CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY _ ^ , Cornelt Univarslty Ubrary F 127M18 B61 ^°SE26!?,!£?.L,r.?X.f!f>'' = "*■■ volume contai „ 3 1924 028 831 952 olln Overs 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/cu31924028831952 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW THIS VOLUME CONTAINS BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE LEADING CITIZENS OF MADISON COUNTY NEW YORK "Biography is the only true history." — Emerson. BOSTON Biographical Review Publishing Company 1894 PREFACE. THE pleasant, absorbing task of many months has drawn to a close; and we offer to our patrons to-day the Biographical Review of Madison County. We tender sincere thanks to all who have encouraged and otherwise aided us in our undertaking. We have taken pains to make the best use of. the material kindly furnishfid. us, caEefiiUy traLOscribing names and dates of long lines of ancestry, when these have happily been preserved, and preparing succinct, readable narratives. In some instances, owing to the incompleteness of the data at our command, the pen of the writer has necessarily been restricted to giving the sketch but in outline. The subjects of these brief biographies have been selected from the world's busy workers ^ — tillers of the soil, mechanics, manufacturers, tradesmen, journal- ists, members of the learned professions, civil engineers, and so forth, representative men and women of the county, useful and honored in their day and generation. In these pages are amply illustrated the "private virtues of economy, prudence, and industry," esteemed, by Washington not less admirable in civil life than "the more splendid qualities of valor, per- severance, and enterprise in public life." Here, too, are eminent examples of patriotism, of enthusiasm for education and for social improvement, and zeal for reform. A backward look has yielded traces of the deerslayers and pathfinders of long ago, has brought to view the toils and privations of the log-cabin builders, who were the pioneers of civilization in the woodland wastes. In this connection the eloquent words of Daniel Webster bring forci- bly to mind the desirability of preserving memorials of past generations, to the end that the. grace of gratitude and of reverence may not be lacking to the present and the coming. "It did not happen to me," said Mr. Webster, "to be born in a log cabin; but my elder brothers and sisters were born in a log cabin, raised among the snowdrifts of New Hampshire, at a period so early that, when the smoke first rose from its rude chimney and curled over the frozen hills, there was no similar evidence of a white man's habitation between it and the settlements on the rivers of Canada. Its remains still exist. I make 6 PREFACE it an annual visit. I carry my children to it, to teach them the hardships endured by the generations which have gone before them. I love to dwell on the tender recollections, the kindred ties, the early affections, and the touching narratives and incidents which mingle with all I know of this primitive family abode. I weep to think that none of those who inhabited it are now among the living; and if ever I am ashamed of it, or if ever I fail in affectionate veneration for him who reared it, and defended it against savage violence and destruction, cherished all the domestic virtues beneath its roof, and through the fire and blood of a seven years' revolutionary war shrunk from no danger, no toil, no sacrifice, to serve his country, and to raise his children to a condition better than his own, may my name, and the name of my posterity, be blotted forever from the memory of mankind!" Readers of this Review will hardly need to be reminded of the aptness of the Hebrew proverb, which styles "children's children the crown of old men, and the glory of children their fathers." Biographical Review Publishing Company. March, 1894. BieGRAPHIGAl2. ON. ALEXANDER M. HOLMES, a resident of Morrisville, is an eminent example of lofty citizen- ship, exhibited in long fidelity to public interests. His public ser- vices have been marked through- out by rare intelligence, sterling honesty, strong common sense, and indefati- gable labors for the public good. That the efforts he has made to serve the people have always been appreciated is shown by the fact that his period of service as Supervisor^ twenty-seven years — has been longer, per- haps, than that of any other man in his State. The field of his labors, however, has not been confined to the circumscribed arena of town and county politics. The people of his dis- trict, recognizing his capacity as a man of affairs, testified their appreciation of his abil- ities by sending him as their representative to the Upper House of the State Legislature, his Senatorial district being composed of Madison, Herkimer, and Otsego Counties. The perfection of his well-rounded character is manifested also in the more tender relations of private life and of the family no less than in the performance of public duty. Dr. Holmes was born in the town of West- ford, Otsego County, N.Y. His father, John P. Holmes, was a native of Connecticut; and his father, John Holmes, so far as is known, was a life-long resident of that State. John P. Holmes was reared and educated in his native State, and in young manhood com- menced teaching school, being for a time a member of the faculty of the famous Oxford Academy in Chenango County, New York. Returning to Connecticut, he was there mar- ried, and not long afterward located in the town of Westford, Otsego County, bought a farm, and resided thereon until 1830. Selling his farm, he removed to Plymouth, Chenango County, resided there two years, and then went to Cortland County, and bought a farm within two miles of the village of Cortland, on the Norwich road. Upon this farm he lived until 1847, when he sold it, and re- moved to McGrawville, where he lived retired until his death. His remains were interred in Rural Cemetery, Cortland. His wife, whose maiden name was Lydia Peck, was born in Connecticut, and died at her home in Mc- Grawville. She reared eleven children. Alexander M. Holmes received his educa" tion in the public schools, studied medicine with Dr. Wiggins of McGrawville and dentistry with Drs. Thompson of Cortland, Allen of Syracuse, and Dwindle of Caze- 10 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW novia, N.Y., receiving the degree of D.D.S. from Baltimore Dental College in 1851. In 1849 he removed to Morrisville, where he opened an office. Having made a thorough study of his profession, it was not long before he acquired a profitable practice and a reputa- tion as a skilled dentist which extends far beyond the limits of the county. Of recent years he has spent the winters in New York City, engaged in the practice of his profes- sion, of which he is a master, having kept pace with its progress by constant study, and having an intimate knowledge of all its re- courses and modern improvements. In 1857 Dr. Holmes was united in marriage to Mary E. Cross, who was born in Morris- ville, and is a daughter of Jefferson Cross, the latter being born in Upper Lisle, Broome County, N.Y. His father, Reuben Cross, was a native of Mansfield, Conn., but came to the State of New York, and spent his last years in Upper Lisle. The maiden name of his wife was Marilla Hanks. She also was born in Mansfield, Conn., and survived her husband some years, dying in the town of Manlius, Onondaga County. Jefferson Cross, the father of Mrs. Holmes, removed to Man- lius, N.Y., in 1825. He located in Morris- ville in 1829, and here established a foundry, and engaged in the hardware business. He invented and patented numerous improve- ments upon stoves, in the manufacture of which he was engaged. He remained in busi- ness in Morrisville until his death, which occurred on the 28th of March, 1850. The name of the mother of Mrs. Holmes before her marriage was Elizabeth Leffingwell Cook. She was born in Hartford, Conn., and was a daughter of John and Mary (Steele) Cook. She died December 20, 1876, at her home in Morrisville. Dr. Holmes was one of the twenty-one prominent dentists of the State of New York who met at Utica, December 17, 1867, to draft laws for the organization of the State Dental Society, which association was divided into districts, there being one society or branch in each of the eight judicial districts of the State, the delegates from these districts forming the State Society. Dr. Holmes served two years as President of the Sixth District Dental Society, two years as Vice- President of the State Society, one year as President of the State Society, and in 1879 was chosen State Censor for the Sixth District, and has served in that capacity up to the pres- ent time. The Doctor has always taken an active interest in public affairs, and has filled many offices of honor and trust. Politically, he first affiliated with the Whig party, was always opposed to the extension of slavery, and was one of the organizers of the Repub- lican party in Madison County. A man of strong character and great intellectual ability, he has been sent as a delegate to numerous county, district, and State conventions, and was a member of the Republican National Convention which met at Philadelphia in 1872, and renominated President Grant. He was elected County Treasurer in the fall of i860, and re-elected to the same office in 1864; was elected a member of the County BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Board of Supervisors in 1867, and has served on that board continuously to the present time, having been its Chairman for the last sixteen years. In 1881 he was elected State Senator to represent the district composed of Madison, Herkimer, and Otsego Counties, and while in the Senate served on the fol- lowing committees, namely: Commerce and Navigation, Canals, Public Health, and Vil- lages. He also was prominently connected with many general and local bills, at all times working earnestly and conscientiously for the good of his constituents. In 1864 he was one of the organizers of the First Na- tional Bank of Morrisville, and was elected one of the Board of Directors, and since 1874 has served continuously as President of that institution. He was also one of the pro- moters of the Home for Destitute Children located at Peterboro, N.Y., and established some years ago by special act of State Legis- lature, the building and ten acres of land being presented by the late Gerrit Smith. This noble institution has proved of great benefit to the county; and, since the death of Mr. Smith, Dr. Holmes has been President of the Board of Trustees, and has done much for the good of this local enterprise. From the brief narrative of Dr. Holmes's life here presented it will be apparent that he has achieved a high degree of success in more than one field, his eminence in his profes- sion and his long-continued public services, both in the spheres of political and business activity, bearing witness to his own . high mental and physical qualities and to the confi- dence of his fellow-citizens in his ability, judgment, integrity, and fidelity to their in- terests. The fine steel portrait of Dr. Holmes here presented will be viewed with interest and pleasure by his many friends throughout the county and elsewhere. EWIS C. HINMAN, a representative farmer and stock-raiser of Stockbridge, is actively engaged in his profitable occupation on his homestead in District No. 9, where his energetic labors and excellent management have met with due reward. He was born December 30, 1823, in what is now the town of Stockbridge, Madison County, but was then included in the town of Augusta, Oneida County. He is of English ancestry, being a descendant of one George Hinman who emigrated from England to the United States in the early part of the year 1700. George Hinman was a man of considerable wealth, and purchased a large tract of land in Connecticut, where he settled, afterward becoming one of the influential citizens of the place and serving for some time as Surveyor- General of the State. Phineas Hinman, the grandfather of our subject, was born in England, and emigrated to this country. During the French and Ind- ian War he was pressed into service by the English government, and served in that army, but during the Revolutionary War enlisted in the Continental Army, and served the entire seven years. He was a gallant officer, and did brave duty at the battle of Bunker Hill, 12 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW and was present at the surrender of General Burgoyne. At the close of the war he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, and pur- chased a farm in Connecticut, where he after- ward lived, dying at the advanced age of ninety years. He married Ruth Colt, who died in Connecticut, when seventy years old. They reared a family, none of whom survive. Both were people held in high esteem, and were Presbyterians in belief. The parents of our subject, Grove and Cerena (Palmer) Hinman, were both natives of the town of Norfolk, Litchfield County, Conn., and resided in that town until after their marriage. In 1812 they came to New York, and located in Oneida County, making the long and tiresome journey overland with teams of oxen and horses. The country was then mostly in the hands of the natives; and Mr. Hinman leased a tract of timbered land from the Indians, and erected a log house, which he and his family occupied for some time, being among the first white settlers in that vicinity. He had much natural ability as a mechanic, and turned his attention to the business of a carpenter and joiner, making considerable money in that sccupation. Later he purchased some land, and began the im- provement of a farm, buying more land occa- sionally, until his possessions aggregated two hundred and thirty-five acres, and he became one of the leading farmers of the place. He was an influential citizen of the community, doing well his part in developing the resources of his adopted town, and served ably as Super- visor and Assessor, besides filling other im- portant offices. He and his wife were both prominent members of the Universalist church. Both spent their last years on the homestead, he dying in 1859 at the age of eighty-two years, and Mrs. Hinman in 1840, when sixty years old. To them were born a family of sixteen children, fourteen of whom grew to maturity and three are still livirig, namely: Amedias, living in Stockbridge; Lewis C, our subject; and Worthy P., also living in Stockbridge. The subject of this brief narrative grew to manhood in his native town, obtaining a good comhion-school educa- tion in its public schools and assisting in the labors of the farm, thus early becoming inti- mately acquainted with the details attendant upon a life devoted to agriculture. He re- mained beneath the parental roof-tree until 1848, when he settled in a home of his own, and took upon himself other duties. During that year he married Jeanette Moyer, a native of Stockbridge; but their happy married life was of short duration, her death occurring in 1850. She left one son, Marcelon, who died at the age of twenty-seven years. Mr. Hin- man was married the second time in 185 1, taking for his wife Mrs. Cordelia Churchill. She was a widow, and had one child, Cather- ine, wife of William Woods, of Stockbridge. Of the second marriage of our subject four children have been born, namely: Trueman, living on the home farm; Arthur, living on a part of the old homestead; Henderson, a mechanic, residing in Canastota; and Violette E., wife of Joseph Farquhar, of Kansas City. Mr. Hinman's first purchase of land con- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 13 sisted of a tract of sixty-two acres in the town of Stockbridge, which he cultivated success- fully; and, as he accumulated money, he bought adjacent property, and now has a val- uable farm of two hundred and eighty acres, - — all under a good state of cultivation. He does an excellent business as a general farmer and stock-raiser, paying much attention to his dairy, which consists of from twenty-five to thirty-five head of choice cattle; and each year he receives a good profit from his hops, which are an important crop in this section of the country. His homestead is a pleasant place, forming an attractive feature of the landscape, with its substantial residence and the convenient buildings required by the en- terprising agriculturist. Mr. Hinman is a most pleasant nian, affable and cordial in manner, and much esteemed throughout the community. In politics he is a stanch Democrat, and has served as Highway Com- missioner and Assessor, and also as Railway Commissioner for twenty years. Mrs. Hin- man is an active and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, contributing liberally to its support. .ROFESSOR FRANCIS M. BUR- DICK. A record of Madison Coun- ty's most prominent citizens would be incomplete without mention of the gentle- man whose name prefaces this biographical notice. He was born on the old Burdick homestead (founded ninety-nine years ago) in the town of De Ruyter, Madison County, N.Y., August I, 1845, and is a son of Albert G. Burdick, who was born afthe same place, March 22, 1807. The father of Albert G. Burdick was Thompson Burdick, a native of Rhode Island, born at Westerly in 1771, and died on his farm in the town of De Ruyter June 6, 1852, in his eighty-first year. He was married in the State of Rhode Island, his wife's name before marriage being Sarah Coon, and in 1794 came to this town, and took up one hundred and sixty acres of timber land, which at the time formed a part of the Holland Patent. After clearing a portion of his land, he sowed some wheat, built a log house, and returned to Rhode Island for his wife. They made the journey in true pioneer style, coming with an ox-team and old-fash- ioned two-wheeled cart, and bringing their cow with them. They were twenty-one days on the road, and came by way of Utica, then known as Fort Schuyler, there being but five dwellings there at that time. Although in very moderate circumstances, they made up in energy and perseverance what they lacked in means, clearing a good farm and establish- ing a permanent home. Within a year or two his brother, William Burdick, came also, bringing with him his wife, who was a sister of Mrs. Thompson Burdick; and still later, and previous to the opening year of our cen- tury, another brother, George, made his ap- pearance with his wife, who was also a member of the Coon family. They settled in what is now the town of Lincklaen. The father of these three brothers followed his sons in later years, and died here at an ad- 14 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW van,ced age. From the best evidence obtain- able the Biirdick family is of French Hugue- not ancestry, while the Coons were of Scotch origin, the original form of the name being McCoon. To Thompson Burdick and his wife there were born the following children : David, Phineas, Sarah, Friscilla, Albert G., and Joseph, the only survivor, now residing in De Ruyter with his unmarried daughter. Albert G. Burdick, the father of our sub- ject, married Eunetia Y. Wheeler, who was born in the town of Nelson, and was a daugh- ter of the Rev. James and Avis (Poole) Wheeler, both of whom were from New Eng- land, the ancestors of the latter being Puritans of Quincy, Mass. The father of the Rev. James Wheeler was a lawyer, living at Reho- both, Mass. The son received his education at Yale College, and was ordained as a Bap- tist preacher, being pastor of a church in Pom- pey, N.Y., some years. He was a Mason, and at the time of the Morgan excitement was silenced because he refused to renounce Masonry. He died at Whitney's Point about 1840 in advanced age, leaving five sons, one of whom — Joseph — still survives, and re- sides in Le Roy, N.Y. The subject of this brief notice was the second child and first son of a family of four, namely: Catharine Pearleyette, wife of Leon- ard R. Green, of Adams Centre, N.Y. ; Francis M.; P. Adelbert, who died July 3, 1893, at Alfred Centre, N.Y., in his forty-sixth year. He was a lawyer by profession, and was for many years an earnest and successful temper- ance evangelist, his labors in connection with this great modern reform movement covering many different States. He left a wife and two sons. B. Franklio, the remaining mem- ber of the family, is a farmer on the old homestead in this town. He of whom we write attended district school in his boyhood, and at the age of thir- teen entered the De Ruyter Institute, from which he was graduated in 1861, in 1862 commencing a course of study at the Caze- novia Seminary, and later attending at Ham- ilton College, being graduated from the latter institution in 1869 and from the Law School there in 1872. He was admitted to the bar that year, and entered upon the practice of his chosen profession in Utica, becoming a mem- ber of the firm of Beardsley & Cookinham in 1874, the firm later being known as Beards- ley, Burdick & Beardsley. He continued his practice there until 1882, when he was elected Professor of Law at Hamilton College, and in 1887 became professor in the Law School at Cornell University, going from there to Co- lumbia Law College, New York City, in 1889. His marriage occurred June 8, 1875, he being then united to Sarah Kellogg, daughter of Gustavus and Anna (Van Eps) Kellogg, of Utica. Four children have graced the happy union of our subject and his wife, their names being as follows : Anna Van Eps, a bright and interesting young lady of six- teen; Katrine P., aged thirteen; Charles K., a manly and intelligent boy of ten; and Flora M'., a girl of nine. All of these children are receiving a careful and thorough education, and are bright and earnest students. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW IS Professor Burdick is a Democrat in his political views, and in i88j was elected Mayor of Utica as an Independent on the citi- zens' ticket, serving one term, but has since then held no public office. In the summer, with his wife and family, he resides in a cot- tage on the old home farm in De Ruyter, their winter residence being in New York City. Both he and his pleasant and accom- plished wife are members of the Presbyterian church, and by their genial and unaffected manners, united with moral rectitude of char- acter, have endeared themselves to and gained the sincere respect and esteem of their fellow- citizens of De Ruyter, and in a broader sense of all those with whom they have come into social contact. 8INCOLN L. CUMMINGS, an experi- enced farmer and stock-raiser and a ^^^ respected resident of Stockbridge, was born in Augusta, Oneida County, Novem- ber 25, 1824, being a son of Nichols and Amelia (Gould) Cummings, both natives of Massachusetts. The Cummings family is of Scotch origin, and traces its ancestry back to two brothers of that name who emigrated from Scotland to America in early Colonial days, and settled in Connecticut. Some of the family later went to Massachusetts, and in that State are buried five generations of the Cummings family. Simeon Cummings, grandfather of our sub- ject, was born and spent his entire life in Massachusetts, dying when about sixty-six years of age. He was a farmer by occupa- tion. He had a family of eight children, — ■ six sons and two daughters. The great-grand- father of our subject took an active part in the Revolutionary War, as did other members of his family. Nichols Cummings, father of our subject, remained in the old Bay State for several years after his marriage, but in 1822 emi- grated to New York with his wife and three children, and bought a farm in Augusta, Oneida County, which he improved, and there led the life of a pioneer for several years, sharing with his neighbors the hardships and privations incident to life in a new country. In 1840 he came to Stockbridge, and bought a farm, on which he made good improve- ments; and here he and his wife spent their declining days, Mr. Cummings. dying at the age of seventy-five years, and his wife, who survived him, lived to the venerable age of ninety-three years. They were worthy people, and members of the Presbyterian church. In politics he was a Republican. To them were born a family of twelve children, who grew to maturity, six of whom are now living: Lin- coln, our subject; Henry N., living on the home farm; Simeon M. and Cyrus M., living in Stockbridge; Electa Ann and Elbridge E., living on the home farm. Lincoln L. Cummings, the subject of this personal history, grew to manhood in the vicinity where he now lives, receiving his education in the district schools and in the academy at Munnsville. He received a prac- tical training in agriculture on the home farm, remaining there until attaining his i6 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW majority. He was a close student, fitting himself for a teacher, and for eight terms taught the district school. His first purchase of land was made when he was twenty-five years of age, and part of that property is still in his possession. His homestead now con- sists of sixty-nine acres of arable land, amply supplied with substantial and convenient buildings and all the appurtenances for carry- ing on farming after the most approved methods of modern times. He is considered a model farmer in the neighborhood, and car- ries on a good business in general farming, making hops his principal crop. Mr. Cummings was united in marriage March 17, 1850, to Martha J. Bridge. She was born in what is now the town of Stock- bridge, October 2, 1825, being a daughter of Jonas and Wealthy Bridge, both of whom are deceased. Mr. Bridge was a farmer by occu- pation. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Cum- mings three children were born, only one of whom is living, — James B., who was born July 14, 1856, and resides at home. Elbert L. died when two and a half years old, and Andrew L. when ten years old. Mr. Cum- mings is a man held in high respect through- out the community, being well and favorably known as one who has identified himself with its interests and worked for its welfare and prosperity. In politics he is a stanch Re- publican. For six years he served as Asses- sor, was Highway Commissioner for two years, and Town Auditor for five years. For nine terms he served as a member of the Grand Jury. EV. HENRY I. NEWITT. Among the well-known and honored citizens of Madison County, he whose name appears at the head of this biographical notice occupies a prominent place. He was born on Quaker Hill, town of De Ruyter, this county. May 30, 1827, and is a son of Samuel Newitt, a native of the town of Coventry, England, where he was born in 179S, and brought to this country by his parents when but two years of age. The father of Samuel Newitt was John Newitt, whose wife's maiden name was Hannah Harrison. He was a wool-comber, and fol- lowed his trade on Quaker Hill, this county, for some years. Their voyage across the ocean was made in a sailing-vessel, and occupied about three months. They first settled in Saratoga County, on a small farm of some seventy acres of improved land. Here they reared their children, their family consisting of two sons and two daughters. Of these was Samuel, father of the subject of this sketch, who, when arrived at mature years, married Catherine Irving, of Hudson. She was of Irish and Dutch parentage, her mother being a native of Holland. Three years after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Newitt came with one daughter to Quaker Hill, this being about the year 1820. Grandfather Newitt accompanied his son to the new settlement, and they took up their abode in a log house in the woods. With the energy of the typical pioneer they set to work to improve their land, clearing off the heavy timber and building two more log houses. The patient and laborious work of years bore fruit, and in course of time Mr. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 17 Newitt found himself the owner of a good farm. The grandfather of our subject died there, when about eighty-three years of age, in a good frame-house, erected by his son John. His widow survived him some fifteen years, and died early in the nineties. Their children were as follows: Maria, who married a Mr. Nickerson, and died at the age of eighty, leaving one daughter; Samuel, who became the father of the subject of this sketch ; John, a farmer, who died on Quaker Hill in 1876, leaving four children, all of whom are now living; and Elizabeth, who was the wife of David Wright, of this town, and died when about sixty years of age, leaving five children, four of whom were sons. Samuel Newitt and his wife were the pa- rents of six children, — five daughters and one son, — all of whom grew up and married. Four of them are now living, namely: Jane, widow of Israel Tripp, of Scranton, Pa., who has three children; Henry I., the subject of this sketch; Esther, widow of John Wilcox, of De Ruyter; and Samantha, wife of George S. Mason, Esq., of De Ruyter. The father of these children was thrice married; and by his third wife he had one daughter, Emma, wife of John Rowe, of Cortland County. Mrs. Samuel Newitt died in middle life. May 29, 1839, and her husband in 1879, at Quaker Basin, when in his eighty-sixth year, leaving a small property. He of whom we write was reared to farm life and labor, receiving but a limited school- ing in his youth, but improved his education in later years by reading and study. In 1848, when in his twenty-first year, he was united in marriage to Miss Huldah Wood, who was born on Quaker Hill in October, 1830, and is a daughter of David and Esther (Hunt) Wood, the former of Rhode Island and the latter of Washington County. Five children have blessed this happy marriage, namely: Eliza, wife of George S. Doane, proprietor of Stew- art House, Georgetown, who has two sons; Elwyn S., a farmer near by, has two sons; David M., a cheese manufacturer of Otselic, married, but has no children; Irving, a rail- road man at Bradford, Pa., has three sons; and Ettie M., wife of W. E. Ames — editor of the Broome County Herald — and mother of one son. Both our subject and his wife are of- Quaker ancestry, but are members of the Christian church, in which Mr. Newitt has been a preacher for over thirty years. For the past sixteen years, however, a throat trouble has prevented him from assuming the duties of a regular charge; and he has occu- pied a place on the supernumerary list. In 1859 he went to Michigan, and while there purchased eighty acres of wild land in Gratiot County, for which he paid forty cents per acre, but finally decided not to make that State his home. Mr. Newitt is a Republican in his political views, and served as Town Collector during the war. He is now engaged in general farm- ing, and keeps over one hundred sheep and a small dairy. In his life-work he has been earnest and conscientious, and has been aided and sustained by his- faithful and devoted wife, who is still active for one of her years, i8 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW and attends to her household duties, doing her own work, and well knowing how to entertain her many friends. Mr. Newitt gave himself to the service of his divine Master thirty- eight years ago, and has ever since endeavored to walk humbly in His sight and to live in accordance with the two great commandments, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind," a'nd "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Both he and his excellent wife have many friends, and occupy a warm place in the hearts of their fellow-townsmen. ^^Y'OEL ALLIS, a prosperous and well- known farmer residing on his one-hun- dred-and- thirty-acre farm in the town of Lenox, where he was born in 185 1, is a son of Vinal Allis, who was born within half a mile of this place, April 16, 1816. The father of Vinal was Joel Allis, a native of New Eng- land, born February 12, 1769. He married Sarah Lee, of Massachusetts ; and they became the parents of eleven children, — six daughters and five sons, — of whom Vinal was the young- est. Their names and dates of birth are as follows: Electa, born December 29, 1797; Polly, January 9, 1799; Sarah, September 9, 1800; Milton, November 18, 1802; Asa, Jan- uary 8, 1805; Sophia, November 25, 1806; Emily, September 25, 1808; Bertha, February 10, 181 1 ; Eber, November 25, 1812; Russel, December 22, 1814; and Vinal, the father of our subject. The mother of these children died November 28, 1820; and the father was again married, and died about 1851 near Rochester, at the home of his son, Asa. He was a farmer by occupation and a Quaker in religion, and, although of moderate means, leaving but a small estate at his death, was a man universally honored and respected for the excellence of his character. Vinal Allis was brought up on the farm, and at the age of thirty-one was united in marriage to Maryette Lee, who was born in this place June 30, 1815. The marriage took place on the 20th of May, 1847, on our sub- ject's present farm, where they lived the re- mainder of their lives. They reared three children, namely: Joel, of whom we write; Josephine, wife of Edward Farr, a hardware merchant of Canastota; and Emma, wife of Martin Fancher, a farmer of this town. Vinal Allis died June 8, 1865, his wife sur- viving him ten years, and dying May 19, 1875. They were buried on their farm, where Mr. and Mrs. Lee, the maternal grandparents of our subject, are also sleeping. The former of these, Joseph Miles Lee, was a native of New England and a son of Sherebiah Lee, who was born in England November 5, 1747, and died here January 31, 1843. The maiden name of his wife was Esther Miles. She was born March 13, 1743, and died January 31, 1833, just ten years to a day before her husband. Mr. and Mrs. Lee were the first settlers in this part of the county, and were the parents of a family of six sons and one daughter. Their son, Joseph Miles Lee, was born July I3i 17841 and died November 18, 1847. He married Mary Crittenden, who was born De- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 19 cember 17, 1786, dying October 12, 1859. Their marriage occurred about 1 808 ; and they were the parents of six children, — one son and five daughters, the son dying when an infant. Grandfather Lee left a farm of two hundred and sixty acres, of which the present farm of our subject formed one-half. At the time of their settlement here the country was new, and the nearest market was Albany, one hundred and twenty-five miles away. They were upright and religious people, and greatly liked and respected for their many sterling qualities. Their daughters were as follows: Fidelia, who died in infancy; Maryette, the mother of our subject; Esther; Fidelia (2d); and Calista, who died in childhood. Joel Allis, the subject of this biographical sketch, was reared at home, and accustomed to farm life and work from his youth up. He received a good common-school education, but was prevented from completing his- studies at the academy by sickness, being subject to periodical attacks of severe headache. He was united in marriage May 30, 1879, to Miss Cornelia Harp, daughter of M. C. Harp and his wife, formerly Mary S. Clarke, both of the town of Lenox. Asa B. Clarke, the father of Mrs. Harp, was a native of New England and a merchant and speculator by occupation. His death occurred in Canas- tota, to which place he had removed after re- tiring from business. Mr. and Mrs. Allis have one son, Floyd V., a bright, intelligent boy of thirteen, well advanced in his studies and always prompt in his attendance at school, although living a mile and a quarter away. In September, 1891, Mr. Allis lost his barn by fire, supposed to have been caused by a tramp. He erected soon after on its site his present fine, large barn, 40 x 60, with a stone basement, the total expense amounting to about ^1,500. He is now engaged in general farming, and makes some butter, keeping from six to eight cows. He is energetic and prac- tical, acquainted with the latest and most approved methods of agriculture, and has achieved gratifying success in his calling. In political matters Mr. Allis is a Repub- lican. Fraternally, he is a Master Mason. He and his estimable wife occupy a high place in the regard of their fellow-citizens for their many sterling qualities, and are repre- sentative of the best citizenship of their State and county. f ■ I ENRY C. PALMER. In these clos- ing days of the nineteenth century, when such particular attention is being paid to every scrap of Colonial history, our subject can point with pride to a line of ancestry beginning in this country almost co- eval with the arrival of the "Mayflower." The first of the family of whom we have rec- ord was one William Palmer, who was born in England, and came to America in a vessel called the "Fortune," which arrived here in 162 1, the year after the landing of the Pil- grims. He settled in Salem, Mass. In 1629 one Walter Palmer — a powerful man, weigh- ing over three hundred pounds, and from whom our subject traces his descent — located his farm on the site where is now the city of BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Stonington, dying there in 1661, and leaving a family of twelve children. Another of the early Palmers was named Isaac, and was a hero in King Philip's War and a sturdy pioneer of that era. Ephraim Palmer, the father of our subject, was born in the town of Windham, Conn., in 1795", and with his brother, Henry Palmer, was among the first settlers of the town of Lebanon, N.Y. After making a home in this place, Ephraim went back to Connecticut, and brought his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Palmer, to live with him. They made the trip with an ox-sled, it being a slow and tedi- ous journey, full of danger, privation, and ad- venture. Calvin Palmer died at Lebanon, aged seventy-five years. He was the father of five children, — four sons and one daughter, — all of whom are deceased. Ephraim Palmer and his brother owned three hundred and thirty-five acres of land, on which they built their humble home, — a log cabin. On this place Ephraim became a prominent farmer and also dairyman, having forty-two head of cows, besides carrying on his trade — that of a cloth-dresser — for a number of years. He married Miss Sally B. Clark, who was an en- ergetic and thrifty helpmate to him in his struggle with fortune. Mr. Palmer died in the town of Lebanon, January 20, 1885, at the age of ninety. He was a strong and active man to the last, taking a deep interest in the affairs of his section, which he had lived to see grow from small beginnings to such num- bers and prosperity. At his death all his valuable farms in the^towns of Lebanon and Eaton were inherited by his only son, Henry C. Palmer, whose sketch is here presented. Henry C. Palmer was born May 29, 1825, and was reared and educated in the schools of Eaton, teaching for one term. He re- mained at home engaged in farming with his father until twenty-nine years of age. His first venture on his own account was to buy a stock of goods and run a general store in the village of Eaton for one year. He then moved to Bouckville, where he remained for five years, going from there to West Eaton, where he kept a store for four years, being engaged in farming during all this time. In 1854 he married Susan Danforth, who was born in the town of Linden, Vt., in 1832. Her father, Silas Danforth, was born in Mas- sachusetts, and his wife. Alpha, in the State of New Hampshire. He was a mechanic by trade. They had a family of ten children, nine of whom grew to maturity; but only six are now living: Mrs. Palmer, who is the eldest; Mrs. Dellow, residing in Elvira, Cortland County; Silas L., in the city of Cortland, N.Y.; Helen Marsh, in Bingham- ton, N.Y. ; Julia Gilmore, in Topeka, Kan.; and Milton, in Saginaw, Mich. Mr. Dan- forth died in Little P^alls, N.Y., aged forty- seven years, and his wife in the town of P^aton, when she was sixty-eight years old. They were members of the Methodist Episco- pal church. In politics Mr. Danforth was a firm adherent of the Democratic party. Mr. Palmer, having disposed of his store to his sons, gives his whole attention to the running of the old homestead farm, which BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW consists of three hundred and thirty-five acres. He also manages a large dairy, supplying many families in New York City with butter. For ten years he enjoyed the patronage of the family of A. T. Stewart, the merchant prince of- that city. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Palmer. Henry D., born in 1855 ; Willie W., in 1856; and Ephraim C, in 18,60, — form a mercantile company at McGrawville, N.Y Cora S., born in 1858, is the wife of Dr. Charles Clark, their residence being in Omaha, Neb. (For the ancestry of Dr. Clark, see sketch of C. G. Clark.) Walter D., born in 1871, lives at home with his parents. Mrs. Palmer is a member of the Methodist church, taking a lively interest in its religious work; and herself and husband are among the most prominent and highly esteemed residents of the town. Mr. Palmer is well known as a progressive farmer, prosperous in his enter- prises and reliable in his word. He is a worthy representative of the hardy pioneers whose sturdy labors laid the foundations of our noble republic. In politics he is, as was his father, an earnest, unswerving Re- publican. LI NEAR, whose beautiful farm of one hundred and forty acres is the admira- tion of all who visit this part of the country, was born about a quarter of a mile from his present home in the year 1821. His father, Jasper Near, was born in 1791 at Mohawk Flats. He met his death suddenly at the Lenox grist-mill, October 31, 1853, by falling from his horse and breaking his neck. The family trace their ancestry to some of the earliest pioneers of the country. John Near, who was born in 1746, was a soldier in the Revolution. In one encounter he narrowly escaped death from the Indians, who were pursuing him from an ambush. Discovering his danger, he was running very hard, when a savage threw his tomahawk after him, and the weapon, striking close to his backbone, cut off three of his ribs. Being a strong man and fleet runner, he was, however, able to make his escape. He died about 1831 in Ellisburg, N.Y. He was the father of four sons and four daughters, of whom Jasper was one of the first born. The mother of our subject was Betsey E. Yerton, of the Mohawk Flats; and she bore him three sons and five daughters, as follows: Catherine, wife of Eli Watson, who died at the age of seventy-four, leaving one daughter; Louisa, who died at the age of sixty-seven, leaving one daughter; Mary, wife of Orpheus Borrows, now of Cleveland, Ohio, and mother of two daughters: Eli, of our sketch; Mar- garet, widow of George Clark; Timothy, who died when sixty-two years of age, leaving three sons; Delia, who died when about forty- five years of age, leaving a son and daughter. The latter's husband, Henry Dunton, died on the overland trip to California. Their son went to the war, and was wounded in the head, which partially deranged him; and he disap- peared mysteriously about twenty years ago. The eighth child, Jasper, Jr., was accidentally killed in St. Louis, Mo., at the age of forty- BIOGRAPHICA.L REVIEW five years. