr. 
 Green was the original settler on this land; 
 and the only improvement of any consequence 
 which he had made was the erection of a log 
 house, into which William DeForrest moved, 
 and where he and his family lived for several 
 years. The farm then consisted of two hun- 
 dred and thirty-nine acres of land, and by in- 
 dustrious and steady labor he cleared and 
 improved quite a portion of it. The country, 
 especially this section of it, was then but 
 sparsely settled; and the nearest market for 
 his grain and surplus produce was Albany, 
 Catoville being simply a place where four 
 roads met. He had many difificulties to over- 
 come; but he endured patiently the toilsome 
 
 labors and the privations incidental to pioneer 
 life, and both he and his wife, who bravely 
 assisted him in all of his labors, lived to a 
 good old age on the homestead which they 
 had wrested from the wilderness, his earthly 
 career being brought to a close at the vener- 
 able age of fourscore years. Of the seven 
 children born to them, all grew to maturity; 
 but none are now living. 
 
 John DeForrest spent the major portion of 
 his useful life on this homestead, and ably 
 assisted his father in his pioneer labors, his 
 strong arm performing its full share in push- 
 ing back the forest, and establishing the com- 
 fortable home for his parents and himself. 
 At the time of his marriage he bought a part 
 of the home farm, and here he and his bride 
 began their happy wedded life.. He was an 
 industrious, hard-working man, of frugal and 
 thrifty habits, and by wise management was 
 enabled in the course of a few years to pur- 
 chase more land; and at the time of his death 
 his farm contained one hundred and twenty- 
 three acres of arable land, which he had man- 
 aged with excellent success, having been 
 classed among the foremost farmers of his 
 day. He departed this life on the old home- 
 stead, March 13, 1866, at the age of sixty- 
 eight years and ten months; and his memory 
 is still cherished by all who knew him as a 
 representative pioneer, and as one of the best 
 citizens of the place. His good wife survived 
 him, dying June 27, 1877, at the venerable 
 age of seventy-nine years and two months. 
 John DeForrest was a valued member of the 
 Democratic party ; and both he and his wife 
 
354 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 were members in good standing of the Dutch 
 Reformed church. They had a family of 
 seven children, as follows: William, who 
 died at the age of seventy-five years ; Harvey, 
 a farmer, residing in Oswego County; Sarah, 
 who passed away at the age of sixty-six years; 
 Julia Ann, who died at the age of five years; 
 Helen, who married John Chase, of Ira; Mar- 
 tin, who died at the age of sixty years; and 
 Jacob. 
 
 Jacob DeForrest grew to manhood on the 
 homestead, and obtained a good common- 
 school education in the town schools. On 
 the home farm he received a practical training 
 in the art of agriculture, and was well drilled 
 in lessons of industry, economy, and thrift. 
 He worked with his father for many years, 
 and when twenty-seven years of age assumed 
 the sole management of the farm, which he 
 carried on with unquestioned ability and suc- 
 cess, and which has since come into his pos- 
 session. He entered earnestly into the labor 
 of still further improving his property, his 
 good success encouraging him to buy more 
 land, so that his estate now consists of one 
 hundred and forty-seven acres of fertile and 
 well-cultivated land, and is one of the most 
 desirable and productive of any in this vicin- 
 ity. Force of character and shrewd business 
 tact have marked the course of Mr. DeForrest 
 ever since he began the battle of life on his 
 own account, and have helped to place him 
 among the substantial and solid citizens of 
 the county, and made him worthy of the 
 high esteem everywhere accorded him. Fie 
 is perhaps seen at his best in his own home, 
 
 where he is a genial and entertaining host to 
 all, whether friends or strangers, who cross 
 his threshold. To the estimable woman who 
 presides over his home, and who cordially 
 unites with him in extending its pleasant 
 hospitalities, Mr. DeForrest was married No- 
 vember 22, i860. Her maiden name was 
 Esther A. Barton. She is a native of Sterl- 
 ing, where her birth occurred January 3, 
 1843. Her parents were Joseph and Maria 
 Barton, neither of whom is now living. Mr. 
 Barton was a carpenter by trade, and followed 
 that occupation for a long while, but in later 
 life turned his attention to farming. Of the 
 four children born to him and his wife only 
 two are now living. The union of Mr. and 
 Mrs. DeForrest has been brightened by the 
 birth of two children: Ida E., who was born 
 July 13, 1863, is the wife of Jerry D. Harri- 
 gan, of St. Lawrence County, New York. 
 Edgar F., whose birth occurred on the old 
 homestead, where he now resides, February 
 26, 1866, carries on the home farm, his father 
 having retired from active labor. He is a 
 rising young agriculturist, inheriting much of 
 his father's energy and vigor, and bids fair 
 erelong to become one of the important and 
 prominent members of the farming community 
 of this locality. He married Mattie Cooper; 
 and they have one child, Hazel. Edgar is a 
 sound Democrat, and a member of Cato 
 Lodge, A. F. & A. M. Jacob DeForrest and 
 his wife are liberal in their religious beliefs, 
 and encourage and support heartily all plans 
 for elevating the intellectual and moral status 
 of the town. In politics he is a stanch Dem- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 355 
 
 ocrat, and socially is a member of Cato 
 Lodge, No. 250, Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen. 
 
 fHOMAS GOULD, late resident of the 
 town of Ledyard, was an extensive 
 farmer and stock-raiser, and an intelligent 
 and valued citizen, his enlightened and pro- 
 gressive views on all questions relating to the 
 elevation of the intellectual and moral status 
 of the town or its financial prosperity being 
 held in high consideration. He was born 
 here on March 24, 1829; and it was but nat- 
 ural that his chief interests in life should be 
 centred here, and that the place of his na- 
 tivity and the home of his children should have 
 the benefit of his practical wisdom and sound 
 judgment in the management of its affairs. 
 
 He was a descendant of an old New Eng- 
 land family, his grandfather, Thomas Gould, 
 for whom he was named, having been a native 
 of Newport, R.L He married Dorcas Bar- 
 ney, and afterward removed to Albany, N.Y., 
 where he spent his last years. In that city 
 Benjamin Gould, the father of the subject of 
 this sketch, was born, the date of his birth 
 being February 21, 1804. He was educated 
 in the schools of Albany, and after his mar- 
 riage with Anna Hazlett came to Cayuga 
 County, and, buying land in the town of Led- 
 yard, resided here several years. He subse- 
 quently purchased a farm nearer Aurora, and, 
 improving a comfortable place, there spent his 
 remaining days, industrious and respected; 
 and the highway on which he located his home 
 at that time is now known as "Gould's road." 
 
 Thomas Gould, son of Benjamin and Anna, 
 who was well endowed mentally, received a 
 liberal education, attending the Aurora Acad- 
 emy, the Albany Medical School, and the 
 New Haven Medical College, and subse- 
 quently pursued his studies at an agricultural 
 college. After graduation he settled in his 
 native town, where he soon became numbered 
 among its prominent and influential citizens. 
 Having a predilection for an agricultural ca- 
 reer, he made a most able and skilful farmer; 
 and in the breeding of fancy stock, in which 
 he took an especial interest, he had no peer 
 in this part of the county. Being in feeble 
 health, the last few years of his life were 
 spent in comparative quiet ; and his death, in 
 1884, when only fifty-four years old, was uni- 
 versally regretted in the community. His 
 memory will long be cherished by the many 
 who had the pleasure of his friendship, his 
 strict integrity and countless acts of gener- 
 osity and benevolence having left an indeli- 
 ble impression on all with whom he came in 
 contact. Socially, he was a prominent mem- 
 ber of the Masonic Order, and had held the 
 highest office of the fraternity. He was an 
 ardent Republican in his political views, and, 
 religiously, was by birthright a member of the 
 society of Friends. A very important event 
 in the life of Mr. Gould was his marriage 
 with Jane M. Gould, the daughter of James S. 
 and Jane (Carmichel) Gould, of Albany. 
 Their union was a particularly happy one; 
 and their home circle was gradually enlarged 
 by the birth of seven children, of whom five 
 are now living, James T. having died in Janu- 
 
3S6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ary, 1856, and Mary W. who was born, No- 
 vember 14, 1855, having passed on to the 
 higher life December 27, 1870. Benjamin 
 was born September 11, 1852; Henry J., De- 
 cember 25, 1853; Anna Hazlett, July rS, 
 1858; James C, July 30, 1862; and Eliza 
 Wood, March 7, 1869. Benjamin married 
 Miss Fanny Mix, of Ledyard; and they have 
 four children, namely: Harry B., born May 
 29, 1878; Abbie M., born July 25, 1886; 
 Lyman C, born in October, 1890; and Haz- 
 lett L., born in 1892. Henry was united in 
 marriage in 1877 to M. Belle Utt, of Le- 
 vanna; and they are the parents of three chil- 
 dren, namely: Jennie N., born October 16, 
 1881; Sarah V., born November 24, 1884; 
 and Anna H., born November 14, 1886. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Gould, realizing the 
 advantages of a good education, gave their 
 children every facility for acquiring knowl- 
 edge, their daughters having attended Wells 
 College, where Eliza was graduated with the 
 class of 1890. Mrs. Gould is a woman of 
 rare ability and strength of character; and 
 these, with her natural goodness of heart, 
 have drawn around her a large circle of warm 
 and sincere friends, by whom she is held in 
 high regard. She is a true Christian woman, 
 and an esteemed member of the Presbyterian 
 church. 
 
 T^AVERN A. PIERCE, the junior mem- 
 
 \^\^ ber of the law firm of Lyon & Pierce 
 
 ■ ^ of Auburn, N.Y., was born in 
 
 Syracuse, Onondaga County, October 11, 
 
 1850. His father, Azarial B. Pierce, is 
 
 yet living. His mother, Selutia (Pennell) 
 Pierce, died in Syracuse in 1854. After the 
 death of his mother his father married Annah 
 J. Wicks, of Cortland County, and engaged in 
 mercantile business in Elmira, Chemung 
 County. In 1864 the family moved to the 
 town of Genoa, Cayuga County, upon a farm, 
 and resided there until 1869, when they came 
 to Auburn. 
 
 Mr. Pierce received a common-school edu- 
 cation, and in 1876 commenced the study of 
 law with the firm of Wood & Rathbun, with 
 whom he remained a year and a half, and 
 then entered the office of his present copart- 
 ner, Mr. James Lyon, where he completed his 
 studies, and was admitted to the bar in 1879. 
 In 1880 he was appointed City Attorney, 
 holding the office for one term of two years, 
 when he went to Austin, Minn., and took 
 charge of the law department in the office of 
 Rush B. Wheeler, a leading attorney and real 
 estate dealer of that State. In 1884 he fo'rmed 
 a copartnership with W. E. Richardson and 
 Frank Day, under the firm name of Richardson, 
 Day & Pierce, which firm purchased the busi- 
 ness of Mr. Wheeler, and enjoyed a large and 
 successful practice until its dissolution. 
 
 In 1887 Mr. Pierce returned to Auburn, 
 and engaged in the practice of his profession. 
 In 1889 he was appointed Attorney of the 
 Board of Excise. During that year he formed 
 a copartnership with Mr. Lyon, which yet 
 continues. The firm has enjoyed an exten- 
 sive practice, and its members have had the 
 management of many important litigations, 
 with uniform success. Mr. Pierce is the trial 
 
L. fl. Pierce. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 359 
 
 lawyer of the firm, and stands high in his 
 profession. He is an able advocate and good 
 office lawyer, is a safe counsellor, and has 
 many warm friends. In 1890 he was again 
 appointed City Attorney, and served a little 
 over half of his term, when increasing busi- 
 ness requiring his attention necessitated his 
 resigning. He was again appointed on Octo- 
 ber I, 1894, and is the present incumbent of 
 that office. Mr. Pierce is a Republican in 
 politics, and has served his party as a cam- 
 paign speaker on many-;, occasions. He was 
 Chairman of the County Committee in 1881, 
 conducting a sharp and successful canvass. He 
 was a charter member of the Wheeler Rifles, 
 and is a present member of the Wheeler Rifle 
 Veterans. He is also a member of the City 
 Club and the Young Men's Republican Club. 
 Mr. Pierce was married in January, 1870, 
 to' Elizabeth D. Hayes, of Genoa. Four 
 children have blessed their marriage, of whom 
 three — Cora A., Clair H., and William J. — 
 are living. Mr. Pierce is a pronounced 
 "home body," passing, most of the time he 
 can spare from his office with his family, and 
 seldom being away from his house evenings. 
 This brief sketch of the life of Mr. Pierce 
 down to the present date is happily supple- 
 mented by an excellent portrait, which his 
 friends will have no difficulty in recognizing. 
 
 ARWIN C. KNAPP, late Justice of 
 the Peace and Police Justice of 
 Weedsport, Cayuga County, N.Y., 
 died at Weedsport on the tenth day of June, 
 
 M 
 
 1894. He was born in Wolcott, Wayne 
 County, N.Y., March 4, 1835, son of Lewis 
 J. and Betsey (Hoppins) Knapp. The father 
 was born in Dutchess County, and came to 
 Wolcott when a young man. Lewis J. Knapp 
 was a blacksmith by trade, which he followed 
 for many years in Wolcott, but died in Iowa, 
 where he lived for a few years up to the time 
 of his death. Mrs. Lewis J. Knapp ended 
 her days at Cato, in Cayuga County. 
 
 Darwin C. Knapp was educated at Huron, 
 and in 1863 studied law with Giles & Mills, 
 of Weedsport, reading with them until he was 
 admitted to the bar by examination held at 
 Rochester in 1866. He commenced the prac- 
 tice of law in this town, and was soon elected 
 to the office of Town Clerk for the town of 
 Brutus, also holding the offices of Collector 
 and Coroner for Cayuga County for many 
 years. The office of Justice of the Peace for 
 the town of Brutus he held for twenty-five 
 years, and shortly before his death was re- 
 nominated for a further term of four years. 
 During the latter part of the time he was 
 Police Justice for the village, a position he 
 held as long as he lived, having also been 
 Pension and Bounty Attorney from 1865. 
 Justice Knapp was a Republican in politics, 
 having always been elected on that ticket, and 
 always taking a very active part in the poli- 
 tics of the county. He was one of the Trus- 
 tees of the Weedsport Rural Cemetery. 
 
 Judge Knapp was married February 13, 
 1868, to Miss Narcissa H. Gildersleeve, of 
 Weedsport. She was born in February, 1844, 
 in Onondaga County, and educated in the 
 
360 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Weedsport Academy, her father and family 
 having moved here in 1846. Mrs. Knapp 
 died January 26, 1894, leaving one child, 
 Gertrude A. Knapp. Esquire Knapp pos- 
 sessed in good measure all the qualifications 
 necessary to the responsible position which he 
 filled with credit and efficiency for so many 
 years, having an accurate knowledge of the 
 law, and dealing out justice with an impar- 
 tial hand. His comparatively early demise, 
 shortly after entering his sixtieth year, is felt 
 as a public loss. 
 
 EAVALETTE GRIFFIN, who is fa- 
 vorably known throughout the town of 
 "■"^ Sempronius as an industrious and 
 prosperous farmer, is a native of Cayuga 
 County, the place of his birth having been 
 Summer Hill, and the date thereof December 
 7, 1835. His parents were Adna H. and 
 Louisa (Brown) Griffin, the former of whom 
 was born in Sullivan County, New York, 
 August 13, 1808, and the latter in the State 
 of Rhode Island, March 5, 1809. He is the 
 descendant of a veteran of the Revolution, his 
 great-great-grandfather, John Reynolds, al- 
 though a Quaker, being one of the brave men 
 of old who fought for American independence. 
 He was a stanch member of the Whig party, 
 and made himself particularly obnoxious to 
 the Tories, being an object of hatred and ter- 
 ror to that class of people. His life was sev- 
 eral times imperilled, and once was saved by 
 the heroism of his daughter. 
 
 Ephraim Griffin, the paternal grandfather of 
 Lavalette, was a native of Hampshire County, 
 
 Massachusetts; and his wife, whose maiden 
 name was Jane Reynolds, was born in Sulli- 
 van County, New York. Some years after 
 their marriage they removed to this county, 
 and were among the earliest settlers of Sum- 
 mer Hill. He bought a tract of land in the 
 north-eastern corner of that town, and im- 
 proved a good farm. This part of the coun- 
 try was then in its virgin wildness, with here 
 and there a clearing, from which the smoke of 
 the chimney of some pioneer's cabin might be 
 seen. The nearest *-mill was many miles 
 away, and Syracuse was the principal market. 
 Some game still remained in the forest, and 
 in this locality "old Tim Brown " won a more 
 than local reputation as a hunter and trapper. 
 Ephraim Griffin was at one time the owner of 
 one of the most extensive farms in this vicin- 
 ity. The last years of his life were spent in 
 Cortland County, where he died at the age of 
 seventy-five years. His wife preceded him to 
 the better land, having died when fifty years 
 old. She was a most amiable and charitable 
 woman, and a sincere Friend, or Quaker; and 
 he was liberal in his religious views. Of the 
 children born of their union five sons and 
 three daughters grew to maturity; but none 
 are now living. 
 
 Adna H. Griffin, son of Ephraim, was but 
 a boy when he came to Cayuga County with 
 his parents; and he grew to manhood in the 
 town of Summer Hill. Having a natural ap- 
 titude for mechanics, he learned the trade of 
 a machinist, going to Mottville, near Skane- 
 ateles, for that purpose. He worked at his 
 trade several years, and for four years was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 361 
 
 employed as an engineer on one of the lake 
 boats. After his marriage, desiring a perma- 
 nent home for himself and family, he bought 
 a tract of land adjoining the farm where his 
 son Lavalette now lives, in Sempronius, 
 and engaged in agricultural pursuits. Con- 
 tinuing to work at his trade a while longer, 
 he rented his farm for three or four years, 
 however, before taking possession of it. He 
 then moved on to his homestead property, and 
 thereafter managed it himself, and with excel- 
 lent success, looking well after every detail 
 of the farm labor. He became prominently 
 identified with the interests of his town, 
 where he was well known, and appreciated at 
 his true worth. For twenty years he served 
 faithfully as Justice of the Peace, an office 
 which he was holding at the time of his de- 
 cease, September 24, 1868. His good wife is 
 still living on the old home farm, enjoying 
 life at an advanced age. Of the nine chil- 
 dren born into their happy household eight 
 grew to maturity, the following being their 
 record: Mrs. Loretta McConnell is a resi- 
 dent of Scott, Cortland County. Leland re- 
 sides in the West. Arthur, Cashier of the 
 Susquehanna Bank, resides in Binghamton. 
 Dan R., a farmer, lives on the old homestead 
 in Sempronius. Lavalette, also of Sempro- 
 nius, is the oldest child now living. Rey- 
 nolds, who was a member of Company D, 
 Seventy-fifth New York Volunteer Infantry, 
 was wounded at the battle of Port Hudson, 
 and died July 18, 1863, when twenty-four 
 years old. Mrs. Jennie Bean died at the age 
 of forty-eight years. Alice died at the age of 
 
 thirty-two years, and Eugene died when an 
 infant of twelve months. 
 
 Lavalette Griffin spent the earlier years of 
 his life in the place of his birth, receiving 
 a practical education in its district schools. 
 He remained an inmate of the parental house- 
 hold until twenty years old, when he started 
 out for himself, beginning as a farm laborer. 
 He was first employed by Lloyd Slade, re- 
 ceiving fifteen and one-half dollars per month 
 for his first season's work. After working for 
 him two seasons, young Griffin was for the 
 next three years in the employment of Lucius 
 Fitts, who warmly appreciated his energy and 
 industry. Shortly after the breaking out of 
 the Civil War he enlisted, October i, 1861, 
 as a defender of the Union and of liberty in 
 the Seventy-fifth New York Volunteer Infan- 
 try, Company D, under the command of Cap- 
 tain Charles C. Dwight, and was soon after in 
 the midst of the conflict. He was in the 
 siege of Port Hudson, where his brother re- 
 ceived his fatal wounds, at Deep Bottom, 
 below Richmond, Cedar Creek, Winchester, 
 Fisher's Hill, and in many other engage- 
 ments, never faltering in his duty. He re- 
 mained with his regiment until April 10, 
 1865, when, on account of poor health, he had 
 to be relieved, and received his honorable 
 discharge. Returning to Sempronius, Mr. 
 Griffin bought the farm where he now resides, 
 taking possession of it in the spring of 1866, 
 twenty-eight years ago. In the mean time he 
 has worked a wonderful change in its appear- 
 ance and condition, having the one hundred 
 acres of fertile land all in an excellent state 
 
362 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of cultivation, well supplied with a substan- 
 tial set of ftame buildings, and equipped with 
 all the appliances for carrying on his work 
 after the most approved modern methods. He 
 has gradually extended his operations, and his 
 dairy now includes from twelve to sixteen 
 head of choice cattle of fine Durham and Jer- 
 sey grades. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Griffin with Olive C. 
 Sayles took place on December 21, 1865. 
 Mrs. Griffin is a native of Ohio, born in Erie 
 County, October 2, 1840, being a daughter of 
 John F. and Catherine (Bennett) Sayles. 
 Her father, who was a physician of note, was 
 born in Sempronius, February 2, 181 3, and 
 died July 18, 1863. His wife, who was a 
 native of Ohio, where her birth occurred on 
 January 5, 1822, died in early womanhood, 
 passing from earth in March, 1845. Ezekiel 
 Sayles, Sr., the great-grandfather, and Eze- 
 kiel Sayles, Jr., the grandfather of Mrs. 
 Griffin, were among the first settlers of Sem- 
 pronius, having located their home on Sayles 
 Corners before the town was organized, and 
 were prominently identified with the early 
 settlement of the place. Of the union of Mr. 
 Griffin and his wife three children have been 
 born, as follows: Mary E., born April 25, 
 1868, is the wife of Irving Fuller, of Sem- 
 pronius. Eugene, born September 11, 1869, 
 lives on the home farm. Henrietta B., born 
 October 6, 1880, is at home. 
 
 Mr. Griffin is a true Republican in his pol- 
 itics, is skilful as a farmer, straightforward 
 and upright as a business man; and he and 
 his family are held in high respect by the 
 
 community. He served with acceptation as 
 Supervisor in 1883 and 1885, and is a valued 
 member of Sempronius Post, No. 479, Grand 
 Army of the Republic. 
 
 / 2)]EORGE P. CLARK, a prominent and 
 V^X enterprising farmer and stock-grower 
 of Cayuga County, owns and occupies a fine 
 homestead in the town of Moravia. He is a 
 skilled agriculturist and a good business man, 
 honest and upright in his dealings, and pos- 
 sesses the confidence and good will of his 
 neighbors and associates. A native of the 
 Empire State, he was born in the . town of 
 Scott, Cortland County, February 17, 1833, 
 a son of Nathaniel and Laura (Tuttle) Clark, _ 
 the former of whom was born in the town of 
 Scott in 1808, and the latter in Suffolk 
 County, Long Island, in 18 10. 
 
 Cyrus Clark, the father of Nathaniel, was a 
 New England man by birth, and one of the 
 earliest settlers of Cortland County, where he 
 resided some years, industriously laboring to 
 clear a farm from the forest-covered land. 
 As a tiller of the soil, he was very successful, 
 improving and cultivating the land which he 
 had purchased from the government, and es- 
 tablishing a comfortable home. He subse- 
 quently removed still further Westward, set- 
 tling in the State of Indiana, where the last 
 years of his busy life were passed, his death 
 occurring at the age of fourscore years. To 
 him and his good wife, who also lived to a 
 venerable age, eight children were born, none 
 of whom are now living. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 363 
 
 Nathaniel Clark was reared to the life of a 
 farmer, residing in Cortland County, actively 
 engaged in agricultural pursuits for many 
 years. Coming to this county in 1838, he 
 bought a tract of fifty acres of timbered land 
 in the town of Sempronius; and on this he 
 began the arduous labor of reclaiming a home- 
 stead. With energetic perseverance he toiled 
 from day to day, and in the course of time 
 found himself the possessor of a well-cleared 
 farm, which he conducted in a most profitable 
 manner. He had not so many obstacles to 
 overcome as beset the pathway of the early 
 pioneer, as in the quarter of a century preced- 
 ing his arrival here this part of the county 
 had been developed with amazing rapidity. 
 Instead of carrying their grain and surplus 
 produce fifty miles, a very convenient market 
 was found in Homer; and mills were equally 
 near, saving him many a tedious and often- 
 times dangerous trip. In 1865 his happy 
 home circle was rudely broken by the hand of 
 death, his wife being called to the bright 
 world beyond. He lived to the good old age 
 of fourscore years, dying at the home of one 
 of his children in Pennsylvania, in the month 
 of March, 1889. He was a Whig in politics, 
 and he and his wife were members of the Bap- 
 tist church. Of the eight children born of 
 their union all are living, the following being 
 their record : George P. ; Orson, a farmer, 
 living in Sempronius; Mary, the wife of 
 DeWitt Newell, a farmer, residing in Niles; 
 Martha, who married Benjamin Benyea, a 
 farmer, living in Sempronius; Roxie, the 
 wife of Edgar Bevere, a merchant of Tioga 
 
 County, Pennsylvania; Harriet, the wife of 
 George Loyster, a farmer, living in Scipio; 
 Lora, the wife of Oliver Huff, a farmer of 
 Sempronius; Millard F., a mechanic, living 
 in Tioga County, Pennsylvania. 
 
 George P. Clark, the eldest child of the 
 parental household, was a lad of five summers 
 when he came to this county, where he re- 
 ceived a good education in the public schools 
 of Sempronius. He was early initiated into 
 the secrets of agricultural success on the home 
 farm, on which he remained until twenty-one 
 years of age. He then started in life on his 
 own account. Purchasing a farm of one hun- 
 dred acres in Sempronius, he carried it on 
 for ten years with surprisingly good results. 
 Then, selling that at an advantage, he bought 
 another farm in the same town, on which he 
 lived for two years; but, being dissatisfied 
 with it, he disposed of that property and 
 bought the homestead where he now resides, 
 taking possession in the fall of 1865. This 
 contains one hundred acres of valuable land, 
 on which he has made extended improve- 
 ments, entirely remodelling the house and 
 farm buildings, and putting up new where 
 needed. He is a progressive and far-seeing 
 man of business, and an agriculturist of supe- 
 rior ability, who has made no mistake in de- 
 voting his time and attention to the tilling of 
 the soil, his success in this direction having 
 been assured from the beginning. He raises 
 a great deal of grain, and carries on an exten- 
 sive dairy, having twenty-two head of fine 
 native cattle. During the time of the Civil 
 War Mr. Clark laid aside for a while the 
 
3^4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 labors of his chosen occupation that he might 
 assist in defending his country's flag, enlist- 
 ing September 2, 1864, in the Ninth New 
 York Heavy Artillery, becoming a member of 
 Company C, under the command of Captain 
 Burke, the commander of the regiment being 
 Colonel Snyder. He was an active participa- 
 tor in several battles, being at Cedar Creek, 
 Petersburg, and Sailor's Run, and in many 
 minor engagements, in the mean time suffer- 
 ing much from exposure; and at the time of 
 the surrender of General Lee he was lying 
 very near death's door with typhoid fever. 
 He served until the close of the war, and 
 received his honorable discharge June 15, 
 1865. 
 
 Mr. Clark has been twice married. His 
 first wife, Dorisca Thompson, daughter of 
 David and Rosetta Thompson, and a native of 
 Sempronius, to whom he was united in mar- 
 riage on August 20, 1857, died on the family 
 homestead on the 27th of February, 1893. 
 She was a good wife and mother, and was 
 held in the highest esteem by a large circle of 
 friends and acquaintances. She bore her hus- 
 band four children, of whom the following is 
 a brief record : Rosetta, the wife of Neal 
 Downing, a farmer, lives in Niles. Adda 
 Saluna, the wife of Mortimer Silcox, a 
 farmer, resides in the town of Moravia. Net- 
 tie is the wife of Charles Foster, a farmer, 
 residing in Sempronius. Azuma, the wife of 
 Vincent Couch, resides in the village of Cort- 
 land. The union of Mr. Clark with Emma 
 Wormer was solemnized March 26, 1894. 
 She is a native of this county, born in the 
 
 town of Moravia, and is a grand-daughter of 
 William D. and Judy Wormer. Mr. W. D. 
 Wormer was one of the early settlers of Mo- 
 ravia, coming here in the first days of its set- 
 tlement, and was an important factor in 
 advancing its interests and developing its 
 resources. He lived to the age of seventy- 
 three years, spending the last days of his 
 earthly existence in the city of Syracuse. 
 Mrs. Clark's father was born in the town of 
 Moravia in 1833, and here spent the major 
 portion of his brief life, dying at the age of 
 thirty-nine years. His widow, a native of 
 Rochester, is now living with Mrs. Clark, the 
 only child of her marriage. She is a devout 
 Christian, and a member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. Mr. Wormer was a Demo- 
 crat in his political views. 
 
 Mr. Clark is a member of Moravia Lodge, 
 No. 155, Grand Army of the Republic, and in 
 politics is a strong Republican, having voted 
 with that party since its organization. Both 
 he and his wife are consistent members of the 
 Methodist church. 
 
 KRANK C. SMITH, M.D., a popular 
 and highly successful physician of 
 Fleming Hill, Cayuga County, conducts a 
 large practice, and is considered one of the 
 most eminent of the younger medical men in 
 this part of the Empire State. He was born 
 on August 17, 1858, and is the son of Harvey 
 Smith, a native of Bucks County, Pennsyl- 
 vania, of whom an extended sketch appears in 
 another part of this volume. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 36s 
 
 Samuel H. Smith, the Doctor's paternal 
 grandfather, was born and educated in Bucks 
 County, and there spent the earlier years of 
 his life. He became a noted physician of the 
 Thompsonian school, being licensed to prac- 
 tice in the State of New York in 1838. 
 After successfully engaging in professional 
 duties in Fleming Hill for a number of years, 
 Dr. Smith removed to the city of Auburn, 
 and there spent his declining years, retired 
 from active cares. 
 
 Harvey Smith, son of Dr. Samuel H. 
 Smith, having been reared to agricultural pur- 
 suits, decided to follow that free and indepen- 
 dent calling, and accordingly purchased a 
 farm in the town of Fleming, about three 
 miles south-west of Auburn, and is there 
 prosperously engaged in tilling the soil. 
 When a young man, he formed a matrimonial 
 alliance with Miss Adelaide Allen, who was 
 born in McLean, Tompkins County, being a 
 daughter of George and Sarah (Benham) 
 Allen. They became the parents of three 
 children — Frank C, Harry, and Mattie. 
 
 Frank C. Smith, the eldest of these chil- 
 dren, is the subject of this brief personal 
 mention. He received a thorough elementary 
 education in the days of his youth, and, after 
 leaving the district schools of his native town, 
 pursued his studies at the Auburn Academ}'. 
 Desiring to enter the medical profession, he 
 began the study of medicine at the age of 
 nineteen years under the tuition of Dr. Fos- 
 ter, a physician of merit. In 1879 ^^ went 
 to Chicago to attend lectures at the Bennett 
 Medical College, and was graduated from that 
 
 institution, March 23, 1881. Dr. Smith 
 began the work of his profession in Auburn, 
 remaining there until 1884, when he removed 
 to Fleming Hill, where he has since been 
 engaged in lucrative practice, having won an 
 excellent reputation as a physician of much 
 natural ability and acquired skill, and en- 
 tirely worthy of confidence. 
 
 On December 9, 1885, Dr. Frank C. Smith 
 was united in marriage to Miss Carrie K. 
 Wyckoff, who was born in the town of Scipio, 
 March 20, 1858, being a daughter of Gardner 
 B. and Jane (Edson) Wyckoff. Dr. Smith 
 and his accomplished wife have a pleasant 
 home, to which they welcome their numerous 
 friends and acquaintances with a genial and 
 cordial hospitality, making even the stranger 
 feel at home within their gates. Politically, 
 Dr. Smith is an unwavering Republican, and 
 has served three years as Coroner. 
 
 TTAHARLES F. McCREA, a well-known 
 I Jy wholesale and retail baker, doing busi- 
 
 ^*^ — ■^ ness at No. 86 Van Anden Street, 
 Auburn, N.Y., was born in this cit}', April 
 28, 1853. 
 
 His father, Alexander McCrea, was born at 
 Sterling, Cayuga County, in 1815, and was 
 engaged in business as a baker in the city of 
 Auburn for over half a century. His bakery 
 was at No. 12 State Street, where he built a 
 fine three-story block, which is an ornament 
 to the city. He came to Auburn when quite 
 a young man, learning his trade under Mr. 
 Blood, from whom he eventually bought the 
 
366 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 business. He was also engaged as a dealer in 
 coal for over twenty years, and was one of the 
 most enterprising business men of the city. 
 He was elected on the Republican ticket as 
 Alderman for two terms, and also worthily 
 occupied the Mayoralty chair for one year. 
 Mr. McCrea married Miss Lucy Howard, of 
 Sterling, by whom he had six children. He 
 died suddenly in March, 1891. 
 
 Charles F. McCrea received his education 
 in the Auburn schools, and afterward learned 
 the trade of a baker, remaining with his 
 father until 1886, when he started in business 
 for himself at No. 86 Van Anden Street, 
 where he now conducts a large bakery, giving 
 employment to seven men, and keeping sev- 
 eral teams. Mr. McCrea was married June 5, 
 1872, to Miss Emma Cook, daughter of Will- 
 iam Cook, formerly in the shoe business in 
 this city, now deceased. Two children have 
 been the fruit of this union, namely: Lulu, 
 who is now pursuing her studies at Batavia; 
 and Alice. Mr. and Mrs. McCrea are mem- 
 bers of the First Presbyterian Church of this 
 city. Mr. McCrea has a high reputation as 
 an honest, intelligent, liberal-minded busi- 
 ness man, his genial manners and his readi- 
 ness to oblige making him esteemed by all 
 classes. 
 
 f^jENRY B. GULICK, an estimable 
 gentleman, who for the past nine 
 years has been Justice of the Peace 
 in the town of ' Ira, Cayuga County, was born 
 in Pascoag, R.I., in 1827, the son of William 
 and Ann Elizabeth Gulick. The name is 
 
 German ; and the father came from Germany, 
 though the mother came from England. But 
 they spent most of their lives in the town 
 where Henry was born, and where William 
 worked as a factory hand. 
 
 From childhood Mr. Henry B. Gulick has 
 been in woollen-mills, beginning at the very 
 bottom, and working up to the Superinten- 
 dency — a position he held at intervals for 
 many years — and finally into ownership. In 
 1864, at the age of forty-seven, he went to 
 Lockport, to start a woollen-mill there. 
 Some years later he removed to Galena, 111., 
 where he was a neighbor of the famous Gen- 
 eral U. S. Grant, and started and superin- 
 tended another factory. Then he came back 
 to Lockport, to open a mill of his own, giving 
 employment to twenty-five hands. This he 
 sold out in 1880, and came to Cayuga County, 
 wishing to retire from active labor; and he 
 has ever since been a citizen of Ira. 
 
 In 1850, at the age of twenty-three, he mar- 
 ried Sarah Jane Linton, by whom he became 
 the father of two children. One of these, 
 Fred C. Gulick, born in 1851, still lives in 
 Lockport. The other, Roscoe L. Gulick, 
 born in 1854, was killed at the Holly shops 
 in Lockport. Mrs. Sarah J. Gulick died in . 
 1876; and in April, 1880, Mr. Gulick again 
 married. In 1885 he was elected to fill out 
 an unexpired term as Justice of the Peace, 
 and has since been three times re-elected to 
 the same office. He is a member of the 
 order of Odd Fellows, and of the Ancient 
 Order of United Workmen. 
 
 The present Mrs. Gulick was Mrs. Irene 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 367 
 
 Ann Cook, the widow of Mr. Bradford Cook, 
 of Cato (a sketch of whom is elsewhere in 
 this volume), and the daughter of Henry 
 Moulton, of Fort Ann, Washington County. 
 She was born on March 4, 1828, precisely 
 three years after John Quincy Adams was first 
 inaugurated as President of the United States. 
 Her father was one of the oldest farmers in 
 that region, having been born there. His 
 father, Mrs. Gulick's grandfather, was David 
 Moulton. With her first husband, Mr. Cook, 
 she went to the town of Cato, where she lived 
 till her marriage with Mr. Gulick. She is a 
 lady of sterling excellence, and belongs to the 
 Disciples' Church, which her husband attends 
 with her. 
 
 A bright woman of to-daj' has said: "Man 
 has subdued the world, but woman has sub- 
 dued man. Mind and muscle have won his 
 victories: love and loveliness have gained 
 hers. No monarch has been so great, no 
 peasant so lowly, that he has not been glad to 
 lay his best at the feet of a woman." These 
 words apply to Mrs. Gulick; while to her 
 husband might be assigned these words of 
 that gifted essayist and philosopher, Joseph 
 Addison: "Mankind are more indebted to in- 
 dustry than ingenuity. The gods set up their 
 favors at a price, and industry is the pur- 
 chaser." 
 
 ^ -J RADFORD COOK was born in 
 •jj 1 80 1, in Washington County, New 
 York. His first name bears a Pil- 
 grim flavor; and it is not surprising to find, 
 in 1803, his father removing to a town named 
 
 Plymouth, although it was not in the Old 
 Colony of Massachusetts, where Governor 
 Bradford once presided, but a newer town in 
 Chenango County, New York. In 18 16, 
 when a boy of fifteen, Bradford Cook was sent 
 to the town of Norwich, in the same county, 
 as apprentice to a carpenter and joiner named 
 Wait. Apprenticeship was then a very differ- 
 ent affair from what it is to-day, when the 
 novice leaves the master's employ before he 
 has half learned his trade. Bradford served 
 his time faithfully, and acquired those in- 
 dustrious habits which were his pride, and are 
 ever the harbingers of future welfare; for 
 Hogarth's pictures of "The Idle and Industri- 
 ous Apprentices " illustrate the human career 
 in all ages and nations. The lazy boy goes 
 often to the bad, while the industrious lad 
 rises to prosperity. 
 
 In 1827 Mr. Cook came to Cato, where he 
 became a pious convert, and joined the Bap- 
 tist church at Meridian. With the regular 
 Baptists he remained till 1834, when he 
 transferred his membership to that branch 
 of the Baptists known as the Disciples, 
 and erected a church in Cato. In this com- 
 munion he remained till his death. After 
 this sad event. Esquire Colvin, a leading citi- 
 zen of Cato, declared that the light of the 
 place had gone out. The Bible was ever 
 Bradford Cook's guide. His burial took 
 place from the meeting-house which he had 
 done the most toward building. No man had 
 contributed more in every way to sustain the 
 society there worshipping; and a large con- 
 course of friends followed his body to the 
 
368 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 grave. When Union Hill Cemetery was laid 
 out, he was President and Secretary of the 
 corporation as long as he was able to fill such 
 offices; and it was fitting that by its leafy 
 paths and beneath its grassy mould his mortal 
 remains should lie. He built the foundry 
 now occupied by E. Q. Button. It was the 
 first in the vicinity; and there he carried on 
 the iron trade, in connection with a wagon and 
 blacksmith shop. He was active in educa- 
 tional as well as ecclesiastical and industrial 
 matters, and was a School Trustee. In fact 
 everything that affected the welfare of the 
 village was to him a matter of practical con- 
 cern. He owned considerable land; and, as a 
 carpenter, he took contracts for many Cato 
 buildings. 
 
 In all the relations of life Bradford Cook 
 commanded the respect of all classes of 
 people, irrespective of creed or party, as a 
 man of pure motives. A celebrated English 
 preacher has said, " Piety and virtue are not 
 only delightful for the present, but they leave 
 peace and contentment behind them." And 
 Mr. Cook might have adopted as his own (and 
 practically did so) the Pauline motto, "Not 
 slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving 
 the Lord." 
 
 K.ACE JOSEPH KINGSBURY, a 
 ■ery capable farm"er, living near 
 Martville, in the southern part of 
 Sterling, was born in this town, June 12, 
 1823. It is thought that his great-grand- 
 father, Joseph Kingsbury, died shortly after 
 coming from England, and that the widow 
 
 married Colonel Baker, of the Revolutionary 
 army. 
 
 The grandfather, Oliver Kingsbury, was 
 one of three brothers serving together in the 
 Patriot army, where he fought under Colonel 
 Baker, his stepfather, to the end of the war. 
 The other two brothers were captured by the 
 Indians. Joseph (named for his grandfather) 
 was sold into Canada for three barrels of rum, 
 and there married a Canadian merchant's 
 daughter, and later returned to the United 
 States, where he passed the rest of his life. 
 After the war Grandfather Oliver Kingsbury 
 married a daughter of Colonel Baker, and 
 lived in Plainfield, N.H., where he was an 
 early settler, raised a family of eight chil- 
 dren, and died aged eighty-five, his widow 
 living still longer, to the rare age of one hun- 
 dred and three, and dying in the same house. 
 
 Oliver Kingsbury's son Joseph, the father 
 of Horace J., and named for his grandfather, 
 as well as for the uncle who had enjoyed the 
 romantic Canadian experience, was born in 
 Plainfield, N.H., where he grew up on the 
 farm, and attended the district school. At- 
 taining his majority, he came to Starling, 
 cleared one hundred acres of forest land, and 
 erected a block-house of hewn logs, then con- 
 sidered the best building anywhere about. 
 Two years he lived alone, fishing and hunt- 
 ing, and occasionally getting a meal at the 
 house of John C. Cooper, who is chronicled 
 on another page. Leaving a part of his land 
 unreclaimed, he then went back to New 
 Hampshire and married, remaining two years 
 with his father, after which he once more 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 369 
 
 came to Sterling, accompanied by his wife 
 and his brother-in-law, Mr. Wilson, and with 
 a pair of horses, two yoke of oxen, and house- 
 hold goods. After a few years he again went 
 to Plainfield, to care for his aged parents, 
 until death relieved him of this charge. 
 Thereafter he came to Sterling for the third 
 and last time, and remained many years ; 
 though before his death, at the age of seventy- 
 seven, he sold the old place, and bought a 
 farm near Hannibal, whereon he put up nice 
 buildings. His wife was Nancy Hall, daugh- 
 ter of Aaron Hall, of Connecticut; and they 
 reared eight children : Nancy, named for her 
 mother, and married to Joseph Van Patten, a 
 butcher of Hannibal ; Horace Joseph, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; Emily, married to Munroe 
 Goddell, a Union Springs machinist, who 
 served in the Union army, and lost an arm in 
 battle; George; Lewis; Harriet, married to 
 Walter Saunders, of Hannibal; Sarah; and 
 Theoren W. Their mother died, aged 
 seventy-one, in the same house as her hus- 
 band. They were both Baptist church mem- 
 bers, he holding the office of Deacon. 
 
 Their eldest child was born in New Eng- 
 land; but Horace was born in the log house, 
 and was nine years old when he returned to 
 New Hampshire with his father. He at- 
 tended the district school and Kimball Union 
 Academy, in the town of Plainfield, and then 
 taught school at White River, Vt., when he 
 was seventeen. At twenty he came again to 
 Sterling, and taught his second school, and 
 continued to teach in winter, while in the 
 summer he was by turns a farmer and a clerk 
 
 in stores at Martville and Hannibal. Ambi- 
 tious to establish a home, he purchased a farm 
 when he was twenty-three. Losing this prop- 
 erty through knavery, he had to begin over 
 again; but in due time he bought another 
 farm, near Martville, which he sold in 1861, 
 when the war stirred the patriotic and military 
 blood in his veins, till he made ready to go 
 to the front. His active services were not 
 required, though he spent much time and 
 money in the Union cause. In 1865, the war 
 being over, he purchased his present farm, 
 whereto he has added acres enough to make a 
 full hundred, which he still superintends. 
 
 At the age of thirty-one, in 1854, he mar- 
 ried Mary Myle Crane, of this town; but she 
 only blessed his home one year, and died 
 childless. Next he married Mrs. Julia Hall, 
 of Moravia, daughter of William Snyder, and 
 widow of a Mr. Hall of that town; but she 
 also died in a year and a half, leaving one 
 child, Julia, who lived to be twenty-seven. 
 For his third wife he married Susan Morgan, 
 of New Hampshire, who has borne five chil- 
 dren, four of whom died very young. Horace 
 was named for his father, while Morgan bore 
 his mother's family name. The youngest, 
 Nellie, lived to womanhood, but died aged 
 twenty-seven. 
 
 Mr. Kingsbury is indeed a patient mourner, 
 having been called to the burial of two wives 
 and seven children, besides his parents and 
 other relatives; but he has always relied upon 
 a Higher Power. As for himself he is as 
 vigorous at seventy-one as are most men at 
 fifty, with a mind as clear as it was in youth- 
 
37° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ful manhood, and a retentive memory, full of 
 facts. As the oldest representative of one of 
 the oldest families, he is thoroughly in touch 
 with local affairs. Republican in politics 
 and active in town matters, he has been As- 
 sessor, Supervisor, and Constable for many 
 years. In religion he is a Baptist; but the 
 interest of this public-spirited citizen travels 
 beyond sectarian limitations, and reaches 
 every worthy enterprise. 
 
 -OHN S. CASLER, a Cayuga County 
 farmer, whose career furnishes a forci- 
 ble illustration of the prosperity to 
 be achieved through persevering toil and wise 
 economy, is a young man possessing good 
 health, vigorous muscle, a stout heart, and a 
 clear brain, and asking favors of no one. He 
 was born in the town of Scipio, November 
 20, 1823. 
 
 His father, Henry Casler, was born in the 
 beautiful valley of the Mohawk, and in after 
 years came to Cayuga County, settling here 
 in early pioneer times, when the now thriv- 
 ing city of Auburn was a small hamlet, 
 known as Hardenburg's Corners. He worked 
 at first as a miller, and in different places, 
 finally locating himself permanently in 
 Scipio. He married Polly Cox, a daughter of 
 Jacob Cox: and to them were born the follow- 
 ing children: Henry; Abigail; Kate; Jacob; 
 Hiram; William; and John S., the subject of 
 this brief biography. 
 
 John S. Casler was educated in the public 
 schools of his native town, and very early in I 
 
 life was a self-supporting member of society. 
 Feeling assured that, with the aid and encour- 
 agement of a good wife, his chances for suc- 
 cess would be doubled, he married at the age 
 of twenty-three years, and shortly afterward 
 went to Michigan in search of his fortune. 
 This, however, was a step in the wrong direc- 
 tion; for, not being favorably impressed with 
 his prospects there, he was back in Scipio in 
 eighteen days, and, moving into an old house, 
 he began work with renewed vigor. He 
 labored with energy and industry, and in 1861 
 removed to Scipio Centre, and, hiring a farm 
 here, carried it on with excellent financial 
 results for some years. He had begun life a 
 poor man; but, being wise in his expenditures 
 and frugal in his habits, he accumulated suffi- 
 cient money in the course of time to purchase 
 the homestead where he is now living, sur- 
 rounded by all the comforts of life. His 
 farm contains eighty-two acres of excellent 
 land in a good state of tillage, well stocked 
 and well equipped with the requisite machin- 
 ery for carrying on his agricultural opera- 
 tions. He has erected a fine dwelling, and 
 his barn and other farm buildings are of a 
 substantial character. Mr. Casler was always 
 a very active and able man until seven years 
 ago, when in some unaccountable manner the 
 family were poisoned; and, though his wife 
 and son soon recovered from the deleterious 
 effects, his nervous system received such a 
 shock that he has been afflicted ever since. 
 Mr. Casler was united in marriage in 1846 
 with Julia A. Ide, daughter of Nathan and 
 Electa (Hill) Ide. Of this union three chil- 
 
4 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 "" 
 
 W, B. Carter. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 373 
 
 dren were born; but in 1861, at a time when 
 Mrs. Casler was blind from the effects of 
 a cataract on her eye, the household was 
 afflicted by that dreaded scourge, diphtheria, 
 which proved fatal in the case of two of the 
 little ones and a sister of Mrs. Casler. Their 
 only living child, a son, named Edwin T., 
 now the overseer of a large dairy farm at 
 Brighton, near Rochester, married Mary Os- 
 trander; and they have one child. Mr. John 
 S. Casler is connected with the Masonic 
 Order, and is a member of Cayuga Lodge. 
 Politically, he is a stanch Republican, having 
 been identified with the Republican party 
 since its formation. He cast his first Presi- 
 dential vote in 1844 for James K. Polk. 
 
 
 OODARD B. CARTER, one of the 
 foremost agriculturists of this 
 county, where he owns many acres of choice 
 land, has in the town of Ira, the centre of his 
 interests, a large and highly improved farm, 
 on which he has lived and labored for half a 
 century with most gratifying results. He is 
 a native of this county, born in pioneer times, 
 June 22, 1822, being the date of his birth, 
 which occurred in the town of Ira. His 
 grandfather, Enoch Carter, who was born in 
 Massachusetts, in early life removed to this 
 State, becoming one of the pioneers of Wash- 
 ington County, where he bought a tract of 
 wild land, from which he improved a home- 
 stead, and there lived to the age of fourscore 
 years. 
 
 Benjamin Carter, son of Enoch, was also a 
 
 farmer by occupation, and, after arriving at 
 years of discretion, joined the band of enter- 
 prising young men who were seeking to estab- 
 lish homes in the unsettled country of this 
 part of the State. He came first to Cayuga 
 County on a prospecting tour, and, being 
 pleased with the outlook, invested money in 
 land in the town of Ira, in the year 18 16. 
 Then, returning to the place of his nativity, 
 he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Cole; 
 and soon after the ceremony that made the 
 twain one they started for their new home in 
 the wilderness. Instead of being whizzed 
 across the country in a few short hours in a 
 palace-car, the bridal party were several days 
 in traversing the distance, following a road 
 marked by blazed trees, even this being at 
 times almost impassable, owing to broken 
 limbs or the wanton growth of underbrush 
 and thickets. The two hundred acres of land 
 which he had previously purchased were un- 
 improved; and his first work was to erect a 
 small log house, where he and his bride es- 
 tablished themselves as comfortably as they 
 could, and lived several years. Wild game 
 being plentiful in those days, venison, bears' 
 meat, and wild turkey furnished a large part 
 of their subsistence, until they had cleared 
 sufficient land to raise a few vegetables. 
 Mr. Carter was a diligent and practical 
 farmer, and not only improved a good farm for 
 himself, but performed his full share in ex- 
 tending the farming interests, and developing 
 the resources, of this part of the county. In 
 local affairs he became quite prominent, serv- 
 ing as Assessor, Highway Commissioner, and 
 
374 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 filling minor offices. In his early life he was 
 a Democrat politically, but in his later years 
 he affiliated with the Republican party. Both 
 he and his wife were sincere Christian people, 
 and consistent members of the Presbyterian 
 church. Their declining years were spent in 
 the town of Oswego Falls, where he passed 
 away at the age of seventy-nine years, and his 
 wife at the age of threescore years and ten. 
 Their household circle included five children, 
 four of whom are now living, namely: Rus- 
 sell, a farmer, residing in Granby, Oswego 
 County; Woodard B. ; Charles, who is a mer- 
 chant in California; Olive, a resident of 
 Cazenovia, Madison County; and Anna Emer- 
 ett, who died at the age of forty years. 
 
 Woodard B. Carter, second son of Benjamin 
 and Elizabeth (Cole) Carter, grew to matu- 
 rity on the parental homestead, receiving a 
 good practical education, attending first the 
 district schools of Ira, and afterward spending 
 two terms at the Fulton Academy. He be- 
 came well prepared for the life of a farmer 
 by the pioneer work he was called upon to do 
 in his youthful days, assisting his father in 
 cutting down forests and clearing the land; 
 for this was a labor of many years, much of it 
 being accomplished after he was of an age to 
 be of material assistance. When old enough 
 to assume business responsibilities on his 
 own account, Mr. Carter rented the home 
 farm; and, after carrying it on successfully 
 for several years, he bought the estate of his 
 father, and has since resided here, being now 
 one of the oldest settlers of the place. He 
 raises large crops of grain and tobacco, and 
 
 has an extensive dairy, all of which he man- 
 ages with profit. To the original acreage he 
 has added more land, so that he now has a 
 fine estate of two hundred and forty acres, on 
 which he has made excellent improvements, 
 among others being the erection of a beautiful 
 residence, which he completed in 1887, at a 
 cost of four thousand dollars. This, with his 
 convenient and commodious barns and store- 
 houses, and abundance of machinery for expe- 
 ditiously prosecuting his work, renders his 
 homestead one of the finest and best equipped 
 in this locality. His whole course through 
 life has shown him to be intelligent, practi- 
 cal, and capable as a farmer, kind-hearted and 
 right-principled as a man, and public-spirited 
 and loyal as a citizen. In politics he adheres 
 to the Republican party, and has served with 
 fidelity as Supervisor two terms. Justice of the 
 Peace twelve years, and as Assessor three 
 years. He is deeply interested in religious 
 matters, and is a worthy member of the Con- 
 gregational church of Lysander. Mr. Carter 
 has never married, but has attained his pres- 
 ent easy circumstances single-handed and 
 alone, with the advantage, however, of having 
 been well started at home. 
 
 A portrait of this influential citizen may be 
 seen on a preceding page. 
 
 SCAR F. KNAPP is the energetic 
 business manager of the Auburn Ad- 
 vertiser. He was bom in Groton, 
 Tompkins County, on February 19, 18 19, 
 while James Monroe was President, and was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 375 
 
 the grandson of Gilead Knapp, the family 
 coming from Massachusetts. When Oscar 
 was only two years old, his mother removed to 
 Cayuga County, and settled in the town of 
 Summer Hill; and he attended school in the 
 neighboring town of Locke. At the age of 
 fourteen, in 1833, he went to Ithaca, where 
 he could have a chance to learn printing in 
 the office of a new paper, the Jefferson ian- 
 Tompkins Times. His earliest spare money, 
 twenty-five dollars, was there earned by the 
 publication of a New Year's address. The 
 next year, 1834, he went into the office of the 
 Cortland Republican. Before he was twenty 
 he had mastered the mechanical part of the 
 business, and came to Auburn, in the spring 
 of 1839, as foreman of the Auburn Journal. 
 This position he faithfully maintained four 
 years, scarcely going out of the village, and 
 thus saving enough money to buy a farm of 
 fifty acres in Summer Hill, near his early 
 home; for it was his youthful ambition to 
 own land and a frame house. 
 
 On March 22, 1843, when twenty-four years 
 old, he married Arietta M. Terry; and they 
 went to live on the farm, where he expected 
 to spend his remaining years. But after a 
 twelvemonth's experience they were tired of 
 selling eggs at six cents a dozen, and making 
 butter for twelve cents a pound, besides miss- 
 ing the opportunities of town culture, and 
 having to ride four miles to "meeting." So 
 they sold the farm, and in the course of the 
 next two years Oscar was in his old place in 
 Auburn as foreman of the Journal and Adver- 
 tiser oflic&; and in August, 1849, he formed a 
 
 partnership with George W. Peck for the pur- 
 chase of the whole establishment, Peck to 
 manage the columns, and Knapp the finances, 
 for both a weekly and daily publication. On 
 the death of Mr. Peck, his two sons succeeded 
 to this position; and the admirably balanced 
 arrangement thus continued from 185 1 to 
 1885, over a third of a century. The news- 
 paper was in those days a third less in size 
 than at present, and paid less than five dollars 
 a week for telegrams, though the subscription 
 price of the daily was nine dollars a year. 
 Meanwhile the general job department had 
 greatly increased; and some ten or twelve 
 years since Mr. E. H. Thomson was admitted 
 as a partner, he giving the job business his 
 special attention. The Journal has been Re- 
 publican in its principles ever since that party 
 was formed, and largely owes its success and 
 influence to the devotion of Mr. Knapp and 
 his partners to its interests, and his economi- 
 cal administration of its affairs. 
 
 While in Cortland County Mr. Knapp, at 
 the age of eighteen, made a profession of re- 
 ligion, and subsequently joined the First 
 Baptist Church in Auburn, in May, 1839, of 
 which he was Clerk from 1846 to 1885, nearly 
 forty years. From 1847 to 1879, over thirty 
 years, he was superintendent of the Sunday- 
 school, and in 1865 was chosen Deacon. 
 Several times he has acted as Clerk and Pres- 
 ident at the meetings of the Cayuga Baptist 
 Association, and has been many years its Cor- 
 responding Secretary. In the society to 
 which he belongs he has been very liberal, 
 giving a large sum toward the erection of its 
 
37^ 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 meeting-house. Hardly need it be said that 
 he has been an ardent Republican from the 
 establishment of that party, though not caring 
 for office. He has been Trustee, and is now 
 a Director of the Cayuga County Savings 
 Bank, and is now Trustee for the Fort Hill 
 Cemetery. Since 1870 he has been a Direc- 
 tor in the Auburn Gaslight Company. From 
 1873 till 1891 he was a Director in the Na- 
 tional Bank of Auburn. For thirteen years, 
 from its organization in 1865, he was a Trus- 
 tee of the Home for the Friendless. From 
 1875 to 1878 he was Chairman of the City 
 Board of Education, of which he was several 
 years a subordinate member. For three years 
 he was a Director of the Baptist State Con- 
 vention. In 1892 he was made a Trustee of 
 the Auburn Female Bible Society, an auxil- 
 iary of the American Bible Society. 
 
 The beautiful Knapp home at 207 Genesee 
 Street was built in 1855, and the owner is 
 now the oldest resident in that vicinity. 
 His wife was born in Aurelius, but was edu- 
 cated in Auburn; and they have three daugh- 
 ters and one son. Gertrude, born in 1844, 
 married the Hon'. Sereno E. Payne. Louise, 
 born in 1850, is the wife of the Rev. Plato T. 
 Jones, now the very successful pastor of a 
 church in Matteawan. Another daughter re- 
 mains at home, ministering to an invalid 
 mother. 
 
 Horace J. Knapp, born in 1847, was the 
 second child. After studying at the Acad- 
 emy, he began business with his father, hav- 
 ing been familiar with types and presses from 
 his earliest childhood. He was married in 
 
 1869, his wife being Delia S. Swift, the eld- 
 est daughter of Dr. Swift, of Auburn. 
 
 Wisely says Thomas Carlyle, "There are 
 but two ways of paying debt : increase of in- 
 dustry in raising income; increase of thrift in 
 laying it out." With equal truth a foreign 
 writer has said, "A plodding diligence brings 
 us sooner to our journey's end than a flutter- 
 ing way of advancing by starts." 
 
 KREDERIC A. DUDLEY, M.D., of 
 Genoa, Cayuga County, N.Y., is the 
 possessor of a military record that many might 
 envy and few could emulate. He was born in 
 Madison, Conn., January 6, 1842, and can 
 trace his ancestry in an unbroken line back 
 to the seventeenth century. Dr. Dudley, as 
 the name implies, is of English descent. 
 The first of his ancestors who came to this 
 country was John Dudley, who was born in 
 P^ngland in 1650, and died at Madison, 
 Conn., 1690. The line of descent is as fol- 
 lows: Ebenezer, born in Madison, February 
 27, 1681, died August 29, 1751; Ebenezer, 
 born 1 7 19, died July 8, 1784; Jonathan, born 
 March 6, 1757, died April 5, 1796; Ebenezer, 
 born August 25, 1782, died February 7, 1864. 
 Samuel, son of the last-named and father of 
 the subject of this sketch, was educated at 
 Madison in the same village where his family 
 had lived for generations. Unlike the major- 
 ity of his ancestors, who were tillers of the 
 soil, he learned the trade of marble-cutting, 
 and later went into business as a marble-dealer 
 in the town of New Haven. In 1869 he re- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 377 
 
 moved to Cayuga County, New York, with his 
 family, and in 1874 bought the stage route 
 that runs from Northville to King's Ferry 
 Station, which he still operates. Mr. Samuel 
 Dudley married Mary, daughter of Robert 
 Smith, of Washington, Conn., and is the 
 father of three children ; namely, Cornelia L., 
 Hosmer, and Frederic A. The daughter Cor- 
 nelia is the wife of Charles W. Dennis, of 
 Toronto, Can. Hosmer married Miss Ellen 
 Close, and has one child, Grace. 
 
 Frederic, who is the youngest of the family, 
 enjoyed the advantage of a liberal education, 
 pursuing his elementary studies at the com- 
 mon school and academy, and taking his pro- 
 fessional course at the Yale Medical College, 
 where he was graduated in 1862. He was a 
 student at the breaking out of the Civil War, 
 but, at the call for troops, thrust self-interest 
 on one side, and rushed to the defence of his 
 country, enlisting in General Terry's regi- 
 ment, the Seventh Connecticut, remaining 
 with that regiment about two months, and 
 returning to Yale in order to receive his 
 diploma. He was then appointed a medical 
 cadet in the United States Army, and was 
 sent to join McClellan's command at Mon- 
 son's Hill, and afterward was attached to 
 the Douglas Hospital in Washington, D.C. 
 After remaining about six months in Wash- 
 ington, Dr. Dudley was commissioned Assist- 
 ant Surgeon of the Fourteenth Connecticut 
 Regiment, serving six months in that capac- 
 ity, when he was promoted to the rank of Sur- 
 geon of the same regiment. He was attached 
 to the Second Army Corps until the surrender 
 
 of General Lee. The Adjutant-general's re- 
 port for the year 1866 makes mention of the 
 brave young Doctor as follows: "Surgeon 
 Dudley, an able and efficient officer, was 
 under fire constantly; and his ability was the 
 means of taking him from the regiment much 
 of the time. He was in charge of the Divi- 
 sion Hospital, yet was always to be found in 
 the brvmt of the battle, attending to the 
 wounded. He was wounded at Gettysburg, 
 and was taken prisoner at Hatcher's Run, 
 October, 1864, voluntarily, through >his zeal 
 for the wounded." In the " Military and Civic 
 History of Connecticut" Surgeon Dudley is 
 also personally mentioned in these terms: 
 " Surgeon F. A. Dudley, who was constantly 
 under fire, was wounded in the arm by the ex- 
 plosion of a shell, was a prisoner at Libby 
 prison for four months, and then rejoined his 
 regiment at Petersburg, remaining with them 
 until the close of the war, being mustered out 
 at Hartford, Conn., 1865." 
 
 Soon after the war Dr. Dudley came to 
 Genoa, and has been a practising physician 
 in this town ever since. He was married in 
 1 87 1 to Sarah J. Slocum, a daughter of Ezra 
 C. Slocum, of Genoa. He is a member of the 
 Grand Army of the Republic, and also a Free 
 Mason, and is a prominent member of the Ca- 
 yuga County Medical Society. In politics he 
 is a Republican, and cast his first vote for 
 Abraham Lincoln in 1864. Dr. Dudley is a 
 most cultured gentleman, and deservedly en- 
 joys the respect and esteem of his fellow- 
 townsmen; and his patriotism is such that, 
 although not a young man, he is ready to 
 
378 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 do again what he did in 1861, should occasion 
 require. 
 
 M 
 
 AVID WRIGHT. A fixed determi- 
 nation to succeed, with mental and 
 moral qualifications of a high order, 
 do not always result in the successful accom- 
 plishment of life's aims, and are not to be 
 met with in every person; yet it is to such 
 sturdy equipment that the subject of this 
 sketch can ascribe his steady and sure ad- 
 vance in reputation and honor and in the ac- 
 cumulation of worldly wealth. 
 
 David Wright, Esq., a retired lawyer of 
 Auburn, N.Y., where he was for many years 
 an eminent practitioner, is a descendant of 
 early settlers of the woody land of Penn, his 
 paternal great-grandfather having come to 
 this country with the renowned Quaker 
 leader. Mr. Wright is a native of the Key- 
 stone State, having been born on 4-pril 18, 
 1806, at Penn's Manor, Bucks County, Pa. 
 His father, Amos Wright, was a farmer, and 
 in religious belief a sterling old Quaker, at- 
 tending worship at the only meeting-house of 
 that denomination in the neighborhood. He 
 had all the Quaker horror of war and blood- 
 shed, and a memorable incident in his life 
 was when he was fined fifty dollars for refus- 
 ing to serve as a soldier under Washington in 
 what is known as the "Whiskey Rebellion." 
 On another occasion he bought the time of 
 two Hollanders, a man and a woman, whose 
 services were sold for a certain length of time 
 to pay their passage to this country. 
 
 David pursued his early studies at the 
 
 Friends' School, spending several years there, 
 and gaining what was seldom to be had in 
 those days — "a good, broad, and general edu- 
 cation." Most of his time was devoted to 
 mathematics and surveying, subjects for which 
 he had a special aptitude. 
 
 Soon after the completion of his school life 
 he departed for Western New York, arriving 
 here in 1826. He at first applied for the 
 position of teacher at the common school in 
 the old town of Scipio, there being a large 
 Friends' settlement at that place. A certain 
 time was set for his examination by the Trus- 
 tees; and, upon presenting himself, one of 
 the first questions asked was in relation to 
 vowels and consonants, and, as his attention 
 had been chiefly devoted to mathematics, he 
 was unable to give a satisfactory answer. 
 Methodic and precise, the Trustees adjourned 
 the examination for one week, whereupon the 
 young applicant bought a spelling-book, and 
 prepared himself on the neglected branch of 
 learning. In the mean time he had obtained 
 the position of clerk in Dr. Tallraan's store, 
 in the town of Ledyard. He was paid the 
 large salary of twelve dollars per month and 
 board, but at the end of twelve months his 
 industry and attention to duties ca,used his 
 salary to be raised to sixteen dollars per 
 month. 
 
 About this time his father, feeling that the 
 farm needed a younger man to attend to its 
 management, requested him to come home 
 and take charge. He had been back at the 
 old homestead only a year when he received a 
 letter from the resident engineer of the Sen- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 379 
 
 eca & Cayuga Canal Company, offering him a 
 position at a salary of twenty-six dollars per 
 month. This he accepted without hesitation, 
 as in those days it was considered a high 
 wage. He had his board to pay out of that 
 amount, for which he gave a shilling a meal, 
 and the same for lodging; yet, with his nat- 
 ural frugality and forethought, he managed 
 to save money out of his salary. In less 
 than a year from the time of his appoint- 
 ment the canal was finished, and he was out 
 of work. 
 
 The next position Mr. Wright obtained was 
 that of school-teacher, for which he received 
 sixteen dollars per month for four months in 
 the year, and boarded around with the fami- 
 lies of the scholars in the vicinity. It took 
 him but a short time, however, to perceive 
 that he was not adapted for the role of coun- 
 try pedagogue. He then turned his attention 
 to the study of law, reading with Seneca & 
 Isaac Wood, of Aurora, and after completion 
 of his studies was admitted to the bar in Oc- 
 tober, 1832, at the general term of court at 
 Albany. In 1832 he established himself for 
 practice at Aurora, remaining there till 1839, 
 removing in that year to Auburn, where he 
 opened an office, shortly after which he took 
 into the firm Theodore M. Pomeroy, the busi- 
 ness relations lasting until Mr. Pomeroy 
 ceased practice. 
 
 It was not long before Mr. Wright by pains- 
 taking fidelity and close application built up 
 the leading law practice in the city. He has 
 always been a man of method. One of his 
 rules was "never to leave the office earlier or 
 
 later than 9 p.m., and never to enter his 
 office on the Sabbath." His devotion to busi- 
 ness was such that he never allowed himself 
 the luxury of a holiday. His practice had a 
 wide and extended range, comprising the Gen- 
 eral Term Court, Court of Appeals, District 
 and Circuit Courts of the United States, and 
 Supreme Court of the United States. He 
 especially devoted himself to patent cases, 
 which caused him to travel all over the 
 United States. 
 
 In 1874 his health began to fail; and, al- 
 though he did not entirely cease practice, he 
 was compelled to modify his business a good 
 deal. It was at this period he began to spend 
 his winters in Florida, a relaxation he still 
 indulges in. He holds" a record of never 
 having taken a fee in a criminal case except 
 in one instance, when Messrs. Wright & 
 Pomeroy, by appointment of the court, de- 
 fended a young man for the crime of murder, 
 which is his criminal record. One of his 
 most important cases was when he was en- 
 gaged with Mr. Seward in preparing what is 
 known in history as the "Freeman Trial." 
 Mr. Wright was for many years a Master and 
 Examiner in Chancery. When the telegraph 
 was first started at Rochester, he was re- 
 quested to act as one of the Trustees for the 
 first company; but he was compelled to re- 
 fuse, his large and ever-increasing practice 
 taking up the whole of his time. He was 
 counsel at one time for the South Central 
 Railroad, and is still a stockholder in the 
 company. 
 
 Mr. Wright was married to Mrs. Martha 
 
38o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 (Cofifin) Pelham, of Nantucket, who died in 
 187s, leaving four children. M. Tallman 
 Wright, the eldest born, lost his life by 
 drowning, being knocked overboard by the 
 boom of a vessel in California in 1849. 
 William P., who was a First Lieutenant dur- 
 ing the Civil War, is now in Florida. The 
 eldest living child is Mrs. D. M. Osborne. 
 Ellen, the second daughter, is the wife of 
 William Lloyd Garrison. Frank, a resident 
 of New York City, held the position of 
 County Clerk in Putnam County, Florida, for 
 many years. Mr. Wright was originally a 
 Democrat in politics, but ever since the pas- 
 sage of the Fugitive Slave Law has been a 
 stanch Republican, and never fails to cast his 
 vote at the fall electrons. 
 
 T^HRISTOPHER H. SLEIGHT is one 
 
 I J[ of the prominent agriculturists of 
 
 
 Cayuga County, occupying a leading 
 
 position among the progressive farmers of the 
 town of Cato, where he is the owner of a pro- 
 ductive farm, well stocked and well equipped, 
 and further improved by a beautiful residence 
 and large and convenient farm buildings, all 
 bespeaking the intelligence, enterprise, and 
 thrift of the proprietor. Mr. Sleight is a na- 
 tive of the Empire State, having been born on 
 August 26, 1836, in Sleightsburg, Ulster 
 County, which was also the birthplace of his 
 parents, Stephen and Catherine (Delamarter) 
 Sleight. Peter Sleight, the first of his pa- 
 ternal ancestors of whom he has any definite 
 knowledge, resided in Ulster County for many 
 
 years. John P. Sleight, his grandfather, was 
 also born in Ulster County, and there carried 
 on general farming, being a life-long resident. 
 Besides attending to the labors of his farm, 
 he was owner of a ferry, which he operated 
 himself; and this same ferry, which has been 
 in the possession of the Sleight family for 
 more than a century, is still owned by one of 
 his descendants. 
 
 Stephen Sleight, son of John P., was reared 
 to man's estate in the place of his nativity, 
 his birth having occurred in 1803. He was 
 there married to Catherine Delamarter, who 
 was born in 1806; and a few years later, ac- 
 companied by his family, he came to Cayuga 
 County, settling in the town of Cato in 1837. 
 He purchased sixty-five acres of wild land, 
 and, clearing a space in the timber, built a 
 log house, in which the family lived for some 
 time. By dint of perseverance in the task of 
 felling trees and uprooting stumps, he grad- 
 ually prepared the land for tillage; and before 
 his death, which occurred in 1872, he had one 
 hundred and fifty-four acres of land, and a 
 most comfortable homestead, where he and his 
 wife, who lived to be eighty-three years old, 
 enjoyed many happy years. Of the seven 
 children born to them, five are now living; 
 namely, Helen E., Titus, Daniel C, Eliza 
 A., and Christopher H. One son, John D., 
 died when sixty-eight years of age; and one 
 daughter, Frances, passed away when forty- 
 eight years old. Both Stephen Sleight and 
 his estimable wife were valued members of the 
 Baptist church of Weedsport, and in politics 
 he was a Republican. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 381 
 
 Christopher H. Sleight attended the schools 
 of Cato and Weedsport, where he obtained 
 a good education. He was reared to habits of 
 industry and thrift, beginning as soon as old 
 enough to work to assist his father on the 
 home farm. Profiting by his early training, 
 he selected agriculture as his life occupation, 
 and has become widely and favorably known 
 as one of the most skilled farmers in this 
 vicinity, being now considered authority on 
 most matters pertaining to this branch of 
 industry. He is the owner of the parental 
 homestead, which has been enlarged by the 
 purchase of more land, and now contains one 
 hundred and six fertile and well-cultivated 
 acres. Here Mr. Sleight carries on an exten- 
 sive business in general farming, paying es- 
 pecial attention to the raising of fine stock. 
 He raises a variety of crops, wheat, oats, 
 barley, corn, tobacco, and potatoes being 
 staple productions. 
 
 The union of Mr. Sleight with Dorcas J. 
 Delamarter was solemnized January 2, 1867. 
 Mrs. Sleight was born in the town of Cato 
 in 1844, being the daughter of Abram and 
 Phoebe (Jenkins) Delamarter, who were among 
 the early settlers of this place, and both of 
 whom were natives of Ulster County. Isaac 
 Delamarter, the paternal grandfather of Mrs. 
 Sleight, emigrated to Cayuga County in 
 1834, bought land in Cato, and, improving a 
 homestead, spent the remainer of his life here, 
 dying at the age of seventy-eight years. His 
 son, Abram Delamarter, came here two years 
 later, when the country was comparatively 
 new, and ably performed his part in trans- 
 
 forming the land, which was then covered 
 with trees or huge stumps, into one of the 
 most beautiful agricultural regions of the Em- 
 pire State. He bought one hundred and 
 twenty-five acres of land, and with energetic 
 perseverance he labored until he had it in a 
 tillable condition. He was a farmer of more 
 than average ability, and met with success in 
 his efforts; and at the time of his death, 
 which occurred when he was seventy-eight 
 years old, he had increased his farm by pur- 
 chase to one hundred and fifty acres. He was 
 a- man of sterling worth, greatly respected by 
 all, in politics a true Republican; and both 
 he and his wife, who preceded him to the bet- 
 ter world, dying at the age of fifty-six years, 
 were esteemed members of the Presbyterian 
 church. They were the parents of four chil- 
 dren: Nelson N., who owns and occupies 
 the old homestead; Isaac, who died at the 
 age of twenty-two; Hannah Y., who died 
 at the age of five years; and Dorcas J., Mrs. 
 Sleight. 
 
 Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Sleight two 
 children have been born, of whom Eugene, 
 the eldest, a bright and intelligent lad, died 
 in 1882, at the age of eleven years and six 
 months. Willie A., the only child living, 
 was born Alarch 29, 1884. 'Sir. and Mrs. 
 Sleight are consistent members of the Baptist 
 church of Weedsport, toward the support of 
 which they contribute liberally. Socially, he 
 is a member of the Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen, No. 199, at Weedsport; and in 
 his political views he is a stanch adherent of 
 the Republican party. 
 
382 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ^AMUEL C. VAN SICKLE, one of 
 the foremost citizens of Cayuga 
 County, has been a resident of Au- 
 relius for more than threescore years; and 
 during that period he has been an important 
 factor in its development, being numbered 
 among the prominent agriculturists whose 
 extensive and well-managed farms reflect so 
 much credit upon themselves, and assist so 
 largely in increasing the wealth of the county, 
 as well as adding to its scenic attractions. 
 He is a native of New Jersey, born on Sep- 
 tember 28, 1828, being a son of John Van 
 Sickle, of that State. In these days, when 
 the patriotism and valor of the last century are 
 being so widely recognized and celebrated, it 
 is well to mention that his grandfather, Gar- 
 rett Van Sickle, who was born and bred in 
 Hunterdon County, New Jersey, was an officer 
 in the Revolutionary War, serving as a Lieu- 
 tenant in the army, and took an active part in 
 many engagements. In the battle of Mon- 
 mouth he was in the thickest of the fight, 
 while his wife lay sick in bed within hearing 
 of the guns. At the close of the war Lieu- 
 tenant Van Sickle returned to his farm, where 
 he engaged in general agriculture until his 
 death, on F"ebruary 2, 18 10. His wife, whose 
 maiden name was Margeielje Van Lowen, sur- 
 vived him, dying in the year 1829. 
 
 Their son, John Van Sickle, was educated 
 and reared to manhood in his native State, 
 and there learned the hatter's trade, which he 
 followed as a means of livelihood for several 
 years. In 1831 he came up into New York 
 State, driving across the country with a team 
 
 to Cayuga County. Buying a farm, consist- 
 ing of one hundred and twenty-three acres, in 
 the town of Aurelius, on which the only im- 
 provements were a log house and a small 
 barn, he began its cultivation in earnest, and 
 erelong had effected a decided change in its 
 appearance. The log cabin was replaced by 
 a substantial frame house, a convenient barn 
 and other farm buildings were erected, and 
 the land was prepared for tillage. On that 
 comfortable homestead he spent the remain- 
 der of his days, dying February 20, 1861. 
 He was twice married. His first wife, whose 
 maiden name was Catherine Robinson, dying, 
 left him with seven children; namely, 
 Thomas, Abraham, Garrett, William. Lydia, 
 Marina, and Margaret. He subsequently 
 married Theodosia Taylor, who bore him two 
 children — John R. and Samuel C, the latter 
 being the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Samuel C. Van Sickle was a sturdy little 
 fellow of three years when he came with his 
 parents to Aurelius, which has since been his 
 home. He received his elementary education 
 in its district schools, supplementing that by 
 an attendance at the academies of Cayuga and 
 Red Creek, in Wayne County, and afterward 
 taught school one term. Mr. Van Sickle 
 then turned his attention to agricultural pur- 
 suits, working on his father's farm until i860. 
 At that time he bought the farm where he 
 now resides, and, marrying Mary A. Oliver, 
 daughter of John and Rachel (Fitch) Oliver, 
 placed her at the head of his household, over 
 which she has since presided with ability, 
 grace, and dignity, two daughters completing 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 383 
 
 their pleasant family circle, namely: Ida B. 
 whose birth occurred December 16, 1862; and 
 Harriet, born May 3, 1869. The elder 
 daughter, who married George L. Wayne, of 
 Cayuga, has one son, named Delancy. Mr. 
 Van Sickle is a man of many excellent traits 
 of character; and his life record thus far is 
 such as to reflect credit on the citizenship of 
 the county. He takes pleasure in doing all 
 that he can to advance the interests of his 
 town, and has served it well in official capaci- 
 ties, having been Supervisor for three terms, 
 the last term acting as Chairman of the 
 Board. He has also been Justice of the Peace 
 four years, besides iilling the responsible po- 
 sition of Trustee. Socially, he is a member 
 of the Masonic fraternity, and was a member 
 of the Grand Lodge of that order, being at 
 that time the youngest member of the lodge. 
 In him the Republican party has one of its 
 strongest advocates, he having joined its 
 ranks on the formation of the party. His 
 moral influence in the community is health- 
 ful, and he and his family are consistent 
 members of the Presbyterian church. 
 
 'ranklin duane pierce, M.D. 
 
 No man in his senses can to-day ques- 
 tion the need of rational — that is to say, 
 natural — treatment for all diseases. The an- 
 tiquated, perfunctory fashion of dealing with 
 ailments en masse is rapidly vanishing, like 
 Banquo's ghost from' Macbeth 's banquet; and 
 into its place is rising a therapeutic system 
 based upon careful investigation into the 
 
 cause of disorders and the relief furnished by 
 electricity, massage, water, air, sunshine — 
 in a word, by the great laboratory of a divine 
 universe, and not specially to be found in the 
 materia medica. Though drugs are to be 
 found also in that great storehouse, they are 
 not first and foremost; and wise doctoring 
 to-day puts them in their legitimate back- 
 ground, to be used when needed, but not 
 allowed to usurp the thrones of their grand 
 superiors. This modified treatment is spe- 
 cially demanded in nervous and other chronic 
 affections; and to them Dr. Pierce gives spe- 
 cial attention at his Sanitarium in Union 
 Springs, called also the Hygeia Hotel, charm- 
 ingly situated on the borders of Lake Cayuga, 
 and possessing great attractions. In this re- 
 gion for three centuries flourished the noble 
 Iroquois Indians, with their chief village of 
 Goi-o-gouen. Here now stands a picturesque 
 mansion; and hard by are advantages for row- 
 ing, yachting, fishing, bathing, steamer ex- 
 cursions, railway jaunts, and island picnics. 
 The Sanitarium is built with fullest regard to 
 ventilation, heat, and sewerage; and there is 
 also ample provision for exercise, recreation, 
 and amusement, as well as for cleanliness and 
 medical guardianship. The main building is 
 of solid brick, with three stories above the 
 basement; and on the commodious grounds, 
 besides the lawns and trees, are a brace of cot- 
 tages, where the extremest quiet can be en- 
 joyed by those requiring it. The buildings 
 are steam-heated, and supplied with Turkish 
 and other baths. There, too, is the machin- 
 ery used for mechanical massage. Patients 
 
384 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 come hither, not only from the neighboring 
 counties, but from great distances; for the 
 reputation of the Sanitarium has so far been 
 noised abroad that the house is filled most of 
 the year. The Sanitarium is supplied with 
 fruit, butter, eggs, milk, vegetables, and 
 poultry from the Doctor's own farm, two 
 miles distant. 
 
 It may be said that the Doctor is one of the 
 leading men of his town, not only as a physi- 
 cian, but as a helpful citizen. He is a vigor- 
 ous gentleman, right in his prime, a genial 
 companion, a scientific inquirer, a hard 
 worker, and a winning conversationalist. 
 
 The Pierce family was prominent in New 
 England from 1636, when the early ancestors 
 came from England, soon after the settlement 
 of Boston; and some of the descendants were 
 in the Bunker Hill fight. The Doctor's 
 great-grandfather was Levi Pierce, who lived 
 in Spencer, Worcester County, Mass. This 
 patriarch had so many children that the list 
 was conveniently versified as follows: — 
 
 Abner, George, and Ben, 
 Eli, Liberty, and Hen, 
 Levi, Shadrach, and Dan, 
 Isaac and Sarah Ann. 
 
 Of Levi Pierce's sons, Liberty Pierce was 
 born October 19, 1774, six months, to a day, 
 before the famous battle of Lexington. The 
 place of his nativity was the town of Spencer, 
 Worcester County, Mass. Liberty was the 
 grandfather of our subject, and was an Otsego 
 pioneer, who carved a home out of the wood- 
 lands in Burlington, whither he removed from 
 
 the old Bay State. He was a contemporary 
 with James Fenimore Cooper, the great 
 American novelist. Liberty Pierce's wife, 
 Lydia Beals, was born on March 11,, 1774, in 
 Abington, Plymouth County, Mass.; and they 
 were married June 29, 1797, when she was 
 twenty-three, and he seven months younger, 
 the ceremony taking place in Peru, Berkshire 
 County, in the same State. Liberty Pierce 
 died in Burlington, February 8, 1864, at the 
 age of fourscore and ten, and amid our Civil 
 War; and his wife died September 2, 1852. 
 Four of the children were born in Burlington, 
 and the others in Massachusetts ; and the rec- 
 ords show their marriages as follows : Gordon 
 Pierce married Dorothy Fox, December 30, 
 1 8 19, in Burlington. Orin Pierce married 
 Joanna Hale at the same place, February 19, 
 1824. Gay lord Pierce married Phoebe Cal- 
 kins in Otsego, October 4, 1827. Duane 
 Pierce, who became the father of our subject, 
 married Mary Morse in Hartwick, Otsego 
 County, January 22,, 1833. She was the 
 daughter of Nathaniel Morse, who inherited a 
 large farm from his father, Stephen Morse. 
 The family came from Connecticut; and they 
 were of the same kindred with Samuel Finley 
 Breese Morse, the inventor of the electric 
 telegraph.- Vaydor Pierce married both his 
 wives in Burlington — Hannah Emeline Gard- 
 ner, April 13, 183s, and, eight years later, 
 Betsey Pierson on December 18, 1843. Now 
 let us follow Duane Pierce's branch of the 
 family. In Burlington he was born and edu- 
 cated; and there he married Mary Morse, who 
 was born in the same town. After working 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 385 
 
 there some time as a millwright and carpen- 
 ter, and his own mill having burned, he went 
 to Herkimer County, and built for a company 
 a cotton-mill, in the village of Van Hornes- 
 ville. At the end of three years he decided 
 upon a greater removal to the village of Chap- 
 manville, Plum Township, Venango County, 
 Pa., and worked at his trade as millwright 
 and builder in the country round about. 
 For a season he worked in Pittsburg, doing 
 his part in the erection of the earliest flour, 
 cotton, and woollen mills in that growing 
 city, besides building models for mill- 
 owners. In 1872 he retired from active life, 
 and returned to New York, making his home 
 in Buffalo near his sons and daughter; and 
 there he died October 20, 1881. His wife 
 soon afterward returned to the old homestead 
 in Pennsylvania, where she died seven years 
 later, November 5, 1888. 
 
 Their children were five. Maryette was 
 born January 30, 1834, and died February 17, 
 1840, in Van Hornesville, in her childhood. 
 Amelia Pierce was born January 19, 1836, 
 and married Thomas J. Tipton, at Chapman- 
 ville. Pa., in April, 1857, at the age of 
 twenty-one; and she has one child, Ray Pierce 
 Tipton, born February 26, 1859, and now a 
 resident of Union City, Pa., where his par- 
 ents also now reside. Ray Vaughn Pierce, 
 now a noted Buffalo physician and ex-Senator 
 and ex-Member of Congress, was born Au- 
 gust 6, 1840, in Van Hornesville, where the 
 family were then living; and he was married 
 in November, 1864, at Diamond, Venango 
 County, Pa., to Mary Jane Smith. They 
 
 have had six children: Valentine Mott Pierce, 
 born August 7, 1866, graduated from Harvard 
 in 1888, and from Buffalo Medical College in 
 1 89 1, and now living in Buffalo, engaged in 
 practice; Frank Lee Pierce, born in June, 
 1869, and dying in July, 1870, after a short 
 year of earthly life; Ida Belle Pierce, born 
 June 18, 1871, dying November 6, 1889, at 
 the sweet age of eighteen; Oakley Earl 
 Pierce, born in June, 1873, and dying in 
 August, 1879, aged six years; Hugh Clay 
 Pierce, born in May, 1876; Ralph Waldo 
 Pierce, born November 6, 1884. 
 
 Returning now to Mr. Duane Pierce's chil- 
 dren, Franklin Duane Pierce, our subject, 
 was born February 22, 1853; and John Ed- 
 mund Pierce was born June 10, 1857, married 
 Louise M. Whicher, of Buffalo, November 
 26, 1879, ^nd died July 18, 1881, after a 
 brief but promising career in business. As 
 already noted, the fourth of Duane Pierce's 
 five children is our subject; and he was born 
 on Washington's Birthday in 1853. Till he 
 reached the age of sixteen he attended the 
 Chapmanville schools, and then went both to 
 a private school and the Central High School 
 in Buffalo, where lived his elder brother Ray. 
 In 1872 he began the study of medicine with 
 his brother, at the same time attending lect- 
 ures at the University of Buffalo. He was 
 graduated in the class of 1875, at the Eclectic 
 Medical Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio, after 
 which he was for a time in practice with Ray 
 in Buffalo. It was during the centennial year, 
 April 17, that he married Ida J. Constan- 
 tine, of the city where he lived, a noble and 
 
386 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 beautiful woman; but she died in the bloom 
 of her youth, at the age of twenty-two, on 
 June 5, 1877, after fourteen months of happy 
 wedlock, and five days after the birth of her 
 son, Franklin Duane Pierce, Jr., born on the 
 last day of May. The fall after his mar- 
 riage, 1876, the Doctor gave up general prac- 
 tice, and devoted himself to Sanitarium 
 work; but in 1877, after his beloved wife's 
 death, he resigned his position at the San- 
 itarium, and went to New York City, to re- 
 lieve his mind by a course of instruction in 
 the medical department of the University of 
 the City of New York, where he was grad- 
 uated in the class of 1878. For a while he 
 then practised in Gowanda, thirty miles from 
 Buffalo; but the next autumn he was elected 
 to the Chair of Physiology and Hygiene in the 
 College of Physicians and Surgeons in Buf- 
 falo, a position which he filled two years, at 
 the same time practising his profession in the 
 city. During this time he was again married, 
 March 26, 1879, to Mary Alice Baker, of 
 Brooklyn, who has been a worthy helpmate. 
 In 1880 this college was disbanded, and some 
 of the professors became connected with the 
 Niagara University; but Dr. Pierce had re- 
 signed before the change was made, in order 
 to devote himself wholly to his work at the 
 Invalids' Hotel, which he continued until 
 March, 1886, about six years, the institu- 
 tion being conducted by a stock company, 
 of which he was Vice-President. In March 
 of that year, 1886, he resigned this posi- 
 tion, and went to Union Springs, where he 
 established himself in a building formerly 
 
 occupied by a school called the Howland In- 
 stitute, which was well fitted for his purpose, 
 though needing some architectural changes. 
 Dr. Pierce has contributed many articles to 
 some of the leading medical journals, and 
 has translated from the French, and edited, 
 with notes and additions, an important and 
 interesting medical work. 
 
 An Arabian philosopher has said, "An ig- 
 norant doctor is the aide-de-camp of death " ; 
 but the converse is equally true, that a trained 
 physician is the staff-officer of life. " Look 
 to your health," says old Izaak Walton, the 
 angler; "and, if you have it, praise God, and 
 value it next to a good conscience." To help 
 men into this wholesome condition is the aim 
 of our Doctor. His business has been built 
 up without aid from any one else. In relig- 
 ion the Doctor is a Unitarian, and in politics 
 a Republican. He is decidedly a man of 
 affairs; for besides his Union Springs prop- 
 erty he owns a ranch in Coffey County, Kan- 
 sas, and real estate in Alabama. 
 
 fLOYD M. CLARK is a dealer in 
 hardware and stoves, and is also en- 
 gaged in a large confectionery business on 
 Lake Street, Fair Haven, Cayuga County. 
 Mr. Clark has much to be proud of in his 
 ancestry on both his father's and mother's 
 side. His father, Hiram Clark, was born 
 in Picton, Ont., where he was the ideal 
 "Village Blacksmith," and where for many 
 years his forge was the delight of the school- 
 children. The grandfather also was a black- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 387 
 
 smith; and he in his turn had learned his 
 trade from his father at their smithy in 
 Poughkeepsie, N.Y., before the Revolution- 
 ary times. Thus four generations of this 
 family have been seen working successfully at 
 a trade which has always gathered around it 
 the romance of the poets, and which turns out 
 such sturdy men and such earnest workers. 
 Hiram Clark left Canada in 1866, and settled in 
 Fair Haven, where he continued to work at his 
 trade until his death in 1885. He held many 
 town offices, and was a much respected citizen. 
 The mother of Mr. Clark came of a race 
 no less distinguished than the father. Her 
 maiden name was Maria Crouse ; and she was 
 the daughter of William Crouse, of Clark's 
 Mills, Ont., where she was born on July 22, 
 1842. Her great-grandfather and his brother 
 had owned a piece of land twelve miles square 
 at Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; but at the time of the 
 Revolution they lost it all. Dr. Crouse was 
 Mrs. Clark's grandfather. She was also con- 
 nected with a family of that name in Syra- 
 cuse. Maria Crouse was married early in life 
 to Casper Abby, a prominent woollen-mill 
 owner of Fulton, Can., where she lived until 
 after the death of her husband. By this mar- 
 riage she had one child, Hattie, who is now 
 the wife of Adelbert Kenney, of Osceola, 
 N.Y. A few years later she married Hiram 
 O. Clark, and by him had the following 
 children: Floyd M. ; Mary, wife of Adelbert 
 Wares of Oswego Falls; Celestine, wife of 
 Edward Ackerman, of Oswego Falls; and 
 Allen, who is still young, and lives with his 
 brother Floyd. Mrs. Clark was a devoted 
 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church for 
 twenty years; and at her death, in 1892, the 
 esteem in which she was held by the people of 
 Fair Haven was manifested by the great num- 
 ber who came to do her homage, her funeral 
 being one of the largest ever held in the town. 
 
 Floyd M. Clark was born in Picton, Ont., 
 in May, 1864, and when but two years of age 
 came with his father to this place. He was 
 educated in the union school, and then 
 learned the trade of blacksmith with his 
 father, and from the time he was sixteen has 
 conducted the shop most of the time, engag- 
 ing some one to assist in the work while he 
 gave his attention to various other lines of 
 business. Early displaying marked energy 
 and ability, he was made Weigh-master of the 
 Port of Fair Haven and the Southern Central 
 Railroad; and for five summers, while he was 
 still very young, he was employed in weigh- 
 ing all the coal that went out of port, this 
 being the great shipping point for coal. The 
 position was a very responsible one, and the 
 accuracy of his reports is a marvel to all who 
 know the difficulty of the work. After the 
 death of his father Mr. Clark built a new 
 shop on Lake Street, adjoining the store, 
 where he does a general hardware and black- 
 smith business, and employs four men. In 
 1886 he built a new store on the site of the 
 old blacksmith shop, and in 1887 another 
 store, adding a department for the sale of con- 
 fectionery and oysters to his former large 
 business. 
 
 Mr. Clark has taken an active interest in 
 the affairs of the town, being on the School 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Board for several years, and Treasurer of the 
 Board in 1893. He votes the Republican 
 ticket, but his many business interests pre- 
 vent him from taking a leading part in 
 politics. 
 
 On August 13, 1886, Mr. Clark was mar- 
 ried to Miss Anna Smith, of Fair Haven, 
 daughter of Harvey W. Smith, a native of 
 Hannibal, Oswego County, N.Y. Her grand- 
 father, Joel Z. Smith, was an early settler of 
 Hannibal, coming there from Camillus, and 
 originally from Rochester. Mrs. Clark is a 
 member of the choir at the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church, of which she and her husband 
 are firm supporters. Her husband is also a 
 musician, having for many years played sec- 
 ond tenor in the band ; but the weight of 
 business cares made it necessary to sacrifice 
 this pleasure. 
 
 Mr. Clark deserves much success and the 
 approbation of all who know him for the en- 
 ergy and enthusiasm which he has used in all 
 his undertakings, both for the public good and 
 his own personal advancement. Beginning 
 at an early age to take care of himself, be- 
 sides doing much toward the support of his 
 father's family, he has taken advantage of 
 every circumstance which presented an open- 
 ing for increased activity and usefulness, and 
 by his own efforts has become the influential 
 man and good citizen that he is to-day. 
 
 fHOMAS A. GAYLORD, the retired 
 foundryman of Auburn, N.Y., is one 
 of the old Gaylord family of Oneida County. 
 
 He was born at Hartford, Oneida County, 
 September 15, 18 14, and was the son of Ben- 
 jamin and Polly Gaylord. When Thomas was 
 fifteen years old, he came to Auburn, and 
 learned the trade of iron-moulder, at which he 
 worked for some years before building the 
 foundry at the corner of State and Water 
 Streets. The first foundry in this city, which 
 was where the Osborne House now stands, 
 was owned by David B. Talcott, and employed 
 but four men. Mr. Gaylord and his brother 
 built the second one, opposite the brewery. 
 In this foundry, a building only fifty feet by 
 fifty-two feet, they employed five or six men, 
 and made the well-known Peckham and Pre- 
 mium stoves, which have been very popular, 
 and for which there is still an extensive de- 
 mand. After some years Mr. T. A. Gaylord 
 sold out all his Auburn property to his brother 
 John; and, seeing an excellent opening for his 
 trade in Newark, N.J., he went there as fore- 
 man of eighty men in the foundry, and while 
 he was there the trade grew to such an extent 
 that, from melting three tons a week, they 
 melted twenty-five tons a day, all being under 
 the direct supervision of Mr. Gaylord. In 
 1870 he left Newark, and, returning to this 
 State, bought a farm of eighty-three acres in 
 the town of Sennett. Improving that until 
 1 88 1, he then sold it, and came to Auburn, 
 and bought the estate at No. 123 Franklin 
 Street and No. 25 Capitol Street. He has 
 dealt extensively in property in Auburn, and 
 besides the foundry has built several fine 
 residences. 
 
 Mr. Gaylord married Charlotte M. Marsh, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 389 
 
 of New Hartford, who died in 1892, leaving 
 one child, Charles H. Gaylord, an old soldier 
 of Cowan's Battery. Another son, Herod M., 
 a graduate of the Military Academy at An- 
 napolis, Md., was in the United States Navy, 
 and died during the late war. 
 
 Mr. Gaylord is favorably known throughout 
 this county, as a man of great industry and en- 
 terprise, who has done much to increase the 
 commercial interests of the vicinity. Having 
 thoroughly learned his trade when a boy, and 
 having worked steadily and faithfully at it for 
 many years, his experience is considered very 
 valuable in all matters pertaining to the iron 
 interests. He is a man much respected by 
 all who know him, and now in the autumn of 
 his life can look back upon many years of 
 useful toil and varied experience. 
 
 [ASON G. ATWATER, a well-known 
 and much respected resident of Genoa, 
 is also a native of that place, having 
 been born there September 26, 1837, son of 
 Alonzo E. Atwater. The paternal grand- 
 father, John G. Atwater, was a native of Con- 
 necticut, and came to Cayuga County, New 
 York, at an early period in its history, taking 
 up land for the purpose of farming near what 
 is now the Tompkins County line. He be- 
 longed to the hardy class of pioneers, and 
 did his share in opening up the county and 
 helping to develop its resources. His son, 
 Alonzo E., was born in Genoa, and learned 
 the trade of stone-mason; but, having ob- 
 tained a substantial education in the district 
 
 school at Genoa, he occupied himself for 
 many years, during the winter months, in 
 teaching school. Later in life he gave up his 
 trade of stone-mason, and engaged in farming, 
 in which occupation he was very successful. 
 He chose for his wife Miss Tamer Benjamin; 
 and they became the parents of five children — 
 namely, Morton, Norman, Jason G., Hudson, 
 and Emily. Of these Norman is deceased, 
 Morton is now a resident of Loch Haven, Pa., 
 Hudson of Seneca Falls, N.Y., and Emily 
 resides in Genoa. 
 
 Jason G. Atwater was educated in the 
 schools of his native town, and obtained a fair 
 amount of 'practical knowledge, which he has 
 since supplemented by reading and observa- 
 tion. He took up farming and dealing in 
 produce, and by means of foresight, energy, 
 and honest methods has established and built 
 up a large and paying business. He also oc- 
 cupies the position of railroad agent at King's 
 Ferry for the Cayuga Lake Division of the 
 Lehigh Valley Railroad, having served the 
 company in this capacity since the road was 
 built. His business talent, shrewd common 
 sense, and honest dealing have been recog- 
 nized by his fellow-townsmen ; and he was 
 called upon by them to serve as Supervisor 
 and Commissioner of Highways, which offices 
 he held for three years, to the public satisfac- 
 tion. He is a Republican in politics, and 
 cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln in 
 i860. 
 
 In 1862 Mr. Atwater was united in mar- 
 riage to Mary E. Tilton, daughter of Jona and 
 Sophia (Latourette) Tilton, of Genoa. Their 
 
390 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 union has been blessed by the following chil- 
 dren: Fred, who married Miss Florene Hiad- 
 le\', and has two children — Emih' b.. and 
 \\'ard; Dwight, who occupies the responsible 
 position of Postmaster at Clear \'iew; Roy; 
 Dayton; and Sophia. 
 
 Mr. At water is a man in the prime of life, 
 and is popular among his fellow-citizens. He 
 is devoted to the interests of his town: and 
 his influence and assistance are alwa\s sought 
 and obtained whenexer any project is afoot for 
 the physical or moral betterment of the com- 
 munity. In business affairs he is recognized 
 as capable and trustworthy; and his home 
 life is that of a typical .Vmcrican — a faithful 
 husband and careful provider and an affection- 
 ate father. Happy is the communit)' that 
 possesses many of I\Ir. Atwater's stamp and 
 personal characteristics. 
 
 T^HARLES D. BENTON, farmer, of 
 I J[ Ira, N.Y., now in his sixty-se\-enth 
 
 ^ year, may perhaps be classed among 
 
 the older nati\-e-borii citizens of this cmnit)' 
 who are still living within its limits. lie 
 grew with its giowth, and, since attaining 
 manhood, has been a potent factor in the great 
 work that has resulted, in placing Ca)'uga 
 County in a leading position among the rich 
 farming regions of the Empire State. The 
 town of Ira, where his birth occurred April 
 15, r828, is still his home; and his beautiful 
 farm, on which he has lived for nearly half 
 a century, compares favorably in point of cul- 
 tivation and improvement with the best in the 
 
 locality He comes of good New iMiglaud 
 stock, and is the son of an honored pioneer of 
 this county, his father, Allen Henton, h;i\ing 
 settled here in 181 1. 
 
 Allen Henton was born in the old liay State 
 in 1789, and among New England's rugged 
 hills was reared to man's estate. On attain- 
 ing his majorit)-, he left the jxirental home, 
 and, turning his face Westward, wended his 
 wa\- to this part of New A'ork. Soon after 
 his arrival occurred the War of 18 u, into 
 which he was drafted, but did not serve. In 
 his Massachusetts home he liad laid the 
 foundation for his excellent education; and, 
 after settling heie, he sjient some time in 
 teaching, being very successful in his peda- 
 gogical efforts. His inclinations tending 
 toward a medical career, he beg;ui the stuih' 
 of medicine with Dr. Squires, an old and 
 esteemed ph)'sician of this county, remaining 
 with him two or three years. Mr. Benton 
 subsec]uentl\' renuned to Ira Hill, making his 
 home with Deacon Phelps for a time. While 
 a resident of that part of Ira, he was united in 
 marriage to Deborah Willcy, their nuptials 
 being solemnized July jj, 1S19. He then 
 turned his attention toward :igriculture, buy- 
 ing first a small tract of land; and, being suc- 
 cessful in its cultivation, as time rolled on, 
 he ailded more land by purchase, until his 
 homestead contained six hundred and fifty 
 acres, being one of the most extensive in the 
 vicinity. The land was then in its primeval 
 condition, and its reduction to a st:ite of till- 
 age seemed an almost Herculean task. The 
 nearest markets were many miles away, and 
 
Charles D, Benton. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 393 
 
 the only means of transportation were with 
 teams. Bears, wolves, deer, and smaller 
 game abounded; and the Indians, principally 
 of the Onondaga tribe, were only too neigh- 
 borly. Allen Benton was an energetic, en- 
 terprising man, and in the work of clearing 
 and improving his farm never faltered. He 
 labored with unremitting toil; and, as the 
 huge forest trees fell before the blows of his 
 axe, each succeeding year added to his tillable 
 land, the wild woods gradually giving place 
 to well-cultivated and productive fields. As a 
 farmer, he was classed among the most active 
 and progressive of any in the locality, and 
 was the most skilled doctor in his locality, 
 following his profession many years. As a 
 citizen, he was one of the most prominent and 
 influential in the neighborhood. He lived 
 to the venerable age of eighty-eight years, 
 dying in the village of Cato in 1877. His 
 wife, who preceded him to the better world, 
 passed away at the age of sixty-eight years. 
 
 Mrs. Allen Benton, who was born in the 
 town of East Haddam, Conn., was a daughter 
 of Abraham Willey, one of the original set- 
 tlers of this county, he having established 
 himself at Benton's Corners in 1809, and 
 with the other pioneers of the place endured 
 all the hardships and privations that accom- 
 pany life in an undeveloped country. He 
 bought a tract of wild land, and devoted his 
 energies to its improvement, with resolution 
 and pluck overcoming all obstacles in his 
 way. On the farm which he cleared, watch- 
 ing with gratification its change from a tim- 
 ber-covered land, the resort of Indians and 
 
 wild beasts, to a rich and grain-yielding farm, 
 he lived for many years a useful and valued 
 member of the community. He spent his 
 last days in Ira, dying there in 1841. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Allen Benton reared a family of five 
 children, namely: Heman, who lives in the 
 town of Ira; Allen R., a resident of Indiana; 
 Mrs. Matilda W. Shepherd, of Connecticut; 
 Charles D., of Ira; and James D., who died 
 at the age of fifty-five years. 
 
 Charles D. Benton acquired the rudiments 
 of his education in the district schools of Ira, 
 and subsequently pursued his studies for two 
 terms at the Fulton Academy. In common 
 with other farmers' sons, he early obtained 
 practical experience in the different branches 
 of agriculture, and at the age of twenty-two 
 years began life on his own accounts. He 
 was more fortunate than most country youths ; 
 for he was the recipient of a substantial leg- 
 acy, his aunt having willed to him one hun- 
 dred and fifty acres of land. On this he 
 began his agricultural career, having since 
 successfully carried on farming and stock- 
 raising on quite an extensive scale. He is 
 a worthy representative of the prosperous 
 farmers of this vicinity, and has been conspic- 
 uously identified with the best interests of the 
 town and county. He is a man of unusual 
 intelligence, one who reads the papers and 
 has a good knowledge of affairs; and his es- 
 timable character, as well as his capacity, has 
 given him an important place among his fel- 
 low-townsmen. He is a Republican from 
 conviction, and has served most creditably as 
 Assessor for several years. He belongs to 
 
394 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the Farmers' Grange, No. 592, of Ira; and 
 he and his wife are valuable members of the 
 Church of the Disciples. 
 
 On December 19, 1853, Mr. Benton was 
 united in marriage to Asenath M. Noble, who 
 was born in Cato, June 5, 1834, being a 
 daughter of William B. and Amelia Noble, 
 neither of whom is now living. Mr. Noble, 
 who was a pioneer merchant of Cato, died in 
 Syracuse, at the age of seventy-six years, and 
 his wife when forty years old. They reared 
 a family of five children, of whom four are 
 now living. Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Ben- 
 ton have two children: Alice, the widow of 
 Clarence Dickinson; and James N. — both 
 living at home with their parents. The 
 domestic life of the family in their commo- 
 dious residence, which was built in 1879, is 
 one of comfort and happiness, augmented by 
 the esteem and confidence of their many 
 friends and acquaintances. 
 
 Those to whom Mr. Benton's face is famil- 
 iar will not need the evidence of his name to 
 identify his portrait on another page. 
 
 ■*■*• »■ * 
 
 /gURTIS C. RUMSEY, a prominent 
 V J[ stage-route owner of Port Byron, was 
 
 " born in the town of Victory, April 
 
 26, 1835, son of Calvin and Sophronia (Enos) 
 Rumsey. The father was also a native of 
 Victory, born in 1807, and was a son of 
 Joseph Rumsey, who was one of the early set- 
 tlers of the town, having come there when it 
 was a wilderness. Sophronia Enos was born 
 at Oxford, Chenango County, N.Y., in 181 1, 
 
 and was brought by her parents to Victory in 
 1817. Her father, Roswell Enos, was born 
 in 1787 at what is now Binghamton. He 
 was a Justice of the Peace and member of 
 the Assembly from this county. Calvin 
 Rumsey died April 29, 1848, leaving two 
 children: Curtis C. ; and Sarah S., wife of 
 Dr. C. C. Cady, of Sennett Corners. 
 
 Curtis C. Rumsey was educated in Victory 
 at the village school. His father dying early, 
 he went to work when he was fifteen years old, 
 driving a stage, his first route being from 
 Victory to Oswego, making the trip in one 
 day. He continued on that route for two 
 years, afterward for seven years driving from 
 Victory to Auburn. This continued until his 
 marriage on September 10, 1856, to Miss 
 Emily B. Ketchum, of Mentz, when he re- 
 moved to Sennett, and engaged in farming for 
 two years. Later he moved to Weedsport, 
 and bought a stage route from Auburn to 
 Meridian, driving from Weedsport to Auburn. 
 He sold the route after a successful run of one 
 year, and, going thence to Montezuma, en- 
 gaged in farming for fifteen years. He then 
 bought the 'bus route to the railway station, 
 subsequently purchasing the daily route from 
 Spring Lake to Auburn, which he has suc- 
 cessfully conducted for nine years, keeping 
 from seventeen to twenty horses in the ser- 
 vice, the old farm at Montezuma being also 
 retained. Mr. Rumsey is a member of Port 
 Byron Lodge, No. 100, A. F. & A. M. 
 
 Mrs. Rumsey was born August 14, 1840, 
 in the town of Covert, Tompkins County, 
 and is the daughter of George M. and Jane B. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 395 
 
 (Filkins) Ketchum. Her father was born in 
 Orange County, New York, but spent his 
 early life in Starkey, Yates County. He 
 there married Miss Filkins, and afterward 
 moved to Tompkins County, where he was 
 engaged in farming four years. He then 
 went to Montezuma, and finally to Mentz, 
 Cayuga County. At the present time he 
 makes his home with his son-in-law. Mrs. 
 Ketchum died July i, 1864, leaving two chil- 
 dren — Emily B. and Elizabeth, wife of 
 Moses Cornwell, of Winona, Minn. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Rumsey have one child — Mary, wife of 
 John B. Haight, of Port Byron. She is the 
 mother of two children — Gracia and Curtis 
 J. Haight. 
 
 Mr. Rumsey is a member of the Baptist 
 church, and his wife of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church. They have a very pleasant 
 home, which they built in 1879. Both Mr. 
 and Mrs C. C. Rumsey are held in the 
 highest respect and esteem. They have 
 travelled quite extensively in their native 
 country, having been several times to the 
 State of Minnesota, and also having visited 
 the Columbian Exposition and seen the 
 wonders of the "White City," and have thus 
 gained considerable experience of the out- 
 side world, essentially broadening their views 
 
 thereby. 
 
 « <•# > 
 
 [EREMIAH D. LONG, one of the lead- 
 ing grocerymen of the city of Auburn, 
 with store at 151 State Street, was 
 born August 10, 1849, in County Limerick, 
 Ireland. He was brought to Auburn by his 
 
 parents, Bartholomew and Mary (Quaid) 
 Long. He was but eighteen months old, the 
 father making his home in this city until his 
 death, which took place June 16, 1888. Mrs. 
 Long died about eighteen years before her 
 husband, in i860. A family of four children 
 were born to them, all of whom are residents 
 of Auburn, namely: Jeremiah D., the subject 
 of this sketch; Ellen, wife of Patrick Quirk; 
 Hannah; and Mary. The family are mem- 
 bers of St. Mary's Catholic Church. 
 
 Jeremiah D. Long was educated in the 
 public schools of this city, and afterward 
 served an apprenticeship with John Curtis, 
 where the Osborne House now stands. In 
 1876 he started in business for himself, com- 
 mencing first in a small way on Van Auden 
 Street, where he continued until 1879, when 
 he moved to his present location, and soon 
 after bought the fine brick block built by 
 Colonel Carpenter. His business increasing 
 rapidly, Mr. Long has been compelled twice 
 to build an addition to his store, which now 
 has a depth of ninety-eight feet, also using 
 the second floor as a store-room. In addition 
 to his large grocery business, which employs 
 five clerks, he is largely interested in real 
 estate, having built two good dwelling-houses, 
 besides buying others. His business has pre- 
 cluded him from being an aspirant for public 
 office. 
 
 Mr. Long is a member of St. Mary's Church 
 and Catholic Mutual Benefit Association. 
 He was married October 30, 1876, to Miss 
 Mary A. Burns, of Bay City, Mich. Six chil- 
 dren have blessed this union; namely, Ger- 
 
396 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 trude, B. Frank, Nellie, Bernardine, Mary, 
 and Joseph. Mr. Long built a pleasant 
 residence on Seymour Street, which he has 
 occupied since his marriage. By his own 
 efforts he has established his business and 
 present standing in society, and is now reck- 
 oned among the most successful merchants of 
 the city of Auburn. 
 
 (WTe 
 
 LEN D. FLINN occupies a position 
 
 \[^_|_ in the front rank among the breeders 
 of fine stock in this section of the country, 
 making a specialty of raising trotting horses. 
 That success has crowned his intelligent 
 efforts need not be told to those who have 
 watched the growth and progress of his busi- 
 ness, the size and character of his excellent 
 stud being a credit to his knowledge, foresight, 
 and judicious management of his interests. 
 
 His mother, Mrs. Mary J. Flinn, widow of 
 the late Samuel Flinn, is descended from a 
 prominent New England family, her grand- 
 father, Elijah Perry, having been a native of 
 Connecticut. He passed the earlier part of 
 his life in that State, whence at a later period 
 he emigrated to this county, becoming a pio- 
 neer of Fleming. He made the trip across 
 the country with a team, bringing his family 
 with him, and, after arriving in Fleming, 
 bought a large tract of land, which he im- 
 proved, continuing in agricultural pursuits 
 until his death. He married Lois Wilkinson, 
 of Connecticut; and they reared six children 
 — Ira, Eliza, Orange, Truman, William, and 
 Polly. 
 
 William Perry, the fifth of these children, 
 was an infant when his parents brought him 
 to Fleming, and consequently had no recol- 
 lections of any other home. He attended the 
 pioneer schools of the town, between sessions 
 helping his father on the farm. In this man- 
 ner he became accustomed to the labors at- 
 tendant upon a farm life, and remained on 
 the homestead, performing his full share of 
 the work, until his marriage, at the age of 
 twenty-two years. Then, buying a farm in 
 Fleming, he continued in his chosen occupa- 
 tion, and remained a resident of that town 
 during his life. The maiden name of his 
 wife was Mary White. She was a daughter 
 of Jonas and Anna (Russell) White, of Au- 
 burn; and to them were born three children: 
 A. Eliza; Harriet Janet; and Mary Jane, 
 Mrs. Flinn. Eliza married John Gildersleeve, 
 of Scipio, and has one child, Frank. Harriet 
 married Henry Van Arsdale, and has three 
 children — William, Kate, and Fred. 
 
 Mary J. Perry, youngest child of William 
 and Mary Perry, was reared to maturity in the 
 home of her parents, who gave her good edu- 
 cational advantages, sending her to the acad- 
 emy at Auburn after she had completed her 
 studies in the district school. Her mother, 
 who was an exceptionally fine housekeeper, 
 gave her a practical training in the domestic 
 arts, well fitting her for the position which 
 she afterward occupied as the head of her hus- 
 band's household. In 1855 she became the 
 wife of Samuel Flinn, a son of Peter and 
 Castilla (Richardson) Flinn, natives of 
 Rochester, N.Y. Samuel Flinn was a farmer 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 397 
 
 by occupation; and after marriage he lived on 
 the homestead of his father, later becoming 
 the owner. Here he engaged in general agri- 
 culture, carrying it on most successfully until 
 his death, which occurred in 1873. He was 
 a citizen of irreproachable character, and al- 
 ways stood high in the estimation of the com- 
 munity as an honorable, upright, and trust- 
 worthy man, a devoted husband, and an 
 affectionate father. In politics he was an 
 uncompromising Democrat, as are his sons. 
 Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Flinn 
 three children were born: Marion P., who 
 died at the age of four years; Glen D. ; and 
 Edward R., born January 11, 1867. 
 
 Glen D. Flinn was born on November 23, 
 i860, in the town of Springport, Cayuga 
 County, where he gleaned his education, first 
 treading the paths of knowledge in its public 
 schools, and afterward attending the Friends' 
 Academy. Reared on the paternal home- 
 stead, he early turned his attention to agri- 
 cultural pursuits, working on the home farm 
 until 1888. Three years prior to this time, 
 however, Mr. Flinn, who had always been in- 
 terested in the raising of fine stock, formed a 
 partnership with J. B. Burlew, and made a 
 specialty of raising blooded horses, the part- 
 nership continuing until 1893, when Mr. 
 Flinn assumed full charge of the business. 
 He has raised many noted trotting horses, 
 among them being: Tina B., sold to J. E. 
 Thayer, of Boston; Consolation, the first 
 three-year-old with a record of 2.29 and 2.30 
 in the county; Gold Boy, 2.23!; Burlew 
 Honey Bee, 2.26i; Lady Bug, 2.26; and 
 
 Sunshine, 2.30^ — all of which have come 
 into prominent notice in the horse world. 
 Mr. Flinn, who trains and drives his own 
 horses, has no superior on the track in hand- 
 ling the ribbons — a fact which is recognized, 
 and which accounts for much of his success. 
 
 In 1887 Mr. Flinn was united in marriage 
 with Minnie L. Capen, the daughter of 
 Luman and Theresa (Lowry) Capen, of 
 Springport; and to gladden their hearts and 
 enliven their pleasant home two children have 
 been born — Marion J. and Glen C. Mr. 
 Flinn and his estimable wife are people of 
 high social consideration in the community 
 where they have so long lived, their genial 
 courtesy and generous hospitality attracting a 
 large circle of friends. The beautiful home 
 in which they entertain their numerous guests 
 was built in 1887, and is a credit to their ex- 
 cellent taste, and an ornament to the neigh- 
 borhood. The substantial barn, one hundred 
 feet by forty feet, built at the same time, was 
 destroyed on June 16, 1892, but was rebuilt 
 the same year. Mr. Flinn is a stanch Demo- 
 crat politically, and has served as Trustee in 
 his school district for four terms. He is a 
 Mason, being a member of Warren Lodge, 
 No. 147, A. F. & A. M. 
 
 ff; 
 
 ILLIAM R. TRYON, a well-known 
 ident of Fleming, Cayuga 
 County, N.Y., was born in the town of 
 Owasco, in this county, December 12, 18 19. 
 His father, Levi S. Tryon, was a native of 
 Connecticut, but came to this State when 
 
398 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 quite young, and engaged in farming, and also 
 worked at his trade of clothier in the town of 
 Clarksville, Cayuga County. He afterward 
 purchased a mill at Owasco, which he con- 
 ducted with marked success until he attained 
 the age of sixty-five years, when he sold the 
 mill to the Owasco Canal Company, reserving 
 the right to use the property for a time. He 
 then purchased a tract of laiid, about one hun- 
 dred acres in area, and farmed the same until 
 his death, which took place in his eighty- 
 third year. Levi S. Tryon was married to 
 Miss Z. Hayden, by whom he had ten chil- 
 dren, four sons and six daughters; namely, 
 Dennis, Levi, Emily, Susan, Sally, Mary, 
 Hannah, William R., Betsy, and Horatio. 
 
 William R., the third son and eighth child 
 of his parents, was reared and received his 
 early education in the town of Owasco, but 
 since the age of seventeen has been a resident 
 of Fleming. He looked after his father's 
 farm until he was twenty-eight years of age, 
 at which time he married Miss Esther Greg- 
 ory, when he settled on a neighboring farm. 
 Miss Gregory was born in 1828, and was a 
 daughter of Zadoc and Marilla (Day) Gregory. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. William R. Tryon have had 
 four children — Howard, Oscar, Grace, and 
 Jennie. Mr. Tryon has been a Republican 
 since the formation of the party, and is a sup- 
 porter of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 He has never occupied any public office, 
 being too busy looking after his well-kept 
 farm to aspire to any public position. He 
 has always been a busy man, and is still re- 
 markably hale and active for one of his years, 
 
 and is known all over the county as a man of 
 the strictest honor and integrity. 
 
 SCAR TRYON, attorney and coun- 
 sellor -at - law of No. 51 Genesee 
 Street, Auburn, N.Y., was born in 
 the town of Fleming, Cayuga County, August 
 II, 185s, and is the son of William R. and 
 Esther O. (Gregory) Tryon. The father was 
 engaged in farming, and was a native of 
 Owasco, in this county, where he was born on 
 December 11, 1819. William's father, Levi 
 S. Tyron, came to this county from Connect- 
 icut, at the beginning of the present century, 
 and started the first woollen-mills in the 
 county. He occupied the position of Justice 
 of the Peace for the town of Owasco, which 
 was then called Aurelius. He raised a fam- 
 ily of eight children, as follows: Dennis; 
 William R. ; Horatio S. ; Emily, wife of 
 David Hamilton; Susan, wife of John Wat- 
 kins, who was associated with Mr. Tryon in 
 the manufacture of woollens; Sara L., wife of 
 William Ocobock, for a long time a resident 
 of Auburn; Mary, wife of Austin Haines; 
 and Betsy, wife of Erastus Strong, of Virgil, 
 N.Y. William R., the father of Oscar 
 Tryon, remained at the woollen-mills for 
 some time, afterward moving to the town of 
 Fleming, where he still resides. He has 
 been a Justice of the Peace for eight years, 
 and is a Republican in politics, but has never 
 been an aspirant for public office. Miss Es- 
 ther O. Gregory, whom he married, was the 
 daughter of Zadoc Gregory, of Fleming, and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 399 
 
 was born in that town in 1829. Four chil- 
 dren were the fruit of their union, namely : 
 Howard, who is now a successful farmer; 
 Oscar Tryon; Grace M. ; and Jennie. 
 
 Oscar Tryon received his first schooling at 
 the town of Fleming and the Auburn Acad- 
 emy, graduating from the latter in the class 
 of 1878. In the fall of the same year he took 
 a course of study in the Bryant & Stratton 
 Business College, Buffalo, N.Y., and the fol- 
 lowing year worked on a farm. In January, 
 1880, he began the study of law with Frank 
 D. Wright, Esq., of Auburn, and after four 
 years' diligent study was admitted to the bar 
 by examination held at Rochester in' October, 
 1884. He located his office for practice at 
 No. 85 Genesee Street, Auburn, and has been 
 eminently successful in the prosecution of 
 his professional duties. During his years of 
 study he was Court Crier, and also Special 
 Deputy County Clerk, under the Hon. B. M. 
 Wilcox. Mr. Tryon has also been a candi- 
 date for the office of District Attorney. 
 
 Mr. Tryon was married to Miss Catherine 
 Myer, of this city, on September 26, 1888; 
 and they have one child, a daughter Olive. 
 Both Mr. and Mrs. Tryon are supporters of the 
 Second Presbyterian Church, of which Mrs. 
 Tryon has long been a member. 
 
 
 'ARON BOWEN, a highly respected 
 member of the farming community of 
 the town of Fleming, may well be 
 venerated as one of the pioneers of Cayuga 
 County, having resided here since 18 10, 
 
 when, at the tender age of fifteen months, he 
 was brought here by his parents. He was 
 born among the rugged hills of Cheshire, 
 Berkshire County, Mass., December 15, 1808, 
 a son of Seth Bowen, of that town, and a 
 grandson of Aaron Bowen, who was born in 
 New England, of Welsh ancestry. The 
 grandfather was a farmer in his New England 
 home, and for many years pursued his peace- 
 ful but laborious occupation in the quiet town 
 of Cheshire. In 18 10 the elder Bowen, ac- 
 companied by his family, emigrated to this 
 county, and, buying a tract of land in the 
 town of Fleming, here engaged in general 
 farming until called to his long rest, when 
 seventy-eight years of age. He was twice 
 married, his first wife, whose maiden name 
 was Lucy May, bearing him four children, 
 one of whom was the father of the subject of 
 this sketch. 
 
 Seth Bowen lived in Massachusetts until 
 after his marriage, and in 18 10 came with his 
 parents and his family to this part of the Em- 
 pire State, making the removal with teams, 
 the only mode of travelling in those days; 
 and, the various streams between this county 
 and Albany not being bridged, he had to ford 
 them. Albany, one hundred and fifty miles 
 away, was the nearest market; and for some 
 years the surplus produce of the farm had to 
 be teamed there. Auburn was then a small 
 hamlet with one general store, and known as 
 Hardenburg's Corners. Seth Bowen bought 
 eighty acres of land, which are now included 
 in the homestead of his son Aaron, thirty 
 acres being then partially cleared, a log 
 
40 o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 house and barn constituting the other im- 
 provements. This humble log structure was 
 the dwelling-place of the family for some 
 years, but was subsequently replaced by a 
 frame house in which Mr. Bowen resided 
 until his decease, at the age of forty-eight 
 years. While in his Massachusetts home, he 
 married Sally Vaughn, a native of Vermont, 
 who also passed away when in middle life, 
 dying at the age of forty-six years. Of the 
 children born of their union nine grew to 
 maturity; namely, Jemima, Erastus, Aaron, 
 Lucy, Daniel, Eliza, Polly, Maria, and 
 Sarah. 
 
 Aaron Bowen, the second son of Seth and 
 Sally, having been so young when he came to 
 this county, has no remembrance of any other 
 home, his first recollections being the heavily 
 timbered land of this vicinity, with here and 
 there an opening on which stood the log cabin 
 of some pioneer settler. There were neither 
 railways nor canals in those days, and few 
 public highways. The now populous cities 
 and thriving villages of this locality were 
 then small hamlets, giving slight indication 
 of their future growth and prosperity. As he 
 grew in stature and in years, the lad busied 
 himself with pioneer labor on the farm; and 
 his mother and sisters cheerfully performed 
 their part, carding and spinning and weaving 
 the cloth from which with their own hands 
 they fashioned the garments of the entire fam- 
 ily. At the age of twenty-one years Aaron 
 began life for himself, even with the world. 
 He first worked as a farm laborer, receiving 
 nine dollars a month wages. On the death of 
 
 his father he returned to the home farm, and 
 assumed its management. After having 
 charge of it for a while, he bought out the 
 interests of the other heirs to the estate, and 
 has since resided here. He has carried on 
 general agriculture with good results, success 
 crowning all. of his undertakings, and, having 
 purchased more land, has now a valuable farm 
 of one hundred and seventy acres, one-half 
 mile from the town limits. 
 
 Mr. Bowen was united in wedlock January 
 30, 1833, to Mary Ball, who was born in the 
 town of Fairfield, Herkimer County, N.Y., 
 August 25, 1807, being a daughter of Thomas 
 and Hannah (Ketchum) Ball. She lived but 
 a few years after her marriage, dying Novem- 
 ber 16, 1839. On January 26, 1840, Mr. 
 Bowen married Hannah Ball, a sister of his 
 first wife. She was born in Sophiasburg, 
 Prince Edward's County, Can., May i, 1816. 
 Her father, it is thought, was born in New 
 York State, a son of Zerubbabel Ball. He 
 emigrated to Canada, and, after following the 
 trade of a mason there for some years, re- 
 turned to this State, and resided in different 
 localities within its limits. He finally re- 
 turned to Canada, and there spent his last 
 years with one of his sons. His wife, for- 
 merly Hannah Ketchum, was a native of one 
 of the States, and died in Buffalo. 
 
 Into the household of Mr. Bowen five chil- 
 dren were born, the following being their 
 record: Seth L. Bowen married Caroline 
 Pease, and has no children. Mary, who mar- 
 ried Charles Stephenson, has no children. 
 Olive married John Reed, and has one child — 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 401 
 
 Emma. Henry D. married Louisa Lech; 
 and they have one child — Belle. Winfield 
 Scott has been twice married, his first wife 
 having been Josephine Robinson, and his 
 second, Josephine (Lockwood) Hawley. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Bowen belong to the Baptist church, 
 and are ever zealous in all good and chari- 
 table works, and hold an honored place in the 
 estimation of their neighbors and friends. In 
 his early years Mr. Aaron Bowen was a Whig 
 in politics, but since the organization of the 
 Republican party has been an ardent sup- 
 porter of its principles. 
 
 T^HARLES L. SWIFT, M.D., one of 
 I J| the active medical practitioners of the 
 ^ — ^ city of Auburn, N.Y., was born at 
 Mainetown, Broome County, N.Y., November 
 28, 1850, son of Alonzo and Amanda L. 
 (Smith) Swift. Alonzo Swift is a well- 
 known farmer of Broome County, as was his 
 father Jesse, who came from New England in 
 the early days, and took up land where Les- 
 tershire now stands. The Swift strain is pa- 
 triotic and military. Jesse Swift was the 
 son of a veteran of the Revolutionary War; 
 and he himself served in the War of 18 12 
 and in the Mexican War. In the war of the 
 Southern Rebellion Alonzo Swift enlisted in 
 Company E, One Hundred and Thirty-seventh 
 New York Volunteer Infantry, and served 
 with distinction, being severely wounded at 
 Chancellorsville. He is still a resident of 
 Broome County. Mrs. Swift was a native 
 of Cortland County, and in her girlhood 
 
 attended the old Cortlandville Academy at 
 Homer. She departed this life February 8, 
 1874. 
 
 Charles L. Swift, having received his early 
 education at the common school of his native 
 town, learned the machinist's trade in the old 
 Hoyt shops at Mottville, and afterward 
 worked at that trade in Syracuse for about 
 fifteen years. Desirous of becoming a phy- 
 sician, he read medicine with Dr. C. W. 
 Boyce, of Auburn, and afterward attended 
 lectures at Hahnemann Medical College of 
 Chicago, at which he was graduated in the 
 class of 1 88 1. He returned to Auburn, and 
 located his ofifice in the north-west part of the 
 city, where he has a fine practice, his resi- 
 dence now being at 159 Van Auden Street. 
 Dr. Swift is a member of the Central New 
 York Homoeopathic Society, and the Cayuga 
 County Homoeopathic Medical Society, of 
 which he has been Secretary for several terms. 
 He married April, 1872, Miss Elizabeth 
 Brazee, of Chenango Forks, daughter of Tru- 
 man Brazee, and has two children living — 
 Maud H. and Fred C. Dr. and Mrs. Swift 
 are members of the Disciples' Church of Au- 
 burn. The Doctor is universally esteemed, 
 and has gained the name of being a diligent 
 student in his profession, and a trustworthy 
 medical adviser. He is an ardent lover of 
 music, devoting much of his spare time to its 
 study, being an active worker in the principal 
 musical societies of the city, and for many 
 years chorister in his own church, which lays 
 claim to some of the best musical talent of 
 the city. 
 
402 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 [^AMUEL TOWNSEND, a highly es- 
 teemed veteran farmer of the town 
 of Conquest, was born in Greenville, 
 Greene County, N.Y., December 8, 1812, 
 amid the throes of the second contest with 
 the mother country. His grandfather, John 
 Townsend, was a farmer who removed from 
 Dutchess to Greene County among the first 
 settlers; but hardly had he cleared a few 
 acres of land and put up a log house, when he 
 died very suddenly. 
 
 He, however, left a son Robert, who inher- 
 ited and carried on the farm till his own 
 death, aged seventy-six. Robert Townsend's 
 wife was Polly Staunton, one of the three 
 children of John Staunton, of New Baltimore, 
 Greene County; and they reared seven chil- 
 dren, of whom Samuel was the second. The 
 eldest, John, was named for his paternal 
 grandfather. The others were Jane, Edward, 
 Addie H., George, Maryette. Their mother 
 spent her last years in Reidsville, Albany 
 County. The family belonged to the Chris- 
 tian denomination. 
 
 Samuel Townsend went to school, farmed, 
 and learned the carpenter's trade, which he 
 followed tor some time in Greenville, in fact 
 till his removal to Scipio, where he purchased 
 a small farm, at the same time attending to 
 carpentry. Later he bought a hundred-acre 
 farm near by, where he lived nine years. To 
 the village of Emerson he came in 1861, just 
 as the Rebellion broke out, and there bought 
 a farm, which he devoted in part to general 
 crops, but especially to raising the finest Jer- 
 sey cattle. In 1835, while living in Greene 
 
 County, he married Eliza Bullock, daughter 
 of Smith Bullock. She died at the expiration 
 of six happy years, leaving one child, Mary, 
 married to Chester Bush. Mr. Townsend's 
 second wife, whom he married in 1842, was 
 Mrs. Harriet Calhoun, daughter of Albert and 
 Sarah Waring. By this marriage there are 
 two children — Emily L. and George. Emily 
 is the wife of Alvin Marvin, a Conquest 
 farmer; and they have four children' — Will- 
 iam, George, Alma, Florence. George is de- 
 ceased. Mr. Townsend's second wife died in 
 1882, after forty years of wedlock. Then he 
 married a third wife, Sarah Bates, who died 
 February 2, 1889. The thrice bereaved hus- 
 band now took to himself a fourth companion, 
 Mrs. Helen Case, daughter of Austin Cutler, 
 of Sempronius, who was the son of Bradley 
 Cutler. Bradley's father was Justice Cutler; 
 and both were farmers from Herkimer County, 
 who came to Cayuga County as pioneers. 
 Austin Cutler was a carpenter and joiner. 
 He plied his trade in different parts of the 
 county, and died at the age of fifty-nine. 
 Mrs. Austin Cutler was Rhoda Mather, a na- 
 tive of Sempronius, in this county; and they 
 had five children. Helen, the eldest, is the 
 wife of Samuel Townsend. The others are 
 Sabra, Wealthy, John, Lois. The mother 
 spent her last years in Madison County, 
 where she died, aged fifty-nine. The family 
 belonged to the Christian denomination, but 
 Grandfather Cutler was for many years a Bap- 
 tist Deacon. 
 
 Mr. Samuel Townsend is a Republican. 
 Thougli never an aspirant for office, he has 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 403 
 
 been a Justice of Peace. For a quarter-cen- 
 tury he has been a Deacon in the Christian 
 church. His wife is a reader of the best 
 books, and ready to aid and abet every plan 
 which commends itself to her superior intelli- 
 gence. Her first marriage was with Milon L. 
 Case, son of Daniel Case, and had borne three 
 children — Alma, Adah, and Marion. Alma 
 is deceased. Adah is the wife of Fred J. 
 Schwartz, of Chenango County, New York; 
 and they have one son, Milon. Marion Case 
 lives with her mother. 
 
 MOS MOSHER. Among the well-to- 
 do agriculturists of Cayuga County, 
 those who have succeeded through 
 individual effort and wise economy in acquir- 
 ing a handsome property, both real and per- 
 sonal, the gentleman whose name appears at 
 the head of this sketch is deserving of men- 
 tion. He is actively engaged in the pursuit 
 of his chosen calling on his rich and produc- 
 tive farm, in the town of Scipio, where he 
 holds a worthy place among its citizens of 
 enterprise and business sagacity. He is a 
 native of Cayuga County, Ledyard being the 
 place of his birth, which occurred on the 12th 
 of September, 1840. Mr. Mosher is of New 
 England extraction, the first ancestor bearing 
 the family name, who emigrated from Eng- 
 land, having settled in Connecticut, where 
 Hugh Mosher, from whom Amos is descended, 
 was born. Hugh's son, Ephraim Mosher, was 
 born in that State in 1726, and, after arriving 
 at manhood, removed to New York, taking up 
 
 his abode in Dutchess County, where his son 
 Amos and his grandson, Edgar Mosher, the 
 father of the present Amos, were ushered into 
 the world. (For further parental history see 
 sketch of Edgar D. Mosher, which may be found 
 on another page of this biographical volume.) 
 Amos Mosher, to whom this brief narrative 
 mostly relates, had excellent educational ad- 
 vantages in his youth, attending the schools 
 of his native town, and later pursuing his 
 studies in the Friends' Academy at Union 
 Springs. After working on the parental 
 homestead for several years, he and his 
 brother, Edgar D. Mosher, bought a farm to- 
 gether, and managed it with success for three 
 or four years. Abandoning the pursuit of 
 agriculture for a while, Amos then entered 
 the livery business at Union Springs, in con- 
 nection with which he drove the stage from 
 that town to Auburn for three years. In 1871 
 he returned to the old homestead in Ledyard, 
 and, after remaining there three years, again 
 invested in land, buying a farm on the Ridge 
 road, his brother Edgar being associated 
 with him in its purchase. They were pros- 
 pered in their labors, and added other land 
 from time to time by purchase, until they 
 had an extensive and valuable farm, which 
 under their judicious management yielded 
 them good profits. In 1880 the brothers 
 dissolved partnership; and Amos Mosher 
 bought the farm where he now resides, in 
 District No. 10 of the town of Scipio. He is 
 a farmer of more than average ability, exer- 
 cising rare skill and judgment in the man- 
 agement of his affairs; and his pleasant 
 
404 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 homestead is a model of neatness and thrift, 
 a credit to his industry, and an ornament to 
 the locality. In political affairs Mr. Mosher 
 has been a strong advocate of the principles 
 promulgated by the Republican party since 
 its formation, having cast his first Presiden- 
 tial vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1864. In 
 social circles he and his family are regarded 
 writh esteem; and to the Methodist church, of 
 which they are valued members, they contrib- 
 ute liberally. 
 
 In 1863 Mr. Mosher formed a matrimonial 
 alliance with Olive A. Fuller, the daughter 
 of Hezekiah and Mary (Ball) Fuller, of Au- 
 relius, the latter of whom was the daughter of 
 Samuel and Mary (Hedding) Ball, who were 
 early settlers of Cayuga County, coming from 
 New Jersey to Mentz at a period when deer, 
 wolves, and other wild animals were plentiful 
 in the surrounding forests, and often com- 
 mitted depredations among the crops of the 
 farmers. At one time Mrs. Ball found a deer 
 and a young fawn with the cows; and, the 
 deer being killed, she raised the fawn, keep- 
 ing it for a pet many years. The union of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Amos Mosher has been blessed 
 by the birth of four children. Glenn F. is an 
 undertaker in Auburn. Clayton E. married 
 Bertha Purcells, of Cayuga. The others are 
 Cora E. and D. Ralph. 
 
 'ir^XR- ALFRED F. HODGMAN, phy- 
 
 \'s)~) sician and surgeon of Auburn, 
 
 '^"^"^ N.Y., where he has been engaged 
 
 in practice since October, 1888, was born at 
 
 Fort Edward, N.Y, July 19, 1865, and is the 
 son of Alfred C. and Fannie A. (Fowler) 
 Hodgman. Alfred C. Hodgman is a native 
 of Fort Edward, and is at the present time a 
 prominent merchant of that town. His father, 
 Libbeus, was a resident of Fort Edward for 
 many years, having moved there from Michi- 
 gan. Jonathan Hodgman, the Doctor's great- 
 grandfather, was a native of Vermont, and 
 served with distinction in the Continental 
 army during the Revolutionary War. Mr. 
 Alfred C. Hodgman has been Supervisor of 
 his native town, and is a prominent member 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church, as well as 
 being superintendent of the Sunday-school. 
 Mrs. Hodgman is also a member of the same 
 church and denomination. 
 
 Dr. Hodgman pursued his studies for some 
 time in the Collegiate Institute at Fort Ed- 
 ward, afterward reading medicine with Dr. 
 Linendoll, of Fort Edward, and then attend- 
 ing medical lectures for three years at the 
 Albany Medical College, graduating in the 
 class of 1888. For a period of two years he 
 was in the Swinburne Dispensary, and also 
 completed six months' dispensary practice in 
 the Albany Hospital under Dr. J. P. Boyd. 
 In the fall of 1888 he came to the city of Au- 
 burn, and at first opened an office on Franklin 
 Street, practising there for two years, eventu- 
 ally moving to No. 6 Williams Street, a more 
 central location, where he is doing a fine gen- 
 eral practice. Dr. Hodgman is a member of 
 the Cayuga Medical Society, of which he is 
 the present President. He is besides physi- 
 cian to the Cayuga County Orphan Asylum, 
 
Alfred F Hodgman. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 407 
 
 and is also physician to the Free Dispensary 
 of Auburn. He is a prominent member of 
 Auburn Lodge, No. 431, A. F. & A. M., and 
 a member of the David Royal Arch Chapter 
 of Masons. He is also a member of the 
 Wheeler Rifles, Second Separate Company, 
 National Guard, of the State of New York, of 
 which he is Surgeon, with the rank of First 
 Lieutenant, having been appointed by Gover- 
 nor Flower, and was at the Buffalo State 
 Camp with the company during the strikes in 
 
 1892. 
 
 An excellent portrait accompanies this out- 
 line sketch of Dr. Hodgman, who is an 
 earnest and indefatigable worker in his pro- 
 fession, and during his short residence in 
 Auburn has gained for himself high com- 
 mendation as a worthy disciple of ^sculapius. 
 
 "ON. CHARLES C. ADAMS is a 
 prominent citizen of the village of 
 Weedsport, where he is a dealer in 
 grain and coal, the firm being known as C. C. 
 Adams & Sons. He was born in Sennett, 
 October 11, 1833, and was a son of Robert G. 
 and Luraney (Arnold) Adams. His great- 
 grandfather served with the Rodgers Rangers 
 in the old French and Indian wars. His 
 grandfather was Captain Jonathan Adams, 
 who came to this county from Massachusetts, 
 and settled in Sennett prior to the begin- 
 ning of the present century, having pre- 
 viously been a drummer-boy in the Revolu- 
 tion. He took up a tract of land in Sennett, 
 which he tilled assiduously until his death 
 
 in 1829, and was a leading man in the com- 
 munity. He left several children, and to 
 his son Robert he bequeathed the old home- 
 stead. 
 
 This son Robert was born in Sennett, in 
 1798, and made that place his home, though 
 he travelled much in the West and South, and 
 died in early manhood, when his son Charles 
 was only a fortnight old. Miss Luraney 
 Arnold, whom he married in 1820, was born 
 in the year 1800, in Fair Haven, Conn. Her 
 father, Joseph Arnold, had also come to Sen- 
 nett among the earliest settlers. Robert 
 Adams had four children, of whom Charles C. 
 was the youngest. The other sons were: 
 Jonas M. Adams, who went to California, but 
 afterward returned East, and died in Roches- 
 ter; Robert G. Adams, Jr., who now lives 
 in Weedsport; and the elder sister, Julia 
 Arnold Adams, who married Hamilton 
 Wilder, of Nebraska. The widowed mother 
 afterward married the Rev. Thomas Brown, a 
 Baptist clergyman, but still remained in 
 Sennett for some time. By this marriage she 
 had one child, Eliza Brown, who married Pro- 
 fessor Daniels, of Grand Rapids, Mich. The 
 mother died in Rochester in 1885, in the 
 home of her son Jonas, who then lived in that 
 city. The Adamses of these two generations 
 were supporters of the Baptist church in Sen- 
 nett. 
 
 After Charles had learned what he could in 
 the Sennettt schools, he attended the Weeds- 
 port High School, and then became a sales- 
 man in what was known as the Old Commu- 
 nity dry-goods store. In this business he 
 
4o8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 remained till it was closed in 1858. During 
 Abraham Lincoln's first administration Mr. 
 Adams was appointed Postmaster of Weeds- 
 port, while he was also selling groceries and 
 produce, having begun this trade in i860. 
 The office of Postmaster he retained six years, 
 till Andrew Johnson succeeded to the Presi- 
 dency, through Lincoln's assassination. As 
 many prominent Republicans refused to fol- 
 low President Johnson politically, Mr. Adams 
 lost his place in the post-office, but was ap- 
 pointed one of the Revenue Collectors, when 
 the income, stamp, and other war taxes were 
 in operation, his territory covering the north- 
 ern half of Cayuga County. This position he 
 held for two or three years, in fact till the law 
 was changed, and the office in this section was 
 abolished. From 1887 to 1890 he was a Su- 
 pervisor for the town of Brutus. He was 
 Chairman of the Board in 1 890, and had pre- 
 viously been on the Equalization Committee. 
 The next year he was elected to the State 
 Assembly, as the representative for the north- 
 ern district of the county, on the Republican 
 ticket, and was made a member of the railroad 
 and other committees. This position brought 
 him into collision with the Democratic 
 leaders, especially Messrs. Sheehan, Murphy, 
 and Croker, who, finding they could not co- 
 erce him into a support of a pet project of 
 theirs, called the "Huckleberry Railroad 
 Bill," undertook, though unsuccessfully, his 
 political punishment. It is a cause of just 
 pride with Mr. Adams that he has never asked 
 an office or paid for it, and that he has never 
 been defeated at the polls when once nomi- 
 
 nated. In Weedsport he has been President of 
 the village and Trustee of the School Board 
 for many years. He has also been an office- 
 holder in the Presbyterian church, to which 
 he belongs, and was superintendent of its 
 Sunday-school for a quarter-century, resigning 
 this duty in 1893. In 1856 he was made a 
 Free Mason, and belongs to Weedsport Lodge; 
 and he also belongs to King David Royal 
 Arch Chapter in Auburn. 
 
 His marriage took place September 30, 
 1856, when he began mercantile life, his 
 bride being Elizabeth K. Soles, daughter of 
 Martin K. Soles, an old county settler, 
 though Elizabeth was born in Throop in 1836, 
 and was only twenty at the time of her wed- 
 ding. She died September 29, 1886, and 
 left two sons — Charles Marble and Willard 
 G. Adams, both in business with their father. 
 They have a warehouse in the village, another 
 on the line of the New York Central Rail- 
 road, and a third at Port Byron, these build- 
 ings having a capacity for fifty thousand 
 bushels of wheat. They also own a large 
 coal-yard alongside the canal. As if this 
 were not enough, Mr. Charles C. Adams also 
 is connected with Hallet, Smith & Adams, a 
 firm organized- in 1891 for purchasing and 
 shipping hay and potatoes; and he has put up 
 many buildings. 
 
 In contemplating such a career, one feels 
 like repeating the Shaksperean lines: — 
 
 ' What stronger breastplate than a heart untainted? 
 Thrice is he armed who hath his quarrel just ; 
 And he but naked, though locked up in steel, 
 Whose conscience with injustice is corrupt.'' 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 409 
 
 "ON. WILLOUGHBY B. PRIDDY 
 is now and has been for many years 
 a wide-awake and influential farmer 
 near Spring Lake, Cayuga County, N.Y.; 
 but he was born in Westford, Otsego County, 
 December 21, 1835, almost a Christmas gift 
 to his parents, the Rev. James and Mary A. 
 (^Dowell) Priddy. 
 
 An earlier James Priddy was an English 
 dissenting minister, of the Methodist persua- 
 sion, and never left his native land; but his 
 son James, father of above-named, crossed the 
 seas when he was about twenty-five. Having 
 acquired the trade of shoemaking, for a while 
 he worked thereat, though also exercising his 
 oratorical gifts as a Methodist local preacher. 
 For some years he preached in New York 
 City, and afterward in Albany. Still later he 
 took up the same work in Westford, where he 
 passed the rest of his useful days, dying at 
 the age of eighty-three, a shock of corn fully 
 ripe, and lamented by a large circle of 
 friends. His wife, who also died in West- 
 ford, but" at the much earlier age of fifty-five, 
 was an English woman, Mary A. Dowell. 
 They were married before they emigrated; 
 and they reared six children: William; 
 Richard; Mary. Ann, married to the Rev. 
 Nathan R. Swift, of Conquest; Willoughby 
 B., the subject of this sketch; David; James, 
 named for both his father and grandfather. 
 The father by a second marriage, with Miss 
 Sarah Nail, had one son, Frank E. Priddy, 
 an attorney in Adrian, Mich. 
 
 Willoughby remained at the Westford home 
 till he was seventeen, attending school and 
 
 working out by the month. Then, leaving 
 school, he continued thus working by the 
 month, spending the first three years with 
 his sister Mary's husband, who was a Metho- 
 dist preacher on that circuit. Thinking he 
 would strike out for himself, Willoughby now 
 went to Michigan, where for two years he 
 found employment in carpentry, a trade he 
 also followed after his return to Cayuga 
 County, at the age of twenty-two; but in a 
 few years he reverted to agriculture, and 
 when he was thirty-four purchased a part of 
 his present farm, and bought the remainder 
 in 1889. The estate now includes two hun- 
 dred acres, whereon he has built a fine barn 
 and commodious outbuildings, and is now 
 erecting a beautiful country house of two 
 stories, containing sixteen large rooms. Be- 
 fore this important purchase, however, at the 
 age of twenty-three, in 1859, he married Lucy 
 Cotten, daughter of David and Susan Gotten, 
 farmers from Montgomery County. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Priddy have never had any children. 
 In addition to his farming interests Mr. 
 Priddy is occupied a great deal of the time 
 in settling estates, having five or six in 
 charge most of the time. 
 
 As a Mason Mr. Priddy is a member of 
 Cato Lodge, No. 141 ; of Morris Royal Arch 
 Chapter, Port Byron; and of Salem Town 
 Commandery, Auburn, N.Y. Twice he has 
 been elected Justice of Peace, and five times 
 Supervisor— in 1881, 1882, 1883, 1888, 1889. 
 Twice he has served as Associate Justice, and 
 twice has been elected to the State Assembly, 
 in 1884 and 1885, by the Republican party. 
 
410 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 While in this body he had charge of the local 
 legislation for his district, and was a member 
 of various important committees, including 
 that on prisons. As a sincere and capable 
 member of the Methodist Protestant church, 
 to which his wife also belongs, Mr. Priddy is 
 one of the Trustees of Adrian College, Michi- 
 gan. It need scarcely be added that these 
 responsible offices, which he has been repeat- 
 edly chosen to fill, show the esteem felt for 
 him and the confidence reposed in him, not 
 only by the community in which he has spent 
 his useful life, but by the citizens of the 
 other towns in the district. 
 
 'OHN L. DAVIS. Since 1854 this 
 gentleman has been in business in 
 Port Byron, and is still a cigar manu- 
 facturer, giving employment to many hands, 
 and wielding a great influence. He was born 
 in the town of Mentz on April 28, 1836; and 
 his parents were John P. and Mary (Short) 
 Davis. The Davis family came from Wales 
 in the latter part of the seventeenth century; 
 but not much is known about these first- 
 comers except that one of the two brothers 
 went South, and from him the Confederate 
 President, Jefferson Davis, was descended, 
 while the other settled in the North, and from 
 him, as perhaps it is needless to add, the Ca- 
 yuga County branch inherit the name. 
 
 The father's native place was Montpelier, 
 Vt,; and he was born in 1794, midway in 
 Washington's second Presidential term. His 
 wife was born in Calais, only eight miles 
 
 from Montpelier, in 1796, two years after her 
 husband. They were married in 1815; and 
 before the echoes of the War of 1812 had 
 fairly died away, in 1816, they came to Port 
 Byron, where he began business as a carpenter 
 and joiner. This led him into larger work as 
 a builder; for in every community, especially 
 in a new country, the builder is a most impor- 
 tant factor. Mr. Davis was not a house- 
 builder, however, but a boat-builder, the 
 newly dug canals, especially the Erie, on 
 which Port Byron is located, creating a large 
 demand for canal craft. By 1826 he was run- 
 ning a boat yard, having been among the ear- 
 liest undertakers of this branch of business. 
 The spot where he worked had not yet been 
 named Port Byron, but there John P. Davis 
 carried on the work till 1834. About that 
 time, a year before the birth of his namesake 
 boy, he bought a farm in the neighborhood, 
 which he tilled for some time, though after a 
 few years he preferred to make his home in 
 the village. For many years he turned his 
 talents to account as Highway Commissioner 
 and as the Sealer of Weights and Measures, 
 appointments which at last he had to shun, 
 though forced upon him. In politics he was 
 a Democrat; and in religion he was a Baptist, 
 aiding in the construction of the meeting- 
 house, and acting as Trustee till his death in 
 1877. 
 
 He left one child, to whom this sketch spe- 
 cially relates. First the lad went to school 
 in Port Byron, and then to Richmondville 
 Seminary. Returning home, he went into a 
 partnership for the manufacture of cigars. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 411 
 
 That is now forty years ago, so that no man 
 in the town can boast a longer business 
 record. Not only is Mr. Davis prominent in 
 town affairs, but his shop affords work for fif- 
 teen or twenty -people the year round. He 
 has been several terms a Trustee of the vil- 
 lage, and twice its President, in 1880 and 
 1885. He was Supervisor for Mentz in 1868, 
 1869, and 1870. 
 
 He had long felt the utter inadequacy of 
 the public protection from fire. Not being 
 able to stir up the people to any definite legal 
 action, in 1872 or 1873 Mr. Davis circulated a 
 subscription, and raised funds with which a 
 reservoir was built on a hill one hundred and 
 fifty feet high, the money to be paid back to 
 the subscribers whenever the village should 
 vote to pay it, pipe enough being laid at first 
 to protect the business part of the city. A 
 year or two later a law was passed allowing 
 them to bond the village for ten thousand dol- 
 lars. Governor Hoffman affixing his signature 
 only after a petition was secured for it signed 
 by a majority of the voters and tax-payers. 
 After the village was bonded, the pipe was ex- 
 tended but a few hundred feet, until the elec- 
 tion of Mr. Davis to the Presidency of the 
 village in 1880. It was then farther laid, so 
 as to protect every house in the village. In 
 1885, when Mr. Davis was again in oifice, the 
 reservoir was enlarged, and a well was dug. 
 As the Trustees could not be induced to buy 
 a hook and ladder truck, rubber buckets, and 
 other needed equipment, Mr. Davis again suc- 
 cessfully circulated a subscription paper. 
 The first hook and ladder company in town 
 
 was also organized by his efforts, there having 
 previously been only an old-fashioned hose 
 cart; and by his advocacy the new hose was 
 properly housed. 
 
 His wife, whom he married in 1858, was 
 Mary E. Dougherty, daughter of Samuel 
 Dougherty, of Port Byron; but she died in 
 1875, leaving six children. Charles E. Davis 
 was born in 1859, Adelmer S. Davis in 1861, 
 Carrie I. Davis in 1866, Irvin M. Davis in 
 1873, Samuel John Davis in 1875, and Mary 
 Estelle Davis in 1869. In -1875, December 
 9, Mr. Davis was wedded the second time, to 
 Sevilla R. Randall, daughter of Harry Ran- 
 dall, an old resident of Port Byron; but no 
 child has come of this marriage. 
 
 Well says Edmund Burke, and the senti- 
 ment is abundantly illustrated in Mr. Davis's 
 career, "Enlightened self-interest, when well 
 understood, will identify with an interest 
 more enlarged and public." In politics he 
 was a strong war Democrat, and did much to 
 bring his fellow-townsmen up to the require- 
 ments of the government, and to arouse local 
 patriotism. In all directions his deeds, as 
 well as his words, have been a stimulus to the 
 town's enterprise and industry. Though not 
 so wealthy as he was a few years ago, for he 
 is a free spender for the general good, he is 
 called a well-to-do man, and has built more 
 houses than any other private citizen here- 
 abouts. He is an ardent politician and a 
 shrewd manager. If the village of Port Byron 
 had among its citizens more men with his 
 brains and foresight, the town would enjoy a 
 far greater degree of prosperity. 
 
412 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 'LANSON BROWN was born at Genoa, 
 N.Y., in 1814, and died in his native 
 town, August 14, 1893. His father, 
 Benjamin, was a native of Connecticut, and 
 emigrated to Cayuga County in the early days 
 of the settlement, bringing his family and 
 household goods and other effects in wagons. 
 He bought a farm east of Northville, in the 
 town of Genoa. He was married to Abby 
 Boughton, also a native of Connecticut, a 
 descendant of an old family of that State; 
 and the following children were born to 
 them — namely, Sherman, John, Benjamin, 
 Daniel, Alanson, Samuel, James, Sally, 
 Abby, and Rachel — Samuel, the sixth son, 
 being the only one now living. 
 
 Alanson, the fifth son of his parents, re- 
 ceived his education at the district schools of 
 Genoa. For some twenty years he engaged 
 in the occupation of a boatman on the Erie 
 Canal. During his later years he purchased 
 a farm, and gave his whole attention to its 
 cultivation. He built a fine residence on 
 the property, which is now occupied by his 
 widow. He was married in 1852 to Marion 
 Tilton, the daughter of John and Patience 
 (Rolf) Tilton, two children being the fruit of 
 the union — Aden and Frank. Adell mar- 
 ried Burton O. Shank, of Springport, and has 
 one child, Guy. Frank died at the age of 
 twenty-three. 
 
 Mr. Alanson Brown was a prominent mem- 
 ber of the Masonic Order, and in politics was 
 a Democrat. He was one of the most es- 
 teemed of Genoa's citizens. A loving hus- 
 band and kind father, he left behind him a 
 
 name remembered for its quiet and unostenta- 
 tious good deeds, which is more to be desired 
 than riches. His wife's family, the Tiltons, 
 were New Jersey people. 
 
 M 
 
 ANIEL BROWN died in Genoa in 
 April, 1 88 1, at the age of sixty-nine 
 years. Like his younger b]-other, 
 the subject of the above sketch, he was edu- 
 cated in his native town, and was occupied as 
 a boatman on the canal nearly all his life, re- 
 tiring from active business a few years pre- 
 vious to his death. He was married in 1841 
 to Matilda Hilliard, the daughter of Jacob and 
 Catherine (Rundic) Hilliard, to whom were 
 born five children; namely, Helen, Fred, 
 George, Walter, and Mordicai. Helen mar- 
 ried Hudson Atwater, and had no family. 
 Fred married Mary L. Kimberly, and has no 
 children. George married Alvina Renz, and 
 has one child, Emilie M. Brown. 
 
 Mr. Daniel Brown was a member of the 
 Masonic Order, and in politics voted the Re- 
 publican ticket. He was a man of quiet and 
 homelike tastes, who performed his part in 
 this world without any flourish of t'rumpets, 
 and may well be termed one of nature's 
 noblemen. 
 
 3|~URON CLOSE owns and occupies a 
 fine and well-improved estate in Dis- 
 trict No. 3 in the town of Scipio, 
 and is numbered among the well-to-do farmers 
 who from small beginnings have built up val- 
 uable homesteads in this vicinity. Its acres 
 of cultivated land and the substantial build- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 413 
 
 ings with their excellent repairs are credit- 
 able to him, and indicate him to be a man of 
 industry and energy, ever alert to take advan- 
 tage of new methods for successfully carrying 
 on his work. Scipio is the place of his nativ- 
 ity. He was born on January 20, 1828, and 
 comes of New England stock, his father, Abel 
 Close, having been a native of Connecticut. 
 
 Nathaniel Close, the father of Abel, who 
 was born and reared in the State of Connecti- 
 cut, was a tailor by trade. He emigrated to 
 Cayuga County in the early part of the pres- 
 ent century, and settled in Scipio, where he 
 worked at his trade some years. He invested 
 his money in a large farm, and, as soon as his 
 sons grew old and strong enough to help him, 
 turned his attention to agriculture. He had 
 two wives, and reared a family of children, of 
 whom two sons were veterans of the War of 
 1812. 
 
 « 
 
 Abel Close was very young when he came 
 with his parents to Scipio, and what educa- 
 tion he had he obtained in the schools of this 
 town. In early life he became familiar with 
 agricultural pursuits, and when ready to begin 
 life on his own account he bought a tract of 
 land bordering on Owasco Lake, and adjoin- 
 ing his father's on the west side; and there 
 he improved a good homestead, living on it 
 the remainder of his days. He married Sally 
 Wadhams, the daughter of Caleb and Ruth 
 Wadhams, who bore him ten children; 
 namely, Erastus, Harriet, Horace, Caroline, 
 Fay S., Hiram, Huron, Flora, Matilda, and 
 Isaac. The youngest of these children, Isaac, 
 died at three years of age, and six others later 
 
 in life. Only Huron and the two younger 
 sisters, Flora and Matilda, are now living. 
 
 Huron, the fifth son, was educated in the 
 public schools of his native town, and on 
 the paternal homestead acquired a practical 
 knowledge of agricultural labors, remaining 
 on the home farm, and assisting in its man- 
 agement until thirty years of age. He then 
 began farming on his own account, and has 
 since then speculated somewhat in lands, 
 having bought and sold four farms. That on 
 which he now resides was formerly owned by 
 Daniel Cornell, from whom he bought it in 
 1871 ; and he has since carried it on to great 
 advantage, reaping good yearly incomes from 
 its fruitful fields and verdant pastures. 
 
 On first becoming a landholder, Mr. Close 
 took unto himself a most estimable woman for 
 a life companion, being united in the holy 
 bonds of matrimony in 1859 with Achsa J. 
 Powers, daughter of Abram and Wealthy 
 (Chaffee) Powers, of Sterling, Cayuga 
 County. Their union has been blessed by 
 the birth of four children, namely: Eva S., 
 who married Dr. George Slocum, of Genoa, 
 and has three children — Herbert, Vernon, 
 and Vaughn; Arthur P., who married Minnie 
 Fox, of Scipio, and has one child, a daughter 
 named Georgie; Hetty K. ; and Herbert. 
 
 Mr. Close has spent the major part of his 
 life in Scipio, although when a young man, 
 before he had established domestic ties, he 
 had a severe attack of the gold fever, which 
 raged to a remarkable extent in some locali- 
 ties in the year 1849; and, going to Califor- 
 nia, he was engaged three years in mining. 
 
414 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 The following five years he spent in the West, 
 visiting different places; but, finding none 
 that pleased him better than his old home, he 
 returned and resumed his farming operations. 
 He is a man of good business tact, and in all 
 financial transactions has a strict regard for 
 honor and veracity. In politics Mr. Close is 
 a stanch Democrat. He cast his first Presi- 
 dential vote in 1852 for Franklin Pierce. 
 
 r^NHILO CAMP, an enterprising agri- 
 culturist, lives on his farm, three 
 miles west of the village of Cato, in 
 the town of Victory, but was born in Wind- 
 ham Centre, Greene County, May 10, 1821. 
 His grandfather, whose name he bears, Philo 
 Camp, was also a farmer, and came to Rens- 
 selaerville, Rensselaer County, as a pioneer. 
 A man of grand principles, he soon became 
 active in town affairs, and, being made a Dea- 
 con and Elder in the Presbyterian church, 
 served faithfully until his death. His mor- 
 tal remains there lie buried. Grandfather 
 Camp's wife, Mary Prince, was probably 
 born in Connecticut, though the family were 
 Scotch. Her best years were spent in the 
 home of her son. Consider Camp, where she 
 died, aged seventy. Five of the children she 
 bore to Philo Camp grew to manhood and 
 womanhood. One son, Hervey, studied with 
 Dr. Hyde, and became well known as a phy- 
 sician in Windham Centre, where he spent 
 his entire life, achieving special success in 
 surgery. Harmon Camp was a farmer and 
 tanner in the same village. Consider Camp 
 
 was a farmer in the same town. Mary lived 
 to be an old lady, but never married. 
 
 There was evidently a classic vein in the 
 Camp family; for not only did the grand- 
 father bear the affectionate Greek name of 
 Philo, but one son, the father of the second 
 Philo, was called Homer. Till he attained 
 his majority Homer Camp remained on the 
 paternal farm, in Rensselaerville, where he 
 was born, and attended the district school. 
 Then he went to work on another farm be- 
 longing to his father, who had become an ex- 
 tensive landholder. Meanwhile the youth 
 married, and in due time Philo the younger 
 was born. When this babe was a few months 
 old, in the fall of 1821, his father came on 
 horseback to what is now the town of Victory, 
 with instructions to clear a few acres, whereof 
 eight were to be planted with wheat, and put 
 up the customary log house. The owner fol- 
 lowed the next spring, with the mother and 
 the babe, as of old Joseph, Mary, and the 
 young child journeyed into Egypt. The land 
 was mostly covered with heavy timber, beech, 
 maple, and basswood. The clearing necessa- ' 
 rily went on for the few remaining years of 
 Homer Camp's life, and was unfinished when 
 he died, in 1828, aged thirty-one, when little 
 Philo was but seven years old. 
 
 Homer's wife was Nancy Moshier, one of 
 the four children (three sisters and one 
 brother) of Joseph Moshier, an early settler 
 in Dutchess County, who was not only a 
 farmer, but a mechanic, and made grain- 
 cradles and other such machines by hand. 
 By her marriage with Homer Camp, Nancy 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 415 
 
 Moshier had four children — Philo, Lucina, 
 Rosanna, and Harmon. She was an ambi- 
 tious woman and a sagacious financier. Left 
 with four children under eight years of age,- 
 in an unknown and almost wild country, she 
 fought the life battle heroically and single- 
 handed for two years, and then married James 
 Quackenbush, of Victory, by whom she had 
 four more children — Mehitabel, Margaret, 
 Almira, and Stephen. After a time Mr. 
 Quackenbush went West as a pioneer, while 
 his wife remained in Victory, in the old 
 home, with her eldest son, Philo. She in- 
 deed tried the West for a season, but returned 
 to pass her latest years in the homestead, 
 where she died at seventy-six, greatly re- 
 spected for her noble qualities, and firm in 
 the faith of the Christian Disciples' Church, 
 to which she belonged. 
 
 The fatherless Philo naturally stayed with 
 his widowed mother and stepfather, doing 
 what he could about the place, and getting 
 the rudiments of school education; but at 
 sixteen he made up his mind to start out for 
 himself. Carrying a handkerchief which con- 
 tained all his worldly goods, he sought the an- 
 cestral region in Greene County, travelling 
 by the Erie Canal, and the Abbey and Hud- 
 son Rivers. In Windham Centre he found 
 his uncle, Harmon Camp, with whom he 
 worked five years, helping in the tannery, and 
 taking charge during his uncle's absence. In 
 1842, on attaining his majority, Philo re- 
 turned to Victory, and took possession of the 
 fifteen acres and the old barn which fell to his 
 share in the division of the family land; but 
 
 he wished also to own the house his father 
 had built, and worked with a will till he was 
 able to buy out the other heirs. He cared for 
 his mother, and eventually purchased her 
 share also. Then he added other farms to his 
 own, and built his present house and out- 
 buildings, thus showing what energy and pa- 
 tience may do. Up to 1890 he personally 
 carried on his vast estate, and still superin- 
 tends it, but of late has employed an overseer; 
 though at seventy-three he is still a wonder- 
 fully well-preserved man. 
 
 All this work was not done singly. On 
 February 25, 1845, at the age of twenty- 
 three, he married Charlotte Scott, daughter of 
 Charles Y. and Fanny (McGraw) Scott, Ver- 
 monters, who settled in Victory at an early 
 date with their five children, of whom Char- 
 lotte was the eldest, the other four beins 
 Abraham, Polly, Ransom, and Harry Mc- 
 Graw. There were three children born to 
 Philo Camp by this marriage: Frances, mar- 
 ried to Robert Wallace; Charles Philo; and 
 John. But none of them are now living; and 
 their mother died in 1864, after nineteen 
 years of wedlock. Mr. Camp was married 
 again to Theoda Mclntyre, daughter of Philip 
 and Betsey Ann (DeForest) Mclntyre, old 
 farming residents of Victory. By this mar- 
 riage Mr. Camp has one son, Charles Mcln- 
 tyre, now on a neighboring farm, and married 
 to Rosa Walker. 
 
 The second Mrs. Camp dying in 1890, Mr. 
 Camp married on September 2, 1891, his 
 third and present wife, Alice Wood, a daugh- 
 ter of Samuel C. and Jane (Martin) Wood. 
 
4i6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mrs. Wood was the first white child born in 
 the old township of Cato, including what are 
 now the towns of Victory, Cato, Conquest, 
 and Ira. She and her husband reared twelve 
 children: Martin, bearing his mother's family- 
 name; Mary, the wife of John Wolgamatt, of 
 Kansas City, Mo. ; A. B. ; Emily, the wife of 
 Mr. Mortimer, of this county; Rebecca, the 
 wife of Dr. Johnson, of Illinois; Cyrus, who 
 bears a historic and Bible name; Orlando, 
 who has a Shaksperean name; Miranda, whose 
 name is also Shaksperean, the wife of Chester 
 Wemple; Mortimer; Alice, now the wife of 
 Mr. Camp; Smith; and Dexter. The Woods 
 were among the pioneers, and cleared a farm, 
 still in the hands of the family, adjoining 
 that now owned by Mr. Camp. The mother 
 of all these children died at the age of sixty- 
 one, and the father lived to be seventy-seven, 
 both highly respected adherents of the Chris- 
 tian Disciples' Church. Mr. Wood was one of 
 the many Whigs who organized the Republi- 
 can party, was active in town affairs, and held 
 the office of Supervisor. 
 
 Till 1861 the subject of this sketch was a 
 Democrat, and cast his first vote for the man 
 who was a rival candidate to William Henry 
 Harrison; but the Rebellion converted him 
 to Republicanism. He has been Overseer of 
 the Poor, and was Supervisor in 1871 and 
 1872. The family belong to the United 
 Presbyterian church at Victory, Mr. Camp 
 being the ruling Elder. He acted for twenty 
 years as Sunday-school superintendent; and 
 his present wife for several years held the 
 same ofifice. Both are now teachers in the 
 
 school. Of such men and women America may 
 
 well say with the Roman mother, "These are 
 
 my jewels! " 
 
 < o » t 
 
 -TTAHARLES HIGGINS, a veteran of the 
 I Jj late Civil War, in which he served as 
 
 ^ ^ a very young volunteer, is one of 
 
 the representative business men of the town 
 of Montezuma, Cayuga County, having worked 
 his way up to an enviable position in 
 the community, and acquired a competency 
 through his own merits and by the exercise of 
 energy, enterprise, and perseverance. Mr. 
 Higgins was born in the town of Savannah, 
 Wayne County, N.Y., March 27, 1848. His 
 father, Thomas Higgins, was a worthy, hard- 
 working man. He died when quite young, 
 leaving his wife, whose maiden name was Ellen 
 O'Neil, with two little children — Charles; 
 and a little sister named Nancy, who died at 
 the age of nine years. Mrs. Ellen Higgins, 
 who is yet alive, resides in Wayne County. 
 
 The subject of this personal history began 
 the battle of life at a tender age, hiring him- 
 self out on a farm when only ten years old, to 
 Eugene Traver, for whom he worked for two 
 years, receiving in compensation his board 
 and clothing. He next entered the employ- 
 ment of Lewis D. Fenlon, a merchant of 
 Montezuma, who dealt in general merchan- 
 dise, receiving six dollars a month in the 
 summer season, and in the winter working for 
 his board and attending school. On Decem- 
 ber 21, 1863, a beardless youth of fifteen 
 summers, he enlisted in Company A, Ninth 
 New York Heavy Artillery, under Captain 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 417 
 
 J. W. Snyder, who was afterward for gallant 
 conduct promoted to the rank of Colonel. 
 Though young in years, Private Higgins was 
 a brave and patriotic soldier, and was an ac- 
 tive participant in many of the most hotly 
 contested battles of the Rebellion, being in 
 the battle at Cold Harbor, and in the one 
 at Monocacy, where Colonel Seward was 
 wounded, and afterward at Cedar Creek, Win- 
 chester, South Side of Weldon Railway, 
 Petersburg, Hatch's Run, Sailor's Creek, and 
 other important engagements, never fearing 
 nor faltering in his duty. On the lOth of 
 October, 1865, Mr. Higgins received his hon- 
 orable discharge, and returned to this county. 
 While in the service of his country, he con- 
 tracted a disease of the eyes, granulation of 
 the lids, from which he is still suffering. 
 
 After returning from the scenes of the con- 
 flict, he resumed his studies in the village 
 schools at Montezuma. On May 12, 1866, he 
 entered the employment of William Thorn, 
 remaining with him until the ist of May, 
 1876, when, his eyes again troubling him, he 
 went to Chicago for medical treatment. He 
 remained in that city two and one-half years; 
 then, returning to Montezuma, he established 
 the cooper flag business in 1878, in which 
 he has continued to the present day, meeting 
 with unqualified success. Beginning on a 
 small scale, he has from time to time enlarged 
 his operations; and now in the busy season, 
 , which lasts about five months each year, he 
 gives employment to many men, the number 
 ranging from fifty to sixty-five. He carries 
 on an extensive business, aggregating ten 
 
 thousand dollars annually, dealing with all 
 the leading coopers of the United States, his 
 work embracing the manufacture of barrels of 
 all descriptions. 
 
 Mr. Higgins possesses great executive and 
 financial ability, investing his money judi- 
 ciously; and in addition to his beautiful resi- 
 dence in the village he owns other real 
 estate, and every year rents seven thousand or 
 eight thousand acres of marsh land, on which 
 he cuts the flags used in his business. His 
 character and capability eminently fit him for 
 positions of trust and honor, and he has 
 worthily filled many pubic offices. He has 
 served as Deputy Sheriff of Cayuga County 
 six years, three under R. J. Myers and three 
 under J. Ward Mead, and at the present time 
 is Justice of the Peace, an office which he has 
 satisfactorily filled for six years. In politics 
 he is identified with the Democratic party, 
 and in religious matters is very liberal. He 
 is a friend of education, laboring faithfully 
 to advance its cause, and has served the past 
 seven years as School Trustee. Mr. Higgins 
 is prominent and active in social circles, 
 belonging to Montezuma Lodge, No. 176, 
 A. F. & A. M., and is a member of Cross 
 Post, Grand Army of the Republic, No. 78, 
 Seneca Falls, and is a Royal Arch Mason, be- 
 longing to Morris Chapter, No. 56. 
 
 now 
 
 ^TENRY DAVIS BREWSTER is a 
 ^\ leading citizen of Weedsport, where 
 - V^^ he has resided since 1875; and he 
 holds the office of State Assessor, He 
 
4i8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was born in Newport, R.I., November 22, 
 1842, the son of Henry Elijah and Susan 
 Ellen (Townsend) Brewster. 
 
 The Brewsters can trace back their geneal- 
 ogy to Elder William Brewster, who came 
 over in the "Mayflower" to Plymouth, and is 
 a famous man in Colonial history. From him 
 the order of lineal descent is through Jona- 
 than, Benjamin, a second Jonathan, Joseph, 
 Elijah, Pelatiah, to another Elijah, who mar- 
 ried Mary Davis, and became the grandfather 
 of the special subject of this sketch. The 
 Brewsters were prominent in the Revolution. 
 They lived for generations in Norwich, Conn. 
 There was born Henry Elijah Brewster, the 
 father of Henry Davis Brewster, on January 
 10, 1810; and there he received his education. 
 His wife, whom he married the last day of 
 October, 1839, when he was twenty-nine 
 years old, was Susan Ellen Townsend, daugh- 
 ter of Thomas and Susan (Moore) Townsend, 
 of Newport; and Henry E. Brewster passed 
 his active life in that city as a dry-goods mer- 
 chant, up to the time of his marriage and 
 early removal to Syracuse, N.Y. There he 
 first dealt in groceries, and afterward estab- 
 lished the business which subsequently grew 
 to be the famous Greenway Brewery. Not 
 satisfied with his home business, he also built 
 a brewery in Geddes, to which he added a dis- 
 tillery. In addition to these enterprises, 
 enough for one man to handle, he had a jew- 
 elry manufactory in Syracuse, and was further 
 interested in the dry-goods house of Butler, 
 Townsend. Benson & Co., in the same city, 
 besides being a Director in the Central City 
 
 and Grouse Banks. In politics he was a 
 Democrat, though not an office-holder, and in 
 religion was an Episcopalian. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Henry E. Brewster reared five children: 
 Catherine Brewster died at the early age of 
 seven. Thomas Townsend Brewster, bearing 
 his mother's family name, was a New York 
 City merchant, and died in 1884. Two 
 daughters, Susan Catherine and Anna Brew- 
 ster, live unmarried in Syracuse, in the old 
 family home, with their venerable mother. 
 The father died December 16, 1893, nine 
 days before Christmas, in Syracuse, where for 
 many years he had made his presence felt in 
 so many useful and social ways. 
 
 Of Henry E. Brewster's five children, his 
 namesake is the eldest. As his parents came 
 from Newport in his boyhood, young Henry 
 was educated in the Syracuse schools, grad- 
 uating at the high school in 1859, at the age 
 of seventeen, and at once entering the Green- 
 way Company's office, with which his father 
 was so closely connected. He served only 
 three years, however; for in 1862 he went to 
 Chicago, and entered the firm of Brewster, 
 Porter & Grouse, as general commission mer- 
 chant. Meanwhile the Civil War was at its 
 height. Mr. Porter went into the army a 
 Captain; and the firm was changed to Brew- 
 ster & Grouse, and so continued till the death 
 of the junior member, whose interest in the 
 business was purchased by Mr. Van Evera. 
 Before long this firm dissolved; and Mr. 
 Brewster returned to Syracuse, to re-enter the 
 Greenway Brewery, where he served till 1875, 
 then coming to Weedsport to purchase a dis- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 419 
 
 used brewery, and reopen it under the firm 
 name of Brewster & Becker, though later, in 
 1888, it was merged into the Weedsport 
 Brewery Company, Mr. Brewster being Treas- 
 urer, Director, and Secretary. He was also 
 interested in outside business affairs. He 
 first became a State Assessor in June, 1892; 
 and at the beginning of the new year of 1893 
 was regularly appointed to this office for the 
 usual term of three years. There are but 
 three Assessors for the entire State. His 
 duties take him to all parts of it, and keep 
 him much of the time away from home. 
 
 Mr. Brewster was married October 21, 
 1874, after his return from Chicago, to Mary 
 Louisa Baum, who was. born April 22, 1846, 
 the daughter of President Baum, of the First 
 National Bank of Syracuse, and largely con- 
 nected with Pennsylvania oil companies and 
 Western mines. Mrs. Brewster was educated 
 in the schools of her native city, and at Mrs. 
 Porter's well-known institution in New York 
 City. The family are members of the Epis- 
 copal Parish, of which Mr. Brewster is a Ves- 
 tryman and Treasurer; and they live in a 
 beautiful house on Centennial Street in 
 Weedsport. They have only two living chil- 
 dren — Henry Baum Brewster and Neal 
 Brewster. 
 
 Like his father, Henry D. Brewster is in 
 politics a Democrat, and has been a delegate 
 to all sorts of party conventions, especially 
 the National Convention in 1884, when 
 Grover Cleveland was first nominated for the 
 Presidency. In local political affairs he has 
 been equally active, having been Trustee of 
 
 the village of Weedsport for two years, and 
 President for eight. For fifteen years con- 
 secutively he has been Chief Engineer of the 
 fire department. At the last convention he 
 was elected Trustee for five years of the Fire- 
 men's Home in Hudson; and he is also a 
 Director of the Order of American Firemen. 
 Of the New York State Guard of Syracuse he 
 is an honorary member. He belongs to the 
 Albany Burgesses Corps, and for five years 
 was on the staff of General Barnum, of the 
 Sixth Division of the National Guard, with 
 the rank of Major. Masonically, he belongs 
 to Central City Lodge, No. 305, Central City 
 Royal Arch Chapter, No. 70, Central City 
 Commandery, No. 25, and has held several 
 offices as a Knight Templar. He was a char- 
 ter member and First Chancellor Commander 
 of the Weedsport Lodge of Knights of Pyth- 
 ias, No. 385. 
 
 Ralph Waldo Emerson has said, "Vigor is 
 contagious, and whatever makes us either 
 think or feel strongly adds to our power, and 
 enlarges our field of action." A glance at 
 Mr. Brewster's career recalls these words, for 
 he is full of concentrated effort. Think of 
 the many positions he has occupied, the mul- 
 tifarious duties he has performed; and he is 
 no indifferent worker, but throws himself into 
 his work with unsparing zeal. 
 
 §OHN A. FULMER, of Moravia, is 
 Secretary and Treasurer of the 
 Farmers' Mutual Indemnity Associa- 
 tion of Cayuga County. His birthplace was 
 
42 o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the town of Herkimer, in the county of that 
 name; and the date of his birth was February 
 26, 1836, his parents being David and Mary 
 (Schell) Fulmer. Both of his grandfathers, 
 Jacob C. Fulmer and John Schell, were in the 
 War of 181 2; and both belonged at that time 
 in Herliimer. David Fulmer was a farmer, 
 belonging to the old Dutch stock in the Mo- 
 hawk Valley, where he was born, and lived 
 till his boy John A. was a little trotter two 
 years old, when the family removed to a farm 
 in Steuben, Oneida County. There Mr. Ful- 
 mer died on April 17, 1881. Mrs. Mary 
 (Schell) Fulmer was born on Washington's 
 Birthday, February 22, 1818, in Herkimer 
 County. She retains the Oneida County 
 homestead, where she still resides in her 
 widowhood. In religion she was formerly a 
 member of the Dutch Reformed church, but is 
 now connected with the Presbyterian church. 
 
 Young John A. Fulmer got his education 
 partly at the Oneida County common schools, 
 and was also in Whitestown Seminary from 
 1855 till 1857. Then he went to farming 
 with his father, till some two years after mar- 
 riage with Mary E. Wollaber, of Steuben, on 
 September 15, 1857, the daughter of Jacob 
 Wollaber, an old resident of the county. The 
 young couple came to Cayuga County in i860, 
 and bought a farm of a hundred acres in Mo- 
 ravia Township, where they lived and worked 
 uninterruptedly for seven and twenty years. 
 During this time Mr. Fulmer became a pol- 
 icy-holder in the association with which he is 
 now ofificially connected, having been elected 
 one of its Directors and its Treasurer in i 
 
 a year after his removal from his farm into the 
 village of the same town, though he did not 
 sell the old place. In 1892 he was chosen 
 Secretary, so that he now combines in himself 
 three offices, demanding his almost entire 
 attention. 
 
 This company was organized in 1879, for 
 the insurance of isolated farms, as well as 
 village property, on a mutual plan, with the 
 central office in Moravia. Starting from a 
 financial basis of nothing, the association now 
 carries thirteen hundred policies, with a face 
 value, on the last day of 1893, amounting to 
 over two and a quarter million dollars. It 
 has always been successful, meeting promptly 
 every loss, and charging much lower rates for 
 the risk than old companies, based on the 
 ordinary plan. Indeed, taking it year by 
 year, this association has only demanded 
 about half the usual rates. In each town the 
 company has a Director, who is on the look- 
 out for its interests there. Mr. Fulmer is 
 also connected with the Indian Mound Ceme- 
 tery Association as Trustee and Secretary. 
 While living on his farm, he was four years 
 Town Assessor, but has held no other office. 
 He was a Republican in politics till 1889, 
 when he felt it his duty to join the Prohibi- 
 tionists; but his adherence is an honor to any 
 party. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Fulmer have had three chil- 
 dren. Milton Jay Fulmer, the eldest, born 
 in 1859, died at the early age of five. Emma 
 A. Fulmer, born in 1863, married Charles L. 
 Peck, of Syracuse. Mary C. Fulmer, born in 
 1866, married Hugh A. Fordyce, of her na- 
 
SlOCUW HoWLflND. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 423 
 
 tive town; and they have one child, Wesley 
 G. Fordyce. The Fulmers attend the Metho- 
 dist church, in which the head of the house- 
 hold has been a class leader since 1865. For 
 many years he was a Steward and the Sunday- 
 school superintendent, and still assists in the 
 latter capacity. Twice he has been a delegate 
 to the Electoral Conference. 
 
 ^LOCUM ROWLAND, late of Sher- 
 wood, in the town of Scipio, was for 
 many years numbered among the 
 most worthy and respected citizens of Cayuga 
 County, and was an important factor in its 
 mercantile interests, being for several decades 
 extensively engaged in business in this vil- 
 lage, where he built up an extensive trade, 
 and at the same time won for himself a lasting 
 reputation as a man possessing most excellent 
 traits of character, upright and honorable in 
 his dealings, and imbued with that generous 
 public spirit that was always ready to assist 
 in any enterprise conducive to the general 
 welfare. He was a native and life-long resi- 
 dent of the Empire State, his birth having 
 occurred in Saratoga County, September 20, 
 1794, one hundred years ago, and his death in 
 1881. 
 
 Mr. Howland was of New England ancestry, 
 his parents, Benjamin and Mary (Slocum) 
 Howland, being from Dartmouth, Mass. In 
 order to improve their financial condition, 
 they decided to remove to the Western front- 
 ier, where a good deal of land could be bought 
 for a small sum of money. Accordingly, he 
 
 and his wife crossed the boundary line between 
 Massachusetts and New York, and settled in 
 Saratoga County, where they remained a few 
 years. Then, hearing glowing accounts of the 
 lake district, one hundred and fifty miles 
 westward, they decided on another removal; 
 and in 1794 they came to the town of Scipio. 
 It was in the winter season; and the journey, 
 which it took two weeks to accomplish, was 
 made in sleighs, the herd of twenty cattle that 
 they brought being driven before them. On 
 their way they stopped at Hardenburg's Cor- 
 ners, now the city of Auburn. Mr. Howland 
 bought eighty-five acres of land in the south- 
 ern part of the county, paying four dollars an 
 acre for it. He was a mason by trade and a 
 workman of skill, and on arriving in Scipio 
 secured all the work he desired at three dol- 
 lars per day. He was employed in the con- 
 struction of many of the dwelling-houses 
 and other buildings, one of them being the 
 Friends' meeting-house, which was built in 
 1810. Prior to that time the Friends had 
 worshipped in the front room of Benjamin 
 Wilbur's log cabin. Benjamin Howland and 
 his wife reared a family of six children, of 
 whom two were sons — Slocum, whose name 
 is placed at the head of this sketch ; and 
 Humphrey. The latter was a member of the 
 Assembly of 1812. The daughters were Syl- 
 via, Martha, Mary, and Harmony. Benjamin 
 Howland died in September, 1831, at the ad- 
 vanced age of seventy-seven years; while his 
 wife, who died in 1840, lived to the age of 
 fourscore and five years. The mortal remains 
 of both lie buried in a burial-place set apart 
 
424 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 by Mr. Rowland shortly after he came to this 
 county. 
 
 Slocum Howland was bred and educated 
 in Scipio. Not liking the farm, when old 
 enough to choose for himself, he entered the 
 store of Richard Talcott, at Talcott's Corners, 
 as a clerk, and remained there in that capacity 
 for some years. Afterward he established 
 himself in mercantile business in the village 
 of Sherwood, where he was in partnership 
 with his brother-in-law, Thomas J. Alsop. 
 When this partnership was dissolved, in 
 1 83 1, his nephew, Ledra Heazlet, became his 
 partner, the firm being known as Howland & 
 Heazlet until the death of the latter. Mr. 
 Howland later admitted his son William to 
 the firm, which was then called Howland & 
 Son, remaining thus until the death of the 
 senior partner in 1881. Mr. Howland was 
 well known all over Western New York as a 
 man of honesty and honor, and a friend of the 
 poor and oppressed. He was a Garrison Abo- 
 litionist and an active worker in what was 
 known as the "underground railway." He 
 was by birth a member of the Society of 
 Friends, and accepted and revered the faith 
 of his fathers. 
 
 On September 27, 1821, Slocum Howland 
 was united in marriage with Hannah Talcott, 
 a daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Hawxhurst) 
 Talcott. Three children were born to them 
 — William, Emily, and Benjamin. Will- 
 iam, who married Hannah Letchworth on 
 April 20, 1853, has two children — Isabel and 
 Herbert. Benjamin married Louisa Powell 
 in 1858; and to them have been born four 
 
 children — Agnes, Clarence, Edith, and 
 Blanche. 
 
 The excellent portrait of Mr. Slocum How- 
 land on another page will be highly appre- 
 ciated by the readers of the present volume. 
 Although it is thirteen years since this good 
 man passed to his rest, 
 
 •' The soft memory of his virtues yet 
 Lingers, like twilight hues when the sun is set." 
 
 (s>rUSTIN BENHAM HALE is a retired 
 ^^ merchant and an esteemed citizen of 
 ^^ — - Moravia. He was born in Scipio- 
 ville on March 13, 1817, amidst the returning 
 and growing national prosperity which fol- 
 lowed the War of 18 12, the son of Thomas 
 and Mercy Hall (Benham) Hale. 
 
 The Hales were Connecticut people. Eben- 
 ezer Hale, Thomas's father and the grand- 
 father of Austin Benham Hale, was born in 
 Middletown in that State, not far north-east of 
 Cheshire, on November 21, 1758; so that he 
 was a young man in his teens when the alarm 
 of Lexington was sounded, and the fight for 
 freedom began. He was prominent in mili- 
 tary offices, and always known as Colonel 
 Hale, drilling his neighbors in army tactics 
 even after the Revolution was over. His 
 wife, Miriam Bunnell, was born on March 20, 
 1762, nearly four years later than the Colonel, 
 and in the town of Cheshire, where he died 
 on July 26, 1805, in middle life, aged only 
 forty-seven. She survived him less than fifty 
 days, dying on September 21 of the same 
 year. Colonel Ebenezer Hale's eldest son 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 425 
 
 was Thomas Hale. The younger brothers 
 and sisters, who were all educated in Chesh- 
 ire, were the following: Ruth Hale married 
 Thomas Morse, and died in Cheshire; 
 Amanda Hale was married to Reuben Ben- 
 ham, of the same town; Ebenezer Hale, Jr., 
 came to Cayuga County after a previous 
 residence in Wolcott, Wayne County; Elias 
 Hale remained in Connecticut, and died at 
 Cheshire. 
 
 Thomas Hale was born in Middletown, 
 Conn., on March 8, 1782, before the emanci- 
 pated colonies had formed their "more per- 
 fect union," or chosen a President; but he 
 grew up in Cheshire, his mother's town, 
 where he owned real estate, and married 
 Mercy H. Benham about the year 1802, when 
 he was hardly twenty-one, the date being con- 
 jectured from the birth of their eldest son, in 
 October, 1803. Though Thomas Hale first 
 came through the Cayuga region in 181 1, just 
 before the War of 18 12, it was later when he 
 brought his household thither, and opened a 
 store with another Connecticut man, named 
 Orrin Peck. Indeed, Mr. Hale did not go 
 after his family till he had himself tried the 
 place for a summer; but he went back to the 
 Nutmeg State after them in the fall. They 
 had to travel by teams, bringing provender 
 for the horses, the whole trip costing not over 
 twenty-five dollars in money. Trade was very 
 different from what it is to-day, and depended 
 largely upon barter, little money passing from 
 hand to hand. Merchandise of all sorts, such 
 as was needed in a country store, had to be 
 brought from Albany, whither the produce, 
 
 received by the traders, had to be sent. As 
 was then the custom, Messrs. Hale & Peck 
 not only kept a store, but ran a distillery and 
 manufactured potash, and also tinware, both 
 articles in constant and universal demand; 
 and by good luck these tradesmen were not 
 ruined by an accumulation of unsalable lum- 
 ber and other natural products, as happened 
 in some parts of the country. For a dozen 
 years the partnership continued. Then Mr. 
 Peck withdrew from the firm, returned to Con- 
 necticut, and at Southington engaged in tin 
 manufacture, while Mr. Hale carried on the 
 traffic alone. Nor did his sagacity fall 
 asleep, or his foresight desert him. There 
 was a general demand for tin-ware; and he 
 continued making it, sending peddlers out in 
 every direction, so that his son Austin can 
 remember when there were fifteen or twenty 
 carts to be seen at one time standing in front 
 of Mr. Hale's shop, which was probably the 
 first one established in that part of the State 
 west of Utica. Mr. Hale did not give up 
 this manufacture, though not afterward so 
 extensively carried on, till 1850, two years 
 before his death, which occurred October 7, 
 1852, at the age of threescore and ten. He 
 had naturally filled a large space in public 
 estimation, and held many local offices, as the 
 wilderness became a large town. He was a 
 stanch Presbyterian in religion, belonging to 
 a society in what was called No. i Scipio. 
 
 His wife, Mercy H. Benham, was born in 
 the town of Prospect, Conn., near Cheshire, 
 the daughter of Shadrach and Elizabeth (Aus- 
 tin) Benham. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hale 
 
426 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 had six children, five living to maturity. 
 William Rowley Hale, the eldest, was born 
 in 1803, and died on June 21, 1846. Daniel 
 Benham Hale came next, in 1805, and died 
 October 19, 1874, in Snyderville, Wis., 
 though buried at his home in Geneva, Ashta- 
 bula County, Ohio. The oldest daughter, 
 Elizabeth Hale, was born in 18 14, and died 
 young. Austin B. Hale, as before noted, was 
 born in 1817. Mary Spencer Hale, born in 
 1820, married John B. Bowen, of Ledyard, 
 and died January 4, 1867. George Thomas 
 Hale, the youngest, was born in 1825, and 
 went overland to California in the rush of 
 1849, Independence, Mo., being his starting- 
 point for the trip across the plains; but on 
 his return, by way of the Isthmus of Panama, 
 he reached the metropolis only, and there 
 died, December 25, 1851, without another 
 sight of his native place. The mother of 
 these children outlived her husband only two 
 years. She died, like him, firm in the Pres- 
 byterian faith of her fathers. 
 
 Austin B. Hale, of Scipioville, attended 
 the Scipio public school ; but afterward his 
 father, being abundantly able to do so, sent 
 him to the Cortland Academy in the town of 
 Homer, in 1836 and 1837, when the son was 
 nineteen to twenty years old, at an age when 
 most boys in the neighborhood gave up all 
 thoughts of further schooling. From the time 
 of leaving the academy till 1841, he was in 
 his father's store. Then he opened a place of 
 his own in Moravia, which gradually devel- 
 oped into a large hardware establishment, so 
 that in 1870 he was able to erect a large brick 
 
 block, called Union, three stories high and 
 three stores in width. There he continued 
 the hardware trade, in the firm of Hale & 
 Greenfield. (A sketch of his partner, Webb 
 J. Greenfield, may be found elsewhere in this 
 volume.) Their business included every kind 
 of hardware, and involved a capital of ten 
 thousand dollars. In 1875 Mr. Hale left the 
 farm at the age of fifty-eight, on account of 
 poor health, and has since lived in compara- 
 tive retirement. 
 
 When the First National Bank of Moravia 
 was organized, May 25, 1863, in the time of 
 the Civil War, when national banks were first 
 heard of, the new banking law having been 
 passed only three months before, on February 
 2, Mr. Hale was one of its most active pro- 
 moters. Indeed, he was one of the first to 
 talk the matter over with William Keeler 
 and B. F. Everson ; and Mr. Hale was clerk 
 of the meeting. This meeting was on April 
 14, and these three gentlemen prepared arti- 
 cles of association. The bank started with a 
 capital of fifty thousand dollars, which was 
 shortly increased to eighty. At the first elec- 
 tion of Directors, Mr. Hale was Inspector, 
 and was himself chosen one of the nine Direc- 
 tors. At the first meeting of these Directors 
 he was chosen President of the bank, and Mr. 
 Everson was made Cashier. After holding 
 the position for some time, Mr. Hale re- 
 signed, but was again elected, and discharged 
 his duties faithfully as long as he could well 
 do so. 
 
 In addition to his property in the village he 
 owns a farm near bv, also a summer residence 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 427 
 
 at the very head waters of Owasco Lake, 
 "Eden Shore Cottage," near a station of the 
 Lehigh Valley Railroad called Cascade, four 
 miles from Moravia. He has served two 
 terms as Supervisor, 1859 and i860, and as a 
 member of the Equalization Committee. He 
 has been the Village President and Village 
 Trustee, sometimes filling both these offices 
 at once. He has also been a Trustee of the 
 old academy, and has contributed many books 
 and pamphlets to the Powers Library con- 
 nected with the institution. In 1861 he was 
 Treasurer of the old Agricultural Society of 
 the town; and with Judge Day he drew up the 
 by-laws regulating the Indian Mound Ceme- 
 tery, of which he was many years a Director 
 and Treasurer. In fact, there have been few 
 movements in the town for the last half-cen- 
 tury in which he has not borne an active part; 
 and it was with difficulty that he at last 
 evaded another of this nature. 
 
 In Free Masonry Mr. Hale belongs to Syl- 
 van Lodge, No. 41, having joined the order 
 many years ago. Though always refusing any 
 ritualistic Masonic office, he was its Treasurer 
 when the Masonic Building was re-erected in 
 Moravia. In politics he was a Whig, but be- 
 came a Republican when the party was organ- 
 ized. Indeed, he was a delegate to the 
 Syracuse Convention when that organization 
 took place, as he had been at Saratoga, when 
 the first attempt at organization was made. 
 In 1849 he was appointed Postmaster under 
 the Presidency of General Zachary Taylor, 
 and retained the office through the administra- 
 tion of Vice-President Millard Fillmore, 
 
 though the salary was only half what it is 
 to-day, and the incumbent had to keep all the 
 accounts, and fill out a way-bill for the enve- 
 lope which had to be placed around every 
 letter, besides collecting postage, stamps not 
 having come into use. His first Presidential 
 vote, in 1840, was cast for William Henry 
 Harrison, and in 1888 arid 1892 he had the 
 pleasure of voting for General Harrison's 
 grandson Benjamin; and in all this long in- 
 terval of years he has never lost his vote by 
 indisposition of either mind or body. He has 
 also found time for travelling extensively in 
 his own country, especially in the West. 
 
 Mr. Hale was not married early in life, as 
 it was not till May 25, 1849, when he was 
 thirty-two, and his store in full operation, 
 that he was united to Nancy Day Lane, of 
 Lanesborough, Susquehanna County, Pa., 
 where she was born, June 16, 1823, and was 
 therefore twenty-six years old at the time of 
 her marriage. She died after sixteen years of 
 wedded happiness, on February 18, 1865, and 
 left one son, George Lane Hale, who was 
 born September 12, 1853, but died in Chi- 
 cago, April 7, 1877, at the early age of 
 twenty-four. Three years after Mrs. Hale's 
 death, the bereaved husband and father mar- 
 ried again, the bride being Louesie C. Titus. 
 She, like her predecessor, was a Pennsylvania 
 lady, having been born in the village of War- 
 ren, Warren County, on New Year's Day, 
 1843, so that she was only twenty-five at the 
 time of her marriage, November 17, 1868, 
 after receiving her finishing education at the 
 Falley Seminary, Fulton, in Oswego County. 
 
428 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Being in faith an ardent Baptist, Mrs. Louesie 
 C. Hale was the first mover in organizing the 
 First Baptist Church of Moravia, the first 
 meeting being held at her residence. The 
 organization was effected on March 20, 1870, 
 with eleven members. It now has over one 
 hundred, and a fine brick church, also a 
 commodious parsonage. By this union Mr. 
 Hale has one child, Florence Louesie, who 
 was born September 18, 1872, and was edu- 
 cated at the Moravia Union School and the 
 Auburn Business College, from which she 
 graduated in 1894. Since 1842 Mr. Hale 
 has been connected with the Congregational 
 church, serving for years and years as Trustee 
 and Treasurer. Mr. Hale being a Congrega- 
 tionalist, and his wife a Baptist, their daugh- 
 ter, when six years old, on being asked her 
 belief, replied she did not know, but guessed 
 she was a Congregational Baptist, and " is of 
 the same opinion still." 
 
 "Ability is of little account without op- 
 portunity." So said the great Emperor Na- 
 poleon. Mr. Hale has had both ability and 
 opportunity; but he possesses two other qual- 
 ities which have begotten trust in the minds 
 of those with whom he has come into contact. 
 One is common sense, of which a learned 
 writer has said: "Common sense, in one 
 view, is the most uncommon sense. While it 
 is extremely rare in possession, the recogni- 
 tion of it is universal. All men feel it, 
 though few men have it." And the other is 
 honesty, of which the old poet and play- 
 wright, Ben Jonson, declares, "Wisdom with- 
 out honesty is mere craft and cozenage; and 
 
 therefore the reputation of honesty must first 
 be gotten, which cannot be but by living 
 well." 
 
 •s^OHN F. FORSCUTT is a most worthy 
 and hard-working farmer, residing near 
 Fair Haven, in Sterling, who has by 
 persevering effort raised himself above the 
 level of mediocrity, both in character and 
 wealth. He was born in Fleming, Cayuga 
 County, August 6, 1828. His father, Luke 
 Forscutt, was born in Northamptonshire, 
 England, and at first earned his bread as a 
 shepherd-boy, but later drifted into agricult- 
 ure. After his marriage he came to this 
 country, and settled in Cayuga County, where 
 John was born, but later bought a farm in 
 Sterling, where he spent the short residue of 
 his life, dying at the early age of thirty-four. 
 Luke Forscutt's wife was Nancy Ann 
 Knight; and her father, Joseph Knight, lived 
 and died a farmer in Northamptonshire, Eng- 
 land, where she was born and married. By 
 this marriage she had five children, of whom 
 the subject of this sketch was the second, the 
 others being Thomas, Mary, William, and 
 Hannah. Their mother died, aged sixty-four, 
 on the old homestead, where John remained 
 till he removed to his present excellent farm, 
 to which he especially devotes himself, though 
 having the care of three others; for he is a 
 man of wide executive power. At the age of 
 twenty-six, in 1854, he married Lovina Over- 
 acher, daughter of John Overacher. Their 
 three children are Richard, Jennie, and Will- 
 iam, all married, and living on farms near by. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 429 
 
 Mr. Forscutt is a Republican, and the family 
 attend the Methodist church. The more such 
 men there are, the better for the community. 
 
 tLLEN E. BAKER, M.D., one of the 
 most prominent physicians and sur- 
 <— - geons of the city of Auburn, where 
 he has been located for practice since April, 
 1 89 1, was born in the town of Aurelius, 
 Cayuga County, N.Y., September 18, 1862. 
 His parents were Jerome B. and Henrietta 
 (Warrick) Baker. The family were origi- 
 nally from New England; the grandfather Ju- 
 lius Baker settled in this county on April i, 
 1836. During his early life he followed the 
 trade of a mechanic and wheelwright, but in 
 later years took up the occupation of farming, 
 in which he met with considerable success. 
 He is now a resident of Wayne County, where 
 he lives a peaceful life at the advanced age 
 of eighty-five years. Jerome B. Baker, the 
 father of the Doctor, was born in Seneca 
 County, near Seneca Falls. He is a retired 
 farmer, now living in Auburn. Mrs. Baker, 
 his wife, was born in this county, and is 
 the daughter of William and Fannie War- 
 rick. Mr. Warrick came originally from 
 New Jersey, and Mrs. Warrick from Penn- 
 sylvania. 
 
 Allen E. Baker received his first schooling 
 in the village of Cayuga, afterward attending 
 the Auburn High School, where he was grad- 
 uated in 1883. He at once engaged in the 
 work of the Young Men's Christian Associa- 
 tion, and was at first Secretary at Troy for the 
 
 Railroad Association, and was afterward em- 
 ployed as Secretary in the regular city work 
 of the Young Men's Christian Association at 
 Albany. His natural inclination, however, 
 was toward the study of medicine; and for a 
 time he read with Dr. Charles E. Swift, now 
 deceased, of Auburn. He attended lectures 
 at the New York Homceopathic Medical Col- 
 lege, graduating in the class of 1888, after a 
 distinguished three years' course. He re- 
 ceived "honorable mention" in his class, and 
 was appointed by the college faculty on his 
 general standing, and without competitive ex- 
 amination, to the Five Points House of In- 
 dustry as Junior Resident Physician. After 
 being there two months, he was made Senior 
 Resident Physician, occupying that responsi- 
 ble position for nearly three years. Dr. 
 Baker resided in Brooklyn for seven months 
 of the time, where he made for himself a 
 name as a reputable physician, and built up 
 a good practice. Upon leaving the hospital, 
 and upon the earnest solicitation of friends, 
 he came to Auburn, and located his office at 
 No. 55 Franklin Street, where he is now 
 doing a fine general practice. 
 
 He was united in marriage April 24, 1889, 
 to Miss Susie A. Beyers, of New York City, 
 and has two children, both daughters — Maude 
 A. Baker and Ruth Imogene Baker. 
 
 Dr. and Mrs. Baker are members of the 
 First Methodist Episcopal Church of this 
 city. Dr. Baker is a well-known and honored 
 member of the Cayuga County Homoeopathic 
 Medical Society. He enjoys a high reputa- 
 tion as an intelligent and clever physician, 
 
43° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and takes a deep interest in all affairs of the 
 city of his adoption. 
 
 /®X< 
 
 EORGE P. WOOD, LL.B., is a na- 
 \|^_L tive of Union Springs, where he is 
 now the leading attorney; and he is a man 
 whom the town may well be proud of having 
 produced. He was born on the last day of 
 May, 1 841, his father being Peter B. Wood, 
 and his mother Catherine Burlew. The 
 grandfather, Wynant Wood, was a life-long 
 inhabitant of Staten Island, which for several 
 generations was the family home. His son, 
 Peter B. Wood, was born on that island, with 
 the first year of the present century; but he 
 came to Union Springs in 1836, and went to 
 farming, five years before his son George was 
 born. The mother first saw the light in 
 South Amboy, N.J., in the same year with 
 her husband, 1801 ; and more particulars con- 
 cerning her family, the Burlews, may be 
 found in the section devoted to a gentleman 
 of that name. The Wood farm is a mile 
 south of the village; and Mr. Peter B. Wood 
 filled many local offices, being a man re- 
 spected and trusted by his fellow-citizens. 
 He died in 1888, when within only three 
 years of ninety; and his wife lived a year 
 longer. 
 
 Of their four children, the only one now 
 surviving is the lawyer to whom this sketch 
 especially relates. Of course he received his 
 rudimentary education in the public schools 
 of his native town, and after that he went to 
 the Friends' Academy in the same place. 
 
 Then he tried his hand at two or three differ- 
 ent kinds of business, especially the manu- 
 facture of tiles and bricks. In 1865 he began 
 the study of law with his brother, Etsel 
 Wood, who had an office in Union Springs for 
 many years, and died in 1893. George also 
 took the regular course of study in the law 
 department of the University at Albany, 
 where he was graduated in the class of 1869. 
 After a short term of practice with his 
 brother, he opened an independent office, 
 which now wins the most lucrative patronage 
 in the western part of Cayuga County. Poli- 
 tics he has never much cared for. In fact, 
 he has no time to look after nominations 
 and offices, either Democratic or Republican, 
 being kept very busy with cases before the 
 courts in all parts of the State. As he was 
 admitted to the bar in 1869, he has now been 
 in practice more than a quarter of a century. 
 An aphorism of the classic poet Lucretius 
 is this, "A falling drop at last will cave a 
 stone"; and that philosophic novelist, Bul- 
 wer-Lytton, has written thus: "He who dis- 
 trusts the security of chance takes more pains 
 to effect the safety which results from labor. 
 To find what you seek in the road of life, the 
 best proverb of all is that which says, Leave 
 no stone unturned." These utterances almost 
 suggest a play upon words, when they are 
 applied, as well they may be, not only to Mr. 
 Wood's persevering professional pursuits, but 
 to a leading outside enterprise, the stone 
 quarries on the Wood farm, in which he has 
 been engaged since 1872, sometimes alone 
 and sometimes under the firm name of Wood 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 431 
 
 & Smith. To this undertaking he may have 
 originally been led by his prior experience 
 with tiles and bricks, which naturally in- 
 duced much consideration of building mate- 
 rials. These quarries, called Hamburg, take 
 the bulk of Mr. Wood's spare time. They 
 are very conveniently located on the Auburn 
 and Ithaca division of the Lehigh Valley 
 Railroad, and are provided with side tracks 
 and steam derricks. Near by is a dock, on 
 Cayuga Lake; and this is a great conven- 
 ience, as much of the granite is used for 
 bridges. The quarries supply a large quan- 
 tity of stone for the Lehigh Valley Railroad, 
 and for the elevated work, through Rochester, 
 on the New York Central & Hudson River 
 Railroad. In these quarries over a hundred 
 men find constant employment, and in the 
 busy season one hundred and thirty are 
 needed. There are no other quarries in the 
 county nearly as large as these, which rank 
 with the most extensive in the State; and no 
 other business plant in the neighborhood re- 
 quires the service of so many workmen, or has 
 been of equal financial value to the commu- 
 nity in this direction. Not only is the in- 
 vestment profitable, but it affords Mr. Wood 
 the best sort of an excuse, if one were needed, 
 for retaining the old homestead, though he 
 lives in a charming house on Cayuga Street. 
 
 'ON. WILLIAM LESLIE NOYES, 
 
 ^1 now of Auburn, is the senior mem- 
 
 s I 
 
 " V— ^ ber of the firm of Noyes & 
 
 Duryea, dealers in seeds and agricultural 
 
 implements, and is also an ex-Representative 
 of Cayuga County in the State Assembly. 
 He was born in the town of Niles in this 
 county on April 24, 1836; and his parents 
 were Samuel Berry and Catherine R. (Jack- 
 son) Noyes. 
 
 His paternal grandfather, John Noyes, 
 was one of the pioneer settlers in Chenango 
 County, coming thither from Connecticut. 
 An earlier ancestor in that State was the 
 Rev. John Noyes, doubtless a descendant of 
 the Rev. James Noyes, who had a long and 
 faithful ministry of fifty-five years in Stoning- 
 ton, Conn., and died there in 1719. He was 
 a graduate of Harvard College in the class of 
 1659. His father, the Rev. James Noyes, Sr., 
 of Newbury, Mass., was born in England, and 
 crossed the Atlantic in the spring of 1634, in 
 the "Mary and John" of London, and, after 
 preaching for a short time in Medford, was 
 settled in Newbury. Many of his descendants 
 have been college graduates. For many years 
 Grandfather John lived in Chenango County, 
 and then came to Cayuga County, where he 
 passed the remainder of his days. 
 
 Samuel B. Noyes, son of John, began his 
 adult life as a teacher, soon becoming promi- 
 nent in the educational affairs of the county, 
 of which he was School Commissioner for 
 many years, besides serving as Justice of 
 Peace. He remained in Niles several years, 
 and then went to the town of Waukesha, Wis. ; 
 but, not feeling pleased therewith, he re- 
 turned to New York in 1846, when his son 
 William was a lad of ten, and the family set- 
 tled in the town of Owasco, where they .stayed 
 
432 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 nearly thirty years, till 1874, then removing 
 to another part of the town in the suburbs of 
 Auburn, where Mr. Noyes died in 1886. 
 Catherine R. Jackson, whom he married, was 
 born in this county, here received her educa- 
 tion, and here passed almost her entire life. 
 Her father, Asa Jackson, an old pioneer, was 
 the proprietor of a large tract of land at 
 the foot of Lake Owasco. He also owned 
 a large distillery, and built the structure 
 now known as the Beach House. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Samuel B. Noyes reared five children. 
 The eldest born was Dr. John O. Noyes, 
 now deceased. Mary Jane Noyes married 
 Daniel Swartwout, of Owasco. The third 
 child was William Leslie Noyes. Eudolpha 
 A. is now Mrs. Henry Burnett, of Victory. 
 Annette Noyes became Mrs. O. P. Howland, 
 of Owasco. 
 
 William received his education in the dis- 
 trict school, at Fort Plain Academy, and in 
 the Fort Edward Collegiate Institute in 
 Washington County, after which he alter- 
 nately busied himself with farming and teach- 
 ing, taking care of the Owasco Village Union 
 School ten years, and at the same time man- 
 aging his farm. In 1862, during the Civil 
 War, he went to Louisiana, and engaged in 
 business at Port Hudson for a couple of years. 
 In 1864 he became Superintendent of the 
 Mexican Gulf Ship Canal Company, organized 
 for dredging a passage from Lake Borgne to 
 the Mississippi River. This work also occu- 
 pied two years, till 1866, when Mr. Noyes re- 
 moved to New Orleans as Superintendent of 
 the New Orleans Drainage Company, engaged 
 
 in digging canals all around the city and 
 through the delta, for developing and enlarg- 
 ing the old system of drainage into the new 
 system, which better serves the city. In 
 this labor ten or a dozen dredging-boats were 
 employed, and two hundred men. This task 
 demanded several years more ; and it was not 
 till 1874 that Mr. Noyes returned to his na- 
 tive State and town, where he still owned his 
 Owasco farm. To this he now devoted his at- 
 tention, putting its hundred acres into a fine 
 state of cultivation. There he remained till 
 1893, nearly a score of years, when his agri- 
 cultural experience suggested the advisability 
 of removing to Auburn, and entering the seed 
 trade, both wholesale and retail, for which 
 the firm has a fine location at No. 4 Genesee 
 Street. Mr. Noyes has also travelled through 
 the West; and this has led him into the pos- 
 session of landed property at West Frankfort, 
 So. Dak. 
 
 A man so enterprising and uniformly suc- 
 cessful is never left to care merely for his 
 own affairs. Mr. Noyes was therefore elected 
 Supervisor while in Owasco, and held this 
 position eight years, always serving on the 
 Equalization Committee. In 1878 he was 
 elected to the State Assembly by the Repub- 
 licans of the Southern Cayuga District. He 
 was re-elected in 1882, and again in 1890 and 
 1891, affording him in all five terms as a leg- 
 islator, with experience as a member of the 
 following committees: Public Education, 
 Canals, Railroads, State Prisons, Electricity, 
 and others. In 1879 he was on the Hepburn 
 Railway Investigating Committee, whose duty 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 433 
 
 it was to inspect all the railways in the State, 
 consider their bearings upon various inter- 
 ests, and report to the next legislature. The 
 committee reported several bills, which were 
 eventually incorporated in the laws of the 
 State. A local measure, which he ably sec- 
 onded, was one giving Auburn three addi- 
 tional representatives on the County Board of 
 Supervisors, and still another bill, which 
 gave the city ownership of the waterworks, 
 which had previously been in private corpora- 
 tion hands. Three times was he nominated 
 to his post of Assemblyman without opposi- 
 tion in the Republican Convention, and many 
 times has he been a delegate to the State con- 
 ventions of his party. It is an interesting 
 fact that Mr. Noyes has been identified with 
 the fight against the manufacture of oleomar- 
 garine butter, and with the movement in favor 
 of co-operative insurance, both in the interest 
 of agriculture. 
 
 His marriage took place in 1859, at the age 
 of twenty-three, while teaching and farming 
 in Owasco, to Eunice A. Brinkerhoff, a lady 
 who was born in the same town with himself, 
 Niles. She was the daughter of James Albert 
 Brinkerhoff, who, along with his father, Al- 
 bert Brinkerhoff, had been among the earliest 
 settlers in Cayuga County. Mrs. Noyes re- 
 ceived her education in the public and select 
 schools of Auburn, and by this marriage 
 she is the mother of three living children. 
 Leila M. is the wife of Frederick Duryea, 
 her father's partner in the seed business. La 
 Belle Noyes, a name suggestive of New Or- 
 leans, has studied pharmacy. The family be- 
 
 long to the Methodist Episcopal church in 
 the city where they reside, and for many years 
 Mr. Noyes was connected with the Methodist 
 Parish in Owasco as Steward and Trustee. 
 In the social line he belongs to the Ancient 
 Order of United Workmen. Of course, the 
 Noyes home has been in Auburn only since 
 the seed business brought the family thither, 
 but they live in a very attractive residence at 
 No. 4 John Street. 
 
 Of wisdom the great Judge Joseph Story 
 declared, " Human wisdom is the aggregate of 
 all human experience, constantly accumulat- 
 ing and selecting and reorganizing its own 
 materials." Certainly, the subject of the 
 present sketch has allowed his wide experi- 
 ence to ripen into wisdom ; and few men have 
 found such varied quarries from which to ex- 
 cavate the materials for character-building. 
 
 Ji 
 
 AVID E. WHITE is a well-educated 
 „ I man, of fine principles, who has 
 added experience to intelligence, 
 and has been long looked up to as one of the 
 foremost men of the town of Conquest. He 
 is no longer in active business, having retired 
 from mercantile pursuits to his estate at 
 Spring Lake. As a leading Republican, he 
 was Postmaster for twenty years, and has been 
 proffered many other offices ; but, though ear- 
 nest in town affairs, he has not been a place- 
 seeker. He is a member of Lockwood Post, 
 Grand Army of the Republic, in Port Byron. 
 Through his influence the local Methodist 
 Episcopal church attained its present stability 
 
434 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and influence, his wife being the director of 
 the Sunday-school for many years and the choir 
 leader for a quarter-century. The growth of 
 the village of Spring Lake owes much to his 
 interest in every good word and work; and it 
 was with regret the townspeople heard of his 
 determination to withdraw from the store 
 which had so long known his presence, for 
 they regarded him as in some ways a model 
 man. 
 
 His grandfather, David L. White, was a 
 Massachusetts farmer in the town of Mans- 
 field, Bristol County, formerly a part of 
 Taunton, about twenty miles from Boston; 
 and there was born to him a son, Jacob 
 White, who became a hoe-maker. In 1814, 
 while the War of 18 12 was still troubling the 
 newly independent nation, Jacob White re- 
 moved to New York State, and established an 
 extensive hoe factory in Nassau, besides man- 
 aging a two-hundred-acre farm and a saw- 
 mill, in which handle-making and other nice 
 work was done. There Jacob White remained 
 till his death, at the advanced age of eighty- 
 six. At first an old-line Whig, he became a 
 firm Republican in the Fremont campaign. 
 His wife, Prissia Lewis, born in 1785, was a 
 daughter of David Lewis, of Walpole, Mass., 
 not far from her husband's birthplace; and 
 they were married in the year of his removal 
 to Nassau, where they reared eight of the 
 eleven children born to them, namely: Sally, 
 married to John Tifft; Prissia, named for her 
 mother, and married to J. B. Lawrence; Mi- 
 randa, married to Stephen Griffin; Philip; 
 Jacob, named for his father; David, the 
 
 subject of this biography; William; and 
 Charles. The mother breathed her last on 
 the old homestead, dying in the Free Will 
 Baptist faith in which she had lived, like 
 her husband, who was a Deacon in that 
 body. 
 
 In this same Nassau homestead David E. 
 White was born, January 23, 1828; and there 
 he worked on the farm, in the factory, and in 
 the saw-mill, getting his education in the dis- 
 trict school and Nassau Seminary. Reaching 
 his majority, he went to Massachusetts, and 
 worked six months at hoe-making in the re- 
 gion of his ancestral home. The gold fever 
 of 1849 drew David, like so many enterprising 
 young men of that day, to California, where 
 he was a miner from 1850 to 1853, when he 
 sailed for Australia, and worked in the gold 
 mines there four years longer. In 1857 he 
 went to Nassau, N.Y., and spent four more 
 years in cutting timber from land given him 
 by his father. Soon after his return from 
 Australia, in 1857, he was married July 26, 
 at the age of twenty-nine, to Melvina- A. 
 Johnson, daughter of Karley and Martha 
 (Fields) Johnson, of Nassau. Then the Civil 
 War began; and David's venturesome spirit 
 prompted him to enlist, August 12, 1862, as 
 a private in the One Hundred and Twenty- 
 fifth New York Volunteers. He was mus- 
 tered in August 27, 1862, and made Second 
 Sergeant on the organization of Company A, 
 which belonged to the Second Army Corps, 
 under Meade and Hancock. Mr. White bore 
 his part in sixteen hard-fought battles, in- 
 cluding Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spottsyl- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 435 
 
 vania, and Petersburg. On March 2, 1863, 
 he was made Commissary Sergeant. June 12, 
 
 1864, he was commissioned Second Lieuten- 
 ant, and two months later, August 8, pro- 
 moted to a First Lieutenancy. On May 20, 
 
 1865, he resigned his commission at the close 
 of the war, not waiting to be mustered out, 
 and returned to his childhood's home, where 
 he was compelled to remain idle until April 
 of the next year, when he came to Spring 
 Lake, and formed a partnership with James 
 W. Tifft, a connection of the family by mar- 
 riage. At the expiration of five years he pur- 
 chased the firm's buildings, stock, and entire 
 business, which he thereafter carried on alone, 
 adding thereto various lines of trade, till his 
 establishment became the largest of its kind 
 in the country, and so successful that, on 
 April I, 1894, twenty-eight years from the 
 date of his commencement at Spring Lake, he 
 was able to retire from the business, which he 
 sold to Green & Clark. But with Mr. White 
 retirement is not stagnation, for there is no 
 such element in his veins. "Live while you 
 live," is his motto; and this he takes in a 
 lofty sense, to live for noble ends. 
 
 I 
 
 (^rONATHAN JOHNSON, one of the 
 oldest merchants of Port Byron, N.Y., 
 having been engaged in the meat busi- 
 ness here since 1854, was born in Hat- 
 ley, Stanstead County, Quebec, December 
 30, 1828, and Is the son of Zacarias and 
 Laura H. (Hovey) Johnson. The father and 
 mother were both natives of New Hampshire. 
 
 The grandfathers on both sides of the house 
 were Revolutionary soldiers. H. D. John- 
 son, the paternal grandsire, was a farmer, and 
 moved from New Hampshire to Canada, Hor- 
 ace H. Hovey also going to -the same place, 
 they having a township of land given them of 
 ten square miles, on which they raised large 
 herds of cattle. Both families were mem- 
 bers of the Church of England. Zacarias 
 Johnson lived on the farm in Canada all his 
 life. He died there in 1834, and was sur- 
 vived nearly fifty years by his widow, who 
 died in 1880. They reared a family of five 
 children; namely, Laura J., Hall, Jonathan, 
 Edward, John. 
 
 Jonathan Johnson received his schooling in 
 the vicinity of the old homestead. At the 
 age of eighteen he began to learn the trade of 
 a tanner and currier, working as an apprentice 
 for three years for twenty-five dollars a year, 
 and clothing himself. He raised enough 
 money, ten dollars, to enable him to come 
 to Weedsport, where he had a brother-in-law, 
 and then went to Port Byron in the fall of 
 1849, working there for Mr. Curtis, a tanner, 
 for ten dollars a month on trial. From that 
 time forward he worked on piece-work, and 
 was enabled to save money. After two years 
 he went to Canandaigua, and entered the em- 
 ploy of Mr. Robinson, remaining there until 
 1855, when he returned to Port Byron, and 
 went into the grocery and meat business on 
 the old Canal, his place being known as the 
 Rock Spring Grocery. He remained in that 
 location until the Canal was changed over, 
 then went into partnership with W. W. 
 
436 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Milks, which continued until 1861, when the 
 war broke out, after which he went to work in 
 the Robinson & Little Tannery, and was with 
 them about three years. He then bought out 
 Colonel Milks, the new firm being Sweet & 
 Johnson, afterward taking into partnership 
 Mr. Summers. In 1872 he bought his part- 
 ners out, and has carried on the business 
 alone ever since. He has a large trade in 
 Western and native meat, besides shipping 
 farm produce of all kinds. He was for one 
 year Overseer of the Poor for the town of 
 Mentz. In politics he votes with the Demo- 
 cratic party. 
 
 He was married on January 25, 1855, to 
 Miss Harriet A. Sweet, daughter of Elnathan 
 Sweet, of Port Byron. They have four chil- 
 dren, namely: Emma, wife of A. D. Stewart; 
 Louisa, wife of George A. Warburton, of 
 New York City, Secretary of the Young Men's 
 Christian Association, who has three children 
 — George Robert, William Crofton, and 
 Ethel; John D. Johnson, a physician and sur- 
 geon of New York City, who is married to 
 Miss Addie Barrus, of Port Byron, and has 
 one child — Hal] Johnson; Jennie, wife of the 
 Rev. W. I. Sweet, of Passaic, N.J., who has 
 two children— Hattie May and Bessie Julia. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Johnson is 
 deservedly held in high repute by his fellow- 
 townsmen. Starting in the world without a 
 dollar, he has made his present position by 
 dmt of his own unaided exertions, being 
 known as one of the strong representative 
 men of the town. 
 
 (TirUDSON W. HAPEMAN, one of the 
 most prominent citizens of Cato, be- 
 longs to the firm of Hapeman, Weager 
 & Co., and is also freight and ticket agent for 
 the Lehigh Valley Railroad, having held that 
 post since first the Southern Central Division 
 was built through this section of the county, 
 about twenty-three years ago. 
 
 Though not born in Cato, he was born in 
 the same county, in the town of Victory, 
 N.Y., on December 8, 1843. His father was 
 John Martin Hapeman, and his mother was 
 Mary Ann Van Buren Hapeman, the father 
 being of Dutch descent, and the mother of 
 English. John M. Hapeman was born at 
 Kinderhook, N.Y., near Schenectady, in 
 181 1, the very year before the beginning of 
 the famous War of 18 12, which brought the 
 lake waters into such historic note by the 
 naval victories gained thereon. In his native 
 city he married Miss Van Buren, while her 
 distinguished kinsman, Martin Van Buren, 
 was President of the United States, and a 
 thick cloud of financial depression brooded 
 over the land. As this wedding took place in 
 1837, John Martin and Mary Ann Hapeman 
 were able to celebrate their golden anniversary 
 in 1887. He was foreman in a factory till 
 1840, when he came to Victory at the age of 
 twenty-nine, and bought a farm, where he 
 still lives, though his wife died in 1890, both 
 being adherents of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 Judson was educated in his native place, 
 and also went to the Red Creek Seminary, 
 where he was studying when the Southern 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 437 
 
 rebellion broke out, and was stirred by his 
 love of country to enlist in Company B of 
 the Seventy-fifth New Yoric Volunteer In- 
 fantry, in September, 1861, when there was 
 a strong call for more troops. The regiment 
 was sent in November to Santa Rosa Island, 
 Fla., where it was stationed for six months. 
 When Pensacola was evacuated, after a bom- 
 bardment of two days, the Yankee troops at 
 once entered the conquered place, and there 
 remained another half-year. Then the 
 Seventy-fifth boys were sent to New Or- 
 leans, where they were on duty nearly two 
 years longer, taking part in various battles, 
 of which a more particular account may be 
 found in the sketch of Frederick Cossman in 
 this volume. The first bloody engagement 
 in which the regiment was engaged was that 
 of the gunboat "Cotton"; and next they made 
 forced marches toward the Red River country. 
 Judson enlisted as a private; but in 1863 he 
 was transferred to the Third Engineer Corps 
 of Colored Troops, under Major D. C. Hous- 
 ton, and sent to the Department of the Gulf. 
 This change from his regiment to the En- 
 gineer Corps was chiefly occasioned by his 
 physical condition. During the march through 
 Louisiana he was sent out to destroy a building 
 occupied by Confederate sharpshooters, and 
 during this demolition he received wounds 
 which compelled him to use crutches for two 
 years; but nothing could dampen his bravery. 
 Though now holding a commission as Second 
 Lieutenant, he was at once made Acting As- 
 sistant Surgeon, having already seen much 
 hospital service while with his old regiment. 
 
 Soon he was still further promoted, to be 
 First Lieutenant and Quartermaster; and in 
 these duties he continued steadfast till the 
 close of the war, though not mustered out 
 with the brevet rank of Captain till Decem- 
 ber 8, 1865, having served four years and 
 three months. 
 
 On reaching home Mr. Hapeman bought a 
 saw-mill, which he operated for two years, 
 till he was twenty-five years old. He moved 
 to Cato in 1868, and started with H. S. Hunt 
 in the hardware business. This lasted three 
 years, Mr. Hapeman meanwhile acting as 
 Postmaster under President Grant. In 1871 
 Mr. Hapeman sold out the store, and accepted 
 a position as Station Agent for the Southern 
 Central Railroad, though at the same time 
 doing business as a trader, in company with 
 E. J. Turner, under the title of Turner & 
 Hapeman. This continued till the centennial 
 year, when he sold out to Mr. Hunter, and 
 Mr. Hapeman took up the general produce 
 and commission business, though still hold- 
 ing his railroad agency. After trying it four 
 years alone, in 1880 he took Mr. Weager into 
 the business. This relation lasted a dozen 
 years, when Mr. Hapeman bought out the 
 business, which he reorganized as Hapeman, 
 Weager & Co., with himself at the head of 
 the firm. They do a large lumber and coal 
 trade, besides dealing in agricultural imple- 
 ments and produce. In addition to the ware- 
 house for their goods and sheds for fuel, they 
 have three storehouses for fertilizers; and 
 they also have the proper buildings for evapo- 
 rating apples, in which they have been busy 
 
438 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 since 1892, handling seventy thiousand bushels 
 of fruit in that year, and giving employment 
 to fifty work-people, besides agents who are 
 on the road for the sale of their goods and 
 implements. In addition to these branches 
 of trade he has dealt in tobacco. 
 
 As a Republican, Mr. Hapeman has been 
 two years Supervisor for the town of Ira, and 
 for the same time was on the Equalization 
 Committee. Seven successive years he was 
 President of the Board of Education, and 
 Treasurer and Secretary for several years 
 more, making a total service of fifteen years. 
 For nine years he was a Village Trustee. 
 Masonically, he belongs to Cato Lodge, No. 
 141, A. F. & A. M., of which he was three 
 times Master. He was the first Commander 
 of E. M. Knapp Post, Grand Army of the 
 Republic, and kept the place three years. 
 As might naturally be expected, he has be- 
 come the owner of considerable local real 
 estate. His marriage took place on April 
 30, 1877, to Margaret Merritt, of Meridian; 
 and they have three children — Eugene Jud- 
 son, Garrard B., and Grace May. The fam- 
 ily belong to the Presbyterian church, of 
 which Mr. Hapeman is an Elder; and, when 
 the meeting-house was remodelled, he was on 
 the Building Committee. 
 
 Reading of such a career as Mr. Hape- 
 man's, one may well recall the words of a 
 great writer about courage: "True courage 
 has so little to do with anger that there lies 
 always the strongest suspicion against it where 
 this passion is highest. The true courage 
 is the cool and calm. The bravest of men 
 
 have the least of brutal, bullying insolence, 
 and in the very time of danger are found the 
 most serene, pleasant, and free." 
 
 SA H. BAKER, now retired from ac- 
 tive business life, has been closely 
 identified with the agricultural in- 
 terests of Cayuga County for many years ; and 
 in the town of Aurelius, where he was born 
 on August 14, 1833, he holds an honored 
 place among the substantial and influential 
 citizens. 
 
 He is of New England ancestry, his grand- 
 father, John Baker, having been a native of 
 Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and well 
 endowed with the perseverance, courage, and 
 patriotism characteristic of the sturdy people 
 born among the rugged and rocky hills of that 
 State. In his early manhood he served his 
 country bravely through the trying hours of 
 the Revolution. Some years after the close 
 of that war he emigrated to New York, be- 
 coming a pioneer of Saratoga County, where 
 he lived a number of years, in the mean time 
 clearing quite a tract of land from the wilder- 
 ness. In 1808 he came to Cayuga County, 
 and, though not one of its original settlers, 
 can well be classed among its pioneers. He 
 purchased a tract of land at Fleming Hill, on 
 which a log house had been built; and this 
 cabin, which compared favorably in size, 
 architecture, and conveniences with any in 
 the vicinity, was the first abiding-place of him 
 and his family. At that time Auburn was 
 but a hamlet, the dense forests round about 
 
JflMEs C, Reed. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 441 
 
 being haunted by wolves and other predatory 
 animals, which were a perpetual torment to 
 the settlers; but the woods also furnished 
 them plenty of game. After a time Mr. 
 Baker, who was an energetic, industrious 
 man, cleared a good farm, and erected a frame 
 house, and, that being burned, rebuilt on the 
 same place, continuing his farming operations 
 there several years, but subsequently moved 
 to Enfield, Tompkins County, where he spent 
 his last days. 
 
 Asa H. Baker was the seventh child and 
 the sixth son born to his parents, Allen and 
 Eunice (Tupper) Baker, for whose history see 
 sketch of Augustus D. Baker, on another page 
 of this volume. He attended the public 
 schools of Aurelius, and afterward pursued 
 his studies at a commercial college in Roches- 
 ter, N.Y. He was early initiated into the 
 various duties and labors that fall upon the 
 son of a farmer, being often called upon when 
 out of school to assist in the farm work. 
 Finding agriculture a congenial occupation, 
 he chose it for his life-work, helping his 
 father on the homestead until he was twenty- 
 four years of age, when he and his brothers 
 took upon themselves the whole care of the 
 farm, managing it thus for a few years. Asa 
 then bought out the interests of his brothers 
 in a portion of the homestead, and engaged in 
 general farming on his own estate; and, 
 being an active, wide-awake, thorough man of 
 business, conversant with all branches of agri- 
 culture, he met with good success in his 
 undertakings. His native mechanical ability 
 was a great assistance to him, saving him con- 
 
 siderable sums, and affording him numerous 
 conveniences, a good many specimens of his 
 handiwork being now in his possession and 
 in use. In 1878 Mr. Baker sold his farm 
 to his brother Augustus, and, purchasing 
 a tract of land on Genesee Street, three miles 
 west of Auburn, erected a fine set of frame 
 buildings; and in this pleasant and attractive 
 home he and his family have since resided. 
 
 The maiden name of his wife, to whom he 
 was wedded in 1862, was Caroline E. Ellison. 
 She was a daughter of Christopher and Esther 
 (Fowler) Ellison, natives of England and of 
 Cayuga County, New York, respectively. Of 
 this marriage two children were born, namely: 
 Mary E., who married Fred C. Hall, of Au- 
 relius, and has two children — Edith E. and 
 Anna V.; and Sarah B., wife of J. George 
 Coapman. 
 
 Mr. Baker politically is an uncompromis- 
 ing Democrat, and has filled various offices 
 of trust with satisfaction, and served on the 
 County Board of Supervisors in the years 
 1876, 1880, and 1 88 1. He is a man of sound 
 judgment, and one whose opinions are held 
 in general respect. 
 
 -AMES CARPENTER REED. This 
 name is widely known in Auburn 
 as that of a highly respected and 
 wealthy gentleman, who has retired from ac- 
 tive farming, and become a resident of the 
 city. The Reeds are descended from early 
 English immigrants, who settled in Connecti- 
 cut; and James Reed, grandfather of James 
 
442 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 C, and for whom the latter was named, came 
 thence to the Empire State. He settled in 
 the town of Amenia, Dutchess County, where 
 he lived for the rest of his life, and died at the 
 age of seventy-eight. His sons, Amos and 
 Jesse, came to Aurelius, Cayuga County, in 
 1795, and succeeded in looking up a tract of 
 land belonging to their father by purchase 
 from a soldier who, in return for military ser- 
 vices, had received from the government a 
 grant of a square mile of land, or six hun- 
 dred and forty acres. For this land James 
 Reed paid fifty dollars in money. 
 
 In due time the tract was surveyed, and the 
 two sons settled down to active farming, 
 Amos taking the northern and Jesse the south- 
 ern half. Amos was already married ; but 
 Jesse found a wife in this new region — 
 Joanna Carpenter, of Elbridge, formerly Ca- 
 millus, Onondaga County. Miss Carpenter 
 was born in Goshen, Orange County, and was 
 the daughter of Moses Carpenter, an officer of 
 the Revolution, and afterward a pioneer in 
 Onondaga County, where he served as Justice 
 of the Peace, and was the first to hold the 
 office of County Treasurer. As the land 
 had been equally divided between the two 
 brothers, Jesse, the father of Mr. Reed of this 
 sketch, was the owner of three hundred and 
 twenty acres; and here he lived until his 
 death, July 26, 1831. His prominence is at- 
 tested by the fact that he held various town 
 offices, being repeatedly called upon by his 
 fellow-townsmen to serve in an official capac- 
 ity. He also assisted largely in the forma- 
 tion of the First Presbyterian Society at 
 
 Auburn, and in the erection of its first house 
 of worship. Mrs. Jesse Reed survived her 
 husband thirty-six years, dying in 1867 at 
 the age of eighty-eight. 
 
 James Carpenter Reed, son of Jesse and 
 Joanna Carpenter Reed, was born in Aurelius, 
 September 2, 1810. He received his early 
 education in the Auburn district school and 
 in a private school at Skaneateles, and, being 
 of a practical turn of mind, made the best 
 of his opportunities. After completing his 
 studies, he took charge of the home farm, 
 which he carried on until 1868, and which he 
 still owns. His thorough knowledge of farm- 
 ing in all its branches and his keen intelli- 
 gence and shrewd foresight all contributed to 
 make him one of the most successful agricult- 
 urists in the county. His business talents, 
 practical methods, and good stock of common 
 sense soon made him respected by his fellow- 
 townsmen; and he was called upon by them 
 at different times to serve as Justice af the 
 Peace, Supervisor, and Postmaster of Aurelius, 
 which latter office he held for several years. 
 
 In 1868 Mr. Reed removed to Auburn, 
 where he purchased the residence No. 159 
 Genesee Street, where he now lives. Al- 
 though passing so many years on the farm, 
 Mr. Reed was interested in city affairs, and 
 for the last forty years has been connected 
 with the Auburn Gas Company, being now its 
 Vice-President. Mr. Reed is not idle or in- 
 active in his retirement; for his real estate in 
 the city demands considerable care, as it in- 
 cludes stores, dwelling-houses, and one manu- 
 facturing plant. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 443 
 
 Mr. Reed was united in marriage in 1838 
 to Charlotte Ann Canfield, of Elbridge, Onon- 
 daga County, N.Y., the daughter of William 
 M. and Polly (Goodrich) Canfield. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Canfield were natives of Rensselaer 
 County, New York, and after marriage settled 
 in the town of Elbridge, Onondaga County, 
 where they spent the rest of their lives. 
 They were Presbyterians in religion, and Mr. 
 Canfield was by occupation a farmer and a 
 capitalist. He held various offices, among 
 them Justice of the Peace and Postmaster. 
 He was known far and wide as Squire Canfield, 
 and, with his excellent wife, was greatly re- 
 spected. Mrs. Reed, who is still living, has 
 proved a most faithful companion to her hus- 
 band through the many happy years of their 
 married life. Mr. Reed is remarkably well 
 preserved for one of his years ; and this may 
 be ascribed in part to heredity, most of his 
 ancestors attaining longevity, but in part, 
 also, it may be ascribed to his regular and 
 temperate life, exemplifying the rugged virt- 
 ues of a hardier social regime. In surveying 
 thus briefly the prosperous and typical Ameri- 
 can career of Mr. Reed, the attention of the 
 reader will be attracted toward the realistic 
 portrait of the gentleman, as it appears on 
 another page, and which will be recognized 
 instantly by his numerous friends. 
 
 ft, lANSON B. DURYEE, one of the 
 most respected native citizens of 
 Niles, Cayuga County, N.Y., was 
 born at the old family homestead, August 16, 
 
 1825. His grandfather F. Duryee came to 
 Cayuga County at an early day, when the coun- 
 try was in a wild state, and easy and rapid 
 travel was as yet an unacquired art. On 
 many occasions the elder Mr. Duryee and his 
 son Frederick had to team their wheat to Al- 
 bany to pay taxes and buy merchandise. The 
 first land owned here by the Duryees was the 
 farm now occupied and owned by Mrs. Hay- 
 den, bordering on Owasco Lake. The grand- 
 father cleared and improved the land, building 
 thereon a log house, which was the home of 
 the family for many years. Here he passed 
 his last days, cared for by his son, Frederick 
 Duryee, who was a farmer, and was a veteran 
 of the War of 1812, being one of the first to 
 respond to the call to arms -in defence of the 
 country. Frederick Duryee was married to 
 Isabel Stark, of Oswego; and they had nine 
 children — James, Lucinda, Betsy, William, 
 Richard, Esther, Benjamin, Manson B., and 
 Henry M. 
 
 Manson B., the eighth child and fifth son 
 of Frederick and Isabel (Stark) Duryee, was 
 educated in the district school of Niles, 
 where he was known as a diligent pupil, al- 
 though his studies were pursued at a disad- 
 vantage, he having the misfortune to lose the 
 sight of his right eye when he was eight years 
 of age. As soon as he was old enough to be 
 of use, he began to pursue the calling of his 
 father and grandfather, that of a farmer; and 
 his natural bent for this occupation has al- 
 ways enabled him to follow it with profit and 
 success. On the death of his father he 
 bought the farm he now resides on. 
 
444 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Duryee was married in July, 1853, to 
 Hulda S. Standish, the daughter of Oriii and 
 Martha Standish, of Connecticut. He cast 
 his first vote for President for Zachary Taylor, 
 and has always been an upholder of the Re- 
 publican party since its formation. Mr. Dur- 
 yee has never sought for or held any public 
 office, being a man chary of publicity, prefer- 
 ring the quiet life of a tiller of. the soil to any 
 office or emoluments that might be offered 
 him. He is a man of many friends, and his 
 sterling worth and integrity are testified to by 
 all who know him. 
 
 (5JI-OSIAH H. HAMILTON, Superinten- 
 dent of Section 7 of the Erie Canal, 
 was born in the town of Cato in this 
 county, January 4, 1831, son of David H. 
 and Emily (Tryon) Hamilton. David H. 
 Hamilton was born in the town of Brutus, 
 and, living there all his life, was engaged in 
 the occupation of a farmer. He was a strong 
 representative man of his town, and occupied 
 several important positions, being Supervisor 
 and Assessor, and also Superintendent of the 
 Poor. He was a prominent member of the 
 Presbyterian church, in which he successively 
 held the positions of Deacon and Elder. 
 Mrs. Hamilton was born in Owasco, Cayuga 
 County, and was a daughter of Levi Tryon, a 
 well-known citizen. Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton 
 had two children; namely, Levi T. and the 
 subject of this sketch. 
 
 Josiah H. Hamilton received his early edu- 
 cation at the Weedsport Union School, and 
 
 was associated with his father on the home 
 farm until he was twenty-one years old, when 
 he moved onto' the farm of about one hundred 
 acres, which he now owns. While on the 
 farm, Mr. Hamilton was appointed Assessor 
 for the town of Brutus, continuing in that 
 office for a period of nine years, his election 
 being due to the Republican party. In 1882 
 he was elected a member of the Assembly for 
 the North District of Cayuga by the Demo- 
 crats, he having been a member of the 
 Democratic party since 1872. During his 
 association with the Assembly Mr. Hamilton 
 was a member of several important commit- 
 tees, among others being that of Internal 
 Affairs and Joint Library. In this connec- 
 tion he served with honor to himself and 
 credit to his constituents. Mr. Hamilton 
 still owns his farm, which is charmingly situ- 
 ated two miles north-west of Weedsport. He 
 has, however, been a resident of Weedsport 
 since 1891, 
 
 In March, 1890, he was appointed to his 
 present responsible position on the Erie 
 Canal by Superintendent of Public Works 
 Edward Hannan. Section 7 extends from 
 Camillus Feeder through Cayuga and Seneca 
 Counties to the Wayne County east line, and 
 ten miles into Onondaga County. Mr. Ham- 
 ilton has the sole charge of keeping and re- 
 pairing the canal for a distance of thirty-one 
 miles, and attends to a force of twenty-eight 
 regular employees, which is sometimes in- 
 creased to one hundred. In addition to his 
 other public offices, Mr. Hamilton has been a 
 delegate to the Democratic County Conven- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 445 
 
 tions, and has also been Chairman of the 
 Congressional Conventions for four years. 
 
 Mr. Hamilton's first wife was Miss Harriet 
 Gregory, daughter of Zedeck Gregory, of 
 Fleming, the marriage taking place on June 
 22, 1853. The death of Mrs. Harriet G. 
 Hamilton occurred four years later, in Febru- 
 ary, 1857. In 1858 Mr. Hamilton married 
 for his second wife Miss Sarah Jane Cross- 
 man, of Sennett, N.Y., the daughter of David 
 C. Grossman, who was formerly a prominent 
 farmer of Brutus. 
 
 Mr. Hamilton is an exceedingly well- 
 posted man in parliamentary laws, and in all 
 his public positions has served with honor and 
 distinction, and to the satisfaction of his 
 supporters. 
 
 (s>rLEXANDER BOTHWELL, a native 
 fjA of Genoa, Cayuga County, N.Y., of 
 ^ V_^ which place he is an esteemed resi- 
 dent, was born January 24, 18 14. His father 
 was born in Salem, Mass., August 10, 1773. 
 Mr. Bothwell, Sr., was one of the early 
 settlers in Genoa, leaving his native place 
 when he was twenty-four years old, and trans- 
 porting his goods and chattels by means of 
 an ox sled, camping at nights in the wood. 
 It took him three weeks to make the trip, 
 there being five in the company. Upon his 
 arrival in 1794, one hundred years ago, he 
 bought fifty acres of land of John Bowker. 
 Like all the early pioneers, he had great hard- 
 ships to endure and difficulties to contend 
 with; but, with the determination character- 
 istic of his race, he overcame them all. His 
 
 first habitation was a log cabin, in which he 
 and his family lived for a year, doing without 
 a floor, and utilizing a blanket for a door, the 
 table being a barrel with a board placed 
 across. In course of time his condition and 
 prospects materially improved, and he moved 
 from the old log cabin to a fine frame house 
 which he had built. He met with success in 
 his career as a farmer, adding acre after acre 
 to the original fifty, until at the time of his 
 death his farm comprised two hundred and 
 thirty acres. The old original deed of the 
 first fifty acres of land is still carefully pre- 
 served in the family. He was married Janu- 
 ary 9, 1797, to Martha Wilson, who was also 
 a native of Salem, Mass., the daughter of 
 Samuel and Molly (Hopkins) Wilson, the 
 nuptials taking place in what was then the 
 town of Milton, Onondaga County. The chil- 
 dren of this marriage numbered eight ; namely, 
 James, Robert, Samuel, Jane, Lewis, Polly, 
 Alexander, and Martha. Of this large family 
 only one survives at this day, the subject of 
 the present sketch. The father died January 
 9, 1843, his wife surviving him twenty-one 
 years, dying April 12, 1864. 
 
 Alexander was the seventh child and the 
 youngest of the five sons. He was educated 
 in the schools of his native town, and, after 
 arriving at the age of manhood, started in the 
 general merchandise business at East Genoa, 
 keeping a store there for six and a half years. 
 His inclination turning to the life of a 
 farmer, he then disposed of his store, and 
 purchased a farm, situated east of Genoa and 
 comprising about fifty acres. He added to it 
 
446 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 by further purchases until he had acquired one 
 hundred and seventy-five acres, and, selling it 
 in 1866, bought his present place of fifty- 
 six acres. 
 
 Mr. Bothwell was united in marriage Jan- 
 uary II, 1842, to Lavilla S. Haskins, daugh- 
 ter of Abel and Hannah (Rayner) Haskins, 
 of Lansing, Tompkins County, this State, 
 five children being the fruit of the union; 
 namely, Mary, Clinton, Frank, Lavilla, De 
 Witt H. The eldest daughter, Mary, is mar- 
 ried to Edgar Birdsall, of Genoa, and has no 
 family. Clinton died at the age of eighteen. 
 Frank married Frances M. Sharpsteein, of 
 Genoa, and has three children: Mary F., 
 attending school at Buffalo; L. Belle D.; and 
 Fred. A. Lavilla Bothwell died at the age of 
 thirteen. De Witt married Belle Eggleston, 
 of Ludington, Mich., and is now a resident of 
 Toledo, Ohio. They have the following fam- 
 ily: Edna L., Edgar C, Donald C, Rodney 
 A., Helen M., Robert, and Florence. Mrs. 
 Lavilla S. Bothwell, a most estimable woman 
 and exemplary wife, died June 18, 1885, at 
 the age of sixty-eight. 
 
 Mr. Bothwell has filled several positions of 
 trust and responsibility, being a Justice of 
 the Peace for over twenty years, Collector and 
 Constable, and also Overseer of the Poor for 
 one year. He is a prominent member of the 
 Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of 
 the Sons of Temperance, having become early 
 alive to the evils of intemperance, and ac- 
 tively supporting the principles of his order 
 on all occasions. In politics Mr. Bothwell 
 has always voted the Republican ticket, hav- 
 
 ing been connected with that party from its 
 formation, casting his first vote for Martin 
 Van Buren in 1836. 
 
 Mr. Bothwell, by reason of his long and 
 varied experience and marked interest dis- 
 played toward the city of his birth, has gained 
 the respect and esteem of his fellovs?-towns- 
 people to a high degree. His maxim has evi- 
 dently been that one can only have the highest 
 happiness by having wide thoughts and much 
 feeling for the rest of the world, as well as 
 for himself. 
 
 TT^HARLES R. BERRY, a prominent 
 I J| attorney of the Cayuga County bar, 
 ^ — ^ having been in practice in Port 
 Byron, N.Y., since 1858, was born in the 
 town of Fayette, Seneca County, N.Y., July 
 23, 1825, the son of Richard and Melissa 
 (Brewster) Berry. Richard Berry was of 
 French lineage, and came when a young man 
 from the eastern part of this State to Seneca 
 County, where he engaged as a farmer and 
 dealer in stock. He died when his son 
 Charles R. was about two years old. His 
 wife was born in Orange County, New York, 
 and was the daughter of Samuel Brewster, 
 who was a veteran in the Revolutionary War, 
 he having served five years of the seven of 
 that memorable struggle. Mr. Brewster died 
 about the year 1833, at the town of Sodus, 
 Wayne County, N.Y. 
 
 Charles R. Berry received his early educa- 
 tion at Aurora, Erie County, N.Y,, his 
 mother having married Mr. Sherman Forbes, 
 and moved there. He had a good common- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 447 
 
 school education, supplemented by a thorough 
 course in the Aurora Academy. He worked 
 on a farm for about five years, and then 
 learned the painter's trade in Waterloo, Sen- 
 eca County, N.Y., following that for about 
 ten years, during which time he came to Port 
 Byron, and read law with the Hon. Horace 
 V. Howland, being admitted to the bar at the 
 general term held at Rochester, N.Y., in 
 September, 1858. He then located his office 
 for practice in Port Byron, and has continued 
 in business alone ever since, being now one 
 of the oldest and most respected members of 
 the Cayuga County bar, having been a mem- 
 ber of the bar for thirty-six years. Mr. 
 Berry has not been an aspirant for office, but 
 has been elected Trustee of the village several 
 times, and has also been a number of times 
 elected a member of the Board of Education 
 of the Port Byron Free School and Academy. 
 
 Mr. Berry has been twice married. Of his 
 first marriage, which was with Miss Olive K. 
 Hatch, of Waterloo, Seneca County, N.Y., 
 two children were born, both of whom are 
 deceased. He was united in marriage the 
 second time to Miss Maria A. Hasseltine, of 
 Port Byron, of which union two children were 
 born, namely: Charles W., who is also an 
 attorney-at-law, and is now employed in the 
 War Department at Washington, D.C. ; and 
 George R., a resident of Port Byron, N.Y. 
 
 Mr. Charles R. Berry is a Past Master of 
 Port Byron Lodge, No. 130, A. F. & A. M., 
 and also Past High Priest of Morris Chapter, 
 No. 156, of Port Byron, besides being a mem- 
 ber of Salem Town Commandery of Auburn, 
 
 N.Y. He was present as the representative 
 of his lodge at the laying of the corner-stone 
 of the Masonic Temple in the City of New 
 York, and was also present at the dedication 
 of the temple as a Knight Templar with 
 Salem Town Commandery of Auburn, N.Y. 
 Mr. Berry is a living example of what deter- 
 mination and energy can do, having raised 
 himself by his own unaided exertions to his 
 present honorable position, which reflects 
 credit upon himself and the profession which 
 he so ably represents. 
 
 W. SHURTLEFF is an influ- 
 al attorney and counsellor-at-law 
 
 Weedsport; but be was born in 
 Hatley, Stanstead, near Quebec, Can., April 
 22, 1833, and was the son of Lathrop Shurt- 
 leff, M.D., and his wife, Ruth Little. The 
 father was not born in Canada, however, but 
 in Vermont, in 1799, where he studied med- 
 icine, and married a New Hampshire girl. 
 He began practice in Canada, and there his 
 son Asaph was born; but he never gave up his 
 United States citizenship. He died in 1862. 
 His wife survived him twenty-one years, not 
 dying till 1883, and leaving twelve children. 
 His father, Asaph W. Shurtleff, for whom 
 the subject of this sketch was named, was a 
 trader, who went to Canada from Vermont. 
 He belonged to an old New England family; 
 and the lineage is traceable through several 
 generations in the old Bay State, as well as 
 the Green Mountain State. 
 
 The younger Asaph received his first educa- 
 
448 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tion in Canada, and at the age of seventeen 
 came to Red Creek, Wayne County, where for 
 three years he attended the academy. There- 
 after he began the study of law with Solomon 
 Giles, of Weedsport, in July, 1853, remaining 
 in that office till admitted to the bar at 
 Auburn, January 7, 1858, at the age of 
 twenty-five. Nor did he then leave the office, 
 inasmuch as he was admitted to partnership 
 with' Mr. Giles; but at the expiration of a 
 year he determined to strike out for himself, 
 and went to Kentucky. Now came the Re- 
 bellion; and on April 28, 1861, at its out- 
 break, Mr. Shurtleff enlisted in Company H 
 of the Nineteenth New York Volunteers for 
 three months' service, as it was the general 
 delusion that by midsummer the war would 
 be over. The regiment was sent to Washing- 
 ton, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. Mr. 
 Shurtleff was on duty somewhat longer than 
 three months, however; for he was not dis- 
 charged till October 11, 1861, at Muddy 
 Branch, Md., on account of disability. Then 
 he came home to Weedsport, and resumed 
 practice there for a while; but later he spec- 
 ulated in Wall Street, New York City, where 
 he remained some ten years, when he once 
 more returned to Weedsport, and has been in 
 active practice here since 1873. 
 
 Mr. Shurtleff's marriage took place soon 
 after his war experience, on April 22, 1862; 
 and the bride was Louisa B. De Witt, the 
 daughter of Dr. De Witt, of Auburn, though 
 she was born in Ulster County in 1840. 
 They have only one child, Anna Louise 
 Shurtleff, who is still at home. The family 
 
 attend the Episcopal church, Mr. Shurtleff 
 being a Vestryman in the parish, of which he 
 has also been a Warden. 
 
 Though not the sort of a man to ask for 
 office, he has been President of his village 
 several times, and he has also served for many 
 years on the Board of Education, and is now 
 on the academic board. Till 1872 he voted 
 with the Republican party, but then joined 
 the Democratic ranks, with Horace Greeley 
 as Presidential candidate, in opposition to 
 General Grant's second nomination. Mr. 
 Shurtleff was made a Mason in 1859, in 
 Weedsport Lodge, No. 3S5. He also belongs 
 to the Royal Arch Chapter, No. 151, at Port 
 Byron. As an ex-soldier he of course belongs 
 to the Weedsport Post of the Grand Army. 
 His practice extends to all the counties of the 
 State, and to all States of the Union; and he 
 has a record creditable to any gentleman of 
 his profession. A philosophic writer has 
 said, and the words apply to the subject of 
 this sketch, "I do not say the mind gets in- 
 formed by action, bodily action; but it does 
 get earnestness and strength by it, and that 
 nameless something that gives a man the 
 mastership of his faculties." 
 
 <^ m^t- 
 
 » 
 
 ANIEL B. SATTERLY. In the 
 (T) J great Empire State are to be found 
 some extensive agriculturists who 
 bring to their calling rare business skill and 
 excellent judgment. Many of the most enter- 
 prising of these are to be found in Cayuga 
 County, and prominent among the number is 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 449 
 
 the gentleman whose name stands at the head 
 of this brief sketch. He is successfully en- 
 gaged as a tiller of the soil on his fine home- 
 stead in the town of Locke, where he has a 
 well-appointed farm, and, in addition to gen- 
 eral farming, pays especial attention to dairy- 
 ing, having twenty head of valuable cows, 
 grade and full-blooded Holsteins, one cow 
 alone producing sixty pounds of butter in the 
 month of June, 1893. He is a native of the 
 town of Chester, Orange County, N.Y., where 
 he was born October 8, 1829. Of his remote 
 ancestry little is known, excepting that his 
 grandfather Satterly was a native and a life- 
 long resident of the Empire State. 
 
 His parents, Theodore and Huldah (Mc- 
 Whorter) Satterly, were also natives of 
 Orange County, his father having been born 
 April 2, 1804, and his mother March 16, 
 1805. Theodore Satterly spent the years of 
 his early life in the county wherein he was 
 born, and was there for quite a long time en- 
 gaged in farming. In 1850 he migrated to 
 Chemung County, and there carried on an ex- 
 tensive business in general agriculture, and 
 was also profitably employed as a cattle-broker 
 and as a hotel-keeper. He was very prosper- 
 ous in all of his enterprises, and was widely 
 and favorably known as a man of good ability 
 and sterling worth. He died when little past 
 the prime of life, on May 8, 1865, in Che- 
 mung County; while his good wife survived 
 him, dying May 2, 1879. She was a consist- 
 ent member of the Presbyterian church, and 
 he was liberal in his religious views. In his 
 early days he was a Whig in politics, but on 
 
 the dissolution of that party he identified him- 
 self with the Republican party. Socially, he 
 was a member of the Chester Lodge of Odd 
 Fellows. Four children, all sons, were born 
 into the parental household, the following 
 being their record: William M., the eldest, 
 who was born December 24, 1827, was a 
 successful market gardener in Horseheads, 
 Chemung County, where his death occurred 
 on January 11, 1891. Daniel B., of Locke, 
 was the second. John H., who was born Oc- 
 tober 22, 1 83 1, learned the trade of a harness- 
 maker in his younger days, but afterward be- 
 came a physician, and had a good practice in 
 the State of Ohio, where he died December 
 20, 1887. Isaac C, born December 17, 
 1842, died January 30, 1843. 
 
 Daniel B. Satterly was reared to manhood 
 in the town of his birth, where he acquired 
 a substantial education in its public schools 
 and the Chester Academy. At the age of 
 eighteen years he began life on his own ac- 
 count, first securing employment with the 
 well-known firm of Figgles, Leeds & Co., 
 general commission merchants of New York 
 City, with a branch house in Orange County, 
 of which Mr. Satterly had the entire manage- 
 ment for four years. The following fourteen 
 years Mr. Satterly was engaged in farming on 
 his father's farm in Ontario County, where he 
 met with such excellent success that he con- 
 cluded to become a land-owner and make agri- 
 culture his life work. Coming to Cayuga 
 County in 1861, he purchased the farm which 
 he has since occupied, comprising one hun- 
 dred and ten acres in the to'wn of Locke and 
 
45° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 eight acres in Summer Hill. He is practi- 
 cal and painstaking, and has his land under 
 high cultivation, and well furnished with sub- 
 stantial improvements, the estate being a 
 standing monument to his industry and good 
 management. Mr. Satterly is a Republican 
 in politics, and has served with fidelity for 
 fifteen years as Assessor and Poor Master, 
 besides holding minor offices. Both he and his 
 wife are liberal in their religious belief, and are 
 everywhere respected for their many virtues. 
 
 The union of Mr. Satterly with Rebecca M. 
 Conkling was celebrated November 9, 1853. 
 Mrs. Satterly is a native of Chemung County, 
 having been born in Horseheads, April 23, 
 1834, being a daughter of Vincent and Sarah 
 (Mathews) Conkling, both of whom were na- 
 tives of Chemung County, the father having 
 been born in Horseheads, October 8, 1802, 
 and his wife on November 28, 1808. Mr. 
 Conkling was a successful farmer, and was 
 also engaged in the distillery business in 
 Horseheads, where he died at the advanced 
 age of eighty-five years. He was a Democrat 
 in politics; and both he and his wife, who 
 died at the age of eighty-two years, were lib- 
 eral in their religious belief. The paternal 
 grandparents of Mrs. Satterly, Stoddard and 
 Julia Anna Conkling, were both life-long 
 residents of the town of Goshen, Orange 
 County. Mr. Daniel B. Satterly and his wife 
 are the parents of five children, the following 
 being their record : Lillie M., born Septem- 
 ber 2, 1854, is the wife of William M. Elliot, 
 of St. Mary's, Kan. Cora C, born Decem- 
 ber 9, 1856, is the wife of Robert C. Barnes, 
 
 of Topeka, Kan. Sarah A., born April 26, 
 1859, is the wife of John W. Sage, of Dover, 
 Shawnee County, Kan. Huldah J., born No- 
 vember 7, 1862, married Charles M. Hart, 
 and lives on the home farm. Mary M., born 
 March 4, 1870, is the wife of Milton B. 
 Murphy, of Medicine Bow, Wyo. 
 
 M 
 
 EXTER WHEELER, one of the 
 most intelligent and prosperous 
 agriculturists of Cayuga County, 
 owns and occupies a valuable homestead in 
 the town of Venice, which is the place of his 
 birth, the date thereof being May 18, 1843. 
 During his half-century of life, which has 
 been passed in this vicinity, he has won for 
 himself an enviable reputation as an honest 
 man and a good citizen, and as one who has 
 contributed his full quota toward the advance- 
 ment and development of one of the finest 
 counties in the State of New York. He is of 
 New England origin, his father, Cyrenus 
 Wheeler, Jr., having been born in Seekonk, 
 Mass., in 18 17. His father, Cyrenus 
 Wheeler, Sr., was a native of Massachusetts, 
 and when a young man resided for several 
 years in Fall River. In 1835, accompanied 
 by his family, he came to Cayuga County, 
 New York, and, buying two hundred acres of 
 land in the town of Venice, resumed his occu- 
 pation of farming. He was an energetic man, 
 reared to habits of diligence and thrift, and 
 bound to succeed in whatever he undertook. 
 He improved a fine homestead, and on it 
 erected a good set of farm buildings, making 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 451 
 
 it one of the most desirable places in the vicin- 
 ity, and there spent the remainder of his long 
 and active life, departing from the scenes of his 
 earthly labors on July 4, 1887, at the remark- 
 able age of ninety-six years. He married 
 Thirza D. Evans, the fruit of their union being 
 five children; namely, Cyrenus, Jr., Candace, 
 Delaney, Marion, and Henry J. Wheeler. 
 
 Cyrenus Wheeler, Jr., was educated in the 
 public schools of Fall River, and as soon as 
 old enough to be of any assistance was put to 
 work in one of the cotton-mills of that great 
 manufacturing city. He was not only indus- 
 trious and ambitious, but he had great me- 
 chanical ability; and at the age of seventeen 
 years he had become proficient in the business 
 of the mills. After coming to Venice, he 
 turned his attention to agriculture, and sub- 
 sequently purchased a farm adjoining his 
 father's, where he lived until 1865, when 
 he removed to Auburn, in the interest of a 
 machine which he had patented, and which 
 was manufactured at the State prison by 
 Barber, Sheldon & Co. While residing in 
 Venice, he was influential in local affairs, and 
 served as Supervisor and as Justice of the 
 Peace for several years. He was three times 
 married. His first wife was before marriage 
 Harriet Kendall, being a daughter of Charles 
 Kendall, an early settler of Venice; and of 
 their union two children were born — Lucy 
 M. and Dexter. He next married Susan 
 Frary, of Castile, Wyoming County, who bore 
 him one child, Harriet F. His third wife 
 was Jane Barker, a daughter of John A. 
 Barker, of Ledyard; and to them were born 
 
 three children — -Charles B., Allen M., and 
 Thirza, the last two now deceased. Charles 
 B. married Frances Rochester, daughter of 
 Dr. Thomas Rochester; and they are the par- 
 ents of two children — Thomas R. and Jennie 
 B. (For further parental history see sketch 
 of Cyrenus Wheeler, Jr.) 
 
 Dexter Wheeler, son of Cyrenus and 
 Harriet (Kendall) Wheeler, acquired the 
 rudiments of his education in the district 
 schools of his native town, and subsequently 
 pursued his studies at the Aurora Academy, 
 and afterward attended the Cortland Acad- 
 emy one year. Fitted for a professional 
 career, he taught one year in Cortland 
 Academy; and then, after teaching one term 
 in a district school, he began farming, and, 
 finding the occupation congenial as well as 
 profitable, he has since continued thus em- 
 ployed. He is a gentleman in the prime of 
 life, active, energetic, with a clear head for 
 business, and has for many years been a 
 prominent factor in the industrial interests of 
 this section of the county. 
 
 In 1865 Mr. Wheeler took an important 
 step in his successful career, being then 
 united in marriage with Fanny A. Hotchkiss, 
 the daughter of Solomon G. and Olive 
 (Branch) Hotchkiss, of Vermont. The pa- 
 ternal grandparents of Mrs. Hotchkiss were 
 Ludwick and Anna (Willard) Hotchkiss, of 
 Connecticut; while her maternal grandpar- 
 ents, Jeptha and Irene (Arnold) Branch, 
 were natives and life-long residents of Ver- 
 mont. Her grandparents on both sides of 
 the house removed to New York, and, settling 
 
45 2 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in Cortland County in the early days of 
 its settlement, were among its most enter- 
 prising pioneers, rendering good service in 
 transforming the primeval forest into culti- 
 vable land, teeming with rich promises for 
 the future. Mr. and Mrs. Branch made the 
 journey from Vermont with an ox team, 
 driving their cows and camping on the way. 
 They milked the cows at night and in the 
 morning, and what they did not use was 
 placed in the wagon ; and, before reaching 
 their place of destination, the milk had 
 been churned by the motion of the wagon 
 into good butter. After selecting their 
 land, they cleared a space in the wilderness, 
 on which their first improvement was a rude 
 log house for the family residence. This was 
 afterward replaced by a substantial modern 
 structure, which was occupied by them until 
 their deaths. The homestead which they so 
 well improved is now in the possession of 
 and occupied by some of their descendants. 
 
 Of the union of Mr. Wheeler and his 
 estimable wife four children have been 
 born; namely, Willard C, Harriet K., 
 Henry D., and Jennie H. -Willard C, who 
 married Marion Cameron, resides in Brook- 
 lyn, N.Y.., where he is Superintendent of 
 the Crandall Typewriting Company. Har- 
 riet is the wife of Edwin Fessenden, of 
 King's Ferry, and has one child — Lucy W. 
 Henry, the youngest son, is a rising young 
 physician, who, after attending the academy at 
 Aurora, spent two years in Buffalo College, and 
 was subsequently graduated at Long Island 
 College Hospital, with the degree of M.D. 
 
 In social and private life Mr. and Mrs. 
 Wheeler are held in high regard, and in 
 their pleasant home their hosts of friends 
 ever meet with a glad welcome. Mr. 
 Wheeler takes pleasure in doing whatever 
 he can to advance the interests of his town, 
 and has served it well in different capacities, 
 having been Justice of the Peace for eighteen 
 years and Postmaster a full score of years, 
 resigning this position in February, 1894; 
 and for several terms he made a most efficient 
 Supervisor, serving during the years 1885, 
 1886, and 1887, and one term when he was 
 elected to the office being obliged to resign 
 on account of ill-health. Since 1889 he has 
 served most acceptably as a Trustee of the 
 Hazard Library. He is a prominent member 
 of the Masonic fraternity, which he joined 
 twenty-seven years ago, and in which he has 
 served as Master of the Lodge. He also be- 
 longs to the Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows and to the Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen. Religiously, he is a valued 
 member of the Society of Friends, and Mrs. 
 Wheeler is a consistent member of the Pres- 
 byterian church. In political affairs Mr. 
 Wheeler is a stanch Republican, and in 1864 
 cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham 
 Lincoln. In 1863 he was drafted into the 
 service of his country. 
 
 "IjVrjlCHAEL McGRATH, Jr., is the 
 
 J I I ^°^^^ ^^^"'^ °^ ^^^ Lehigh Valley 
 
 ^"-^ Railroad at Union Springs, where 
 
 he was first stationed in August, 1889; and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 453 
 
 his prospects are good for rapid and high ad- 
 vancement in the employment of the com- 
 pany. He is a capable young man, hardly 
 thirty years old, being born in 1863, January 
 6, almost a New Year's gift to his parents, 
 Michael and Elizabeth (Lalor) McGrath, 
 at their home in the town of Cayuga, in the 
 county of the same name. The senior 
 Michael McGrath has been a resident of 
 Cayuga Village for over thirty years; but he 
 was born in 1829 at the village of Graigue- 
 nassmutton, Queen's County, Ireland, which 
 had long been the ancestral home of the 
 McGraths. At the age of twenty-two, about 
 the year 1850, young Michael came to Amer- 
 ica and to Auburn, and was employed by the 
 New York Central Railroad in work about the 
 freight houses and offices. In that town he 
 married Elizabeth Lalor, about the year 1853, 
 and was soon after transferred by the road to 
 its Cayuga station, to take entire charge of 
 the woodyard, no coal then being used for the 
 locomotives, which had to be wooded up at 
 every point. His useful relations to the rail- 
 road continued till he retired from active 
 labor, though still living at Cayuga. While 
 in Auburn, Mr. McGrath was connected with 
 the Catholic parish called the Holy Family; 
 but in Cayuga he attended St. Joseph's 
 Church, having been one of its earliest mem- 
 bers. His wife was born in Dublin County, 
 about 1834, and was therefore five years his 
 junior; but she came to Auburn in her youth, 
 and there fell a willing subject to Michael's 
 manly persuasions. From this union came 
 three boys besides Michael. John and Will- 
 
 iam McGrath, born in 1854 and 1856, live in 
 Cayuga; but Thomas, born in 1858, is train 
 baggage-master on the Lehigh Valley Rail- 
 road out of Auburn. As it was the regret of 
 both parents and sons that there was no girl 
 in the family, they adopted a daughter, Mary 
 McGrath. As may be seen from this record, 
 the men of the family have a natural affinity 
 for the iron road. 
 
 The junior Michael McGrath of course went 
 to school in Cayuga; but in 1882, when he 
 was nineteen, he obtained employment in the 
 office of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, on the 
 Cayuga Lake Branch. Though he was chiefly 
 baggage-master and office assistant, he was 
 bright enough to pick up so much telegraphy 
 as enabled him soon to become an expert 
 operator. Therefore, in due time, 1887, he 
 was sent to West Danby, in Tompkins 
 County, as station agent, in full charge of all 
 its departments, the express business not ex- 
 cepted. The station being small, so compe- 
 tent a man could care for its duties with little 
 outside help. So faithfully did he fill the 
 place that at the expiration of two years, in 
 August, 1889, he was transferred to his pres- 
 ent position, where he has entire charge of 
 one of the best stations in the county outside 
 of Auburn. During the vacation and the 
 season of summer's travel the passenger traffic 
 is enormous, while in the plaster season the 
 freightage is very heavy. The shipments of 
 limestone for building purposes are also very 
 heavy, the quarries being located here. Not 
 only are there the trains o\er the main line to 
 be cared for, but also those on the branch line 
 
4S4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 to Cayuga. Yet in this larger office, as in 
 Danby, Mr. McGrath is able to discharge 
 every duty satisfactorily. 
 
 As has been well said, "Ability involves 
 responsibility. Power, to its last particle, is 
 duty." But ability without faithfulness is 
 insufficient, and this latter quality also be- 
 longs to Mr. McGrath. As Dean Stanley has 
 said: "Give us a man, young or old, high or 
 low, on whom we know we can thoroughly 
 depend, who will stand firm when others fail. 
 The friend faithful and true, the adviser hon- 
 est and fearless, the adversary just and chival- 
 rous — in such a one -there is a fragment of 
 the Rock of Ages." In politics Mr. McGrath 
 is a Democrat, and in religion he follows the 
 faith of his fathers. He belongs to St. Jo- 
 seph's Parish in Cayuga, and also to the 
 Catholic Mutual Benefit Association. By 
 courtesy, as well as capability, he is well 
 fitted for his work, being popular both with 
 his fellow-citizens and the travelling public; 
 and his efficient faithfulness has won the con- 
 fidence of his superior officers. 
 
 T^LINTON SMITH, an enterprising, 
 V JT practical, and progressive agricultur- 
 ^ ist of the town of Fleming, is the 
 proprietor of an excellent farm, pleasantly 
 situated on the west bank of Owasco Lake; 
 and here he is largely engaged in general 
 farming, exercising great skill and good judg- 
 ment in this pursuit. He is a native of the 
 town where he now resides, having been born 
 within the limits of Fleming, April 3, 1835. 
 
 He is a son of Dr. Samuel and Mary (Doane) 
 Smith, natives of Bucks County, Pennsyl- 
 vania, and early settlers of Fleming. For 
 further ancestral history see the sketch of his 
 brother, Harvey Smith. 
 
 Clinton Smith received his early education 
 in the public schools of his native town, and 
 during his vacations assisted his father in the 
 care of the nursery on the farm. He thus in 
 his early years became well acquainted with 
 horticultural labors, and remained a member 
 of the parental household until twenty-five 
 years old. With the natural desire of a young 
 man for a home of his own, Mr. Smith then 
 bought a farm north-west of Fleming Hill; 
 and soon afterward, in 1861, he formed a mat- 
 rimonial alliance with Miss Elizabeth Henry, 
 a native of Aurelius and a daughter of Thomas 
 and Jane (Hitchcock) Henry. Installing his 
 bride as the head of his household, he began 
 the improvement of his land, and for several 
 years was engaged in mixed husbandry there. 
 He subsequently disposed of that property, and 
 bought another farm in the same town, where 
 he carried on farming and dairying profitably 
 until 1874, when he purchased the homestead 
 where he now resides. Here he has labored 
 with unremitting industry, and has met with 
 richly deserved success. His homestead is 
 advantageously located, being on the bank of 
 Cayuga County's most beautiful lake, only 
 three miles from the court-house; and, with 
 the substantial improvements which he has 
 placed upon it, he invariably elicits words of 
 praise and admiration from the passer-by. 
 Mr. Smith is a man of good financial abil- 
 
John Phelps. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 457 
 
 ity and keen foresight, and occupies a secure 
 position in the consideration and respect of 
 his fellow-citizens. In his political views he 
 is independent, using his own best judgment 
 in casting his ballot instead of blindly fol- 
 lowing any political leader, or giving an un- 
 qualified adherence to any party. 
 
 §OHN PHELPS, the worthy descendant 
 of a representative pioneer of Cayuga 
 County, and a life-long resident of 
 Ira, occupies a prominent position among the 
 well-to-do agriculturists of this locality, 
 where he is prosperously engaged in dairying 
 and general farming. His birth occurred on 
 the homestead where he has spent his seventy- 
 five years of usefulness and activity. His 
 paternal great-grandfather was a pioneer of 
 Saratoga County, New York; and on the 
 homestead in that county Israel Phelps, the 
 grandfather of John, was born, reared, and 
 passed his entire life, dying there at the ad- 
 vanced age of eighty years. 
 
 Luther Phelps, son of Israel, was also born 
 on the old Phelps homestead in Saratoga 
 County, and there became familiar with the 
 mysteries of farming. When about to start 
 in life for himself, he came to Cayuga 
 County, performing the journey on foot, and 
 following a path marked by blazed trees. 
 After careful deliberation he bought a tract of 
 timbered land in the city of Auburn, which 
 was then a small hamlet known as Har- 
 denburg's Corners. Returning to Saratoga 
 County soon afterward, he was there united in 
 
 marriage to Ruth Sleight, a demure young 
 lady, of Massachusetts birth; and they came 
 here together, and began housekeeping on the 
 farm which he had previously purchased. He 
 subsequently sold that property, and, remov- 
 ing to Ira, bought the farm now owned and 
 occupied by his son John, above named. His 
 purchase consisted of one hundred acres of 
 wooded land, on which his first improvement 
 was the erection of a log house for a dwell- 
 ing. He was a hard-working, persevering 
 man, one who observed and thought for him- 
 self, possessing shrewd common sense; and 
 his labors were crowned with success. He 
 made various and substantial improvements, 
 and purchased more land, until he had at the 
 time of his death one hundred and seventy 
 valuable acres, mostly in tillage or pasture 
 land. He was a man of much force of char- 
 acter, upright and honest in all of his deal- 
 ings, and well worthy of the respect accorded 
 him by his fellow-townsmen. He lived to be 
 eighty-five years old, passing away on the 
 homestead, where he had enjoyed so many 
 years of happiness and comfort, in 1865. He 
 was ever devoted to the interests of his coun- 
 try, and fought for the " Star-spangled Ban- 
 ner " in the War of 1812. He was a strong 
 Republican in his political tendencies, and 
 very liberal in his religious views. His wife 
 was an active member of the Presbyterian 
 church. Their family circle was completed 
 by the birth of ten children, eight of whom 
 grew to maturity, and three of whom are 
 now living, namely: John, of the town of 
 Ira; Myron, who lives in Fulton; and Su- 
 
458 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 sanna, the wife of Nathan Burke, of Weeds- 
 port. 
 
 John Phelps, son of Luther and Ruth, was 
 born on May 4, 1819. He had better oppor- 
 tunities for obtaining an education than often 
 fell to the lot of pioneers' children, and, after 
 leaving the district schools of Ira, pursued his 
 studies at the academies of Elbridgc and Vic- 
 tory. He assisted his father in clearing and 
 improving the homestead, and watched with 
 gratification its gradual development from a 
 dense forest to a beautiful farm, yielding 
 abundant harvests, and was an important 
 factor in its transformation. The homestead 
 property has come into his possession since 
 the death of his father; and here he carries 
 on mixed husbandry on an extensive scale, 
 his principal crops being oats, wheat, and 
 corn. He has a dairy of from fifteen to 
 twenty-five cows of native stock, one of the 
 largest in the neighborhood, and is a stock- 
 holder in the Ira Butter and Cheese Factory. 
 
 Mr. Phelps was united in marriage October 
 29, 1 84s, to Marietta Robinson, a native of 
 Oswego County, born in the town of Hanni- 
 bal, November 17, 1823. Her parents were 
 Isaac and Betsey (Thomson) Robinson, na- 
 tives of New York State, both of whom are 
 now deceased, the father having passed away 
 at the age of sixty years, while the mother 
 lived to the ripe old age of ninety years. 
 Mr. Phelps and his wife have four children, 
 the following being their record: Walter, who 
 resides in Buffalo, is a speculator. Florence, 
 who married Charles Pulsipher, a farmer, 
 lives in Cato. Carrie is the wife of Fred 
 
 Van Dusen, a speculator, residing in Cato. 
 Nellie, who married Chauncey Cutting, lives 
 on the home farm. Mr. and Mrs. John 
 Phelps are now in their declining years enjoy- 
 ing the reward of early toil and self-sacrifice, 
 having by diligence and good management ob- 
 tained a competence. In politics he is a 
 stanch Republican, and uniformly casts his 
 vote in support of the principles of that party. 
 Both he and his wife are liberal in their 
 religious views, and are good citizens and 
 neighbors, being among the most respected 
 residents of Ira. 
 
 On an adjoining page is a portrait of Mr. 
 Phelps, which his friends would recognize at 
 a glance without the name. 
 
 (S>rRTHUR H. WHEELER, a well- 
 ^^ known farmer, dairyman, and hay- 
 ^^ — - dealer, was born August 10, 1859, 
 in Sennett, Cayuga County, N.Y., where he 
 now resides. His father, J. G. Wheeler, was 
 born in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, as 
 was also the grandfather, Levi J. Wheeler. 
 The paternal great-grandfather v/as born in 
 Scotland, and, on emigrating to this country, 
 settled in Massachusetts, where he engaged in 
 business as a farmer, dying there at the ad- 
 vanced age of ninety years. Levi Wheeler 
 spent most of his life in Massachusetts, where 
 he died in his eighty-second year. He mar- 
 ried Miss Sarah Partridge, who was also of 
 that State; and they reared two sons and four 
 daughters. 
 
 J. G. Wheeler, one of the sons of Levi and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 459 
 
 Sarah, was brought up to farming pursuits, 
 and at the age of thirty-four came to Sennett, 
 taking a tract of land and clearing it. He 
 remained, however, but a short time, when he 
 returned to Massachusetts and married. He 
 then came back to Sennett, and took up a 
 tract of land near where he had cleared the 
 first. His wife dying in 1844, he sold out 
 and bought the farm upon which his son 
 Arthur H. now resides. Mr. Wheeler mar- 
 ried for his second wife Miss Sarah Cole, who 
 died, leaving one child, Emily J., now the 
 widow of William Dwinell, who was a promi- 
 nent farmer of Sennett. Mr. Wheeler's third 
 marriage was to Miss Mary D. Dwinell, a 
 daughter of Stephen Dwinell, of Sennett. 
 They reared foiir children, namely: J. Clar- 
 ence, born June, 1849, ^'^^ residing at El- 
 bridge, Onondaga County, N.Y.; Ella E., 
 born August 6, 1851, residing in Pennsyl- 
 vania; Edward D., born November 22, 1853, 
 who is now in Kansas; and Arthur H., the 
 subject of this sketch. 
 
 Arthur H. Wheeler was educated at the 
 district schools of Sennett and at the Auburn 
 Academy. He was brought up to farming, 
 for which he had a natural aptitude. After 
 his father's death he and his elder brother 
 conducted the farm for eight years, at the end 
 of which time he bought h'is brother out. He 
 has a very fine dairy of from twenty-five to 
 thirty cows, the milk being principally sold 
 in the city. He also deals in hay. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler married on May 25, 1886, 
 Miss Iva C. Daud, who was born in Harrison 
 Valley, Pa., the daughter of Edward Daud. 
 
 Two children are the fruit of this union, 
 namely: Flossie E., born February 3, 1889; 
 and Glenn E., born February 2, 1891. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Wheeler are members of the Baptist 
 church of Sennett, of which Mr. Wheeler has 
 been Deacon for the past four years. He is 
 a member of the Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen, Lodge No. 57, of Sennett, and in 
 politics votes the Republican ticket. Mr. 
 Wheeler is a young man with a remarkable 
 degree of push and energy, and has already 
 made for himself a fine business, besides en- 
 joying to a high degree the esteem and confi- 
 dence of his neighbors. 
 
 T^HARL 
 
 ^- ^ Jnrl- 
 
 -ES E. OLMSTED, one of the 
 many worthy citizens and capable and 
 industrious agriculturists of Cayuga 
 County, is a resident of Aurelius, and the de- 
 scendant of an old New England family. He 
 was born in Aurelius September 17, 1838. 
 Connecticut was the birthplace of his ances- 
 tors for several generations back; and his 
 great-great-grandfather, James Olmsted, in 
 old Colonial times bought of Adrian Rutgers 
 and Richard Sharpe, gentlemen, one hundred 
 acres of land lying in Ballston Spa, Saratoga 
 County, the deeds for the property, bearing 
 the date of 1774, being now in the possession 
 of the family. Noah Olmsted, great-grand- 
 father of Charles E., was born and reared in 
 the State of Connecticut, remaining there 
 during the earlier part of his life. Prior to 
 the Revolutionary War he emigrated to Sara- 
 toga County, bringing with him his family 
 
460 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and all of his earthly possessions, traversing 
 the whole distance in wagons drawn by oxen, 
 being obliged during the journey to pass 
 through extensive woods and morasses, and to 
 cross many creeks. He settled within three 
 miles of the scene of Burgoyne's surrender, 
 upon the farm bought by his father in Sara- 
 toga County, and given to him for a home. 
 The first night they slept in a sheep-pen. In 
 a few days they built a log house, with bed- 
 quilts for doors. They slept in a loft over- 
 head, or at least spent the night there, with 
 the ladder drawn up for fear of the bears and 
 wild-cats who held possession outside, and 
 often made sleep impossible by their bowlings 
 below. Settlers were few in number and far 
 between, but the forests were filled with an 
 abundance of game of all kinds, forming the 
 chief subsistence of the inhabitants; and the 
 Indians and Tories were a constant terror to 
 the brave pioneers who occasionally spent 
 their nights in the woods, leaving their 
 houses for fear of being burned out by their 
 treacherous neighbors. At times would be 
 brought the word, "The Tories are out!" 
 when, taking their wives and children, they 
 would seek their hiding-place in the thickets, 
 the men standing guard outside. At one 
 time the wife of Noah Olmsted, being tired of 
 staying out, remained behind; then, becom- 
 ing afraid, she followed after. Her husband, 
 standing guard, saw something move. He 
 raised at once his gun to fire, when his eye 
 caught the sight of a white apron; and, know- 
 ing it was a woman before him, he withheld 
 his hand. It proved to be his wife, who had 
 
 this narrow escape. Had it not been for the 
 white apron, she would have been killed. 
 Mrs. Olmsted was cautioned not to remain 
 back again. Noah was a man of property and 
 a slave-owner; and in the possession of the 
 Olmsted family to-day is the deed of a negro 
 slave, which he bought from John Lawrence, 
 of Canada, paying for him seventy pounds and 
 six shillings. He built the first tavern in 
 Ballston; and until his death, which occurred 
 in 1803, he was one of the leading citizens of 
 that locality. 
 
 Lewis Olmsted, son of Noah, first saw the 
 light in Saratoga County, a.d. 1784, and was 
 there reared and educated. After marriage, 
 being firmly convinced that there were greater 
 facilities for bettering his financial condition 
 in the undeveloped country of the Empire 
 State, he came to Cayuga County, bringing 
 his family with him in an emigrant wagon, 
 oftentimes having to break a path through the 
 wilderness. He purchased a tract of im- 
 proved land in the town of Sennett, and car- 
 ried on general farming there for seven years, 
 having the assistance of his sons. He subse- 
 quently disposed of that property, and, com- 
 ing to Aurelius, bought one hundred and 
 eight acres of land, from which he improved a 
 fine homestead. He labored with unceasing 
 effort to reduce his land to a tillable condi- 
 tion ; and from the crops which he raised he 
 secured a comfortable living. Later in life a 
 great misfortune befell him, his eyesight fail- 
 ing; and for thirty years before his death, 
 which occurred at the home of his daughter, 
 in Auburn, in 1845, at the age of seventy-six 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 461 
 
 years, he was totally blind. He married 
 Lydia Olmsted, of Connecticut; and to them 
 were born four sons and one daughter. An 
 older brother of Lewis, Noah Olmsted, Jr., 
 served as a Major in the "last war with Eng- 
 land " ; and in one of the battles on the Ca- 
 nadian frontier, wishing to see where the 
 enemy were, he stepped upon a stump, when 
 a cannon-ball struck it, and knocked it out 
 from under him. He lived on a large farm 
 on North Street in Auburn, on the south of 
 and adjoining the cemetery on that street, 
 the land of which he gave to the First Pres- 
 byterian Church for burial purposes. 
 
 George Olmsted, son of Lewis and Lydia, 
 was also born in Saratoga County. He ob- 
 tained a fair education in the public schools 
 of Sennett, where his youthful days were 
 passed. After the removal of his parents to 
 Aurelius he became an able assistant in the 
 general work of the farm, and acquired a sub- 
 stantial knowledge of agriculture. On ac- 
 count of his father's affliction, the manage- 
 ment of the home farm was left to him and 
 his brothers, all of whom remained upon the 
 homestead, one of them, Noah, dying there. 
 The maiden name of the wife of George Olm- 
 sted was Sally Spaulding. She was a daugh- 
 ter of Ezra Spaulding, of Schoharie County. 
 The Spauldings date back to 1640, when Ed- 
 ward Spaulding, an Englishman, came to this 
 country, and settled in Chelmsford, Mass. 
 His son Andrew was born November 19, 
 1652. Another, his son John, settled in 
 Plainfreld, Conn., where his son Edward, and 
 Edward's son Isaac, and Isaac's son Isaac, 
 
 Jr., were born. Isaac Spaulding, Jr., moved 
 to Hinsdale, Mass., where his son Ezra was 
 born. Ezra Spaulding moved to Schoharie 
 County, New York, where his daughter Sally, 
 Mrs. Olmsted, was born. Her grandchildren, 
 now arriving to early manhood and woman- 
 hood, make, with the foregoing, nine genera- 
 tions from the original American settlers. 
 George and Sally Olmsted became the par- 
 ents of two children — Hannah P. and Charles 
 E. They spent a long and happy wedded 
 life, and were held in high regard by their 
 numerous friends and acquaintances in this 
 part of the county. Both died in Aurelius at 
 an advanced age, he passing on to the life 
 beyond in 1884, at the age of seventy-six 
 years; while she survived him until 1891, 
 when she passed away, being then eighty- 
 three years old. 
 