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Peter Yerton, settled early in the century on the spot where his grandson's home now stands. He built his modest house there; and, when in 1877 Eli Near erected his beautiful home, he preserved a part of it, and made it a portion of his fine, large, and commodious residence. He could not bear to sacrifice the sacred old relic, with all its tender and primitive associations. Our subject was brought up on the farm, and received but a limited common-school educa- tion, though his brothers and sisters had bet- ter opportunities, having been educated at Cazenovia, three sisters and his two brothers becoming teachers. They were Christian peo- ple in the Methodist Episcopal church (of which the parents were earnest and zealous members), with the exception of Jasper, Jr., who was a Universalist preacher. Eli Near married for his first wife Miss Maria Huyck, of Clockville, in 1844. She died eighteen months later, leaving an infant son, Charles A. Near, now a farmer in Dakota, and also a Deputy Sheriff, who is so keen and alert that, when he pursues a prisoner, he generally secures him. He has a wife, five daughters,- and two sons. The second wife of Mr. Near was Mrs. Francy Julia Perry. She received an excellent education at the best seminaries in the State. She was married to George Perry, of Skaneateles, but at the age of twenty-seven was left a widow with three daughters, namely: Sarah A., who married Charles A. Near, the son of her stepfather; Laura, who is the wife of Franklin Cooper of Buffalo, N.Y., and mother of three sons and one daughter; and Georgianna, wife of John F. Wilson, of Penn Yan, N.Y. By his sec- ond marriage Mr. Near became the father of two daughters and one son: Francis M., wife of Roselle Webster, of Clockville; Seth H., unmarried and living at home; Lida, wife of Stephen DeVoe, a druggist of Syracuse. They have all had good educations, and hold excellent positions in society. Mr. Near is a Democrat in principle, but believes in voting for the best man for the office, irrespective of party. He is engaged in general farming, keeps about thirteen horses, and is noted for his excellent stock. He formerly kept a large dairy, but at present only has cows enough for his own use. He and his wife heartily enjoy their beautiful home, which is situated on an eminence over- looking the Oneida Valley and the village, taking in the most charming view of the pict- uresque landscape for many miles around them. Both are held in the highest regard by their neighbors. Charles A. Near, of whom we have already written, was a soldier in the Civil War. He enlisted from Canastota in Company G, One Hundred and Fifty-seventh New York Volun- teer Infantry, going into the service a private, and returning at the close of the war with the ' rank of Captain. At Honey Hill he was wounded by a ball that ploughed its way across his temple. It was a close call for his life; but he had the wound dressed, and im- mediately returned to the field. He was recklessly brave, as was evinced on the Get- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 23 tysburg battlefield, when his Captain, Harri- son Frank, was shot down. Although the Confederates were right upon him, he stayed by his Captain until he breathed his last. He was captured by the enemy, and all his valuables taken from him. When they tried to take a Masonic ring from his finger which Captain Frank had given him, he told them they would get it when he was dead, and not before; and some of them, recognizing the Masonic emblem, let him go. -EREMIAH BUMP, deceased, wa^ for many years an honored and respected citizen of Peterboro, closely identified with its industrial interests, an earnest advo- cate of all measures conducive to its growth and prosperity; and his death, at the advanced age of fourscore years, was deemed a loss to the village and community at large as well as to his immediate family. He was a native of Madison County, born in the town of Smith- field, August 6, 1 81 1. His father, Ithamar Bump, was one of the original settlers of the town, coming here from Massachusetts in 1797, and settling in the almost trackless wilds of this vicinity. In common with the other pioneers of those times he suffered from the discomforts incidental to new locations, — the cramped cabins, absence of schools and mar- kets, depredations of wild beasts, and dreaded calls from the untamed savages. Nothing daunted, he began the improvement of a farm, clearing a goodly number of acres be- fore his death, which occurred August 14, 1 81 5. His faithful wife, whose maiden name was Eunice Kinney, was left with a family of five children, all of whom grew to maturity, but are now dead. She spent the remainder of her life on the homestead, dying at the advanced age of seventy-nine years. Jeremiah Bump, the subject of this biog- raphy, was but four years of age when his mother was left a widow. She was a woman of courage and ability, and continued the improvement of the farm, with the assistance of her sons; and our subject, though such a young lad, soon made himself useful in doing errands and chores about the farm. He re- mained at home until he attained his major- ity, then, preferring some mechanical labor, learned the carpenter's trade, and followed it successfully, becoming one of the leading con- tractors and builders of Peterboro, where many of the buildings were erected under his supervision, among them being the Children's Home. He was a man of enterprise and sagacity, possessing excellent judgment in financial matters, and invested part of his money in a saw and grist mill, from which he derived pecuniary benefits. He led a long and useful life, honorable in every respect, dying at his home in the village of Peterboro, October 6, 1891. Mr. Bump was twice married. The maiden name of his first wife, to whom he was wedded in 1839, was Harriet Gray. She was born in Springfield, Otsego County, and lived but two years a;fter her marriage, dying in 1841. In 185s our subject was married the second time, taking for a wife Miss Sophia R. Fitch, 24 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW a native of this county, born in Cazenovia, April 22, 1825. She is of New England ancestry, her grandfather, John Fitch, having been born in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, April 3, 1760. Leaving the rugged hills of his native State, he emigrated to Chenango County, being a pioneer of Oxford, where he lived until his death, July 2, 1823. Derrick H. Fitch, father of Mrs. Bump, was born in Oxford, Chenango County, in September, 1798, and died in Peterboro at the venerable age of eighty-one years. He was a man of sterling worth, and a valued member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he was a Republican. He married Jerusha Vib- bert, who was born in Hartford, Conn., Octo- ber 2, 1799, and died in Cazenovia, July 19, 1840. She was a kind mother, a generous neighbor, and a true Christian, being a con- sistent member of the Universalist church. Mrs. Bump resides in the home left her by her husband, where she is most pleasantly situated, and is spending her declining years in ease and comfort. r> REDERICK C. HALL, a veteran of the late war, residing in Lebanon, was born in Madison, Madison County, N.Y., June II, 1827. His father, William Hall, and his grandfather, George Hall, Jr., were natives of Portsmouth, R.L, where they lived on a plan- tation of three hundred acres purchased at aa early date by Colonel George Hall, great- grandfather of Frederick, a native of England, and an ex-officer of the English army. Com- ing to America and taking up his abode in this Quaker settlement, many of his neigh- bors leing of that faith. Colonel Hall became a member of the Society of Friends. George Hall, Jr., died at the Portsmouth homestead, at the age of eighty-four. His wife, Charity Fish, of Newport, R.L, died four years later, at the same age. William Hall, son of George Hall, Jr., was born March 28, 1767. He married first Mary Durfee, by whom he had ten children. She died January 26, 18 16. His second wife, Mary Harrington, was born in Cherry Valley, Otsego County, N.Y., in December, 1793, and died January 26, 1838. She was the mother of five children. It is a remarkable fact that these fifteen children of one father all married and had families of their own. William Hall made his first visit to New York in 1797, and bought a tract of timber land in what is now the town of Madison, then a wilderness, the price of land in this yet unorganized county being from two dollars and a half to five dollars per acre. In the autumn Mr. Hall returned to Portsmouth, travelling back and forth several times. In the course of five years he cleared twenty acres and built a log house. The family removal to the new home took place in 1802, wife and children jour- neying in a wagon drawn by a single horse, the household goods and other movables being brought in a cart to which were yoked a pair of oxen and two cows. Industrious and thrifty, William Hall worked at his own profit- able trade, — boot and shoe making, — learned in Rhode Island, and hired men to clear his BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 25 land, which soon came to be an excellent farm. Surviving his second wife fifteen years, he died at his son Frederick's home in Waterville, in 1853, aged eighty-six years. He was a consistent member of the Society of Friends. The death of the second Mrs. William Hall, in 1838, brought great changes to the household. Frederick, then in his eleventh year, went to live with his step-grandmother Durfee. At the age of sixteen he was sent to Waterville to learn harness-making. After two years of apprentice work in this place he served six months at Richfield and six months at Utica. He then followed the trade cyie year at Binghamton, another at Owego, Tioga County, and next, after a short time at Water- ville, went to North Brookfield, and became a carriage-trimmer. In this occupation he continued until his enlistment in August, 1864, in Company I, One Hundred and Fifty- seventh New York Volunteer Infantry. He went with the regiment to Charleston, S.C., and was in all its campaigns until his dis- charge at Charleston, July 10, 1865. Being at this time sick in a hospital, he remained there some weeks. On his return home he resumed his old trade, continuing at it until a recent date. In 1869 he bought his present farm, the birthplace and home of his wife, Hannah M. Hatch, whom he married in 1851. Ira B. Hatch, the father of Mrs. Hall, was born in Egremont, Mass., in 1790, the son of Benjamin Hatch, a native of the same place, who served seven years in the War of the Revolution, and who emigrated to Lebanon with his family in 1802. Here he died in 1854 in his one hundredth year. His wife's maiden name was Christina Pierce. Ira, a lad of twelve years, accompanied his father to Lebanon, and, succeeding him in the owner- ship of the home farm, resided upon it until his death. Mrs. Hall's mother, Polly Sharp before her marriage, was born in the town of Greene, Chenango County, N.Y., a daughter of Hendrick Sharp, a pioneer in that town. Mr. and Mrs. Hall have five children living, — Edward, Frederick, Julia, Lucia, and Thomas. Mr. Hall is a birthright member of the Society of Friends, and in his daily life illustrates the well-known virtues of the dis- ciples of George Fox. Mrs. Hall is of the Presbyterian faith. . BROOKS, an esteemed and respected resident of Hamil- Ls a worthy representative of the intellectual, moral, and progressive ele- ment of Madison County. He was born in Hamilton, September 12, 1842, and is a son of Nelson Brooks. The latter was born in the town of Madison, and there reared to the peaceful occupation of farming, which he fol- lowed the greater part of his life. He spent his last years in Earlville, dying at an ad- vanced age. Anson Brooks, grandfather of our subject, was a native of Connecticut, born in the town of Stratford. He emigrated to New York when a young man, it is thought, being a pioneer of Madison. The subject of this brief sketch was reared to manhood in his native town, attending the 26 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW district schools, where he received a sub- stantial foundation for his further education. At the age of fourteen years he began to be self-supporting, and secured work on a farm, continuing thus engaged for several seasons, — working on the farm in the summer and attending school in the winter season. He was an earnest student, and by close applica- tion to his books had, at the age of eighteen years, acquired such knowledge that he was enabled to fill the position of instructor in the public schools of his native town with marked ability, and for fifteen consecutive winters taught most successfully. At the expiration of that period Mr. Brooks was, by a unanimous vote, elected to the office of Justice of the Peace. His unswerving integrity and stanch loyalty to the cause of right gained for him the approval and confidence of his fellow- townsmen; and he was four times re-elected to this office, each time filling a term of four years. Subsequently he became a firm be- liever in the principles promulgated by the Prohibition party; and the high sense of jus- tice and duty which have characterized his every action led him to join its ranks, and work ardently for the good cause. This change in politics not meeting with the ap- proval of his constituents, Mr. Brooks was not again re-elected to his former office. He is of thrifty habits, prudent and economical. By a judicious use of his earnings, combined with skilful management, our subject and his wife have purchased the home where the fam- ily now reside, and where they are surrounded by the comforts of life. When twenty-one years of age, Mr. Brooks was united in marriage with Miss Marcia Brainard, daughter of Oliver and Eliza (Bee- bee) Brainard. Of this union four children have been born, two of whom are now living; namely, Anna, born in 1874, and Clarence in 1878. One son, Newton, died when six years of age, and a daughter, Emma, at the age of fourteen years. In politics Mr. Brooks was formerly a Republican, but now affiliates with the Prohibition party. During the years 1880 and 188 1 he served acceptably as Secre- tary of the Madison County Temperance Asso- ciation, and for two years was President of the same association. During the past twelve years he has, perhaps, settled as many estates as any man in town; and, as he is Notary Public, he has a large business in drawing wills, contracts, deeds, mortgages, etc., and has considerable practice as attorney in jus- tice's courts, while he is trustee or guardian for several old people. Mr. Brooks is decided in his opinions, and firm and conscientious in the expression of them, fearlessly maintaining what he believes to be true and right. Relig- iously, he is a regular attendant at the Metho- dist Episcopal church. fHEODORE F. HAND, Sr., a gray- haired veteran in the realm of finance, Vice-President of the Oneida Valley National Bank, was born in the town of Verona, Oneida County, August 14, 181 5. His father, Ichabod Hand, Jr., was born in Guil- ford, Conn., a son of Ichabod Hand, Sr., who T. F. Hand. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 29 was, so far as known, a lifelong resident of that town. The younger Ichabod, having been brought up and married in his native State, resided there until 18 13, when, accom- panied by his wife, who was also a native of Guilford, and four children, he emigrated to New York, making the journey overland with their own conveyance. He settled in Verona, where he bought real estate, and built and kept a public house on the highway leading from Oneida Castle to Rome. In 1832, the year of the fatal cholera scourge, which brought business nearly to a standstill, he removed to Vernon, where he kept a hotel until nearly the time of his death, at the age of sixty-three years. The maiden name of his wife, who was the mother of seven chil- dren, was Amanda Leete. She survived her husband several years. The subject of this sketch received his ele- mentary education in the district schools in his native town, and pursued the study of higher branches of learning in Cazenovia Seminary. At twenty years of age he became a clerk in a store of general merchandise, and four years later, in 1839, began his long and honorable career as a banker, being appointed teller and book-keeper of the bank in Vernon. Here he remained until 1851, when he came to Oneida, and, with Niles H. and Sands Hig- inbotham and Samuel Breese, started the Oneida Valley Bank, the first bank in the village. In the following year the bank was incorporated under the laws of the State. As a State bank it was operated till 1865, when it was organized as a National bank, the charter being renewed in 1885. After forty years of competent, faithful service as bank cashier, the daily duties of which were be- coming onerous to one of his age, Mr. Hand in 1890 was succeeded in this position by his son, Theodore I-'. Hand, Jr., he himself being elected Vice-President, holding also the same office in the Oneida Savings Bank, of which he is a Trustee. Mr. Hand has married twice. By his first wife, Elizabeth Higinbotham, a native of Vernon, daughter of Sands Higinbotham, he has three sons now living, — Theodore F., Jr., Niles H., and William H. His second wife was a widow, Mrs. J. J. Stewart. A man of sound judgment and unquestioned integrity, Mr. Hand has long been known as one of the best business men, as he is now one of the oldest living bankers, in the State. Oneida of to-day — populous, flourishing, and fair to view — is much indebted to him for steady growth in prosperity. He has taken an ever- active interest and often a leading part in public affairs, having for several years served as a Trustee of the village and Treasurer of the Board. Glenwood Cemetery owes not a little of its present attractiveness to the good taste and zeal for improvement exercised by him as one of the Trustees of the Cemetery Association, he being also its Secretary and Treasurer, and continuing to devote to its ser- vice much time and thought. Always a man in earnest, Mr. Hand has taken a decided position in matters of religion and politics, being a member of the Presbyterian church, and giving his allegiance to the Republican 30 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW party. The fine portrait of Mr. Hand pre- sented on an accompanying page is a valuable addition to this volume, and will be viewed with interest by his many friends. 'AMUEL BARR, a highly respected farmer of Stockbridge, is the owner of ninety acres of good land, and on his comfortable homestead is enjoying ■ the reward of earlier years of toil and industry. He is of Scotch-Irish ancestry, the Barr fam- ily having originated in Scotland, going from there to Ireland. The grandfather of our sub- ject, Samuel Barr, came to this country from Ireland with his parents when a boy. He grew to manhood in New Hampshire, aad did active duty in the Revolutionary War, after- ward returning to his adopted State, where he remained until his death. Samuel Barr, father of our subject, was born in New Hamp- shire, and there reared and educated. When a young man, he came to Madison County, and located in Stockbridge, being one of the first white settlers in the town. He bought a tract of wild land from the Indians, on which stood an Indian hut, which was his first dwelling-house in this county. Returning to the Granite State, he married the maiden of his choice, Mary McMillan, and, bringing her to Stockbridge, installed her as mistress of his home. He traded and lived on friendly terms with his dusky neighbors for many years, always finding them honest and fair in their dealings. He cleared his land, improving a farm of fifty acres; and he and his wife spent their entire wedded life on the homestead, dying at the ages of seventy-nine and sixty- four years, respectively. They were honored members of the Universalist church, and he was a Republican in politics. They reared a family of four children: Mercy Jane, wife of Levi Collins, of Florida; Nancy Ann, widow of Calvin Bush, and living in Stockbridge; Samuel, our subject; and Margaret M., wife of Alvin T. Campbell, of Munnsville. The subject of this brief history, the third in order of generation to bear the name of Samuel, has spent his entire life in the place of his nativity. He obtained his education in the pioneer schools of his day, assisting his father when at home in the labors of the farm, doing his part in clearing the land of the heavy timber, breaking the sod, and tilling the soil on the homestead, which eventually came into his possession, and where he has always lived. Since becoming the owner of the farm he has added to it by purchase, and is now the owner of ninety-eight acres of excel- lent land, where he is successfully engaged in stock-raising and general farming, hops being the principal crop. In addition, he always had a good dairy, which he managed with profit. Mr. Barr was married April 3, 1858, to Rosetta Clements, a native of Stockbridge, born April 3, 1840. She died on the home- stead, Septembers, 1886. Of their marriage there are five children. James Francis, born January 30, 1859, and William E., born October 12, i86o, are married, and reside in Stockbridge. Mary L., born January 25, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 31 1864, is the wife of C. A. Moore, a druggist in Wayne County. Robert S., born January 21, 1874, resides with Mrs. Moore in Lyons, and is a clerk in the drug-store of his brother- in-law. Leon C, born September 20, 1877, is attending school at Canastota. Mr. Barr still resides on the homestead, although he has given up the care of the farm to other hands, leasing it each year. He has been prominent in the affairs of his town, and is a valued member of the commiunity, well worthy of the high regard in which he is held. For three years he served his town as Ex- cise Commissioner, and has several times been elected Constable, but has never served. Politically, he is a steadfast Republican. /^TeORGE a. brown, an enterprising \ i> I young business man of the town of Eaton, was born in Madison County, October 8, 1 85 1. He is a son of Adon and Rosanna (Tuckerman) Brown, the former of whom is a prominent and influential citizen of Madison County and a native of the town of Nelson, where he owned a farm upon which he lived until 1853, when he removed to the town of Eaton, where he has been engaged in farming until the present time. For the past twenty- five years he has owned and lived on the old Tuckerman homestead, formerly known as the Standish farm. His family consists of four children, all of whom are living, namely: Mary J., wife of George C. Mayo, and residing in Burlington, Vt. ; Delia A., wife of Eugene Brown of the village of Eaton, and whose biography appears elsewhere in this work; George A., the subject of this sketch; and Alletta J., living at home. The parents of these children now reside in the town of Eaton, the father at the age of seventy-five, and the mother sixty-six. The latter attends the Methodist Episcopal church, and, although not a member, is a Christian woman, al- ways remembering the poor. Mr. Brown is a Democrat in politics, and is not afraid to advocate what he believes is right. George A. Brown was three years old when his parents removed from his native town, Nelson, to the town of Eaton; was educated in the district schools, and remained at home until he was twenty years of age. In 1871 he established himself in business as the proprie- i tor of a meat market in the village of Eaton, which he conducted some years, but at length sold out and went to Nebraska, where he re- mained about one year. In 1883 he returned to Eaton, and reopened his market in the vil- lage of Eaton, besides running a wagon to West Eaton, which he has conducted ever since, at the present time having a large trade among the best people of both places. Mr. Brown was married July 11, 1875, to Frances M. Lyndon, who was born in Canada in 1854. To this marriage there have been born five children; namely, Mark G., Mabel v., Mollie E., Mayo C, and Mira P. Mrs. Brown is a member of the Baptist church. Mr. Brown is independent in politics, voting for the candidate of his choice. He believes that in following this course voters can com- pel parties to nominate only good men for 32 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW office, and that in this way the public will secure the services of the best men. In this way civil service reform can be very materi- ally assisted, if not rendered altogether un- necessary. Mr. Brown and his wife are excel- lent members of society, and have many friends wherever they are known. |-AMES C. LYNCH, a general farmer and stock-raiser of the town of Smith- field, has a fine farm of one hundred and forty-six acres, all under a good state of cultivation. He was born in the town of Eaton at Pratt's Hollow, September i, 1819. His parents, Terence and Jane (Kern) Lynch, were na- tives of Ireland, emigrating from there to America in the early part of this century, presumably in 1801. After landing in New York, Mr. Lynch went first to Albany, where he stopped for a while, thence proceeding to Utica, being employed there for a time in Bagg's Hotel, and subsequently became a clerk in the log store of John C. Devereaux. He was industrious and frugal, and after a few years of steady work saved enough money to buy seventy-five acres of land in Pratt's Hollow. He at once began the work of clear- ing a farm, and in the course of a few years had a good homestead, which he devoted to general farming and stock-raising. There both he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives, both dying at the advanced age of seventy-six years. In politics he was a strong Republican. He and his wife reared a family of ten children, four boys and six girls, four of whom are now living: James C, the sub- ject of our sketch; Edward, who lives at Oneida Castle; Mary, who is the wife of R. Combs, of Michigan; and Eleanor, who resides on the old farm. James C. Lynch, of whom we write, was reared to manhood on the home farrn, and early initiated into the mysteries of agricult- ure. Being the eldest son of a family of ten children, he was early put to hard work, and ably assisted his father in establishing a home in the wilderness and in cultivating the soil, remaining under the parental roof until twenty-eight years of age, with the exception of two summers when he worked for a neigh- boring farmer. He was an energetic, indus- trious young man of thrifty habits, and had accumulated some money during those years of toil. Having sufficient to warrant him in taking a wife and establishing a home of his own, in 1847, on the 27th of April, he was united in marriage to Lucinda Marshall, and the same year bought the farm where he now resides. Their wedded life was of short dura- tion, his wife dying January 8, 1852, leaving h'im with two young children. On March 22, 1854, Mr. Lynch married Maria Abbott, who lived but a few years, her death occurring August 3, 1863. Of this marriage four sons were born. Mr. Lynch was again married February 6, 1865, taking for a wife Mrs. Hannah M. Eddy, a native of Oneida County and widow of the late Harvey Eddy. Of the six children in his family, our subject has only four now living, as follows: Lucinda, who BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 33 lives in Pratt's Hollow; Terence, who lives in Fenner; James C, who is a widower with two children, — May and Eva, — and resides with his father; and Lafayette, who lives on a part of the homestead, is married, and has two children, — Ernest and Early. Mr. Lynch is a man of much ability, a pro- gressive and enterprising agriculturist, and by his untiring energy and application has made life a success in every respect. In poli- tics he is a steadfast Republican, and has served as Highway Commissioner for six years. [^ATHANIEL J. TACKABERRY, who has resided on his fine farm of two hundred acres for the past twenty- three years, was born in the town of Eaton, this county, in 1821. His father, James Tackaberry, was a native of Ireland, where he was born in 1795, and came to this country with his parents when but eleven years of age. The grandfather of our subject was named Nathaniel, and, as nar- rated, came to America from Ireland in 1806, bringing with him his wife and family. His wife's name before marriage was Sarah Neu- sum. They were the parents of four sons and five daughters, and lived to a ripe old age. In 1 818 their son James was united in mar- riage to Ann Belton, also of Ireland, the marriage taking place in the town of Eaton. He was a farmer by occupation ; and he and his wife spent their entire lives in that town, becoming the parents of a family of eight sons and four daughters, of whom our subject was the second child. One son died in infancy, all the rest attaining mature age. They were as follows: Elizabeth, wife of James Bauder, of Canastota; Nathaniel J., our subject; Rob- ert, engaged in the publishing business in Dakota; George, who resides in Canastota; Wesley, a resident of Detroit, Mich. ; Henry, a farmer on the old homestead; John, a bright and intelligent young man, and formerly a teacher in the village of Madison, died at the age of twenty-three, greatly deplored; Mar- garet, widow of Harrison Darrow, resides in Denver, Col., and has five sons; Sarah J., wife of Harlow Hopkins, died in middle life, leaving one son and one daughter; Susanna, wife of James W. Marshall, died when about forty-three years of age in Stockbridge, this county; Samuel, died in 1888, when about fifty years of age, leaving one daughter. He was a preacher in the Methodist church, but in later years of advanced and liberal views. Nathaniel J. Tackaberry was married No- vember 28, 1848, to Miss Ellen Bowers of the town of Eaton. She is a daughter of Isaac and Betsy (Hughs) Bowers,- — the former of whom was from England and the latter from Ireland,^ coming to this country at the age of twelve. Robert Hughs, the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Tackaberry, came to America about 1808. He was a farmer in good circumstances. Mrs. Tackaberry has one living sister, Millie, widow of Samuel Morris, and residing in Cass County, Michi- gan. These two ladies are the only survivors of a family of six daughters and one son. The father died in the prime of life, and 34 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW his widow when sixty-four years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Tackaberry began life as farmers and hop-growers in the town of Eaton, where they owned a good farm. After residing there some time, they sold their farm, and bought another on Quality Hill, known as the Stroud farm, on which they lived three years. They next purchased a thirty-two-acre farm in Canastota Village, residing there two years, and in June, 1869, bought their present farm of two hundred acres, with fair buildings, for seven thousand dollars. This place is two and one-half miles north-west of Canastota, on a good road, and is one of the best and most productive farms in the county. Mr. Tacka- berry, in company with his son Newton, who is his partner, does general farming. They keep a dairy of twenty-four cows, sending the milk to the factory. They let a part of their land for onion-growing. In politics Mr. Tackaberry is a Republican, and has served as Assessor in the town of Eaton. His wife is a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church. They are the parents of five children, two sons and three daughters, as follows : Julia Moffat, who is the mother of two sons, — Milton and De Verne, — and makes her home with her parents; John B., who is a resident of Alpena, Mich., and has one son and two daughters; Libbie G., who is the wife of T. A. Debselle, of Bay City, Mich., and has one daughter; Anna A., who is the wife of Stephen Avery, a merchant and coal dealer of Canastota, and has two daughters; and Newton, who resides at home on the farm. The latter married Grace Van Buren, of Ful- ton; and they are the parents of an infant son. Mr. Tackaberry has for some years been a cripple from rheumatism, but in other respects enjoys good health for one of his years. He and his faithful wife are well known in this part of the county, and are highly respected for their many sterling qualities. Their home is beautifully situated, and is a most charming spot; and here they are passing their later days in comfort and in the loving society of their children and grandchildren. ^ "jCj^LIAS J. THOMAS, a prosperous mill- JPj owner of the village of West Eaton, was born December 13, 1843, in Newtown, Montgomery-shire, Wales, the son of Elias and Eliza (Jones) Thomas, both of whom were born in Wales. The grandfather, Thomas Evan Thomas, — also a native of Wales, — was a spinner by trade. He emigrated to America in 1854, and settled in Utica, N.Y., where he followed his trade until his death. His family consisted of five children, of whom three are now living, namely: John and David, both residing in Utica; and a sister, Mary, who lives in London, England. The grandparents both died when seventy -seven years old. They were good and devoted mem- bers of the Methodist church. The father of our subject was aspinner and weaver by trade. He came to America in 1848, and was joined by his wife and four children a year after his arrival in this coun- try. He first settled in Oneida County, and BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 35 worked at weaving, but afterward moved to the town of Nelson, Madison County, where he bought a farm of one hundred and fifty acres, and carried on general farming. He was an honest, hard-working man, and, be- sides running his farm, made a specialty uf raising full-blooded Durham cattle, his herd consisting of about twenty head. To Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were born seven children, of whom three are now living, namely: Elias J., our subject; Mary E., wife of John E. Lewis; and Anna S., wife of Frank Blair, residing in the town of Nelson. The chil- dren who died were: Sarah, aged twenty-six years; Jane, eleven years; Evan C, nineteen years; and Anna, three years. The father and mother died on their farm in the town of Nelson, aged respectively sixty and seventy- four years. They attended the Baptist church, of which the wife was a devout member. Our subject came to the town of Eaton when he was but nine years of age, was edu- cated in the district school, and when twelve years old began to work in the woollen mills at West Eaton, owned by Captain Smith. He commenced in the card-room, receiving at first only seven dollars and a half per month, and continued to work in this mill until the firm suspended in 1854. He then obtained employ- ment in the various mills along the valley until 1862, when he enlisted under Captain Henry B. Morse in Company D, One Hundred and Four- teenth Regiment, New York Volunteer In- fantry. He fought in several battles, among which were the siege of Port Hudson and Sabine Cross Roads, under General Banks. He was also with Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley. He made a splendid record, and was honor- ably discharged at the close of the war, at Washington, D.C., June 8, 1865. He then returned to his home, and worked at his trade until 1882, when, with his brother-in-law, John E. Lewis, he bought the mill now owned by them, for a description of which see biography of John E. Lewis. Mr. Thomas was married in 1867 to Miss Thirza C. Lewis, who was born in 1845. They have two children. Arthur R., born in 1868, was educated at Cornell preparatory School, and afterward a graduate of the Chi- cago Medical College of Chicago, 111. He is now attending physician of the Cook County (Illinois) Hospital. A daughter, A. Luella, born in 1879, is at home with her parents. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and have a delightful resi- dence in the village. Mr. Thomas is a pleas- ant, agreeable man in social life, liked by his employees, popular as' a citizen, and a thor- ough, energetic Republican in politics, as were also his father and grandfather. AMES L. BOYCE is an extensive and progressive young farmer, who is doing his share in keeping up the reputation of Stockbridge as a prosperous agricultural centre. A native of Canada, he was born in the village of Sydnom, Province of Ontario, November 7, 1858, and is a son of James and Lucinda (Clement) Boyce, who were natives, 36 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW respectively, of New York State and Canada. His mother died in Canada at tlie age of sixty- five years. She was a sincere Christian and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. The father of our subject, a well-known and respected resident of Augusta Centre, was formerly a lumberman. He is a Republican in politics, and stands firmly by the party. He and his good wife reared a family of six children, of whom five are living: Albert, a resident of Frankfort, Cattaraugus County; Walter, of North Dakota ; James L. ; Sarah Ann, a 'resident of Canada; and George, of Oswego County. Elijah was killed by the cars at the age of twenty-eight years. James Boyce lived in Canada until four- teen years of age. He early displayed an active, self-reliant disposition, and became self-supporting at the youthful age of ten years, leaving the shelter of the home roof to work in a shingle factory, thus earning his board and five cents a day. As he grew older, he was ambitious to better his fortunes, and in 1872 sought new fields of labor in the United States. After his arrival he worked out by the month for some time. He was industrious and frugal, and his means accumu- lated until he became more independent; and for several years he has been carrying on farming for himself. He has land in the town of Eaton, but the farm that he lives upon and operates belongs to his wife. He devotes his energies to general farming, and makes a success of every branch of agriculture that he undertakes. He grows hops, and has a good class of stock, having a dairy of four- teen or fifteen fine cows and a flock of thirty sheep of the best breed. The farm, which comprises one hundred and ten acres of land, is kept up to a high standard of cultivation, and is amply provided with substantial, modern buildings that are the best in the vicinity. The marriage of our subject with Miss Mary Diable took place November 4, 1877, and has been blessed to them by the birth of three children, — Amelia, Fred, and George. Mrs. Boyce was born in the town of Stock- bridge. Her father, Isaac Diable, was born in London, England, of which city his pa- rents, John and Sarah Diable, were also natives, but came to America late in life, and spent their last years in Madison County. Isaac Diable came to this country when a young, man, located on the farm where Mr. and Mrs. Boyce now live, and here spent the remainder of his life. His wife's maiden name was Elizabeth Fox. She was also born in London, and was first married to John Diable, a brother of Isaac. She still resides in Madison County. Mr. Boyce has risen to be one of the lead- ing farmers of his district, and is accounted a valuable citizen. In his political views he is a decided Republican. (©JY^VIN V WADSWORTH is descended prominent ancestry on both sides lis family. He was born Octo- ber 4, 1825, in the town of Eaton, and is a son of Harry B. and Esther (Brownell) Wads- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 37 worth, the former of whom was born in the town of Lanesborough, Mass., and the latter in Providence, R.I. Harry B. Wadsworth was a general farmer, and was actively engaged in this occupation until he was sixty years of age. He and his wife reared a family of seven children: Alvin, the subject of this sketch; J. B., who lives at Hatch's Lake; Clarissa A., who was the wife of Silas Chap- man, and died when sixty-four years of age; Susan, who married Austin Hawks, and died at the age of twenty-four; Martha, the wife of Orlando Button; Henry A., who resides in Cortland County; and Hannah A., wife of Asa Pritchard. The father of these children re- sides with his son, Henry A., in Cortland, and is now in his ninety-second year. When his wife died, she was in her eighty-sixth year. She was a member of the Baptist church, as is her husband. In politics he has been a Republican since that party was organized, in i853- Jeremiah Brownell, father of Mrs. Harry B. Wadsworth, was a native of Rhode Island, but removed to Madison County, making the journey by means of teams, — that being then the only way of travel through the country, — and finding his way by following a trail marked by blazed trees. He was among the earliest settlers in the town, and, taking up a large tract of land, erected a log house. He lived upon that farm until his death, which occurred when he was eighty-six years of age, his wife having died when sixty-five years old. They lived in this county during the pioneer days, experiencing all. the hardships and enjoying all the pleasures peculiar to such times in all new countries. The Indians still inhabited this part of the country when they came here, but were usually peacefully disposed, and in many instances proved to be good neighbors and friends. The woods were bountifully supplied with game, which many a time enabled the pioneer to live upon nutri- tious animal food, which would otherwise have been a difficult thing to accomplish. Both Mr. Brownell and his wife were Quakers in religion, and in their lives carried into practice the many beautiful tenets and princi- ples of that sect, which now appears to be so rapidly diminishing in numbers. Asahel Wadsworth, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Connecticut, by occu- pation a farmer, and an early settler in the town of Lebanon. From the time of his settlement in that town he continued to reside therein until he was seventy years of age, when he removed to Onondaga County, and died there when eighty-four years of age, his wife dying at the age of eighty years, both being buried in the same grave. They were members of the old school Baptist church, and in politics he affiliated with the Demo- cratic party. Alvin Wadsworth was reared and educated in the town of Eaton, his education being mainly acquired in the district school. Re- maining at home until he was twenty years of age, he then began life on his own account by working by the month, receiving ten dollars per month for two years, at the end of which time he took up a farm, his first purchase con- 38 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW sisting of fifty acres of land in the town of Nelson. To this original purchase he added from time to time, until he at one time owned two hundred acres, but now owns only one hundred and twenty-five acres, upon which he carries on general farming and dairying, keep- ing from twenty-five to thirty cows. Resid- ing on his farm until 1872, he then removed to the village of West Eaton, though he still conducts his farm, and is making a specialty of raising hay, which crop, according to the statisticians, has become the leading one in the United States. Mr. Wadsworth was mar- ried in 1847 to Lovisa A. Hopkins, who was born in the town of Nelson, March 30, 1823, and was a daughter of Daniel Hopkins. She died June 2, 1862, at the age of thirty-nine, leaving four children, — namely, Lysetna S., Lucinda A., Orrilla M., and Gerry A., — all of whom are married. Mr. Wadsworth was mar- ried the second time January 17, 1863, to Miss Hattie A. Mackin, who was born in Sullivan County, July 27, 1844, and is a daughter of Webster and Caroline Mackin, both of whom were natives of Sullivan County. Mr. Mackin was a wealthy man, owning more than one thousand acres of land and being engaged in lumbering. Disposing of his property, he removed to the town of Nelson, purchased a farm, and was a prominent man there for many years. He and his wife reared a family of five daughters, namely: Emily M., wife of Lucius H. Viele, of South Butler, N.Y.; Hattie A., wife of the subject of this sketch; Sarah C, wife of George G. Gros- venor, of Lebanon, N.Y. ; Alice M., wife of Henry C. Howe, of West Eaton, N.Y. ; and Elizabeth E., wife of Warren J. English, of Buffalo, N.Y. Mr. Mackin died in the vil- lage of Norwich, Chenango County, when sixty-eight years of age, and Mrs. Mackin in the town of Nelson, when fifty-one years old. They were both members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics he was a Republican. By his present wife Mr. Wads- worth has one son, A. DeWitt, born May 8, 1876, and who is at present a student in Col- gate Academy, Hamilton, N.Y. Both Mr. Wadsworth and his wife are active and valuable members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he is a Repub- lican, and in 1875 was elected Assessor. He has filled this position until the present time, with the exception of one term, and was re- elected in the spring of 1893, his present term ending in 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Wads- worth have a beautiful home in the village of West Eaton, are well known people, and highly esteemed by all who know them. ESSE WILSON HALL, a prominent resident and leading jeweller of Caze- novia, where he has been engaged in business for the last twenty-three years, was born in New Berlin, Chenango County, N.Y., November 5, 1850. His father, also named Jesse W., was born in the town of Brookfield, Madison County, in 18 10, and died in Caze- novia in 1874. He was the son of Stephen Russell Hall of the town of Dracut, Middlesex County, Mass., BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 39 who was born in 1766, and married Hannah Wilson, of Rockingham County, New Hamp- shire. She was born in 1768, and was the daughter of Jesse Wilson, a son of Nathaniel. Stephen Russell Hall was converted to the Methodist faith about 1 792 ; and his father, Ephraim Hall, a devout Baptist, was so dis- pleased with his son's apostasy that he dis- carded him. The latter removed to New Hamp- shire, and in 1803 to Brookfield, Madison County, N.Y., removing by team, and bring- ing with him his wife and family, which at the time he left Massachusetts consisted of six children. Three other children were afterward born to them. Four sons and three daughters attained maturity, of whom Jesse W., the father of our subject, was the youngest. Soon after reaching his majority, Jesse W. Hall married Barbara T. Clarke, of Brook- field, a daughter of James and Sarah (Boone) Clarke, both of New Hampshire, and the former of whom was a farmer by occupation, and came to Brookfield with his wife about 1808, settling on Clarke Hill. The father of James Clarke was also named James, and the maiden name of his wife was Barbara Tilling- hast. The marriage of Jesse W. Hall and Barbara T. Clarke occurred in Brookfield in 1832, where he followed his trade of carpenter and millwright for some years, and then moved to New Berlin, where Mrs. Hall died in 1854. Mr. Hall was again married, to Hannah (Brightman) Woodward, widow of Asa Woodward, of Brookfield; and in 1858 they removed to Cazenovia, where for eight years he was steward of the Cazenovia Semi- nary. Her death occurred September 3, 1893, at her home in Cazenovia, when in her sev- enty-third year. She had resided in Caze- novia thirty-five years, and for two years before her death had been an invalid. She left many friends, and was much esteemed as an earnest and sincere Christian woman. Jesse W. Hall is one of three surviving children, a brother, Ephraim Hal), having met his death by drowning at Fitch's Dam, when nineteen years of age. The other two children are: Lovisa, wife of William Ross, of Broome County; and Sarah Jane, wife of Rev. L. C. Queal, D.D., a prominent minis- ter of the Methodist Episcopal church. Our subject received a good education at the Caze- novia Seminary, and in 1869, when in his nineteenth year, began to learn the jeweller's trade with John Greenland, for whom he worked one year, and then six years for W. H. Cruttenden. He resided in Sherburne one year, and in 1878 bought out the estate of John Greenland, then deceased. In his store, which he purchased in 1882, he has done a large and increasing business; for, although crippled in body since a child, he is possessed of intellectual abilities of a high order, is sagacious and enterprising in business mat- ters, and an expert workman at his trade. In fraternal matters he is an Odd Fellow in high standing, and in politics a Republican. That he enjoys the confidence and respect of his fellow-townsmen is attested by the fact that he has served as Town Clerk for fifteen con- secutive years. In 1880 Mr. Hall was married to Miss 40 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Lucy Nichols Bailey, daughter of Lewis and Mariette (Nichols) Bailey, both of Onondaga County. Lewis Bailey was born in Albany County, and died in Syracuse in i860, when in the prime of life. His widow still sur- vives, at the age of sixty-nine, and is active and strong for her years. She resides with Mr. and Mrs. Hall. Mr. Hall is one of the successful and representative business men of Cazenovia; and both he and his estimable wife deservedly hold a high place in the regard of their fellow-citizens, and have the good will of all in the community in which their lot is cast. BI A. PHIPPS, a retired farmer, living on his seven-acre farm in the village of Clockville, upon which he has resided for the past twenty-six years, was born in the town of Thompson, Windham County, Conn., in i8£0. Like his ancestors for many generations back, farming has been his occupa- tion. Jason Phipps, his grandfather, died in Connecticut in May, 1817, when nearly eighty- two years of age. H. Phipps, the father of our subject, was born in the town of Thomp- son, Conn., in August, 1768, and died in Oppenheim, Fulton County, N.Y., in 1850, aged eighty-two. He was the third son of his parents, was a well-to-do farmer, and was one of the five Selectmen who transacted the busi- ness of his town. Besides being a farmer, he was a civil engineer and a skilful surveyor, and stood so high in the estimation of his fellow-men that they sent him to the Legis- lature and elected him a Justice of the Peace, in which latter position he served more than twenty years, this office being then of much more importance and dignity than it is at the present time. He was also a conveyancer. In politics he was first a Federalist and then a Whig. He married Betsy Cloyes, of Fram- ingham, Mass., by whom he had nine chil- dren, seven of whom grew to mature years and four of whom are still living. Of those who have died, Paris M. died in February, 1848, aged forty-six; Elmer C, who was a farmer at Oppenheim, died August 16, 1889, aged eighty-two; and Lewis L., the youngest of the family, died at the age of twenty-one. D. H Phipps, one of those still living, is a well-preserved old man, eighty-six years of age, living in Oneida, N.Y. The boyhood of the subject of this sketch, and also his young manhood up to the time he was twenty years of age, were spent upon his father's farm. He was married first, when twenty-four years old, to Lydia Kibbie, daughter of Eldad Kibbie, of Oppenheim. They had two children, a son and daughter, the son dying when about nineteen years of age, and the daughter being the wife of James G. Messenger, living south of Peterboro, and having two sons and one daughter, one of the sons being a college graduate, and now a stu- dent at the Buffalo Medical College. The daughter was graduated at the age of nineteen, is a fine scholar, and a teacher at Glovers- ville. The mother of these children died in March, i860, at the age of forty-nine; and Mr. Phipps was married the second time to BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 41 Diana Hess, who lived with him twenty years, and died at his present home, April 3, i88c, aged fifty-seven. He was married the third time December 28, 1881, to M. Gena Park- ell, of Clockville, daughter of John T. and Helen Parkell, the former of whom is now in his ninetieth year, strong and healthy for a man of that age, and the latter of whom died in April, 1888, aged eighty years and six months. Mr. and Mrs. Phipps have buried one little girl, who died at the age of five months; and they have two children living, — Alton A., in his seventh year, and Mary Alice, four years old. In politics Mr. Phipps is a Republican, having previously been a Whig. He served as Supervisor of Smithfield five years, and has served as Town Auditor four years in the town of Lenox. Though he never studied law, he has a fine legal mind, and has, by careful reading, gathered together a large fund of legal information; and, had his thoughts been turned in that direction, he would certainly have succeeded. KRANK B. GILL, one of the most prom- inent general farmers of the town of Eaton, belongs to that large class of young men who are manifesting much wisdom in their choice of a calling. In devoting himself to agricultural pursuits, he is following what is not only one of the most useful and honor- able of vocations, but which is at the same time the most independent. Besides general farming, he has been for years interested in the growing of hops and in dairying, two of the most profitable branches of agriculture in the State, which State is admittedly the lead- ing one in the Union in all three lines. Mr. Gill is a son of Sumner Gill, whose biographical sketch appears elsewhere in this volume, and who has for many years been re- garded as one of the leading citizens of Madi- son County. Frank B. Gill was born May 31, 1852, in the town of Smithfield. In his early youth his education was not neglected; for, besides attendance at the district schools, he was a student at the Normal School in Cortland, and afterward took a full course at the Utica Business College. So that he is well prepared for practical life and business in any direction. Remaining at home on the farm until 1876, he then married Rebecca Robinson, who was born in Ireland, and who died June 28, 1888, leaving a son, Edgar Gill, born January 6, 1883. In February, 1 891, Mr. Gill married Miss Kittle L. Cook, who was born in Kenosha, Wis., and is a daughter of Gilbert and Jennie (Jones) Cook, both of whom are now deceased, the former dying in Wisconsin, and the latter in Cazeno- via, N.Y. After the death of her father Miss Cook came with her mother to Cazenovia, where she received an excellent education. About the time of his marriage Mr. Gill purchased his first farm of one hundred and thirty-seven acres, to which he has since added from time to time, until he owns now two hundred and forty acres of land. Upon this fine farm, besides being interested in general farming, he grows about thirty acres of hops, and keeps a large herd of high-grade 42 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Holstein cows, believing this breed to be the best for general dairy purposes. His farm is well improved; and his buildings, which he himself erected, are much superior to the average farm buildings in their commodious- ness and in their substantial construction. In politics Mr. Gill has always been a Demo- crat, is well informed as to his party's poli- cies, principles, and history, and is sound in the faith. Fraternally, he is a member of Morrisville Lodge, No. 658, A. F. & A. M., and also of the Farmers' Grange. Socially, Mr. Gill is a most pleasant and genial gentle- man. He is popular among his fellow-citi- zens, and is highly regarded by all who know him, as is also his wife, who is an intelligent and accomplished lady. They attend the Congregational church in Morrisville, and are prominent in all local matters socially. Edgar D. Gill, another son of Sumner Gill, is a young and enterprising general farmer of the town of Smithfield, owning the old home- stead of one hundred and fifty acres of land. He was born April g, 1861 ; and, after secur- ing such education as was afforded by the dis- trict schools, he attended Cazenovia Seminary, and then took a course in the Syracuse Busi- ness College. Preferring the pursuit of agri- culture to a professional life, he turned his attention to farming, and has ever since been a general farmer, dairyman, and hop-grower, keeping from twenty to twenty-five high-grade Holstein cows, and having from twenty-five to thirty acres of hops. In all three lines he has been eminently successful, and is one of the most prosperous farmers in the county. Mr. Gill was married, November 11, 1891, to Miss Hattie E. Smith, who was born in Rochester, N.Y., July 12, 1871, and is a daughter of Leonard and Cora Smith, well- known people of that city. Mrs. Gill is a member of the Episcopal church. Politi- cally, Mr. Gill is a Democrat, and, frater- nally, is a member of Morrisville Lodge, No. 658, A. F. & A. M. W- LLIAM A. TIFT, a retired farmer, making his home on his farm, was born in Oneida County, March 11, 1833, and is a son of Amazia and Martha (Pierce) Tift, the former of whom resided in Oneida County until 1837, when he removed to Madi- son County, and bought the farm upon which the subject of this sketch now resides, it con- taining sixty acres of land. Amazia Tift was a general farmer, and lived on his farm until his death, at the age of sixty-three years, his wife having died at the age of thirty-four. Both were born in 18 10. He was a success- ful man, and was highly esteemed by all for the general worth of his character and for his ability. In politics he sustained the princi- ples of the Republican party after its organi- zation in 1853. He and his wife reared two sons, William A. and James Alfred, the latter of whom enlisted to fight for the flag of his country in the Tenth New York Cavalry, and was killed when he was about twenty-five years of age. The father of Amazia Tift was Jonathan Tift, a native of Connecticut, who about BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 43 1800 removed with ox-teams to the State of New York, and settled in Oneida County, erecting a log house. Wild beasts and game were at that time abundant; but Mr. Tift was a most successful pioneer hunter, and was thus enabled to protect his domestic animals from the ravages of wild beasts and to supply his table with the best of animal food. Be- sides being a successful hunter, he was also one of the most prominent farmers of his day, and was a mechanic as well, so that he was in every way fitted for an independent life in a new country, being able to do everything needed on the farm and in the shop. In poli- tics he was a Whig, and a most reliable, hon- orable man. He and his wife reared three sons and two daughters, one of the daughters, Lydia A,, being a resident of Waterville. He died suddenly on his farm, at the age of eighty-four, never having been sick a day in his life. His wife died when about eighty years of age. The father of Mrs. Martha Tift, the mother of our subject, was also a native of Connecti- cut, and removed thence to Oneida County, this State, in an early day, there being then no other white man within many miles. By trade he was a cabinet-maker, but was also a farmer. Settling in the woods, he cleared his land, improved a farm, and died thereon when sixty-five years of age. He and his wife reared a family of six children, five being girls, one of whom, Phebe, is now liv- ing in Saginaw, Mich. The rest have all passed away. William A. Tift has resided upon his pres- ent farm ever since being brought to it by his parents. He possesses the genius of many of his ancestors, being a farmer, wagon- maker, carpenter, and jeweller. In politics he is a Republican, but not an office-seeker, nor even radical in his views, holding to the opinion that, no matter what may be the poli- cies and principles of other parties, those policies and principles are in many cases en-> tertained and maintained by honest, patriotic men. Upon his farm he has good buildings, and the farm itself is in a high state of culti- vation. The jewelry business he has carried on for some twenty years, and is exceedingly handy and skilful in the use of tools. Mr. Tift has never married, preferring the state of single blessedness. He is a man not only of genius, but also of high character, and is highly esteemed and has many friends. ^ORMAN B. HILL. This memoir of one of the most prominent and re- spected citizens of Perryville has been furnished by his devoted wife. Mr. Hill was born January 11, 1839, on the home farm in Perryville, N.Y., where he resided until his death, January 8, 1889, aged fifty years. His grandfather, Daniel Hill, was a Revo- lutionary soldier; and his son, John Hill, the father of our subject, was born in New Hart- ford, Oneida County, N.Y., in 1800. He was married in 1824 to Miss Isyphena Annas, who was a native of the town of Nelson, born June 30, 1806. He died September 23, 1879, 44 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW and she October 27, 1887. He held many offices of trust, as Supervisor, Justice of the Peace, and Loan Commissioner. He was a general farmer, and moved to Perryville in 1837, where he farmed about three hundred acres of land. Mr. Hill was one of the fore- most men of the village, and took an active interest in local politics and affairs. He was a Republican, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His family consisted of ten children, of whom six are now living: John W., residing in McPherson, Kan. ; Mason, living in Wisconsin; Flavilla, widow of Captain Charles P. Morey, residing in Buffalo; Isyphena, Mrs. John Haywood, of the town of Sullivan; Webster, living in the town of Fenner; and Nellie, Mrs. M. N. Moot, of Clockville, N.Y. The children who died were: Mary, wife of Q. A. Ballou, at the age of thirty-two years; Nancy, at the age of thirty-eight, wife of H. G. Morey, of Buf- falo, N.Y.; Rosa, wife of Oran F Britt, thirty-four years of age at her death; and Norman B., our subject, whose death we have mentioned above. Norman B. Hill was educated in the dis- trict schools, and remained with and cared for his parents in their last days. He bought the homestead, and carried on general farming in the town of Fenner until his death. He made hop-growing a staple crop, and managed his farm with excellent judgment and success, looking after the field, orchard, buildings, and cattle with watchful perseverance, and keeping the whole place in prime condition. Fortunate in his financial experiments, he was still more so in the blessing of a good and faithful wife. She was Miss Mary Keyes, daughter of Smith and Laney (Doxtater) Keyes, and was born in the town of Mannheim, Herkimer County, N.Y., September 6, 1839, her marriage to Mr. Hill taking place Febru- ary 7, i860. Her father. Smith Keyes, was born in Salisbury, Herkimer County, N.Y., in 1 8 18, and her mother in 1820. Of their two children, Mrs. Hill is the only one liv- ing, her brother, Marks L., having died Au- gust 2, 1878, aged thirty-eight years. Her father and mother are members of the Univer- salist church, and the former is a Democrat. The subject of this sketch filled the office of Supervisor for three years, and that of Justice of the Peace for sixteen years. He was one of the most active men in his locality, taking a strong personal interest in the affairs of his town. A deeply religious man, his life was a testimonial of the true Christian believer. He was a Methodist, and at one time super- intendent of the Sunday-school. Like his father, he was a lifelong Republican, and advocated the principles of his party, both in public and private. He was a Mason in good standing, being a member of Sullivan Lodge, No. 148, A. F. & A. M. The Hill family stand among the first in the vicinity in ancestry, respectability, and prominence; and our subject maintained through all his life the prestige of his hon- orable descent. His death was the cause of great sorrow in his village; and it was hard to believe that, having just attained his half- century, he should be called away in the BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 45 midst of his usefulness. But his friends and family do not forget his deeds of kindness and unselfish life; and, though they mourn their loss, they feel and can say that " Lives nobly ended make the fwiliglits long, And keep in tune God's nightingales of song.'' Mr. Hill's wife and three children survive him. John, residing with his mother on the old farm, and carrying it on in the same prac- tical and progressive manner as did his father, following in the footsteps of that loved pa- rent both in religion and politics, deservedly stands high in the estimation of his fellow-citi- zens. He married Miss Inez Hall, March 2, 1887. She was born in the town of Sullivan. They have one child, Grace Irma, born Feb- ruary 16, 1893. The second son, Fred C. Hill, born in 1863, married Miss Grace Hib- bard, and is a practising lawyer in Owego, Tioga County, N.Y. His politics are Repub- lican, and he is a Baptist in religion. Carrie, the third child, was born in 1864, and was married to Elmer E. Shaut, June 23, 1885. She has one child. Norma Hill Shaut, born January 22, 1889. Mr. Shaut died August 20, 1889, aged twenty-seven years. He was a merchant at Little Falls, N.Y. Mrs. Shaut is a member of the Universalist church. Her husband was a Republican in politics. Mrs. Hill resides on the farm where her husband was born and died, and in the society of her children and grandchildren bears with calm and hopeful resignation the bitter blow she endured in the loss of her husband. Her religion and her faith in Christ make her "still adore the Hand that gave the blow": and her days are not spent in vain retrospec- tion, but in active good for her home and friends. f ■ » RS. JENNETTE A. ROBERTS, widow of the late James Roberts, who was born in 18 19, and died on his farm March 10, 1891, was born at Ridgeville in the town of Sullivan, Madi- son County, in 1822. She is highly con- nected, and is descended from pioneer and patriotic ancestry. Her father, Frederick M. Adams, who was known as Captain Adams, was drafted during the War of 181 2-1 5. Her mother was Persis Bush, a daughter of Deacon Jonathan Bush of New England, who removed to the State of New York at a very early day, and was one of the first settlers in the woods in Sangerfield, Oneida County. This was in 1790. He lived temporarily in a rude log hut until he could find time to erect a stone and frame house a few rods south-east of the present home of the subject of this sketch, which is still standing, and occupied by George Hood. It is on the only rise of ground in the vicinity, and was erected in that place in order that it might be high and dry, and above the wet, swampy land surround- ing it in that early day, but which is now the best land in the county, having been drained by the digging of the eight-mile ditch. Dea- con Jonathan Bush married Persis Terry, of Tarrytown, N.Y., and late in life removed to within two miles of what is now Toledo, 46 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Ohio, selling the farm on which Mrs. Roberts now lives to her father. He spent the re- mainder of his life on his farm near Toledo. Captain Frederick M. Adams was born in Connecticut in 1794, and came from the same place as the ancestors of the late ex-Presi- dent Rutherford B. Hayes, of whom Captain Adams was a cousin. Captain Adams was related also to President John Quincy Adams. Mrs. Roberts is the only surviving member of her father's family of three children, the eld- est of whom, Mary, married Hamilton Cotton, and died in the town of Sullivan, August 22, 1884, when upward of sixty years of age; and the youngest, Byron, died in 1854, aged twenty-seven, — a single man and a farmer. The father of these children died in 1855, aged sixty, his widow surviving him some thirteen years, and dying in 1868, aged seventy-three. He was a farmer, settled in the woods in an early day, and cut down the first tree that was felled in the town in which he located. His brother, J. W. Adams, was the first Presbyterian preacher who settled in Syracuse, there being then but twelve houses in the place. His church was torn down in order to permit the erection of the present fine stone Presbyterian church in that place; and the last timber of the old church was drawn away on the very day that the remains of Rev. J. W. Adams were laid to rest. Mrs. Roberts was married in 1852, when thirty years of age. Previous to this event she had been a most successful teacher in sev- eral schools, the last year in the seminary at Onondaga Valley, having taught ten years in all. During her last year she took the place of a former male teacher in mathematics, astronomy, etc., being a very fine mathematical scholar, notwithstanding she was self-taught in this most important branch of learning. That she was much better qualified than is the ordinary teacher is evident from the fact that she has a State certificate, given her by Judge Barlow. Mrs. Roberts has buried one son, who died in infancy, and has two daugh- ters living, namely: Jennie M., wife of Charles Poland; and Nellie, wife of Peter Standt, at home on the farm, which Mr. Standt is managing and working. Both the daughters are intelligent and well-educated ladies, and are worthy of their mother. Mrs. Roberts, though now seventy-one years old, is healthy and well preserved, both physically and mentally, and has always been a woman of character and of much more than ordinary ability. The life narrative of such a woman is eminently worthy of a place in a work of this kind. B ANIEL H. FULLER. Among those who have been long and prom- inently identified Avith the business and agricultural interests of Madison County is Daniel H. Fuller, the subject of this sketch. He was born in Springfield, Mass., Febru- ary 2, 1828, and is a son of Daniel and Lovisa (Hatch) Fuller, the former of whom was born in Massachusetts, and was among the early settlers of the town of Eaton. There he owned one hundred and nine acres, H. W Carpenter. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 49 and carried on general farming. He and his wife reared a family of six children, three of whom are still living, namely: Daniel H., the subject of this sketch; Helen, who re- sides in the village of Eaton ; and John, who resides in Chicago. Daniel Fuller was a Republican in politics, and he and his wife were members of the Baptist church. He died on his farm at the age of seventy-eight, and she at the age of seventy-one. Daniel Hatch, the father of Mrs. Lovisa Fuller, was also one of the early settlers of the town of Eaton. Daniel H. Fuller was educated at the dis- trict schools, and also at the High School at Eaton. He was brought up on the farm, re- mained with his parents until their death, and now owns the old homestead, upon which he has lived since he was eight years old. He is one of the enterprising farmers of his town, and also one of the most successful. Mr. Fuller was married, in Galesburg, 111., to Emily Watkins, who was born in the State of New York, and who died January 28, 1888, leaving two sons, — Daniel W. , born in 1877, and Albert G., in 1883. Mrs. Fuller was a member of the Congregational church. Mr. Fuller is a member of the Baptist church. In politics he is a Republican, knowing well the history of his party, and believing strongly in its principles and policies, espe- cially in its policy of protection. In his dealings with his fellow-men he has always followed the rules of honesty and integrity. He has always been in favor of all enterprises and movements calculated to promote the progress of mankind, especially their intel- lectual and moral progress, knowing well that in this country the perpetuity of the republic depends upon the character and education of the people. In the more intimate relations of private life he is kind-hearted and benevo- lent, charitable and patient with the erring, always hoping for and expecting better things. Mr. Fuller is an honorable and upright mem- ber of the community, and is widely and fa- vorably known. "irXR. HENRY W. CARPENTER. 1^^^ This well-known and popular gen- C~**-^ tleman is one of the oldest practi- tioners of medicine in Madison County. He was born in Marcy, Oneida County, June 26, 1834, and, like most of the young men there, was brought up to agricultural pursuits. He received his early education at the common schools, alternating his studies with assisting in the work on the farm. The great-grandfather of Dr. Carpenter was Deacon Stephen Carpenter, a Revolutionary soldier of English parentage. He was b9rn in Cheshire, Mass., and died there in 1827. He had taken a prominent part in the struggle of the colonies against the tyranny of Great Britain, and fought bravely under the banner of liberty. The following item, taken from the "History of Cheshire, Mass.," illustrates in part his experiences: "Lieutenant Amos Prindie of Captain Brown's company stood side by side with Deacon Stephen Carpenter of New Providence, when the latter saw a 5° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW man behinJ the Tory breastworks raise his gun, take aim, and fire at Prindle, who fell dead at the feet of Carpenter, The next in- stant Carpenter had sent a shot crashing through the brain of the Tory, and saw him fall. Then the battle swept on, hiding the enemy from view. On going over the field next day, Carpenter found, as he expected, the next-door neighbor of Prindle, an avowed Tory, stretched in death on the field with the slain. His retribution had been swift and sure, and he must have met his victim ere he left the battlefield." George W. Carpenter, son of Deacon Stephen and grandfather of our subject, was born in Cheshire, Mass., June 8, 1780. He grew up a farmer, and married in Massachu- setts Miss Mary Horton, who was a native of Scituate, R.I. After their marriage, and in an early day, George W. Carpenter, with his young bride, emigrated to the Empire State, and settled in Marcy, Oneida County, where he died at about the age of thirty. His widow was afterward married to Asa Crane, with whom she lived happily for many years, Mr. Crane dying at the age of ninety-four, and Mrs. Crane when ninety-three. They were much respected, and had many friends in Oneida County. Albert Carpenter, the father of Dr. Car- penter, was born and reared on a farm in Oneida County near Whitesboro, and died in middle life, at forty-eight years of age. His wife, the mother of our subject, was of Scotch parentage, and lived to the age of sixty-fiv^ years. They had four children, namely: George W., a banker in Fargo, Dak.; Henry W. ; Deloss A., who resides in Rome, N.Y.; and Anjy J., Mrs. Kirkland, living in Forest Port, N.Y. At the age of seventeen Henry W. Car- penter began to teach school, and during his third term, while in Rome, entered upon the study of medicine with Dr. Sturdevant of that place. From there he went, in the fall of 1856, to Ann Arbor, Mich., where he at- tended a course of lectures, and in the follow- ing spring went to Holland Patent, in which place he continued his medical studies with Dr. Crane, later taking a course of medicine at Albany. In 1857-58 he attended the Uni- versity of. the City of New York, where he was graduated with the class of 1858, and soon after entered upon the practice of his profes- sion, forming a partnership, July 24, 1858, with Dr. Crane that lasted four years. Dur- ing the Civil War he served as Assistant Surgeon of the One Hundred and Seventeenth New York Infantry, and later received his commission as Surgeon from Governor Sey- mour. He also served as Acting Brigade Surgeon, and was President of a Medical Examining Board. When peace was declared, he returned home, and settled in Oneida in March, 1865, since which time he has built up a large and lucrative practice, extending over a considerable amount of territory. It is as an expert in cases of surgery that the Doctor has achieved his greatest reputa- tion, being often called in consultation in diificult cases from far distant points in the State. He is a member of the County, State, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW SI and National and International Medical So- cieties, and has served as President and Vice- President of the County Society. For six years he was Coroner of the county, and in 1874 was elected Member of the Assembly. He stands high in the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Doric Chapter of Oneida and Commandery No. 45 of Rome, N.Y. He has also been Village Trustee and President. He is active in Grand Army affairs, is deeply interested in the welfare of the veterans, and was on the staff of State Commander General Harrison Clark, and in 1890 was elected Medical Director of the State. Dr. Carpenter first married Miss Augusta L. Rollo, who died, leaving one daughter, Mrs. Frederick Cheney, of Oneida. About two years after the death of his first wife he married her sister, Miss Emma L. Rollo. Mrs. Carpenter is a lady of true womanly qualities and social virtues, and shares largely her husband's popularity, having many friends throughout the county. Dr. Carpenter has attained his present position solely by his own natural ability, persevering application, and earnest, conscientious work. He is an expert in his profession, and a most genial gentleman personally, his social quali- ties having procured for him hosts of friends in all parts of the county and elsewhere. He is, besides, a public-spirited man, who has done his share toward the building up and prosperity of his village, having erected two substantial business blocks in addition to the handsome residence in which he resides. In every position of trust this gentleman has held his integrity has been unquestioned and his success assured. Owing to his kind heart and genial qualities, he is a favorite in the sick-room. Sympathizing with his patients, they feel his presence a healing balm, and long remember his gentle ministrations and the skill that, with God's blessing, raised them from a bed of sickness and pain to a life of healthful activity. The fine portrait of Dr. Carpenter which is presented in connec- tion with this sketch will be appreciated by all with whom he has come into contact, and forms a valuable addition to this work as a graphic representation of one of the leading members of the learned professions in Madi- son County. Ji AVID R. WARREN, a well-known farmer, residing on his farm in School District No. 12, town of De Ruyter, was born in this town, December i, 1 83 1. His father was Isaac Warren, a native of the State of Connecticut, where he was born January 22, 1793. The father of Isaac Warren, also named Isaac, was a prominent -and well-to-do Connecticut farmer, and a pub- lic man, holding the office of County Treas- urer. He came to the town of De Ruyter about 1 8 10, and had a family of six sons and two daughters, all now deceased. The last survivor was Eunice, widow of a Mr. Thomp- son. She was a resident of the New England States, and died in 1891, when about ninety- seven years of age, retaining great mental activity to the last. Eli died at Shedd's 52 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Corners about 1889, and when about seventy- eight years old. The name of the other daughter was Roxie, and the names of the sons besides Eli were: Benjamin; Oliver; Isaac, the father of our subject; George; and Dura. The father of these children was twice married. Although at one time well-to-do, he lost heavily through acting as bondsman for friends, and at his death left but a small estate. He lies at rest* at Shedd's Corners. His son, Isaac, was reared to farm life, and married Phebe Ring, daughter of David Ring, of Nantucket, where her mother, Ruth Bunker, was born, being the first white child born c5n the island. David Ring was born June 22, 1769, and died in De Ruyter in May, 1850, his wife having preceded him to the "silent land" six weeks earlier, at the age of eighty-two, her death occurring in the same town. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Warren lost one daughter, who died at the age of five, and reared three sons and four daughters, of whom the subject of this sketch was the sixth child and youngest son. All but three are now living. Charles died at Syracuse in 1883, in his sixty-third year. Phebe Ann, wife of Lorenzo Wilson, died in Iowa, when past seventy. Job A. is a farmer in this vicinity, married, and has a large family. Two sisters are residing in Pennsylvania, and one in Michigan. David .R. Warren was reared to farm life and agricultural pursuits, and accustomed to hard labor from his boyhood. He attended school on Quaker Hill during the winters, and acquired a fair common-school education. He remained at home until the age of twenty- five, at which time he was married, August 3, 1856, to Esther A. Breed, daughter of Aurelius Breed. She bore her husband two sons. Almond Deforest is a farmer on his three-hundred-and-forty-acre farm, and a Jus- tice of the Peace. He was born in 1857, and married in 1879 to Alice L. Maxson, daughter of Franklin Maxson. They have two sons and "one daughter, namel}'^: David Almond, born in May, 1883; Bertha A., in February, 1885; and Ora M., in July, 1893. Henry G. Warren, the second son, is a farmer near this place, and has a wife and three sons, — Levi E., David H., and Claud. Mrs. Warren died in her fiftieth year, in March, 1887. She was a true and faithful wife, a loving companion to her husband and a good mother to her children. Our subject served in the Civil War, en- listing in 1864 in the Ninety-seventh Penn- sylvania Infantry. He was in the service a little less than a year; but the hardship and exposure, forced marches, and an attack of chills and fever had a very injurious effect upon his health, and he left the army in very poor physical condition. He now receives a pension of twelve dollars per month. Mr. Warren comes of good pioneer stock, both his father and grandfather having cleared farms, and is industrious and persevering by nature. He stands high in the estimation of his fellow-men for his true worth of character, and belongs to that class of citizens that are both a help and honor to their own commu- nities and the glory of our common country. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 53 RVILLE J. TUCKER, a successful manufacturer of cheese at Mile Strip in the town of Lenox, is descended from pioneer ancestry, and is a worthy repre- sentative of those who have preceded him. He was born within one mile of his present home, in 1840, and, though fifty-three years of age, is yet comparatively young, and a hard-working, honest man. His father, Lester Tucker, was born at the same place, May 22, 1806, and died in March, 1888. He was a son of James Tucker, of Massachusetts, who settled in 1802 on the farm upon which the subject of this sketch was born, and died about 1850, aged eighty-four. He married Tabitha Haven, of Massachu- setts, who taught the first school in Smithfield, when she was sixteen years old, and mar- ried James Tucker the same year, he being at the time thirty-two. They reared seven sons and two daughters, of whom Lester, the father of our subject, was the third child. All of them lived to old age but one, Sylvester, who enlisted early during the late Civil War to defend the flag of his country, and after a service of about two years was probably killed at the second battle of Bull Run, as he was never heard of afterward. Lester Tucker married Mary Ward, who was born March 11, 1809, their marriage tak- ing place about' 1832. They immediately settled on the old homestead, and lived there until her death, which occurred in the spring of 1 841, when she was thirty-two years old, and when the subject of this sketch was an infant. She left four children, namely: Fi- delia, wife of Samuel Curtis, a farmer of Ohio; Harriet, wife of Albert Freeman, also a farmer of Ohio; Jeanette, wife of Ford Potter, living in Onondaga; and Orville J., the subject of this sketch. Lester Tucker was afterward married to Lucy Cranson, who bore him two children, namely: Flavelle, wife of Myron Allen, of Onondaga County; and Edgar, a cheese manufacturer of Ohio. Orville J. Tucker was reared to farm life and labor, and to habits of industry and econ- omy, to which it is doubtless permissible to accord the success which he has met in life. His education was received first in the district school, and later in Peterboro Acad- emy. While he was in full sympathy with the government in its struggle with armed treason and rebellion, yet he did not enlist in the army, but paid ^1,000 for the privilege of remaining at home, and married the girl he loved, Sarah Chapman, daughter of Cyrus and Mary (Bigelow) Chapman, the former of whom was from Connecticut, and the latter from Otsego County, New York. Mr. Chap- man was a wagon-maker, who, when thirty years old, a single man, came from New Eng- land, and was married in Worcester, N.Y. Mr. and Mrs. Chapman were the parents of seven children, of whom Mrs. Tucker was the youngest. All are living but two. Mr. Chapman died in 1872, aged seventy-five, a highly esteemed and honored citizen; and his widow died in 1885, aged seventy-eight, equally honored and esteemed. Mr. and Mrs. Tucker lost their eldest son, Wilson, aged seventeen, and their eldest 54 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW daughter, Mary, aged twenty-one, they dying within three weeks of each other, in 1889, from "la grippe." Both were unusually bright and intelligent, the daughter teaching school at sixteen years of age, and wearing her young life out in the work, or perhaps, rather, reducing her strength to such a degree that, when that mysterious disease fastened itself upon her, she was too frail to resist its ravages. It was said of her a short time after her death: "Truly, 'death loves a shining mark ! ' Hers was one of those rare, sweet, amiable dispositions, ever sacrificing her own pleasures for others' comfort; one who would rather suffer wrong than do it; an earnest, loyal Christian, — ever active in the welfare of the church and Sabbath-school, of which she was a devoted and faithful member. The universal love and esteem with which she was regarded were manifested by the large attend- ance at her funeral ; and the tearful faces of her large Sabbath-school class, as they passed reverently around her lifeless form and laid their delicate floral offerings upon the pure white casket, spoke more than words of her worth and influence. She leaves the fra- grance of a beautiful life; and her memory will be a benediction to the home in which she lived, to the large circle of young people which she adorned, and to whom she was ardently attached, — an example of a true Christian spirit, — as also to the church of which she was a faithful and loyal member." Mr. and Mrs. Tucker have four children living, namely: Lucia, a young lady, at home.; Arthur, a young man of eighteen, on the home farm; Irwin, fifteen years of age; and Nellie, an attractive and bright miss of twelve years. In politics Mr. Tucker has been a Republican, but has strong temperance pro- clivities. In 1889 he removed to his present home, remodelling an old building into a cheese factory, which he is successfully man- aging for the benefit of his patrons, and mak- ing from three to four tons of cheese per month. Mr. Tucker is a thoroughly honest manufacturer, and the cheese he makes finds a ready sale at good prices. In business, in politics, in religion, and in character he is a thoroughly reliable, honorable, model man. More than this need not be said. AMES LOWE, a prosperous and enter- prising hardware merchant, residing in Munnsville, is a worthy representative of the progressive element of Madison County, and a self-made man in every sense applied to the term. He is a native of England, born in Norfolk County, January 26, 1838, and is a son of Thomas and Martha Lowe, both of whom were born in England. Thomas Lowe was for many years a shepherd in his own country, on a large farm known as the Quaker Wright estate. He remained thus engaged until 1850, when, accompanied by his family, he emigrated to America, landing in Quebec after a long and tedious journey of eight weeks and five days. He at once proceeded to Stockbridge, and soon after secured work in the Mathison Lime Works. He subse- quently turned his attention to agriculture. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 55 and later bought a farm, upon which he spent his last years. He was twice married. His first wife, mother of our subject, died in Eng- land, when about thirty years of age; and his second wife died in Oneida, at the age of seventy-two years. Both he and his wife were esteemed members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he affiliated with the Republican party. He reared a fam- ily of seven children, five of whom are living: John Lowe, who resides in Siloam; James, the subject of our sketch ; Charles and Wal- ter, residents of Oneida; and Sarah E., widow of Norvill Tefft, who also lives in Oneida. James Lowe, the subject of this brief sketch, was a lad of twelve years when he came with the family to America. His early education, which was obtained in England, was further advanced by attendance at the dis- trict schools of Munnsville and Smithfield. He was an energetic, active youth, and at the age of thirteen years began to earn his own living, working first with a Mir. Hazeltine, a tanner and currier. He afterward went to Chenango County, and secured a position in the tannery of Hiram Smith, of Norwich, and proved himself so faithful and capable that he was promoted to superintendent, remaining there five years. Having accumulated quite a sum of money, he next bought a tannery in a place called Gray Brooks, but was unfortu- nate, and not only lost his hard-earned sav- ings, but became so deeply indebted that the succeeding three years were spent in paying his liabilities. In i860 he became agent for a publishing house, and travelled on the road, selling books, for three years. Mr. Lowe then signed a contract to furnish the Auburn State Prison with plain wood and timber for a term of years. At the expiration of that time he came to Munnsville, and for the following three years was engaged as a butcher; but, preferring some other occupation, he entered the mercantile business, and for several years dealt in furniture and jewelry. Dropping the former, he substituted hardware, and has since added other commodities, and now oper- ates a general store, carrying a stock valued at from seven thousand to ten thousand dol- lars, with sales aggregating from twenty thou- sand to thirty thousand dollars per year. In 1889 Mr. Lowe formed a partnership with his son-in-law, Henry Freeman, under the firm name of Lowe & Freeman; and, in addition to their other business, the firm deal largely in hides and wool, doing a business each year amounting to about sixty thousand dollars. Mr. Lowe is a man of fine business ability, honorable and upright in all his transactions, public-spirited and liberal, and is much in- terested in the welfare and progress of his community. In politics he is an influential member of the Republican party, and has served several years as School Director and Church Trustee. Our subject v/as united in marriage April 19, 1859, to Hannah Hostler. She was born in England, and came to America when twelve years of age with her parents, E. J. and Martha Hostler. Her father, who was born in England in 18 17, is living in S6 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Oquawka, Henderson County, I]l.;bu-t Mrs. Hostler died when about thirty-six years of age. They had a family of eight girls, only two of whom are now living, — Mrs. Lowe, and Jennie, Mrs. Devore, who lives in Bur- lington, la. To Mr. and Mrs. Lowe have been born two children. Charles H. S., who is a jeweller, living in Michigan, married Cecil Searles, of Syracuse, and has three chil- dren, — George, Harry, and Ena. Ada is the wife of Henry Freeman; and they have one child, Edith. LIVER B. YORK was born in Co- lumbus, Chenango County, N.Y., September 24, 1823. His grand- father, John York, went from Rhode Island to New York State when quite a young man, settling in the town of Brookfield in the later years of the last century. It was the same story of hardships and adventures that all the pioneers underwent. A team of oxen and a wagon loaded with household goods and the family journeyed from old New England into the depths of the forest, and there by the labor of their hands made a clearing and built a home to shelter them. Everything consumed by the household had to be produced on the farm; and, when they went to the nearest market, which was at Albany, there was many a weary mile to plod and many a hazard to run before the trip was accomplished. The mother had all the work of the house to do, besides card- ing, weaving, and making the clothing for the boys and girls growing up in the home. The children born to this couple were John, Pattie, Marita, David, Orilla, and Wheeler. The father of our subject, John York, was only sixteen years of age when his father died, and in company with the mother as- sisted bravely in keeping the home together. Later in life she went to Chautauqua County, where she lived and died at the home of one of her sons. The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Nancy Breed; and she was a native of Oswego County, New York. To herself and husband were born the following- named children: Nancy M., Gracia, Lucy M., Oliver B., Priscilla O., John Henry, Juliette, Delia M., and John A. The mother died in the town of Brookfield, N.Y. Oliver B. York made the best use of the educational advantages of the public schools, and was early instilled in a knowledge of farming. At the age of twenty-two he left home, and learned the carriage-making trade with J. Lines, of Edmeston, Otsego County, N.Y At the end of the first year he married Miss Mary Lines, a sister of Mr. Lines, and for twelve years was a partner of his brother- in-law. He then sold out, and entered the employment of Mr. Lines as foreman, but was practically the head of the concern, super- intending all its affairs for twenty-one years. During this time he was elected to the office of Town Clerk, and after the first year, owing to the great satisfaction he gave, was re- elected for seven successive years. He was also appointed Enrolling Officer, as it was during the Civil War, and Deputy Provost- Marshal. After his removal back to the town BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 57 of Brookfield he bought a farm, where he has since resided. An excellent piece of work which he did was the making of a record of all the men who served in the war from the town. This entailed a large amount of labor, as each family had to be visited and every fact relative to them written out. So careful and painstaking was the work that, when finished, it was said to be one of the most correctly compiled of any in the country, and won the highest commendation from the officers of the government. Mr. York was married at the age of twenty- two ; and the domestic happiness of himself and wife has been made perfect by the birth of five children, — J. Henry, Gracia G., Har- riet O., Charles O., and Frank H. They have only one cloud in their happy life, and that is that Mrs. York is a confirmed invalid. Mr. York has been a member of the Indepen- dent Order of Odd Fellows for many years, and in his religious views is a Methodist. He has been Excise Commissioner for sev- eral years, and uniformly votes the Repub- lican ticket. For many years he was a mechanic, but, when he began farming, made up his mind to be as foremost and perfect in that line as in every other he had been en- gaged. He read up thoroughly in all things pertaining to agriculture, giving every labor- saving device a" good trial, and has been looked upon as a model farmer. He does not hesitate to depart from the beaten track when he finds a newer style better, and has proven himself a master of his vocation. Although seventy years of age, he bears his years lightly, and is able to read without glasses. The children of Mr. and Mrs. York married as follows: J. Henry, now of North Brook- field, is a hop-raiser, and married Nettie, daughter of John and Rebecca Morgan. They have three children, — -Burt, Lula, and Clay. A more extended sketch of J. Henry York appears elsewhere in this work. Gracia G. married Mr. O. M. Hurlbutt, a blacksmith, lives in Morris, Otsego County, N.Y., and has one child, — • Georgia M. Charles O. is a cheese-maker, and runs the factory located in Brookfield. His wife was Miss Adelphi Bailey, daughter of Mylo and Mary Jane Bailey. They have four children, — Mary, Mabel, John, and Meda. Harriet O. is the wife of T. P. Stanbro, a farmer in Brookfield ; and they have two children, — -Charlie and Ora. Frank H. married Miss Earnestine Aldrich. He is a carriage-maker, living in Otsego County. They have six children, — Anna, Flora, Mary, Harry, Lee, and Hattie. ■J^ORMAN L. WEBBER. Few among the farmers and agriculturists of Mad- ison County are more widely known or better esteemed than he whose name ap- pears above. He has resided upon his fine one-hundred-and-forty-five-acre farm in Dis- trict No. 6, town of Cazenovia, since 1866, and during that time has occupied a leading place among the representative men of his calling in the county. He was born in this town, one mile south of Woodstock, May 22, 1818, and is a son of 58 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Deacon Elisha Webber, a native of the old Bay State, born there about i TJJ, and died at the birthplace of Jiis son, our subject, in 1848. The maiden name of his wife was Polly Parker, the date of her nativity being Septem- ber 23, 1779. They were married in Massa- chusetts, August II, 1802, and soon after, getting together their worldly goods, set out with an ox-team for New York State. On their arrival here Mr. Webber purchased fifty acres, principally timber land, from the Fri- zells, paying for this about ten dollars per acre. He was a powder-maker by trade, but followed farming in Cazenovia, and, after making his original purchase, bought thirty acres more on the De Ruyter line. He and his wife became the parents of eleven chil- dren, six sons and five daughters, of whom our subject was the youngest son and ninth child, and is the last survivor. The mother of these children, after a life of usefulness and faithful toil in behalf of her family, passed away December 27, 1861. She and her husband lie at rest in Woodstock Ceme- tery, where most of their children are also sleeping. These children were: Elmina, wife of Nathan Judson, died in Illinois, November 6, 1876, when seventy-three years of age; Arthuse, wife of William Moffatt, died near Woodstock, September 27, 1842, at the age of thirty-five; Clement, died at the old home in 1848, when forty-three; Chandler, died at the home of our subject in 1886, in his seventy-eighth year; Keziah, wife of Parmenus Ainsworth, passed away October 16, 1847, when but thirty-six years old; Clinton and Jonathan, both died in early life; Abel A., died near Woodstock in 1878, at the age of fifty-two; Norman L., our subject; Delocia, wife of Aaron Van Antwerp, passed away from earthly scenes in Onondaga County, and found a resting-place at Vesper, about 1856, when in her thirty-seventh year; De- rinda, wife of William Hall, died in Alle- gany County in 1858, at the age of thirty- seven. The members of this family who arrived at maturity all left families of from one to seven children. The original of thisi»sketch attended school in early youth, and learned to read, write, and cipher. He lived at home on the farm, where he was married June 6, 1844, to Prenellipa Scott, of Nelson. She died in the prime of life, October 2, 1853. Of this union there were two children: Lydia Augusta, who died at the- early age of three years; and Nor- man Elisha, who is unmarried, and is now forty years old. Mr. Webber was again mar- ried May 25, 1854, to Jane Ackley, of Che- nango County, daughter of Chauncey and Lucinda W. (Irish) Ackley, the former of whom was a farmer in the town of Lincklaen, Chenango County. Both died many years ago, the former at Lincklaen in 1875, ^^d the latter at Woodstock in 1859. .Mrs. Webber has one brother, Amial J. Ackley, now residing at Union City, Mich. He was a soldier in the Civil War, serving three years, and was wounded in the hip, besides suffering a severe sunstroke. She has also a sister, Mary Ann, wife of Mr. Nettleton, of Waseca County, Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. Webber have lost BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 59 one daughter, Mary A., who died in Caze- novia, when six years old. She was a sweet little girl ; and it was of such the Master said, "Suffer little children to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." A son, Lucian A., died in Elmira, November 15, 1886, at the age of twenty-six. He was a young man of noble character; and his death was a severe bereavement to his parents, and was deeply deplored by his many friends. Another son, James C, married Cora J. Hunt, of New Woodstock. They reside on the home farm, and have two children: Nina Maud, a bright, intelligent girl of ten; and Norman Luther, a fun-loving boy of eight years, and namesake of his two grandfathers. Mr. Webber is a Republican in politics, and has served as Highway Commissioner. In 1843 he, became interested in religious matters, and surrendered his heart into the keeping of his divine Master. With his wife, he has been for many years a member of the Second Baptist Church of the village of Caze- novia, and for forty years has served as deacon. He has always tried so to live that at the last great day he may hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." He is now retired from active business, having com- mitted his farming interests into the hands of his two sons, but still helps to some extent on the farm. He has lived a useful and active life, and is still quite strong and fairly active, as may also be said of his faithful wife. They are living cosily at their new dwelling on the farm, near the old house occupied by their married son, and are regarded by their many friends throughout the county as people of sterling worth and integrity, occupying a warm place in the hearts of all who know them. "inxARWIN B. AND FRANK B. I ^Tj MORSE, under the firm name of i""*-^ Morse Brothers, are among the lead- ing merchants in the village of Eaton. The mercantile trade, or business, dealing as it does in a great variety of articles brought from great distances, is one with which civil- ized society would find it impossible to dis- pense, and, like agriculture and manufactur- ing, distinguishes peoples who have passed up out of the barbarous and, it may perhaps be correct to say, the bucolic state of ex- istence. Darwin B. Morse, the senior member of this prosperous firm, was born August 7, 1837, and Frank B. Morse March 14, 1843, both in Onondaga County. They are sons of Bigelow Morse, who was born in the town of Eaton, but who removed to Onondaga County, where he engaged in business, and where he died at the age of forty-two years. The maiden name of his wife was Patience Kent. She was born in 1808, and died in 1879; while Bigelow Morse was born in 1804, and died in 1846. Both were members of the Baptist church, and Mr. Morse was a Whig in politics. Darwin B. Morse has continuously resided in the village of Eaton since his father's death. Upon commencing life on his own account, he worked for six months for 6o BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW twenty dollars; and in 1871 he and his 'brother, Frank B., began business for them- selves in the village of Eaton, buying the store and good will of C. W. Burritt. He was married in 1870 to Ellen M. Ford, who was born in the town of Eaton. To this mar- riage have been born two children: Clara E., born in 1874; and Hattie G., in 1883, — both living at home. Mr. and Mrs. Morse are members of the Baptist church, and in poli- tics Mr. Morse is a Republican. Frank B. Morse, the junior member of the firm of Morse Brothers, was educated in the Union Schools of Eaton and Hamilton, and, upon starting out in life for himself, began clerking in the store which he and his brother now own. He was married in 1870 to Hattie Short, who is a native of the town of Eaton. They have one son, Chester D., born in 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Morse are members of the Bap- tist church, and are people well thought of in the social world. Frank B. Morse has been somewhat of a politician, has always been popular, and has given satisfaction to the people in the offices which he has filled. In 1 87 1 he was appointed Postmaster under the administration of President Grant, and served until 1885, when the change to a Democratic administration resulted in his retirement. In 1889 he was again appointed under the administration of President Harrison, and at this writing (September, 1893) still retains the position. He also served as Town Clerk several years. The firm of Morse Brothers is among the best business firms in the village of Eaton. They carry a complete line of groceries, and also everything that is expected in a general store. Their stock will usually invoice about seven thousand dollars, and their annual sales amount to from fifteen thousand dollars to eighteen thousand dollars. The success with which they