 Charles E. Olmsted, only son of this 
 worthy couple, received his education in the 
 district schools of his native town, and as 
 soon as old enough began working on the 
 home farm. Like his forefathers, he had a 
 desire to push Westward in his ambition to 
 secure a fortune, Cayuga County being then 
 rather the centre of civilization than a wild 
 frontier, as in the old pioneer days. Accord- 
 ingly, when nineteen years old, he made a 
 trip to the West, but did not stay very long. 
 Later he made a second journey westward, 
 spending six months, when he returned to 
 Aurelius, and here soon began his career as 
 an agriculturalist. In his chosen vocation he 
 has been prospered, his practical and system- 
 atic methods, excellent judgment, and great 
 
462 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 skill in his operations being conducive to 
 success. 
 
 In July, 1874, Mr. Olmsted married Miss 
 Alice Maycumber, a daughter of Lewis and 
 Erneline (Palmer) Maycumber, respected resi- 
 dents of Aurelius. Of their marriage five 
 children have been born; namely, Adelaide 
 S., George L., Jessie H., Rose A., and 
 Charles E., Jr. — all of whom are still mem- 
 bers of the parental household. Politically, 
 Mr. Olmsted is an earnest Republican, ever 
 sustaining the principles of that party both by 
 voice and vote. 
 
 'ON. IRA DeWITT brown, M.D., 
 of Weedsport, is not only a promi- 
 nent physician and surgeon, and 
 something of a lawyer, but is still the editor 
 of the Cayuga Cliicf, a journal which he 
 founded in 1877. He was born in Sconon- 
 doa, Oneida County, N.Y., September 9, 
 1830, and was named for his father, Ira 
 Brown. His mother's maiden name was 
 Lucy Hills. 
 
 Ira Brown was a soldier in the War of 
 i8i2, and was born in Gahva\', N.Y., whither 
 his father came from Massachusetts in the 
 early days. The son became a merchant in 
 the town of Vernon, in Oneida County, and 
 then kept a hotel in the same place, though in 
 his latter days he found a home with his son, 
 the Doctor, where he died at the age of 
 eighty-five. For twenty years he was Town 
 Constable, and also quite a detective, arrest- 
 ing many criminals. His wife. Miss Hills, 
 
 was a Vernon girl, born a few miles only 
 from his own birthplace, so that they were 
 always acquainted. Her father was Jesse 
 Hills, one of the first settlers of the town. 
 He came from Windham, Conn., in his boy- 
 hood, in company with his father, Seth Hills, 
 who had been a Revolutionary soldier, and 
 came to this region because he could have the 
 award of a square mile of territory in compen- 
 sation for his military services. Of course, he 
 and Jesse had to clear the land, and make it 
 productive and habitable; and they both be- 
 came influential citizen farmers. By Lucy's 
 marriage with Mr. Brown she had only two 
 children — Ira DeWitt and his sister Zelia, 
 who died many years ago. 
 
 Young Ira went first to the district school, 
 and then to the Vernon Academy, after which 
 he studied medicine with Dr. Asahel Norton, 
 of Vernon, at the same time acting as clerk 
 in a drug store till he could get a little money 
 ahead. Then he went to a classical school in 
 Knoxville, Madison County, taught by the 
 Rev. Erwin W. Allen, who was not only an 
 excellent teacher, but the lad's cousin. Ira's 
 studies there completed, his father thought it 
 best for him to enter a law office; and this he 
 did, in accordance with his father's wish, 
 though the course was not wholly to his own 
 mind. Later he went to Clinton, in Oneida 
 County, and established a paper called the 
 Oneida Chief, which he continued for a year, 
 then selling out and going to Camden, where 
 he started another paper called the Northern 
 Light; but this also he soon disposed of. 
 His next change was to Vernon, where he en- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 463 
 
 tered a law office. In due time he was ad- 
 mitted to the bar, when he was twenty-two 
 years old, at the general term of the court 
 held an Syracuse, in 1852; but this did not 
 hinder a continuance of his medical studies, 
 and for a season he also went back to Oneida 
 and edited another Oneida Chief. At this 
 time he married his .wife, Miss Mary Jane 
 Hunt, a niece of Eldad Hunt, of Oneida. At 
 the expiration of two years he received an 
 offer to go to Oswego, as editor-in-chief of 
 the Oswego Daily Times; and he went thither 
 in 1855, to take a prominent part in the cam- 
 paign of 1856, stumping the county in the 
 interest of General John C. Fremont, the first 
 Presidential candidate of the Republican 
 party, to whose interest the paper was of 
 course devoted. Mr. Brown was a delegate to 
 the earliest Republican convention ever held 
 in the State, which first met at Saratoga, and 
 then adjourned to Auburn, where a platform 
 was adopted, a part whereof was written by 
 Mr. Brown, and the other part by John Jay, 
 of New York City. Fremont was defeated at 
 the polls, and President James Buchanan 
 elected; but the Republicans were more suc- 
 cessful in i860, when Abraham Lincoln was 
 elected. During this second campaign Mr. 
 Brown renewed his exertions with pen and 
 voice, going into the adjoining counties as 
 well as through his own. During the Civil 
 War he was kept busy making addresses and 
 raising recruits. Whenever there was delay 
 in raising the quantity of men required by 
 law, he was summoned. Meanwhile he had 
 not given up the study of medicine, and now 
 
 was appointed House Surgeon in the Albany 
 Hospital, where he treated many soldiers, and 
 at the same time attended the Albany Medical 
 College, where he was graduated with the 
 highest honors the institution could bestow, 
 and chosen the valedictorian of his class of 
 1865, the exercises being held in the old 
 capitol. After a short further sojourn in the 
 hospital, he came to Weedsport in 1866, on 
 May 9, and began a practice which he has 
 steadfastly continued for thirty years, except 
 during some winters, which he has spent in 
 Albany, acting as political correspondent for 
 the New York Times, and also as reporter for 
 the Albany Evening Journal., meanwhile hav- 
 ing a substitute for his home practice. 
 
 In 1872 he was elected to the State Assem- 
 bly for the Northern District of Cayuga 
 County, and was placed on the House Com- 
 mittees on Public Printing and Public 
 Health, and on the joint Library Committee. 
 In the interest of his own town he secured 
 an appropriation for building the vertical 
 canal wall through Weedsport, and another 
 appropriation for digging a salt-well. He 
 also took very strong ground against the ap- 
 propriation of public money for sectarian pur- 
 poses; and this resulted in saving a million 
 dollars to the State treasury. In this move- 
 ment he was leader, as he was also in a more 
 searching constitutional amendment, which 
 passed both houses, forbidding either the 
 State or any city or town to support with the 
 public funds any denominational school, 
 whether Catholic or Protestant. The Doctor 
 was the better able to secure successful re- 
 
464 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 suits, because of his apt familiarity with 
 parliamentary law, largely gained from his 
 journalistic work. Since this legislative ex- 
 perience he has found his practice largely in- 
 creasing, and has been more successful at it 
 than before. The love of journalism, how- 
 ever, evidently had a firm grip on the Doc- 
 tor's life plan; and he might well have a 
 peculiar affection for his brief, strong, expres- 
 sive, and telling newspaper title. In 1877 he 
 established another paper, this time called the 
 Cayuga Chief. 
 
 Two sons have been born to the Doctor and 
 his wife — Harry Durward and Charles Fre- 
 mont, both with their father in the printing- 
 office. Indeed, he could hardly carry on this 
 work, in addition to his medical duties, were 
 it not for their association in the business de- 
 partment. Nevertheless, the Doctor not only 
 edits the Chief, but writes largely for its col- 
 umns. This journal has always been indepen- 
 dent in character, and has the largest and most 
 distinguished circulation of any paper in the 
 vicinity. In connection with this newspaper 
 is an extensive job office, which receives 
 nearly all the patronage of the community. 
 The plant has all the conveniences belong- 
 ing to a first-class modern office, including a 
 cylinder press for turning out a large four- 
 page sheet. 
 
 Dr. Brown has been a member of the local 
 Board of Education, and was also Trustee 
 when the new school-house was built, in 1885. 
 As a physician, he has fitly been Health Officer 
 for over a dozen years, and is President of the 
 Board of Health. Masonically, he belongs 
 
 to Weedsport Lodge, No. 385, of which he 
 has been Master; and he has been Noble 
 Grand of the Southern Central Lodge of Odd 
 Fellows, which he instituted in 1875. 
 
 Three notable judges of human nature have 
 put on record three noteworthy sayings in re- 
 gard to self-duty: "The more independent of 
 accidents, the more self-subsistent, the more 
 fraught with internal resources, the greater 
 the character." "Help from without is often 
 enfeebling in its effects, but help from 
 within invariably invigorates." "Never vio- 
 late the sacredness of your individual self- 
 respect. Be true to your own mind and con- 
 science, your heart, and your soul : so only 
 can you be true to God." The first of these 
 quotations is from that famous Swiss physiog- 
 nomist, Lavater, the second from that bio- 
 graphical student, Samuel Smiles, the third 
 from that immortal Boston champion of relig- 
 ious progress, the Rev. Theodore Parker; and 
 this triune description applies to Dr. Brown's 
 career and character. 
 
 ^JENRY THOMAS was born in Dry- 
 den, Tompkins County, N.Y., Sep- 
 tember 15, 1829, the son of John 
 and Anna (Smith) Thomas, who were married 
 in New Jersey, their former home. The 
 father came from near Trenton, N.J. His 
 wife, Anna Smith, was a daughter of Aaron 
 Smith. Both were of German descent. 
 John Thomas followed the occupation of a car- 
 penter at Dryden, but afterward went into the 
 mill business, which he followed until his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 46s 
 
 death in the town of Locke, in Cayuga 
 County. He was a veteran of the War of 
 18 1 2, and was the father of a family of eleven 
 children, all of whom lived to maturity. 
 
 Henry Thomas received his education in 
 Dryden, and afterward was with his father in 
 the mill until 1850, when he went overland to 
 California, via St. Joseph, Mo., Fort Kearney, 
 and Fort Laramie, the journey occupying 
 eighty-seven days from St. Joseph, Mo. At 
 that time there were no houses from Fort 
 Kearney till they struck Hangtown, Cal. 
 They had no trouble except in stealing by the 
 Indians. Mr. Thomas went to Oakland 
 County, near Coloma, where gold was first dis- 
 covered. Here, together with Mr. I. H. 
 Ford, who accompanied him from Dryden, he 
 opened a trading-post. He remained there for 
 three years, made considerable money, and 
 then returned to New York State by the way 
 of the Isthmus of Panama. He then bought 
 the mill in Dryden in which he had formerly 
 worked, and, again with Mr. I. H. Ford as a 
 partner, conducted it for three years, when he 
 sold out. In 1862 he went to Groton, and 
 bought a mill, which he managed until 1866, 
 and then turned his attention to the mercan- 
 tile business. In 1877 he went to Venice 
 Centre, and bought the mill there, which he 
 conducted until 1892. He was married June, 
 185s, to Miss Mary Ann Baker, daughter of 
 David J. Baker, of Dryden; and two children 
 were born to them, namely: Walter B. ; and 
 Georgiana, wife of G. M. Rockwell, of Dry- 
 den. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are supporters of 
 the Congregational church. Mr. Thomas has 
 
 had a busy and eventful life, as well as a pros- 
 perous one, his success in the accumulation 
 of this world's goods being due entirely to his 
 own energy and perseverance. 
 
 W' 
 
 ALTER B. THOMAS, proprietor 
 of the Moravia Roller Mills at 
 Moravia, N.Y., where he has been engaged in 
 the milling business since November i, 1889, 
 was born at Dryden, Tompkins County, N.Y., 
 July II, 1858, the son of Henry and Mary 
 Ann (Baker) Thomas, His father was en- 
 gaged as a miller at Dryden, and afterward 
 at Groton, and still later, beginning in the 
 spring of 1877, in Venice Centre, whence he 
 finally returned to Dryden. For several 
 years, while a resident of Venice, Mr. Henry 
 Thomas held the office of Collector of the 
 town. 
 
 The education of Walter B. Thomas was re- 
 ceived partly at the Groton common school 
 and academy, and partly in Rochester, N.Y. 
 Having learned the milling business by work- 
 ing in his father's mill, he went into the 
 Moravia mills, which he run on a lease prior 
 to 1890, and then bought them. He made 
 many improvements in the property, in place 
 of the old-style stone putting in rollers and 
 other new appliances, the mill having a ca- 
 pacity of fifty barrels per day. He sells to the 
 local trade mainly, and does a jobbing busi- 
 ness as well. During his residence in Venice 
 Mr. W. B. Thomas held the office of Town 
 Clerk, and is now Trustee of the village of 
 Moravia, a position which he fills with credit 
 
466 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and distinction. He lias been actively con- 
 nected with the fire department ever since he 
 came here, and a part of the time has been its 
 Chief. 
 
 Mr. Thomas was married to Miss Carrie 
 Beam, of Union Springs, N.Y., May 25, 
 1887, and has two children; namely, Carlton 
 B. and Georgiana. That he is an able busi- 
 ness man has been demonstrated since he 
 bought the mill by the large increase in its 
 trade. He takes great interest in the wel- 
 fare of the village, and is not sparing of his 
 time or energy toward its development. 
 
 pHN SNYDER, whose face is familiar 
 to all residents of the village of Scipio 
 Centre, where he has served as Post- 
 master and Justice of the Peace for the past 
 quarter of a century, is deserving of honorable 
 mention in this volume as a worthy represen- 
 tative of the mercantile and agricultural in- 
 terests of this part of the county, and as the 
 descendant of a well-known and influential 
 pioneer of the town of Venice. He is a na- 
 tive of this county, and first saw the light of 
 this world in the town of Scipio, December 
 17, 1825. 
 
 Mr. Snyder's grandfather, Jacob Snyder, 
 emigrated from Germany when a young man, 
 and after his arrival in this country settled 
 on the banks of the Hudson River, near 
 the Catskill Mountains. This was about the 
 middle of last century, and troublous times 
 soon followed. He at once identified himself 
 with the interests of his adopted country, en- 
 
 listed in its defence, and in the French, and 
 Indian War served under General Braddock, 
 being at Genesee at that famous time when all 
 the Indians suddenly disappeared. His pa- 
 triotic ardor was again aroused on the firing 
 of the first shot, April 19, 1775, which was 
 "heard around the world"; and he again 
 shouldered his musket, serving in the army 
 throughout the Revolution, being with Wash- 
 ington at Valley Forge, and in many noted en- 
 gagements. At the close of the war he was 
 awarded five hundred acres of land in this 
 part of the State; but, without ever coming to 
 see his grant, he traded it off at Albany for 
 a nominal price, and subsequently resided in 
 that city. 
 
 Henry Snyder, son of Jacob, was born in 
 Dutchess County, and there spent the earlier 
 years of his life. He had no opportunities 
 whatever for obtaining an education, but 
 when a mere boy was apprenticed to learn the 
 trade of a shoemaker; and, having a hard and 
 cruej master, he was obliged to work Sundays 
 to earn his clothing. After serving his ap- 
 prenticeship, he was engaged at what was then 
 known as "whipping the cat," which was 
 going about the town, from house to house, 
 and making in each the shoes for a whole 
 family, remaining with them until each mem- 
 ber was appropriately shod. Being very eco- 
 nomical, as well as very industrious, looking 
 well after each penny, he was enabled after a 
 time to buy fifteen acres of stony land in his 
 native county, paying for it the five hundred 
 dollars he had hoarded up. On this land he 
 labored as faithfully as he had in shoemak- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 467 
 
 ing, spending all of his leisure minutes in 
 building a stonewall around his farm; and, 
 after occupying it five years, he sold it for 
 fifteen hundred dollars. Then, packing his 
 wife, three children, and all of his household 
 goods on a sled, he started with his three 
 horses for Cayuga County. On arriving in 
 Venice, a Mr. Baldwin offered him the rent of 
 a log house and all the firewood he needed, if 
 he would take charge of his farm. This offer 
 he accepted, and worked at his trade awhile. 
 The first farm that he ever owned in this 
 county he bought in 1800 of Judge Fitch, but 
 subsequently sold it back to him, and pur- 
 chased the Tom Parker farm. Laboring dili- 
 gently, he gradually added to his first purchase 
 of land; and at the time of his death, which 
 occurred in i860, he had one of the most 
 valuable estates in this part of the county, 
 containing six hundred and fifty acres of val- 
 uable land. His improvements were all of an 
 excellent character, his fields being under 
 good cultivation, his farm buildings being 
 ample and convenient, and his dwelling sub- 
 stantial and commodious. The latter, which 
 is still standing in a good state of preserva- 
 tion, is in the possession of the family. 
 Henry Snyder married Elizabeth Hudson, a 
 direct descendant of Hendrick Hudson, the 
 discoverer of the river bearing his name; and 
 they reared the following children — Thomas, 
 Catherine, Henry, Ann, Emily, Amy, Jane, 
 Elizabeth, and John. 
 
 The last-named son, who was the youngest 
 child born into the parental household, ac- 
 quired his education in the district schools of 
 
 Scipio. The farm being large and the laborers 
 few, he was early sent into the fields, and 
 while yet a boy did the work of a full-grown 
 man, continuing thus to work until forced by 
 ill-health to give it up. When twenty-one 
 years of age, John Snyder received from his 
 father one hundred acres of land, on which 
 was a good house; and there he began farm- 
 ing on his own account, remaining on his 
 farm until 1865, prosperously engaged in its 
 cultivation. Having a natural aptitude for a 
 business life, he then opened a store for gen- 
 eral merchandise in the village of Scipio 
 Centre, in connection with which he also 
 dealt in lumber, and has continued thus en- 
 gaged until the present time. Mr. Snyder's 
 sterling integrity and general urbanity of 
 manner have won him a large number of 
 friends in this community; and his business 
 energy and stability have secured a numerous 
 and increasing patronage. In the mercantile 
 as in the agricultural line he has achieved a 
 well-merited success, and is numbered among 
 the citizens of influence in his native town. 
 In politics he is a stanch and true Republi- 
 can, believing that in the principles of that 
 party lie the germs for the future greatness of 
 the country. He is prominent in Masonic 
 circles, and belongs to Cayuga Lodge, No. 
 221, A. F. & A. M. He is liberal in his 
 religious views, and is an esteemed member 
 of the Universalist church. 
 
 The union of Mr. Snyder with Susan A. 
 Miller, daughter of William and Elizabeth 
 (Van Wyck) Miller, was solemnized in 1848. 
 Mrs. Susan A. Snyder died November 20, 
 
468 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1892. Of their marriage two children were 
 born — Anna E. and Maud. The elder 
 daughter is the wife of W. G. Hoskins, of 
 Auburn. Maud married Jerome Howell, and 
 they live on the old homestead. Mr. Snyder 
 was again married April 12, 1894, to Hattie 
 E. Silkworth, of Onondaga County. 
 
 B. TANNER, proprietor of the Port 
 Byron Dry Docks, and also engaged 
 in boat-building, was born in Dix, 
 N.Y., May 14, 1841, and is the son of Lyman 
 and Hulda (Byrum) Tanner, the former of 
 whom was born in Dix in 18 12, and the latter 
 in the town of Enfield, Tompkins County, in 
 1818. The grandfather, George Tanner, was 
 one of the early pioneers of the county, and 
 pursued the occupation of farming at Dix for 
 many years. His son, Lyman, was educated 
 in his native town, and resided there until 
 185 1, when he removed to the town of 
 Orange, Schuyler County, where he continued 
 his occupation, which was that of farming, 
 until the year of his death. He was a promi- 
 nent member of the Baptist church, and held 
 the position of School Trustee. Mr. Tanner 
 died in 1856. His wife survived him, and 
 is still a resident of the town. The following 
 children were born to them, namely: Albert 
 S., who is in Groton, N.Y. ; Oliver B., the 
 subject of this sketch; Anna J., wife of Cory- 
 don Breese, of Kansas; and Olive D. 
 
 Oliver B. Tanner received his schooling in 
 Orange County, afterward learning the ship- 
 building trade at Veteran. He was foreman 
 
 for Tidd & Langdon of Elmira for one year, 
 and afterward occupied a similar position at 
 Ulster, Pa., for six years. In 1872 he came 
 to this town, and was engaged as foreman by 
 Mr. Ridell, working in this capacity for a 
 year, at the end of which time he formed a 
 partnership with Mr. Ridell and Mr. Shetler, 
 the firm name being Tanner, Shetler & Co., 
 and Mr. Tanner being the practical man of 
 the firm. After two years Mr. Ridell sold 
 out his share of the business, which was con- 
 tinued under the name of Tanner & Shetler 
 until 1890, when Mr. Tanner bought out the 
 remaining partner. He now has two large 
 dry docks, having a capacity for four boats, 
 and also does a large business in repairing 
 and building boats. Since Mr. Shetler re- 
 tired from the firm Mr. Tanner has added 
 steam-power, and has also put in improved 
 machinery for ship-building, giving employ- 
 ment to fifteen or twenty men, doing boat- 
 building in the winter and a dry-dock busi- 
 ness in the summer. Mr. Tanner has one of 
 the largest dry docks on the canal, and the 
 only one using steam machinery between Buf- 
 falo and Troy. He also owns several boats, 
 and has an interest in a number of others. 
 In addition to this he owns a steam cider- 
 mill, which does a large business during the 
 season, and is the owner of a farm, upon 
 which he resides. Mr. Tanner is a member 
 of Port Byron Lodge, No. 130, of which he 
 is Past Master, and of Morris Chapter, of 
 which he is Secretary. He has held the office 
 of Trustee, was President of the village for 
 two years, Assessor of the town for three 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 469 
 
 years, and Assessor of the village six years. 
 Mr. Tanner was married to Miss Ann J. Up- 
 dyke, of Dix, August 28, 1862, three sons 
 being born to them; namely, Hull F., Fred 
 J., and Oliver B., Jr. All of the sons are in 
 their father's employ, Hull F. having charge 
 of the yard at Pittsford. The family are 
 attendants and supporters of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, Mr. Tanner having been 
 one of the Trustees for ten years. 
 
 Mr. Tanner is one of the most public- 
 spirited citizens of Port Byron, always having 
 the interest of his town at heart. He has 
 built up his present fine business solely by his 
 own energy, and is recognized as one of the 
 most prosperous business men in the town. 
 
 ^IDNEY S. GOODYEAR, a promi- 
 nent citizen of Genoa, was born on 
 October 19, 1854, at the family 
 homestead, and is of good old English de- 
 scent. His earliest ancestor in this country 
 was Stephen Goodyear, who came from Eng- 
 land to America in 1630, and settled at New 
 Haven, Conn., being the first Deputy Gov- 
 ernor of New Haven Colony. He had no 
 children by his first wife, who came over with 
 him ; but after her death he married a widow 
 named Lamberton, whose husband was 
 drowned at sea, he being Captain of the 
 crew of what was known as the "Phantom 
 Ship." John Goodyear, son of Stephen, was 
 born March 8, 1650, at New Haven. The 
 next in line of descent, Andrew, born in 1702, 
 died in 1781. The next, Timothy, was born 
 
 at New Haven, January i, 1735. Timothy, 
 Jr., was born in New Haven February i, 
 1782, and died April 19, 1854. Sidney S., 
 Sr., the father of the subject of this sketch, 
 was born July 17, 18 13. 
 
 The grandfather, Timothy, Jr., came to 
 Genoa township in the early days of the set- 
 tlement, and settled on the corners known as 
 Goodyear's. He was a blacksmith by trade, 
 and came here first alone, bringing most of 
 his tools on his back. After a time he re- 
 turned to Connecticut, and brought to the 
 new home his wife and family, conveying his 
 goods on sleds drawn by oxen. The deed of 
 premises that he received on buying fifty 
 acres of land in Genoa township is still pre- 
 served in the archives of the family. He 
 worked at his trade of a blacksmith, also 
 farming the land he had acquired, enlarging 
 his house at a later period, and keeping a 
 hotel, which he conducted successfully for 
 several years previous to his death, which 
 took place in 1854. He married Rebecca 
 Dickerraan, a native of Connecticut, and 
 reared a family of seven children. Sidney S. 
 Goodyear, Sr., their fifth child, received his 
 education at the district schools of Genoa. 
 He was a farmer by occupation, and managed 
 a farm adjoining the homestead, buying the 
 latter on the death of his father. He was 
 made Postmaster when the office was first 
 started in 1874, and continued in that posi- 
 tion until his death, which occurred February 
 23, 1890. He married Lavinnia, the daugh- 
 ter of Warren and Lavinnia (Fairchild) 
 Squires, and had six children; namely. Lam- 
 
47° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 bert, Alice, Warren, Asa, Sidney S., Jr., 
 and Lillie. The younger daughter, Lillie, 
 married Charles B. Coon, of Genoa, and 
 has two children — Asa and Wesley. 
 The elder daughter, Alice, married George 
 E. Young, of Ithaca, and has one child, 
 Warren. 
 
 Sidney S. Goodyear, the subject of this 
 sketch, was educated in the district schools, 
 and has always lived on the old homestead, 
 and followed the occupation of a farmer, and 
 since the death of his father has held the 
 position of Postmaster, a position he has filled 
 to the entire satisfaction of the townspeople. 
 He is also agent for every description of farm 
 and agricultural implements, and does a large 
 and lucrative business. 
 
 Mr. Goodyear married on April 19, 1876, 
 Carrie, the daughter of Daniel and Polly A. 
 (Higley) Valentine. Two daughters have 
 been born of the union, namely: Cora, born 
 September 25, 1878; and Lillie, born July 7, 
 1 88 1. In politics Mr. Goodyear is a stanch 
 Republican, casting his first Presidential vote 
 for Rutherford B. Hayes, in 1876. Both he 
 and his estimable wife are firm supporters of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, of which 
 they are members. 
 
 E RANDOLPH ROBINSON is a very 
 prosperous merchant doing business 
 in Fair Haven, Cayuga County, where he has 
 been located since 1872, though born in 
 Perry, Wyoming County, July 27, 1841. 
 His grandfather, Peleg Robinson, was a 
 
 native of Massachusetts, but became one of 
 tl^e Saratoga pioneers, clearing land for the 
 farm whereon he lived and labored until his 
 death. 
 
 Peleg' s son, Nathaniel C, the father of Mr. 
 E. Randolph Robinson, was born in Saratoga. 
 Like thousands of other country boys, he 
 stayed on the paternal farm till his freedom 
 day; but soon after that day he came to 
 Scipio, where he obtained work as a tanner — 
 only for a short time, however, for in 1828 he 
 went to Peiry, being there engaged in the 
 agricultural pursuits whereto he had been 
 bred, and which he never again forsook till 
 death called him away from mother earth, at 
 the advanced age of eighty-four. Nathaniel 
 C. Robinson's wife, who was Roxa Mendel, 
 from Rochester, Mass., bore him nine chil- 
 dren: William Peter; Peleg Warren; Hannah 
 M.; Caleb Mendel; Pardon Aimer; Lorenzo 
 Alton; E. Randolph, the subject of our 
 sketch; Jonathan Mendel, bearing the ma- 
 ternal family name; and Eliza M., the wife 
 of David O. Force, of Ohio. Their mother, 
 Mrs. Roxa Robinson, died on the homestead 
 November 21, 1893, aged ninety-two— a 
 sheaf of wheat fully ripe. 
 
 E. Randolph Robinson studied in the local 
 schools, and then attended the Middlebury 
 Academy at Wyoming Village, Wyoming 
 County, whence he returned to the homestead; 
 but, the war breaking out just as he reached 
 his majority, he enlisted August 20, 1862, in 
 the One Hundred and Thirtieth Regiment of 
 New York Volunteers, Company D. His 
 early service was with the Eastern Army, in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 471 
 
 the infantry; but while in Virginia he was 
 transferred to the Cavalry, and the regiment 
 was called the First New York Dragoons, and 
 fought in the principal battles under the fa- 
 mous General Sheridan, to whose corps he 
 was assigned. Once his horse was shot under 
 him. In due time he rose to the position of 
 Sergeant; and in this capacity he was mus- 
 tered out at Rochester, June 30, 1865. Be- 
 fore the war he had taught school ; and now 
 he again took up this line of life in Michigan 
 and Missouri. Thence he went to Chicago; 
 but before long he felt the irresistible attrac- 
 tion of his childhood's home, returned thither, 
 and presently engaged in trade in La Grange, 
 whence he removed to his present place. For 
 a while he was associated with T. W. Men- 
 del, a maternal relative, but later with F. B. 
 Phillips. In the year 1875 they built their 
 present store, the largest country store in the 
 county, for the sale of dry goods, groceries, 
 drugs, and a general assortment of wares of 
 every description. After serving as Justice 
 of Peace, he resigned that office, in order to 
 become one of the Town Supervisors, a posi- 
 tion he held for eight years. He was also ap- 
 pointed Railroad Commissioner for the town. 
 In 187s he married Nellie M. Lane, of Wy- 
 oming County, daughter of Austin and Lu- 
 cinda (Witter) Lane; and they have three 
 children: Ernest Randolph, named for his 
 father; Frank Austin, named for his maternal 
 grandfather; and William Merle. 
 
 As a Mason, Mr. E. R. Robinson belongs 
 to Warsaw Lodge, No. 549, the Royal Arch 
 Chapter, No. i8i, and to the Salem Town 
 
 Commandery, No. 16; and he received the 
 ancient and accepted Scottish rites in Au- 
 burn. In 1870 he joined the Odd Fellows, in 
 Union Lodge, No. 9, Chicago, 111., and sub- 
 sequently became a charter member of Rain- 
 bow Lodge, No. 400, in the same city, which 
 he assisted in organizing. After his return 
 to this State he became a charter member of 
 Fair Haven Lodge, No. 481, to which he still 
 belongs, having four times filled the Principal 
 Chair and served as District Deputy Grand 
 Master during two terms. He also belongs 
 to the Brutus Encampment at Auburn, and is 
 a member of Hudson Post, No. 159, of the 
 Grand Army, at Fair Haven, having been its 
 first Commander. In the Ancient Order of 
 United Workmen he has held all the offices, 
 as he has in other societies to which he be- 
 longs. In politics he is a zealous Republi- 
 can, having worked hard for his party ever 
 since he cast his first vote in 1864, while in 
 the army, for Lincoln's second administration. 
 He has represented his town in county con- 
 ventions, and his county in State conventions. 
 In 1884 he was a delegate to the State con- 
 vention which elected delegates for the nomi- 
 nation of James G. Blaine. Universally loved 
 and respected, there is in his neighborhood no 
 more popular man than Mr. Robinson. In 
 manner he is cordial, frank, amiable, making 
 friends wherever he goes. It is always a 
 pleasure to meet him; for he is approachable, 
 and ready to forward every worthy enterprise. 
 His companionable disposition may be in- 
 ferred from the many fraternities wherewith 
 he is affiliated, 
 
472 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Tip^ANSOM R. CROSS, Train-master of 
 1 1^ the Auburn Division of the Lehigh 
 ^— ^ Valley Railroad, which includes 
 the Auburn & Ithaca and Cayuga Branch, was 
 born at Caroline, Tompkins County, N.Y., 
 September 25, 1855, and is the son of Albert 
 R. and Orre A. (Rich) Cross. His father 
 was a native of Great Harrington, Mass., and 
 was born October 9, 1825, his grandfather 
 being also a native of Massachusetts. The 
 family removing to Tioga County when Al- 
 bert was nine years old, he there received his 
 early education. At the time of his mar- 
 riage, in 1854, to Miss Rich, he moved to 
 Tompkins County, and was occupied in farm- 
 ing, afterward going to Richford, where he 
 owned a farm, dying at that place in June, 
 1875. Mrs. Cross is still living. 
 
 Ransom R. Cross was educated in Rich- 
 ford, Tioga County. At the age of sixteen, 
 while still at school, he learned telegraphy, 
 and began work at Richford, April i, 1871, 
 as railroad and Western Union telegraph 
 operator. Before he came to Auburn in 1874 
 he was at different points on the road. He 
 came here in the capacity of telegraph oper- 
 ator, and soon after became train despatcher, 
 which position he held under the old Southern 
 Central Company, and under all the different 
 changes in the road until January i, 1893, 
 when he was appointed Train - master, al- 
 though he had been Acting Train-master for 
 some time previously, during the absence of 
 the regular ofificial. His position gives him 
 charge of all the engine men and train men 
 on his one hundred and sixty miles of the 
 
 railroad. Mr. Cross has risen to his present 
 position in the service of the railroad com- 
 pany by a strict attention to every little de- 
 tail of business, his general urbanity of man- 
 ner making him a favorite with all travellers 
 on the road. 
 
 While voting with the Republican party, 
 Mr. Cross is not an active politician. He is 
 a member of the Train Despatchers' Associa- 
 tion of America, of St. Paul's Lodge, No. 
 124, A. F. & A. M., of which he is Past 
 Master, and at the present time one of the 
 Trustees, and also of the Scottish Rite Order, 
 of which he is Senior Grand Warden. He is 
 also a Past Regent of the Auburn Council, 
 No. 407, of Royal Arcanum. 
 
 Mr. Cross was married October 29, 1884, 
 to Miss Mary E. Munn, of Auburn, daughter 
 of Matthew Munn, by whom he has one child, 
 William R. Cross. A portrait of this well- 
 known gentleman and popular official may be 
 seen on the opposite page. 
 
 TgORNELIUS VAN LIEW, who is re- 
 Ij^ tired from the active cares of busi- 
 ness, is one of the influential 
 citizens of the village of Meridian, where he 
 was successfully engaged in trade for upward 
 of thirty years, being the leading grocer of 
 the place, and having an extensive patronage. 
 By untiring industry and sagacious business 
 transactions he has made a handsome living, 
 and acquired a sufficient property to enable 
 him to pass his remaining years in comfort 
 and ease. He is well known throughout the 
 
Ransom R, Cross, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 47S 
 
 vicinity, and is held in respect as a man of 
 integrity, faithful and trustworthy in every 
 relation of life. The first recollections of 
 Mr. Van Liew are of a modest home in Mid- 
 dlesex County, New Jersey, where his birth 
 occurred January 23, 1820, being a son of 
 Frederick C. and Agnes (Pumyea) Van Liew, 
 and a grandson of an elder Cornelius Van 
 Liew, who was an early settler of New 
 Jersey. 
 
 Frederick C. Van Liew was reared to agri- 
 cultural pursuits, and engaged in farming the 
 larger part of his life, first in the place of his 
 nativity, which was Somerset County, New 
 Jersey, where he was born February 21, 
 1794. A few years after his marriage he 
 removed to Onondaga County, New York, 
 which was rich in promises of a bright future 
 for the enterprising farmer, settling in the 
 town of Lysander in 1832. He bought a 
 tract of land which was covered with a heavy 
 growth of timber, and with indomitable en- 
 ergy he began the work of clearing it off. It 
 required patience and hard work; but he suc- 
 ceeded in his efforts, and improved a good 
 homestead, where he and his worthy wife 
 passed their remaining days, he dying August 
 22, 1867, at the age of seventy-two years. 
 His wife, who was born in Middlesex County, 
 New Jersey, June 25, 1799, departed from 
 the scenes of this life August 25, 1857. She 
 was a most estimable woman, and a devout 
 member of the Dutch Reformed church; while 
 in political matters he was a member of the 
 Whig party. They reared a family of six 
 children, of whom three are now living, 
 
 namely: Cornelius; John P., a retired farmer, 
 residing in the village of Lysander; and 
 Agnes, the wife of William H. Hull, a 
 farmer, living in Cato. The deceased are as 
 follows: Maria E., who was born August 12, 
 1824; Jane, born in August, 1828, and mar- 
 ried Abram Baird, of Lysander; Ida Adeline, 
 who was born August 23, 1835, and became 
 the wife of Lyman E. Morley, of Meridian. 
 Cornelius Van Liew, who was the eldest 
 child of Frederick and Agnes P. Van Liew, 
 was about twelve years of age when he accom- 
 panied his parents to Onondaga County; and 
 his education, which was begun in the public 
 schools of New Jersey, was completed in the 
 district schools of Lysander. He remained at 
 home, where his assistance was required in 
 the pioneer labor of improving a farm, until 
 the time of his marriage, in 1853, when he 
 was thirty-three years old. After that impor- 
 tant event Mr. Van Liew, who was enter- 
 prising and energetic, located his home in 
 Plainville, Onondaga County, where he en- 
 gaged in a commission business on a small 
 scale. Having equipped himself with a good 
 team and a suitable wagon, he bought butter, 
 eggs, and other produce of the country 
 farmers, which he shipped to the neighboring 
 cities, and in the course of time built up an 
 extensive trade. Having acquired some prop- 
 erty, in 1858 he formed a partnership with 
 Lyman Norton ; and for three years they oper- 
 ated a store for general merchandise in Plain- 
 ville. Mr. Van Liew then disposed of his 
 interest in that place, and came to the village 
 of Meridian, where he opened a grocery store 
 
476 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in April, 1862, and here carried on a thriv- 
 ing trade until 1892, when he gave up active 
 business. He is now living in retirement, 
 surrounded by all. the comforts of life, and 
 enjoying to the utmost the reward of his many 
 years of toil. 
 
 The maiden name of Mrs. Van Liew, who 
 was born in Rensselaer County, December 
 24, 1824, was Nancy Verity. Her father, 
 James G. Verity, was a native of Long Isl- 
 and, and there grew to manhood. He sub- 
 sequently removed to the town of Lysander, 
 where he continued engaged in farming until 
 his death, May 8, 1840, he being then fifty- 
 seven years old, his birth having occurred in 
 January, 1786. Mr. Verity married Eunice 
 Banker, who was born in Rensselaer County 
 in June, 1788, and died in Lysander in 1834. 
 To her and her husband were born nine chil- 
 dren, four of whom are now living, namely: 
 Mrs. Ruth Davis, of Iowa; Mrs. Van Liew; 
 James Henry, a resident of St. Paul, Minn. ; 
 and Day D., who lives in Rising City, Neb. 
 
 Of the union of Cornelius Van Liew and 
 his wife one child only was born, Frederick 
 ]., whose birth was on April 28, 1859, and 
 who died June 12, 1890, at the age of thirty- 
 one years. He left a widow and one child, 
 and they are living with her parents. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Van Liew have a very pleasant home, 
 their residence being one of the most attrac- 
 tive in the village, and are generous and hos- 
 pitable people, greatly esteemed throughout 
 the neighborhood. They are earnest and sin- 
 cere members of the Presbyterian church, and 
 in politics he is a sound Democrat. Socially, 
 
 he is a member of the Cato Lodge, No. 141, 
 A. F. & A. M. 
 
 2EWIS PADDOCK, of Auburn, was for 
 a quarter-century among the leading 
 ■^^ promoters of the city's prosperity 
 and he has been a resident here even longer, 
 dating from 1844, half a century ago. In- 
 deed, his connection with Auburn extends 
 back two years further, when he was a student 
 in the old Auburn Academy; and he was born 
 not far away, among the Mentz hills, on the 
 last day of January, 1825. The Paddock fam- 
 ily was English; and the first members of it 
 who came to this country landed on Cape Cod, 
 about the middle of the seventeenth century, 
 not more than twenty years after the Puritan 
 settlement of Boston, and not more than thirty 
 after the Pilgrim settlement of Plymouth. In 
 course of time some of the Paddocks drifted 
 farther westward, and at last up the Hudson 
 River. The grandfather of Lewis, James 
 Paddock, bought a farm in Mentz, about the 
 year 18 10, when his son Charles was a stal- 
 wart youth of eighteen. The old man lived 
 there till his death, and was connected with 
 the Presbyterian church at Port Byron. 
 
 Charles Paddock, son of James, was born in 
 the town of Windham among the Catskill 
 Mountains, Greene County, about the year 
 1792, just as Washington was beginning his 
 second Presidential term. Soon after their 
 removal to Mentz the War of 18 12 broke out, 
 and young Paddock was in it. Later he as- 
 sisted his father in clearing land for cultiva- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 477 
 
 tion. In due time he married Jane Beach, 
 and they took a farm of their own along Crane 
 Brook. This land had also to be cleared; 
 and, having done this work thoroughly, there 
 they remained the rest of their lives. The 
 wife was born amid the foothills of the moun- 
 tains in New Jersey, and her father was Ben- 
 jamin Beach. Her mother, Mrs. Beach, was 
 a daughter of Adam Miller. Charles and 
 Jane (Beach) Paddock reared eight children. 
 Orrin Augustus Paddock still lives on a farm 
 adjoining the homestead. Elmira Paddock 
 died at the early age of twelve. Lewis Pad- 
 dock was the third child. Isaac Paddock be- 
 came one of the Forty-niners in California, 
 where he died. Catherine Paddock, now de- 
 ceased, married James Owen, who was a mem- 
 ber of the State legislature from Port Byron, 
 and was for over thirty years on a San Jose 
 paper, which his son still edits. Lucy Pad- 
 dock married Robert Takel, and lives on a 
 farm adjoining her childhood's home. El- 
 mira Paddock, named for the deceased eldest 
 sister, married Augustus Houghtaling, of 
 Mentz. Charles Beach Paddock lives on the 
 old family farm. Their father, Charles Pad- 
 dock, died in 1853, aged sixty-one; but the 
 mother outlived him a quarter-century, dying 
 in 1878, at fourscore, in the communion of 
 the Methodist church. 
 
 Lewis Paddock was born on the homestead, 
 and went to the district school till he was fif- 
 teen. In the year 1840, amid the excitement 
 of the campaign for "Tippecanoe and Tyler, 
 too," he went to the Auburn Academy, and 
 continued there some time under Professor 
 
 Hopkins, meanwhile teaching at McMaster's 
 Corners in 1841. In 1844 he came back to 
 Auburn, and taught the Grove Street School. 
 The next year he took the Fulton Street 
 School, then in a one-story building known 
 as the "Bell School-house," one of the three 
 school-houses in the city, its name derived 
 from the fact that it was the only one in the 
 region that had a bell. This position he 
 maintained till 1850. Then a new building 
 was erected, in which he taught till 1863. 
 The new building lasted only sixteen years; 
 but at the time of its erection Mr. Paddock 
 was greatly interested in the undertaking, 
 though he did not continue in the master's 
 chair, but was elected School Commissioner, 
 an office which he held when the old academy 
 was merged into the new high school. Up to 
 1850 the teachers had to make out their own 
 rate bills, and collect the school taxes. Mr. 
 Paddock was an advanced educator, and he 
 lived to see the school system far exceed his 
 utmost expectations. 
 
 From 1863 onward he was largely inter- 
 ested in real estate, particularly in the devel- 
 opment, first of Grant Avenue, and afterward 
 of the Five Corners. In 1865 he began oper- 
 ations on East Genesee Street, near Seward 
 Avenue, and erected the first building on 
 Gaylord Street, a thoroughfare which he 
 named after one of Auburn's most respected 
 citizens, the late John B. Gaylord. Thence 
 an extension was opened through Maple 
 Street. He gave half the land for Seward 
 Avenue, and put up houses at the west side, 
 on Seward Avenue, Gaylord Street, Howard 
 
478 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Street, and on Sherman, Sheridan, Evans, 
 Maple, Walnut, Chestnut, and Bradford 
 Streets, between one hundred and twenty-five 
 to one hundred and fifty houses in all. Mr. 
 Paddock did not work spasmodically, but sys- 
 tematically, so that nearly every house in this 
 section, except three or four on Sherman 
 Street, arose from his enterprise. Not only 
 did he build houses on the west side, but on 
 the east side also. In the five years from 
 1865 to 1870 he put up as many as a hundred 
 and fifty houses, and with good financial 
 profit. On Bradford and Walnut Streets he 
 built dwelling-houses, which he sold on time, 
 in order to encourage an influx of buyers in 
 that neighborhood. The Beach farm being in 
 the market, he bought fifty acres of it on 
 Franklin Street; and in the course of three 
 years he erected a hundred larger and better 
 houses. As this was about the time of a 
 financial panic, which spread through the 
 country when the high prices which had ac- 
 companied the war began to shrink, it is not 
 surprising that this undertaking did not prove 
 as financially profitable as its predecessors. 
 As an inevitable result of his efforts in con- 
 nection with the highways of the city, he 
 became connected with the first horse-railway, 
 built on East Genesee Street in 1871, and on 
 Franklin Street the next year, though unfort- 
 unately the rails of the latter had subse- 
 quently to be taken up and the stock became 
 valueless. Of the Southern Central Railway 
 Mr. Paddock was the first President; and, 
 though it was of no direct personal gain to 
 himself, he circulated the papers binding the 
 
 city to aid the project. But their labors were 
 in vain, their expectation of cheap coal not 
 being realized, as to-day coal can be bought 
 at Weedsport one dollar and twenty-five cents 
 cheaper than in Auburn. Since 1873 Mr. 
 Paddock has been much in retirement, so far 
 as business profects are concerned. In the 
 line of municipal service he was an Alderman 
 in 1853, representing the First Ward, which 
 is now divided into the First, Sixth, and 
 Tenth Wards. In 1871 and 1872 he was 
 again sent from the First and Tenth Wards 
 to the aldermanic board, when Mr. Kirkpat- 
 rick was Mayor. In 1878 he was appointed 
 Street Superintendent, and served twelve 
 years in that capacity. By bringing back 
 into use a street-roller which had been re- 
 jected as worthless, he so changed the current 
 of public opinion that the machine has since 
 been used for seventy-three miles of highway; 
 and this he was able to do by his thorough 
 acquaintance with the streets in his subdivi- 
 sion of the city. Since 1890 he has been de- 
 voting himself chiefly to the care of his 
 garden, poultry, and vines, such employment 
 having been his favorite recreation for at least 
 fifty years. As long as it existed, he kept his 
 membership in Osco Lodge of Odd Fellows; 
 and he also belonged to the Sons of Temper- 
 ance. His father died a Mason; and he him- 
 self has been forty years a member of St. 
 Paul's Lodge, No. 124, .A. F. & A. M. 
 
 On November 3, 1847, while yet engaged 
 in teaching, Lewis Paddock married Fiorina 
 White, of Sennett, a native of Southern New 
 Hampshire; and they have three children. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 479 
 
 Emma, born in 185 [, is the wife of William 
 H. Telford, and has one child, Mabel, born 
 in 187S. Sumner Paddock, born in 1855, 
 was four years City Clerk. He died, greatly 
 lamented, in 1881, aged twenty-six. Anna 
 P. Paddock, the youngest child, born in 1863, 
 was a Cornell graduate in the class of 1884, 
 receiving the degree of A.B. She married 
 Charles B. Wing, formerly a tutor in the 
 engineering department of that university, 
 and also in Madison University, Wisconsin, 
 and now a professor in the Stanford Univer- 
 sity, Palo Alto, Cal.; and they have two 
 children — Sumner and Winchester. Mrs. 
 Fiorina White Paddock died on December 28, 
 1873, just as the year was waning to its close. 
 Well has Horace Mann said, "School- 
 houses are the republican line of fortifica- 
 tions." And to this might Mr. Paddock add 
 the lines of the poet Longfellow, "Ah! to 
 build, to build — that is the noblest art of all 
 the arts." 
 
 tUGUSTUS D. BAKER, a prominent 
 and successful agriculturist and stock- 
 <^ raiser of Cayuga County, is the 
 owner of a large, well-appointed, and well- 
 managed farm in the town of Aurelius, his 
 native place, where he is numbered among the 
 active business men who contribute largely 
 toward the development of its industrial in- 
 terests. 
 
 Mr. Baker is of New England ancestry, his 
 great-grandfather, John Baker, having been a 
 life-long resident of the Old Bay State. His 
 grandfather, also named John Baker, was born 
 
 in Massachusetts ; and, having there grown to 
 manhood, he emigrated to Saratoga County, 
 and sojourned a few years. In 1808 he again 
 started westward, accompanied by his family. 
 They made the journey overland with teams, 
 driving their stock, and_ bringing all of their 
 worldly possessions to Cayuga County, which 
 was then very thinly populated. Here, in 
 what is now the town of Fleming, he bought 
 a tract of heavily timbered land, and began 
 the establishment of a home, his first step in 
 that direction being the erection of a log 
 cabin, which they occupied for a time. He 
 afterward built a frame house; but, that being 
 destroyed by fire in 1815, he built another, 
 and remained there many years, engaged in 
 general farming. The last few years of his 
 life were passed in Enfield, Tompkins 
 County, where his death occurred July 23, 
 1830. He was a most worthy and patriotic 
 citizen, and served as a soldier in the Revolu- 
 tionary War, having the bitter experience of 
 wintering at Valley Forge. He was twice 
 married. 
 
 Allen Baker, son of John, Jr., and his first 
 wife, whose maiden name was Brewer, was 
 born on May 3, 1791, on a farm three miles 
 from Saratoga Springs. He had very limited 
 opportunities for obtaining an education ; but 
 he was reared to habits of industry and econ- 
 omy, and, being endowed by nature with a 
 keen, practical business ability, he became a 
 most prosperous citizen. Choosing farming 
 for his occupation, he bought forty acres of 
 land in the town of Fleming, and began his 
 life-work. The land was covered with heavy 
 
48 o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 timber, the only improvement on it being a 
 log house, into which he moved. The settle- 
 ments in this part of the country were then 
 few and far between, the nearest market, Al- 
 bany, being one hundred and fifty miles away. 
 Farming was not then the easy and pleasant 
 pastime that it is, comparatively speaking, in 
 these days of modern machinery, propelled by 
 horse and steam power, all of the marketing, 
 as well as the ploughing and hauling, of the 
 farm being then accomplished with oxen. Mr. 
 Baker cleared quite a tract of land from the 
 wilderness, and otherwise improved it, living 
 there four years, when he sold that, and bought 
 another farm in the same town. Going thence 
 to Genoa, he resided there until the spring of 
 1833, when he came to Aurelius, and pur- 
 chased a farm of eighty-one acres about four 
 miles from Auburn. With characteristic 
 energy and hopefulness he began its improve- 
 ment, and by diligence, thrift, and good 
 management overcame the difficulties that 
 beset the early settlers, and in the course of 
 time added to his original purchase many 
 acres of choice land, his homestead, at the 
 time of his death, October 2, 1874, consisting 
 of two hundred and twelve acres of valuable 
 land, and being pretty well stocked. 
 
 On September 5, 1816, Allen Baker was 
 united in marriage to Eunice Tupper, a na- 
 tive of Vermont, born in 1794. Her father, 
 Benjamin Tupper, was born in the Green 
 Mountain State in 1749, and died in 1825. 
 Her mother, who bore the same name of 
 Eunice, was also a native of Vermont, where 
 she was born in 1754; and she died April 26, 
 
 1838. To Mr. and Mrs. Allen Baker were 
 born nine children — Louis A., Cyrus A., 
 David, Louisa A., Calvin T., John H., Asa 
 H., Andrew J., and Augustus D. 
 
 The subject of this personal history was the 
 youngest of the children born in the parental 
 household, his birth being on November 4, 
 1840. He received a substantial common- 
 school education in his native town, and on 
 the home farm obtained a practical insight 
 into the mysteries of farming. When twenty- 
 one years of age, he, with his brother Asa, 
 assumed the management of the old home- 
 stead, working it together for four years, when 
 they divided the farm. Augustus subse- 
 quently bought his brother's farm, and is now 
 the owner of the entire two hundred and 
 twelve acres, all of which he has under fine 
 cultivation, well equipped with substantial 
 buildings and all the modern appliances for 
 doing the necessary farm labor. For a con- 
 siderable time he confined his attention prin- 
 cipally to the raising of wheat and other small 
 grain ; but in more recent years he has carried 
 on an extensive dairy business and made a 
 specialty of raising fine stock, having now a 
 large herd of valuable Jerseys, all of which 
 are registered or subject to registration. Mr. 
 Baker is a man of superior business qualifica- 
 tions, earnest and thorough in his work, wise 
 in his judgments, well meriting the esteem 
 and respect accorded him by all. 
 
 In 1870 took place his marriage with Char- 
 lotte E. Durfee. Mrs. Baker's parents were 
 Jonathan Durfee, a native of Fall River, 
 Mass., and Mary (Boucher) Durfee, who was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 481 
 
 born in New Bedford, Mass. Of the union of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Augustus D. Baker, two chil- 
 dren have been born — a son, Leroy A., and 
 a daughter, Bertha L. Baker. Politically, 
 Mr. Baker is an adherent of the Democratic 
 party, and is now serving his second term as 
 a Justice of the Peace. Socially, he is a 
 valued member of the Farmers' Club, having 
 been Treasurer of the same for one year, and 
 Secretary for ten years. 
 
 kEV. ALANSON TILDEN, M.A., 
 pastor of the Baptist church of Port 
 Byron since January i, 1891, was 
 born in the town of Verona, Oneida County, 
 N.Y., July 29, 1828, son of Ithiel and Susan 
 (Bostwick) Tilden, the former of whom came 
 to Verona with his father, John Tilden, in 
 1800. The family originally canie from Ver- 
 mont. Ithiel Tilden was born March 5, 179S, 
 and, although but a boy at the time, served in 
 the War of 1812. He afterward engaged in 
 farming. His wife, Susan Bostwick, to 
 whom he was married in 1822, was a daughter 
 of Milo Bostwick, a Revolutionary minute- 
 man. Mr. Tilden continued to reside on his 
 farm in Verona until his death in January, 
 1844. His wife lived to the good old age 
 of ninety-two, dying September 13, 1893, 
 and leaving one child, the subject of this 
 sketch. 
 
 Alanson Tilden received his early education 
 in Verona, and afterward taught school for a 
 time. Becoming interested -in religious mat- 
 ters quite early in life, he devoted himself to 
 
 the ministerial calling, and attended Hamil- 
 ton College at Clinton, afterward spending 
 two years in the Madison University at Hamil- 
 ton. From this institution he was graduated 
 B.A. in 1853, and three years later on, con- 
 cluding his studies, took the degree of M.A. 
 He was settled August, 1853, to his first 
 charge at Troupsburg, Steuben County; and 
 July 19, 1854, he was ordained, remaining 
 with that church until 1858. He next went 
 to the church at East Cameron in the same 
 county, and later became chaplain in the 
 Fifty-ninth New York Volunteer Infantry in 
 the Army of the Potomac, attached to the 
 Second Division of the Second Corps of the 
 First Brigade, remaining with that regiment 
 until the close of the war. After the war, 
 from 1865 to 1869, he had a charge at How- 
 ard, Steuben County. Leaving Howard in 
 1869, he went to Flushing, Genesee County, 
 Mich., and remained there until April, 1873, 
 when he again settled in Steuben County, 
 New York, this time at Cooper's Plains, where 
 he stayed until November, 1878, when he 
 went to East Smithfield, Pa. In June, 1883, 
 he went to Covington, Pa.; April, 1885, to 
 Tioga Centre, N.Y.; March, 1888, to Enfield, 
 Tompkins County; and January i, 1891, to 
 Port Byron, this latter being Mr. Tilden's 
 tenth pastorate. Up to August, 1893, he had 
 preached five thousand six hundred and twenty- 
 five sermons, officiated at four hundred and 
 fifteen funerals, and baptized five hundred 
 persons. He had besides performed the mar- 
 riage ceremony two hundred times, and made 
 twenty-one public addresses. Such a record 
 
482 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 indicates a large field of labor and an active 
 and successful pastorate. When a younger 
 man, Mr. Tilden was prominently connected 
 with local missionary work in Cameron and 
 Rathbon. He became a Mason at Addison, 
 N.Y., and is now a member of Port Byron 
 Lodge, No. 130. He was also a member of 
 the Royal Arch Chapter, and now belongs to 
 Morris Chapter at Port Byron. He joined 
 the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at 
 East Smithfield, Bradford County, Pa., and is 
 a member of Rock Spring Lodge of Port 
 Byron. 
 
 Mr. Tilden was married February 20, 1854, 
 to Miss Nancy Reynolds, daughter of Lent 
 Reynolds, of Throopsburg. They have two 
 children living — Arthur and Aagelette. Ar- 
 thur is now in business in Waverly, N.Y. 
 He married Miss Flora Miller; and they have 
 four children — namely, Anna May, William, 
 Ida, and Angelette. Angelette Tilden, 
 daughter of Mr. Tilden of this notice, became 
 the wife of William J. Coulston, formerly 
 pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church of 
 Evansville, Ind., but now of Philadelphia, 
 Pa. She and her husband are the parents of 
 three children — Olive E., Leslie T., and 
 Marie C. 
 
 Mr. Tilden has led a busy and useful life, 
 and his work has been blessed to the advance- 
 ment of God's kingdom. During his pastor- 
 ate in Port Byron, he has not only endeared 
 himself to his congregation, but to others out- 
 side of the Baptist denomination. He is a 
 man of enlightened views, readily making 
 friends wherever he goes. 
 
 ^Y^VpjARCUS T. C. BROWN, a man 
 
 I I I ^^'^ ^^^ ^^^^ been useful in his 
 ^ ^— " community, and an able assistant 
 
 in promoting its agricultural interests, has 
 nearly all of his life been a tiller of the soil, 
 and still finds therein his greatest pleasure. 
 Soon after his marriage he purchased the farm 
 where he now resides, and which is finely 
 located in Sempronius; and here, with the 
 counsel and assistance of his young wife, he 
 set to work in earnest to build up a home. 
 He has never been satisfied with less than 
 highest possible results in his agricultural 
 labors; and, after bringing the soil under 
 good cultivation and erecting substantial and 
 convenient farm buildings, he has now turned 
 his attention to stock-growing and dairying, 
 and carries on a most lucrative business. 
 Among the many successful agriculturists 
 who are quietly pursuing the even tenor of 
 their way in the towns wherein they were 
 born, and of whom Cayuga County may well 
 be proud, Mr. Brown occupies a leading posi- 
 tion. He is a native of the town of Sempro- 
 nius, born August 14, 1832, being a grandson 
 of Daniel Brown, Sr., and a son of Daniel, 
 Jr., and Mary Ann (Huff) Brown. His 
 father was born in Columbia County, October 
 30, 1804, and his mother in North Hemp- 
 stead, Queens County, September 23, 1807. 
 
 Daniel Brown, Sr., was a native of Colum- 
 bia County, where he spent the earlier years 
 of his life. Coming to Cayuga County in 
 the year 1800, he purchased a tract of land 
 from the government, and, settling on it with 
 his family, became one of the brave and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 483 
 
 sturdy pioneers of the town of Semproniu^. 
 He performed the journey through the track- 
 less woods by means of blazed trees, bringing 
 his family and household goods in an ox 
 wagon. He erected a log house in the wil- 
 derness, when deer, wolves, bears, and the 
 other beasts of the forests were plentiful, 
 often terrorizing the few inhabitants of the 
 locality. Auburn was then the principal 
 market. It was known as Hardenburg's 
 Corners, and its only habitations were a few 
 log houses. The nearest mill was thirty 
 miles distant; and the grist was carried on 
 horseback, requiring a two days' trip — some- 
 times, when the roads were in a very bad con- 
 dition, consuming even a longer period. He 
 cleared a farm, and lived to see that and the 
 land around him settled up and well im- 
 proved. He and his good wife lived on their 
 farm until about seven years prior to his 
 death, when, feeling the infirmities of age, 
 they removed to the home of their son Dan- 
 iel, where they spent the golden sunset of 
 their lives, he passing away at the good old 
 age of eighty-eight years, while she lived to 
 the age of ninety-one years. They were re- 
 spected for their moral worth, and were con- 
 scientious members of the Baptist church. 
 Of the eleven children of their marriage, 
 seven grew to maturity; and one, John C. 
 Brown, of Moravia, is yet living. 
 
 Daniel Brown, Jr., spent the major portion 
 of his life in the town of Sempronius, and 
 was for many years an important factor of its 
 industrial interests. He learned the trade of 
 a tanner when quite young, and followed that 
 
 vocation for many years, his tannery being 
 located on the site of the present post-office 
 of Sempronius. In connection with this busi- 
 ness he was also extensively engaged in the 
 manufacture of boots and shoes. His last 
 years were spent in agricultural pursuits, hav- 
 ing removed to the farm which he purchased 
 in August, 1824. He departed this life 
 March 9, 1889, having made a good record as 
 an industrious, intelligent citizen and a busi- 
 ness man of ability, and having contributed 
 his full share toward the development of his 
 town and county. His widow is still living, 
 and resides in the village of Moravia. She is 
 a member of the Baptist church, to which he 
 also belonged. In politics he was a Repub- 
 lican. He served many years as Commis- 
 sioner of Highways, was Collector and Town 
 Clerk, and was active in church work. To 
 him and his wife three children were born, of 
 whom Marcus is the only one now living. 
 David L. died when thirty years old; and 
 Mary Jane, who married Julius Fitts, passed 
 away at the age of fifty-three years. 
 
 Marcus T. C. Brown was educated in the 
 public schools of Sempronius, and on the 
 home farm acquired valuable experience in 
 the art of agriculture. On attaining his ma- 
 jority he started in life for himself, beginning 
 as a farm laborer at ten dollars a month. 
 After a short time he returned to the parental 
 homestead, where he remained until 1854, 
 when he turned his face westward, thinking 
 that in some of the newer States he might 
 find more favorable localities for pursuing his 
 chosen calling. After a brief stay in Michi- 
 
484 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 gan and Illinois, he returned to Sempronius, 
 satisfied that no better region for general 
 farming was to be found in the United States. 
 He accordingly purchased fifty acres of land, 
 which are now included in his homestead, and 
 has since added to the improvements already 
 begun, and, having bought adjacent land, 
 has now a fine farm of seventy-five acres, 
 all under good tillage, and well supplied 
 with comfortable and convenient farm build- 
 ings. 
 
 Mr. Brown has been twice married. On 
 March 19, 1856, he wedded Louise Russell, 
 who, after a few brief years of harmonious 
 wedded life, in 1863 passed to the bourne 
 whence no traveller returneth. She left one 
 child, Carrie, who married Charles Springer, 
 of Moravia. The maiden name of his second 
 wife, to whom he was united May 10, 1865, 
 was Lois Westfall. She is a native of this 
 county, born on March 24, 1843, in the town 
 of Niles, being a daughter of Abraham and 
 Susan (Houghton) Westfall. Mr. Westfall 
 was born in New Jersey on November 27, 
 1800. He was a successful farmer, and one 
 of the pioneer settlers of the town of Niles, 
 where his death occurred on the 14th of Sep- 
 tember, 1852. He had two wives, his first 
 one having been Mary Vanettan, a native 
 of Pennsylvania, born May 6, 1806; she 
 died on the homestead in Niles, July 13, 
 1837. His second wife, Susan Richmond, 
 the mother of Mrs. Brown, was born February 
 18, 1807, in New York, and lived' nearly 
 fourscore years, dying September 30, 1887. 
 Mr. Abraham Westfall was energetic and ca- 
 
 pable, and was long known as one of the influ- 
 ential men of his town, where he served his 
 fellow-townsmen in many of the more impor- 
 tant local offices. In politics he was an un- 
 compromising Republican, and in religious 
 matters was a sincere Universalist. He 
 reared a family of twelve children, six by 
 each marriage, the following being their rec- 
 ord : Sarah, born June 15, 1826, died July 23, 
 1847. John, born September 6, 1827, died 
 in September, 1877. Elsie, born January 21, 
 1 83 1, resides in Moravia. William, born 
 August 28, 1829, died July i, 1830. The 
 second William, born September i, 1833, is 
 a resident of Moravia. Catherine, born Feb- 
 ruary 12, 1836, lives in Moravia. Hannah, 
 born November 13, 1839, died January 12, 
 1855. Mary, born June 14, 1841, lives in 
 Moravia. Lois, born May 24, 1843, is the 
 wife of Mr. Brown. Sidney ]., born Septem- 
 ber 18, 1844, is a resident of Auburn. Abra- 
 ham, born October 15, 1846, resides in the 
 town of Sempronius. Barsilla R., born De- 
 cember 24, 1849, lives in Iowa. 
 
 Of the second marriage of Mr. Daniel 
 Brown one child has been born, Daniel W. 
 Brown, who is now successfully engaged in 
 teaching school. In social circles Mr. and 
 Mrs. Brown are held in high regard, being 
 true-hearted. Christian people, liberal in their 
 religious views, sincere and unaffected. In 
 politics Mr. Brown sustains the principles of 
 the Republican party, and has served most 
 acceptably in the various offices within the 
 gift of his fellow-citizens, having been Asses- 
 sor and Town Clerk for several years. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 485 
 
 DTrANK GARITY is an energetic and 
 |_ Is high-minded business man in the vil- 
 lage of Spring Lake, in the town of Conquest. 
 He first saw the light in Ireland, County 
 Sligo, August 9, 1844, the son of John Gar- 
 ity, a farmer born and bred in that vicinity, 
 who determined to come to America, but un- 
 fortunately was taken ill and died on the voy- 
 age, aged about thirty-five. John's wife, 
 Jane Gilhooly, was also of Sligo, a daughter 
 of Lawrence Gilhooly, who emigrated in the 
 same ship with Jane and her little family; 
 and later still six more of Mr. Gilhooly's sons 
 and daughters followed, leaving only one in 
 the Emerald Isle. 
 
 John Garity's father, the grandfather of 
 Frank, came over with his son's family, 
 stayed a few years in Cayuga County, and 
 then went back again to Sligo; but finally he 
 was persuaded to cross the big pond once 
 more, and died at the home of his daughter, 
 in Victory. John and Jane Garity reared 
 three children: Delia, who married Edward 
 Vining, of Lake City, Minn.; Ellen; and 
 Frank, the subject of this sketch. Their 
 mother died at the age of seventy-seven, in 
 the home of her only son, faithful to the 
 Catholic religion in which the Garitys and 
 Gilhoolys were born. 
 
 At the time of the father's death and the 
 family exodus Frank was only five years old ; 
 but such was the mother's appreciation of the 
 value of education that on their arrival here 
 he was at once put into the public school in 
 Conquest, where he continued study till he 
 was seventeen or eighteen. Shortly after the 
 
 breaking out of the Rebellion he enlisted for 
 three years as a private in the Ninth New 
 York Heavy Artillery, which made part of the 
 Sixth Army Corps, under' General Wright. 
 Soon he became Sergeant, and saw hard ser- 
 vice in thirty engagements, fighting till the 
 close of the war. His honorable record in- 
 cludes the battles of Cedar Creek, Cold Har- 
 bor, the Wilderness, Fisher's Hill, and three 
 fights at the siege of Petersburg, Paynesville, 
 Sailor's Run. He was thrice wounded by 
 minie balls, twice at Cold Harbor and once 
 at Cedar Creek. From Cold Harbor he was 
 taken at once to the rear, and was sent as soon 
 as possible to the Alexandria hospital, whence 
 he was removed to Philadelphia. But he was 
 soon able to be out again, and "get more 
 fun," as he expresses it; for he has a wonder- 
 ful war career, and is true to his blood as a 
 capital fighter. Discharged in Washington, 
 July 6, 1865, he came back to Conquest, and 
 entered the business of pump-making, in 
 which he continued ten years in the village of 
 Spring Lake. In 1875 he took up the trade 
 of tinsmith, giving special attention to roof- 
 ing; and this is still his successful pursuit. 
 Meanwhile he was married. May 25, 1870, at 
 the age of twenty-six to Louise Blass, one of 
 the three children of Michael and Clarinda 
 Blass, a farming family from Litchfield 
 County, Conn. Mrs. Garity's two sisters, 
 one older and one younger than herself, are 
 Elizabeth and Ella. 
 
 Of course Mr. Garity is a Grand Army 
 man, belonging to Lockwood Post, No. 175, 
 at Port Byron; and he is also a member of 
 
486 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Masonic Lodge, No. 130, in the same village. 
 He belongs to the Democratic party, and has 
 been Election Inspector and Excise Commis- 
 sioner, and is now a Notary Public. His first 
 vote was cast in 1864. In religion he has 
 conscientiously wandered from the ancestral 
 paths, and, like his wife, belongs to the 
 Methodist church, having for many years held 
 the office of Steward. It need hardly be 
 added that a man of such evident bravery, in- 
 dependence, and industry is much respected 
 in the community. 
 
 ^T. CLAIR SMITH CHAPPELL, a 
 prominent United States mail-con- 
 tractor, residing in Auburn, N.Y., 
 was born in another part of Cayuga County, 
 in the town of Mentz, on the last day of Sep- 
 tember, 1840, a son of Elijah and Betsey 
 (Newcomb) Chappell. Fuller particulars of 
 the family genealogy may be found in the 
 sketch devoted to A. W. Chappell. The 
 father was born in Otsego County; but, when 
 a young man, he came to Cayuga County in a 
 wagon, and took charge of a farm in Mentz. 
 He was a stanch Democrat, and a member of 
 the Baptist church in that part of Mentz called 
 Montezuma, where he passed the largest part 
 of his life. For twenty or thirty years the 
 eldest son of his father's family, Thaddeus 
 Chappell, taught school a portion of the year, 
 when the farm could best spare him. He died 
 in January, 1891, at the age of seventy-two. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was the youngest 
 of Elijah Chappell's eleven children, the eld- 
 
 est of whom died in infancy. A daughter, 
 Ruth Elizabeth Chappell, died, unmarried, on 
 February 18, 1889. One son, Solomon New- 
 comb Chappell, has spent his life in Auburn. 
 The fourth and fifth children died very young. 
 Sumner Chappell was a Mentz farmer, and 
 then moved to Michigan, where he still lives 
 at Edwardsburg. The next son bore the name 
 of Maxamilla. A deceased daughter was the 
 wife of Henry Baker, of Dutchess County. 
 Jordan Romans Chappell was a graduate of 
 Hamilton College, served some time as 
 School Commissioner, and then moved to 
 Windsor, Henry County, Mo., where he still 
 resides. Russell Chappell died at the early 
 age of eleven, in the town of Mentz. In 1856 
 the parents of these children removed to Ed- 
 wardsburg, Cass County, Mich., where Mr. 
 Elijah Chappell died, in 1858, the mother 
 living ten years longer. 
 
 In his boyhood St. Clair attended the dis- 
 trict school in Mentz; but after the removal 
 to Michigan, when he was sixteen, he studied 
 at the academy in Elkhart, Ind., and then 
 taught school for a season. In 1858 he came 
 back to New York, and for seven or eight 
 years worked in Auburn for his brother Solo- 
 mon, who was an inn-keeper. A little later, 
 and not long after his marriage, he removed 
 to Windsor, Henry County, Mo., where his 
 brother Jordan already lived. The two owned 
 together eight hundred acres of land, St. 
 Clair giving his attention chiefly to stock, 
 buying and selling cattle, horses, sheep, hogs, 
 mules, hundreds and thousands of which he 
 shipped eastward. In 1877 he was a success- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 487 
 
 ful bidder for mail-carrying, obtaining eighty- 
 six overland routes, covering a thousand miles 
 in the State of Texas, the enterprise being car- 
 ried on under the firm name of Chappell, 
 Beedy & Co. At this time Fort Worth was 
 the western terminus of railway travel. The 
 mails had to be transported by stage; and the 
 mail route was over prairie and mountain 
 roads, fourteen hundred and sixty miles, to 
 Fort Yuma, Ariz. This venture led to 
 others, so that eventually the firm filled mail 
 contracts in every State in the Union and in 
 every Territory except two. Chappell & 
 Beedy dissolved their partnership after eight 
 years, in 1886; but the junior partner contin- 
 ued the business as Chappell & Co., the new 
 member of the firm being W. H. Smith, of 
 Clinton, Mo. ; and this partnership still ex- 
 ists. They have held over thirteen hundred 
 mail contracts at one time, eighty of which 
 were in New York, and many in New Eng- 
 land. Indeed, Chappell & Co. controlled 
 more mail routes than any other firm in the 
 country; and Windsor, Mo., was decidedly 
 ahead in this line. There Mr. Chappell re- 
 mained till 1888, when he came to Auburn. 
 From this point he superintends the eastern 
 branch of his mail business; but he also owns 
 a fine farm in Missouri, and is interested in 
 horses, running a stable of twenty-eight fine 
 animals, both Almonts and Knoxes. He has 
 sold to Washington buyers teams worth from 
 fifteen hundred to two thousand dollars. 
 While shipping both coach horses and trotters 
 all over the country, Mr. Chappell does not 
 himself undertake their development, though 
 
 two or three carloads a year pass through his 
 hands. 
 
 On August I, 1866, he married Sarah L. 
 Phelps, daughter of Lyman Phelps, of Homer, 
 Cortland County, N.Y. The marriage took 
 place in Edwardsburg, Mich., though they 
 only lived there a short time before removing 
 to Missouri. The Chappell family are adher- 
 ents of the Baptist church. Mrs. Chappell 
 was educated in Homer Academy, and after- 
 ward taught school in her native county. No 
 children have blessed this union; but the wife 
 is amply qualified to grace their beautiful 
 home in the old stone house, surrounded by 
 twenty acres of land, within the city limits, 
 which they bought in 1888, and which is 
 known as the George Rathbone place, having 
 belonged to that gentleman, one of the finest 
 lawyers in the county, who died some twenty 
 years ago. Mr. Chappell has no predilection 
 for office-seeking, but is a decided Democrat 
 in his political faith. Shakspere has said, 
 "The flighty purpose never is o'ertook, unless 
 the deed go with it." This Mr. Chappell 
 fully realizes, and upon this sentiment he 
 has acted. He affords also an excellent illus- 
 tration of the assertion of a deceased political 
 leader, "A man, if he be active and ener- 
 getic, can hardly fail, also, be he never so 
 selfish, of benefiting the general public in- 
 terest." 
 
 « o > > 
 
 (sjTOHN KNOX, whose handsome property 
 lies in District No. 2 in the town of 
 
 (^ 
 
 Scipio, is a man of good business ca- 
 pacity, great intelligence, and enterprise, one 
 
488 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 who is prominent among the active and pro- 
 gressive agriculturists of Cayuga County. 
 Although native born, having first drawn the 
 breath of life in Scipio on the sixth of June, 
 1832, he is of foreign ancestry, his father, 
 Robert Knox, having been born on old Ire- 
 land's verdant soil. 
 
 Through his father's family Mr. Knox 
 traces his ancestral history back several gen- 
 erations. His grandfather, John Knox, who 
 was a life-long resident of Ireland, was a son 
 of John and Jane (Robinson) Knox, a grand- 
 son of Robert and Elizabeth (Ramsey) Knox, 
 and great-grandson of John and Jane (Porter) 
 Knox, the latter having been the daughter of 
 Lord Loups, of Scotland. 
 
 The Knox family were represented in the 
 War of the Revolution by one Robert Knox, 
 of Maryland, who gave two thousand pounds 
 to support Congress, and raised a regiment in 
 that State, which he himself commanded, his 
 sympathy being with the Colonists, to whom 
 he gave every possible assistance. 
 
 Robert Knox, the father of the subject of 
 this sketch, came to this country when very 
 young, settling in Maryland in 1785. In 
 1802, accompanied by his wife, he came on 
 horseback to Cayuga County, and after his 
 arrival here bought one hundred acres of land 
 for eight hundred dollars; but, not having the 
 money wherewith to pay, he went into debt for 
 it. The land was in the north-east end of the 
 town of Scipio, beautifully situated on the 
 shore of Owasco Lake. A log house stood on 
 the farm, and that was his first dwelling in 
 the county. While living in Maryland, he 
 
 was Captain of a company in the State 
 militia, and was thereafter known as Captain 
 Knox. His first wife, whom he married in 
 Maryland, died on the homestead in Scipio; 
 and he subsequently married Elizabeth Cham- 
 berlain, the daughter of Ninean Chamberlain, 
 of Adams County, Pa., who became the 
 mother of John. Captain Knox died January 
 I, 1834, at the age of sixty-five years; but his 
 wife Elizabeth survived until December 16, 
 
 1875- 
 
 John Knox obtained a good common-school 
 
 education in the place of his nativity, and 
 from his good mother received lessons in 
 truth, honesty, and justice that have been of 
 inestimable value to him through life. He 
 was less than two years of age when his father 
 died; and he and his mother remained on the 
 homestead, of which, as soon as old enough, 
 he assumed the management. He has spent 
 his entire life on the farm where he was born. 
 It contains one hundred and eighty acres of 
 choice land, well improved, amply supplied 
 with the best machinery for carrying on his 
 work after the most approved modern 
 methods; and his fine residence is commodi- 
 ous and convenient, the place being one of 
 the most attractive in the vicinity and reflect- 
 ing credit on his good judgment and ability. 
 Mr. Knox was married in 1856 to Miss 
 Elizabeth Bulkley, the daughter of John and 
 Alvira (Fleming) Bulkley, of New York. 
 Mr. Knox is an influential member of the 
 Republican party of his county, and takes a 
 great interest in public affairs. He has done 
 excellent service for his native town, having 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 489 
 
 been Justice of the Peace for twelve years ; 
 and in the office of Supervisor he served seven 
 consecutive years, from i860 till 1867, and 
 was again elected to the same office in 1891 
 and in 1892. Mr. Knox has also ably dis- 
 charged the duties of Postmaster, a position 
 which he still holds, for almost thirty years; 
 and, in addition to these duties, he has been 
 station agent for sixteen years at Wyckoff, 
 on the Southern Central Railway. Socially, 
 he is a Mason, belonging to Cayuga Lodge, 
 No. 221, A. F. & A. M. In his business 
 dealings he is characterized by fairness and 
 strict honesty; and he and his amiable wife 
 have won for themselves an enviable place in 
 the regards of the community. 
 
 S. ROBINSON, of Union Springs, 
 was born here in September, i860, 
 sou of Robert B. and Martha L. 
 (Smith) Robinson. His grandfather. Dr. 
 Daniel Robinson, who was of English de- 
 scent, came from New England, and settled 
 in Ontario County, New York, in the old 
 pioneer days. He gained great popularity as 
 a physician, being one of the first men of this 
 profession in that section of the country. He 
 was sent as a representative to the State leg- 
 islature, which was then in its infancy. Dr. 
 Robinson was a prominent member of the So- 
 ciety of Friends; and throughout his whole 
 life he was highly respected as one of the 
 foremost men of the times. Unwearied and 
 skilful in his profession, and possessing good 
 business ability, he accumulated what was then 
 
 considered a comfortable property; and in the 
 evening of his life he retired from active busi- 
 ness, and came to Union Springs, where he 
 resided with his children until his death. 
 His son, Robert B. Robinson, was born at 
 Farmington, Ontario County, in 1824, and in 
 1851 married Miss Martha L. Smith, who was 
 born at Farmington in 1829, daughter of 
 Jacob Smith, a pioneer from New England. 
 Robert and Martha were both educated at the 
 old Canandaigua Seminary. Jacob Smith is 
 said to have been a descendant of the royal 
 blood of England. With his father he came 
 to New York in the old days when the farmers 
 were obliged to carry their corn to the mill at 
 Utica in wagons. He was the owner of one 
 thousand acres of fine farm land in that sec- 
 tion of the country, and was a highly educated 
 man for those days, when the knowledge of 
 the three "R's" was considered sufficient for 
 the advancement and welfare of the people. 
 He, too, was a Quaker, and died in that faith, 
 beloved and respected by all. 
 
 After marriage Robert B. Robinson oper- 
 ated a large farm at Farmington, but in 1857 
 came to Union Springs, where he took charge 
 of the estate of Robert B. Howland, which 
 included one thousand acres of farm land. 
 After three years Mr. Howland accepted Mr. 
 Robinson as a partner; and the firm of How- 
 land, Robinson & Co. operated the old stone 
 mill which had been built long years before, 
 and for which there was abundant water power, 
 furnished by a large pond fed by springs. 
 This mill contained stones for producing 
 flour, feed, and plaster ; and there was also a 
 
490 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 saw-mill in connection with it. In [870 
 steam power was added. It was at that time 
 the largest mill in the country, and is now a 
 fine solid stone structure, a well-known land- 
 mark. In 1875 Mr. Robinson disposed of his 
 share of the business, and retired from active 
 labor. He was a stanch Republican, and 
 spent a great deal of money for the good cause 
 during the Civil War. Mr. Robinson was 
 an active Mason, a member of the Knights 
 Templars and Salem Town Commandery, and 
 was an officer in the militia, while he still 
 remained a Quaker. He died in October, 
 1888, the father of six children, three of 
 whom still live, namely: Robert H., of Chi- 
 cago; H. S., the subject of this sketch; and 
 Isabella B. His widow lives with her son 
 in Union Springs. 
 
 H. S. Robinson was educated in the public 
 schools of Union Springs, and afterward at- 
 tended the Friends' Academy. Mr. Robinson 
 has been Trustee of the village. Town Clerk 
 of Springport for three years, and Justice of 
 the Peace, which position he has held since 
 1888. He is an active member of the Re- 
 publican party, a member of Warren Lodge, 
 No. 147, A. F. & A. M., and of Union 
 Springs Chapter, No. 179, of which he has 
 been Secretary for many years. 
 
 Mr. Robinson is a man of liberal views 
 and of greatest integrity, energetic and pro- 
 gressive, who is looked up to by the whole 
 community as one whose word is as reliable 
 as his bond. He is one of the younger gen- 
 eration of men, and is not only already a 
 prominent member of society, but is one who. 
 
 continuing his useful activities, will probably 
 be connected with the important events of the 
 State and nation for many years to come. 
 
 OHN M. KING, a well-known farmer 
 of Genoa, Cayuga County, N.Y., was 
 born here on June 24, 1829. His 
 father, Abraham King, was a native of New 
 Jersey, but resided in this county for many 
 years. John King, the father of Abraham, 
 having married Mary Walker, a native of 
 Massachusetts, whose father and three brothers 
 served in the Revolutionary War, moved from 
 New Jersey to Pennsylvania, where they re- 
 sided for about six years. They then came 
 to Cayuga County, making part of the journey 
 by water and part on horseback, bringing the 
 baby in an iron kettle, a brother of Mrs. King 
 driving the stock. At Ithaca Mr. King found 
 a canoe which he had hidden the previous 
 autumn; and in this they came to Union 
 Springs, via Cayuga Lake, arriving on May 
 24, 1789. 
 
 After staying there eighteen months, they 
 moved to Genoa, settling on the lake road, 
 where a farm of six hundred and forty acres 
 was purchased. A log house was built, and 
 Mr. King at once set to work to clear his 
 land. At this time the Indians were numer- 
 ous and troublesome, their incursions increas- 
 ing to such an extent that the aid of General 
 Sullivan had to be invoked, who promptly 
 subdued them. The Indians subsequently 
 became very friendly to Mr. King, offering 
 him land if he would come and settle at 
 
John M, King, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 493 
 
 Springport. The Indian chief was especially 
 friendly, enjoying the hospitality of the 
 whites on many occasions. In those days 
 large quantities of whiskey were manufactured 
 by the farmers, most of which was taken to 
 Albany and sold, every farmer having his own 
 distillery. Soon after Mr. King came to 
 Genoa he opened a ferry across Cayuga Lake, 
 carrying the passengers across in a flatboat. 
 He managed the ferry personally until 1820, 
 when it was given over to his youngest son. 
 The village of King's Ferry is named in 
 honor of the King family. The following 
 were the children of Mr. and Mrs. John King: 
 Abraham, John, David, Jacob, Margaret, 
 Charlotte, Mary, Marcus, and Edward. The 
 third son, David, enjoyed the distinction of 
 being the first white boy born in Cayuga 
 County. 
 
 Abraham, the eldest son, was educated in 
 Pennsylvania and in Genoa, N.Y., and was 
 engaged in the business of farming all his 
 life, working on the home farm until his mar- 
 riage in 1812, when his father gave him a 
 farm of his own. He later moved to the 
 place now occupied by his son, John M. 
 King, residing there until his death, which 
 occurred in 1869. He was married to Mary 
 Mandeville, the daughter of John and Sarah 
 (Drake) Mandeville, and had eight children; 
 namely, Rufus, Eliza, Frederick, Alucia, 
 Mary, Abraham, John M., and Harriet. 
 Eliza married Thomas Merrit, and they are 
 the parents of a large family. Alucia mar- 
 ried Eli Wolley, of Tompkins County, and 
 has two children — Emmett and Flora, 
 
 Abraham married Rosanna Sargent. They 
 have one child, Mary, and reside in Cali- 
 fornia. Harriet married Edward Starke, of 
 Northville, and has one child, Grace. 
 
 John M. King, youngest son of Abraham 
 and Mary (Mandeville) King, was educated at 
 the district school of Genoa, and has always 
 followed the calling of his father and grand- 
 father. He early showed an aptitude for the 
 business, having charge of the father's farm, 
 which was afterward deeded to him. He was 
 married in 1874 to Sarah Bower, the daughter 
 of Daniel and Anna (Baker) Bower. Mrs. 
 King died in 1883. Mr. King is an Episco- 
 palian in religious belief, and is a constant 
 attendant of the Episcopal church at North- 
 ville. His political complexion is Demo- 
 cratic. He cast his first Presidential vote in 
 1852 for Franklin Pierce. He is a member 
 of the Grange, and has been Overseer of the 
 Poor and School Trustee. Mr. King has 
 never mixed prominently in public affairs, al- 
 though he takes a deep interest in all matters 
 that are for the good of his native place. He 
 enjoys to a high degree the esteem and re- 
 spect of his neighbors, and, as a worthy son 
 of a worthy father, is eminently deserving of 
 representation by record and portraiture in 
 this gallery of leading citizens of Cayuga 
 County. 
 
 7T^ EUGENE KIRKPATRICK is a man 
 
 V J| '^'^11 known in the city through his 
 ^*" ^ connection with the Auburn Wool- 
 len Company, of which he has been chief 
 accountant for nearly twenty years. In the 
 
494 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 early part of this century his grandfather, 
 Robert Calhoun Kirkpatrick, who was of 
 Scotch descent, came to this country from the 
 north of Ireland, and settled in Auburn. 
 Here was born George W. Kirkpatrick, who 
 was educated in the town schools, and became 
 prominent in business, from which he retired 
 a few years ago. 
 
 George W. Kirkpatrick married Helen M. 
 Roberts, of Auburn; and their son, C. Eu- 
 gene, is the subject of this sketch. He was 
 born in Auburn on December 28, 1854, and 
 received his education at the public schools of 
 the city. He was a member of the high 
 school class of 1872, and after his graduation 
 went into the employ of the Auburn Woollen 
 Company as book-keeper. After three years 
 here he was induced to accept a similar po- 
 sition with the Canoga Woollen Company. 
 His original employers, however, seeing how 
 valuable had been his services, made it of 
 advantage to him to return to them; and 
 there he has remained since that time, hold- 
 ing the position he now occupies. The Au- 
 burn Woollen Company gives employment to 
 four hundred and fifty operatives, and con- 
 sumes about a million pounds of wool an- 
 nually. The operatives are paid weekly; 
 and the management of this pay-roll, together 
 with the accounts of the wool and the weight 
 and quality of the cloth, make the book- 
 keeper's position a responsible one, requiring 
 much time and ability for figures. 
 
 Mr. Kirkpatrick is a member of many 
 secret societies, and has in most of them 
 taken a high degree. He is a member of 
 
 Auburn Lodge, No. 431, A. F. & A. M.; of 
 David's Chapter, No. 34, R. A. M.; Salem 
 Town Commandery, No. 24, ; Salem Town 
 Consistory; thirty-second degree, A. F. & 
 A. M. ; and Damascus Shrine of Rochester, 
 N.Y. 
 
 He is a man of spotless integrity, whose 
 word and whose ability can always be relied 
 upon in all matters of business. His con- 
 nection with numerous orders of brotherhood 
 has made his name a well-known one in the 
 lodo-e room. All those who have had the ad- 
 vantage of his acquaintance respect him for 
 his business qualities and his faithfulness, 
 and honor him for his integrity and strength 
 of character. 
 
 rmc 
 
 EORGE IDEN, widely known as a 
 \|^| prosperous agriculturist of the town 
 of Ledyard, is numbered among the citizens 
 of good repute and high standing in Cayuga 
 County, where the larger part of his life has 
 been passed, threescore and ten years of it 
 having been spent on the homestead where he 
 is now living. His birth occurred in Bucks 
 Count}^, Pennsylvania, February 26, 1820. 
 That county has also been the place of nativ- 
 ity of his ancestors for several generations; 
 and the family record shows that he is of 
 Welsh origin, and that in 1698 three broth- 
 ers, Randall, George, and John, surnamed 
 Iden, emigrated fom Wales to the United 
 States, Randall eventually settling in Bucks 
 County, Pennsylvania, and John in North 
 Carolina, where he was subsequently killed 
 by the Indians, Of the children of the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 495 
 
 former his son Randall, the second, was the 
 great-grandfather of the subject of this bio- 
 graphical mention. He married Margaret 
 Greenfield; and they reared a family of chil- 
 dren, spending the rest of their days in Bucks 
 County. Their son, George Iden, was reared 
 and educated in the county of his nativity, 
 and married Hannah Foulke, who was also of 
 Welsh extraction, and who bore him children, 
 one of whom he named Greenfield in honor of 
 his mother. 
 
 Greenfield Iden was born in Bucks County, 
 Pennsylvania, in 1790, and was there reared 
 and educated, beginning the battle of life as 
 a tiller of the soil. He also learned and fol- 
 lowed the trade of wagon-maker. When 
 quite young, he formed a matrimonial alliance 
 with Beaulah Green, who died a few years 
 after marriage, leaving him with one son, 
 Thomas G., now deceased. He married for 
 his second wife Amy Hartley, daughter of 
 Anthony and Sarah (Betts) Hartley, the 
 former being a son of Thomas Hartley, and 
 the latter a daughter of Thomas and Sarah 
 Betts, all of whom were natives of Bucks 
 County, Pennsylvania. After his second 
 marriage he migrated from Pennsylvania to 
 New York, accompanied by his wife and 
 infant son, coming to Cayuga County in a 
 lumber wagon, and arriving in Ledyard after a 
 six days' journey in 1822. After looking 
 about for a while, he bought twenty acres of 
 land, taking possession of it in April, 1824. 
 Most of this was cleared, and a small log 
 cabin was standing on it, in which he and 
 his family spent nine happy years, he replac- 
 
 ing it in 1833 by the substantial house now 
 owned and occupied by his son. By earnest 
 toil he cultivated and improved his land, in 
 1826 adding twenty-five more acres to it, 
 and, after improving this, purchasing with 
 his son eighty acres more. Within another 
 ten years he added twenty-five more acres, all 
 of it adjoining land, the whole forming a farm 
 that in size, location, fertility, and produc- 
 tiveness compared favorably with any in the 
 vicinity. On this homestead he and his esti- 
 mable wife lived long and useful lives, both 
 dying when far advanced in years, Mrs. Iden 
 passing away March 30, 1877, at the age of 
 eighty-nine years; while Mr. Iden, who could 
 not long be separated from his companion, 
 followed her in a few short days, dying April 
 5, 1877, at the age of eighty-seven. 
 
 On the death of his father, George Iden, 
 the subject of this sketch, bought out the in- 
 terest of his half-brother, the only other heir, 
 and continued in the management of the farm 
 on which he had worked so many years in con- 
 junction with his father. Having profited 
 by his father's knowledge and experience, 
 and possessing sound sense and good judg- 
 ment and an energetic nature, Mr. Iden has 
 been very successful in the work to which 
 he has given his time and attention since 
 early youth. The greater part of his land 
 is under cultivation; and the improvements 
 are of a good, practical, and substantial char- 
 acter. 
 
 Mr. Iden was married, in 1882, to Jane E. 
 Cox, daughter of Reese and Charity Cox, of 
 Monroe County; and their pleasant home is 
 
496 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the resort of a large circle of friends and ac- 
 quaintances, by whom they are esteemed for 
 their many excellent traits of mind and char- 
 acter. Both Mr. Iden and his wife are mem- 
 bers of the Friends' Society of Ledyard, and 
 in their social and private life show them- 
 selves to be guided by Christian principles. 
 Mr. Iden is a member of the Patrons of Hus- 
 bandry, and in politics is a stanch Republican, 
 having joined that party on its formation. In 
 1844 he cast his first Presidential vote for the 
 Whig candidate for the Presidency, Henry 
 Clay. „_^ 
 
 <?J SAAC ELDREDGE, once a prominent 
 nl business man in Union Springs, was 
 born in Springport, March 21, 1824; 
 and therefore his age only varied six months 
 from that of his partner, Albert Beardsley, 
 whose widow subsequently became Mrs. El- 
 dredge. Mr. Eldredge was a son of Elihu 
 and Hannah (Barker^ Eldredge. His father 
 belonged to an old agricultural family in the 
 town, having come from New England, and 
 belonging to the Society of Friends, or 
 Quakers. Almost the entire life of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Elihu Eldredge was spent in this vicin- 
 ity, where they died. 
 
 Their son Isaac, after leaving school, be- 
 came associated with Mr. Beardsley in the 
 grain business, under the firm name of Beards- 
 ley & Eldredge; and this relation lasted till 
 about 1863, when Mr. Eldredge went to Chi- 
 cago, and began a prosperous business as a 
 cattle trader in the stock-yards, and in that 
 city he passed the last twenty-five years of 
 
 his life. He had been already married since 
 1850 to Margaret Winegar, the daughter of 
 Phillips and Lydia Winegar, of Union 
 Springs. Mrs. Eldredge died in 1880, after 
 the removal to Chicago, leaving two daugh- 
 ters. Sarah Elizabeth Martha, born in 1852, 
 is now the wife of Dennis E. Sibley, of Chi- 
 cago; and Ada Margaret, born in 1857, mar- 
 ried John Willard, also of Chicago. On 
 October 5, 1886, Mr. Eldredge married Mrs. 
 Emma C. Watkins Beardsley, the widow of 
 his former business associate, Albert Beards- 
 ley, of whom more may be read in the special 
 biography of that gentleman, elsewhere in the 
 present volume. He had long known the ex- 
 cellences of this lady's character; but he did 
 not live long to enjoy her society, for he died 
 after a happy union of only two years, on 
 August 7, 1888. The family belonged to the 
 Church of the Messiah, Chicago, a Unitarian 
 society. Mrs. Eldredge, now doubly be- 
 reaved, returned to the region of her nativity, 
 making her home at Union Springs. 
 
 It was once remarked by that distinguished 
 preacher, Jeremy Taylor, "So long as idle- 
 ness is quite shut out from our lives, all the 
 sins of wantonness, softness, and effeminacy 
 are prevented; and there is but little room for 
 temptation." Such a sentiment belongs to a 
 life like Isaac Eldredge's. He had no time 
 for mischief, and not much for purely social 
 duties, though he did find time for member- 
 ship of the Masonic Order; but he was very 
 successful in his enterprises, and became the 
 owner of valuable Chicago real estate, which 
 he left to his heirs. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 497 
 
 (S>T'LBERT BEARDSLEY, formerly a 
 fen strong and representative citizen of 
 ^-^ Union Springs, was born in the 
 neighboring village of Springport, September 
 II, 1824. His father, Silas Beardsley, be- 
 longed to one of the pioneer Springport fam- 
 ilies, who cleared the forests to make room 
 for agriculture and civilization. 
 
 Albert went to the district school; but, 
 while only a lad of seventeen, in 1841, show- 
 ing precocious ability, he came into .the vil- 
 lage of Union Springs, and began the grain 
 business when the wheat and corn had to be 
 sent away by lake boats, of which he soon 
 found himself owning a fleet. Mr. Beardsley 
 had for an associate in the business Mr. Isaac 
 Eldredge, who subsequently married his 
 widow, and whose life is sketched in a special 
 paper in this volume. In this grain traffic he 
 continued till his prosperity and influence en- 
 abled him to lead in the organization of the 
 First National Bank, the oldest in Union 
 Springs, of which he was naturally chosen 
 the first Cashier, a position he held till the 
 day of his death; and he held similar rela- 
 tions to the New York Central Insurance 
 Company, of which he was President as well 
 as a founder. As an enterprising citizen he 
 was also greatly interested in the construc- 
 tion of the Cayuga Lake Railroad, now a 
 branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroad; and 
 he was one of the commissioners whose duty 
 it was to look out for the interests of the 
 town in connection with this new movement. 
 In fact, he was one of the first two men who 
 lifted a shovel in this work, moreover giving 
 
 money as well as effort to the road. Political 
 offices he never cared for; but he was an emi- 
 nent Free Mason, belonging to the Salem 
 Town Commandery at Auburn, as well as to 
 the lower lodge and chapter. 
 
 Mr. Beardsley was married February 5, 
 1856, at the age of thirty-two, to Emma 
 Catherine Watkins, the daughter of Water- 
 man Watkins, of the town of Havana, Che- 
 mung County, N.Y. Further particulars 
 concerning the Watkins family may be found 
 in the sketch of the Rev. Alvin Coburn. 
 Mrs. Beardsley was born in Oriskany, Oneida 
 County, April 24, 1836, and was therefore a 
 dozen years her husband's junior. She was 
 educated both in the Havana schools and in 
 Oakwood Seminary, an institution for girls 
 in Union Springs. Pier father was born in 
 January, 1801, in Trenton, Oneida County, 
 N.Y., where the family were early settlers. 
 He married Mary Chapin, of Sauquoit, and 
 was long a produce dealer in Oriskany. In 
 1847, while the daughter, Emma C, was a 
 child, the family removed to Havana, where 
 Mr. Watkins was not only a trader but a 
 miller and a leader in the Presbyterian 
 church. He died September 3, 1873; and his 
 wife, who was born in 1800, a year earlier 
 than her husband, died eight years later, De- 
 cember 9, 1 88 1. She was the daughter of 
 David and Ruth (Seymour) Chapin, the father 
 being a Revolutionary soldier, and for many 
 years a resident of Trenton. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Watkins reared a family of eight children, 
 two boys and six girls, of whom Mrs. Beards- 
 ley was the fourth. 
 
498 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Beardsley died February 3, 1874, hav- 
 ing reached his half-century of years; and he 
 left, besides his widow, their two daughters 
 4nd one son. Kate Beardsley, born in 1856, 
 married Joshua R. Pimm, and has one daugh- 
 ter, Margaret Elsis Pimm. Delia Beardsley, 
 born in i860, became Mrs. Donald Judson, 
 and lives in Union Springs, near her birth- 
 place. Their brother, Albert Beardsley, born 
 in 1865, lives in Chicago, where he went at 
 the time of his mother's second marriage, and 
 presently found lucrative employment. To 
 such a man as Mr. Beardsley well applies the 
 statement of the essayist Hazlitt about talent: 
 
 "Talent is the capacity of doing anything 
 that depends on application and industry, 
 and is a voluntary power; while genius is 
 involuntary." 
 
 'ACOB N. WALDRON, a retired 
 farmer, and an ex-member of the 
 County Board of Supervisors, is num- 
 bered among the most honored and respected 
 of the citizens of Sennett, which is the place 
 of his nativity, his birth having occurred 
 here on December 4, 1828. He is a man 
 of good moral principles, excellent ability, 
 and sound judgment, and the architect of his 
 own fortunes, his life furnishing a forcible 
 example to the rising generation of the ma- 
 terial success to be obtained by preserving 
 industry and a wise system of economy. Be- 
 ginning life even with the world, as regarded 
 his finances, he worked steadily, saved his 
 earnings, and, after he had accumulated a suf- 
 ficient sum, invested it in Western lands, but 
 
 was unfortunate enough to lose all. Not a 
 bit discouraged, however, Mr. Waldron com- 
 menced anew, and soon found fortune smiling 
 on his efforts, so that in the course of a few 
 years he again became a landholder. He 
 has since added more land by purchase, 
 and, having continually made improvements 
 thereon, now has a fine property, consisting 
 of one hundred and sixty acres of valuable 
 land, which is under good cultivation and 
 amply supplied with farm buildings; he has 
 besides a residence in the village of Sennett. 
 
 John Waldron, grandfather of Jacob, was 
 born in Haverstraw, N.Y., a descendant of 
 early emigrants from Holland. Pie removed 
 to Onondaga County with his family in 1810, 
 twenty years later coming to the town of Sen- 
 nett, where he purchased a tract of land, and 
 engaged in farming, remaining a citizen of 
 this place until his death, which occurred in 
 1852. He married Amy Gardner, who reared 
 twelve children, their son Edward being the 
 father of the subject of this brief record. 
 
 Edward Waldron was born in the town 
 of Armstrong in September, 1800. He was 
 reared to agricultural pursuits, beginning life 
 for himself at the age of twenty-one years. 
 He worked by the month at first; and, apply- 
 ing himself diligently and faithfully, and-lay- 
 ing by a good part of his earnings, he saved 
 enough in time to warrant him in the pur- 
 chase of fifty acres of land in the town of Sen- 
 nett, where he afterward bought thirty acres 
 more. He improved a good homestead, and 
 lived there until his death in 1850, being a 
 useful and valued citizen of his adopted town. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 499 
 
 The maiden name of his good wife was Cla- 
 rissa Mandeville. She was a daughter of Jacob 
 and Sarah Mandeville. Of their union seven 
 children were born; namely, John, Jacob N., 
 Sarah, Charles, Clark, Cornelius, and Edward. 
 Jacob N. Waldron, the second son of Ed- 
 ward and Clarissa, acquired his elementary 
 education in the district schools of his native 
 town, supplementing it by a course of study 
 at Starkey's Seminary. When still quite a 
 young lad he began the battle of life for him- 
 self, working by the month or the job, at 
 whatever his hands could find to do. By 
 steady application to work and the good habit 
 he had of saving his pennies, he accumulated 
 in the course of time three hundred dollars. 
 With this in his pocket, in 1849 he started 
 westward in search of his fortune. On arriv- 
 ing at Chicago, there being no railroads in 
 Illinois, he walked to Winnebago County, in 
 the northern part of the State, where he in- 
 vested his money in a tract of unbroken 
 prairie land, and with undaunted energy began 
 its improvement. The weather was very in- 
 clement during that season, consequently his 
 crops were a failure; and he, being left nearly 
 penniless, made his way back to Chicago on 
 foot, and worked his passage from that city to 
 Buffalo. Returning to his home, he secured 
 employment at wood-chopping, and, saving 
 all of his money, returned to Illinois in the 
 following spring. This time he had better 
 success, and remained in the Prairie State 
 until 1856, when he retraced his way to his 
 native town, and settled on the old homestead. 
 A few years later he bought out the interests 
 
 of the other heirs; and subsequently he 
 bought more land, adding to the original acre- 
 age of the homestead, until now his farm con- 
 tains one hundred and sixty acres of good 
 land, well improved. He remained at the old 
 home, busily engaged in the management of 
 his farm, until 1877, when he purchased his 
 present place of residence in the village of 
 Sennett, where he is now enjoying the reward 
 of his former years of toil. 
 
 His wife, to whom he was united in 1855, 
 was Elizabeth Green, daughter of Solomon 
 and Amy (Edmunds) Green, of Jordan, Onon- 
 daga County; and they were the parents of 
 seven children, as follows: Jacob, Francis, 
 Clara A., Mary, Elizabeth, John, and Grace. 
 The two elder children of this household died 
 when quite young. No man has taken a 
 warmer interest in the prosperity of Sennett 
 than Mr. Jacob N. Waldron, who has ever in- 
 dorsed all worthy enterprises to promote its 
 industrial, educational, and moral advance- 
 ments, and has always been a stanch advocate 
 of the temperance cause. In politics he is a 
 strong Republican, having been a supporter of 
 the principles of that party since its formation. 
 For fourteen years he served most acceptably 
 as a member of the Board of Supervisors, 
 his clear judgment, wise decisions, and per- 
 sonal integrity being respected throughout the 
 community. 
 
 (shames D. KANALEY, dealer in gro- 
 ceries and produce, is a prominent 
 business man of the town of Weeds- 
 where he has been established since 
 
500 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1877. He was born on June 8, 1848, in 
 Limerick County, Ireland, and at an early 
 age came to America with his mother, join- 
 ing his father, who had already been for sev- 
 eral years in this country. They settled in 
 Elbridge, Onondaga County, N.Y. Edward 
 Kanaley, the father, was a farmer, and a de- 
 scendant of the Kanaleys of Limericl?, Ire- 
 land. Later in life he bought a farm in the 
 town of Brutus, and there lived until the time 
 of his death in 1869. He left eight children, 
 four of whom are now living: James D., the 
 subject of this sketch; John, now in Chi- 
 cago, in the employ of the Rock Island 
 Railroad; Edward, of La Fayette, Ind. ; 
 Sarah, who now resides with her family in 
 Syracuse, N.Y. 
 
 James D. Kanaley received his early edu- 
 cation in the district schools of Sennett, and 
 then took an advanced course in the Munroe 
 Collegiate Institute of Elbridge. After a 
 short time spent in farming, he engaged in 
 railroad work, first with the New York Cen- 
 tral, and later with the old Southern Central 
 Railroad, receiving at first but seven dollars 
 a month. When the extra tracks were laid 
 down on the New York Central, he had a 
 number of teams which were brought into 
 use; and he also acted as foreman, receiving 
 good wages for his services, and saving 
 enough in a few years to enable him to start 
 in business for himself. In 1870 he came to 
 Weedsport, and started a small store, estab- 
 lishing a trade which has since rapidly in- 
 creased, until he is now one of the leading 
 merchants of the town. 
 
 January 7, 1873, Mr. Kanaley married 
 Sarah Byron, daughter of Michael Byron, of 
 High Market, Lewis County, N.Y. ; and they 
 are the parents of five sons, namely: Charles 
 E., who works in the store with his father; 
 Francis T. ; Byron V. ; James L. ; and John 
 B. The family are all members of St. Jo- 
 seph's Catholic Church. 
 
 Mr. Kanaley has held many public offices, 
 having been Trustee of the village, Village 
 Assessor, and Inspector of Elections for the 
 town of Brutus. These offices he accepted, 
 not because he aspired to public honors, but 
 that he might be of service to his fellow- 
 townsmen and his party; and in each of 
 these positions he has shown himself worthy 
 of the respect and confidence of his fellow- 
 citizens. He has risen to his present posi- 
 tion by his own exertions, and, it may well be 
 hoped, has yet many years before him in 
 which to be of service to his adopted town. 
 
 AMES FOLLETT, one of the largest 
 landholders of the town of Ira, and 
 one of its most progressive and pros- 
 perous farmers, is the descendant of an 
 honored pioneer of this part of Cayuga 
 County, his father having settled in Ira nearly 
 threescore years ago. Mr. Follett is a native 
 of the Empire State, having been born March 
 18, 1829, in Pittstown, Rensselaer County, 
 which was also the place of nativity of his 
 parents, Isaac and Penina (Hunt) Follett. 
 Isaac Follett was reared to manhood in his 
 native county, and, having learned the cloth- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S°i 
 
 ier's trade, worked at it several years, accum- 
 ulating some property. Desiring to invest in 
 land, he came to Cayuga County in 1835, the 
 long and wearisome journey being made by 
 canal and teams. The country was new and 
 undeveloped, and neighbors were few and far 
 between. Mr. Follett purchased one hundred 
 and sixteen acres of land, which he culti- 
 vated and improved, and thus contributed his 
 full share toward the growth and develop- 
 ment of the town. He and his wife pros- 
 pered in their labors, and were enabled to 
 spend their later years in comfort and plenty. 
 Of the seven children born to them six are 
 yet alive, the following being their record: 
 Sarah Ann, the widow of Dr. S. D. Andrews, 
 resides in Granby; James, the subject of this 
 sketch; Matilda, the widow of Tompkins 
 Robinson, of Oswego, died at the age of sixty 
 years. Margaret, the wife of Dr. L. V. 
 Flint, lives in Syracuse. Johanna, the wife 
 of M. G. Andrews, resides in Syracuse. 
 Frances, who married G. B. Andrews, lives 
 at Bethel Corners, in the town of Ira. Alice 
 resides in Syracuse. Both Mr. and Mrs. Fol- 
 lett spent their last years on the old home- 
 stead, where the former died at the age of 
 seventy-nine, and Mrs. Follett at the age of 
 seventy. They were liberal in their religious 
 views, and were highly esteemed in the com- 
 munity. Mr. Follett was an active worker in 
 the interests of his adopted town, served ac- 
 ceptably in various local offices, and was an 
 ardent supporter of the principles of the Re- 
 publican party. 
 
 James Follett was a mere boy when he 
 
 came with his parents to Ira. He developed 
 into manhood on the home farm, and was 
 trained to habits of industry and economy, 
 which laid the foundations of his subsequent 
 success, and gained for him universal re- 
 spect. He attended the district schools, and, 
 having been reared as a farmer, has since 
 made that his principal occupation, although, 
 being a man of versatility, he can turn his 
 hand to various kinds of labor. When 
 twenty-three years of age, he began his agri- 
 cultural career by purchasing a tract of land. 
 To this purchase he has since added, from 
 time to time, and now has a magnificent farm 
 of three hundred and sixty-five acres, all im- 
 proved and well cultivated. He also has a 
 good residence and substantial farm build- 
 ings, the whole having an air of neatness and 
 prosperity that never fails to attract the atten- 
 tion of the passing traveller. Besides attend- 
 ing to his farming interests, Mr. Follett was 
 for several years interested in the mercantile 
 trade, carrying on a successful business in 
 that line from 1871 till 1878. In 1876 he 
 moved into the village of Ira, where he has a 
 fine residence, and, in addition to managing 
 his farm, is extensively engaged in the lum- 
 ber business. He is one of the most enter- 
 prising business men of his locality, and in 
 all his success has ever a thought for the best 
 interests of the community, being a willing 
 and effective supporter of any plan for the 
 public benefit. As a farmer he displays ex- 
 cellent judgment in his operations; and, in 
 addition to raising good crops of corn, to- 
 bacco, and small grains, he has one of the 
 
502 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 finest dairies in the town, and is one of the 
 stockholders in the Ira Butter and Cheese 
 Factory. 
 
 On the 20th of November, 1851, Mr. Fol- 
 lett was united in marriage to Lucina Robin- 
 son, who was born in the town of Hannibal, 
 November 22, 1832. She is the daughter of 
 Isaac and Betsey (Thompson) Robinson, who 
 reared a family of eleven children, of whom 
 Mrs. Follett and her sister, Mrs. John Phelps, 
 are the only ones now living. Of the union 
 of Mr. Follett and his estimable wife four 
 children were born; but death invaded the 
 happy home circle, taking away Isaac, a 
 bright lad of twelve years, and Medora, a 
 winsome little girl of four. The two surviv- 
 ing children are Ida May, wife of Wilson E. 
 Palmer, a farmer, and Supervisor of the town 
 of Ira, and Howard W. Follett, a successful 
 farmer of Ira. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Follett is a stanch adher- 
 ent of the Republican party. He takes an 
 active interest in local affairs, and has served 
 in various offices within the gift of his fellow- 
 townsmen, always with credit to himself and 
 to the satisfaction of the people. He and his 
 wife are charter members of the Farmers' 
 Grange of Ira, and he and his wife are mem- 
 bers of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 'ENRY D. TITUS, of Auburn, is the 
 ^ able Superintendent of the Auburn 
 Division of the Lehigh Valley 
 Railroad, and has long been identified with 
 practical railway interests. He was born in 
 
 the town of Victor, Ontario County, N.Y., 
 June 5, 1849. His great-grandfather was 
 Benjamin Titus, who was born on Long 
 Island. A more remote ancestor than Benja- 
 min was Samuel Titus, who came from Suf- 
 folkshire, England, and settled on Long Isl- 
 and about 1664, where he and his descendants 
 lived for some generations, engaged for the 
 most part in agricultural pursuits. They 
 were Quakers in religion down to the grand- 
 father of Henry D. Titus, a second Samuel 
 Titus, who married "out of meeting," which 
 caused a break in the religious unity of the 
 family. 
 
 The Titus family were noted for their lon- 
 gevity, Benjamin Titus dying on Long Island, 
 at an advanced age. He had a son James, who 
 was born on Long Island, January 15, 1747. 
 The latter, on attaining mature years, resided 
 for some time in the vicinity of New York 
 City, and later went to Dutchess County, 
 New York, where he married Phebe Keese. 
 James Titus died in Saratoga County, in 
 1839, at the home of his son Samuel, who was 
 born in Dutchess County, New York, May 
 29, 1774. Samuel Titus went to Ballston, 
 Saratoga County, when a boy, and in that 
 town grew up to manhood, his actual resi- 
 dence being at a place known as Burnt Hills. 
 He married a young lady of Schoharie County, 
 Miss Charlotte Briggs; and they resided in 
 Saratoga County until their death, Mr. Titus 
 dying in 1864, and his wife in 1858. They 
 reared a family of ten children, of whom 
 Samuel Titus, Jr., father of the subject of 
 this biography, was the youngest. He was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S°3 
 
 born in Ballston, on Independence Day, 1818, 
 and grew up on his father's farm. He was 
 married, in the village of Burnt Hills, to 
 Miss Mary HoUister, who was born in that 
 place, May 18, 1820, and came of a good fam- 
 ily, the HoUisters having been the first set- 
 tlers of that locality. Mary Hollister's 
 grandfather purchased a tract of land at Burnt 
 Hills from the Indians, and remained there 
 all his life, dying at a good old age. His 
 son, Solomon D. Hollister, the maternal 
 grandfather of Henry D. Titus, was born in 
 the same place, and lived there all his life. 
 He was well known as a prominent contractor, 
 and was connected with the building of the 
 Erie Canal. He also built the aqueduct 
 across the Mohawk River, not far below Sche- 
 nectady, N.Y. He spent his last years at 
 Burnt Hills, where he died in 1824, in mid- 
 dle life. His wife by maiden name was Zil- 
 pha Cady, her native place being Florida, 
 Montgomery County, N.Y. She died at 
 Battle Creek, Mich., at the ripe age of 
 eighty-six. Her family consisted of four 
 sons and four daughters, of whom Mrs. Sam- 
 uel Titus of this notice is the youngest. 
 Since 1855 Samuel Titus, the third of the 
 name, and his wife have resided in Auburn; 
 and for the past thirty years Mr. Titus has 
 been engaged in the building of stone side- 
 walks, of which he has constructed many 
 miles. He also superintended the building 
 of the beautiful Bradley Memorial Chapel at 
 the entrance to Fort Hill Cemetery, which is 
 one of the finest pieces of masonry in this 
 part of the State. 
 
 As Samuel Titus removed to Auburn when 
 Henry D. was only five or six years old, the 
 boy received his education here in the com- 
 mon schools and the old academy, supple- 
 mented by private study. Beginning life for 
 himself, he was first placed in charge of 
 the telegraph department of Worthington & 
 Warner's Commercial College in Auburn, 
 having already learned telegraphy in that in- 
 stitution; but after a short time he obtained 
 a situation in the post-office, under Postmaster 
 William Allen. Next came the great change 
 of his life, which brought him prominently 
 into railway enterprises. In the fall of 1866 
 he was employed by General W. H. Seward, 
 Treasurer of the Southern Central Railroad 
 Company, who made young Titus his book- 
 keeper; and thus he became permanently 
 connected with this road even before its con- 
 struction was begun. He was then about 
 eighteen years old; and by the time the road 
 was fairly in progress he held the responsible 
 post of Cashier, retaining the place eight 
 years, till September, 1874, when he became 
 Assistant Treasurer, an office he has retained 
 already a score of years. In 1870 he began 
 acting as Paymaster. 
 
 Mr. Henry D. Titus was appointed Acting 
 Superintendent of the Southern Central Rail- 
 road, January 26, 1885; and two years later, 
 at New Year's, 1887, when the road was 
 leased to the Lehigh Valley Railroad, he be- 
 came Superintendent of the Southern Central 
 Division of the Pennsylvania & New York 
 Canal and Railroad Company, holding the 
 new office till December i, 1888. From Jan- 
 
504 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 uary i of the same year till March i6, 1892, 
 he was Superintendent of the Auburn Divi- 
 sion of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, 
 when for five months he served as Superin- 
 tendent of the Auburn Division of the Phila- 
 delphia & Reading Railroad. In August 
 of that same year, 1892, he was appointed 
 Superintendent of the South Central Rail- 
 road for Charles Campbell, its Trustee, 
 but on December 5 of that winter he re- 
 sumed his former position as Superintendent 
 of the Auburn Division of the Philadelphia 
 & Reading Railroad, and held it till Au- 
 gust I, 1893, at which time the Lehigh Val- 
 ley Railroad Company again took possession 
 of the property, Mr. Titus retaining the 
 same position which he holds at the present 
 time. 
 
 It is noticeable that, while apparently hold- 
 ing many different railroad offices during 
 these thirty years, Mr. Titus has virtually 
 been in charge of the same section of road, 
 the variations being in the corporate owner- 
 ship rather than in the road itself. The 
 Southern Central Railroad was organized in 
 1865, and its construction begun two years 
 later. It was finished from Owego to Auburn 
 in February, 1870, from Owego to North Fair 
 Haven in November, 1871, and from State 
 Line to North Fair Haven in April, 1872. 
 In May, 1892, Mr. Titus was also made Super- 
 intendent of the Auburn, Ithaca, and Cayuga 
 Branches of the Philadelphia & Reading Rail- 
 road; and on August i, 1893, he became 
 Superintendent of these branches of the 
 Lehigh Valley Railroad. About six hundred 
 
 men are employed on these lines when doing 
 a full business, including the train men who 
 make this city their headquarters. Of course 
 this involves a heavy pay-roll. Mr. Titus 
 has in his possession the solid silver spike, 
 the first one driven on the Southern Central 
 Railroad at Owego, July 10, 1869, and an- 
 other spike driven on the completion of the 
 enterprise. During the memorable strike on 
 the Lehigh Valley Railroad in November, 
 1893, he had charge of the road, and suc- 
 ceeded in bringing the contest to a satis- 
 factory conclusion. In the E. D. Clapp 
 Manufacturing Company he is Executive 
 Director and Trustee. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Titus is a Republican, but 
 has never acepted any important office, albeit 
 he is a Trustee of the City Hospital, and 
 is a member of the local historical society. 
 His career recalls the apostolic text, "Dili- 
 gent in business, serving the Lord " ; and he 
 personifies the aphorism of Lord Bulwer-Lyt- 
 ton, "Business despatched is business well 
 done, but business hurried is business ill 
 done." 
 
 On November 11, 1874, at the age of 
 twenty-five, Mr. Titus married Mary C. 
 Woodruff, daughter of a solid resident 
 of Auburn, Harmon Woodruff; and they 
 have a most pleasant home, with two chil- 
 dren: Harry Woodruff Titus, born in 1876; 
 and Pauline Louise Titus, born in 1880. 
 The family attend St. Peter's Episcopal 
 Church, whereof Mr. Titus has been fif- 
 teen years a Vestryman, and now is Junior 
 Warden. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 505 
 
 SCAR F. BARTLETT, M.D., who 
 is also entitled to the term "Honor- 
 able," having served in the Wiscon- 
 sin legislature — two terms in the House of 
 Representatives, and one year in the Senate — 
 is the oldest practising physician in the town 
 of Cato, where his professional knowledge and 
 skill have met with ample recognition. His 
 many years of varied practice in hospitals, on 
 the field of battle, and in village and country, 
 have tended to make his medical experience 
 and proficiency much above the average, have 
 gained for him the confidence and respect of a 
 wide community, and given him an honored 
 position among his professional brethren. 
 Dr. Bartlett was born in the town of Victory, 
 Cayuga County, October 2, 1823. His grand- 
 father, Michael Bartlett, was a worthy pio- 
 neer of that place, being one of its earliest 
 settlers, but, afterward removing to Cato, 
 here spent the latter part of a long life, dying 
 at an advanced age. 
 
 The Rev. John Milton Bartlett, the Doctor's 
 father, was born in the Empire State, and 
 spent a large portion of his life in Cayuga 
 County. Although his educational facilities 
 were exceedingly limited in his early years, 
 he made good use of each shining moment, 
 and, without attending college, by persever- 
 ing diligence in his studies, fitted himself 
 for a minister of the gospel, and was for some 
 years connected with the Baptist denomina- 
 tion in that capacity, but in later life became 
 a pastor in the Church of the Disciples. He 
 was well prepared for the duties and responsi- 
 bilities of his chosen calling, which he fol- 
 
 lowed with conscientious devotion until the 
 time of his death, in 1868, in the town of 
 Clarence, Erie County, N.Y., not very far 
 from Buffalo. The maiden name of his de- 
 voted wife and faithful colaborer, was Han- 
 nah Earl. She was also a native of New 
 York. Of their union ten children were 
 born, seven of whom grew to maturity, and 
 four of whom are now living, namely: Oscar 
 F. ; Milton D., and Edward M., both lawyers 
 in Eau Claire, Wis. ; and Ann Eliza, the wife 
 of Dr. A. J. Brewster, of Syracuse, N.Y. 
 
 The boyhood of Oscar was passed in laying 
 the foundation of his substantial education in 
 the district schools of this county, his first 
 temple of learning being a small log house, 
 in which he was well drilled in the elements 
 of knowledge. Being ambitious and studi- 
 ous, he early became qualified to fill the posi- 
 tion of instructor, and earned his first money 
 as a teacher in the village of Cato. He was 
 very successful in teaching, and was thus 
 largely engaged for a period of ten years ; but 
 in the mean time he worked, when schools 
 were not in session, in the hay and harvest 
 fields, receiving the best wages then paid. 
 Having precociously determined to enter the 
 medical profession, he began the study of 
 medicine with Dr. Robert Treat Payne, a 
 noted physician of Cato, when only fifteen 
 years old, and pursued his studies, in connec- 
 tion with teaching and working at manual 
 labor, for several years, becoming quite profi- 
 cient therein. In 1842 young Bartlett, hav- 
 ing scarcely entered his twentieth year, went 
 to Wisconsin, where at first he worked on a 
 
So6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 farm in Delavan, afterward spending a time 
 in Racine, engaged in teacfiing; and he was 
 for a while employed as a clerk in the general 
 merchandise store of Durand & Co. Remov- 
 ing thence to East Troy, in the same State, he 
 soon won a reputation as a teacher of superior 
 ability, his force of character, decision of 
 manner, and genial tact making him popular 
 with all of his pupils, and enabling him to 
 govern the most unruly of them without re- 
 sorting to the use of rod or ruler. He subse- 
 quently attended lectures at Rush Medical 
 College in Chicago, 111., during which time 
 he was a student in the office of Dr. N. S. 
 Davis, one of the most prominent practi- 
 tioners of that city, and then began the prac- 
 tice of his profession in East Troy, Wis. 
 
 On the breaking out of the late Rebellion, 
 inspired by true patriotic ardor, Dr. Bartlett 
 enlisted in the Sixth Wisconsin Volunteer 
 Infantry, and in June, 1861, was appointed 
 Assistant Surgeon of that regiment, in which 
 capacity he served until the 13th of October, 
 1862, when he was transferred to the Third 
 Wisconsin Regiment, and was appointed to 
 the position of Surgeon. He continued with 
 the regiment, faithfully discharging his ardu- 
 ous duties, until January i, 1865, when he 
 was taken sick, and was obliged to resign. 
 He returned to his home; but for four years 
 thereafter he was unable to resume his prac- 
 tice, being disabled by rheumatism. He was 
 a citizen of prominence and influence in Wis- 
 consin, where he was three times elected to 
 the State legislature, and served acceptably 
 and satisfactorily two terms in the lower 
 
 house and one year in the Senate. In 1868 
 Dr. Bartlett returned to Cayuga County, New 
 York, and, locating his office and home in the 
 village of Meridian, has since engaged in the 
 practice of his profession in this vicinity, 
 adding to the excellent reputation which he 
 had previously won as a physician. 
 
 Dr. Bartlett has been twice married. The 
 maiden name of his first wife, to whom he was 
 wedded in Syracuse, January 19, 1864, was 
 Maria Holyoke; but their wedded happiness 
 was of brief duration, her early death occur- 
 ring the same year. She left one daughter, 
 Maria H., who married E. A. Kingsley, of 
 New York City, and died at twenty-six years 
 of age. Dr. Bartlett was again married, on 
 May 25, 1869, Maria Bassett Holyoke, the 
 widow of Edward A. Holyoke, becoming his 
 second wife. Mrs. Bartlett was born in Pitts- 
 field, Otsego County, N.Y., being a daughter 
 of Parley and Asenath (Hall) Bassett. Her 
 father was a native of Berkshire, Mass., and 
 her mother of Pittsfield, N.Y. Mr. Bassett 
 was for some years engaged in the freight 
 department of the Syracuse & Oswego Rail- 
 way Company, but had previously been a mer- 
 chant in Syracuse, being a pioneer of that 
 place, and one of its most successful business 
 men. He married Asenath Hall; and both 
 passed their declining years in Syracuse, he 
 dying at the venerable age of ninety years, and 
 his wife at the age of fourscore years. They 
 became the parents of five children, three of 
 whom are now living, namely: Maria, Mrs. 
 Bartlett; Amelia, Mrs. Stanley Bagg, of 
 Syracuse; and Mary, Mrs. Robert Davis, of 
 
Zebulon Holmes, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 5°9 
 
 New York City. Mr. and Mrs. Bassett were 
 held in high regard by their large circle of 
 friends, as people of superior worth, and 
 broad benevolence; in their religious views 
 they were Unitarians. Mr. Bassett was City 
 Treasurer of Syracuse, N.Y., for five years. 
 
 Mrs. Bartlett is a woman of intelligence 
 and culture, who in the days of her girlhood 
 received a liberal education. In 1852 she 
 united her destinies with Edward A. Hol- 
 yoke, a capable and honored man, who died in 
 Louisville, Ky., ten years later, in 1862, 
 leaving her with two bright and interesting 
 children: Edward A. Holyoke, who is a resi- 
 dent of Omaha, Neb. ; and a daughter, Bessie 
 Holyoke, who died at the age of twenty-six 
 years, leaving a sad vacancy in the home cir- 
 cle, and being mourned by a large number of 
 warm friends. Of her union with Dr. Bart- 
 lett one child was born, John M. ; but he has 
 also crossed the river of death, having lived 
 to be but nineteen years old. Dr. and Mrs. 
 Bartlett are prominent in social and religious 
 circles. He is very liberal in his views, and 
 she is a consistent member of the Unitarian 
 church. Politically, the Doctor is a stanch 
 supporter of the Republican party. 
 
 :EBUL0N holmes, who was for 
 thirty years Keeper in the Auburn 
 State prison at Auburn, N.Y., and 
 is now retired from active business life, was 
 born in the town of Pompey, Onondaga 
 County, N.Y., September 6, 1816, son of 
 Benjamin and Ruth (Edgerton) Holmes. 
 
 His father was born in New Jersey, and was 
 one of the early settlers of Onondaga County. 
 While residing there, he served in the War 
 of 1812, going to Oswego. He was a farmer, 
 owning his own land, in addition to which he 
 followed the trade of a brick and stone mason. 
 He died in the vicinity of Cazenovia, Madi- 
 son County, N.Y. Mrs. Holmes was -a na- 
 tive of Hartford, Conn., coming with her 
 father to Onondaga County when a young 
 child. Her father was a farmer by occupa- 
 tion, and also a veteran of the War of 18 12. 
 Zebulon Holmes received his education in 
 the village of Delphi, and came to Auburn 
 before he was sixteen years old. The well- 
 known General Slocum, whose father kept a 
 village store in Delphi, was one of his old 
 schoolmates. Mr. Holmes was early em- 
 ployed as a mason's assistant, his first day's 
 work being to help make the mortar used in 
 the erection of Walley's drug store in 1832. 
 The drug store still stands. After a short 
 time he went to the brickyard of Sexton & 
 Kelsey, remaining with them for twelve years, 
 most of the time acting as foreman. In 1845 
 he went to Bay City, Mich., at that time only 
 five buildings being in existence there. He 
 afterward went to Au Sable River, where was 
 a settlement of about nine hundred Indians. 
 This was fifty miles from any of the white 
 settlements, and was situated three miles 
 from where a saw-mill was being erected for 
 Colonel Howard and Levi Van Netten, of 
 Owasco. He remained here for eight months, 
 spending the winter in Saginaw, and was 
 afterward engaged as foreman on the Lake 
 
51° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad, with 
 headquarters at Hillsdale, Mich. He re- 
 mained here for one year, but on account of 
 a severe attack of ague was obliged to return 
 to New York State, where he was an invalid 
 for some three years, and on his recovery went 
 to work as a common laborer, for which he 
 was paid eighteen dollars per month. He 
 was next offered fifty dollars per month and 
 board, to superintend half the gang of fifty 
 men. In this he was eminently successful, 
 receiving the highest compliments from his 
 employers in regard to the amount and quality 
 of work he turned out, and was offered one 
 hundred dollars per month to stay another 
 year. His health, however, would not permit 
 of his remaining in that employment. He 
 next worked in a brickyard, remaining there 
 until 1849, when he received a position as 
 corporation employee, the next year being 
 elected Superintendent of Streets. He was 
 re-elected to this position; but, his health 
 again failing, he did not qualify. He next 
 obtained a position in the State prison at the 
 time Colonel Lewis was Warden. Mr. 
 Holmes was first appointed on night duty at 
 a salary of thirty dollars per month. On 
 May 8, 1855, eight prisoners succeeded in 
 making their escape going north by the way 
 of the railroad. Mr. Holmes recaptured 
 three of them unassisted. He was next made 
 Keeper at forty-five dollars per month, which 
 was afterward raised to seventy-five. He held 
 this position in the prison for the lengthy 
 period of twenty years and six months. Mr. 
 Holmes in his politics was first a Whig and 
 
 afterward a Republican, serving as Keeper 
 through three Democratic administrations. 
 He was a model Keeper, gaining the respect 
 of the men, and showing no partiality toward 
 any one. He was sometimes obliged to pun- 
 ish prisoners, which, however, was never 
 done in anger or irritation, the position re- 
 quiring much firmness and patience. Mr. 
 Holmes resided for many years on Division 
 Street, where he owned three dwelling-houses. 
 He has also owned considerable real estate on 
 Henry Street. 
 
 Mr. Holmes was married to Miss Rebecca 
 Freeman, a daughter of Stephen Freeman, an 
 old resident of Auburn. Mrs. Holmes was 
 born May 10, 1827. Eleven children were 
 born to them, of whom eight are living, 
 namely: Franklin, now a resident of Terre 
 Haute, Ind. ; Theodore, a resident of Au- 
 burn; Uretta, wife of Thomas P. Beacham, 
 of Auburn; Edward, who is attached to the 
 police force of this city; Sarah, wife of 
 Luther Armitage; Cornelia, wife of John 
 Fry; Marvin E., of Utica, N.Y. ; and Palmer 
 W., a travelling salesman for a New York 
 hardware firm; Rebecca, who died in 1882, 
 was the wife of Alfred Gill. 
 
 Mr. Holmes is a member of Auburn 
 Lodge, A. F. & A. M., having been con- 
 nected with it for thirty-one years. He is 
 also, and has been for fifteen years, a mem- 
 ber of the Relief Association. Mrs. Holmes 
 died December 27, 1888. Mr. Holmes now 
 resides with his daughter, Mrs. John Fry. 
 He is still in the enjoyment of health and 
 mental vigor, and takes a deep interest in the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Sii 
 
 affairs of the city, liaving the confidence and 
 esteem of all parties. 
 
 The portrait of ex-Keeper Holmes, which 
 accompanies this brief biography, will here 
 attract the reader's attention. Coming gen- 
 erations will cherish his memory as a man 
 who was faithful to his trusts. 
 
 fERRY EVERSON, President of the 
 First National Bank of Moravia, was 
 born in the town of this name on July 2, 
 1 82 1, when it was a part of the old town of 
 Sempronius, and is the son of William and 
 Catherine (Thompson) Everson. The father 
 came here with his parents from New Jersey 
 about 1788 or 1789, when only about four 
 years old. He was the son of John Everson, 
 who was of an old New Jersey family, of 
 Dutch descent. William received his edu- 
 cation in the district schools, and afterward 
 engaged in farming, the grandfather giving 
 a portion of the old farm to each of his sons. 
 He lived thereon until 1864, when he re- 
 moved into the village of Moravia, where he 
 died in 1876. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. William Everson reared the 
 following family: John, a resident of Mora- 
 via; Terry; Benjamin F. ; William T. ; 
 Morgan L. ; Adelia M. ; Julius; Julia; and 
 Corydon L., the latter now residing at Brad- 
 ford, Pa. Benjamin F., who died in 1867, 
 was the organizer of the First National Bank 
 of Moravia, of which he was Cashier for a 
 few years, afterward going to New York 
 City, and from there to Ashland, Pa., where 
 
 he died. William T., who now lives at 
 Union City, Pa., retired, was for some time 
 in the oil business there. Morgan L. is a 
 retired merchant of Moravia. Adelia M. is 
 the wife of David Webb, a retired farmer of 
 Moravia. Julius resides at Elk Grove, Cal., 
 where he is engaged in the mercantile busi- 
 ness. Julia lives with her sister, Mrs. Webb. 
 Mrs. Everson survived her husband some 
 years, dying in February, 1884. 
 
 Terry Everson at first pursued his studies 
 in the district school, and after being em- 
 ployed for a year in a store at Venice, finished 
 his education at the academy in the village of 
 Moravia, four miles from his home on the 
 farm, much of the time walking the whole 
 distance to and fro. He also took a year's 
 course of study at Groton. He then taught 
 school at Ludlowville, Tompkins County, for 
 a year. In the fall of 1843 he went to Au- 
 burn, and here taught school for four years. 
 
 He next went into the book and stationery 
 business in Binghamton, selling out after one 
 year. In September, 1850, he with his 
 brother bought a dry-goods store at Kelloggs- 
 ville, and had a very successful general coun- 
 try store. In 1857 they purchased the H. B. 
 Hewitt store and business in Moravia, Benja- 
 min having charge of the store at Moravia, 
 and Terry at Kelloggsville. Selling out his 
 interest in the Kelloggsville store in 1859, he 
 came to Moravia; and in 1863 he and Mor- 
 gan L. bought the brother Benjamin's interest 
 in the store here. In 1867 Morgan L. sold 
 out his interest to Hector H. Tattle, the firm 
 name thenceforward being Everson & Tuttle. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 This arrangement continued until 1883, when 
 they sold out the store to Mr. T. J. Webster. 
 Mr. Everson was one of the organizers of 
 the First National Bank of Moravia, one of 
 the first national banks in the county, it being 
 No. 99 of the national banks in the United 
 States. Mr. Everson was elected one of the 
 first Directors, he at the present time being 
 the only one of the original Directors. The 
 capital stock was at first fifty thousand dol- 
 lars; but after two or three years it was in- 
 creased to eighty thousand dollars, at which it 
 now remains. The earnings have been di- 
 vided semi-annually, except its present sur- 
 plus of forty-two thousand dollars. The first 
 President was Austin B. Hale, Benjamin F. 
 Everson being First Cashier until 1865. Mr. 
 Terry Everson was made President in 1884, 
 after the death of H. H. Tuttle, his old part- 
 ner. Mr. Everson has been Justice of the 
 Peace for Moravia, and also Supervisor of the 
 town for three or four years, and while on the 
 board was a member of the Equalization Com- 
 mittee. He has also been a member and 
 President of the Board of Education, as well 
 as President and Trustee of the village. Mr. 
 Everson, together with Mr. Leander Fitts, 
 who was Cashier of the bank for many years, 
 were active in organizing the Union School; 
 and, after that was decided upon, they, with 
 Mr. William Titus, now deceased, were the 
 Building Committee who had charge of the 
 planning and erection of the fine school build- 
 ing. He was an active member of the Board 
 of Education for many years, until a few 
 years ago, when he declined to serve longer. 
 
 Mr. Everson was married in February, 
 i860, to Miss Mary E. Glover, of Niles, a 
 daughter of William Glover, an old resident 
 of the town. Two children have been born to 
 them, namely: M. Adella, wife of W. E. 
 Nye, of Moravia; and Charles T. Everson, 
 who is now engaged in the bank. The family 
 attend the Methodist Episcopal church, of 
 which Mrs. Everson is a member. Mr. Ever- 
 son built a very pleasant home on Main Street 
 in 1861, where he has lived since that time. 
 Mr. Everson's business life has been mainly 
 in Moravia. He takes the greatest interest in 
 the town, and is always to the fore in all mat- 
 ters pertaining to its development. 
 
 1^|EV. G. S. TRANSUE, pastor of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church of Union 
 Springs since October 18, 1893, 
 and a minister of the church since 1865, was 
 born in Smithfield, Monroe County, Pa., No- 
 vember 4, 1837, and is the son of Jacob and 
 Elizabeth (Smith) Transue. The father, who 
 was a blacksmith and a soldier of the War of 
 1812, lived in Smithfield all his life, dying 
 in 1872, at the age of seventy-eight years. 
 The family were members of the German Re- 
 formed church. The town of Smithfield was 
 named after the mother's ancestors. 
 
 The Rev. G. S. Transue received his edu- 
 cation at the common school and the Presby- 
 terian Academy at Delaware Water Gap, after 
 which he taught school for a time, until he 
 began studying for the ministry. He first 
 began regular preaching in 1865, within the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 513 
 
 bounds of the Wyoming Conference, and was 
 admitted into the East Genesee Conference in 
 1867. His first appointment was at Forks- 
 ville, Pa., he serving there one year, and 
 afterward serving on the Monroeton charge for 
 two years. During that time the first Metho- 
 dist Episcopal Sunday-school was started 
 there. He next went to East Charleston, 
 Tioga County, and, after remaining in that 
 place three years, went to Burlington, where 
 he spent a like period, in which he held a 
 revival at Luther's Mills, and built the first 
 Methodist Episcopal church in that town. 
 From there he went to Westfield, Pa., where 
 he held large and successful revival meetings. 
 His next field of labor was Potter Centre, 
 Yates County, N.Y., where he was for two 
 years, being instrumental in repairing the 
 parsonage and putting the affairs of the church 
 in better condition than he found them. His 
 subsequent charges were Bellona, also in 
 Yates County, and Williamson, Wayne 
 County. His next three years' pastorate was 
 at Liverpool, Onondaga County. In 1889 he 
 went to Havana, where he remained one year, 
 his next place being Rose in Wayne County, 
 where he was three years. While there he 
 repaired the church at North Rose. His 
 present charge is Union Springs, which in- 
 cludes Aurora, he holding two services in the 
 former place and one at Aurora. He has 
 been blessed with eight conversions and addi- 
 tions at Union Springs, and is just starting a 
 project for a new church at this place. 
 
 The Rev. Mr. Transue was married on De- 
 cember 20, i860, to Miss Mary J. Nye, 
 
 daughter of David Nye, who is an old resident 
 of Smithfield, Pa., now aged seventy-eight 
 years. Mr. and Mrs. Transue have seven 
 children, of whom brief mention may be here 
 made as follows: Seward, who was born on 
 the first Fast Day of the War, September 26, 
 1 86 1, travels for a Chicago house. Lola 
 May, born February 3, 1863, is the wife of 
 A. J. Kelsey, of Rochester, and has one child, 
 Lizzie May. Judson L., born August 3, 
 1865, is the cashier of a bank at Williamson. 
 Aurilla, born December 31, 1867, is the wife 
 of A. E. Desmond, of Rose, N.Y. Lizzie, 
 born March i, 1870, is the wife of F. E. 
 Young, of Liverpool, an attorney of the firm 
 of Jones, McGowan & Young, of Syracuse, and 
 has one child, Ray. George was born Febru- 
 ary 29, 1872. Hobart F., who was born on 
 March 13, 1881, lives with his parents. 
 
 The Rev. G. S. Transue is a fluent and 
 powerful pulpit orator. He is a man of ex- 
 treme earnestness of purpose, and has met 
 with a due meed of success in his ministerial 
 life. 
 
 4m •m^ 
 
 /^HARLES A. WILLS, of Auburn, 
 I J| N.Y., who is now in office as a City 
 
 ^"^ ' Assessor, was born in Auburn on 
 
 July 28, 1854, and has spent most of his life 
 here, contributing to its industrial interests, 
 regardful of the public weal, and gaining for 
 himself the reputation of one who deserves 
 the confidence and trust of his fellow-citizens. 
 His parents came to Auburn in 1849 from 
 Quebec. They were of English descent, and 
 faithful members of the Episcopal church. 
 
514 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 In 1857 the husband and father, who had been 
 prominent in church circles in Quebec, died, 
 leaving his widow, Mrs. Mary A. Gardner 
 Wills, with five small children to care for. 
 She, with the courage of a true woman, deter- 
 mined to keep them together, and give each a 
 good education, which by careful management 
 she succeeded in doing. 
 
 Charles A. Wills, after receiving a com- 
 mon-school education in the schools of 
 Auburn, learned the trade of painter, doing 
 general work for a time, and afterward having 
 charge of the painting department in the large 
 carriage manufactory of his brother, George 
 F. Wills. Here he has remained for the past 
 eighteen years, having from eight to twelve 
 men employed under him, and turning out 
 work inferior to none in this part of the State. 
 
 Mr. Wills is somewhat interested in real 
 estate. He built himself a good home on 
 Spring Street in 1882, in June of which year 
 he was married to Miss Mary A. Wilson, of 
 Auburn, daughter of Frank Wilson, an old 
 resident of this city, and for many years fore- 
 man of the woollen-mill. He is a strong sup- 
 porter of the Methodist Episcopal church, of 
 which Mrs. Wills is also a member. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Wills have two children — Bernice Ida 
 and Mildred Pauline. 
 
 The first official appointment of Mr. Wills 
 was by the Common Council, on June 6, 
 1893, to fill the vacancy caused by the death 
 of Alexander Stevens: and he filled that posi- 
 tion with such credit to himself and party that 
 he received the unanimous nomination at the 
 Republican Convention, and was elected by a 
 
 large majority. The arduous duties of his 
 ofifice, which have necessarily taken much of 
 his time of late, he has always succeeded in 
 performing faithfully, and, as it would seem, 
 to the satisfaction of all concerned. 
 
 As to his private business, he has never 
 allowed anything to escape him which might 
 improve his methods of carrying on his trade, 
 or, it might rather be said, his art; for Mr. 
 Wills's work has amounted almost to a fine 
 art. By careful attention to the interests of 
 others and to those things which make for the 
 welfare and progress of society he has shown 
 himself a public-spirited and highly useful 
 member of the community. 
 
 (sTTBR/ 
 
 BRAHAM R. WILLEY, attorney and 
 counsellor-at-law of Fair Haven, 
 N.Y., was born at East Haddam, 
 Middlesex County, Conn., September 2, 
 1823, and is the son of Barak B. and Deborah 
 R. (Brockway) Willey. The father was born 
 at East Haddam about the year 1793. He 
 was a graduate of Yale, and at one time 
 studied for the Presbyterian ministry, but was 
 never ordained. When the subject of this 
 sketch was six months old, his parents came 
 to New York State, where they bought seven 
 hundred acres of land near Auburn, paying 
 two dollars and fifty cents per acre. They 
 returned to East Haddam, afterward moving 
 to New York and Albany, and finally settling 
 at Auburn, where Mr. Willey cleared up his 
 farm land, and made that his home. He died 
 in the town of Victory in 1889, at the remark- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S'S 
 
 ably advanced age of ninety-six years. Mrs. 
 Willey was a native of Brockway Ferry, on 
 the east side of the Connecticut River, and 
 was a daughter of Ezra Brockway, of old 
 Colonial stock. Abraham Willey, the pa- 
 ternal grandfather, was a Captain in the Rev- 
 olutionary War, and came of English ancestry. 
 Abraham R. Willey, of Fair Haven, ac- 
 quired his early education at the common 
 schools, at Victory Academy, and Red Creek 
 Academy, afterward receiving private tuition 
 from his father at his home. In the fall of 
 1849 he moved to Fair Haven, where he pur- 
 chased a farm half a mile from his present 
 home; and there he carried on farming for a 
 short time. Having an inclination for the 
 legal profession, he read law with the firm of 
 Marsh & Webb, of Oswego, N.Y., and was 
 admitted to the bar by examination held at 
 the general term at Rochester in 1858, being 
 allowed to practise as attorney and counsellor 
 in all the courts of the United States. He 
 remained at Oswego for two years, making his 
 home at Fair Haven, at the expiration of that 
 time locating his ofifice at Fair Haven, where 
 he has since conducted his practice. Mr. 
 Willey has never been an aspirant for ofifice. 
 He was appointed Collector of Customs for 
 the port of Fair Haven during President 
 Cleveland's first term, and has always been 
 an active worker in the Democratic ranks. 
 The village of Fair Haven was incorporated 
 in 1871, Mr. Willey making out all the nec- 
 essary papers, and was prevailed upon to 
 accept its first Presidency, but refused a re- 
 nomination. Mr. Willey is a veteran of the 
 
 Civil War, having enlisted in the Ninety- 
 third New York Volunteer Infantry, Company 
 I, which was ordered to Petersburg, where he 
 served with his regiment until they were dis- 
 banded. He is a member of Hudson Post, 
 Grand Army of the Republic, in which he has 
 held various offices. 
 
 Mr. Willey married Miss Rhoanna Bissell, 
 of Wolcott, Wayne County, N.Y.; and they 
 have two children, namely: Sarah, wife of 
 Asa J. Gray, of Fair Haven; and Edward A. 
 The family are members of the Episcopal 
 church, but attend the Presbyterian church of 
 Fair Haven. Mr. Willey is of a retiring dis- 
 position. In every instance the office has had 
 to seek the man; but, when once prevailed 
 upon to accept, he has filled satisfactorily and 
 with credit every position to which he has 
 been elected. Mr. Willey has a beautiful 
 home on Lake Street, Fair Haven, which he 
 built in 1890, opposite the old dwelling in 
 which he resided for thirty-five years. 
 
 HARLES A. GWYNN, M.D., one of 
 r the leading homoeopathic physicians 
 of Auburn, N.Y., was born in 
 Throopsville, Cayuga County, N.Y., May 27, 
 1867, and is the son of Dr. William M. and 
 Orphana E. (Andrews) Gwynn. Dr. Gwynn, 
 Sr., was born in the north of Ireland, but 
 came to this country when a little child, with 
 his parents, who established their home in 
 Pompey, Onondaga County. He first edu- 
 cated himself as an allopathic physician, 
 finishing his studies at the Jefferson Medical 
 
Si6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 College, Philadelphia, and afterward studying 
 at the Philadelphia Homceopathic College, on 
 leaving which he settled, in 1865, at Throops- 
 ville, where he has practised continuously 
 since, ranking among the leaders in the 
 homceopathic medical profession of this 
 county. He is a member of various medical 
 associations, in which he has taken an active 
 part, holding the Presidency of the Central 
 New York State Medical Society for some 
 years. Mrs. Gwynn is a native of Onondaga 
 County, and was educated at the Albany Nor- 
 mal School. Dr. and Mrs. William M. 
 Gwynn have three children, namely: Charles 
 A., the subject of this sketch; Genevra, a 
 teacher in the high school at Ouincy, Mass. ; 
 and Gratia, a teacher in the high school at 
 Westboro, Mass. Both of the daughters were 
 graduated from the Syracuse University. 
 Miss Genevra Gwynn received the highest 
 recommendations from the State Superintend- 
 ent, and was called from Westboro, Mass., to 
 Quincy, in that State, near Boston, as teacher 
 of Latin. Both Dr. William M. Gwynn and 
 his wife are members of the Church of Christ. 
 Charles A. Gwynn was educated at the 
 Throopsville and Syracuse High Schools, 
 afterward reading medicine with his father, 
 and attending lectures at the New York 
 Homoeopathic College, graduating from that 
 institution in the class of 1888. He was 
 appointed immediately after his graduation, 
 by competitive, examination, to the position 
 of House Physician to the Children'-s Charity 
 Hospital at Five Points, New York City, and 
 subsequently became House Surgeon in the 
 
 private hospital of Professor William Todd 
 Helmuth, in which capacity he had full 
 charge of the hospital for one year. In 1890 
 he came to Auburn, and has built up one of 
 the best medical practices in the city, making 
 a specialty of gynEECology. Dr. Gwynn is a 
 member of both the State and County Medical 
 Societies, and is Secretary of the Allied 
 Homceopathic and Allopathic Societies of 
 this county. Dr. Gwynn has bought a fine 
 residence at No. 13 Grover Street, where his 
 office is located. 
 
 Dr. Gwynn was married August 31, 1892, 
 to Miss May E. Merriam, daughter of Mr. 
 Charles E. Merriam, of Albany, Vice-Presi- 
 dent of the Standard Wagon Company. Both 
 Dr. and Mrs. Gwynn are supporters of the 
 Central Presbyterian Church of which Mrs. 
 Gwynn is a member. They have one child, a 
 daughter Dorothy, born June 13, 1894. 
 
 During his residence in Auburn Dr. Gwynn 
 has become known as one of the brightest 
 physicians in the city, and by his genial man- 
 ners and kindly courtesy has endeared himself 
 to all classes of people. 
 
 ^^ — - ne 
 
 BRAM SPOORE, one of the oldest cit- 
 izens of the town of Ira, and a promi- 
 ent member of the agricultural 
 community, is widely and favorably known 
 throughout this section of Cayuga County as 
 an upright, honest man, of sterling worth, 
 and a worthy representative of those coura- 
 geous pioneers who settled in the county in 
 the days of its infancy. He has witnessed 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S17 
 
 wonderful changes during his sixty-eight years 
 of residence here. In his boyhood days 
 school-houses, churches, costly residences, 
 and substantial barns were conspicuous only 
 by their absence. Neither railways nor tele- 
 graph or telephone lines spanned these broad 
 acres, and few, if any, evidences of civiliza- 
 tion existed; while now flourishing towns and 
 cities and magnificent agricultural regions 
 have usurped the place of the forest, and the 
 fertile acres round about yield abundantly and 
 to spare. In this grand transformation Mr. 
 Spoore has taken an active part, spending 
 many of the best years of his useful life in 
 redeeming from the wilderness a portion of 
 this beautiful country. Little do the people 
 of this day and generation realize what they 
 owe to those brave spirits of old, who first up- 
 rooted the trees, ploughed the sod, and made 
 a broad track for the advance of civilization. 
 
 Mr. Spoore is a native of York State, his 
 birth having occurred in Guilderland, Albany 
 County, March 8, 1820, and his parents being 
 Joseph and Margaret (Wormer) Spoore, both 
 of whom were born in the same county. 
 Abram Spoore, the grandfather, was one of 
 the earlier settlers of Albany County, where 
 he was engaged in farming until his death at 
 a ripe old age. His wife preceded him to the 
 better land, dying in middle life. They 
 reared a family of eight children, all of whom 
 are deceased. 
 
 Joseph Spoore grew to manhood in his na- 
 tive county, and there learned the trade of 
 carpenter and joiner, which he followed in his 
 younger days. In 1826 he came to Cayuga 
 
 County, bringing his wife and children with 
 him, and settled in the town of Ira. He first 
 bought fifty acres of timbered land, on which 
 there were no improvements, and, after erect- 
 ing a log house, began the clearing of a farm. 
 His earnest labors were rewarded; and in the 
 course of time he added to his landed posses- 
 sions, until he owned one hundred and eigh- 
 teen acres of good land, a large portion of 
 which he succeeded in clearing. He was one 
 of the honorable and upright citizens of the 
 town, a farmer of much ability, and rendered 
 material assistance in the development and 
 advancement of this locality. He was born 
 in the year 1795, and lived to the age of 
 nearly ninety, passing away in 1884. His 
 wife, whose birth occurred in 1799, died in 
 1883. They reared a family of six sons and 
 three daughters, seven of whom are now liv- 
 ing, namely; Abram; Cornelius, who resides 
 in Illinois; David, a resident of California; 
 Francis F., a resident of Iowa; Maria, the 
 wife of M. Goff, of St. Paul, Minn.; Susan, 
 who married M. B. Clum, also of St. Paul; 
 and Eliza A., the wife of A. Coppernaugh, of 
 Baltimore, Md. Both Mr. and Mrs. Spoore 
 were members of the Church of the Disciples. 
 Politically, he was a Republican, and held 
 various town offices. 
 
 Abram Spoore, of whom we write, was but 
 six years old when he came with his parents 
 to this town, and during the days of his youth 
 and early manhood performed much of the 
 pioneer work of clearing the old homestead, 
 which has since come into his possssion. He 
 lived with his parents until thirty years of 
 
Si8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 age, when he bought thirty acres of the home 
 farm, to which he soon added twenty acres, 
 and, having that under good cultivation and 
 yielding profitable harvests, was encouraged 
 to purchase more land; and his property now 
 includes one hundred and fifty-one acres of 
 choice land, on which he has made all of the 
 improvements. He has a good residence and 
 comfortable and convenient farm buildings, 
 everything about the premises indicating the 
 care and supervision of an excellent manager, 
 and a thorough-going and enterprising farmer. 
 Mr. Spoore was married July i6, 185 1, to 
 Marcia G. Woolford, who was born in the 
 town of Conquest, September 7, 1828, a 
 daughter of Daniel and Anna (Larue) Wool- 
 ford, both of whom were natives of Schoharie 
 County, New York. Mr. Woolford was a 
 farmer by occupation, and one of the pioneer 
 settlers of the town of Conquest, where he and 
 his wife spent their declining years, he dying 
 at the age of seventy-five, and she at the age 
 of seventy-six years. Of their eleven chil- 
 dren who grew to maturity seven are now 
 living, as follows: Daniel, a resident of Con- 
 quest; Maria, the wife of A. Ladue, of 
 Montezuma; Elsie, who married James Van 
 Wickle, of New Jersey; Abigail, the wife of 
 Almon Daniels, of Indiana; Martha, who 
 married J. P. Cook, of Michigan; Sarah, who 
 married William Wilson, and resides in Ne- 
 braska; and Marcia G., Mrs. Spoore. The 
 family circle of Mr. Spoore and his pleasant 
 wife was completed by the birth of ten chil- 
 dren, eight of whom are now living, namely: 
 Mary, the wife of C. Goodfellow, of Catoville; 
 
 Susan M., the wife of John Parker, also of 
 Catoville; Martha, who married A. Morrell, 
 of the town of Cato; Kate C. and Carrie A., 
 both at home; Laura, the wife of S. Rey- 
 nolds, of Catoville; Charles A. and Walter, 
 both at home; Rosalia A., who married Will- 
 iam Taylor, and died at the age of thirty-four 
 years; Lizzie, who died at the age of eleven 
 months. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Spoore are genial and agree- 
 able people, and enjoy to the utmost the es- 
 teem and confidence of a large circle of 
 friends and acquaintances. They are a gener- 
 ous and hospitable couple, extending a hearty 
 welcome to the stranger at their gates, and 
 ever mindful of the needs of the poor and 
 afflicted. They are liberal in their religious 
 beliefs, and exert a beneficent influence in 
 their community. In politics Mr. Spoore is a 
 sound Democrat. 
 
 B 
 
 R. SHELDON VOORHEES, one 
 g ■ of the most prominent and active 
 practitioners of Auburn, was born 
 in the town of Glen, Montgomery County, 
 N.Y., February 8, 1852, a son of Isaac 
 Newton and Maria (Enders) Voorhees. Isaac 
 Voorhees was born in the year 18 10, and is of 
 Holland stock. He is still living in the 
 vicinity of his old home. The grandfather, 
 John Voorhees, was one of the old pioneers 
 of Montgomery County. The family are de- 
 scendants of the well-known Voorhees family 
 of New Jersey, who were residents of that 
 State for some time previous to Revolution- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 519 
 
 ary days. Upon removing to Montgomery 
 County, they engaged in farming, cultivating 
 their extensive lands with much success. 
 Mrs. Maria (Enders) Voorhees came from 
 the Schoharie Valley, which was a noted 
 Dutch settlement. She is still living, at 
 the advanced age of seventy-six years. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Voorhees have been married over 
 half a century, celebrating the anniversary 
 of their golden wedding several years ago. 
 Dr. Sheldon Voorhees was educated in the 
 common school, afterward attending Fort Ed- 
 ward Collegiate Institute, and, upon finishing 
 his course there, taught school for one term 
 at a little town called Stone Arabia, in Mont- 
 gomery County. His desire being to enter 
 the medical profession, he studied in the 
 office of Dr. William H. Robb, of Amster- 
 dam, afterward proceeding to Albany, where 
 he placed himself under Drs. Vanderveer and 
 Snow, attending lectures at the Albany Medi- 
 cal College for three years, from which he 
 was graduated in 1879. After successfully 
 passing a competitive examination, he spent 
 a year and a half in the Albany Hospital, 
 serving six months as Junior, six months as 
 Senior, and the same period as Resident Phy- 
 sician, leaving the hospital in the fall of 
 1880. He then went to New York, and took 
 a post-graduate course in the Medical Depart- 
 ment of Columbia College, graduating from 
 that institution in May, 1881, and locating in 
 the city of Auburn on the second day of July 
 of the same year. To his practice, which is a 
 large and lucrative one. Dr. Voorhees is de- 
 voted, and well deserves the reputation which 
 
 he enjoys of being one of the most skilful and 
 faithful physicians in the city of Auburn. 
 
 Dr: Voorhees was married April 26, 1882, 
 to Miss Eliza Van Alstyne, of Richmondville, 
 N.Y. ; and to them two children have been 
 born — Mabel and James. Dr. and Mrs. 
 Voorhees are members of the Central Presby- 
 terian Church. Dr. Voorhees's office and re- 
 sidence are at No. 88 North Street, where 
 he has resided since 1883. He is a promi- 
 nent member of the Cayuga County Medical 
 Society, having served as Secretary for two 
 terms. He is now for the second term filling 
 the office of Master of St. Paul's Lodge, No. 
 124, A. F. & A. M. 
 
 2)1"IRAM TITUS, a public-spirited and 
 esteemed citizen of Aurelius, Cayuga 
 County, is the proprietor of a well- 
 kept and well-appointed farm in this town, 
 which has been his abiding-place the greater 
 part of his life. He was born on January 25, 
 1827, in Dutchess County, and is a lineal 
 descendant of an English family, who emi- 
 grated to New England in early Colonial days, 
 and settled in Connecticut, where his great- 
 grandfather Titus was born. Gilbert Titus, 
 the next in line, was a native of the Empire 
 State, born just across the line from Connecti- 
 cut, in the settlement known as Quaker Hill. 
 He married Jane Hoag; and both spent their 
 entire lives in Dutchess County, being num- 
 bered among the worthy Quakers of that place. 
 
 David S. Titus, son of Gilbert and father of 
 Hiram, was born in La Grange, Dutchess 
 
520 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 County, and received a good common-school 
 education in the place of his nativity, becom- 
 ing also familiar with the labors of the farm 
 during his youthful days. When beginning 
 life for himself, he started out as a butcher, 
 carrying beeves and poultry to New York 
 City. Afterward he opened a store for the 
 sale of general merchandise in La Grange, 
 operating it about a year. Going thence to 
 Poughkeepsie, he bought a shop, and for eight 
 years conveyed passengers and freight from 
 that place to New York City, being also con- 
 nected with the grocery business. Soon after- 
 ward he married; and, desirous of making a 
 permanent home for himself and family, he 
 made a prospecting trip to Cayuga County, 
 performing the journey in a one-horse lum- 
 ber wagon. Being favorably impressed with 
 the country, two years later he moved his 
 family and all of his worldly effects, among 
 the latter being a negro slave, to Cayuga, 
 coming from Montezuma by way of the canal, 
 and from there by wagon. On his arrival he 
 opened the tavern now known as the Titus 
 House, conducting it several years. In his 
 capacity of "mine host" he entertained many 
 distinguished guests, who became his life-long 
 friends, notable among the number being 
 William H. Seward and Judge Folger. Mr. 
 Seward became the final owner of the negro, 
 who for many years was his faithful coach- 
 man. David S. Titus was familiarly known 
 throughout this vicinity as Major Titus, hav- 
 ing won his title by holding that office in a 
 training regiment of his district. For three 
 years he acted as Collector of Tolls on the 
 
 canal at Montezuma, his wife and his son 
 Hiram taking charge of the tavern during his 
 absence. He subsequently purchased a farm, 
 which is now occupied by his youngest son; 
 and here he spent his last years, dying Janu- 
 ary 24, 1880. The maiden name of his wife 
 was Julia A. Coapman; and to them were born 
 four children; namely, Hiram, Josephine E., 
 Julia A., and David S. Titus. 
 
 Hiram, who was the eldest son, obtained 
 his elementary education in the district 
 schools of Cayuga, supplementing it by at- 
 tendance at the Aurora Academy in 1837, and 
 again in 1843 and 1844. After completing 
 his education, his first employment was in the 
 office of the Canal Collector, where he re- 
 mained two years. He then acted as bank 
 agent for one year, after which he returned to 
 the farm. Attacked by the gold fever, in 
 company with a farm laborer he started for 
 California, buying his ticket from New York 
 to San Francisco, via Cape Horn, on a sail- 
 ing-vessel. Leaving home in high spirits, 
 he arrived in New York safely, only to learn 
 that the vessel had sailed two days before. 
 In those days railroads across the continent 
 had not even been thought of. Mr. Titus 
 came back to the farm, resumed his agricult- 
 ural labors, and has continued in his inde- 
 pendent occupation to the present day, with 
 the exception of two years, from 1867 to 1869, 
 when he was Toll Collector on the Canal. 
 
 In 1855 Mr. Titus took one of the most im- 
 portant steps in his career, being then united 
 in marriage to Susan M. Cook, the daughter 
 of John J. and Hicks (Hopy) Cook. Their 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 521 
 
 union has been blessed by the birth of four 
 children, the .following: Julia, the wife of 
 Coral D. Nutt, of Union Springs, who has 
 one child, Harry H.; Kate E., who married 
 Augustus Dunckel, of Cayuga, and has one 
 child; Irene; Hiram M., who married Ada, 
 the daughter of John and Margaret J. (Flynn) 
 Shoemaker, of Aurelius, and has two chil- 
 dren, Glenn and Ray. 
 
 Mr. Hiram Titus is a man of mark and of 
 recognized worth as a citizen, his business 
 ability being unquestioned, and his character 
 irreproachable. In local affairs he takes a 
 genuine interest, and has served with credit 
 to himself and to the satisfaction of his con- 
 stituents in the various offices within the gift 
 of his fellow-townsmen, having been High- 
 way Commissioner for nine consecutive years, 
 besides filling the offices of Inspector of Elec- 
 tions, Assessor, and School Committee. So- 
 cially, he is a valued member of the Masonic 
 fraternity, which he joined in 1848. In 
 politics he has always" affiliated with the 
 Democratic party. 
 
 KAYETTE B. PHILLIPS, of the firm of 
 Robinson & Phillips, prominent gen- 
 eral merchants of Fair Haven, was born in 
 the town of Wolcott, February 25, 1853, and 
 is a son of William W. and Hannah (Van 
 Fleet) Phillips. The father came to Wolcott 
 when a young man, and engaged in farming. 
 For nine years he served as Assessor, occupy- 
 ing that position at the time of his death. 
 He was also Highway Commissioner for some 
 
 years, and one of the most prominent and pro- 
 gressive men of the town. His wife was born 
 in the town of Owasco, and was a daughter of 
 John M. Van Fleet, one of the early settlers 
 of Wayne County. Mr. Phillips died in 
 1876, and Mrs. Phillips in 1889. They were 
 the parents of four children, namely: Fayette 
 B. ; Mary E., wife of M. B. Turner, of Wol- 
 cott; John M., also a resident of Wolcott; 
 and William E., of Bridgeport, Conn. The 
 family are of New Jersey Dutch descent, and 
 are members of the Old Reformed church. 
 
 Fayette B. Phillips received his education 
 at the district school of the town, and at Red 
 Creek Academy, afterward being engaged in 
 teaching and farming in Wayne County, pur- 
 suits which he followed until entering mer- 
 cantile business. In 1879 he came to Fair 
 Haven, and bought an interest in the present 
 firm, which at that time included a grocery 
 stock," a few drugs, and a very limited stock 
 of dry goods, with a small store. The firm 
 afterward bought a lot on the corner of Main 
 Street and Francher Avenue, where they built 
 a fine store, eighty by twenty-nine feet, which 
 they occupy themselves, carrying a heavy line 
 of dry goods, groceries, drugs, crockery, car- 
 pets, etc. They do a very extensive business, 
 their trade being by far the largest of any 
 store in the northern part of the county. 
 They also as a firm own a number of houses 
 and lots at Fair Haven, and are justly consid- 
 ered as being among the most successful busi- 
 ness men of the county. 
 
 Mr. Phillips has been President of the vil- 
 lage board, President of the school board, and 
 
522 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Supervisor, being the only Democratic super- 
 visor elected in the town for twenty-nine 
 years. While holding that office, he was a 
 member of the equalization and other commit- 
 tees. He has been superintendent of the 
 Presbyterian Sunday-school for the past thir- 
 teen years, still holding that office, and is a 
 member, as is also his wife, of the Presbyte- 
 rian Church, of which he is Trustee. At the 
 time of its erection he was Treasurer of the 
 Building Committee. On the 5th of April, 
 1894, he received his appointment as Collector 
 of Customs of the port of Fair Haven. 
 
 Mr. Phillips was married September 2, 
 187s, to Miss Clara M. Hyde, daughter of 
 Alanson and Matilda Hyde, of Victory, this 
 county. Four children have been the fruit of 
 this union — Iva Belle, William H., Carl, and 
 Walter P. Mr. Phillips worthily enjoys the 
 reputation of being one of the most respected 
 and esteemed citizens of Fair Haven, having 
 filled the many honorable positions to which 
 he has been elected with credit to himself and 
 satisfaction to all. He has built a beautiful 
 residence on Main Street, which is essentially 
 a home of culture and refinement. 
 
 Wi 
 
 [LLIAM SLADE, Jr., a well-known 
 attorney-at-law of Niles, Cayuga 
 County, N.Y., was born in that town, October 
 19, 1840. His father, also named William, 
 was born in 1800 in the town of Sempronius. 
 The grandfather, Peleg Slade, Jr., was born 
 at Swansea, Mass., September 25, 1771, the 
 great-grandfather, Peleg, Sr., being also a 
 
 native of Massachusetts. He married Miss 
 Mary Chace, who died September 13, 1838, 
 aged ninety-six, leaving five sons and four 
 daughters. Peleg Slade, Sr., died in 18 13, 
 aged eighty-four. 
 
 Peleg Slade, Jr., was a hatter, having 
 learned his trade at Providence, R.I. He 
 came to Cayuga County with his parents 
 in 1798, settling at Sempronius, where he 
 bought four hundred acres of timber land, 
 which he cleared and cultivated, building a 
 log house, and in a few years erecting a fine 
 frame house. He afterward resumed his trade 
 as a hatter, which he followed for a number of 
 years. He died on his farm in 1868, in his 
 ninety-eighth year, having lived for seventy 
 years under the same roof, his being the first 
 death to occur in the house. He married 
 Miss Betsy Bassett, a native of Worcester, 
 Mass., by whom he had eight children, four 
 sons and four daughters. 
 
 William Slade, the father of the subject of 
 this sketch, was educated in the district 
 schools and also at a select school at Moravia. 
 He taught school for three terms, and, when 
 eighteen years old, came to Kelloggsville, and 
 entered the employment of John Fuller, a 
 merchant, occupying the position of clerk 
 from 1818 to 1825. Upon the death of Mr. 
 Fuller Mr. Slade bought the business, which 
 he carried on for fifty years. He became in- 
 volved in a disastrous speculation, however, 
 by which he lost fifty thousand dollars. He 
 died April 4, 1868, aged eighty-six years. 
 He married Miss Sallie Kennedy, of Niles, 
 a daughter of Samuel and Dorcas (Cogswell) 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 523 
 
 Kennedy. They reared eight children — 
 Mary, William, Esther, Amelia, Dolpha, 
 Fennimore, Charles, and Adelaide. 
 
 William Slade, Jr., was educated in the 
 district schools and the Moravia and Homer 
 Academies. At the age of nineteen he com- 
 menced the study of law with Judge C. C. 
 Dewitt and William F. Hughitt, of Auburn. 
 He remained in their office a year and a half, 
 and then attended the Albany Law School, 
 from whence he was graduated in the class of 
 1862. In May of that year he was admitted 
 to practice at the bar in this State, coming to 
 Kelloggsville, where he commenced practice, 
 continuing to the present time. Mr. Slade is 
 Justice of Sessions, and has held the office 
 of Justice of the Peace for twelve years. He 
 has always been an upholder of the Demo- 
 cratic party, casting his first Presidential vote 
 for McClellan. He has never married, but, 
 with two of his sisters, occupies the old 
 homestead. Mr. Slade is thoroughly versed 
 in the intricacies of the law, having con- 
 ducted and won many important suits, and has 
 been associated in practice with some of the 
 ablest lawyers in the county. He occupies 
 the honorable position of Justice with credit 
 and dignity, his decisions being uniformly 
 just. 
 
 » 
 
 AVID M. HORTON, noteworthy for 
 Iff) J his good citizenship and many ex- 
 cellent traits of character, is a 
 prosperous farmer, pleasantly located on his 
 comfortable homestead in the town of Throop. 
 He was born in the old town of Brutus, 
 
 Cayuga County, June 13, 18 19, the descend- 
 ant of a well-known pioneer of that place, his 
 grandfather, Benjamin Horton, having been 
 among its earliest settlers. The latter, 
 leaving his home in Morristown, N.J., ac- 
 companied by Benjamin Miller, an old Revo- 
 lutionary pensioner, drove across the country 
 to Cayuga County. Buying two hundred 
 acres of land in Aurelius, he cleared an open- 
 ing, and, building a log house, moved into it 
 with his family. The land was in its primi- 
 tive condition, its dense growth of timber 
 being inhabited by the wily red man and the 
 wild beasts of the forest, neither, however, 
 proving at all troublesome. Working with 
 indomitable perseverance and a resolute will, 
 he improved a fine homestead, and gave ma- 
 terial aid in advancing the growth of the 
 town. Here he and his wife, whose maiden 
 name was Hopkins, passed happy and con- 
 tented lives; and here both died. 
 
 David Horton, father of our subject, was 
 born during the residence of his parents in 
 Morristown, N.J. His education was ac- 
 quired in the district schools of Throop; and, 
 as soon as old enough to wield an axe or hoe, 
 he began working with his father on the farm, 
 remaining thus employed until the time of his 
 marriage, when, his parents making a division 
 of the property, the homestead was divided 
 between their two sons, who paid their sisters 
 their portion. The maiden name of the wife 
 of David Horton was Irene Spencer; and to 
 her were born the following children : Gideon, 
 Benjamin, P:iiphus, David M., Nathaniel T., 
 and Harriet. 
 
524 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 David M. Horton was reared and educated 
 in tlie county of liis nativity, attending tlie 
 public scliools of Sennett, and assisting in 
 agricultural pursuits on the home farm. He 
 has continued in his early occupation to the 
 present time, his long and varied experience 
 in practical farming making him an authority 
 in all departments of agriculture. Desiring 
 still larger revenue, about sixteen years ago 
 he began dealing in coal and phosphate, and 
 now carries on a lucrative business in that 
 line in addition to farming. His labors have 
 always proved remunerative, his land being 
 in an excellent state of cultivation, the 
 buildings in good repair, the conveniently 
 arranged barn new, the farm well stocked, 
 and everything about the place bespeak- 
 ing the thrift and good management of the 
 proprietor. 
 
 Mr. Horton was fortunate in securing for a 
 life companion Lucy A. Lewis, the daughter 
 of William R. and Charlotte Lewis, of Sen- 
 nett. Their household circle has been en- 
 larged and enlivened by the birth of four chil- 
 dren ; namely, Charlotte, Josephine, William 
 L., and Hiram F. Charlotte, who is the wife 
 of Leander J. Olmstead, of Des Moines, Iowa, 
 has two children — Millard A. and Clarence; 
 Josephine, who is the wife of J. M. Treat, of 
 Auburn, has two children — Edna and Lulu. 
 Hiram married Lucy M. Skeel. Mr. Horton 
 is a man of sound views on the questions of 
 the day, and takes an intelligent interest in 
 the welfare of his community. In political 
 affairs he supports the principles of the Dem- 
 ocratic party. 
 
 RTEMAS WARD, who materially as- 
 sists in maintaining the reputation of 
 Cayuga County as a superior agri- 
 cultural and stock-raising region, is actively 
 engaged in his chosen occupation in District 
 No. 8 in the town of Scipio. Of this thriv- 
 ing town he has been a life-long resident, 
 having been born here October 20, 1830. 
 He is of excellent New England stock, his 
 father, Hiram Ward, having been a native of 
 the old Bay State. Abner Ward, the grand- 
 father of our subject, removed from Massachu- 
 setts to Cayuga County in the early days of 
 its settlement, when all travel and transporta- 
 tion were accomplished with teams, bringing 
 his family and personal effects in wagons. 
 He bought fifty acres of land in the town of 
 Scipio, erected a frame house, and made val- 
 uable and important improvements, residing 
 there the balance of his life. He was a vet- 
 eran of the Revolutionary War. 
 
 Hiram Ward accompanied his parents to 
 this county, and in clearing the land and 
 placing it under cultivation was of material 
 assistance. With the energy and vigor of 
 young manhood he felled the trees, uprooted 
 the sod, and helped to sow the first seed and 
 gather the first crops. He remained on the 
 homestead as an assistant to his father, and on 
 the death of the latter the farm came into his 
 possession. He continued in the work al- 
 ready begun, and, as the years rolled by, 
 bought more land, ere his death having one of 
 the finest homesteads in the locality. He 
 married Miss Susan Banks, of Scipio, and 
 they reared a family of ten children, as fol- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 525 
 
 lows: Samantha, Artemus, Edwin, Darwin, 
 Hannah, Camelia Van Arsdale, Charles (de- 
 ceased), George, William, and David. 
 
 Artemus Ward acquired his education in 
 the district schools, beginning when very 
 young to perform his share of the manual 
 labor incidental to life on a well-kept farm. 
 Becoming familiar with the theory and prac- 
 tice of agriculture, he has continued to follow 
 this branch of industry throughout his life, 
 having assisted on the paternal homestead for 
 many years. In 1862" he and his brother 
 Edwin bought a farm together, and for five 
 years managed it with success. Mr.*Ward 
 subsequently returned to the old homestead, 
 where he still lives, numbered among the 
 prosperous and enterprising farmers of Scipio. 
 He thoroughly identifies himself with what- 
 ever will promote the highest interests of this 
 section of his native county, his liberality 
 helping forward many schemes for its im- 
 provement and advancement. He is a Demo- 
 crat at all times, and uniformly supports the 
 principles of that party. In 1852 he cast his 
 first Presidential ballot, voting for Franklin 
 Pierce. 
 
 Mr. Ward was married in the year 1865, 
 the ceremony that made Phcebe Ames his wife 
 being performed on the twenty-eighth day of 
 February. Mrs. Ward's parents were Orrin 
 and Filey (Porter) Ames. Her paternal 
 grandfather, Elijah Ames, was one of the 
 original settlers of Cayuga County, and per- 
 formed his full share of the pioneer labor re- 
 quired to develop its resources, and place it 
 on an equal basis with its sister counties. 
 
 Mrs. Ward has well assisted her husband in 
 all the cares and burdens of life, encouraging 
 and counselling him in times of trouble, and 
 has proved herself a true helpmate. She is a 
 woman of high principles, and a conscientious 
 member of the Baptist church. 
 
 ^jEV. DAVID M. VAN TUYL, pastor 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church at 
 Fair Haven, Cayuga County, is 
 well known throughout the surrounding dis- 
 trict as an earnest worker in all religious and 
 charitable undertakings. He was born in 
 Jerusalem, Yates County, September 2, 1848, 
 and is the son of Silas H. and Maria F. Van 
 Tuyl. Silas H. Van Tuyl was one of the old 
 residents of Jerusalem, having come there 
 when very young from near Ovid, in Seneca 
 County. After receiving all the educational 
 advantages the town then afforded, he bought 
 a farm and spent the rest of his life in culti- 
 vating the soil. On February 23, 1836, he 
 was married to Maria F. Randolph', who was 
 born in Milo, Yates County, November 6, 
 1809, and died on February 2, 1890. In 
 early life they were members of the Free Will 
 Baptist church, but later joined the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, and brought up their son in 
 that faith. 
 
 The Rev. David M. Van Tuyl received his 
 early education in the district school at Jeru- 
 salem, afterward going to Penn Yan Academy. 
 From childhood he had shown a strong ten- 
 dency to religious thought and feeling; and, 
 while at Penn Yan, his constant wish was for 
 
526 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 further study, which would prepare him to 
 teach from the pulpit those truths of which he 
 was so firmly convinced. Always keeping in 
 mind the career for which he hoped, although 
 shrinking from so great a responsibility as he 
 knew to rest upon a minister of the gospel, at 
 length he yielded to his convictions, and en- 
 tered Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, and after 
 his course there joined the Central Confer- 
 ence, receiving his first appointment as sup- 
 ply at Breesport. This was in 1884; and he 
 remained here until October 14, 1885, when 
 he was appointed to the church in Logan. 
 After a year of faithful service here Mr. Van 
 Tuyl went to Wellsburg, where he remained 
 three years, and where his ministry will be 
 long remembered for the great awakening 
 attending his efforts, which added about forty 
 members to the church. In October, 1889, 
 he was called to the church at Potter; and 
 after four years' work he had the satisfaction 
 of seeing the membership increased by seventy 
 members, this increase being due to the emi- 
 nently successful revivals carried on under his 
 charge. The Methodist Episcopal church in 
 Fair Haven has a membership of about one 
 hundred and twenty-five, and in 1884 a fine 
 new structure was built in one of the pleas- 
 antest locations of the town. To this church 
 Mr. Van Tuyl was called as minister in Oc- 
 tober, 1893. 
 
 On January 2, 1872, the Rev. Mr. Van 
 Tuyl was married to Mary E. Huff, of Jerusa- 
 lem, Yates County, who was educated at Penn 
 Yan Academy, and is a daughter of J. W. 
 Huff, a farm owner, now of Penn Yan. They 
 
 have one child, Mary I. Van Tuyl, who has 
 attended school at Keuka College and at Penn 
 Yan Academy. 
 
 The Rev. David M. Van Tuyl is spoken of 
 by brother ministers and all others who know 
 him as a man of earnest convictions, strong 
 character, and deep consecration, bound heart 
 and soul to the work of the Christian minis- 
 try. He is an effective and pleasant speaker, 
 both in the pulpit and out of it, and a firm 
 friend and a wise counsellor to all who go to 
 him for advice and consolation. 
 
 /phb 
 
 EORGE B. ANDREWS, Sr., a hale 
 \h^_X_ and hearty man, who bears with ease 
 and dignity his burden of eighty years, is the 
 owner of a comfortable homestead, pleasantly 
 located in Bethel Corners, in the town of Ira, 
 where he has been successfully engaged in his 
 useful calling for many years. He has been 
 a resident of Cayuga County since thirteen 
 years of age. As an important factor in the 
 development of this part of the county, and in 
 the advancement of its welfare, and as the son 
 of one of its prominent pioneers, Mr. An- 
 drews is specially deserving of honorable 
 mention in this biographical review. He was 
 born in Chatham, Columbia County, N.Y., 
 February 28, 1814, son of Samuel and Mar- 
 garet (Brown) Andrews, both of whom were 
 born in the same town. 
 
 Samuel Andrews was reared to farming pur- 
 suits, and followed his chosen occupation in 
 the town of his birth, combining with farm- 
 ing the business of a tanner until his removal 
 
George B, Andrews, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 529 
 
 to this county. In 1827 he bought eighty 
 acres of land in Bethel Corners, and at once 
 began thereon his pioneer labors. He also 
 carried on his former trade of tanning, and 
 met with success in both branches of industry. 
 He was a gentleman highly respected in his 
 community for his straightforward business 
 ways, and soon became an influential member 
 of society, and held several of the minor 
 offices of the town. He took an intelligent 
 and active interest in the educational and 
 moral advancement of the town, and was a 
 prime mover in the erection of the Methodist 
 church, to which he gave the name of Bethel, 
 and of which he and his wife were esteemed 
 members. Politically, he was a representa- 
 tive Democrat. On the homestead which he 
 built up he and his wife spent their last 
 years, he dying when seventy-one years old, 
 and she at the age of eighty-two years. They 
 had a family of eleven children, of whom the 
 following six are yet living, namely: George 
 B.;John, a resident of Weedsport; Maria, 
 who is the wife of Wait Hudgins, of Massa- 
 chusetts; Mary, the wife of Edward Cleve- 
 land, of Oswego County, residing in the town 
 of Hannibal; Margaret, who married Edward 
 Dightman, of Red Creek, Wayne County; 
 and Alzina, who married Martin Bryan, of 
 Troy. 
 
 The first few years of the life of George B. 
 Andrews, Sr., were passed in Columbia 
 County, where he laid the foundation of his 
 education, which was finished after his re- 
 moval to this county. He remained under 
 the parental roof-tree until attaining his ma- 
 
 jority, assisting his father on the farm and in 
 the tannery. Desirous of entering into busi- 
 ness on his own account, when twenty-one 
 years old he bought the tannery, and carried 
 on a profitable business for several years. 
 He subsequently turned his attention to agri- 
 culture, and after the death of his father 
 bought the old home farm in the town of Ira, 
 soon afterward adding twenty acres to the 
 original farm by purchase, and has since been 
 prosperously engaged in general farming and 
 stock-raising. He has bought and sold other 
 land, and at one time his farm contained one 
 hundred and forty acres. At present his 
 homestead consists of ninety-seven and one- 
 half acres of valuable land, from which he 
 reaps abundant crops of grain and tobacco. 
 He also supports a small dairy. He is a 
 farmer of well-known ability, and his ex- 
 tended practical experience has made him an 
 authority on this branch of industry. During 
 his many years of pioneer life, the county 
 having been new when he first came into it, 
 he bravely and cheerfully labored, as soon as 
 physically able, with the other early settlers 
 of the place, and with them will leave foot- 
 prints where coming generations shall follow 
 with far less exertion, and with a far greater 
 number of the comforts and luxuries of this 
 world. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Andrews with Clarissa 
 Mason was solemnized on February 20, 1838; 
 and their wedded life, which has been one of 
 happiness and content, has been of longer 
 duration than usually falls to mortals here 
 below, having already extended over a period 
 
53° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of fifty-six years. Mrs. Andrews was born in 
 the town of Schuyler, Herkimer County, No- 
 vember lo, 1 817, being a daughter of Kings- 
 ley and Abigail (Ingham) Mason, the former 
 of whom was a native of Connecticut, and the 
 latter of Herkimer County, New York. Mr. 
 Mason was one of the early settlers of Cayuga 
 County, and for some years was engaged as a 
 miller in the town of Victory. He subse- 
 quently removed to the town of Brutus, where 
 his death occurred August 7, 1835, when he 
 was seventy-one years old. His wife, who 
 died at the age of fifty-nine years, bore him 
 five daughters, three of whom are now living, 
 namely: Mrs. Andrews; Mrs. Sarah Giles, 
 who resides in Battle Creek, Mich.; and 
 Laura A., who lives in London, Can. 
 
 The household circle of Mr. Andrews and 
 his wife was completed by the birth of seven 
 children, namely: Mason G., a resident of 
 Syracuse; Mrs. Mariette Phelps, of Auburn; 
 George B., Jr., of Bethel Corners; Mrs. Eliza 
 Brackett, who lives at home with her parents; 
 Mrs. Abbie Lindsley, of Bethel Corners; 
 Homer, who resides in Massachusetts; and 
 Hulburt, who died at the age of thirty-six 
 years. 
 
 George B. Andrews, Sr., is a man of prom- 
 inence in the community where he has lived 
 so many years, and has ever exerted his influ- 
 ence to advance the welfare of his town ; and 
 it was mainly through his efforts that the 
 post-office of this Bethel Corners was estab- 
 lished. He is a stanch Democrat in politics, 
 and a sturdy opponent of "the liquor traffic in 
 any form; and he and his good wife are sin- 
 
 cere Christian workers in the Methodist 
 church of Bethel Corners, of which they are. 
 valued members. Mr. Andrews is not an 
 office-holder. He was at one time elected 
 Justice of the Peace, but did not qualify. 
 
 A portrait of this venerable and highly 
 respected citizen is herewith presented. 
 
 OHN R. AUSTIN, an enterprising 
 farmer of Owasco, Cayuga County, 
 N.Y., was born in that village, August 
 15, 1837, his father, John Austin, being a 
 native of the same place. The grandfather, 
 Henry Austin, was a native of Sheffield, 
 Mass., but emigrated from that State in 1795, 
 settling about one mile north of the town of 
 Owasco, and where the village is now located, 
 the old homestead being occupied by his 
 grandson, the subject of this sketch. Mr. 
 Austin died in 1829. His widow, whose 
 maiden name was Prudence Ensign, died in 
 1845. They had the following children: 
 Harriet, born August 16, 1792; Henry, Oc- 
 tober 20, 1794; PZbenezer E., May 2, 1796; 
 Warren, March 8, 1798; Elisha S., Novem- 
 ber 7, 1800; Kellogg, July 18, 1802; Pru- 
 dence, May 19, 1804; James, May 16, 1807; 
 John, July 20, 1810. All of these have 
 passed over to the silent majority. 
 
 The father of the subject of this notice was 
 reared to agricultural pursuits, being with his 
 father until the latter's death, when he suc- 
 ceeded to the ownership of the old homestead. 
 He continued engaged in farming until his 
 death, which took place September 26, 1886, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 531 
 
 when he had attained the age of seventy-six 
 years. He married Caroline Rooks, who was 
 born in the village of Kelloggsville, a daugh- 
 ter of John Rooks, of Cheshire, N.H. Her 
 mother was Phila Tuler. Mr. and Mrs. Aus- 
 tin reared three children — Mary Ann, Helen, 
 and John R. 
 
 John R. Austin was educated in the district 
 schools of Owasco, at Auburn, Skaneateles, 
 and Cazenovia Seminary. Upon the death 
 of his father he succeeded to the ownership of 
 the farm, which includes a fine brick resi- 
 dence and spacious barns, all fitted with the 
 most modern improvements. He was married 
 October 15, 1861, to Louise Prentice, who 
 was born in Skaneateles, a daughter of Sum- 
 ner and Phoebe (Kelly) Prentice. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Austin have reared five children — Ray- 
 mond, Frank R., Grace, Clara, and Clarence. 
 Raymond is an architect, residing at South 
 Bend, Ind. He married Miss Elsie Wood- 
 ruff. Frank R. married Miss Bessie Earl, 
 and makes his home with his parents. Grace 
 became the wife of Albert Snowden; and they 
 removed to Nevada, where her husband died, 
 leaving her with one child — Minnie L. Both 
 now make their home with Mr. Austin. The 
 two younger members of the family, Clara 
 and Clarence, are living at home. All are 
 members of the Dutch Reformed church of 
 Owasco. 
 
 Mr. Austin is a Democrat in politics, and 
 in the spring of 1894 was elected to the office 
 of Supervisor. He never sought public office 
 in any way; but his name was taken up when 
 he was on a sick-bed, and his popularity was 
 
 so great that was he elected without opposi- 
 tion. He is a model farmer in every sense of 
 the word, being held in the highest esteem by 
 his associates and townspeople. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM W. WELLS. The town 
 of Ira is a rich agricultural centre; 
 and among the enterprising and self-reliant 
 men who conduct its farming interests the 
 subject of this sketch occupies no unimportant 
 place. He was born in Cambridge, Washing- 
 ton County, N.Y., on December 6, 1820. 
 His father, Sanford Wells, was a native of 
 the same town; and his mother, whose maiden 
 name was Nancy Van Patten, was born in 
 Schoharie County. 
 
 The Wells family are of English origin. 
 The first of the name who emigrated to the 
 United States settled in Connecticut, whence 
 the great-grandfather of William removed to 
 this State, becoming one of the early settlers 
 of Washington County, where his son, Joseph 
 Wells, was born. He was an earnest and 
 honest tiller of the soil, spending the fifty- 
 five years of his life in the place of his nativ- 
 ity, a respected and honored citizen. He was 
 much interested in the cause of education and 
 religion, and he and his family were active 
 members of the Presbyterian church. 
 
 Sanford Wells, son of Joseph, was reared to 
 manhood on his father's farm, and chose farm- 
 ing as his life occupation. After engaging 
 in mixed husbandry for several years in the 
 county of his birth, he came to the town of 
 Ira in 1836, making the trip by means of the 
 
S32 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 canal and teams. Purchasing one hundred 
 acres of land, on which the improvements 
 were very few and of little account, with the 
 assistance of his sons he improved a fine 
 homestead, where he and his worthy wife 
 spent their last years, he passing away at the 
 age of seventy-seven, and his wife at the age 
 of eighty-four. To them were born ten chil- 
 dren, four of whom are now living, as fol- 
 lows: William W., above named; David, a 
 farmer in Hannibal; Joseph, a farmer resid- 
 ing in Iowa; and Mrs. Charlotte Osborne, 
 who resides in Oswego Falls, N.Y. They 
 were numbered among the people of influence, 
 and were important members of the farming 
 community, ably assisting in the development 
 of the town. In Mr. Sanford Wells the Dem- 
 ocratic party had a stanch supporter. He was 
 a member in good standing of the Presbyterian 
 church, and his wife was a devoted member of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 William W. Wells lived in Washington 
 County until sixteen years of age, when he 
 came with his parents to Cayuga County. He 
 had already completed his education in the 
 district schools of his native county; and, 
 after coming here, he worked with his father 
 several years on the homestead. At the age 
 of twenty-one he started in life for himself, 
 working at first by the month as a farm 
 laborer, and afterward in a saw-mill, receiving 
 thirteen dollars a month for his services. At 
 the end of three years he had saved some 
 money; and, following the example of his an- 
 cestors, he turned his face westward, going 
 to the State of Illinois, and settling in Lake 
 
 County, where he bought one hundred and 
 twenty acres of wild prairie land, paying for 
 it ten shillings an acre. The country was 
 then new, and not a furrow had been turned 
 on the land he purchased. But the soil was 
 rich, yielding readily to cultivation; and in 
 the course of a few years he possessed a fine 
 farm. In 1856, having been twelve years 
 from home, his heart yearned for the scenes 
 of his earlier years ; and, retracing his steps, 
 he came to the town of Ira, where he bought 
 the farm on which he now resides, and has 
 since been extensively engaged in general 
 farming and stock-raising. He pays especial 
 attention to his dairy, having from twenty to 
 thirty choice cows, and in all of his undertak- 
 ings meets with excellent success. In the 
 management of his agricultural interests he 
 shows marked ability, and occupies a leading 
 position among the prominent and prosperous 
 farmers of Ira. His farm of one hundred and 
 seventy-five acres is well cultivated and well 
 improved, being furnished with an excellent 
 set of farm buildings, and plenty of machinery 
 of the most approved kinds, to carry on his 
 work successfully. It is considered one of 
 the most valuable in the locality. 
 
 Mr. Wells has been twice married. The 
 maiden name of his first wife, to whom he 
 was united January 20, 1845, was Hester M. 
 Prior. She was born in Onondaga County, 
 being a daughter of Anthony Prior, a re- 
 spected resident of that county, who was there 
 engaged as a farmer and blacksmith. After 
 her marriage Mrs. Wells accompanied her 
 husband to Illinois, where she shared with 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S33 
 
 him the labors and discomforts of pioneer 
 life; and gladly she returned with him to 
 their former home. On October 4, 1890, she 
 passed from earth, leaving five children, of 
 whom the following is the record: Edward 
 P., a farmer by occupation, lives at home. 
 Willis M., a physician, resides at Oswego 
 Falls. Hattie, who married John R. Me- 
 graw, a farmer, lives in Ira. Fred, a farmer, 
 lives in Granby, Oswego County. Ellen M., 
 the wife of Edwin Wilcox, resides in the 
 town of Hannibal. 
 
 On November 11, 1891, Mr. Wells married 
 Mrs. Maria Clapp, mr Van Patten, who is a 
 native of Ira, and is a daughter of Nicholas 
 Van Patten. Mr. and Mrs. Wells have a 
 cheerful and cosey home, where they enjoy the 
 comforts with which they are surrounded, and 
 where they gladly welcome their many friends 
 and acquaintances. Mr. Wells is an es- 
 teemed and consistent member of the Metho- 
 dist church. In politics he is a Republican, 
 and is a strong advocate of temperance, being 
 a Prohibitionist in principle. 
 
 |ETUS JUMP, a well-known citizen of 
 Cayuga County, was born October 11, 
 1827, his father and grandfather 
 both having been life-long residents of Green- 
 ville, Greene County, N.Y. Horace Jump, 
 the father, settled in Cayuga County in 1832, 
 locating his home first at Bolt's Corner, 
 finally moving to Genoa, where he died at the 
 age of seventy-seven years. He was united 
 in marriage to Eunice Drake, the daughter of 
 
 William and Catherine (Ketchum) Drake, of 
 Greene County, the following children being 
 born to them: Calvin L., Charlotte G., Clau- 
 dius, Netus, Charity N., Eunice, Susan M., 
 John R. Calvin married, and left three chil- 
 dren — Hiram, George, and Ida. Hiram 
 married in Ohio, and is now a resident of 
 Ledyard, this county. George married Miss 
 D. Reamer, and resides at Five Corners, 
 Genoa. Ida married James Deremer, also a 
 resident of Genoa. Charlotte, the eldest 
 daughter, married Hiram Phelps, and had 
 four children — Calvin, William, Elizabeth, 
 and Barbara, all of whom live in Ontario 
 County. Charity, united in marriage to 
 Daniel Merritt, is the mother of three child- 
 ren — Frances C, Lottie C, and Cluda C. 
 Frances married Henry Purdy, of Genoa. 
 Lottie is the wife of Isaac B. White, of 
 Rochester, N.Y. 
 
 Claudius Jump has had an eventful and 
 varied career. In the fall of 185 1 he left his 
 native place for California, going by steamer, 
 via the Isthmus. He occupied himself in 
 mining for two years, and then turned to farm- 
 ing, purchasing a farm of two hundred acres, 
 which he cultivated with success. Later his 
 attention was again directed to mining; and, 
 selling his farm, he engaged in mining for six 
 years. He subsequently kept a hotel for two 
 years near Sacramento, and after a lapse of 
 that time sold out and spent a year in Oregon, 
 prospecting. He then travelled in Idaho, 
 Washington Territory, and Montana. In the 
 latter State he was for fifteen years engaged 
 in farming, having there purchased a farm of 
 
534 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 one thousand acres, fifty acres of it being good 
 timber-land, situated on the easterly side of 
 the Rocky Mountains. In 1892 Mr. Claudius 
 Jump returned to Cayuga County after an ab- 
 sence of forty-one years, and has since resided 
 at the farm of his brother, Netus, the subject 
 of this sketch. Netus Jump received his 
 education at the district schools of Scipio, 
 Ledyard, and Genoa. He has always been 
 engaged in the business of agriculture, and 
 for more than forty years has owned and occu- 
 pied a farm, which he bought in 1852, in 
 Genoa, on the lake road, known as Jump's 
 Corner. He rebuilt the house, and added a 
 fine barn. The latter was destroyed by fire, 
 but was at once rebuilt. Mr. Jump is an in- 
 fluential and esteemed resident of Genoa, and 
 has held the office of Assessor and Inspector 
 of Election Returns. He is also a member in 
 good standing in the Masonic body, having 
 represented his lodge at the councils of the 
 Grand Lodge on several occasions, and is a 
 member of the Grange. In religious belief 
 he is a Presbyterian, attending the Ferry 
 Presbyterian Church. In politics Mr. Jump 
 is a Republican. He cast his first Presiden- 
 tial vote for Zachary Taylor in 1848. 
 
 The subject of this sketch is a fine example 
 of the American yeoman. Leading a quiet 
 and useful life on the farm, he has had neither 
 time nor inclination to allow himself to be 
 placed prominently in public affairs. He is 
 a stanch friend to those who are worthy of 
 his friendship, a true man in every sense of 
 the word, and deservedly enjoys the respect 
 and confidence of his neighbors. 
 
 /^HESTER MORLEY, who occupies a 
 \J\ foremost position among the worthy 
 
 ^^ ^ and respected citizens of the town 
 
 of Cato, has spent the larger portion of his 
 long and pleasant life within its boundaries, 
 and since attaining manhood has been con- 
 spicuously identified with the best interests of 
 town and county, generously using his influ- 
 ence to promote the public welfare. Mr. 
 Morley was born in the town of Pompey, 
 Onondaga County, on March 8, 1828. His 
 parents, Chester and Ann (Sprague) Morley, 
 both of whom were born in Connecticut, re- 
 moved to Onondaga County a few years after 
 their marriage, being among the original 
 settlers of that county; but, after residing 
 there awhile, they came to Cayuga County, 
 and, settling- in the town of Cato in 1832, 
 thereafter, being people of rare intelligence 
 and much interested in educational matters, 
 took an active part in all enterprises tending 
 to the advancement of this thriving town and 
 to the enlightenment of its people. An ex- 
 tended sketch of the family ancestors, on both 
 the maternal and paternal sides, is given in 
 connection with the sketch of J. Sprague 
 Morley, a brother of Chester Morley, which 
 appears on another page of this volume. 
 
 Little Chester was about four years old 
 when his parents removed to Cato, and the 
 days of his youth following his brief remain- 
 ing childhood were not days of idleness. 
 He received ample opportunities for obtaining 
 a common-school education; and, after finish- 
 ing his studies, he spent many years in farm 
 labor, and was an able assistant in the pioneer 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 53S 
 
 work of clearing the homestead and placing its 
 broad acres under cultivation. He has been 
 for many years a resident of the village of 
 Meridian, where he is numbered among the 
 sound business men who are contributing so 
 much toward its reputation as a desirable 
 place of residence, both in a social and finan- 
 cial point of view. His excellent judgment 
 and good common sense in the management 
 of public affairs are recognized ; and his esti- 
 mable character, as well as his capability, has 
 given him an important place in the commun- 
 ity. For many years he has served as Town 
 Clerk, a position which he still holds; and for 
 sixteen years he was Postmaster in the village. 
 In him the Republican party finds one of its 
 most faithful allies, and he supports its prin- 
 ciples by voice and vote. Religiously, he is an 
 esteemed member of the Presbyterian church. 
 In 1850 Mr. Chester Morley was united in 
 marriage with Miss Amelia C. Palmeter, a 
 native of Onondaga County, a daughter of 
 Obadiah and Amanda (Wright) Palmeter, of 
 Onondaga County, N.Y. This union was 
 hallowed by the birth of three daughters and 
 one son; namely, Alice V., Lillian A., Frank 
 L., and Luella F. Mrs. Morley departed this 
 life on January 31, 1891; and her mortal 
 remains were laid at rest in the Meridian 
 Cemetery. 
 
 nr^i AVID Y. BOWER, an enterprising 
 I'^Tj and progressive farmer of Aurelius, 
 ("^-^ Cayuga County, was born in Spring- 
 port, October 17, 1853. His father, the late 
 David Bower, was born in Springport, May 
 
 18, 1820, and died in Aurelius, December 
 17, 1892. Michael Bower, father of David, 
 was a native of Pennsylvania, born in the 
 year 1784. When a young man, he came 
 with his father to Tompkins County, New 
 York, being among the early settlers of the 
 place. He assisted in building the log house 
 which was their first place of abode; and after 
 the death of his father, which occurred in a 
 short time, he went to live with an aunt, 
 staying with her until his marriage. He then 
 began life by purchasing thirty-five acres of 
 land in Cayuga County in 1804, upon which 
 he built a house and began the cultivation of 
 the land. A few years later he moved to 
 Springport, where he purchased the farm now 
 owned by Jotham W. Shank. There he lived 
 with his family for a number of years in true 
 pioneer style, depending upon the productions 
 of the soil and the game to be found in the 
 forest for their subsistence, wearing garments 
 of homespun, and teaming their surplus prod- 
 uce many weary miles to market, Albany 
 being their most convenient trading-post, and 
 the now prosperous city of Auburn being a 
 little village, known as Hardenburg's Cor- 
 ners. Mr. Bower found his farm to be rich 
 and productive, yielding him a good income; 
 and on this land the Bower family claims the 
 distinction of making the first discovery of 
 plaster in this county. Here Michael Bower 
 and his worthy wife, who was Elizabeth, 
 daughter of John Shoemaker, of Pennsyl- 
 vania, spent their declining years, she passing 
 away September 9, 1881, he having preceded 
 her many years, dying December i, 1829. 
 
536 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 David Bower, their son, was educated in 
 the district schools of his native town, and 
 after his father's death managed the home- 
 stead property for his mother for several 
 years. At the age of twenty-four years he 
 took unto himself a wife, and, desiring a 
 home of his own, bought a tract of land con- 
 taining eighty-five acres in the town of 
 Springport, the land being known as the Rab- 
 bit Farm. He was an energetic, wide-awake 
 man, and set to work with a will to improve his 
 estate. He put a large part of the land under 
 cultivation, erected a new house and all of the 
 buildings that are now standing on the place. 
 
 Ten years later he sold that farm to his 
 brother John, and purchased of Israel Shoe- 
 maker the homestead now occupied by his 
 son, David Y. Bower, consisting at that time 
 of one hundred and sixteen acres of land; but 
 a few acres were afterward condemned and 
 sold for railway purposes. Here he labored 
 diligently and successfully, improving and 
 beautifying his farm, which yielded him rich 
 returns each year. He was a man of upright 
 character, honest and firm in his convictions 
 of justice, and was held in high regard by his 
 fellow-townsmen. The maiden name of his 
 wife, to whom he was married in 1844, was 
 Mary Yawger. She was a daughter of Peter 
 and Cornelia (Mersereau) Yawger, of Cayuga 
 County. To them were born the following 
 children: Peter, Mary C, Mary E., David 
 Y., Frances ]., and Florence E. 
 
 David Y. Bower, who is probably indebted 
 to his mother's family name for his middle 
 initial, had very good educational advantages, 
 
 attending first the district schools, and after- 
 ward the Friends' Academy at Union Springs, 
 N.Y. After completing his studies, he began 
 working with his father on the home farm; 
 and, finding that occupation congenial to his 
 tastes, as well as profitable, he continued in it, 
 renting the home place of his father on shares, 
 and since the death of the father he has worked 
 in the same way on shares for himself and the 
 other heirs. He is a skilful and practical 
 farmer, systematic and thorough in his meth- 
 ods, and is meeting with excellent success in 
 his operations. 
 
 As a successful agriculturist, a trustworthy 
 citizen, and a man of strict integrity and high 
 moral principles, Mr. Bower has the respect 
 and esteem of his neighbors and friends. In 
 politics he affiliates with the Democratic 
 party, as did his father. He has never mar- 
 ried; but the home is well presided over by 
 his estimable sister, Florence E., who, with 
 her family, lives on the homestead. She 
 married Charles J. Shank, son of Jotham W. 
 and Josephine (Titus) Shank; and they have 
 two children — Florence M. and Charles J. 
 Mr. Bower's sister Frances, who lives in 
 Springport, married William H. Shoemaker, 
 son of Michael and Abigail (Schenck) Shoe- 
 maker; and they have one child, a son, named 
 Florian. 
 
 ENRY S. ANDERSON, an able rep- 
 resentative of the horticultural and 
 floricultural interests of Cayuga 
 County, is a valued resident of Springport, 
 where he has an extensive nursery, well filled 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 537 
 
 with a rare and choice collection of plants, 
 roots, and bulbs, of both foreign and domestic 
 culture. He is of New England ancestry, his 
 paternal grandfather having been a life-long 
 resident of Vermont, where his father. Dr. 
 N. S. Anderson, was born, reared, and edu- 
 cated. After receiving his medical diploma 
 from Burlington College, Dr. Anderson began 
 the practice of his profession in his native 
 State. Subsequently removing to the newer 
 country of the West, he settled in Lockport, 
 111., in 1840, and met with such flattering 
 encouragement in his work that he continued 
 there in the active duties of his profession 
 until 1857, when he was drowned in the Illi- 
 nois and Michigan Canal, while returning 
 from a visit to a patient. He was a physi- 
 cian and surgeon of much repute in that 
 locality; and his untimely death, while yet in 
 his prime, being but forty-nine years of age, 
 was a great loss to his community and to the 
 profession at large. He married Emily 
 Frary, the daughter of Asa Frary, of Fre- 
 lighsburg, Quebec; and they became the par- 
 ents of four children, namely: Henry S., of 
 Springport; J. De Witt, who is a resident of 
 Abercorn, Quebec; and two sons who died in 
 infancy. 
 
 Henry S. Anderson was born in Lockport, 
 111., on February S, 1852. He attended the 
 public schools of Lockport, and after the 
 death of his father removed to Montreal, 
 Can., where his education was continued at 
 the high school of McGill College of that 
 city. Subsequently returning to the Prairie 
 State, he lived two years in Lockport, finish- 
 
 ing his studies in the high school of that 
 place, going thence to Lemont, where he was 
 employed for a year and a half in a store of 
 general merchandise. Being greatly inter- 
 ested in horticulture, and desirous of acquir- 
 ing a practical knowledge of the art, Mr. 
 Anderson then came to Geneva, N.Y., and, 
 entering the employment of Pratt, De Witt & 
 Co. in 1869, worked for them until they sold 
 out to R. G. Chase & Co. in 1873, having 
 made his way up to the position of foreman. 
 Leaving Geneva in the spring of that year, 
 Mr. Anderson accepted a similar position 
 with the firm of Farley & Mersereau in 
 Union Springs, representing the interests of 
 the junior member of the firm. In the fall of 
 1874 he purchased an undivided half of the 
 interest of Mr. Mersereau, and thus continued 
 in the business until January, 1880, when he 
 purchased the remaining half-interest, and the 
 firm name was changed to Farley & Anderson. 
 The business was now enlarged; and on Janu- 
 ary I, 1 88 1, Mr. Anderson bought out his 
 partner's interest. Dr. P"arley reserving to 
 himself the importation of foreign stocks, in 
 which he had spent great care and pains, hav- 
 ing crossed the ocean fourteen times in mak- 
 ing his importations. On the death of Dr. 
 Farley Mr. Anderson engaged in the importa- 
 tion of nursery stocks; and in the interest of 
 this department of his business he has crossed 
 the Atlantic ten times, visiting France, Eng- 
 land, Scotland, Holland, and Belgium, bring- 
 ing to this country an extensive collection of 
 fruit and ornamental trees. His nursery con- 
 tains about forty acres, all of which he util- 
 
538 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 izes in his work of raising flowers, fruits, and 
 general nursery stoclc. Mr. Anderson is a 
 man of rare business ability; and this, com- 
 bined with his close application to his 
 favorite industry, has placed him among the 
 leading nursery men of the Em.pire State, 
 which is noted throughout the length and 
 breadth of the country as the home of exten- 
 sive nurseries. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Henry S. Anderson 
 with Miss Carrie Farley, daughter of Dr. 
 H. H. and Susan (Legore) Farley, was sol- 
 emnized in 1878; and of their union two chil- 
 dren have been born — Charles D. and Susie 
 F. Anderson. Mr. Anderson takes a deep 
 interest in promoting the welfare of the town 
 and county, encouraging all enterprises tend- 
 ing to benefit the public. He served on the 
 Town Committee for several years, and was 
 elected Supervisor last spring, under the new 
 law, for two years. He is a member of the 
 Masonic fraternity, belonging to Warren 
 Lodge, No. 147, and Union Springs Chapter, 
 No. 179, R. A. M., of Union Springs, and to 
 the A. S. Rites of Auburn. Mr. Anderson is a 
 strong Republican, being a firm believer in the 
 principles supported by that party, and cast his 
 first Presidential vote in 1876, for Rutherford 
 B. Hayes. 
 
 ILLIAM F. HUGHITT, attorney 
 and counsellor-at-law, and ex-Judge 
 of the Cayuga County Court, was born at 
 Genoa, N.Y., October 22, 1832, the son of 
 Orin and Harriett (Wilbur) Hughitt. The 
 Hughitt family were among the original set- 
 
 tlers of this county, Orin Hughitt coming 
 with his father Oliver previous to 1800, 
 when they cleared land and engaged in agri- 
 cultural pursuits. Oliver Hughitt was an ac- 
 tive participant in the War of 1812, serving 
 in the operations on the frontier, near Ni- 
 agara. After the Civil War Orin Hughitt 
 removed to Auburn, where he died. The 
 maternal grandfather, William Wilbur, was a 
 member of the Albany Assembly, serving two 
 terms. He fought for the defence of his 
 country in the War of 18 12. 
 
 William F. Hughitt was educated at Genoa 
 Academy, afterward proceeding to Amherst, 
 where he was graduated with the degree of 
 B.A. in the class of 1855. He then read law 
 with the firm of Underwood & Avery, and was 
 admitted to the bar in 1857, at the Roches- 
 ter general term. He immediately came to 
 Auburn, and commenced practice for himself, 
 in which he has been^highly successful. He 
 has held several minor offices, giving general 
 satisfaction. In November, 1863, he was 
 elected to the responsible position of County 
 Judge, entering on that office in January, 
 1864, and served in this capacity two terms of 
 four years each under the old ■ constitution, 
 and one term of six years under the new, 
 making fourteen years of continuous service. 
 He then continued practice, to which he has 
 since given most of his attention. He has 
 also been prominently identified with different 
 manufacturing concerns in Auburn. 
 
 He was united in marriage to Miss Rachel 
 Milliken, who is a native of Genoa, where she 
 was reared. Three children are the offspring 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 539 
 
 of this union, namely: Fred E., who is an 
 attorney, and has been associated with his 
 father in business since 1881 ; Emma, wife of 
 J. B. Houston; and a younger daughter. Miss 
 Carrie Hughitt. 
 
 Judge Hughitt enjoys the reputation of 
 having been one of the best County Judges 
 Auburn ever had, and during his long occu- 
 pancy of that responsible office was known as 
 a wise and impartial dispenser of justice. 
 He is an active member of the First Presby- 
 terian Church, and for many years has served 
 as Elder. 
 
 -OHN S. AUSTIN, a highly respected 
 farmer of Sennett, Cayuga County, 
 N.Y., was born in that town, July 
 23, 1835, and is the son of E. Sedwick Aus- 
 tin, a native of Owasco, Cayuga County. 
 The grandfather, Henry Austin,- was born at 
 Sheffield, Mass., emigrating from there to 
 New York State in 1795, and settling in the 
 "town of Owasco, which was situated in the 
 depths of the wilderness. He bought land, 
 which he cleared, and erected a log house, 
 which was afterward converted into a- com- 
 modious frame one. He died in 1829. He 
 married Miss Prudence Ensign, who survived 
 him sixteen years, dying in 1845. 
 
 E. Sedwick Austin, the father of John S., 
 was educated in the district schools, and was 
 brought up to fanning. He remained on the 
 homestead until his twenty-sixth year, when 
 he came to the town of Sennett, and bought a 
 tract of land in lots Nos. 31 and 21, and, 
 adding to his property, was at one time the 
 
 owner of over four hundred acres. He was 
 Supervisor of the Town, an office which he 
 held very acceptably. He was the architect 
 of his own fortune, and by honest dealing, 
 prudent management, and indefatigable indus- 
 try, accumulated a large property. He occu- 
 pied an honorable position among the leading 
 men of his town, and by his uniform kindness 
 and genial ways possessed the confidence and 
 esteem of all. His last days were spent on 
 the farm, where he died September 6, 1880. 
 He was married first, January 27, 1824, to 
 Abigail, daughter of Elder Elkannah Com- 
 stock, by whom he had one child, Martha, 
 who was born November 23, 1825. His sec- 
 ond marriage took place June 17, 1829, Miss 
 Harriet Harvey, a native of Marcellus, Onon- 
 daga County, and a daughter of Medad and 
 Anna (Buell) Harvey, becoming his wife. 
 By this union there were four children, 
 namely: Harvey, born June 7, 1830; Abi- 
 gail, born August 23, 1832, died December 
 S, 1836; John S., born July 23, 1835; and 
 Sanford, born August 23, 1838. Harvey 
 Austin married Margaret L. Wright, of El- 
 bridge, Onondaga County. 
 
 John S. Austin was educated in the dis- 
 trict schools, also attending the academy at 
 Homer. He remained at home on the farm 
 until his twenty-fourth year, when his father 
 gave him fifty acres of land a short distance 
 from the old homestead. He has since added 
 considerably to this, and now owns one hun- 
 dred and thirty-nine acres of the best land in 
 the county, having fine farm buildings with 
 all modern improvements. 
 
S40 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Austin was married October 19, 1859, 
 to Ruth A. Sunderlin, a daughter of Horace 
 and Margaret (Glass) Sunderlin, of Sennett, 
 two daughters being the fruit of the union, 
 namely: Frances Harriet, who was married 
 January 11, 1894, to Wilbur M. Howe, of 
 Weedsport; and Grace Margaret, who is at 
 home with her parents. Mr. Austin and his 
 family are members of the Baptist church of 
 Sennett. He is a Democrat in politics, but, 
 his time being fully taken up with agricultural 
 pursuits, has never sought any public office. 
 He is well and favorably known as a cultured 
 and genial man, an industrious and persever- 
 ing farmer, and the worthy son of a worthy 
 sire. 
 
 ^ETH R. WEBB, one of the old- 
 est native-born citizens of Cayuga 
 County, is an honored representative 
 of the early pioneers of this section of our 
 beautiful country, and a true type of the ener- 
 getic, hardy, and enterprising men who have 
 actively assisted in the development of this 
 fertile and productive agricultural region. In 
 the days of his boyhood the wild beasts of the 
 forest had not fled before the advancing steps 
 of civilization, but, with the dusky savage, 
 habited the vast wilderness. The beautiful 
 city of Auburn was then a small hamlet, with 
 few habitations; and the adjacent towns and 
 villages have all been built under his observa- 
 tion. In this development Mr. Webb has 
 taken an important part, and by his sagacity 
 and keen foresight has at the same time been 
 enabled to accumulate a very considerable 
 
 fortune. He was born in the old town of 
 Scipio, October 8, 1810, and is a son of 
 Stephen and Anna (Lyon) Webb, both of 
 whom were natives of Connecticut, the father 
 having been born in the town of Stamford, 
 and the mother in Greenwich. 
 
 Stephen Webb, Sr., the paternal grand- 
 father of our subject, was an old soldier of the 
 Revolutionary War, as was Caleb Lyon, his 
 maternal grandfather; and from these two 
 heroic patriots Seth Webb must have inher- 
 ited his patriotism, integrity, and many other 
 noble traits of character. Both were num- 
 bered among the original settlers of Cayuga 
 County, and after their arrival here returned 
 not to the homes of their youth, but out of the 
 dense forests of this region established for 
 themselves permanent homes in this vicinity. 
 In some respects their lives were nearly 
 identical: both were representative men of 
 their times, both lived to the age of fourscore 
 years, and both spent their declining years in 
 this county, Mr. Webb dying in the town of 
 Scipio. He reared a family of eight children, 
 six sons and two daughters. The family cir- 
 cle of Mr. Lyon included eleven children, of 
 whom seven were sons. 
 
 The father of our subject, Stephen Webb, 
 Jr., first visited this county in 1794, but after 
 a short stay returned to the State of his nativ- 
 ity, and the following year again came to this 
 locality, bringing his family and all his pos- 
 sessions with him. The trip was made in 
 wagons, and consumed twenty-two days, their 
 course being marked by blazed trees. He 
 located in the old town of Scipio, where he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S4I 
 
 bought one hundred and seventy-five acres of 
 wild land, from which not a tree had been 
 felled. With an energetic spirit and a pio- 
 neer's axe he began the clearing and improve- 
 ment of a homestead. In addition to his 
 labors on the farm he also engaged in black- 
 smithing, a trade which he had learned in his 
 younger days, and which he found quite 
 profitable. The people of those days lived in 
 a very primitive manner, with few modern 
 conveniences. Travelling was mostly per- 
 formed on foot or horseback; and in this way 
 he had to go to mill, twelve miles distant, to 
 get a little meal ground. Mr. Webb im- 
 proved a goodly portion of his land ; but, ere 
 he reached the meridian of life, he was called 
 from the scenes of his earthly labors, his 
 death occurring on the home farm in April, 
 1 82 1. His good wife survived him nearly 
 half a century, dying at the home of her 
 daughter in January, 1870, in the ninety-first 
 year of her age. Of the seven children born 
 of their union the following are now living: 
 Seth R. ; David, who is a resident of the vil- 
 lage of Moravia; and Lydia, the wife of 
 James C. Sayre, of Marcellus, N.Y. 
 
 Seth R. Webb grew to manhood in the 
 town of Venice, and received a liberal educa- 
 tion, attending first the district schools, and 
 afterward the Auburn Academy. Following 
 in the footsteps of his ancestors, he turned his 
 attention to agricultural pursuits, in which he 
 has been engaged the larger part of his active 
 and useful life, although in his earlier years 
 he was for a time employed as clerk in a 
 store in Auburn. In 1839 Mr. Webb bought 
 
 the farm where he now lives, moving onto it 
 the following year. It contains one hundred 
 and seventy-four acres of as fine farming land 
 as can be found in this locality, and under his 
 intelligent management has been highly culti- 
 vated and improved. He is a systematic and 
 thorough farmer, and everything about his 
 premises indicates the existence of cultivated 
 tastes and ample means. His farming imple- 
 ments are of the most improved pattern, and 
 everything is in keeping with the appliances 
 of a first-class agriculturist. He possesses 
 great mechanical talent, and can turn his 
 hand to good advantage in many directions, 
 and in his shop does a great deal of the neces- 
 sary repairing of tools and machinery. 
 
 Mr. Webb possesses a vast fund of general 
 information, and, being a fluent and ready 
 conversationalist, is most entertaining and in- 
 teresting. Politically, he is a stanch Repub- 
 lican, and has served his fellow-townsmen in 
 many responsible positions, and always to the 
 utmost satisfaction of all concerned. As Jus- 
 tice of the Peace for a period of eight years, 
 his decisions were always tempered with wis- 
 dom and justness. He has filled the office of 
 School Collector some years, and has been 
 Clerk in his school district since 1840, a 
 position which he still holds, having filled 
 the office for a longer period of time than any 
 other man. His religious opinions coincide 
 with the doctrines taught in the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, although he is not a church 
 member. Socially, he is a member of Sylvan 
 Lodge, No. 41, A. F. & A. M. That Mr. 
 Webb bears so well and easily the burden of 
 
542 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 his years, his physical health being good, and 
 his intellect as brilliant and vigorous as in 
 days of yore, may be partially attributed to 
 his freedom from domestic cares and tribula- 
 tions, he never having become a benedict. 
 
 [rs^TENRY SHELDON McARTHUR, 
 Justice of the Peace and Deputy 
 Postmaster of Fair Haven, was 
 born in the town of North East, Dutchess 
 County, N.Y., October 14, 1835, and is a son 
 of Arthur and Catherine (Weaver) McArthur. 
 The father was born near North East in 1805, 
 and was a prominent farmer of that place. In 
 1837 he removed from there to Victory, where 
 he purchased a farm, following agricultural 
 pursuits there and in Conquest until the time 
 of his death, in 1857. Mrs. McArthur was 
 born at Pine Plains, Dutchess County, N.Y., 
 September 15, 1805, the daughter of Henry 
 Weaver, a prominent farmer. Her grand- 
 father, Peter Weaver, was of German nation- 
 ality, and a veteran of the Revolutionary 
 War. Mrs. McArthur died July 20, 1892, 
 leaving one son, Henry S. The ancestors on 
 the paternal side were of Scotch descent, the 
 grandfather, Reuben McArthur, coming from 
 Scotland with his father, Duncan, and set- 
 tling near Copake, Columbia County. 
 
 Henry S. McArthur was brought by his 
 parents to Victory when he was but two years 
 old. He received a good education in the 
 schools of that town, and was engaged in 
 teaching in both Wayne and Cayuga Counties 
 until i860, when he commenced to learn the 
 
 trade of carpenter. In September, 1861, he 
 enlisted in Company B, Seventy -fifth New 
 York Volunteer Infantry, and was sent to 
 Santa Rosa Island, remaining there for six 
 months during the bombardment of the forts, 
 afterward being sent to Camp Kearney at New 
 Orleans. The regiment then went to Donald- 
 sonville, where Taylor was forced to retreat, 
 and later participated in the fight with the 
 gunboat "Cotton" on the Teche River and 
 Bayou. The next battle was at Camp Bis- 
 land. The regiment then went to Alexandria 
 and around to Port Hudson. The next en- 
 gagement was that of the Sabine Pass in 
 Texas, where Mr. McArthur volunteered to go 
 on the gunboat as a sharpshooter, when he 
 was taken prisoner, being confined for ten 
 months in various prisons. He was captured 
 September 8, and exchanged July loth fol- 
 lowing. The regiment then went to Cotton 
 Press Barracks for four weeks, where he ob- 
 tained a furlough of thirty days, rejoining the 
 army in the Shenandoah Valley, just in time 
 to go to Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar 
 Creek, the latter being the last battle in 
 which he participated, his time having ex- 
 pired two months previously. He was 
 wounded on the gunboat "Clifton," and also 
 at Cedar Creek. He went out as a private, 
 was promoted to Orderly Sergeant, and previ- 
 ous to his capture had been recommended for 
 a Lieutenant's commission. 
 
 After his return home Mr. McArthur en- 
 gaged in farming, but removed to Fair Haven 
 in 1878, and engaged in mercantile business. 
 While a resident of Conquest, he was elected 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 543 
 
 Justice of the Peace for two terms of four 
 years each, and is now holding his second 
 term in Fair Haven. In 1890-91 he was 
 elected Justice of Sessions. He has been in 
 the post-office for nearly five years, taking 
 charge of the office during all of Postmaster 
 Mendall's term, and is now Deputy Post- 
 master under Mr. Bennett. Mr. McArthur is 
 a member of Hudson Post, No. 159, Grand 
 Army of the Republic, of Fair Haven, of 
 which he is Post Commander, and a member 
 of Fair Haven Lodge, No. 481, Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is Past 
 Grand. He is also a member of -Port Byron 
 Lodge, No. 130, A. F. & A. M. He is a 
 member of the Methodist Protestant church of 
 Spring Lake. 
 
 Mr. McArthur enjoys the confidence and 
 esteem of his fellows to a high degree. He 
 has filled the various positions to which he 
 has been chosen with satisfaction to all and 
 credit to himself, and is as exact and careful 
 in all business details in civil life as he was 
 during his army career. 
 
 'ARRISON SCHENCK. In the an- 
 nals of Cayuga County the name of 
 Schenck occupies a prominent posi- 
 tion, John and Ruloff Schenck having been 
 among the original settlers of this section of 
 the county, assisting materially in developing 
 its agricultural, manufacturing, and financial 
 resources. From John Schenck our subject is 
 lineally descended, Jacob, the father of Har- 
 rison, having been among the younger of the 
 
 large family of children born to him and his 
 wife. (For further ancestral history see 
 sketch of Cyrus Schenck, which may be found 
 on another page of this biographical work.) 
 
 Harrison Schenck, of whom we write, is a 
 native of Cayuga County, having made his • 
 first entry upon the stage of life March 6, 
 1 841, in the thriving little town of Spring- 
 port. He attended the district schools during 
 his boyhood, obtaining a good common-school 
 education, and when at home assisted his 
 father in the labors attendant upon an agri- 
 cultural life, remaining under the parental 
 roof -tree until ready to establish a home of 
 his own. Then, buying a farm consisting of 
 one hundred and six acres of rich and fertile 
 land lying in District No. 7, he made haste to 
 secure a companion to share his joys and sor- 
 rows, and in 1869 was united in the holy 
 bonds of matrimony with Miss Sarah Meyers, 
 daughter of Erastus and Harriet (Schenck) 
 Meyers, of Springport. Of this union three 
 children have been born; namely, Jefferson 
 M., Mary B., and Albert H. The latter died 
 at the age of eleven. Jefferson M. married 
 Rosanna Webb, the daughter of James and 
 Mary A. (Young) Webb, of Springport ; and 
 they have one child, Lee. 
 
 Mr. Schenck displays much ability and 
 skill in his agricultural work, his farm being 
 in an excellent state of cultivation; and the 
 many improvements he has made since taking 
 possession of it, including among others the 
 erection of the commodious and conveniently 
 arranged dwelling-house and the substantial 
 barn and farm buildings, greatly enhance the 
 
S44 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 value as well as the beauty of the property. 
 Among the live, energetic, and persevering 
 business men of Springport, Mr. Schenck 
 occupies an assured place, being intelligent 
 and well informed, the possessor of excellent 
 judgment and sound common sense, and ably 
 performing his duty as a faithful citizen. In 
 1863 he was drafted into the army, but paid 
 three hundred dollars for a substitute. He 
 cast his first Presidential vote in 1864, Gen- 
 eral George B. McClellan being his favored 
 candidate; and since that time he has been a 
 stanch adherent of the Democratic party. 
 
 ff: 
 
 A. BENHAM. The sub- 
 ial and well-to-do citizens of 
 Throop have no better representative than the 
 gentleman of whom we write, who stands high 
 among the keen, progressive, and business- 
 like farmers who are so ably conducting the 
 extensive agricultural interests of this part of 
 Cayuga County. He is a native of New 
 York, his birth having occurred December 15, 
 1833, in Tompkins County. He is a son of 
 Asa B. Benham, who was born in Dryden, 
 the same county. The grandfather, Isaac 
 Benham was born and bred in Tompkins 
 County, removing thence when a young man 
 to Skaneateles, Onondaga County, where he 
 engaged in mixed husbandry. After sojourn- 
 ing there for several years, he came to 
 this county, and located in Auburn, where 
 he spent his declining days. The maiden 
 name of his wife was Baker; and they 
 reared the following children: Vincent, Alan- 
 
 son, Asa B., Allan, Sarah A., Mary J., and 
 Eunice. 
 
 Asa B. Benham was educated in the district 
 schools of McLean and Dryden, and, when 
 still in his minority, bought his time of his 
 father, and, carrying out his long-cherished 
 desire, fitted himself for a preacher of the 
 gospel. Entering the Methodist Episcopal 
 denomination, he preached in various places 
 in this State for many years, laboring faith- 
 fully for the moral and spiritual good of the 
 community in which he was located. In the 
 later years of his life, feeling the need of a 
 permanent horn;, he purchased a farm in 
 Fleming, where he carried on light farming, 
 at the same time supplying the pulpits of 
 Fosterville and Cayuga, and subsequently 
 that of Mentz. After a life of great useful- 
 ness in the vineyard of the Lord, he died in 
 the town of Moravia in 1885. Ere he had at- 
 tained his majority, he married Harriet Allen, 
 daughter of Wyatt Allen, of Dryden, who 
 lived but a few years, at her death leaving 
 three sons — Wyatt, Vincent, and William, 
 the latter being a Methodist minister, who has 
 been honored with the degree of D.D. Mr. 
 Benham formed a second matrimonial alliance, 
 marrying Cynthia Harrington, who also bore 
 him three children — Mary, Carrie, and 
 Warren. 
 
 Wyatt A. Benham received an excellent 
 education, and, after being graduated from 
 the Auburn Academy, taught school for a 
 time in the towns of Springport and Mentz. 
 Preferring an industrial life on the farm 
 rather than a professional career, he bought a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S4S 
 
 tract of land in Fleming, where he carried on 
 general farming for three years. Selling that 
 property, he came to Aiirelius, and, buying a 
 place near Auburn, remained there three 
 years. At the expiration of that time he re- 
 moved to Throop, and, buying the old Aaron 
 Dixon homestead, has since been most suc- 
 cessfully engaged in agricultural pursuits. 
 His untiring efforts and continued industry, 
 combined with skill and practical judgment in 
 conducting the labors of his farm, have met 
 with a well-merited reward, his fine home- 
 stead, which originally consisted of one hun- 
 dred acres of land, having been greatly en- 
 larged by the purchase of other choice land, 
 and his dwelling-house and farm buildings 
 put in thorough repair, the whole being a 
 credit to his energy and sagacity. 
 
 Mr. Benham was united in marriage with 
 Miss Cynthia Manro, daughter of Philip A. 
 and Sybil (Roberts) Manro, both of whom 
 were born in Elbridge, Onondaga County, but 
 were afterward residents of Throop. Into the 
 household thus established the following chil- 
 dren were born: Manro A., who died at the 
 age of seventeen years ; Harriet A., who died 
 when thirteen years old; William M. ; George 
 A.; and Thomas J., who married Minnie 
 Bunn, of Throop. Mr. Benham is a man of 
 broad and enlightened views, taking an in- 
 telligent interest in local and general affairs, 
 and in his domestic relations is a considerate 
 father and a devoted husband, while his neigh- 
 bors invariably find him kind and helpful. 
 He is a consistent member of the Exchange 
 Street Methodist Church of Auburn; while 
 
 Mrs. Benham is a regular attendant of the Bap- 
 tist church of Throop, of which she has been a 
 valued member for many years. Politically, 
 Mr. Benham is a true-blue Republican, and 
 cast his first Presidential vote for John C. 
 Fremont. 
 
 ISAAC O. BLAKE is an honored resi- 
 dent of the town of Ira, where he is 
 busily engaged in farming pursuits. 
 His grandfather, John E. Blake, settled here 
 in the latter part of last century, when the 
 country was in its original wildness, game of 
 all kinds was abundant, and the Indians far 
 outnumbered the white settlers. Neither 
 canals nor railways had then been thought 
 of; the roads were principally bridle-paths 
 through the forests, and all transportation 
 was with teams. Mr. Blake was a farmer; 
 and, buying a tract of wooded land, he set 
 manfully to work to clear a farm, and endured 
 without a murmur the hardships incident to 
 pioneer life. He died in the town of Ira, at 
 the age of fourscore years. He married Eliza 
 Gridley; and to them were born a family of 
 seven children; namely, Parnie, Eliza, Nor- 
 man, Warren, Jabez, Lydia, and John, all of 
 whom are now deceased. 
 
 Norman Blake, the third child, was born in 
 this county in the year 1800. He was bred 
 to a farmer's occupation, and, after his mar- 
 riage with Mary Ann Appleby, removed to 
 Michigan, settling in Lenawee County, where 
 he resided about six years. Coming back to 
 the place of his nativity, he here resumed his 
 agricultural labors. He was an honest, up- 
 
546 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 right man, faithfully performing his duties 
 as a good citizen, and living in the town of 
 Ira until his death, at the age of seventy-one 
 years. Politically, he affiliated with the Re- 
 publican party, and in religious matters was 
 very liberal. His estimable wife, who pre- 
 ceded him to the better land, dying at the 
 age of threescore years, was a devoted mem- 
 ber of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 They were the parents of seven children, 
 of whom Jabez and Isaac O., whose name 
 heads the present sketch, are the only ones 
 now living. 
 
 Isaac O. Blake was born in Lenawee 
 County, Michigan, on February ii, 1832. 
 He was very young when they returned to 
 this county, where he grew to manhood, ob- 
 taining his education in the district schools 
 of Ira and Lysander. He remained a mem- 
 ber of the parental household until the time 
 of his marriage, assisting his father and mak- 
 ing himself generally useful. On February 
 22, 1853, he was united in wedlock with 
 Angeline Southard, a native of the town of 
 Ira, and a daughter of Peter and Elizabeth 
 Southard. Hearing glowing accounts of the 
 fertility of the soil of the Prairie State, he 
 removed to Illinois, and settled in the county 
 of Whiteside, where he bought a farm of 
 ninety acres, on which he lived for some time, 
 finally selling that, and purchasing another 
 farm in the same county. After residing 
 there three years, he returned to the town of 
 Ira in 1859. He here bought seventy acres 
 of land, on which he lived several years, 
 busily engaged in agriculture. Selling that 
 
 property, Mr. Blake then bought the adjoin- 
 ing farm, and, after carrying it on for a 
 while, sold that, and purchased the homestead 
 which he now occupies, to which he moved in 
 1870. His farm contains one hundred acres 
 of fertile land, to which he has skilfully de- 
 voted his energies, making substantial and 
 essential improvements, so that it now com- 
 pares favorably with any in the town. Mr. 
 Blake is a man of enterprise and keen fore- 
 sight, possessing a good understanding of the 
 best ways of conducting his business so as to 
 secure the best returns. He has made judi- 
 cious investments, and, in addition to his 
 home property, is the owner of other valuable 
 real estate in the town of Jordan. He is a 
 man of sterling integrity and worth, and is 
 held in high regard throughout the commu- 
 nity, where he has so long fulfilled the obli- 
 gations of a faithful citizen and neighbor. 
 He is a Republican in politics, and a valued 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church of 
 Lysander, to which his wife also belonged, 
 being for many years an active worker in 
 that denomination. Mrs. Blake, who was a 
 most estimable woman, a loving companion 
 and true helpmate for her husband, passed 
 from this life to the joys of the higher exist- 
 ence on December 17, 1887, leaving the 
 hearthstone desolate indeed. Of their happy 
 union but one child was born, a sweet little 
 girl, named Florence A., who, after spending 
 sixteen short months on earth, blessing and 
 brightening the lives of her loving parents, 
 passed through the portals of the gate called 
 death, to blossom in heaven. 
 
Edwin Lewis. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 549 
 
 ■^CjDWIN LEWIS, a retired farmer, pleas- 
 J ^ an tly passing the sunset years of his 
 life in the village of Sennett, is a fine repre- 
 sentative of the agricultural community, and 
 one who has met with no mean measure of 
 success in his independent calling. His 
 early home, like that of many other of Ca- 
 yuga's prosperous and respected citizens, 
 was on the other side of the broad Atlan- 
 tic, his birth having occurred in the vil- 
 lage of Dracut, Somersetshire, England, 
 December 6, 1832, his father, John Lewis, 
 being a native of the same place. His grand- 
 father, William Lewis, who was a life-long 
 resident of Somersetshire, was of Welsh par- 
 entage. 
 
 John Lewis was a farmer by occupation, and 
 remained in the country of his birth until 
 1847, when he joined the current of emigra- 
 tion setting to America, embarking at Bristol 
 in the spring of that year in the sailing-vessel 
 "Golconda, " and, after a wearisome voyage of 
 nearly six weeks, accompanied by his wife 
 and seven of their eight children, landed in 
 New York City. After a short sojourn in 
 that metropolis, he came to Onondaga County; 
 and, buying a farm in the town of Skane- 
 ateles, he there carried on mixed husbandry 
 for five years. Disposing of that property, he 
 then came to Cayuga County, and spent his 
 last years in the town of Sennett. He mar- 
 ried Mary Ann Hill, a native of Cheadle, 
 Somersetshire, England, and a daughter of 
 Samuel Hill. She also departed this life in 
 the town of Sennett. Of the eight children 
 born to her and her husband, one died at the 
 
 age of eight years. Amelia also died in 
 childhood; and six were reared to maturity, 
 as follows: Mary Ann, William, John, 
 Edwin, Eliza, and George. 
 
 Edwin, son of John and Mary A. (Hill) 
 Lewis, was a sturdy youth of fourteen years 
 when he came with his parents to the United 
 States. Prior to this time he had attended 
 school, and also, assisted his father on the 
 farm; and, after coming to Skaneateles, he 
 continued working with his father for some 
 time, and acquired a practical knowledge of 
 agriculture in all of its branches. When 
 ready to commence his career as an indepen- 
 dent farmer, he rented land in the town of 
 Throop, and at once embarked in the dairy 
 business, finding a market for his milk in Au- 
 burn. After spending five years in Throop, 
 Mr. Lewis rented a farm in Auburn, which he 
 managed successfully for seven years. Hav- 
 ing accumulated quite a sum of money, he 
 then bought the farm which he still owns in 
 the town of Sennett, one-fourth of a mile from 
 the township line. Prosperity continued to 
 smile on his undertakings; and he continued 
 the improvements already begun, each year 
 adding to the value of his property, and sub- 
 sequently he added to the acreage by pur- 
 chasing an adjoining farm. He was soon 
 recognized throughout the community as a 
 wide-awake, enterprising farmer, and was ac- 
 tively engaged in general farming and dairy- 
 ing until 1893, when he removed to his pres- 
 ent comfortable and pleasant dwelling near 
 by, relegating to his sons the management of 
 his farms. 
 
55° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Lewis was united in marriage in the 
 month of June, 1857, to Miss Amy Ann 
 Bench, a native of Sennett, and a daughter of 
 William and Ann Bench. Their wedded life 
 was of short duration; for Death, who loves 
 a shining mark, crossed the threshold of their 
 happy home three years later, bearing away 
 the loving wife and affectionate mother. Her 
 two beautiful children soon joined her in the 
 bright world beyond. On February 26, 1861, 
 the second marriage of Mr. Lewis took place, 
 Miss Sarah Bartlett, who was born in Somer- 
 setshire, England, being a daughter of James 
 and Phoebe Bartlett, becoming his wife. 
 This union has been gladdened by the birth of 
 seven children — Gilbert, Herbert, Emma, 
 John, Edwin, Lena, and Gracie. Mr. Lewis 
 is public-spirited and generous, taking a deep 
 interest in all movements for the improve- 
 ment of his town, and is bringing up his 
 interesting family to habits of usefulness 
 and industry, giving them such educational 
 advantages as shall tend to make them 
 good and loyal citizens. He is a member 
 of St. Paul Lodge, No. 124, A. F. &. A. M., 
 and also belongs to St. George's Society, 
 and in politics is identified with the Re- 
 publican party. He and his wife were reared 
 in the Episcopal church. They occupy an 
 assured position in the community, being 
 among the most highly respected residents of 
 Sennett. 
 
 The friends and acquaintances of Mr. Lewis 
 will recognize his familiar features in the por- 
 trait accompanying this brief biographical 
 notice. 
 
 W^c 
 
 ESTON A. OGDEN was born in 
 Genoa, Cayuga County, N.Y., on 
 March 27, 1826. His paternal grandfather, 
 who was a native of New Jersey, came to Ca- 
 yuga County in the early days of the settle- 
 ment, and did business as a merchant. He 
 also kept a house of entertainment, or tavern, 
 and in addition was a successful farmer. At 
 the time of his death he left the following 
 family: Maria Pearl; Clarissa; Mrs. Henry 
 Bradley; Elias; and David, the father of the 
 subject of this sketch. 
 
 David Ogden \yas educated in his boyhood 
 in the district schools of his native town, 
 Genoa, and subsequently here engaged in 
 farming. Afterward becoming an extensive 
 speculator, he removed to Auburn. He was 
 married twice, his iirst wife being Harriet 
 Allen, who died, leaving one child, Weston 
 A. Ogden. His second marriage was to Eliza 
 Goodwin, by whom he had one child, a daugh- 
 ter, Harriet, who is married to D. W. Adams, 
 of Auburn. Mr. David Ogden was a Road 
 Commissioner for a number of years, and was 
 a prominent Free Mason. 
 
 Weston A. Ogden, after acquiring a fair 
 education in the district schools and at Groton 
 and Moravia Academies, engaged in farming, 
 and was the first man to ship eggs to New 
 York from Cayuga County. In 1849 he, in 
 company with several others in this vicinity, 
 being smitten with the gold fever, sailed for 
 California on the bark "Belvidere," going 
 around the Cape, and taking seven and a half 
 months to make the trip. Mr. Ogden was 
 one of the sixty who bought the vessel at the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 SSI 
 
 start; but, the voyage being longer than they 
 anticipated, they were short of money upon 
 their arrival, and were obliged to sell some of 
 the spars. During the winter and spring fol- 
 lowing they worked out by the day in order to 
 earn sufficient money to pay their way to the 
 mines. A companion named Mead stayed 
 with Mr. Ogden until 1853, when they de- 
 cided they had had enough of the gold fields 
 and California, and returned to New York. 
 
 In 185s Mr. Ogden bought a general mer- 
 chandise business in Galesburg, 111., where 
 he remained several years, finally returning to 
 the East on account of his wife's poor health. 
 He afterward worked for a year in the oil re- 
 gions of Pennsylvania, and eventually bought 
 a store at King's Ferry, where he has since 
 resided, giving personal attention to its 
 management. In early manhood he married 
 Ellen M., the daughter of Darius and Lue 
 Adams, by whom he has two children, a son 
 and daughter, namely: Walter, who is mar- 
 ried, and has one child, Ethel; and Augusta, 
 who is the wife of Ledyard Smith, and has 
 two children — Edna and Ellen. 
 
 Mr. Ogden has filled for several years in a 
 most acceptable manner the office of Postmas- 
 ter at King's Ferry. He is a stanch member 
 of the Presbyterian church, and has always 
 voted the Republican ticket, having cast his 
 first vote for Zachary Taylor in 1848. 
 
 The experiences of Mr. Ogden have been 
 many and varied; and, being gifted with 
 quick perceptions and an intelligent mind, he 
 has constantly added to his store of knowl- 
 edge. He is endowed with that peculiar vein 
 
 of grit and determination which is essentially 
 American, and which has been the means of 
 leading him onward to success. 
 
 ARCUS DARWIN DREW has the 
 distinction of being the oldest set- 
 tler now residing within the cor- 
 porate limits of Meridian. He is a worthy 
 representative of an influential family who 
 have been prominently identified with the 
 prosperity and progress of Cayuga County for 
 nearly seventy years. Mr. Drew is one of 
 the most intelligent and thriving farmers of 
 Cayuga County, a man of strict integrity and 
 high moral character, and is numbered among 
 its most highly respected and valued citizens. 
 He is a native of New England, having been 
 born in Bennington County, Vermont, in 
 July, 18 18. His father, Jacob K. Drew, was 
 born in New Hampshire, where his grand- 
 father was a life-long resident. Jacob entered 
 the medical profession, and, after practising 
 awhile in Vermont, came to Cayuga County, 
 New York, in 1826, and settled in the town 
 of Cato. After following his profession here 
 for a time. Dr. Drew purchased of Humphrey 
 Howland one hundred acres of land formerly 
 owned by Hooker Sawyer, who was a clothier 
 by trade, but had bought this farm when it 
 was in its primitive condition, and on it had 
 built one of the first grist-mills in this vicin- 
 ity, and had further improved his purchase by 
 the erection of a small frame house, in which 
 he and his family had lived. The Doctor 
 cleared a good portion of the land; and here 
 
552 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 he and his wife, whose maiden name was 
 Catherine Sherman, spent the remainder of 
 their lives, he passing away in 1861 at tlie 
 age of seventy-three years, and she when 
 sixty-six years old. They had a family of ten 
 children, eight of whom grew to maturity, 
 and five of whom are now living, the follow- 
 ing being their record: Marcus Darwin is the 
 subject of further mention below. Evi S. is 
 a farmer, and resides in San Diego County, 
 California. Charles W., who is in the insur- 
 ance business in Chicago, 111., was a valiant 
 soldier in the late Rebellion, and first served 
 as Lieutenant in the Seventy-fifth New York 
 Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Crary, of 
 Auburn. He was subsequently commissioned 
 to raise a colored regiment in New Orleans; 
 and, before the end of his four years of mili- 
 tary life, for brave and gallant services he was 
 promoted to the rank of Brigadier-general. 
 Edgar W. is an extensive farmer in Cato. 
 Mary, who is the widow of F. F. Munson, 
 now resides in Toledo, Ohio. Dr. Jacob K. 
 Drew was widely and favorably known as a 
 physician of skill and a citizen of sterling 
 worth, and was one of the noted Abolitionists 
 of this locality. Both he and his wife were 
 exemplary members of the Baptist church. 
 
 Their son, Marcus Darwin, was but seven 
 years of age when he came to this county, 
 where his life has since been passed. He 
 profited by the meagre facilities that were 
 afforded him in his youth to obtain an educa- 
 tion, attending the district schools and a 
 select school in Cato, and Douglas Academy. 
 He then turned his attention toward teaching, I 
 
 and for six winter terms taught school, for 
 three winters being successfully engaged in 
 the village in Meridian. At the age of eigh- 
 teen years he assumed the sole charge of the 
 home farm, of which he is now the owner, and 
 where he has since resided, having bought it 
 of his parents, who continued to live with 
 him as long as their lives were spared. Mr. 
 Drew has made various and excellent improve- 
 ments on the place, to which he has added by 
 purchase. Pie raises each year large crops of 
 grain and tobacco, and carries on general 
 farming on an extensive scale. In the last 
 few years he has given some attention to dairy- 
 ing, keeping a fine herd of Jersey cows. His 
 residence, which is one of the handsomest and 
 best in this part of Cayuga County, he built 
 in 1868 and 1869, at a cost of eight thousand 
 dollars; and this, with his commodious and 
 substantial out-buildings, gives visible evi- 
 dence of his energy, enterprise, and good busi- 
 ness management. 
 
 Mr. Drew has been twice married. His 
 first wife, to whom he was united October 18, 
 1843, was Janette S. Turrill, who died March 
 I, 1862, leaving him with three children; 
 namely, Adillia A., Charles T., and WiUard 
 M. During the years 1864 and 1865 Mr. 
 Drew spent some time in Pennsylvania, carry- 
 ing on a prosperous business in oil. On the 
 loth of April, 1866, he married Mary Avaline 
 Tinker, who was born in the town of Van 
 Buren, Onondaga County, April 21, 1830, 
 and was a daughter of Stephen and Polly 
 Tinker, neither of whom is now living. In 
 his early years Mr. Tinker followed the trade 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 SS3 
 
 of a wool-carder and a cloth-dresser; but in 
 later life he devoted his time to the tilling of 
 the soil. Of this second marriage two chil- 
 dren were born, both of whom died in in- 
 fancy. Charles T. and Willard M. are the 
 only children of Mr. Drew now living, their 
 sister, Adillia A., who married Ira L. Dud- 
 ley, having passed from earth at the early age 
 of thirty-three years. 
 
 Mr. Drew has been an intelligent observer 
 of men and of events, and his wide experience 
 and shrewd common sense have been impor- 
 tant factors in his success as an agriculturist 
 and as a business man. He has ever taken a 
 lively interest in local affairs, has served at 
 different times as Town Clerk and as School 
 Inspector, and for four years — 1859, i860, 
 1867, and 1868 — performed his duties as Su- 
 pervisor of Cato. During the existence of 
 the Farmers' Joint Stock Insurance Company, 
 he was one of its leading members, and was 
 afterward appointed its Receiver. He is an 
 earnest supporter of the principles of the Re- 
 publican party, and in religious matters both 
 he and his estimable wife are valued members 
 of the Presbyterian church. 
 
 I^ARAH J. HULL, an accomplished 
 and enterprising business woman of 
 the town of Venice, N.Y., is devot- 
 ing her time and energies to the management 
 of the homestead where she resides, and of 
 which she has had the entire supervision 
 since the death of her father and mother, 
 Charles and Sarah A. (Gillam) Hull. Miss 
 
 Hull is a native of Cayuga County, her birth- 
 place having been in the town of Genoa, on 
 the farm then owned and occupied by her par- 
 ents, lying about two and one-half miles west 
 of the village. 
 
 She is of New England ancestry, her grand- 
 father, William Hull, having been a native of 
 Vermont, in which State he spent his youth 
 and the first years of his married life. He 
 removed with his family to Cayuga County 
 at an early day; and, buying a tract of wild 
 and wooded land in the south-eastern part of 
 the town of Venice, he began the arduous task 
 of reclaiming a farm. Hopeful, courageous, 
 and persevering, he and his good wife endured 
 the toils and privations of life in a new coun- 
 try; and in the course of time he cleared the 
 land, and established his family in a comfor- 
 table home, having built a frame house and 
 made many other improvements. While 
 working for his own advancement, he was not 
 unmindful of the needs of his adopted town, 
 whose growth and prosperity he aided in pro- 
 moting; and until the time of his death he 
 was one of its respected citizens. The 
 maiden name of his wife, who survived him, 
 and passed away from earth at the home of 
 her son, in Genoa, was Bathsheba Amidown. 
 She bore him five children — Mary, John, 
 Henry, William, and Charles. 
 
 Charles Hull was the youngest son born to 
 his parents. He was a native of the Green 
 Mountain State, and among its rugged hills 
 and pleasant dales spent a very small part of 
 his life. He grew to manhood on his father's 
 farm in Venice, obtaining his education in 
 
SS4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the district schools, which he attended in the 
 winter season, and laboring on the farm dur- 
 ing the summer. After the death of his 
 father he and his three brothers carried on the 
 homestead for a while; then, selling that 
 property, they bought a farm in the town of 
 Genoa, where they were engaged in agricult- 
 ural pursuits for some time. John and 
 Charles, coming from there to Venice, pur- 
 chased the estate now occupied by Miss Hull, 
 and, making that their permanent abiding- 
 place, continually added to its improvements 
 and value. The homestead contains one hun- 
 dred acres of rich land; and this they brought 
 to a good state of cultivation, so that it is 
 now one of the most productive farms in the 
 vicinity. Charles was a practical and capable 
 agriculturist, a kind-hearted and right-princi- 
 pled man, and a most loyal citizen. He mar- 
 ried Sarah A. Gillam, the daughter of Henry 
 and Hannah (Willett) Gillam, of Venice; 
 and to them were born a family of four daugh- 
 ters; namely, Emeline M., H. Eliza, Lucy 
 M., and Sarah J. Emeline, who is the widow 
 of James Wood, has two sons — Charles H. 
 and Henry H. Eliza, who married Lyman T. 
 Murdock, died, leaving one child, John H. 
 Murdock. Lucy is the wife of J. B. Young. 
 Charles Hull died on June 15, 1879. ^rs. 
 Sarah A. Gillam Hull, long surviving her 
 husband, closed her eyes upon the scenes of 
 her earthly labors on May 22, 1892, after a 
 useful life of eighty-four years. 
 
 Sarah J. was the youngest child of the 
 parental household. She is a clear-headed, 
 active woman, possessing excellent judgment 
 
 in affairs and great executive ability; and 
 since assuming the responsibilities of her 
 position as the manager of the homestead 
 property, being ever watchful of the best in- 
 terests of her farm, she has met with great 
 success and very few discouragements. She 
 has quite a dairy, keeping fifteen head of cat- 
 tle; and her principal crop each year is grain. 
 Throughout the community she has the re- 
 spect and esteem of her neighbors and friends, 
 who have ever found her a kind, helpful, and 
 genial companion, always ready to aid the 
 needy and cheer the afflicted and down- 
 hearted. 
 
 fREDERlC A. BAKER. Among the 
 native-born citizens of Cayuga County 
 conspicuous for their ability and worth is the 
 subject of this sketch, who is an important 
 factor in the industrial interests of the village 
 of Cayuga, where he carries on a substantial 
 manufacturing business. He was born in the 
 town of Aurelius, March 31, 1849, the son of 
 Lewis A. Baker, the grandson of Allen Baker, 
 and the great-grandson of John Baker, who 
 was a pioneer of Cayuga County. A more 
 extended history of the grandparents and 
 great-grandparents may be found in connec- 
 tion with the sketch of Augustus D. Baker, 
 an uncle of Frederic A. Baker, which appears 
 in another part of this volume. 
 
 Lewis A. Baker is a native of Cayuga 
 County, born in the town of Aurelius, where 
 he still resides. He was reared to manhood 
 under the parental roof-tree, having the ordi- 
 nary advantages for obtaining an education. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 SS5 
 
 and, on completing his studies, worked with 
 his father on the homestead. After his mar- 
 riage, with the natural desire of a young man 
 for a hearthstone of his own, he bought a farm 
 in the north-western part of his native town, 
 and began farming on his own account. Put- 
 ting into practice the lessons he had learned 
 at home, he has met with excellent success in 
 his labors, his land being highly cultivated 
 and very productive, and has improved a fine 
 homestead for himself and family. In addi- 
 tion to managing his farm, he was engaged in 
 the lumber business in Seneca Falls for about 
 three years, being a member of the firm of 
 Myers & Co. He was married in 1846 to 
 Maria Miller, the daughter of Frederic and 
 Eliza Miller; and to them were born six 
 children, as follows : Laura, who married 
 James A. Niver, of Columbia County, and has 
 two children — Frank and Emma; Frederic 
 A.; Andrew D. ; Eliza E. ; Ella N., who is 
 the wife of Seymour B. LaRowe, of Spring- 
 port, and has two children — Grace and Susie; 
 and Lewis R. 
 
 Frederic A. Baker, of whom we write, 
 began his education in the district schools of 
 Aurelius, afterward continuing his studies in 
 the Auburn High School, and completed his 
 schooling by a course at Auburn Commercial 
 College. Having a predilection for agricult- 
 ural pursuits, he began his business career as 
 a tiller of the soil, first buying a farm of 
 eighty acres in Fleming, which he worked for 
 a time with good results, but afterward sold 
 that, and bought a part of his grandfather's 
 farm in Aurelius. Subsequently, not being 
 
 quite content with his occupation of farming, 
 and desirous of exercising the mechanical in- 
 genuity with which he was largely endowed, 
 he sold his farm to his uncle, Augustus D. 
 Baker, and removed to the village of Cayuga, 
 where he established himself in business as a 
 wagon-maker. After five years of successful 
 work at that trade, Mr. Baker began the man- 
 ufacture of anti-rattlers, a steel spring to keep 
 wagon-shafts from rattling, which he has car- 
 ried on most profitably for the past six years, 
 extending and increasing his trade each year. 
 Mr. Baker has been twice married. The 
 maiden name of his first wife, to whom he 
 was wedded in 1876, was Josie L. LaRowe, 
 who passed from earth to the higher life in 
 1892, leaving one child, a son, named War- 
 ren. Mr. Baker formed a second matrimonial 
 alliance, being united to Minnie Freer, 
 daughter of Isaac and Mary (Parcel Is) Freer, 
 of Cayuga, who presides over his household 
 most wisely and graciously. Mr. Baker is a 
 man of excellent qualities of head and heart, 
 energetic and industrious, with progressive 
 and liberal views, and wields a wide influence 
 in his community. In politics he sustains 
 the principles of the Democratic party. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM E. BENNETT, editor of 
 the Register, at Fair Haven, N.Y., 
 and also Postmaster of that place, was born 
 at Carlton, Orleans County, June 2-j, 1869, 
 and is the son of Phillip S. and Elizabeth 
 (Ketchum) Bennett. The former was born in 
 Putnam County, and early in life moved to 
 
5S6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Taylor, Cortland County, where he engaged 
 in farming, and also held several local offices. 
 
 He was married in 1867 to Miss Elizabeth 
 Ketchum, of Cold Spring, the daughter of 
 Timothy Ketchum. Their first residence was 
 in the town of Carlton, N.Y., where Mr. Ben- 
 nett was extensively engaged in farming. 
 The family afterward moved to Cincinnatus, 
 where the father was obliged to retire from 
 active life owing to failing eyesight. He 
 died at the latter place, when his son William 
 E. was but fifteen years of age. His widow 
 is still living, and a resident of Ocean Side, 
 Long Island. 
 
 William E. Bennett received his early edu- 
 cation at the Cincinnatus Academy. He 
 afterward learned the engineering business, 
 and worked at his trade at the mill. Later 
 he entered the office of the Otselic Valley 
 Register, where he served an apprenticeship of 
 one year, afterward buying the business. The 
 Register was a weekly, seven-column, four- 
 page paper, and was regularly published until 
 March, 1890, when the plant was removed to 
 Fair Haven, and Mr. Bennett established the 
 Fair Haven Register, there being no paper at 
 Fair Haven at that time. The paper has been 
 made into an unusually good one, having a 
 very large circulation for a place of that size. 
 Mr. Bennett has also owned and conducted a 
 livery business, which he established when he 
 first came here, and which has proved to be 
 lucrative. 
 
 In local politics he has taken an active 
 part, being nominated for Supervisor on the 
 Democratic ticket in 1893, and up to the time 
 
 of receiving his appointment as Postmaster, 
 January 16, 1894, was Village Trustee, which 
 latter position he resigned. He has consider- 
 able talent as a musician, and was the organ- 
 izer of the Fair Haven Silver Band, which 
 is in a very flourishing condition, and of 
 which he is the leader. 
 
 Mr. Bennett married Miss Carrie A. Potter, 
 January 14, 1889. She is the daughter of 
 W. C. Potter, a veteran of the late war, and 
 a resident of Cincinnatus. Two daughters 
 have been the offspring of this union — Jessie 
 and Florence. Mr. Bennett is a member of 
 Fair Haven Lodge, No.. 481, Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows, in which he has held 
 several official positions. He is a man of 
 unbounded energy, ability, and push, three 
 characteristics which are pre-eminent in all 
 true-born Americans. His success in life is 
 due entirely to his own unaided efforts, and 
 he has undoubtedly a fine future before him. 
 
 RRIN LESTER, a veteran agricultur- 
 ist of Cayuga County, was born at 
 Venice, June 8, 1819, and comes of 
 New England ancestry. His grandfather 
 Daniel, who was a native of Connecticut, 
 left that State when quite a young man, and 
 came to New York, bringing his family with 
 him. He met with the usual discomforts and 
 difficulties of the early pioneers in making 
 the journey with an ox team, bringing their 
 household effects; but with the brave persist- 
 ence and ingenuity characteristic of his race 
 he surmounted them all. He was accom- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 SS7 
 
 panied by his brother Ebenezer; and together 
 they built a log hut, with no floor but the 
 solid earth. The brother sending the next 
 year for his family, for some time all lived 
 together under the same roof. They bought 
 about three hundred acres of land, most of it 
 being heavily timbered, which necessitated 
 its clearance for agricultural purposes. A 
 little later a frame house was built; and, the 
 families increasing, the brothers decided to 
 divide the property. After the division Dan- 
 iel built a log cabin for the accommodation of 
 his family, and finally, as his circumstances 
 improved, built a fine frame house. 
 
 Daniel Lester, Jr., son of the above-named, 
 was about eight years of age when his parents 
 came to Cayuga County. When old enough 
 to work, he engaged in the carpenter's trade, 
 in which he continued until the time of his 
 marriage, when he purchased fifty acres of the 
 old homestead, building a log house, and tak- 
 ing up farming. Upon the death of his 
 father he bought out the interest in the prop- 
 erty owned by the other heirs, and moved his 
 family to the homestead. He was married to 
 Mary Mead, daughter of Israel Mead, who 
 was a Revolutionary soldier under General 
 Israel Putnam, being with him in all his cam- 
 paigns. He had children as follows: John 
 A.; Orrin; Volney; Albert; Emily; and 
 Mary J., Mrs. James Stevens. 
 
 Orrin, the second son of Daniel and Mary 
 (Mead) Lester, was educated at the district 
 schools of Venice, and has been engaged in 
 farming all his life. When scarcely a full- 
 grown lad, his proficiency and endurance were 
 
 such that he could follow the plough fifteen 
 hours at a time. In 1840, the year of his 
 marriage, he bought a farm of ninety acres, 
 and has built upon it a fine residence. He 
 married Mary J. Sands, the daughter of Na- 
 thaniel Sands, of Orange County. Mrs. Les- 
 ter died in 1891, after fifty years of wedded 
 life, leaving no issue. 
 
 Mr. Lester is a prominent member of the 
 Universalist church of Genoa. He has served 
 his town acceptably as a Road Commissioner, 
 and, with this exception, has not held public 
 office. He is a Republican in politics, and 
 cast his first vote for Martin Van Buren in 
 1840. Although Mr. Lester with character- 
 istic modesty has hidden his light in a great 
 measure under a bushel, yet his life-long resi- 
 dence in Venice, a life of honesty and useful- 
 ness has not escaped notice, and may well be 
 pointed out as in many respects a pattern for 
 others to follow. 
 
 DWIN M. SPERRY, who is numbered 
 among the oldest of the native-born 
 citizens of Cayuga County, his birth having 
 occurred December 20, 1821, in the town of 
 Ledyard, is one of the most thrifty and pros- 
 perous of the successful farmers of the town 
 of Fleming, and possesses in a marked de- 
 gree those principles which constitute him an 
 honest man and a good citizen. He is of 
 New England antecedents, his father, Nobles 
 Sperry, having been a native of Connecticut; 
 and that State was also, it is supposed, the 
 birthplace of his grandfather, Ambrose Sperry, 
 
5S8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 a veteran of the War of the Revolution, in 
 which he served seven years. 
 
 About the year 1800 Ambrose Sperry emi- 
 grated to York State, accompanied by his 
 family, and making the overland journc}' with 
 teams. Cayuga County, in which he settled, 
 was then but sparsely populated; and the 
 dense wilderness hereabouts was the home of 
 deer, bears, wolves, and other wild beasts of 
 the forest. Buying a tract of woodland in 
 what is now the town of Ledyard, he erected 
 a log house in the wilderness, and after many 
 years of incessant toil and skill evolved a 
 good farm from the forest, and there spent the 
 remaining years of his life. He married Pa- 
 tience Wheeler, a woman of true pioneer grit 
 and courage, who bore him the following- 
 named children: Johnson, Ira, Wheeler, 
 Philo, Nobles, Roxie, Sally, and Lucetta. 
 
 Nobles Sperry was fourteen years old when 
 he made the memorable journey across the 
 country from his New England home to the 
 town of Ledyard; and, being a strong and 
 rugged lad, he ably assisted his parents in 
 the labor of clearing the land and improving 
 a home. Albany being the most convenient 
 market and depot for supplies, the surplus 
 produce of the farms had to be taken there by 
 team, the trip consuming many days. For a 
 time Syracuse was the nearest milling point, 
 and the largest village in the vicinity. The 
 chief subsistence of the pioneers was produced 
 on the farms, or obtained by expert marksmen 
 from the surrounding forest. The people 
 dressed in homespun, which was spun and 
 woven by the industrious wife and mother. 
 
 and by her skilful hands fashioned into gar- 
 ments. The travelling cobbler used to make 
 his yearly visits to each household, when 
 every member was carefully supplied with 
 shoes for the succeeding year. On attaining 
 his majority Nobles Sperry started in life on 
 his own account, with no available capital 
 save his strong hands and willing spirit. He 
 bought sixty acres of land in Ledyard, and 
 there carried on general farming with satisfac- 
 tory results until the year 1836, when he sold 
 his farm, intending to settle in Clinton 
 County, Michigan, which he had previously 
 visited, and where he had purchased a tract of 
 land. On account of the ill-health of his 
 wife he changed his purpose, and bought the 
 farm where his son Edwin now lives; and 
 here he resided until his death in 186 1. He 
 took a deep interest in the welfare of his 
 adopted county, and watched with great pride 
 its gradual evolution from a wilderness to a 
 superb agricultural region, whose well-culti- 
 vated and well-stocked farms indicated its 
 general prosperity. In his early years he was 
 a Democrat, but on the formation of the Re- 
 publican party became one of its strongest 
 adherents. He married Marcia King, a na- 
 tive of Onondaga County, who died in 
 1844, leaving five children — Adaline, Mary, 
 Emily, Patience, and Edwin M. 
 
 Edwin M. Sperry acquired a very good edu- 
 cation, attending first the district schools of 
 his native town, and afterward the academy at 
 Elbridge. Being the only son, he remained 
 in the parental household, and on the death of 
 his father succeeded to the ownership of the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S59 
 
 homestead, where he has since followed the 
 pursuit of agriculture. Besides carrying on 
 general farming with excellent pecuniary re- 
 sults, Mr. Sperry does an extensive business 
 as a stock raiser and dealer, and in his chosen 
 occupation has amassed a comfortable com- 
 petence. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Sperry with Jane M. 
 Rogers, a native of Sauquoit, Oneida County, 
 was solemnized December ii, 1845. Mrs. 
 Sperry's father, Simeon Rogers, was, it is 
 thought, a native of Connecticut. He was 
 the son of Benjamin and Sarah Rogers, early 
 pioneers of Madison County, who spent their 
 last years on their pleasant homestead in the 
 town of De Ruyter, in whose settlement they 
 ably assisted. Simeon Rogers was a machin- 
 ist by trade, but, after following that occupa- 
 tion for a few years, bought a farm in the 
 town of Aurelius, this county, where he en- 
 gaged in farming for a time, coming thence to 
 the town of Fleming, where he departed this 
 life October i, 1873. His wife, whose 
 maiden name was Lucy Tucker, was born in 
 Massachusetts, and died in 1858, in Fleming. 
 Of their union Mrs. Sperry was the only 
 child. The only child born to Mr. Sperry 
 and his wife was -a son, named Edwin K., 
 who was born October 6, 1848, and died Oc- 
 tober 9, 1877. He married Harriet Baker, who 
 died in 1883, leaving a daughter, Nina Ethel. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Sperry is a Republican, 
 and a stanch supporter of the principles pro- 
 mulgated by that party. He is a man of 
 sound judgment, and both he and his wife are 
 held in universal respect. 
 
 (sTlTLBERT R. ROGERS, a worthy rep- 
 ^^ resentative of the farming and dairy- 
 V — - ing interests of the town of Sum- 
 mer Hill, owns and occupies a fine homestead 
 of one hundred and twenty-eight and one-half 
 acres of well-cultivated land, on which he has 
 a fine residence, erected in 1891, and all the 
 necessary out-buildings for the storing of hay 
 and grain, and the care and shelter of his 
 stock. He is a native of York State, and was 
 born in Cortland County, January 18, 1831, 
 being a son of Enoch and Betsey (Dodge) 
 Rogers, both of whom were natives of Con- 
 necticut, the former having been born in De- 
 cember, 1800, and the latter in 1803. The 
 paternal grandfather of our subject, Jeremiah 
 Rogers, was a life-long resident of the Nut- 
 meg State, where he lived for fourscore years, 
 being numbered among its successful and 
 practical agriculturists. The ten children — 
 seven sons and three daughters — ^born to him 
 and his wife all grew to maturity ; but it is 
 not known whether any of the number are 
 now living. 
 
 Enoch Rogers was reared to manhood in 
 the State of his birth, and was there married. 
 He settled in the town of Lyme, where he 
 lived until after the birth of his first child, 
 when he removed to Cortland County, this 
 State, locating in the town of Truxton, in the 
 year 1822. He made the entire journey with 
 an ox team, bringing his family and house- 
 hold goods with him, travelling by day and 
 camping at night by the roadside. He bought 
 a tract of wild, heavily timbered land, over 
 which bears, deer, wolves, and other wild 
 
560 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 game of the forests roamed unmolested, and 
 began the arduous task of constructing a home 
 for himself and family. The humble log 
 cabin which first sheltered them was their 
 dwelling for a number of years, and the birth- 
 place of some of their children. The father 
 was an industrious, hard-working man, but 
 did not meet with very great financial success, 
 and subsequently removed to the town of 
 Tully, where he departed this life in 1875, 
 his wife passing to the life eternal the follow- 
 ing year. Both were people of high moral 
 principles, upright and honest, and were 
 members in good standing of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, in which Mr. Rogers was a 
 faithful officer and an ardent worker. Of 
 the six children born of their union four are 
 now living, as follows: Enoch B., a carpenter, 
 and Elizabeth, the wife of S. Jones, a farmer, 
 both residing in Onondaga County; Joseph, a 
 farmer, a resident of Tully; and Albert R., 
 the subject of this notice; Hannah, who mar- 
 ried A. Barrington, died in 1859; and Sarah, 
 who became the wife of Mr. Crampton, died 
 in 1883. 
 
 Albert R. Rogers spent the early part of 
 his boyhood in the place of his nativity, and 
 received a limited education in the old log 
 school-house, a rude structure with puncheon 
 floors, greased paper for window panes, and 
 seats made of slabs, with one side smoothed 
 and pins put in for legs. The wood to heat 
 this was furnished by the parents in quanti- 
 ties proportioned to the number of pupils sent 
 by each householder, and the salary of the 
 teacher was paid in the same manner. When 
 
 he was twelve years of age, his parents re- 
 moved to Syracuse, and Albert began the 
 struggle of life for himself. He began by 
 working on a farm for his board, that being 
 his only compensation for his first season's 
 work. After working thus for a time, he re- 
 turned to his old home, where he secured 
 work, being paid what then seemed to him 
 a munificent sum, five dollars per month. 
 He was an industrious and faithful worker, 
 and each season had an increase of wages, 
 and, being prudent and economical, accumu- 
 lated quite a sum of money. Being enter- 
 prising and energetic, he rented land, and 
 engaged in farming on his own account, and 
 met with unquestioned success in his vent- 
 ures. Looking about for a good locality in 
 which to invest his money, Mr. Rogers came 
 to this county in 1862; and, being pleased 
 with the location and condition of his present 
 farm in Summer Hill, he at once purchased 
 it, and has since carried it on to great ad- 
 vantage, realizing a handsome yearly income 
 from its productions. As a general farmer 
 and stock-raiser, he has fine success; and his 
 large crops of hay and the products of his 
 well-known dairy bring him in handsome 
 profits. Mr. Rogers is in truth a self-made 
 man and the architect of his own fortune, his 
 prosperity being due solely to his own efforts. 
 His honesty, straightforward business meth- 
 ods, and promptness in meeting his obliga- 
 tions have won for him the confidence and 
 esteem of his fellow-townsmen; and he is 
 numbered among the prominent members of 
 the agricultural community. In politics he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 561 
 
 is a sound Republican; and both he and his 
 excellent wife are conscientious members of 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church at Summer 
 Hill, he being a Steward and Trustee. 
 
 On January 8, 1852, Mr. Rogers was 
 united in marriage to Miss Catherine Mo- 
 sher, who was born in Onondaga County, May 
 I, 1829. Her father, Norman Mosher, spent 
 his entire life in Onondaga County, and was 
 a farmer by occupation. He died when only 
 thirty years of age, leaving his widow, whose 
 maiden name was Polly Corner, with six chil- 
 dren, namely: Fidelia, who married Russell 
 French, and died at the age of forty-two 
 years; Eliza Smith, who lives in Onondaga 
 County; Freeman, a resident of the same 
 county; James, a resident of Kansas; Maria 
 Topping, who lives in Michigan; and Mrs. 
 Rogers. The union of Mr. Rogers and his 
 wife has been blessed by the birth of two 
 children: Mary Frances, who married Clark 
 W. Reynolds, a farmer, and resides in the 
 town of Locke; and Alice, who is the wife 
 of Luther Carpenter, a farmer, and lives in 
 the town of Summer Hill. 
 
 ^^[dWARD a. BUCKHOUT, is numbered 
 Jp' among the veteran farmers of Cayuga 
 County who have met with success in their 
 chosen occupation, and are now enjoying a 
 comfortable competency, acquired chiefly by 
 their own exertions. He is the owner of a 
 productive farm, lying in District No. S in 
 the town of Ledyard, which he has carried on 
 for the past fifteen years with excellent re- 
 
 sults. A native of Cayuga County, he was 
 born in Scipio, October 15, 1822; and his 
 many years of active life have been spent 
 within its limits. 
 
 The ancestors of Mr. Buckhout for several 
 generations were residents of Saratoga 
 County, where his great-grandfather leased 
 land for ninety-nine years; and, after he and 
 his descendants had lived out the lease, the 
 land was given up, and the family scat- 
 tered in different directions. His grandfather 
 Buckhout was born in Saratoga County, 
 where he was long engaged in agricultural 
 pursuits. He was an active participant in 
 the Revolutionary struggle, but at its close 
 found himself almost a poor man, the Tories 
 having raided his farm, stealing and driving 
 off all of his stock. He never fully recov- 
 ered from his losses at that time, although 
 he continued farming until his death. 
 
 His son, Philip H. Buckhout, was born, 
 bred, and educated in Saratoga County, and 
 there learned the trade of wagon-making. 
 When twenty years of age, he left the paren- 
 tal roof, and removed to Onondaga County, 
 where he remained two years, coming thence 
 to Cayuga County, and settling in Scipio, 
 which he made his permanent home. In 
 1 8 12 he was drafted into the army, and did 
 faithful service in that war. In a training 
 regiment that was raised in Scipio, he was 
 appointed Major, a title that he retained 
 through life. He was a superior workman, 
 and carried on his trade until enfeebled by 
 weight of years, when he retired from busi- 
 ness, and lived in comfort until his death at 
 
S62 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the ripe old age of ninety-two years. He 
 married Amanda Allen, the daughter of Will- 
 iam and Betty (Watkins) Allen, and a de- 
 scendant of a worthy pioneer family of that 
 name, who came to Scipio at about the same 
 time that the Watkins family did, and, like 
 them, suffered all the hardships and privations 
 incidental to life on the frontier, subsisting 
 almost entirely on the bears, deer, and other 
 small game to be found in the forest, until 
 their land was put in condition to yield pota- 
 toes and corn, the latter being ground in a 
 primitive mill or mortar made from the stump 
 of a tree. Their residence was a log cabin; 
 and their clothing was spun, woven, and made 
 by the hard-working pioneer women of the 
 family, who surely had as much to contend 
 with as the sturdier sex. Mr. Allen was an 
 educated man, and after his marriage taught 
 school for many years. He was an influential 
 citizen and very prominent in local affairs, 
 being a Justice of the Peace and a member of 
 the General Assembly, besides holding all 
 other offices within the gift of his fellow- 
 townsmen, who delighted to honor him. 
 Major Buckhout and his wife reared three 
 children — Edward A., Harriet, and Byron B. 
 Harriet, who is the wife of Bernet Petitt, of 
 Scipio, has two children. Byron, who mar- 
 ried Betty Peck, has one child. 
 
 Edward A. Buckhout was educated in the 
 schools of his native town, and, as soon as old 
 enough, assisted his parents in the lighter 
 labors around the homestead. On reachino- 
 manhood he became a husbandman from 
 choice, and in this occupation has been most 
 
 prosperous. In 1878 he bought the farm 
 where he now resides; and by the exercise 
 of his native industry and his able business 
 capacity he has rendered it one of the finest 
 estates in the vicinity, having the rich land 
 under good cultivation, with improvements of 
 an excellent character. Mr. Buckhout long 
 years ago established himself in the confi- 
 dence of his friends and fellow-citizens, and 
 has made for himself a good record as an 
 honest man and a valuable member of the 
 community. 
 
 The maiden name of the wife of Mr. Ed- 
 ward A. Buckhout, to whom he was united in 
 1852, was Betsey Freeman; and to hallow 
 their union two children were born — Philip 
 and William, both of whom reside on the 
 home farm. Philip, the elder son, married 
 Helen Fritts; and they have two children — 
 Ira and Earl. William married Jennie 
 Groom. Mrs. Buckhout's parents were Will- 
 iam and Betsey (Legg) Freeman, of Tompkins 
 County. 
 
 Though not an aspirant for office, Mr. 
 Buckhout takes an intelligent interest in po- 
 litical matters, and is a stanch adherent of the 
 Democratic party. He cast his first Presi- 
 dential vote for Martin Van Buren in 1844, 
 and has voted at every Presidential election 
 since. Socially, he has long been connected 
 with the Odd Fellows. 
 
 PHRAIM CULVER. This gentleman, 
 who is closely identified with the agri- 
 cultural interests of Scipio, is pleasantly lo- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 563 
 
 cated in District No. 8, where he has a choice 
 farm, well improved, with a good house and 
 barn and everything pertaining to a first-class 
 estate. He is a native of Cayuga County, and 
 was born on the homestead where he now re- 
 sides, having first opened his eyes to the light 
 of this world February 5, 1824. He is a son 
 of Ansel Culver, who was born in Otsego 
 County, September 20, 1796, and is the de- 
 scendant of a worthy pioneer family of this 
 county. 
 
 Joseph Culver, the grandfather of our sub- 
 ject, was a native of New York, born in 
 Otsego County, where he spent the earlier 
 portion of his life. He was a farmer by oc- 
 cupation, and in i8o2 moved with his family 
 to this county, bringing all of his earthly pos- 
 sessions with an ox team. Settling in Flem- 
 ing, he bought a tract of unimproved land 
 lying on the banks of the lake, going into 
 debt for it. After building a log house, with 
 the customary puncheon floor and shake-cov- 
 ered roof, he cleared five acres of land which 
 he sowed to wheat, and from the proceeds 
 made his first payment. That was in the 
 time when the pioneers were obliged to avail 
 themselves of every possible advantage in 
 order to make both ends meet, provide them- 
 selves with the necessaries of life, and pro- 
 ceed with the improvements on their new 
 homesteads. They combined forces, however, 
 each neighbor helping the other whenever he 
 could; and in the course of time success 
 began to smile upon their united and perse- 
 vering labor. With undaunted courage and 
 ambitious energy Mr. Culver continued his 
 
 efforts; and the tide of prosperity flowed in 
 his direction, so that in a few years he had a 
 large number of acres in good yielding condi- 
 tion, had replaced the log cabin with a 
 substantial frame structure, which is still 
 standing on the farm, and had paid off the 
 last cent of his indebtedness, walking the 
 entire distance to New York City to do it. 
 Walking was a common mode of locomotion 
 in those days; and from there he walked to 
 Philadelphia, and, when ready to return home, 
 travelled in the same independent manner. 
 From his youth up he had a strong love for 
 country and home, and during the War of the 
 Revolution was a brave and patriotic soldier, 
 taking an active part in many engagements. 
 At the battle of Stillwater, when General 
 Arnold was wounded, he was one of four men 
 detailed by Washington to carry him to New 
 York. On the homestead which he had im- 
 proved from the wilderness he and his worthy 
 wife, whose maiden name was Rebecca Root, 
 passed their declining years, content with the 
 reward of their many years of hard labor. 
 Their household circle was completed by the 
 birth of the following children: Cynthia, 
 Samuel, Lovina, Simon, Ansel, Hiram, Will- 
 iam, and Walter. 
 
 Ansel Culver, being a little boy when his 
 parents brought him to Scipio, received his 
 education in this town, attending the log 
 school-house school sessions, and in the inter- 
 vening times working on the farm, becoming 
 as familiar with the duties of agriculture as 
 with the contents of his books. When old 
 enough, he and his brother Simon took charge 
 
564 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of the homestead, carrying it on quite suc- 
 cessfully for some time. In 1825 he removed 
 to Livingston County with his wife and three 
 children, and for eleven years operated a saw 
 and grist mill in that region. Disposing of 
 that property, he took up four hundred acres 
 of land in Michigan, and began the improve- 
 ment of a homestead, but, being persuaded to 
 return home, sold his farm, and came back to 
 the paternal homestead in Scipio. He was a 
 man of genuine worth, held in high esteem 
 throughout his community, and for eight 
 years served as Justice of the Peace. On the 
 ninth day of December, 1870, he passed from 
 the scenes of his earthly labors, having out- 
 lived the allotted period of man's threescore 
 and ten years, being then seventy-four years 
 of age. When a young man, he was united in 
 marriage to Rachel Calkins, the daughter of 
 Benjamin Calkins, of Scipio; and to them 
 were born the following children: Rebecca, 
 Ruth, Ephraim, Clarissa, Frances M., Chaun- 
 cey, Ann, and George W. The latter, who 
 was a veteran of the war, was subsequently 
 killed by the Indians. 
 
 Ephraim Culver, of whom we write, at- 
 tended the public schools of Scipio and of 
 Livingston County, obtaining a fair educa- 
 tion. Selecting farming as the means of ob- 
 taining a livelihood, he has devoted his time 
 and attention to that branch of industry, and 
 has been favored in every respect. Before 
 taking upon himself the obligations of a tiller 
 of the soil, however, Mr. Culver, who was 
 well fitted for a teacher, was engaged for one 
 term in Scipio, where he taught in a district 
 
 school, but abandoned a professional life for 
 the more congenial one of farming. In 1866 
 he returned to the old homestead, the place of 
 his birth, and since that time has assumed its 
 entire management, in every detail of which 
 he has been successful. He is a fine repre- 
 sentative of the substantial citizens of the 
 town, and in his domestic relations is a 
 considerate father and a devoted husband; 
 while his neighbors find him kind and 
 obliging, ever ready to lend a helping hand. 
 Since the formation of the Republican party 
 he has been one of its strongest adher- 
 ents. His first Presidential vote was cast 
 for Zachary Taylor in 1848; and since that 
 date he has never missed casting his ballot 
 each year. 
 
 Mr. Culver has been twice married. In 
 1852 he was wedded to Helen M. Whitfield, 
 who bore him four children, namely: Rachel, 
 who is the wife of Arthur R. Daniels, of 
 Scipio, and has four children — E. Burton, 
 Eliza, M. Flora, and Helen M. ; George 
 W., who married Mary Ralph, by whom 
 he had one child, Grace M., who is now 
 deceased; Pamelia; and Alice, deceased. 
 In 1870 Mrs. Culver, the mother of these 
 children, passed on to the higher life, leav- 
 ing a worthy record as a faithful wife, a ten- 
 der mother, and an esteemed friend and 
 counsellor. Mr. Culver was subsequently 
 united in marriage to Martha J. Alexander, 
 the daughter of John H. and Pamelia (Corn- 
 stock) Alexander, of Saratoga County, who 
 presides over his household with wisdom and 
 ability. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S6S 
 
 bpRANK A. WEDDIGEN. In the an- 
 I Is nals of Cayuga County no more worthy 
 name is found than that of Mr. Weddigen, 
 who is an able and important factor in its 
 manufacturing interests, occupying a promi- 
 nent position among tlie enterprising and pro- 
 gressive business men of Throop. He is a 
 native of this county, born in Auburn, Decem- 
 ber 15, 1850, a son of C. August Weddigen, 
 Jr., and grandson of C. August Weddigen, 
 Sr., who was a life-long resident of West- 
 phalia, Germany. 
 
 The father of Frank A. Weddigen received 
 an excellent education in the public schools 
 of his native land, which is noted for its thor- 
 ough system of national education, compul- 
 sory attendance at school being enforced by 
 law. He was a natural mechanic, and, after 
 learning his trade, became Assistant Master 
 Mechanic of the government railway in Prus- 
 sia, holding that position at the time of the 
 revolution in that country in 1848; but, 
 being a Republican, he was exiled. Coming 
 at once' to this country with his family, he 
 proceeded to Auburn, where he was given 
 charge of the Beardsley, Keeler & Curtis 
 works at the State prison. He remained 
 there until 1857, and then went to Canada 
 West to assume supervision of the locomotive 
 works of the Grand Trunk Railway. He con- 
 tinued there three years, then, returning to 
 Cayuga County, settled in the town of Sen- 
 nett, where he has since resided, being recog- 
 nized as a good and useful citizen, and every- 
 where respected for his moral worth and intel- 
 ligence. 
 
 While in his native land he married Chris- 
 tina Kirschman, a native of Andernach, on 
 the Rhine, and a daughter of Louis von 
 Kirschman, who was an officer in the allied 
 forces that took the first cannon across the 
 Rhine, following Napoleon's retreat. Mr. 
 Weddigen has in his possession autograph 
 letters from the Duke of Wellington, the 
 King of Prussia, and the Czar of Russia, and 
 also a book of orders received at that time. 
 Of their union four children were born, two 
 of whom are living: Anna, who was born in 
 New York, married Frederick Nachstheim, 
 and now resides in Tacoma, Wash. ; and 
 Frank A. C. August and Christina are 
 deceased. 
 
 The subject of this brief biographical 
 notice received his preliminary education in 
 the public schools of Auburn, supplementing 
 it by attendance at the business colleges of 
 Auburn and Syracuse. He completed his 
 studies in Germany, whither he went to per- 
 fect himself in the German language and in 
 his commercial studies, returning to this 
 country in 1870. The following year he 
 began his mercantile career, opening a crock- 
 ery store in Auburn, which he carried on for 
 four years. In 1875 he entered the employ of 
 D. M. Osborne & Co., remaining with that 
 firm until 1882, when, forming a copartner- 
 ship with John Meyer, Mr. Weddigen estab- 
 lished his present business, the manufacture 
 of nuts, washers, bicycle springs, wringer 
 springs, rake teeth, etc., and has since carried 
 on an extensive and lucrative trade, the enter- 
 prising and successful firm of Meyer & Co, 
 
566 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 being widely and favorably known throughout 
 the county. 
 
 Mr. Weddigen was united in wedlock in 
 1 87 1 to Johanna Van Ness, the daughter of 
 John and Johanna Van Ness, of Auburn. 
 Their happy household circle has been blessed 
 by the birth of ten children, as follows: Eda 
 C, who is a teacher in Throop; Charles A., a 
 messenger at the State capitol ; Louisa W. ; 
 Mary L. ; Frank A., Jr.; John G. ; George; 
 Anna C. ; Howard E. ; and Irene W. So- 
 cially, Mr. Weddigen is a prominent member 
 of the Masonic fraternity, being a Thirty-sec- 
 ond Degree Mason. In politics he is a stanch 
 adherent of the Republican party, and cast his 
 first Presidential vote for U. S. Grant in 
 1872. He has no official aspirations, but was 
 elected Supervisor in 1892. 
 
 /pTTo 
 
 EORGE W. PITTS, whose name is 
 \f^J_ prominent among those of the solid 
 business men of Cayuga County, is a keen, 
 wide-awake representative of the manufactur- 
 ing interests of the town of Sempronius, own- 
 ing an interest in and operating the largest 
 lumber-mill in the vicinity. He keeps from 
 eight to ten men constantly employed, and 
 carries on an extensive trade in lumber, his 
 mill having a capacity of eight thousand to 
 ten thousand feet of lumber daily, and turn- 
 ing out dressed material of every description. 
 Mr. Pitts was born in the town of Sempro- 
 nius, August 8, 1856, on the homestead where 
 he now resides, and in which he has a part 
 interest. His father, Lucius Pitts, was also 
 
 a native of Sempronius, born on the nth of 
 September, 1824; and his wife, whose maiden 
 name was Isabella Hall, was a native of Eng- 
 land, born in Westmoreland County, Decem- 
 ber 12, 1828. 
 
 George W. Pitts is of English descent on 
 both the paternal and maternal sides, and 
 traces his ancestry back to one Robert Pitts, 
 who sailed from England in 1635, and was 
 one of the original settlers of the town of 
 Salisbury, on the north-eastern coast of Massa- 
 chusetts. The records show that he remained 
 in the Bay State the remainder of his days, 
 dying there May 9, 1665. John Pitts, the 
 great-grandfather of our subject, was born 
 in Sutton, Mass., but afterward removed to 
 Charlton, in the same State. 
 