have met is based upon strictly honorable business methods, and upon their uniform politeness and courtesy to their pa- trons. These are essential to the proper con- duct of any business, and all who patronize the firm of Morse Brothers know that in their establishment they can rely upon being fairly and pleasantly treated. M ANIEL KEATING. In a land of g. m liberty, where ever}' man is a sover- eign in his right of manhood, and wield's Freedom's sceptre, a free ballot, it is of the highest importance that the native intelligence should be of a high standard, and that education, supplemented by moral train- ing, should be widely and generally diffused. In no other way can those ideal results, planned by the founders of our government and claimed to peculiarly and exclusively ap- pertain to republican institutions, be obtained. The proper education of youth is, therefore, the primary and most important consideration of every republic, and the calling of a teacher second to none in utility, necessity, and honor. Among those who occupy a leading place in the ranks of this honorable profession in Madison County is our subject, Daniel Keat- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 6i ing. He was born about two miles north of the village of Cazenovia, November 21, 1854. His father was Maurice Keating, a native of County Kerry, Ireland, where he was born August I, 1820. He was a son of James Keating, of the same place, who was born in 1784, and died in the Quarantine Hospital, New York City, just after his arrival from Ireland, his fate being like that of Moses, — to see the promised land, but not to enter therein. He was a tailor by trade, and a tenant farmer and dairyman. His wife was Johanna Sullivan; and they became the pa- rents of three sons and five daughters, all but one of whom, a daughter, attained maturity. The mother of these children died in Ireland in 1842. ' Maurice Keating, the father of our subject, was the eldest of this family, and in 1849, when twenty - nine years of age, came to America on a sailing-vessel, the voyage be- tween Liverpool and New York occupying forty-two days. On his arrival he found him- self with little more than enough" money to pay his expenses to Troy, where, however, he soon found employment by the month. He worked some years for wages, and was married in 1853 to Miss Mary Bagley, who was born in his native county, and came over with her mother and stepfather in 1842. Mr. and Mrs. Keating soon began for themselves, and by industry and frugality have secured a pleasant home about one mile west of Chit- tenango Falls. The mother of our subject is a woman of rare intelligence, and, notwith- standing the demands upon her physical powers by the care of a large family, is still very healthy and active. To Maurice Keat- ing and his wife, Mary, were born twelve children, of whom four sons and two daugh- ters are now living, our subject being the eldest. Mr. and Mrs. Keating take an active part in everything calculated to promote the edu- cational interests and material prosperity of their town and county, and are looked upon as among the leading and representative citizens of Canastota. Daniel Keating was reared to habits of industry and inured to hard labor on his father's farm until his twentieth year, when a thirst for knowledge impelled him to seek a better education, in which ambition his parents encouraged him, and assisted him to the best of their ability, although having themselves but a limited schooling. He re- ceived his primary education in the public schools, and later attended Cazenovia Semi- nary, making his first essay in his chosen pro- fession when in his twenty-third year. Since then he has made school work his business during each winter and for much of the time in summer. He was first elected to the office of School Commissioner some six years ago, in a hotly contested triangular fight, he, a Democrat in a Republican district, receiving a handsome majority over the Republican and Prohibition nominees. His second term was secured by a still larger majority, — some eight hundred votes. He has made a most efficient officer thus far, and perhaps some of his success may be due to the sympathetic co- 62 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW labor of his talented and amiable wife. He was married November 25, 1891, to Miss Ida L. Griffin, of Oswego County, New York, daughter of Henry L. and Lovina (Oilman) Griffin, of Jefferson County. She was edu- cated at Mexico, Oswego County, and at the Oswego Normal School, commencing to teach when seventeen years of age, which occupa- tion she followed until subsequent to her mar- riage to Mr. Keating. She was eminently successful in her calling, and enjoys the dis- tinction of being the first lady School Com- missioner elected in the State of New York. Her father, Henry L. Griffin, was a ship- carpenter and farmer, and died at his home near Mexico, in 1875, when fifty-four years of age. He was a soldier in the Civil War, enlisting as a volunteer from Sackett's Har- bor, and serving two years. The exposure and hardships incident to camp life greatly impaired his health, and led to his early death. He left a widow and two children, namely: H. M. Griffin, a miller, of Mexico, N.Y.; and Mrs. Keating. Mrs. Griffin died' in March, 1893, when sixty-six years of age. Enoch Griffin, the father of Henry L., was a native of New Hampshire, and married Eu- nice Thornton, of Vermont; and they came to Jefferson County in an early day. John Oilman, the father of Lovina Griffin, was born in Jefferson County in the year 1800, and in his thirty-fifth year joined the little company of men, and marched away to free Canada from British rule. At their first battle all were taken prisoners, and sent to Van Dieman's Land for life. John Oilman was pardoned after eight years, and, after many hardships in the gold mines of Aus- tralia, finally came home, after seventeen years' absence. Ye)UCIUS C. PALMER is a worthy rep- lel resentative of one of the pioneer "^ ^ families of Madison County, New York. He was born in the town of Tully, Onondaga County, N.Y., April 11, 1819. His grandfather and father were both born in Massachusetts, and came to New York State in the early manhood of the father, being among the first settlers of Onondaga County. Solomon Palmer, the father of our subject, was married in Massachusetts to Miss Susan Eldridge, whose birthplace was in Rhode Island. They came first to Tully, where Lucius was born, afterward removed to Vi- enna, Oneida County, and were there only a short time, when the father was accidentally killed, in the year 1821, while felling a tree. The widow married Augustus Elmore, and in her last years lived with a daughter near Utica, N.Y. Our subject was a twin, and was only two years old at the death of his father. Until twelve years of age he lived with the family of Charles Marsden, in the town of Vienna, N.Y.; and at the death of Mr. Marsden, which occurred at this time, he returned to his mother and stepfather. When he was fourteen years old, he commenced to learn the trade of shoemaking, also tanning and curry- ing, serving for four years as an apprentice, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 63 then did journeyman work for two or three years, and afterward worked at the shoe- maker's trade in Rome, N.Y., until 1846. Going from there to Oneida, he engaged in the same trade until 1873. Having great natural taste as a landscape gardener, Mr. Palmer in 1855 was given the charge of the village cemetery, which he beautified and tended so faithfully that, when the new one, Glenwood, was opened, he received the ap- pointment of being its care-taker also. His exquisite taste and unremitting attention have made these "hallowed places" most attractive spots; and their quiet beauty po- tently serves to mitigate the horror and repul- sion naturally felt by bereaved ones in laying away their beloved in these "cities of the dead." He has a record of all the burials in the two cemeteries since 1857. In 1839 Mr. Palmer was married to Miss Emeline Sturte- vant, who was a native of Verona, Oneida County, and the daughter of Cephus and Elizabeth (Lawrence) Sturtevant. She died in June, 1888, leaving four children; namely, Sarah, Eugene, William, and Nellie. Sarah married Sidney Wise, and has two children, Charles and Gertrude. Eugene married Liz- zie Ruby; and their children are Grove, Harry, Burt, Belle, Ruby, and Bessie. Will- iam married Miss Anna Ahle, and has one child, Lillian. Nellie married Charles L. Warriner, and has three children; namely, Willard, Ella, and Harold. In 1889 Mr. Palmer married Miss Eliza M. Dygert, who died in 1893. Mr. Palmer cast his first Presidential vote for William Henry Harrison in 1840, and was one of the organizers of the Republican party. He has filled various offices of trust, has served as Constable, Village Collector, and was for ten years Deputy Sheriff. He is a firm supporter and adherent of the Baptist church, as was also his first wife. By his strict integrity and upright life he has made for himself a large circle of friends, who appreciate his many noble qualities. (sTTDDISON F. SNELL. Among the ^^ prosperous and progressive agricultu- ^^ rists of Madison County, the gentle- man whose name appears at the head of this sketch occupies a worthy place. He was born January 13, 1845, on the old homestead in Stockbridge, where he has always resided, and of which he is now the owner. Frederick Snell, the father of our subject, was born in Herkimer County in 1804. Reared to agricultural pursuits, shortly after attaining his majority, in 1825, he came to Stockbridge, and took up a tract of new land. He began clearing a farm, and, while improv- ing that, assisted in the development of the town, becoming a prominent and influential citizen. In process of time he bought other property, adding to it occasionally, until at the time of his death, which occurred August 26, 1873, he owned four hundred acres of valuable land. Early separated by death from his first wife, whose maiden name was Eve Stam, he married her sister, Nancy Stam, who was born in Herkimer County, July 4, 181 1, and who 64 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW lived to the age of threescore and ten years. A son and a daughter, Hermon and Elizabeth, born of the first marriage, and three sons, Addison, Ira, and Charles, born of the sec- ond, are now living. The first-named resides in Lebanon, the last two in Vernon, the others in Stockbridge. Both Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Snell were valued members of the Universalist church. In politics he was a sound Democrat, and for many years served as Assessor, besides filling other offices. Addison F. Snell enjoyed the educational privileges of the district school. From his parents- he received a practical training in all branches pertaining to agriculture, and for several years before the death of his father successfully managed the home farm. He subsequently bought the original homestead of two hundred and seventy-six acres, where he lives, engaged in general farming a:nd stock- raising. He has from twenty-five to thirty acres devoted to the raising of hops, of which he makes a specialty, and from which he realizes a good profit. He has also a fine dairy, comprising from twenty-five to forty head of cattle of mixed breeds, to which he pays much attention. In 1876 our subject was united in marriage to Annie C. Wood, a native of Stockbridge. Their union has been blessed by the birth of three children, two of whom are now living: J. Frederick, born January 22, 1879; and Laura N., born in October, 1885. Politi- cally, Mr. Snell is identified with the Demo- cratic party, and is a strong supporter of its principles. He is numbered among the solid men of his town, and is warmly interested in everything that tends to promote its welfare and prosperity. In the management of its affairs he cheerfully accepts his part; and for six years he has served as Assessor and Ex- cise Commissioner. (5 The rev. dwight williams, ^1 preacher, poet, and author, and a resi- dent of Cazenovia, was born April 26, 1824. His father, Elijah Williams, was born here July 13, 1796, and is said to have been the first white male child born in Cazenovia. He died in 1844. His father was James Will- iams, a soldier in the War of the Revolution and of 18 1 2, and a son of Lieutenant Joseph Williams, from Leverett, Mass., who served two years in the French and Indian War, tak- ing part in several engagements, and was later a soldier in the War of the Revolution, was present at the battle of Saratoga, and served until the close of the struggle. It was in this latter war that he attained the rank of Lieutenant. He came to Cazenovia in 1794, with a family of three sons and two daugh- ters. He was one of the first Trustees of the Presbyterian church in Cazenovia, organized in 1798. He lived to the age of ninety- three years, dying in i8j7. The family has thus been identified with the town for a cen- tury. Elijah Williams, the father, married Sophia Brigham, a daughter of Phineas and Susanna Brigham, both of Marlboro, Mass. They became the parents of three children, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 65 namely: Jane, who died in Cazenovia, when but fifteen years of age; Harriet, now the widow of Van Rensselaer Leland, who was the son of Colonel Yale Leland, a prominent farmer of the town of Madison. She is now a resident of Norfolk, Va. Dwight Williams received his education in Skaneateles Academy and Cazenovia Semi- nary, and in 185 1 became a member of the Oneida Conference. He has remained a mem- ber of this conference, now known as the Central New York, up to the present time, — a period of forty-two years. He was married in July, 1855, to Keziah Elizabeth Lane, of Westmoreland, Oneida County, and a daugh- ter of James Lane. Four children hallowed this union, one of whom, a son, bears his father's name, and is by profession an artist; one son died in infancy; Susan Brigham is unmarried; and Mary Harriet is the wife of Richard Vernam Barto, a prominent business man of Tacoma, Wash. The mother of these children died May 10, 1883, at the age of forty-nine. She was a lovely and accom- plished woman, of a true Christian character. Mr. Williams is now retired from the active work of the ministry, and devotes his time largely to literary work. He is a poet of no mean order, and published his first volume of miscellaneous poems in 1876. This edition is now out of print; but a second volume, published by Phillips & Hunt, and entitled "The Beautiful City in Song," has found many appreciative readers. He possesses, also, a unique and interesting collection of booklets containing gems of poetical thought. During the period of his active ministry he was the pastor of congregations in Camillus, Hamilton, Oxford, Clinton, Auburn, and many other places. He was for some time on the editorial staff of the Wafchivord, a tem- perance paper, and has been thoroughly iden- tified with the Prohibition movement on the platform and by many prose and poetic contri- butions. He occupied, also, the position of assistant editor of the Northern Advocate. He has written largely as a stated contribu- tor to the Home Journal., the Northern and Christian Advocates, and the Union Signal. He still does partial pulpit work, but his lit- erary work engages his chief attention. He has written a variety of elocutionary poems, some of which have passed into standard use. His latest effort, "The Mother of the Won- derful," is a poem of long and careful study, and is much commended by some of our emi- nent poets and critics. This poem perhaps represents the spirit, the scope, and style of his work equal to any he has produced. In the Sullivan centennial, 1878, he was invited to read a poem at that interesting celebration at Waterloo, N.Y LIVER B. HINKLEY. This gen- tleman can assuredly lay claim to being one of the oldest inhabitants of Brookfield, N.Y., having been born in that town, October 10, 181 1. David Hinkley, his father, went from Con- necticut with the grandfather, Wyott Hink- ley, when only ten years of age, and was one 66 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW of the pioneers of the town. The great-grand- father on the mother's side was Captain Daniel Brown, a native of Connecticut, who was the first man that settled in Brookfield, when it was still a vast, unbroken forest. It was on the 4th of July, 1791, that he cele- brated the glorious anniversary in a practical fashion, by making the woods ring with the sound of his axe instead of the roar of mus- ketry, and commenced on this auspicious day to cut the timber that made his home. In the following year, 1792, a number of other settlers arrived, and thus started the town. It was then the first grist-mill was built. In the cemetery of this town repose the great- grandfather (Captain Brown), the grand- fathers, grandmothers, and parents of our subject. David Hinkley was educated in the district schools, and until twenty-one years of age remained on the home farm. He then worked out for some years, and later returned to it, where he resided until his death, when fifty- nine years of age. He married Miss Susanna Brown, the grand-daughter of Captain Daniel Brown, above mentioned. Of this marriage there were eight children, — Oliver B., Phebe U., Lois, Abigail, Mary, Esther, Maria, and Daniel A. The mother died at the age of seventy years. Our subject was reared on the farm, his only educational opportunities being the lim- ited ones of the district school, and during this time helped in the work of the farm. He had scarcely reached his majority when he wooed and won Miss Avis Burdick, daughter of Ethan and Mary (Rogers) Burdick, with whom for over sixty-one years he has lived a life of unbroken peace and contentment. True it is that heavy sorrow has come to them in the death of their two lovely daugh- ters, Louisa A. and Juliaette; but it has only served to draw them nearer to each other, and to-day they are beautiful examples of "love that never grows old." D. J., the only sur- viving child, married Miss Carrie E. Lang- worthy. She died, leaving two children, — O. Earle, a telegraph student, and Edna A. Hinkley. His second wife was Miss Katie Day, of Waterville, N.Y. Louisa, the daughter of our subject and his wife, mar- ried Richard Loyd, of Columbus, N.Y., and died in 1878, leaving one child, Zennie Estelle. Their second daugher, Juliaette, was the wife of William Craine, and died in 1883, also leaving a daughter, Mabel L. These three grand-daughters of this venerable couple are lovely and accomplished young ladies. Mr. Hinkley is eighty-two years of age, and his wife a few weeks younger. They are hale and hearty, living alone in their beautiful home, which they established upon the farm now occupied during the first year of their union. Here they have led a blissful married life of sixty-one years. Devoted to each other as when they were first wedded, they have borne their sorrows together; and, al- though the impress of these griefs has left its furrows on their_ brows, still their faith and serenity have kept their hearts young, and there is no house in the town where better BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 67 cheer and more open-handed hospitality can be found. Mrs. Hinkley still supervises her household; and in business matters Mr. Hink- ley's advice is sought, as he is a judicious and prudent counsellor. In his long life he has always been a great reader. He has ever illustrated his worthy ancestry, and in himself is an ideal representative of a pioneer of the town. Both he and his wife may well be called grand old people; and, as hand in hand they journey down the voyage of life, they have the love and fondest hopes of their fellow-citizens that they may "live long in the land." "ERMAN SNELL, a progressive farmer Lebanon, was born in the town of Stockbridge, Madison County, March 6, 1831. He is of German lineage, his great-grandfather having been a native of Germany, emigrating to America in company with his brother in Colonial times, and locat- ing in the Mohawk Valley. He was one of the pioneers of the place, and, securing a tract of timber land, worked steadily at its improvement, assisting also in the develop- ment of the town. He became an esteemed citizen of that part of New York, and during the Revolutionary War fought in behalf of his adopted country. His son, grandfather of our subject, was reared to agricultural pursuits, and resided in Mannheim several years after his marriage to Miss Timmerman, a native of America, but of German ancestry. Leaving Mannheim, he bought a farm in Stockbridge, Madison County, where he spent the remaining years of his life. Frederick Snell, the father of our subject, was sixteen years of age when he came with his parents to Stockbridge, which was ever afterward his home. He remained with his parents, assisting in the cultivation of the land, and received a practical education in all that pertained to the successful operation of the farm of which he afterward became the owner. He was a thrifty, industrious man, possessed of excellent judgment, and con- tinued to add to his landed estate until he became the possessor of four hundred acres of fine land, which he carried on advantageously until his death. He was twice married. The maiden name of his first wife, mother of our subject, was Eva Stam. She was born in Canajoharie, N.Y., being a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Bell) Stam. She died in 1835; ^'^d Mr. Snell afterward married Miss Nancy Stam, a sister of his first wife. Herman Snell, of whom we write, was reared and educated in Stockbridge, and early engaged in agricultural pursuits, becoming a most prosperous farmer. In 1864 he removed to Lebanon, where he purchased a farm in District No. 12, which is beautifully located, and contains two hundred and fifty acres of well-improved land, amply provided with substantial buildings. Our subject was united in marriage in 1864 to DeEtte Part- ridge, who was born in Georgetown, a daugh- ter of James Partridge. To them have been born four children,— Mary, Clara, Frederick J., and Milo H. Mr. and Mrs. Snell are 68 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW honored and respected citizens of Lebanon, living upright and conscientious lives, thereby benefiting themselves and their community. Mrs. Snell is a consistent member of the Bap- tist church. In politics Mr. Snell supports the Democratic party. rlRlT A. FORBES. Among the honored sons of Madison County stands prominently forth he whose name heads this brief mention. He was born near Clockville, town of Lenox, Madison County, N.Y., May 30, 1836, and is a son of Isaac J. and Abigail (Sayles) Forbes, the former of whom was a son of Jacob Forbes, a farmer of Lenox, who reared a family of ten sons and three daughters, of whom Isaac J. was one of the younger. He died in Clockville, when eighty-six years of age. The father of Jacob Forbes was a Scotch- man, who came to the Mohawk Valley at the time of its early settlement. The family name, although known as Forbes in Scotland, in the Mohawk Valley took the form of Forbush. Isaac J. Forbes, the father of our subject, was born at Clockville, Madison County, and died in La Fayette, Ind., when about fifty years of age. His wife was a daughter of Silas Sayles, and a grand- daughter of William Sayles, formerly of Con- necticut, who came to this part of New York State. Silas Sayles was at one time Post- master at Peterboro. To Isaac J. Forbes and his wife were born eleven children, three sons and eight daughters, of whom Gerrit A. was the seventh in order of birth. The mother of these children died in 1852, when but forty- six years old. She had been a schoolmate of the famous American philanthropist, Gerrit Smith. But two of her daughters are now living, namely: Mary A., widow of Daniel King, residing at Clockville, one mile from the family birthplace; and Harriet T., widow of Darius Johnson. He of whom we write was reared a farmer- boy, and received but a common-school educa- tion in his youth; but in i860, feeling a strong inclination toward the legal profession, he began the study of law with Hon. B. F. Chapman, of Clockville, was admitted to the bar May 13, 1863, and became the law partner of Judge Chapman, August i, 1863. From January i, 1871, to January i, 1874, he occupied the position of District Attorney, and was elected to the office of Justice of the Supreme Court in November, 1887. He was united in marriage July 10, 1862, to Miss Ellen Brooks, of Clockville, N.Y,, daughter of Colon and Matilda (Hills) Brooks. She is the mother of two children, namely: Maude I., wife of D. Fiske Kellogg, city editor of the New York Sun; and Claude L., a grad- uate of Yale College, and a member of the law firm of Wilson & Forbes, of Syracuse, N.Y Mrs. Kellogg is a graduate of the Canastota Academy, and her husband of Amherst Col- lege. He was the valedictorian of the class of 1886. They are the parents of one son, D. Fiske Kellogg, Jr. Judge Forbes has practised law in Canas- tota since 1868, where he removed in 1873. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 69 In 1884 he became the head of the law firm of Forbes, Brown & Tracy at Syracuse, N.Y., having taken the place of Hon. George N. Kennedy in the firm of Sedgewick, Andrews, Kennedy & Tracy. Mr. Brown was of the old law firm of Pratt, Mitchell & Brown. Mr. Pratt was Justice of the Supreme Court and Attorney-General of the State. Judge Kennedy was retired by age from the Supreme Bench, January i, 1893. Our subject is a Republican in his political views, and in fraternal matters is a member of the Blue Lodge of Masons and of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He was President of the Board of Education of Canas- tota School and Academy for fourteen years, and has been prominently associated with all public-spirited enterprises and all movements having for their aim the material prosperity and moral advancement of the community in which his lot is cast. He and his excellent wife are as well liked and as sincerely re- spected as they are widely known, and take a foremost place among the useful, intelli- gent, and popular citizens of Madison County. r3RGE E. WOODS, an energetic and well-to-do farmer, pleasantly located in Stockbridge, is a native of Madison County, born in Hamilton, February 2, 1844, being a son of Edwin and Evaline (Pierce) Woods. John Woods, grandfather of our subject, was born in Madison, and here grew up under pioneer influences, attending the schools of that day, and early becoming inured to the hardships attendant upon pioneer life. Wild game was plentiful ; and, as soon as old enough to use a rifle, he assisted in supply- ing the family larder. On reaching manhood, he bought a farm, and subsequently married Lydia Wilcox; and they reared a family of five children, none of whom survive. Mr. Woods was a prominent man in his day, and became very successful in his occupation, and the possessor of considerable land, being the owner of several farms. He also erected a saw-mill, which he operated with success. He emigrated from here to Illinois, settling in Fulton County, in the town of Woodstock, now called Avon. Here he and his wife spent their last days in comfort, Mr. Woods dying at the venerable age of ninety years, and Mrs. Woods when seventy-eight years old. Both were firm believers in the doc- trines of the Universalist church. Politi- cally, he was a Democrat. Edwin Woods, father of our subject, spent his early years in the town of Madison, receiv- ing his education in the district schools. When old enough to leave home, he learned the trade of a harness-maker, under Mr. Fox, of Morrisville. He spent several years work- ing at his trade in Madison County, then, desiring to see more of the country, took a trip West, and spent three years in Illinois. Returning to New York, he bought a farm near Munnsville, where he spent his declining years, dying June 17, 1870, at the age of threescore years. He was twice married. The maiden name of his first wife was Eva- line Pierce. She died in 1852, leaving one 70 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW child, George E. Mr. Woods afterward mar- ried Mary Pierce, a sister of Iiis first wife; and of that union two children were born. John C, born in 1857, is living on the farm near Munnsville; and Ella P., born in 1865, is living with her brother Georga. The subject of this sketch, George E. Woods, received his elementary education in the district schools of Hamilton; but, remov- ing from there to Stockbridge with his parents when nine years of age, he attended the schools of that place. As soon as old enough to earn his own livelihood he obtained a posi- tion as clerk in the general store of C. R. Nash, of Hubbardsville, remaining with him for a period of four years. The next two years he worked in Munnsville. His father being taken sick at that time, he was obliged to come home and take charge of the farm, which has since been under his careful super- vision. The original homestead contained eighty acres of land ; but the father added to it by purchase, and at the time of his death it had been increased to two hundred acres, all of which is still owned by the children. Our subject manages this with much success, and in addition thereto has one hundred acres of his own which he carries on. He is a general farmer and stock-grower, having twenty head of grade Jerseys and some full bloods. He pays much attention to the culture of hops, raising annually ten to fifteen acres of this profitable crop. Mr. Woods is a man of undoubted energy and industry, prospering in all his agricult- ural works and business transactions, and is ranked among the valued citizens of his com- munity. Since 1882, with the exception of one year, he has served as Supervisor. In politics he is a firm Republican, and uni- formly casts his vote in support of the party in which he believes. "ON. DANIEL G. DORRANCE, President of the Oneida Valley National Bank, Oneida, N.Y., was born at Peterboro, Madison County, March 13, 181 1. While Mr. Dorrance is a resident of Oneida Castle, his business interests are so closely identified with those of Oneida, the development of which place has been largely due to his energy, enterprise, and lib- eral use of capital, that his biography natu- rally has a place, in a review of Madison County. His father. Dr. John Dorrance, was born in Hampton, Windham County, Conn. An earlier ancestor, James Dorrance, who was born in the north of Ireland, and was of Scotch descent, was one of four brothers who emigrated to America in the eighteenth cen- tury. They came with four other families in a vessel that they owned, and which they manned themselves. Landing at Providence, R.I., they bought oxen and carts, and cut their way through the woods until they reached Windham County, Connecticut. One of the brothers, Samuel by name, had been educated at Glasgow, Scotland, and ordained to the ministry at Dumbarton. He was soon settled as pastor of the congregation Daniel G. Dorrance. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 73 at Voluntown, Conn. When the subject of his installation was first broached, some pf the parishioners objected, on account of a rumor that he had belonged to the Boston Presbytery, in which case, in their opinion, he was as bad as the Baptists or Quakers. However, his preaching was acceptable, he was installed, and preached there until eighty- five years of age, when he resigned. James Dorrance was nineteen years old, and had married shortly before coming to America. Securing land in Voluntown, he labored at clearing and cultivating the soil till his death, in 1799, at the age of ninety-seven years. A son of James Dorrance, also a farmer, and grandfather of the subject of this sketch, removed to the neighboring town of Hampton, and there made his home. He married Rebecca Gordon, a native of that town, who also was of Scotch ancestry. She died at the age of ninety-five years, passing away at the home of an elder son, Rev. Gordon Dorrance, in Windsor, Mass. John Dorrance was educated in the district schools and at Hampton Academy. At the age of twenty-one he began the study of medi- cine, which he pursued for two years in Hampton and two years in Dalton, Mass. From this place he went to Maine, then a part of the Bay State, but after a few months' stay decided, in 1806, to go West. With all his earthly effects packed in his saddle-bags, he made the journey to Madison County on horseback. Halting in the town of Smith- iield, as a pioneer physician in a thinly set- tled territory, he entered at once into an extensive practice, riding on horseback a cir- cuit of many miles. In 1808 be removed to Peterboro, where he had a successful practice until his death, which took place in 1857, when he was in his eightieth year. The maiden name of Dr. Dorrance's wife was Mary Thompson. She was born in Brim- field, Mass., in 1783. Her father, Alpheus Thompson, a native of Massachusetts, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. In March, 1789, he emigrated to New York, accom- panied by his family, and making the journey with ox-teams. He tarried for a time in Clinton, then came to Madison County, and selected a tract of timber land near Leland's Pond. Finding the situation not a healthful one, he soon returned to Clinton, where he lived till. 1805, removing then to Smithfield, where he was engaged in farming till his death, in 181 7. He married Beulah Blodgett, who was born in Massachusetts, and who died about 1 84 1, when in her eighty-fourth year, passing away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Samuel Record, in Smithfield. She was the mother of seven children, — Mary, the mother of our subject, Joseph, Chloe, Marcia, Wealthy A., Erastus, and Joseph. The last- named died when nineteen years old, the others attaining to a good old age, and all marrying with the exception of Erastus. After the death of her husband Mrs. Mary Dorrance continued to reside at the old home in Peterboro until her death, in 1872, when in the ninetieth year of her age. She had reared six children, — Daniel G., William C, Mary, Louisa, Sarah, and John. Mary be- 74 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW came the wife of Dr. Edwin G. Messenger, for many years a medical practitioner in Peterboro, now deceased. Louisa died in 1886. Sarah is the widow of Philander Brown, and resides in Peterboro. Daniel G. Dorrance received his early edu- cation in the district school, and afterward pursued more advanced studies under the tute- lage of Joseph S. and Nehemiah Huntington, attorneys of Peterboro. At the age of seven- teen he became a clerk in the store of Asa Raymond at Peterboro, where he remained two years, after which for a time he attended the Gazenovia Seminary as a classical student. He was next employed for a period of sixteen months as a clerk at Clockville. In 1832 he went to Florence, Oneida County, to manage a store for J. S. T. Stranahan & Co., continu- ing there till 1837, and then engaged in mer- cantile business on his own account, which he conducted till 1859, when he removed to Oneida Castle, where he has since resided. In March, 1837, he married Ann Sparrow, who was born in Shropshire, England, and came to America with her parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Sparrow, in 1833. Mrs. Dor- rance died in December, 1891, at the age of seventy-seven years. She left three sons and two daughters. John G., Cashier of the First National Bank of Camden, N.Y., married Mrs. Ellen Brown, a native of Madison County, and daughter of Mrs. George Berry, of Oneida. William H., a director of the First National Bank of Camden, N.Y., and a hardware merchant of that place, married Miss Emma Fifield, of Camden. Mary is the wife of Dr. Miles H. Bronson, of Lowville. Daniel G., Jr., who is engaged in clerical work for his father at Oneida Castle, married Ellen J. Lambie, of Camden, where they reside. Sarah is the wife of Charles L. Knapp, ex-Consul-General at Montreal, and now living at Lowville. Mr. Dorrance is a member of the Presby- terian church. From information gleaned from various sources the biographer feels jus- tified in making the following mention of Mr. Dorrance: Politically, he was formerly a stanch supporter of the principles promul- gated by the Whig and later by the Repub- lican party. In earlier life he was an active worker in State, county, and local politics. For some years he served the people of the town of Florence, Oneida County, as Super- visor, and later, in 1845, was nominated and elected by the Whigs to represent the people of Oneida County in the State Assembly. In 1854-55 he served with credit and distinction in the State Senate. Since that time the interest he has taken in politics has been simply that of a loyal citizen. Judged from a business point of view, he belongs to the town of Oneida, and is widely recognized as one of its most useful and influential citizens, as a property-holder taking first rank. His prosperity is largely due to his own exertions. At the school-desk and in the counting-room he early trained himself to habits of diligent application. Beginning on a lower rung of the ladder, he worked his way upward, gradu- ally mastering the details of his calling as clerk until he became a business manager and BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 75 a proprietor. At an age when most men would think it time to retire from worldly- cares, he is still a vigorous man of affairs, at the head of many important trusts. He first became interested in banking in 1847, when, with thirteen others, he organized the Fort Stanwix Bank at Rome. B. J. Beach is the only other surviving member of the original company. Mr. Dorrance was elected one of the first directors of that bank, and has since continued a member of the board. Soon after coming to Oneida he was elected a director of the Oneida Valley Bank, and shortly suc- ceeded Niles Higinbotham in its Presidency. He was one of the organizers of the Oneida Savings Bank, of which he has been President from its beginning. He is also President of the First National Bank at Camden, is one of the Trustees of the Rome Brass and Copper Mill at Rome, and is President of the West- cott Chuck Company, one of the important manufacturing industries of Oneida. In the accompanying portrait of Mr. Dor- rance the readers of this volume will see with pleasure a graphic presentment of the features of a man whose true Americanism is exempli- fied in his energy and successful business enterprise, continued into advanced years, and carried on with a sagacity that has but in- creased with time, and is the natural result of long experience joined to peculiar adaptation for business and commercial pursuits. The class of citizens of which Mr. Dorrance is a type are at once the pride and boast of our common country; and his portrait will be viewed, not only with pleasure and interest by his numerous friends in this part of the State, but by all who realize that energy, pluck, per- severance, and keen native intelligence, such as Mr. Dorrance has so well displayed in his life career, are the qualities that have done so much to build up and advance this great nation, and are therefore, in the highest sense, qualities that are manly, patriotic, and American. NDREW J. FRENCH. The village of Oneida has no more prominent or respected citizen than this gentle- man, who was born January 11, 1825, at Can- aseraga, Madison County, N.Y. His grandfather, John Owen French, was from Williamsburg, Mass., moving to the State of New York in 1805, where he settled in the town of Sullivan. The journey from Massachusetts was made, as in nearly all cases at that time, with an ox-team ; and they were three weeks on the road. Through a new country, where there were no means of transportation, it being a dense forest, the undertaking was perilous; but he was a man full of courage, and, foreseeing the immense resources of the Empire State, he willingly accepted all the privations and hardships of the trip to secure the fortunate result. He was in a measure a pioneer, although not among the first settlers in that section. He was a strong, healthy man, and had every prospect of a green old age, for he came of ,long-lived ancestry; but he lived in this place only three years, and died at the age of forty. 76 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW a victim to his own unselfishness. There were many people in the neighborhood at- tacked with a malignant fever; and, being kind-hearted, he attended to their wants, exposing himself to the contagion, was taken down with the fever, and died in 1808. His family consisted of four boys and three girls. The mother lived to the age of seventy-five. Samuel French, the father of our subject, was born at Goshen, Mass., in 1798, and came with his father in 1805 to New York State. He was apprenticed at the age of twelve to a shoemaker, tanner, and currier at Oran, in Onondaga County. He enlisted in the War of 1812, and, going to Buffalo, participated in the battle of Fort Erie. When the war was over, he returned to the town of Sullivan, and there, with an older brother, Horatio, bought a farm and hotel in the village of Cana- seraga, where he resided for the rest of his life. Being familiar with military tactics, having had the experience of the war, he took great interest in the home military organiza- tion, attending muster, and, advancing from grade to grade in rank, finally became Colo- nel. He was a prominent man in the county, held various positions of honor, and in 1844 was elected Sheriff. Colonel French was one of the projectors of a part of what is now the New York Central Railroad system. He secured the right of way for that portion known as the Syracuse & Utica Railroad, and became a director, so continuing until the Vanderbilts obtained control of that and other divisions, consolidat- ing them under the name of the New York Central Railroad. Colonel French died in 1868, aged seventy years. His wife was Miss Charlotte Beecher, of Woodbridge, Conn., and a distant relative of Henry Ward Beecher. She died in 1838, leaving four children, namely: Andrew Jackson, our sub- ject; Jeanette L., living in Syracuse; John Henry Hobart, of Chittenango, N.Y. ; and Austin B., Cashier of the National State Bank of Oneida. Andrew J. French had excellent opportuni- ties for obtaining a good education. His father, being a successful man, and having accumulated considerable property, was en- abled to give him every chance. He attended the district school, and subsequently the Yates Polytechnic Institute in Chittenango, N.Y. When he was seventeen years old, he entered a dry-goods store in Syracuse, where he re- mained for one year, then returned to Chit- tenango, and secured employment with Sims & Bates, general merchandise, and was with them for five years. Here he obtained an excellent knowledge of the details of business, which was of infinite value to him ever after. In 1846 he and a cousin, smitten with a desire to see something of the world, started on a trip through the Far West. They were in Chicago in July of that year, when it was simply a swamp, or mud-hole, with a few houses scattered here and there; and, although the boys had money and could have bought property there cheaply, they were too dis- gusted with the place, and so neglected the opportunity of their lives. Many a time have they sighed over the millions they might be BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 77 realizing to-day "if they had only known." They travelled through that region by what- ever conveyance they could find, and by way of the Lakes, visiting Galena, Sheboygan, Madison, Fond du Lac, Wis., and other places, and returned home after quite an extended trip. In 1847, with this same cousin, he went to Mansfield, Ohio, and started a wholesale grocery, buying grain, flour, etc. This being the time of the great famine in Ireland, they considered it a good time to engage in active business there, as quantities of grain were being shipped to the old country. They met with great success, and were doing a large and profitable busi- ness; but the climate did not seem to agree with our subject, and his health failed so rapidly that after a year he returned to his home in the East, leaving his cousin to close up the concern. Once more in Chittenango, he opened a general store, under the firm name of French, Stewart & Co. Subsequently the Stewarts sold out their interest; and the firm was French, Clark & Co., which continued until i860. Meanwhile, during the years of 1856- 7-8, he was by appointment Superintendent of the Erie Canal. He closed out his busi- ness in i860, and in 1862 was appointed mail agent on the route between Albany and Syra- cuse, which continued until Andrew John- son's administration, when he returned to his home, where his popularity was evidenced by the people electing him Sheriff of the county in 1866, twenty-five years after his father had held the same office. He assumed his official duties on January i, 1867, performing them for three years, when he moved to the village of Oneida, in 1870. In 1873 he was again appointed Superintendent of the Erie Canal, and during these years built the elegant brick block in his town known as the French-Ben- nett Block. Since that time he has attended to various affairs, has been engaged in the settlements of estates, and was also Direc- tor in the First National Bank until that institution went into liquidation. He is now Vice-President and Director in the National State Bank, Oneida, which is well managed and very prosperous. Mr. French was married' in 1848 to Miss Mary A. Judd, daughter of Harley and Han- nah (Thurston) Judd. They have three children; namely, Edward Everett, Agnes Rosamond, and Samuel Harley. Edward Everett, the eldest child, has been for twelve years freight agent for the New York Central Railroad at Albany, N.Y., having previously been the agent at Oneida. He married Miss Anna Augusta Cheney, daughter of Prentice D. Cheney, of Oneida, N.Y. They have four children living; namely, Agnes Jeanette, Sarah Bristol, Mary Judd, and Lillian Anna. One child, Arthur Cheney, died in infancy. The second child of Mr. and Mrs. French, Agnes Rosamond, married Clermont H. Wil- cox, a broker of New York City. They have two children, Thomas Ferdinand and Mary Adele. Samuel Harley, the third child of Mr. and Mrs. French, is freight agent for the New York Central & West Shore Railroad at Utica, N.Y. He married Miss Ada L. Fess- 78 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW man, of Rome, N.Y.; and they have one. child, Edna May. Politically, Mr. French was brought up a Democrat, his father being a stanch and uncompromising one. He cast his vote for Franklin Pierce, but voted for Fremont and all Republican candidates for President ever since. Fraternally, he was for some time a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having joined that organization in 1845. He was initiated a Mason in Sullivan Lodge, No. 148, of Chittenango, N.Y. When elected Sheriff, he went to Morrisville; and, there being no lodge there at that time, he became charter rriember of its first one, and First Master of Morrisville Lodge, No. 648. He and his wife are communicants of St. John's Episcopal Church, of which he was a vestryman for a number of years. During his long and eventful life in Oneida Mr. French has always maintained his reputation for in- tegrity, industry, and enterprise. He has done much by his influence and aid toward the prosperity of his town, and deserves the senti- ments of respect and admiration entertained for him by his fellow-citizens. CRAN O. SAUNDERS. Among the early settlers of Plainfield was one, Stephen Saunders, who came from Rhode Island, and settled in that section of the country, in 1802, when the population was but a handful of pioneers, like himself from New England. This man was the grandfather of our subject. He purchased a tract of land, cultivated it, and before his death had succeeded in wresting from the virgin earth a comfortable and productive farm. The father, Clark Saunders (the youngest of six children), was born in Plainfield, July 16, 1 81 5, and was married to Miss Cynthia M. Mason, May 25, 1839. She was a native of Connecticut, and came with her parents to Plainfield in 1823, when but four years old. They succeeded his father in the ownership of the farm, on which they resided until her death, February 4, 1875.. There were born unto them five children, — Gilbert, Cartha, Albertus, Saraphine, and Ocran. November 29> 1875, he married Mrs. Betsy Drake, of Utica, N.Y., and retired to Unadilla Forks, where he died April 22, 1878. Ocran O. Saunders was born in Plainfield, Otsego County, N.Y., November 24, 1847. After finishing his education in the district schools, he attended the Alfred University, in Allegany County, for two terms. After this he taught school in Plainfield and Camps' Mills, making altogether nine terms. From this occupation he went into the employment of a firm in Loydsville, where he learned the business of cheese-making. This he followed for five years, then went to Atlantic, la., where he engaged in the grocery trade one year, when the business was destroyed by fire, and he returned to his native place. Soon thereafter he went into the employment of the Philadelphia City Passenger Railway Com- pany, Philadelphia, Pa., remaining with them nearly two years, when he went to Leonards- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 