 Martin Pitts, the grandfather of him to 
 whom we refer in this brief sketch, was born 
 in Charlton, Mass., October 11, 1791, and 
 there grew to maturity. In 18 16, following 
 the march of civilization, he came to this 
 county, locating in the town of Sempronius, 
 where he bought a large tract of land, from 
 which he improved a fine homestead. Two 
 years after his arrival here he married Miriam 
 Dresser, a native of Hinsdale, Mass., where 
 she was born March 26, 1793, their nuptials 
 being celebrated January 20, 1818. She ably 
 seconded him in all his efforts to establish a 
 home, and spent a happy wedded life until 
 called to the other shore, passing away Octo- 
 ber 18, 1866. He became prominently iden- 
 tified with the farming interests of the 
 community, and assisted materially in the 
 development of this section of the county. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 567 
 
 He served as Supervisor, filled other minor 
 offices, and for many years was Justice of the 
 Peace. He bore a high character for sterling 
 integrity, and his charity and benevolence 
 were unbounded. The last few years of his 
 life were spent just north of Dresserville, 
 where his death occurred April 5, 1876. 
 He was the father of four children, as follows: 
 Leander, born May 23, 1822, died in 1891 ; 
 Lucius; Julius, born June 20, 1827, lives on 
 the old homestead; Mary Ann, born Decem- 
 ber 6, 1832, died February 16, 1893. 
 
 Lucius Fitts spent the greater part of his 
 life in his native town, and was numbered 
 among its most influential citizens. He was 
 thoroughly identified with its business inter- 
 ests, and was extensively engaged in milling 
 and farming. In 1849 he bought the old 
 home farm, which is still in the possession of 
 his children, and improved -a fine homestead 
 from its two hundred and thirteen acres. 
 Being a man of much enterprise, and very 
 capable and far-seeing, he invested his sur- 
 plus money in the Fitts' Dresserville Mills, 
 in 1866, which he operated successfully until 
 1 88 1, when they were burned out. He then 
 purchased the old Dresserville Mills, and, 
 consolidating the business of the two, con- 
 tinued the manufacture of lumber. Residing 
 on his home property, he supervised his farm 
 and operated his mill until the time of his 
 death, August 18, 1886, it being the result of 
 an accident, he falling from a load of lumber. 
 His sound judgment, financial ability, and 
 deep interest in the welfare of his town, made 
 him an important factor in civic circles; and 
 
 he served with fidelity in many of the offices 
 within the gift of his fellow-townsmen. He 
 was Supervisor in 1861 and 1862, and again 
 in 1878 and 1879, and from 1865 until 1870 
 served as Internal Revenue Assessor. 
 
 On the 2d of March, 1847, his marriage 
 was solemnized, Isabella Hall becoming his 
 wife. Their pleasant wedded life continued 
 nearly twoscore years, when it was terminated 
 by the death of Mrs. Fitts, who passed to the 
 brighter world May 23, 1885. She was a 
 woman of rare personal worth, and kind and 
 charitable toward all. Both she and her hus- 
 band were liberal and progressive in their re- 
 ligious beliefs. In politics Mr. Fitts was a 
 member of the Republican party. They had 
 a family of eight children. Ann, the wife of 
 Asahe] Smith, a farmer, lives in Sempronius. 
 Carrie, the wife of John McMillan, also a 
 farmer, resides in Summer Hill. Alice M. 
 is at home. George W. is our subject. Mil- 
 ton, who resides on the homestead property, 
 and ably manages it, is also engaged in the 
 milling business with his brother George. 
 Lurie J., the wife of Charles S. Clark, a 
 farmer, resides in Cortland County. Fay M., 
 a graduate of Cornell University in the class 
 of 1886, is in the United States Mail service, 
 and resides in Portland, Ore. Edwin, who 
 resides in Sempronius, is also a graduate of 
 Cornell University, receiving his diploma in 
 1891, and is now a mechanical engineer. 
 
 George W. Fitts, of whom we write, grew 
 to manhood in the town of his nativity, and 
 received a good education in the union 
 schools of Moravia, After finishing his 
 
S68 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 studies, he taught school six terms, five in 
 this place, and one in Niles. When not in 
 school, he was engaged in his father's mill, 
 becoming very well acquainted with the busi- 
 ness details, and has continued in this voca- 
 tion to the present, having practically built 
 up its lucrative trade. Since 1881 he has 
 owned an interest in this property, and for 
 several years has been sole manager. These 
 are the most extensive works of the kind in 
 the vicinity, and are equipped with the latest 
 improved machinery. Mr. Fitts has also an 
 interest in the home farm, which is conducted 
 by his brother Milton, and is one of the larg- 
 est estates in the neighborhood. It is well 
 improved, with a beautiful residence and a 
 substantial set of modern farm buildings, and 
 is well stocked, the fine dairy containing 
 twenty-five head of choice Jersey cattle, dairy- 
 ing being the principal industry. In addition 
 to dressing lumber, Mr. Fitts makes a spe- 
 cialty of manufacturing butter-covers, on 
 which he has a steady run. In 1891 he fur- 
 nished the Homer Wagon Company with one 
 hundred thousand feet of lumber. He has 
 likewise a feed-mill connected with the 
 works, from which he reaps a good yearly 
 income. 
 
 Mr. Fitts is everywhere respected and es- 
 teemed for his many excellent traits of charac- 
 ter and manly virtues, and holds an important 
 place in the community. He has served as 
 Postmaster of Dresserville since 1891, having 
 received his appointment November 12th of 
 that year. He cordially indorses the princi- 
 ples of the Republican party; and on that 
 
 ticket, in 1894, he was elected Supervisor by 
 the largest majority ever received by any can- 
 didate. Having never married, Mr. Fitts has 
 no household affairs to attend to; but few 
 men of the vicinity are more widely known or 
 have a larger number of warm friends. 
 
 ING T. PARKER, attorney and 
 counsellor-at-law of Moravia, was 
 born in that town, December 13, 1849, ^"d is 
 the son of the Hon. John L. and Mary 
 (Tabor) Parker, the latter a daughter of the 
 Hon. Judge Wing Tabor, an Assemblyman 
 and County Judge. John L. Parker was born 
 in Moravia, March 28, 1825, a son of John H. 
 and Esther (Locke) Parker, the former of 
 whom was one of the early pioneers of this 
 county, coming from Nova Scotia. He was 
 the son of Caleb Parker, a master in the Eng- 
 lish navy. The family were originally from 
 Boston, and left that city at the time of the 
 British evacuation. In after years they re- 
 turned to Massachusetts, John H. coming to 
 Moravia, where he engaged in the manufact- 
 ure of wagons, being one of the first wagon- 
 makers in this vicinity, his goods having a 
 wide reputation. He married Miss PZsther 
 Locke, the eldest daughter of John Locke; 
 and the following children were born to them: 
 William, who died at Allegheny City; John 
 L.; Henry P.; James, who died in Cuba, 
 N.Y.; and Ann, who married Charles G. 
 Weitzel, and died at Mechanicsville. John 
 H. Parker died in 1874, when within a few 
 days of attaining his eightieth year. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 569 
 
 John L. Parker received his education at 
 the Moravia Institute, at that time a well- 
 known school, afterward reading law with 
 Jared Smith and Leonard O. Aikin, being 
 admitted to practice, July 4, 1848, at the gen- 
 eral term at Ithaca, and to practice in the 
 Circuit Courts of the United States, January 
 23, 1879. He opened an office in Moravia, 
 which he conducted for many years, being one 
 of the most prominent attorneys of the county. 
 In 1863-64 he was Deputy Clerk of the 
 House at Albany, and during 1865-67 was 
 elected a member of the Assembly for the 
 Southern District of Cayuga County, the last 
 two terms being Cliairman of the Committee 
 on Railroads. He was elected on the Repub- 
 lican ticket by a large majority each year. 
 He was a very active politician, and in 1865 
 delivered a fine speech on the "Constitu- 
 tional Convention," and another in 1866 on 
 the "Health Bill." He was also on the 
 resolution indorsing Congress against the 
 President. All of these were widely read and 
 commented upon. In 1873 he was appointed 
 Special Agent of the Pension Department for 
 one year. He continued in the active prac- 
 tice of his profession until within a year of 
 his death, which took place October 10, 1892. 
 He was a member of the Independent Order 
 of Odd Fellows, and a Royal Arch Mason. 
 In 1857 he was Representative of the lodge 
 at the Grand Lodge in New York. 
 
 He was married December 13, 1848, to 
 Miss Mary Tabor, youngest daughter of Wing 
 Tabor, who was a member of the Assembly 
 in 1829, and Judge of the County Court for 
 
 ten years from March 2, 1833. Judge Tabor 
 was born at New Bedford, Mass., and died in 
 1865. His wife was Mehitabel Bowker, a 
 daughter of Silas Bowker, who was a Captain 
 during the Revolutionary War, and a State 
 Senator for four years. Mrs. John L. Parker 
 was born in Scipio, but, when sixteen years of 
 age, came with her family to Moravia. She is 
 still living, and the mother of four children, 
 namely: Wing T. ; William J. H., Cashier 
 of the First National Bank of Moravia; Jo- 
 seph, a master weigher of Western freight in 
 Omaha; and Mary, the wife of Frank P. 
 Tabor, of Auburn. 
 
 Wing T. Parker was educated in the com- 
 mon schools and at the Moravia Institute 
 afterward going into the office of his father, 
 where he read law. He was admitted to the 
 bar at Buffalo, June g, 1871. In 1874 he 
 went to New York as managing clerk for 
 Wingate & Cullen, who were attorneys for 
 Tammany Hall, defending Richard Croker in 
 his trial for murder, Mr. Parker taking part 
 in preparing the evidence. He afterward 
 went to Buffalo, but upon the request of his 
 father returned to Moravia, and was associated 
 with him in business until the time of the 
 latter's death. Mr. Parker took an active part 
 in politics when quite young, first as his 
 father's confidential clerk, but later became a 
 stump speaker. He has not aspired to any 
 office, but was put forward by his friends as a 
 candidate for the nomination for the Assembly 
 in 1893. He does a fine law business in all 
 the courts, having a very successful practice. 
 
 He has been married three times, first to 
 
570 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mary Johnson, who died in February, 1874. 
 His second wife. Miss Margaret Kindred, of 
 New Yorlc, died in 1876. His third wife was 
 Miss Eleanor L. Smith, daughter of Sullivan 
 Smith, of Janesville, Wis., to whom he was 
 married April 11, 1878. Mr. Parker is a 
 member of the Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen. For the last fifteen years he has 
 been a Warden of St. Matthew's Episcopal 
 Church of Moravia. He is held in high es- 
 teem, being known as a powerful and eloquent 
 pleader, and a shrewd and skilful cross-exam- 
 iner, gifts which he doubtless inherits from 
 his learned and illustrious father. 
 
 [CKS ANTHONY, farmer. In Dis- 
 trict No. 5 in the town of Ledyard 
 lies one of the most comfortable 
 homesteads to be found in Cayuga County; 
 and it is the property of the gentleman whose 
 name is placed at the head of this sketch. 
 The land is well improved and under a fine 
 state of cultivation, with a substantial resi- 
 dence, a good barn, and all the necessary out- 
 buildings for storing his crops and sheltering 
 his stock. Everything about the premises 
 is neat and tasteful, and indicates the super- 
 vision of an enterprising and progressive 
 farmer. 
 
 Mr. Anthony was born in Ledyard, Cayuga 
 County, N.Y., on September 13, 1827. His 
 grandfather, David Anthony, was born in 
 Rhode Island, and was doubtless a descendant 
 of John Anthony, of Hempstead, England, 
 born in 1607, who crossed the Atlantic in the 
 
 "Hercules," landed in New England on April 
 16, 1634, and subsequently took up his abode 
 in Portsmouth, R.I., or the northern part of 
 the island of Aquidneck in Narragansett Bay, 
 which the settlers named Rhode Island. The 
 emigrant also owned property in Newport on 
 the southern part of the island. His wife's 
 name was Susannah, and they had several 
 children. 
 
 David Anthony, disposing of his farm in 
 Rhode Island, removed to Adams, Berkshire 
 County, Mass., where he bought land, and, 
 continuing his former occupation, farming, 
 there spent the remainder of his days, num- 
 bered among the substantial citizens of the 
 place. After his removal to Adams, Berkshire 
 County, he married Judith Hicks, a niece of 
 Elias Hicks, the noted Quaker preacher, the 
 leader of that branch of the Society of Friends 
 that bears his name. 
 
 The father of the subject of this sketch, 
 who was named John Anthony, was born at 
 the foot of "Old Greylock," in the town of 
 Adams, Mass., in June, 1777, about two 
 months before the battle of Bennington, not 
 very far away, and on the parental homestead 
 was well drilled in all that pertained to agri- 
 culture. He began his career as a farmer in 
 Adams, but subsequently migrated to Green- 
 field, Saratoga County, N.Y., where he 
 bought a tract of unimproved land, which he 
 worked for a few years. In 1822 he removed 
 to this county, performing the journey by 
 means of the stage-coach and wagons. Work 
 on the canal was in progress ; but even then 
 the people were incredulous, and ridiculed it, 
 
(Jane Low Hnthony. 
 
Hicks Anthony, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 573 
 
 calling it "Clinton's big ditch"; and an epi- 
 gram of the period, alluding to Governor 
 Clinton, shows something of the spirit that 
 existed at that time : — 
 
 " Oh, a ditch he would dig, from the lakes to the sea, 
 The eighth of tlie world's matchless wonders to be. 
 Good land ! How absurd ! But wliy should you grin? 
 It will do to bury its mad author in." 
 
 Railways had not then been thought of; and 
 during his whole life the only one he ever 
 rode on was the horse railway running between 
 Albany and Schenectady. Coming to Led- 
 yard, John Anthony bought a farm on which 
 the improvements were few; but by untiring 
 industry he placed it in a good yielding con- 
 dition, and, being prospered in his work, pur- 
 chased adjoining land, until at the time of his 
 death he had a well-improved farm of two hun- 
 dred and sixty acres, on which he had built a 
 substantial frame house, besides making other 
 marked improvements. He married Susanna 
 Allen, the daughter of James Allen, of Rhode 
 Island; and around their family hearthstone 
 was gathered a family of ten children, 
 namely: Hannah; Daniel; Mary; John; Ju- 
 dith and Smith, twins; Susan; Seth; Phoebe; 
 and Hicks. Another son of David Anthony, 
 of Adams, Mass., and brother of John, of Ca- 
 yuga County, was Humphrey Anthony, who 
 was grandfather of Susan B. Anthony, dis- 
 tinguished leader in the cause which has for 
 its object the political enfranchisement and 
 general advancement of women. 
 
 Hicks Anthony was the youngest of the 
 large family born to his parents, John and 
 Susanna (Allen) Anthony. In his youthful 
 
 days he attended the district schools of his 
 native town, acquiring a good common-school 
 education, and under the parental roof-tree 
 received a careful home training, the lessons 
 of truth, honesty, and justice, which have 
 been his guiding principles through life, hav- 
 ing been firmly impressed upon his mind. 
 Being reared to agricultural pursuits, he has 
 devoted his entire attention to the tilling of 
 the soil, and is numbered among the most 
 skilful, progressive, and prosperous farmers 
 of this part of Cayuga County. On his home- 
 stead he has erected a fine dwelling, and new 
 barns and out-buildings that correspond with 
 the residence; and these, with their attractive 
 surroundings, indicate the supervision of an 
 intelligent, enterprising, and successful man 
 of business. 
 
 Mr. Anthony was united in marriage in 
 1847 with Jane Low, the daughter of Benja- 
 min and Cornelia Low; and of their wedlock 
 two daughters were born — Mary and Frances 
 A. The younger of these is the wife of 
 Charles G. Adams, of Auburn, of whom a 
 sketch is given elsewhere in this biographical 
 volume. Among the influential citizens of 
 Ledyard Mr. Hicks Anthony occupies a promi- 
 nent position. His good judgment and compe- 
 tence in local affairs are quite conspicuous, 
 being recognized by his townsmen, whom he 
 has served in many official capacities. He 
 has been Supervisor seven consecutive years, 
 from 1875 till 1882, and Chairman of the 
 Board one year of the time; while about forty 
 years he has been Justice of the Peace, per- 
 forming the duties of that office most accep- 
 
574 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tably. In politics Mr. Anthony has been 
 identified with the Republican party since its 
 formation. He cast his first Presidential 
 vote in 1848 for Zachary Taylor. Socially, 
 he has been a member of the Masonic frater- 
 nity since 1864. Religiously, he is a con- 
 sistent member of the Universalist church, 
 contributing liberally toward its support. 
 
 The accompanying portrait of Mr. Anthony 
 adds greatly to the interest of this brief 
 narration. 
 
 f^O 
 
 EORGE H. HUFF, a well-known 
 \mJ_ farmer residing in the town of 
 Niles, Cayuga County, N.Y., District No. 
 8, was born in Sempronius, of which Niles 
 was formerly a part, on July 11, 1853. His 
 father was Harvey W. Huff, who was born 
 in Cayuga County, December 21, 1827. 
 His grandfather, Jonah Huff, born in Rock- 
 land County, New York, in 1805, son of an 
 elder Jonah, whose birth was in 1782, was one 
 of the early settlers in the town of Sempro- 
 nius, where he bought a tract of land, and en- 
 gaged in agriculture. His first dwelling was 
 a log house, in which the family lived for a 
 number of years. He afterward built a frame 
 house, in which he has lived up to the present 
 day, being now in his eighty-eighth year. 
 Jonah Huff married Lydia Springer, and they 
 reared four sons. Mrs. Huff is also still liv- 
 ing, having arrived at the advanced age of 
 ninety years, being two years older than Mr. 
 Huff. Both of them, however, are hale and 
 hearty. Mrs. Huff was born in Rensselaer 
 County, New York, in 1804, a daughter of 
 
 David Springer, who was born in Rhode 
 Island in 1776, and died in 1862. His 
 father Benjamin, who died in 1821, was a 
 son of Thomas Springer, born in 1722, and 
 died in 1804; and Thomas was a son of 
 Joseph, who was born in 1689, son of Law- 
 rence Springer, the date of whose birth was 
 1655 — a goodly line of ancestors, indeed. 
 
 Harvey W. Huff was reared to agricultural 
 pursuits, and also in his younger days worked 
 in a saw-mill and as a mason. He owned a 
 saw-mill at New Hope, which he conducted 
 for a number of years. Upon the breaking 
 out of the Civil War, he enlisted in the ser- 
 vice of his country, being mustered in at 
 Auburn, August 20, 1862, as a member of 
 Company I, One Hundred and Eleventh New 
 York Volunteer Infantry. He was wounded 
 at the battle of Gettysburg, and sent to the 
 hospital. While there, he contracted small- 
 pox, and died at Brandy Station, Va., on 
 February 26, 1864, aged thirty-seven, leaving 
 a wife and two children. Mrs. Huff, whose 
 maiden name was Minerva Rounds, was after- 
 ward married to David Johnson, and is now 
 residing in Wisconsin. 
 
 George H. Huff, who was but ten years old 
 at the time of his father's death, was educated 
 in the district schools, and when nine years of 
 age began to work in his father's saw-mill, 
 which was managed by his grandfather. He 
 afterward worked on the farm and in a grist- 
 mill. When fifteen years of age, he hired 
 himself out to Robert Stoker, working on a 
 farm for eight dollars a month, afterward 
 working in a saw-mill for several years. In 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S7S 
 
 1880 he moved onto his wife's farm, where 
 he now resides, and followed general farming 
 until 1889, when he rented his farm, and 
 moved to Syracuse, where he ran a stationary 
 engine for the Syracuse Plough Company, re- 
 maining with them for three years, and mov- 
 ing back to his present farm in 1893. He 
 was married on February 25, 1874, to Hattie 
 R. Jones, daughter of Abraham L. and Mi- 
 nerva (Ryan) Jones. Mr. Abraham L. and 
 Mrs. Jones reared three children, namely: 
 Charles, who died aged twenty years; Whit- 
 ford, who died in his seventeenth year; and 
 Hattie R., Mrs. Jones. The father of Abra- 
 ham L. was Whitford Jones, a native of Rens- 
 selaer County, who married Rebecca LTewis, 
 and reared one son and three daughters. The 
 father of Mrs. Jones was Robert Ryan, a 
 veteran of the War of 1812. He married 
 Eleanor Hannah, and had a family of six 
 sons and seven daughters. 
 
 Mr. Huff, together with his family, attends 
 the Methodist Episcopal church at New Hope. 
 He is a Republican in politics, and a devoted 
 adherent 'of that party. He is a member of 
 Sylvan Lodge, No. 41, A. F. & A. M., of 
 Moravia. He has one son, Ray M., born 
 April 12, 1875. Although Mr. Huff's time is 
 necessarily mostly taken up with his farming 
 labors, he has nevertheless found opportunity 
 to cultivate his talent for music. His dex- 
 terity in the manipulation of several different 
 instruments has gained for him the name of 
 "Professor" by his associates. The son is 
 also a first-class violin player, doubtless deriv- 
 ing his talent from his gifted father. 
 
 (©TYLFRED alley, a substantial repre- 
 ^^ sentative of the agricultural and busi- 
 Vi— ' ness interests of the eastern part of 
 Cayuga County, is the owner of a good farm 
 in the town of Moravia, which is the place of 
 his nativity, the date of his birth being Feb- 
 ruary 22, 1840. During these intervening 
 years he has spent a busy and useful life, 
 being one of those persons occasionally met 
 with who thoroughly enjoy downright active 
 labor, both of mind and brain, and who by a 
 judicious use of their native talents attain an 
 assured position among the prosperous citizens 
 of the community. His father, Henry Alley, 
 was born in the town of Moravia; while his 
 mother, whose maiden name was Sally Keeler, 
 was of Massachusetts birth. 
 
 William Alley, the paternal grandfather of 
 Alfred, was born in Dutchess County, New 
 York, and, moving from there to this county 
 toward the close of last century, became one 
 of the first settlers of this part of New York. 
 He was a farmer by occupation ; and, taking 
 advantage of the opening up of the lands here 
 by the government, he purchased a tract 
 heavily covered with timber, and by indefati- 
 gable industry cleared a comfortable home- 
 stead. His last years were spent in the vil- 
 lage of Moravia, where his death occurred in 
 1850, when eighty-eight years of age. He 
 married Phebe Dusenbury; and to them were 
 born sixteen children, of whom Mrs. Phebe 
 Barber, of the village of Moravia, is the only 
 one now living. He was a man of strong in- 
 dividuality, liberal in his religious views, and 
 a Whig in politics. 
 
576 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Henry Alley, son of William, was reared 
 on a farm, and became very familiar with the 
 various branches of agriculture; but, learning 
 the trades of a cooper and of a mason in his 
 youth and early manhood, he followed those 
 occupations mostly during his life, and leased 
 his farm. Being industrious and economical, 
 arfd possessing excellent business qualifica- 
 tions, he obtained a leading position among 
 the successful men of his day. He died in 
 the village of Moravia, on October 13, 1881, 
 his good wife, who survived him, peacefully 
 passing to the other shore on April 18, 1890. 
 They were both people of upright Christian 
 character, he being liberal in his religious 
 views, while she accepted the tenets of the 
 Methodist church. To them were born a 
 family of ten children, nine of whom are now 
 living: James, deceased; Joseph; Mary ].; 
 M. K.; John H.; Alfred; Lucinda; Vir- 
 ginia; Phebe; and Edgar. 
 
 Alfred Alley, the sixth of this household 
 group, has been a life-long resident of Mo- 
 ravia. He obtained his education in its pub- 
 lic schools, and, during the last half-century 
 has taken pleasure and pride in watching its 
 growth and advancing prosperity. In the 
 days of his youth he became familiar with 
 agricultural labors, in which he has been un- 
 interruptedly engaged until the present time. 
 He continued a member of the paternal home 
 until his marriage, when he purchased the 
 farm where he now resides. His purchase 
 consisted of ninety-eight acres of arable land; 
 and he has since turned his time and attention 
 to its cultivation and improvement, and has 
 
 also dealt extensively in live stock, realizing 
 handsome profits from that branch of business 
 alone. His executive and financial abilities 
 are of a high order; and he has accumulated a 
 substantial property, being the owner of a 
 business block and a residence in the village, 
 besides his home estate. All of this is the 
 result of patient industry, good management, 
 and the exercise of sound judgment in his 
 transactions. Mr. Alley is an esteemed citi- 
 zen, and much interested in all that pertains 
 to the welfare of the town. In politics he 
 gives his earnest support to the Democratic 
 party. He is a man of independent and lib- 
 eral views, and neither he nor his estimable 
 wife is a member of any religious organization. 
 
 On October 17, 1867, Mr. Alley was 
 united in marriage with Miss Emma A. 
 Parker, a native of the town of Niles. Her 
 parents were William and Deborah V. (Gard- 
 ner) Parker, the former of whom was born 
 April 18, 1807, in Niles, and the latter in 
 Berkshire County, Massachusetts, April 13, 
 1810. 
 
 The Parkers are of English ancestry; and 
 on their family record is enrolled the name of 
 Sir Peter Parker, the noted admiral who com- 
 manded a British fleet during the Revolution- 
 ary War. 
 
 George Parker, the paternal grandfather of 
 Mrs. Alley, was a native of Vermont, and a 
 representative of one of the oldest and most 
 honored families of that State. When only 
 sixteen years of age, he served as a soldier in 
 the Revolutionary army, in which his father 
 and two of his brothers also fought in defence 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 577 
 
 of their country. After the close of that 
 struggle for freedom, he and his father emi- 
 grated to Cayuga County, being among the 
 original settlers. They bought a tract of 
 land one mile square; but, after living on it 
 three years, improving a little of it, they lost 
 it, owing to a defective title. Not disheart- 
 ened, however, Grandfather Parker acquired 
 other land, and did brave pioneer work in 
 opening up and clearing a creditable home- 
 stead from the imcultivated soil of the wilder- 
 ness. It is to men of such calibre that the 
 flourishing condition of this county, with its 
 splendid farms, comfortable residences, fine 
 churches, and substantial school buildings, is 
 due. With perseverance and patience they 
 uncomplainingly endured the trials of pioneer 
 life, that they might develop the wonderful 
 resources of this fruitful land, and make for 
 themselves and their posterity pleasant homes. 
 He was entirely dependent on his own labors 
 for a living, but his courage never failed him; 
 and ere his death, which occurred at the ex- 
 tremely advanced age of ninety-nine years, he 
 was numbered among the solid men of the 
 locality, owning a good farm in the town of 
 Niles, where he resided for many years. 
 When he first came to this region, game was 
 abundant; and the native Indians roamed 
 through the forests. They were mostly of the 
 tribe known as the Five Nations, but they 
 were soon after exterminated or put to flight 
 by the efforts of Generals Wayne and Sulli- 
 van. Mrs. Alley's grandfather won an ener- 
 getic and- capable girl for his bride, who 
 bravely shared his poverty; for at the time of 
 
 his marriage the wedding fee of fifty cents 
 which he gave the minister was his sole capi- 
 tal. She ably assisted him in all of his 
 labors, looking well after the affairs of the 
 household, and by prudence and stringent 
 economy they accumulated wealth; and to 
 each of the nine children born of their union 
 was given a farm, or its equivalent, on the 
 death of the parents. 
 
 William Parker, Mrs. Alley's father, was 
 one of the prosperous and intelligent farmers 
 of Moravia, where he settled in 1847. He 
 owned at one time two hundred acres of land, 
 one of the most valuable pieces of property 
 in the locality. He died in the village of 
 Montville, in 1880, when about seventy- 
 three. He was a valued and esteemed citi- 
 zen, an ardent Republican in politics, and 
 liberal and independent in his religious 
 views. His widow, Mrs. Deborah V. Parker, 
 is still enjoying life at the advanced age of 
 eighty-five years, making her home with her 
 daughter, Mrs. Alley. To her and her hus- 
 band six children were born, who may be 
 named as follows: Otis G. lives in Montville; 
 Mrs. C. Augusta Ammerman lives in Mo- 
 ravia; Mrs. Emma A. Alley, also in Moravia; 
 Mrs. Lydia L. Burlingham resides in Niles; 
 Mrs. Helen O. Shimer lives in Sempronius; 
 Charles D. Parker is a resident of Niles. 
 
 Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Alley 
 no children have been born. They are genial 
 and cultured people, and occupy a high social 
 position in the community. Mr. Alley seems 
 to have inherited a large share of the integ- 
 rity of his parents, and has secured the confi- 
 
578 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 dence of all with whom he has had dealings. 
 In politics he is a loyal member of the Demo- 
 cratic party, and in religious matters both he 
 and his wife are liberal and tolerant. 
 
 §UDSON L. WHITE, one of the leading 
 citizens of the town of Locke, and a 
 prominent factor of its business inter- 
 ests, is with his partner, James M. Stewart, 
 carrying on an extensive foreign and domestic 
 trade in general produce, making a specialty 
 of hay, of which they handle annually from 
 eight to ten thousand tons. Mr. White, who 
 is one of Cayuga County's most favored sons, 
 was born in this town on September 22, 1853. 
 He is descended from an excellent family, 
 the first representatives of whom settled in 
 the State of Massachusetts at an early period 
 in its history. His grandfather, Francis 
 White, was of New England birth, and was a 
 pioneer of Tompkins County in this State, 
 where he engaged in general farming for 
 several years. He subsequently removed to 
 Pennsylvania, where he spent his last days, 
 dying at the venerable age of fourscore and 
 ten years. He married Hannah Ives; and of 
 the three children born to them two are now 
 living, namely: Allen White, of Pennsyl- 
 vania; and Malvina, widow of Beula Howe, 
 and a resident of Warsaw, N.Y. 
 
 Erastus White, the other son of Francis, 
 was born in Dryden, Tompkins County, N.Y., 
 and reared to farming pursuits. When a 
 young man, he bought a farm of one hun- 
 dred acres in the town of Locke, and, giving 
 
 careful attention to its improvement and cul- 
 tivation, in due time had as good a homestead 
 as could be found in this vicinity. His pre- 
 mature death, which occurred September 14, 
 1 89 1, when only sixty-five years of age, was 
 accidental, caused by the railway cars. He 
 uniformly cast his vote with the Republican 
 party, although otherwise taking no active 
 part in politics. The maiden name of his 
 wife, who survives him, and is now living in 
 the village of Locke, of which she is a native, 
 was Lois M. Harris. Their union was 
 blessed by the birth of two children: Judson 
 L. ; and Frank H., a resident of Friendship, 
 N.Y. Casey H., a step-son, who died in 
 India, at the age of twenty-nine years, was a 
 professional lion-tamer and lion-trainer, and 
 possessed the power of subduing and taming 
 the most ferocious beasts of the forest. 
 
 Mrs. White's father, Joseph Harris, was a 
 native of Massachusetts, belonging to an hon- 
 ored family of that State. His father, Daniel 
 Harris, was a soldier in the Revolutionary 
 army. Joseph Harris came to this county in 
 the early days of its settlement, in 18 14, and, 
 buying a large tract of land, became num- 
 bered among the most successful agricultur- 
 ists of the town of Locke. This locality was 
 then sparsely settled; and Albany was the 
 most convenient market, the tedious trip to 
 and fro consuming a good deal of time. On 
 the homestead which he cleared from the un- 
 broken forest he lived to a ripe old age, pass- 
 ing on to the life beyond when ninety-one 
 years old. To him and his good wife, Eunice 
 Harris, ten children were born, of whom the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 579 
 
 following four are now living: Joseph and 
 Alonzo, farmers, in the town of Locke; Hul- 
 dah Ann, the widow of George Ferris, resid- 
 ing' in Pennsylvania; and Mrs. Lois M. 
 White, mother of the subject of this sketch. 
 Judson L. White, son of Erastus and Lois, 
 grew to man's estate in the place of his nativ- 
 ity, and received a liberal education, attend- 
 ing the Groton Academy, also the union 
 schools of Moravia. At the age of twenty- 
 one years he started out in life for himself, 
 engaging in the boot and shoe business 
 excepting in the winter seasons, when he was 
 employed as a teacher in the district school, 
 following that profession seven terms. Sell- 
 ing out his boot and shoe business, Mr. 
 White was a Keeper in the Auburn prison 
 two years, when he resigned that position, 
 and opened a store for general merchandise in 
 the village of Locke. Disposing of his store 
 in 1892, he formed a copartnership with Mr. 
 Stewart; and, building his present large 
 warehouse, which is forty feet by one hundred 
 and twelve feet, they have since built up a 
 large and lucrative trade, handling large 
 quantities of produce of all kinds, and espe- 
 cially of hay, their principal selling-points 
 being in the Southern States and in foreign 
 markets, their sales amounting to one hun- 
 dred thousand dollars each year. They are 
 prepared to handle any commodity for which 
 there is a demand, and to their other mer- 
 chandise have recently dealt extensively in 
 fertilizers, coal, and feed. Although com- 
 paratively new, this firm has already an estab- 
 lished reputation, its members being wide- 
 
 awake, enterprising men, of good financial 
 ability, courteous and honorable in their deal- 
 ings with their patrons and friends, and oc- 
 cupying an important position among the repre- 
 sentative business men of this community. 
 
 Mr. White has been twice married. He 
 was first united in wedlock on September 19, 
 1878, to Emma Hunger, a daughter of Will- 
 iam and Sally Hunger, esteemed residents of 
 the town of Locke, where the father is suc- 
 cessfully engaged in farming. Mrs. Emma 
 M. White, who was a woman of superior 
 attainments, passed on to the higher life 
 January 29, 1886, after a brief life of twenty- 
 eight years, leaving no issue. On February 
 17, 1887, Mr. White was married to Ora V. 
 Dickson, who was born in the town of Rose, 
 Wayne County. Her parents were the Hon. 
 John J. and Jane Dickson, neither of whom 
 .is now living. Mr. and Mrs. White have 
 one child, Reid D. White, whose birth oc- 
 curred April 9, 1892. They occupy a cosey 
 and comfortable home, where they entertain 
 their many friends and acquaintances with a 
 generous and cordial hospitality. Both are 
 liberal in their religious belief, and every- 
 where esteemed for their kindness and benev- 
 olence. Politically, Mr. White is an earnest 
 advocate of the principles of the Republican 
 party; and, since attaining his majority, he 
 has served with great acceptation as Justice of 
 the Peace, an office in which he is still the 
 incumbent, and as Collector he served one 
 year with fidelity. Socially, he is a member 
 of Uskeep Lodge, No. 459, Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows, of Locke. 
 
58o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 'OHN H. MOSHER, Vice-President 
 and Director of the Cayuga County 
 Farmers' Insurance Company, lives in 
 the town of Conquest, near the centre. In- 
 telligent and well-informed, no farmer in this 
 region is better known or liked. As an ex- 
 emplary and consistent member of the Meth- 
 odist church at Spring Lake, in which he is a 
 class leader, and has been for many years a 
 Steward, he is greatly beloved by his fellow- 
 members. In politics a Republican, he has 
 served several terms as Overseer of the Poor. 
 To go back four generations, William 
 Mosher, the great-grandfather of the subject 
 of this brief biography, removed from Wash- 
 ington County, New York, with his son John 
 to Butler, Wayne County, where for a while 
 they were engaged in farming, and where 
 John Mosher married Polly Burch. Their 
 children were: Polly, who married Simon 
 Healy; Anna, who became the wife of Jona- 
 than Ingersoll; Sally, wife of Philip Wen- 
 dover; John, Jr.; and Millins B. Mosher, 
 who married Harriet Filkins. John Mosher, 
 Sr., moved with his father William, then an 
 aged man, from Butler to Java, Wyoming 
 County, where they lived and died. John 
 Mosher, Jr., who was born in Butler, having 
 grown to manhood, and married, went with 
 his family to Java in 1838, to care for the 
 farm of his father, the first John. He had 
 previously lived for a short time in Cayuga 
 County; and in 1854, after the death of his 
 father, he returned to the town of Conquest. 
 He died at the home of his son, John H. Mo- 
 sher, at the age of seventy-foqr, jn May, 1889. 
 
 John Mosher, Jr., married on April 2, 
 1835, Margaret, daughter of Martin Gage, 
 who was killed in the War of 1812; and they 
 had five children, as follows: John H. ; Eliza 
 Jane, now deceased; E.Maria; Philip S. ; and 
 James M. The eldest daughter married Will- 
 iam Thornton. Maria married Daniel Mosher. 
 Philip S. married Matilda Snyder; and James 
 M. married Mary Rossman. The mother aged 
 eighty-four, is still living with her daughter in 
 the West, and belongs to the Methodist church. 
 John H. Mosher, the third to bear the name 
 of John, was born in Butler, Wayne County, 
 January 13, 1836. He had the usual training 
 in the district school and on the farm, mostly 
 in the town of Java, and then went to work by 
 the month, teaching school in winter, till he 
 purchased a small farm, which later he ex- 
 changed for his present estate. On March 3, 
 1859, at the age of twenty-three, he married 
 Caroline C. Cowell, daughter of John Cowell, 
 of Albany County; and they have two chil- 
 dren, both sons: Henry P., the elder, married 
 to Flora Lewis, daughter of William Lewis, 
 of Conquest; and William Sherman, married 
 to Mary, the daughter of John McWithy, a 
 prominent Victory farmer, and having one 
 child, Henry Sherman, named for his father 
 and uncle. Though this record is not' long in 
 print, it represents a large space in the life of 
 the town. 
 
 gjENRY J. WHEELER. Safe to say 
 none of the farmers and stock-raisers 
 of Cayuga County have engaged in 
 agriculture more industriously or with a bet- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S8i 
 
 ter practical knowledge of how to conduct 
 their operations to the best advantage, and 
 none bear a higher reputation as upright, 
 straightforward men of business, than he 
 whose name heads the present sketch. He is 
 a true New Englander, having been born 
 in Massachusetts on Washington's Birthday, 
 February 22, 1834; but, his parents having 
 removed to Cayuga County while he was but 
 an infant, he has no recollections of his native 
 State. His parents, Cyrenus Wheeler, Sr., 
 and Thirza Evans Wheeler, removed from 
 their Eastern home, near the shores of the 
 broad Atlantic, to Cayuga County in the year 
 1835, ^^^' settling in the town of Venice, 
 spent the remainder of their lives here, his 
 mother passing away February 13, 1884, at 
 the venerable age of fourscore and six years, 
 and his father, who survived her, dying on the 
 4th of July, 1887. (For further parental his- 
 tory see sketch of Cyrenus Wheeler, Jr., 
 which may be found in another part of this 
 volume.) 
 
 The education of Henry J. Wheeler was ac- 
 quired in the district schools, and in the acad- 
 emies of Aurora and Homer. Following in 
 the footsteps of his honored father, he early 
 chose farming as his occupation, and remained 
 on the parental homestead to assist his father 
 in its multitudinous labors, thus early in life 
 becoming well acquainted with all things per- 
 taining to general husbandry. As the father 
 began to feel the infirmity of years drawing 
 on, he gradually gave up the care of his prop- 
 erty; and on his son, Henry J., fell the 
 burden and supervision of the farm work. 
 
 The superior skill and excellent judgment 
 with which he managed affairs are now appar- 
 ent in the well-cultivated fields teeming with 
 abundant harvests. After the death of his 
 father at the extreme age of ninety-six years, 
 Mr. Wheeler, who had ever resided on the old 
 homestead, bought one-half of the estate of 
 his brother Cyrenus, and now possesses one of 
 the most valuable farms in this locality. It 
 contains one hundred and fifty-four fertile 
 acres, nearly all in pasture or tillage land, 
 and yields a good yearly income. 
 
 Very soon after attaining his majority Mr. 
 Wheeler assumed the responsibilities of do- 
 mestic life, being united in wedlock on Feb- 
 ruary 28, 1855, with Cornelia Culver. Into 
 the home thus established two children, Mary 
 and Thirza, came to gladden the hearts of 
 their parents. Mary, who married Morgan 
 Beardsley, died in 1888. Thirza became the 
 wife of George B. Husted; and they have one 
 child, a daughter, named Mary Wheeler 
 Husted. Mr. and Mrs. Husted reside on her 
 father's homestead, and are valued members 
 of the household, their little daughter being 
 the pet of all. The parents of Mrs. Wheeler 
 were Anson and Sarah (Kellet) Culver, her 
 father having been a son of Ozias B. Culver, 
 who was born in Connecticut in 1800, and of 
 his wife, Lydia Swift Culver, who was a 
 native of Dutchess County, Ozias being a son 
 of Benjamin Culver, who, in turn, was a son 
 of Ebenezer Culver. The maternal grand- 
 parents of Mrs. Wheeler were John and 
 Hannah (VanOrman) Kellet, of England and 
 Holland respectively. 
 
582 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 In politics Mr. Wheeler has always been 
 identified with the Republican party; and, 
 although no office-seeker, he takes an intelli- 
 gent interest in local and national affairs, and 
 willingly aids any enterprise for the public 
 benefit. His first Presidential vote, which he 
 cast in 1856, was for John C. Fremont. 
 
 W' 
 
 ILLIAM J. H. PARKER, Cashier 
 of the First National Bank of Mo- 
 ravia, N.Y., was born in this town on No- 
 vember 23, 1851, and is the son of the Hon. 
 John L. Parker. He received his education 
 at the common and high schools of his native 
 place, and was afterward engaged as clerk in 
 different stores. In 1866-67 he was a mes- 
 senger for the Railroad Committee of the 
 State Assembly at Albany. In 1872 he was 
 Post-office Messenger for the Senate, and in 
 1873 was Deputy Clerk of the Assembly, 
 again occupying that position in 1876. In 
 May, 1876, he formed a partnership with J. 
 Fitch Walker in the insurance and real estate 
 business, which he continued until he' came 
 into the employment of the bank in the same 
 year. His first position in this institution 
 was that of book-keeper and clerk, being made 
 Assistant Cashier after four years, and Cash- 
 ier in April, 1891, on the death of Mr. L. 
 Fitts, the former Cashier. The First Na- 
 tional Bank of Moravia occupies fine quarters 
 on Main Street, which they purchased and 
 remodelled in 1893, putting in all the latest 
 improvements that are in use in a banking 
 office. Mr. Parker is one of the Directors of 
 
 the bank, being also a Director of the Selover 
 Milling Company, and a Director as well as 
 one of the organizers of the Electric Light 
 Company. 
 
 Mr. Parker occupied the position of Clerk 
 of the Village for thirteen years, and was 
 elected Supervisor of the Town on the Repub- 
 lican ticket in 1889, having a very large 
 majority at the polls, and was re-elected in 
 1890, 1891, and 1892, serving for four years. 
 In 1 89 1 he was Chairman of the Board, and 
 every other year was on the Committee of 
 Equalization, taking a prominent part in the 
 proceedings of the Board. 
 
 Mr. Parker was married on October 31, 
 1872, to Miss Mary Estelle Tallman.a daugh- 
 ter of William Tallman, of this village. 
 They have two children — Pearl and Edith. 
 The family are supporters of the Episcopal 
 church, of which Mr. Parker is a Vestryman. 
 
 Fraternally, Mr. Parker is a member of 
 Sylvan Lodge, No. 41, A. F. & A. M., of 
 which he was Master in 1886 and 1887, and 
 is now Treasurer. He is a member of Saint 
 John's Chapter, No. 30, of which he has been 
 Secretary for six years. He also belongs to 
 the Salem Town Commandery of Auburn, and 
 to the Knights of Pythias of Moravia, of 
 which he is a charter member. He belongs 
 to the Ancient Order of United Workmen, 
 and has been connected with the fire depart- 
 ment since its organization, being Treasurer 
 of the same since 1879. Mr. Parker has 
 taken a very active part in politics in Mo- 
 ravia, being a supporter of the Republican 
 party. He is an exceedingly bright and ca- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 583 
 
 pable business man, his natural capacities 
 having been so developed by education and 
 experience as eminently to fit him for the 
 high and honorable positions which he has 
 creditably filled to the entire satisfaction of his 
 townsmen. 
 
 rf?jrON. THOMAS HUNTER is one of 
 the leading men in his section of 
 Cayuga County. In every sense he 
 is self-made, and by his own efforts has 
 reached the top of the ladder. Although a 
 very busy man, he is always affable, and will- 
 ing to spare an hour to one who comes with 
 something worth his attention. Indeed, both 
 with time and money he is generous to a fault. 
 
 Fortunately the main steps of his descent 
 can here be traced for a few generations. 
 The great-grandfather was Scotch, and prob- 
 ably spent his life in his native kingdom; but 
 one of his sons must have migrated from Scot- 
 land, for Thomas, the grandfather of the sub- 
 ject of this sketch, is found to have been the 
 possessor of the endless lease of a large estate 
 in Antrim, Ireland, whereon the work was 
 done wholly by employees under his direction. 
 There he died, at the age of sixty; and there 
 his son James was born in 1797, three years 
 before the present century dawned. 
 
 This son James, the first one of the family 
 who came to America, sailed for Philadelphia 
 when a youth of twenty. On the voyage he 
 made the acquaintance of another son of Erin, 
 who persuaded him to assist in tobacco-smug- 
 gling. They went so far as to embark on a 
 return voyage with a quantity of the weed ; 
 
 but the fraud was detected, and the goods con- 
 fiscated by the English government. It hap- 
 pened that Hunter and his partner were the 
 only Irish passengers aboard, all the others 
 being Americans; and perhaps this is why 
 the offenders escaped imprisonment, through 
 the intercession of the ship's captain. This 
 adventure cured James of smuggling, but not 
 of his desire to hazard his fortunes in the 
 New World; so he again crossed the seas, 
 landed in Baltimore, and there learned the 
 trade of stone-cutting, which he followed till 
 he reached middle life; but the hard times of 
 1837 resulted in his leaving Maryland, and 
 purchasing a tract of land in Sterling, N.Y., 
 where his death, in 1852, at the compara- 
 tively early age of fifty-five, was caused by 
 overwork and exposure. His wife was Isa- 
 bella Crockett, one of the seven children of 
 James and Elizabeth Crockett, who emigrated 
 from Donegal, Ireland. Mrs. James Hunter 
 outlived her husband thirty years, dying at 
 the home of her son in Sterling Valley, in 
 1882, aged eighty-seven. James Hunter was 
 a well-read man, and kept posted in the 
 affairs of his day; yet he never cast but one 
 vote, and that was for Andrew Jackson — 
 chiefly because the family belonged to the old 
 Scotch Covenanter (or Reformed Presbyterian) 
 church, whose rules prohibit its members 
 from voting. He and his wife began their 
 married life with nothing but strength and 
 health, and whatever they accumulated was 
 the result of their united efforts. Their four 
 children were born in Baltimore before the 
 removal to Sterling, and were: John; Mar- 
 
S84 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 garet; Thomas, named for his grandfather 
 Hunter; and James Crockett, bearing his 
 father's Christian and his mother's family 
 name. 
 
 The Hon. Thomas Hunter was born in Bal- 
 timore, September ii, 1834, and was a little 
 boy of four when the family came North in 
 1838. He followed his father's example by 
 leaving home early, for at seventeen he went 
 to work on the railroad as a laborer at a dollar 
 a day. At the end of a year, however, he was 
 advanced to the position of foreman in the 
 construction department, and worked five 
 years on the Manassas Gap Railroad, Vir- 
 ginia, in the employ of Crockett & Hunter, 
 the firm with which his elder brother John 
 was connected. In 1857, at the age of 
 twenty-three, owing to the renewed stagnation 
 in business, caused by another financial panic, 
 Thomas returned to Sterling Valley, where he 
 united with his brother in buying a grist and 
 saw mill, which they conducted till i860, 
 when the renewal of public enterprise led to 
 his return to the Manassas Gap Railroad, as 
 foreman for his uncle, Samuel Crockett, a 
 position he retained till the breaking out of 
 the War of the Rebellion in 1861, when he 
 was nearly twenty-seven years old, in the very 
 prime of young manhood. Being ordered by 
 the rebels to take a wagon train of corn to 
 Manassas Junction, he seized the opportunity 
 to escape from their clutches, and dropped 
 into the camp of the Nineteenth New York 
 Volunteers at Berlin, Md., whence he reached 
 home with only the clothes on his back and 
 seven dollars and fifty cents in his pocket. 
 
 All he had saved in the South being lost by 
 the depreciation of the currency, he stayed at 
 home and worked a year for his brother John; 
 but in 1862, September 9, he enlisted in the 
 One Hundred and Tenth Regiment of New 
 York Volunteers as a private. They remained 
 in the camp of instruction till November 15, 
 when they were ordered aboard ship, and went 
 to Hampton Roads, where they lay three 
 weeks. The regiment being detailed as part 
 of General Banks's expedition from New Or- 
 leans up the river, Hunter was sent to Car- 
 rollton. La., and thence up the Teche to 
 Berwick's Bay and Brashear City. In April, 
 1863, he was in the battle of Bisland, and at 
 the Opelousas victory, and was with the army 
 when the capital of Louisiana was captured. 
 In May, 1863, his regiment was sent to Alex- 
 andria, on the Red River, and thence to Port 
 Hudson, where they took part in the success- 
 ful siege, and lost several men. Then they 
 went to New Iberia, to Franklin, to New 
 Orleans, and finally to the Dry Tortugas, 
 where they were compelled to be on duty until 
 the war was over, but not in idleness. With 
 a special detachment of troops he was ap- 
 pointed to encourage and receive refugees 
 seeking Union protection along the coast of 
 Florida. His headquarters were at St. Vin- 
 cent Island, near Apalachicola. Obtaining 
 authority from the War Department, he suc- 
 ceeded in enlisting nearly six hundred men, 
 whom he organized into the Second Florida 
 Cavalry, of which he was offered the com- 
 mand; but, preferring to be relieved of this 
 onerous though honorable duty, he was sent 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 585 
 
 back to the Tortugas on July 2, 1864, after an 
 absence of four months. And there he re- 
 mained till his discharge, August 31, 1865, 
 with the rank of Captain, an honor he had re- 
 ceived the year previous. 
 
 Immediately after his discharge he returned 
 to his old home in Sterling. Resuming his 
 former interest of the old saw-mill, he also 
 bought three others, and ran a lumber-yard 
 till 1872, when he took a contract to finish a 
 portion of the Southern Central Railroad, and 
 another on the Rome, Watertown & Ogdens- 
 burg Railroad. These were followed by an- 
 other contract for railroad work near Roches- 
 ter; and in 1875 he agreed to ballast the road, 
 and lay the rails from Ontario to Charlotte. 
 Subsequently he laid four tracks on the Cen- 
 tral Railroad, from Syracuse to Clyde, and 
 built an aqueduct on the Welland Canal, at 
 Welland, Ont. For two years he filled a con- 
 tract on the West Shore line. Besides these 
 contracts he also buil.t the railroad from Ken- 
 dall to Lewiston. A stanch Republican in 
 politics, in the fall of 1880 he was elected to 
 the legislature, and served for two years, being 
 at the capitol during the Conkling and Piatt 
 controversy, which lasted from January till 
 July. This service over, he went to Pennsyl- 
 vania to build the Beach Creek and South- 
 western Railroad, of which he completed nine- 
 teen miles in one year. He also ballasted 
 the Syracuse, Geneva & Corning Road. In 
 1888 he went to Missouri to build the Chi- 
 cago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, which 
 ended his career in this direction. Having 
 been Supervisor in 1888, he was the next year 
 
 elected to the State Senate, and continued in 
 this position four years, during which he was 
 familiar with the exploits of David B. Hill in 
 stealing that body. At the present time Mr. 
 Hunter has the oversight of a tannery, in 
 which he is chief capitalist, holds an interest 
 in the furniture business at Oswego, and owns 
 a half-dozen farms. He is Vice-President of 
 the Hunter Arms Company at Fulton in Os- 
 wego County, a large concern, owned largely by 
 the Hunter family, and is the oldest Director in 
 the Cayuga County National Bank at Auburn. 
 
 In 1867, at the age of thirty-three, after his 
 return from the war, he married Margaret A. 
 Duquid, a native of Sterling, and the daugh- 
 ter of Alexander Duquid, from Washington 
 County. Her grandfather, George Duquid, 
 lived and died in Schenectady, and was a 
 farmer like his father. He was born April 
 20, 1803, and became a pioneer in Cayuga 
 County, coming thither in 1825. He married 
 two years later Maria Cooper, who was born 
 in 1805. Mrs. George Duquid died in Sterl- 
 ing Valley, at sixty-eight, in the home of her 
 daughter Margaret, where Mr. Duquid also 
 died, at the age of seventy. Both were mem- 
 bers of the Covenanter church. They had 
 three children: Sarah, married to J. B. Chap- 
 pell, of whom a sketch appears in this vol- 
 ume; George, a business man in Sterling; 
 and Margaret, Mrs. Hunter. 
 
 Thomas and Margaret (Duquid) Hunter 
 have six children: Louis R., aged twenty-six, 
 engaged in banking, and married to Jessie 
 Fish, of Newcastle, N.B., by whom he is the 
 father of one child, the fourth to bear th? 
 
S86 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 family name of Thomas; Isabella Crockett, 
 aged twenty-four, married to Charles F. 
 Wayte, the proprietor of a grist-mill at Sterl- 
 ing Valley, a sketch of whom may be found 
 elsewhere in this volume; Barbara, aged 
 twenty-one; Marion Harvey, aged nineteen, 
 and a graduate of the Oswego High School; 
 Margaret C, named for her mother, and aged 
 sixteen; Thomas M., aged twelve. 
 
 Mr. Hunter belongs to Hudson Post, No. 
 159, of the Grand Army of the Republic, De- 
 partment of New York, to the Loyal Legion 
 Commandery, and to the Ancient Order of 
 United Workmen. Faithful to the family tra- 
 ditions, the Hunters attend the Covenanter 
 church, to which most of them belong; and 
 their pluck shows a goodly inheritance of 
 sturdy Scotch blood. 
 
 B. ROUNDS, a well-known resident 
 
 of the village of New Hope in the town 
 
 of Niles, Cayuga County, N.Y., was born in 
 this town, about one mile south of his present 
 residence, on January 11, 1843, and is the 
 son of Horace Rounds, who is a native of 
 Vermont, the grandfather Reuben being also 
 a native of the same State. The early ances- 
 tors of the Rounds family were Irish, and 
 came to this country many years ago. Reu- 
 ben Rounds, who was a farmer by occupation, 
 emigrated in 1855 from Vermont to Wiscon- 
 sin, where he purchased land near Oshkosh, 
 dying at that place in his eighty-sixth year. 
 He was married to Avis Brown, ten sons and 
 four daughters being the fruit of the union. 
 
 Horace Rounds was the second son. He 
 was brought up in Vermont as a farmer, and 
 removed in 182 1 to New York State, coming 
 overland with a team. He spent a short time 
 with an uncle residing in the vicinity of New 
 Hope, and worked awhile by the month, 
 afterward purchasing one hundred and thirty 
 acres of timber-land which he cleared, build- 
 ing thereon a log house and barn, cultivating 
 his land with success for about ten years. 
 He then sold that farm, and purchased an- 
 other of one hundred and forty acres, half of 
 which was timber-land. After living thereon 
 for twenty years, he sold one hundred acres of 
 it, and moved to the village of New Hope, 
 where he bought a grist and saw mill, also 
 renting a store. He successfully operated 
 the mills for fifteen years, when he sold them, 
 and moved to Moravia, where he is now living 
 a retired life at the advanced age of ninety-one 
 years, being well preserved and active. He 
 represented the town of Niles on the Board of 
 Supervisors ini86i and 1862, again occupy- 
 ing that position in 1870. He married Han- 
 nah Brown, a daughter of Elijah and Betsey 
 (Greenfield) Brown, natives of New Hamp- 
 shire. They had seven children, namely: 
 Minerva, Cordelia, Rhoda, Lucy, Ann, E. B., 
 and Charles. Of these five are now living. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was educated at 
 the district schools of Niles, and in the acad- 
 emy at Homer, and for a short time taught 
 school. When quite young, he was of mate- 
 rial assistance to his father in the mill, which 
 he had charge of for a time. In 1868 the 
 father sold the mill to his son and his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 587 
 
 brother-in-law, Smith Cheney, the firm being 
 known as Cheney & Rounds. On the death 
 of Mr. Cheney, five years later, Mr. Rounds 
 absorbed his interest in the business, which he 
 has successfully conducted up to the present 
 time, besides being interested in the under- 
 taking business. He represented his town on 
 the Board of Supervisors in 1878 and 1879, 
 and again in 1892 and 1893, being re-elected 
 in 1894. He was married in October, 1867, 
 to Helen Moseman, a daughter of Ezra and 
 Eliza (Ryan) Moseman. Mrs. Rounds died 
 in 1876, aged thirty-one years, leaving one 
 son, Charles. Mr. Rounds again married, in 
 April, 1 88 1, Julia A. Brown, daughter of 
 Oscar and Ann E. (Loomis) Brown, of Niles. 
 They have one son, William. Mr. Rounds 
 cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham 
 Lincoln on his second term, and has always 
 been an active worker with the Republican 
 party. Mr. Rounds owes his success as a 
 business man to his own unaided efforts, and 
 is widely known as a man of the strictest 
 probity and honor. 
 
 r,!, ^ENZO A. BROWN, an enterpris- 
 ing farmer of the town of Flem- 
 ing, Cayuga County, N.Y., was 
 born on February 12, 1831, in Herkimer 
 County, New York, which was also the birth- 
 place of his father and grandfather, Seaber 
 and Peter Brown. His great-grandfather, 
 Conrad S. Brown, was born in Germany, 
 whence he emigrated to America and settled 
 in Herkimer County. Peter Brown, son of 
 
 Conrad and grandfather of the subject of this 
 sketch, owned in that county so extensive a 
 farm, about six hundred acres, that he laid on 
 it a railroad track a mile long, which he util- 
 ized in his agricultural operations. He also 
 kept many running horses, and had several 
 boats which were employed on the canal. 
 
 Seaber Brown, son of Peter, followed his 
 trade of carpenter and joiner in his native 
 county for some years. Afterward moving to 
 Oswego County, he bought a farm in the 
 town of Hannibal, and erected upon it a fine 
 house and barn. He remained upon the farm 
 for five years, when he sold the property, and 
 came with his family to Fleming, Cayuga 
 County, buying a tract of land which he 
 farmed for about eight years. At the expira- 
 tion of that time he sold the land, and moved 
 to the city of Auburn, where he erected a 
 fine residence on Sherman Street, and spent 
 his last years there, departing this life at the 
 age of sixty-nine. Mr. Seaber Brown was 
 married to Miss Margarette Decker, of Her- 
 kimer County ; and they reared three children 
 — Menzo A., Charlotte Anne, and Lucy M. 
 Brown. 
 
 Menzo A. Brown was the only son of his 
 parents. He was educated in the district 
 schools of his native place, and was reared to 
 agricultural pursuits. On arriving at man- 
 hood he purchased a small place in Scipio, 
 upon which was a log house, and afterward 
 rented nine acres adjoining his farm. He re- 
 mained here, however, but one year, when he 
 sold out, and returned to Fleming, buying a 
 farm of forty-eight acres, which he tilled sue- 
 
S88 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 cessfully for seven years. He then removed 
 to Ledyard, and sojourned in that town for two 
 years, at the end of which period he again re- 
 turned to Fleming, and bought a farm of 
 seventy acres, not to keep long, however, but 
 to sell. After disposing of that property, he 
 removed to Auburn. Later he lived for eight 
 years in what was known as the "Four Mile 
 House." He then bought his present prop- 
 erty. He and his wife together own a farm 
 of sixty-five acres, upon which are two fine 
 farm buildings. They live upon a portion of 
 the land, and rent the rest. 
 
 Mr. Brown was married on February 12, 
 1856, to Miss Sarah Smith, of Bucks County, 
 Pennsylvania, a daughter of Mr. Samuel H. 
 Smith; and they have reared four children, 
 namely: Samuel S., Ida I., Edgar A., and 
 Maria L. Samuel is unmarried. Ida I. is 
 the wife of Jacob Coleman, a painter and 
 paper-hanger of Marcellus, and has two chil- 
 dren — Clarence and Grayson. Edgar A. 
 married Miss Etta A. Coleman, and resides 
 at Gloversville, N.Y., where he follows his 
 trade of a leather finisher. Maria L. married 
 Elman F. Campbell, residing at Fleming; 
 and they have one child — Lula A. For Mrs. 
 Brown's ancestry see Genealogy of Samuel H. 
 Smith, of Wrightstown, Pa., by Josiah B. 
 Smith, of Newtown, Pa., 1883. 
 
 Mr. Menzo A. Brown was a Democrat in 
 politics up to 1884, when he changed his 
 political complexion, and now votes the Re- 
 publican ticket. He has never been an aspir- 
 ant for public office, devoting his whole time 
 to his agricultural interests, being known 
 
 throughout the county as an enterprising and 
 successful farmer and a worthy citizen. 
 
 SHAMES A. WRIGHT, attorney and coun- 
 sellor-at-law, Moravia, N.Y., where he 
 has been in active practice since 1869, 
 was born near the village of Moravia, May 4, 
 1838, and is the son of Chauncey and Mary 
 (Locke) Wright. The father was born in 
 Williamstown, Mass., in 1796, and came to 
 Moravia with his parents in 1797. The pa- 
 ternal grandfather, David Wright, who was 
 one of the early pioneers of this county, 
 bought land just north of the village, where 
 he made his home, farming his land and ply- 
 ing his trade of a shoemaker. He was a 
 well-educated man, and in addition to his 
 other duties found time to teach the younger 
 generation in the village school. He opened 
 the first store in Moravia in 1800, near the 
 Quaker meeting-house. David Wright died 
 August 17, 1869, at the advanced age of 
 ninety-five years and six months, and left the 
 following family: Irene, wife of Peter R. 
 Robinson; Mrs. Cynthia Howard; Chauncey; 
 Riley E. ; and Sophia, wife of Isaac Cady. 
 Chauncey Wright was educated in Moravia, 
 and after the completion of his schooling 
 learned the trade of a brick-maker, and car- 
 ried on a large brick-yard near Moravia for 
 many years, he being the first man to engage 
 in that business in the locality. Later in life 
 he retired from active affairs, and took up his 
 residence on the farm. Mrs. Wright was a 
 daughter of John Locke, and was a native of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 589 
 
 Moravia. She was a finely educated woman, 
 and for several years taught school. She 
 reared a family of four children, namely: 
 Franklin D., an attorney of Auburn; Caro- 
 line, now deceased; James A., the subject 
 of this biographical sketch; and George L., 
 now a resident of New York City. Both Mr. 
 and Mrs. Wright were among the early mem- 
 bers and ardent supporters of the First Con- 
 gregational Church. The parents of Mrs. 
 Wright were John and Esther Locke, who 
 came here from Connecticut. Mr. Locke was 
 accidentally killed on February 22, 1807. 
 He left a widow and the following family of 
 children: Esther, wife of John H. Parker; 
 Lucy A., wife of Allen Wood; Betsey, wife 
 of John Kies; Mary; James; John; and 
 Henry Locke. 
 
 James A. Wright received his early educa- 
 tion in the district schools of his native 
 village and at the Moravia Institute, a promi- 
 nent local institution of learning, of which 
 his father, Mr. Chauncey Wright, was a Trus- 
 tee for many years. In his early manhood 
 James taught school for some time, and after- 
 ward read law with Wright & Waters, of Cort- 
 land, N.Y., the Wright of that firm being his 
 brother, F. D., who is now located at Au- 
 burn. On June 6, 1864, he was admitted to 
 the bar by examination held at Binghamton, 
 his first location for business being the town 
 of Waverly, N.Y., where he practised until 
 April, 1868, when he returned to Moravia, 
 and formed a partnership with J. L. Parker, 
 the association continuing until 1870, since 
 which time Mr. Wright has practised alone. 
 
 Mr. Wright has been a Justice of the Peace 
 for twelve years, and was elected Special 
 Surrogate of the county on the Republican 
 ticket, which office he filled for one term, 
 giving general satisfaction. Mr. Wright has 
 always been an active worker in the Republi- 
 can ranks since the days of Abraham Lincoln, 
 for whom he cast his first Presidential ballot, 
 and has stumped the country during many of 
 the active campaigns. He has a very large 
 practice, to which he gives most of his atten- 
 tion, and is noted as being one of the most 
 forceful and well-read lawyers of the Cayuga 
 County bar. 
 
 October 24, 1868, Mr. Wright was united 
 in marriage to Miss Ella E. Rose, of Wa- 
 verly, N.Y., three children being the fruit of 
 the union, namely: Charles A., who is now a 
 student in Williams College, Williarastown, 
 Mass. ; Nellie R., who received her education 
 at the Moravia High School; and Harry F. 
 Wright. The old homestead is still retained, 
 the family making it their residence, a home 
 of refinement and cultured taste. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Wright are members of the Congrega- 
 tional church, in which body Mr. Wright has 
 held various official positions. 
 
 Mr. Wright is the author of a "History of 
 the Town of Moravia," a book of two hundred 
 and eighty-nine pages, duodecimo, which was 
 published by himself. It is a work of much 
 merit, and has met with a large and ready 
 sale. He has gathered together incidents in 
 the history of the town from living members, 
 which would otherwise undoubtedly have been 
 lost. It is a most pleasingly written book, 
 
59° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 giving full facts in regard to the settlement of 
 the early families in the town. It has been 
 purchased by residents of the town, and also 
 by others who have now left this vicinity and 
 gone elsewhere, but who still feel a great in- 
 terest in their native place. Mr. Wright is a 
 scholarly man and a deep thinker, and is held 
 in the highest esteem and respect by all mem- 
 bers of society. 
 
 l^jEV. HENRY C. MOYER, pastor of 
 the Wall Street Methodist Episcopal 
 Church of Auburn, N.Y., was born 
 in Turbotville, Northumberland County, Pa., 
 October 14, 1836, and is the son of John and 
 Mary (Hartranft) Meyer. Mr. Moyer comes 
 of distinguished ancestry both on the father's 
 and mother's side. The advent of the Moyer 
 family into this country dates from the mid- 
 dle of the eighteenth century. Michael 
 Moyer, born 1737, a farmer in Berks County, 
 Pennsylvania, was engaged in the purchase of 
 horses for the Continental Army during the 
 Revolutionary War. Valentine, fifth son of 
 Michael, born in Berks County, Pennsylvania, 
 in 1777, removed to Columbia County, Penn- 
 sylvania, dying in Armstrong County, Penn- 
 sylvania, in 1825. John, second son of 
 Valentine, was born in Berks County, Penn- 
 sylvania, in 1812, lived in Columbia, 
 Northumberland, and Lycoming Counties, 
 Pennsylvania, and died in Tioga Centre, 
 N.Y., in 1891. 
 
 John Moyer, father of the subject of this 
 sketch, had a meagre education, but neverthe- 
 less was a man of good ability. Upon arriv- 
 
 ing at maturity, he removed to Turbotville, 
 Pa., where he married. He was a member of 
 the German Reformed church. His wife, 
 Mrs. Mary Hartranft Moyer was born in 
 Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, February 2, 
 18 14, a daughter of Andrew Hartranft. She 
 was a member of the Lutheran church till late 
 in life, when she became a Methodist. She 
 died at Trout Run, Pa., in 1878, leaving a 
 family of nine children. 
 
 The first of the name of Hartranft who 
 came to this country was Tobias Hartranft, 
 who emigrated from Germany in 1734. He 
 was one of the followers of Kasper von 
 Schwenkfeld, an earnest advocate of the Ref- 
 ormation. In 1719 the Jesuits endeavored to 
 effect the conversion of this people; but, fail- 
 ing, they reduced them to a state of slavery. 
 They fled into Lusatia and other parts of Sax- 
 ony; but, protection being withdrawn there 
 after eight years, in 1734 a number of them 
 emigrated to Altona, Denmark. Many others 
 by permission of the English government 
 came to Pennsylvania; and, though in 1742 
 they were invited back to Silesia, with the 
 promise of the return of their estates and the 
 full enjoyment of toleration, none could ever 
 be induced to return. They celebrated their 
 arrival in Pennsylvania by a festival "in 
 grateful memory of all mercies and divine 
 favors manifested to them by the Father of 
 Mercies." The English required the oath of 
 allegiance; and in the Colonial Records of 
 Pennsylvania, volume 3, page 614, is found 
 this statement, "September 12, 1734, on Ship 
 'St. Andrew,' from Rotterdam via Plymouth, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 591 
 
 eighty-nine families." The name of Tobias 
 Hartranft occurs in the list. Abraham, son 
 of Tobias, was born in Germany, coming to 
 this country when he was six years of 
 age. John, son of Abraham-, was born near 
 Philadelphia, Pa., in 1753. Andrew, son 
 of John and father of Mrs. Moyer, was born 
 near Philadelphia, Pa., in 1875, and died 
 in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, in 
 1830. 
 
 The Rev. Henry C. Moyer received his 
 early education at the common schools, after- 
 ward attending the Dickinson Seminary at 
 Williamsport, Pa. It was during his Junior 
 year at the seminary that the Civil War 
 broke out; and his patriotism was such that 
 six days after the first call for troops he 
 joined Company A, Eleventh Pennsylvania 
 Volunteer Infantry, which was sent to the 
 Shenandoah Vafley, and was in the skirmish 
 of Falling Waters. After his first three 
 months' service he was in the Provost Mar- 
 shal's ofifice at Williamsport, Pa. He served 
 in the Gettysburg campaign, re-enlisting in 
 Company B, Thirty-seventh Pennsylvania 
 Volunteer Infantry, and upon the conclusion 
 of that campaign was mustered out of service. 
 Upon his return to civil life Mr. Moyer be- 
 came a Professor in the Williamsport Dickin- 
 son Seminary, having charge of the scientific 
 department until 1870, a period of seven 
 years. During that time he was an earnest 
 student, especially in mathematics and nat- 
 ural science;, and, upon leaving the seminary, 
 he became Principal of the Canton High 
 School at Canton, Bradford County, Pa., con- 
 
 tinuing there two years. He then entered the 
 ministry, joining the Central New York Con- 
 ference, held at Weedsport, October, 1873, 
 and was assigned to Charleston charge, and 
 thence to Osceola, and later to Mansfield, Pa. 
 He subsequently had charges successively at 
 Troy, Pa., and at Watkins, Ovid, Moravia, 
 Palmyra, and Auburn, N.Y. Mr. Moyer has 
 held the position of examiner on the Board of 
 Examiners, and also has been on the Board of 
 Stewards of the Conference. For a number 
 of years he has been an Assistant Secretary of 
 the Conference, and for the last two years 
 Statistical Secretary. He is a member of the 
 Grand Army of the Republic, and has been 
 Chaplain of the post in nearly every place 
 where he has been located. 
 
 On December 24, 1863, the Rev. Henry C. 
 Moyer was married to Miss Elizabeth Cramer, 
 of Williamsport, Pa., daughter of John and 
 Rachel Cramer, her father being an old set- 
 tler and business man of that city. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Moyer have three children, namely: 
 Mary Frances, wife of Seymour C. Ketchum, 
 of Moravia, N.Y.; Jennie, who is a teacher 
 in the Palmyra schools; and Wilson C, a 
 business man of Moravia. 
 
 The Rev. Mr. Moyer is one of the most ac- 
 tive and popular clergymen in Auburn. He 
 is a man of broad and enlightened views on 
 all questions of the day, and a brilliant and 
 forceful pulpit orator. In his work he has 
 been eminently successful in the payment of 
 church debts, notably at Mansfield, Pa., and 
 Watkins, N.Y. At Watkins he raised several 
 thousand dollars, thus preventing the foreclos- 
 
592 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ure of a mortgage and the loss of a valuable 
 property. In the matter of membership he 
 has also been successful. On every charge 
 there has been a healthy increase, and in 
 some instances to an extent marked and sub- 
 stantial. 
 
 I^ELSON PERRY BURKE, one of the 
 few surviving members of the band of 
 early settlers of Cayuga County, is 
 a resident of the town of Cato, ripe in honors 
 as well as years. A man of foresight and 
 energy, he has long been prominent in mat- 
 ters pertaining to the development and prog- 
 ress of this region of the country, ever aiding 
 and encouraging every enterprise for the pub- 
 lic benefit; and now, in his declining years, 
 he is held in that respect and reverence ac- 
 corded those whose lives have been distin- 
 guished by integrity and usefulness. By his 
 own unaided efforts he has advanced from a 
 modest beginning to a good position, both so- 
 cially and financially, among his fellow- 
 townsmen. 
 
 Mr. Burke was born on January 17, 18 14, 
 on the east side of the Green Mountains in 
 the State of Vermont. His grandfather, John 
 Burke, was born in the Emerald Isle, where 
 he grew to maturity, and was subsequently 
 pressed into the service of the English Navy. 
 After serving there awhile he escaped, and, 
 emigrating to America, joined the patriot 
 forces, and was one of the brave band under 
 General Stark who won the battle of Ben- 
 nington. He served in Washington's army 
 till the close of the Revolution, and afterward 
 
 settled in Vermont, where" he engaged in 
 farming, dying there at the venerable age of 
 eighty years. In the mean time, longing for 
 the familiar scenes of his childhood, he vis- 
 ited Ireland, and on his return brought some 
 potatoes to plant on his Vermont farm. This 
 variety of potato is still in existence, and is 
 known as the Burke potato. 
 
 John Burke, Jr., son of the emigrant, mar- 
 ried Betsey Green, who like himself was born 
 and bred in the Green Mountain State. 
 There, too, they were married. From Ver- 
 mont they migrated to this State in 18 17, set- 
 tling in the town of Marcellus, in Onondaga 
 County, where they spent several years. 
 Going thence to Michigan, they were among 
 the pioneers of that State, and, improving a 
 homestead there, spent their last years on 
 their farm, he dying at the age of sixty-three 
 years, and his wife at sixty-four years of age. 
 He was a man of strong convictions, very firm 
 in his religious views, and reared his children 
 under a strict and rigid discipline. Of the 
 nine children born unto him and his good 
 wife only two are now living: Nelson Perry; 
 and Mrs. Electa L. Goodrich, of Fairport, 
 N.Y. 
 
 Nelson Perry Burke, who was but three 
 years old when his parents removed to Mar- 
 cellus, received his education in the district 
 schools and in a subscription school, where 
 each family paid according to the number of 
 pupils sent from its. household. He remained 
 at home until seventeen years of age, when he 
 began the battle of life on his own account, 
 and the following summer worked as a farm 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 593 
 
 laborer for Levi Parsons, receiving eight dol- 
 lars a month wages. As soon as he had ac- 
 cumulated a little money, he invested it in 
 real estate in Marcellus, where he engaged in 
 farming for a short time. In 1832 or 1833 
 he came to Cayuga County, and, having sold 
 his property in Marcellus, bought one hun- 
 dred acres of land in the town of Cato, on 
 which there were no improvements. Deer 
 and other wild game were to be found, and 
 the land was covered with a heavy growth of 
 timber. Having cleared a goodly portion of 
 it, he sold that and purchased another tract of 
 land containing sixty acres, from which he 
 improved a valuable farm, and lived thereon 
 many years. In 1868 Mr. Burke purchased 
 the homestead where he now resides; and by 
 excellent management he has brought it to its 
 present high state of culture, making it one 
 of the most valuable estates in this part of the 
 county. It contains two hundred acres of 
 rich and fertile land, on which he has made 
 many and substantial improvements, and car- 
 ries on general farming on an extensive scale, 
 being considered one of the most prosperous 
 farmers of this vicinity. His residence is a 
 handsome and commodious one, and is known 
 far and wide for the open hospitality and ge- 
 niality of its inmates. 
 
 The marriage ceremony which united the 
 destinies of Mr. Burke and Miss Fanny Olm- 
 sted took place January 8, 1846. Mrs. Burke 
 was a native of Cato, beitig the daughter of 
 John R. and Rachel (Sturge) Olmsted, who 
 were early settlers of the town of Cato, where 
 Mr. Olmsted was numbered among the influ- 
 
 ential citizens, and served for a number of 
 years as Justice of the Peace. Nelson P. 
 Burke and his wife reared seven children, of 
 whom the four now living are as follows.: 
 Willfred M., a farmer in Cato; Ann, the wife 
 of District Attorney Robert L. Drummond; 
 Sarah L., the widow of Charles Ferris, and 
 the remaining sister. Rose Bel, who live at 
 home with their father. A daughter Lorana 
 died at the age of fourteen years; Bettie, 
 when only thirteen years old; and a son, 
 Volney E., at the age of thirty-five years. 
 The family of Mr. Burke was also doubly be- 
 reaved when on June 16, 1888, Mrs. Burke, 
 the kind wife, good mother, and faithful 
 friend, a woman of exceptionally fine charac- 
 ter, passed on to meet the loved ones on the 
 other shore. 
 
 Mr. Burke has taken an important part in 
 the management of local affairs, and has held 
 the various offices within the gift of his fel- 
 low-townsmen, among others being that of 
 Highway Commissioner and Supervisor, which 
 he has held two terms. His financial ability 
 and honesty are so widely recognized that he 
 has often been called upon to settle estates for 
 his neighbors, which he has done most satis- 
 factorily. In politics he is a stanch Demo- 
 crat, and he has never missed a vote since 
 casting his first ballot. He has always been 
 opposed to slavery; and during the late Civil 
 War he contributed liberally to the cause of 
 the Union. He is broad and liberal in his 
 religious views, and lives a sincere and 
 worthy life. Socially, he is a member of the 
 Union Grange, No. 718, at Meridian. 
 
594 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 "IRAM WEBSTER,- a successful 
 farmer of Aurelius, who here first 
 opened his eyes to the light of this 
 world on June 12, 1827, is deserving of hon- 
 orable mention in this volume. He is a son 
 of the late Charles I. Webster, whose birth 
 occurred in Haverhill, N.H., on March 23, 
 1789, and a grandson of Nathan E. Webster, 
 who was also a native of New England. For 
 further ancestral history see sketch of Jerome 
 B. Webster, which appears on another page. 
 
 Charles I. Webster was a farmer by occupa- 
 tion. He married Arvilla Fish, who was 
 born on July 31, 1802; and they had eighteen 
 children, sixteen of whom grew to adult age, 
 and fourteen are still living. Their names 
 are as follows: Nathan E. ; Cynthia E. ; 
 William; James V.; Ellen M. ; Ira O.; 
 Hiram; Louisa; George; Mary M. ; Sophia 
 J.; Jerome B. and George W., twins; Mar- 
 garet E. ; Juliet A.; Flavins J.; Thomas J.; 
 and Frances A. 
 
 Nathan E. Webster was born, educated, and 
 married among New Hampshire's verdant 
 hills; but, being persuaded that the undevel- 
 oped country of the Western frontier offered a 
 better field ol labor for the young and enter- 
 prising farmer than the rugged and rocky 
 country of his native State, he emigrated with 
 his family to Broome County, New York, 
 casting his lot with the pioneers of the town 
 of Lisle. A short time afterward he removed 
 to Cayuga County, becoming one of the earli- 
 est settlers of Aurelius, where his experiences 
 were identical with those of many others who 
 came here when the land was in its virgin 
 
 state, covered with dense forests, and who 
 assisted in its development, and watched with 
 satisfaction its continual growth. The old 
 pioneers of that time had many obstacles to 
 encounter and overcome in their work of 
 transforming the wilderness into tillable land, 
 converting the wastes into productive farms. 
 There being no convenient markets, all their 
 produce had to be carried to Albany, a long 
 and difficult journey; and, money being a 
 scarce article, all hired help was paid in the 
 productions of the land. All members of the 
 household wore garments of homespun, the 
 outer garments being of linen or wool, while 
 all underclothing was made from homespun 
 linen. Mr. Nathan E. married a Miss Pitcher, 
 a native of Connecticut, who faithfully per- 
 formed her share of the labor attendant upon 
 establishing a home in a new country; and 
 both spent their last years in this county, he 
 passing away from the scene of his earthly 
 labors in the town of Scipio, and she in Au- 
 relius. He was a carpenter by trade. He 
 served in the Revolution in the New England 
 troops, with the rank of i:aptain ; and his son, 
 Charles I., served in the War of 1812. 
 
 Hiram Webster was the seventh child and 
 the fifth son of the large family of children 
 born to his parents, Charles I. and Arvilla 
 (Fish) Webster. He acquired his early 
 knowledge of books in the common schools of 
 Throop and Aurelius, and, when at home, had 
 a certain portion of the farm work to attend 
 to. He thus early gained a practical knowl- 
 edge of agricultural labors, and became from 
 choice a tiller of the soil. He remained on 
 
J, SpRAGUE fflORLEY, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 597 
 
 the parental homestead for several years, 
 working for his father, and finally, in com- 
 pany with his brother Nathan, purchased a 
 part of the home farm of his father, where he 
 has since resided. He has by constant, active 
 energy, directed by sound judgment, continu- 
 ally added to its improvement, having erected 
 a new house and a substantial set of farm 
 buildings, and, besides placing the larger part 
 of his land under good cultivation, has put in 
 about thirteen miles of stone and tile ditch- 
 ing, performing the entire labor himself with 
 the assistance of his brother Nathan. Mr. 
 Webster's unabated industry and progressive 
 enterprise have been liberally rewarded, his 
 fine farm being one of the most attractive in 
 the vicinity, yielding him rich returns for his 
 years of unceasing toil. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Webster with Jerusha 
 J. Farnam, daughter of William and Lydia 
 (Allen) Farnam, took place on January 2, 
 1850. Of this happy union one child was 
 born, a son named Elmer S., who lives at 
 home, and now manages the work of the farm. 
 He married Grace L., daughter of Charles 
 and Frances (Austin) Underwood, of Aure- 
 lius; and to them have been born three bright 
 and interesting children — Benjamin G., 
 Henry U., and Mattie A. Mr. Hiram Web- 
 ster and his estimable wife are genial, pleas- 
 ant people, of high moral principes, and held 
 in much esteem by all who enjoy their ac- 
 quaintance and friendship. Mrs. Webster is 
 a member of the Baptist church. In politics 
 Mr. Webster is a strong Republican, having 
 sustained the principles of that party since its 
 
 formation, although he was a Democrat until 
 the nomination of John C. Fremont for the 
 Presidency. 
 
 >■♦»♦■* 
 
 SPRAGUE MORLEY. Among the 
 men of solid worth in Cayuga County 
 the gentleman whose name is placed 
 at the head of this sketch occupies an honor- 
 able position, being an esteemed representa- 
 tive of the legal profession in the village of 
 Meridian, and a man of high moral principles, 
 whose many excellent traits of character have 
 made him popular with all classes of people, 
 and won for him the respect and regard of the 
 entire community in which he dwells. He is 
 a native of New York, his birth having oc- 
 curred December 7, 1826, in the town of 
 Pompey, Onondaga County, and is a son of 
 the late Chester and Ann (Sprague) Morley, 
 the former of whom was born in Hartford, 
 Conn., April 19, 1799, and the latter, March 
 19, 1803. 
 
 Mr. Morley is of sturdy Scotch ancestry, 
 and can trace his ancestry, both maternal and 
 paternal, back for many generations. He has 
 in his possession one of the most complete 
 genealogical records of the Sprague family 
 that was ever compiled. The first member of 
 the Morley family to leave bonnie Scotland 
 for the wilds of America came over with the 
 Puritans, arriving here soon after the "May- 
 flower"; and since that time the Morleys 
 have always held an honored place among the 
 influential and patriotic citizens of this great 
 republic. Ebenezer Morley, the great-grand- 
 father of J. Sprague Morley, left his home and 
 
598 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 family, the latter consisting of a wife and two 
 sons, Eben and Gideon, to serve in the de- 
 fence of his country in the war of the Revo- 
 lution; and, never having been heard from 
 afterward, it is supposed that he died on board 
 the British prison-ship in New York Bay. 
 
 Gideon Morley, son of Ebenezer, was born 
 in Hartford, Conn., April 2, 1762. He was 
 a farmer by occupation; and some time after 
 his marriage he removed to the Empire State, 
 and became one of the earliest settlers of 
 Onondaga County. He was energetic and 
 enterprising, and labored hard to reclaim 
 a homestead from the dense wilderness. 
 Neither railways nor canals then traversed 
 the country, and the pioneer oftentimes had 
 a hard struggle for existence. Albany was 
 the nearest market for the sale of their farm 
 produce; and in the possession of the Morley 
 family is a Bible in which is kept the family 
 record, and which is especially valued as hav- 
 ing been bought by Gideon Morley, in 18 19, 
 from the proceeds of a load of wheat that he 
 teamed to that city. On April 4, 1792, a 
 little over one hundred years ago. Grandfather 
 Gideon Morley married Roxanna Kinney, who 
 was born in Connecticut on April 3, 1773. 
 They reared a family of ten children. Eli K. 
 Morley, who lived in Lysander, Onondaga 
 County, to the advanced age of eighty-two 
 years, being the last surviving member of the 
 parental household, died in the spring of 
 1894. 
 
 Chester Morley, son of Gideon and Rox- 
 anna, was a farmer by occupation, and, al- 
 though not one of the original settlers of this 
 
 county, did a good deal of pioneer labor here 
 after his settlement in Cato in 1832. He 
 bouo-ht a tract- of timbered land, about three 
 
 o 
 
 and one-half miles from the village of Merid- 
 ian, in the eastern part of the town of Cato, 
 at one time owning two hundred acres of land. 
 The homestead, which he improved from the 
 primeval forest, contained one hundred and 
 forty-three acres of land; and by skilful hus- 
 bandry he made it one of the best estates in 
 this locality. He was a man of shrewd judg- 
 ment and great business ability, and became 
 influential in public affairs. Being well 
 qualified for the duties of the civic offices, he 
 was elected and served efficiently as Asses- 
 sor, Overseer of the Poor, and as Justice of 
 the Peace. The last fourteen years of his 
 useful life were spent in the village of Merid- 
 ian, where his death occurred January 5, 1878, 
 when seventy-nine years of age. In his early 
 days he was a member of the Whig party, but 
 on the formation of the Republican party be- 
 came one of its warmest supporters. Both he 
 and his good wife, Ann Sprague, who sur- 
 vived him many years, dying in 1892, in her 
 ninetieth year, were valued members of the 
 Presbyterian church. They reared a family 
 of four children, three of whom are now liv- 
 ing, namely: J. Sprague; Chester, of whom 
 a short sketch is given in another part of his 
 biographical work; and Clara A. Morley, who 
 was born in Cato, August 4, 1840, and now 
 resides in the village of Meridian. The third 
 child in order of birth was Lyman E., who 
 was born March 31, 1834, in Cato, and died 
 June 23, 1892. He was twice married. The 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 599 
 
 maiden name of his first wife, to whom he was 
 united February 23, 1858, was Ida A. Van 
 Liew. She passed on to the higher life in 
 1882. He subsequently married Olive A. 
 Lewis, who was born January 6, 1857; and 
 since the death of her husband she and her 
 little son, Myron E. Morley, reside in 
 Meridian. 
 
 The maiden name of Mrs. Chester Morley, 
 as before mentioned, was Ann Sprague. Her 
 great-grandfather, Ebenezer Sprague, was 
 born December 12, 171 1, in Lebanon, Conn.; 
 and his wife, formerly Hannah St. John, was 
 born in the same State, in the town of Wil- 
 ton, the date of her birth being January 7, 
 1729 or 1730. Mrs. Morley's grandfather, 
 John Sprague, son of Ebenezer, was born in 
 Sharon, Conn., April 2, 1755, and was there 
 reared to a farmer's life. When a young man 
 he removed to Milton, Saratoga County, 
 N.Y., where he resided until 1796, when he 
 settled in the town of Pompey, in Onondaga 
 County, being one of the pioneers of that 
 place. His wife, Polly Kennedy, was born in 
 Limerick, Ireland, in August, 1749. Their 
 son, John Sprague, Jr., the father of Mrs. 
 Morley, was born March 12, 1779, during the 
 residence of his parents in the town of Mil- 
 ton, Saratoga County, and there spent the ear- 
 lier years of his life. He came with his 
 parents to Onondaga County in 1796, settling 
 in the town of Pompey, then little more than 
 a wilderness with here and there a small 
 clearing, game being abundant in the woods. 
 On attaining his majority he purchased one 
 hundred acres of unimproved land; and by 
 
 never-ceasing labor, he succeeded admirably in 
 his efforts to establish a homestead, having as 
 good a farm as could be found in that locality. 
 He was a man of noble character, a useful 
 citizen of the town, and a worthy and influ- 
 ential member of the Episcopal church, in 
 which he held various offices. He was an 
 active participant in the War of 1812, serv- 
 ing as Captain of a company. The last 
 twenty-five years of his life were spent in the 
 village of Fayetteville, retired from active 
 toil, his death occurring May 30, 1861. He 
 was twice married, his first wife being Aurilla 
 Sweet, who was born in Greenwich, R.I., be- 
 longing to a prominent Rhode Island family, 
 and who died in Pompey, N.Y., in January, 
 1835. He afterward wedded Lydia Babcock, 
 of Manlius. 
 
 J. Sprague Morley was a manly little fellow 
 of five years when he came with his parents to 
 this town; and his education was obtained in 
 the schools of Fayetteville and at Hobart Col- 
 lege, where he was graduated in 1846. De- 
 voting himself to the study of law, he was 
 admitted to the bar in 1848, being examined 
 in the first class under the new code. After 
 receiving his diploma he settled in James- 
 ville, Onondaga County, where he was suc- 
 cessfully engaged in the practice of his 
 profession until 1853, when he established 
 himself in Meridian. 
 
 On the 27th of January, 1857, Mr. Morley 
 was united in wedlock with Polly A. Buck, a 
 native of New Jersey, born in the town of 
 Sterling, July 24, 1823. Their union has 
 been blessed by the birth of two children. 
 
6oo 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Hebe A., the elder, who was born November 
 28, 1857, is the wife of Dr. Eugene M. 
 Lamb, a dentist of Auburn. Fabius C, who 
 was born April 4, i860, lives at home with 
 his parents. 
 
 During his residence of more than forty 
 years in Meridian Esquire Morley has fully 
 identified himself with the interests of this 
 place, always encouraging and otherwise pro- 
 moting every project calculated to benefit the 
 community. He is public-spirited and gener- 
 ous, a man of great influence, and eminently 
 worthy of the trust reposed in him and the 
 regard in which- he is held by his fellow-citi- 
 zens. As a Justice of the Peace, an office 
 which he has filled most acceptably the past 
 twenty-nine years, his decisions are just and 
 fair, and never appealed from. Esquire Mor- 
 ley is also President of the village, having 
 held this office for thirty consecutive years. 
 In politics he is a strong advocate of the prin- 
 ciples of the Republican party. 
 
 A lifelike portrait of J. Sprague Morley is 
 an appropriate and pleasing accompaniment of 
 this brief biographical record, of which he is 
 the special subject. 
 
 (^*EV. GILES H. HUBBARD, D.D., 
 the popular and devoted pastor of the 
 First Baptist Church in Auburn, 
 was born in Preston Hollow, Albany County, 
 in this State, on July 24, 1850, the son of 
 Giles Colden and Clarissa (Paddock) Hub- 
 bard. His great-grandfather, Aaron Hub- 
 bard, was a native of Connecticut. On 
 
 leaving home, he first settled as a pioneer in 
 Schoharie County, whence he removed to 
 Cleveland, Ohio, where he became a promi- 
 nent citizen, and was elected to the State 
 Assembly. 
 
 Aaron Hubbard had a son, Giles H. Hub- 
 bard, an attorney-at-law, who was a graduate 
 of Union College, where he received the high- 
 est honors the institution could bestow, in- 
 cluding the class valedictory. He was at one 
 time editor of the Schoharie Overseer, being a 
 leading citizen of that county in his day and 
 generation, and taking an active part in po- 
 litical affairs. A greater glory lay in his 
 strong and undaunted anti-slavery principles. 
 When it was risky to utter such sentiments, 
 he uttered them boldly, not only in private 
 but in public. Indeed, he was the first man 
 in the neighborhood who dared open his mouth 
 on this forbidden subject, doing so in a meet- 
 ing convened by himself and a classmate, the 
 Rev. Dr. Lintner, who offered the prayer. 
 This was at a time when slaves were still held 
 in that very county; but the champions of 
 freedom could say with Laurence Sterne, 
 "Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still. Slavery, 
 still thou art a bitter draught." 
 
 His son, Giles Colden Hubbard, father of 
 the Rev. Giles H. Hubbard, was born in 
 Schoharie, and has been both a farmer and 
 the owner of flour-mills. He is a Republican 
 in politics, though never an office-holder. 
 He still lives in Preston Hollow, with his 
 wife, Clarissa Paddock, daughter of the Rev. 
 Seth Paddock, a Baptist preacher of the olden 
 time, from whom by the law of heredity her 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 6oi 
 
 son Giles evidently derived something of his 
 religious and philanthropic tendencies. 
 
 Young Giles H., the future minister, was 
 educated in the common schools in Schoharie 
 Academy, in Delaware Literary Institute, and 
 in Colgate University, where he was graduated 
 in the class of 1875, at the age of twenty-five, 
 with the degree of B.A. Two generations 
 earlier, as above noted, the grandfather had 
 the honor of being valedictorian in Union 
 College; and now his namesake received the 
 kindred honor at Hamilton, where three years 
 later, in 1878, he received a theological di- 
 ploma, and also the higher degree of M.A. 
 He was likewise a member of the Greek letter 
 society. Delta Kappa Epsilon, and was other- 
 wise active in social and literary college life. 
 Before graduation he had been called to the 
 pastorate of the Baptist society in Madison; 
 and there he was now ordained. Upon the 
 death of the Rev. Dr. John James Lewis, 
 Professor of English Literature and History 
 in Hamilton College, Mr. Hubbard was of- 
 fered the chair; but this he declined, pre- 
 ferring to remain in the ministry. Before 
 coming to Auburn, he was pastor at Waverly 
 and Camillus. 
 
 The Rev. Dr. Hubbard began his labors in 
 Auburn with the New Year's Day of 1892. 
 In this post he has been very successful, the 
 church having a membership of over five hun- 
 dred. His Alma Mater conferred on him the 
 degree of D.D. at the Commencement of 
 1894., Should a motto be sought indicative 
 of Dr. Hubbard's idea of religion and the na- 
 tion, as it comes down to him in his Baptist 
 
 forerunners, who fought a good fight for free- 
 dom, toleration, and piety, it might be found 
 in the words of the celebrated Italian states- 
 man. Count Cavour, "A free Church in a free 
 State has been the programme which led me 
 to my first efforts, and which I continue to re- 
 gard as just and true, reasonable and practical, 
 after the studies of thirty years." 
 
 On September i, 1875, about the time of 
 his entering the theological school, he was 
 married to Emma Morse, daughter of Dr. 
 Floyd Morse, an eminent physician of 
 Cooper's Plain, Steuben County, where she 
 was born. Her higher education she received 
 in Franklin, Delaware County, N.Y., at the 
 Delaware Literary Institute; and there she 
 formed the attachment which afterward led to 
 her marriage. Dr. Hubbard himself having 
 been a student in the same seminary. From 
 this union have come four promising chil- 
 dren: Lyra Hubbard, born in the centennial 
 year; Floyd Morse Hubbard, born in 1879; 
 Nellie Hubbard, born in 1884; Giles Monroe 
 Hubbard, in 1890. 
 
 (^rOHN W. BARRUS is a well-known 
 
 i 
 
 resident of Port Byron, where he has 
 lived for some years. His father, 
 William K. Barrus, was born in the town of 
 Otisco, Onondaga County, N.Y., and was- a 
 son of pioneer settlers. After leaving school, 
 he chose a farmer's life, and married Miss 
 Mary A. Neal, who was a native of Madison 
 County. 
 
 Their son, John W, Barrus, was born at 
 
602 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Lysander, Onondaga County, August 3, 1830, 
 and lived with his parents until the death of 
 his father, which occurred when the lad was 
 but twelve years of age. He then made his 
 home with his uncle, Aaron Fay, of Onondaga 
 County, near Syracuse, and there received the 
 best education which the common schools of 
 the town afforded, after which he worked on 
 his uncle's farm, until 185 1, when he trav- 
 elled for two years. In March, 1853, he ar- 
 rived at Port Byron, and was engaged as clerk 
 by Mr. Ross, who was proprietor of the gen- 
 eral store of the village, and held that posi- 
 tion until September, 1855. 
 
 He soon after started a grocery business, 
 to which he gave his whole attention until 
 1859, when he was employed as clerk by Sey- 
 mour & Wright, with whom he remained until 
 1862, leaving here to accept a position as 
 travelling salesman for Stone & Carpenter, of 
 Syracuse, dealers in fancy goods. After five 
 years of faithful service for this establishment 
 he entered the employ of the Tallman Boot & 
 Shoe Company of Utica, travelling for the 
 firm throughout Western and Central New 
 York, and has held this position since that 
 time, with the exception of nine years, when 
 he was Postmaster of Port Byron, having been 
 appointed to that office by President Grant in 
 1873, and remaining there through President 
 Hayes's term and one year of President Gar- 
 field's administration. He then returned to 
 his former situation, and is now one of the 
 oldest commercial travellers in this part of 
 the country, there being but one man who is 
 his senior in this occupation. 
 
 On August 2, 1855, he married Miss Sarah 
 Randall, of Port Byron, daughter of Harry 
 Randall. Mr. and Mrs. Barrus are the par- 
 ents of three children, namely: William H., 
 of New York; Clara, a physician in the Mid- 
 dletown State Hospital, a graduate of Boston 
 University in the class of 1888; Addie, wife 
 of Dr. J. D. Johnson, of New York City, who 
 is the mother of one child, Paul. Mrs. 
 Barrus is an earnest worker in the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, of which she is a member, 
 and which the family attend. The house of 
 worship is not far from their home on the 
 village green. 
 
 Mr. Barrus is an interested and active mem- 
 ber of a number of social organizations, 
 among which are the Commercial Travellers' 
 Association, Port Byron Lodge, A. F. & 
 A. M., No. 130, and various temperance or- 
 ganizations, dating back to the old Washing- 
 tonians in 1845, and including later the 
 Rechabites, Good Templars, and Royal Tem- 
 plars. In 1857 he was made a Mason, and is 
 now serving his seventh term as Master Mem- 
 ber of Morris Chapter, No. 156, of which or- 
 ganization he is Past High Priest. He has 
 served on the School Board for Port Byron, 
 and has held the office of Village Treasurer. 
 Mr. Barrus was always an Abolitionist. He 
 joined the Republican party in 1855, and 
 voted with it for thirty years; but in 1885 he 
 transferred his vote to the Prohibition party, 
 by which organization he has been twice 
 nominated for State Senator, and also many 
 times for Supervisor of the Town. He is a 
 business man of rare qualities, who through- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 603 
 
 out his varied experiences has always been 
 held in the highest regard by his fellow-citi- 
 zens at Port Byron, and by his many acquaint- 
 ances in other parts of the State of New York. 
 
 rj^ARTON MORSE, who was born on 
 1^ November 20, 1822, on the home- 
 stead where he now resides, is well 
 known throughout Cayuga County, and is 
 numbered among its best men socially and 
 financially. He has lived in other places, and 
 has engaged in different pursuits, but is now 
 confining his attention to agriculture; and his 
 pleasant homestead in the town of Sempronius 
 is noticeable for its air of thrift and comfort, 
 and its evidences of enterprise, skill, and 
 taste. He and his excellent wife are espe- 
 cially valued members of the community in 
 which they reside, their devotion to the ad- 
 vancement of education and morals, and their 
 benevolence and earnestness in works of re- 
 form, contributing greatly to the public wel- 
 fare and improvement. 
 
 The Morse family in America is of English 
 origin. Mr. Barton Morse is the worthy de- 
 scendant of a representative pioneer of this 
 county, Greshom Morse, who left his New 
 England home, and became one of the early 
 settlers of this vicinity in 1794, one hundred 
 years ago. He was an educated and very in- 
 telligent man, a lawyer by profession, and 
 one of the first judges appointed in this local- 
 ity. He bought two hundred acres of wild 
 land, the present site of the fair grounds, on 
 which he improved a good farm, carrying on 
 
 general farming in connection with his pro- 
 fessional duties. Judge Morse was one of the 
 most prominent and influential men of his 
 time, contributing largely toward the develop- 
 ment and prosperity of Moravia, the town of 
 his adoption. He lived to the age of four- 
 score years, and passed away on his farm, 
 near the village' of Moravia, honored and re- 
 spected by all. He was a stanch Democrat in 
 politics; and both he and his wife were firm 
 believers in the doctrines of the Methodist 
 church, although they were not members of 
 any religious organization. Of the three 
 sons and six daughters born of their union 
 only one child is now living; namely, Mrs. 
 Laura Tabor, of the village of Moravia. 
 
 Solomon Morse, son of the Judge and 
 father of Barton, was born in the town of 
 Moravia, August 14, 1796, and was there bred 
 and educated. He turned his attention to 
 farming, working at first on the parental 
 homestead, but, after arriving at manhood, had 
 the courage to buy a tract of forest-covered 
 land, one hundred and fifty acres, on which 
 he began the arduous task of developing a 
 good farm. His first residence was a plank 
 house; and in this he and his wife lived for 
 many years, bringing up their children to 
 habits of industry and usefulness. He was a 
 man of more than usual enterprise and activ- 
 ity; and, in addition to clearing a fine home- 
 stead, he built and operated a saw-mill, 
 carrying on an extensive business. On March 
 4, 1819, he was united in marriage to Mary 
 Ann Slade, a native of Stillwater, Mass., 
 born July 23, 1798. Their entire wedded life 
 
6o4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was spent on the farm which they improved 
 from the wilderness, and where his death 
 occurred February 15, 1851, and hers Novem- 
 ber 6, 1 88 1. They were persons of much 
 native intelligence, and were held in high 
 esteem. Both were valued members of the 
 Baptist church of Sempronius, and in his pol- 
 itics Mr. Morse was a strong Republican. Of 
 the eleven children born to them all grew to 
 maturity; and the following seven are now 
 living: Mrs. Rachel White, of Sempronius; 
 Barton, of Moravia; Lafayette, of Sennett; 
 Mrs. Delia Andrews, of Rochester; Mrs. 
 Dorlisca Peasley, of Fremont, Neb. ; Charles, 
 of St. John's, Mich.; William S., of Fre- 
 mont, Neb. The names of the deceased are 
 Philip, who died October 19, 1893, at the age 
 of seventy-two years; Eliza Ann, who died 
 at the age of twenty-four years; Edward, who 
 died when thirty-nine years old; and Almira, 
 who passed away at the age of thirty-two years. 
 Barton Morse, son of Solomon and Mary 
 A., grew to manhood on the estate where he 
 now resides. After acquiring a good practi- 
 cal education in the district schools and the 
 Waterloo Academy, and having some experi- 
 ence in farm work, he learned the trade of a 
 wagon-maker, and also that of a painter, and 
 for twoscore years devoted his time to these 
 callings. He did not confine himself to one 
 locality, but sought work where he could 
 labor to the best advantage, even spending 
 some years in the Western States, being in 
 Kansas and Arkansas three years and in Illi- 
 nois three years. After his marriage he 
 began housekeeping near Watkins, in the 
 
 Townsend settlement; and, after living there 
 a short time, he removed to Jasper, Steuben 
 County, where he remained eight years. He 
 came back to the place of his birth in 1880, 
 and has since carried on general farming with 
 good success. His homestead contains one 
 hundred acres of excellent land, which he has 
 under good tillage, and well improved. Dur- 
 ing the late Rebellion, Mr. Morse enlisted, 
 responding to the last call for volunteers, 
 September 2, 1864, and was enrolled in Com- 
 pany D, Captain Sylvester Phillips, Two 
 Hundred and Seventh Pennsylvania Volunteer 
 Infantry. His regiment, commanded by Colo- 
 nel Cox, was immediately ordered to the 
 front; and Mr. Morse was in many engage- 
 ments, taking an active part in the battle of 
 Petersburg, at the storming of Fort Hill, and 
 in many other skirmishes. He was also a 
 participant in the Hatch's Run raid, and 
 there contracted diseases from which he never 
 recovered. After receiving his honorable dis- 
 charge on May 31, 1865, at Alexandria, he 
 resumed his former occupations. 
 
 The marriage ceremony uniting the des- 
 tinies of Barton Morse and Lucy Ann Colony 
 was solemnized on February 8, 1849. Mrs. 
 Morse was born in the town of Locke, August 
 26, 1828, being a daughter of Oliver B. and 
 Ann (Southworth) Colony, both of whom were 
 natives of Cayuga County, the place of the 
 mother's birth having been Summer Hill. 
 Thomas Colony, the paternal grandfather of 
 Mrs. Morse, was one of the early settlers of 
 the town of Locke, and was numbered among 
 its influential pioneers. He improved a large 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 60s 
 
 homestead, where he lived to a ripe old age. 
 The parents of Mrs. Morse lived in the town 
 of Locke for many years after their marriage; 
 but their last days were spent in Tioga 
 County, Pennsylvania, where her father passed 
 from earth at the age of sixty-five years, and 
 her mother at the age of sixty-two years. 
 They were esteemed members of the Baptist 
 church, in which Mr. Colony served with 
 fidelity as Deacon for many years. They 
 reared a family of six children, as follows: 
 Horace R., a resident of Pennsylvania; Lucy 
 Ann; Mrs. Sarah Ackley, of Pennsylvania; 
 Miss Helen M., a resident of Pennsylvania; 
 Martha Jane, who died at the age of six years ; 
 Harriet Cordelia, who died at the age of four 
 years. Mr. Colony was a miller by occupa- 
 tion, and a large part of his active life was 
 spent in this county. In politics he was a 
 Republican. 
 
 Barton Morse and his wife are the parents 
 of seven children, of whom the following is a 
 brief record: Mrs. Emily Hathaway lives in 
 Sempronius. Delavan D., a resident of 
 Jonesboro, Ark., is an extensive dealer in 
 flour, feed, and coal. Avery C, also residing 
 in Jonesboro, is a foreman in the railway 
 shops. George W. E., a farmer, lives in 
 Montville. Dumont Slade, a farmer and 
 carpenter, resides on the home farm. Two 
 other children born of the union died at an 
 early age: Martha Jane, at the age of seven 
 years; and Marilla A., when an infant of 
 scarce twelve short months. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Morse have reared their chil- 
 dren in those virtuous principles which have 
 
 been the rule of their own lives, and which 
 have constituted them valuable members of 
 society. They are devoted members of the 
 Baptist church, and active workers in its vari- 
 ous organizations. Both are much interested 
 in the temperance movement, and Mr. Morse 
 is a stanch supporter of the principles of the 
 Prohibition party. Mrs. Morse is also an 
 ardent worker in the cause, and a member of 
 the Women's Christian Temperance Union of 
 Moravia, and Vice-President of the L. T. L. 
 of Sempronius, and Superintendent of the 
 Mothers' Meetings. She devotes a great deal 
 of time and money to the advancement of 
 religion and morality, being a zealous worker 
 in the Sunday-school, of which she has been 
 superintendent the greater part of her mar- 
 ried life, and is now assistant superintendent, 
 besides being the teacher of the Bible Class, 
 a position for which she is eminently fitted, 
 and also the Secretary of the Union Sunday- 
 school Town Association. 
 
 ILLIAM H. HULL, a wide-awake, 
 enterprising farmer of the town of 
 Cato, is well known throughout this part of 
 Cayuga County as an important factor of the 
 agricultural interests, a whole-souled, genial 
 man, and a good citizen and neighbor. He is 
 a -fine representative of the industrious busi- 
 ness man, who has kept his eyes open to what 
 was going on around him, improved his oppor- 
 tunities, and profited thereby. Since occu- 
 pying his present homestead, he has made 
 three thousand dollars' worth of improve- 
 
6o6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ments, possessing now a substantial residence, 
 good barns and out-buildings, and all the con- 
 veniences and appliances for the shelter of 
 stock, the storing of grain, and for carrying 
 on agriculture after the most approved 
 methods. 
 
 Mr. Hull is a native of New York, having 
 been born in the town of Onondaga, Onondaga 
 County, August 22, 1837. His parents, Peter 
 and Esther (Hazard) Hull, were both born in 
 the State of Rhode Island, the father's birth 
 having occurred in December, 1804, and the 
 mother's in 1808. The Hazards have been 
 people of means and influence on the shores 
 of Narragansett Bay from the earliest Co- 
 lonial times. Peter Hull was a farmer by 
 occupation, and began his agricultural career 
 in his native State, living there several years 
 after his marriage. In 1834 he removed to 
 this State, and was one of the early settlers in 
 the town of Onondaga. After residing there 
 some time, he invested in land in the town of 
 Lysander, buying two hundred acres, from 
 which he improved a good farm; and on it he 
 and his wife passed their remaining days, re- 
 spected and esteemed by all, he living to be 
 eighty years of age, while she passed away 
 when seventy-six years old. He was a thor- 
 ough and skilful farmer, and a business man 
 of much ability, and during his residence in 
 Lysander became identified with its welfare 
 and growth. He was a Democrat in his po- 
 litical views, and both he and his wife were 
 liberal in their religious beliefs. They 
 reared a family of thirteen children, nine of 
 whom are now living, namely: Jehiel, a 
 
 farmer in Onondaga; Jane, the widow of 
 Leroy Houser, of Oswego 'Falls; Samuel, a 
 farmer of Onondaga; Elisha, a carpenter in 
 the town of Ira; William H., of Cato; Ruth, 
 the wife of Gardner Teller, of Oswego Falls; 
 Peter B., a farmer and musician living in 
 Cato ; Irene, the wife of George Johnson, of 
 Oswego Falls; and Eugene, a farmer in the 
 town of Lysander. 
 
 William H. Hull spent the earlier portion 
 of his life in Onondaga County, where he re- 
 ceived a good common-school education and a 
 practical insight into the art of agriculture. 
 He remained on the home farm, assisting in 
 its care, until twenty-five years of age; and 
 the knowledge and experience thus obtained 
 have been of incalculable value to him since. 
 His first purchase of land was in the town of 
 Onondaga, when he and his brother Samuel 
 bought sixty-five acres of land in partnership, 
 carrying it on most successfully for three 
 years. Then, disposing of his interest in 
 that farm, he bought seventy-two acres of 
 land in Cato, on which he resided three years, 
 selling it in 1871. Mr. Hull then bought a 
 farm of eighty acres in the town of Ira, and, 
 after living on it eleven years, sold it at an 
 advantage, and bought the homestead where 
 he now resides, of which he took possession 
 in 1882. He immediately began its improve- 
 ment and cultivation, and, being prospered in 
 his farming operations and fortunate in his 
 investments, soon found himself on the road 
 to success. His land is under good cultiva- 
 tion, and yields him large crops of grain and 
 tobacco, besides the other staple productions 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 607 
 
 of this part of the country, his homestead, 
 owing to his industry, ability, and shrewd 
 management, being one of the best appointed 
 of any in the vicinity, a model of neatness, 
 convenience, and thrift. 
 
 After having laid the foundations for a 
 home and a future competency, Mr. Hull was 
 united in marriage to Agnes Van Liew, their 
 nuptials being celebrated in 1867. Mrs. 
 Hull is a native of Onondaga County, having 
 been born in the town of Lysander in 1839. 
 Her parents were Frederick C. and Agnes 
 (Pumyea) Van Liew, of whom a brief history 
 is given in the sketch of Cornelius Van Liew, 
 in another part of this work. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Hull became the parents of three children, 
 namely: Etta, who married Harrison DeGroff, 
 of Cato; Ida, who lives at home; and Lewis, 
 who died at the age of two and one-half years. 
 Mr. Hull is a Democrat in politics, and casts 
 his vote in support of the principles of that 
 party. In their religious views both he and 
 his wife are liberal, and are among the first to 
 encourage works of charity and benevolence. 
 They are numbered among the useful mem- 
 bers of the community, and in their daily 
 lives present examples worthy of imitation. 
 
 pACOB SHARPSTEEN, a prominent 
 farmer of Genoa, N.Y., was born in 
 this town on March 5, 1828. His 
 father, Stephen, was born in Dutchess 
 County, whence he removed to Cayuga 
 County, and was one of the first settlers. He 
 bought up a large tract of land in the vicinity 
 
 of Genoa, erecting a log house upon it for the 
 accommodation of his family. Grist-mills in 
 these parts being few and far between, in 
 that early day the farmers were often com- 
 pelled to prepare their wheat and corn for 
 family use by pounding it in stump mortars. 
 The only market place for their farm produce 
 was Albany; and on many occasions Mr. 
 Sharpsteen carried his wheat thither with an 
 ox team, in order to sell it. In later years he 
 built a large frame dwelling, where he kept a 
 house of entertainment for travellers, conduct- 
 ing the same with success up to the time of 
 his death, which occurred on May i, 1845. 
 He married Mary Morse, who was born March 
 19, 1788. Twelve children were the fruit of 
 their union, namely: Kirby W., born Decem- 
 ber 5, 1809; Nancy, born March 4, 1812, 
 died 1814; Joshua M., born April 12, 1814; 
 Leonard N., born June 6, 1816; Harriet, 
 born June 24, 181 8; John, born August 2, 
 1820, died 1838; Fanny, born June 17, 1822; 
 Angeline, born April 5, 1824; Maria, born 
 March 10, 1826; Jacob, born, as above noted, 
 March 5, 1828; Rachel, born February 3, 
 1830; and Stephen, born June 24, 1833. 
 
 Jacob was the tenth child, and was many 
 years younger than the first-born of the fam- 
 ilv. Having received his education in his 
 boyhood at the district schools of Genoa and 
 Venice, he engaged in the occupation of a 
 farmer, starting upon a farm given him by his 
 father, on which he has made many improve- 
 ments. Mr. Sharpsteen married in 1849 
 Dililah Thayer, the daughter of Stephen and 
 Elmira (Hodge) Thayer, of Otsego County, 
 
6o8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 New York; and they reared three children — 
 Frances, Amy E., and Stephen W. Stephen 
 was first married to Sarah C. Upson, who 
 died some years after, leaving three children: 
 Eva D. ; J. D. ; and Morton }., deceased. He 
 married for a second wife Nettie Smith, by 
 whom he has one child — Effie May. A son, 
 Fred Otto, died December 23, 1864. 
 
 Mr. Sharpsteen has voted the Republican 
 ticket since the formation of that party. He 
 cast his first Presidential vote for Franklin 
 Pierce in 1852. During a long and busy life 
 he has ever devoted himself to the interests of 
 his farm, and, although eminently qualified to 
 fill any public office of trust and responsibil- 
 ity that might have been offered to him, has 
 never been desirous of being other than what 
 he is, a private citizen, a loyal American, an 
 upright man, and a successful farmer. 
 
 ^IMEON KELLY, who is industri- 
 ously and profitably engaged in 
 general farming, stock-raising, and 
 dairying in the town of Moravia, worthily 
 represents the agricultural interests of this 
 part of Cayuga County; and his present posi- 
 tion among the successful farmers of this re- 
 gion is due entirely to his own eiTorts. He 
 had to begin the work of life for himself 
 when very young; and consequently his school 
 days were limited, nor had he wealth or posi- 
 tion to aid him in getting a start. He was 
 born in the town of Worcester, Otsego 
 County, N.Y., August 18, 1823, being a son 
 of John and Lany (Russ) Kelly. 
 
 Mr. Kelly is of English descent, and the 
 first of his ancestors to emigrate to this coun- 
 try settled in Massachusetts in old Colonial 
 times. His paternal grandfather was born in 
 Vermont, and there reared to maturity. He 
 served faithfully throughout the Revolu- 
 tionary War; and after its close he removed 
 to Worcester, and was one of the sturdy pio- 
 neers of Otsego County, where he lived to the 
 good old age of ninety years. He married, 
 and became the father of four sons and three 
 daughters, none of whom are now living. 
 
 John Kelly, a son of the veteran, came to 
 Otsego County when very young, and bought 
 one hundred and twenty acres of land. He 
 was a hard-working, persevering man, a prac- 
 tical, common-sense farmer, and was held in 
 high esteem as a loyal citizen and a good 
 neighbor. His death occurred in Worcester, 
 at the age of threescore years. His wife, who 
 survived him, died in Sharon, Wis., at the 
 venerable age of eighty-three years. She was 
 a devoted member of the Methodist church, 
 and he was a firm believer in the doctrines of 
 the Universalist church. In politics he was 
 a Whig. Of the eight children born of their 
 union all grew to maturity, and five are now 
 living, as follows: Samuel, a resident of Ful- 
 ton, Schoharie County; Sally Maria, the 
 widow of Philo Crippen, living in Kansas; 
 Simeon; John, residing in South Valley, Ot- 
 sego County; Miranda, the wife of Horace 
 Ocobock, living in Michigan. 
 
 Simeon Kelly grew to man's estate in the 
 town of Worcester, and in his earlier years 
 attended the district schools. When twelve 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 609 
 
 years of age, he began working out, receiving 
 ten dollars a month compensation at first. 
 He worked as a farm laborer for several years, 
 and, being a young man of frugal and temper- 
 ate habits, industrious and prudent, accumu- 
 ated quite a little property. Soon after his 
 marriage he removed to Cayuga County, and 
 settled in the town of Moravia, where he has 
 since lived, an esteemed and respected resi- 
 dent. In 1875 Mr. Kelly bought his present 
 homestead, and has since given his undivided 
 attention to its management, conducting every 
 detail of its work with the same energy and 
 good judgment that had characterized his 
 movements before. That he has prospered 
 is evidenced by his well-stocked barns and 
 storehouses, large herds of sleek cattle, and 
 his excellent dairy. His property contains 
 ninety-three acres .of productive land, and on 
 this comfortable homestead he is now enjoy- 
 ing the fruits of his earlier years of toil. 
 
 On July 8," 1846, Mr. Kelly was united in 
 marriage with Almira Brown, who was born 
 in Schoharie County, May 12, 18 19, a daugh- 
 ter of Nathaniel and Mary (Adams) Brown, 
 the former of whom was born in Massachusetts 
 and the latter in New Jersey. Mr. Brown 
 was for many years a prominent member of 
 the farming community of Schoharie County, 
 and lived there until the time of his decease, 
 November 7, 1831, when fifty-one years old. 
 His wife, who survived him, also died in the 
 same town, Jefferson, the date of her death 
 being November 16, 1868, and her age 
 eighty-six years. Both were sincere Christian 
 people, he being a member of the Dutch Re- 
 
 formed church, and she of the Baptist church. 
 Of the four children born to them Mrs. Kelly 
 is the only one now living. 
 
 Nathaniel Brown, the paternal grandfather 
 of Mrs. Kelly, was one of the early settlers of 
 Montgomery County, where he was engaged 
 in farming for many years. He subsequently 
 removed to Schoharie County, and resided in 
 the town of Jefferson, until in the fulness of 
 years he was gathered to his rest. To him 
 and his beloved companion one son and three 
 daughters were born, none of whom are now 
 living. 
 
 The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Kelly, 
 John Adams, who was a native of England, 
 when a young man emigrated to the United 
 States, and settled in New Jersey, where he 
 married Anna Schermerhorn, a native of Hol- 
 land. He was also a veteran of the Revolu- 
 tionary War, and took an active part in some 
 of its most important engagements. Being a 
 farmer by occupation, and desirous of taking 
 advantage of the cheap lands just opened up 
 in this part of the Empire State, he removed 
 to Montgomery County in the early years of 
 its settlement, and, buying a tract of wild 
 land, improved a homestead, where he and his 
 wife reared their five children, and made a 
 permanent home for themselves. They were 
 long remembered as people of much influence 
 in the community in which they resided, and 
 were held in high respect as representing the 
 best class of the pioneers of the county. 
 They died at about middle age. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Kelly are the parents of seven 
 children, of whom the following is a brief 
 
6io 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 mention: Miranda, born April 23, 1847, is 
 the wife of John Parsons, a farmer, living in 
 Moravia. Mary, born February i, 1849, mar- 
 ried David Folts, of Moravia. Frances, born 
 May 17, 185 1, is the wife of David Anthony, 
 of Venice. Sarah, born February 25, 1854, 
 is the wife of Fred Hunt, a farmer living in 
 Moravia. George N., born February 25, 
 1856, is a farmer, and resides in Moravia. 
 Julia, born November 12, 1859, lives at 
 home. John W., a farmer, born August 15, 
 1864, lives in Moravia. Simeon Kelly is, 
 politically, a zealous advocate of the princi- 
 ples of the Republican party, and in all re- 
 spects is fulfilling the obligations of a good 
 citizen. Both he and his worthy wife are 
 conscientious members of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church. 
 
 'OSIAH B. BRINKERHOFF, of 
 Owasco, Cayuga County, N.Y., was 
 born in that town on May 21, 1840. 
 His father, John I. Brinkerhoff, son of Jacob, 
 was born in Owasco on February 17, 1803, 
 and resided in the old family homestead on 
 Owasco Lake, six miles south of Auburn. 
 He was married on March 6, 1830, to Mary 
 Ann Shepard, by whom he had seven children 
 — Maria, Trueman, Jacob, John I., Josiah, 
 Alfred, and Warren. The grandfather was 
 born in Bergen County, New Jersey, on Feb- 
 ruary 25, 1756, and some years afterward re- 
 moved to Pennsylvania with his father, Joris 
 D. Brinkerhoff. He was married on February 
 25, 1779, to Annatie Demarest, of New Jer- 
 sey. He had a farm of two hundred and 
 
 seventy acres in Pennsylvania, but moved to 
 Cayuga County in 1793, settling near Owasco 
 Lake. He was the magistrate of the county 
 and an ofificer in the church. During the 
 Revolutionary War Jacob held a Captain's 
 commission, serving bravely under General 
 Washington. He was the father of eleven 
 children — George B., Margaret, David, 
 Henry L, Martha, Isabel, James, Jacob, 
 Peter, Maria, and John. 
 
 The great-grandfather, Joris D. Brinker- 
 hoff, above named, was born October 9, 17 19, 
 in New Jersey, and was married to Betty 
 Demarest, daughter of David Demarest, in 
 November, 1745. He moved to Pennsylvania 
 in 1770, where he purchased a large farm of 
 five hundred and twenty acres. The house 
 which he built and lived in all his life re- 
 mained until a few years ago. It was a sub- 
 stantial building composed principally of 
 concrete, the walls being two feet thick. His 
 father, the great-great-grandfather of Josiah 
 B., was Jacobus Brinkerhoff, who was born in 
 March, 1685, and resided at the paternal 
 home in New Jersey, on the Hackensack. 
 He was married on April [7, 1708, to Ag- 
 nitie Banta, daughter of Hendrick Banta, and 
 had five children — Hartman, Hendrick, 
 Joris, Jacob, and Martje. His father, Hen- 
 drick Joerisen Brinkerhoff, who was born in 
 the Netherlands in 1631, was married to 
 Claasie, daughter of Cornelius Boomgaert, 
 and settled in Hempstead, L.I., afterward 
 removing to New Jersey. The children of 
 Hendrick J. were Margrietje, Cornelius, 
 Joris, Dirck, and Jacobus. The founder of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 6ii 
 
 the American branch of the Brinkerhoff fam- 
 ily was the father of Hendrick J., Joris Dirck- 
 sen Brinkerhoff, a native of the Province of 
 Drenthe, in the Netherlands, born in 1609, 
 ' who emigrated to New York in 1638, and 
 settled on a farm within the present limits of 
 the city of Brooklyn, where he resided until 
 his death in 1661. He married Susannah 
 Dubbels, and all his children were born in 
 Holland. They were as follows: Derek, 
 Hendrick, Abraham, and Altie. 
 
 Josiah B. Brinkerhoff, the worthy descend- 
 ant of this long line of worthy ancestors, 
 was educated in the district schools of his 
 neighborhood and the high school of Auburn. 
 He taught school for one winter, and in 1864, 
 when he was twenty-four years of age, en- 
 listed in Battery A, Third New York Artil- 
 lery, being sent to Kingston, N.C. He came 
 back in the spring of 1865, having been hon- 
 orably discharged from the army with the 
 rank of Corporal. He has since turned his 
 attention to agricultural pursuits, and lived 
 with his father-in-law from 1866 to 1880, 
 when he bought the old homestead of his 
 wife's grandfather. 
 
 He was married in 1865 to Lillias, daugh- 
 ter of David and Harriet (Benson) Brinker- 
 hoff, of Skaneateles, three children being the 
 fruit of the union ; namely, Alfred, Alanson, 
 and Walter. Alanson died at the age of six- 
 teen. Alfred married Marrilla Mosher, of 
 Auburn. Mr. and Mrs. Brinkerhoff are mem- 
 bers of the Presbyterian church of Owasco. 
 In politics he is an advocate of the Republi- 
 can party. He was elected Justice of the 
 
 Peace in 1884, an office he held eight years. 
 He is also a great temperance worker. The 
 Brinkerhoffs have ever been active in enter- 
 prises calculated to promote the welfare of 
 their native town. They were largely instru- 
 mental in the building of the first church in 
 these parts, it being a log church, situated on 
 Lake Owasco. Mr. Brinkerhoff has earned 
 the reputation of being a good neighbor and 
 public-spirited citizen. 
 
 M 
 
 AVID S. KELLOGG, a respected 
 citizen of the town of Ira, now dis- 
 tinguished as being the oldest resi- 
 dent of this locality, is the son of an honored 
 pioneer of Cayuga County, the Kellogg fami- 
 lies having been among the first who set their 
 faces toward the West with the purpose of 
 establishing for themselves homes in the wild 
 and uncultivated frontier lands of this part of 
 the Empire State. Mr. Kellogg has spent 
 his entire life within the boundaries of this 
 county, having first seen the light in the town 
 of Victory on January 27, 18 13. His par- 
 ents were Silas and Martha (Simpson) Kel- 
 logg, both of whom were natives of New 
 York, Saratoga County having been the 
 father's birthplace, and Washington County 
 the mother's. 
 
 Frederick Kellogg, the father of Silas, re- 
 moved from Galway, Saratoga County, to the 
 town of Brutus in this county, in 1795, being 
 one of the original settlers of the place. 
 This part of the country was then a wilder- 
 ness in which the Indians roamed, hunting 
 
6l2 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and fishing, and mayhap occasionally cultivat- 
 ing a small patch of corn. Bears, deer, and 
 wolves were plentiful; and few marks of civ- 
 ilization were anywhere apparent for miles 
 around. Buying one hundred and forty acres 
 of land in Brutus, Mr. Kellogg worked with 
 steady perseverance until he had cleared a 
 homestead, and, having accumulated some 
 property, removed to Auburn, where he spent 
 his last years. His death, which occurred 
 when he was sixty-five years of age, was the 
 result of being thrown from a horse. 
 
 In 1 8 14 Silas Kellogg came from Victory 
 to the town of Ira, where he purchased one 
 hundred and ninety-three acres of forest land, 
 on which not a tree had been cut, paying for 
 it three dollars and twenty-six cents an acre. 
 Here he erected a small log house, in which 
 he and his family lived some twelve or fifteen 
 years. The woods were still the haunt of 
 game and other wild animals, which have dis- 
 appeared within the recollection of his son 
 David, who was present at the killing of the 
 last wolf and of the last bear in this vicinity. 
 Mr. Silas Kellogg worked hard, and improved 
 a good homestead, on which he and his wife 
 passed the remaining years of their lives, he 
 dying when seventy-two years old, and she at 
 the age of seventy-eight years. They were 
 people of genuine worth, who gained the re- 
 spect and friendship of their neighbors, and 
 were representative pioneers of the county. 
 They were esteemed members of the Dis- 
 ciples' Church, and performed their share in 
 advancing the cause of education and good 
 morals in the town. Politically, he was a | 
 
 Jacksonian Democrat, and during the War of 
 1 8 12 he was drafted into service. Six chil- 
 dren were born to them, four of whom are now 
 living, namely: David S. ; Mrs. Nancy F. 
 Bartlett, of Mohawk, N.Y. ; Asa D., a resi- 
 dent of Wolcott, Wayne County; and Edward 
 H., who resides in New York City. Mary 
 died at the age of twenty-five years, and 
 James H. at the age of sixty years. 
 
 David S. Kellogg grew to manhood in the 
 town of Ira, where he received the larger part 
 of his education, although, after leaving the 
 district schools, he attended the Albany Acad- 
 emy for one term of eleven weeks. Being 
 well endowed mentally, an intelligent ob- 
 server, and an extensive reader, he possesses 
 a large fund of general information, and, 
 keeping well posted on current events, is a 
 most interesting and entertaining conversa- 
 tionalist. During the days of his youth and 
 early manhood he assisted in the pioneer 
 labor of clearing the farm, remaining with his 
 parents until twenty-five years of age, when 
 he started in life for himself. He was em- 
 ployed for some years as a clerk, and was 
 afterward engaged in trade in the town of Ira 
 four years; but his principal occupation has 
 been that of a farmer. He bought one hun- 
 dred and forty acres of land, formerly included 
 in the homestead of his parents, and on this 
 farm has carried on general agriculture with 
 excellent results the past twenty years. He 
 IS a man of good business ability, an excel- 
 lent manager, judicious in his investments, 
 and has met with success in his various under- 
 takings. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 613 
 
 Mr. Kellogg has been twice married. The 
 maiden name of his firsb wife, to whom he was 
 wedded March i, 1837, was Mary Jane Noble. 
 She was a native of Saratoga County, New 
 York, where her parents, William H. and 
 Fanny (Stillwell) Noble, were both born. 
 Her father learned the trade of a tanner and 
 currier, and worked at it the larger part of his 
 life. He was one of the leading citizens of 
 the county, influential in political affairs, and 
 served as a member of the Assembly three 
 terms, as Congressman, and as Supervisor of 
 his town several years. Mrs. Fanny Kellogg 
 died Februarys, 1875, leaving four children, 
 two sons and two daughters. Oscar S., a 
 farmer, resides in Manhattan, Kan. Charles 
 resides in Russell, Kan. Martha and Mary 
 are twins; and both are married, Martha 
 being the wife of Millard Schofield, of Mo- 
 hawk, and Mary the wife of Newton R. Titus, 
 a farmer of the town of Ira. Mr. Kellogg 
 was a second time married on September 23, 
 1879, to Mrs. Alexander Titus, formerly 
 Adaline McGraw. She was born in the town 
 of Ira, a daughter of Ransom and Margaret 
 (Clay) McGraw, who were early settlers and 
 prosperous farmers of this town. Both are 
 now deceased, Mr. McGraw having departed 
 from the scenes of this earth when seventy 
 years old, and Mrs. McGraw at the age of 
 forty-five. 
 
 In his earlier years Mr. Kellogg affiliated 
 with the Democratic party; but now, with the 
 courage of his maturer convictions, he is in- 
 dependent in his political views, and votes 
 for the man best qualified to fill the office. 
 
 He has ever taken an active interest in local 
 matters, and acceptably filled the office of Su- 
 pervisor in Cato one term, and in the town of 
 Ira has served as School Commissioner, High- 
 way Commissioner, and as Assessor. He is 
 influential and prominent, and one of the fore- 
 most citizens of the town; and he and his 
 excellent wife enjoy the respect and friend- 
 ship of a large circle of acquaintances. They 
 are liberals in religion, and contribute gen- 
 erously to benevolent enterprises and public 
 improvements. 
 
 ,OY CLARK, a well-to-do tiller of the 
 soil, resident in the town of Aure- 
 lius, is noteworthy both for his good 
 citizenship and many excellent traits of char- 
 acter and for his honorable record as a brave 
 soldier during the late Civil War. He was 
 born in Onondaga County on March 20, 1840, 
 and is still further entitled to representation 
 in this biographical work as being the de- 
 scendant of a respected pioneer of this State, 
 the son of a brave soldier of the War of 18 12, 
 and the grandson of a patriot of the Revolu- 
 tion. 
 
 His grandfather, who bore the same name, 
 Coy Clark, was born, reared, and married in 
 Connecticut, and during the struggle of the 
 colonies for independence, fired with the 
 patriotic enthusiasm that animated the hearts 
 of all true New Englanders, he enlisted in 
 the American army. After the close of the 
 Revolution he and his wife emigrated - to 
 Onondaga County, where he took up a tract of 
 government land, and at once began its im- 
 
6r4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 provement. They had the severe and trying 
 experience common to the early settlers, the 
 heavily timbered land requiring much hard 
 labor before it was reduced to a productive 
 condition, the markets being many miles dis- 
 tant, and no means of transportation being 
 available except horses or oxen, that being 
 many years prior to the establishment of 
 canals or railroads, and the numerous Indians 
 and wild animals inhabiting the forests being 
 destructive to both life and property. Mr. 
 Clark was industrious and energetic, and, 
 overcoming all difficulties that beset his path, 
 established a homestead on which he and his 
 good wife spent the remainder of their years. 
 Their son, Chester Clark, was born during 
 the residence of his parents in Connecticut, 
 and was very young when he came with them 
 to New York. He received his education in 
 the pioneer school of his day, attending its 
 winter sessions and helping on the farm in 
 the summer season. Having reached adult 
 life, he became a farmer by occupation, and 
 during his early years did much pioneer work, 
 materially aiding the transformation of the 
 vast wilderness of Central New York into one 
 of the richest and most productive farming 
 districts to be found in the United States. 
 In 1 8 12 he took an active part in the conflict 
 with England, enlisting in a regiment that 
 was organized in Skaneateles, receiving the 
 appointment of Colonel and doing faithful 
 duty until the close of the war. Resumino- 
 his agricultural work on his farm, he labored 
 earnestly in its improvement, often in those 
 times teaming his wheat to Albany and sell- 
 
 ing it for fifty cents a bushel. He spent a 
 long and useful life, dying on his homestead 
 on February 3, 1873, at the advanced age of 
 eighty-four years. He was twice married. 
 His first wife was Laura Chatfield, a native of 
 the town of Fleming; and they had a family 
 of seven children — namely, Amos, Horace, 
 Chester, Fayette, Perry, Laura, and Coy. 
 Mrs. Laura C. Clark died in the year 1840; 
 and a few years later Mr. Clark married Lu- 
 cinda Sweet, who survives him, being one of 
 the few widows of the War of 18 12 now draw- 
 ing a pension. 
 
 Coy Clark, youngest son of Chester and 
 Laura (Chatfield) Clark, remained on the 
 homestead until he attained his majority, at- 
 tending the district school and assisting on 
 the farm. In the latter part of the surnmer 
 of 1861, the Rebellion being then in prog- 
 ress, Mr. Clark, following in the footsteps of 
 his progenitors, was enrolled among the de- 
 fenders of his country. He enlisted in Com-, 
 pany A, Seventy-fifth Regiment, New York 
 Volunteer Infantry, and took an active part in 
 many engagements, among others being the 
 battles of Santa Rosa and Camp Beziln. In 
 May, 1863, he fought gallantly in the battle 
 at Port Hudson, on the Mississippi, receiving 
 a severe wound in the right thigh, which 
 necessitated his removal to the Union Bar- 
 racks Hospital, at New Orleans, where he re- 
 mained until able to travel, when he was sent 
 home on a furlough. After an absence of six 
 months Mr. Clark rejoined his regiment in 
 December of that year; and soon after, with 
 about seventy-five of his comrades, he was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 6iS 
 
 transferred to the Fourteenth New York Cav- 
 alry, and, while with that body of brave men, 
 was in thirty skirmishes, and an active partici- 
 pant in the battles of Mansfield and Pleasant 
 Hill, when for nine long days and nights the 
 saddles were never taken from the horses. 
 On April lo he was one of twenty-nine men 
 detailed to take despatches from General 
 Banks to the gunboats stationed on Red 
 River, an expedition in which they were most 
 successful, returning in two days to their 
 lines, with ten captured prisoners. Rejoin- 
 ing the seventy-fifth regiment in June, 1864, 
 he proceeded to Bermuda Hundred, Va., and 
 thence to Washington, and over into the Shen- 
 andoah Valley, participating in the battles 
 at Cedar Creek and Winchester, a few weeks 
 later going to New York City, where he re- 
 ceived his honorable discharge in November 
 of that year, having served three years and 
 three months. After his return from the field 
 of strife Mr. Clark spent four years on the 
 parental homestead, and afterward bought a 
 tract of land in Marcellus, where he engaged 
 in farming until the death of his father. In 
 1876 he disposed of his property in that town, 
 and, coming to Aurelius, bought his present 
 farm, consisting of fifty acres of excellent 
 land, which he has under high cultivation. 
 
 In the year 1865 Mr. Coy Clark was united 
 in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Veder, a 
 daughter of Simon Veder and May Spring- 
 stead Veder, of Camillus, Onondaga County. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Clark have no children of their 
 own; but their pleasant home is brightened by 
 an adopted daughter, on whom they bestow 
 
 parental care and affection. In politics Mr. 
 Clark is an active Republican, who cast his 
 first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln. 
 He is an ambitious and industrious man, 
 whatever he has of this world's goods having 
 been acquired by his own efforts; and he is a 
 fair sample of the men who form the bone and 
 sinew of the community. 
 
 W: 
 
 LLIAM J. BOYNTON, freight 
 agent of the Lehigh Valley Rail- 
 road at Auburn, was born June 19, 1859, ^-t 
 Laurens, Otsego County, N.Y., and is the 
 son of John and Lucinda (Hicks) Boynton, 
 the father being an old resident of the vicin- 
 ity of Auburn, where he engaged in his trade 
 of a mason, dying when William J. Boynton 
 was ten years old. 
 
 William J. Boynton received his education 
 at the public schools of Auburn and the high 
 school of Seneca Falls, remaining at the 
 latter place after leaving school, being em- 
 ployed as a clerk. He returned to Auburn in 
 1872, where he completed his studies under 
 private tutors. He first worked for Senter & 
 Carpenter as extra clerk through a busy 
 season, getting an idea of the general me- 
 chanical business. He then went into the 
 office of the Western Union Telegraph Com- 
 pany as messenger boy, remaining in that 
 position for two years, and during that time 
 also learning the business of an operator. 
 Upon leaving there, he entered the employ of 
 the Cayuga Chief Manufacturing Company, 
 which company afterward consolidated with 
 
6i6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 D. M. Osborne & Co., Mr. Boynton going 
 with them in 1875, and remaining until 
 1883. Ii^ 1887 he was employed by the 
 Lehigh Valley Railroad, being engaged as 
 bill clerk, remaining in that position until 
 he was appointed agent, January 15, 1891, 
 he having proved himself to be a valuable 
 man to the company. Mr. Boynton has under 
 his supervision about eleven men, being now 
 one of the most prominent men of the Le- 
 high Valley Railroad in Auburn, giving his 
 whole attention to that business, in which he 
 has made a success. Mr. Boynton was for 
 nineteen years a member of the Cayuga Hose 
 Company, No. 4, and has held every office in 
 the company up to and including that of fore- 
 man, and is now a member of the Exempt 
 Firemen's Association. 
 
 Mr. Boynton was married on December 11, 
 1890, to Miss Daisy Whitfield, daughter of 
 Eben Whitfield, who came to Auburn from 
 Seneca County. Mr. and Mrs. Boynton are 
 attendants and supporters of Saint Peter's 
 Episcopal Church. Mr. Boynton is a very 
 bright, wide-awake man, who has grasped 
 every opportunity as it has presented itself to 
 him, and by conscientious work and always 
 studying the interests of his employers has 
 risen to the present responsible position 
 which he so ably fills. 
 
 FITCH WALKER, a leading real 
 estate dealer and insurance man of 
 Moravia, was born in this town Octo- 
 ber 31, 1846, and is the son of Thomas M. 
 
 and Maria (Carpenter) Walker, and a lineal 
 descendant of James Walker, the precise date 
 of whose arrival in New England is unknown 
 to the present writer, but who is supposed to 
 have come in the wake of the "Mayflower," 
 his name not being in the list of passengers 
 of that historic vessel. Genealogists note 
 several of this patronymic among the early 
 settlers on the shores of Massachusetts Bay. 
 Thomas M. Walker was born at Killingly, 
 Conn., about 18 12, and when only a boy came 
 to Moravia to live with his uncle, Thomas 
 Morey. He pursued the occupation of a 
 farmer, and at the time of his death owned 
 one of the finest farms in the town. He also 
 engaged in the produce business, buying and 
 shipping his goods by canal, in which under- 
 taking he was very successful. He died in 
 i860. Mrs. Walker was born in Rhode 
 Island, and settled with her family in the 
 town of Sempronius, her father being one of 
 the early pioneers of this vicinity. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Thomas M. Walker had three children, 
 namely: Mary, wife of the Hon. Mortimer 
 V. Austin, of Auburn, N.Y. ; J. Fitch 
 Walker; and Ellen, wife of Edgar Alley, 
 now deceased. 
 
 J. Fitch Walker received his early educa- 
 tion in the district schools of Moravia and at 
 the old academy. He afterward went onto 
 the farm, and managed that for a time. He 
 then came to Moravia, and was here engaged 
 in building and in the sale of real estate until 
 1876, when he opened a real estate and insur- 
 ance office, being the only one in that line of 
 business in the town. He at first repre- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 617 
 
 sented only one insurance company, but is 
 now agent for ten of the strongest and most 
 reliable companies, including the ^Etna and 
 the Hartford of Hartford, Conn., the German- 
 American, the Niagara, and the Pacific, of 
 New York City, Royal of Liverpool, Commer- 
 cial Union of London, London and Lancashire 
 of London, Norwich Union of Norwich, and 
 the Travellers' Accident of Hartford. Mr. 
 Walker also does a large business in loaning 
 and collecting money, besides dealing in all 
 kinds of agricultural implements. 
 
 He was elected Constable of this town for 
 eleven years, part of which time he was Dep- 
 uty Sheriff. He has also been elected Jus- 
 tice of the Peace for three terms, having 
 served in that capacity for ten years, and is 
 the oldest Justice of Peace here in point of 
 service. He is at the present time President 
 of the Village, to which office he was elected 
 in the spring of 1894. He is now, and has 
 been for some years, Vice-President of the 
 Indian Mound Cemetery Association, and was 
 active in the organization of the Lodge of 
 Royal Templars of Temperance, being the 
 first Presiding Officer, which position he held 
 for some time, and has recently again ac- 
 cepted election to the same office. Mr. 
 Walker has always been actively identified 
 with the Republican party, being County 
 Committeeman for the town of Moravia. 
 
 Mr. Walker was married April 7, 1866, to 
 Miss Dorlesca Hoagland, of this town, and 
 has three children, namely: Florence, wife of 
 John Murdock, of Venice Centre; Thomas 
 M., telegraph operator on the D., L & W. ; 
 
 and Lee, a student in the Moravia High 
 School. Mrs, Walker is the daughter of Al- 
 fred Hoagland, an old resident of this town, 
 who was born in 1809, and who served in the 
 late war. He is of the old Knickerbocker 
 stock of New York. Mr. and Mrs. Walker 
 are attendants and supporters of the Congre- 
 gational church, of which Mrs. Walker is a 
 member. Mr. Walker has always been a 
 practical temperance man, and ready at all 
 times to do work in its cause, but is not a 
 Prohibitionist. He is Manager of the Bray- 
 ton Opera House, having had the supervision 
 of that place for many years, besides manag- 
 ing property for non-residents of the town. 
 