79 ville, N.Y., in August, 1884, and engaged in • the drug and grocery business for nearly four years. Selling his business there, he went to West Edmeston, N.Y., and purchased the stock and business of general merchandise of R. H. White, which he carried on for four years, returning to Leonardsville in the spring of 1892. During the following winter he built his present store, in which he carries general merchandise. November 4, 1888, Mr. Saunders was married to Miss Cora B. Giles. They have two children, — Willis G. and Paul A. In his religious opinions he is decidedly inde- pendent, and not connected with any denomi- national organization; but his wife is a firm believer in the Christian religion and a mem- ber of the First Day Baptist church. Mr. Saunders votes the Republican ticket, and is a Justice of the Peace at Leonardsville. He is a man of good business qualifications, and of industrious, thrifty habits. He is popular among his townspeople, and is well known as a wide-awake, enterprising merchant, looking not only to his own interests, but to the advancement and progress of his town. (5 "Thomas m. richardson. This ' I gentleman was born in the town of Nelson, June 29, 1827. His parents were natives of the same town, and were Levi and Thirza (Medbury) Richardson. The grandfather, Eldad, and grandmother, Hophe Richardson, came from the New Eng- land States, and were among the original settlers of the town of Nelson. They had a family of four sons and two daughters, all of whom are deceased. The grandparents died in the town of Nelson, when quite advanced in years. They were Universalists in belief. Our subject's maternal grandfather, Isaac Medbury, was one of the first to locate in the town of Nelson, and there reared his six chil- dren. He was a gunsmith. The father of Thomas M. Richardson was a general farmer, and owned the farm which he worked and where our subject now resides. His title was Captain Levi Richardson, he having been for many years identified with the local militia. Of his five children three are now living: Thomas M., our subject; Granville, of the town of Eaton; and E. Germaine, a carpenter of Morrisville, N.Y. Those who died were: Maria, wife of M. M. Jones, who died in 1892, at the age of sixty-four; and Adelbert A., who died at the age of thirty-two years. He served in the army during the late war. The parents both died on their farm, he at the age of seventy-three, and she when seventy- four years old. Our subject, after having obtained a fair education at the district schools, remained at home and assisted his father until he was twenty-one years of age. When he first com- menced working for himself, he received two shillings a cord for chopping wood. He afterward learned the carpenter's trade, and received fifteen dollars per month. He worked at this trade for some time, saving as he could, until he was able to buy thirty acres of his father's land, which he has added to 8o BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW from time to time until he now owns three hundred acres. He is a general farmer, and an extensive stock-dealer. He speculates in hides, wool, and other farm produce, and has a dairy, keeping about twenty-five cows. In 1854 Mr. Richardson wooed and won Miss Maria E. Pinckerton, a nativ6 of Una- dilla, Otsego County, N.Y. She was born December 20, 1830, and is the daughter of Robert and Asenath (Howe) Pinckerton, the former a native of Scotland, and the latter of Pennsylvania. He was a weaver by trade, and followed it after coming to this country. The parents both died in Madison County, he in 1875, at the age of seventy-eight, and she in 1877, at the age of seventy-three years. There were five children born to them, of whom three are living: Emily A., Mrs. George Phelps, living in Madison County; Maria, Mrs. Richardson; and Robert J., who resides in New York State. The two who died were: Mary Ann, aged sixty; and Sarah Amanda, about forty years. Our subject and his wife have one daughter, Lettie L., born December 17, i860, and married to Mr. Hiram R. Westcott. They have one son, Edgar T., who is thirteen years old. Mr. and Mrs. Westcott reside on the farm of Mr. Richardson. Mr. Richardson is classed among the best and leading farmers in the town of Nelson. He is a pleasant man, and has hosts of friends. He is thorough and conscientious in all his dealings; and his fellow-citizens have the utmost confidence in him, which is well evinced by the amount of business he carries on for other people, besides his own. He has often been intrusted, with large sums of money, to use as his judtment considered best in speculation; ancLjPhe results have always been such as to ^ive his friends sub- stantial returns for the money they invested. His career has been exceedingly fortunate, not through blind luck nor fortuitous circum- stances, but simply ^because of his sound, practical sense and/excellent judgment. His own energy and perseverance have brought him his present prosperity; and in his hand- some home, with its fine buildings and ele- gant residence, he and his wife reside, enjoying the bliss and comfort they so well deserve. In his religious views he follows the broad gospel of liberality, not interfering with others' belief nor allowing himself to be coerced into paths he does not choose to follow. Politically, he affiliates with the Democratic party, and has held the office of Highway Commissioner for one term, and Assessor for nine years. He is a member of the Farmers' Grange at Erieville, N.Y. (sTr-L^RED G. COOK, a native of Eng- ^^ land, born in Norfolk County, Jan- Vi^ uary 16, 1839, is an honored resi- dent of Stockbridge, and an important factor in the industrial interests of that town. George Cook, grandfather of our subject, was a farmer in England, where he always lived. The parents of our subject, William and Susanna Cook, spent their entire life in their native country, England, dying at the BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ages of eighty-two and eighty years, respec- tively. They were farmers, and descendants of a well-known family, Cook being an old and respected name in England. They reared a family of ten children, the following being their record: William, who was a sailor, and died at the age of sixty-one years from the effects of a shipwreck, in which he was the only one out of a crew of thirty-four who escaped drowning; Harriette, who lives in Norwich, England ; Maria, who married Joseph Stiles, and died at the age of fifty-eight years; Lydia, who resides on the old homestead in England ; Susanna, who is the widow of John Colton, and lives in Norwich, England; Rob- ert, who also lives in Norwich, England; Al- fred, subject of our sketch; Mary Ann, mar- ried, and living in Oxford, England; Joseph, who lives in London, England; and Emma, who lives with her sister Lydia on the old homestead. Alfred G. Cook, of whom we write, was reared to manhood in his native country, remaining there until twenty-one years of age. He was an industrious, ambitious youth, and learned the trades of a baker and of a miller. Feeling assured of better facilities in the United States for earning a livelihood at one of his trades, our subject emigrated to Amer- ica in i860; and after a voyage of six weeks, on a vessel called the "Chancellor," under command of Captain Murray, he landed in New York City. He came directly to the town of Smithfield, locating near Siloam, and soon entered into the milling business with Wheeler Holmes. At the end of two years he closed his business there, and soon after, forming a partnership with Charles Graham, leased the mill that he now owns in Stock- bridge. The partnership was soon dissolved, however; and our subject, removing to Munns- ville, leased the mill there, and for seven years managed it skilfully. The succeeding six years Mr. Cook was engaged in farming, and January i, 1880, bought the milling prop- erty in Stockbridge, and has met with pecuni- ary success in operating it. This mill was built many years before; and the stone in use in it is the very first millstone used in Madi- son County, and is yet in good condition. Mr. Cook has acquired other property, and now owns ten acres of valuable land and a comfortable dwelling-house in the town, and is also proprietor of a mill in Morrisville, which is under the supervision of his son. Our subject is a man of good business capac- ity, and is an extensive wholesale dealer in flour and feed, and, in addition to the grain he handles, deals largely in hop-poles, — ^an industry especially profitable in this section of the country, — importing direct from Canada and Michigan. Our subject was married before leaving his native country, being wedded in 1858 to Eliza Groom, a native of England, born July 31, 1841. Of their union six children have been born: Katie, living at home; A. Fred, a miller, living in Morrisville; Arthur, Earl, Ethel, and Erving, all living at home. Mr. Cook is straightforward and methodical in his business transactions, and as a citizen is held in high respect by all who know him. Politi- 8o BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW from time to time until he now owns three hundred acres. He is a general farmer, and an extensive stock-dealer. He speculates in hides, wool, and other farm produce, and has a dairy, keeping about twenty-five cows. In 1854 Mr. Richardson wooed and won Miss Maria E. Pinckerton, a native of Una- dilla, Otsego County, N.Y. She was born December 20, 1830, and is the daughter of Robert and Asenath (Howe) Pinckerton, the former a native of Scotland, and the latter of Pennsylvania. He was a weaver by trade, and followed it after coming to this country. The parents both died in Madison County, he in 1875, at the age of seventy-eight, and she in 1877, at the age of seventy-three years. There were five children born to them, of whom three ara living: Emily A., Mrs. George Phelps, living in Madison County; Maria, Mrs. Richardson; and Robert J., who resides in New York State. The two who died were: Mary Ann, aged sixty; and Sarah Amanda, about forty years. Our subject and his wife have one daughter, Lettie L., born December 17, i860, and married to Mr. Hiram R. Westcott. They have one son, Edgar T., who is thirteen years old. Mr. and Mrs. Westcott reside on the farm of Mr. Richardson. Mr. Richardson is classed among the best and leading farmers in the town of Nelson. He is a pleasant man, and has hosts of friends. He is thorough and conscientious in all his dealings; and his fellow-citizens have the utmost confidence in him, which is well evinced by the amount of business he carries on for other people, besides his own. He has often been intrusted with large sums of money, to use as his jurfment considered best in speculation; andjMhe results have always been such as to gl^e his friends sub- stantial returns for the money they invested. His career has been exceedingly fortunate, not through blind luck nor fortuitous circum- stances, but simpW because of his sound, practical sense and/excellent judgment. His own energy and perseverance have brought him his present prosperity; and in his hand- some home, with its fine buildings and ele- gant residence, he and his wife reside, enjoying the bliss and comfort they so well deserve. In his religious views he follows the broad gospel of liberality, not interfering with others' belief nor allowing himself to be coerced into paths he does not choose to follow. Politically, he aflfi Hates with the Democratic party, and has held the oflfice of Highway Commissioner for one term, and Assessor for nine years. He is a member of the Farmers' Grange at Erieville, N.Y. (sTrL^^ED G. COOK, a native of Eng- ^A land, born in Norfolk County, Jan- V—^ uary 16, 1839, is an honored resi- dent of Stockbridge, and an important factor in the industrial interests of that town. George Cook, grandfather of our subject, was a farmer in England, where he always lived. The parents of our subject, William and Susanna Cook, spent their entire life in their native country, England, dying at the BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 83 left receiving several in his mouth. In 1862 he was discharged for physical disability, having suffered from a severe attack of fever and lung trouble. In December, 1863, he enlisted again, at Syracuse, N.Y., in the Eleventh New York Cavalry, Company I, and consolidated in Company C, from which he was discharged September 30, 1865, mus- tered out at Memphis, Tenn., and discharged in Albany. Mr. Jeffery left the service in impaired health, and is now drawing a small pension. On January 2, 1867, he was united in marriage to Harriet Blakeman, of Syracuse, Onondaga County, and a daughter of Horace Blakeman, who died in Syracuse in the six- ties. She has one brother and three sisters living. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Jeffery engaged in the manufacture of cheese in the town of De Ruyter, and followed this occupation in both Madison and Onondaga Counties for eight years. They resided for some years in Fenner, and later, in 1878, purchased their farm of ninety-five acres one mile from their present home and three miles from New Woodstock. They are now renting their farm. They have reared four children of their own, and have one foster-son. Hat- tie E. is the wife of Isaac H. Dodd, a builder of Syracuse, and has one daughter. Hazel I. William Allen, of Syracuse, a single man, is engaged in the milk business. Cora L., a young lady of seventeen years, is at home, and employed as a dressmaker. Milton is a youth of fourteen years. Their foster-son is Alfred H. Petrie, who is nine .years old, and a nephew of Mrs. Jeffery. He was adopted by them on the death of his parents, which occurred when he was but four years of age. In fraternal matters our subject is a mem- ber of the Ancient Order of United Work- men, in which he has a ^2,000 life insurance, and of W. E. Hunt Post, No. 376, Grand Army of the Republic, of De Ruyter. In political views he is a loyal Republican, but has hitherto held aloof from office. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffery are people well known in their part of the country, and respected by all for their qualities of industry, self-reliance, and moral rectitude. They may truly be consid- ered as worthy representatives of their county and State, and, in a broader sense, of that great country to which every true American owes his best allegiance. ^"]~ENRY SEYMOUR. Prominent among the intelligent and influential citi- 'zens of Lebanon stands the gentle- man whose name heads this sketch. For more than fourscore years he has lived and labored in this town and village, not only meeting with success as a business man, but his personal character is such, that he enjoys the confidence of the entire community. He is a native of Madison County, born in Leba- non, April 15, 1808, and can trace his ances- try back to 1694. The grandparents of our subject, William and Mehitable (Merrill) Seymour, were, as far as known, lifelong residents of Connecticut. Of the family of children born to them three sons served their 84 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW country during the Revolutionary War, taking an active part in the battle of Bemis Heights, at the surrender of Burgoyne. Silas Seymour, father of our subject, was born May 7, 1777, in Hartford, Conn., where he spent the earlier years of his life. When approaching manhood, he left his native State, and joined his older brothers, who were settled in Saratoga County. Remaining there but a few years, he came with his team to Madison County, where he invested his sav- ings in a tract of timbered land, containing fifty-six acres, situated on the north-west quarter of the town of Lebanon. His first step was to erect a log cabin, in which he and his bride afterward began housekeeping, there spending some of the happiest years of their life. In course of time, by steady application and thriftiness, he had his land under good cultivation, and had added many more acres by purchase. The log cabin was superseded by a substantial house of stone, and convenient farm buildings were erected. On this pleas- ant homestead he lived until his death, August 2, 1845. He married Sally, daughter of Ebenezer and Sally (Weeks) Gilbert, who was born in Pomfret, Conn., April i, 1779, and died in Lebanon, October 5, 1850, having survived her husband five years. Henry Seymour, of whom we write, re- ceived the rudiments of his education in the typical log school-house of his day, which he began attending when five years of age. In those times schools were supported by the subscription plan, each householder paying, according to the number of scholars sent. Later a large frame building, erected and paid for by subscription, was used for educa- tional purposes, public meetings of all kinds being also held there. Our subject was an apt scholar, diligent and ambitious, and ac- quired an excellent common-school education, to which he has continually added. When he was fourteen years of age, his father placed a Bible in his hands, and told him to read it to know what was in it. Having much natural ability and skill in the use of tools, when he was seventeen years of age his father borrowed a set, which our subject used in building a barn on the homestead. He soon became an expert workman, and three years later did all the woodwork in his father's new stone house. Subsequently he became a contractor and builder, prospering well in that occupation. Mr. Seymour has always been interested in agricultural pursuits; and some years ago, seeing a fine opportunity in this grazing coun- try for a cheese factory, he established one in Lebanon Village, which he operated most advantageously for several years, and which he still owns. In 1848 he settled in the vil- lage of Lebanon, where he has since resided. The maiden name of his wife, to whom he was united in marriage June 15, 1836, was Rebecca Head. She was of New England descent, born in Lebanon, Madison County, April 30, 181 3. Her grandfather, Joseph Head, a native of Rhode Island, was a pioneer of the town of Madison, coming to this State in 1796, by team, and locating in Madison County, when that formed a part of Herkimer County, in the section known as the Rhode BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 8S Island quarter. In common with the early settlers of the place, he assisted in the devel- opment of the county, while developing his own land, and remained there until his death, at the age of seventy-seven years. While in his native State he married Rebecca Sanford, who came to Madison with him, and proved an able helpmate during his pioneer life. She reared six sons, spending her last days at the home of one of them, and dying at the venerable age of eighty-two years. Sanford Head, father of Mrs. Seymour, born in Rhode Island, January 8, 1789, was a lad of seven years when he came with his parents to Madison County, where he was reared and educated. He was an enterpris- ing, ambitious young man, well trained to habits of thrift, and anxious to begin life on his own account. Accordingly, when only nineteen years of age, he bought a tract of land, lying in Lebanon, of his father, and commenced housekeeping in a log house. He prospered exceedingly in his undertakings, cleared a farm, subsequently erected a frame house and substantial buildings, and there spent the remainder of his life, dying at the ripe age of fourscore years and ten. He was twice married. His first wife was Sarah Ballard, a native of Massachusetts, and daugh- ter of Dane and Rebecca (Forbes) Ballard. She died November 4, 1820; and Mr. Head was afterward married- to Anna Ballard, a half-sister of his first wife, and who died Feb- ruary 17, 1879. Dane Ballard was one of the original settlers of Madison County, coming here in the year 1800. He bought some land near the village of Lebanon, on which he erected the first saw-mill built in that vicin- ity, and operated it for a number of years. He was twice ■ married, and reared a family of nine children by his first wife and nine by his second. He lived here, esteemed by all, until his death, at the age of seventy-eight years. During the many years of busy life which our subject has passed through he. has ever taken an active interest in the welfare of his county and town, contributing his quota toward building up their industries. He has lived under the administration of twenty-one different Presidents, and his first Presidential vote was cast for John Quincy Adams. In political life Mr. Seymour was for a. time a Whig, and later a Free-soiler. Being early convinced of the iniquity of slavery, our sub- ject labored generously in behalf of the op- pressed, working with Gerrit Smith in the anti-slavery cause. They, accompanied by Mr. Church, went as delegates from Madison County to the convention at Pittsburg that nominated John P. Hale for President. Mr. Seymour has filled the various offices of public trust within the gift of his fellow- townsmen, having been Assessor, for many years Chairman of the School Board, and for two years a member of the County Board of Supervisors. Possessing great force of char- acter and a brilliant memory, which he has cultivated and kept in actual service since early youth, he has acquired a vast fund of information on all useful subjects, which makes him a delightful conversationalist, to 86 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW whom all enjoy listening. Mrs. Seymour shares equally with her husband the esteem of their large circle of friends and neighbors, being a favorite with the old and young; and their pleasant home is a social attraction for all. Mr. and Mrs. Seymour buried a son and daughter in infancy, but, at earnest solicita- tion, took the youngest daughter of Ellen M. and Sidney A. Grosvenor, both of whom died the same year. She lived with them until her marriage to J. Mott Throop, M.D., of Lebanon Village, who was Assistant Surgeon in the army, and died May 15, 1889, leaving one son, Henry G. Throop. ILLIAM H. DOUGLAS, M.D., a native and resident of Hamilton, belonging to one of the oldest families of the county, is widely and favorably known, and is quietly making a name and a position for himself among the leading members of his calling as a physician of sound learning, a clear head, and practical ability in the pursuit of his profession. He was born May 27, 1 85 1, and is a son of John Douglas; and the farm now occupied by our subject was the birthplace of both. His great-grandfather came here when the country was an unsettled wilderness, and his last days were passed in Hamilton. The grandfather of our subject, Elijah Douglas, was twenty-one when he left his early home with his brother and father, and sought a dwelling in the forests of this county. He selected a tract of one hundred and twenty acres of land in Hamilton, and at once entered upon the pioneer task of clearing away the timber and developing a farm. He first erected a log house, which he afterward replaced by a more commodious frame build- ing, and was very comfortably situated at the time of his death, which took place on the old homestead, where he had lived and labored so long and successfully. John Douglas was reared under pioneer conditions, and in his boyhood attended a primitive district school. From his father he acquired a thorough knowledge of farming, and made it his life-work. He always lived upon the home farm, of which he became sole possessor by buying his only sister's share. He made many valuable improvements upon it, and left it at the time of his death one of the choicest and best cared for farms in this vicinity. He died lamented, as he was a man whose habits and character were such as to win him the confidence and esteem of all who knew him. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Abigail Ellis, and she was a daughter of Elezia and Tamer Ellis. The following are the eight children whom she reared to lives of usefulness: Sarah, the eldest, who died at the age of forty-four; Elijah; Mary; Marinda; Fanny, who died at the age of nineteen; Charles; Ellen, de- ceased; and William H., of whom we write. The subject of this«ketch passed his youth happily amid the pleasant scenes of the home where he was born, and led a healthy, invig- orating life on the old farm, becoming famil- iar with agriculture in its various branches, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 87 and, after attaining manhood, performing his share of the labors in managing the place. He was fond of books, and did not neglect his opportunities for obtaining a good education. He was thirty-two years of age when his father died, and four years later he left the old home to fit himself for a physician. He became a student at the celebrated Bellevue Hospital College, in New York City, in the fall of 1889, and was graduated from that in- stitution with high honors in the class of 1892. Returning to his old home on the farm in Hamilton after he left college, the Doctor entered upon a successful practice, many of his patrons being the people among whom he had grown up, and who were not slow in recognizing his merits as a physician well trained in his profession. He is a man of high moral character, and is earnestly inter- ested in whatever will promote the social and religious welfare of his native town. He is a member of the Second Baptist Church of Hamilton, and his name is associated with its every good work. Politically, he voted with the Democrats for several years, but, believ- ing in temperance legislation, is now num- bered with the Prohibitionists. r.BERT E. CLARK. There are very many representatives of the pioneers still living in this county, energetic busi- ness men and worthy citizens. Of these Mr. Clark is one of the most prominent. He was born July 5, 1857, in the town of Eaton, and is a son of Samuel and Maria (Seymour) Clark, both of whom were natives of Madison County. Samuel Clark owned a farm of one hundred and fourteen acres of land, one mile south from the village of Eaton, upon which he carried on farming with distinguished success many years, and upon which he reared a fam- ily o| four children, all of whom are living, namely: Silas S., residing on the old farm: Sarah M., wife of W. J. Lyndon, and living in Munnsville, this county; Gilbert E., the subject of this sketch; and Minnie M., wife of Rev. Philip B. Strong, of Little Falls, Herkimer County, N.Y. Samuel Clark was one of the hard-working pioneers, honest and highly respectable, and had many friends. He died at the age of seventy-nine. His widow still survives, and is seventy-eight years old. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, as was her husband. In politics he was a Republican. Gilbert E. Clark was well educated in the district schools, and afterward attended the Oswego Normal School. Having completed his education in a most creditable manner, he was then engaged for three years in teaching school with unusual success. At the end of this time, or in 1884, he purchased the hard- ware business and stock of goods of C. L. Blakeman, of the village of Eaton, and since then has been the leading hardware merchant of that village. Besides hardware, of which he keeps on hand a complete line, Mr. Clark deals in agricultural implements, being agent for the Munnsville Plow Company and the 88 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Syracuse Plow Company. Mr. Clark is one of the most successful young business men in the county, and has without doubt a bright and useful career in store. In politics he is a Republican, and is firm in the faith, believ- ing that the party which has since the out- break of the Rebellion done so much for the country is the one that should still control its destinies. fRA SPAULDING is a fine representative of the native citizens of this county who have taken an active part in ad- vancing its rich agricultural interests. He is the proprietor of two valuable and well- improved farms in Stockbridge, — one the old family homestead where he has always lived, — ^and is extensively engaged in general farm- ing and stock-raising, besides being one of the largest hop-growers in this vicinity. July g, 1837, is the date of his birth, his natal place being the town of Stockbridge. He is of the old pioneer stock, the family being one of the first to settle in Stockbridge, and is a son of John and Margaret (Peterson) Spaulding, who were natives respectively of Massachusetts and of Schoharie County, this State. His paternal grandfather, Leonard Spaulding, was born in one of the New Eng- land States, and died in Massachusetts, in middle age. He was the -father of six sons, all of whom are deceased. Our subject's maternal grandfather, Philip Peterson, was a native of Schoharie County, and was a Revolutionary soldier. He was a farmer by occupation. He died in Stockbridge, having lived to be over eighty-one years old. He reared quite a family of children. The father of our subject was married in his native State. At one time he lived.in the town of De Ruyter. When he came to Stock- bridge, it was but sparsely inhabited; and he was one of the earliest settlers, there being but one or two white families living in the vicinity. Indians still made their home here, and wild game was plentiful. These pioneers had to live in a primitive fashion, — their clothes of homespun, woven by the deft hands of the women, and their food the produce of farm and forest. Mr. Spaulding made all the shoes for his family. He was a hard-work- ing farmer, and was shrewd and far-sighted withal. He bought land from the Indians, improved a good farm, and engaged quite ex- tensively in raising and feeding stock. He invested in land in Michigan, and at one time owned three or four farms there. His death occurred on the old homestead, at the venera- ble age of eighty-six; and his wife died there, aged seventy-six years. They were people of true Christian worth, and were honored mem- bers of the Baptist church, attending the old Indian meeting-house at Stockbridge. Politi- cally, he was a sound Democrat. Seven of the thirteen children reared by this worthy couple are living, namely: Philander J., a resident of Lenox; Samuel, of Stockbridge; Margaret, wife of Miles Parker, of Stock- bridge; Ervilla, wife of James Peterson, of Michigan; Solomon S., a resident of Vernon; Gilbert, of Fort Atkinson, Wis. ; and our subject, the youngest of the family. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 89 Ira Spaulding was educated in the district school of Stockbridge, and arrived at man's estate well equipped for the stirring, arduous life of a wide-awake, intelligent farmer. He remained with his parents until their death, their staff and comfort in their declining years. He bought the home farm when he was but twenty-two years of age, in 1859; and all his days have been passed amid its pleasant scenes. He also took another im- portant step in life at this time, taking unto himself a wife in the person of Miss Lovica G. Kelley. Mrs. Spaulding was born in the town of Lenox, September 30, 1839, a daugh- ter of Freeman and Damarius (Randall) Kel- ley. Her father was a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Spaulding have four children : Jefferson L., who was born June 30, 1862, and is a farmer of Stockbridge; Nettie B., who was born April 22, 1867, married William Davis, a cheese manufacturer of Peterboro, and has one child, Hazel Maud, born March 29, 1893, and the only grandchild of Mr. and Mrs. Spaulding; Edwin J., who was born May 31, 1869, and lives at home with his parents, carrying on the business of running the 'bus and mail line, and managing the freight traffic at Munnsville, having formerly been in the mercantile trade in that village for one year, under the firm name of Van Slyke & Spauld- ing; and Freeman R., a student at the Normal School at Cortland. Mrs. Spaulding is a con- sistent Christian, as is evidenced by her every- day life, and is an exemplary member of the Baptist church. Mr. Spaulding now owns over one hundred acres of fine farming land, from whose rich and well-tilled soil he obtains a substantial income. His farm is amply provided with suitable buildings for every possible purpose, and everything about the place evinces care and good order. He is engaged in mixed husbandry, and makes a specialty of hops, having from twenty to thirty acres devoted exclusively to the growth of that plant, he being one of the largest hop-growers in the vicinity. He has another farm, which is under the management of his son. Mr. Spaulding is one of the prominent men of his town, possessing those elements of character, such as energy, firmness, common sense, and honesty of purpose and act, that cause others to rely upon him, and look to him for counsel and help in the hour of need. His political views are in accord with the tenets of the Democratic party. In his social relations he is connected with Lodge No. 658, A. F. & A. M., at Morrisville. |RS. ALMA J. HUBBARD. It is always a pleasant task to write the memoirs of the women of this State, who have so nobly helped their hus- bands and shared their privations so uncom- plainingly in its early history. The lady who is the subject of this sketch is the widow of the late Seth J. Hubbard, who died July 18, 1888, in his sixtieth year. He was born in Steuben, Oneida County, where he was reared on his father's farm, and was the son of Jacob Hubbard, of the same town, 9° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW who died there in 1876: the latter' s wife was Betsey Sprague, of the same place. Their family consisted of one son, Seth J., and two daughters. The mother died at the home of Mrs. Alma Hubbard in 1880, in her seventy- eighth year. The grandfather of Seth J. Hubbard was a native of Connecticut, and was one of the pioneer settlers of Oneida County. He was not only a farmer, but was also a car- riage-maker. The maiden name of our subject was Alma J. Tanner. She is a native of Trenton, Oneida County, and the daughter of Benja- min and Catherine (Sterling) Tanner, both of Herkimer County. They lived on a farm in Trenton, and reared five daughters, of whom Mrs. Hubbard is the second in order of birth. They are all living. The mother died April 9, 1893, aged eighty-three years, bright, intelligent, and vivacious to the last. Her husband still resides on his farm at Oneida Lake. Mr. and Mrs. Seth J. Hubbard were married at Trenton, Oneida County, October 30, 185 1, and began their domestic life on a farm of their own in Steuben, residing there nearly twenty years, when they sold it, and moved to their present home and farm in 1871. They bought one hundred and seventy- five acres of land, of which the West Shore Railroad has taken a few acres, paying there- for $17,000. It was with the praiseworthy intention of giving their children better school advantages that this couple left the tender associations of their early married life, and removed to a strange place with their children. There were two sons and two daughters in the. family; namely, Clara J., Ella, Horace, and Edward G. Clara J. is the wife of Charles A. Allen, a farmer of the town of Lenox; they have three daughters and a son. Ella is living at home. Horace married Miss Hattie Perkins, of Wampsville, and resides in Aspen, Col. Edward G. is unmarried, and lives at home. Thanks to the loving interest of the parents, the family all received sound and excellent academic educations. Mr. Hubbard left a fine estate and personal property. He was a plain farmer, but a man of good practical business ability, and by industry and application left his wife and family in comfortable circumstances. The wife who seconded him so ably is entitled to fully as much praise. By her economy and admirable housekeeping qualities she assisted him in building up this fortune, and after his death bent all her energies to maintaining the prosperity he had achieved. Considering her years, she is still active, giving her personal supervision to the farm, having five acres under cultivation of hops, and managing a dairy of from fifteen to twenty cows, besides having young stock and fine horses. AMUEL WILBER, born November 29, 1830, on the farm owned by his father, and on which he now resides, is the son of Willard and Susan (Ives) Wilber, both natives of the town of Adams, Berkshire County, Mass. Gideon Wilber, the grand- father, was born March 16, 1763, and was a BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 91 farmer in Massachusetts, emigrating to the town of Fenner, and taking up land. The usual adventures of the pioneer settlers fol- lowed him in his journey through this un- known country, — the patient oxen plodding along with the family belongings, the fright- ened children huddling together as the growl of the bear or the cry of the panther startled the echoes of the forests, and their only path through this trackless wilderness the "Indian trail." On this land the grandfather built his log cabin, and set to work to clear the farm. His wife, Thankful Wilber, was born January 5, 1767. They were married Sep- tember 9, 1784; and to them were born eleven children, nearly all growing to man- hood and womanhood. The grandfather died in 181 3, and his wife some years afterward, at an advanced age. The father of our subject, Willard Wilber, was born in 1788, and was but twelve years of age when his father came, in 1800, to the town of Fenner. He was brought up on the farm, assisting his father, and finally pur- chased it. His wife and he began life to- gether with a scant store of worldly goods, but rich in energy and hopefulness. By their thrift and industry they were able to add to the original farm until they owned three hun- dred and fifty acres, and besides had a large dairy of some fifty head of choice cattle. There were four children in the family: Ross, who was a farmer in Illinois, and died at the age of forty; Thankful, Mrs. F. W. Barrett, residing in the town of Fenner; Samuel; and Matilda, Mrs. Caleb Le Count, living in Wisconsin. The father died on his farm, December 17, 1873, his wife having passed away in 1872. Samuel Wilber attended the district school and worked on the farm. He remained here, assisting his father, and at the age of thirty- five became the owner of the old home. He was married, October 24, 1857, to Miss Bridget Heslin, who was born November 27, 1836, in Bouckville, N.Y., the daughter of Edward and Ellen Heslin. The father was a farmer, and died at the age of eighty-two, and the mother at the age of seventy-four. Of their ten children four are now living: Ellen, Mrs. A. Mallison, living in Morris- ville; Mrs. Wilber; John, living in Michi- gan; and James, residing in Lenox. The parents of Mrs. Wilber were Catholics. The father was a Republican in politics. Our subject and his wife live on the old home farm, where he has built a handsome home, which ranks among the finest places in the town. Large crops of barley, oats, and hay make the one hundred and sixty-three acres of land under cultivation well paying, and, in connection with a dairy of seventeen head of .choice cattle, bring him a comfortable income. They have been blest with six chil- dren, as follows: Florence, Mrs. P. Hyatt, born December 29, 1859, is a resident of the town of Fenner; Mary, born November 9, 1866, is the wife of G. Scheifele, and resides in Oneida; Maud, born November 6, 1868; Nellie, January 24, 1874; Ross W., June 13, 1876; Grace, August 21, 1880. The four last reside at home. 92 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW In his religious views Mr. Wilber is lib- eral and broad-minded. He is a thorough Republican in politics, a good and law-abiding citizen, and is highly esteemed and respected by all classes of the community. (^JVLBERTUS I. GUTHRIE, one of Leba- fcn non's well-to-do farmers, was born in ^— ^ Smyrna, Chenango County, N.Y., May 23, 1836. Being very young when his father died, his earliest memories are of living at home with his mother. At seven years of age he was taken into the family of Mr.. John B. Buell, a farmer in Lebanon. His bringing up was of the practical kind which strengthens and trains the muscles, fosters self-reliance, and cultivates habits of diligent application. In 1846 Mr. Buell moved to Chautauqua County. The journey at that time was by no means an expeditious and monotonous one by rail, but partook of variety, and required days, being accomplished by means of a team to Canastota, canal-boat to Buffalo, steamer to Barcelona, and team thence to Mayville, their destination, and the home of young Guthrie for the next ten years. At the end of that period, a youth of seventeen years, he returned to Lebanon, and took up his abode at Mr. Chauncey Buell's. Working for him and in the vicinity until his marriage, February 17, 1863, with Miss De Etta Card, when he went to live at the home of her parents, on the farm which was her birthplace, and where she had always lived. Mr. and Mrs. Guthrie have two children, Myrtie Cornelia and Floyd Felt. Stephen Card, the father of Mrs. Guthrie, was born in the town of Exeter, R.I., July 25, 1806. He still resides with his daugh- ter's family, enjoying very good health, and with mental faculties well preserved. Hav- ing come to this State when but two years old, he has no recollection of his former home. His father, Joseph Card, was born in Rhode Island, and remained a resident of that State until 1808, when, with his wife and six children, he emigrated to New York. The journey was made entirely by land, oxen drawing their baggage, while the family rode behind a pair of horses. Purchasing a tract of partially cleared land in what is now the town, of Lebanon, he engaged in farming, and here remained until his death. Albany was then the chief market for all the surplus prod- uce. He kept sheep and raised flax. His wife used to card, spin, and weave, and dress the children in homespun made by her own hands. His wife's maiden name was Martha James. She was born in Rhode Island, and spent her last years in Lebanon. Three chil- dren were born to them after the removal to this State. Stephen Card was bred to agricultural pur- suits, and stayed at home with his parents until twenty -one years of age, when he began life for himself even with the world. Work- ing out until after his marriage, he then rented land for a time, and finally bought the land which he has since occupied and im- proved, aided in later years by his son-in-law, Samuel Chapin. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 95 Mr. Guthrie. T.his is a fine farm, in a good state of cultivation, situated in that part of the town of Lebanon included in the Che- nango Valley. March 3, 183 1, he married Flora Felt. She was born in the town of Lebanon, April 8, 181 1, and died November 23, 1890. Elam Felt, the father of Mrs. Card, was born in the town of Somers, Conn., August 21, 1775. His father, Samuel Felt, a native of the same town, was one of the first settlers of Madison County. He came here with one of his sons in 1793, and secured a tract of five hundred acres in the heart of the wilder-' ness, on the banks of the Chenango River, in the present town of Lebanon, Madison County. They cleared a part of the land, and raised a crop of potatoes and Indian corn. In the autumn they killed one pair of their oxen, salted the meat, and concealed it under the floor of the cabin. Returning East to spend the winter, they came back in the following spring with the rest of the family. Madison County being without roads at that early period, in going from one place to another they followed a trail of blazed trees. There were no mills here for some years; and the only way to grind corn was by making a fire with coals on the top of a stump, and digging out the charred wood and ashes from the centre until a deep hollow was formed. Into this the corn was put, and pounded with a great stone fastened to a long stick hanging from a spring pole. The finest part of the pounded corn was used to make bread, the coarsest for samp. Elam Felt brought back with him from Connecticut his newly wedded wife, Elizabeth Davis, who was born in that State, March 22, 1778. Establishing himself on his father's land in Lebanon, he continued a resident here until his death, August 7, 1843. He was an extensive hop-grower, hav- ing from thirty to forty acres of hops. Mrs. Felt used to card and spin, and made all the hop-sacking, besides the cloth for the family. She survived her husband nearly eleven years, and died at the home of her son, Nelson, in April, 1854. AMUEL CHAPIN, Sr., the first jeweller in Oneida, and for many years the only one in the town, was born on a farm four miles from Ballston Spa, Saratoga County, August 10, 1806. His shop for the sale of watches and jewelry was first opened December 7, .1848, when Oneida was a. village of about two thousand inhabitants. These seven years an .octogenarian, having outlived most of his contemporaries, he now enjoys the distinction of being the oldest business man in the place. His father, Rufus Chapin, was born, reared, and married in Massachusetts, of which State his grandfather is supposed also to have been a native. The name is an honorable one in the annals of New England, and has been borne by people of talent and wide reputation. Rufus Chapin was a pioneer at Ballston Spa, where he bought a forty-acre tract of land and built a house. He worked at carpentering in the summer season and cabinet-making in the 96 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW winter. In 1813 he removed his family, with his household goods and tools, to Nelson, Madison County, where he bought one hun- dred acres of land. Hiring the farm work done, he still worked -at his trades, living in that place till after the death of his wife, when he moved to Morrisville, where he died in his eighty-fourth year. The maiden name of his wife, mother of his seven children, was Polly Tobey. She was a native of Massachusetts. Samuel Chapin, Sr., well remembers the family removal to Nelson, when he was seven years old, and the character of the life that was led on the outskirts of civilization, — the toilsome husbandry with old-fashioned imple- ments in vogue before the invention of modern machinery, the cooking by the great log fire on the hearth, the durable homespun clothing of the mother's own carding, spinning, and weaving. At the age of sixteen, already skilled in the use of edge tools, he began to work in a carriage shop in Oneida Castle. Being a natural mechanic, and having the clear vision and nicety of touch needful for finer work, he set about repairing watches and clocks, and in 1830 embarked in the jewelry business in Vernon, where he continued until his removal to Oneida, as above stated. He still has an interest in the business at Oneida, which is now mainly conducted by his son, Samuel Chapin, Jr. June 17, 1830, he married Fanny Sage, a native of Hartford, Conn., born February 14, 1809. Mrs. Chapin's father, Elisha Sage, was born in Middletovvn, Conn., and lived there till after his marriage, when he migrated to New York, settling three miles from Troy. A shoe manufacturer, he carried on that busi- ness till 1 8 16, when he removed to the town of Verona, Oneida County. A year later he crossed the line into Madison County, and settled on Indian land, living in a log house, working at farming, and also at his trade. After five years in that place he returned to Oneida County, and, establishing himself in the town of Verona, resided there, following his trade until his death. His wife's name before marriage was Prudence Risley. She was born in Glastonbury, Conn., and died in Verona. Mrs. Chapin was one of a family of six children. Her brother, Russell Sage, the well-known financier of New York City, is the only one besides herself now living. Mr. and Mrs. Chapin have ten children living, — Samuel, Jr., Earl, Helen, Dwight, Angeline, Maria ]., Francis W., Homer E., Taylor, and Fremont. All are residents of Oneida, with the exception of Earl, who lives in the West. They are all married except Helen and Fre- mont. There have been two deaths in his family: Charles, who died in infancy; and Henry R., who died at the age of twenty- three years. Mr. Chapin was for some years in early life a Whig in politics, and since the organ- ization of the Republican party has been a stanch adherent of its principles. His sons are all Republicans also. He is a Baptist in religious belief, as was his father before him. In fact, the family generally were communi- cants of that church. The Sage family are BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 97 Presbyterians. It is with pleasure that the publishers of this volume present in this con- nection a portrait of Mr. Chapin, who is such a worthy representative of the village of Oneida. His business career has always been characterized by careful and straightforward dealing, his aim being to live up to the principles of the Golden Rule. Although impaired in health, he is cheerful and un- complaining, and is passing his declining years in ease and comfort. lARVIN M. HESS. Among the many successful men in Madison County who may with justice take pride in their own lives and in those of their ancestors is Marvin M. Hess, the sub- ject of this sketch, who has been engaged in his present business, that of a retail grocer, for the past twenty-six years. Mr. Hess was born in the town of Fenner in 1837, and is a son of David Hess, who was born in Albany County, N.Y., in 1791, and who in 1 81 3, accompanied by his wife, in order, as they hoped, to better their condition in life, removed to the town of Fenner, Madi- son County, where they purchased a farm of one hundred and fourteen acres, upon which they lived during the remainder of their lives. Mr. Hess was one of the best and most suc- cessful of farmers, and took an active part in State and county agricultural societies, often taking first premium for the excellence of his exhibits. He filled the office of Justice of the Peace for eighteen consecutive years, and was also Supervisor several years. In his earlier years he was a Whig, but later became a Republican, acting with this party the rest of his life. Though a member of no church, he was yet a man of good moral character and conscientious in all his actions, his influence everywhere being felt for good. His wife was Prudence Shaw, of Connecticut, whom he, as School Trustee, engaged as teacher in his district school, and afterward, as lover, engaged her as his wife. She was a good woman, intelligent and refined. By her he had three sons and three daughters, all of whom grew to mature years, though now all but the subject of this sketch and two daugh- ters have passed away. These two daughters are: Amaretta J., widow of Stephen Hill, who was a farmer of the town of Fenner; and Clementine H., widow of Spencer Beach, and residing in Wauseon, Ohio. The father of these children died in 1866, at the age of seventy-five, and the mother two years later, aged seventy-six. They are buried in the cemetery in the town of Fenner. The father of David Hess was Diedrich Hess, also born in Albany County, but whose father was born in Germany, and came over the sea at an early day. The grandfather of our subject reared four sons and five daugh- ters, one of the daughters being the widow of David Williams, the latter being one of the three captors of Major Andre during the Revolutionary War, which fact is preserved by the monument to David Williams in Albany County. The Hess family has a record for great longevity, having always been 98 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW temperate, some of them even abstemious, in their habits. Marvin M. Hess was fifteen years younger than his youngest sister. He was reared to farm life, and was well educated in the dis- trict school, and afterward attended Cazenovia Seminary for five terms. At the age of eigh- teen he began teaching, and taught five suc- cessive terms. At twenty-one he became a clerk for Dal. Grouse, of Canastota, remaining with him one year, and then engaged in gen- eral merchandising on his own account, being thus successfully engaged two years. After- ward he established himself in the wholesale produce business, having had his office where he is now engaged in retailing groceries for twenty-five years. When he was twenty-one years old, he received $i,ooo from his father, and at the latter's death received his share, $14,000, from the estate. Otherwise, he has himself made what property he now possesses. Mr. Hess was married November 4, 1862, to Sarah E. Haynes, of Cortland. They have adopted one son, Arthur C. Hess, whom they received from the New York Home when he was six years old, and who is now a fine young man of eighteen, of excellent habits, and an enterprising newsdealer. Mr. Hess has always taken a deep and practical interest in all enterprises calculated to promote the prosperity of the village and county in which he lives. He erected his fine large brick house in 1869. Within the village corpora- tion he has a farm of twenty acres, and also has a fifteen-acre farm near Toogood's farm, upon which he raises onions, the twenty-acre farm being also devoted to garden truck. Mr. Hess has always been a successful, exem- plary man, in business and in the social and family relations, and has many admirers and friends. (QYTWELL M. smith is a general farmer ^^ and dairyman, and is administrator ^— ' for property of two hundred acres on the line of the towns of Smithfield and Eaton, which he has managed for three years very successfully. He was born in the town of Eaton, October 26, 1863, and has always lived in the town, with the exception of the time he studied at a business college, and a time in Cazenovia, N.Y. His grandfather, Joseph Smith, was a hardy tiller of the soil, and died in 1846, when com- paratively 3'oung. His son, Judson Smith, the father of our subject, was born in the year 1838, and was for twenty years a farmer in the town of Eaton, where he lived. In 1881-82 he commenced business as a hop- dealer and commission merchant, which he has since continued. Mr. Smith is one of a large family of brothers and sisters, several of whom are yet living. His wife was Miss Josephine Wakelee, who was born in Che- nango County, New York, but in early life came to Smithfield, Madison County, and here married Mr. Smith. She died November 2, 1892, aged fifty-two. She was known as a devoted wife, a loving mother, and an ex- tremely intelligent woman. Her parents were At well and Ellen (Lacy) Wakelee; and both died on the farm they had improved and BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 99 owned, which is now the property of their grandchildren, Atwell M., our subject, and his brother and sister, Benajah and Loretta, who live with him on the farm. The grand- father died in 1889, aged seventy-nine years, and his wife in 1890, when seventy-six years old. They were good and industrious people, loved and respected in their neighborhood. Mr. Wakelee was for many years a large land- dealer. He was a Democrat, but, while tak- ing a reasonable interest in politics, was not an office-seeker. They had but two children: Mrs. Judson Smith, deceased; and Miss Sarah Wakelee, who is still living, and resides in Morrisville, N.Y. Atwell M. Smith is the eldest of the three children born to his parents. He married Miss Lenna Tooke, in the town of Eaton, Madison County. She was born in the town of Smithfield, May 8, 1863, and was reared and educated in Madison County. She is the daughter of Joseph and Salinda (Burroughs) Tooke, who were born in Pratt's Hollow, in the town of Eaton, have always resided there, and are in comfortable circumstances. Mr. Tooke has retired from business, and he and his family live in a beautiful home in one of the handsomest locations of the town. They have six children, Mrs. Smith, of this notice, being the second in order of birth. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the happy parents of three children,— Harry W., C. Leslie, and Doris J. Although a young man, no one stands higher in the estimation of the people than Mr. Smith. He has carried on his business systematically and successfully, and is among the most prosperous and honored men in his county. He went to work early in life, com- mencing to farm some time before he became of age; and at the time he attained his major- ity took charge of the large farm he now manages, conducting its affairs with sound judgment and honesty, for the heirs as well as himself. He is a bright, intelligent, and prominent man, takes a keen and absorbing interest in the local affairs of his town, and in his political views is a strong Democrat. tUSTIN A. HAWKS, one of the best known and most substantial citizens fHOMPSON E. BARNES, Notary Public and Conveyancer, resident of Oneida, Madison County, N.Y., was born in the town of Trenton, Oneida County, N.Y., March 11, 1820. His father, Calvin W. Barnes, was born in the town of Blenheim, N.Y., in 1792, a son of pioneers in that section. Calvin was brought up to agricultural pursuits, and lived in the towns of Floyd and Trenton until 1824, then moved across the town line to Floyd, where he lived two years, going from there to Durhamville, where he engaged in farming, and at the same time worked a saw- mill. He resided there until his death, at the age of eighty, in 1872. He was a deacon in the Baptist church for many years, and was a good and exemplary man. His wife was Miss Anna Frazee, born in Schoharie County, New York, daughter of Eliphalet Frazee. She was eighty-three years old at her death. Of her twelve children seven reached ma- turity; namely, Mindwell, Sarah, Thompson E., Allen, Wilson, Austin, and Ransom D. Our subject received his early education in the public school at Durhamville, and later in the academy at Holland Patent. As has been the case with so many of our prominent men in this country, he made his first step for himself as a school-teacher. He taught two terms, one at Florence, the other at Dur- hamville. His compensation was but fif- teen dollars per month and the experience of "boarding around" in the neighborhood. Finding that, while this occupation tended to keep his intellect bright and his wits sharp, his physical strength could scarcely stand the strain of poor living and still poorer pay, he gave up teaching, and at twenty years of age became a clerk in a grocery store in Durham- ville. A few months later he bought his em- ployer's stock of goods, and continued the business until 1847, when he sold it out, and went to Syracuse, where he stayed one year. Returning to Oneida County, he bought a farm in Verona, which he managed for a year, and then sold it, and went to Durhamville, where in 1850 he opened a grocery business, which he contiuned until 1864. He remained in Durhamville until 1870, when he settled in Oneida, and went into business as the senior member of the firm of Barnes, Stark & Monroe, bankers. This partnership lasted for five years. Since its dissolution Mr. Barnes has been mainly occupied as a conveyancer of real estate and manager of estates, having a great many of them intrusted to his care. Mr. Barnes married Miss Betsey Van Deu- . sen in 1864. She died in 1884, leaving one son, named Page. His second wife was Miss 128 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Eliza Garling, to whom he was united in mar- riage May 2, 1886. He served as Justice of the Peace in Durhamville from 1850 to 1870, and has been a Notary since coming to Oneida. Shrewd and capable, having sound judgment and much knowledge of affairs, Thompson E. Barnes is a successful man of business. The fact of having so many valu- able trusts committed to his care is a proof that his honesty and his ability aie equally unquestioned. He is a Republican in politics. w-.. ALTER MORSE. This gentleman, the only surviving member of the celebrated firm of Wood, Taber & Morse of Eaton, was born February 25, 1835. J^is family and ancestry have been fully given in another part of this book. (See sketch of Gardiner Morse.) • Our subject had few advantages for a fin- ished education, his studies being limited to the rudimentary branches taught in the vil- lage academy; and even those he gave up at the age of fifteen, beginning then a life of hard work as clerk in a country store. In this situation he remained until twenty-four years old, when he organized and established the well-known engine manufacturing com- pany, of which Mr. A. N. Wood and Mr. L. C. Taber were the senior members. Their plant, which is situated in the village of Eaton, Madison County, N.Y., is at once the pride and profit of the place; for in all parts of the country the Wood, Taber & Morse Port- able and Agricultural Steam Engines are renowned for their perfection of work and finish. They employ from fifty to seventy- five men constantly, and the output is about one hundred and fifty engines a year. Until the year 1892 the firm remained un- broken; but in that year Mr. A. N. Wood died, at the age of seventy-four. He was a prominent man in the village, and highly re- spected. L. C. Taber, the second partner, was the master mechanic and steam engineer, and stood among the foremost in the trade. He died also in 1892, his age being sixty years. Mr. Morse now carries on the busi- ness alone, and manages it with the same phenomenal success and energy which have characterized his whole life. When he reached his thirty-seventh year, he wooed and won for his bride Miss H. Celeste Davis, who was born in the town of Eaton, and was a daughter of Richard M. and Rowena Davis. The father of Mrs. Morse, Richard Mowry Davis, was born in Vermont, son of Nathaniel and Sophronia Davis, natives of New Eng- land, who emigrated from Vermont to Madi- son County, and settled in the town of Nelson. Here Nathaniel bought a farm, upon which he and his wife resided until their deaths. Their son, Richard, was young when his par- ents came to the town of Nelson, and was there reared and educated, afterward learning the trade of carpenter and millwright, and be- coming a master builder. His natural talent for the use of tools led him to turn his atten- tion to different branches of mechanical work. He was a member of the well-known firm of Payson, Burch & Davis, proprietors of the Walter Morse. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 129 Eaton Foundry, and also manufacturers of the famous Excelsior cooking-stove, which took the first premium at the first World's Fair, which was held in London in 1851. It was Mr. Davis who designed and made the pat- tern for this stove. At the time of his mar- riage he took up his abode in the town of Eaton. The wife of Richard Davis was Miss Row- ena Wells. She was born in the town of Nelson, January 9, 181 5, and was the daugh- ter of Mr. and Mrs. Barker Wells, natives of New England and pioneers in MadiSon County, New York. Her death occurred in 1872. She reared three children, namely: Frances (Mrs. J. P. Mansh), residing in Chi- cago, 111. ; George M., who married Miss Etta Dales, their home being in Austin, Cook County, 111. ; and Mrs. Morse. Mrs. Davis was a member of the Congregational church, where her husband was chorister for a num- ber of years. He was a member of the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows. Marrying a second wife, Mr. Davis moved to Hamilton, N.Y., where he died a few years afterward. Mr. and Mrs. Walter Morse have had their happy alliance crowned with the blessing of two children, a son and a daughter. Ellis W., the son, is married and resides in Bing- hamton, N.Y., holding the responsible posi- tion of Treasurer of the Binghamton Wagon Company. The daughter, Ada R., resides at home. The family are members of the Con- gregational church, Mr. and Mrs. Morse being active workers therein, and cordially lending their aid and sympathy to everything pertain- ing to its interests. Politically, Mr. Morse is a stalwart Republican, an old and tried member of the party. He has made a large fortune by well-directed industry and enter- prise, and in his beautiful home in the village of Eaton enjoys the comforts and luxuries which his own exertions have brought within his reach. B R. ARTHUR ELLERY BROGA, of ij^ . Stockbridge, was born in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, October 12, 1858, son of Kindsraan and Demaris Broga. The grandfather of our subject was born in Massachusetts, where he died at the age of sixty. He was a farmer, and his ancestors were Scotch. Of his family of four sons and three daughters, six are now living. His son, Kindsman D., was born in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and his wife in Verona, Oneida County, N.Y. He grew to manhood in Mas- sachusetts, and early in life turned his atten- tion to the study of medicine. He removed from his native State to Oneida County, New York, where he lived for some years, going from there to North Bay, N.Y., re- maining there for eighteen years. He finally settled in Oneida, which has been his home ever since. Dr. Kindsman D. Broga is a graduate of the Syracuse Medical Institute, and is one of the pioneer physicians of Oneida County. He was twice married. His first wife, Demaris, died in 1879, leaving four children, of whom three survive, — Franklin D. of North Bay, Arthur Ellery, and a daugh- 13° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ter, Susan Ella. His second marriage was to Mrs. Ellen Dolbey, of Constantia. Of this union one son, Dwight C, was born. His political affiliations are with the Demo- cratic party. Arthur, of whom we write, was brought by his parents, when he was four years old, from Massachusetts to Oneida County. He at- tended the schools of the village, and later studied at Hamilton. He remained with his father until his twenty-second year, assisting him in his professional duties, also study- ing medicine with him. At that age he went to the Eclectic Medical College in New York City, where he took a complete course in surgery and medicine, graduating March i, 1882, after two years of hard study and prac- tical experience at Bellevue Hospital. He then returned to his home in North Bay, re- maining but a short time, when he located himself permanently in Stockbridge, Septem- ber, 1882. On the 24th of June, 1891, he married Miss Nellie C. Beard, by whom he has one child. Hazel Beard, born June 27, 1892. Mrs. Broga is a daughter of Seymour and Susan Beard, of Redlands, Cal., one of three surviv- ing children of a family of five, the others being Charlie, residing in Chicago, and Susan, at home with her parents at Redlands. Mrs. Broga' s father and mother are members of the Congregational church. Mr. Beard's business calling is that of a contractor and builder. Politically, he is a Republican. By his thorough mastery of medicine and surgery Dr. Arthur E. Broga has taken his stand among the highest in the profession in the county. His high attainments and uni- form good nature make him a favorite and successful physician, his practice increasing every year. Realizing the evils of that mon- ster, intemperance, he has sternly set his face against the use of liquor, and is an uncompro- mising and an ardent Prohibitionist. He is equally consistent in his religious views, being a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Broga adheres to the faith of her fathers, who were Congregation- alists. In the medical fraternities Dr. Broga is President of the Central New York Medical Society and a member of the New York State Medical Society. Returning from the daily round of professional calls, the Doctor finds rest from anxieties and fatigues in the de- lights of a pleasant home. Both he and his accomplished wife are deservedly popular in social circles. If; ILLIAM R. WILLIAMS is a promi- nent citizen and a leading con- tractor and builder of Oneida. He was born in the town of Trenton, Oneida County, March 26, 1828, being of Welsh origin. His father, Robert Z. Williams, was born in Wales, and was the son of William and Margaret Williams, who were also natives of that country, William being a contractor, and, among oLher works, building the Queen's Dock — over one mile long — at Holyhead. Leaving Wales in 1802, our subject's grandfather, with his wife and four children. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 131 emigrated to America, and settled in Phila- delphia, Pa., where he made the acquaintance of Baron Steuben, who induced him to move to Oneida County, New York, whither he went in 18 16, being obliged to travel all the way by team, taking his family and all their household goods. He purchased a tract of land in the town of Steuben, and engaged in farming, residing on it until his death, at the age of eighty-four years. His wife died when she was ninety years old. They had four children, namely, William, John, Bet- sey, Robert Z. Robert Z. Williams was about two years old when he came to America. He was first educated in Philadelphia and afterward at Hamilton Theological Seminary, later known as Madison University, and now Colgate Uni- versity. He commenced teaching when quite a young man, and at twenty-four years of age entered upon a course of study for the min- istry. He was ordained at the Baptist church in Steuben, Oneida County, and was pastor in different places in that county, remaining in the ministry until his death, at the age of seventy-three years. When he was twenty- seven years old, he was married to Miss Eliza Guthrie, March 25, 1826. She was a native of Connecticut, and the daughter of Simeon Guthrie, who was a Revolutionary soldier. She died at the age of forty-five, being mother of five children; namely, William R., Oliver C, Robert, Sarah, and Judson, who was scalded to death when five years of age. William R. Williams attended successively the school known as Hobart Hall at Holland Patent, the Oneida Castle Seminary, and Whitestown Seminary. At eighteen he com- menced teaching school, and taught a part of each winter until he was twenty-five years old, employing the time when not engaged in this occupation in learning the carpenter's trade. In 1865 he went to Oneida, and started in business for himself as contractor and builder, and has continued in that work until the pres- ent time. He has built the town school- houses and many private residences and stores. He married Miss Mary L. Kings- bury, a native of Hartford, Conn., the daugh- ter of Flavel Kingsbury, September 15, 1851. She died September 2, 1885. Mr. and Mrs. Williams reared four chil- dren; namely, Henry J., George S., Frank P., and Delia T. Henry is an express mes- senger in the employment of the National Express Company. He married Miss Alice Hemans; and they have two children, Edith and Robert. George S. was educated at Oneida and Cazenovia, N.Y. He studied medicine with his uncle. Dr. Oliver C. Will- iams, and was graduated from Rush Medical College of Chicago, 111. He is settled at Muskegon, Mich. Frank P. was a student in the law office of James Jenkins, Esq., and later at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He practised his profession for a time at Springfield, 111., and later at Aber- deen, Dak. He is now editor and proprietor of a newspaper at Rapid City, So. Dak. Delia T. is the wife of Dr. Otto Pfaff, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. 132 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Mr." Williams has led an active business life, but has found time v/ith it all to keep himself well informed on current events, be- sides having a thorough knowledge of the early history of his county and being a close student of our best literature of the present times. He has acquired a handsome compe- tency, and, as a foremost man in his town, is naturally deeply interested in its welfare. 'OLOMON KLOCK, of whom this in- teresting sketch is written, was born in 1803, in St. Johnsville, Mont- gomery County, N.Y. This town was also the birthplace of his father, John Klock, whose date was August 17, 1776, and of his grandfather, George, who was born in 1742. Henry Klock, the great-grandfather of our subject, who was born in Prussia, came over to America, and settled in St. Johnsville in 1704, when a very young man. This ances- tor of the family was four times married, and had children by three wives, nine of them being sons. He was a farmer, and, being a very large land-owner, often remarked that he was "land poor." A firm Presby- terian, deeply religious, bringing up his chil- dren in that faith, he died in 1760, when quite an old man, in the confident hope of a glorious resurrection. George Klock mar- ried Catherine Bellenger, by whom he had twelve children, five sons and seven daugh- ters, who all reached maturity and had large families. John Klock, the father of Solomon, married Eve Timmerman. Sixteen children were born of this marriage, twelve of them reaching adult age. Only four sons and four daughters are now living;- Solomon was the first born; Simeon, just eighty -five, August 10, 1893, a wealthy farmer of Minden, Montgomery County, N.Y. ; Margaret, born in 1812, un- married; Nancy (Mrs. Charles- Walrath), of Oneida, born 1814; Reuben, born August 10, 181 8, a very wealthy farmer, living in Dan- ube, Herkimer County; Hiram, born in St. Johnsville, 1820, a farmer, and has two sons; Eva Ann, born 1821, wife of Henry Elwood, a farmer of Florentine, Montgomery County, has one son; Lucy, Mrs. Henry Bellenger, aged sixty-five years, whose family consists of three children. The mother died in 1852, aged sixty-eight, and the father ten years later, in 1862, when eighty-five years old. They were buried in their family graveyard with their ancestors. Our subject was reared to habits of industr}-^ and thrift, and, like many of the finest minds of our country, received his early education in the primitive, unpainted log cabin, with the regulation slab seats, and the writing-desk a plank attached to the wall, resting on pegs. But, while the comforts and conveniences so familiar to the modern student were not theirs, the elementary education was thor- ough; and it is a matter of common remark that the "old field" schools have turned out some of the greatest statesmen of the land. When the lad was old enough to work, he had only the opportunity which the winters afforded of attending school ; but his natural NiLES HiGINBOTHAM. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 135 abilities aided him, and, being observant, Mr. Klock has stored his mind with a fund of in- formation, and even in his advanced age can hold his own with our most skilful mathema- ticians. He has always been a great reader, keeping himself thoroughly posted in the cur- rent events of the day, and is especially fond of newspapers, having been a subscriber for the Albany Argus for over twenty years. His memory for incidents and occurrences is something truly wonderful, recalling readily at a moment's thought the dates of births, deaths, and marriages in his large family con- nection, and also in those of his neighbors and friends for over a generation. Solomon Klock married Elizabeth Bel- lenger, June i6, 1831. Their only child, Irvin, died at the age of fifty-four, having married, and leaving two daughters and one son. Mrs. Elizabeth Klock died in 1833; and Mr. Klock married second Miss Larry Ann Flanders, daughter of Peter Flanders. Four children were the fruit of this marriage, namely: Myron, of Canastota, married, and has one daughter; Nancy, widow of James Weaver, mother of two daughters, at present travelling in Germany, but has her home at East Saginaw, Mich.; Theron, living at home; and lantha, wife of Gideon Stephens, a contractor and farmer, of South Bay, Oneida Lake, who has two children, one son and one daughter. Mrs. Larry Ann Klock died in 187s, at the age of sixty-two, and is buried in that beautiful place of the dead. Mount Hope Cemetery, at Canastota, N.Y. Mr. Klock has lived for some years with his son Theron on the farm, and for the last five years has enjoyed with him his present beau- tiful home. Theron Klock, son of Solomon, was born in the town of Stockbridge in 1837, and, when he was eleven years of age, removed with his father to the excellent farm of one hundred and eighty-six acres near Wampsville, now his home. He was married December 3, 1862, to Mary E. Stebbins, daughter of John and Fanny (Leach) Stebbins, both of Augusta, Oneida County. Mr. and Mrs. Klock have one daughter, Laura, wife of James A. Gregg, of Oneida. One daughter, Mabel, has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gregg. Mrs. Klock's aged mother of seventy-seven years is a widow in Oneida, having buried her husband in October, 1881, at the age of seventy-five years. Democratic in politics, and Presbyte- rian in religion, Mr. Solomon Klock and his son preserve the traditions and faith of their ancestors in party and church. |RS. ELIZA HIGINBOTHAM, widow of Niles Higinbotham, lives in a beautiful home on Main Street, Oneida, N.Y., built by her husband at the time of their marriage, where she has seen the magnificent trees which flourish around the mansion, giving an abundant shade, grow from small beginnings to their present grand proportions. She was married to Mr. Higin- botham in 1849, and was the daughter of Judge Nicholas P. and Sybil (Dyer) Randall, of Manlius, N.Y. Her father was the emi- 136 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW nent lawyer, well known all through Onondaga County; and her ancestry was celebrated among the New England pioneers. She is a direct descendant of Mary Dyer, who was executed in Boston for her religious opinions. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Higinbotham are Julia, Louise, and Lily, — all at home with their mother. Although this article is more particularly devoted to the memoir of Mr. Niles Higin- botham, we will commence with a history of his father, Sands Higinbotham, who was of English extraction, and the founder, and one might say the father, of the village of Oneida. He acquired all the land on which the village is situated by purchases made in 1829 and 1830, and in 1834 removed to Oneida from Vernon, and, discerning the value of railroad traffic, offered the company which is now the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad free right of way across his property, on con- dition that a station be erected, and that every train be stopped for at least ten minutes for the refreshment of passengers. The terms were cheerfully accepted by the company, and the station was called Oneida Depot. In the mean time Sands Higinbotham prepared to reap the harvest which his foresight had sown, and, assisted by Ira Hitchcock, erected an eating-house which was highly successful. When he arrived in Oneida in 1834, a settle- ment was commenced; and, stimulated by his liberal offers, many other settlers came. At this time the place was new and unattractive, except to the far-seeing eye of such men as Mr. Higinbotham. The country was almost a dead level, a complete cedar swamp. Ind- ians were prowling in all directions, and the outlook was not very bright. The canal- feeder was constructed in 1835, and this brought many men to this region for a time. He seized this opportunity to make permanent citizens of them by offering lots at low terms and advancing lumber at liberal agreements from his mill at Vernon, that the new settlers might build their homes. Thus the village was started, and its pres- ent condition and prosperity are largely due to his generosity and energetic spirit. He was a man of strong character, enthusiastic and sanguine, full of resources, politic and judicious in his business affairs. He lived to see the village flourish and the "waste places made glad,-" dying, full of years and honor, at the age of seventy-eight, in 1868. He had been a merchant in Vernon, and was associ- ated with a Mr. Granger in a large glass fac- tory in that place. Of his five children four grew to maturity. Mr. Sands Higinbotham was a man of considerable influence, and was intimately connected with the public men of his day, counting as one of his strongest friends the late William F Seward, Governor of the State of New York. Niles Higinbotham, the true subject of this article, was the son of Sands Higinbotham, born in Vernon, Oneida County, March 9, 1813. In 1827 he attended the well-known school of Mr. Morse in Hamilton, N.Y. ; and, among the many friendships formed there, was a lifelong one with Henry B. Paine, of Cleve- land, Ohio. At nineteen he entered the store BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 137 of his father's old fellow-clerk and friend, Mr. Alexander Seymour, in Utica; and here was laid the foundation of his excellent busi- ness qualities. His salary was only fifty dol- lars per year and his board, but he was often heard to say in later life that "he never spent a year to better advantage. At the age of twenty-one he went into* the store of his uncle, Isaac Carpenter, of Ithaca, receiving two hundred and fifty dollars for the first year, and the second three hundred dollars, saving one-half of his salary each year. At this time his father presented him with eighteen hundred and fifty dollars; and, with the money he had saved, he started a limited partnership with Mr. Carpenter. With the exception of his early education and boyhood expenses, this was all the direct aid Mr. Higinbotham ever received from his father. When he was about twenty-four years old, he gathered up his little fortune of twenty-seven hundred dollars, and with his dear friend, Mr. Samuel Breese, went West, where they bought large tracts of land, which afterward became very valuable. In 1840 Mr. Higinbotham and J. P. Man- row took a contract on' the old Erie Railroad from Owego to Corning. In less than two years the railroad company failed, owing the young men one hundred thousand dollars, of which they received only thirty thousand dol- lars. With this money they paid off their men as far as it would go, giving each man a note to pay the balance due whenever the rail- road company would pay the contractors. Fortunately, this payment was made in 1849; and the two young men never knew a prouder day than when they inserted a notice in the journals that on a given day every man should be paid in full and with interest added. The year after his marriage with Miss Eliza Ran- dall they settled in the beautiful home where his family now resides, still surrounded by many manifestations and mementoes of his loving and providential care. In December of 1851 Niles Higinbotham organized the Oneida Valley Bank. His fa- ther, Mr. Samuel Breese, and others were the incorporators; and Mr. T. F. Hand, of Ver- non, N.Y., was appointed Cashier. This bank was the first one opened in Oneida, was incorporated a State bank in 1852, and a Na- tional one in 1865. Mr. Niles Higinbotham was elected its first President, and was suc- cessively re-elected by his fellow-Directors to that position, retaining it until his death. He was eminently fitted to join in and carry out the plans of his public-spirited father, for whom he entertained the most devoted sentiments of filial affection. Hand in hand he worked with him for the development of their beautiful village, and to these wise and discriminating men is largely due the spirit of integrity and honesty which are character- istic of its citizens. Mr. Niles Higinbotham gave the grounds on which were built the Cherry Street school house, the Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, and Episcopal churches, besides that where the park is, at the lower end of Broad Street, his father having given the land on which the Roman Catholic church was built. 138 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Among the early incidents indicative of the character of these two men was their en- terprise in securing a telegraph station in Oneida, — -an idea considered by some as fool- ish, preposterous, and sure of failure. Being confident, however, of the growing necessity, they secured the station by guaranteeing to pay the expense themselves for two years; but it soon became self-supporting. In 1844 Mr. Higinbotham, having bought large portions of land from his father, built a store, and commenced business as silent partner with his brother-in-law, Mr. Goodwin, on Madison Street, where he was ihterested for many years. Among the many enterprises which were dear to his heart was that Oneida should have the very best facilities for the higher education of its children, and to that effect he spared neither time nor money in having .the Oneida Seminary established. He was al- ways the first to aid the seminary when in need, often paying from his own pocket the salaries of the teachers. He was their friend and adviser, and interested himself in having a good building, library, and necessary equip- ment for making it a first - class academy. Unostentatious, his charitable works were not heralded to the world; and many were helped in their adverse circumstances quietly and silently. He was a Presbyterian by faith, and was all his life a devout reader of the sacred Script- ures. He united with the church March i, 1874, and ever gave evidence before the world of the beauty of a Christian and well-ordered life. His honesty and uprightness were con- spicuous traits in his character; and, while courteous to the opinions of others, he was never afraid, when once his judgment was convinced, to follow out persistently his own undertakings. His life of temperance, pu- rity, and regular habits gave him naturally excellent health; and until the autumn of 1886 he had never experienced any serious illness. In that year he suffered a slight shock of paralysis, and steadily declined until his death, which occurred March 17, 1890. He was the last survivor of five children, and left a widow and three daughters, who in their loss have the mournful satisfaction that the husband and father lived "honestly in the face of man," and that his epitaph may appro- priately be, "Mark the perfect man, and be- hold the upright ; for the end of that man is peace." The portrait of Mr. Higinbotham, which accompanies this sketch, will be viewed with pleasure, as being that of one whose genius, enterprise, and influence contributed in such a marked degree to the building up of the beautiful and thriving village of Oneida, and whose memory will long be cherished by his many friends, in the hearts of whom he held a warm place. (sTVLVIN A. frA son an >'°'^>^both BURROWS, the son of Alan- and Mary Devendorf .Burrows, both natives of Herkimer County, New York, was born in the town of Fenner, July 6, 1849. The father was a cloth-dresser and a tanner by trade, but was afterward a boot and shoe Gilbert Birdsall. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 139 merchant. In 1838 he went with his family to Perryville, where he spent his last days. His two children are still living, — Henry D., a farmer in Wisconsin, and our subject, Alvin A. Alanson Burrows, a well-known and respected man, instilled into his chil- dren's minds good moral and religious teach- ings and an implicit faith in the principles of the Republican party. He died at the age of seventy-three, in 1878; his wife, nine years later, at the age of eighty-five years. Our subject lived with his father in the vi- cinity of Perryville, where he attended district schools and also the seminary at Cazenovia. Besides assisting in farm work, he followed the trade of painter for some years. In 1883 he engaged in the mercantile business in Perryville, where he carries on a general store, and also deals in agricultural implements. His stock being well kept up, he has an excellent trade, and, in the exclusive care he gives to its management, has little time for civic affairs or outside interests, although he always shows a commendable zeal in the prog- ress and improvement of the village. At the age of twenty-three, feeling himself competent to take the happiness of another into his keeping, Mr. Burrows sought and obtained in marriage the hand of Miss Addie V Ransom. She was born in 1853, in the town of Fenner, a daughter of Eli and Eliza Ransom. Mr. Ransom, her father, was a farmer, a strong Republican, and with his family attended the Methodist Episcopal church. He died in 1878. His wife still lives in Perryville, sixty-eight years old at the present time, 1893. In their comfortable and pretty home Mr. and Mrs. Burrows have been blessed with one child, — a son, Charles Floyd Burrows, — born February 25, 1876, whose years thus far have been mainly spent in acquiring an education fitting him to take up a course of professional study. The young man is now qualifying himself to become a physician. In all his relations — business, political, social, and religious — Mr. Burrows is ever the same genial and thorough gentleman, and in his household^ a kind husband and father. His success has been well earned. He has, by untiring industry, worked his way from a small start to his present prosperity; and in his case honor is given where honor is due. Ji R. BIRDSALL, a prominent and re- spected physician of the town of Brookfield, was born in the town of Otego, Otsego County, N.Y., October 30, 1839. The family were originally from Dela- ware County, the grandfather having been a native of Sidney, N.Y., whence he removed to Otego at an early age, and resided there until his death. The father was educated in the district schools of the place, and worked on the farm until his twenty-fifth year, when he married Miss Harriet Gilbert. He re- moved to the town of Butternuts after his marriage; and, having long had the desire to serve in the Lord's vineyard as a min- ister of the gospel, he began studying di- vinity, and was soon assigned to the charge 140 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW of the Baptist church in that town. He preached there many years, and later in Otego Village. His last charge was at Sand Hill, in the Unadilla Valley, in which place he was compelled to retire from the ministry on account of his poor health. He was for nearly half a century a devoted follower of his Master; and, when he died at Otego, his death was universally mourned. To Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Birdsall a large family of children were born, namely: Millie M. ; A. J. Bird- sail, our subject; Samuel, a physician of Sus- quehanna, Pa., who was assistant surgeon in the late war; William O. ; Albert, of Otsego County; Mary ¥..; Hattie. The mother died suddenly in Union, Broome County, N.Y., while visiting her brother. Our subject received an excellent education in the district school of his town, and also under the able tutorship of his father. At the age of twenty-three, it being during the Civil War, he entered the Federal Army, en- listing in Company E, Second New York Heavy Artillery. Soon after reaching Vir- ginia, he was appointed Hospital Steward, and about six weeks later was transferred to the general hospital at Fairfax Seminary, near Alexandria. Four months later he was dis- charged, with the rank of Hospital Steward. Previous to the war Dr. Birdsall had com- menced the study of medicine with Dr. E. Guy, of Harpersville, Broome County, N.Y., and had taken a course of lectures at the Albany Medical College of New York State. After his discharge from the army he again took up his studies, graduating from the Uni- versity of Buffalo, N.Y., in February, 1863, and in the spring of that year went to North Brookfield, N.Y., where he opened an office for the practice of medicine. He married November 10, 1863, Miss Mary O. Green, daughter of Henry and Celia Green, of North Brookfield. The family came to the State of New York from Rhode Island, and were early settlers in Madison County. At the time of his marriage the Doctor purchased and re- moved to the farm previously owned by his father-in-law. He has erected new buildings, and has greatly improved the farm, putting it into the highest state of cultivation, availing himself of all the modern inventions for labor- saving which are of such help now in the art of agriculture. The mother of Mrs. Birdsall, a well-preserved lady at the age of ninety-one years, resides with her daughter. Dr. Birdsall is a careful, painstaking prac- titioner, and has a large and successful prac- tice. He is the only physician in the village, and is looked upon as one of the most skilful in the county. A member of the Madison County Medical Society, he has served as its Secretary for ten years, as Vice-President two terms, and as President one year, absolutely refusing at the end of that time to hold office any longer. He is also connected with the New York State Medical Association and the American Medical Association. In his relig- ious opinions he follows the example set by his good father, and is a member of the Bap- tist church. He early identified himself with the Masonic fraternity, and is attached to Sanger Lodge, No. 129, also to Brookfield BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 141 Lodge, No. 632, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and has endeavored to so order his life as to accord with the designs which the Grand Master has marked out. Naturally, he is devoted to the interests of the Grand Army of the Republic, and afifiliates with Searle Post in his town. Dr. Birdsall is the only one in his father's family who is a Democrat. In the year 1891 he was elected Supervisor of the town by that party. His services in this capacity gave thorough satisfaction, as the ratio of taxation was lower that year than at any time since the war. In his wife, who is of a lovely type of char- acter and is possessed of all the true womanly qualities which go to make a home happy, Dr. Birdsall has ever found a sympathetic and ready helper. Together they enjoy the high- est esteem of the best people of their section. Their handsome residence is an attractive spot to their legion of friends, who are ever welcome, and are entertained in a most pleas- ant and affable manner. -(I^ICHARD W. ELPHICK, one of the I ^^ brave veterans of the late war who -*- ^tai^ fought so nobly in defence of the Union, is now assisting in carrying on the extensive agricultural interests of this county, owning and successfully managing a good farm in Stockbridge, which he devotes to gen- eral husbandry. Mr. Elphick's early home was in Oneida County, where he was born January i, 1841. He is of sterling English stock. His pa- ternal grandfather, Richard Elphick, a native of England, came to this country and settled on a farm in Hubbardsville, dying there at an advanced age. His parents, Charles and Ann (Wright) Elphick, were born, reared, and married in England. Charles Elphick was a farmer by occupa- tion; and, when he came to America in 1836, he bought land in Clinton, and actively en- gaged in cultivating the soil and in stock-rais- ing. He resided on his farm some thirty years; but the latter part of his life was spent in Poolville, where he died at the ripe age of eighty-three years. He had ever been a loyal citizen to his adopted country, and the Repub- lican party found in him a stanch, adherent. His wife lived to be seventy-nine years old. They reared fourteen children, of whom eleven are living, as follows: Robert, a resident of Iowa; Emeline, of Nelson; Nancy Jane, of California; Richard W. ; Wallace,, a farmer of the town of Fenner, who was a soldier during the Civil War, a member of the One Hundred and Fourteenth New York Infantry, and was wounded at Cedar Creek; Sarah, a resident of Hamilton; Luther, of Stock- bridge; Josephine Adaline and De Forest, residents of Hamilton; and Martha, of Otse- lic. One son, Charles, who entered the One Hundred and Thirty-fifth New York Infantry at the time of the war, gave up his life for his country while fighting at the battle of Antietam. The subject of this biographical sketch was trained in his boyhood to industrial habits, 142 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW and early became self-supporting. At the age of fourteen he left his native county, and was employed in working out at twelve dollars a month until the war began. He then learned the moulder's trade. In 1863 the gov- ernment was in sore need of good soldiers, and true, to help put down the rebellion; and, feeling it his duty to respond to his country's call, in that year he laid aside his work to join the boys in blue at the front, enlisting in Company A, First New York Artillery, under command of Thomas H. Bates. The opening years of his manhood were passed on Southern battlefields, where he won a fiae record for good soldiership. He was honorably dis- charged at the expiration of his term of enlist- ment, June 28, 1865. Returning home after his trying experiences in the army, Mr. Elphick gave hi 3 attention to farming two years, and then engaged in the manufacture of cheese eight years. In 1875 he bought the farm in Stockbridge where he now lives, conducting a good business in vari- ous agricultural lines, making a specialty of raising hops. His farm comprises forty-three acres of fertile, well-developed land; and he has it provided with all the necessary im- provements. He was first married, November 14, 1861, to Miss Elizabeth Edson, a native of Stockbridge, and a daughter of one of its first settlers, Willard Edson. Her parents are both dead. She passed away July 12, 1885, leaving four children, — Charlie, Lena, Eddie, and Lee, — all of whom reside in Stockbridge. Mr. Elphick married his pres- ent wife, whose maiden name was Betsy Tay- lor, in October, 1888. She was born in England in i860. The career of Richard W. Elphick as a sol- dier is commemorated by his membership in the William H. Stringer Post, No. 556, Grand Army of the Republic, at Munnsville, in which he holds the office of Officer of the Day. He also belongs to Lodge No. — , A. O. U. W., of Morrisville. Politically, he is a true Re- publican. His neighbors trust and respect him as a man of genuine worth, who has never shirked the responsibilities of life. WASHINGTON IRVING TILLOT- SON. The hardy and enterprising colonists of the New England States have contributed a large majority of the founders of Central New York. The family of this gentleman were from Connecticut. His great-grandfather distinguished himself as a soldier in the struggle for independence. His grandfather. General John Tillotson, emi- grated from Connecticut to New York State about the year 1790, and was one of the first settlers of Genoa, Cayuga County, where he secured a tract of timbered land one mile east of Cayuga Lake. Here in the virgin forest, untenanted save by bird and beast, he pre- pared to make his home, " And in the twilight of the forest noon Wield the first axe these shores ever heard." On this farm he built his rude log cabin, and settled down to a lifelong residence with his wife and little family. The General's son, the father of our sub- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 143 ject, was born in Genoa, Cayuga County, in 1796. He was fortunate in receiving an excellent education, and in young manhood taught school and gave lessons in vocal music. He was for a time book-keeper in the employ- ment of Mack & Andrus, publishers in Ithaca, Tompkins County. From Ithaca he moved to Utica, and engaged as contractor and builder, conducting the business there for a number of years. Miss Eleanor Montague, daughter of Nathaniel and Eleanor Montague, who be- came his wife, was born in New Hartford, N.Y., and died there in November of 1883. Her husband spent his last days at this same place, where he died July 2, 1850. They had three children who grew to maturity; namely, Caroline E., Ellen, and Washington Irving. Washington Irving Tillotson grew up and was educated in New Hartford, which is situ- ated near the city of Utica, N.Y.