 The secret of Mr. Walker's success has 
 been indomitable energy and push, and a 
 thoroughness in everything he has undertaken. 
 He is pointed to with pride as being one of 
 the most successful business men in Moravia. 
 He has reflected credit upon the many public 
 positions he has filled, and is justly held in 
 the highest esteem by all classes. 
 
 61 RUI 
 
 RUMAN DEVVITT, a retired farmer re- 
 aj| siding in the north-east part of Niles, 
 Cayuga County, N.Y., was born in this town 
 on November 6, 1834. His father, Stephen 
 Dewitt, was born in Dutchess County, New 
 York, in 1799. His grandfather, John De- 
 witt, also a native of that county, removed to 
 Cayuga County in 1800, settling in Sempro- 
 nius, now called Niles. He bought a tract of 
 timber-land in the northern part of the town, 
 which he cleared, and, building a log house, 
 
6i8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 lived in it for a number of years; and, as his 
 prosperity increased, he built a frame house, 
 in which he spent his latter days, dying in 
 his eightieth year. Stephen, son of John, 
 was likewise by occupation a farmer. He 
 worked on the old homestead until his twenty- 
 fifth year, when he bought a farm of ninety 
 acres, situated three miles south of his father's 
 place. As his means afforded, he added on to 
 his farm, increasing it until at the time of his 
 death he owned about four hundred acres. 
 He was married four times, first to Phebe De- 
 hart, who died, leaving six children — John, 
 Hulda, Daniel, Mark, Truman, and Jannette. 
 He married second Delilah Parker, who left 
 two children — George and Henry. His third 
 wife was Isabella Moseman, who left one 
 child, Moseman. His fourth marriage was 
 with Frances Dewitt. 
 
 Truman Dewitt was educated in the district 
 schools of Niles. He remained on the farm 
 until he attained his twenty-seventh year, 
 when he rented a farm for two years, and in 
 1864 enlisted in the Third New York Light 
 Artillery, his company being the first to 
 march into Richmond. He was honorably 
 discharged as a private at the close of the 
 war. He then returned to Cayuga County, 
 and the following July went to Michigan, re- 
 maining there, however, but a short time, 
 afterward removing to Grant County, Wiscon- 
 sin, where he bought one hundred and sixty 
 acres of land, which he farmed, and also 
 handled a large amount of stock. In 1882 he 
 sold his property, and returned to Niles, buy- 
 ing the old Baker homestead. 
 
 He married Miss Mary Baker, February 29, 
 i860, daughter of Wilbur and Mary (Morey) 
 Baker. Mr. and Mrs. Baker were the parents 
 of six children — Mary, Harriett, William, 
 John, Phebe, and Day. In politics Mr. De- 
 witt has always been associated with the 
 Democratic party. He is a member of Sylvan 
 Lodge, No. 41, A. F. & A. M., of Moravia, 
 also of William H. Lewis Post, No. 137, 
 Grand Army of the Republic, of New Hope. 
 Mr. Dewitt during his busy and eventful life 
 has never found time to aspire to any public 
 office, devoting himself entirely to his agri- 
 cultural pursuits, in which he has met with 
 conspicuous success. 
 
 M 
 
 R. FRANCIS P. CASEY, a mem- 
 ^9 I t)er of one of the most prominent 
 families in Cayuga County, was born 
 at the old homestead on North Street, Au- 
 burn, November 25, 1841, and is the son of the 
 late George and Eliza (Perry) Casey. George 
 Casey was born at Dover Plains, Dutchess 
 County, in 1807, and came with his parents 
 to Auburn in 18 14. Dr. Casey's paternal 
 grandfather, who was also named George, was 
 born at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., September 20, 
 1772, and was married at the age of eighteen 
 to Jane, daughter of Christopher Dutcher, of 
 Dutchess County. When quite young, he set- 
 tled upon a farm at Dover, and devoted him- 
 self to agricultural pursuits. He took a deep 
 interest in the political issues of the day, and 
 was called to fill several official positions, 
 serving as Justice of the Peace for twelve or 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 619 
 
 thirteen years, and was also Supervisor of the 
 Town, at one or more sessions of the board 
 being the Presiding Officer. In 1807 he was 
 appointed one of the Assistant Justices of the 
 county, and was elected a member of the 
 State Assembly for 1808. He took a promi- 
 nent part in the measures before the House, 
 and was associated with many of the most cel- 
 ebrated men of his day. In 1809 he was ap- 
 pointed Postmaster of Dover, which position 
 he held until his removal from the county. 
 
 Attracted by the richness of the soil, as 
 well as the beauty of the Western part of the 
 State, he moved with his family to Auburn 
 in the fall of 18 13, settling on a farm in the 
 northern part of the town, then called Aure- 
 lius. Although at that time the region was a 
 wilderness, he could have selected a home 
 in no more healthy or inviting spot for his 
 future labor and comfort. Upon the passage 
 of an act in the legislature in 18 19 for the 
 erection of Auburn prison, Mr. Casey was ap- 
 pointed on the first Board of Inspectors. He 
 with his associates gave much thought and 
 study to the work of organization of the in- 
 stitution, the employment of contractors, se- 
 lection of officials, and other important mat- 
 ters relating to the management of the prison, 
 and to the reformation of the confined of- 
 fenders. He also took a prominent part in 
 the establishment of the schools and academy, 
 and was noted as a deep Biblical scholar, with 
 broad and independent religious views. Dur- 
 ing his residence in Auburn he held no polit- 
 ical office; and in 1829 he sold his farm and 
 removed to Oswego, where he purchased a 
 
 large farm on the shore of Lake Ontario, dur- 
 ing his residence in Oswego serving as one 
 of the Town Magistrates. From Oswego he 
 moved to Williamson, Wayne County, and 
 after an absence of two years returned to Au- 
 burn. He travelled in the West on horse- 
 back, buying several hundred acres of land in 
 Kalamazoo and Calhoun Counties, Michigan. 
 After starting on his return journey, he was 
 stricken with malaria, and departed this life 
 in Detroit. The family originally came to 
 New York from Rhode Island, where they 
 were early settlers, their record going back to 
 1658. 
 
 George Casey, Jr., was at one time a con- 
 tractor and builder; and in 1835 he built the 
 old homestead, which stands just as erected. 
 In 1854 he engaged in the manufacture of car- 
 penter's tools in the Auburn prison, doing a 
 large business, organizing the Auburn Tool 
 Company, in 1864, as a corporate company, of 
 which he was President and Manager. The 
 concern gave employment to seventy-five men, 
 and was one of the oldest industries in Au- 
 burn, having originally been established in 
 1823, and run as a private enterprise until 
 1864. Mr. Casey died November, 1890, his 
 wife also dying in the same year, leaving 
 two children; namely, Nicholas L. and Fran- 
 cis P. Casey. 
 
 Francis received his education at the city 
 schools and the Auburn Academy, and at the 
 completion of his school course read medicine 
 with Dr. Briggs, of Auburn, graduating from 
 the New York College of Physicians and Sur- 
 geons in 1864. From 1862 to 1864 he was a 
 
620 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Medical Cadet of the United States Army, 
 being assigned to hospital duty, and was 
 afterward commissioned Assistant Surgeon of 
 the Eighth New York Artillery of the Army 
 of the Potomac in Grant's campaign, he tak- 
 ing part in all the engagements as Field Sur- 
 geon. After the close of the war he went to 
 Europe, and, entering the service of the Rou- 
 manian government, served one year as a 
 Surgeon in the Russo-Turkish War, from 
 1877-78. He was decorated by Prince 
 Charles, of Roumania, with the gold cross of 
 the order of the Star of Roumania. On his 
 return from Europe he engaged in business 
 with the Auburn Tool Company, and has been 
 connected with the company, occupying the 
 position of President since his father's death, 
 up to the time of the formation of the Ohio 
 Tool Company of the State of New York, a 
 corporation including the Auburn Tool and 
 also the former Ohio Tool Company of the 
 State of Ohio, of which new corporation he is 
 also President. 
 
 Dr. Casey has been an extensive traveller, 
 having spent many years abroad, and having 
 journeyed all over this country, Mexico, and 
 South America. He was initiated into the 
 Masonic rites in Baltimore during the war, 
 and is a member of the Auburn Chapter. 
 
 Dr. Casey was married to Miss Lucy R. 
 Johnson, formerly of Easton, Md., and has a 
 very fine residence on Owasco Lake, opposite 
 Ensenore, where the family spend their sum- 
 mers. Dr. Casey has never sought any public 
 office, contenting himself with the manage- 
 ment of his large and increasing business, in 
 
 which both he and his father have met with 
 much success. He is a man of broad and 
 cultured tastes, the family being justly one of 
 the most esteemed and prominent in the city 
 of Auburn. 
 
 M 
 
 ANIEL H. TABOR. In the annals 
 of Cayuga County, among the names 
 of the influential families who set- 
 tled here when the county was young in years, 
 and by their judicious management assisted in 
 placing it in a leading position among its 
 sister counties of the Empire State, the name 
 of Tabor stands prominent. The subject of 
 the present sketch, who is a worthy represent- 
 ative of this well-known family, is an impor- 
 tant factor in the mercantile interests of the 
 county; and he occupies an enviable position 
 among the respected and substantial citizens 
 of the village of Meridian, where he has re- 
 sided since the year 1880, his elegant resi- 
 dence, which he built at that time, being a 
 model of good taste and comfort, a credit to 
 him and an architectural ornament to the 
 village. 
 
 Mr. Tabor is a native of the Empire State, 
 Cazenovia, Madison County, being the place 
 of his birth, and its date January 4, 1824. 
 He is of New England ancestry, his parents, 
 Nathaniel and Deborah (Head) Tabor, having 
 come from Rhode Island, of which State his 
 grandfather Tabor was a native, and for the 
 most part of a long life a resident. The 
 grandfather married Nancy Gibbs, who was of 
 a well-known Rhode Island family ; and both 
 passed their last years in the town of Caze- 
 
Daniel H. Tabor, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 623 
 
 novia, Madison County, N.Y., he dying at 
 the age of fourscore and four, while she lived 
 to the venerable age of ninety-six. 
 
 Nathaniel Tabor was born in Little Comp- 
 ton, R.I., on September 18, 1787, and his 
 wife on October 28, 1794. He migrated to 
 Madison County in the year 1804, being one 
 of the earlier settlers of the place, and lived 
 there until 1836, when he came with his fam- 
 ily to Cayuga County. He settled in the 
 town of Ira, where he purchased one hundred 
 and fifty acres of unimproved land ; and be- 
 fore his death, which occurred in 1866 he had 
 a valuable farm, one of the finest in the local- 
 ity. He was familiarly known as Captain 
 Tabor, and was everywhere respected and hon- 
 ored for his integrity. (For further parental 
 history see sketch of Don J. Tabor, which 
 may be found on another page of this volume.) 
 
 Daniel H. Tabor and his brother, Asa M. 
 Tabor, residing in the village of Meridian, 
 are the only surviving members of the pa- 
 rental household. Daniel was a lad of twelve 
 years when he came with his parents to this 
 county; and his education, which was begun 
 in Madison County, was completed in the dis- 
 trict schools of Ira and at the academy in 
 Jordan. He was reared to agricultural pur- 
 suits on the old homestead, remaining there 
 until twenty-four years of age, in the mean 
 time doing a good deal of manual labor on the 
 land, which at the time of its purchase was 
 covered with a heavy growth of timber, with 
 which the axe had never interfered. After 
 his marriage he lived for one year on the 
 home farm, then, buying a part of it, carried 
 
 on general farming successfully for a number 
 of years, residing there until 1880. Dispos- 
 ing of that property, which consisted of 
 seventy-five acres of well-improved land, with 
 a good set of buildings, he removed to his 
 present fine residence in the village of Merid- 
 ian, his real estate consisting of twenty acres 
 of valuable land here, besides which he owns 
 fifty acres of land in the town of Cato. Since 
 coming to Meridian Mr. Tabor has been in- 
 terested in trade, and carries on an extensive 
 business in buying and selling tobacco, hand- 
 ling from four hundred to five hundred cases 
 each season, his son being in partnership with 
 him, their firm name being Tabor & Son. 
 Mr. D. H. Tabor is a man of much financial 
 ability, honest and fair in all business trans- 
 actions, and has the trust and confidence of 
 the entire community. 
 
 Mr. Tabor was united in marriage, in 1849, 
 with Elsie M. Scott, a native of Columbia 
 County, New York. Of the six children born 
 to them only one son, Ernest G., is now liv- 
 ing, the other five having passed to the bright 
 world beyond — George at the age of eleven 
 years, Frank at the age of eighteen years, 
 Nathaniel at the age of five years, Hattie 
 when an infant, and Charles at the age of one 
 and one-half years.. Mr. Tabor and his wife 
 have, however, adopted a daughter, Effie M. 
 Tabor, on whom they bestow a parent's love 
 and care, guarding her as their own. Their 
 son Ernest is a fine young man, capable, en- 
 terprising, and intelligent, and is now serving 
 as Supervisor of the town of Cato. 
 
 As may be judged from the accompanying 
 
624 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 portrait, Mr. Tabor is a whole-souled, warm- 
 hearted, genial man, whom it is a genuine 
 pleasure to meet and converse with. He and 
 his wife have made many warm and sincere 
 friends since coming to Meridian, their agree- 
 able and courteous manners and other pleasant 
 social qualities attracting to them all with 
 whom they come in contact. Both are regu- 
 lar attendants of the Baptist church, of which 
 she is an esteemed member. In politics Mr. 
 Tabor is a warm supporter of the principles 
 promulgated by the Republican party; and, 
 though not an office-seeker, he served with 
 acceptance two terms as Supervisor in the 
 town of Ira. 
 
 WILLIAM H. BURBY, of Auburn, 
 N.Y., who holds the important 
 civic office of City Attorney, was born in the 
 village of Fort Edward, Washington County, 
 N.Y., March 24, 1863, and is the son of John 
 and Ann (Lynch) Burby. His father, whose 
 early home was Holyoke, Mass., where the 
 family ancestors lived for many generations, 
 was a prominent paper manufacturer of that 
 village for thirty-five years. Mrs. Burby was 
 the daughter of an old resident of Auburn, who 
 came from Dublin, Ireland. 
 
 The subject of this biographical mention 
 received his early education at the common 
 schools of Fort Edward, and took the high 
 school course, afterward attending the Claver- 
 ack Academy and the Fort Edward College 
 Institute, from which he was graduated in the 
 class of 1879, and thereafter taught school for 
 two years. He then placed himself under Dr. 
 
 Green, who prepared him for Union College; 
 but, on account of a severe sickness of a 
 year's duration, he was obliged to return 
 home, and once more studied under Dr. 
 Green. He next entered the law office of 
 A. D. Wait, Esq., of Fort Edward, and was 
 admitted to the bar by examination held at 
 Albany in May, 1885. He continued with 
 his preceptor for six months, and then prac- 
 tised in New York City for a year, moving to 
 Auburn in November, 1887, where he has 
 made for himself a fine reputation and ac- 
 quired a good practice. When he first came 
 to Auburn he made a specialty of criminal 
 work, but now devotes his time to civil cases, 
 with the exception of the criminal business he 
 is called to attend to as City Attorney. He 
 was first appointed Attorney for the Excise 
 Board of the City of Auburn, and resigned 
 that position to accept the office of City At- 
 torney, to which he was appointed in 1891. 
 He has been a member of the Republican 
 County Committee, and has taken a very ac- 
 tive and prominent part in the political cam- 
 paigns, speaking in different parts of the 
 county and State. He is financially inter- 
 ested in a silent way in several different cor- 
 porations, owning real estate in this city, 
 Buffalo, New York City, and Fort Edward. 
 He is a member of the Holy Family Church 
 and of numerous societies. 
 
 In the course of his profession Mr. Burby 
 has been connected with several notable cases, 
 one being the Dorsey case, the prisoner being 
 sent to Elmira on two indictments and one 
 sentence. Mr. Burby won high praise for his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 625 
 
 work on this case, which is wi_dely known to 
 the legal profession throughout the State. 
 Among the numerous city cases was the Hol- 
 lenbeck case for ten thousand dollars against 
 the city, for the action of a police officer. 
 This case was successfully defended by Mr. 
 Burby. He also defended the noted Quill 
 case for the city, and was victorious. An- 
 other case was that of Maud Marie Parcel, the 
 prominent contralto singer, who sued the city 
 for twenty-five thousand dollars damages, the 
 city offering five thousand dollars in settle- 
 ment before the case was tried. The damages 
 were held down to nine thousand dollars, and 
 the case is now on appeal. This case was 
 prosecuted by the Hon. S. E. Payne and Judge 
 Cady. 
 
 Mr. Burby, for so young a man, has at- 
 tained a very high position in the legal pro- 
 fession; and his talents, legal acumen, and 
 brightness of perception are such that, with 
 health and strength and a continuance of that 
 energy which has been his remarkable charac- 
 teristic, no position of importance in the city 
 can be said to be beyond his reach. 
 
 'ENRY S. HUNT, a well-known and 
 honored citizen of Cayuga County, 
 occupies a leading position among 
 the solid and substantial business men of 
 Catoville, where he is a pioneer in the hard- 
 ware trade, having established the first store 
 of the kind in this locality. He is a man 
 of sterling worth and' integrity, widely and 
 favorably known in financial and social cir- 
 
 cles, and is one of the most popular members 
 of the community. Mr. Hunt is a native of 
 New York, born in Keysville, St. Lawrence 
 County, October 22, 1844, a son of Henry T. 
 and Sarah (Tripp) Hunt. 
 
 Henry T. Hunt was born in England, and 
 there reared to man's estate. Not content 
 with his future prospects in his native coun- 
 try, he emigrated to America, and for a time 
 after his arrival in this country worked at the 
 shoemaker's trade, subsequently establishing 
 himself in business as a shoe-dealer. In 1846 
 he located in Oswego, where he carried on a 
 successful trade in boots and shoes until i860, 
 being one of the most enterprising and re- 
 spected merchants of the city. He was twice 
 married, his first wife dying without issue. 
 He afterward married Sarah Tripp, a native of 
 Keysville; and their union was blessed by the 
 birth of six children, of whom four are living, 
 namely: Solomon T., a resident of Oswego, 
 and an employee of the J. Kingsford's Starch 
 Works; Nellie, wife of William Stafford, of 
 Oswego; Henry S. ; and Emma, who lives in 
 Oswego. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hunt were held 
 in high regard throughout their community, 
 their genuine social and moral worth being 
 recognized by all. Both outlived the allotted 
 threescore and ten years of life, dying at 
 about the age of seventy-two years, their lives 
 having been spent in usefulness and happy 
 content. He was a consistent member of the 
 Church of England, in which faith he was 
 reared; while his wife was a valued member 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Henry S. Hunt passed the days of his youth 
 
626 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in Oswego, receiving a good education in its 
 district schools, which was afterward supple- 
 mented by an attendance at the Mexico Acad- 
 emy. He was an ambitious and industrious 
 lad, and on leaving school secured employ- 
 ment in a hardware store; but, ere he had 
 been there many months, the tocsin of war 
 resounded throughout the country, and, filled 
 with patriotic ardor, he hastened to his coun- 
 try's defence, and on September 14, 1861, 
 enlisted in Company G, Eighty-first New 
 York Infantry, the company being commanded 
 by Captain Henry Thomson. With his gal- 
 lant regiment he participated in the most im- 
 portant battles of the Peninsular Campaign, 
 under General George B. McClellan, being in 
 twenty-nine engagements. On the bloody 
 fields of Yorktown, Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, 
 Malvern Hill, at the siege of Charleston, at 
 Cold Harbor, at Drury's Bluffs, Fort Harri- 
 son, and at Petersburg, Mr. Hunt performed 
 heroic duty in defence of his country's flag, 
 and at Fort Harrison, Va., received his hon- 
 orable discharge, October 25, 1864, after a 
 little more than three years of continuous ser- 
 vice. He was one of the youngest soldiers in 
 the army, being but seventeen years old- when 
 he enlisted; but of those noble heroes none 
 did more brave or faithful service than he. 
 
 After his return to Oswego Mr. Hunt re- 
 sumed his occupation with his former em- 
 ployer, W. A. Kitts, remaining as clerk in 
 his hardware store until 1866, when he re- 
 moved to the town of Ira, and engaged in 
 business on his own account. Opening a 
 store for the sale of hardware, Mr. Hunt re- 
 
 mained in that jolace four years, coming 
 thence to Catoville in 1870, and founding the 
 first hardware concern in the town. In se- 
 lecting Catoville as a place of location, his 
 shrewd judgment and keen foresight are well 
 evinced in the extensive and lucrative trade 
 he has built up, his patronage being large and 
 of the kind that insures success. He en- 
 larged his business from time to time, as his 
 patronage warranted, and in 1891 formed a 
 partnership with William J. Kerr, his in- 
 creasing trade requiring more assistance; and 
 they now handle a complete line of hardware 
 and agricultural implements, their stock being 
 one of the finest in Cayuga County. 
 
 Mr. Hunt was united in marriage on the 
 loth of October, 1866, to Eliza Follett, who 
 was born in the town of Victory, Cayuga 
 County, a daughter of William and Maria 
 Follett. Mr. and Mrs. Follett were natives 
 of Albany County, but soon after their mar- 
 riage settled in Cayuga County, where Mr. 
 Follett carried on general farming for many 
 years, being numbered among the prosperous 
 agriculturists of Ira. During their residence 
 in this county fhey performed their share 
 toward aiding its advancement and develop- 
 ment, both passing from the scene of their 
 earthly labors in the town of Ira, when ad- 
 vanced in years, Mr. Follett living to the ripe 
 old age of ninety-three, while his estimable 
 wife passed on to the higher life at the age of 
 fourscore and four. He was a Republican in 
 politics. Both were faithful members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. They reared a 
 family of nine children, of whom seven are 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 627 
 
 now living. Into the household of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Hunt four children have been born, 
 namely: Glenora, who lives at home; Will- 
 iam, a clerk in a store at Cato; Emma, who 
 is engaged in teaching; and Hattie, who lives 
 at home. 
 
 Besides his mercantile interests Mr. Hunt 
 is the owner of fifty acres of valuable land in 
 the town of Ira, from which he receives a 
 good rent. He is held in high esteem 
 throughout the vicinity, and as a merchant 
 has the confidence of all with whom he comes 
 in contact, his honor and probity being almost 
 proverbial in the town. In promoting the 
 public welfare of the town or county, he takes 
 a deep interest, contributing liberally to any 
 enterprise for the advancement of either. In 
 politics he is a conscientious supporter of 
 the principles of the Republican party, and, 
 though he does not often take an active part 
 in local affairs, served as Town Clerk in Ira 
 four years, and as Postmaster of the village of 
 Ira for two years. Socially, he is a member 
 of Cato Lodge, No. 141, A. F. & A. M., and 
 is prominent in the Grand Army of the Re- 
 public, belonging to O'Brien Post, No. 65, of 
 Oswego. 
 
 [pNORTER PHELPS, whose ancestors 
 were among the first settlers of Ca- 
 yuga County, and whose family his- 
 tory is closely linked with that of his native 
 town, was born in Sennett, Cayuga County, 
 N.Y., June 11, 1832. For three generations, 
 and since the settlement of this part of the 
 State, the name of Phelps has been well 
 
 \£> 
 
 known, and has always carried with it the 
 weight of trust and perfect confidence. Zimri 
 Phelps, the paternal grandfather, came from 
 Connecticut during the last century, and set- 
 tled in Scipio, being one of the first white 
 men to enter the unbroken forests of this re- 
 gion. The journey was long and tedious, and 
 was made overland with ox teams, horses 
 being very rare in those days, and railroads 
 unheard of. It is hard now to imagine this 
 country covered with forests, and see with the 
 mind's eye the heavy drags piled with house- 
 hold furniture, and drawn by the quiet, peace- 
 ful oxen; while the men walked by their 
 heads and gently urged them on or guided 
 them with that curious call which we now so 
 seldom hear, the women and children walking 
 by the side of the wagons. It recalls to mind 
 that beautiful tale of Acadia, which Longfel- 
 low has made immortal : — 
 
 '' Driving in ponderous wains their houseliold goods to 
 the seashore, 
 
 Pausing, and looking back to gaze once more on 
 their dwellings, 
 
 Ere they were shut from sight by the winding road 
 and the woodland. 
 
 Close at their sides their children ran, and urged on 
 the oxen. 
 
 While in their little hands they clasped some frag- 
 ments of playthings." 
 
 Alike, and yet how different, was this 
 sturdy New England man from those poor, 
 oppressed peasants! They were scattered 
 forth upon the face of the earth to wander 
 from place to place, lonely and unhappy; 
 while this traveller of ours, of his own accord. 
 
628 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was seeking out a new home, where he dwelt 
 the remainder of his life, surrounded by none 
 but happy associations. With his own hands 
 he felled the trees for his log house and his 
 barn, hunted the wild deer and bear in the 
 forest, and planted his garden in the clearing. 
 After some years he sold his property in 
 Scipio, and bought a tract of land in Sennett. 
 This, which was only half cleared, he worked 
 steadily for many years, until the ravages of 
 that fell disease, cancer, which finally caused 
 his death, made it impossible for him to go 
 about his regular occupations. 
 
 The son of this pioneer farmer was Alme- 
 rion, father of Porter Phelps; and he, like his 
 ancestors, followed agricultural pursuits, and 
 remained at home until he was of age, when 
 he started out "without money and without 
 land," and worked land on shares for thirty 
 years, so that at the time of his father's death 
 he had accumulated sufficient wealth to enable 
 him to buy out the other heirs, and possess 
 himself of the old homestead, where he spent 
 the rest of his life. His wife was Linda, 
 daughter of Simri Sunerlin, of Connecticut; 
 and she had four sons and a daughter — 
 Porter, Edgar, Charles, Clark D., and 
 Amelia. All the children are married and 
 living near the old home. 
 
 Porter Phelps, following the traditions of 
 his ancestors, determined to spend his life in 
 the pursuit of agriculture, and remained at 
 home until of age, when he started out with 
 a pair of willing hands, a well-trained head, 
 and empty pockets. He began work for ten 
 dollars per month, and then worked for two 
 
 years in the old stone mill; but that did not 
 suit his taste, and he was glad to go back 
 again to his well-beloved farm. It is a well- 
 known characteristic of the family that they 
 never wander far from the paternal hearth- 
 stone; and Porter's first purchase was a tract 
 of thirty acres about three miles from Au- 
 burn, and within sight of the old home. He, 
 with an eye trained for generations in judging 
 of such things, saw this land to be excep- 
 tional, and determined to spare no pains in 
 improving it and adding to it, until he now 
 has over one hundred and thirty acres, im- 
 proved with fine farm buildings and yielding 
 excellent and abundant crops. All his deal- 
 ings have been very successful, and his farm 
 is pointed out as one of the best in the county. 
 On November 7, 1852, Mr. Phelps mar- 
 ried Martha Jane Ellsworth, of Sennett. She 
 died September 23, 1887, having had four 
 children. Eva, who was the wife of Henry 
 Randell, died at the age of thirty-four, leaving 
 one child. Rolls, who lives with his grand- 
 father, and assists him in his various in- 
 terests. Emma E. is the wife of Charles F. 
 Grant, a .farmer of Sennett. Ada married 
 William G. Romage; and they have one child, 
 Freeman, a farmer in Sennett. George still 
 lives in Sennett. Mr. Phelps's second mar- 
 riage was celebrated November 14, 1889, Miss 
 Cornelia Scrivner becoming his wife. She is 
 a native of Auburn, and a daughter of Nich- 
 olas K. and Mary (Goodes) Scrivner, of Bed- 
 fordshire, England, who came to America in 
 1832. Mrs. Phelps is a member of St. John's 
 Episcopal Church of Auburn. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 629 
 
 Mr. Phelps has always voted with the Re- 
 publican party, in that, as in everything else, 
 following the example of his ancestors. He 
 is a man of great strength of character, spot- 
 less integrity, and a generosity unexcelled by 
 any of his townsmen. Coming as he does 
 from one of the oldest families in this part of 
 the State, he is justly proud of his descent, 
 and is himself an illustrious example of the 
 American agriculturist of the present day. 
 
 [ONAS E. BEEBE, an enterprising 
 hotel proprietor at Spring Lake, in 
 Conquest, was born October 2, 1850, 
 near his present place. His grandfather, 
 Joshua Beebe, came to this section at a very 
 early period, and was for many years a Meth- 
 odist circuit preacher. He spent a large part 
 of his life hereabouts, but finally died in the 
 West. Timothy Beebe, the father of Jonas, 
 was born in this neighborhood, and grew up 
 as a farmer, but, after reaching manhood, 
 went into the hotel business, first at Port 
 Byron, then at Mosquito Point, Sterling 
 Centre, and Hannibalville. In 1862 he en- 
 listed in the Twenty-first New York Battery, 
 but was taken ill, and died at Baton Rouge, 
 La., at the age of forty-seven, while in the 
 army with Banks's famous expedition. His 
 wife was Catherine, one of the twelve children 
 of Joseph Thompson, an early settler in Hai- 
 nault Woods, where he cleared a farm, and 
 built a log cabin, in which his daughter 
 Catherine was born. Mr. and Mrs. Timothy 
 Beebe had but one child, Jonas E., who was 
 
 also born in a log house, where his parents 
 lived for some years. The mother went to 
 Victory after her husband's death, and there 
 died in 1876, aged fifty-seven. 
 
 At the time of his father's decease Jonas 
 was only twelve years old. He attended the 
 district school, and for several years worked 
 out by the month, sometimes at farming and 
 sometimes at lumbering. In 1875, at the age 
 of twenty-five, not long before his mother's 
 death, he bought a farm in Victory, which ten 
 years later he exchanged for the hotel he has 
 ever since prosperously conducted. At the 
 time of his going to Victory he married Ma- 
 tilda Blanchard, daughter of Oliver and Orinda 
 Blanchard, who carried on a farm in the same 
 town. Mrs. Beebe died after six years of 
 married life, having borne one child, Joseph- 
 ine. By his second wife, Ida E. McQueen, 
 daughter of Jerome and Carolina McQueen, 
 descended from pioneers, Mr. Beebe has two 
 children — Amanda and Rosamond. In poli- 
 tics he is liberal, but not partisan. He at- 
 tends the Methodist church, to which his 
 mother belonged. "What is bred in the bone 
 will endure"; and Mr. Beebe's career is an 
 ilustration of this saying, as his position and 
 success amply testify. 
 
 YPT^OBERT W. SCHICHT, job printer 
 \y\ and box manufacturer of Auburn, 
 V— i^ N.Y., was born November 28, 
 1848, at Reichenberg, Bohemia, Austria, and 
 received his early education in his native 
 town, where he attended the high school. 
 
630 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 His father, Florian Schicht, who was a manu- 
 facturer and finisher of cloth, died when Rob- 
 ert was fifteen years of age. Upon the com- 
 pletion of his school life, Robert engaged 
 with a manufacturer of cotton yarns, and was 
 also a book-keeper. In Jul}', i860, he came 
 to America, and settled in the city of Auburn, 
 where he worked at the William J. Morse 
 book-bindery for two years. Afterward he 
 was employed in paper-box making in Syra- 
 cuse, in New York, and in Boston. He re- 
 turned to Auburn about 1870, and began the 
 manufacture of paper boxes, his establishment 
 being first located on Genesee Street, and 
 later the corner of South and Genesee Streets. 
 He had only a moderate plant to commence 
 with; but, his business rapidly increasing, 
 he was obliged to move into more extensive 
 premises in the Selover Block. He afterward 
 added job printing to his other business, the 
 firm name being then R. W. Schicht & Co. 
 The business increased to such an extent that 
 Mr. Schicht built a large building on Hoffman 
 Street, Nos. 14 and 16, one hundred feet 
 long, with five thousand feet of floor space, 
 where he does all kinds of job printing, in- 
 cluding theatrical and a fine line of commer- 
 cial printing, and manufactures paper and 
 cigar boxes, and other similar articles, givijig 
 employment to about twenty-five people, and 
 having a heavy pay-roll. 
 
 Mr. Schicht was elected to the position of 
 Alderman, March i, 1892, and has served as 
 the Chairman of the Legal Committee and 
 the Fire Department Committee, and on the 
 Committee on Streets and Bridges. He was 
 
 re-elected in the First Ward by the Republi- 
 cans by a large majority in the spring of the 
 present year, 1894. Mr. Schicht is a member 
 of the Knights of Pythias, and an Honorary 
 Member of the Turnverein. 
 
 Mr. Schicht is united in marriage with 
 Miss Mary J. Rhodes of this city, and has 
 three children; namely, William, lima, and 
 Ruby. Mr. Schicht has built a very nice 
 home at No. 16 Hoffman Street. The family 
 are members and supporters of St. John's 
 Church (Episcopal). 
 
 During his residence in this country Mr. 
 Schicht has met with remarkable success, 
 which is due in all particulars to his own 
 energy and capacity for business. He is 
 recognized as one of the representative citi- 
 zens of Auburn, and as such has gained their 
 esteem and respect in a high degree. 
 
 fHOMAS CLARK, who is now operating 
 a choice and well-tilled farm of one 
 hundred and ninety-five acres in the town of 
 Aurelius, was one of the noble volunteers of 
 the late war, in which he fought bravely and 
 suffered much for his adopted country. His 
 father, James Clark, was born in Oxfordshire, 
 England, being the son of one Thomas Clark, 
 who was a butler in an ancient family of that 
 place. James Clark was educated in the vil- 
 lage schools of his native town, and in later 
 years became a successful gardener and 
 farmer. He married Jane Preston, also a 
 native of Oxfordshire, where they both spent 
 their entire lives. They reared a family of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 631 
 
 eleven children; namely, Henry, Charles, 
 Thomas, John, Henry, Sarah, Elizabeth, Har- 
 riet, Mary, Anna, and Helen. 
 
 Thomas was born in Oxfordshire, England, 
 December 9, 1841. He began his education 
 in his native country, attending the public 
 schools. Being an ambitious and adventurous 
 lad, full of courage and spirit, he resolved to 
 come to America. Accordingly, in 1858 he 
 sailed from Liverpool, on the steamer "City 
 of Washington," making the trip to New 
 York City in twelve days, which was a very 
 quick passage for those days. During the 
 first winter after his arrival in this country 
 he continued his studies in the district school 
 of Scipio. He subsequently spent a year in 
 Fleming, going thence to Springport, where 
 he was living at the outbreak of the late Civil 
 War. At the first call for volunteers he at 
 once responded, enlisting in Company K, 
 Third New York Light Battery. He was an 
 active and faithful soldier, participating in 
 the following battles, the two days' siege at 
 Charleston, the battles of Kingston, Golds- 
 boro, Rawley, Tarboro, Little Washington, 
 and many other important engagements. On 
 February 2, 1864, Mr. Clark was taken pris- 
 oner, and after lying in Libby prison ten days 
 was removed to Belle Isle, where he suffered 
 four weeks. He was then transferred to An- 
 dersonville, remaining there until September. 
 From that time until the next March, 1865, 
 he was incarcerated in the prison at Florence, 
 S.C., when he was taken to Wilmington and 
 placed under parole, having been for fourteen 
 months an inmate of the rebel prisons, where 
 
 he had suffered untold horrors. Weak, ema- 
 ciated, and physically disabled, he was then 
 placed in the hospital at Annapolis, Md., 
 where he remained until receiving his honor- 
 able discharge in July, 1865. 
 
 After his return to Cayuga County Mr. 
 Clark spent a few weeks in Auburn, and then 
 tried his fortunes in the oil regions of Penn- 
 sylvania; but, not finding his ventures profit- 
 able, he returned to Auburn, and for a few 
 months was employed by a Mr. Dunning. In 
 1866 he bought a farm of seventy-five acres, 
 on which he labored for a while, clearing 
 about twelve acres, afterward selling it to Mr. 
 J. B. Shank. Mr. Clark then purchased his 
 present farm, or rather one hundred and forty- 
 five acres of it. He has bought other land, 
 his homestead now comprising one hundred 
 and ninety-five acres, all of which is in an 
 excellent state of cultivation, twenty acres 
 having been cleared by him since taking pos- 
 session of it. He is an enterprising and pro- 
 gressive farmer, and a man of rare business 
 ability, having met with more than ordinary 
 success in his undertakings. 
 
 In 1866 Mr. Thomas Clark was united in 
 marriage to Miss Ann French, a daughter of 
 John and Ann CKnowles) French, natives of 
 Ireland. Their union has been blessed by 
 the birth of three children — Kate J., Will- 
 iam B., and Cora B. The elder daughter, 
 Kate, married Spencer Boak, of Springport; 
 and they have two children — Thomas S. and 
 Eugene. 
 
 As will be seen by a perusal of this sketch, 
 Mr. Clark is an active, capable man of busi- 
 
632 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ness, and a successful agriculturist, having 
 already accumulated a comfortable compe- 
 tence. In local affairs he takes a warm in- 
 terest, and is ranked among the valued and 
 esteemed citizens of his town. Religiously, 
 he is a consistent member of the Episcopal 
 church. In politics he has always been a 
 strong Republican. Socially, he is a member 
 of Post No. 37 of the Grand Army of the 
 Republic. 
 
 [dGAR D. MOSHER, a prominent and 
 influential farmer of Scipio, occupies a 
 fine homestead in District No. 11, comprising 
 upward of three hundred acres of finely cul-- 
 tivated land, upon which he has erected a 
 good modern dwelling and all the other build- 
 ings required by the progressive agriculturist. 
 Here he has lived for nearly a quarter of a 
 century, and during the time has firmly es- 
 tablished himself in the confidence and es- 
 teem of the community. He is a gentleman 
 of fine abilities, well educated and well in- 
 formed, and takes an active interest in cur- 
 rent events, whether local or national. Mr. 
 Mosher is of English ancestry. He was born 
 in the town of Ledyard, Cayuga County, 
 N.Y., May 18, 1842, a son of the late Edgar 
 Mosher, who was born in Dutchess County, 
 New York, October 18, 1804. His grand- 
 father, Amos Mosher, was also a native of 
 the Empire State, and was a grandson of 
 Hugh Mosher. 
 
 Edgar Mosher, son of Amos, was reared to 
 manhood in Dutchess County, and there lived 
 several years after his marriage. In 1837, 
 
 accompanied by his family, he removed to 
 this county, coming from Albany by boat on 
 the canal and the lake, and for a while there- 
 after lived at the stone house. His first pur- 
 chase of land in Cayuga County consisted of 
 forty acres in the town of Ledyard, which he 
 carried on successfully for ten years. Dis- 
 posing of that, he subsequently bought an- 
 other farm in the same town, from which he 
 improved a comfortable homestead, and lived 
 thereon until his death, on the 30th of Janu- 
 ary, 1874. His wife, whose death occurred 
 on January 10, 1890, was Sarah, a daughter 
 of Caleb and Mary CHowland) Mosher. She 
 bore him seven children; namely, David H., 
 Caleb E., Betsey D., Mariette, Amos, Edgar 
 D., and Charles S. Mosher. David married 
 Martha Deland, and his widow lives in Mich- 
 igan. Betsey has been twice married. Her 
 first husband was Emery McComber, by whom 
 she had one child, Mary Jane. After his 
 death she married Enoch Wilbur, of Dutchess 
 County. Mariette, who is the wife of John 
 VanLiew, of Scipio, has seven children. 
 Caleb, who lives in Ohio, married Sarah 
 Gleason; and they have two children. Amos, 
 who married Olive A. Fuller, of Scipio, has 
 three sons and one daughter. Charles S., a 
 resident of Auburn, married Lucy M. Brown; 
 and they have one son. 
 
 Edgar D. Mosher, fourth son of Edgar, laid 
 the foundation of his substantial education in 
 the district schools of Ledyard, supplement- 
 ing that by an attendance at the academies of 
 Union Springs and Auburn. Turning his 
 attention to agricultural pursuits, he and his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 633 
 
 brother Amos, who was also a farmer, bought 
 the old McComber farm in 1864; and for four 
 years they carried it on with signal success. 
 The succeeding three years they were engaged 
 in the stage and livery business in Union 
 Springs. Coming thence to Scipio, they pur- 
 chased the Petitt farm on the Ridge road, 
 which comprised one hundred and fifty-five 
 acres of arable land, and continued the im- 
 provements already begun. Desiring to in- 
 crease their operations, they bought eighty 
 acres of adjoining land in 1875, and five years 
 later added another seventy-five acres by pur- 
 chase. They then dissolved partnership; and 
 Edgar D. became the owner of his present 
 fine homestead, on which he has made excel- 
 lent improvements, having built a new and 
 convenient residence, barn, and wagon-house, 
 replacing the old red dwelling-house that 
 stood on the corner of Union Springs road. 
 Aside from general farming, in which Mr. 
 Mosher has been more than usually prospered, 
 he devotes a good deal of attention to the 
 raising of fine stock, in which he finds much 
 profit and pleasure, his handsome herd con- 
 taining from one to five registered Jersey 
 cattle. Among the intelligent and skilful 
 farmers of Cayuga County Mr. Mosher occu- 
 pies a foremost position, and has served, with 
 credit to himself and to the satisfaction of 
 all, as President of the Board of Agriculture 
 for eight or ten years, and is a Director and 
 the Treasurer of the Cayuga County Farmers' 
 Insurance Company. He and his family are 
 worthy members of the Baptist church. In 
 political affairs Mr. Mosher affiliates with the 
 
 Republican party, and his first Presidential 
 vote was cast in 1864 for Abraham Lincoln. 
 The union of Mr. Mosher with Hattie E. 
 Fuller was solemnized in 1864. Mrs. 
 Mosher is the daughter of Hezekiah and Mary 
 (Ball) Fuller, of Aurelius; and her father 
 was a native of Greene County, while her 
 mother was born in Mentz. Mr. Mosher and 
 his estimable wife are the parents of five chil- 
 dren ■ — Burr Burton, Jay C, Gail W., C. 
 E stel le, and M. Flossie. Burton, who was 
 graduated from the academy of Union Springs 
 in 1886, received his diploma from the Brook- 
 lyn Medical College in 1890, and the follow- 
 ing year was Resident Surgeon in the 
 Brooklyn Hospital. He then opened his 
 office on South Oxford Street, but is now 
 located at No. 202 Schermerhorn Street, 
 where he is meeting with excellent results in 
 the practice of his profession, and bids fair to 
 become one of the leading physicians of the 
 county. He married Harriet D. Piper, a 
 young woman of culture and refinement. Jay 
 married Nellie Smith, of Fleming; and they 
 have a most pleasant home, and are held in 
 esteem in social circles. Stella, who is a 
 bright, accomplished young lady, has taken 
 two extra terms at the Union Springs Acad- 
 emy, from which she was graduated in 1894. 
 
 /^( 
 
 EORGE W. CLARK, ex-Postmaster 
 \mI of Union Springs, N.Y., to which 
 position he was appointed by the Harrison 
 administration, December 21, 1889, was born 
 in this town, April 26, 1834. His father, 
 
634 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Lewis Clark, who was an old and well-known 
 resident of the place, was the son of Ichabod 
 Clark, of Ballston Springs, Saratoga County, 
 N.Y., which place had been the home of the 
 Clark family for some generations. Ichabod 
 and his family moved to Union Springs, 
 which was then called Scipio, when Lewis 
 was about nine years old, and not far from the 
 year 1800. He bought a large tract of land, 
 and was one of the pioneer farmers of this 
 vicinity. He was one of the first members 
 of the Baptist church, his home being fre- 
 quently the dwelling-place of one of the local 
 preachers. 
 
 Lewis Clark grew to maturity here, receiv- 
 ing a good practical education in the district 
 school, and then engaged for a time in farm- 
 ing. He married Miss Rhoda Lake, daughter 
 of the Rev. Warner Lake, of Scipio, one of 
 the earliest Baptist ministers in this vicinity, 
 and continued to dwell here as a farmer until 
 1865, when he moved to Washington, Mich., 
 buying a large farm near Ypsilanti, where he 
 resided until his death in 1867. He was Jus- 
 tice of the Peace and Supervisor, and also one 
 of the appraisers of the New York Central 
 Railroad, when it was put through this 
 county. He was a Deacon for many years in 
 the Union Springs Baptist Church, and also 
 Trustee of the Building Committee of the old 
 church that was burned. Mrs. Clark survived 
 her husband for some years, dying in Michi- 
 gan, leaving a family of seven children, 
 namely: James B., of Tennessee; Annice D., 
 wife of George R. Kent, of Scipioville; 
 Elizabeth, wife of Isaac Gray, of Ypsilanti, 
 
 Mich.; George W., of Union Springs; Orin 
 L., of the same place; E. D. Clark, of Ypsi- 
 lanti; and W. Frank, of North Lansing, 
 Mich. - 
 
 George W. Clark was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools at Union Springs, and, upon arriv- 
 ing at maturity, engaged in farming for 
 himself. He went to Illinois for a short 
 time, sojourning at Bloomington, and, return- 
 ing to this vicinity, continued as a farmer in 
 the southern part of the town until 1882. 
 During this time he was elected Supervisor of 
 Springport, which office he has held for three 
 terms, 1875, 1876, and 1877. He was ap- 
 pointed Chairman of the Equalization and 
 other committees. He still owns the farm, 
 but is now engaged in the manufacture of 
 drain tiles, and also deals in coal, his place 
 of business being located just north of the 
 railway station. He is quite an extensive 
 dealer in farming implements, his yard and 
 warehouse being situated on the Lehigh Val- 
 ley Railroad. He was also agent for twelve 
 years for D. M. Osborne & Co., of Auburn. 
 He has been a Trustee of the village, and is 
 also an active worker in the Republican 
 ranks, having been a member of the Republi- 
 can County Central Committee many times, 
 and also delegate to the different conventions. 
 
 His first marriage was to Miss Jeanette M. 
 Schenck, who died, leaving two children, 
 namely: Albert H., who is now in the tile 
 works and a joint partner with his father; and 
 Jotham G., also now a partner in the tile 
 works. His second marriage was to Mrs. 
 Mary A. Cozzens, of this town, who is the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 635 
 
 mother of three children, namely: Daniel, in 
 Chicago, one of the head clerks of the Chi- 
 cago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad; and 
 William and Lizzie, who are living at home. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Clark are attendants of the Bap- 
 tist church of this town. Mr. Clark has 
 always been a strong temperance advocate, 
 and at the time of the old Rechabite tem- 
 perance organization took an active part in 
 that order in an official capacity. Mr. Clark 
 is one of the representative business men of 
 the town, and in the discharge of the duties 
 of his office as Postmaster showed that the 
 trust reposed in him was fully deserved. 
 
 ^fJ^ELSON D. BLOOD, M.D. The busy 
 section of Cayuga County, in which 
 is located the thriving village of 
 Aurelius, contains many professional and 
 business men of note as well as prosperous 
 agriculturists. Prominent among the former 
 class may be mentioned Dr. Blood, who has a 
 large and lucrative practice, his skill as a 
 physician being universally recognized. He 
 was born in the town of Guilford, Chenango 
 County, N.Y., in July, 1846. His parents 
 were Orson and Elizabeth (Humphrey) Blood. 
 Orson Blood was of English descent, and 
 was born in Canaan, Conn., where his child- 
 hood days were spent. With his parents he 
 emigrated to Chenango County in the early 
 days of its settlement, making the overland 
 trip with an ox team ; and for several years 
 thereafter he assisted them in their pioneer 
 labors. When a young man he went to 
 
 Honesdale, Pa., where he learned the 
 painter's trade; then, forming a partnership 
 with his brother Alanson, he remained there 
 ten years, successfully engaged in that oc- 
 cnpation. Removing to Fulton, Oswego 
 County, and forming a partnership with a Mr. 
 Gardener, he carried on the painting business 
 for about five years. Then, returning to Che- 
 nango County, he made that his permanent 
 home, residing there until his death in 1884. 
 He was a man of genuine worth, intelligent 
 and enterprising, highly respected for his 
 many fine characteristics. He married Eliza- 
 beth Humphrey, daughter of Carleton and 
 Polly (Paine) Humphrey; and of the children 
 born of this union only one, the subject of 
 this brief narrative, grew to maturity. 
 
 Nelson D. Blood was deprived of a mother's 
 tender care in his early years, her death hav- 
 ing occurred in 1851, when he was but five 
 years of age. He received superior educa- 
 tional advantages, attending the Guilford 
 Academy and the Auburn High School after 
 leaving the district school, then taking a 
 course at the Michigan University in Ann 
 Arbor. Deciding on a professional life, he 
 afterward studied medicine at the Bellevue 
 Medical College in New York City, from 
 which he was graduated in 1874. After re- 
 ceiving his diploma, he opened an office and 
 began practice in Cayuga. From there Dr. 
 Blood removed to Ira, where he remained ten 
 years, and continually added to the excellent 
 reputation he had already won as a practi- 
 tioner. Going thence to Auburn, he resided 
 in that place until the spring of 1893, when 
 
636 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 he came to the village of Cayuga, where he 
 has gained a substantial patronage and hosts 
 of friends by his unremitting attention to the 
 duties of his profession, his success in the 
 practice of the healing art attesting his thor- 
 ough knowledge of medical science. 
 
 The marriage of Dr. Blood with Miss Cor- 
 nelia Warrick, a daughter of William and 
 Fanny (Hoagland) Warrick, was solemnized 
 in 1 87 1. Their home, which is among the 
 most cheerful and attractive of any to be 
 found in the county, is an agreeable resort for 
 their many friends and acquaintances; and 
 they hold an assured place among the good 
 people of their community. Religiously, 
 they are consistent members of the First 
 Methodist Church of Auburn. Socially, the 
 Doctor belongs to the Cayuga County Medical 
 Society. In politics he is, and always has 
 been, a stanch Republican, having cast his 
 first vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1864. 
 
 RRIN W. BURRITT, a leading hard- 
 ware merchant of Weedsport, N.Y., 
 was born in Roxbury, Litchfield 
 County, Conn., May 6, 1827, and is the son 
 of Roswell and Ann N. (Seward) Burritt, his 
 mother having been a second cousin of Gover- 
 nor Seward. Roswell Burritt was born in 
 Roxbury, November 11, 1802, and was a 
 farmer by occupation, being a resident of his 
 native town until his death, which occurred 
 in 1 87 1. Eben Burritt, the father of Ros- 
 well, was a resident of Roxbury during his 
 later life, but for many years resided at Strat- 
 
 ford on the Sound. He was a soldier in the 
 Continental Army during the Revolutionary 
 War, taking a conspicuous part in many en- 
 gagements. He married Miss Sarah Fair- 
 child, who lived to be one hundred years old. 
 They had a family of four sons — Lewis, 
 Daniel S., Philo, and Roswell. Roswell 
 Burritt was, unfortunately, blind after he 
 reached his forty-fifth year. During his 
 younger days he was a prominent militia-man, 
 and was also an active member of the Congre- 
 gational church. He was the father of eight 
 children, namely: Orrin W. ; George, who 
 died in New York City; Charles W., also 
 deceased; Lewis B. ; Sarah; Anna M. ; 
 Henry E. ; and J. Dwight Burritt. 
 
 Orrin W. Burritt received his early educa- 
 tion at the Roxbury High School, and after- 
 ward learned the tinner's trade and hardware 
 business at New Milford and Bridgeport, 
 Conn., spending a regular apprenticeship 
 therein. In 1850 he came to Weedsport to 
 work for Beach & Burritt, the junior member 
 of the firm being his cousin; and, after work- 
 ing with them until October, 1852, he bought 
 them out, and started business for himself, 
 which he has successfully conducted up to the 
 present time, being the oldest merchant in 
 business in the village. He carries a full 
 line of every description of shelf hardware, 
 also stoves and heaters, and also does a very 
 large wholesale business, having men on the 
 road to sell the ware which he manufactures. 
 Mr. Burritt is of a distinctly inventive turn of 
 mind, and has invented many excellent de- 
 vices. In 1871 he patented a machine for 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 637 
 
 seaming iron and tin roofs, known as "Bur- 
 ritt's Duplex Treadle Seamer, " for which 
 there is a fine demand and large sale. Mr. 
 Burritt has also invented a shop machine 
 called the "Burritt New Cross Lock Seamer,'" 
 which was patented in 1884, and improved in 
 1888. This also has a ready sale, being 
 handled by over one hundred jobbing houses, 
 and being in general use from Portland, Me., 
 to Portland, Ore. Mr. Burritt gives employ- 
 ment to a number of skilled workmen, and 
 has a large plant. He has also been engaged 
 in other kinds of business, and was a partner 
 for twelve years in the firm of Donald, Palmer 
 & Co. He owns considerable real estate in 
 the village, both residential and for business 
 purposes. He has built a block of buildings 
 near the corner of Seneca and Brutus Streets, 
 and also owns several other business blocks. 
 He is now engaged in erecting the first steel 
 buildings in this county, upon the property 
 known as "the burnt district." In addition 
 to the store in Weedsport he has also a branch 
 store at Port B3'ron, where he has a full line 
 of hardware. Mr. Burritt has been President 
 of the village for two terms, and has also 
 served on the board on a number of occasions. 
 He is Secretary and Treasurer of the Weeds- 
 port Rural Cemetery, in which many im- 
 provements have been made under his 
 administration. Mr. Burritt has taken a 
 great interest in educational matters, and for 
 a period of nine years served on the School 
 Board. He has always been an active and 
 ardent Republican, but has never sought any 
 public office. 
 
 Mr. Burritt married Miss Bessie Bell, a 
 daughter of General Isaac Bell, of Weedsport, 
 who was one of the originators of the New 
 York & Lake Ontario Railroad — since the 
 Southern Central, and at the present time a 
 branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroad — and 
 was Vice-President of the first incorporation, 
 at one time owning all of the old Lake Onta- 
 rio Railroad. Mr. and Mrs. Burritt have one 
 daughter. Belle, now Mrs. James R. Palmer, 
 of this place, and associated with her father 
 in business. Mrs. Palmer has one child, a 
 daughter, Bessie Belle Palmer. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Burritt are members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, of which he was 
 a Trustee for thirty years, having been elected 
 in 1862, the year the church was built. He 
 was Steward and superintendent of the Sun- 
 day-school for thirteen years, resigning his 
 position about a year and a half ago. Mr. 
 Burritt has been eminently successful in his 
 business life, and has the proud satisfaction 
 of being the architect of his own fortune. 
 He is well known as one of the most honor- 
 able and upright of men. He has ever been 
 a loving husband and father and a just master. 
 His services have always been readily and 
 freely given in the furtherance of the inter- 
 ests of the village, and of him it may well be 
 said that he is the personification of the true 
 American citizen. 
 
 EORGE L. WATKINS, a prominent 
 
 •5 1 and prosperous citizen of Cayuga 
 County, has long been identified with the in- 
 
638 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 terests of Scipio, where he is successfully en- 
 gaged in mercantile business. He is a man 
 of strict integrity, and possesses in a marked 
 degree the confidence and esteem of his towns- 
 people, and during his career as a merchant 
 has built up an extensive and profitable trade. 
 He was born in Aurelius, January 30, 1820, 
 and is of Welsh ancestry, his grandfather, 
 Henry Watkins, who emigrated to America in 
 old Colonial days, having been a native of 
 Wales. Taking upon himself the rights and 
 duties of a citizen, Henry Watkins served his 
 adopted country in her time of need, doing 
 brave service during the War of the Revolu- 
 tion. He was with that brave patriot, Ethan 
 Allen; and at the time of Burgoyne's sur- 
 render he was one of the number appointed to 
 carry despatches to the defeated commander. 
 After the close of the war he took up a sol- 
 dier's grant of six hundred and forty acres of 
 land in the town of Scipio, and there in 
 1790 built the first frame house in Cayuga 
 County. He had a great deal of native me- 
 chanical ability, and did the work on the 
 house himself. Indians had formerly occu- 
 pied his homestead; and he found many of 
 their relics, among others a rude cross with 
 an image of Christ carved on one side, and 
 of the Virgin Mary on the other, which he 
 dug up near the old Indian burying-ground. 
 In the settlement of the county he was very 
 much interested, and assisted in its survey, 
 and during his residence here became one of 
 its most influential citizens. Prior to the 
 Revolution" he had lived in Washington 
 County; but, after becoming a land-holder in 
 
 this part of the State, he removed here with 
 his family, bringing all his worldly posses- 
 sions, which included among other things a 
 barrel of pork and a barrel of whiskey. His 
 first work was to build the customary log 
 cabin, with a puncheon floor and a chimney 
 made of mud and sticks. Bears, deer, and 
 other game were plentiful, and furnished 
 many a meal for the early settlers; and the 
 women of the family, who bravely shared the 
 labors and privations endured by the sterner 
 sex, wove, spun, and fashioned all the cloth- 
 ing of the family. The maiden name of his 
 wife was Loomis. She bore him five chil- 
 dren, three sons and two daughters — Henry, 
 Peter, Samuel, Phebe, and Lucy. These chil- 
 dren were all brought up to work, and were of 
 great assistance to their parents. Carriages 
 in this part of the country were then un- 
 known, and would have been of little use in 
 the narrow bridle-paths that constituted the 
 highways. Consequently most of the travel- 
 ling was performed on horseback, and the 
 daughters of Mr. Watkins frequently made 
 long journeys in that manner. 
 
 Samuel Watkins, the third son of Henry, 
 was born in Granville, Washington County, 
 being quite young when he came with his par- 
 ents to Scipio, where he did his full share of 
 pioneer labor, felling the trees of the forest as 
 soon as strong enough to wield an axe, and 
 afterward assisting in cultivating and improv- 
 ing the land. During the War of 181 2, when 
 business was unsettled all over the country, 
 he was engaged in merchandising. In com- 
 pany with many others he failed; and it took 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 639 
 
 him some time to recover from the effects of 
 his failure. He was also at that time in the 
 employment of the government, and was en- 
 gaged in drawing munitions of war from 
 Utica to Sackett's Harbor. He was a promi- 
 nent citizen of the county, and was closely 
 identified with its growth and prosperity. He 
 enjoyed the friendship of some of the leading 
 men of the times, one of whom. Governor 
 Morgan Lewis, he entertained during his visit 
 to Scipio. He married Polly Griswold, the 
 daughter of Amaziah Griswold, a leading pio- 
 neer of Cayuga County, in whose honor Fort 
 Griswold was named; and they reared ten 
 children — Samuel, Jared, Jane, Solomon, 
 Ransom, Roswell, George L., Ledry, Ama- 
 ziah, and Napoleon. 
 
 George L. Watkins, the seventh child of 
 Samuel and Polly (Griswold) Watkins, ob- 
 tained his preliminary education in the dis- 
 trict schools of his native town, and later in 
 life attended a select school that was con- 
 ducted by Mr. Nash, acquiring a practical 
 knowledge of the common branches of study. 
 Reared on the parental homestead, he was of 
 great assistance in clearing the heavy timber 
 from the farm which his father opened up in 
 the wilderness, and in cultivating the soil; 
 and in the earlier years of his manhood he 
 continued thus engaged. He subsequently 
 opened a store for general merchandise, and 
 has built up a large and lucrative trade, and 
 at the present day is everywhere recognized as 
 a thoroughly capable business man, straight- 
 forward in his course, honorable in his deal- 
 ings, and prompt to meet his obligations. 
 
 Inheriting the genial disposition and kindly 
 nature of his father, he makes and retains 
 friends among all classes of people, and has 
 many souvenirs of their good will, cherishing 
 among other things a bottle of wine given 
 him by General Doubleday in 1840. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Watkins with Ann E. 
 Crise, a daughter of William and Eliza L. 
 (DeShong) Crise, of whom a sketch is given 
 in connection with that of Henry G. Crise, 
 was celebrated September 25, 1844. This 
 union has been blessed by the birth of three 
 children, of whom the following is the record: 
 Henry, who was born in January, 1846, lived 
 but a few short years, passing from earth in 
 April, 1859. Ellen Eliza, whose birth oc- 
 curred in August, 1849, passed to the pale 
 realms of shade when little more than an in- 
 fant, dying in the purity of childhood, in 
 1852. Ada W., who was born in 1862, is the 
 wife of Frederic C. Gifford, and has one 
 child, Ada Irene. 
 
 Mr. Watkins is a man of influence, and 
 held in high respect throughout the commu- 
 nity where he has so long resided, being an 
 important factor in its business interests, and 
 taking a deep interest in the welfare of his 
 town and county. Politically, he is an un- 
 compromising Democrat, and served as Post- 
 master under the Presidential administrations 
 of James K. Polk, Franklin Pierce, James 
 Buchanan, Millard Fillmore, and Grover 
 Cleveland. He has also been candidate for 
 Representative and for County Clerk. He is 
 a member of the Masonic fraternity, belong- 
 ing to Lodge No. 221, A. F. & A. M., of 
 
640 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Scipio; and his wife is a valued member of 
 the Presbyterian church. 
 
 B 
 
 AVID LANSING HOPKINS, an 
 esteemed resident of the town of 
 Throop, is a representative agri- 
 culturist of Cayuga County, whose farms for 
 fertility, productiveness, and substantial im- 
 provements compare favorably with any to be 
 found within the borders of the Empire State, 
 and are strikingly indicative of the ambition, 
 ability, and thrift of the owners. Mr. Hop- 
 kins is of Irish descent, his paternal great- 
 grandfather having been born on the soil of 
 Erin. Emigrating from there to New York, 
 he became one of the early settlers of Wash- 
 ington County, where he reared his family, 
 and passed the remainder of his days. 
 
 David Hopkins, a son of the emigrant, re- 
 ceived superior educational advantages, and 
 became a lawyer of distinction, serving as a 
 Judge in the courts of Washington County, of 
 which he was a life-long resident. His son, 
 Ira Hopkins, was educated in the common 
 schools of his native county, and there grew 
 to manhood. Ambitious and enterprising, 
 the young man resolved to seek his fortunes 
 in a newer country; and, accordingly, he 
 came to Cayuga County, driving the whole 
 distance, and bringing with him his entire 
 outfit. Settling near Centreport in Brutus, 
 he purchased a tract of land, on which he 
 built a house as the first essential improve- 
 ment, afterward beginning to clear the land. 
 His attention, however, was not entirely 
 
 given to farming, as his aptitude for business 
 led him to own and run boats on the canal, 
 carrying passengers and freight, and also to 
 open a canal storehouse, which proved a 
 profitable investment, his name remaining on 
 the door until a few years ago. He was a 
 faithful soldier in the War of 181 2, serving 
 until its close. Leaving Centreport, he 
 bought a farm in the town of Throop, and car- 
 ried on general farming until 1836, when he 
 removed to Auburn, where his death occurred. 
 He married Bathsheba Johnson, daughter of 
 Levi Johnson, of Throopsville, who bore 
 him seven children — Levi, Betsey, Austin, 
 Fanny, Minerva, David Lansing, and Louise. 
 David Lansing Hopkins was born March 
 17, 1 821, in the town of Throop. Being a 
 bright, intelligent lad and an apt scholar, he 
 improved the unusually good opportunities 
 afforded him for obtaining an education, and 
 pursued his studies at the Auburn Academy 
 and the Geneva Lyceum, after leaving the 
 public schools. Soon after his graduation he 
 taught school two terms in Mentz, going 
 thence to Bourbon County, Kentucky, to en- 
 gage in the same profession. During the 
 year 1840 he again became a student, at the 
 same time working on his father's homestead. 
 Subsequently, when his father went to Au- 
 burn, he assumed the management of the 
 home farm, which he has since carried on 
 with skill and success, his land being well 
 cultivated and well improved, the place fur- 
 nished with ample and comfortable buildings 
 and all necessary appliances for facilitating 
 his work. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 641 
 
 Mr. Hopkins was married in 1844 to Louisa 
 Paddock, daughter of Jonathan and Mercy 
 (Weaver) Paddock. Their union was hal- 
 lowed by the birth of seven children, the fol- 
 lowing: Chauncey, who married Flora Gould, 
 and died, leaving her with one child, Carrie; 
 Henry, deceased; Charles, deceased; George, 
 deceased; Ira, who married Josephine Chase, 
 daughter of Stephen Chase, and has three 
 children — Carrie, Stephen, and Minnie; 
 Minerva, who is the wife of James Waldron, 
 a son of Charles Waldron, lives near Bing- 
 hamton, Broome County, N.Y., and has two 
 children — James and Ruf us ; Albert, who 
 married Frances Barber, daughter of Benja- 
 min Barber, has one child, Harry, and he and 
 his family live on the homestead. Mr. Hop- 
 kins is a man of strong character, always 
 ready to do whatever duty devolves upon him, 
 whether in business, social, or political life. 
 He is an earnest advocate of Republicanism, 
 and cast his first Presidential vote for Will- 
 iam H. Harrison. Both he and his worthy 
 wife are members of the Baptist church of 
 Throopsville. 
 
 W' 
 
 ILLIAM KELLEY, senior partner 
 of the firm of Kelley & Trufant, 
 extensive dealers in general merchandise, is 
 numbered among the valued factors of the 
 business community of the village of Monte- 
 zuma, and is contributing his full share 
 toward its prosperity and high standing. He 
 is a man of great energy and industry, honor- 
 able and upright in all of his transactions, 
 and possesses in a marked degree the impul- 
 
 sive and generous character everywhere no- 
 ticeable in the Celtic race, of which he is a 
 worthy representative. He is a native of Ire- 
 land, where his birth occurred March 31, 
 1829, being a son of Thomas and Mary (Coul- 
 ter) Kelley. 
 
 Thomas Kelley was born in the Emerald 
 Isle, and there spent the first half of his life, 
 being for many years occupied in farming and 
 stock-raising. Not being quite satisfied with 
 his condition or prospects in that country, he 
 determined to seek his fortunes in the New 
 World. Accordingly, a few months after the 
 death of his wife, who passed away at the age 
 of forty-five years, he set sail for the United 
 States, accompanied by his children, landing 
 in New York City in 1847. Proceeding di- 
 rectly to Wisconsin, he and his sons bought a 
 tract of land, and there engaged in general 
 agriculture. Thus employed, he spent his 
 remaining years, dying there at the advanced 
 age of eighty years. Of the six sons and one 
 daughter born to him and his wife four sons 
 are now living, three of them — Samuel, Pat- 
 rick, and James — being prosperous farmers 
 in California, and the fourth is the subject of 
 this brief biographical sketch. 
 
 William received a fair education in the 
 old country, and there learned the tailor's 
 trade, at which he worked seven years before 
 crossing the Atlantic. Instead of accompany- 
 ing his father and brothers to Wisconsin, he 
 came to Cayuga County, New York, and has 
 since made his home in Montezuma. He has 
 never had time to be idle, but has worked at 
 whatever his head and hands found to do, 
 
642 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 having been engaged in various occupations. 
 He was at first employed in boating, then en- 
 tered into the coal business, and then for six- 
 years was engaged in hotel-keeping. In 1878 
 Mr. Kelley began his mercantile career, and 
 from that time until the present has been one 
 of the foremost merchants of this vicinity. 
 Associated with him in his business is Curtiss 
 Trufant, his nephew; and they have the 
 largest store of the kind in the locality, carry- 
 ing a complete stock of hardware and of all 
 other goods usually found in a general store. 
 They do a large business each year, their 
 sales amounting from fifteen thousand to 
 twenty thousand dollars, this firm being 
 widely known for its stability. 
 
 In 1854 Mr. Kelley was united in marriage 
 to Harriet Smith, of Montezuma, a daughter 
 of I. R. Smith. She was a woman possessing 
 most excellent traits of character, a devoted 
 wife and a tender mother, and among her 
 many friends and neighbors was held in high 
 regard. Her death, which occurred in 1885, 
 when she had rounded out just half a century 
 of years, was universally regretted. She bore 
 her husband one child, Sarah, who married 
 George Payne, and, dying at the age of 
 twenty-eight years, left two sons, William 
 and Charles Payne, who reside with their 
 grandfather Kelley. In the welfare of his 
 adopted town Mr. Kelley takes an active in- 
 terest, always lending aid and encouragement 
 to every enterprise conducive to the prosper- 
 ity and advancement of the town, withholding 
 not his hand in time of need, but contributing 
 generously toward the public weal. He faith- 
 
 fully sustains the principles of the Republi- 
 can party, and has served his fellow-towns- 
 men as Assessor three years, and as Town 
 Collector two years. In religious matters he 
 is progressive and liberal; and socially he is 
 a member of Montezuma Lodge, No. 176, 
 
 A. F. 
 
 A. M. 
 
 bj^RANK H. PARSONS, a well-known 
 |_ Is enterprising farmer of Owasco, Cayuga 
 County, N.Y., was born at Skaneateles, 
 Onondaga County, N.Y., November 16, 1844. 
 His father, Moses Parsons, was also a native 
 of the same place. The grandfather, Elijah 
 Parsons, was born at Northampton, Mass. 
 The earliest of the name in that town was 
 Joseph Parsons, called "Cornet Joseph," who 
 came over from England, and settled in 
 Springfield, Mass., in 1635, and afterward 
 removed to Northampton, Mass. The second 
 Joseph, son of the first, was a lawyer and 
 a justice of the Court of Common Pleas, a 
 very prominent and influential citizen of 
 Northampton. His eldest son, the third 
 Joseph Parsons, was graduated at Harvard 
 College in 1697, and entered the ministry. 
 In 1798 Elijah Parsons moved to Onondaga 
 County, settling at Skaneateles, where he 
 bought four hundred acres of timber-land. 
 He commenced clearing this large tract of 
 land in the fall, and then returned to Massa- 
 chusetts to spend the winter, coming back 
 to New York State in the ensuing spring, 
 doing this for two consecutive years. In 
 the spring of 1800 he built a log house and 
 barn, and in the following year brought his 
 
F H. Parsons. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 64s 
 
 wife with him to his new-made home. Mr. 
 Parsons was by profession a civil engineer, 
 and surveyed a greater part of Cayuga County. 
 He was married to Miss Abigail Daley, and 
 had three sons and four daughters. 
 
 The second son, Moses, was educated in 
 the district schools, afterward attending the 
 Geneva Medical College, where he was grad- 
 uated. He practised in Jordan and Skan- 
 eateles for ten years; and, having inherited a 
 portion of the old farm, he carried on general 
 farming in addition to the duties of his pro- 
 fession. He spent the declining years of 
 his life on his farm, where he died August 
 29, 1 891, aged seventy-six. He was married 
 to Miss Elizabeth Taylor, who was a native 
 of Devonshire, England, a daughter of Lewis 
 Taylor, and had come to this country when a 
 small child. Mr. and Mrs. Parsons reared 
 two children — Frank H. and Mary E. 
 
 Frank H. Parsons was educated in the dis- 
 trict schools, also attending the high school 
 at Northampton, Mass., where he was gradu- 
 ated in 1864. He then returned home, and 
 engaged in farming. He purchased a farm 
 near his parents, afterward looking after his 
 father's farm until 1884, when he married and 
 moved to the town of Owasco, Cayuga County, 
 there settling on his wife's farm of two hun- 
 dred acres, the old Howard homestead. To- 
 gether Mr. and Mrs. Parsons have between 
 five hundred and six hundred acres of land. 
 On the property at Owasco they have a feed 
 and saw mill, the business of which has 
 proved to be lucrative. 
 
 Mr. Parsons was married October 8, 1884, 
 
 to Miss Venette Howard, daughter of William 
 and Asenath (Van Etten) Howard, both na- 
 tives of Owasco. Mr. and Mrs. Howard are 
 the parents of eight children — Franklin, 
 Martha, Oscar, Orson, Edward, William, 
 Mark, and Venette. Anthony Van Etten, the 
 maternal grandfather of Mrs. Parsons, came to 
 Owasco in 1806. Here he married Miss 
 Jemima Cudderback: and they reared eight 
 children, four sons and four daughters. The 
 Howards and Van Ettens are among the oldest 
 and most respected families in this town. 
 
 Mr. Parsons is a stanch Republican in 
 politics, but has never aspired to any public 
 office, his large milling and agricultural in- 
 terests taking up the whole of his time. By 
 his universal courtesy and honorable dealings 
 with his fellow-men he has gained the good 
 will of all, and is looked upon as one of the 
 most successful farmers in the district. 
 
 The accompanying portrait of Mr. Parsons 
 will be recognized with pleasure by his 
 friends and acquaintances in Cayuga Count)^ 
 as they turn over the leaves of this volume to 
 read the records and view the likenesses of 
 representative citizens. 
 
 fRANK S. WRIGHT, of Auburn, N.Y., 
 attorney and counsellor-at-law, is a 
 native of this city, where he was born on 
 February 23, 1852, and is the son of George 
 B. and Lydia J. (Thatcher) Wright, his 
 father being one of the oldest and most promi- 
 nent dentists of Auburn. 
 
 Frank S. Wright had the advantage of re- 
 
646 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ceiving a good sound education, being a dili- 
 gent and successful student, and graduating 
 from the high school in the class of 1878. 
 Upon leaving school, he entered the Sur- 
 rogate's office with the Hon. John T. M. 
 Davie, as Clerk of his Court, occupying that 
 position for three years, and was afterwards 
 Crier of the Supreme and other courts of rec- 
 ord in Cayuga County for the same length of 
 time. Having always had a predilection for 
 the law, he undertook a course of reading 
 with Judge Davie in order to fit himself for 
 the bar, and was admitted to practice in Octo- 
 ber, 1882, by examination at the general term 
 of the Supreme Court, held at Rochester, 
 N.Y., remaining with Surrogate Turner, 
 Judge Davie's successor, until his term of 
 office was through, when he commenced prac- 
 tice in his native city, January i, 1883. Mr. 
 Wright has made a specialty of probate law, 
 in which he has a good practice, as well as in 
 general law business, his only exception being 
 criminal cases, which he does not care to 
 have. Although devoting his attention ex- 
 clusively to his law business, and never being 
 an aspirant for public office, he has been hon- 
 ored by having his name placed on several 
 occasions on the Democratic county and city 
 ticket. 
 
 Mr. Frank S. Wright was married in Janu- 
 ary, 1 89 1, to Miss Hester Cuykenshall, of 
 Moravia, N.Y., and has one son, Carl. Mrs. 
 Wright is a daughter of Wilhelmus Cuykens- 
 hall, a member of one of the oldest families 
 in the county. Mr. Wright is a member and 
 supporter of the First Presbyterian Church, 
 
 Mrs. Wright being a member of the Moravia 
 Congregational Church. Mr. Wright by a 
 strict attention to every detail in connection 
 with his business is rapidly making a name 
 for himself in his profession, a sure road to 
 future honor and emolument. 
 
 (s^ LSC 
 
 LSON G. HOSKINS is a well-known 
 and highly respected citizen of the 
 town of Scipio, a scion of good 
 New England stock, residing on his pleasant 
 homestead in District No. i, where he is 
 successfully engaged in general farming. 
 His father, Gaylord Hoskins, who was born 
 in the State of Connecticut, was there bred 
 and educated, and when of suitable age 
 learned the shoemaker's trade. In the early 
 part of the century he came to Onondaga 
 County, walking the entire distance from his 
 old home; and, settling in the town of Onon- 
 daga, he there bought a house and lot, and for 
 many years worked at his trade, making cus- 
 tom shoes. In 1844 he removed to Cayuga 
 County, where he bought a farm in the town 
 of Springport ; but, after engaging in general 
 agriculture there for a while, he sold that 
 property. He subsequently purchased land in 
 Fleming, and, building a convenient house, 
 there spent the remainder of his days, dying 
 in 1867, at the advanced age of seventy-six 
 years. Late in the War of 18 12 he was 
 drafted: but, the war being nearly ended at 
 that time, he did not go into service. His 
 wife was Thirza Gillette, the daughter of Jon- 
 athan and Thirza (Clark) Gillette, of Onon- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 647 
 
 daga County; and to them were born four 
 children — ^ Chester, Alson G., James T., and 
 Harlow A. Chester married for his first wife 
 Harriet Ramsay, James T. married C. E. 
 Olmstead, and Harlow married Martha 
 Hamlin. 
 
 Alson G. Hoskins was educated and reared 
 to manhood in Onondaga County, and at the 
 age of twenty-two years began the work of life 
 on his own account by renting a farm in the 
 town of Victory, where he engaged in agri- 
 culture; but, not satisfied with the result of 
 his labors, he returned to the paternal home. 
 He afterward spent five years in Aurelius, 
 going thence to Fleming, where he was for 
 twelve years successfully engaged in tilling 
 the soil. In 1863 Mr. Hoskins bought the 
 farm which he now owns and occupies in the 
 town of Scipio. It contains ninety-seven 
 acres of fertile land, which he has placed 
 under excellent cultivation, and has well 
 stocked and well equipped with all the need- 
 ful appliances for successfully carrying on his 
 work. Having labored diligently, persever- 
 ingly, and skilfully, bringing good judgment 
 to the management of his affairs, he has se- 
 cured enough of this world's goods to enable 
 him to spend the remainder of his days in 
 comfort, and in the enjoyment of the fruits of 
 his many years of toil. 
 
 In January, 1844, Mr. Hoskins was united 
 in wedlock with Rosaline A. Chase, the 
 daughter of Nathan and Sarah (Tucker) 
 Chase, of Onondaga County; and into their 
 happy household were born the following chil- 
 dren: Sarah, who married James W. Lyon, 
 
 of Scipio, has three children — Warren, Het- 
 tie, and Rosaline. Thirza, who married Day- 
 ton Edwards, of Throop, has two children — 
 Claude and Harry, the elder of whom married 
 Carrie Cooper; and they have one child, Bes- 
 sie. Harry, who married Cora Brooks, also 
 has one child. Charles, who married Hattie 
 Close, of Scipio, has two children — Mabel 
 and Roy. Willis married Anna Snyder. 
 William married Jessie Miller, of Venice; 
 and they have two children — Iva and Harry. 
 Hettie is the wife of Charles Webster, of 
 Throop; and they are the parents of one 
 child, Ethel. The other daughter, Carrie, is 
 now deceased. 
 
 In financial and business circles the ability 
 and worth of Mr. Hoskins are recognized. In 
 educational matters he takes a deep interest, 
 and for fifteen years he has served as School 
 Trustee; and while in Fleming he was Col- 
 lector three or four years. In politics he is a 
 steadfast Republican, and uniformly casts his 
 vote with that party. He cast his first Presi- 
 dential vote for William Henry Harrison in 
 1840, and has voted at every Presidential elec- 
 tion since. 
 
 4-*»^- » 
 
 LVIN D. STEWART, M.D., a lead- 
 ing physician and surgeon of Port 
 Byron, N.Y., where he has been in 
 practice since 1879, was born at Oneida, 
 N.Y., February i, 1854, and is the son of 
 Robert J. and Elizabeth Stewart. Mr. Rob- 
 ert Stewart was a native of Johnstown, Fulton 
 County, where he was born in 18 14. Up to 
 the time of the breaking out of the Civil War 
 
648 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 he was a prominent druggist of Oneida, where 
 he had lived since 1832. After that time he 
 was engaged as a commercial traveller. He 
 died at Savannah, Ga., November 6, 1882, 
 leaving a widow and four children. 
 
 Dr. Stewart, owing to his father's circum- 
 stances, was obliged to leave school at the age 
 of fourteen, when he commenced to learn the 
 printing business at Oneida, at the same time 
 studying at home in the evening. At the 
 age of twenty he left the printing business, 
 having thoroughly learned his trade in all its 
 branches, and began the study of medicine 
 with Dr. H. W. Carpenter, of Oneida, one of 
 the most prominent physicians of Madison 
 County. He took his medical lectures at the 
 University of Michigan, and at the medical 
 department of the University of the City of 
 New York, from which he was graduated in 
 the class of 1877. He spent two years in 
 practice at his old home, and in 1879 came to 
 Port Byron, where he has built up one of the 
 most extensive and lucrative practices in the 
 county outside of the city of Auburn. 
 
 Dr. Stewart is a member of the Cayuga 
 County Medical Society, of which he was the 
 President in 1885, and also of the Central 
 New York Medical Association. He is also 
 a member of Lodge No. 130, A. F. & A. M., 
 of which he was Master for three years, and of 
 the Morris Chapter, R. A. M., No. 156. He 
 was elected Coroner of the county in 1889, on 
 the Republican ticket, receiving the honor of 
 a re-election in 1892. In this position he 
 has given universal satisfaction, and was 
 again nominated for the same office in the 
 
 fall of 1894. He had charge of the inquiry 
 on the Montezuma wreck on the West Shore 
 Railroad, August 6, 1892, when sixteen per- 
 sons lost their lives. Dr. Stewart is an ac- 
 tive Republican, but his medical duties do 
 not permit him to be an aspirant for office. 
 
 Dr. Stewart was married on July 11, 1882, 
 to Miss Emma A. Johnson, daughter of John 
 J. Johnson, of Port Byron, and has two chil- 
 dren — Alvin J. and Jennie. The family are 
 members of the Episcopal church, of which 
 the Doctor is one of the Wardens. Dr. 
 Stewart is a strong, earnest, and well-read 
 man, and thoroughly fitted for his position, 
 which he fills with dignity and tact. 
 
 MORRIS BEVIER, a retired farmer, 
 residing near the village of Owasco, 
 Cayuga County, N.Y., was born at 
 Mount Morris, Livingston County, N.Y., 
 December 8, 1833. His father, Abraham 
 Bevier, was born in 1800 in the town of 
 Owasco, his grandfather Daniel being a native 
 of Ulster Count}', N.Y. The family were 
 French Huguenots, and came to this country 
 on account of religious persecution, having, 
 it is believed, previously spent some time in 
 Holland. They settled in the latter part of 
 the seventeenth century in Ulster County, 
 New York. New Paltz was settled by a col- 
 ony of such exiles about the year 1677; and 
 from New Paltz, in 1708, Abraham and John 
 Bevier went to the town of Wawarsing in 
 the same county. Daniel Bevier came from 
 Ulster to Cayuga County in 1795, settling in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 649 
 
 Owasco, the journey being made with ox 
 teams. He bought a tract of timber-land of 
 about one hundred acres; and on this he built 
 a log house and grist-mill, the first mill 
 erected in these parts, which he conducted 
 for several years, until the erection of another 
 mill at Hardenburg Corners, now Auburn, 
 when he discontinued milling, and turned his 
 attention to farming. He spent his last years 
 on the farm, dying in 1845 at the age of 
 seventy-seven. He had ten children, three 
 sons and seven daughters. The old block- 
 house, which is situated about two miles 
 north-west of Owasco, is still standing, and 
 was occupied up to within a few years ago, 
 when a murder was committed in it, since 
 which time it has not been inhabited. 
 
 Abraham Bevier, son of Daniel, was 
 brought up as a farmer, remaining at home 
 until his twenty-fourth year, when he married 
 and started out to make his way in the world 
 with nothing but a pair of willing hands and 
 a good wife. He moved to Livingston 
 County, New York, in 1824, where he rented 
 land, and part of the time worked at the trade 
 of a hatter. After remaining there for eleven 
 years, he returned to Owasco. He worked at 
 different pursuits until 1840, when he trav- 
 elled over the county selling papers, being 
 widely known as the "Postman." In 1842 
 he bought a farm in the town of Niles, which 
 he occupied until 1850, when he purchased 
 another. Selling the latter in 1854, he 
 moved to Onondaga County, where he so- 
 journed but one year, and, then again coming 
 to Owasco, bought the farm known as the 
 
 Hunsicker farm. This place he sold in 
 1 86 1, and purchased the farm upon which his 
 son now lives. At the time of his death, 
 which took place in 1872, at the age of 
 seventy-two years, he had accumulated con- 
 siderable property. He was twice married. 
 His first wife, Sarah Peterson, who was born 
 in 1804, was a daughter of Garrett Peterson, 
 of Fleming. They reared one son, John Mor- 
 ris Bevier, the subject of this sketch. Mrs. 
 Sarah P. Bevier dying in 1835, Mr. Abraham 
 Bevier afterward married Mary Selover, the 
 widow of John Dehart. 
 
 J. Morris Bevier was educated in the dis- 
 trict schools and in a select school in the vil- 
 lage of Owasco. Until the death of his father 
 he was never separated from him. He suc- 
 ceeded to the ownership of the property, 
 and, having since purchased an adjacent farm 
 of thirty and one-half acres, he is now the 
 proprietor of one hundred and twelve acres of 
 fine land with two handsome sets of farm 
 buildings. He was married on February 10, 
 1864, to Miss Catherine T. Case, who was 
 born in Sempronius, a daughter of Robert 
 and Adeline (Tuthill) Case, both natives 
 of Orange County. Mrs. Bevier's paternal 
 grandfather was David Case, a well-known 
 and respected resident of that county. 
 
 In politics Mr. Bevier is a Republican, and 
 has held the office of Supervisor for two years, 
 1879 and 1880. He was also a Commissioner 
 from 1866 to 1870. He is a member of the 
 Ancient Order of United Workmen, Lodge 
 No. 290, of Owasco. Being the possessor of 
 one of the finest farms in the county, made so 
 
6so 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 by the owner's thrift, energy, and sagacious 
 management, he is now living retired from 
 active labors. Mr. Bevier has filled public 
 offices with credit and dignity, and is a man 
 of high moral and intellectual worth. 
 
 tLEXANDER J. CULVER, whose 
 pleasant home and well-tilled acres 
 ^-^ are in the town of Ira, is classed 
 among the intelligent and thoroughly wide- 
 awake agriculturists of this county, who are 
 contributing so much to its material prosper- 
 ity. He is a native of the Empire State, 
 having been born in Jackson, Washington 
 County, March 19, 1833. He is the descend- 
 ant and worthy representative of a sturdy 
 New England family, his parents, Henry and 
 Olive (Richey) Culver, having been born in 
 Connecticut. Obadiah Culver, his grand- 
 father, was also a native of that State, where 
 he was reared as a tiller of the soil. After 
 following his chosen occupation in the place 
 of his birth for several years, he removed to 
 Washington County in this State, being 
 among its earliest settlers; and there, im- 
 proving a homestead, he rounded out a full 
 period of fourscore years. 
 
 Henry Culver, son of Obadiah, was born 
 March 10, 1793, a little more than a hundred 
 years ago, and was reared to man's estate in 
 Connecticut, and there learned the trade of a 
 currier. After his union with Olive Richey, 
 whose birth occurred January 15, 1798, he 
 moved to Washington County, where he was 
 for many years extensively engaged in manu- 
 
 facturing boots and shoes, being an important 
 factor of the mercantile interests of that part 
 of the State of New York. In 1834 he mi- 
 grated to Cayuga County, and purchased the 
 farm in the town of Ira now owned and occu- 
 pied by his son Alexander, and was thencefor- 
 ward engaged in agriculture. Of the one 
 hundred and fifty acres of land which he 
 bought only fifteen were cleared; but with 
 the assistance of his sons, who were industri- 
 ous and trustworthy boys, he placed a large 
 portion of it under the plough, and became 
 one of the most successful and prosperous 
 farmers of this vicinity. On the homestead 
 thus established he and his good wife passed to 
 the higher existence, he on January 9, 1862, 
 about twelve years after her death, in 1840. 
 They reared eight sons and one daughter, the 
 four now living being: Andrew R., born in 
 1822, and William, born February 11, 1826, 
 both residing in Lysander; Alexander J. ; and 
 a half-sister, Harriet Lockwood, living in 
 Baldwinsville. The names of the deceased 
 are Mabel, Henry, James L., Nathan C, 
 Aaron V., and Daniel. In his political views 
 Mr. Culver was a Whig, and both he and his 
 wife were members of the Presbyterian church. 
 Alexander J. Culver, the youngest of the 
 three surviving brothers, was scarcely twelve 
 months old when his parents came to Cayuga 
 County. Consequently, the major part of his 
 life has been passed on the home farm, his 
 record being a part of the history of the 
 settlement and development of this portion of 
 the county. He obtained a fair education in 
 the district schools of the town, and in early 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ^5^ 
 
 life turned his attention to farming, a calling 
 which he has followed to the present time, 
 adding to it the profession of a veterinary sur- 
 geon. In this he has been particularly suc- 
 cessful, and has now a large practice, his 
 knowledge of the diseases of horses and his 
 wise and careful treatment gaining for him an 
 extensive and lucrative patronage throughout 
 this town and the surrounding country. As 
 will be seen by a perusal of this sketch, Mr. 
 Culver is one of the most active and enter- 
 prising business men and agriculturists of 
 this locality; and he has accumulated a com- 
 petence by his energetic labor, practical sa- 
 gacity, and thrift. He has been twice 
 married. In 1857 he was united to Miss 
 Hettie J. Baird, a daughter of A. and S. A. 
 Baird, residents of Cayuga County; and they 
 became the parents of six children; namely, 
 Olive, Matilda, Lottie, John, Corinda, and 
 Lucretia. In the midst of her earthly labors, 
 in 1871, Mrs. Hettie Culver was called to her 
 home beyond. Four years later Mr. Culver 
 wedded Melvina Jorolmon, who was born in 
 the town of Moravia, a daughter of John and 
 Abigail (Conklin) Jorolmon, both natives of 
 Owasco. Her parents are now deceased, her 
 father having died at the age of sixty-five 
 years, on March 20, 1873; while Mrs. Jorol- 
 mon, who survived her husband a few months, 
 lived until November 26, 1874, dying at the 
 age of sixty-four years. They were devoted 
 members of the Presbyterian church, and po- 
 litically Mr. Jorolmon was a stanch member 
 of the Republican party. Of the ten children 
 born of their marriage nine are now living. 
 
 The farm of Mr. Alexander J. Culver is 
 one of the most pleasant and comfortable of 
 any in the place, containing eighty-eight 
 acres of fertile land, well kept and well 
 equipped, on which he has a beautiful resi- 
 dence, the best of farm buildings, and the 
 most modern machinery and implements for 
 carrying on his business. His dairy consists 
 of eight or ten choice head of cattle, of which 
 he takes excellent care. He is a man of great 
 capability, and is endowed with strength of 
 character and independent opinions of his 
 own, that give him influence in his commu- 
 nity. Politically, he is a sound Republican, 
 and has served his town for a year as Road 
 Commissioner. Mr. and Mrs. Culver are 
 held in high esteem by their neighbors and 
 friends for their many excellent qualities of 
 mind and heart, and are admired for their 
 generous hospitality and friendliness. 
 
 W: 
 
 LLIAM F. PIERCE, an honored 
 and respected resident of the vil- 
 lage of Cayuga, is a native of the Empire 
 State, his birth having occurred in Putnam 
 County, June 20, 1828. Among the sturdy 
 pioneers of that county was his grandfather, 
 Abizer Pierce-, who was a New Englander by 
 birth, and the descendant of an old Massachu- 
 setts family. When a young man, he emi- 
 grated from Cape Cod to Putnam County, 
 bringing all of his household effects in an ox 
 wagon ; and his wife, who accompanied him, 
 travelled the entire distance on horseback. 
 In common with the other early settlers of the 
 
6s2 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 county, he took an active part in its develop- 
 ment, and during the many years that he lived 
 there was enabled to note with pride the 
 mighty changes wrought within its borders, 
 the densely wooded wild giving place to mag- 
 nificent farms and thriving villages and 
 towns. He served during the War of 1812, 
 and on one battlefield was accompanied by his 
 son, who was then a youth of eleven years. 
 He was subsequently a pensioner of that war. 
 He died in Cayuga County, at the venerable 
 age of ninety-two years. The maiden name 
 of his wife, whose death occurred several 
 years prior to his own, was Jane Hopkins. 
 
 Thomas J. Pierce, son of Abizer, was born 
 during the residence of his parents in Putnam 
 County, the date being March 15, 1801. He 
 was reared to man's estate in his native town, 
 where he attended the district school, and 
 assisted his parents on the homestead. In 
 1839 he removed to Cayuga County, travel- 
 ling by carriage to Poughkeepsie, thence tak- 
 ing the night boat to Albany; and from there 
 to Schenectady he travelled on a balance-wheel 
 cable-car, which was so contrived that, when 
 the passengers were going down hill, the bal- 
 ance-car, filled with stones, was going up. 
 Settling in the town of Sennett, he bought a 
 farm, and engaged in general agriculture until 
 his death, on March 13, 1846. On July 31, 
 1839, he married Phoebe Fowler, a daughter 
 of Solomon and Hannah (Caldwell) Fowler. 
 They reared two children — William F. and 
 Hannah J., the latter being born August 2, 
 1830, and dying May 20, 1887. 
 
 William F. Pierce completed his education 
 
 in the public schools of Sennett, in the mean 
 time assisting his father in the labors of the 
 farm, remaining on the homestead until the 
 time of his marriage. After taking that im- 
 portant step, Mr. Pierce, thinking the chances 
 for improving his financial condition would be 
 better in a Western State, bought a farm in 
 Illinois, and, removing there, remained two 
 years, when, not entirely pleased with the 
 results of his labors, he disposed of that prop- 
 erty, and returned to Cayuga County. The 
 succeeding five years he acted as Keeper in 
 the State prison at Auburn, and then resumed 
 his agricultural occupations, buying a farm in 
 Lima, where he was successfully engaged in 
 general farming for five years. Selling that 
 property in 1869, Mr. Pierce purchased a 
 good farm in Cayuga, and for two years con- 
 ducted its labors very profitably, being skilful 
 and judicious in its management. He then 
 moved into the village of Cayuga, where he 
 has since resided, being numbered among the 
 representative citizens of the place. 
 
 Mr. Pierce wooed, won, and wedded Cather- 
 ine Bruner, of Yates County. Their house- 
 hold circle was enlarged by the birth of two 
 children — Luella and Catherine, the former 
 of whom married George Shoemaker, son of 
 John and Castilla (Flynn) Shoemaker, of Au- 
 relius, and has one child, a son, named 
 George Pierce Shoemaker. Mr. Pierce is a 
 man of influence and honor, his strict integ- 
 rity in all business transactions, his intelli- 
 gence, and public-spiritedness placing him 
 in a high position among his fellow towns- 
 men. Socially, he is a member of the Ma- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 653 
 
 sonic Order. He has been prominently iden- 
 tified with the Republican party since its for- 
 mation, and cast his first vote for President in 
 1852 for General Winfield Scott. Although 
 taking great interest in local and national 
 affairs, Mr. Pierce has never been an aspirant 
 for political office, but served most satisfac- 
 torily as Postmaster of the village from i 
 to 1893. 
 
 ■*■*•*-*■ 
 
 M 
 
 R. SUSAN G. OTIS, one of the 
 ^ I prominent women physicians of Au- 
 burn, N.Y., was born at Sherwood, 
 Cayuga County, a daughter of Samuel D. and 
 Elizabeth (Gorham) Otis. Her father was a 
 farmer and an old resident of the county, 
 moving here from New Bedford, Mass., in 
 1833. He was of the seventh generation from 
 the emigrant ancestors who came to New 
 England in the seventeenth century, and were 
 early settlers in the town of Scituate, Plym- 
 outh County, Mass. For several generations 
 members of the family have been prominent 
 in medicine. John Otis, from Glastonbury, 
 England, settled in Hingham, Mass., in 
 1635. His son John, born in England in 
 1622, came to Hingham, and married Mary 
 Jacob, and was the father of Stephen, James, 
 and Job. 
 
 Stephen, born in 1661, married Hannah 
 Ensign, and lived in Scituate. They had a 
 son Isaac, born in 1699. In the historical 
 sketch of Scituate, in the "History of Plym- 
 outh County, Massachusetts," it is recorded 
 that "Dr. Isaac Otis [who is probably the 
 Isaac named above] was the first regular 
 
 physician that settled in the town; and so 
 highly did the town appreciate the advantages 
 of having the services of such a skilled pro- 
 fessional man that they voted a settlement of 
 one hundred pounds to encourage him to re- 
 main in the town." That was in 1719. Dr. 
 James Otis, son of Isaac, began practice in 
 1760. Dr. Gushing Otis, son of Dr. James, 
 commenced in 1792, and in 1884 was said by 
 the historian of Scituate to be well remem- 
 bered by many people then living as a 
 "famous doctor." 
 
 The descent of medical talent, which is 
 often noted, has seldom been more marked 
 than in the case of Dr. Susan G. Otis, as 
 above shown. Her grandfather Job, who was 
 the son of a doctor, was one of the early phy- 
 sicians of Cayuga County, but did not practice 
 very much, being chiefly engaged in farm- 
 ing. He was a Quaker, as the family had 
 been for many generations. Samuel D. Otis 
 was married to Miss Gorham, of Nantucket, 
 whose father was a whaler of the early times. 
 Mrs. Otis was connected with the family of 
 Benjamin Franklin's mother (Folger), and 
 also with the Coffin family, who were early 
 and prominent settlers at Nantucket. She 
 reared a family of eight children, seven of 
 whom are living, namely: Deborah; Stephen 
 G. ; Dr. Susan G. ; Hannah, wife of Samuel 
 J. Brown, of San Jose, Cal.; Elizabeth G., 
 teacher in a select school; Lois Macy, a 
 teacher in Philadelphia; and Mary Amy, also 
 of I^hiladelphia, an artist and art teacher. 
 
 Susan G. Otis was educated at private 
 schools. She was engaged for a time as a 
 
6S4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 teacher in public and select schools at Sher- 
 wood, and in 1880 matriculated at the 
 Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, at 
 Philadelphia, where she took a four years' 
 course, graduating in the class of 1884. Dur- 
 ing the last vacation, in 1883, she spent three 
 months in the Staten Island Hospital, and 
 two months at the New York Infant Asylum. 
 After graduating, she went to the Staten 
 Island Hospital (nursery and children's) as 
 Assistant Physician, retaining that position 
 for six months, when the Resident Physician 
 resigned; and at a competitive examination 
 she was appointed to the place, which position 
 she held for two years. During this time she 
 took a course at the New York Polyclinic. 
 
 In the spring of 1887 Dr. Otis, being 
 called home by the death of both her parents, 
 practised in Sherwood for one year. She 
 came to Auburn in 1888, and occupied the 
 old office of Dr. Armstrong on Grover Street. 
 In 1889 she was established at her present 
 place. No. 40 South Street. She has a large 
 general practice, and conducts a fine private 
 hospital, patients being sent to her by physi- 
 cians from all parts of the State. Several 
 very important cases of abdominal surgery by 
 Dr. C. O. Baker have been cared for in this 
 hospital, which has filled a great need, and 
 has secured the confidence of the people and 
 the profession at large. Dr. Otis is a mem- 
 ber of the Cayuga County Medical Society, of 
 which she is Secretary. She is an attendant 
 of the Central Presbyterian Church. Dr. Otis 
 has had large and varied experience, which 
 have given her skill and assurance; and this. 
 
 with her tact and agreeable manners, at once 
 gains the confidence and esteem of her pa- 
 tients. The private hospital which she has 
 so well equipped, and which she conducts so 
 satisfactorily, is beautifully located on one 
 of the finest streets in the city, overlooking 
 Seward Park Statue and homestead. It is not 
 only a successful private enterprise, but a 
 public benefit as well. 
 
 ILLIAM THOMAS, M.D., is a re- 
 tired eclectic physician in Spring 
 Lake, where he actively practised his profes- 
 sion for forty years. John Thomas, the Doc- 
 tor's grandfather, came from Germany in his 
 youth, and married and died in Newburg, 
 Orange County, N.Y. His son William was 
 born in Newburg in 1781; and on June 12, 
 1 8 19, thirty-eight years later, the subject of 
 this sketch was born, in the same house, and 
 received the same name. 
 
 The senior William attended a school in 
 Newburg in his boyhood, and worked on the 
 home farm. He lived in his native town sev- 
 eral years after his marriage and the birth of 
 his son William. In 1824 he went to Ca- 
 millus, Onondaga County, N.Y., whence in 
 1833 he removed to Huron, Wayne County, 
 N.Y., where he remained until 1844. Then, 
 going to Wisconsin, he there remained until 
 his death in 1856, at the age of seventy-five. 
 His wife, Jemima Terbush, of Newburg, was 
 born August 20, 1785. Her parents came 
 from Holland. William and Jemima Thomas 
 had twelve children — Hester Ann, Philip, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 655 
 
 Catherine, Hepsy, Jacob, John, Henry, Will- 
 iam, Stephen, Elizabeth, Sarah, and Hannah. 
 The mother died in i860, aged seventy-five, 
 after the removal West. The Terbush and 
 Thomas families v/ere Baptists; and young 
 William Thomas's brother Jacob studied 
 seven years in Hamilton, became a Baptist 
 clergyman, and went as a missionary to the 
 Burmese empire, where he met death by the 
 sinking of a boat, within sight of the very 
 station to which he was assigned. 
 
 The subject of this biography went through 
 the usual routine of farm work and district 
 schooling, and lived with his father till that 
 gentleman went West in 1844. Meanwhile 
 the young man had begun to teach school ; 
 and he continued in this occupation some 
 years in Walcott, Huron, and other places, of 
 course attending to agricultural matters in the 
 summer. Besides this he studied medicine, 
 and in 1846 began its practice in Butler, 
 Wayne County, N.Y., where he lived two 
 years. On June 22, 1848, he came to Spring 
 Lake, Cayuga County, N.Y., and opened an 
 office. At first he encountered some opposi- 
 tion, but gradually overcame all prejudice, 
 and had about as large a practice as any physi- 
 cian in the county. In 1889, however, his 
 health demanded retirement. 
 
 In 1844, at the age of twenty-five, when his 
 father went West, the younger William mar- 
 ried Harriet Nichols, daughter of Jefferson 
 and Sarah Nichols, from the eastern part of 
 the State. By this marriage Dr. Thomas has 
 one child living, Sarah, who is her father's 
 housekeeper, three children having died — 
 
 Charles, Ann Elizabeth, and Ida. The Doc- 
 tor's wife died December 5, 1879, after thirty- 
 five years of happy wedded life. 
 
 Dr. Thomas belongs to the Central New 
 York Eclectic Medical Society. For many 
 years he was a member of the Board of 
 Health, for seventeen years an Overseer of 
 the Poor, for eighteen years a Notary Public. 
 Until after the election of James Buchanan to 
 the Presidency he was a Democrat, but has 
 since been a decided Republican. Since 
 young manhood he has been connected with 
 the Methodist church, wherein he has held 
 various offices. All together, he is worthy of 
 the esteem in which he is held, both person- 
 ally and professionally. 
 
 (s>rDELBERT UNDERHILL represents 
 rjA the agricultural interests of the town 
 ^--^ of Ira as a shrewd, practical farmer 
 of sound judgment and excellent business 
 ability. He has a large and well-equipped 
 farm, pleasantly located, which by good 
 management he has rendered one of the most 
 valuable estates in this part of Cayuga 
 County. He was born three miles west of 
 the city of Auburn, in what is known as Half 
 Acre, on November 6, 1844. 
 
 His parents, Henry and Emeline (Dicker- 
 son) Underbill, were both born in Schoharie 
 County, New York, where they resided for 
 many years. The father was a man of su- 
 perior mental attainments, and was for many 
 years a successful and well-known physician. 
 In later life he turned his attention to agri- 
 
656 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 culture, and, coming to this county, settled in 
 the town of Ledyard, where he and his wife 
 spent their remaining years, he dying when 
 seventy-two years old, and she at the age 
 of sixty-three years. They were numbered 
 among the respected residents of their neigh- 
 borhood, their fine qualities of heart and mind 
 endearing them to all. They were progressive 
 people, and liberal in their religious views. 
 In politics Dr. Underbill cast his vote with 
 the Republican party. They had five chil- 
 dren, all of whom are now living, the follow- 
 ing being their record: Joshua, a machinist, 
 resides in Auburn. Ezra is a farmer in the 
 town of Scipio. Adelbert lives in Ira. 
 Adell, the twin sister of Adelbert, married 
 Calvin Phelps, of Ontario County. Esther is 
 the wife of J. B. Dickinson, of King's Ferry 
 in the town of Genoa. 
 
 Adelbert, the third child and youngest son, 
 grew to manhood in this his native county, 
 being educated in the district schools of Led- 
 yard. Throughout the years of his youth 
 and early manhood he assisted on the home 
 farm, remaining under the parental roof until 
 the time of his marriage, which auspicious 
 event took place on the 24th of December, 
 1869, when Ella Phelps, a native of Ira, be- 
 came his bride. Mrs. Underbill is the 
 daughter of the late Chauncey and Mary 
 Phelps, the former of whom was born in Ira, 
 and the latter in the State of New Jersey. 
 Mr. Phelps was the son of a distinguished 
 pioneer family of this town, and probably did 
 as much as any other individual to develop its 
 agricultural interests, and advance its growth 
 
 and welfare, being a prominent and important 
 member of the community. He was noted for 
 his stability of character and good business 
 habits, and was held in high regard as a rep- 
 resentative citizen of the place, his death, 
 which occurred September 18, 1888, being 
 deemed a public loss; and his memory will be 
 cherished for many years to come. His es- 
 timable wife, who was born June 9, 181 1, 
 survives him, living on the old farm, and is 
 passing down the sunset slope of life, and 
 tenderly cared for by her loving children. Of 
 the five children born of their union only two 
 are now living, namely: Mrs. Ruth Ann 
 Blessing, who resides on the old Phelps home- 
 stead in Ira; and Mrs. Adelbert Underbill. 
 
 Very soon after his marriage Mr. Underbill 
 purchased the place where he now resides, 
 taking possession of it in the spring of 1870; 
 and here he and his young wife began house- 
 keeping. His farm contains one hundred 
 and fifty-seven acres of excellent land, all 
 carefully cultivated. He keeps from fifteen 
 to eighteen cows, and raises abundant crops 
 of the cereals and other staple productions. 
 Since becoming one of the citizens of Ira, Mr. 
 Underbill has been no unimportant factor 
 in making this one of the richest farming 
 communities in the Empire State. He is a 
 systematic, practical agriculturist, a keen, 
 wide-awake man of business, and is one of 
 the most substantial and trustworthy citizens 
 of his adopted town, his conduct in all rela- 
 tions of life being such as to win and retain 
 the esteem and confidence of all with whom 
 he comes in contact. Mr. and Mrs. Under- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 657 
 
 hill have no children, but their hospitable 
 home is ever open to their many friends and 
 acquaintances. They are liberal in their re- 
 ligious views, and ever tolerant of the beliefs 
 of all other Christians. In him the Republican 
 party has one of its stanchest adherents; and, 
 socially, he belongs to the Farmers' Grange of 
 Ira, No. 592. 
 
 rr?TENRY D. CHAMBERLAIN, a well- 
 known retired farmer residing in the 
 north of Niles, was born in the 
 town of De Ruyter, Madison County, N.Y.? 
 August 20, 1829. His father, David Cham- 
 berlain, was born in Adams County, Pennsyl- 
 vania, May 16, 1803. His grandfather, 
 Ninian, was also a native of the same place,, 
 where he was born October i, 1751. During 
 the Revolutionary War Ninian Chamberlain 
 was engaged with the Continental Army as 
 Master of Transportation, and had the gratifi- 
 cation of meeting and knowing General Wash- 
 ington. Upon the conclusion of the war he 
 resumed his occupation of farming; and in 
 1807 he left Pennsylvania with his family, 
 coming overland with teams, and settled in 
 the town of Niles, Cayuga County, on what 
 is known as lot 8, where he bought three 
 hundred and twenty-five acres of land of 
 Lucas Elmendorf, of Albany, for five dollars 
 and fifty cents per acre. Together with his 
 sons, he cleared the land, living in the mean 
 time in a rude log house. The title to the 
 land proving defective, he bought a portion of 
 it again, having thus to -pay twice over for 
 the same property. Mr. Chamberlain was a 
 
 member and supporter of the Reformed 
 Church of Owasco Village, and in politics was 
 a Whig. On July 5, 1784, he married Miss 
 Elizabeth Ewing, to whom were born seven 
 sons and six daughters, as follows: Margery, 
 May 28, 1786; Samuel, March 16, 1789; 
 Jeremiah, August 24, 1790; John, September 
 I, 1792; Rachel, October 25, 1794; James, 
 January 10, 1797; Robert, March 11, 1799; 
 Betsy, June 23, 1801 ; Sallie, June 23, 1801; 
 David, May 16, 1803; Polly, October 30, 
 1805; Hamilton, April 22, 1808; Margaret, 
 November 22, 1810. Mr. Ninian Chamerlain 
 died December 20, 1833, aged eighty-two 
 years; his wife, surviving him nearly twenty- 
 two years, died March 10, 1855, aged eighty- 
 seven years. 
 
 David Chamberlain, the sixth son of 
 Ninian, was reared to agricultural pursuits, 
 but left home at the age of eighteen to learn 
 the wagon-making trade at Skaneateles, after- 
 ward moving to De Ruyter, where for a few 
 years he was in business for himself, going 
 thence to Scipio to live with his sister. In 
 1865 he came to Niles, making his home 
 with his son, Henry D., where he died June 
 12, 1893. He married Miss Eliza Smith, a 
 daughter of Jacob Smith, of Nelson, Madison 
 County; and she became the mother of one 
 child, a souj who is the subject of the present 
 sketch. 
 
 Henry D. Chamberlain was educated at the 
 district school, Aurora Academy, and the 
 Scipio Select School. After the death of his 
 mother, which took place when he was four 
 years of age, he made his home with his 
 
658 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 grandmother, remaining there until his 
 twenty-sixth year, when he married, and 
 bought a farm of one hundred and eighteen 
 acres. His wife was Miss Abigail A. Post, 
 a daughter of Christopher and Martha Post, 
 of Fleming. She died June 7, 1868, aged 
 forty, leaving two sons, namely: George S., 
 engaged in the seed business in Auburn, mar- 
 ried to Miss Carrie Bulkley of that city; and 
 Day K., a farmer of Scipio, who is married to 
 Miss Rebecca Odell, of Niles, and has four 
 children, namely: Harry, Pauline, Odell, and 
 Howard. Mr. Chamberlain married for his 
 second wife Miss Prudence Austin, a daughter 
 of Henry and Mary (Tyler) Austin, the for- 
 mer a native of New York State, and the lat- 
 ter of Rhode Island. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain are members of 
 the Presbyterian church of the village of 
 Owasco. In politics he has always been 
 closely identified with the Republican party. 
 Mr. Chamberlain has devoted his whole life 
 to his agricultural interests, in which he has 
 achieved a success that has enabled him now 
 to retire from active pursuits. He is a highly 
 respected member of the community in which 
 he resides; and, although his talents are such 
 that he could have filled public office with credit 
 and dignity, he has always preferred to leave 
 the management of national and town affairs 
 to others. 
 
 (syVDELBERT S. CHAMBERLAIN, an 
 
 ^^ enterprising farmer and a member of 
 
 ^— ' a well-known and highly respected 
 
 family, was born in the town of Owasco, Ca- 
 
 yuga County, N.Y., November 3, 1853. His 
 father, Jeremiah N. Chamberlain, was born in 
 what is now the town of Niles, February 9, 
 1822, and was a son of John, who was born 
 in 1792, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. 
 James, the founder of the family in this coun- 
 try, who is supposed to have been born in 
 Scotland, came to America about two and a 
 half centuries ago, settling in Bucks County, 
 Pennsylvania. In early times the family had 
 undergone much persecution at the hands of 
 the upholders of the Established Church in 
 Scotland; and together with other Cove- 
 nanters they fled to the north of Ireland, 
 where they remained for some time, but left 
 that country on account of the high rents, and, 
 coming to America, settled in Hunterstown, 
 Pa. Ninian Chamberlain came to Cayuga 
 County, New York, in 1807, and bought a 
 tract of land, consisting of about three hun- 
 dred and twenty-five acres, in what is now 
 Niles, for five dollars and fifty cents per 
 acre. After paying for it and clearing a large 
 portion, a flaw was discovered in the title; 
 and he was compelled to pay for the land over 
 again. During the Revolutionary War he 
 was engaged as a Master of Transportation, 
 being personally acquainted with General 
 Washington. He was married to Elizabeth 
 Ewing, who was born in Adams County, 
 Pennsylvania, in 1768. Mr. Chamberlain 
 died December 20, 1833, his wife surviving 
 him twenty-two years, dying at the advanced 
 age of eighty-seven, March 10, 1855. John, 
 grandfather of the subject of this sketch, re- 
 mained on the homestead until his marriage. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 6S9 
 
 when he settled on fifty acres of land on lot 
 No. 8, afterward buying sixty-two acres on lot 
 No. 9, and, as his means afforded, adding to 
 his property until he had acquired one hun- 
 dred and twenty-three acres. In 1868 he re- 
 tired from the farm, and passed his declining 
 years in the village of Owasco, where he died 
 September 3, 1874. He was married to Miss 
 Mary A. North, who was born in Tompkins 
 County, New York, January 7, 181 7, and 
 reared the following children: Eliza, Thomas 
 N., Jeremiah N., Magdalena, Naomi, Ann, 
 and Marjorie J. Jeremiah, the father of the 
 subject of this biographical sketch, was 
 brought up on the farm, where he remained 
 until his twenty-third year. He then went to 
 Scipio, where he woi'ked for twelve dollars 
 per month seven months in the year for a 
 period of three years. He then returned to 
 Owasco, and together with his brother bought 
 a farm of one hundred and thirty-seven acres, 
 which they worked for three years. Mr. 
 Chamberlain afterward bought his brother 
 out, and has followed the pursuit of farming 
 up to the present day. He was married on 
 November 15, 1849, to Miss Sally Swartwout, 
 daughter of Simeon and Alcy Swartwout. 
 They reared two children, Mary Ann and 
 Adelbert S., both of whom are unmarried and 
 remain at home with their parents, Adel- 
 bert looking after the property. Mr. Jere- 
 miah Chamberlain was Commissioner for one 
 year and Assessor for a period of eighteen 
 years. The family are members of the Pres- 
 byterian Church of Owasco, and in politics 
 are stanch Republicans. The Chamberlains 
 
 can date their ancestry back in unbroken suc- 
 cession for the lengthy period of two hundred 
 and fifty years ; and the fearlessness and noble 
 traits characteristic of their progenitors have 
 descended to the present generation, whose en- 
 terprising and progressive spirit is apparent 
 in the excellent farm which they now possess, 
 liberally supplied with modern improvements. 
 
 /®Yc 
 
 EORGE C. TURNER is a progressive 
 \mJ_ farmer, and one of the oldest resi- 
 dents of Fair Haven, in the town of Sterling, 
 where he was born August 28, 181 7, and 
 where he has ever since resided. His grand- 
 father, John Turner, also a farmer, came from 
 Long Island about the year 18 10, and settled 
 in Sterling, where he was one of the pioneers, 
 and one of the earliest settlers and cabin- 
 builders on a tract of land which he pur- 
 chased, reclaimed, and occupied until his 
 death. With him came his two sons, Isaac 
 and Seth, and four daughters. Isaac, the 
 father of the subject of this sketch, was born 
 on Long Island, and was about twenty-one 
 when they came to Sterling, where he helped 
 his father clear their new farm. They en- 
 dured hardships that the present generation 
 can hardly dream of — as, for instance, going 
 to Port Byron, a distance of twenty miles, on 
 horseback, following the bridle-paths, or to 
 Oswego, fifteen miles, in a row-boat, to have 
 corn and wheat ground, there being no mills 
 nearer. 
 
 At the death of his parents he inherited a 
 portion of the farm, and later bought another 
 
66o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 west of Fair Haven. For twenty years he 
 was Supervisor. His first terms he was 
 obliged to go to Auburn, the county seat, 
 thirty miles distant, on foot. Later he went 
 on horseback, as there were no wagon roads. 
 He was also for many years Justice of the 
 Peace, Assessor, Constable, and Tax-collec- 
 tor. He found his wife, Elizabeth Cooper, 
 in Sterling; but she was born in Washington 
 County. They were married in 1813, and 
 had five sons: John, George, Isaac, Seth, 
 and William, and two daughters, Sarah and 
 Nancy. After marriage his children con- 
 tinued to live near, his tract of land being 
 divided among them, the sons choosing wives 
 from the neighboring families; and for many 
 years they lived so near the old home that all 
 could be summoned in a few moments, and 
 almost by the sound of the dinner horn. 
 They celebrated their golden wedding, sur- 
 rounded by their seven children and thirty 
 grandchildren, there never having been a 
 death in their family and never a separation 
 of more than a few months. Sarah, wife of 
 William D. Cooper, died in 1874, Nancy in 
 187s, William in 1884, John in 1889, Isaac 
 in 1894, leaving their homes occupied by 
 their children. George and Seth are still 
 living, Seth in Illinois. Isaac Turner, Sr., 
 died in 1879, ^^ the age of eighty-six, his 
 wife in 1874. 
 
 George C. lived at home until he was of 
 age, in 1838, when his inquiring spirit 
 prompted a sightseeing Western trip, not 
 accomplished without difficulty at that early 
 period, when railroads were almost unknown. 
 
 The journey occupied two weeks, being by 
 stage to Clyde, canal to Buffalo, and through 
 the Great Lakes to Chicago. He then took a 
 trip through the State of Illinois by stage, 
 there not being a railroad or canal in the 
 whole State at this time. After a year there 
 he returned, the trip home taking twenty-four 
 days. He went by the Illinois River to the 
 Mississippi, down that to the Ohio, then 
 across the State of Ohio by canal to Cleve- 
 land, through Lake Erie to Buffalo, from 
 Buffalo to Rochester via Niagara Falls by 
 rail, that being the only railroad travel in the 
 whole trip, and then by stage back to Ster- 
 ling. He declined the chance to buy part of 
 the site of the present city of Chicago, then 
 a village of four hundred inhabitants, at one 
 dollar and twenty-five cents an acre, thinking 
 such a swamp of no value. He settled on 
 part of the parental acres, began clearing the 
 forest, and built a log cabin, which he occu- 
 pied for three or four years, after which he 
 built a large frame house. In 1882 he gave 
 up farming, and built his present home on a 
 hill overlooking the lake, bay, and village, 
 where he oversees the working of his two 
 farms. 
 
 On October 2-j, 1841, he married Sarah 
 McCrea, youngest daughter of Alexander and 
 Jane (McFarland) JVfcCrea, who came in 18 12 
 from Delaware County to Cayuga, where they 
 lived until their death, within two days of 
 each other, so that to them might be applied 
 the text, "In death they were not divided." 
 Mr. McCrea lived to be sixty-five, his wife 
 sixty-six. They were life-long members of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 66i 
 
 the old Covenanter, or Reformed Presbyterian, 
 church. Besides Sarah, their children were 
 John, Martha, Eliza, Thomas, and Alexander. 
 Mrs. Turner is now the only survivor of her 
 father's family. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. George C. Turner have five 
 sons and three daughters. Albert, the eldest, 
 engaged in the publishing business in New 
 York, married Sarah C. Barton. They have 
 three children^ Albertha N., Harold W. F., 
 and Grace B. Alexander is also in New 
 York in business. He married Martha Hall, 
 of Wayne County. Allison is in the clothing 
 business in San Francisco. He married Nel- 
 lie Mann, and they have two children — Har- 
 old and a little daughter. G. Nelson lives in 
 Rialto, Cal., and has an orange grove and 
 fruit ranch. He married there, and has one 
 daughter, Marcia L. Frank I., connected 
 with the Manhattan Gas Company, of New 
 York, married Madeleine Ziegler. The three 
 daughters are: Mary E. ; Martha J.; and 
 Emma E., who is the wife of Dr. J. H. Sey- 
 mour, of Los Angeles, Cal. Dr. and Mrs. 
 Seymour have two children — Marguerite and 
 J. Howard Seymour. 
 
 In politics Mr. Turner is a Republican; 
 and his sons all follow in his footsteps, as he 
 followed in his father's Whig footsteps. He 
 is an honored member of the Presbyterian 
 church, of which all his family are members. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Turner have seen many and 
 very great changes in the town, but have been 
 spared any great trials or afflictions, as they, 
 like his father, celebrated their golden wed- 
 ding without a death in their family, a cir- 
 
 cumstance that can seldom be found in the 
 case of a father and son. He is now in his 
 seventy-eighth year, vigorous physically and 
 mentally, with his wife and eight children 
 and all the grandchildren living. 
 
 (^OHN MEYER. In the building up of 
 the great commonwealths of our nation, 
 Germany has sent us many of her 
 sons, who, by their intelligence, sturdy indus- 
 try, and frugality, have given able assistance, 
 contributing their full quota toward its devel- 
 opment and progress, and ever proving them- 
 selves useful and law-abiding citizens. Of 
 this number we take pleasure in mentioning 
 the subject of this personal history, who is a 
 mechanic of ability, residing in the city of 
 Auburn. He is yet in the prime of a vigor- 
 ous manhood, having been born November 
 2 5) 1853, near the banks of the beautiful 
 river Rhine, in the town of Saarbrucken, 
 province of Rhine, Germany, a son of 
 Frank Meyer, Jr., and a grandson of Frank 
 Meyer, Sr., who was a life-long resident of 
 Germany, where he held a conspicuous posi- 
 tion among the worthy citizens of his native 
 province. 
 
 The father of our subject, who spent the 
 earlier years of his life in the Fatherland, 
 was a well-educated and well-bred man, who, 
 on reaching the required age, became a soldier 
 in the regular army, and, b&ing fine looking 
 and of superb physique, was appointed a mem- 
 ber of the King's Guard, in which he served 
 as a Sergeant. He was subsequently engaged 
 
662 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 as a freight handler for a transportation com- 
 pany between France and Germany, where he 
 worked faithfully, and acquired some prop- 
 erty. One of his brothers, a man of afflu- 
 ence, dying in Rome, N. Y., he was called to 
 this country to settle his estate. Accom- 
 panied by his eldest daughter, Sophia, he took 
 passage on a sailing-vessel; but the weather 
 was rough, and he was sick all the time, and 
 after fifty days succumbed, dying six days 
 before reaching port, his body being buried 
 beneath the waves. His daughter, who was a 
 young lady of superior ability, completed his 
 errand, and remained in this country. The 
 maiden name of his wife was Sophia Presser. 
 She was a daughter of Christian Presser, also 
 of Germany. The maiden name of the wife 
 of Christian Presser was Reinsager. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Meyer reared a family of ten children, 
 of whom the following are living: Frank C, 
 Louise, Caroline, and John. Frank C, who 
 came to this country in 1867, married Eliza- 
 beth Will, of Auburn; and they have nine 
 children. Louise, who was the last member 
 of her family to leave the Fatherland, married 
 Anthony Jourdan, of Germany ; and they have 
 eight children. Caroline, who married Peter 
 Lamperdorfer, a native of Baden, Germany, 
 has four children. John is the subject of this 
 notice. 
 
 John Meyer, it is needless to say, received 
 a substantial education; for in no country of 
 the civilized world are more compulsory meas- 
 ures used for enforcing the attendance of chil- 
 dren at the public schools, and nowhere are 
 the results more satisfactory. At the age of 
 
 fourteen years he was apprenticed to learn the 
 trade of a locksmith. In October, 1869, he 
 came with his mother to America, sailing 
 from Hamburg on the steamship "West- 
 phalia" of the Hamburg line, arriving in 
 New York City the thirteenth day of Novem- 
 ber. Coming at once to Auburn to join his 
 brother, he secured employment with D. M. 
 Osborne & Co., for whom he worked about 
 seven months, and the following two years was 
 an employee of Hamlin, Kirby & Co. Going 
 thence to New York City, he worked for a 
 time at the Thirteenth Street Iron Works, 
 but, not being satisfied with his situation, re- 
 turned to Auburn, again entering the employ- 
 ment of D. M. Osborne & Co., his work being 
 to temper sections for the machinery. Subse- 
 quently Mr. Meyer opened a restaurant on 
 State Street, Auburn, carrying on a very good 
 business for two years. At the expiration of 
 that time, forming a copartnership with 
 Frank A. Weddigen, he opened a shop for the 
 manufacture of nuts, washers, springs, and 
 machine keys, and has since carried on a 
 flourishing business, enlarging and extending 
 it from year to year. 
 
 In 1878 Mr. Meyer was united in marriage, 
 Mary Redmond, one of the most estimable 
 and affable of the young ladies of Auburn, 
 becoming his wife, and the sharer of his 
 household comforts and pleasures. But the 
 hand of death crossed the threshold of their 
 happy home, bearing away his beloved com- 
 panion, she passing on to the joys of the 
 future world in 1892, leaving no children. 
 Mr. Meyer is a man of excellent business 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 663 
 
 qualities, and possesses the characteristics of 
 the native-born Germans, not the least of 
 these being his honesty and his love of truth 
 and justice. He became a naturalized citi- 
 zen in 1874, and since that time has been ac- 
 tively identified with the Republican party, 
 casting his first vote in 1876 for Rutherford 
 B. Hayes. In 1876, 1877, and 1878 he was 
 Inspector of Elections, and has since served 
 in an official capacity, having been elected 
 Supervisor in his ward, which was very com- 
 plimentary to him, the ward being strongly 
 Democratic. He has also been a member of 
 Hose Company No. 6 for many years. 
 
 'USTUS B. CHAPPELL, one of the 
 oldest and most respected merchants 
 of Fair Haven, was born at Onondaga 
 Hollow, Onondaga County, N.Y., Septem'ber 
 9, 1829, and is the son of Norman and Mary 
 M. (McCausey) Chappell. His grandfather, 
 who came from the East to Onondaga County, 
 died about sixty-three years ago. Norman 
 Chappell was born in Onondaga County, and 
 lived all his life on the bank of Otisco Lake. 
 Justus. B. Chappell received his education 
 in the common schools and at the Oswego 
 Academy, where he remained for six years, 
 such advantages being a rarity for a farmer's 
 son in those days. Leaving school, he was 
 employed as a clerk for four years in Oswego, 
 afterward going to Sterling in 1852, where he 
 opened a country store for himself, the vil- 
 lage of Fair Haven not being known by this 
 name at that period. Mr. Chappell upon his 
 
 entrance into business life was endowed with 
 the small capital of seventy-five dollars, but 
 had plenty of pluck and energy to back it; 
 and, his credit being good, it was only a little 
 time before he paid every dollar he owed, and 
 found himself the possessor of a large country 
 store. In 1881 Mr. Chappell came to Fair 
 Haven, where he bought half of the finest 
 brick block in the place, containing three 
 stores, Mr. Chappell occupying two, carrying 
 a large general stock of dry goods, groceries, 
 boots and shoes, and, in fact, everything nec- 
 essary to a first-class country store, his stock 
 now being valued at over six thousand dollars. 
 He is always prompt in the payment of his 
 bills, and has perhaps the best credit of any 
 business man in the county. He built and 
 owns a beautiful home. He is a Democrat in 
 politics, but has never been an aspirant for 
 public office, or taken any prominent part in 
 politics. 
 
 Mr. Chappell was married on April i, 
 1852, to Miss Sarah Duguid, a native of this 
 town, and a daughter of Alexander Duguid, 
 one of the most prominent farmers in the 
 county. Mrs. Chappell is the sister-in-law of 
 Senator Hunter. The latter now lives at the 
 old home of Mr. Chappell at Sterling. ' Mr. 
 and Mrs. Chappell have been blessed with 
 four children, namely: Alice; George, who is 
 engaged in the store with his father; Will- 
 iam, also associated with his father; and 
 a younger daughter. Rose. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Chappell with their family are members of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, of which 
 Mr. Chappell is superintendent. 
 
664 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Chappell during his long business ca- 
 reer has gained a name for probity and honor- 
 able methods of dealing second to none in the 
 county, his largeness of heart and open- 
 handedness endearing him to all. 
 
 -OHN KEVAND, senior member of the 
 firm of Kevand Brothers, and Super- 
 visor of the town of Brutus, a resident 
 of Weedsport since 1866, was born at Sharon 
 Springs, Schoharie County, N.Y., on January 
 19, 1841, the son of Alexander and Mary 
 (Hiller) Kevand. Alexander Kevand was 
 born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and came to 
 New York when twenty-two years of age, 
 afterward going to Schoharie County, where 
 he worked at cabinet-making, having served an 
 apprenticeship to the trade. He was subse- 
 quently engaged as a carpenter and contractor 
 at Sharon Springs, where he made his home 
 until his death, which took place on March 
 17, 1869. Mrs. Mary Hiller Kevand was 
 born in the town of Sharon, and was the 
 daughter of David Hiller, an old pioneer and 
 at one time a soldier, his grandfather having 
 fought in the Revolutionary War. Mrs. Ke- 
 vand died in Weedsport, December 23, 1891. 
 She was the mother of a family of nine chil- 
 dren, five of whom are living, namely: Sarah, 
 wife of Martin Van Buren, of Weedsport; 
 John; William and David, residents of 
 Weedsport; and Ann. Mr. and Mrs. Alex- 
 ander Kevand were attendants and supporters 
 of the Presbyterian church. 
 
 John Kevand received his early education 
 
 in Sharon Springs, and, upon the conclusion 
 of his school life, was engaged as clerk for 
 one year, previous to his enlistment in the 
 fall of 1863 in Company K, Ninth New York 
 Heavy Artillery. He joined the Army of the 
 Potomac, going first to North Ann River, 
 Cold Harbor, and Spottsylvania. He was at 
 the siege of Petersburg, the battles of Win- 
 chester, Cedar Creek, Hatcher's Run, Sailor 
 Creek, and Appomattox. He was fortunate 
 in not being wounded or captured, and was 
 not absent from the regiment a single day. 
 He was Orderly Sergeant when mustered out 
 of service in Washington, D.C., on October 
 15, 1865, having remained with his regiment 
 several months after the close of the war. He 
 took part in the second Grand Army review, 
 and was offered the commission of Lieutenant, 
 which he did not care to accept. After being 
 mustered out, he returned to Sharon, where 
 he taught school for one year. He came to 
 Weedsport in October, 1866, and engaged 
 with the Henderson-Mack Company as book- 
 keeper, remaining with them until 1872, 
 when he went into partnership with J. C. 
 Bryant as general merchants, the partnership 
 lasting until the death of Mr. Bryant in 1884, 
 after which he took his brother David into 
 partnership, forming the firm of Kevand 
 Brothers. They have a large and increasing 
 business, carrying a fine general stock of dry 
 goods, groceries, boots and shoes, and miscel- 
 laneous articles. Mr. Kevand has been 
 School Trustee, also Trustee of the village of 
 Weedsport. He was elected Supervisor of 
 the town of Brutus in 1891, and received the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 66s 
 
 honor of re-election in 1892, 1893, and 1894, 
 the last term being for two years. He has 
 also served on the Committee of Equalization 
 for many years. 
 
 On November 18, 1875, Mr. Kevand was 
 married to Miss Ella A. Henderson, daughter 
 of Julius Henderson, an old resident of the 
 village, and has two children — Julius H. and 
 Janet. The family are members of the Pres- 
 byterian church, of which Mr. Kevand is the 
 Treasurer. He is also a member of J. E. 
 Whiteside Post, Grand Army of the Republic, 
 No. 166. Mr. Kevand is prompt and exact in 
 all his business undertakings, being known as 
 one of the most honest and trustworthy citi- 
 zens of Weedsport. 
 
 M 
 
 R. GEORGE B. WRIGHT, a promi- 
 rs m nent dentist of Auburn, was born at 
 Lee, Berkshire County, Mass., May 
 II, 1826, the son of Samuel and Olive (Ben- 
 ton) Wright. The father was a f aimer and 
 merchant, being engaged in business at Stock- 
 bridge, and later at Lee, Lenox, and Pitts- 
 field. This branch of the Wright family early 
 settled in Bristol, Conn., and can trace their 
 ancestry back to the historic "Mayflower," 
 probably through intermarriage with daugh- 
 ters of the Pilgrim Fathers. The first of this 
 name in New England, according to the Co- 
 lonial records, was William Wright, who, 
 with his wife Priscilla, arrived at Plymouth in 
 the "Fortune" on November 9, 162 1. Rich- 
 ard, "perhaps a son of William," married 
 Hester Cook, daughter of Francis Cook, and 
 
 died in 1691, aged eighty-three. His home 
 was in Plympton, Mass. Samuel Wright, of 
 Berkshire County, was married on September 
 II, 1823, to Olive Benton, a daughter of 
 Ichabod Benton; and of the children born to 
 them the following are still living: Samuel 
 A. ; George B. ; Julia Catherine, wife of 
 William Manning; Algernon Sidney; John 
 Henry; Charles S. ; Georgiaette, wife of 
 William Harmon; and Theodore. Mr. Sam- 
 uel Wright was born at Lenox on August 8, 
 1799, and died September 11, 1874. Mrs. 
 Olive B. Wright was born November 22, 
 1804, and died May 13, 1857. 
 
 The subject of this sketch received his first 
 education at the Lee Academy, and pursued 
 his studies later under John Hotchkins at 
 Lenox, one of the most celebrated teachers of 
 the day in preparing young men for college. 
 He was one of those judicious and truly help- 
 ful instructors who teach pupils how to think 
 for themselves and to use their faculties. 
 Mr. Wright, after completing his education, 
 taught school for nine years during the winter 
 months, three years of which were in the old 
 grammar school at Pittsfield. He was also 
 teacher and assistant superintendent at the 
 House of Refuge for three years, having 
 charge of the disciplining of the two hundred 
 boys and girls who were sentenced to that 
 place. Mr. Wright also found time to attend 
 to his father's farm of some three hundred 
 acres, and was perfectly conversant with all 
 branches of agriculture. When a boy of fif- 
 teen, he learned the trade of turning in wood; 
 and, unknown to his parents, he hired himself 
 
666 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 out to a man in his spare time for nominal 
 wages, eventually becoming so proficient that 
 he could have got eighteen dollars per month 
 for his work, while farm wages were only 
 eight dollars. Mr. Wright came to Auburn 
 in 1852, and engaged in the hardware and tin 
 business as partner with his brother, who was 
 a practical workman. He continued in that 
 business for three years, after which he went 
 into the office of Dr. S. N. Smith to learn 
 dentistry, remaining with him two years, 
 when he bought a part interest in the busi- 
 ness, and after one year more bought his part- 
 ner out and took the business himself, and has 
 continued actively in the same ever since. 
 Dr. Wright is the oldest dentist in point of 
 practice in Auburn, there having been but 
 five dentists in the city when he began busi- 
 ness. He has had a most successful and lu- 
 crative practice for thirty-six years, recently 
 associating his son, George B. Wright, Jr., 
 with him in his office. Dr. Wright has never 
 taken any active part in politics, and is a 
 member of only one secret organization, Au- 
 burn Lodge, A. F. & A. M. 
 
 Dr. Wright has been married twice, first to 
 Miss Lydia J. Thatcher, by whom he had four 
 children, namely: George B., Jr.; Frank S., 
 who is an attorney of this city; Charles Fred, 
 of Cleveland, Ohio; and Lucy Grace, wife of 
 Le Grand B. Randall, of Brooklyn, N.Y. 
 His second wife was Miss R. Grace Thatcher; 
 and they have one son, Thatcher B., who is 
 now learning the trade of a machinist in this 
 city. Dr. Wright has performed many parts 
 during his busy and eventful life; and in 
 
 every part he has been successful, whether 
 as a teacher, farmer, wood-carver, or dentist. 
 He has never been prominent in public 
 affairs, being chary of publicity; but his 
 many good qualities during his long residence 
 in Auburn have been duly noted, gaining for 
 him hosts of friends, to whom the prosperity 
 and advancement of himself and family have 
 always been matters of deep interest. 
 
 g)7lRAM W. BABCOCK, a well-known 
 and highly esteemed wholesale meat 
 dealer of the city of Auburn, N.Y., 
 was born on October 13, 1847, and came to 
 this county from Tully, Onondaga County, 
 when he was seven years of age. His parents 
 were George S. and Jerusha B. (Welsh) Bab- 
 cock. He was educated in the public schools 
 of this city, and, having completed his 
 studies, entered upon the business of life as a 
 drover and shipper of cattle. He was emi- 
 nently successful in this line of business, and 
 continued in it until 1889, when he estab- 
 lished a wholesale commission house for the 
 sale of meat, and in addition to that engaged 
 in farming in the town of Fleming. He con- 
 tinued in the commission business until 1892, 
 when he retired to his farm. In 1893 he was 
 appointed receiver for the Birdsall Company 
 in the settlement of their business, which in- 
 volved claims upon the estate to the large 
 amount of one million, fifty-four thousand dol- 
 lars; and to this very responsible undertaking 
 Mr. Babcock now devotes his whole time. 
 
 Mr. Babcock has been Supervisor of his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 667 
 
 town, to which he was elected on the Demo- 
 cratic ticket. He has also been a member of 
 some of the most important committees. He 
 was nominated for Sheriff of the County, 
 which has a Republican majority of three 
 thousand five hundred, and was defeated by 
 only four hundred and thirty-seven votes. At 
 the present time he is Chairman of the Demo- 
 cratic County Committee. 
 
 Mr. Babcock married Miss Ella L. Thorpe; 
 and they have three children — George R., 
 Millie C, and Hiram W. The family are 
 attendants and supporters of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. Mr. Babcock is one of the 
 most popular men in the city of Auburn. 
 That he is a man of the highest business abil- 
 ity, and with the highest reputation for integ- 
 rity, is sufficiently indicated by the responsible 
 position he fills as Receiver for the Birdsall 
 Company. 
 
 B. VAN BUSKIRK, M.D., one 
 of the leading physicians of Ca- 
 yuga County, is a man of superior 
 attainments and culture, whose wide experi- 
 ence and rare success in the practice of his 
 profession have given him a prominent posi- 
 tion in the medical fraternity, and secured for 
 him an extensive and lucrative patronage. 
 He is a native of the Keystone State, born in 
 Stroudsburgh, Monroe County, the date being 
 September 18, 1840. His paternal ancestors 
 originated in the kingdom of Holland, which 
 has given to the United States some of its 
 most thrifty and frugal people. There his 
 paternal great-grandfather was born; and 
 
 there he lived until after marriage, when he 
 and his wife crossed the Atlantic in search of 
 the fortune that was scarcely obtainable in 
 their own land. On arriving in this country, 
 they went directly to Pennsylvania, and in 
 Monroe County took up a tract of land, and 
 were soon busily engaged in improving a 
 homestead. After a few years he erected a 
 substantial house, in which he and his wife 
 lived until called to their heavenly home. 
 This dwelling is still standing, and in a fair 
 state of preservation. 
 
 William L. Van Buskirk, the grandfather 
 of our subject, was born in Hamilton, Monroe 
 County, and there reared to habits of industry 
 and frugality. On the paternal homestead he 
 labored with diligence, and, when he had ac- 
 cumulated some money, invested it in land. 
 Being a skilful farmer, with a keen eye to 
 business, he bought other land from time to 
 time, until he was the possessor of an exten- 
 sive farm, containing three hundred and fifty 
 acres of good land, finely located near 
 Stroudsburgh, the county seat. There he 
 and his wife, formerly Sarah Levers, of Phila- 
 delphia, died; and their remains were laid to 
 rest in the old churchyard. They reared a 
 family of six children; namely, George, Jo- 
 seph, James H., Maria, Charlotte, and Susan. 
 
 James H. Van Buskirk, father of the sub- 
 ject of this notice, was reared and educated in 
 Stroudsburgh, the place of his nativity, and, 
 after leaving the district school, completed 
 his studies at the seminary there. Like other 
 farmers' sons he assisted in the work of the 
 farm, thus when quite young obtaining a prac- 
 
668 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tical knowledge of the science of agriculture, 
 and, finding it a congenial occupation, chose 
 it as a means of earning a livelihood. Soon 
 after his marriage he bought a farm of one 
 hundred and fifty acres, which he placed 
 under excellent cultivation, making many sub- 
 stantial improvements, among others being 
 the erection of a large brick house, a commo- 
 dious barn, and a wagon-shed. On this 
 homestead, which was within sight of the 
 home of his childhood, he and his wife passed 
 their lives, honored and respected by all. He 
 married Edna Brown, the daughter of Michael 
 and Rebecca (Johnson) Brown ; and of their 
 union three children were born — M. B., 
 Susan, and William. 
 
 M. B. Van Buskirk received a substantial 
 foundation for his future education in the 
 academy at Stroudsburgh, and afterward at- 
 tended Glenwood Academy, going thence to a 
 preparatory school in the same town, and 
 being under the tuition of Professor Allsop, a 
 Quaker of more than local repute. Deciding 
 on a professional career, he entered the Uni- 
 versity of Pennsylvania, taking the literary 
 and medical course, and was graduated from 
 there in 1866, with an honorable record as a 
 faithful student. Prior to this time occurred 
 the outbreak of the Rebellion; and Dr. Van 
 Buskirk, inspired by patriotic motives, en- 
 listed in the One Hundred and Seventy-sixth 
 Pennsylvania Regiment, and, after serving 
 faithfully for one year, was detailed and sent 
 to Hilton Head, S.C, where he remained one 
 year, caring for the sick and wounded, allevi- 
 ating their sufferings, and rendering them all 
 
 possible aid. He subsequently practised for 
 a time in a Pennsylvania hospital, and, after 
 receiving his diploma, came to Cayuga 
 County. Opening his office in Genoa on 
 June I, 1866, he at once entered upon the 
 duties and responsibilities of his chosen call- 
 ing, soon winning the esteem and confidence 
 of the people of that vicinity, who learned to 
 respect him for his natural talents and the 
 fidelity with which he attended those requir- 
 ing the exercise of his professional judgment 
 and skill. During the twenty-six years that 
 Dr. Van Buskirk remained in Genoa he was 
 closely identified with its every interest. He 
 served as Trustee of the academy for three 
 years, was Supervisor in 1883 and 1884, 
 President of the village two years, and in 
 1885 and 1886 represented his constituents 
 most acceptably in the Assembly. On com- 
 ing to Ledyard, the Doctor purchased a beau- 
 tiful residence on the shores of Cayuga Lake. 
 The house is built of stone, the exterior being 
 ornamented with Lake Ontario cobble-stone, 
 which is a beautiful stone, of uniform size, 
 smoothly finished, the color being a fine 
 brown. It is most artistically laid, produc- 
 ing a very pleasing effect. The grounds have 
 a natural descent to the lake, with nearly 
 half a mile frontage on the same; and, the 
 house being on an elevation, a magnificent 
 view for many miles is obtained of the lake 
 and the surrounding country, making it one of 
 the most pleasant and desirable homes in the 
 State. Here he and his amiable wife ever 
 welcome their many friends, and entertain 
 them with a gracious hospitality. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 669 
 
 On the 14th of November, 1866, Dr. Van 
 Buskirk and Miss Sarah DeShong were united 
 at the marriage altar. The bride was a 
 daughter of Valencourt and Maria DeShong, 
 residents of Ledyard. To complete the hap- 
 piness of their union two children were born; 
 but God in his wisdom called one, the pet of 
 the household, to the better land, Edwin D., 
 a bright little boy, passing from earth at the 
 tender age of five years. 
 
 " Oh, not in cruelty, not in wratli, 
 The Reaper came that day ; 
 'Twas an angel visited the green earth, 
 And bore the flower away." 
 
 The other child, Elizabeth, is an accom- 
 plished young lady, now pursuing her studies 
 at Wells College. 
 
 In politics Dr. Van Buskirk has been a.n 
 adherent of the Republican party since cast- 
 ing his first Presidential vote, which he did in 
 1864, voting then for Abraham Lincoln, and 
 has since voted for every President, with the 
 exception of Grover Cleveland. Socially, he 
 is a member of Robinson Post, Grand Army 
 of the Republic, of Genoa, of which he was 
 Commander for four years. He is also a 
 prominent member of the Cayuga County 
 Medical Society and Vice-President of the 
 Medical Protective Association of Cayuga 
 County. 
 
 [OHN J. TANNER, the enterprising 
 proprietor of the large box factory at 
 Port Byron, was born at Beaver Dam, 
 Schuyler County, N.Y., March 14, 1850, and 
 
 is the son of Lyman and Hulda (Byrum) Tan- 
 ner. He received his early education at 
 Beaver Dam, Breesport, and Millport, all in 
 New York State, while at the latter town at- 
 tending a graded school. He then learned 
 the boat-building trade at Ulster, Pa., and 
 Ithaca, N.Y., after which he learned the car- 
 penter's trade, and engaged in contracting at 
 Waverly, in this State, where he lived for 
 some six years, and had in his employ a 
 number of men. In 1879 he came to Port 
 Byron, and engaged in the business of build- 
 ing canal bridges, ice-chests, and ice-boxes. 
 In 1886 he bought the property and water- 
 power where he is now located, afterward 
 erecting a large factory. The main building 
 is thirty-two by seventy-two, two stories high, 
 with an addition eighteen by thirty and an- 
 other addition eighteen by twenty-seven, the 
 power-house and engine-room being eighteen 
 by twenty-four, all except the engine-house 
 being two stories high. He has also a good 
 power from the Owasco Outlet, and an addi- 
 tional thirty-horse-power steam boiler and 
 engine. In his business of manufacturing 
 canal bridges, ice-boxes, and canal supplies 
 he has three buildings of the following di- 
 mensions: twenty by forty-two feet, sixteen 
 by twenty-four feet, and eighteen by forty- 
 eight feet, his whole plant having a space of 
 over ten thousand square feet. The factory 
 is fitted up with all the latest machinery for 
 a planing-mill and for box-making, which 
 gives employment to ten men. Mr. Tanner 
 has the finest plant in this part of the State, 
 — nothing similar to it nearer than Syracuse 
 
670 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 or Rochester. He does a very large local 
 trade, and his factory is kept in fine order. 
 A number of machines used in box-making 
 are of his own invention. Mr. Tanner has 
 held many of the local offices of the town and 
 village. He has been a Trustee of the vil- 
 lage, and is now in his tenth year on the 
 Board of Education, in which he takes much 
 interest. In politics he votes with the Re- 
 publican party. 
 
 Mr. Tanner was married in January, 1872, 
 to Miss S. Elthina Olmsted, of Ulster, Pa. 
 They have two sons: Leslie L., a graduate of 
 the class of 1894 of Port Byron Free School 
 and Academy, and George E. Mrs. Tanner 
 was born in Ulster, Pa., her father, Charles 
 Olmsted, being an old resident of Smithfield. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Tanner are members of the 
 Baptist church, of which Mr. Tanner has been 
 Trustee for many years, and in which he is 
 one of the most active workers. He has been 
 Treasurer and for some years superintendent 
 of the Sunday-school, and is President of this 
 branch of the Christian Endeavor Society, 
 Young People's Society of Christian En- 
 deavor, of which he was one of the charter 
 members. He is a member of Rock Spring 
 Lodge, No. 568, Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows, of which he was a charter member 
 and Past Grand, he being the second Past 
 Grand of the Lodge. He is also a member of 
 the fire department, being Vice-President, 
 having held all the different offices, includ- 
 ing that of President, being now an honorary 
 member. Mr. Tanner is one of the most 
 highly respected and esteemed men in Port 
 
 Byron. He has ever been active in all work 
 pertaining to the best interests of the town. 
 He has been indefatigable in all branches of 
 church work, and all his life has been a thor- 
 oughly consistent man. 
 
 DDY F. SWART, Division Engineer of 
 the Auburn Division of the Lehigh 
 Valley Railroad, also of the Auburn and 
 Ithaca Branch, was born at Middleport, 
 Niagara County, N.Y., October 4, 1835, and 
 is the son of Dirck and Margaret A. (Good- 
 win) Swart. The father is a native of Me- 
 chanicsville, Saratoga County, N.Y., and is an 
 old resident of Niagara County, where he has 
 been engaged for many years in the mercan- 
 tile business. His emigrant ancestors were 
 Hollanders, and at various times the family 
 has intermarried with some of the oldest 
 Knickerbocker stock. Gerrit Swart was 
 made Sheriff of Rensselaerwyck in 1652, 
 and held the office till 1670. Theunis C. 
 Swart was one of the first settlers of Schenec- 
 tady. 
 
 The subject of this sketch received his early 
 education in the common schools 'of Middle- 
 port, afterward graduating from the Albion 
 High School of Orleans County. In 1852 he 
 went into the office of the division engineer 
 of the Erie Canal, studying with him for two 
 years. He afterward worked on the canal in 
 the engineering corps, being engaged in field 
 work for about five years, having attained the 
 position of leveller at the time of his father's 
 death in 1858. He then remained at home 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 671 
 
 for a time, and in the fall of 1861 went to 
 Chicago, where he was engaged as clerk in 
 a commission house on Dearborn Street. 
 While there, he was employed as a salesman, 
 also in travelling and buying produce for the 
 firm. He remained in Chicago until 1864, 
 when he left for the oil regions in Pennsyl- 
 vania, being engaged with the engineering- 
 corps of the Oil Creek Railroad. He helped 
 to lay that road, remaining with them until 
 the line reached from Corry to Oil City. He 
 was also engaged on the extension from Corry 
 to Brocton, holding the position of Assistant 
 Engineer, which gave him charge over the 
 men in the field and also in the office. He 
 stayed there until May, 1867, when he came 
 to Auburn as Division Engineer of the 
 Southern Central Railroad at the time they 
 were making surveys of the road. He as- 
 sisted in the location of this road, being en- 
 gaged from Fair Haven on the north and Dry- 
 den on the south, and was overseer of the 
 construction of the road from its first survey 
 until the track was laid. He remained here 
 until 1 87 1, when he went to the Cayuga Lake 
 Railroad, holding the position of Assistant 
 Engineer for four m^onths. He then went 
 into the employ of the Utica, Ithaca & El- 
 mira Railroad, now known as the E. C. & N., 
 as Chief Engineer of that road, during the 
 latter part of the construction period. He 
 afterward went to Lake Superior, and was 
 employed in the copper mines on Keweenaw 
 Point, working for the Alleouez & Osceola 
 Copper Mining Company, being engaged in 
 the building of railroad track, laying out 
 
 shafts, and general engineering work of all 
 kinds. He returned in 1874 to the Southern 
 Central Railroad Company, and was Chief 
 Engineer and Road Master until 1885, when 
 the Lehigh Valley Company leased it; he 
 also occupied the same position when the 
 Reading got control of the road, having 
 charge of the engineering department, also of 
 all work on the road-bed, and looking after 
 section men, having one hundred and sixty- 
 five men under his direction. Mr. Swart 
 had charge of the line from the State line to 
 Fair Haven, from Auburn to Ithaca, and from 
 Cayuga to Cayuga Junction. 
 
 Mr. Swart is a member of the Road Mas- 
 ters' Association of America. In politics he 
 has generally voted with the Democratic 
 party, but has never been an active politi- 
 cian. He was married on April 24, 1867, to 
 Miss Sarah Bradish, of Fredonia, N.Y., and 
 has three sons; namely, Walter G., Edward 
 B., and Richard H. Walter G., of Victor, 
 Col., married Clara C. Challar, of Homer, 
 N.Y. Edward B. married Ella M. Smith, of 
 Seattle, Wash. He is engaged in business in 
 this city. They have one son, Arthur Hough- 
 ton. Richard is a student at Cornell Univer- 
 sity, and will graduate in the class of 1895. 
 Mr. Bradish was one of the oldest residents 
 of that town, and is now a prominent portrait 
 and landscape painter of Detroit. Mrs. 
 Bradish was carefully and thoroughly edu- 
 cated in music, principally instrumental, for 
 which she has a decided taste, and at the con- 
 clusion of the war was directress of the old, 
 original Fisk Jubilee Singers, travelling ex- 
 
672 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tensively through Europe with them. She 
 teaches both vocal and instrumental music, 
 being especially noted as an accompanist, 
 having at Silver Lake Assembly accompanied 
 Dr. Root, and also played at Cortland for 
 Professor Palmer. 
 
 The family are attendants and supporters of 
 the Central Presbyterian Church, Mrs. Swart 
 having led the music there for some time. 
 Mr. Swart is a man of rare intelligence, hav- 
 ing risen from the lowest rank of the engi- 
 neering profession to his present high 
 position, with no other aid than a pair of 
 willing hands, and a clear and comprehensive 
 brain, which at all times has successfully 
 mastered the intricacies of his vocation. 
 
 (^tEROME B. WEBSTER, a prosperous 
 
 i 
 
 farmer of Cayuga County, living at his 
 pleasant ancestral home in the town of 
 Throop, is a worthy representative of those 
 solid and substantial citizens who have made 
 agriculture their vocation through life, and by 
 their indomitable energy and persevering in- 
 dustry have succeeded in their calling. He 
 is a native of this county, born in the town of 
 Aurelius, December 28, 1835, being a son of 
 the late Charles Webster. He is of New 
 England antecedents, his grandfather, Nathan 
 E. Webster, who was a pioneer of Broome 
 County, and later one of the original settlers 
 of Aurelius, Cayuga County, having been a 
 native of New Hampshire. For further his- 
 tory of his grandparents see the sketch of 
 Hiram Webster, a brother of Jerome, which 
 
 may be found on another page of this bio- 
 graphical work. 
 
 Charles J. Webster, son of Nathan E. and 
 father of Hiram and Jerome, was born in Au- 
 relius, Cayuga County, March 23, 1789. He 
 was an intelligent, capable youth, and im- 
 bibed a good knowledge of the studies pur- 
 sued in the schools of his native town, and on 
 the homestead had practical experience in the 
 art of agriculture. On arriving at manhood 
 he was for a while employed as a teacher in 
 the public schools; but on the declaration of 
 war between England and the United States, 
 in 1812, he entered his country's service, en- 
 listing in an independent rifle corps. After a 
 short campaign he sold his equipments, and 
 subsequently was active as a commissary. 
 Returning home after the cessation of hostili- 
 ties, he bought a tract of land, and began the 
 improvement of a farm. With the qualities 
 of vigorous, resolute manhood that insure suc- 
 cess, he carried on his work, meeting with 
 prosperity at every turn, adding to his acreage 
 from time to time, until he had a valuable 
 farm of five hundred acres, the original home- 
 stead being now occupied by his son, Jerome 
 B., above named. He carried on general 
 farming for many years, retiring, however, 
 from the active cares of life some ten years 
 prior to his decease, passing his declining 
 days in pleasant leisure at the home of his 
 youngest daughter in Auburn, dying there at 
 the ripe old age of eighty-eight years. 
 
 He married Arvilla Fish, a daughter of 
 Nathan Fish, of Aurelius; and their house- 
 hold circle was gradually enlarged by the 
 
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BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 67s 
 
 birth of eighteen children, as follows: Na- 
 than E. ; Cynthia E. ; William; James V. ; 
 Ellen M.; Ira O. ; Hiram; Louisa; George; 
 Mary M. ; Sophia J.; Jerome B. and George, 
 twins; Margaret E. ; Juliet A.; Flavius J.; 
 Thomas J. ; and Frances A. Four children 
 died : Cynthia, James, George, and an infant. 
 While rearing this large family, time dealt 
 gently with them; and for forty-seven blessed 
 years death crossed not the threshold of that 
 happy home. 
 
 Jerome B. Webster was among the younger 
 of the children born to his parents, and re- 
 ceived an excellent common-school education, 
 attending the district schools of Aurelius and 
 Throop. Being reared to agricultural pur- 
 suits, he selected farming as the means by 
 which he should obtain a livelihood and a 
 comfortable competence. The homestead of 
 his parents being large, he always found 
 ample occupation on it, and has made it his 
 permanent abiding-place. On the recent set- 
 tling up of the parental estate the farm build- 
 ings in the town of Throop and seventy-one 
 acres of arable land fell to his share. He is 
 engaged in mixed husbandry, using excellent 
 judgment in the cultivation of his crops, and 
 sagacity in his business affairs. 
 
 Mr. Webster was united in marriage in 
 1877 to Miss Minnie Kingsley, the daughter 
 of Alpha and Catherine (McMullen) Kings- 
 ley, of Vermont. The Webster family of 
 Throop are people of intelligence, sound 
 sense, and genuine worth, with whom it is a 
 pleasure to have a friendship; and they have 
 the respect and esteem of their entire neigh- 
 
 borhood. Politically, Mr. Webster is a 
 stanch supporter of the principles promulgated 
 by the Republican party. 
 
 KORDYCE H. BENEDICT, M.D., of 
 Weedsport, one of the leading practi- 
 tioners of medicine of the regular school, was 
 born at Andes, Delaware County, N.Y., Au- 
 gust 19, 1844, and is the son of William and 
 Electa (Dodge) Benedict, the father being a 
 farmer and old resident of that county. He 
 was born in Danbury, Conn., in 1802. The 
 grandfather Ezra moved from Connecticut to 
 Andes, where he kept a hotel, which was 
 afterward conducted by his son. Both father 
 and son, however, retired from hotel life, and 
 engaged in farming. Ezra was a stanch up- 
 holder of the Presbyterian faith, being a 
 Deacon and Elder in the church. His son 
 was afterward a Deacon of the same church. 
 William Benedict married Miss Electa 
 Dodge, of Oswego, N.Y., a daughter of Ezra 
 Dodge, who was one of the pioneers of Tioga 
 County, and lived to be nearly ninety years 
 of age. Mr. and Mrs. Benedict I'eared a fam- 
 ily of seven children, three of whom are liv- 
 ing, namely: Sarah M. ; Fordyce H.; and 
 Marsena, now of New Jersey. The father 
 died in Weedsport in 1879, and the mother in 
 1882, they having come here about 1874. 
 Mr. Benedict was an Elder of the Presbyte- 
 rian church of Weedsport. He was a stanch 
 Whig and Abolitionist, but never an aspirant 
 for office. 
 
 Fordyce H. Benedict received his early 
 
676 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 education at Andes and at the Delaware Lit- 
 eral}' Institute in Franklin, where the family 
 moved in 1855. He taught school during the 
 winter seasons, and attended school in the 
 summer, having prepared for college with the 
 intention of studying for the ministry. In- 
 stead of this, however, he enlisted August 4, 
 1862, in Company D, One Hundred and 
 Forty-fourth New York Volunteer Infantry, 
 and was sent to the defence of Washington at 
 Camp Chase, where he remained with his 
 regiment from September of that year until 
 the spring of 1863. They then went to York- 
 town, Va., and from there marched toward 
 Richmond, as a feint to draw the attention of 
 the rebel forces. They got within sight of 
 Richmond, but, retreating, returned to York- 
 town, whence they were ordered to Gettys- 
 burg; but the train was wrecked at Annapolis 
 Junction, and Dr. Benedict, with forty-two 
 others, was reported dead. He was sent back 
 to Army Square Hospital, Washington, seri- 
 ously injured, and lay there from July to Sep- 
 tember, afterward being sent home on a thirty- 
 days' furlough. At its expiration he returned 
 to the hospital, and was detailed on detached 
 service as Hospital Steward, being engaged 
 in that service when Lincoln was assassi- 
 nated. He later assisted Dr. D. W. Bliss, 
 who afterward became well known through 
 his treatment of President Garfield. 
 
 Dr. Benedict remained in constant active 
 hospital work until the close of the war, in 
 1865, being mustered out June 25th of that 
 year. He then returned to Franklin, and 
 read medicine with Dr. A. E. Sullard, at- 
 
 tending the Albany Medical College, from 
 which he was graduated in the class of 1868. 
 Prior to this he was appointed Assistant Sur- 
 geon of the Soldiers' Home at Albany by At- 
 torney-general Pomfret. After graduation he 
 came to Weedsport, and formed a partner- 
 ship with Dr. I. D. Brown, doing the latter's 
 work during the first winter that he was in 
 Albany. The partnership continued for four 
 years, when in 1872 it was dissolved, and 
 Dr. Benedict continued alone, having the 
 leading practice here for many years, and now 
 being the oldest practitioner in the village, 
 doing a large amount of surgical work. He 
 is a member of the Cayuga County Medical 
 Society, and also belongs to Weedsport 
 Lodge, No. 385, A. F. & A. M. He was in- 
 strumental in organizing the Odd Fellows 
 Lodge, and also Brackett Post, Grand Army 
 of the Republic, of which he has been Com- 
 mander. He has never sought political office, 
 giving his entire time to his professional du- 
 ties, but is a stanch member and supporter of 
 the Republican party. He has held the office 
 of Health Officer of Weedsport, and also of 
 the town of Brutus. 
 
 Dr. Benedict was first married to Miss 
 Elizabeth Graham, of Delhi, who died, leav- 
 ing one child, L. May, who resides with her 
 father. May 6, 1882, he married Miss 
 Louise McCarty, a daughter of Dr. Hiram 
 McCarty, who practised here for forty years, 
 dying in Weedsport at the age of eighty 
 years. Mrs. Benedict was a teacher in the 
 high school here for fourteen years prior to 
 her marriage. Dr. Benedict and his daughter 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 677 
 
 are members of the Presbyterian church of 
 Weedsport. 
 
 Dr. Benedict is a gifted man in more ways 
 than one. In addition to attending to his 
 large medical practice he is an artist of abil- 
 ity, and can show some fine paintings as a 
 result of his work. He is also an enthusias- 
 tic ornithologist, having a fine collection of 
 birds of every description, and is a practical 
 taxidermist, his house and office showing 
 many specimens of his skill in this branch of 
 science. He is also a writer of considerable 
 merit, having been correspondent of the 
 Rochester Post-Express for a number of years, 
 to which he has contributed a large number 
 of poems as well as prose articles. 
 
 In the month of September, 1894, the Doc- 
 tor entered into a copartnership with Willard 
 J. Bell, C. N. Nicolls, and Ben. R. Lathrop, 
 and formed a company known as the " Weeds- 
 port Spring Wire Truss Company." The 
 trusses and goods manufactured by them at 
 once became popular, and it is no more than 
 fair to say that Dr. Benedict bids fair to be one 
 of the wealthy citizens of Weedsport at no dis- 
 tant day. 
 
 Amm»- y - 
 
 TTNHARLES W. BALL, a successful 
 ( J| farmer and miller, one of the fore- 
 
 ^* " most of the worthy citizens of the 
 
 town of Throop, is a native of this county, 
 having first opened his eyes to the light of the 
 present world on January 31, 1842, in the 
 town of Montezuma, which was also the birth- 
 place of his father, Walter Ball. He is of 
 New England ancestry, his grandfather, Sam- 
 
 uel Ball, having been of Connecticut birth. 
 Samuel Ball was reared to manhood in his 
 New England home, and was there married. 
 Deciding that the chances for bettering his 
 financial condition would be more favorable 
 in an undeveloped country, he emigrated to 
 New York, bringing his wife and all of his 
 possessions, and settled in Cayuga County. 
 Buying a tract of unbroken forest land in the 
 town of Mentz, he cleared a space, and erected 
 a log house, in which he and his wife lived. 
 Before he had made many improvements, his 
 career, which had begun so brightly, was sud- 
 denly checked, an accident causing his death 
 while working on his homestead. 
 
 Walter Ball attended the district schools of 
 Montezuma in his youthful days, and began 
 early to assist his father on the farm, receiv- 
 ing practical instruction in the agricultural 
 arts. He remained at home, his help being 
 needed, and after his father's death bought 
 out the interest of the other heirs, thus be- 
 coming the owner of the place of his birth. 
 He made extensive improvements, among 
 others being the erection of a new house, 
 which is yet standing and in good condition. 
 Strange to say, he, too, came to his death by 
 accident, being killed on the banks of the 
 Owasco Creek in Auburn. He married Sarah 
 Sanders, a daughter of William Sanders, of 
 New Jersey. Mr. Sanders was a pioneer of 
 Cayuga County, having made the trip thither 
 through the thick and tangled woods with ox 
 teams. He and his family subsisted on the 
 productions of their farm, with an occasional 
 dinner of game; and his thrifty wife, in addi- 
 
678 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tion to caring for the physical wants of her 
 household, spun flax and wool to make cloth- 
 ing for her family. Of the union of Walter 
 and Sarah (Sanders) Ball five sons and two 
 daughters were born; namely, Samuel, Edgar, 
 George, Lewis, Charles W., Caroline, and 
 Josephine. 
 
 Charles was the youngest of the five lads. 
 He was educated in the district schools of 
 Montezuma, and, like all farmers' sons, doubt- 
 less led a busy life when at home as a general 
 chore boy. After the death of his father he 
 and his brother Edgar remained on the home- 
 stead with their mother, Charles taking the 
 farm. Subsequently he sold out his interest 
 to his brother, who still owns and occupies 
 the place. In the spring of 1885 Mr. Ball 
 came to Throop, and, buying a farm, has since 
 been an active and useful citizen of the town, 
 being closely identified with its every inter- 
 est. In addition to his agricultural work he 
 carries on a lucrative business in connection 
 with his saw-mill, his industry, sound judg- 
 ment, and practical ability winning him ex- 
 cellent success. 
 
 Mr. Charles W. Ball was wedded in 1868 to 
 Augusta Tallman, a daughter of Abram and 
 Phoebe (Gracey) Tallman; and they became 
 the parents of two children ■ — Seymour C. and 
 Sarah G. Ball. The former married Jennie 
 Jones, daughter of Orrin and Sarah (Sears) 
 Jones, of Aurelius, and lives at home, work- 
 ing with his father. Mr. Ball is a man of 
 broad and liberal views, ever taking an intel- 
 ligent interest in the advancement of his com- 
 munity, aiding as far as possible all plans for 
 
 public benefit. During his residence in 
 Montezuma he was Assessor for nine consecu- 
 tive years, and served in the same capacity in 
 Throop for six years. He was also elected 
 Supervisor in 1893, filling the office so satis- 
 factorily that he was re-elected in 1894. Re- 
 ligiously, he is a consistent member of the 
 Methodist Church of Fosterville. Socially, 
 he has been a member of the Masonic frater- 
 nity for thirty years. In politics he is an 
 honest and sound Democrat, and cast his first 
 Presidential vote for George B. McClellan. 
 
 "Y^jVOORTIMER ARNOLD is one of the 
 FI^ representative citizens and suc- 
 ^ ^^-^ cessful farmers of this his native 
 
 county, owning and occupying a pleasant 
 homestead in District No. i in the town of 
 Aurelius. He has spent almost his entire 
 life in this place, and has been closely iden- 
 tified with its growth, watching its gradual 
 progress and advancement with genuine pleas- 
 ure. He was born August 18, 181 8, and is a 
 son of Nathan Arnold, a native of Saratoga 
 County. 
 
 Nathan Arnold spent the earlier years of 
 his life in the place of his nativity, where he 
 was for many years engaged in shoemaking. 
 Leaving Saratoga County previous to his mar- 
 riage, he journeyed to Cayuga County, and 
 here took up a tract of government land, 
 which was still in its primitive condition. 
 Clearing an opening, he erected a log cabin, 
 which was the first dwelling of himself and 
 family. With untiring energy and persever- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 679 
 
 ing toil he labored day by day in his efforts to 
 improve a comfortable homestead, and, while 
 advancing his own interests, was an important 
 factor in the development of his town. In 
 common with the other pioneers of this sec- 
 tion of the country he endured many hardships 
 and trials with a patient fortitude undreamed 
 of by the youth of this generation. The prod- 
 uce of their own ground and the game from 
 the forests supplied the family table; while 
 the good housewife spun, wove, and manufact- 
 ured the wearing - apparel for the entire 
 household. The wheel used by the mother of 
 our subject in spinning the linen for fam- 
 ily use is still in the possession of her descend- 
 ants. Cayuga and Auburn were then the 
 nearest markets, and much time was consumed 
 in making the trips. The maiden name of the 
 wife of Nathan Arnold was Mary Carver. 
 She was a daughter of David and Mary (Peck) 
 Carver, pioneers of Fleming. Their marriage 
 resulted in the birth of the following chil- 
 dren: Mary J., Ann, Eliza, Edwin, and Mor- 
 timer. 
 
 Mortimer Arnold gleaned his education in 
 the typical pioneer schools of an early day, 
 and ably assisted his parents in their labors, 
 remaining with them until his marriage. He 
 then rented the farm on shares, and on the 
 death of his father came into possession of 
 the homestead, which he now occupies. The 
 skill and ability with which he has conducted 
 his operations are evident to the passer-by in 
 the well-cultivated fields, excellent crops, and 
 the neat and tasteful appearance of the build- 
 ings and their surroundings. 
 
 Mr. Arnold was married on October 12, 
 1842, his bride being Lucinda Fitch, a 
 daughter of Ebenezer and Catherine (Spoore) 
 Fitch, natives of Massachusetts, Ebenezer 
 Fitch being a son of Nathan and Amy Fitch, 
 while Catherine Spoore was a daughter of 
 Abraham and Maria (Wells) Spoore, of Cox- 
 sackie, Columbia County. Mrs. Arnold's 
 parents were also among the original settlers 
 of Cayuga County; and she has vivid recol- 
 lections of the time when the flourishing city 
 of Auburn was a mere opening in the forest, 
 its only dwelling being a log tavern kept by 
 Captain Hardenburgh. The nearest mill was 
 then many miles distant, it taking three 
 weeks to make the round trip. In those early 
 days the people went to meeting barefooted in 
 pleasant weather, saving their shoes for cold 
 seasons. They lived altogether on the prod- 
 ucts of the farms, and in the winter season 
 cut down the trees so that the cattle might eat 
 the tops. Indians were numerous, but not at 
 all troublesome; and wild animals of all 
 kinds abounded. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Arnold are the parents of 
 four children: Nathan, who married Mary L. 
 White, daughter of Thomas and Nancy (Whit- 
 comb) White, of England; Helen, who mar- 
 ried William McCarthy, of Aurelius, and died 
 without issue; Eveline, who after the death 
 of her sister Helen married Mr. McCarthy, 
 and left six children — Claude, Clayton, 
 Edna, Lulu, Mary, and Helen; and Ann, who 
 is the wife of Manley P. Treat, of Auburn. 
 Mr. Arnold, who is passing the evening of his 
 busy life in ease and plenty, is eminently 
 
68o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 worthy of the high regard in which he is held 
 by his fellow-townsmen, enjoying to the ut- 
 most the confidence and esteem of his many 
 friends and acquaintances. In his political 
 views he affiliates with the Republican party, 
 having joined its ranks on the formation of 
 the party; and his first Presidential vote, cast 
 in 1840, was for William H. Harrison. 
 
 ll^jEV. WILLIAM CASE MATTISON, 
 M.A., a well-known and dearly be- 
 loved minister of the Methodist 
 church, retired from the active duties of his 
 pastorate in October, 1893, after an energetic 
 and faithful service of forty-three years. He 
 was born in Scipio, Cayuga County, N.Y., 
 February 18, 1832, son of the Rev. Seth and 
 Lucy (Hoyt) Mattison, and through both his 
 father and mother is descended from families 
 well known in the early history of this coun- 
 try. His father, the Rev. Seth Mattison, was 
 born at Shaftsbury, Vt., February 22, 1788. 
 His grandfather Abram was an early settler 
 in that State; and his father's brother. Colo- 
 nel Abram MattisoK, was in the War of 18 12, 
 and fought at the 'battle of Black Rock. 
 
 Seth Mattison, after receiving his educa- 
 tion in his early life, taught school in his 
 native State, and then came to Onondaga 
 County, and joined the old Genesee Confer- 
 ence as a preacher. This conference is re- 
 membered for its zeal and for the difficulties 
 it had to encounter in those early days, its 
 first session being held in a corn-house belong- 
 ing to Judge Dorsey, of Lyons, nothing better 
 
 than a box being found for a pulpit. This 
 was in 18 10, and the celebrated Bishop As- 
 bury presided over the conference. The Rev. 
 Seth Mattison preached through the western 
 part of the State as far as Le Roy, and to the 
 north and south of this part of the country, 
 riding through the old circuits for thirty-three 
 years, when he passed away at Percy, Wyo- 
 ming County, in 1843, leaving a family of 
 seven children. His wife was a native of 
 Vermont, being one of the early Hoyt family 
 of that State and a relation of Wendell 
 Phillips. She died at Lima in 1834. 
 
 William Case Mattison was next to the 
 youngest child, and inherited from his father 
 many of the attributes of the true preacher; 
 while from his mother's family he inherited 
 the eloquence in exhortation which has re- 
 sulted in such successful pastorates. He was 
 educated in the common schools and at the 
 academies at Seneca Falls and Ovid, and then 
 received his college honors from the Indiana 
 Asbury University, the degree of M.A. being 
 conferred upon him. After a few years of 
 teaching he joined the East Genesee Confer- 
 ence in 1850, the meeting being at Bath, 
 Steuben County, Bishop Waugh presiding; 
 and his first appointment was at Covington 
 Mission, Tioga County, Pa., where he re- 
 mained one year. After a year at Wellsboro, 
 Tioga County, and two years at Whitesville, 
 N.Y., he was appointed to the ministry of 
 Tyrone, N.Y., where he held very successful 
 revivals. At the end of two years he left a 
 very strong church there, and went to Jack- 
 sonville, Tompkins County, for two years, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 68 1 
 
 and thence to Pittsford near Rochester. From 
 Pittsford he was sent to Genesee, thence to 
 Bath, and from there to Lodi. The Civil 
 War had now closed; and, much missionary 
 work being needed in the West, Mr. Mattison 
 was sent to the Missouri and Arkansas Annual 
 Conference, and stationed at St. Joseph, Mo. 
 In that place he remained one year, then 
 went to Macon City, Macon County, where 
 his service of almost three years was notably 
 successful. Now he was again transferred to 
 the Genesee Conference, and placed over the 
 church at Angelica, Allegany County, whence 
 after one year he was moved to Hornells- 
 ville, and was made Secretary of the Con- 
 ference, in which position he edited the 
 minutes of the Conference. 
 
 At this time his constant, untiring, and 
 zealous labors began to tell upon his health; 
 and, although he was recognized as one who 
 was anxious to attempt the hardest and least 
 enjoyable position for the sake of the cause 
 nearest his heart, he was prevailed upon to 
 accept a pastorate where he would have less 
 wearying work, and accordingly he went to 
 Hornellsville. After two years there he was 
 transferred to Kirkville, Onondaga County, 
 and then to Benton Centre, Yates County, 
 staying in each place two years. Mr. Matti- 
 son was now known throughout the State for 
 his abilities, and many congregations were 
 anxious to secure his services. At this time 
 Port Gibson was the fortunate society; and he 
 was allowed to remain there three years, when 
 he went to Fair Haven, also for three years. 
 His first coming here was in 1882, and 
 
 through his activity and energy a new church 
 was erected. In 1885 he went to Tyre, 
 Seneca County, for three years, then to Milo 
 for the same time, thence to Marion, Yates 
 County, for one year, and then, after two years 
 at Williamson, Wayne County, he retired to 
 Fair Haven, where he had built a home some 
 ten years previous to this. In four of Mr. 
 Mattison's pastorates he has helped to build 
 new church edifices. At Groveland during 
 his Genesee charge twelve hundred dollars 
 were expended in building. At Jacksonville 
 three thousand dollars were spent upon the 
 edifice. By the time Mr. Mattison had as- 
 sisted two churches in this work his experi- 
 ence was indeed very valuable, so that at 
 Fair Haven he not only selected the plan for 
 the church, the society adopting it, but he 
 raised the subscription, collected all the 
 funds, paid all the debts, and acted as secre- 
 tary until the church was dedicated. It was 
 through the good management of Mr. Matti- 
 son, together with the energy and substantial 
 aid of George I. Post, that the society was 
 enabled to accomplish an undertaking which 
 at first seemed to many impossible. At Milo 
 Mr. Mattison was connected with his fourth 
 building venture; and the thorough renovation 
 of the church, together with the building of 
 new sheds, made it possible to accommodate a 
 much larger number, and resulted in the con- 
 gregation being increased to twice its former 
 size. 
 
 The first wife of Mr. Mattison was Anna C. 
 Goodrich, of Albany, who was a niece of 
 S. C. Goodrich, widely famous as "Peter 
 
682 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Parley." She died during her husband's 
 charge at Lodi, leaving three sons : Dr. Edgar 
 L., a prominent physician of Coudersport, 
 Pa., who died in 1892; William G., an en- 
 gineer at Hornellsville; Lyll Guyon, a hard- 
 ware merchant at Newark, who married in 
 1870 Frances M. Barker, of Newburg, N.Y., 
 by whom he has one child, Mary A., a gradu- 
 ate of Syracuse University, now engaged in 
 teaching. 
 
 The Rev. William C. Mattison has been 
 one of the most valuable men of his denom- 
 ination in the State of New York and in 
 the other States where he has labored in the 
 cause of his Master. He was one of five Com- 
 missioners appointed to determine the loca- 
 tion of the Conference Seminary, which had 
 been bid for by Mansfield and Wellsboro; and 
 it was his deciding vote that gave it to the 
 latter place. His work in revivals has done 
 an untold amount of good, bringing many 
 wanderers into the fold. At Wayne fifty pro- 
 bationers were added to his flock; and at 
 Jacksonville one hundred and twenty converts 
 were gathered into the church. He has lived 
 and labored in many places ; and, wherever he 
 has been, he has left the effects of his earnest- 
 ness and zeal, while in the hearts of all who 
 have listened Sunday after Sunday to his elo- 
 quent and able discourses, and who have 
 through his influence accepted the higher and 
 better life, he has left a name which will al- 
 ways be thought of with the deepest love and 
 reverence by those who know the man who 
 bears it. His ministry will be remembered 
 for many years, for the good he has done 
 
 will last long after he has passed beyond all 
 earthly ken. 
 
 ORATIO MACK, an enterprising 
 and popular pharmacist of the vil- 
 lage of Montezuma, occupies an 
 honorable position in the business world of 
 this his native county. He is a leading busi- 
 ness man in this thriving little village, hav- 
 ing a neat and conveniently arranged store, in 
 which he carries an extensive assortment of 
 drugs of all kinds. Mr. Mack is also the vil- 
 lage Postmaster, having served with credit to 
 himself and to the satisfaction of all con- 
 cerned for a score of years, his first appoint- 
 ment having been in 1870, when he served 
 until 1885, a new incumbent then taking his 
 place. In 1889 he was reappointed, and still 
 holds the office. 
 
 The birth of our subject occurred July i, 
 1844, in the village of Montezuma, his par- 
 ents being Zebulon and Sarah (Hoffman) 
 Mack. He is of New England extraction, 
 and a descendant of a veteran of the Revolu- 
 tionary War, his grandfather, John Mack, who 
 was born in Lyme, Conn., having been a gal- 
 lant soldier of the Revolution. He removed 
 from his native State to Woodstock, Vt., 
 where he bought land, and lived for many 
 years, prosperously engaged in tilling the soil. 
 He was a man of honor and probity, and 
 spent a long and active life, living far beyond 
 the allotted threescore and ten years, his 
 death occurring at the age of eighty-five. He 
 was a man of deep religious convictions, and 
 a devout member of the Baptist church. In 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 683 
 
 politics he was a Whig. He was the father of 
 five children, all of whom grew to maturity, 
 rounding out a full period of years, but none 
 of whom are living. 
 
 Zebulon Mack spent the days of his child- 
 hood and early manhood in the place of his 
 nativity, Woodstock, Vt., where he was born 
 June 4, 1787. He was educated in a liberal 
 manner, being fitted for a professional life, 
 and for six years was engaged in teaching in 
 Montreal. After continuing his professional 
 career for several years, he removed to this 
 State, locating in Seneca County, where he 
 was engaged in the book trade for six years. 
 In 1841 he came to this county, and, estab- 
 lishing himself in the grocery business in the 
 village of Montezuma, built up an extensive 
 trade, continuing thus engaged until failing 
 health compelled him to give up active life; 
 and the remainder of his years were spent in 
 retirement from labor. He was a man of 
 superior intelligence, well informed on all 
 topics of general interest, and exerted an ac- 
 tive influence in local affairs, being held in 
 universal respect. He served as Postmaster 
 from 1849 until 1853, being appointed by 
 President Taylor, and for three years filled 
 the office of Salt Inspector. He was a Re- 
 publican in politics, and in his religious 
 views coincided with the teachings of the 
 Baptist denomination. He passed from the 
 scenes of his earthly labors on November 14, 
 1 86 1, at the age of over seventy-four years. 
 He was twice married. His first wife died, 
 leaving one son, Henry, who died April 6, 
 1893, at his residence in Jordan. His sec- 
 
 ond wife, mother of Horatio Mack, with whom 
 she now makes her home, was born in Peeks- 
 kill, N.Y., July 4, 1813, and is now an 
 active woman of more than fourscore years. 
 She was very capable and energetic in her 
 younger days, possessing good business tal- 
 ent, and was successfully engaged in the mil- 
 linery trade in the village of Montezuma for 
 upward of thirty years. She is possessed of 
 much force of character, is a sincere Christian 
 and a worthy member of the Presbyterian 
 church of Auburn. 
 
 Horatio Mack grew to man's estate in this 
 town, and received his education in its public 
 schools, living at home until twenty-one years 
 old. He then started in life for himself, 
 going to Titusville, Pa., where he secured a 
 clerkship in the office of Curtis & Co., dealers 
 in and refiners of oil, remaining with them 
 two years, and returning to Montezuma in 
 1867. A few months later he was united in 
 marriage to Sophia Forshee, a native of this 
 town, born September 26, 1846, their nuptials 
 being celebrated December 18, 1867. Mrs. 
 Mack is a daughter of the late William and 
 Susan Forshee, who were for many years re- 
 spected members of the agricultural commu- 
 nity of this locality, but are now deceased, he 
 having passed away at the advanced age of 
 fourscore years, and she when seventy-six. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Mack clerked in a 
 grocery store in Seneca Falls for about a year, 
 going thence in 1869 to Port Byron, where 
 he entered the employ of J. T. Smith, the 
 leading general merchant of the place, re- 
 maining with him until February 27, 1870. 
 
684 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Being then appointed Postmaster of Monte- 
 zuma, he returned to his former home, and 
 opening a drug store, which he has since car- 
 ried on with signal success, has remained an 
 honored and influential citizen of the town. 
 In political, business, and social life, he is 
 active and prominent, ever performing his 
 duties as a good and loyal citizen with 
 promptness and fidelity. In politics he is a 
 stanch Republican, and has served his towns- 
 men as Supervisor two terms, being again 
 elected to that office in 1894. In the educa- 
 tional and moral advancement of the village 
 he takes great interest; and both he and his 
 wife are esteemed members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, in which he has served as 
 superintendent of the Sunday-school for four- 
 teen years. Socially, he is prominently con- 
 nected with the A. F. & A. M., being a 
 member of Montezuma Lodge, No. 176, of 
 which he has been Master for seven years. 
 He has been a representative in the Grand 
 Lodge seven years, and is now Past Master. 
 
 KRANK S. CURTIS, B.S., attorney and 
 counsellor-at-law, was born in the town 
 of Moravia, Cayuga County, June 12, 1855, 
 being the only child of Daniel N. and Rachel 
 Ann (Francis) Curtis. The father was born 
 in Columbia County, but came to Cayuga 
 County in 1833, and here engaged in the busi- 
 ness of farming. Mr. Daniel Curtis was at 
 one time a prominent member of Kelloggs- 
 ville Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
 lows, which lodge disbanded some years ago. 
 
 He was first a Whig and afterward a Repub- 
 lican in politics. In religion the family were 
 Universalists, attending the church of that 
 denomination at Kelloggsville. Mrs. Curtis 
 was born in the town of Niles, and was a 
 daughter of John Francis, who was of French 
 descent. Mr. Curtis was an Assessor of the 
 town at the time of his death, which took 
 place in February, 1890. 
 
 Frank S. Curtis, having received his early 
 education in his native town, where he at- 
 tended the common school and the union 
 school, proceeded to Cornell University, 
 where he took the scientific course, and was 
 graduated in the class of 1880, with the de- 
 gree of B.S. At the conclusion of his col- 
 lege career, he took up the study of short- 
 hand, and followed that profession for about 
 two years, studying law at the same time, 
 having registered with Sylvester Brown, Esq., 
 of Ithaca. In 1882 he came to Moravia, 
 and read with the Hon. S. Edwin Day, then 
 County Judge. In the fall of 1882 he at- 
 tended the Albany Law School, studying 
 there until 1883, when he was admitted to the 
 bar by examination at the general term held 
 at Rochester. He located his office for prac- 
 tice in Moravia, where he does a large amount 
 of business in the Surrogate's Court. 
 
 Mr. Curtis has taken an active part in Re- 
 publican politics, and has served on town and 
 county committees. He has also been a dele- 
 gate to the different town and county conven- 
 tions. At the jjresent time he is President of 
 the Village Board of Health. He was first 
 elected Justice of the Peace in 1884, and has 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 68s 
 
 been twice re-elected, and has the large ma- 
 jority of that sort of business here, having a 
 great amount of criminal work, where he takes 
 the place of Police Justice. He has been 
 largely instrumental in clearing the town of 
 many of its objectionable characters. Mr. 
 Curtis is a member of Sylvan Lodge, 
 A. F. & A. M., of which he is Past Senior 
 Warden, and High Priest of Saint John the 
 Baptist Chapter, A. F. &. A. M., and a mem- 
 ber of the Salem Town Commandery of Au- 
 burn, and also of the Consistory of Auburn 
 Valley, No. 32. In 1885 he was made Spe- 
 cial Surrogate, and held that office for a term 
 of four years, occupying the position with 
 dignity and credit. Mr. Curtis is a charter 
 member of Moravia Lodge, No. 510, Indepen- 
 dent Order of Odd Fellows, and the First 
 Noble Grand. He has also been District 
 Deputy of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
 lows for a number of years, and is a charter 
 member of Me-ne-ah-tha Lodge, Knights of 
 Pythias, of Moravia, in which he has held all 
 the offices, including that of Chancellor Com- 
 mander. Mr. Curtis attended the triennial 
 conclave of the Knights of Pythias in Wash- 
 ington, D.C., in 1889. In addition to the 
 other numerous organizations Mr. Curtis was 
 also one of the early members of the Im- 
 proved Order of Red Men. 
 
 Mr. Curtis has a fine home in Moravia, 
 and also owns the farm lately conducted by 
 his father, which is situated near the town. 
 He is connected with the Walker Manufactur- 
 ing Company as a stockholder, and is its at- 
 torney. He has also been attorney for the 
 
 National Harrow Company in their extended 
 litigation, having a large amount of work to 
 do on that account. Mr. Curtis is one of the 
 most prominent men in Moravia. His supe- 
 rior talents as a lawyer have been fully tested, 
 .and not found wanting in the many notable 
 and important cases which he has successfully 
 conducted. He is a courteous and well-read 
 gentleman, and enjoys the esteem and confi- 
 dence of his fellow-citizens in a high degree. 
 
 SCAR BLUE SWAYZE, M.D., the 
 leading general physician in Union 
 Springs, Cayuga County, N.Y., was 
 born in this town, November 23, 1863, in the 
 most trying season of the nation's great Civil 
 War. His mother was Jerusha Blue, a daugh- 
 ter of Cornelius Blue; and his father was 
 Israel Swayze. The Doctor's grandfather, 
 Jacob Swayze, came from New Jersey to New 
 York State, when Israel was a small boy, and 
 took a farm in Lansing, as one of the earliest 
 settlers in that town. 
 
 Israel was born in New Jersey in 1828, just 
 before General Jackson's first election to the 
 Presidency. He learned his trade of carriage- 
 maker in the neighboring town of Groton, and 
 there he married Miss Blue. After a thor- 
 ough apprenticeship he came to Union 
 Springs, where he owned a carriage shop for 
 several years; but in 1864, when Oscar was a 
 babe, the family removed to Lansing, Tomp- 
 kins County, and there farmed for some years, 
 though Mr. Swayze died in the town of Led- 
 yard in Cayuga County, on P^ebruary i. 
 
686 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1892. In early life he became an Odd Fel- 
 low, but did not retain his membership in the 
 order in his latter years. Israel and Jerusha 
 (Blue) Swayze reared six children, all of 
 whom are now living, and may be thus briefly 
 mentioned: Minnie Swayze married L. H. 
 Dickerson, of Lake Ridge, N.Y. Myron 
 Blue Swayze lives at King's Ferry. George 
 Swayze is principal of the commercial depart- 
 ment of a seminary at Lima. The fourth 
 child is Oscar Blue Swayze. The fifth, Mar- 
 garet, was a teacher, and is now the wife of 
 E. J. Young, of Mapleton, N.Y. Ben L. 
 Swayze remains on the farm at Scipioville, 
 N.Y. The mother, Mrs. Jerusha B. Swayze, 
 is still living, and enjoying good health. 
 
 Oscar went first to the district school in 
 Lansing, and then to Oakwood Seminary in 
 Union Springs. After five years of teaching 
 he returned to the seminary for a special 
 course of scientific instruction, and then went 
 to the Long Island College Hospital in Brook- 
 lyn, where he was matriculated, remaining 
 there through the regular and two special 
 courses, from 1889 till 1892, when he took 
 the competitive examination, and was ap- 
 pointed one of the Resident Hospital Physi- 
 cians. After a year of this varied professional 
 experience under the best possible condi- 
 tions he came to Union Springs on the first 
 day of April, 1893, when he was thirty years 
 old; and he at once secured a good practice as 
 one of the most able younger practitioners of 
 the county. He has been appointed Health 
 Officer, not only for the town where his regu- 
 lar business is carried on, but for the neigh- 
 
 boring village of Springport; and he belongs 
 to the Cayuga County Medical Association. 
 Religiously, he belongs to the Presbyterian 
 church in Scipioville, though he of course 
 attends the meetings nearer his home. 
 
 That witty physician, story-teller, and 
 poet, Oliver Wendell Holmes, has said, "Sci- 
 ence is a first-rate piece of furniture for a 
 man's upper chamber if he has common sense 
 on the ground floor; but, if a man hasn't got 
 plenty of good common sense, the more sci- 
 ence he has the worse for his patient." Dr. 
 Swayze's patients are fortunate in having a 
 physician in whom common sense and science 
 are happily united. 
 
 (sTrUGUSTUS DUNCKEL, a prominent, 
 ^^ progressive, and prosperous business 
 ^— ' man of the town of Aurelius, is 
 closely identified with the manufacturing in- 
 terests of Cayuga County, which has been the 
 place of his residence for many years. He is 
 public-spirited and liberal as a citizen, most 
 obliging and friendly as a neighbor. 
 
 Mr. Dunckel is a native of New York, born 
 in Schoharie County, June 13, 1851. He was 
 reared and obtained a good common-school 
 education in the place of his nativity, and as 
 early in life as practicable began his career as 
 a business man. He engaged in th^ malt 
 business when very young, and, finding it 
 profitable in a pecuniary sense, has since con- 
 tinued in the same occupation. Many years 
 ago he came to Cayuga County, taking up his 
 abode in Aurelius; and in the fall of 1882, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 687 
 
 having an advantageous opportunity, he with 
 others purchased the malt-mill of Kyle, Howe 
 & Co., and has since carried on an extensive 
 manufacturing business. The firm, which is 
 known as Neidlinger & Son, has been highly 
 prospered in its operations, having greatly 
 enlarged and improved the trade since it came 
 into its possession, the fair and honest busi- 
 ness methods of these gentlemen being 
 everywhere recognized. In addition to the 
 manufacture of malt, this company, with char- 
 acteristic energy and enterprise, have carried 
 on an extensive retail trade in coal. 
 
 Mr. Dunckel was united in marriage in 
 December, 1884, to Kate E. Titus, a daugh- 
 ter of Hiram and Susan (Cook) Titus, of 
 Aurelius, of whom a sketch is given on an- 
 other page of this volume. One child has 
 come to increase the joys of the household, a 
 daughter named Kate Irene. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Dunckel erected a 
 commodious and handsome residence on the 
 main street of the village of Cayuga, which 
 was completed in 1886; and here he and his 
 happy family reside, surrounded by all the 
 comforts that heart can desire. Besides this 
 handsome property Mr. Dunckel has money 
 invested in real estate, being the owner of 
 ■several tenement-houses, which return him 
 good rents each year. Politically, he afifil- 
 iates with the Democratic party, although he 
 takes no active part in politics, and has no 
 official aspirations. He cast his first Presi- 
 dential vote in 1872 for Horace Greeley. 
 Socially, he is a member of the Masonic 
 fraternity. 
 
 fHOMAS J. BELL, a well-known pub- 
 lic-spirited citizen of Auburn, was 
 born in this city on October 8, 1840. His 
 parents were Robert and Elizabeth (Wallis) 
 Bell. Mr. Robert Bell was a native of the 
 north of Ireland, of Scotch descent, and came 
 to this city in 1833, where he engaged in 
 business until 1857, when he moved onto a 
 farm, and there resided till 1863. In that 
 year he established a livery business, which 
 he conducted till his retirement in January, 
 1880. His death occurred on February 28, 
 1894. 
 
 Thomas J. Bell was educated in the Auburn 
 common schools, and at the commencement of 
 the Civil War enlisted in Company G, Third 
 New York Light Artillery, which was con- 
 nected with the Eighteenth Army Corps, and 
 during most of the time was engaged in garri- 
 son duty. After serving three years and one 
 month, he was honorably discharged on Octo- 
 ber 30, 1865. Being then appointed an 
 officer on the prison force, he held that posi- 
 tion for three years. In 1868 he bought out 
 the livery business, which he now so success- 
 fully conducts, having a first-class livery 
 stable in all particulars. He is also owner of 
 a fine farm outside the city limits. Mr. Bell 
 has served acceptably as Alderman from the 
 Fifth Ward for eight years, was Supervisor of 
 the same ward for one term, was appointed on 
 the Board of Health in 1893, and was again 
 elected Supervisor in 1894. He was a mem- 
 ber of Seward Post, Grand Army of the Re- 
 public, of which he was Commander for two 
 years, afterward joining the C. W. Crocker 
 
688 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Post, and is now serving his third term as 
 Commander. He is a member of St. Paul's 
 Lodge, No. 124, A. F. & A. M., and of the 
 Auburn Gun Club. 
 
 Mr. Bell was married on December 31, 
 1870, to Miss Helen I. Ransier, of Port 
 Byron, and has four living children by this 
 marriage, two sons and two daughters, 
 namely: Elizabeth A., wife of W. A. 
 Woodin; Gertie E., wife of Ray Hine; Rob- 
 ert Lester; and Thomas Malvern Hill. Mr. 
 Bell is a prominent and ardent upholder of 
 the People's Party. By a steady application 
 to business he has gained for himself a goodly 
 portion of this world's goods, and in the per- 
 formance of his public duty has shown himself 
 to be alive to the interests of the city and a 
 worthy citizen. 
 
 |HRISTOPHER PETERSON, an ac- 
 jr tive and practical farmer in the 
 prime of life, is the proprietor of a 
 snug homestead in the town of Fleming in 
 District No. 7. He was born on the farm 
 where he now resides on March 4, 1856, 
 being a son of Cornelius and Helen (Post) 
 Peterson and a grandson of Christopher and 
 Maria (Post) Peterson. (For an extended 
 history of the Peterson family see the sketch 
 of George R. Peterson, which appears in an- 
 other part of this work.) 
 
 Cornelius Peterson was also a native of 
 Fleming, and was the eldest child born to 
 his parents. He was reared to agricultural 
 pursuits, and followed the peaceful vocation 
 
 of farming during his entire life, which was 
 passed in this town, where he died at the age 
 of fifty-eight years. He married Helen Post, 
 whose birthplace was Fleming, she being the 
 daughter of Jacob Post, who was born in Som- 
 erset County, New Jersey Christopher Post, 
 her paternal grandfather, was, it is thought, 
 a native of Somerset County. He was for 
 many years engaged in farming in the town of 
 Windsor, Mercer County, N.J. In 1796 he 
 emigrated to this State, and was a pioneer 
 settler of what is now the town of Fleming, 
 Cayuga County, and here bought a tract of 
 heavy timber-land, the deed for which, bear- 
 ing that date, is now in the possession of his 
 great-grandson, Mr. Peterson. After erecting 
 a log house, with puncheon floors and the roof 
 covered with shakes riven from the forest 
 trees, he began to clear his land. Standing 
 timber had then no market value, and large 
 logs were piled together and reduced to ashes 
 by burning. After living there a number of 
 years, Mr. Post replaced the log cabin with a 
 substantial frame house, and, having improved 
 a fine homestead, there spent the remainder of 
 his years. He married Margaret Bergen, who 
 bore him several children. 
 
 Jacob Post inherited a tract of land from 
 his father, Christopher Post, and here engaged 
 in farming and stock-raising as long as his 
 life was spared. The maiden name of his 
 wife, maternal" grandmother of Mr. Peterson, 
 was Jane Nepheus. She was born in New 
 Jersey, and died on the home farm. Of the 
 children born to them Helen, Mrs. Cornelius 
 Peterson, is still living, and occupies a por- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 691 
 
 tion of the farm her grandfather reclaimed 
 from the wilderness. She and her husband 
 reared ten children; namely, Gilbert, Au- 
 gusta, Jennie, Christopher, George, Elsie, 
 Maggie, Nellie, Schuyler, and Phoebe. 
 
 Christopher Peterson, the fourth child and 
 second son of Cornelius and Helen, was born, 
 bred, and educated in the town where he now 
 resides, and since arriving at years of discre- 
 tion has been identified with its agricultural 
 pursuits, and is now prosperously engaged in 
 general farming and stock-raising. He is the 
 owner of a part of the land included in the 
 tract purchased by his great-grandfather Peter- 
 son, and occupies a commodious frame house, 
 which was erected by his father on the west 
 bank of Owasco Lake, having a fine and 
 sightly location. Mr. Peterson has a good 
 reputation as a skilled agriculturist, and is an 
 enterprising and valued citizen of his commu- 
 nity. In politics he is a firm adherent of the 
 Republican party. 
 
 ISAAC JUMP. Among the fine farms of 
 Scipio which attract the attention of the 
 traveller is that of the subject of this 
 sketch, which is pleasantly located in District 
 No.. 8, and in point of improvements compares 
 favorably with any in the vicinity. Mr. 
 Jump is a native of this State, his birth hav- 
 ing occurred January 8, 1821, in Greene 
 County, which was also the place of nativity 
 of his father, Elijah Jump, and was the life- 
 long residence of his grandfather, Gilbert 
 Jump, who was a farmer by occupation, and 
 
 owned a good farm. The children of the 
 grandfather's household were seven in number 
 — Betsey, Charlotte, Loretta, Elijah, Horace, 
 Ira, and Russell. 
 
 Elijah Jump was the eldest son born to his 
 parents, and, when quite young, much of his 
 time was given to performing the chores 
 around the house and barn; and, as each sea- 
 son gave him additional work on the farm, he 
 gradually became initiated into all depart- 
 ments of labor conected therewith, and on 
 arriving at man's estate was well fitted to 
 assume the management of a farm. In 1829 
 he came with his family to Cayuga County, 
 the journey being performed by means of 
 wagons and the canal-boat. He here engaged 
 in farming and milling in the town of Scipio, 
 remaining here, industriously employed until 
 1845, when, with his wife and one of his 
 sons, he moved still farther westward, settling 
 in Ohio. Resuming his agricultural labors, 
 he resided in that State the remainder of his 
 days, dying in 1 871, at the venerable age of 
 fourscore years. Wherever he lived, he was 
 numbered among the respected citizens of the 
 place, worthily performing his duties as such; 
 and during his residence in his native county, 
 inspired by patriotic motives, he enlisted in 
 the War of 1812, and served bravely and well. 
 To him and his good wife, who was formerly 
 Charity Jones, were born eleven children, 
 namely: Betsey Ann; Olive; Jane; Gilbert, 
 deceased; Jarvis; George, deceased; Isaac; 
 Theodore, deceased; Edwin; Smith, deceased; 
 and Ceylon. 
 
 Isaac, the seventh child of Elijah and Char- 
 
692 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ity (Jones) Jump, began his education in 
 Greene County: but, coming with his parents 
 to this county at the age of eight years, his 
 schooling was completed in the schools of 
 Scipio. Being reared on a farm, he early se- 
 lected as his occupation the free and inde- 
 pendent calling of the farmer, to which he 
 afterward added that of a miller, building a 
 saw and grist mill in 1844, which in con- 
 junction with his father-in-law, Ansel Culver, 
 for a period of sixteen years he carried on 
 successfully and profitably. Mr. Jump then 
 embraced an offered opportunity to exchange 
 his milling interests for three hundred and 
 twenty acres of land in Michigan; and the 
 following eight years were devoted to the im- 
 provement of that property, although he con- 
 tinued to live in New York. In 1868 Mr. 
 Jump bought the farm that he now owns and 
 occupies in Scipio; and its broad and well 
 cultivated fields, its green pastures and hill- 
 sides, on which the cattle graze, and the many 
 and comfortable buildings with their neat 
 appearance, all bespeak the intelligence, abil- 
 ity, and thrift of the skilful manager of the 
 premises. Mr. Jump is a man of great reso- 
 lution, with an active mind and a clear under- 
 standing, possessing much financial ability, 
 and, while caring for his own interests, is not 
 unmindful of the welfare of the town, having 
 saved it once many thousands of dollars. At 
 that time the railway company, in its anxiety 
 to bond the town, had appointed the commis- 
 sioners to attend to the business; but Mr. 
 Jump, with two other gentlemen of equal judg- 
 ment and foresight, took the matter into court, 
 
 and, serving an injunction on the railway com- 
 pan}^, stopped the issuing of worthless bonds to 
 the amount of one hundred thousand dollars. 
 
 In public affairs Mr. Jump has always taken 
 an active and intelligent interest, contributing 
 his time and his money genei'ously to aid the 
 advancement and prosperity of his town, and 
 has served in various ofificial capacities with 
 acceptance, having been School Trustee for 
 many years; and from 1871 to 1874 he was 
 one of the Supervisors. Socially, he is a 
 member of the Masonic fraternity, and for 
 thirteen years was Master of the lodge. He 
 is a Democrat in politics, and cast his first 
 Presidential vote for James K. Polk in 1844. 
 
 Mr. Jump has been twice married. His 
 first wife, to whom he was wedded in 1844, 
 was Ruth Culver, a daughter of Ansel and 
 Rachel (Calkins) Culver. The one child 
 born of their union was a daughter named Re- 
 becca, who is the wife of Isaac Close, and has 
 one child, Eva. After the death of his first 
 wife Mr. Jump married Ruth Close, the daugh- 
 ter of Harvey and Hannah (Banks) Close, her 
 paternal grandparents being Jabez and Abigail 
 (Seeley) Close, early pioneers of the town of 
 Scipio. 
 
 fHEODORE F. STAATS, one of the 
 enterprising and skilful farmers of Ca- 
 yuga County, noted for his eminent success in 
 his chosen occupation, is a native of Aurelius, 
 the homestead where he yet lives having been 
 the place of his birth, which occurred August 
 31, 1836. His valuable farm, which is amply 
 supplied with substantial buildings and well 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 693 
 
 equipped with the requisite machinery for 
 carrying on his agricultural work after the 
 most improved modern methods, is pleasantly 
 situated in District No. i, and contains one 
 hundred and fifty acres of fertile and produc- 
 tive land. Mr. Staats is the descendant of an 
 excellent New Jersey family, his grandfather, 
 Abraham Staats, having been a life-long resi- 
 dent of that State. He was a farmer by occu- 
 pation, and a diligent and successful one. 
 On the 23d of December, 1795, he married 
 Dorothy Veighte, who was a prudent and 
 thrifty helpmate, looking well to the ways of 
 her household. 
 
 Their son, Abraham A. Staats, was born in 
 Somerset County, New Jersey, where the ear- 
 lier years of his life were passed. Availing 
 himself of the excellent facilities afforded 
 him for obtaining an education, he fitted him- 
 self for a teacher, and followed that profes- 
 sion for some time in his native State. He 
 afterward entered a mercantile life, opening a 
 store of general merchandise, carrying it on 
 for several years with good success. He re- 
 mained a resident of his native State until 
 twenty-seven years of age, when he came to 
 Cayuga County, New York, where he was 
 soon afterward united in matrimony with 
 Maria Van Nest, daughter of George and 
 Mary Van Nest, of Fleming. Retracing his 
 steps to his old home, he spent the next three 
 years in New Jersey. Then, returning to this 
 county, he bought a farm in the town of Au- 
 relius, and for more than twoscore years was 
 numbered among the prosperous agriculturists 
 of the place. Into the happy household of 
 
 himself and wife there came one child only, 
 a son, whom they named Theodore, which 
 means "gift of God." He made many and 
 substantial improvements on his place, living 
 there until his death, May 18, 1891. 
 
 Theodore received an excellent education in 
 his boyhood, attending first the district 
 schools of Aurelius, and afterward pursuing 
 more advanced studies at the academy in 
 Auburn. Being the only child, his assistance 
 was needed on the home farm; and here he 
 has spent an active and useful life, the estate 
 on which he formerly labored in conjunction 
 with his father being now in his possession. 
 It is needless to add that he carries it on with 
 the same judicious skill that had previously 
 been exercised in its management, making it 
 one of the attractive homesteads of the county. 
 Mr. Staats has never married, but is never- 
 theless very cheerful and contented. He is 
 a well-improved man of much force of charac- 
 ter, with keen foresight and a well-balanced 
 mind, and wields a healthful influence in the 
 community. In politics he has always been 
 a sound Republican, having cast his first 
 Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 
 i860, and at every election since has voted 
 the Republican ticket. At the present time 
 Mr. Staats is serving most acceptably as one 
 of the Board of Assessors. 
 
 ANIEL SWARTWOUT, a respected 
 farmer residing in the town of 
 Owasco, was born in this town on 
 October 16, 1824. His father, Simeon, was 
 
 M 
 
694 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 born at Deer Park, Orange County, N.Y., as 
 was also his grandfather, Peter. The great- 
 grandfather, Jacob, was a native of the town 
 of Hurley. Roeliff Swart wout, the grand- 
 father of Jacob, was the first of the name to 
 come to this country. He was a prominent 
 man in public affairs in the early history of 
 Ulster County, having been commissioned the 
 first Sheriff of Esopus, under the charter 
 granted by the States General in 166 1. He 
 was also a member of Governor Leslie's Coun- 
 cil in 1689, and was appointed Justice and 
 Collector of Ulster County on December 24, 
 1689. He was a native of Amsterdam, Hol- 
 land, born in 1634, and came to this country 
 in 165s, first settling at Fort Orange (Al- 
 bany). He was married August 13, 1657, to 
 Eva Albertse, a daughter of Abbot Andries- 
 sen Bradt de Noorman, of Fort Orange, and 
 widow of Anthony de Hooges, by whom she 
 had five children. The place called "An- 
 thony's Nose" on the Hudson is said to have 
 been named after Anthony de Hooges. Roeliff 
 made a visit to Holland, returning in 1660 to 
 Esopus (Kingston), where he settled with his 
 family. His first wife dying, he married in 
 New York City, on October 8, 1691, Fran- 
 cyntje Andries, widow of Abram Lubbertsen. 
 In the latter part of his life he lived on 
 his farm at Hurley. The will of Roeliff 
 Swartwout, made in his eightieth year, in 
 1 714, is recorded in the Dutch language at 
 Kingston. 
 
 Jacob Swartwout was married May 30, 
 1 72 1, to Antje Gumaer, daughter of Peter 
 Gumaer and Esther Hasbrouck. Jacob Swart- 
 
 wout was a Major of the county militia; and 
 his widow, Antje, distinguished herself when 
 the Indians invaded the valley in 1778, by 
 parading in the fort with the men, armed with 
 a pitchfork, in sight of the enemy. The chil- 
 dren of Jacob and Antje (Gumaer) Swartwout 
 were: Peter, born April 14, 1723; Gerardus, 
 born August 29, 1725, killed by Indians dur- 
 ing the French and Indian War; Philip; 
 Hester; and Jane. Philip, born January 28, 
 1728, married Anne Wyncoop, of Rochester. 
 He succeeded to his father's estate, and was a 
 Justice of the Peace prior to the Revolution. 
 He and his two eldest sons were killed and a 
 third son was badly wounded by Indians when 
 they invaded the valley of Neversink in Octo- 
 ber, 1778. The children of Peter and Jane 
 (Westfall) Swartwout were: Simeon, Sallie, 
 Samuel, Deborah, Philip, James D., and 
 David. Simeon came to Owasco, Cayuga 
 County, N.Y., in 1813, the journey being 
 made by means of teams. He settled at 
 Owasco Lake, taking up a tract of land of two 
 hundred acres. He erected a fine frame 
 house, and lived there until 1867, when he 
 went to Michigan to visit his son, and was 
 taken sick while there, and died July 8, 1867, 
 aged seventy-eight. He was married to Alcy 
 Westfall, a daughter of Abraham and Annie 
 Westfall, the following children being born 
 to them; namely, Peter, James, Annie, Dan- 
 iel, Sallie, and Margaret. 
 
 Daniel Swartwout, third son of Simeon, 
 was educated in the district schools. He 
 succeeded on his father's death to the old 
 homestead, paying out the claims of the other 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 69s 
 
 heirs, and is now possessed of one of the best 
 farms in the county, fitted out with every 
 modern improvement. 
 
 He was married April 24, 1849, to Mary J. 
 Noyes, a resident of Niles and daughter of 
 Samuel B. and Catherine R. (Jackson) Noyes, 
 the former having been born in Connecticut, 
 and the latter in Fleming. The father of 
 Samuel B. was John B. Noyes, also of Con- 
 necticut. Mr. and Mrs. Swartwout have one 
 son, Samuel N., who was born March 24, 
 1 86 1. Although a young man, he has been 
 very prominent in political matters for the 
 Republican party. He has been Town Clerk 
 for three and one-half years, and Inspector of 
 Elections for three terms, and in 1 893 was 
 elected Supervisor. He was married Septem- 
 ber 19, 1883, to Miss Emma R. Peterson, 
 daughter of George R. and Mary (Post) Peter- 
 son, of Fleming. They have one child, 
 Elsie R. 
 
 Mr. Swartwout and family are all members 
 of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Auburn. 
 The manly qualities which distinguished the 
 Swartwouts in their pioneer days have de- 
 scended in no less degree to the present gen- 
 eration, who are well known as chivalrous and 
 upright men, enjoying the esteem and confi- 
 dence of their fellows. 
 
 SRANK J. STUPP, First Sergeant of 
 the Wheeler Rifles, and Armorer of 
 the New York State Armory at Auburn, was 
 born in New York City, March 24, 1844, the 
 son of John and Elizabeth (Reeber) Stupp. 
 
 The father was born in the province of Ba- 
 varia, Germany, in 1816. He came to this 
 country when a young man, working at his 
 trade of a shoemaker in New York City, and 
 about 1848 came to Auburn, where he en- 
 gaged in the same business. In religion Mr. 
 and Mrs. Stupp were of the Presbyterian 
 faith, Mrs. Stupp, like her husband, being of 
 German birth. Mr. Stupp died in October, 
 1883, leaving a widow and one son, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch. 
 
 Frank J. Stupp came to Auburn with his 
 parents when quite young, but passed most of 
 his boyhood days in New York City, where he 
 was educated. While there, he enlisted, at 
 the age of seventeen, in Company E, Fifty- 
 fifth New York Volunteer Infantry, to aid in 
 quelling the Rebellion; but, being a minor, 
 his father took him out of the service, and 
 brought him to Auburn, where he learned the 
 trade of a barber. Opening a shop of his 
 own, he continued here in business one year, 
 and then enlisted in Company G, One Hun- 
 dred and Eleventh New York Volunteer In- 
 fantry, July 16, 1862, and was sent to the 
 Army of the Potomac. He was first at 
 Harper's Ferry when Colonel Miles surren- 
 dered, remaining in the defence until the 
 spring of 1863, when they were sent to Chi- 
 cago as paroled prisoners, afterward going 
 back into the field, being engaged in the de- 
 fence of Washington until June, 1863. He 
 was with the Army of the Potomac at Gettys- 
 burg, where he was wounded July 2, 1863. 
 Returning to the regiment for duty the fol- 
 lowing November, he remained with it until 
 
696 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the close of the war, being engaged in the 
 battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold 
 Harbor, Petersburg, and various other battles 
 and skirmishes. During the latter part of his 
 service he attained the rank of Sergeant. He 
 was at the review in Washington at the close 
 of the war, afterward returning to Auburn, 
 where he again opened a barber shop and en- 
 gaged in business on Genesee Street, giving 
 employment to five men. 
 
 In 1876 Mr. Stupp accepted a position as 
 Keeper in the Auburn State prison, which he 
 held until his appointment as Armorer at the 
 State Armory in 1885. He had joined the 
 Wheeler Rifles in 1882 as a private, and has 
 held the position of Armorer since 1885, 
 also receiving the rank of Sergeant in that 
 year. He had been a member of Company 
 B, N.Y. N. G., since 1861, and kept up 
 his membership in that organization until 
 1873, being Captain of his company when he 
 resigned, to accept the Quartermastership of 
 the regiment under General C. D. McDou- 
 gall, which position he held until February, 
 1877. He is a member of Saint Paul's 
 Lodge, A. F. & A. M., David's Chapter, No. 
 34, R. A. M., and Salem Town Commandery, 
 No. 16, Knights Templars, having been Mas- 
 ter of the Lodge from 1871 to 1873 inclusive. 
 He is also a member of the Board of Health, 
 as well as being a Commissioner for the city. 
 He has been an active worker in the Demo- 
 cratic ranks, but never an aspirant for office. 
 Mr. Stupp was married to Miss Louisa Ben- 
 nett, of Auburn, daughter of Isaac Bennett, 
 in August, 1862, and has five living children. 
 
 namely: Clara M., wife of Hiram Rich; Cora 
 A., wife of James Thomas; George N., em- 
 ployed in the Western Union Telegraph 
 office; Frank J., Jr.; and Gracie B. Stupp. 
 
 The New York State Armory of Auburn, of 
 which Mr. Stupp is Armorer, is built of 
 stone, and was finished in 1873. The main 
 building is one hundred and twenty-five feet 
 by fifty-five feet, two stories in height. The 
 first floor is devoted to squad rooms, dressing- 
 rooms, and equipment office, and reading- 
 room. The upper floor is reserved for a drill 
 room. There has been an addition made of 
 one story, seventy-five feet by forty, for a 
 squad drill room. The building is heated by 
 steam and furnished with electric lights. 
 The members of the Wheeler Rifles (Second 
 Separate Company, Fourth Brigade, National 
 Guards, State of New York) are a fine class 
 of men, the company being a high social as 
 well as military organization. 
 
 Mr. Stupp by his distinguished army career 
 is eminently qualified for the position which 
 he now holds and so acceptably fills, being 
 held in high respect and esteem by all. 
 
 LBERT LLEWELLYN HALL, 
 M.D., who stood at the head of his 
 class in Syracuse University, also 
 stands high in his profession, not only in Fair 
 Haven, where he has resided since 1879, but 
 throughout this region. A thorough student, 
 skilled with his pen, as with scalpel and 
 stethoscope, he is the author of papers that 
 have found a place, not only in ordinary pro- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 697 
 
 fessional journals, but in the Medical Record, 
 published in New York City, which is the 
 leading periodical of its kind in the United 
 States. Among his published essays may be 
 mentioned those on " Creosote in the Treat- 
 ment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis," August 
 6, 1892; "Sensory Derangement Following 
 Intra-cerebral Injuries," April 11, 1891; 
 " Simulation of Diseased States for the Pur- 
 pose of Gain," April 2, 1893. Dr. Hall is 
 regarded as the leading physician and surgeon 
 in the northern part of Cayuga County. 
 
 The Halls are of English ancestry. The 
 Doctor's great - great - grandfather, Jonathan 
 Hall, a captain in the War of 1812, was born 
 in Massachusetts, and married Abba Bisbee, 
 whose family owned one of the first cotton- 
 mills in Rhode Island, where they were prom- 
 inent people. His grandfather, Hopestill 
 Hall, was born September 7, 1796, and in 
 1809, when only a dozen years old, came with 
 his parents to Pompey Hill, in Onondaga 
 County. Later, in 1820, at the age of 
 twenty-four, he came as a pioneer to Oswego 
 County. His wife was Eliza Sparks, born in 
 Leslie, Addison County, Vt., October 16, 
 1796, a daughter of Stephen Sparks, and a 
 first cousin of Jared Sparks, the eminent 
 historian, clergyman, and college president. 
 Besides being a farmer, Grandfather Hope- 
 still Hall employed several men in a shoe 
 factory, which was rather unusual in those 
 days, when more than one or two workmen 
 were rarely found in the same shop. Hope- 
 still Hall's son. Ransom Laurence Hall, the 
 father of the Doctor, was born in Oswego 
 
 County on March 20, 1828, on the Hast- 
 ings Homestead, and always remained an 
 agriculturist. His wife, Mary Jane, was a 
 daughter of W. Henry Barnes, of Oswego 
 County, and died in 1853, leaving but one 
 son, Albert, who forms the chief subject of 
 this sketch; he was then only a child, three 
 years old. 
 
 Albert Llewellyn Hall was born in Hast- 
 ings, December 14, 1850. He first attended 
 the public schools, and then the Central New 
 York Conference Seminary at Cazenovia. 
 After five years' experience as a schoolmaster, 
 he began the study of medicine with Dr. 
 N. W. Bates, of Central Square, Oswego 
 County, and then took a course of iiistruction 
 in the medical department of the Michigan 
 State University at Ann Arbor, whence he 
 returned to his native State, to study four 
 terms in the medical school connected with 
 the Syracuse University, which was the earli- 
 est institution in the State to adopt an ex- 
 tended course of medical study. Of the enter- 
 ing class of twenty-four members, only four 
 besides young Hall persevered to the point of 
 graduation in the year 1879. Having spent 
 five years in preparing for his work. Dr. Hall 
 now decided to take up his residence in Fair 
 Haven, where he soon had a good general 
 practice, besides giving special attention to 
 nervous troubles and expert work. He has 
 been both President and Vice-President of the 
 Cayuga County Medical Society, and belongs 
 to the Central New York Medical Associa- 
 tion. He is also connected with the National 
 Association of Railway Surgeons, having 
 
698 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 since 1 890 been the surgeon for the Lehigh 
 Valley Railroad, a position to which he was 
 appointed by President Wilbur. 
 
 In his own village he was formerly School 
 Trustee, till that office was merged into the 
 Board of Education, of which he was duly 
 elected a member for three terras. When the 
 small-pox prevailed in Canada, and during the 
 cholera scare of 1892, he was raade Sanitary 
 Inspector for the United States Marine Hos- 
 pital service, his reports being embodied in 
 the report of the State Board of Health for 
 that year. For three terms, beginning with 
 1885, he was elected County Coroner, and is 
 the present incumbent. In Benjamin Harri- 
 son's Presidential administration the Doctor 
 was a member of the Auburn board of pension 
 examining surgeons, retaining the place until 
 after President Cleveland's second election, 
 in 1892. Five years successively he was 
 elected a member of the Board of Health of 
 the town of Sterling, and is now a health 
 officer in Fair Haven, being the first to hold 
 that office here. He has entered largely into 
 the field of medico-legal evidence, and has 
 had charge of the medical evidence in several 
 important cases ; and in some of these cases 
 his evidence secured large sums for the plain- 
 tiff. To Oswego he was summoned as an 
 expert in an important trial ; and in reference 
 to this case a leading attorney, D. P. More- 
 house, of Oswego, wrote him as follows: 
 "Your testimony was given in a clear and in- 
 telligent way, that soon convinced the court 
 and jury that you were master of the subject; 
 and it was given with that positiveness of 
 
 manner that carries conviction." This opin- 
 ion was confirmed by Judge Churchill, who 
 presided at the trial. While giving his time 
 to such cases, they have come to Dr. Hall un- 
 sought, and have been the means of securing 
 for him a merited distinction as a medico- 
 legal expert in nervous affections. 
 
 In the fraternal line he belongs to the 
 Central Square Lodge of Masons. He is at 
 present holding the office of President of the 
 village of Fair Haven, this being his second 
 term. December 29, 1875, the Doctor mar- 
 ried Almeda L. Allen, of West Monroe; and 
 they have two children: Blanch Allen Hall, 
 born March 2, 1876, and Ralph Llewellyn 
 Hall, born August 11, 1878. The mother 
 was educated at the Fulton Academy, which 
 was in its day the foremost institution of its 
 kind in this vicinity, and for several years 
 was a teacher in the public schools of the 
 State. Mrs. Hall may be proud of her hus- 
 band's reputation and ability and of her chil- 
 dren's promise of useful and happy lives. 
 
 AFFRINE L. DEPEW, a Justice of 
 the Peace and enterprising farmer in 
 the town of Sennett, Cayuga County, 
 N.Y., was born in Owasco in 1865, son of 
 Henry P. Depew. His great-great-grand- 
 father, Abram Depew, came to this country 
 from France more than a hundred years ago. 
 He was accompanied by his two brothers, 
 Nicholas and Ezra; and they settled on the 
 banks of the Hudson in Ulster County, New 
 York. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 699 
 
 In 1793 two of Abram's sons, Abram, Jr., 
 and Martin, came to Cayuga County, and took 
 up their abode in Owasco, where they cleared 
 a farm. It was the fall of the year when they 
 came, and they kept their horses and cattle 
 through the winter by felling trees and letting 
 them browse on the branches. In 1796 
 Abram, Jr., married Miss Ann Cortright. 
 They reared a family of six children, of whom 
 the second was named Saffrine. He married 
 in 1822 Miss Lizzie Depuy; and, settling 
 in Owasco, they, too, reared six children. 
 Henry P. Depew, the third of this group, 
 married in 1863 Miss Judie Wormer. In 
 1866 he sold his farm in Owasco, where he 
 had been living, and bought the farm of his 
 father-in-law in the town of Sennett. Here 
 they lived and brought up their two boys — 
 Saffrine L. and Willford H. Depew, the first 
 of whom was named for his grandfather, but is 
 distinguished from him by the initial L. of 
 his middle name. 
 
 Saffrine L. Depew received his elementary 
 education in the district schools of Sennett, 
 and pursued his advanced studies in the Au- 
 burn High School, where he was graduated. 
 At the age of eighteen he taught in the dis- 
 trict school, and was so occupied for two win- 
 ters. He then worked for his father on the 
 farm for a year, when he married, and con- 
 tinued working on the old homestead and on 
 his father-in-law's farm for two years. In 
 1889 he purchased the homestead, carrying on 
 general farming until 1891, when he bought a 
 residence in the village of Sennett, and en- 
 gaged in the grain, produce, and coal busi- 
 
 ness. Although very successful in this under- 
 taking, Mr. Depew remained there but two 
 years, when he moved back to the farm, 
 where he is now actively engaged in general 
 agriculture. He has one of the best farms in 
 Cayuga County, fitted up with the latest im- 
 provements. 
 
 Before Mr. Depew was twenty-one years of 
 age he was appointed Inspector of Elections, 
 and in 1889 was elected Justice of the Peace, 
 which office he holds at the present time. 
 He was married December 15, 1886, to Miss 
 Jennie L. Phelps, the daughter of Charles and 
 Mary Ann (Sheldon) Phelps, of Sennett. 
 They have had two children, only one of 
 whom is living, Jessie. Mr. and Mrs. Depew 
 are members and supporters of the Presbyte- 
 rian church of Sennett. In politics Mr. 
 Depew is a Republican, his father being a 
 Democrat. He is a prominent member of the 
 Cayuga County Farmers' Club. Mr. Depew 
 is an exceedingly bright and intelligent man, 
 and, although young in years, has taken an 
 active part in politics. The public offices he 
 has held have required a ripe judgment, in 
 which Mr. Depew has proved himself to be 
 proficient, being held in the highest esteem 
 by his townspeople. 
 
 /^TeORGE WEBSTER NELLIS, a 
 \Pj__ well-known Auburn lawyer, was in 
 1893 elected District Attorney for Cayuga 
 County, and entered upon the exacting and 
 intricate duties of his office with the begin- 
 ning of the new year of 1894. He was born 
 
700 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in the town of Herkimer in the county of that 
 name on August 12, 1856, his father being 
 Peter John Nellis, and his mother Mary 
 (Sphoon) Nellis. The Nellises have lived in 
 the Mohawk Valley for many generations, tak- 
 ing their inheritance from one of the original 
 settlers; and this is equally true of Mr. 
 Nellis's mother's family, the Sphoons. In 
 religion both families were adherents of 
 the Presbyterian church from the olden 
 times. 
 
 Long before the present District Attorney's 
 birth his parents were residents of Cayuga 
 County, his father having come hither in 
 youth or early manhood. After a short resi- 
 dence on a Moravia farm, Peter J. Nellis 
 removed to another farm, situated within the 
 corporation limits of Auburn, in which city 
 he subsequently held various public positions, 
 such as Keeper of the prison and United 
 States Ganger. He was an ardent supporter 
 of the Union cause, and in 1864 was recom- 
 mended by the war committee for a Captaincy; 
 but serious illness prevented him from join- 
 ing his regiment. After attending the Au- 
 burn Grammar and High Schools, George W. 
 Nellis received private instruction, and then 
 engaged in the insurance and real estate busi- 
 ness for three years with L. C. Mann & Son. 
 Then he decided to study law, and entered 
 the office of Richard C. Steel on the first day 
 of August, 1877, at the age of twenty-one. 
 As he was determined to thoroughly master 
 the profession, he did not seek admittance to 
 the bar until four years later, January 7, 
 1 88 1, when he was admitted to practice after 
 
 an examination held at Utica; and thereafter 
 he continued his association with Mr. Steel 
 till that gentleman's death, December 28, 
 1886. He then formed a partnership with 
 R. L. Drummond, under the firm name of 
 Drummond & Nellis. After two years' prac- 
 tice this partnership was dissolved, and the 
 junior member carried on the office alone, 
 building up a fine practice, until his election 
 to his present office as District Attorney, a 
 position previously held by his former law 
 partners, Mr. Steel and Mr. Drummond. Mr. 
 Nellis has always been an ardent Republican, 
 and has represented his party in the Board of 
 Supervisors and in legislative and judicial 
 conventions. 
 
 His wife, Eunice Adora Washburn, whom 
 he married in 1882, is a descendant of the 
 New England Washburn family, and they 
 have been blessed with four children: Altie 
 Meribah Nellis, born in 1885; Richard Steel 
 Nellis, born in 1888, named after his father's 
 early professional friend; Mary Steel Nellis, 
 born in 1890; and Eunice Irene Nellis, born 
 in 1893. The family are members and regu- 
 lar attendants of the Second Presbyterian 
 Church of Auburn. 
 
 Says Ruskin, and Mr. Nellis is a man to 
 feel the deep truth of such words, " If there 
 be one principle more widely than another 
 confessed by every utterance, or more sternly 
 than another imprinted on every atom of the 
 visible creation, that principle is not liberty, 
 but law." Yet this District Attorney is also 
 one who knows how to "let mercy season 
 justice." 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 701 
 
 » 
 
 ANIEL Y. BRAY, a well-known 
 farmer and milk-dealer of Union 
 
 Springs, N.Y., was born at Ho- 
 neoye, Ontario County, N.Y., May 12, 1856, 
 son of James and Sally Ann (Yawger) Bray. 
 He came to the town of Springport, Cayuga 
 County, in 1869, receiving his education at 
 the Friends' Academy and Canandaigua Acad- 
 emy, supplemented by a course at the Busi- 
 ness College of Rochester University, after 
 which he returned to Union Springs, and en- 
 gaged in painting and paper-hanging for some 
 years. In 1887 he bought the old Yawger 
 homestead on which his mother was born, and 
 since then has carried on the business of a 
 farmer and dealer in milk, having sole control 
 of the milk business in Union Springs, and 
 giving employment to three men. Mr. Bray 
 was elected Town Clerk of Springport in 
 1884, being elected on the Republican ticket, 
 and holding the office for six years. He was 
 also elected Justice of the Peace in the spring 
 of 1893, for a term of three years. Having 
 given considerable time to the study of law, 
 he is well qualified for this position. He has 
 been Trustee of the village for one year, and 
 clerk of the schools for several years. His 
 residence is a fine old brick farmhouse, built 
 by his grandfather. 
 
 Mr. Bray was married September 5, 1878, 
 to Miss Adelle Hathorn, daughter of William 
 and Hannah M. Hathorn, of Union Springs. 
 They have two children — Frank H. and Han- 
 nah E. The family attend the Presbyterian 
 church, of which Mrs. Bray is a member. 
 Mr. Bray is a member of Warren Lodge, No. 
 
 176, of Union Springs. He is a man of keen 
 observation and ripe judgment, necessary qual- 
 ifications for the various positions which he 
 so ably fills. 
 
 <^ • ^> 
 
 7T%HARLES O. BAKER, M.D., one of 
 I J| the leading physicians of Auburn, 
 
 
 dates his ancestry from the time of 
 
 his great-great-grandfather, an officer in the 
 British army, who eventually made this coun- 
 try his home. His grandfather, Artemas, was 
 one of the early pioneers who came to New 
 York from New England, and settled in 
 Cayuga County, where he became a large 
 land-owner. The father of Dr. Baker was 
 born in Fleming. He was a farmer by occu- 
 pation, and one of the most prominent men of 
 the town, being held in high estimation by 
 his fellow-townsmen, and filling various local 
 offices with tact and ability. The Doctor also 
 comes of good stock on the maternal side, his 
 mother being a Miss O'Hara, of Scipio. His 
 great-grandfather, John O'Hara, was one of 
 the most prominent of the early settlers of 
 Auburn. He came from New England, and 
 owned a large farm where part of the present 
 city now stands. He was an officer of the 
 War of 1812, and a prominent militia man. 
 His son, also named John, was born in the 
 town of Auburn, but for many years was a 
 resident of Scipio. He is still living, and 
 residing at the present time in the town of 
 Fleming. 
 
 Charles O. Baker is the son of David A. 
 and Phcebe (O'Hara) Baker, and was born on 
 February 22, 1852, Washington's Birthday, 
 
702 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 at Fleming in this county. The early part of 
 his life was spent on the home farm. He re- 
 ceived his first scholastic training at the com- 
 mon school, afterward attending the Friends' 
 Academy at Union Springs, proceeding 
 thence to the Cazenovia Seminary and the 
 Syracuse University. When quite young, he 
 decided to enter upon a professional career, 
 choosing the self-sacrificing one of medicine. 
 Realizing that "thoroughness is the stepping- 
 stone to success," he applied himself dili- 
 gently to his studies, reading with Dr. 
 Gilmore, of Fleming, Dr. Giff, of Cazenovia, 
 and Dr. Mercer, of Syracuse, at the same 
 time taking lectures at the medical depart- 
 ment of the University of Syracuse, and grad- 
 uating from thence in the class of 1873. 
 Immediately after his graduation he went to 
 Seneca Falls, residing there for six months, 
 afterward removing to Fleming, where he was 
 associated with Dr. Samuel Gilmore for a 
 year. From thence he went to Elbridge, 
 Onondaga County, where he remained in 
 active practice until 1882. During his resi- 
 dence at the latter place he occupied the posi- 
 tion of President of the village for three 
 years, and was Coroner for five years. 
 
 Dr. Baker has been a resident of Auburn 
 since 1882, making a specialty of abdominal 
 surgery, in which he has achieved very grati- 
 fying success. He is a member of several of 
 the most prominent medical societies in this 
 country, among them being the Onondaga 
 County Medical Society, Central New York 
 Medical Society, Cayuga County Medical So- 
 ciety, New York State Medical Society, and 
 
 the American Medical Association. As a 
 member of the latter he attended the Interna- 
 tional Congress at Washington in 1887. ^^ 
 1890 and 1891 he took a trip to Europe, pur- 
 suing his studies while there with some of the 
 most prominent European physicians. He 
 also spent some time in viewing the most 
 noted hospitals in England and Germany. 
 
 Dr. Baker has held the ofifice of Coroner of 
 this county for six years, and his wide experi- 
 ence and deep learning have gained for him 
 an enviable reputation which is not coniined 
 to his own locality alone, but has extended 
 through various States. In religious belief 
 Dr. Baker is a Baptist, being a member of the 
 Second Baptist Church. He is also a promi- 
 nent member of the Elbridge Lodge, Indepen- 
 dent Order of Odd Fellows. Dr. Baker's 
 family consists of his wife, Jennie M. Baker, 
 daughter of Franklin Sheldon, of Fleming, 
 and two children — Raymond and Alfred. 
 
 rm^ 
 
 EORGE CORNING, Jr., a prominent 
 \}^X retired merchant of the city of Au- 
 burn, is the son of George and Anna (Fergu- 
 son) Corning, and was born in St. Louis, 
 Mo., November 22, 1856. Mr. Corning, Sr., 
 was of New England ancestry, his birthplace 
 being at Stepney, Conn., on the farm adjoin- 
 ing the old homestead of Daniel B. Fair- 
 weather. On arriving at years of maturity he 
 went to St. Louis, and engaged in the shoe 
 business, afterward moving to Jefferson City, 
 Mo., where he was engaged in prison contract 
 work. Coming to Auburn in 1871, he took a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 7°3 
 
 contract for one hundred men at the Auburn 
 State prison, continuing in that work until 
 prison contract work was abolished, when he 
 started a shoe manufactory in Auburn under 
 the firm name of George Corning & Sons, giv- 
 ing employment to seventy-five people. It 
 was one of the first in the city, and the only 
 one then in operation. Upon the retirement 
 of Mr. Corning, Sr., from active business, 
 eight years later, his place in the firm was 
 taken by his son, George Corning, Jr., the 
 subject of this biographical mention. The 
 father died at his home in Auburn. 
 
 George Corning, Jr., received his early 
 education at the Missouri State College at 
 Mexico, Mo., after which he went to a college 
 at Poughkeepsie, preparatory to entering West 
 Point, receiving his appointment to the Mili- 
 tary Academy from B. Gratz Brown, Governor 
 of Missouri; but, being in ill-health at the 
 time, he did not take advantage of it, and re- 
 turned to Jefferson City, where he learned the 
 practical part of the shoe business under his 
 father, remaining in his employment until the 
 removal to Auburn, when he was taken into 
 the firm, which then comprised George Corn- 
 ing, Sr., Erastus, and George, Jr. 
 
 Mr. Corning married Miss Cora N. Tre- 
 maine, a daughter of E. L. Tremaine, of one 
 of the oldest and most respected families in 
 Auburn, two children being the fruit of the 
 union; namely, Phema Louise and Philip 
 Erastus. Mr. Corning is a prominent mem- 
 ber of the Knights of Pythias, and in relig- 
 ious belief is an Episcopalian, the family 
 being members and supporters of St. Peter's 
 
 Church. Mr. Corning has always been a 
 stanch Republican, but has never in any sense 
 of the word been an office-seeker. Mr. Corn- 
 ing continued engaged in the shoe trade and 
 manufacture till i8gi. He has always been 
 a thorough business man, keen and practical; 
 and whatever undertakings he has entered into 
 have been conducted to a successful termina- 
 tion. He has never been prominent in poli- 
 tics, but has ever lived up to and upheld his 
 party, endeavoring to do his duty as a good 
 and patriotic citizen. As above mentioned, 
 he is now living retired from active business. 
 
 AMES BRAY was born in what is now 
 Springport, N.Y., January 15, 1815, 
 son of Andrew and Mary (Yawger) 
 Bray. His father was the son of James Bray, 
 who was a General in the Continental army. 
 Andrew moved from Trenton to Springport in 
 1809, remaining there until 1817, when he 
 went to Richmond, Ontario County, and en- 
 gaged in farming, dying there aged eighty-five 
 years. His wife was born in New Jersey in 
 1790, a daughter of Philip Yawger. She was 
 the mother of nine children, eight of whom 
 lived to maturity, namely: Andrew, born in 
 1808, who was a farmer in Ontario County; 
 Sally, who was married to James Tubbs, and 
 died in Oakland County, Michigan; Rebecca, 
 who married William Tubbs, and died at 
 Richmond, Ontario County, N.Y.; Mary 
 Ann, who married William Abby, and moved 
 to Macomb County, Michigan; Aaron, born 
 in Springport, who moved to Ontario County, 
 
7°4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and is still living, aged eighty-five; Daniel, 
 who lives in Macomb County, Michigan; 
 Philip, now deceased; Fanny, wife of Daniel 
 Hughitt, who died in Richmond. Mrs. Bray 
 died in November, 1849. 
 
 The family on the mother's side is of Ger- 
 man origin, Philip Yawger having come from 
 Germany at quite an early date. He was one 
 of the minute-men during the Revolutionary 
 War. He came with his family to Oswego, 
 where he remained one year, and in 1801 
 came to Springport, settling north of the vil- 
 lage and just outside of the present corpora- 
 tion line. He purchased quite a large tract 
 of land, and was the first man to discover and 
 open up the plaster or gypsum quarries, which 
 were found by ploughing down to the rock. 
 The quarries on his farm ran down to Cayuga 
 Lake, and gave him a good opportunity for 
 shipping by boat. He had at the time of the 
 War of i8i2 thirty schooners, which were im- 
 pressed and taken to Sackett's Harbor at the 
 time the American army expected to invade 
 Canada, and were to be used for the transpor- 
 tation of troops and supplies. He received 
 pay for them on account of the stoppage of his 
 business, he having a large amount of contract 
 work on hand, which gave employment to a 
 large number of men. He died about 1832, 
 and aged about seventy-five, leaving the fol- 
 lowing family: John, Peter, Henry, William, 
 Daniel, Mary, and Catherine. 
 
 James Bray, son of Andrew and Mary, 
 moved with his family to the town of Rich- 
 mond, and there received his schooling. He 
 engaged in farming for himself, buying a 
 
 farm of some two hundred acres, afterward 
 adding to it until he had a farm of four hun- 
 dred acres, one of the largest in the district. 
 He remained at Richmond until 1874, when 
 he sold out and came to Union Springs, where 
 he purchased a farm of fifty-five acres, inside 
 the limits of the village. He was at one 
 time largely interested in bee culture, having 
 upward of one hundred swarms, of which he 
 made a great success, in one instance getting 
 one hundred and sixty dollars' worth of honey 
 and eight new swarms from four swarms in 
 one season. He has recently retired from 
 active work, his son taking charge of the 
 farm. He was married on January i, 1853, 
 to Miss Sally Ann Yawger, who was born in 
 1828, a daughter of Daniel Yawger. Two 
 children were born to them, of whom but one 
 lives, Daniel Y. Mrs. Bray died May 3, 
 1887. Mr. Bray has given all his attention 
 to his agricultural pursuits, and has had no 
 time to accept public office other than that of 
 Highway Commissioner, which he held in 
 Ontario County. He is an exceedingly intel- 
 ligent man of broad and enlightened views. 
 
 lE ROY CARL has made his name 
 well known in Auburn and among 
 mechanics in all parts of the coun- 
 try through his earnest and energetic work for 
 the Carpenters' Union; and at his shop. No. 
 41 Market Street, a laboring man in distress 
 is sure to find encouragement and help. Mr. 
 Carl was born in the town of Montezuma, Ca- 
 yuga County, N.Y., July 4, 1854, and was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 7°5 
 
 the elder of the two sons of William H. and 
 Hannah F. (Morgan) Carl. The father was 
 born in Montezuma; and with the exception 
 of two years in Wisconsin he spent all his 
 life in his native place, following the trade 
 of carpenter, and contracting and building 
 largely. He was a member of the Indepen- 
 dent Order of Odd Fellows and Ancient Order 
 of United Workmen Lodges, and of the Metho- 
 dist Episcopal church. His wife was born 
 in Cayuga County, August 4, 1826, and was 
 the daughter of Nicholas Morgan, who was 
 one of the oldest settlers of this vicinity, hav- 
 ing come from New England to this part of 
 the State while it was yet a wilderness, and 
 while Indian wigwams were not an uncommon 
 sight. Here he cleared a tract of land, and, 
 making friends with the Indians, settled his 
 family in a peaceful home. Azel Carl, the 
 paternal grandfather of the subject of this 
 sketch, was a blacksmith by trade, and an 
 early settler in this county. He died at the 
 early age of forty-five. 
 
 Since the death of William H. Carl, on 
 March 8, 1876, Le Roy and his brother, Ells- 
 worth E. Carl, have cared tenderly for their 
 widowed mother, who is still living. Le Roy 
 attended the public schools of this town, and 
 received his first ideas of trade from his 
 father, after which he worked for others until 
 he felt perfectly competent to undertake any- 
 thing in the line of building. For six years 
 he was with a church builder, and assisted in 
 putting up some of the most imposing struct- 
 ures of that class in this and the surrounding 
 counties. In the spring of 1887 he came to 
 
 this city, and for the next six years worked for 
 J. C. Stout, being foreman for him on large 
 contracts, among which were Bowles Opera 
 House, and Mcintosh & Seymours Works. 
 Mr. Carl started in business in January, 
 1893, with Edwin Craven; and they are ex- 
 tensively engaged in contracting and building. 
 
 Mrs. Carl, who was Sarah Helen Clark, 
 was born at Montezuma, March 8, 1858, and 
 was the daughter of Levi and Alida Clark, her 
 father being a prominent business man in that 
 place. They were married October 23, 1875; 
 and two children have blessed the union, only 
 one of whom, Alida F., is living. The fam- 
 ily in all its branches are both by tradition 
 and conviction members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church; and Mr. Carl and his wife 
 are no exception, being members of the Wall 
 Street Church, in which they are both promi- 
 nent. Mr. Carl is class leader, local preacher, 
 and teacher of the young ladies' Bible class. 
 
 Mr. Carl was one of the founders of the 
 Carpenters' Union, and attended the General 
 Convention at Chicago in 1890, and at St. 
 Louis in 1892. As a general delegate from 
 the Carpenters' Brotherhood, he was sent to the 
 American Federation of Labor in Philadelphia 
 in December, 1892, and in Chicago in 1893. 
 To his energy and influence is due much of 
 the success of the Carpenters' Union. He is 
 always ready to spare from his arduous busi- 
 ness duties time to help a fellow-man in need; 
 and, whether engaged in church work or the 
 advancement of the labor interests of his 
 trade, he puts his heart and soul into his 
 work, leaving self as much as possible in the 
 
7o6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 background, and trying to do the right, which 
 will in the end amount to the greatest good 
 for all. 
 
 'ACOB WHITE is a man of whom all 
 sorts of good things might be said. 
 Like his brother David, he is not only 
 prominent in Spring Lake, but very highly es- 
 teemed, both these gentlemen having exerted 
 a powerful influence in the development of the 
 village of Spring Lake, in the town of Con- 
 quest; but, while David is a merchant, Jacob is 
 a farmer and blacksmith. He was born in Nas- 
 sau, Rensselaer County, November ii, 1826. 
 The particulars of descent, though given at 
 some length in the sketch of David White, 
 elsewhere in this volume, may be partially 
 repeated here. Jacob White was named for 
 his father, who was born in Mansfield, Mass., 
 but early went to Walpole to work, whence he 
 was drafted into service for the War of 1812. 
 An old farm house, it may be mentioned, still 
 standing in Mansfield in a good state of pres- 
 ervation, was the home of the Rev. Nicholas 
 White, considerably more than one hundred 
 and fifty years ago. Having learned the trade 
 of hoe-maker, the elder Jacob worked thereat 
 three or four years near home, and then re- 
 moved to Nassau, where he bought land, 
 built a hoe factory, and continued to live 
 for some forty years, dying aged eighty-four. 
 His wife, Prissa Lewis, was the daughter of 
 Mr. Lewis, of Walpole, near Mansfield, and 
 they had eleven children: Lewis, named for 
 his mother's family; Sally; Prissa, named for 
 her mother; Miranda; Philip; Jacob, the 
 
 subject of the present sketch; William; 
 Charles; Martha; Mary Jane; David, else- 
 where chronicled in this volume. Their 
 mother died at ninety-three, in the homestead 
 where she had lived half a century, and which 
 she had helped her husband to acquire. 
 
 Jacob stayed in Nassau till he was twenty- 
 seven, attending the district and select 
 schools, and assisting his father in the fac- 
 tory. He came to the Conquest region in 
 1852, before Spring Lake had become a vil- 
 lage, and when the inhabitants had not yet 
 brought their farms into an advanced stage of 
 cultivation. He worked by the month for a 
 year or so at farming, and then went to black- 
 smithing by the day with a Mr. Palmer, with 
 whom he then formed a partnership. At the 
 end of two years he built a shop of his own, 
 especially for horseshoeing. Later still he 
 bought his present shop, and devoted himself 
 especially to wagon work, in which he has 
 now been over thirty years engaged. 
 
 He married in 1846, at the early age of 
 twenty, Abigail Warden, daughter of Heran 
 and Hannah (Culver) Warden, of Stephen- 
 town, adjoining Nassau. Out of five children 
 Jacob and Abigail have lost three. Of the 
 two living Sarah L. is the wife of Walter 
 Blass, and has three children — Lewis J., 
 Gertie, Floyd. The son, Wilson, married 
 Minnie Fowler, of Butler, by whom he has 
 one child, Charles p-Qwler. In politics 
 formerly a Whig, but later a Republican, 
 Jacob White has been Tax Collector and 
 Overseer of the Poor. His wife and daughter 
 are members of the Methodist church, in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 707 
 
 which for a quarter of a century he has been a 
 class leader and otherwise active in Christian 
 work. Such men and women are the sinews 
 of their country's prosperity. 
 
 61 HO] 
 
 HOMAS HOYLE, of Auburn, N.Y., 
 eJj_ Superintendent of Charities, is well 
 known throughout the city for his many and 
 various interests in public affairs, and espe- 
 cially in connection with his office, to which 
 he was appointed on May 9, 1892. Mr. 
 Hoyle was born in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, 
 October 27, 1853, son of James and Frances 
 (Rhodes) Hoyle, both of whom were born in 
 Yorkshire, England, where the ancestral home 
 may still be seen. Soon after his marriage to 
 Frances Rhodes, James Hoyle emigrated from 
 the land of his birth, and with his young 
 wife crossed the Atlantic to Canada. This 
 was in 1854; and here for two years he fol- 
 lowed his trade of millwright, moving thence 
 to Brattleboro, Vt. After two years in that 
 place he returned to Canada, and, settling in 
 Oshawa, took charge of a woollen-mill. On 
 October 30, 1853, the father was caught in the 
 water-wheel and killed. The young wife thus 
 found herself a widow in a foreign land, and 
 with four sons, Thomas, the youngest, being 
 but three days old. In a few years, following 
 the example of so many Canadians, she re- 
 moved to the States, where it was thought her 
 sons would find it easier to advance than in a 
 small town at the North. So between 1864 
 and 1868 the family were living in Waterloo, 
 Seneca County, N.Y. Afterward they were 
 
 in Skaneateles, and in 1869 came to Auburn, 
 where the mother and youngest son still re- 
 side. The eldest son, James, is now a con- 
 tractor in Cleveland, Ohio. John is in Con- 
 necticut, and George H. in South Dakota. 
 
 Thomas Hoyle was educated in the public 
 schools of Waterloo and Skaneateles, and in 
 a select school in Auburn. In 1871 he was 
 engaged in the news room on North Street, 
 with W. H. Zepp, and from that went into a 
 machine shop and learned the business thor- 
 oughly, working at each department for some 
 time, until he had a general and detailed 
 knowledge of his work. He then engaged as 
 contractor in the rake department of the 
 D. M. Osborne Mower and Reaper Works, 
 and remained with them until his appointment 
 to his present office. Mr. Hoyle has been 
 twice elected Alderman, first in 1888 and 
 again in 1890, always on the Republican 
 ticket. He was Chairman of the Committee 
 on City Buildings and the Committee on Fire 
 Department, also a member of the Committee 
 on Drains and Sewers. He now gives all his 
 time to charitable work, filling the position of 
 Superintendent and Chairman of the Board of 
 Charities. In the State convention which 
 nominated Davenport for Governor Mr. Hoyle 
 was a delegate, and he has been a member of 
 both County and City Central Committees. 
 He is a member of the Ensenore Lodge, Inde- 
 pendent Order of Odd Fellows, all the offices 
 of which he has passed through. 
 
 Mr. Hoyle was married on January 23, 
 1888, to Miss Wallace, daughter of Robert 
 Wallace, who came to Auburn about 1840, 
 
7o8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and is one of the oldest contractors and 
 builders of this city. Three children have 
 been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hoyle — Robert 
 J., Thomas H., and Anna. Mrs. Hoyle is a 
 member of the Central Presbyterian Church, 
 which her husband also attends and supports. 
 Although occupying a position in which one 
 is always sure to be severely criticised, and 
 which requires much patience, insight, and 
 discretion, Mr. Hoyle's services tend to show 
 that he is one man in a thousand who could 
 fill such a position with the highest apprecia- 
 tion of his fellow-citizens. 
 
 ■OHN E. CROPSEY, attorney and 
 coujjisellor-at-law, of Moravia, N.Y., 
 was born at Marlboro on the Hudson, 
 N.Y., December 2, 1826, and is the son of 
 Andrew and Phoebe (Merritt) Cropsey. The 
 American branch of the family descended from 
 three brothers, Henri, Jasper, and Andrew, 
 who came from Holland, and settled at Long 
 Island. Andrew, the father of John E. 
 Cropsey, was a farmer at Marlboro, and 
 about the year 1829 moved to Locke, in this 
 county, where he made his home until his 
 death in 1861. He was highly respected, and 
 held various town offices. He was a founder 
 and member of the Methodist Episcopal church 
 there, which he helped to build, as well as 
 the Baptist church. Mrs. Cropsey was also 
 born at Marlboro, and was a daughter of 
 Josiah Merritt, a well-known farmer and Jus- 
 tice of the Peace, his family originally com- 
 ing from England. Mrs. Cropsey was the 
 
 mother of thirteen children, of whom all but 
 two settled in this county. She departed this 
 life in March, 1871. 
 
 John E. Cropsey was educated at the com- 
 mon schools in Locke and at the Cortland 
 Academy. Reaching manhood, he was en- 
 gaged in cabinet work for some years; but, 
 his health failing, he read law with Orlando 
 White, of Locke, and was admitted to the 
 bar by examination at the general term of 
 court at Ithaca. In 1859 he went to Michi- 
 gan, practising one year at Hastings, and then 
 returned to Locke, where he practised until 
 1875, afterward coming to Moravia, finding 
 here was a larger field for his talents. While 
 at Locke he was a Justice of the Peace for six- 
 teen years, he was also Superintendent of 
 Schools and Supervisor in 1863-64. He 
 was a Republican, and took an active part in 
 the politics of the town and county, being a 
 delegate to the different conventions. In 
 1873 he joined the Democratic party. 
 
 Mr. Cropsey was married March 10, 1861, 
 to Miss Jane White, of Locke; and they had 
 one son. Mrs. Cropsey died on January i, 
 1875. Mr. Cropsey has been a member of 
 the Independent Order of Odd Fellows since 
 1850. By his talents and application he has 
 attained a leading position at the bar, and is 
 well known as an exceedingly bright and capa- 
 ble lawyer. 
 
 §OHN T. BLAKLEY, a prominent busi- 
 ness man of Auburn, N.Y., was born 
 in this city on July 27, 1844, son of 
 Robert and Marian (Thompson) Blakley. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 709 
 
 His father came to America from Paisley, 
 Scotland, the old family home, in 18 10, hav- 
 ing been employed in the shawl manufactories 
 there, though he was only a young man when 
 he came to this country. His mother was 
 born in Glasgow, Scotland, and came to this 
 country about the same time that his father 
 did. They were married here, and the father 
 lived in Auburn up to his death in 1884. 
 The mother is still living here, and is a 
 member of the First Presbyterian Church. 
 
 John T. Blakley was educated in the schools 
 of Auburn, and shortly afterward found em- 
 ployment with the firm of Dodge, Stevens & 
 Co., with whom he remained until about 1873, 
 when, in company with a Mr. Hay, he bought 
 out a grocery and produce business, which 
 they carried on for a short time under the firm 
 name of Hay & Blakley. He then became 
 general manager in the grocery of Mathew 
 Gibbs, at the corner of North and Chapel 
 Streets, where he has since been actively en- 
 gaged. Mr. Blakley's enterprise has also es- 
 tablished the business of the Blakley Wafer 
 Manufacturing Company. This concern began 
 the baking of the Empire Ginger wafers in a 
 common cook-stove, from which humble be- 
 ginning they have in four years expanded to 
 the present large business, owning a bakery 
 which is equipped with all the modern appli- 
 ances in this line, and giving employment 
 to ten men. The superiority of the wafers 
 which they manufacture, one hundred and 
 sixty to the pound, makes it easy to dispose 
 of their product, orders coming to them by 
 mail and telegraph from all over the country. 
 
 There is every prospect that this business will 
 continue to increase from year to year. 
 
 On September 27, 1866, Mr. Blakley was 
 married to Miss Mary Harkness, of Auburn, 
 daughter of Richard and Anna Harkness. 
 Four children have been born to them, three 
 sons and a daughter — ^ Charles E., Marian 
 A., Lewis, and John Irving. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Blakley are members of the First Presbyterian 
 Church. Mr. Blakley is a Mason, a member 
 of the Auburn Lodge of A. F. & A. M. He 
 is a man of upright life and of many ster- 
 ling virtues. He is a sagacious and pushing 
 business man, and a highly esteemed citizen. 
 He has recently purchased a fine double three- 
 story brick store-building at the corner of 
 North and Chapel Streets, and has. also built 
 a fine bakery at No. 2 Park Avenue. 
 
 ,EV. MICHAEL PRINDLE is one 
 of the best-known Methodist pastors 
 in this section, and is especially 
 respected for the education and position he 
 has won for himself. He was born on De- 
 cember 18, 181 S, in Wales, Onondaga 
 County, N.Y., where his father, Elihu Prin- 
 dle, was at one time an inn-keeper. Elihu 
 Prindle was in his latter years a hotel proprie- 
 tor in Manlius, where he lived until his 
 death; but he was born elsewhere. His wife 
 was Olive Terrell, from Connecticut; and the 
 subject of this biography was the youngest of 
 their nine children — Fanny, Sophia, Jessie, 
 Mercy, Elias, Eliza, Minerva, Leroy, Michael. 
 The last years of Mrs. Olive T. Prindle 
 
710 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 were spent in Onondaga County, where she 
 died, aged seventy-six. 
 
 At the time of his father's death Michael 
 was only eight years old. He continued to 
 live with his widowed mother till he was fif- 
 teen, meanwhile attending the district school, 
 where he did his very best to gain a good edu- 
 cation. Then he went away to learn black- 
 smithing, but very soon began seriously to 
 study the Bible as the source of the religious 
 life in his soul. Presently he began to pre- 
 pare himself for preaching, a gift he first 
 exercised at the age of twenty-one, in the 
 neighborhood where he was well known, and 
 his ambition respected. The next year he 
 began to preach the gospel from place to 
 place, though he also worked at his trade 
 until his appointment as a regular circuit- 
 rider with a definite field of labor, which 
 involved extensive travel throughout Onon- 
 daga, Cortland, and the adjacent counties. 
 After long years of such unselfish, useful, 
 and arduous labor, he decided to make Con- 
 quest his permanent home, and of late has 
 only gone out to supply vacant pulpits, attend 
 funerals, or conduct some other special ser- 
 vice. 
 
 In 1840, at the age of twenty-five, he mar- 
 ried Sarah Chase, daughter of Perry Chase, of 
 Otsego County. They had six children, of 
 whom three are still living, as follows: Cas- 
 sius M. married Lenia Bull, of Wayne 
 County, and is the father of one child, Dora; 
 Perry H., a lawyer in Cleveland, named for 
 his maternal grandfather, is married, and is 
 the father of two children; Charles married 
 
 Sarah DeWray, and is the father of one child, 
 Bertie Georgie. Mrs. Sarah (Chase) Prindle 
 died in Victory, after fifteen years of wed- 
 lock; and Mr Prindle married for his second 
 wife Rebecca Wilson, who died in i860. He 
 then married a third wife, Esther Thurston, 
 by whom he had one child, Ira, now grown to 
 manhood, a conductor on the New York Cen- 
 tral Railroad, and married to Mary Hall, of 
 Syracuse. It is not easy to overvalue the 
 service to mankind of such clergymen as the 
 Rev. Mr. Prindle — men who devote them- 
 selves to the spiritual welfare of their fellow- 
 men, who go forth with scarcely more than 
 scrip and staff to aid in bringing in the divine 
 kingdom. 
 
 20VELL T. RICHARDSON, a resident 
 of Auburn since 1868, was born in 
 ■■■^ Belmont, Me., June 27, 1820, 
 being the son of Thomas L. and Cynthia 
 (Lakin) Richardson. 
 
 The paternal ancestors of Mr. Richardson 
 were natives of the State of Connecticut and 
 prominent citizens of Wethersfield, the grand- 
 father being the leading physician of the 
 town. 
 
 At the time of the War of 1812 Thomas L. 
 Richardson left his home in Connecticut, 
 being but twenty years old, and served his 
 country faithfully for two years. He had 
 been brought up amid the excitement of the 
 Revolution, and all his young days he had 
 heard the great men of that historic time dis- 
 cuss the merits of those measures which made 
 the nation and formed the foundation of the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 711 
 
 federal government. So, when the call came 
 to defend the rights of that nation, he will- 
 ingly gave two years of his life to her cause. 
 At the close of the war, Mr. Richardson set- 
 tled in Belmont, Me., and afterward removed 
 to other places in that State, following the 
 trade of blacksmith. He was married to Cyn- 
 thia Lakin, of Maine; and they had twelve 
 children, all of whom lived to maturity, Lov- 
 ell T. being the third child. After some 
 years they removed to Troy, N.Y., where they 
 spent the remainder of their lives. 
 
 Lovell T. Richardson was educated in 
 Carthage, Me., and when but nineteen years 
 old removed to Fitchburg, Mass., where he 
 remained about a year, and then went to Ball- 
 ston, N.Y., and learned the trade of scythe- 
 making, working at that and tool-making for 
 some sixteen years, not only in that town but 
 also in Clayville, remaining there until 1868, 
 when he came to Auburn. Here for five years 
 he was in the Fuller Works, and afterward 
 was with the firm of Fish & Shibley, of Phila- 
 delphia, and also with the Wadsworth Com- 
 pany. He now represents the Mosley Folding 
 Bath Tub, for which he is the general agent 
 for this locality. 
 
 Mrs. Richardson was Lucy J. Litchfield, of 
 Fitchburg, Mass., where she was married to 
 Mr. Richardson, October 20, 1841. They 
 have two children — Elmira J., wife of Hosea 
 Richardson, of this city, and Frank W., of 
 Cheltenham, Pa. Mr. Richardson is a mem- 
 ber of the First Congregational Church of 
 Auburn, and is well known as a stanch 
 Prohibitionist, although formerly voting with 
 
 the Republican party. He is a firm sup- 
 porter of right principles; and, where a help- 
 ing hand is needed to assist in any good 
 work, Mr. Richardson is always ready. 
 
 ON. FRANK MILLS PARSONS has 
 been in active practice at the Cayuga 
 County bar since 1871, and is now 
 Deputy Attorney-general of the State of New 
 York, though his home is in Weedsport. 
 His birthplace was in Onondaga County, in 
 the town of Camillus; and his birthday was 
 August 19, 1848. His parents were David 
 Henry and Emeline (Mills) Parsons. The 
 father, David H. Parsons, was a farmer, born 
 in Dutchess County; and he was the son of 
 Joshua Parsons, who came from Scotland when 
 a young man, married Betsey Simonds, a 
 woman of German extraction, and settled in 
 Dutchess County, where he bought a farm. 
 David H. Parsons attended the Monson 
 Collegiate Institute at Elbridge, near his 
 home; but in 1849, after his marriage and the 
 birth of his son, Frank Mills, the whole fam- 
 ily removed to Granby, in Oswego County, at 
 a time when that county was a wilderness. 
 There Joshua and David both bought farms, 
 which had to be reclaimed from the wilder- 
 ness. While there Joshua Parsons was a Su- 
 pervisor; and both father and son, as well as 
 their wives, were prominent in the Methodist 
 church. Some seventeen years of this life 
 sufficed to make them glad to return to Camil- 
 lus in 1866. Here their religious efforts 
 continued, and here the elder gentleman died; 
 
712 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 but David H. Parsons still lives, and has a 
 home in Weedsport, near his son Frank. 
 Both David and Joshua Parsons became Re- 
 publicans on the organization of that party, 
 while they lived in Granby; and still earlier, 
 when those opinions cost a man something to 
 hold them. Grandfather Joshua was one of the 
 first two Abolitionists in Camillus. Even 
 when anti-slavery was becoming popular, how- 
 ever, the Messrs. Parsons were not desirous of 
 holding offices, their political opinions ensu- 
 ing from conviction, not from a desire for pre- 
 ferment. David Parsons's wife, Emeline 
 Mills, was born in the town of Coeymans, 
 Albany County, the daughter of Samuel and 
 Phoebe Mills. Her grandfather, another 
 Samuel Mills, was a Revolutionary soldier. 
 After receiving her education in the schools 
 of Lima and Cazenovia, Emeline Mills taught 
 for several years prior to her marriage; and 
 she is still an active woman. They have had 
 a family of four children. Phoebe Parsons 
 was named for her grandmother Mills, and 
 married John Hayden, of Port Byron. Will- 
 iam Samuel Parsons, named for his grand- 
 father and great-grandfather Mills, emigrated 
 to Oklahoma. Mary Emeline Parsons, named 
 for her mother, is the wife of George Green, 
 of Weedsport. 
 
 The youngest of the children, Frank Mills 
 Parsons, received his mother's family name. 
 After studying at the common schools, he went 
 to Baldwinsville Academy, and there obtained 
 the rest of his education by his own private 
 exertions, working his way along, with some 
 outside assistance, by teaching school in the 
 
 counties of Cayuga and Onondaga, besides 
 working for a time in a store. While still a 
 schoolmaster, he began reading law with Will- 
 iam B. Mills, of Weedsport. In i87i,at the 
 age of twenty-three, he was examined for the 
 bar, and admitted thereto at the general term 
 of court held in Rochester. Forthwith open- 
 ing an office as attorney in Weedsport, he 
 rose rapidly in his profession, till he became 
 the leading lawyer in the northern part of Ca- 
 yuga County, and the owner of one of the 
 largest libraries in the district. In 1879 he 
 was elected Special County Judge on the Re- 
 publican ticket, and retained the place for 
 three years. In 1886 and 1887 he was elected 
 and re-elected to the General Assembly, 
 where he was the first year appointed Chair- 
 man of the Committee on Privileges and 
 Elections, and the second year was a member 
 of the Committee on Internal Affairs. He 
 has also been a Justice of Peace, and has 
 acted as Town Clerk for the town of Brutus. 
 At New Year's time he was appointed first 
 confidential clerk to the Attorney-general of 
 the State, a position which it may be readily 
 surmised, compels him to spend most of his 
 time at the capital. From this fact it would 
 be naturally inferred that Mr. Parsons is a 
 strong Republican politician; and so he is, 
 being a member of the county party commit- 
 tee, and serving as delegate to different 
 conventions, especially to the National Con- 
 vention of Republican clubs. Indeed, he was 
 the organizer and first President of the Re- 
 publican club in Brutus, He was Attorney 
 for the West Shore Railway, while the road 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 713 
 
 was in process of construction; and he ren- 
 dered the company valuable service in the 
 purchase of its land. In the social line he is 
 a member of the Weedsport Lodges of Odd 
 Fellows and Knights of Pythias. 
 
 On November 16, 1871, Judge Parsons 
 married Hattie Ellen Bibbens, of Brutus, 
 daughter of John W. Bibbens ; and they have 
 three children — Minnie Louise, Frederick 
 Joshua, and Eva Hattie Parsons. The family 
 belong to the Methodist church, as did Judge 
 Parsons' s forefathers. The Judge is a Trus- 
 tee of the Methodist society; and, when his 
 duties enabled him to be more in town, he 
 was superintendent of the Sunday-school. 
 
 "The people of this country have shown, 
 by the highest proofs human nature can give, 
 that, wherever the path of duty and honor may 
 lead, however steep and rugged it may be, 
 they are ready to walk in it." 
 
 Such men as Joshua, David, and Frank Par- 
 sons are "living epistles, known and read of 
 all men," and illustrations of the above quo- 
 tation from the martyred President, Jame.s A. 
 Garfield. 
 
 rOHN W. O'BRIEN. The legal pro- 
 fession and the town of Auburn are to 
 be congratulated upon having in their 
 midst a gentleman of so cultivated a mind 
 and far-seeing legal acumen as the subject of 
 this sketch, John W. O'Brien. Mr. O'Brien 
 is the son of Patrick and Rachel (Lemon) 
 O'Brien, whose parents came to this country 
 from Ireland in 1840, settling at Auburn, 
 where their son, John W., was born, October 
 
 13, 1853. Mr. O'Brien's father was em- 
 ployed in the railroad business for many 
 years, holding a responsible position with the 
 company until a short time before his death. 
 
 The subject of this mention received his 
 early education in the public schools of his 
 native town, graduating from the high school 
 in the class of 1869. He afterward prepared 
 for college, and took his degree of A.B. in 
 1873. Upon leaving college, he taught school 
 for three years, holding the responsible posi- 
 tion of Principal of the Griffith Institute of 
 Springville, N.Y., two years, and, retiring 
 from that, was Instructor in Mathematics and 
 Ancient History in the Brooklyn Polytechnic 
 Institute for one year. His natural inclina- 
 tion was toward the legal profession; and he 
 entered the Columbia College Law School, 
 graduating in the class of 1878, receiving the 
 degree of LL.B. from Columbia, and of M.A. 
 from Hamilton College. In the same year he 
 was admitted to the bar, and immediately 
 proceeded West, stopping at Denver, Col. 
 
 After staying in Denver for a few months, 
 he went to Leadville, remaining in that city 
 two years and a half, practising law and en- 
 gaging in mining. During his stay in the 
 latter city he was appointed Prosecuting At- 
 torney of Lake County, in which Leadville is 
 situated. Returning to Denver, he practised 
 law there for about two years, after which he 
 returned to his native place, to engage in a 
 law partnership with the Hon. S. E. Payne. 
 On the latter's election to Congress, Mr. 
 O'Brien had entire charge of the law business 
 of the firm during Mr. Payne's absence. 
 
714 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. O'Brien's talents have been duly 
 recognized and appreciated by his native city, 
 he having occupied the position of City At- 
 torney for two terms. He is now serving his 
 third term as a member of the Board of Edu- 
 cation, and was President of the Board in 
 1886-87 and 1893-94. 
 
 iVIr. O'Brien was an early believer in and 
 is a firm adherent of the Republican party, 
 being a prominent and indefatigable worker 
 in its ranks, and having served several terms 
 as an official of the Republican City Commit- 
 tee. In religious belief he is a Baptist, and 
 is a member and supporter of the First Bap- 
 tist Church of Auburn. 
 
 (©Tr-NDREW JOSEPH MILLS, of the 
 ^^ town of Conquest, is a noble speci- 
 ^— ' men of the American agriculturist. 
 He is active in educational affairs, and is 
 generous to a fault. The stranger is always 
 sure of a warm welcome within his gates, for 
 in every good impulse he is ably seconded by 
 his mother and wife. The family are Meth- 
 odists, and Mr. Mills is a Republican. His 
 grandfather, Abraham Mills, a native of Rens- 
 selaer County,, became one of the earliest 
 pioneers in Cato, where he bought a forest 
 tract, and put up a log house, and developed 
 a farm. 
 
 Abraham's son John was born in Rensselaer 
 County, before the removal of the family to 
 Cayuga County, where he grew to manhood. 
 He remained on the Cato farm till his mar- 
 riage to Juliet Wildey, the only daughter of 
 
 Joseph Wildey, and then went to work for his 
 father-in-law in Cato, whither the Wildeys 
 had removed from Ulster County. Joseph 
 Wildey cleared the farm land, where he lived 
 till his death, at the ripe age of eighty-five, 
 his wife living till eighty-two, both faithful 
 members of the Methodist church for over 
 half a century. On this Wildey farm John 
 Mills also continued until his death, at the 
 age of sixty-nine, in 1888. His widow mar- 
 ried Peter Laight, of the same town, and he 
 also came there to live, so that during all 
 these years she occupied the very house where 
 she was born; but after her second husband's 
 death, in September, 1893, she left Cato, and 
 made her home with her son Andrew, where, 
 though having reached her threescore and ten, 
 she is a wellspring of joy in the household, 
 her steps being quick, firm, elastic, her mind 
 so clear that she is consulted by her son and 
 his wife upon every subject, and her intellect 
 so active that she is uneasy unless she has 
 papers and books to read. 
 
 This son Andrew was born on the Cato 
 farm. May 15, 1844, where he had the usual 
 experiences and training of a farmer's boy. 
 At twenty-five, in 1869, he married and 
 bought a Conquest farm, which he carried on 
 for fifteen years, till 1884, and then sold. 
 For three years he worked another farm in 
 Conquest, and then removed to Mentz, where 
 he did the same three years longer. In 1890 
 he came to his present farm. His wife, 
 Frank S. Collins, was the daughter of Philo 
 and Eliza Collins, who came from Oneida 
 County. Of such families come the stalwart 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 715 
 
 citizens of the Empire State. Reared on such 
 manhood and womanhood, the national foun- 
 dations are secure. Mr. and Mrs. Mills are 
 members of the Methodist Protestant church. 
 
 tOBERT J. CARSON, City Clerk of 
 Auburn, N.Y., was born at Newburg, 
 — ^ N.Y., January 28, 1855, son of 
 James and Margaret (Topping) Carson. The 
 father, who was a native of Ireland, and a 
 blacksmith by trade, came to this country 
 when a young man, and settled at Newburg. 
 He afterward lived successively in Glenham, 
 N.Y., and Keokuk, Iowa, whence he returned 
 to Newburg, from which place he came to 
 Auburn two years after the close of the war. 
 James Carson departed this life in 1885, Mrs. 
 Carson surviving him for seven years. 
 
 Robert J. Carson received his education at 
 the schools of Auburn. In 1873 he obtained 
 a position in the post-office as office boy. He 
 remained in the postal service for thirteen 
 years, during that time filling every office 
 with the exception of that of Postmaster, 
 being Deputy Postmaster under Noah P. 
 Clark, also serving under Richardson, Clark, 
 and Woodruff, being removed from his posi- 
 tion on the change of administration from Re- 
 publican to Democratic. In 1886 he accepted 
 a position as book-keeper with Wills & 
 Home, carriage manufacturers. He was after- 
 ward appointed to a position in the County 
 Clerk's office, where he served under County 
 Clerk Wilson as Recording Clerk, holding 
 that position for two years. He was nomi- 
 
 nated by the Republicans for City Clerk, and 
 was elected in March, 1889, and is now serv- 
 ing his third consecutive term of two years 
 each, he being the only Republican elected 
 on the city Republican ticket in 1892. 
 
 Mr. Carson is a prominent member of the 
 Knights of Pythias, in which body he has 
 held all the chairs, and acted as Secretary for 
 five years. He has also held numerous posi- 
 tions in the order of Odd Fellows, but is not 
 now active with that society. Mr. Carson is 
 also Clerk of the Civil Service Board. Mr. 
 Carson was united in marriage on June 10, 
 1880, to Miss Genevieve V. Jones, of Fulton, 
 N.Y. Mr. and Mrs. Carson are supporters of 
 St. Peter's Church (Episcopal). Mr. Carson 
 has by strict attention to his duties worked 
 his way from office boy to the honorable posi- 
 tion which he now so ably fills. 
 
 NDREW S. CUMMINGS, M.D., who 
 died at his residence in the village 
 of Cayuga in 1876, was for many 
 years a prominent physician of Aurelius, 
 holding high rank among the medical frater- 
 nity of Cayuga County, where he had a more 
 than local reputation as an able and skilled 
 practitioner. He was a native of New York, 
 born in Ontario County, being a son of 
 Lyman Cummings, of Naples. 
 
 Lyman Cummings settled in Naples when a 
 young man, and there followed the carpenter's 
 trade for many years. Subsequently, invest- 
 ing part of his money in a farm, he engaged 
 in mixed husbandry, passing his last years on 
 
7i6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 his homestead. He married Martha Wad- 
 kins, who survived him several years, and 
 died in Canandaigua. 
 
 Andrew received his early education in the 
 public schools of Ontario County, and then 
 studied medicine under Dr. Cheney, a physi- 
 cian of repute in Ontario County. He after- 
 ward attended lectures at the Geneva Medical 
 College, from which he was graduated. After 
 receiving his diploma, Dr. Cummings began 
 the practice of his profession in the town of 
 Naples, where he remained several years, en- 
 gaged in active practice, acquiring valuable 
 experience, and establishing an enviable repu- 
 tation. Coming then to the village of Ca- 
 yuga, the Doctor here met with excellent 
 success in his work, his thorough knowledge 
 of his profession and his skill in the treat- 
 ment of diseases being widely recognized, and 
 bringing him an extensive range of practice. 
 Dr. Cummings remained in Cayuga, being one 
 of its most valued residents, until the time of 
 his death, in 1876, being then one of the oldest 
 practitioners in this part of the county. 
 
 The Doctor married Martha Arnold, daugh- 
 ter of Garrett and Lucy Arnold ; and of their 
 happy union two children were born — namely, 
 Isabella and Frank. The latter, who is a 
 representative merchant and manufacturer of 
 Aurelius, married Jennie Richards, of Eng- 
 land. In politics he is an uncompromising 
 Republican, being, as his father was, a stanch 
 supporter of the principles of that party. 
 Religiously, Dr. Cummings was an esteemed 
 member of the Presbyterian church, and con- 
 tributed liberally toward its support. 
 
 ,HEBE S. TOMPKINS, who is pass- 
 ing the sunset of life on the home- 
 stead wherein she first opened her 
 eyes to the brightness and beauty of this 
 world on January 2, 18 18, is a woman of in- 
 telligence and resolution, and is respected 
 throughout the community for her many excel- 
 lent traits of character. She is of New 
 England ancestry, and the descendant of a 
 well-known pioneer of Cayuga County, her 
 grandparents, Reuben and Theresa Ingram, 
 having moved from the Green Mountain 
 State, the place of their nativity, to the Em- 
 pire State, bringing with them their entire 
 family, which consisted of four daughters and 
 one son. Taking up one hundred acres of 
 land, which was covered with heavy timber, 
 they cleared a goodly portion of it, and, erect- 
 ing a frame house, here spent the remainder 
 of their days. 
 
 Jonathan Ingram, the father of Mrs. Tomp- 
 kins, was the only son of Reuben and The- 
 resa. He was born in the State of Vermont, 
 and completed his school life in its district 
 schools. Coming to Springport with his par- 
 ents, he was an able assistant in the pioneer 
 labor of clearing the land, and became thor- 
 oughly versed in the art of agriculture as car- 
 ried on in those days. After the death of his 
 father he became the owner of the old home- 
 stead, and here brought his wife, whose 
 maiden name was Mary Robinson, she being a 
 daughter of Philip and Mary Robinson, and 
 a sister of the well-known Dr. Robinson, for 
 many years a leading physician of Auburn. 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Ingram were born eight 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 717 
 
 children — Reuben, J. Perry, Philip R., 
 Phebe S., Moore, Ezra, Horatio, and J. 
 Norman. In the latter part of his life Mr. 
 Ingram, finding that his health was failing, 
 visited Rhode Island, hoping to receive bene- 
 fit from the change, but died while there. 
 His wife survived him a few years. 
 
 Mrs. Tompkins received excellent educa- 
 tional advantages, attending the district 
 schools of her native town, and was for one 
 season a pupil in a select school in Potter. 
 Having been born in the early part of the 
 present century, she has a vivid recollection 
 of many of the incidents ,of pioneer life, re- 
 membering well when her good mother spun, 
 wove, and made the clothing for her family, 
 when all articles of food were raised on the 
 farm or found in the forest, when oxen were 
 used in ploughing and breaking the land, and 
 in transporting the grain to market, when 
 grain was reaped and the grass mowed with 
 the sickle and scythe, when all food was 
 cooked before the open fire, and the only 
 lights were tallow dips or pine knots. She 
 received a practical training in the domestic 
 arts, remaining at home until her marriage 
 with William Tompkins, .who was a son of 
 Chauncey Tompkins. He was a carriage- 
 maker by trade, and carried on a thriving 
 business in the town of Dryden, where she 
 lived several years after her marriage. Her 
 mother being in feeble health, Mrs. Tomp- 
 kins was obliged to return to her former 
 home, while her husband remained in Dryden 
 to attend to his increasing business there, 
 also having business in Ithaca and Elmira 
 
 that needed his attention. On the breaking 
 out of the late Civil War he enlisted and 
 served as a gallant soldier throughout the 
 entire war. At its close, his health being 
 shattered, he entered the Soldiers' Home in 
 Bath, where he died. 
 
 Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Tompkins 
 two children were born, Chester and Horatio, 
 neither of whom is now living. Chester, 
 who was a blacksmith by trade, received inju- 
 ries on the railway that caused his death. 
 He married Mary Polhamus, and they had one 
 child, Nellie. Horatio was a carpenter by 
 trade. Mrs. Tompkins takes a deep interest 
 in the welfare and progress of the community, 
 where so many years of her life have been 
 passed. She is independent in her religious 
 views, belonging to no organization, although 
 her father and grandfather were members of 
 the Presbyterian church, and her mother was 
 a consistent member of the Baptist church. 
 
 TEPHEN W. CHURCH is an enter- 
 prising dealer in hardware, tinware, 
 and groceries at Kelloggsville, Ca- 
 yuga County, N.Y. His father, James 
 Church, was born in Dutchess County, and 
 removed from there in 18 16, making the jour- 
 ney overland with teams and over roads which 
 were nothing more than paths through the 
 forest. He settled in Sempronius, now Mo- 
 ravia, a short distance from Kelloggsville, 
 and there bought fifty acres of timber-land, 
 built a log house for his family, and made a 
 clearing. After ten years here he aspired to 
 
7i8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 a more extended tract, and, after selling his 
 fifty-acre farm, bought two others, one of one 
 hundred acres and one of five acres. On the 
 smaller of these he built his new log house, 
 after a few years replacing it by a frame 
 structure, and, having met with good success, 
 at length built a frame house on his hundred- 
 acre tract. Selling this farm to advantage, 
 he bought two fifty-acre lots on the northern 
 line of Moravia, and here spent the remainder 
 of his life. His wife was Deborah Wood, 
 daughter of Stephen Wood, of New York. 
 She was the mother of five children: Stephen; 
 Allen; Eliza; Philetus and Fidelia, twins. 
 
 Stephen W. Church was born in Moravia, 
 January 21, 18 18, two years after the family 
 had settled in this county. He was educated 
 in the district school, and at the early age of 
 sixteen turned his attention to trade. For 
 three years he was with the firm of Hallen & 
 Beldin, learning carpentering, and then went 
 to Auburn, where he was employed by Thomas 
 Nelson for a year and a half, returning to 
 Moravia at the end of that time, and working 
 at his trade there until 1859. He then 
 bought a farm near that of his father, and for 
 two years carried it on with success; but his 
 inclination led him to rent it and resume his 
 trade. He accordingly moved to Kelloggs- 
 ville, where he took a contract to build a store 
 for William Gould, and, before it was com- 
 pleted, succeeded in disposing of his farm in 
 exchange for the store. Mr. Church fur- 
 nished the store with a good line of hardware 
 and tinware, employing a man who understood 
 the business to assist him, and at the end of 
 
 the year showed himself perfectly competent 
 to carry it on alone. In 1870 the firm be- 
 came Church & Austin, Mr. D. K. Austin 
 being taken as partner. This arrangement 
 lasted but two years, at the end of which time 
 Mr. Church again took full control of the 
 business. 
 
 Mr. Church married November 27, 1842, 
 Abiah West, daughter of Thomas and Nancy 
 (Harris) West, natives of this county. They 
 have two children: Byron, who is a wagon- 
 maker in Kelloggsville, and married Caroline 
 Kenyon; and Mary, who is the wife of Will- 
 iam D. Harris, a farmer in Moravia. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Church are members of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church of this place, and in 
 politics Mr. Church is attached to the inter- 
 ests of the Republican party. He is a man 
 of high standing in the community. His 
 store is well stocked with an excellent line of 
 goods, and he carries on an extensive trade. 
 His undertakings have been very successful, 
 and his ability in the several lines in which 
 he has worked has made him a highly valued 
 citizen. 
 
 ^AMES K. BALDWIN, Superintendent 
 of Streets for the city of Auburn, is a 
 man well known throughout the city, 
 and one who has held various public offices. 
 He was born in Union Springs, Cayuga 
 County, June 18, 1839, the son of Dennison 
 and Sally (Bocker) Baldwin. The old home 
 of the family is at Stonington, Conn., where 
 the Baldwins first settled when they came to 
 this country. The grandfather of Mr. Bald- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 719 
 
 win emigrated from his old home in 1796, 
 and purchased land at Brutus, which he culti- 
 vated, and where he spent the remainder of 
 his life. 
 
 Dennison Baldwin was born in Brutus in 
 
 1802, and in his youth learned the trade of 
 ploughwooder, a trade which we seldom hear 
 of nowadays, and which is in fact almost 
 obsolete on account of the many modern in- 
 ventions and improved farm implements. At 
 this trade he worked at Weedsport, Jackway 
 Four Corners, Union Springs, and Auburn. 
 He died in 1866. His wife was born in 
 West Gal way, Montgomery County, May 25, 
 
 1803, and was the daughter of Peter Bocker, 
 of old Mohawk Dutch ancestry. She outlived 
 her husband by many years, her death occur- 
 ring April 24, 1884. Four children survived 
 her: Nancy, wife of Abram White; Harriet, 
 wife of John W. Hulbert, Alderman from the 
 Sixth Ward; James K., the subject of this 
 sketch; and Charles H., who is with the firm 
 of Ohlheiser & Baldwin, dealers in hardware. 
 
 James K. Baldwin was educated in the city 
 schools, and then engaged in the grocery 
 business, afterward serving as clerk for a firm 
 selling patent medicines, and later in the 
 same capacity in a shoe store. Having 
 gained experience in these occupations, he 
 was engaged in 1864 as book-keeper for E. P. 
 Fenton & Co., shoe manufacturers at the 
 prison. After nineteen years of faithful work 
 he was made a partner, the firm name being 
 Dunn, Solomon & Co.; and, when the State 
 took control of the work, he was still re- 
 tained, holding the position of book-keeper 
 
 for five years, and acting as manager in the 
 absence of that official. In 1891 he left his 
 work at the prison, and was appointed Super- 
 intendent of Charities and Police, which posi- 
 tion he held until the opposing political party 
 came into power, when he resigned, and as- 
 sumed the position of Superintendent of 
 Streets. He has now full control of the 
 streets, giving employment to one hundred 
 and twenty-five men, and from sixteen to 
 twenty teams. It is through his careful 
 supervision that the highways of the city are 
 kept in such good condition; and the im- 
 provements in grading and laying out the 
 streets are being carried on with ability and 
 despatch, so that Auburn may vie with any of 
 her neighbors in the appearance of her thor- 
 oughfares. 
 
 Mr. Baldwin was married March 17, 1864, 
 to Miss Sarah A. Looker, of Martinsburg, 
 Lewis County, N.Y., where she was born 
 November 18, 1838. She was educated in 
 Adams and Auburn. For forty or fifty years 
 her father was a stage-owner, having control 
 of the line from Adams to Copenhagen. Mrs. 
 Baldwin is the mother of two children : James 
 L., at present in the high school; and Anna 
 Catherine. The family attend the First Pres- 
 byterian Church. 
 
 Mr. Baldwin has held several public offices 
 besides those already enumerated. He has 
 twice been elected Alderman from the Sixth 
 Ward, first in 1880, and again in 1890. This 
 position he resigned to accept that of Super- 
 intendent of Charities. While Alderman, he 
 was Chairman of the Legal Committee, and 
 
J20 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was on the Committee on Water-mains and 
 Hydrants, and the Finance and Sewer Com- 
 mittees. He is a member of Cayuga Lodge, 
 Knights of Pythias. Politically, he is a 
 Democrat, and an active worker for the prin- 
 ciples of that party, in which he firmly be- 
 lieves. He is greatly respected by all those, 
 whether of his party or opposed to him in pol- 
 itics, who admire stability of character and 
 adherence to principle. He has ever been 
 prominent in the public affairs of the city, 
 and active for the interests of its citizens. By 
 the help of his influence and energy many 
 important measures, which have resulted in 
 much good to his party and the genera] pub- 
 lic, have been carried out; and his ability in 
 the management of affairs has been of valuable 
 assistance in many financial enterprises. His 
 connection with the prison has caused his 
 name to be known far beyond the limit of his 
 own city, and his reputation as a man of affairs 
 brings to him many who wish for counsel or 
 advice. 
 
 BRAM W. BROOKS. Among the 
 moderately prosperous citizens of Ca- 
 yuga County those who have suc- 
 ceeded through individual effort and economy 
 in acquiring property, both real and personal, 
 the gentleman whose name is placed at the 
 head of this sketch deserves prominent men- 
 tion. He owns and .occupies a fine residence 
 in the village of Locke, and is at present 
 actively engaged in farming, carrying on a 
 lumber business, besides devoting a portion 
 of his time to the painter's trade, which he 
 
 learned when a young man. He is a native 
 of New York, born December 30, 1829, in 
 Tompkins County, the humble log cabin of 
 his parents being the place of his birth. His 
 father, Mark H. Brooks, son of James Brooks, 
 was born in Philadelphia, Pa., April 22, 
 1798; and his mother, Betsey (Wood) 
 Brooks, who was a native of Morristown, 
 N.J., was born December 12, 1802. Her 
 parents were Abraham and Mary (Breeze) 
 Wood. Gersham Wood, the father of Abra- 
 ham, was born in Holland. His son Abra- 
 ham was a Deacon of- the Presbyterian church 
 for thirty years, being an earnest believer in 
 the tenets of his church, and making his prac- 
 tice harmonize with his professions. His 
 wife, Mary Breeze, was of English descent. 
 Mark H. Brooks moved to the town of Lan- 
 sing, Tompkins County, N.Y., when five 
 years old. 
 
 His father, James Brooks, was born in 
 Wales, and married Margaret Neargen, a 
 native of the extreme north of Ireland 
 (which makes the subject of this sketch a 
 mixture of Welsh, Irish, Dutch, and Eng- 
 lish). He migrated to this State, and lo- 
 cated in New Field, Tompkins County, and 
 served in the War of 181 2, and became one of 
 its earliest settlers. He reclaimed a large 
 tract of land from the wilderness, and on the 
 homestead which he improved he and his 
 worthy wife lived long and useful lives. He 
 became the head of a family of seven children, 
 all of whom have joined the silent majority 
 on the other side of the river death. In re- 
 ligion the family were Quakers. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 721 
 
 Mark H. Brooks spent the major portion 
 of his life in Tompkins County, and in his 
 earlier years turned his attention to farming. 
 He also engaged in stock-growing, and after- 
 ward carried on a thriving business as a cattle- 
 drover. Philadelphia was the nearest cattle 
 market; and his journeys to and fro, with his 
 large droves of stock, were made on foot. He 
 was a very enterprising and successful busi- 
 ness man, and one of the representative 
 farmers of his day, his large farm being one 
 of the most valuable in his locality. During 
 the panic of 1837, when so many of the lead- 
 ing business men of this State succumbed to 
 the reverses of fortune, he lost his entire prop- 
 erty. He, however, continued an honored 
 resident of that county until his death, which 
 occurred in September, 1830. He was a Cap- 
 tain in the State militia, and politically was 
 a member of the Whig party. .He was a sin- 
 cere and conscientious Christian man, and a 
 faithful worker in the Presbyterian church, of 
 which both he and his wife were valued mem- 
 bers. He reared eight children, of whom We 
 record the following: Maria L., the wife of 
 Clinton Brown, lives in Arkansas. Samuel, 
 a lawyer, died in Corry, Pa., in 1889. Mary, 
 the wife of John Edsall, resides in Ohio. 
 Abram W. is our subject. Margaret, the 
 wife of Thomas McElroy, lives in Bingham- 
 ton, N.Y. J. Calvin resides in Michigan. 
 Mark Hargin lives in Butler, Pa. Marcus 
 H., a prominent lawyer, resides in Michigan, 
 town of Hart, Oceana County. 
 
 Abram W. Brooks was a young lad when 
 his father met with such heavy financial losses 
 
 that the family exchequer was very much 
 reduced; and he was consequently obliged to 
 forego the educational advantages given to 
 the older members of the parental household, 
 and at the age of fourteen years began to earn 
 his own living. As a farm laborer he re- 
 ceived four dollars a month for his first work, 
 but, being an energetic and industrious youth, 
 faithful to all trusts reposed in him, soon se- 
 cured higher wages, and continued thus to 
 work for about five years. By prudence and 
 economy he had then saved enough money to 
 take him through Groton Academy, where he 
 completed his education. Having fitted him- 
 self for a professional career, Mr. Brooks 
 spent the succeeding twelve or fifteen years as 
 a teacher in the public schools of New York 
 and Pennsylvania, and during the vacations 
 devoted his time to learning the painter's and 
 glazier's trade, in which he became very pro- 
 ficient. He became a resident of Locke when 
 quite a young man, and has since made this 
 his permanent home. He has had a fair share 
 of prosperity in all of his undertakings, and is 
 the owner of a beautiful residence, which he 
 built in 1872, and has some timber-land, be- 
 sides other property. That he has made life 
 a success is due to his untiring energy and 
 application, combined with a fair management 
 of his affairs. Mr. Brooks takes an active 
 and intelligent interest in the welfare of the 
 town, and served for twelve consecutive years, 
 from 1874 to 1887, as Supervisor, being Chair- 
 man of the board the last year. For the year 
 1876 he was Town Clerk, and is also Justice 
 of the Peace, an office which he has filled 
 
722 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 satisfactorily for thirty years. He is liberal 
 in his views on all matters, and socially is a 
 member of the Uskeep Lodge, No. 459, In- 
 dependent Order of Odd Fellows. 
 
 Mr. Brooks took an important step in his 
 career on March 23, 1857, when he was 
 united in marriage to Miss Phoebe E. Main, 
 a native of Locke, being a daughter of Will- 
 iam and Nancy Main. Mr. Main was of 
 New England birth, and one of the early pio- 
 neers of this soil. Both he and his wife spent 
 their declining years in this home of their 
 adoption, he dying at the age of seventy-eight 
 years, and she at the age of seventy-six years. 
 Mrs. Brooks was a most devoted assistant and 
 helpmate of her husband; and, after remaining 
 his faithful and affectionate companion up- 
 ward of thirty years, she departed this life 
 September 18, 1889, at the age of fifty-two 
 years. The only child born of this union was 
 a daughter, Lettitia, who with her husband, 
 Arthur E. Weeks, a farmer, lives with her 
 father. 
 
 'BEL W. CHAPPEL, a prominent busi- 
 ness man of Auburn, N.Y., proprietor 
 of the tin, copper, and sheet iron 
 works at 45 North Street, was born December 
 13, 1832, near Cooperstown, Otsego County, 
 N.Y., on what is called "Dog Hill." His 
 parents were Hosmer P. and Mary D. 
 (Wright) Chappel. The father was born 
 near Cooperstown, April 2, 1809. The grand- 
 father, Oliver Chappel, was one of the 
 pioneer farmers of Otsego County, and man- 
 fully bore his share as a soldier in the War 
 
 of 1 81 2. Moving to this county with his 
 son, he was a Deacon in the First Baptist 
 Church of Auburn. He died about the year 
 1856. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hosmer P. Wright moved 
 with their family to what is called "Mosquito 
 Point," near Montezuma, in 1833, where the 
 father continued his occupation of a farmer. 
 In 1837 he moved to Aurelius, five miles 
 from Auburn, in what is now called Throop. 
 He has owned several farms in that vicinity 
 since, and now resides with his son. Mrs. 
 Chappel was a daughter of the Rev. Nathan 
 Wright, a Baptist minister at Cooperstown. 
 She was born in October, 1808, and died in 
 1874. She left four children, namely: New- 
 ton, who lost his eyesight in 1855, lives on 
 Hoffman Street, and is engaged as an organ- 
 ist and a teacher of music; Abel W., the 
 subject of this sketch; Prudence Jane, who 
 resides with her father and brother; and 
 Ellen, wife of La Fayette Rafter, of Michi- 
 gan. Mr. Chappel, Sr., was Assessor for the 
 town of Victory, and is well known as one of 
 the most prominent farmers in the county. 
 He is a Baptist church member, as was his 
 wife. 
 
 Abel W. Chappel received his early educa- 
 tion in Throop, and at the Auburn city school. 
 At the age of eighteen years he was appren- 
 ticed to learn his trade, serving for three 
 years, afterward working as a journeyman tin- 
 smith, there being no plumbing in Auburn 
 at that time. He enlisted September 21, 
 1 86 1, in Company H, Seventy-fifth New York 
 Volunteer Infantry, going out as Third Ser- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 723 
 
 geant. He was sent to Santa Rosa Island, 
 Fla., where he remained from December, 
 1 86 1, to January 17, 1862, afterward coming 
 home and engaging in recruiting in order to 
 make up the balance of the quota for the regi- 
 ment. He rejoined his regiment at Pensa- 
 cola, Fla., and was sent to New Orleans and 
 up the Mississippi River to Thibodeauxville, 
 where the camp was situated, afterward going 
 across to Burwick's Bay and up the Bayou 
 Teche in pursuit of the gunboat "Cotton," 
 going up the river fifteen miles and camp- 
 ing there in line of battle. In the morning, 
 finding they were confronted by fifteen thou- 
 sand men, and having only five thousand to 
 oppose them, they retreated to their old camp. 
 Mr. Chappel was taken -sick, having to remain 
 in the hospital for several weeks; and his trip 
 up the river, which was taken during his con- 
 valescence, brought on a relapse, which came 
 near costing him his life. He was persuaded 
 much against his will to go to the Marine 
 Hospital at New Orleans. While there, he 
 was detailed on special duty, having charge 
 of all the hospital stores. He remained for 
 six months, until he received his honorable 
 discharge from the service on account of dis- 
 ability, retiring with the rank of First Ser- 
 geant. 
 
 Returning to Auburn, Mr. Chappel here 
 continued at his trade. In 1866 he went 
 West; and, having received a good musical 
 training, and possessing a fine voice, he with 
 another party held conventions, going through 
 the principal towns of Indiana, afterward 
 working at his trade in Richmond, Ind., until 
 
 1874, when he came to Orleans, Ontario 
 County, N.Y., where he started in business 
 for himself. After remaining there for two 
 years, he sold out his business, and moved to 
 Auburn, where he worked at his trade until 
 1886, when he went into the plumbing and 
 tinning business, doing a large amount of 
 contract work for steam heating, putting in 
 furnaces, besides general jobbing of all kinds, 
 giving employment to a large number of men. 
 
 Mr. Chappel has built a fine home at the 
 corner of Capitol and Mann Streets, where he 
 has resided for fifteen years. He is a member 
 of Seward Post, Grand Army of the Republic. 
 He has been Treasurer of the Royal Templars 
 for ten years, and has also been Treasurer of 
 "The Select Guardians" from its organiza- 
 tion in 1889. 
 
 He was married on September 19, 1866, at 
 West Union, Ohio, to Miss Maggie Ellison, 
 who was born about five miles from Peru, 
 Ind., April 2, 1844, daughter of John Ellison, 
 one of the pioneer farmers of the West. Mr. 
 Chappel and his wife have had three children, 
 only two of whom are now living: Lillie M., 
 who received her education at the high school, 
 is now employed as a book-keeper; and Frank 
 A., also a graduate of the high school, is now 
 engaged in a store in the city. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Chappel are members of the Second Baptist 
 Church of Auburn, Mr. Chappel having been 
 Deacon of the church for several years, and 
 superintendent of the Sunday-school for a 
 lengthy period. He is now librarian, and 
 has always been active in Sunday-school 
 work. 
 
724 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 rOHN CRAIG COOPER is in many 
 ways a prominent man, related to 
 leading families of the town of Ster- 
 ling and to many persons mentioned else- 
 where in this volume. He was born near his 
 present home, Sterling Centre, November 15, 
 18 1 7. His grandfather, though English by 
 blood, came directly from Ireland to Wash- 
 ington County, where he cleared land, upon 
 which he lived for many years, although his 
 death took place in Sterling. 
 
 His son William, the father of our subject, 
 grew up on the Washington County farm, and 
 also learned stone masonry, at which he after- 
 ward worked in Weedsport. He also cleared 
 a farm there for himself as an early pioneer in 
 1806, and there spent his later years, dying 
 at the age of sixty-five. The wife of Will- 
 iam Cooper, Sarah Craig, was a native of 
 Hebron, Washington County, where they 
 were married. They reared seven children. 
 The mother died at the ripe age of eighty- 
 seven. She, as also her husband, was a mem- 
 ber of the Presbyterian church. 
 
 John C. Cooper passed his early years on 
 the farm, and also learned carpentry and coop- 
 ering, at which he worked for fifteen years, 
 establishing a business which is now con- 
 ducted by his son and a nephew. Later he 
 devoted himself to general farming on his 
 present estate, which comprises forty-six 
 acres. At the age of thirty-one, in 1848, Mr. 
 Cooper married Frances Cooper, the daughter 
 of a neighboring farmer, John I. Cooper, 
 whose wife's maiden name was Nancy Mc- 
 Fadden. Of this union there are four chil- 
 
 dren : Sarah, named for her grandmother 
 Cooper; Marion; John Henry, who married 
 Sarah Taber, daughter of James Taber; and 
 Albert, who married Allie, daughter of Al- 
 bert Happing, of Sterling Centre, and is the 
 father of one child, Howard. Mrs. Cooper 
 died fifteen years after marriage, and the 
 daughters remain at home as housekeepers for 
 their father. The family have always be- 
 longed to the Presbyterian church. 
 
 Mr. Cooper is a Republican in politics. 
 He remembers when there were very few 
 houses in this section. He himself was born 
 in a log cabin, and assisted in clearing his 
 father's land. Even when his brother George 
 and himself were grown men, the salmon came 
 up the creek in such numbers that they could 
 be caught by hand, and sometimes weighed 
 twenty pounds apiece. He also remembers 
 when Oswego was only a village, and his 
 father had a contract to get out lumber for one 
 of the first piers erected there. 
 
 fRANK WILLIAM LYONS, a well- 
 known citizen of Auburn, is the solic- 
 iting agent for the freight department of the 
 Lehigh Valley Railroad, with which he be- 
 came connected in 1890. He was born July 
 29, 1853, at Oak's Corners, Ontario County, 
 the son of John William and Jane (Arm- 
 strong) Lyons. At the time of his marriage 
 in 1852, John Lyons was a blacksmith; but 
 he afterward became a general commission 
 merchant and produce dealer, and later still 
 travelling agent for the Lehigh Valley Rail- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 725 
 
 road. He now holds a similar position in 
 Rochester to that which his son Frank holds 
 in Auburn. While a resident of Ontario 
 County, he was an active Democrat, though no 
 office-seeker. Most of his younger days were 
 spent in Orleans, Jefferson County, where his 
 father, Eleazer Lyons, was schoolmaster, a 
 pioneer settler, and nail contractor, having 
 gone thither from Clifton Springs. 
 
 John Lyons and his wife were married in 
 Columbia County. She was born in 1832, 
 the daughter of Herman Armstrong, who in 
 1834 moved to Oak's Corners, where he 
 bought a farm, on which he lived until the 
 time of his death. We get some idea of the 
 amount of business done by John Lyons when 
 we learn that he bought in one day eighty 
 thousand bushels of barley, over sixty thou- 
 sand bushels being at once delivered. He 
 continued on his own account until the rail- 
 road people persuaded him to throw his busi- 
 ness into their hands and receive a salary, 
 bringing his influence to bear wholly in their 
 favor. Beginning with 1875, this agreement 
 was carried out. At first he travelled here 
 and there in the interest of the road, but 
 finally located at Rochester, as agent for the 
 Lehigh Valley system. His wife is also liv- 
 ing; and they are the parents of four chil- 
 dren, our subject being the eldest, with three 
 sisters: Mary; Jennie; and Nettie, the wife 
 of Amos Gaylord. Mr. and Mrs. John Lyons 
 are members of the Presbyterian church at 
 Oak's Corners. 
 
 Frank W. Lyons received his first rudi- 
 ments of education at Oak's Corners, in the 
 
 public schools, and then attended the Phelps 
 Union Classical School in Geneva. Till the 
 attainment of his majority he remained with 
 his father, trading all along the line of the 
 Auburn road and in the Seneca Lake district. 
 He therefore spent his time in various places, 
 doing a vast amount of work. Every fall for 
 three years he bought and shipped three boat- 
 loads of apples, hi 1874, on reaching his 
 majority, he found employment as a telegraph . 
 operator for the New York Central & Hudson 
 River Railroad, being placed in the Syracuse 
 office for a year. On account of a reduction 
 in the force employed he was placed, begin- 
 ning with May-day, 1875, on the extra sub- 
 stitute list; and this led him in the July 
 following to go to Fairport as ticket agent 
 and telegraph operator for the same railroad. 
 There he remained seven years, or until 1882. 
 These were by no means like the seven lean 
 years of Pharaoh's Egyptian dream, for Mr. 
 Lyons still retained his hold upon the produce 
 traffic ; but in the year mentioned, 1882, he de- 
 cided to definitely resume his former occupa- 
 tion of grain, vegetable, and fruit trading 
 with Mr. A. M. Loomis, under the firm name 
 of Loomis & Lyons, in Fairport. They did a 
 very heavy business, especially in potatoes, 
 buying as many as fifteen himdred bushels a 
 day from the farmers. This lasted until 
 1884, when Mr. Lyons accepted the position 
 of agent for the West Shore Railroad, having 
 charge of all the duties in connection with the 
 station at Fairport from the date of its open- 
 ing until that road was absorbed by the New 
 York Central, and the agent of the older road. 
 
726 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 being an older man, was placed in the consol- 
 idated office. This happened in April, 1886; 
 and thereafter Mr. Lyons became his father's 
 assistant as soliciting agent for the Lehigh 
 Valley Railroad at Rochester. This con- 
 tinued until the son was promoted to his pres- 
 ent kindred position at Auburn, this appoint- 
 ment being given him partly because of the 
 failure of his eyesight owing to cataracts. 
 His new duties began April 21, 1890; and 
 his territory covers the line of the Lehigh 
 Valley, Philadelphia & Reading, and the Cen- 
 tral New Jersey Railroads. It need hardly be 
 said that he is thus kept continually in mo- 
 tion, and has little time to spend in his pleas- 
 ant home in Auburn. To him never could be 
 applied the old lines, — 
 
 " Satan finds some mischief still 
 For idle hands to do." 
 
 He is ever to be found in what Mrs. Hemans 
 felicitously calls "the busy haunts of men," 
 and can realize the truth of what a titled Eng- 
 lishman once said, "Celerity wins the race." 
 Mr. Lyons was married in November, 1877, 
 while in Fairport, to Ella N. Chase, of that 
 town. She was born and educated in Roches- 
 ter, and is the daughter of William P. Chase, 
 an attorney, and the Surrogate of Monroe 
 County. They have one child, Clarence 
 Lyons. Both Mr. Lyons and his wife are ad- 
 herents of the Presbyterian church, like their 
 progenitors. Mr. Lyons is greatly interested 
 in Free Masonry, belonging to Fairport 
 Lodge, No. 476, to David Royal Arch Chap- 
 ter, No. 34, and to the Salem Town Com- 
 
 mandery of Knights Templars, No. 16. Few 
 men are better known than he on all the 
 spokes of travel radiating from Auburn. 
 
 AMUEL FRANCIS REYNOLDS is 
 now the efficient proprietor of the 
 Commercial House in Cato, and is 
 also the inventor of a fire apparatus used for 
 the protection of the World's Fair buildings 
 at the Chicago Columbian Exposition in 
 1893; but he passed the greater part of his 
 life in Auburn. He was born in Cazenovia, 
 Madison County, on November 7, 1842. His 
 father, Asa Randolph Reynolds, was then a 
 steel manufacturer in Cazenovia, but was born 
 in Connecticut, the family belonging to old 
 Puritan stock. He went to Cazenovia in boy- 
 hood with his parents, and there grew up and 
 married, his wife being Phoebe Petric, who 
 came from Germany. Her father, Peter Pet- 
 ric, emigrated with his family to this country; 
 and he and Peter Smith, the father of Gerrit 
 Smith, started a town, which they called 
 Peterboro, in remembrance of names they 
 both proudly bore. 
 
 Asa Reynolds early left Peterboro and went 
 to Syracuse, where he was engaged as foreman 
 in the blacksmith shop connected with the 
 New York Central Railroad. Thence he re- 
 moved to Mottville, where he built a shop 
 for the manufacture of hoes and pitchforks. 
 In i860 he changed his residence to Auburn, 
 where he manufactured all the cutting ap- 
 paratus required for the D. M. Osborn 
 reapers. This relation continued ten years, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 727 
 
 or until 1870, when the title of the firm be- 
 came A. R. Reynolds & Sons. The factory 
 was located on Mechanic Street. The father 
 retired from business some years before his 
 death, which occurred in 1893, when he was 
 over fourscore, he having been born in 181 1, 
 just before the last contest with the mother 
 country began. At his death he had been a 
 widower nearly twenty years, his wife having 
 died in 1874. Both were thoroughly re- 
 spected by their associates, and were members 
 of the Second Presbyterian Church. They 
 had two girls and four boys. Imogene Reyn- 
 olds is the wife of James Ham. Napoleon 
 Reynolds is a Chicago merchant. Mary Reyn- 
 olds is the wife of Beech Greenman, now of 
 Wilkesbarre, Pa. Mark Reynolds died in 
 1863, and Thomas in 1865. Between these 
 two came Samuel Francis. 
 
 He received his good practical education at 
 the academy in Skaneateles, but also attended 
 a first-class music school in New York City, 
 where he not only studied the violin, but 
 composed music for the organ and the orches- 
 tra. Not wishing to make this his bread- 
 winner, however, he began adult life by 
 giving his full time as an apprentice to his 
 father in the iron works, and with him, as 
 learner and partner, continued for many years, 
 during which period he patented many impor- 
 tant inventions, among them one for temper- 
 ing steel, a grinding machine for heavy work, 
 the automatic hose reel, which was adopted by 
 the Chicago Fair Commission, an adjustable 
 harrow tooth, a grain drill, harrow, and roller, 
 a crucible for making metal fire-links for 
 
 locomotives, a new device for preventing the 
 accumulation of water in steam radiators, a 
 cooling and filtering attachment for water 
 tanks, and is now specially interested in his 
 radiators and steam heaters. It goes without 
 saying that such a man was not allowed to 
 confine himself to private affairs. From its 
 inception he has been active in the ranks of 
 the Republican party, and for two terms was 
 Supervisor for the Third Ward. He also be- 
 longs to Auburn Masonic Lodge, No. 431. 
 
 Mr. Reynolds married Carrie Abby, of Au- 
 burn, by whom he had one son, who is now 
 living in Chicago. Mrs. Reynolds died in 
 1890; and in 1892 he married Laura Spoor, 
 daughter of Ira Spoor, one of the oldest 
 farmers in the town of Ira. By this union 
 there is one daughter, Carrie Bell. For over 
 thirty years, from i860 to 1893, Mr. Reyn- 
 olds lived in Auburn ; but after the birth of 
 this child the family moved to Cato in May, 
 1893. 
 
 Every man, so says one of the pithiest 
 American authors, the Rev. Dr. Edward 
 Everett Hale, should have both a vocation and 
 an avocation. If iron-working has been Mr. 
 Reynolds's vocation, music has been his avoca- 
 tion. Even now, while an inn-keeper, he 
 continues to write and publish his melodies; 
 nor in Auburn did he allow this talent to lie 
 dormant, for he was the leader and instructor 
 of a brass and string band, which has been 
 heard in all parts of this section of the State. 
 This double discipleship, of Vulcan and 
 Apollo, enables him to give his hearty assent 
 to what Victor Hugo says, "An idea steeped 
 
728 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in verse becomes suddenly more incisive and 
 more brilliant: the iron becomes steel." 
 Moreover, he has personally illustrated the 
 great Napoleon's dictum about perseverance, 
 "All the great captains have performed vast 
 achievements by conforming with the rules of 
 art — by adjusting efforts to obstacles." 
 
 (sTrLONZO D. DRAKE, a worthy repre- 
 ^^ sentative of the industrial interests of 
 ^^ — - this county, is carrying on a flour- 
 ishing business as a miller in the stirring 
 little village of Montezuma, where he has 
 been located for more than a quarter of a cen- 
 tury, being now one of the oldest business 
 men within its corporate limits. He comes 
 of ancient and distinguished antecedents, and 
 traces his ancestry back to Sir Francis 
 Drake, the noted English navigator. Nathan- 
 iel Drake, the grandfather, was born in Sus- 
 sex County, New Jersey, in 1761, and was 
 there engaged in general farming a large por- 
 tion of his life, being numbered among the 
 enterprising and progressive agriculturists of 
 his day. He was a man of strong individual- 
 ity, possessing great influence with his fellow- 
 townsmen, liberal in his religious views, and 
 a Whig in politics. The declining years of 
 his life were spent in Seneca County, at the 
 home of his son Sparling, where he died at 
 the ripe old age of eighty-eight years. 
 
 Sparling Drake, the father of Alonzo D., 
 was born in Sussex County, New Jersey, Feb- 
 ruary 15, 1 801, and in that place grew to 
 manhood, receiving his early instruction in 
 
 the public schools of the locality, and under 
 the parental roof being drilled in lessons of 
 industry and thrift. On reaching manhood 
 he migrated to New York, and, settling in 
 Tompkins County, became one of its pioneers, 
 residing there six years. He subsequently 
 came westward, moving his family with a 
 horse and wagon to Seneca County, locating 
 in the town of Tyre about 1833. He there 
 bought a tract of almost entirely wild land, 
 although a few improvements had been made, 
 paying sixteen dollars per acre for eighty-five 
 acres. He had previously learned the trade 
 of a weaver; and at this he worked in connec- 
 tion with his farming for many years, and was 
 very successful in both branches of his busi- 
 ness. He improved a good farm, and became 
 a leading business man of the place, remain- 
 ing there until 1853, when he retired from 
 agricultural labor. During that year he re- 
 moved to the village of Waterloo, and for 
 three years was there engaged in mercantile 
 business. Abandoning that, he next came to 
 Montezuma, and entered into the milling busi- 
 ness with his son Alonzo, continuing thus en- 
 gaged several years. His last j^ears were 
 passed in his old home in Waterloo, where 
 his death occurred at the venerable age of 
 ninety-one years. He was a well-informed 
 man, taking an intelligent interest in the 
 leading questions of his time, and was a 
 Whig in politics and a strong Abolitionist. 
 Both he and his wife were members of the 
 Church of the Disciples, and reared their 
 children to the faith of that church. The 
 maiden name of his wife was Mary Snooke. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 729 
 
 She was born in Sussex County, New Jersey, 
 in May, 1805. She bore him four children, 
 two sons and two daughters, as follows: Mat- 
 thias S., a physician of repute, resides on the 
 old homestead in Tyre, managing the farm in 
 addition to his professional duties. Amy, 
 who married Simon Babcock, lives in Water- 
 loo. Alonzo D. is our subject. Theresa, 
 who is unmarried, resides in Waterloo. 
 
 Alonzo D. Drake is a native of the Empire 
 State, having first seen the light in Tompkins 
 County, where his birth occurred January 30, 
 1829. He was but four years of age when his 
 parents moved to Seneca County, where he 
 was bred and educated. He remained at 
 home, assisting in the development and im- 
 provement of the parental homestead until he 
 was twenty-four years old, when he started for 
 himself. Selecting agriculture as his occupa- 
 tion, he bought seventy-five acres of land in 
 the town of Tyre, and was successfully en- 
 gaged in tilling and cultivating the soil for a 
 number of years. Disposing of that property 
 in 1867, Mr. Drake came to this county, and, 
 locating in the village of Montezuma, pur- 
 chased the mill, which he has since operated 
 with excellent pecuniary results. He has 
 built up a good trade, having an extensive 
 and lucrative patronage, and is considered one 
 of the most able and successful men of busi- 
 ness in the vicinity. He is widely and favor- 
 ably known, and is always spoken of in the 
 highest terms, either in business, political, or 
 social circles. In the management of local 
 affairs he takes a conspicuous part, and has 
 filled various offices with universal satisfac- 
 
 tion. He was elected Supervisor in 1876, an 
 office which he held three consecutive terms, 
 and to which he was again elected in 1891. 
 He is now serving his seventh year as Justice 
 of the Peace. He has also been the recipient 
 of other honors, having held the office of 
 President of the village, and of Village Trus- 
 tee. In 1890 he was appointed Census 
 Enumerator, and performed the duties of the 
 position with fidelity. Socially, he is a 
 member of Montezuma Lodge, A. F. & A. M. 
 The union of Mr. Drake with Miss Anna 
 Van Wie was solemnized March 2, 1854. 
 Mrs. Drake was a native of New York, born 
 in Montgomery County, January 20, 1832, a 
 daughter of John S. and Anna (Paris) Van 
 Wie, both of whom are deceased. Her father 
 was a farmer by occupation, and a man of 
 sterling integrity, everywhere esteemed for 
 his honesty and manliness. Of the union of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Drake there are four children 
 living, as follows: William A., an engineer, 
 lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. Katie, the wife of 
 Robert J. Benham, a prosperous grocer, re- 
 sides in Auburn. John S., a miller by trade, 
 is a resident of Montezuma. Fred R., the 
 youngest child, is engaged in a shoe factory 
 in Auburn. Mrs. Drake, who was a most 
 amiable and estimable wpman, universally 
 beloved and respected, passed to the higher 
 life January 17, 1893, leaving a vacant place 
 in the home circle, where her memory will 
 ever be revered and tenderly cherished. She 
 had a kind and loving heart, a sympathetic 
 nature, and was a consistent member of the 
 Church of the Disciples. 
 
73° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 T^HARLES WILLIAM SMITH, a 
 V Jf prosperous and enterprising farmer, 
 
 ^ — ^ living near Sterling Centre, was 
 born in Wolcott, Wayne County, July lo, 
 1852. His grandfather, Edward Smith, was 
 a pioneer of Sterling, having cleared land still 
 in the ownership of the family, and built a 
 cabin, where he lived until his death, and 
 which was near his grandson's present home. 
 The father, Moses Smith, was probably born 
 after his father came to Sterling. He resided 
 on the Sterling farm until he reached his ma- 
 jority, when he purchased a farm in Wolcott, 
 Wayne County, and there lived for a quarter 
 of a century. The united efforts of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Smith to pay off their last dollar of land 
 indebtedness superinduced the illness of both; 
 and Mr. Smith, after his wife's death, sought 
 to obtain strength by a sojourn in New Jersey 
 and travel in the Far West. Marrying again, 
 he came back to the home of his childhood, 
 and bought the paternal estate, and also the 
 Miles property near by. He died at the age 
 of fifty-six, on the place now belonging to his 
 son Charles. His first wife was Alice Cole, 
 one of the six children of William Cole, who 
 was among the openers of this section of New 
 York, building a house in the town of Butler, 
 in which he lived, alone for six years before 
 sending for his wife to join him, and where he 
 died. Moses and Alice (Cole) Smith were 
 both members of the Methodist church at 
 Westbury. They were the parents of two 
 children. The daughter, Sarah Ann, mar- 
 ried Albert Happing, a farmer of Sterling; 
 and the son, Charles William, named for his 
 
 maternal grandfather, is the subject of this 
 notice. The mother died in Wolcott at the 
 age of forty-six. Moses Smith's second wife, 
 Dorcas (Dudley) Smith, is still living, and 
 has one child, who is the wife of Isaac 
 Hopper. 
 
 At the age of thirteen Charles William 
 Smith came from Wolcott to Sterling, where 
 he worked for his grandfather and father on 
 land which eventually came into his own pos- 
 session, and which he has since uninter- 
 ruptedly cultivated, devoting it in part to 
 successful fruit culture. November 23, 1871, 
 at the early age of nineteen, he married; and 
 his four children are Irving, Ethlyn, Harlow, 
 and Eulalie. Their mother, Rhoda Kerness, 
 was one of the eleven children of John Ker- 
 ness, a brave pioneer farmer, who spent his 
 life in this region, and whose wife was Sally 
 Ann Beley. 
 
 Mr. Smith is a Methodist in his religious 
 belief, and has been a useful member of the 
 Helping Hand Society. He is a Republican, 
 and was Postmaster for many years, and for 
 one year was Overseer of the Poor. Would 
 there were more such men in every section of 
 our nation ! 
 
 MOS P. MAIN, a prominent factor of 
 the agricultural element of the town 
 of Moravia, owns and occupies a 
 fine homestead, where he is carrying on gen- 
 eral farming after the most approved methods, 
 and is meeting with more than ordinary suc- 
 cess in the prosecution of his labors. He is 
 a native of this county, his birthplace being 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 731 
 
 in the town where he now resides, and the 
 date of his birth March i, 1847. 
 
 Mr. Main is of New Jersey antecedents, his 
 grandfather, John Main, having been a native 
 of that State. He was a farmer by occupa- 
 tion, and was engaged in agricultural pursuits 
 there several years after his marriage. In 
 1819 he removed to this county with his fam- 
 ily, traversing the wooded country with 
 teams, and being several days on the way. 
 He bought a tract of forest-covered land, and 
 undertook the arduous task of constructing a 
 farm from the dense wilderness; and, among 
 the venerable pioneers who by their own 
 industry, perseverance, and energy laid the 
 foundation for the present wealth and enter- 
 prise of Cayuga County, no name is more 
 worthy of remembrance than his. Most of 
 the brave settlers of those primitive days have 
 passed from earth, and their familiar forms 
 are no more seen; but their descendants are 
 worthily filling their places, and carrying on 
 the work that they began. At the time of 
 Mr. Main's settlement here there were few 
 homesteads to be seen, and the woods were 
 filled with wild beasts of all kinds. Wild 
 turkeys and other game were plentiful, and 
 furnished many meals for the people. The 
 residences were mostly made of logs, many of 
 them containing but one room. A cabin of 
 that description was his first dwelling. He 
 succeeded in clearing a good farm, and lived 
 to a ripe old age, dying in the town of Ven- 
 ice, at the age of fourscore and ten years. 
 
 Stephen Main, the father of Amos P., was 
 born May 3, 181 1, during the residence of his 
 
 parents in New Jersey. He was a boy of 
 eight years when he came to this county, and 
 from the time of his arrival was engaged in 
 agricultural labor; for the sons of those hardy 
 pioneers were taught to labor both early and 
 late. After he attained to manhood he en- 
 gaged in farming on his own account, and 
 became one of the foremost farmers and stock- 
 raisers of his day. He exhibited both enter- 
 . prise and ability, and in connection with 
 other branches of agriculture paid much at- 
 tention to the raising of bees, in which he 
 was quite successful. He married Sally 
 Knapp, who was born in the town of Genoa, 
 August 30, 1809; and in 1835 he bought the 
 farm in Moravia, now known as the old Main 
 homestead, where his widow resides. This 
 property he improved, and by his energetic 
 labors and excellent management rendered it 
 one of the most valuable and desirable estates 
 in the vicinity. In politics he was a sound. 
 Republican, and religiously was a consistent 
 member of the Methodist church, of which 
 Mrs. Main is still a communicant. His fam- 
 ily circle included nine children, namely: 
 George W., a farmer, living in the town of 
 Locke; Mrs. Ruth Hoyt, who lives on the old 
 home farm; Nelson, a resident of Glenwood 
 Springs, Col.; Amos P., of this notice; Clin- 
 ton C, a prosperous hardware merchant in the 
 village of Locke; Mrs. Esther Ann Morse, 
 who passed from earth at the age of fifty-three 
 years; Purdy K., who died when forty-nine 
 years old; Mrs. Sarah Jane Rathbone, who 
 died at the age of thirty-six years; and John, 
 who died when an infant of nine months. 
 
732 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Amos P. Main, who grew to manhood in 
 his native town, was educated in its district 
 schools, and remained at home assisting on 
 the homestead until twenty-one years of age, 
 when he began working for himself. He was 
 an industrious, hard-working man, of excel- 
 lent habits, and had no trouble in securing a 
 place as a farm laborer at twenty-five dollars 
 per month. Being prudent and economical, 
 ere many years he acquired sufficient capital 
 to warrant him in establishing a home of his 
 own, and accordingly, on September 25, 1871, 
 was united in marriage with Mary Willis, 
 who was born in the town of Locke, Novem- 
 ber 5, 1844. Her parents, Solomon and Jane 
 (Jones) Willis, were both born in Cayuga 
 County; and her father now makes his home 
 with her, his wife having passed to her final 
 rest when sixty-five years of age. Mr. Willis 
 learned the cooper's trade, which he followed 
 during the earlier years of his life in the town 
 of Locke. In the later years of his activity 
 he carried on general farming. To him and 
 his wife three children were born: Chester, 
 who lives in the town of Venice; Mary, Mrs. 
 Main; and Eliza Jane, who died when five 
 years old. In politics he is a stanch Repub- 
 lican. He is a conscientious member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, to which his 
 wife also belonged. 
 
 Since his marriage Mr. Main has continued 
 to follow agricultural pursuits, having bought 
 the farm where he now resides in 1872. His 
 property consists of one hundred acres of ex- 
 cellent land, which he has substantially im- 
 proved. In his chosen vocation he has met 
 
 with undisputed success ; and his homestead, 
 with its comfortable buildings and tasteful 
 surroundings, is plainly indicative to the 
 passer-by of the care and supervision of an 
 intelligent man and a practical farmer, thor- 
 oughly versed in the art and science of agri- 
 culture. Mr. and Mrs. Main are the parents 
 of two children, Lily H. and Maud, both of 
 whom are at home. 
 
 Mr. Main is a strong Republican in poli- 
 tics, and has inherited from his ancestors 
 those principles of honor and honesty for 
 which the family have been noted for genera- 
 tions, and which have made them such desir- 
 able residents and citizens. He is an influen- 
 tial member of the Farmers' Alliance, and 
 in religious affairs both he and his wife are 
 liberal. 
 
 KREDERICK A. SEFTON, M.D., a 
 prominent physician of Auburn, was 
 born in the town of Stockport, County of 
 Cheshire, England, July 29, 1857. At the 
 head of one of the finest residence streets of 
 Auburn, a mile from the centre of the city, 
 may be found a country house, licensed by 
 the State Lunacy Commission, and well 
 named the "Pines," from its lovely surround- 
 ings. If you follow South Street along from 
 the venerable Miller homestead, made memo- 
 rable by having once been the home of the 
 great statesman, William H. Seward, you pass 
 under giant elms, symmetrical poplars, and 
 graceful maples, on one of the finest boule- 
 vards in the State. Near by is Lake Owasco, 
 a beautiful sheet of water, twelve miles long 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 733 
 
 and about one mile in width, whose shores 
 are dotted with cottages, hotels, club and 
 boat houses, reaching as far as the outlet, at 
 the famous Townsend's Island. Twenty acres 
 of dry and rough upland, diversified with ser- 
 pentine walks and driveways, constitute the 
 "Pines." The central brick building itself 
 is provided with all the modern appliances 
 and conveniences of gas, electricity, water, 
 steam, ventilation, and open fireplaces. 
 While sunny and cheerful within, the trees 
 shield it from intrusive espionage, diffuse a 
 balsamic fragrance, and give an invigorating 
 tone to the atmosphere. There is a good 
 stable, where boarders can keep their own 
 carriages, if they so desire. The table is ex- 
 cellent. Each inmate has his own separate 
 attendant and apartment. Thus only a limited 
 number of patients can be accommodated in 
 this cheerful home. At its head is Dr. Sef- 
 ton, though he has two consulting physicians, 
 Drs. William S. Chessman and Joseph P. 
 Creveling. 
 
 As already stated. Dr. Sefton was born on 
 Albion's fair isle. His father was James 
 Sefton. His mother's maiden name was 
 Catharine Goodwin, and their ancestors lived 
 in Lancashire and Cheshire for three or four 
 centuries. Mr. James Sefton belonged to the 
 firm of Orrell Brothers, manufacturers of cot- 
 ton-spinning machinery, the Orrells being his 
 brothers-in-law; and in this business he con- 
 tinued until 1865, when the sudden termina- 
 tion of the Southern Rebellion in the United 
 States so largely affected the English cotton 
 interests. About that time Mr. Sefton came 
 
 to America, and now owns residences both in 
 Massachusetts and New Hampshire. 
 
 Frederick A. Sefton was a boy eight years 
 old when the family came to this country, and 
 received his education mostly in the public 
 schools of Holyoke, Mass., and in the Pinker- 
 ton Academy at Derry, N.H. Afterward he 
 spent four years at Bowdoin College in 
 Brunswick, Me. Following his graduation 
 there in 1880, he studied his profession at the 
 College of Physicians and Surgeons in New 
 York City, and also in the medical depart- 
 ment of Yale College. Having finished his 
 course there in 1884, and duly received his 
 diploma, young Sefton went to London for a 
 year's practical experience in the hospitals, 
 after which he returned to this country, and 
 practised for a time in New York, until in- 
 vited to undergo the civil service examination 
 for the post of Assistant Physician in the 
 State Asylum at Auburn. He triumphantly 
 passed this ordeal, and was for six years Chief 
 Assistant in the hospital, then resigned his 
 place in order to take charge of the "Pines" 
 in 1891, where he has since remained doing 
 an admirable work for unfortunate humanity. 
 Dr. Sefton believes with Napoleon that "'out- 
 door exercise is the best physic" ; yet, when 
 his patients need "medicine, there is a room 
 thoroughly furnished with materia iiiedica, and 
 an exceptionally competent physician to pre- 
 scribe and advise in any case where profes- 
 sional skill is required. 
 
 In the line of his calling Dr. Sefton belongs 
 to the Cayuga County Medical Society, to the 
 American Psychological Association, and to 
 
734 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the American Anthropological Association. 
 In the social direction he is a member of the 
 Auburn City Club and the Lotus Club of 
 New York City. Fraternally, he is affiliated 
 with St. Mark's Lodge of Masons in Derry, 
 N.H., and with Mount Horeb Chapter in 
 Manchester, the same State. True to his 
 English blood, he is a supporter of St. Peter's 
 Episcopal Church in Auburn. 
 
 June 3, 1890, Dr. Sefton married an 
 Auburn lady, Miss Maud Milliken Fitch; and 
 they have two interesting children : Catharine, 
 born in 1891, and named for her paternal 
 grandmother; and Wilfred, born in 1893. 
 Mrs. Sefton's father, Charles P. Fitch, is a 
 well-known citizen, and her grandfather, 
 Abijah Fitch, was a foremost Abolitionist of 
 the same city; while her mother's family, the 
 Millikens, are eminent real-estate owners in 
 the metropolis. What better can man or 
 woman ask than a creditable past and a bright 
 future? 
 
 KLOYD TELLER ALLEN, an unusu- 
 ally prosperous merchant of the village 
 of Martville in the town of Sterling, was born 
 October 30, 1836, in Onondaga County. His 
 father, George Alexis Allen, a native of 
 Skaneateles, was in his youth apprenticed to 
 learn harness-making, and thereafter went to 
 Lysander, where he followed this trade until 
 his death, which took place in 1857, when he 
 was forty-nine years old. His wife, Hester 
 A. Teller, was a native of Ira, and a daughter 
 of Father Isaac Teller, who was not only one 
 of the oldest Methodist circuit-riders and 
 
 preachers in Cayuga County, but a farmer who 
 cleared his hundred and fifty acres, besides 
 rearing ten children. George and Hester 
 Allen had four children: Floyd Teller, who 
 is named for his mother's family; Mary, who 
 is the wife of E. C. Hall, of Ira; Addie; and 
 William. The mother is still living, and 
 resides with her son in Martville. 
 
 At the age of fifteen Floyd Allen left 
 school, and was engaged as a dry-goods clerk 
 in Syracuse for three years. Thence he went 
 to Cincinnati, to work a year for John Shel- 
 leto, in what at that time was the largest 
 shoe store in the West. Returning to this 
 neighborhood, he was a clerk in Oswego for 
 two years, and then went to New York City, 
 where for six years he was with E. H. Rowe 
 & Co.'s jobbing house, and then for a few 
 years in an establishment on Wall Street. In 
 1870 he came to Martville, where his previ- 
 ous experience and assiduity enabled him to 
 establish a business which has grown into the 
 largest of the kind in the region, the- store 
 having doubled in size, and the stock more 
 than quadrupled. 
 
 In 1883, somewhat late in life, he married 
 Jennie Say, the only child of John B. and 
 Polly Granger Say, the former of whom, a shoe- 
 maker, came to this village from Lucas County. 
 Of this union there are three children: Bessie 
 aged ten; Henry, seven; and Ruth, five. 
 The family attend the Methodist church. 
 
 For many years Mr. Allen has been Post- 
 master. Politically, he supports the Repub- 
 lican party. He is a member of the Masonic 
 fraternity, belonging to Hannibal Lodge, No. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 735 
 
 SSP. His advice is sought on all sorts of 
 business questions, as a man who, having 
 made the best use of his varied opportunities 
 in city and country, has thus cultivated his 
 natural shrewdness and good judgment. 
 
 [ILES T. GARDINIER was born in 
 Root, Schoharie County, N.Y., 
 April II, 1852, the son of John 
 and Sarah Gardinier. His father was born in 
 the same county and in the town of Argusville, 
 where he carried on the business of contractor 
 and builder, in which his son afterward fol- 
 lowed him. About i860 the family moved to 
 Amboy; and there Mr. Gardinier carried on 
 an extensive business along the Mohawk 
 River, succeeding admirably for some years, 
 when he gave up his former business, and 
 became manager of a flouring mill in Pratt's 
 Falls, Onondaga County. Mrs. Gardinier, 
 whose maiden name was Carver, died when 
 her son Miles was very young. 
 
 Miles T. Gardinier was educated at the 
 common schools, and completed his studies in 
 Pompey Academy, Pompey Hill, Onondaga 
 County. This institution of learning num- 
 bers among its alumni many men who have be- 
 come eminent, and who are well known in this 
 vicinity, among the most prominent being 
 Horatio Seymour. After his graduation Mr. 
 Gardinier worked at his trade with his father 
 for a time, and then went to Waterloo, Seneca 
 County, where he worked as a journeyman 
 until coming to Auburn in 1872. He was 
 engaged here with the firm of Vander, Bosch 
 
 & Gallup for two or three years, and afterward 
 with King & Phillips, who built many of the 
 finest buildings, and were at that time among 
 the leading builders of the city. Having 
 thus had valuable experience in all depart- 
 ments of his work, Mr. Gardinier started in 
 business for himself, establishing himself in 
 an excellent shop, where he keeps several men 
 at work the year round, at some seasons em- 
 ploying as many as twenty-five. His con- 
 tracts for the most part are for residences, 
 and he has shown much good judgment and 
 excellent taste in this line. 
 
 In 1874 Mr. Gardinier married Anna L. 
 King, of this city; and they have two chil- 
 dren, Bertrand D. and Edith May, both of 
 whom attend the public schools of Auburn. 
 Mr. Gardinier's interests and close connec- 
 tion with the growth of the city have made 
 him deservedly popular among his fe'llow- 
 citizens. 
 
 — ■ - 4^»^» 
 
 ^>ETER BLAUVELT has accom- 
 plished satisfactory work as a farmer 
 in the town of Aurelius, acquiring 
 sufficient means to live on during his declin- 
 ing years, in the mean time having won an 
 excellent reputation as a citizen, being uni- 
 versally esteemed for his integrity and hon- 
 esty; he also achieved an honorable war 
 record as a brave and patriotic defender of his 
 country. He is of German origin, his grand- 
 father, James Elauvelt, having been born in 
 Germany, where he remained until attaining 
 his majority. Then, leaving his native home, 
 he emigrated to the United States, landing in 
 
736 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 New York City after a wearisome journey of 
 several weeks. Soon after his arrival he pur- 
 chased a wagon and horses, and, making an 
 overland trip through dense forests and ex- 
 tensive swamps, journeyed to Orange County, 
 where he bought a tract of wild land, from 
 which he improved. a comfortable homestead. 
 There he and his wife, whose maiden name was 
 Catherine House, continued to live until called 
 to that bourn from which no traveller returns. 
 James Blauvelt, Jr., father of our subject, 
 was born during the residence of his parents 
 in Orange County, where he was educated and 
 reared to manhood. Acquiring a substantial 
 knowledge of the general principles of farm- 
 ing from his father, he remained on the home- 
 stead until twenty-five years of age, assisting 
 in the cultivation of the land. At that time, 
 wishing for a home of his own, he married, 
 and removed to New York City. Securing 
 employment with Bowman & Johnson as a 
 cartman, he remained with them for nearly 
 thirty years. In 1839 he came to Cayuga 
 County, bringing his wife and three children, 
 with all of their worldly goods, in a wagon 
 drawn by a team of horses. He bought a 
 farm in the town of Mentz, but, there being no 
 buildings on it, moved his family into a log 
 house' about three miles from the farm. He 
 improved much of the land, meeting with 
 good results in his operations, and remained 
 there until his death in February, 1869. He 
 married Catherine Post, the daughter of Peter 
 Post, of New Jersey; and they reared five 
 children, namely: Margaret, Peter, Harriet, 
 Nancy A., and Catherine. 
 
 Peter Blauvelt was born in New York City, 
 February 13, 18 14. He received an excellent 
 education in the public schools of his native 
 city, and, when old enough, learned the trade 
 of a wagon-maker, serving an apprenticeship 
 of five years. When his parents removed to 
 Cayuga County, he accompanied them, and 
 for several years assisted in the management 
 of the farm. He was quick and active, with 
 much ambition and energy, soon acquiring a 
 reputation as a good worker .and an expert 
 thresher. In 1863 he left his farm duties to 
 enter the service of his country, enlisting in 
 the Ninth New York Heavy Artillery, serving 
 as a private. He participated in many bat- 
 tles, being at Cold Harbor, Cedar Creek, and 
 Sailor's Run, the Ninth Artillery losing a 
 number of men in each engagement. Mr. 
 Blauvelt was fortunate, however, coming 
 through the war unharmed, receiving his hon- 
 orable discharge, and being mustered out of 
 service at Syracuse in 1865. After his re- 
 turn he bought fifty-two acres of land in Au- 
 relius, where he has since resided. He has 
 cleared a fine farm, and erected substantial 
 and conveniently arranged buildings, meeting 
 with excellent success in all of his operations. 
 In preparing his land for cultivation he 
 burned the wood as fast as he cut, reducing it 
 to charcoal, which he drew to Auburn, dis- 
 posing of it at a profit. 
 
 Mr. Blauvelt has been twice married. The 
 maiden name of his first wife, to whom he 
 was united in 1840, was Laura P. Ellis, and 
 she was a daughter of Reuben and Abigail 
 (Jones) Ellis, of Aurelius. To them were 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 737 
 
 born six children — Sarah, Harriet, James R., 
 Mary, Clarissa, and Theodore. Of these 
 Sarah, the wife of Philip Chapin, has six 
 children living, namely: Frances, who mar- 
 ried Will Youngs, and has three children — 
 Ella, Pearl, and Vernie; Jennie, who married 
 Fred Youngs, and has three children — Isabel, 
 Myra, and Clarence; Charles, who is mar- 
 ried, and has two children — Floyd and 
 Louis; Carrie, who married John Hall, and 
 has four children — Frederic, Lizzie, Sarah, 
 and Mary; Edward; and Arthur. James R. 
 married Emma Treat, of Throop, and has four 
 children; namely, Artie, George, Fred, and 
 Gilbert. Mary, who married John Fear, of 
 Montezuma, has the following-named chil- 
 dren: Elmer, Edgar, George, Peter, Mary, 
 and Theodore. Clarissa, who is the wife of 
 Edward Coggswell, lives in Michigan. The- 
 odore, who married Mary Rose, of Mentz, has 
 two children — Lottie and Edith. 
 
 Mrs. Laura P. Blauvelt died February i8, 
 1888; and Mr. Blauvelt married Eliza Hand, 
 the daughter of Thomas and Mary (Fries) 
 Erven, of Aurelius, and the grand-daughter of 
 Peter and Eliza (Armstrong) Erven. The 
 maternal grandparents of Mrs. Blauvelt were 
 Adam F. and Eliza (King) Fries, who were 
 among the earliest settlers of the town of 
 Owasco, and quite prominent people in that 
 part of the county. Mr. Fries was very gen- 
 erous and public-spirited, and gave a part of 
 the land on which the Sand Beach church 
 was erected, and a portion of the cemetery. 
 
 Mr. Blauvelt, who has been an industrious, 
 hard-working man, succeeding well in all of 
 
 his undertakings, is now passing the sunset of 
 life in quiet ease and contentment, enjoying 
 the just reward of his many years of faithful 
 toil. In politics he is now a stanch Republi- 
 can, although he was a -Democrat from the 
 time he cast his first vote, in 1848, until two 
 years ago. Socially, he is a member of Sew- 
 ard Post, No. 37, Grand Army of the Repub- 
 lic, of Auburn, being the oldest man in the 
 post. 
 
 7T%HARLES H. GREENFIELD. As a 
 I J| citizen of prominence, an instructor 
 ^ — ^ of ability, a brave defender of our 
 glorious Union, the descendant of Revolution- 
 ary stock, and the worthy representative of 
 an honored pioneer of Cayuga County, the 
 gentleman whose name appears at the head of 
 this sketch is especially deserving of mention 
 in this volume. A native of this county, he 
 was born in the town of Niles, July 5, 1836. 
 He is of New England antecedents, his father, 
 Henry Greenfield, having been born in Berk- 
 shire County, Massachusetts, October 13, 
 181 3; and his grandfather, David, and great- 
 grandfather, Raymond Greenfield, were also 
 natives of the old Bay State. 
 
 David and Raymond Greenfield were both 
 veterans of the Revolution, and descendants 
 of one of the early settlers of Massachusetts. 
 Raymond came to this section of New York 
 in 1796, travelling from the place of his na- 
 tivity to this county with teams, often having 
 to break a path through the woods. The 
 county was thinly settled at that time, and 
 wild game of all kinds was abundant. He 
 
738 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 located near New Hope, in the town of Niles, 
 where he bought a large tract of timbered 
 land, and immediately proceeded with the im- 
 provement of his new homestead. In due 
 time success smiled upon his labors; and 
 before his death, which occurred at a ripe old 
 age, he had cleared a goodly portion of his 
 farm. 
 
 David Greenfield also came here in pioneer 
 times, when Auburn, then known as Harden- 
 burg's Corners, was the nearest milling 
 point, and the few settlers in the vicinity 
 were mainly dependent for their sustenance on 
 the fish and wild game hereabouts. He was a 
 farmer by occupation, but never became a 
 landholder. Being pleased with this country 
 as a place of residence, he continued to re- 
 side here as long as he lived, and departed 
 from the scenes of his earthly labors at the 
 age of threescore and ten years. He was 
 much respected for his strict integrity ; and 
 both he and his excellent wife, who survived 
 him, living to the advanced age of seventy 
 years, were valued members of the Free Will 
 Baptist church. In politics he was a Whig. 
 Of the twelve children, eight sons and four 
 daughters, born to him and his wife, two are 
 now living — James and Leonard Greenfield, 
 both residents of Michigan. 
 
 Henry Greenfield was also reared to agri- 
 cultural pursuits, and spent the larger part of 
 his brief life in the towns of Niles and Mo- 
 ravia, industriously engaged in his chosen 
 calling. He began his career by working 
 farms on shares, and, investing his money in 
 land, was the owner of a small farni at the 
 
 time of his decease. He was called from 
 earth in the midst of his usefulness, dying in 
 1852, when only thirty-eight years old. The 
 maiden name of his wife, who still occupies 
 the old home farm, was Jane Hunt. She was 
 born in the town of Elbridge, Onondaga 
 County, in August, 1817. The six children 
 born into their household were as follows: 
 Charles H., our subject; Alonzo, a farmer, 
 who resides in Sempronius, where he is Road 
 Commissioner; Elijah, who lives in the town 
 of Venice, served in the late Rebellion as a 
 member of Company A, Seventy-fifth New 
 York Volunteer Infantry; Jane, the wife of 
 Darius Morse, lives on the old homestead of 
 her great-grandfather, Raymond Greenfield; 
 Betsey, Mrs. Stringer, is a resident of Au- 
 burn ; John Webb, who was a soldier in the 
 Civil War, being in the Third Heavy Artil- 
 lery, died while in service. The parents, 
 were both strong believers in the tenets of the 
 Baptist church, and the father was a Whig in 
 politics. 
 
 Charles H. Greenfield grew to manhood in 
 this his native town, receiving the rudiments 
 of his liberal education in its public schools, 
 and afterward attending the normal school at 
 Auburn and the Monroe Institute. Having 
 been well fitted for a professional career, he 
 engaged in teaching in Ohio. At the time of 
 the Civil War, laying aside his personal and 
 private interests, he returned to his early 
 home, and proffered his services as a soldier of 
 the Union, enlisting, August 13, 1862, in the 
 Ninth Heavy Artillery (first known as the 
 One Hundred and Thirty-eighth New York 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 739 
 
 Volunteer Infantry) in Company F, under the 
 command of William H. Seward. He en- 
 tered at once into active service, participating 
 in the battles and skirmishes with his com- 
 rades, and was under fire at the battles of 
 Cold Harbor, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, 
 first and second battles of Petersburg, and in 
 many minor engagements, being in the mean 
 time promoted to the rank of Sergeant. On 
 the 2d of April, 1865, at Cedar Creek, he 
 received his first wound, and at the second 
 battle of Petersburg was shot through the 
 side and lost his arm, it being taken off just 
 below the shoulder. He was removed to the 
 Harwood General Hospital, where he re- 
 mained until July 7, 1865, when he received 
 his honorable discharge. 
 
 Upon returning home Mr. Greenfield re- 
 sumed his professional duties, and among the 
 prominent educators of this section of the 
 State holds a leading position. In 1872 he 
 was elected County School Commissioner, and 
 served with fidelity for three years. He also 
 served one year as ganger and inspector of the 
 Carpenter distillery near New Hope, has been 
 Justice of the Peace four years, and one year 
 has served as Collector. Politically, Mr. 
 Greenfield is an earnest Republican, and 
 takes an active part in the management of 
 local affairs. He is a man of sound judgment 
 and excellent business qualifications, and is 
 highly respected by all who have the honor of 
 his acquaintance. In New Hope Post, No. 
 337, Grand Army of the Republic, he occu- 
 pies an influential position, being a charter 
 member of that organization. 
 
 On October i, 1867, Mr. Greenfield was 
 united in the holy bonds of matrimony with 
 Anna McLaughlin, a native of Ireland; and 
 into their pleasant home circle came a family 
 of four sons and an equal number of daugh- 
 ters. Agnes, who married Frank Carver, a 
 farmer, resides in Niles. Daniel, a farmer, 
 and his sister Cora, Mrs. Covert, are also res- 
 idents of Niles. The others are Mary, Henry, 
 Charles, Anna, and William S. The faithful 
 and affectionate wife and devoted mother de- 
 parted this life August 14, 1890, at the age of 
 fifty-one years. She was a woman of many 
 worthy and amiable qualities, and was greatly 
 beloved by her family and a large circle of 
 friends and acquaintances. 
 
 /T^HARLES EDWARD WAYTE, a 
 foremost citizen of Sterling Valley, is 
 
 t^ < 
 
 a miller, in partnership with the 
 
 Hon. Thomas Hunter, sketched elsewhere in 
 this volume. Mr. Wayte was born in Roch- 
 ester, Monroe County, 011 the last day of Jan- 
 uary, 1869. 
 
 His grandfather, William Edward Wayte, 
 was a wool merchant in England, where Mr. 
 Wayte's father, Edward Wayte, was born. 
 Edward lived in Burton-on-Trent till he 
 crossed the seas at the age of twenty-one, and 
 engaged in the produce business on Long 
 Island. After a year or two he removed to 
 Rochester, where he carried on the market 
 business until his death, at the age of only 
 fifty-six. He was married in England to 
 Delia Harwich, of Derby, one of the six chil- 
 
740 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 dren of Captain Thomas Harwich, who ran a 
 vessel between England and Ireland across 
 the Irish Sea. From this union came eight 
 children: William Edwin; Mary E. ; James; 
 Emeline Delia, named for her mother, and 
 married to H. E. Leach, a vocal teacher in 
 Rochester; Alfred E., married to Cornelia E. 
 Bassett; Caroline T. ; Annie C, married to 
 George D. De Mille, connected with the gas 
 company in Minneapolis, Minn. ; and Charles 
 Edward, the youngest of the family, of Ster- 
 ling Valley. Their mother was a member of 
 the Lake Avenue Baptist Church in Roches- 
 ter, of which her husband was a Deacon; but 
 she died in the home of her daughter Annie 
 in Minnesota. 
 
 Charles E. attended the Rochester public 
 schools"'till he was old enough to enter the 
 Pennsylvania Military Academy, where he 
 spent two years, and was appointed Corporal. 
 Then through the influence of his sister 
 Annie's husband he was employed two years 
 in the Washburn Company's flour-mills at 
 Minneapolis. Thence he came to Pembroke, 
 near Batavia, in Genesee County, N.Y., and 
 entered business for himself by purchasing a 
 mill property, which at the end of a year he 
 advantageously sold. Coming then to Ster- 
 ling, he bought a share in the Hon. Thomas 
 Hunter's large mill, now producing every day 
 sixty barrels of first-class flour, which is in 
 constant demand in the best markets. Four 
 new sets of rollers have made this mill one 
 of the finest in this region, the water-power 
 being fully equal to any in. the State. 
 
 On December 7, 1892, at the age of twenty- 
 
 three, he married Isabella C. Hunter, the 
 daughter of his senior partner. In politics 
 Mr.,Wayte is Republican. He attends the 
 Covenanter church, whereof the Hunter fam- 
 ily are stanch adherents. Though not long a 
 resident of this community, and still a young 
 man, his pluck and intelligence have already 
 won him a wide circle of friends. 
 
 RANK JOHNSON, a practical, pro- 
 gressive, and enterprising citizen of 
 this county, is actively engaged in his chosen 
 occupation of tilling the soil in the town of 
 Brutus, where he ranks among the prosperous 
 business men of the place. He is a wide- 
 awake man, whose success in life is clearly 
 attributable to his habits of industry, econ- 
 omy, and thrift, sustained by good business 
 principles. In all the relations of life he 
 stands well in the community. 
 
 Mr. Johnson was born in the town of Mar- 
 cellus, Onondaga County, N.Y., October 24, 
 1859. His parents, Frederick and Jane (Vos- 
 burgh) Johnson, were both natives of that 
 county, where the major part of their lives 
 was spent, the father, who was a farmer, 
 dying there at the age of seventy-four years, 
 and the mother at the age of fifty-five years. 
 In politics he was a stanch supporter of the 
 Democratic party, and both he and his wife 
 were conscientious members of the Baptist 
 church. They were the parents of two chil- 
 dren: Frank; and his sister Helen, who mar- 
 ried Joseph Harrington, of Onondaga County. 
 
 Frank Johnson spent the earlier part of his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 741 
 
 life in his native county, acquiring a good 
 common-school education in the town of Mar- 
 cellus. As soon as old enough to be of any 
 use, his services were in constant requisition 
 on the home farm, where he obtained a 
 thorough knowledge of agricultural labors, 
 toiling as he did on the old homestead until 
 twenty-two years of age. He began life on 
 his own account as a farm laborer, working at 
 first for the small sum of six dollars a month. 
 For five or six seasons he continued thus em- 
 ployed; and, by a wise prudence and a judi- 
 cious saving of his hard-earned wages, he 
 accumulated enough money to commence farm- 
 ing on his own account. In 1886 he came to 
 Cayuga County, and settled in the town where 
 he has since continued a resident. 
 
 Mr. Johnson was united in marriage in 
 1887 with Mrs. Edee, a most estimable 
 woman, who during her residence in the 
 town has won the esteem of a large circle of 
 friends and acquaintances. Mrs. Johnson is 
 of Southern birth, having been born in the 
 State of Mississippi, February 5, 1853, being 
 a daughter of Joshua and Caroline Fletcher, 
 neither of whom is now living. Her father 
 was a miller by trade, and was also success- 
 fully engaged in agricultural work; and Mrs. 
 Johnson was his only child. In 1875 she was 
 married to Frederic Roler, who departed this 
 life September 14, 1882, leaving her with two 
 sons — Virgil and Albert. In 1884 she be- 
 came the wife of Alonzo Edee, a native of 
 this county, a farmer by occupation, and one 
 of the promising young men of the town of 
 Brutus. Their wedded life was of short 
 
 duration, his early death occurring October 
 25, 1885, a short time after the birth of their 
 only child, Lotta Edee. Of the union of Mr. 
 Johnson and his wife five children have been 
 born; namely, Clarence, Fred, Lena, Jackson, 
 and Frank, Jr. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have a fine farm of 
 eighty-seven acres, the former property of Mr. 
 Edee, which since his marriage Mr. John- 
 son has managed with excellent results, carry- 
 ing on general farming and stock-raising on 
 an extensive scale. Politically, he is a 
 strong Democrat; and in their religious views 
 both he and his wife are liberal and pro- 
 gressive. 
 
 <i*»^» 
 
 TTAHARLES E. MacMASTER, Chief of 
 I J| Police of Auburn, has be«n well 
 
 ^ — " known in the city for many years, 
 through his connection with the force and his 
 other business. He was born in the town of 
 Sennett, in this county, November 14, 1852, 
 and was the son of Charles H. and Jane Agnes 
 (P"rost) MacMaster. The elder Charles was 
 by trade a marble-cutter, and was born in the 
 village of Weedsport in 1825. His father 
 was Hugh MacMaster, a name well known 
 among the pioneer farmers of the county, and 
 also at Ballston, from which place he moved 
 in the early days. The ancestors, several 
 generations back, had come from Scotland ; 
 and Hugh was justly proud of his lineal de- 
 scent from the eminent MacMaster family of 
 the old country. In the early part of the cen- 
 tury the family settled in Auburn, and be- 
 came prominent in town affairs. MacMaster 
 
742 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Street of this city was named for a brother of 
 Hugh. Charles was but a small boy when he 
 came to Auburn; and, after gaining a com- 
 mon-school education in the city schools, he 
 learned the monumental marble business, and 
 engaged in that for himself for some years. 
 He set the first piece of marble in the beauti- 
 ful Fort Hill Cemetery, and has since done 
 much of the work which has beautified that 
 city of the dead. At the time of President 
 Buchanan's administration he was a mail 
 agent, and moved to Rochester, thence to 
 Syracuse, and afterward to Niagara Falls, this 
 being in the early days of mail distribution 
 on the cars. At the expiration of his term of 
 office he received an appointment as Keeper 
 of the Auburn prison; and that position he 
 held for twelve years, after which he retired 
 from active life, and now lives in his own 
 home in the city. His wife is well known as 
 an active member of the Universalist church, 
 although the early MacMasters were members 
 of the Presbyterian church. 
 
 Charles E. MacMaster was the only child 
 of his parents who lived to reach mature 
 years. He attended the common schools of 
 that city, and then went to the old Auburn 
 Academy, after which he learned the boot and 
 shoe business, and worked as cutter in the 
 Auburn prison for more than fourteen years, 
 and then for Dunn, Solomon & Co. and Dunn, 
 Barker & Co. In 1884 he joined the police 
 force, and, being a faithful and able patrol- 
 man, was given much responsibility, and did 
 much excellent work, so that in 1892, when a 
 new Chief was needed, he was appointed to 
 
 that position. The police force of Auburn is 
 one of the best in the State, consisting, all 
 told, of twenty men, which includes seven- 
 teen patrolmen and three officers. Since be- 
 coming Chief, Mr. MacMaster has made many 
 improvements, his previous experience en- 
 abling him to understand the difficulties and 
 the faults of the system previously used. 
 The most important change has been in rela- 
 tion to the time of duty. Formerly the 
 twelve-hour system prevailed, which meant 
 twelve hours' day duty and ten hours' night 
 duty, thus leaving the city entirely unpro- 
 tected by police between five and seven in the 
 morning. The new system, which is called 
 the eight-hour system, requires eight hours on 
 and six hours off duty, the force being re- 
 lieved every eight hours, thus keeping the 
 city patrolled throughout the twenty-four 
 hours. Auburn was the first of the smaller 
 cities to adopt this method, which has proved 
 an excellent one. Mr. MacMaster is a mem- 
 ber of the Republican party, the principles of 
 which he strongly upholds, although he is not 
 an aspirant for office. 
 
 Mr. MacMaster is physically and mentally 
 adapted to his present position. He may be 
 said to inherit from his father a genius for 
 dealing with offenders against the State; and 
 from his youth he has seen and known the 
 methods which are used with those who are 
 unmindful of the laws of the land. Courte- 
 ous and pleasing in his manners, he is equally 
 decided and firm, and is one of the strongest 
 men in such a position in this State. The 
 people of Auburn, knowing this, feel confi- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 743 
 
 dent that he will secure for them the safety 
 and protection which a well-governed city 
 should have. 
 
 "Y^\p\lLTON G. LEAPE, M.D., though 
 F I — I still a young man, as is shown by 
 ^ V»^ the date of his graduation at Buf- 
 
 falo University in the class of 1892, is popu- 
 lar far and near, rapidly taking a high 
 position among the physicians of Cayuga 
 County. As is generally the case with men 
 of his profession, Dr. Leape is not a native of 
 the place where he has established his office. 
 Conquest, but was born in Wayne County, 
 July 5, 1869, when the echoes of the Indepen- 
 dence fanfare were still resounding. 
 
 The Doctor's grandfather, Samuel Leape, 
 came from Germany, and lived awhile on the 
 outskirts of Troy, though later he became a 
 pioneer in Wayne County, where he bought a 
 large tract of woodland and built a log house. 
 On that farm, cleared by his own hands, he 
 resided until his death. Here was reared the 
 Doctor's father, Samuel W. Leape, though 
 born in Troy, Albany County, where he long 
 resided. On coming of age, the younger 
 Samuel for a season taught school; but he 
 early entered mercantile life as a clerk, and 
 a little later began business for himself in a 
 store at South Sodus, where he for some time 
 remained, until he decided to open a new 
 store in Wayne Centre. There he continued 
 until 1862, when he entered his country's ser- 
 vice, in the second year of the war. He was 
 a Corporal in the Ninth New York Heavy 
 Artillery in all its engagements, and was pro- 
 
 moted to a First Lieutenancy before his dis- 
 charge in 1865. Since then Mr. Samuel W. 
 Leape has been a Justice of Peace, and has 
 served sixteen years as Assessor. He married 
 Julia Seager, a native of Rose, Wayne County, 
 where her father was one'of the earliest immi- 
 grants, coming there from Connecticut, and 
 opening a bridle-path when the region was one 
 vast forest, and the settlers had to go twenty- 
 five miles to mill. Mr. Seager sometimes shot 
 deer while standing in the doorway of his own 
 cabin. His wife's father was killed by the 
 British, in the War of 1 812, at Sodus Point. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Samuel W. Leape reared five 
 children: Samuel; Ella, now Mrs. Walter 
 White; Alta, who married Mr. Bailey, of 
 Bailey & Co., Chicago; Asher; and Milton G. 
 Until he was sixteen Milton attended 
 school in the village, and then was in Hobart 
 Free College at Geneva for two years. He 
 first studied medicine with Dr. York, of 
 Huron, and then entered the University of 
 Buffalo, where he was graduated May 4, 1892. 
 Two months later he began practice in Con- 
 quest Village. Dr. Leape is a member of the 
 Cayuga Medical Society. He was made a 
 Mason in the Star of Hope Lodge, Buffalo, to 
 which he still belongs. Few young physi- 
 cians begin life's contest with better prospects 
 than Dr. Leape, and his sun is sure to grow 
 brighter with increase of years and wisdom. 
 
 m 
 
 ALLACE W. ROTCH comes of 
 
 an old pioneer family of Cayuga 
 
 County, and was born in Brutus, June 30, 
 
744 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1839, being a son of Edward and Deborah 
 (McKee) Rotch. He is a representative citi- 
 zen of his native town, and an important 
 factor of the industrial element, being a thor- 
 oughly capable and skilled stone mason. He 
 is also connected with the agricultural inter- 
 ests of the town, owning and improving a 
 small farm. 
 
 Edward Rotch, the father of Wallace, was 
 also a mason by trade, having become familiar 
 with that occupation in Washington County 
 in this State, which was the county of his 
 birth, and also of the birth of Deborah 
 McKee, to whom he was wedded in young 
 manhood. After his marriage he remained in 
 that part of New York several years, busily 
 plying his vocation, in which he was an 
 expert. About 1825 he removed with his 
 family to Brutus, and continued to work at 
 his trade. This town had then been organ- 
 ized but a few years. New settlers were con- 
 tinually arriving, and those who had been 
 here any length of time were ready to replace 
 the log houses, which they at first built, with 
 brick or frame structures, and thus his ser- 
 vices were in constant demand. He was a 
 roan of superior intelligence, keenly alive to 
 the needs of the young and growing town, and 
 from the time of his arrival here became 
 prominently identified with the welfare of the 
 town, and served as Justice of the Peace for 
 sixteen consecutive years, also serving as Su- 
 pervisor of Brutus, besides holding minor 
 offices within the gift of his fellow-townsmen. 
 He died at the age of eighty-one years, while 
 she lived to see eighty-three years. They 
 
 reared ten children, eight of whom are now 
 living. Myron C, who was formerly a 
 mason, is now engaged in farming in Brutus. 
 Martha J., the widow of Charles Faatz, re- 
 sides in Cortland County. Josiah M., for- 
 merly a mason, is now a farmer, and lives in 
 Brutus. Edward, Jr., is a miner, in one of 
 the Western States. Lovinia C, the wife of 
 Benson Meech, a farmer, resides in the town 
 of Brutus. John R., a contractor and builder, 
 is a resident of Brutus. Julia A. is the wife 
 of John McKee, a farmer residing in the town 
 of Brutus. Wallace W. also lives in Brutus. 
 Jane died when an infant. Laura, who 
 married John McKee, died at the age of sixty- 
 four years. The parents were worthy mem- 
 bers of the Presbyterian church. The father, 
 who was a veteran of the War of 1812, affil- 
 iated with the Republican party after its 
 organization. 
 
 In the district schools of Brutus Wallace 
 obtained the rudiments of his education; and 
 so well did he acquit himself that he was sub- 
 sequently allowed to continue his studies at 
 the Jordan Academy, where he made excellent 
 progress. Following in the footsteps of his 
 honored sire and elder brothers, at the age of 
 seventeen years he began to learn the trade of 
 a mason, from that time being a self-support- 
 ing member of society. Mr. Rotch has met 
 with far more than average success in the 
 prosecution of his business, succeeding well 
 in a pecuniary point of view, and is classed 
 among the most prosperous citizens of the 
 town, owning a substantial residence, which 
 he has occupied since 1884, and a good farm, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 74S 
 
 and is assured of a comfortable competence 
 during his life. He is a man of good mental 
 attainments, and the manner in which he has 
 managed his affairs shows that he is possessed 
 of excellent business talent. He has been 
 identified with the Republican party since 
 attaining his majority, and in its ranks are to 
 be found no truer or more faithful supporters 
 of its principles than he. In his religious 
 views he is liberal, and socially he is a mem- 
 ber of Jordan Lodge, No. 215, Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows. During the late Re- 
 bellion he was drafted into the service of his 
 country, and bravely defended its flag. 
 
 Mr. Rotch has been twice married. Miss 
 Sarah A. Babcock, to whom he was united in 
 1 86 1, died in September, 1864, leaving a 
 young babe, Arthur E., who died at the age 
 of two months. In 1869 he was married to 
 his second wife. Miss Anna Beebe, of Roches- 
 ter; and in November, 1891, death once more 
 crossing his threshold, she, too, passed to the 
 life eternal. 
 
 EORGE A. PADDOCK, Assistant 
 
 JM General Manager of the Empire State 
 Telephone and Telegraph Company, was born 
 in Montezuma, Cayuga County, N.Y., June 
 3, 1862, and was the son of George R. and 
 Mary B. (Stahlnecker) Paddock. George R. 
 Paddock came to this county when but sixteen 
 years old, with his father, Jonathan Paddock, 
 one of the early settlers in the district and a 
 successful farmer. The progenitors of the 
 family were Scotch, having come from Scot- 
 land in the early days of the settlement of 
 
 New England. George R. Paddock died 
 when but thirty-seven years of age, leaving a 
 widow and a young son, George A., who was 
 then but a year and a half old. Mrs. Paddock 
 was born in Cayuga County, and was the 
 daughter of Jacob Stahlnecker, a farmer, who 
 was a direct descendant of the eminent family 
 of Stahlnecker in Holland. 
 
 After the death of her husband Mrs. Pad- 
 dock continued to live on the home they had 
 made, sending her boy to the district schools 
 until he was ten years old, when she removed 
 to Auburn, that he might have the advantages 
 of the excellent schools of the city. Having 
 finished his studies he engaged himself in a 
 store for a time, and afterward learned the 
 printer's trade. This, however, was work 
 that did not agree with his health; and he was 
 obliged to give up for a time and regain the 
 strength he had lost. As soon as his health 
 would allow, he took a business course and 
 prepared himself for a commercial life. In 
 January, 1885, he was employed by the Em- 
 pire State Telephone and Telegraph Company, 
 first as an assistant in the office, then for two 
 years as collector, and afterward as assistant 
 book-keeper. In these various oflSices he 
 showed such ability in the management of 
 affairs and such integrity in all his dealings 
 that he was placed in the responsible position 
 of Assistant General Manager of the company, 
 which practically means the management of 
 the affairs of the company in Auburn. The 
 lines of this company cover Cayuga, Seneca, 
 Ontario, Yates, Wayne, Oswego, and Cort- 
 land Counties, and include thirteen exchanges 
 
746 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and one hundred and forty toll stations. 
 The company employ about forty-five persons, 
 exclusive of line men; and they have many 
 hundreds of miles of wire. Mr. Paddock is 
 also interested in the F. M. Locke Company, 
 of Victory, N.Y., dealers in electric supplies, 
 and owners of several patents on insulators 
 and insulator pins. 
 
 On March 23, 1887, Mr. Paddock was mar- 
 ried to Edna M. Coy, daughter of Nehemiah 
 M. Coy, of this city. They have one child, 
 Francis B. Paddock. Religiously, they are 
 firm supporters of the Central Presbyterian 
 Church, of which Mrs. Paddock is a member. 
 
 Among the men of influence in the city Mr. 
 Paddock holds high rank. Being left without 
 a father when he was yet very young, he was 
 tenderly cared for by the widowed mother, 
 who used all her best influence to bring up 
 her son to be an intelligent, industrious, 
 and honest man ; and that influence, together 
 with his own efforts and determination, has 
 brought to him such success as might well be 
 sought by all young men. Although as yet 
 but in the prime of life, he is an important 
 factor in the business interests of this and the 
 surrounding counties. 
 
 ISAAC D. HORNBECK is a retired 
 farmer in the town of Owasco, Cayuga 
 County, N.Y. He was born in that 
 town, February 9, 1827, and has there spent 
 all his life, a highly respected citizen. Ben- 
 jamin Hornbeck, from whom Isaac is the 
 fourth in line of descent, was a native of the 
 
 Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, where his an- 
 cestors, who came from Holland, had settled 
 in the early part of the eighteenth century. 
 Whether they were Dutch people or descend- 
 ants of Puritans who fled from England to 
 Holland is not known; but that Benjamin 
 Hornbeck removed from Virginia to Orange 
 County, New Jersey, is evident from the old 
 records of the latter place. 
 
 His son Samuel was born in Minisink, 
 Orange County, August 23, 1753; and there 
 also was born Cornelius, son of Samuel, on 
 March 11, 1796. In 1799 the family left 
 New Jersey; and all three generations came 
 to Owasco, where they bought a beautiful 
 piece of land near the lake. This journey, 
 like the migrations of many other settlers of 
 this State, was made by slow and tedious 
 stages with ox teams ; and many times a road 
 had to be cleared through the forest to allow 
 them to pass. Their land was about one hun- 
 dred acres, closely covered with timber, in 
 which the sound of the axe had as yet never 
 been heard, and which required much hard 
 labor and patient toil to convert into the 
 goodly farm seen here to-day. Benjamin 
 Hornbeck died April 15, 1850, having nearly 
 completed a century of life. His wife was 
 Hannah Cortright, who was born May 10, 
 1755, and died October i, 1841. 
 
 Cornelius, father of the subject of this 
 sketch, was but three years old when the 
 family came to New York; and he continued 
 living with his parents during their lives, 
 and, having succeeded to the ownership of the 
 homestead, engaged in the cultivation of the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 747 
 
 soil until his death in 1874. He was married 
 to Deborah Decker, daughter of Isaac and 
 Lillie (Westbrook) Decker; and they had 
 five children, namely: John D., born July 3, 
 1820, died December 20, 1831 ; Samuel, born 
 February 9, 1823; Isaac D., born February 9, 
 1827; Jane, born May 12, 1831; Louisa, 
 born December 10, 1835, died September 7, 
 
 1837- 
 
 Isaac D. Hornbeck received his education 
 in the district schools; and, after taking ad- 
 vantage of them to their fullest extent, he 
 gave his attention to farming, remaining at 
 home until the time of his marriage, when 
 he and his brother carried on a farm together 
 for a few years. He then built a fine resi- 
 dence, where he has since lived. For twelve 
 years the brothers were associated, when 
 Samuel's interests were bought by Frank 
 Lefeor, Mr. Hornbeck's son-in-law. This 
 arrangement proved satisfactory for about two 
 years; and then Isaac D. became sole posses- 
 sor of the property, which he still continues 
 to work, being very successful in the under- 
 taking. Mr. Hornbeck married Elizabeth 
 Brodhead, daughter of Luke and Lydia (Rey- 
 nolds^ Brodhead; and they have but one 
 child, Jennie, wife of Frank Lefeor, an agri- 
 culturist of Owasco. Mr. and Mrs. Lefeor 
 have one child, a daughter, Lizzie. 
 
 Mr. Hornbeck is a member of the Re- 
 formed Church of Owasco, and in politics is 
 a Republican. He is a man of great enter- 
 prise, and believes in using all the improve- 
 ments which these modern times have given 
 to the farmer; and in consequence his farm is 
 
 one of the best -worked and most productive in 
 the town, his land yielding more by a great 
 deal than in former years when worked accord- 
 ing to old-fashioned methods. He is a man 
 much respected in the community, and one 
 whose advice is often sought by those who are 
 just starting upon any new enterprise and 
 desire such success as he has attained. 
 
 fHOMAS JEFFERSON MERSEREAU 
 is the chief dealer in general merchan- 
 dise at Union Springs, and is senior member 
 of the old firm of T. J. & D. P. Mersereau. 
 He was born in this town on July 8, 1832, 
 just as the smoke of the Independence anni- 
 versary was disappearing, and was son of 
 Daniel and Lucretia (Sharrott) Mersereau. 
 His grandfather's name also was Daniel Mer- 
 sereau, and the family home was on Staten 
 Island. As the name indicates, the Merse- 
 reaus were of French descent, and so was the 
 Perrine family, into which Grandfather Daniel 
 married. With his wife, Anna Perrine, he 
 came early to Owego, Tioga County, and 
 cleared land for a farm, where their son, 
 Daniel, Jr., was born in 1798, a year before 
 the death of George Washington, though not 
 quite early enough for the boy to bear his part 
 in the War of 1812 with his elder brothers. 
 
 In Owego he received his education, and 
 there he remained till his early removal to 
 Cayuga County, about the year 1828. Al- 
 ready Daniel Mersereau, Jr., had been in a 
 store on Staten Island among the parental 
 kinsfolk; and now, in 1830, he opened a store 
 
748 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in his new place of residence. Naturally Mr. 
 Mersereau became a prominent citizen. On 
 his first arrival in Union Springs he was 
 made Deputy Sheriff, and afterward served 
 many years as Justice of Peace. Very early 
 he joined the Masonic fraternity; and his son 
 carefully preserves the certificate of his initia- 
 tion into Scipio Lodge, Aurora, dated Novem- 
 ber IS, 1822, when he was twenty -four years 
 old, and before his removal to Union Springs. 
 Afterward he became a member of Warren 
 Lodge, No. 147, A. F. &. A. M., in Union 
 Springs, of which he was a charter member. 
 He was also an Odd Fellow and active in 
 both orders. He died in March, 1853, at the 
 age of fifty-five. His wife, Lucretia Sharrott, 
 was a native of Staten Island, and was like- 
 wise of French descent, the daughter of John 
 Sharrott; and they reared seven children, 
 Thomas J. being the first born. The second 
 was D. P. Mersereau, so long his brother 
 Thomas's business associate. Next came 
 Catherine, who did not change her surname 
 in her marriage. John Mersereau is in Chi- 
 cago. Henry Mersereau, the next son, died 
 young. Maria Mersereau is now Mrs. George 
 Smith. Frank P. Mersereau is the youngest 
 son. 
 
 Leaving the town school in 1845, when 
 only thirteen, Thomas J. Mersereau went at 
 once into his father's store, where his help 
 was greatly needed; for there were several 
 younger children to care for, and their father 
 was not strong, though he lived ten years 
 longer. After his death the business was car- 
 ried on by the whole family, under the title 
 
 of T. J. Mersereau & Co. This continued 
 till 1867, when the present title was assumed, 
 the two brothers, Thomas and D. P., having 
 bought out the other heirs. The store fills 
 the whole of their fine brick building, 
 and is known throughout this section of the 
 country. 
 
 Daniel Webster once made this exhortation 
 to patriotism: "Let our object be our country, 
 our whole country, and nothing but our coun- 
 try. And, by the blessing of God, may that 
 country itself become a vast and splendid 
 monument, not of oppression and terror, but 
 of wisdom, of peace, and of liberty, upon 
 which the world may gaze with admiration 
 forever." 
 
 Mr. Mersereau 's thorough appreciation of 
 Webster's words is shown by his noble record. 
 During the first year of the Civil War, in Oc- 
 tober, 1 861, he felt it his duty to enlist in 
 Company K of the Nineteenth New York 
 Volunteer Infantry, and go to the Army of 
 the Potomac, first being sent to Frederick, 
 Md., and then back to Washington. The 
 next spring the company was transferred to a 
 different branch of the service, the Third New 
 York Volunteer Artillery. Then the troops 
 were ordered to Newbern, N.C., where they 
 arrived on the first day of April, and were at 
 once set to work building Fort Totten. 
 Next summer the company was mounted with 
 a light battery. Mr. Mersereau had started 
 from home as Second Lieutenant. Now he 
 was commissioned as First Lieutenant of 
 Light Artillery, but remained in the same old 
 Company K, which was kept busy with skir- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 749 
 
 mishes round about Newbern, where these 
 troops remained all winter, till 1863, when 
 they were sent to Hilton Head, S.C., to aid a 
 demonstration against the city of Charleston. 
 April found them back in Newbern, where 
 they were stationed another year, till the 
 spring of 1864, when they were sent to For- 
 tress Monroe, Bermuda Hundreds, and City 
 Point, fighting their way through. 
 
 When General Baldy Smith undertook his 
 first expedition against Petersburg, the boys 
 of Company K were in front ; and they were 
 also in the siege of that city. In October, 
 1864, Lieutenant Mersereau became Captain, 
 and was sent to Morris Island, S.C., in com- 
 mand of his company. There they stayed till 
 early December, when they were ordered back 
 to South Carolina, and took part in the fight 
 at Honey Hill, and in various skirmishes on 
 their way to Charleston, which they reached 
 in March, 1865, when the rebel army evac- 
 uated the city. At the surrender of Appo- 
 mattox, Captain Mersereau's boys fired the 
 salute; and, at the time of President Lin- 
 coln's death soon after, they fired minute-guns 
 all day, on Central Green, Charleston. The 
 war over, they came to Washington, and 
 thence back to Syracuse, where they were 
 mustered out in July, 1865, after nearly four 
 years of continuous service. 
 
 Once more at home, Mr. Mersereau resumed 
 his mercantile pursuits. He has a good 
 record not only in war, but in peace, having 
 been President of the village. In politics 
 he has always been a Democrat. He has 
 followed the paternal footsteps, not only in 
 
 trade, but in membership of the Masonic 
 body. He was first made a Mason in Warren 
 Lodge, in which he has since passed the 
 chair; and he has also been High Priest of 
 Aurora Chapter. 
 
 ^AMUEL ORR and his partner, Mr. 
 Whiting, are the owners of a large 
 flour and grist mill in Throopsville, 
 where they carry on an extensive and profit- 
 able business. Mr. Orr is of English extrac- 
 tion, and was born in the province of Ontario, 
 Canada, in the year 1845. 
 
 William Orr, his father, who was a native 
 of Cornwall, England, was an energetic, en- 
 terprising man, and possessed much native 
 mechanical ability. When a young man he 
 learned the carpenter's trade, and also became 
 an expert miller, working in both a saw-mill 
 and a grist-mill, and was also at one time 
 manager of a pail factory in England. When 
 twenty-eight years of age he emigrated to 
 Canada, taking passage on a sailing-vessel, 
 and being three weeks on the water. After 
 his arrival he worked for several years at the 
 carpenter's trade, later assuming the manage- 
 ment of a pail factory. He subsequently pur- 
 chased a farm with a water privilege on it, 
 and, building a saw-mill upon the premises, 
 carried on a remunerative business, being an 
 active worker until a few years prior to his 
 death, which occurred in the eighty-third year 
 of his age, at the home of his son William. 
 He was three times married. His first wife, 
 mother of Samuel, was a native of Cornwall, 
 
75° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 England, her maiden name being Elizabeth 
 Wellington. She bore her husband ten chil- 
 dren; namely, Mary, William, Elizabeth, 
 Maria, John, Anna, Samuel, Harriet, Joseph, 
 and Sarah J. 
 
 Samuel Orr was the seventh child born to 
 his parents, and, like his brothers and sisters, 
 was reared in the country of his birth, receiv- 
 ing his education in the schools of that local- 
 ity. He became a miller, being engaged in a 
 saw and grist mill for five years. Mr. Orr 
 then travelled as a journeyman millwright for 
 about twelve years, when, desiring to locate 
 himself permanently, he came to Cayuga 
 County, and, settling in Throopsville in 1886, 
 entered into the milling business with Mr. 
 Whiting, owning and successfully operating a 
 mil] with a one hundred and fifty horse-power 
 capacity. 
 
 Mr. Orr has been favored by fortune in 
 every respect, and in all of the most impor- 
 tant steps in his successful career, including 
 his marriage to Miss Cynthia A. Meach, a 
 daughter of John and Mary E. (Church) 
 Meach, who is a native of Chelsea, in the 
 Province of Ontario, Can. They were wedded 
 in 1887, and have one child named Silas 
 Harold. Mr. Orr is a keen, practical man, 
 well gifted with mental and physical vigor. 
 In politics he affiliates with the Democratic 
 party; and, although he does not take an ac- 
 tive part in public life, he conscientiously 
 performs his part as a good citizen. He and 
 his wife are held in high regard in this com- 
 munity, and are members of the Methodist 
 church. 
 
 IRAM THURSTON. There are few 
 men more widely or favorably known 
 throughout this county than he 
 whose name appears at the head of this 
 sketch. He is an active, wide-awake business 
 man, and one of the most popular and prosper- 
 ous boatmen on the Erie Canal. He takes 
 pride in claiming New York as the State of 
 his birth, which occurred February i, 1837, 
 in the town of Granby, Oswego County. He 
 is descended from a respected family of Lewis 
 County, this State, his paternal grandfather, 
 John Thurston, Sr., having been born, reared, 
 and educated in that county. He was for 
 many years busily engaged as a tiller of the 
 soil, owning and occupying a large farm there, 
 and was an important member of the agricult- 
 ural community of that region, and held in 
 high esteem by his fellow-men. On the home- 
 stead which he improved from the primeval for- 
 est his last years were spent, his death occur- 
 ring at the venerable age of ninety-four years. 
 John Thurston, Jr., the father of Hiram, 
 was born in St. Lawrence County, New York, 
 where his parents resided a short time; but 
 the days of his childhood, youth, and early 
 manhood were spent in Oswego County, where 
 he became interested in agricultural pursuits, 
 living there nearly half a century. On at- 
 taining his majority he bought a tract of wild 
 land, and by constant and untiring labor im- 
 proved a fine homestead, and was classed 
 among the most enterprising and progressive 
 farmers of his day. In addition to his other 
 work he also engaged in butchering to some 
 extent; and during the War of 1812, when 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 751 
 
 living at Sackett's Harbor, he furnished the 
 meat for the troops. He married Beda Ann 
 Loomis, whose father was a pioneer merchant 
 of what was then the village of Syracuse, and 
 one of its representative citizens. He was 
 for some time during the earlier years of 
 his life a resident of Watertown, Jefferson 
 County, where his daughter Beda was born. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Thurston passed the major por- 
 tion of their wedded life in Oswego County, 
 where the former lived to the good old age of 
 eighty-eight years, while the latter died at 
 the age of seventy-four. They were excellent 
 people, well worthy of the high esteem ac- 
 corded them, and were active members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. Politically, 
 Mr. Thurston supported the principles of the 
 Democratic party. To them were born eleven 
 children, of whom seven are now living, the 
 following being their record: Silas, a farmer, 
 resides in Michigan. John, also engaged in 
 farming, lives in Oswego County. Hiram is 
 the subject of this sketch. William and 
 Frederick, farmers, reside in Wisconsin. 
 Drayton, who is also engaged in agricultural 
 pursuits, lives in Michigan. Dengo, a 
 farmer, lives in Fulton, Oswego County. 
 The names of the deceased were Mary Ann, 
 Stephen, Phoebe, and Malcolm. 
 
 Hiram Thurston was educated in Oswego 
 County, attending first the district school of 
 his native town, and completing his school 
 life at Fulton Academy. He assisted his 
 parents on the homestead until he was seven- 
 teen years old, when he began his career as a 
 boatman. Succeeding well in this pleasant 
 
 occupation, and finding it very profitable, he 
 has continued thus engaged to the present, 
 with the exception of about 'five seasons, being 
 now in regard to length of service the oldest 
 boatman on the canal, having really begun his 
 work here when a boy of ten years, although 
 not starting for himself until seven years 
 later. His business is constantly increasing; 
 and he does a large amount annually, he and 
 his sons, who are now engaged with him, 
 owning eight boats. During these many busy 
 years he has accumulated considerable money, 
 which he has invested wisely, owning a fine' 
 farm in the village of Montezuma, where he 
 located in 1872, and on which he resides, 
 having a beautiful residence and a good barn 
 and corresponding out -buildings. Besides this 
 property he has other real estate, being the 
 owner of several houses in the village, from 
 which he receives good rentals. 
 
 In 1857 Mr. Thurston was united in the 
 holy bonds of matrimony with Rose Gagen, a 
 native of Ireland, where she was born in 1843, 
 her parents being natives of the same country. 
 Of the nine children born of this union six 
 are living; namely, Drayton, Hiram, Edward, 
 Frances, John, and Fred. Death entered the 
 household of this happy couple, bearing away 
 three loved members of the home circle, Eliza 
 Jane dying August 15, 1861, at the tender 
 age of nearly four years. Mary Ann, a bright 
 little girl of three years, died in September, 
 1863; and on August 18, 1865, a winsome 
 little child of two years named Eliza Jane, in 
 memory of the first-born, passed from earth to 
 heaven. 
 
752 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Thurston are among the re- 
 spected and prosperous residents of their 
 neighborhood, and are noted for their kind 
 and obliging acts and their generous hospital- 
 ity. In his political views Mr. Thurston is a 
 stanch Democrat. He is liberal in his relig- 
 ious beliefs, while his wife is a member of 
 the Catholic church, their children being 
 attendants of the Methodist church. 
 
 )EVI WHITFORD, a prosperous and 
 highly respected agriculturist of Ca- 
 yuga County, owns and occupies a 
 pleasant and comfortable homestead in the 
 town of Cato, where he has been engaged in 
 general farming for more than a quarter of a 
 century. He is a native of this county, the 
 town of Victory being the place of his birth, 
 which occurred August 7, 1834. The father 
 of our subject, Silas Whitford, was born in 
 Whitehall, Washington County, N.Y., and 
 there reared to a farmer's occupation. Re- 
 moving from the place of his nativity to Ca- 
 yuga County, he made the town of Victory 
 the place of his first location, residing there 
 some ten years. He subsequently removed to 
 Cato, and bought the farm now owned and 
 occupied by his youngest son, Lewis Whit- 
 ford. The country was then partially im- 
 proved; but wolves, bears, deer, and other 
 wild animals were often seen in the forests, 
 and furnished many a meal to the inhabitants. 
 By energetic toil and sturdy perseverance he 
 cleared the ninety acres of land which he pur- 
 chased, and improved a fine homestead, on 
 
 which he spent his last days, surrounded by 
 all the necessary comforts of life. His pros- 
 perity was due entirely to his own exertion, 
 his strong hands, courageous heart, and active 
 brain being his only endowments; and the 
 fine property which he left at his death is a 
 standing monument to his industry, thrift, 
 and enterprise. He married Aliza Cowell, a 
 native of Tioga County; and to them were 
 born three children, two sons and one daugh- 
 ter, namely: Levi, of whom we write; Lydia, 
 who became the wife of Harlow Young, but is 
 now dead, having passed away at the age of 
 forty-seven years ; and Lewis, who resides on 
 the home farm. In politics Mr. Whitford 
 was a stanch Democrat, and ever supported 
 the principles of that party. In his religious 
 views he was very liberal, while his wife was 
 an esteemed member of the Methodist Episco- 
 pal church. Both died on the homestead, 
 she laying down the burdens of life at the 
 early age of forty-five years, while he lived 
 until seventy-three years old. 
 
 Levi Whitford has passed his entire life 
 within the limits of this county, growing to 
 manhood and receiving his education in the 
 district schools of Victory, Cato, and Con- 
 quest. He began his career as a tiller of the 
 soil, remaining on the paternal homestead 
 until he was twenty-six years of age, and 
 there obtaining a practical knowledge and ex- 
 perience in the science of agriculture that 
 has since been of inestimable value to him. 
 Heeding the teachings of his youth, he judi- 
 ciously saved his earnings, and, when ready 
 to establish himself in life, purchased sixty- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 753 
 
 five acres of land; and on this farm, where 
 he now lives, he and his bride began house- 
 keeping. Being a thorough and skilful agri- 
 culturist, he has met with undisputed suc- 
 cess in the improvement of his farm, erecting 
 substantial buildings, and placing his land 
 under a good state of cultivation, now having 
 one of the best-appointed and best-equipped 
 farms in the locality, his homestead contain- 
 ing, besides the land he first purchased, a val- 
 uable wood lot. 
 
 Mr. Whitford was married in 1866, on the 
 first day of April, to Miss Alvira Steves, a 
 native of Onondaga County, and the daughter 
 of John and Jane Steves, who passed their last 
 years in that county, where he was a respected 
 member of the farming community. Mrs. 
 Whitford, whose death occurred November 
 30, 1888, was a woman of exceptional merit, 
 and in every respect well worthy of the high 
 esteem with which she was universally re- 
 garded. Of her union with Mr. Whitford no 
 children were born; but out of the fulness of 
 their hearts Mr. and Mrs. Whitford adopted a 
 son, Albert Mitchell, who was born in Jordan, 
 September 20, 1866, taking him to their home 
 and hearts when he was an infant of twenty 
 months, and rearing him as tenderly as if he 
 were their own child. He still lives on the 
 home farm, which he manages in a most ca- 
 pable manner. On February i, 1891, Mr. 
 Mitchell was united in marriage with Hattie 
 M. Cool, who was born in the town of Cato, 
 May 29, 1872, and is a daughter of Andrew 
 and Emma (Lamb) Cool. Mr. Cool is a 
 farmer by occupation, and is actively engaged 
 
 in agricultural pursuits in the town of Bruce. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell are the parents of one 
 child, Lydia E., who was born May 13, 1893. 
 Mrs. Mitchell is a pleasant and ■ agreeable 
 woman, and a consistent member of the Meth- 
 odist church; while her husband, who respects 
 Christianity in any form, is liberal in his 
 views. Mr. Whitford, as was his wife, is a 
 faithful member of the Presbyterian church, 
 and in politics is an uncompromising Demo- 
 crat. 
 
 LARENCE E. MASON is well known 
 r in Auburn, being closely connected 
 with the railroad interests of the 
 town and a prominent figure in the business 
 life of the place, having in charge all the 
 freight and passenger traffic, and being station 
 agent of the New York Central Railroad. 
 He was born at Martville, Cayuga County, 
 N.Y., May 25, 1852, the son of Edson and 
 Mary (Austin) Mason. His father and grand- 
 father were born in this county; and the 
 former still lives in the old homestead at 
 Martville, where he retired after twenty-five 
 years of active railroad life as baggage-man 
 for the New York Central Railroad. 
 
 Clarence E. Mason was educated in the 
 common and high schools of Weedsport. At 
 the age of sixteen, following the inclination 
 inherited from his father, he began railroad- 
 ing, and for thirteen years was employed in 
 different capacities at Weedsport, his duties 
 being largely office work and the charge of 
 the yard. After leaving the, New York Cen- 
 tral, he worked for the Lehigh Valley at 
 
754 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Weedsport for a year, and for the West Shore 
 at Fort Plain for a year. During the build- 
 ing of the West Shore Railroad Mr. Mason 
 was with the contractor as Assistant Pay- 
 master. He then went to Weedsport, and en- 
 gaged in the manufacture of paper and cigar 
 boxes, employing from fifteen to twenty 
 hands. In 1889 he came to Auburn as 
 checker for the New York Central Railroad 
 ofiSce; and December i, 1890, the station was 
 turned over to him, since that time he having 
 had charge of the depots in both freight and 
 passenger service, being at the head of about 
 fifty men. Auburn is now a great railroad 
 centre; and the position which Mr. Mason 
 holds is a very responsible one, on account of 
 the great number of trains coming and going 
 constantly, the management of this requiring 
 much experience in the business as well as a 
 cool head and a clear perception. 
 
 Mrs. Mason was formerly Eugena L. Tryon, 
 daughter of Horatio S. Tryon, who was a 
 farmer, and later a business man of Weeds- 
 port. He was a highly respected citizen, 
 having at one time been President of the vil- 
 lage, and at the time of Cleveland's first 
 administration holding the position of Post- 
 master. His daughter was born in Fleming, 
 and educated at Weedsport, to which place 
 the family moved soon after her birth. She 
 was married to Clarence Mason in April, 
 1874, and has two children — Frank and 
 Clara. 
 
 Mr. Mason is a member of the Ancient 
 Order of United Workmen, and has held vari- 
 ous ofifices in the lodge to which he belongs. 
 
 He is a man of extensive influence, and his 
 high position in railroad interests brings him 
 into close relations with manufacturing and 
 commercial interests. His broad experience, 
 pleasant and kindly manners, and his courtesy 
 toward all with whom he has dealings have 
 won for him the high respect of his townsmen. 
 
 RREN BARDWELL, of Sennett, Ca- 
 yuga County, N.Y., is one of the old- 
 est men in this vicinity, and is known 
 far and wide throughout the county for his 
 brilliancy in conversation and his energy in 
 all he undertakes. Far back in our country's 
 history there was born in Belchertown, Mass., 
 one Martin Bardvvell; and he became the 
 father of Zenas Bardwell, who was born in the 
 same town and on the same ancestral acres. 
 Zenas Bardwell, the father of Orren, was 
 brought up amid the hardships of early days, 
 and in the pursuit of agriculture gained such 
 strength of body and mind and such experi- 
 ence as are rare in these modern times. In 
 1 8 14 Zenas Bardwell left Massachusetts, and 
 made a trip to New York, remaining for a 
 short time in Otisco, Onondaga County, then 
 returned to Massachusetts, having made the 
 round trip on foot. Having seen the country, 
 and being pleased with the prospect, the next 
 year he took his family and started again, this 
 time travelling in a covered wagon drawn by 
 horses. He purchased eighty acres of land, 
 mostly timbered, and built a log house and a 
 barn. Here the pioneer farmer began life 
 anew, surrounded by the primeval forest, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 755 
 
 which was full of wild game, such as deer, 
 bears, and wolves, the hunting of which was 
 rare sport for the sturdy sons of the family. 
 Syracuse was then but a small hamlet in the 
 almost unbroken forest, and Albany was the 
 nearest market town. 
 
 Mrs. Bardwell was Polly Stewart, of Mas- 
 sachusetts; and she became the mother of 
 seven children — William, Orren, Maria, 
 Estus, George, Mary Ann, and Betsy. She 
 was a woman of the old New England type, 
 with ready wit and keen insight, capable of 
 supplying the wants of her family with the 
 skill of her hands. It is pleasant to look 
 back to those early days, when she might have 
 been seen at the door of the log house with 
 her spinning-wheel before her, while her 
 daughters sat at the loom weaving the cloth 
 which would soon be made into clothes for 
 the family; for the thrifty housewife of those 
 days scorned the idea of buying anything that 
 she herself could make. Her husband died 
 when eighty years old; and she survived him 
 some years, being over one hundred at the 
 time of her death. 
 
 Until he became of age Orren Bardwell 
 lived at the old home, working with his father 
 at farming. Then he and his brother started 
 out for themselves in their battle with the 
 world, and bought land in the town of 
 Owasco. This was mostly timber, and was 
 unimproved. The brothers made a clearing, 
 built their house and barn, and there re- 
 mained, working together, until the marriage 
 of the brother, when the land was divided, 
 and Orren purchased a farm in Otisco, where 
 
 he remained until 1874. Having sold his 
 property in the latter place, he removed to 
 Cayuga County, and purchased a farm of 
 sixty-five acres in the town of Sennett, about 
 half a mile from the city of Auburn. This 
 farm is now managed by his grandson. Mr. 
 Bardwell has been twice married. His first 
 wife was Arvilla Bostwick; and to them were 
 born five children — Janelius, Lycurgus, Hol- 
 land, Gelistia, and Orline. His second mar- 
 riage was with Keziah Cook, daughter of 
 Sylvester and Thankful (Kellogg) Cook, of 
 Hadley, Mass. ; and of this union there is one 
 child, Myrtilla. Mr. Bardwell's first vote 
 was cast for John Quincy Adams, and from 
 the founding of the Republican party he has 
 been one of its firm supporters. He is a 
 member of the Presbyterian church. 
 
 In these days of new ways and new people 
 it is most delightful to spend a short time in 
 the company of such a man as Mr. Bardwell. 
 Brought up amid the hardships of pioneer life 
 in this new land of ours, he has also tasted 
 the happiness of those days of quietude and 
 rest, when each one in the family worked for 
 the common good, and all dwelt together in 
 peace in a little world of their own, undis- 
 turbed by the rush of the outside world. 
 Those were the days when the father was well 
 satisfied to raise upon his own broad acres 
 enough for his family, and the mother was 
 proud to show her well-stored chests of linen, 
 the work of her own hands. Such were the 
 good old days which Mr. Bardwell is always 
 ready to tell about, and such were the customs 
 which made the strong frames and manly 
 
7S6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 spirits of the time. In this man are com- 
 bined the strength and firmness of those early 
 days and the spirit of progress which comes to 
 all in these later times. Such characters are 
 rare; and, when we find one, it is pleasant to 
 dwell upon it, and gain from it the lessons it 
 may teach. Orren Bardwell is perhaps the 
 best-known man in the vicinity of Sennett, 
 and all who know him are proud to call him 
 friend. 
 
 T^AROLINE DE SHONG, ncc Utt, 
 I J| widow of John H. De Shong, of 
 ^ — ^ Springport, is a most estimable 
 woman, worthy in every respect of the high 
 esteem universally accorded her throughout 
 the community where she has resided for so 
 many years. She is a native of Pennsylvania, 
 born in Bethel, Northampton County, a 
 daughter of Jacob Utt. She is of German an- 
 cestry, one of her paternal progenitors having 
 emigrated to the United States from Germany, 
 where he was born and reared to man's estate. 
 He located in Pennsylvania, where he ac- 
 quired a large amount of land, and became a 
 prosperous agriculturist. After the arrival of 
 the "founder of Pennsylvania" he was one 
 of the surveyors appointed to measure off the 
 beautiful forest land that Penn bought from 
 the Indians, and was, mayhap, one of the wit- 
 nesses of that compact between the beneficent 
 Quaker and the red men, of which it was said, 
 " It was the only treaty never sworn to and 
 the only one never broken." He and his de- 
 scendants for many generations were among 
 the prominent farmers of Pennsylvania; and 
 
 Jacob Utt, the grandfather of Mrs. De Shong, 
 spent his entire life on a farm in the town of 
 Bethel. The father of Mrs. De Shong, also 
 named Jacob Utt, was born and bred in 
 Bethel, Pa., and, being an enterprising young 
 man, with much "push" and energy, com- 
 menced his business career ere attaining his 
 majority, buying an interest in a saw-mill, 
 which he operated for some years. Subse- 
 quently going on to a farm, he engaged in 
 agricultural pursuits until 1845, when he re- 
 moved to the State of New York with his 
 family. Coming to Springport, he purchased 
 a large land interest in the vicinity, and with 
 the energy and vigor of youth began its im- 
 provement. He was a man of keen judgment, 
 wise and sagacious in his methods of work, 
 and continually added to the value of his 
 farm, putting his land in an excellent condi- 
 tion, and erecting comfortable and substantial 
 buildings. On this homestead be spent his 
 remaining years. He married Mary A. Dills, 
 of Pennsylvania; and they reared the follow- 
 ing-named children: Almere, George, Caro- 
 line, Hiram, Charles, and William. 
 
 Caroline, to whom we refer in this brief 
 sketch, was educated in the public schools of 
 her native town, and from her good mother 
 received practical instruction in the domestic 
 arts, which she never forgot. When her par- 
 ents came to Cayuga County in the month of 
 March, 1845, she accompanied them, the jour- 
 ney occupying two weeks, and being made 
 with a wagon. She was united in marriage 
 with John De Shong, a son of Henry and 
 Sally (Dills) De Shong, of Pennsylvania; 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 757 
 
 and of this union there are three children : 
 Jacob H. ; Sarah and Mary, twins. Jacob, 
 who is a deaf mute, married Sarah Whalen, 
 who is also deaf and dumb; and they have two 
 very bright and interesting children — Willie 
 Jay and Carrie L., both of whom enjoy the 
 use of all of their senses. Sarah, who is the 
 wife of Charles Youngs, of Geneva, has two 
 children — Willie and Louise. 
 
 Mr. De Shong spent a long and useful life, 
 dying in 1886, at the age of seventy-nine 
 years. He was well and favorably known 
 throughout the locality as a worthy man, pos- 
 sessing many excellent traits of character; 
 and his death was universally mourned. Mrs. 
 De Shong is a woman of much force and deci- 
 sion of character, kindly and agreeable in her 
 manners ; and she and her pleasant family are 
 held in high regard by their large circle of 
 friends and acquaintances. 
 
 /^^TaRRETT FORSHEE, the genial and 
 \mJ. accommodating proprietor of the 
 leading hotel of Montezuma, is one of the 
 most respected and influential citizens of this 
 beautiful village. He is a man of wide ex- 
 perience, possessing a knowledge of his busi- 
 ness, and is conducting his present enterprise 
 with unquestioned success, winning praise 
 and popularity as a host who understands well 
 how to cater to the public tastes. 
 
 Mr. Forshee is a' native of this county, and 
 was born in the town of Conquest, September 
 7, 1828, a son of William and Sophia (Van- 
 Giesen) Forshee. David Forshee, the grand- 
 
 father, who was a native of New Jersey, was a 
 pioneer of Cayuga County, coming here when 
 the territory comprised within its limits was 
 an almost impenetrable forest, with here and 
 there an opening on which some brave and 
 sturdy husbandman had built his humble log 
 cabin. Auburn, now a busy and populous 
 city, was then known as Hardenburg's Cor- 
 ners, and contained only a few rude log houses 
 and a log store. David Forshee located in 
 that part of the town of Throop known as 
 Throopsville, where he bought a mill prop- 
 erty, and for a short time was there engaged 
 as a miller. He then purchased three hundred 
 acres of land on the place now called Forshee 
 Corners, paying ten shillings per acre. Not 
 a tree of the forest-covered land had been 
 felled; bears, deer, wolves, and other wild 
 beasts still roamed through the woods, and 
 Indians were numerous. His first labor was 
 to construct a log house, with the customary 
 puncheon floor and shake-covered roof. He 
 was an energetic, persevering man, with an 
 indomitable will, and worked hard for many 
 years to improve a home in the vast wilder- 
 ness, and succeeded in his efforts. To such 
 brave pioneers as he is the county largely in- 
 debted for its present prosperity and wealth, 
 and amid the bustle and excitement of these 
 busy times their names should not be forgot- 
 ten. He spent the remainder of his life on 
 his homestead, dying at the ripe old age of 
 eighty-four years. His wife lived to see her 
 eightieth birthday. In politics he was a 
 stanch Democrat, and in their religious views 
 both were members of the Dutch Reformed 
 
758 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 church. They had a family of nine children, 
 five sons and four daughters, of whom two are 
 now living : Benson, a resident of Skaneatcles ; 
 and Nancy, who is the widow of Samuel Ives, 
 and lives in Jamestown, Chautauqua County. 
 William Forshee, the father of him of whom 
 we write, was born during the residence of his 
 parents in New Jersey, being very young when 
 he came with them to the town of Throop. 
 He was reared to agricultural pursuits, and 
 after his marriage located in the town of Con- 
 quest, trading a yoke of steers for one hundred 
 acres of land. No improvements had been 
 made on his land, and, as soon as he had fin- 
 ished his log cabin, he and his young wife 
 began housekeeping. He cleared a consider- 
 able portion of the land, and made many im- 
 provements; and in that log house our subject 
 was born. Six years he lived on his first pur- 
 chase, then went to Forshee Corners, and was 
 there engaged in mixed husbandry until 1840, 
 when he removed to Crusoe Island, Wayne 
 County, where he invested in land, and carried 
 on general farming for many years. He was 
 very successful in his agricultural labors, and 
 as a business man displayed great ability and 
 judgment. He spent his last days in retire- 
 ment in the village of Montezuma, where his 
 death occurred in 1864, at the age of seventy- 
 one years. He was twice married, his first 
 wife, mother of our subject, dying during 
 their residence at Crusoe Island. He had 
 seven children, of whom five are now living, 
 as follows: Melvina, the widow of Giles Ross, 
 resides in Chicago, 111. David, who is re- 
 tired from active work, lives in Montezuma. 
 
 Garrett is the subject. St. Clair S., a miner 
 by occupation, resides in Utah. George W., 
 who is a farmer, lives in Michigan. 
 
 Garrett Forshee was five years of age when 
 his parents left Conquest, and his early educa- 
 tion was therefore begun in the schools at 
 Forshee Corners. He remained beneath the 
 parental roof-tree until he was sixteen years 
 old, when he was bound out to L. S. Worden, 
 of Skaneateles, a manufacturer of wagons and 
 carriages, and there learned the trade of car- 
 riage-ironer, remaining seven years. In 1851, 
 being seized with the gold fever, he went to 
 California, crossing the Isthmus, and being 
 forty days in making the journey. On arriv- 
 ing there he was at first engaged in mining, 
 and afterward operated a saw-mill. In 1854 
 he returned to this county, and, locating in 
 Montezuma, opened a grocery store and ware- 
 house, continuing in trade for sixteen years. 
 He was prospered in all of his undertakings, 
 and, being a keen, shrewd, practical business 
 man, soon obtained a foremost position among 
 the representative citizens of the place. For 
 a time he was engaged to some extent in spec- 
 ulating, and then bought the hotel property 
 where he now resides, taking possession and 
 assuming its management in 1871. Since 
 that time he has devoted his time and atten- 
 tion to this business, and has won an extensive 
 and first-class patronage. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Forshee to Minnie 
 Magdalene Malroy was solemnized January i, 
 1864; and their union has been blessed by the 
 birth of one child, a son named Frederick St. 
 Clair, who was born June 24, 1875. Mr. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 759 
 
 Forshee is a man of untiring energy, possess- 
 ing a clear understanding and a well-balanced 
 mind. In local affairs he takes a generous 
 and deep interest, and has exerted a marked 
 influence in advancing the various enterprises 
 inaugurated to develop and promote the pros- 
 pects of the town. Responsible and important 
 offices have been intrusted to his care, and he 
 has ever discharged his duties with fidelity. 
 He has served as Collector of Canal Tolls two 
 years, as Supervisor six years, and as Justice 
 of the Peace, an office which he still holds, 
 besides serving in many minor positions. In 
 politics he indorses the principles of the 
 Democratic party, taking a leading part in the 
 political field. He is liberal in his religious 
 views; and his estimable wife is a conscien- 
 tious Christian woman, and an esteemed mem- 
 ber of the Catholic church. 
 
 tICHARD D. THORP. Among the 
 self-made men of Cayuga County the 
 — ^ subject of this brief biography 
 holds an honored place. Born of poor but in- 
 telligent and respected parents, he began the 
 struggle of life with no capital save that be- 
 stowed upon him by a most beneficent nature; 
 but his indomitable will, undaunted courage, 
 and superb physique were a heritage sufficient 
 for the most exacting. He is a native of 
 York, born in Delaware County, April 3, 
 1812. His paternal grandfather was born in 
 the State of Connecticut, where he spent his 
 entire life. During the Revolutionary War 
 he took an active part, being a brave and faith- 
 
 ful soldier. He married Sadie Johnson, who 
 was also a life-long resident of the Nutmeg 
 State. 
 
 Peter Thorp, father of our subject, was born 
 in Connecticut, and when a young man, hop- 
 ing to better his financial condition, became a 
 pioneer of Stamford, Delaware County, trav- 
 ersing the country from his native home in a 
 wagon, bringing his possessions with him, 
 that being prior to the establishment of the 
 many canals and the network of railways that 
 now cross the State in every direction. He 
 had no money to buy land, but worked indus- 
 triously on farms, which he rented on shares 
 in different localities, making a living for 
 himself and family but never acquiring much 
 property. He spent the greater part of his 
 life in Delaware County, dying in the town of 
 Stamford. The maiden name of his wife was 
 Abbie Johnson. Her father was a pioneer 
 of Stamford. Mr. Johnson had many exciting 
 experiences in the early years of his residence 
 in that town, at one time having a fierce 
 struggle with a bear while on his way to feed 
 his cattle. Indians, wolves, and coyotes were 
 plentiful in those days, often terrorizing the 
 inhabitants. To Peter Thorp and his wife 
 were born ten children: Abbie, Rebecca, 
 David, Richard, Martin, Daniel, Olive, Jane, 
 Phoebe, and Delia. 
 
 Richard Thorp, of whom we write, obtained 
 his education in the district schools of Stam- 
 ford, and as soon as old enough began work- 
 ing on a farm by the month, receiving but 
 scant wages. He afterward learned the trade 
 of a mason and stone-cutter, also that of a 
 
760 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 brick-maker, and continued working at his oc- 
 cupation about ten years. Having accumu- 
 lated some money, he then bought eighty 
 acres of land in Fleming, and at once engaged 
 in general farming. In his new occupation 
 he was very successful, and afterward bought 
 other land adjoining his first purchase, until 
 his farm in Fleming aggregated one hundred 
 and sixty acres, all of which he placed under 
 an excellent state of cultivation. He was 
 a very robust man, with great physical endur- 
 ance; and in those days, when he was making 
 almost herculean efforts to establish his busi- 
 ness on a firm foundation, he labored on the 
 farm during the daytime, and teamed wood 
 every night. During the busy times of har- 
 vesting, he made a practice of sleeping on the 
 floor at night, so that he might be sure of 
 being up at the first dawn of day. In the 
 course of a few years, he invested his surplus 
 money in a farm in Aurelius, where he has 
 since lived. This is rich and productive, 
 yielding good returns each year to its owner. 
 Mr. Thorp has been twice married. His 
 first wife was Theodosia Curtis, a daughter of 
 John Curtis, of Tompkins, two children being 
 born of their union — William and Edgar. 
 The elder married a Miss Daniels, and they 
 live on the farm of our subject in Fleming. 
 The younger son, Edgar, who lives at Aure- 
 lius Station, married Carrie, daughter of John 
 and Margaret (Flynn) Shoemaker. Mrs. 
 Thorp died March 16, 1846; and Mr. Thorp 
 subsequently married Mellicent Griswold, a 
 native of Connecticut, who came with her par- 
 ents to New York in early pioneer days. She 
 
 died October 19, 1892, leaving one child, 
 Ella, who is the wife of Hiram Babcock, of 
 Scipio, and the mother of three children. 
 
 Mr. Thorp, though a man of eighty-two 
 years, is hale and hearty, his old-time vigor 
 and strength being yet in the ascendant; and 
 he bids fair to enjoy many more years of com- 
 fort. In politics he is an ardent Republican, 
 having been a supporter of that party's princi- 
 ples since its conception. Socially, he is a 
 member of the Masonic fraternity, having 
 joined it many years ago. 
 
 Tl^EV. ALVIN COBURN is not only 
 I rr^ °^^ of the oldest and most influential 
 V.-^ citizens of Union Springs, but he 
 is also among the most active business men 
 in the village, whither he first came in 1853 
 as a minister, and finally, in 1862, as a per- 
 manent resident. He was born in the town 
 of Westfield, Orleans County, Vt., July 17, 
 1 8 14, and was the son of Chester Coburn and 
 grandson of James Coburn, a native of Stur- 
 bridge, Mass., a descendant of early English 
 immigrants. James and his wife were among 
 the pioneer settlers of Northern Vermont, 
 where they became prominent townspeople 
 and adherents of the Christian Baptist sect, 
 which was one of the most liberal in those 
 days, cutting loose from the older Calvinis- 
 tic and narrow creeds. 
 
 In their removal to the Green Mountain 
 State Mr. and Mrs. James Coburn took with 
 them their son Chester, a young man who had 
 been born in Sturbridge some time before 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 761 
 
 1 790, and therefore not long after the Revo- 
 lutionary War. Chester also became a lead- 
 ing citizen in the State of his adoption. He 
 not only represented his town in the legis- 
 lature, but peformed efficient military service, 
 so much thought of in those days, rising 
 through all the subordinate grades to the rank 
 of Major. He died after reaching his four- 
 score years. Like himself, his wife, Mary 
 O. Stebbins, was born in Massachusetts; and 
 her father, Bethuel Stebbins, also removed to 
 Northern Vermont, among the pioneers. She 
 lived to the extreme age of ninety-three, and 
 had in all seven children, of whom five lived 
 to maturity. She was twice married, how- 
 ever; and only three children belonged to 
 her first husband, Mr. Coburn. The eldest, 
 Chester Coburn, Jr., was named for his father, 
 and was born in Vermont, March 28, 18 13, 
 during the last war with England. Then 
 came Alvin, also born during that memorable 
 struggle; and then their sister, Sarah Olive, 
 who married Nelson Davis, of Derby,' Vt. 
 
 As might be inferred from this ancestry, 
 Alvin Coburn was reared in the Christian 
 Baptist communion. He attended the district 
 school till he was seventeen, and then began 
 teaching in the winter time, while seeking 
 further education in the summer. At last he 
 was able to conduct a select school during the 
 vacation terms irom his public school work, 
 while at the same time helping his father on 
 the farm in the busy season; and this course 
 he industriously pursued for twenty years, till 
 he was nearly forty years old. In Meadville, 
 Pa., is a theological school, then recently es- 
 
 tablished, mainly "by the Unitarians, though 
 the Christian denomination was largely con- 
 nected with it; and for many years one of the 
 professors was an excellent clergyman of that 
 sect, Rev. David Millard. To this seminary 
 Mr. Coburn now went, taking the regular 
 course of three years, under President Rufus 
 P. Stebbins and Professors Nathaniel S. Fol- 
 som and Frederick Huidekoper, the last- 
 named gentleman being a son of the founder 
 of the school, H. J. Huidekoper, one of the 
 early settlers in that region, having come 
 from Holland in the interest of a land 
 company. 
 
 Mr. Coburn was no longer a young man/ 
 when he took the Meadville course, bein/ 
 over thirty, a fact which shows his deep thirst 
 for knowledge and his perseverance in endeav- 
 oring to slake that thirst. After his gradua- 
 tion in 1849 he was ordained as pastor of the 
 parish at Watkins, Schuyler County, where 
 he preached for three years more, until 1853. 
 Thence, in the early part of February of that 
 year, he came to Union Springs, where he 
 was settled for several years as a minister. 
 Next he went to Yellow Springs, Ohio, to be 
 Treasurer of Antioch College, an institution 
 in which his sect was largely interested with 
 the Unitarians. There he found an opening 
 as Principal of the preparatory department 
 for a year. Returning to Union Springs, he 
 taught a public school for another year, and 
 then went to Vernon, Oneida County, N.Y., 
 to assume for two years the pastorate of the 
 Unitarian society. On the outbreak of the 
 war in 1861, he removed his family to Ver- 
 
762 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 mont, that they might be with his aged father 
 during that gentleman's declining years. 
 While living there the Rev. Mr. Coburn 
 received a letter of invitation to enter the 
 army as Chaplain; but he declined the honor, 
 preferring to come back to Union Springs. 
 After teaching school for a term in the Ca- 
 yuga township, he accepted an appointment as 
 teller in the First National Bank at Union 
 Springs, when it was organized; and he 
 opened the books. After a few years more he 
 resigned this position in 1869, and entered 
 upon a new and very successful career as an 
 insurance agent, doing business in Cayuga, 
 Tompkins, Cortland, and Onondaga Counties. 
 
 At about thirty-six years of age the Rev. 
 Alvin Coburn was united in marriage to Mary 
 Ann Watkins, of Havana, N.Y., daughter of 
 Waterman Watkins, a merchant, who came 
 originally from Oneida County. Of the Wat- 
 kins family more may be read in the sketches 
 of Isaac Eldridge and Albert Beardsley. 
 Mrs. Coburn was born in the town of Tren- 
 ton, Oneida County, February 26, 1829, and 
 is therefore fifteen years her husband's junior. 
 They were married September 18, 1850, just 
 after Mr. Coburn' s ordination, and have three 
 children living. Frank and Fred Coburn are 
 twins, and were born in 1851. Fred is a 
 druggist in Syracuse, and Frank is a book- 
 seller in Kansas City, Mo. Their sister, 
 Mary Olive, is the wife of David Mersereau, 
 and lives near her father's home, in the hand- 
 some house which he built on Park Street. 
 
 The philosophic writer, Marcus Aurelius, 
 has said: "As surgeons keep their instru- 
 
 ments and knives always at hand for cases 
 requiring immediate treatment, so shouldst 
 thou have thy thoughts ready to understand 
 things divine and human, remembering in thy 
 every act, even the smallest, how close is the 
 bond that unites the two." At the age of 
 eighty, with his varied experience as farmer, 
 student, teacher, preacher, banker, financier, 
 and agent, Mr. Coburn can fully realize the 
 truth of these classic words ; for he has " long 
 lived on the border line, 'twixt things human 
 and divine," yet carrying into every calling 
 the spirit of the Master. In addition to his 
 daily business affairs he has been Trustee of 
 the village, and four years Trustee of the 
 Union Springs High School. 
 
 /§Xc 
 
 FORGE GUMAER, a successful 
 \f^J_ farmer and stock-raiser, whose home- 
 stead is pleasantly located in the town of 
 Cato, where he has resided many years, occu- 
 pies a prominent place among its citizens 
 of influence and affluence. Here he has one 
 hundred and sixty-five acres of finely culti- 
 vated land, well provided with substantial and 
 convenient farm buildings, and indicating in 
 all of its appointments the exercise of good 
 taste, sound judgment, and ample means. 
 Mr. Gumaer was born in the town of Skane- 
 ateles, Onondaga County, N.Y., October 6, 
 1832, a son of James and Rachel- (Van 
 Auken) Gumaer, the former of whom was 
 born in the town of Owasco, Cayuga County, 
 in 1802, and the latter in New England. 
 Samuel Gumaer, father of James, who was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 763 
 
 born February 11, 1777, when a young man 
 removed to the extreme Western frontier, and 
 settled in this county prior to the year 1800. 
 Attracted by the general appearance of the 
 town of Cato, which was then in its infancy, 
 with here and there a clearing, he determined 
 to make it his home. Buying a tract of wild 
 land on which not a stick had been cut, he set 
 to work with energetic industry to clear and 
 improve it. By dint of hard labor and steady 
 perseverance he succeeded well in his efforts; 
 and on his homestead he and his wife spent 
 the remainder of their lives, he passing away 
 January 9, 1834, when only fifty -six years old. 
 His faithful companion, whose name before 
 their marriage was Elizabeth Depew, survived 
 him many years, dying November 13, 1852, 
 at the age of seventy-two years. Of the four 
 sons and six daughters born to them, all are 
 now deceased, their names having been Elias, 
 Samuel, James, Harvey, Peggy, Ann, Eliza, 
 Charity, Sally, and Electa. 
 
 James Gumaer, the third child of his par- 
 ents, grew to manhood in the town of Cato, 
 where he was reared to agricultural pursuits, 
 performing his full share of the pioneer labor 
 of cutting down the giant trees of the forest, 
 uprooting the stumps, and placing the land in 
 a tillable state. In 1852 he bought eighty 
 and one-half acres of the farm where his son 
 George now resides, and continued his occu- 
 pation of general farming, adding improve- 
 ments from time to time, until he had a good 
 farm. He was a capable, painstaking farmer; 
 and under his excellent management most 
 satisfactory results were obtained, and he was 
 
 enabled to enjoy in his later life the fruits of 
 his many years of earnest toil. He lived to 
 the ripe old age of eighty-six years, dying on 
 the homestead January 28, 1889, and during 
 this long life, which was spent within the 
 limits of Cayuga County, watched with won- 
 der and delight its rapid transformation from 
 a densely timbered country, through which 
 the wild beasts roamed at will, to one of the 
 finest agricultural regions of the Empire 
 State, and took an active interest in aiding its 
 advancement and growth. His wife, who 
 died on the homestead in April, 1862, bore 
 him several children, four of whom grew to 
 maturity, and two of whom are now living, 
 namely: George; and Mary, the wife of J. 
 Harvey Southard, of Lysander. Daniel died at 
 the age of fifty-five years, and Elizabeth at the 
 age of twenty-two years. Politically, James 
 Gumaer was a stanch Democrat. In his relig- 
 ious views he was quite liberal, and his wife 
 was a valued member of the Baptist church. 
 George Gumaer spent a portion of his early 
 life in Onondaga, and there received his edu- 
 cation. P""ollowing in the footsteps of his 
 honored father, he selected farming as his life 
 occupation, and in addition to carrying on 
 general agriculture, harvesting each year ex- 
 tensive crops of grain, tobacco, and corn, pays 
 especial attention to raising fine stock, and 
 has a profitable dairy. He is a skilful and 
 able manager, thoroughly practical in his 
 methods, and has made a grand success of his 
 work. His first purchase of land in Cato con- 
 sisted of thirty acres ; and he has since bought 
 adjoining land, his farm now containing one 
 
764 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 hundred and sixty-six acres, all under good 
 cultivation, and is considered one of the best 
 estates in the vicinity. Mr. Gumaer has also 
 other landed interests, owning a good property 
 in the town of Lysander. His homestead has 
 a good set of farm buildings and a convenient 
 dwelling-house, and is well equipped with all 
 the necessary machinery for conducting his 
 business, being in all respects most desirable 
 and comfortable. 
 
 The union of George Gumaer with Carrie 
 M. Ten Broeck took place on May 5, 1857. 
 Mrs. Gumaer is a native of Cato, born June 
 25, 1837, being a daughter of Nicholas and 
 Elizabeth Ten Broeck, both of whom are de- 
 ceased, the father having died at the age of 
 fifty-seven years, and the mother when sixty 
 years old. Mr. Ten Broeck was one of the 
 early settlers of Cato, and was for many years 
 one of its most respected and esteemed agri- 
 culturists. Mr. and Mrs. Gumaer are the 
 parents of two children — Elizabeth R., the 
 wife of Willard Halstead, of Meridian ; and 
 George C. The latter, who resides on the 
 home farm, was born March 12, 1869, and 
 began his pursuit of knowledge in the dis- 
 
 trict schools of Cato, afterward completing 
 his education in the Rochester Business Col- 
 lege. Mr. Gumaer is a man of sound judg- 
 ment, and one whose opinions are uniformly 
 respected. He has materially assisted in the 
 development and growth of this locality by 
 contributing his full share to its agricultural 
 and business interests, and of his means to 
 whatever had for its object the advancement 
 and prosperity of his community. Politically, 
 he'is a firm adherent of the Democratic party, 
 and casts his vote in support of the principles 
 of that party. Socially, he is connected with 
 Cato Lodge, No. 141, A. F. & A. M., and 
 also belongs to Cato Lodge, No. 142, Ancient 
 Order of United Workmen. 
 
 -AMES S. McCABE, Superintendent of 
 Electric Light Company, has been con- 
 nected with that corporation ever since 
 its establishment, and in 1893 was made its 
 Superintendent. The other officers of the 
 company are: President, John J. Moor; Vice- 
 President, James Seymour; Secretary, Byron 
 C. Smith. 
 
INDEX 
 
 767 
 
 Knox, John 487 
 
 Koenig, C. August 331 
 
 N 
 
 Laird, William R., M.D. ... 156 
 
 Leape, Milton G., M.D. ... 743 
 
 Leonard, Benjamin C 163 
 
 Leonard, Bowers H 301 
 
 Lester, Orrin 556 
 
 Lewis, Edwin 549 
 
 Lewis, Le Roy C, M.D. ... 173 
 
 Locke, Henry 67 
 
 Long, Jeremiah D 395 
 
 Lung, Rowland D 56 
 
 Lyon, James 64 
 
 Lyons, Frank W 724 
 
 M 
 
 Mack, Horatio 682 
 
 MacMaster, Charles E. . . . 741 
 
 Main, Amos P 730 
 
 Marsh, John i2t 
 
 Marshall, John 292 
 
 Mason, Clarence E 753 
 
 Mason, Nelson 282 
 
 Matson, Cora A 213 
 
 Matson, William T 210 
 
 Matteson, Mrs. Melissa J. . . 22 
 
 Mattison, Rev. William C. . . 680 
 
 McAlpine, Alfred K 74 
 
 McArthur, Henry S 542 
 
 McCabe, James S 764 
 
 McCate, Patrick J 293 
 
 McCrea, Charles F 365 
 
 McGrath, Michael, Jr 452 
 
 Mead, J. Warren 51 
 
 Mersereau, Thomas J 747 
 
 Mersereau, William 193 
 
 Meyer, John 661 
 
 Miller, Dennis T 303 
 
 Mills, Andrew J 714 
 
 Mills, John W 242 
 
 Morgan, Christopher B. . . . 259 
 
 Morley, Chester 534 
 
 Morley, J. Sprague 597 
 
 Morse, Barton 603 
 
 Mosher, Amos 403 
 
 Mosher, Edgar D 632 
 
 Mosher, John H 580 
 
 Moyer, Rev. Henry C 590 
 
 Nash, George R 65 
 
 Nellis, George W 699 
 
 Newgass, Louis 298 
 
 Noyes, William L 431 
 
 O'Brien, John W 713 
 
 Ogden, Weston A 550 
 
 Ogilsbie, Michael 324 
 
 Olmsted, Charles E 459 
 
 Orr, Samuel 749 
 
 Osborn, Byron E., M.D. ... 165 
 
 Osborn, Samuel 294 
 
 Otis, Susan G., M.D 653 
 
 Paddock, George A. .... 745 
 
 Paddock, Lewis 476 
 
 Parker, Frederick H., M.D. . . 46 
 
 Parker, William J. H 582 
 
 Parker, Wing T 568 
 
 Parsons, Frank H 642 
 
 Parsons, Frank Mills . . . . 711 
 
 Patrick, Alfred 278 
 
 Payne, Sereno E 104 
 
 Pearson, Isaac 180 
 
 Pearson, Isaac E 182 
 
 Pearson, Mrs Jennie M. . . . 186 
 
 Pearson, Joseph H 220 
 
 Peet, Frederick T 147 
 
 Peterson, Christopher .... 688 
 
 Peterson, George R 197 
 
 Phelps, John 457 
 
 Phelps, Porter 627 
 
 Phillips, Fayette B 521 
 
 Pierce, Franklin D., M.D. . . 383 
 
 pierce, Lavern A 356 
 
 Pierce, William F 651 
 
 Pierce, William G 20 
 
 Pierson, Jesse B 206 
 
 Priddy, Willoughby B 409 
 
 Prindle, Rev. Michael .... 709 
 
 Putnam, Franklin D., M.D. . . 83 
 
 Quigley, Alanson, M.D. ... 217 
 
 R 
 
 Rathbun, Charles A 1 78 
 
 Reed, James C 441 
 
 Reed, Tillotson 132 
 
 Reynolds, Samuel F 726 
 
 Rhodes, Emmett 232 
 
 Rich, Adelbert P 80 
 
 Richardson, Lovell T 710 
 
 Robinson, E. Randolph . . . 470 
 
 Robinson, H. S 489 
 
 Robinson, William P 97 
 
 Rockwell, Stephen J2 
 
 Rogers, Albert R 559 
 
 Rotch, Wallace W 743 
 
 Rounds, E. B 586 
 
 Rumsey, Curtis C 394 
 
 Ryan, Frank B., M.D 337 
 
 Sands, Marcus P 319 
 
 Satterly, Daniel B 448 
 
 Savery, John E 208 
 
 Schenck, Cyrus 271 
 
 Schenck, Harrison 543 
 
 Schenck, Nelson loi 
 
 Schicht, Robert W 629 
 
 Schutt, Charles W 284 
 
 Searls, Theodore J 272 
 
 Searls, Rev. William, D.D. . . 195 
 
 Sefton, Frederick A., M.D. . . 732 
 
 Setright, Patrick 231 
 
 Shank, John B 223 
 
 Sharpsteen, Jacob 607 
 
 Sheldon, W. Clarence .... 314 
 
 Shoemaker, John 88 
 
 Shurtleff, Asaph W. . • . . . 447 
 
 Slade, William, Jr 522 
 
 Sleight, Christopher H. . . . 380 
 
 Smith, Charles W 730 
 
 Smith, Clinton 454 
 
 Smith, Edward 134 
 
 Smith, Frank C, M.D. ... 364 
 
 Smith, Harvey 308 
 
 Snyder, John 466 
 
 Sperry, Edwin M 557 
 
 Spoore, Abram 516 
 
 Sprague, Rev. Edward P., D.D. 113 
 
 Staats, Theodore F 692 
 
 StafEord, Van Buren M. . . . 70 
 
768 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Standart, Charles . . .118 
 
 Stewart, Alvin D., M.D. ... 647 
 
 Stocking, Charles G., M.D. . 57 
 
 Stupp, Frank J 695 
 
 Swart, Eddy F 670 
 
 Swartwout, Daniel ... . 693 
 
 Swayze, Oscar B., M.D. ... 685 
 
 Swift, Charles L , M.D. . . . 401 
 
 T 
 
 Taber, Lewis . . ... 155 
 
 Tabor, Daniel H 620 
 
 Tabor, Don J 310 
 
 Tanner, John J 669 
 
 Tanner, Oliver B. . . 468 
 
 Thomas, Henry 464 
 
 Thomas, Walter B 465 
 
 Thomas, William, M.D. . . . 654 
 
 Thornton, Franklin 215 
 
 Thornton, Hiram 60 
 
 Thorp, Richard D 759 
 
 Thurston, Hiram 750 
 
 Tilden, Rev. Alanson .... 481 
 
 Titus, Henry D 502 
 
 Titus, Hiram .... . . 519 
 
 Tompkins, Mrs. Phebe S. . . . 716 
 
 Toohill, David S. . . . 257 
 
 Tosh, Henry 44 
 
 Townsend, Robert L. . . . 286 
 
 Townsend, Samuel 402 
 
 Tracy, Calvin 332 
 
 Transue, Rev. G. S 512 
 
 Treat, Manley T 316 
 
 Tripp, Jefferson 218 
 
 Tryon, Oscar 398 
 
 Tryon, William R 397 
 
 Turner, George C 659 
 
 U 
 
 Underbill, Adalbert 655 
 
 Van Buskirk, M. B., M.D. 
 
 667 
 
 Van Duwyne, James . . . 
 
 230 
 
 Van Liew, Cornelius . . . 
 
 472 
 
 Van Nostrand, Eugene . . 
 
 194 
 
 Van Patten, Harmon . . . 
 
 41 
 
 Van Sickle, Samuel C. . . . 
 
 382 
 
 Van Tuyl, Rev. David M. . 
 
 SZ? 
 
 Voorhees, Sheldon, M.D. . . 
 
 518 
 
 w 
 
 Wait, William F 351 
 
 Wakeley, Rev. Abner .... 239 
 
 Waldron, Jacob N. . ... 498 
 
 Walker, J. Fitch 616 
 
 Ward, Artemas . . . . 524 
 
 Watkins, George L 637 
 
 Wayte, Charles E 739 
 
 Webb, Seth R 540 
 
 Weber, George F., M.D. 
 
 Webster, Hiram . . . 
 
 Webster, Jerome B. . . 
 
 Weddigen, Frank A. 
 
 Wells, William W. . . 
 
 Wheeler, Arthur H. . . 
 
 Wheeler, Cyrenus, Jr. . 
 
 Wheeler, Dexter . . . 
 
 Wheeler, Erastus . . 
 
 Wheeler, Henry J. . . 
 
 Wheelhouse, James V. 
 
 White, David E. . . . 
 
 White, Jacob .... 
 
 White, John 
 
 White, Judson L. . . . 
 
 White, Porter 
 
 White, William B. . . . 
 Whitford, Levi _ . . . . 
 Whitmee, Samuel . . . 
 Wilcox, Benjamin M. . . 
 Willard, Sylvester, M.D. . 
 Willey, Abraham R. . . 
 Wills, Charles A. . . . 
 Winegar, Benjamin F. . . 
 Winslow, Mrs. Hannah K. 
 Wood, George P. . . . 
 Wood, Jonas .... 
 Wright, David . . 
 Wright, Elmer C. . . 
 Wright, Frank S. . . 
 Wright, Dr. George B. 
 Wright, James A. . . . 
 Wright, John 
 
 136 
 
 S94 
 672 
 
 56s 
 S3I 
 458 
 
 24 
 450 
 263 
 S8o 
 
 81 
 
 433 
 706 
 262 
 578 
 
 335 
 312 
 752 
 265 
 133 
 '39 
 5'4 
 513 
 68 
 II I 
 430 
 237 
 378 
 277 
 645 
 665 
 S88 
 276 
 
PORTRAITS. 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Andrews, George B., Sr. . 
 
 527 
 
 Holmes, Zebulon 
 
 . 508 
 
 Pierce, Lavern A. 
 
 • 357 
 
 Anthony, Hicks . . 
 
 572a 
 
 Howland, Horace V. 
 
 8 
 
 Reed, James C. . . . . 
 
 ■ 440 
 
 Anthony, Mrs. Jane L. . 
 
 572 
 
 Howland, Slocum . . 
 
 422 
 
 Schenck, Jacob . . . 
 
 270 
 
 Bennett, Daniel M. . 
 
 252 
 
 King, John .M . . 
 
 ■ 491 
 
 Shank, John B. ... 
 
 222 
 
 Benton, Charles D. . . 
 
 39' 
 
 Laird, William R., M.D. . 
 
 • IS7 
 
 Tabor, Daniel H. . . 
 
 621 
 
 Carter, Woodard B. . . . 
 
 372 
 
 Lewis, Kdwin . . 
 
 548 
 
 Thornton, Hiram 
 
 . 61 
 
 Cook, Elisha 
 
 126 
 
 Lewis, Le Roy C, M.D. 
 
 172 
 
 Wheeler, Cyrenus, Jr. . . . 
 
 • 27 
 
 Cross, Ransom R. 
 
 473 
 
 McAIpine, Alfred K. . . 
 
 • li 
 
 Wheeler, .Mrs. Jane B. . . . 
 
 . 26 
 
 Dickson, J. M., M.D. 
 
 204 
 
 Morley, J, Sprague 
 
 596 
 
 Willard, Sylvester, M.D. 
 
 . 138 
 
 Dixon, Mrs. Minerva Barnes 
 
 342 
 
 Ogilsbie, Michael 
 
 325 
 
 Winslow, Mrs. Hannah K. 
 
 . 108 
 
 Dixon, Moses, Jr. 
 
 342a 
 
 Parker, Frederick H., M.D. 
 
 • 47 
 
 Winslow, William B. . . 
 
 . 109 
 
 Gale, James M. . 
 
 289 
 
 Parsons, Frank H. 
 
 • 643 
 
 Wood, Jonas 
 
 . 236 
 
 Hoagland, Willard A. . . 
 
 305 
 
 Pearson, Mrs. Jennie M. 
 
 . ,87 
 
 
 
 Hodgman, Alfred F., M.D. 
 
 405 
 
 Phelps, John 
 
 • 456 
 
 
 
 Webster, Jerome B., View of Residence 
 
 page 673