^ He was born in Utica, January 10, 1833. An inher- ited talent for drawing led him to adopt archi- tecture as his profession. Beginning his studies at sixteen years of age, he followed that calling in New Hartford until 1854; in Elgin, 111., the next six years; in Kalamazoo, Mich., for two years; coming thence to Oneida, where he has since remained. He has been an important factor in the place, his good taste and skill in designing, and the variety in style of his work, making the vil- lage of Oneida one of the handsomest and most artistically built in New York State. He has been the architect of nearly all of its principal business blocks and private residences. Mr. Tillotson has been twice married, — first in 1857, while at Elgin, to Miss Abigail A. Bangs, who was born in Dundee, Kane County, 111., and was the daughter of David W. Bangs, one of the first settlers of that county. Mrs. Abigail A. Tillotson died April 17, 1863. There was one son by this marriage, — Sherwood D. In 1866 Mr. Til- lotson contracted a second marriage, his bride being Miss Carrie H. Bowen. Her birth- place was in Ogden, Monroe County, N.Y. She was the daughter of Benjamin F. Bowen. This estimable couple have been blest with four children, — Luella J., Carrie R., Rena B., Daisy E. In their beautiful residence on Park Ave- nue, shaded by noble trees many of which were planted by our subject, he enjoys, with his charming family, a delightful home life, their hospitable fireside being withal an at- tractive rendezvous for a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Mr. Tillotson is pre-eminently a leading citizen, and his interest in the progress and advancement of Oneida Village never wearies. His opinions are uniformly respected; and, being possessed of unblemished integrity, he has endeared himself in the hearts of the com- munity, and made a reputation of which his children may well be proud. Mr. Tillotson, having associated himself, on attaining his majority, with the Sauquoit Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, takes a lively interest in the good and charitable works of the Masonic Order. He votes the Republican ticket. 144 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW B lOGENES D. CHASE, M.D. From the earliest dawn of history, and perhaps from even an earlier date, the science, and more especially the art, of medicine have been held in the highest es- timation by mankind. In this as in other cases the art is prob- ably older than the science; and it is believed that this, as well as most other arts of civil- ized life, had its origin in Egypt, and was there first cultivated with any measure of suc- cess. As an evidence of the esteem in which the healing art was held even in ancient times, it may perhaps be mentioned that ^sculapius, the first great Grecian physician, who in his practice, according to his biogra- phers, so far surpassed in skill and success his teacher, Chiron, as to be able to restore the dead to life, and who, by this startling innovation, threatened to prevent the desired increase in the population of the realms of Pluto, was, upon complaint of this ruler, de- stroyed by Jupiter with a flash of lightning, and was afterward, by the gratitude of man- kind for his great services to them, raised to the rank of a god and worshipped at Epidauris in a grove and temple consecrated to him. Since that time the healing art has been so much improved by being elevated to a more rational plane, and has been so much enlarged by the addition of the science of sanitation, or the elimination of the conditions which pro- duce disease, that it is at this day held in . higher estimation, in point of fact, than it was in the days of ^sculapius. One of the most eminent of those in Madi- son County who have devoted their intelli- gence and their energies to the alleviation of suffering and the curing of the sick is Dioge- nes D. Chase, M.D., a resident of Morris- ville, who was born in Georgetown, that county, October 27, 1843. While he is yet in the prime of life, he has met with deserved success, and has won a fine reputation as a physician and surgeon. His father, Orrin Chase, was born in 1802 in Connecticut, and came of Puritanical stock, his family being the same as that of the late Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase. After his mar- riage in Winfield, N.Y., he bought land, and was engaged in farming for a number of years. Later he removed to the town of Eaton, and lived there until his death, at seventy-two years of age. His people were naturally long-lived. The maiden name of his wife was DeieJ^mia Button. She was born in 1802 in Winfield, Herkimer County, N.Y., the eldest child of John and Polly Button. She came of a family possessing many noble qualities of mind and heart with much physi- cal strength. Their kind and generous dispo- sition and their vigorous traits of character were especially manifested in Mrs. Chase, who bore herself bravely, cheerfully, and success- fully through the severe trials and hardships of her early years. Losing her father under very trying circumstances, when she was in her girlhood, she bent her energies to acquir- ing an education that should fit her for usefulness in life. She was interested in phrenology, which she found of great help to a knowledge of human nature. In the study BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ^45 of medicine she became quite proficient, and was known as the pioneer woman physician of Madison County, — a shining example to her sex. Loved and revered by all who knew her, she died in Eaton, full of years and of virtues, at the age of sixty-eight. Her memory is cherished to this day. Nine children were born to Orrin and Polly (Button) Chase, — Avery W., Mary Annette, Alzina, Luna, Sarah, Sullivan G., Julius, Diogenes D., and Vernette M. All of the daughters and two of the sons are now living. Avery served in the late war, being a member of a New York State battery. He died from injuries received while in action before Petersburg, Va., being paralyzed by severe concussion. Sullivan came to his death at twenty-two years of age by being precipitated into a mill pond by falling timber, the result of a heavy freshet. Diogenes D. Chase was educated first in the common schools. Later he attended Cortland and Homer Academies, then taught school one year. At the early age of eighteen he enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Fifty-seventh New York Volunteer Infantry, and with that regiment participated in numer- ous battles, the more important ones being those of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. In the latter his regiment was placed in the ex- treme front to resist the onward movement of the advancing rebels ; and in the fearful fight- ing of that battle it lost more men in killed, wounded, and prisoners, in proportion, to its numbers, than any other regiment on the field. It was the third in the actual number of its killed and wounded. Dr. Chase was one of the most severely wounded of his regi- ment, a ball passing through his body and coming out on the front side. From this wound his sufferings were long and severe. He was left upon the field for dead, and was thus reported in home papers, lying where he fell from 2 p.m. on the first day of the battle to 4 P.M. of the second day, when he was removed by the rebel soldiers. In a place exposed to the Union shells and bullets, he was compelled to remain for a considerable time, when he crawled behind a wood pile. He was four days in all without food and without attention being given to his wound. After the retreat of the army of Lee from the field he was removed to the corps hospital, and there suffered from paralysis of the lower limbs for three months. During this time he could not even turn himself in bed. At length, becoming able to get around on crutches, he was transferred to the Second Battalion Veteran Reserve Corps, and as- signed to duty in the hospital at York, Pa. Here, appointed Ward Master, he made him- self generally useful in dressing the wounds of his comrades and in caring for the sick. Remaining in the service until the close of the war, he was then honorably discharged, returned to Morrisville, and there continued the study of medicine with Dr. Mead, hav- ing prior to this studied medicine two years while in the army hospital. In the winter of 1866-67 he attended medical lectures at the University of Michigan, and in 1868 entered Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New 146 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW York City, graduating from that institution with the class of 1869. Forming a partner- ship with Dr. Mead, he has ever since then been engaged in the active practice of his profession, having, after two years and a half, withdrawn from the partnership. Immedi- ately after his graduation he was appointed Examining Surgeon, and has since held this position through both Republican and Demo- cratic administrations, as a single surgeon till 1889, and since then as a member of the board. In 1870 Dr. Chase married Harriet A. Babcock, a native of the town of Brookfield, a daughter of Alfred and Lucy (Brownell) Babcock. They have three children living, — namely, Linn, Jerome, and Mabel, — all at home. Linn was graduated from the Union School in Morrisville, took a preparatory course at Olivet, Mich., and was graduated with honors from the Medical Department of the University of New York in 1893, in the twenty-first year of his age. His class was the first sent forth from that institution under the new law providing for a board of exam- iners. A young man of exceptionally good abilities, he has evidently a bright future before him. He now practises with his father. Dr. D. D. Chase is a member of Morris- ville Lodge, No. 658, A. F. & A. M., and also of Tillinghast Post, No. — , Grand Army of the Republic. From the foregoing brief out- line of the career of Dr. Chase it is apparent that from his services in the army of the Union he is much more than ordinarily deserving of praise and gratitude. It is not to be won- dered at that he and his wife stand high in the estimation of all good people by whom they are known. OHN HENRY YORK was born in Edmeston, N.Y., February 25, 1847, son of Oliver B. and Mary (Lines) York. His great - grandfather, John York, was a pioneer of the town of Brookfield, N.Y., going there from Rhode Island, and dying when the grandfather of our subject, also named John, was but sixteen years of age. Oliver B. York, son of John York, Jr., was born in Columbus, Chenango County, N.Y., in 1823. (For further information concern- ing the family, see his sketch elsewhere in this volume.) John Henry York was the eldest of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Oliver B. York, and, after finishing his education in the public schools of his town, learned the har- ness-making trade in the town of Brookfield, N.Y., starting at the age of nineteen, and working with an established firm in that place for two years, afterward going into the harness business for himself at Edmeston. He con- tinued at this trade in Edmeston for two years, returning then to Brookfield for one year. Later he worked in various places, among others the Wheeler York farm, where he was employed for eight years, and the Foster farm, on which he labored three years. He has now been for nine years settled on a farm of his own at North Brookfield. At the age of twenty-two Mr. York married BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 147 Miss Annette Morgan, daughter of John and Rebecca Morgan. She was born in Brook- field, where her family were early settlers. The union of Mr. and Mrs. York has been blessed with three children; namely, Burt, Lulu, and Clay. The eldest, Burt, has been for two years employed in the store of Mr. Squires as clerk. This young man is an ex- ceptionally competent and agreeable person, and is highly spoken of, not only by his em- ployer, but by all who have the pleasure of his acquaintance. The daughter, Lulu, is married to Mr. William Welsh, who assists Mr. York in the management of the farm. The third child. Clay, lives at home, and also is a helper of his father. Mr. York is the intelligent and industrious owner of a fine place, and is looked upon as a model farmer. As a citizen, he is always wide awake to the best interests of his town, and ever ready to aid in any good work for their advancement. He and his family attend the Baptist church, and by their upright and well-ordered lives illustrate the sincerity of their religious belief. Mr. York is a quiet and unostentatious man, and, while not of a boastful character, takes a proper pride in his ancestry and the founders of his family, who first saw this now flourishing town an un- broken tract of wilderness. In his political faith he is an active Republican, and clings strongly to the principles which the party inculcates. In the fraternal orders he stands in first rank with Sanger Lodge, No. 129, F. & A. M., and also in Brookfield Lodge, No. 623, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. W^^ ALTER R. LOWE first saw the ght April 12, 1 841, in the town of Buxton, Suffolk County, England. His father, Thomas Lowe, was born there; and from the best authority attainable his family had its origin in that part of England. The father was a shepherd; and in the lonely watches of the night, guarding his flocks, the vision of the far-off, golden land of Amer- ica filled him with a longing to visit its shores. In 1849, accompanied by his wife and seven children, he sailed from Liverpool, landing at Quebec after a long and tedious voyage of six weeks and five days. He came almost immediately to Madison County, and settled near Pratt's Hollow, where he fol- lowed farming and teaming, residing there until his death, in June, 1872. His fitst wife's name before marriage was Miss Eliza- beth Thaxter. She died in 1845; and his second wife was Miss Sarah Barnes, who died in Oneida in 1890. Thomas had a brother John, who came to America a few years after he did, and who now lives at Munnsville, N.Y., aged eighty- five years, making his home with a nephew, James Lowe. A sister of Thomas married Charles Nowell, a Scripture reader in the Queen's church at Windsor, England, where they still reside. They have two daughters, who are married and live in London. Walter R. Lowe was but eight years of age when' he arrived in America with his parents. He was brought up and educated in the town of Eaton, and at twenty-one began to learn the trade of carpenter and joiner, serving BTOGRAPHICAL REVIEW for three years with Charles and William Stringer. He then went to Oneida, and was employed as a journeyman two years. At the end of that time he entered into business for himself as a contractor and builder, which he still continues. When he attained the age of twenty-five, Mr. Lowe, considering himself capable of taking the guardianship of a woman's happiness in his keeping, sought and obtained of Miss Abbie Deette Ranney her consent to become his wife. The happy consummation of his wishes took place Au- gust 9, 1866. Miss Ranney was born at Val- ley Mills, Madison County, N.Y. Her father, Oliver Russell Ranney, was born in Augusta, Oneida County, January 6, 18 16. He resided with his parents until his marriage, and then worked with his father in his mill for a while, and for two years conducted the farm on shares, afterward taking up the jewelry trade, also watch and clock repairing at Valley Mills until 1877, when he moved to Oneida, where he has since carried on the same business. He now lives with his daughter, Mrs. Lowe. He was formerly a Whig, and cast his first vote for William Henry Harrison. Since the formation of the Republican party he has been one of its strong supporters. He married in November, 1835, Miss Elizabeth F. Carpen- ter, daughter of Ezekiel and Dorcas (Gardner) Carpenter. She was born in Rhode Island in 1815, and died December 13, 1877. Rev. Ebenezer Ranney, paternal grand- father of Mrs. Lowe, was born in Blandford, Mass., May 25, 1776, and died April 12, i860, in his eighty-fourth year. At about twenty-one years of age he came to Oneida County, and m.ade his home with an elder brother in Sangerfield, and later purchased a tract of land in the town of Augusta. At that time, and for many years after, there were no railroads, no canals, nor convenient markets. The country was very sparsely settled, and a log house and a small clearing constituted all the improvements in the lands. Standing timber had no value; and large logs, that would now bring high prices, were gathered together and burned. The ashes were carefully saved and leached; and the potash obtained was for a time their chief source of revenue. Mr. Ranney cleared quite a large piece of land, and resided there until 1832, when he sold it, and purchased a saw-mill at Valley Mills. Later he erected a woollen mill, bought other land, and super- intended the mills and farm, residing there until his death. He was converted in his young manhood, and became a preacher in the Baptist church. He assisted in organizing a society of that denomination in Augusta, and at his own expense rebuilt the mission church at Valley Mills, when he moved there, and preached in that place for some years. He married Miss Almeda Bartholemew, who was born in Goshen, Litchfield County, Conn., July 26, 1 78 1. They had five sons and two daughters, — Oris, Dorcas, Hiram, Ebenezer, Anson, Oliver- Russell, and Almeda Pamelia, — Oliver Russell being now the only sur- viving member of the family. Oliver Bar- tholemew, father of Mrs. Ebenezer Ranney, was born in Branford, New Haven County, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 149 Conn. He was one of the pioneers of Oneida County, and spent liis last years there. The maiden name of his wife was Anna Lacey. Mr. and Mrs. Walter R. Lowe have two children, — Russell W. and Agnes Elizabeth. The son, Russell, turned his attention to the profession of medicine. He first studied with Dr. Carpenter, was graduated from the New York Medical College at the age of twenty- one, and is now a practising physician in Ridgefield, Conn. Agnes Elizabeth lives at home with her parents. Mrs. Lowe and her daughter are members of the Baptist church, and illustrate in their lives the beauty and power of their religious faith. Mr. Lowe is a fine example of what may be accomplished by industry and ability, and is spoken of by his fellow-citizens as one of the men most worthy of praise and honor in the community. In politics he uniformly supports the Repub- lican party, which finds in him a hard worker, firm in his adherence to its principles. JLMER D. HARRINGTON was born April 6, 1847, in the town of Stock- bridge, N.Y., son of Nathaniel and Euphemia (Thompson) Harrington, both natives of Stock- bridge. If in this sketch we have no stirring events, such as the emigrating to a new country, clearing of the land, adventures with the wild Indian, and hardships and privations of pio- neer life, it is because the birth of our subject occurred when fertile fields had replaced the dense forests and the rude implements of those hardy days had given way to the luxuri- ous appliances of modern life. Were we to write of his grandfather, Joshua Harrington, who was among the early settlers, and who cleared his farm from timber land, we might have many a romantic story to tell; and it is a pity that they have not been preserved. All we know is that the grandparents on both sides came to this county when it was wild and unsettled, and that the family on the Thompson side were of Scottish origin. They lived and died in the vicinity of Stockbridge. Nathaniel Harrington was a general farmer, owning the place of seventy-five acres which is now the property of his son, Elmer. There were three children in his family, all of whom are now living: H. Niles Harrington, a resi- dent of Peterboro, N.Y.; Elmer D.; and Guy E., a farmer in Stockbridge. The first son, Niles, served in the late war in Company B, One Hundred and Fifty-seventh Regiment. The father was a hard-working, industrious man; died on the home farm. He gave his children the best educational advantages he could possibly obtain for them, and was a kind and judicious parent, teaching them how to work and make money, if he had not much to leave them. The subject of this brief biography, having attended the district school in his boyhood days, remained thereafter in his native vil- lage, working for wages until he was able to buy the home farm, where he has remained ever since. He has done much for the im- provement of the place, by newer methods of 15° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW cultivation making the soil more productive and remunerative than in the time of his father. His specialty is the raising of hops, to which he devotes ten acres of his land. He also has a well-established dairy of ten cows of fine breed, his preference being for Holsteins. Elmer D. Harrington married December 28, 1875, Miss Hattie Garner, who was born in Cortland County, January 6, 1858. Her parents, Chauncy and Marinda (Monroe) Garner, are both living in that county. The wedded life of Mr. and Mrs. Harrington has been made happy by the birth of three chil- dren: Herbert H., born December 14, 1877; Bertha B., Tune 2, 1879; ^-^d Willie W., born February 22, 1884. Their house is a home in the best sense of the word, with gentle dignity presided over by the good wife and mother. Their farm presents an appear- ance of thrift and prosperity, showing that years of honest toil have been repaid an hundred-fold. Politically, Mr. Harrington is a Republican by descent and conviction, a stanch supporter of his party. M EVVITT C. ROBERTS was born June 8, 1842, son of Hiram and Thankful (Humphrey) Roberts. His grand- father, Amasa Roberts, a native of Bristol, Hartford County, Conn., was born April, 1758. He left Connecticut with the intention of lo- cating himself in Genesee County, New York, starting with his wife and three children in an ox-cart; but, when he travelled as far as Fenner, Madison County, his cart was broken so badly that he was obliged to stop there, and on investigation of the country was so well pleased that he concluded to remain. He bought new land, which was all woods; and his first house was of course the usual log cabin. His handsome frame house, afterward built, was the first of the kind ever seen in the vicinity. He was a very hard-working man, wrestling with every possible obsta- cle in his endeavors to support his family. Through the forest full of wild beasts and treacherous Indians he wended his weary way many miles to the nearest mill, taking a bridle-path, with his sack of wheat strapped on the horse with him, to get flour for daily bread. His wife, Keturah Lindsley, born February 20, 1768, was a devoted and noble helpmate. Untiring in her loving efforts to sustain and cheer him in his labor, lending her willing hands, not only to cooking and the care of the house, but also to carding, spinning, and weaving every article of clothing worn by the family, there was scant time for reading or gossip, as night after night she went to her couch with tired feet and aching limbs. It is a matter of wonder how these pioneer women lived to such an age. The grandfather died at the age of fifty-two years, November 14, 1 8 10, and the grandmother in 1830, at the age- of sixty-two. Their family consisted of seven children, — Jesse, Alvory, Susanna, Alice, Amasa, Hiram, and' Jared. They all grew up, had families of their own, and are now all dead. The grandfather and grandmother were De Witt C. Roberts. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 151 Presbyterian in religious belief, and in poli- tics he was a Whig. In the deaths of this couple two of the oldest pioneers of IVJadison County passed away. Hiram Roberts was born August 31, 1798, and grew up. in the town of Fenner, a toiling farmer. He owned a part of the old home- stead, consisting of about seventy-five acres of good land, and on it raised the flax and wool which his wife spun and wove into the family clothing. He married Miss Thankful Hum- phrey, a native of Massachusetts, who was born April 13, 1797, a daughter of Elias and Thankful (Sumner) Humphrey. She was a faithful factor in assisting him in his struggle for fortune. They raised a family of seven children, — three girls and four sons, — as fol- lows: Susanna H., born December 10, 1826, died July 22, 1853; Lucretia L., born June i, 1829, widow of Stephen L. Smith (Mr. Smith was killed at the siege of Knoxville, in 1863, aged thirty-one years. He was a member of Company G, Eighth Michigan Regiment, under General Burnside); George W., born June 24, 1831, died February S, 1885; Irving L., born July 27, 1833, now the oldest mer- chant in business in Canastota; Jay H., born June 19, 1836, served in the late war. Com- pany H, Twelfth Regiment New York Vol- unteers, now resides in the village of Oneida; Loraine A., born August 16, 1838, unmarried, and resides with his youngest brother, Dewitt C, who was born June 8, 1842. Elias Humphrey was one of the early settlers of Nelson, and was born February 19, I774> and died March 27, 1845. His wife. Thankful Sumner, was born January 23, 1777, and died October 21, 1805. They had a family of six children: Thankful, the mother o\ our sub- ject, died January 15, 1867; Elias, born in 1799, died in 1836; George, born in 1801, died in 1843; Susanna, born in 1803, died in 1837; and Elijah and Elisha (twins), born in 1805, died infants. The grandfather Hum- phrey was a Baptist, and was a Whig in politics. Our subject was born on the old home farm where he fiow resides. He received his edu- cation in the district schools, and for one year attended the Cazenovia Seminary. When a young man, he turned his attention to agri- cultural pursuits, and remained 6n the farm, where he has always made his home, looking after the work of the place and taking care of his parents in their old age. He has since bought the old homestead, and has added to the farm until he now has about one hundred and fifty acres of land, some of it forest. He raises good crops- of grain and hay, and pays great attention to his stock, which consists of fifteen head of full-blooded Durham cattle. He has also some fine horses. Mr. Roberts erected a beautiful residence in 1887. He has remained single, and, with his two sisters, Loraine and Mrs. Stephen Smith, maintains a fine and generous hospi- tality. He is classed among the best farmers in his vicinity, and keeps everything on the farm in excellent condition. A Baptist in his religious belief, in politics he casts his vote with the Republican party, being stead- fast in th.g opinion that its measures are the IS2 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW best for the progress of the country. The centennial year, which has set people to thinking of the character and deeds of their ancestors, has been of more than passing in- terest to our subject, as his family have been identified since early in the eighteenth cen- tury with the history and growth of this country. |RS. EMILY OTIS COLEMAN, one of the few residents of De Ruyter who have passed the age of four- score years, feeble in frame, but sound in mind, was born in Truxton, Cortland County, August 26, 1809. Her father, Jacob Otis, who was born in Colchester, Conn., came with his parents from that State, of which they also are supposed to have been natives, and settled at an early day in Saratoga County, New York. His moth- er's name before marriage was Day. Mr. Otis followed the trade of clothier a few years in the early part of his life. Com- ing to Saratoga County a young man before marriage, he engaged in mercantile business in the town of Mayfield. From this place he removed to Truxton, being a pioneer in that town. Here, besides dealing in general mer- chandise, he operated a mill for dressing cloth and kept a public house. He was acci- dentally killed in the fifty-fourth year of his age by the falling of a bridge. While in business at Mayfield, he made a trip to Massa- chusetts and brought home a wife, Agnes Austin by name, a native of Sheffield, daugh- ter of Abner and Eleanor (Kellogg) Austin. Mrs. Coleman was the third of a family of seven children, the others being Austin W., Augusta, Ann Eliza, William H., Charles, and Maria. She lived with her parents, attending first the district school and later the Cortland Female Academy, until her marriage, at the age of twenty-five years, with Noah T. Cole- man, a native of Otsego County, who was born December 30, 1809. Her husband's father, Noah H. Coleman, came as a pioneer to Otsego County, and later was settled for a time in Cazenovia, where he was a druggist. Returning to Otsego County, both he and his wife spent their last years at Exeter. He married Mary Tunnuliff, daughter of John Tunnuliff, a pioneer settler of Otsego County. Noah T. Coleman came to De Ruyter to live at the age of thirteen as a clerk in the store of Colonel Jenks, being allowed for a time to attend school a part of every year. Diligent and faithful in the discharge of his duties from the first, he was advanced from one position to another till he was competent to manage the entire business, including the purchase of goods in Albany and their trans- portation by teams, — in itself no slight affair, in those days of no railroads and no canals. Thrifty and economical, he laid up money enough to enable him after marriage to start in business on his own account. A man of enterprise and of excellent capabili- ties, strictly upright and honorable in all transactions, he was for many years a leading merchant of De Ruyter. His death, in 1888, left a void not easy to be filled. Two sons & ^^W»«lh ^ i 1 '^^^^^^^^Hf ■■■■■- --IW' ■ * R ''*'*iS''' ^' '^ ^ SI ^^V ^Ef^' .-J' '^^^Kf>' ^jU^KKt i^^H '■ ^. .. i kl Wmk Wyfl flmm ''■^f ■m^H^^mjf^ ■'''^- £-■■''§' 'M M-M- ■' ' H; ' ^ ■ Emily Otis Coleman. Noah T. Coleman. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 157 and two daughters, all of them now living, were born to Mr. and Mrs. Coleman: Noah Otis, who married Emma Carpenter, and has one son, Frederick A. ; Agnes, wife of W. W. Rainey; William H., who married Carrie Murphy, and has one son, Noah T., now in the United States Naval Service; Mary T., wife of De Witt De Long, who has two chil- dren, Otis C. and Maud. Mrs. Coleman is a faithful member of the Presbyterian church. Kind-hearted, liberal- handed, blest with a cheerful temperament, cherishing an unfaltering trust in Divine Providence, tenderly cared for by her nearest of kin, she lives esteemed and beloved by all, her presence in the home circle being felt as a benediction. Much pleasure is taken in here presenting the portrait of the late Noah T. Coleman, who was for many years a leading business man of De Ruyter, and recognized as such throughout this part of the State. His widow, Mrs. Emily Otis Coleman, who still survives him, •will also long be remembered for her many virtues. VAMB BROTHERS, farmers, are well- known hop-growers and stock-raisers of Hamilton. William E., the senior member of the firm, was born in Madison, February 8, 1853. He was the third, and his brother and partner, Amos J., the fourth of the ten children of John and Phebe (Manchester) Lamb. An interesting sketch of the life of their father, — a retired agriculturist, living at Hamilton, — giving the names of the other children and including some account of their paternal grandfather, Jacob Lamb, may be found on another page of this Review. The brothers of whom we write received a fair education in the public schools and in the Union School of Hamilton, and were trained to work in various departments of husbandry on the ancestral farm. William E. lived at the old homestead with his parents till his marriage, at the age of twenty-three years, with Miss Ella Burlingame, daughter of Charles and Phebe Burlingame. They have two children, — Charles and George. Amos ]., the junior partner of the firm, who was born April 30, 1854, married Miss Etta Bur- lingame, a sister of his brother William's wife. They have one child, Edna. Both families are regular in their attend- ance at the Methodist church, and contribute liberally to its support. In politics the sons of John Lamb have not departed from the path trodden by their father before them : they give their allegiance to the Democratic party. Lamb Brothers have been associated to- gether in agricultural operations for eleven years, in which time they have made rapid strides on the road to competency, not to say affluence. Buying one hundred and sixty acres of land to commence with, they now have two hundred and ninety - two acres. Their specialty is hop-raising. Having begun with three acres planted with hop vines, they have increased the acreage year by year, till they have at present eighty acres devoted to this culture, and have become famous as being among the largest hop-growers in the State. 158 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Three years ago, deciding to pay more par- ticular attention to stock-raising, they began the breeding of Dutch cattle. They now own a fine herd of twenty full-blooded Holsteins. Their farm is in a state of high cultivation, everywhere bearing the stamp of industry, neatness, and careful, sagacious superintend- ence. Brain-work and muscular toil have combined to produce this happy result. Here are seen the fruits of honest, well-directed labor, not of feverish speculation. The ex- ample of the Lamb Brothers is one to be commended as eminently worthy of emulation, and may be pointed to as illustrating the say- ing of Washingon, that "the life of the hus- bandman, of all others, is the most delightful. It is honorable, it is amusing, and, with judi- cious management, it is profitable." rrall'ORATIO E. CHAPIN, a retired drug- gist, residing in Morrisville, was one of the patriot soldiers of the War of the Southern Rebellion, and has been since then a successful business man. He was born in the town of Eaton, Madison County, Sep- tember 19, 1833. His father, Anson Chapin, was born in Massachusetts, May i, 1802. Anson Chapin, coming to the State of New York a young man, found employment on a farm in the town of Eaton, and resided there until 1844, when he removed to Kirkland, Oneida County, living there until his death, July 30, 1847. The maiden name of his wife was Harriet Flowjr. She was born Decem- ber I, 1805, and died June 2, 1846. She and her husband reared nine children, of whom two, Claudius P. and the subject of this sketch, served in the army of the Union dur- ing the late war. Claudius was a member of the One Hundred and First New York Volun- teer Infantry, and was killed during an active charge at the battle of Malvern Hill, July i, 1862, by coming in contact with an unex- ploded shell. He was twenty-five years of age. Horatio E. Chapin was in his fourteenth year when left an orphan by the death of his parents. He then went to live with Deacon Elijah Williams, a farmer, residing in the town of Eaton. Attending school in the winter season, and during the summer months assisting on the farm, he remained with Dea- con Williams until he arrived at his majority, when he began life for himself by working on the farm by the month. Continuing thus engaged until 1858, he removed to Morris- ville, where he was employed in a meat market until 1862, in October of which year he enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Seventy-sixth New York Volunteer Infantry. With this regiment he went to Louisiana, and was for a time stationed at Brashear City. While engaged in duty there, he was captured by the rebels, but at once paroled. While being escorted back to the Union lines, he and a companion were taken sick. His com- panion died; and he himself barely escaped the same fate, his illness being so severe that he has never fully recovered his health. On account of disability thus caused he was hon- orably discharged in November, 1863, when BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW IS9 he returned to Morrisville. In the spring of 1864 he went to Honeoye Falls, Monroe County, and became a clerk in a general store, where he stayed until the following Septem- ber, when he enlisted in the Fifteenth Engi- neer Corps, and went with that corps to Virginia, being actively engaged in that State during the remainder of the war. Immedi- ately after the evacuation of Richmond by the army of Lee, having assisted in throwing a pontoon bridge across the James River, he with the rest of the command entered that city. After the war was over, again returning to Morrisville, he kept a grocery at Canastota for a short time. In November, 1866, he formed a partnership with M. M. Chubbuck, under the firm name of Chapin & Chubbuck, and engaged in the drug business at Morris- ville. In 1867 Dr. Mead bought the interest of Mr. Chubbuck. The firm of Mead & Chapin carried on the business for a period of nearly eighteen years. At the end of this time, on account of ill health, Mr. Chapin withdrew from the firm, and has since lived retired from the active pursuits of life, enjoy- ing the society of a host of good friends and neighbors. On November 6, 1867, Mr. Chapin married Adeline A. Hovey, who was born in the town of Eaton, Madison County, March 2, 1845, and is a daughter of Daniel T. and Ann (Crandall) Hovey. Mr. and Mrs. Chapin have one son, who is a graduate in pharmacy, and is now in the drug business on his own account in Mechanicsville, Saratoga County. An energetic young man of good natural abil- ities, thoroughly educated for his calling, his success may confidently be predicted. Mrs. Chapin is a member of the Baptist church. Mr. Chapin is one of the charter members of Tillinghast Post, No. 548, Grand Army of the Republic, and has served as Quartermaster of the Post most of the time since its organiza- tion. In politics he has always been a Re- publican, believing in that party's principles, and taking great pride in its history .and achievements. Mr. and Mrs. Horatio E. Chapin, of Morrisville, have a rightful place in this "Biographical Review," as among the worthy citizens of Madison County, patriotic, public-spirited, using their influence for good. rlRIT F. FITCH, for some time Secretary and Treasurer of the Fitch Battery and Electric Company of Oneida, which has recently been transferred to New York City parties, is a son of D. H. Fitch, a native of Cazenovia, Madison County. It was through the efforts of the last-named that the company of which his son is Secre- tary was organized. D. H. Fitch in his younger days was a telegraph operator; and, being of an inventive turn of mind, he made many improvements in telegraphic instru- ments and their use. For many years he was Superintendent of Telegraph Lines and Train Despatcher, and for some time was connected with the military telegraph supply department of Missouri. He afterward held the position of Assistant General Freight and Passenger Agent for the Brunswick & Western Rail- i6o BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW road Company in Georgia, remaining in the Southern States several years. His health failing, he returned to New York, and estab- lished electrical works at Cazenovia. He married Mary J. Haws, who was the youngest living of a family of six children, he himself being the seventh child of his parents. He is now fifty-six years old, and resides in Caze- novia. He and his wife are the parents of five children, namely: Charles A., of Patcr- son, N.J.; Gerrit F. ; James E. ; Edith May; and Elsie L. Mr. D. H. P'itch has been the inventor of numerous articles of importance in the elec- trical line, among them the Perfect Battery and the Perfect Battery Excitant. The Per- fect Battery, for open-circuit service, is a pure carbon battery, and "has more desirable qual- ities than have ever been combined in any other, among which are unequalled cleanli- ness, high and steady efficiency, low internal resistance, quick recuperation, and long dura- tion without care or renewal." The Perfect Battery Excitant is at once both an excitant and a depolarizer, which is an original feature and a step in advance of all others. With this excitant there is a powerful, soluble, de- polarizing ingredient in the solution, which is replaced whenever the solution is renewed, and without the expense of replacing ex- hausted negatives. Hence all the advantages of both an efficient depolarizing agent and a permanent or non - perishable negative. In this battery nothing but the solution and zinc are consumed by use, and they are so propor- tioned that they are consumed uniformly and are exhausted at the same time. There is no wear on the carbon, and it lasts an indefinite length of time. Besides the above, Mr. Eitch, Sr., is the inventor of the Chlorine Galvanic Battery and Faradic Battery. In the Chlorine Battery the spent residue, or the result of chemical ac- tion, instead of being sulphate of zinc, as in other batteries in which sulphuric acid or any of its salts are used, is the chloride of zinc, a deliquescent salt: hence there is no ten- dency to crystallize or spread above the surface of the liquid in the jar. The solution re- mains strikingly clear and clean through years of service, and it is very rarely necessary to empty or to clean the cells. The Faradic Battery, or Electro -medical Apparatus, for professional and family use, is constructed partly upon the Du Bois-Reymond principle, and in accordance with the latest develop- ments in electrical science. It gives direct currents of adjustable strength, and every kind and quality of Faradic currents that it is pos- sible to secure from any Faradic machine. Besides the above there are other and minor appliances to be used in connection with them, and independently of them. Derrick H. Fitch, the grandfather of Ger- rit, was a Captain in the War of 1812. He lived to be eighty eight years old. Gerrit F Fitch was born at Peterboro, in this county, September 12, 1868. Diligently improving his opportunities for learning, he attended public schools in Illinois, Missouri, and in New York, in this State at Cazenovia, until he was fifteen years old. After this, at an BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW i6i early age, he became engaged with his father in the electrical works at Cazenovia, making himself familiar with the details of the entire business, and assisting in the manufacture of various articles pertaining to the trade. The business being removed to Oneida, occupying a building erected by the Chamber of Com- merce, and subsequently purchased by the company, he went there in May, 1890, and was employed at first as a workman, but soon took the Secretaryship of the company. Politically, the subject of the present sketch is a Republican, and, religiously, an Episco- palian. He is also a strong advocate of tem- perance principles and practice, and has been President of the Oneida Castle Temperance League. His education has been of the most practical nature: he has gained as much from observation as from books, and probably more. He keeps himself well informed on political, social, and other current events. Being a young man of a literary rather than a scien- tific turn of mind, his predilection is rather for letters and the power of expression than for the mechanic arts. Notwithstanding this fact, he has a good knowledge of electrical matters, and was well qualified for his posi- tion in connection with the Fitch Battery and Electric Company. ILLIAM H. RICE, a retired farmer, living in the village of Madison, is descended from honorable pioneer ancestry. He now owns a very pleasant home, to which he has recently removed for the purpose of giving his children a good education, and of living with his family in the comfort and ease which his means enable him to command. He has always been a farmer and a successful one, having already in middle life accumulated- a competency for his declining years. This result has been brought about by hard work and good management. Baxter Rice, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, having grown to manhood in Mas- sachusetts, came to the town of Madison, Madison County, with a yoke of oxen, one horse, and a sled, in 1817, bringing with him his wife. Harmony White, and a daughter, Katharine, afterward Mrs. Homer Tucker, of Oriskany Falls. At that time he could have purchased the land now known as the Bouck- ville Flats for fifty cents per acre, but chose a hill farm in the south part of the town, on which was a log house, after a year or so erecting a framed house, the frame of which is now standing, owned by Albion W. Head. After seventy years the shingles were removed from this house by his grandson, O. H. Rice. The hill farm, much of it then being covered with woods, the resort of deer and other game, was the birthplace of the eldest son in this pioneer family, Oliver B. Rice. In the year 1 8 19 Mr. Rice sold this farm, and removed one mile further east, still being in the same town. On farm number two were born to them five children, — ^ Baxter, Harmony, Ade- line, Harriett, and Henry. Here Mr. and Mrs. Baxter Rice lived till all of their chil- dren, grown to manhood and womanhood, had gone from the parental home to homes of their l62 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW own. Being now far down the declivity of life and alone, they sold the farm, and went to Oriskany Falls, from that time making their home with their son, Baxter Rice, Jr. Mrs. "Rice died at the age of seventy-six, Mr. Rice some years after, at the age of eighty-eight. Farfn number two is now owned by Mr. Henry Edwards. Oliver B. Rice, the father of William, at twenty-six years of age married Mary Haz- zard, of Madison Centre; and, purchasing the farm adjoining his father s, within speaking distance, he lived On it for twenty-five years. He then sold that, and moved one mile west to the farm adjoining his birthplace, known as the Jonas Banton farm, near the Durfy school-house, on which he lived for seventeen years, thence moving to the village of Madi- son in the spring of 1884, where he lived but one year. His death occurred when he was sixty-seven years old. His widow died two years later, at the age of sixty-nine. They were among the best people in the county, and highly respected. They left two chil- dren; namely, William H. and Oliver H., both residing in the village of Madison, William H. Rice was born February 7, 1848. Diligent and observing, he attended school as he had opportunity in his boyhood, but learned more by actual contact with the world than from books. The habits formed in early life have remained with him, and still influence his conduct. At the age of twenty- eight years he was married to Frances Hol- land, a daughter of Hamilton and Susan (Tinslar) Holland. She was one of five children. Her father, who was a farmer, came from Massachusetts to this county when yet a small boy, and died at the age of seventy-eight, her mother being still living, at the age of seventy-two. After their mar- riage Mr. and Mrs. Rice lived one year on the old homestead, and then on a rented farm two years. They then lived in Madison Cen- tre two years, and then returned to the old home, upon which they lived one year. After living in Augusta one year, they removed to Madison Village, where Mr. Rice was en- gaged in teaming, and afterward for two years rented the farm which he now owns, having at the end of this time bought the interests of the other heirs. Upon this farm he lived until the fall of 1892, when he bought his present neat and comfortable home. Start- ing in life without means, and acquiring the competency which he now enjoys, Mr. Rice has demonstrated in a most practical manner what can be done in a country where oppor- tunity is free and equal to all. He and his wife have six children ; namely, Henry B., Mary H., Susan F., Earl H., Clinton B., and Weenia B. Politically, Mr. Rice is a Re- publican, as was his father before him. He is a strong believer in the principle of pro- tection to American industries. He is no less in favor of the best and highest practical education for the young, and is giving all his children the most thorough education his means and the facilities existing will permit. This was in reality the principal reason for his leaving the farm and settling down in the village. No man knows better than does BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 163 Mr. Rice that the perpetuity of republican institutions depends on the intelligence of the citizens, for it is only an intelligent and vigilant constituency that can hold in check the designing demagogue who will occasionally get into power. « *«* > • — ~CjDMOND M. REED is a resident farmer Jpl of the town of Lenox, which has been his home for fifty-nine years. His grand- father, Christopher John Martin Reed, of Saxony, came over to this country with Gen- eral Lafayette, and served seven years in the Revolutionary War. This patriot soldier died in Wallingford, Conn., at the age of eighty -two, in the year 1840. He was a farmer in moderate circumstances, his prin- cipal fortune being in children, of whom he had twelve, seven of them living to matu- rity. The maiden name of his wife was John- son. His son, William Reed, the father of our subject, was born in the town of Durham, Conn., in 1786, and died at Oneida Valley Point in 1852. He served in the War of 1812. His wife was Jane Cameron, born in Albany, N.Y., daughter of John Cameron. Her father was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and during the Revolutionary War was in the English army, in New Jersey, but deserted and espoused the cause of the patriots. His wife's family name was Farr. Our subject's parents were married in Greene or Albany County. Edmond was the seventh of twelve children, and the third of four sons. He was born in New Haven County, Connecticut, in 1 817. Of this large family all are dead but Edmond and three sisters, namely: first, Jane, widow, whose husband, William L. Bort, was killed in the battle of Gettysburg, July 3, 1863, leaving her with seven children; second, Eliza, widow of Thomas E. Brodway, of New York City, a wealthy meat merchant, who has one son; third, Maria, now Mrs. Edson, formerly Mrs. Randall, the mother of three sons and one daughter. Edmond M. Reed was reared to farming and to hard labor. He had a fair education under private teachers, and continued study- ing until quite grown. He remained at home until his marriage, March 10, 1841, with Miss Henrietta Huntley, daughter of James and Nancy (Teharst) Huntley, the father a native of Connecticut, and the mother from the Mohawk Valley. Mrs. Reed was born in Manlius, N.Y., 1820. The happiness of the married life of this couple has been shadowed by the death of four sons; but they have yet four stalwart sons living, namely: William P., a farmer, has a wife and six children; Edmond M., Jr., a carpenter of Oneida, mar- ried, and has two sons; Daniel C, farms a part of the home farm, has a wife and three sons; and George V., living at home, with his wife and one son. In company with his sons, Mr. Reed does general farming, and raises some tobacco. He also runs a dairy of four- teen cows. At one time his farm was over a mile long, but from time to time he has sold large portions of it to his sons. When Mr. Reed was a young man, in this part of the State of New York game of all 164 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW kinds was very plentiful; and often they had to depend upon what their guns would bring down for meat for their tables. In this way they became expert marksmen; and marvel- lous, but true, are the tales told of these early Nimrods, especially of our subject. He was known far and near as a wonderful hunter, and had but few, if any, equals in those days, and in these latter years could take his place beside such celebrities as Bogardus and Dr. Carver. It is a matter of history his having killed two deer at one shot. In the winter of 1856 he killed one hundred and ten pigeons at one shot, and at another some seventy-six; but they were roosting at the time in large numbers. He was the first man who shipped game to New York City over the New York Central Railroad. In the winter of 1856, in partnership with one Leonard Baum, of New York City, he sent forty-two thousand pigeons to that city from Grafton Station, Ohio. He helped to lay the first track of the New York Central ; and his first ride on the railroad was from Albany to Schenectady, in 1835. The train consisted of an engine and one box- car; and the engineer was conductor, fireman, brakeman, and the whole crew in himself. A very funny incident which evidenced the dif- ference in the speed between that time and now occurred on this trip. The father's gun was hanging up in the box-car, and fell out by the roadside. Edmond jumped off the train, picked it up, and jumped on again, without any slacking up or waiting for him. It could scarcely be done to-day on the same road. Mr. Reed's sons have in- herited his remarkable skill in gunning, espe- cially George, who is at home on the farm. Mr. Edmond M. Reed is honorably con- nected with the Masonic order, being a Master Mason. He was Justice of the Peace for four years. In politics he is a thorough and consistent Democrat. He holds to the doctrines of the Presbyterian church, and his children have all been brought up in that religion. OHN HUNT, a worthy member of the Society of Friends, a public-spirited citizen of De Ruyter, was born in this town, March i, 1826. His ancestral connec- tions, maternal and paternal, for several gen- erations have mostly worn the plain garb, spoken the "plain language," and cultivated the sterling virtues of the sect which holds so strongly to the inward promptings of the spirit. His father, William Hunt, was born in or near Cambridge, Washington County, January 30, 1801. His grandfather, James, it is thought, was born in Massachusetts, son of one of seven brothers who came from Eng- land to America in Colonial times. James Hunt emigrated from Massachusetts to Wash- ington County at an early day, and, after dwelling there some time, about the year 181 3 came with his wife and family to Madison County, and bought timber land in that part of the town of De Ruyter known as Quaker Hill, induced by the solicitation of Friends in that neighborhood to stay there instead of continuing his journey to Scipio, Cayuga County, as had been his original intention. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW i6s In 1 841 Mr. Hunt went to Quaker Basin to live in the home of his son, William, where he died in February the following year. His wife's maiden name was Anna Chase. Will- iam was the fourth son, and the youngest but one of the family of eight children, the others being James, Elihu, Phineas, Mercy, Annie, Esther, and Rebecca. The last-named, the only one now living, was born in 1806. She resides in Cambridge, Washington County, N.Y. William Hunt was thirteen years old when he came with his parents to Madison County, then sparsely peopled and only partly re- claimed from its natural wildness. Having grown to manhood and taken a wife, he bought land in Quaker Basin, and lived there from 1 841 till 1866, when he sold that farm and removed to Pompey Hollow, where he con- tinued to reside until his death, February 10, 1888. He married Elizabeth Breed, daughter of Zephaniah and Hannah (Wing) Bfeed. She was born in Charleston, Montgomery County, February 13, 1806, and died Decem- ber 29, 1875. John, the subject of the present sketch, was the first born of the nine children who lived to requite the cares of this good mother. He had four sisters and four brothers, — Sarah, Lydia A., Charles, Hiram, Mary, James, Hannah, and William Edwin. His book learning was acquired in- the district schools of his neighborhood : his practical knowledge of the art of husbandry was gained by long experience of work on his father's farm, where he grew to vigorous manhood. The first farm owned by him was bought in 1867, after his second marriage, and sold two years later, when he removed to ' his present farm, a mile and a quarter from the village of De Ruyter. He first married September 23, 1852, Sarah Wright, who was born in De Ruyter, a daugh- ter of David and Elizabeth Wright, early settlers of that town, natives of Saratoga County. She died July 19, 1863, leaving one daughter, Mr. Hunt's only child, Jennie M., now wife of Frank J. Connell, who has one child, Bessie S. Connell. Mr. Hunt's second marriage was with Mrs. Sarah (Howard) Harrington, who was born in Harford, Cortland County. Her father, Sen- eca Howard, a native of Coxsackie, Columbia County, after his marriage removed to Har- ford, where he spent the remainder of his laborious life, following the trade of black- smith. His wife's maiden name was Mar- garet Cornwell. She was born in Columbia County, and died in Harford, having reared eight children, — Thomas, Mary, Burnett, Richard, William, Sarah, Alfred, and Henry. Mrs. Hunt had previously been married, at twenty years of age, to Milan Harrington, a native of Richford, Tioga County, son of Stephen and Amy (Wilcox) Harrington. Mr. Milan Harrington died October 15, 1864, at his home in the town of Richford. Mr. Hunt has given his allegiance to the Republican party since its formation. Not covetous of the honor of office, not greedy for its gain, he is one whom his fellow-citizens like to place in positions of trust. He has served as Assessor and Highway Commis- i66 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW sioner, and has been twice elected, 1892 and 1893, a member of the County Board of Supervisors. The more important committees of which he is a member are on Assessment Rolls and Equalization, and Justices and Con- stables. He takes an active interest in local enterprises, and is Secretary of the Quaker Basin Butter Factory. fc^ AUL S. MAINE, a leading merchant of Perryville, N.Y., was born De- cember 13, 1847, in the town of Fenner. His parents were Asa R. and Lucy W. Maine. The family were originally from Connecticut, the grandfather, Paul R. Maine, having been born there in 1791, but moved to the town of Fenner, Madison County, in 1 8 10, and bought a farm of three hundred acres. He accumulated considerable means, and became one of the leading farmers in the town; also Inspector of Public Schools, and a deacon in the Baptist church at Fenner Corners. Of his family of five children only two survive: F"ranklin P., living near North Manlius, N.Y. ; and Elon G., residing in the village of Perryville. The grandfather died at the age of eighty, on the farm he first bought and settled upon. He voted with the Republican party. The father of our subject, Asa R. Maine, grew to manhood in the town of Fenner, and here bought a portion of the old home farm. On this well-cultivated and beautiful place he married, reared his family of five children, and died in 1863, at the age of forty-two years. In his religious proclivities he clung to the faith of his ancestors, and was a thorough Baptist. He was a Republican, and held many offices under the patronage of that party. For two years he was Supervisor, Justice of the Peace three terms, was Internal Revenue Assessor, and also had been Inspector of Schools and Town Clerk. In every position of trust he held Mr. Maine was eminently satisfactory and trustworthy; and, when he finally retired from active service, it was with the reputation of sterling honesty and un- impeachable rectitude. His children were: Marion A., who married Horatio K. Vedder, and lived near Little Falls, N.Y., where she died at the age of twenty-seven; Paul S. ; Frank L., living in Manlius, N.Y., a lawyer and Justice of the Peace; Ida P., Mrs. Charles Dick, of Jefferson County, New York; and Nellie A., who died when eleven years of age. The mother died in 1873, aged fifty years. Paul S. Maine, of whom we write, grew to manhood in the town of Fenner, and attended its district schools, afterward going for five terms to the seminary at Cazenovia. When he was seventeen years old, he began teach- ing, which he continued for seven years. He was appointed School Commissioner at the age of twenty-four years, to fill a vacancy, and then elected to serve the succeeding term of three years, 1873-74-75. He was married in 1872 to Miss Florence A. Keeler, of the town of Fenner, daughter of Harvey L. Keeler, who was a merchant the last years of his life, and who died in 1882, when fifty-eight years BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 167 of age; In 1876 our subject bought Mr. Keeler's general store, which he now carries on. He also owns the old farm of one hun- dred acres, and has an interest in the cheese factory of the town. He has a large stock of merchandise and a highly successful business. Mr. Maine is postmaster of Perry ville, being appointed in 1876, and, with the excep- tion of three years, has held the position con- tinuously. He was also Supervisor for eight years. Fraternally, he is a member of Sulli- van Lodge, No. 148, F. & A. M., of which he is Worshipful Master. He affiliates with the Republican party, the principles of which he warmly advocates and supports. He is equally prominent with his fellow-men, irre- spective of creed and party. As a leading farmer and business man in Perryville, he wields great influence, and, though compara- tively a young man, is public-spirited and largely interested in the growth and prosper- ity of his town. One daughter completes the happy family circle of our subject and wife — • L. Ethelyn, born June 30, 1874, residing at home, and the centre and joy of the house- hold. -|r>.R. ORLANDO WALTER BUR- 1=^=1 HYTP: was born in North Brook- «= 'UMNER GILL, one of the most prominent citizens of Madison County, was born in the town of Stockbridge, December 13, 1824. His fa- ther, Lawson Gill, was a native of the town of Smithfield, and was a son of John Gill, one of the pioneers of that town, who, after settling there, followed farming the rest of his life. Lawson Gill was reared upon his father's farm in Smithfield, and after his marriage resided a few years in Stockbridge, removing thence to St. Lawrence County. Not long afterward he went to Canada, and lived in the Queen's dominions four years. Returning to New York, he engaged in farm- ing in St. Lawrence and Jefferson Counties until about 1841, when he again came to Madison County, remaining until about 1848, removing then to Black Hawk County, Iowa, where he followed the occupation of farm- ing until 1852. In that year, accompanied by his wife and five children, he started for California, making the entire journey over- land, his wife, however, dying en route, and being buried on the plains. He spent his last years in. Alturas, Cal. The maiden name of his wife was Asenath Saunders. She was a native of New England, and was a daughter of Aaron Saunders, who was also a native of New England, and emigrated thence to Madison County in the early days, becoming a pioneer of the town of Smith- field, where he bought a tract of timber land, and improved a farm, upon which he lived the rest of his life, dying when about seventy- eight years of age. Lawson Gill and his wife reared eight children, — Sumner, John, Mary J., Sophia, Aaron, Cynthia E., Saman- tha, and Franklin. When his parents removed from Madison County to St. Lawrence County, Sumner Gill was very young. Pioneer conditions and methods still prevailed. There were neither railroads nor canals in the State; and the people were obliged to haul their surplus products to Albany, one hundred miles dis- tant. He was sixteen years old when his 176 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW parents returned to Madison County ; and he continued to reside with them until they Went to Iowa, as above narrated, when he began life for himself without indebtedness and without money. After working by the month on the farm for about ten years, he bought a farm in the town of Smithfield, then known as the Wood farm. At the time of his marriage he settled on the farm owned by his father-in-law, and after four years bought a farm in Canastota, upon which he lived four years. Then, selling this farm, he bought his father-in-law's farm, and became one of the most successful farmers and one of the most extensive hop - growers in Madison County. Continuing actively engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1892, he then sold his farm, and removed to Morrisville, where he has since lived a retired life, in dignity, in comfort, and in peace. Mr. Gill married in P"ebruary, 1851, La- verna Krigham, who was born in the town of Smithfield, March 3, 1829, and is a daughter of Philander W. Brigham. Her father, born in the same town, was a son of Caleb Wright Brigham, who emigrated from Jaffrey, N.H., his native place, to the State of New York, lived for a time in Oneida County, then be- came one of the early pioneers of the town of Smithfield, where, securing a tract of tim- bered land, he improved a farm, upon which he lived until his death. The maiden name of his wife was Martha Blanchard. She was born in Rhode Island, and died on the home farm in Smithfield. The father of Mrs. Gill was reared to agricultural pursuits, engaged in farming in Smithfield until 1865, when he sold his farm and removed to Niagara County, where he still resides, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. His wife, Eunice Gray, was born in Madison County, and a daughter of Justice Gray and his wife, Lucy Seakins, both natives of New England and pioneers of Smithfield. Mrs. Gray died in that town. Mr. Gray died in the northern part of the State. Mr. and Mrs. Brigham were long very prominent members of the Methodist Episco- pal church, Mr. Brigham being a class-leader for many years. In early life, while residing in Madison County, he took a leading part in local affairs. A strong Democrat, he fre- quently voiced in public his sentiments on both political and religious questions. He is a man whose influence has been felt wherever he has lived. Mr. and Mrs. Sumner Gill are the parents of five children, — Franklin B., L. Nora, Edgar D., Eunice A., and Florence G. Mrs. Gill is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. Gill is a Democrat in politi- cal belief. From this brief narrative of an active and successful life it is evident that the subject of this sketch is peculiarly a self-made man. Starting with nothing but his deter- mined purpose and his willing hands, he has, by industry, good management, and judicious economy, accumulated a handsome competency for his declining years. He has always been a loyal and patriotic citizen, cheerfully taking his part in local public affairs, and enjoying satisfaction in the independence and prosper- ity of his country. In his time he has been BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 177 an extensive traveller, having visited the States of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wis- consin, California, and the Territory of Utah. He possesses to an extended degree the confi- dence and esteem of his fellow-men, of which he has shown himself in every way worthy. M ERICK H. FITCH was born in the town of Cazenovia, August 16, 1837. His father, whose name was also Derick, was born in Chenango County, near Oxford, September 2, 1798; and his father, grandfather of our subject, was a farmer on the western bank of the Chenango River, about one mile north of Oxford, his farm being situated on the side hill which was known as Fitch Hill. Both he and his wife, whose name before marriage was Hallenbeck, were probably of Dutch ancestry. They reared at least four sons and two daughters. The father of the subject of this notice married Jerusha Vibbard, the marriage taking place at or near Peterboro about 1820. He was a hatter; and soon after marriage he and his wife came to Cazenovia, where he followed his trade for some years. They buried an infant son; and in 1840 the mother died of consumption, leaving five daughters and three sons. In 1842 the daughter Caroline died, also of consumption, at the age of twenty. After this not a death occurred in the family for *a period of thirty-six years, when, in 1879, the father died, at the age of eighty- one. There are three daughters and one son (our subject) who still survive. He of whom we write received a fair com- mon-school education, attending school in the winter, and in 1853 began to learn the trade of tinsmith in Cazenovia, with Brown & Per- kins, following this occupation until i860, both in Cazenovia and in Norwich, N.Y., and also at Hornellsville, where he was foreman of a shop in 1856. Having a taste for chem- istry and scientific studies, he improved his leisure moments to such good purpose that in the fall of i860 he obtained a position as telegrapher in St. Louis, Mo., where he remained during the winter, and was then sent to Litchfield, 111., where he was chief operator, and had charge of the lines and sup- plies and a general superintendence over the office work. In 1862 he was in the govern- ment employ, in the quartermaster's depart- ment, engaged in military telegraphy, and for two years had charge of the supply depart- ment. He was next in charge of transporta- tion on the Northern Missouri Railroad, while still in government employ, holding this po- sition one year, when he resigned, owing to poor health, his resignation taking effect January i, 1865. During the Confederate General Price's last raid he sat at his tele- graph table, giving train orders, for three consecutive days and nights, snatching but a few moments' sleep whenever opportunity ad- mitted of resting his head upon the table at which he was working. This had much to do with the breaking-down of his health, ind h^ felt it necessary to come home and rest. After this he went to the oil regions, in the employ of the Western Union Telegraph 178 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Company, where he was Assistant Superin- tendent of the Sixth District of the Central Division, and in the fall of 1866 was made District Superintendent. He was married in Cazenovia, January 7, i860, to Mary J. Haws, of this place. In 1868 they moved to Jefferson City, Mo., where he was Superintendent of Telegraph on the Missouri Pacific Railroad, with office at Jefferson City. He remained here nearly two years, and then went to a like position on the St. Louis, Kansas City, & Northern Railway, with office at Moberly, Mo. Here he was twice elected to the Municipal Council, hold- ing the office when the organization was changed from that of village to city govern- ment, and was Chairman of the Auditive Com- mittee. He remained in Moberly until 1873, and, when he left, was presented with a fine galvanometer by the employees of the tele- graph department. This delicate instrument for electrical measurements was not then in common use, and cost the " boys " two hun- dred and thirty-five dollars, being imported from England. This handsome present was greatly appreciated by Mr. Fitch, and is re- garded by him to-day as a most valuable sou- venir. With it was also presented a unique chart testimonial, engrossed by one of the employees in a very artistic manner; and the t^o bring to his mind the most pleasant reminiscences of former days of good fellow- ship and of happy associations. Mr. Fitch next accepted a position with the Indianap- olis, Decatur, & Springfield Railroad, as Mas- ter of Transportation and Superintendent of Telegraph, with office at Tuscola, 111., retain- ing this position for some seven years, or until 1880, when failing health compelled him again to retire for a time; and he spent two years endeavoring to recuperate his ex- hausted energies. While in Tuscola, 111., his leisure time was spent in studying and experimenting on a more perfect battery; and the results of his labors are embodied in his chlorine battery, on which he has three differ- ent letters patent. This battery is now the best in use; and Mr. Fitch has in his posses- sion an indorsement from the Academy of Inventors of Paris, France. On the recovery of his health he accepted a position in Jan- uary, 1882, on the New Orleans Pacific Rail- road, with headquarters at New Orleans, La., which position he left on the absorption of that road by another. Later he went to Brunswick, Ga., for the Brunswick & West- ern Railroad, and in December, 1883, re- turned to his old home, and established a manufactory of electric batteries. In 1890 it was incorporated into a stock company; and two years later Mr. Fitch and his son, Gerrit F. Fitch, now of Oneida, bought out the other stockholders. Later they sold out their entire business to the Galvano-Faradic Manufactur- ing Company of New York City; and in 1893 Mr. Fitch organized the Bee-hive Electric Works, for the manufacture of electric tele- phones and telephonic apparatus, etc. Our subject and his wife are the parents of five children, three sons and two daughters, as„ follows: Charles A., employed in the National Express Office, Paterson, N.J., has W. V. BOSWORTH. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 179 a wife and daughter; Gerrit F., unmarried, and associated with his father in his business enterprises; James E., at home; Edith May, aged seven years; and Elsie Louise, a little girl of five. Mr. Fitch has been a Master Mason since 1864, and is universally re- spected as a man of honor and probity and a most useful and enterprising citizen. Wi ILLIAM V. BOSWORTH. Among the many citizens of foreign birth furnished to the United States by Great Britain, men who have been and are skilful in their several callings, is William V. Bos- worth, the subject of this sketch, though he was of such tender years when brought by his parents to this country that he is as much an American citizen as if "native, and to the manner born." He now resides at Clockville, in the town of Lenox, Madison County. He was born in Leicestershire, England, April 22, 1828. His father, Obadiah Bosworth, was born in the same county about 1796, and came to the United States when the subject of this sketch was but nine years old, bring- ing with him his wife, eight children, and his son-in-law. The maiden name of his wife was Hannah Vials. They came by sailing- vessel, and were seven weeks on the ocean, leaving Liverpool on March i, and arriving at New York April 22, 1837, having expe- rienced heavy seas and head winds, and having been, as they verily believed, in imminent danger several times of going to the bottom of the sea. During the voyage Mrs. Bosworth was very ill, and was not expected to survive; but, when the vessel was off the banks of Newfoundland, she began to improve, and in a short time regained her health and strength. Upon landing in this country, the family at first located at Waterville, Oneida County; and, being without cash capital, Mr. Bos- worth accepted the first work he could obtain, which was for a farmer, who at the end of his first day's labor gave him a liberal supply of corned beef and pork. He continued to work thus for about four years, then rented a farm in Oneida County, which he cultivated for some years, and in 1855 removed to Chenango County, where he purchased a farm of seventy- five acres in the town of Columbus. This farm he sold in 1866, and removed to the town of Lenox, Madison County, into the present home of our subject, two miles south of Clockville. Here Mr. Bosworth lived until his death, which took place in 1878, when he was eighty-two years of age. He left five children: William V.; Thomas, a resident of Cortland, N.Y., and a tailor by trade; John, a resident of Minnesota, and a shoemaker by trade; Sarah, widow of F. R. Nash, of Canastota; and Charles O., a farmer, of Canaseraga. The latter served three years during the late war, and at its close was hon- orably discharged. The children deceased were: George, who enlisted in Company H, Seventy-sixth Regiment, fought bravely for the flag, and was killed at Gettysburg, July i, 1863;. Eli, who died in the prime of life, leaving a widow; Maria, who married John Judson, their son, William Judson, being at i8o BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW the present time owner and editor of the Lum- berman at Chicago; and two other daughters, each of whom was married and left a family. William V. Bosworth was reared to farm life and labor, acquiring strength of body and habits of industry and economy which have been of great use to him through life. His education was obtained in the district school. He was married at Clockville, January 4, 1853, to Maria P. Wilcox, daughter of Alan- son Wilcox, and a sister of Alanson C. Wilcox, whose biographical sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Bos- worth began life on a farm of seventy-five acres which they had purchased two miles south of Clockville, and upon which they lived ten years. To the seventy-five acres they added other land, until at the present time the farm contains one hundred and sixty acres. From this farm they removed to their present home in 1863; and in 1887, having erected a fine, large dwelling-house, they moved into the new house and removed the old house to an- other lot. Mr. Bosworth has always been successful. That he has been trusted and confided in to an unusual degree is proven by the fact that he has been elected to several important offices of honor and responsibility, having been Deputy Sheriff of Madison County twenty-one years, besides serving a part of that time as Constable. In politics he is a Republican. Both he and his wife are members of the Baptist church, he being deacon and clerk. Mr. and Mrs. Bosworth have buried one daughter, Laura, who died when one year old. Their living children are as follows: Frank A., of Utica, who is married, and has a son and daughter; Cora O., a young, lady, at home; and William V., Jr., residing near his parents on a farm, married, and has one daughter, named Laura. Frank A. Bosworth, of Utica, has been in the Oneida County Bank for twenty years, and has been its Cashier for the past four years. Before going to Utica, he was well known in Canastota as clerk in the First National Bank of that place, and since going to that city he has won and now main- tains a high standing as a bank ofificial and financier. This position he has won by ability and steady application. He married Nellie Sherwood, daughter of B. Franklin Sherwood, of Utica. William V. Bosworth, Jr., is engaged extensively as an apiarist. He married Alice Buckley, daughter of Rev. George Buckley of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Bosworth has been a farmer all his life, with the exception of fourteen years, when he was a produce broker, dealing suc- cessfully in butter, cheese, fruit, and eggs, but most extensively in eggs, shipping his produce from Clockville to Eastern markets. In the village of Clockville and adjacent thereto he owns thirty-three acres of Jand, which is worth from one hundred to three hundred dollars per acre; and his house is one of the best in the place. The farm of one hundred and sixty acres mentioned earlier in this sketch he is still conducting with, the assistance of hired help. During the year 1886 Mr. Bosworth was BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW very ill, and obliged to give up active work, but has now regained his health, and is enjoy- ing the leisure to which his long, active, and successful life entitles him. He is looked upon by his friends and neighbors as one of the best citizens of Madison County. Wi ILLIAM G. SAYLES was born in Peterboro, Madison County, New York, June 20, 1812. His ancestors were natives of Rhode Island, the grandfather re- moving from there to New York State with his family, being one of the first settlers in Smithfield. At that time Madison County was a part of Herkimer County, and was a virgin forest. He 'bought a tract of timber land and built a log house in the wilderness, about two and one-half miles from the present site of Peterboro. Very few can appreciate the hardships and labors of those days and the long, difficult journeys which had to be made for even the necessaries of life. There were no mills in the neighborhood; and he was forced to ride on horseback to Whitesboro, many miles distant, to procure the flour and meal which made the daily bread for bis family. Yet, despite these privations and adverse conditions, their lives were longer than the average span of the present genera- tion; for this founder of the family lived to be ninety-five years old, and his wife, who shared his toils and troubles, died at the age of one hundred, after a sickness of only three days. Her maiden name was Anna Mowry, and she was also a native of Rhode Island. They both died at the home of their son, Silas, in the town of Lenox, N.Y. Silas Sayles, the father of our subject, was but a boy when his parents moved to Madison County, where he resided until the year 1819. He then went to the town of Lenox, N.Y., and bought three hundred and three acres of land one mile from the village of Clockville, where he labored diligently and successfully. He spent his last years with his children, dying at the age of seventy-eight years. His wife was Miss Phila Griffin, who came to Madison County with her parents when quite young. She was a helpmate indeed to her husband, and a devoted mother to her eleven children. She passed away at the age of seventy-six years. The names of the children were: Abigail, Smith, Oney, Betsey, Gerrett, William G., Mary A., Dorman, Elmira, Har- riett, and Royal. William G. Sayles was about nine years old when his parents moved to Lenox, where he was reared and educated. He lived at home until twenty-six years old, and then bought a tract of land near the old homestead, residing there for a number of years, going then to the town of Sullivan, where he remained until 1876, finally settling in Oneida, where he bought property, improved it, and is still liv- ing here. He married Miss Civilla Baldwin in November, 1835. She was born in Fen- ner, Madison County, New York, July 6, 18 17. Her father, Lorin Baldwin, was also a native of that town, his father, David .Bald- win, having been born in Massachusetts, thence coming to New York State with his BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW family, having to make the journey by team. He located in the town of Fenner, bought land, cleared it off for a farm, and remained there until his death. His wife was Miss Penelope Miles; and her father was also reared amid pioneer scenes to agricultural pursuits, carrying on his occupation of farmer until his death, in 1822. The mother of Mrs. Sayles was Miss Lucena Hicks. She- was also a native of Fenner, her father being Joshua Hicks, a native of Connecticut, and one of the first settlers of Fenner, having come here with a team attached to a sled, on which were placed all their earthly posses- sions. The journey was "a long and tedious one, being made in the winter months and over the Green Mountains ; and they suffered greatly, enduring many privations. They finally settled six miles north-east of Caze- novia, cut the logs, and built their own log cabin. Here they labored unceasingly, and improved a farm, making it one of the best in the town of Fenner. Joshua Hicks married Miss Charlotte Twist, a native of Connecticut. The names of the sons and daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Sayles are: Caroline E., who is the wife of Mr. Harrison Kimball, resides in Fayetteville, and has one child, Civilla; Ellen R., is the wife of J. O. Powers, a prom- inent ranch-owner of Redfield, So. Dak., own- ing a well-stocked ranch of two thousand acres, — they have two children. Nelson and Fan- nie; Edgar E., married Miss Mary Worden, and has one daughter, Edna, — they live in Jackson County, Oregon, he being interested in gold-mining there; Grove, married Miss Delia Bender, — he is a ranchman and live- stock-dealer in Elk County, Nevada. Mr. and Mrs. Sayles buried one daughter, Civilla, who died at the age of eight years, this being the only deep sorrow that has entered the happy circle. Mr. Sayles has been highly successful in his life, but never more so than in his selec- tion of a wife, who is a lady of culture, refine- ment, and much intelligence. She has been the inspiration of her husband, and in the fifty-eight years of their lives together their relations have been most happy and harmoni- ous. They have given their children good educations, and have lived to see them bliss- fully enjoying their own domestic happiness. Strict and consistent members of the Baptist church, Mr. and Mrs. Sayles have been bright examples- for over forty years of devoted followers of Christ. In political matters Mr. Sayles casts his vote with the Democratic party. HARLES P. BUTTON was born Jan- T uary 29 18 16, in the town of Lenox, ' N.Y., the son of Chauncy and Polly Button. His grandfather, Benjamin Button, was a native of the State of Connecticut, and was a soldier of the Revolution, enlisting when he was but sixteen years of age. He belonged to one of the military companies organized at that time, and drilled so effec- tively as to hold themselves in readiness at a minute's notice to go into battle, hence being called "minute men." An incident of the BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 183 celerity with wliich these companies could be gathered together was illustrated when one day a report came that the British ships were firing on Boston. In sixty seconds Mr. But- ton's company was ready, and marching to the scene of action. After the war he went to the State of New York, and settled in the town of Canajoharie, Montgomery County, where he was one of the early settlers. He was a farmer, and also a blacksmith, and lived to the good old age of eighty-five years, his wife dying when she was seventy years old. They reared a family of nine children. The politics of the grandfather were of the Whig party. Chauncy Button, the father of our subject, resided in Montgomery County until his mar- riage, when he moved to Madison County, and settled in the town of Lenox, being among the first settlers of that place, " When the world was in forest, the hamlet in grove." The wild and savage Indian prowled around the very door of their cabin; and the trusty rifle was their mainstay to serve their tables, which were royally graced with the juicy ven- ison and dainty game. The spinning-wheel, with its spindle and bands and slender spokes, whirled swiftly to the touch of the mother's hands, as she spun the yarn; and in the corner of the room stood the great brown loom, where the clothing was woven for the family. The father, having cleared the land, engaged in general farming. There were nine children born in this family, seven of whom grew up, our subject being the only one now living. The father died in the town of Fenner, at the age of fifty-six years. He was a Whig in politics. The mother moved to the town of Lenox, and made her home with her son, C. P. Button, up to within six months before her death, dying at the age of eighty-three. Charles P. Button grew to manhood in the town of Lenox, and received his education in the district schools of that place, remaining at home until twenty-one years of age. He then hired out by the month on a farm, re- ceiving twelve and a half dollars for his first month's work, and continued this for four years. During this time he had learned the trade of a tanner and currier, and engaged in this, also in shoemaking, for four years more. He then turned his attention to farming, and worked land on shares for fifteen years. In 1855 he went to the town of Sullivan, and in 1867 bought his first farm, which consisted of sixty-eight and a half acres. By very hard work, but fortunately successful, he has brought this property up to two hundred and thirty-two acres, and now owns one of the finest farms in the county. Small grain and hay are the main crops, and he also has a dairy of splendid half-blooded Holstein cattle. Mr. Button was married in 1846 to Miss Margery N. Forbes, who was born in the town of Sullivan in 1827, daughter of Jacob and Nancy Forbes, both natives of Montgom- ery County, New York. Mr. Forbes was a farmer, and owned a place in Niagara County, where he died at the age of fifty-two. His wife died at the age of forty-five years. They i84 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW had ten children, of whom only two are liv- ing, — Chauncy Forbes and Mrs. Button. Mr. Forbes was a Democrat. Our subject and wife have four children, — ^two sons and two daughters, — namely: Chauncy, living in the town of Sullivan; Charles S. and Maria, liv- ing at home; and Sarah, Mrs. William E. Ladd, living in the town of Sullivan. Mr. Button and family are consistent mem- bers of the Baptist church, of which he is a Trustee. In politics he sympathizes with the Republican party. This charming old couple have a delightful home in the town of Sulli- van, where they enjoy the blessings of well- spent lives, passing their declining years in ease and comfort, and are held by all their friends in the highest veneration and respect. CLAY ACKLEY was born at East ^^ Hamilton, Madison County, N.Y., November 9, 1842. The grand- father and his two brothers were residents of Colchester, Conn., and in the beginning of this century made the journey to Madison County with ox-teams, and located near the present home of our subject. They purchased a large tract of heavily timbered land, and laid out a village, naming it Colchester, which was later changed to East Hamilton, N.Y. Here they remained for one summer, and raised one crop. They had come from Con- necticut alone, leaving their families, but in the winter returned for them, and in the following spring brought them to their new homes. They continued clearing their land until, at the time of their deaths, nearly all of it (about three hundred acres) was laid out in fine farms, which have passed through succeeding generations, and are still owned by our subject, his brother, a sister, and an uncle. The grandfather's name was Ely. His son, father of our subject, was Joseph Neelan Ackley; and his birthplace was East Hamilton. The latter was reared to agricult- ural pursuits, and lived and died on the home- stead. He married Caroline, daughter of John and Betsey Wells; and to them were born three boys, — John, Ely, and H. Clay. Her mother was Betsey Galloway, and she was the first white woman who settled in the town. Mrs. Joseph Ackley died on the home farm. H. Clay Ackley was educated in Hamilton College, and graduated from a college in Rochester, N.Y. After finishing school, he went to Waterville, N.Y., and engaged in hop culture. He first entered the employment of the firm with which his brother is associated, that of Ackley & Risley. Here he remained for some time, and then became engaged with E. Ackley & Charles Bacon, and later with the firm of Putnam & Peck. With these firms, large hop-dealers in the county, Mr. Ackley gained excellent ideas of business, which have since stood him in good stead, and to-day make him one of the best men of affairs in his town. After about twenty years spent with these firms, in each of which he had made his services invaluable, he returned to the home of his father, and at the death of the latter succeeded him in the ownership of the BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 185 farm, which is now called "the homestead." Since owning the place, he has continued to improve it in every way, and has never spared expense in providing it with all the modern implements for labor-saving, and thus has one of the model farms of the county. For sev- eral years he has given much attention to the raising of trotting horses, and has some splen- did stock in his paddocks. Having a fine race track on his land, he is conveniently sit- uated for the training of his trotters. This track is owned by his uncle, and many race meetings are held here. When Mr. Ackley was twenty-two years of age, he was married to Miss Frances Brainard, daughter of Ira and Jemima (Beebe) Brainard. During their married life Mr. and Mrs. Ack- ley have had unbroken happiness. Mrs. Ack- ley is a woman of rare business and literary accomplishments, and, whether in the house- hold, society, or in her husband's office, is equally at home, filling any of these posi- tions with a graceful demeanor and modest and agreeable manner. The hospitality of their home is proverbial throughout the county; and their cheerful, frank dispositions make a hearty welcome to their hosts of friends. Mr. Ackley has been elected Supervisor of his town three times, having won the confi- dence of his townspeople by his unswerving rectitude. Both he and his wife are members of the Universalist church, and by their Christian lives attest the sincerity of their belief. Their benevolence and charity to the poor are well known; for they consider them- selves as only stewards of their wealth, giving freely of their abundance to those less fortu- nate than themselves. -AMES BETTS. Like many another United States citizen, James Betts, a thriving landholder of Lebanon, a man of marked intelligence, liberal-minded, and progressive, although unlearned in the lore of the schools, is of foreign birth and breeding, — an American of his own sagacious, doughty will. He was born in Oxfordshire, England, November 14, 1829, the youngest child of William and Mary Betts, who were also na- tives of that land, where their entire lives were spent. Having the misfortune in in- fancy to lose his father, he was brought up by his mother, a worthy woman, who did the best she could for her little ones, training them to habits of industry and ways of virtue. Mrs. Betts remained a widow until James was eleven years old, when she was again married. The lad continued to make his home with her till he was fifteen years old. By this time he may be considered to have come into posses- sion of his entire patrimony, auspicious in- heritance of the poor man's son, — " Stout muscles and a sinewy heart, A hardy frame, a hardier spirit." "King of two hands," he began life on his own account by working as a shepherd for the beggarly pittance, as it seems to-day, of four shillings per week, out of which sum he was obliged to board and clothe himself, paying one shilling per week for his lodging. As he i86 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW grew older and became experienced in dif- ferent kinds of farm labor, his wages were increased, but never to a large amount. However, he managed by the time he was twenty-two years of age to lay up enough money to paiy his passage to a country where a workingman might hope in time to own land and a home. Sailing from Liverpool, October i6, 1851, in the ship "Calhoun," he arrived in New York Harbor five weeks later. There was much sickness among the emigrants on board, and two hundred and sixteen pas- sengers died during the melancholy voyage. The survivors were detained in quarantine ten days, in circumstances of much discomfort. Our young adventurer landed in New York with twenty shillings in his pocket. Paying his fare to Utica, he walked from there to Eaton, Madison County. His first employ- ment here was threshing grain with the time- honored implement, — soon to be superseded, — the flail, for which he received ten dollars per month and board. He continued working by the month at different kinds of farm labor, each in its season, until he had acquired a sufficient sum of money to carry on the land which he now rented in company with his brother-in-law. Prospering in this undertak- ing, he was enabled five years later to buy a farm in the north-eastern part of the town of Lebanon. This farm he occupied and im- proved until 1878, when he sold it, and bought his present homestead of one hundred and forty acres in School District No. 4, town of Leba- non, with forty acres of out-field. No slack hand has brought this goodly farm to its pres- ent state of high and profitable cultivation. The place is pleasant and homelike. Every- where are evidences of diligent, skilful hus- bandry and well-earned prosperity. In 1858 Mr. Betts married Selina Baker, a native of Buckinghamshire, England. Her father, John Baker, emigrated from that coun- try with his family in 1854, embarking at Liverpool in the sailing-vessel "Phoenix," and, after a voyage of seven weeks, landing in New York, whence he came directly to Hamilton. Having in early life learned the useful trade from which, doubtless, many gen- erations before the family had derived its name, he established a bakery in that town, and continued in the business many years. His vigor, physical and mental, was so re- markably preserved that at eighty-six years of age he returned to England on a visit of a few months to the scenes of his younger days, and to such of his friends as were living in the old familiar places. His closing years were spent in Plamilton, where he died at the age of ninety. The maiden name of his wife was Ann Gilkes. She was born in England, and died in Hamilton eight weeks after landing, leaving four children, happily not of tender years, — John, Ann, Selina, and James. Mr. and Mrs. Betts have five children, who have profited by the advantages of good home and school training. They are: William D., who married Delia Kimball, of Madison County, and has two children, Willie H. and Mabel M. ; Ella M., who is the wife of George Buell, and has one son, James Betts; Edward J.; John Baker, who m.arried E. Norton. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 189 Addie Kinney, of Earlville, and has one son, John; and Jay L. In politics Mr. Betts is a stanch Republican. jDWARD NORTON, the late proprietor of the Madison Observer, — the oldest newspaper in the county, established in 1821, — is believed to have been connected with this enterprising weekly as editor and man- ager longer than any one man has ever been similarly connected with any other paper in the State. He retained his physical and mental vigor to the close of a long and ac- tively useful life, dying suddenly and unex- pectedly after a brief illness, seemingly but a slight indisposition of scarcely forty-eight hours, on November 19, 1893, at the age of seventy-six years, having been born in Clin- ton, Oneida County, November 2, 18 17. The founder of this branch of the Norton family *in America was John Norton, whose name appears in the records of the town of Branford, Conn., July 7, 1646. In 1659 he went to Hartford, and in 1661 to Farmington. He married a lady named Clark, arid died in 1 71 1. Their son, Thomas, was born in 1697. He lived on his father's place, and died there in 1760. The next in line was his son. Colo- nel Ichabod Norton, who was born in 1736, and inherited property from his father at Third Meadow, within the limits of Northing- ton, and lying on both sides of Farmington River. He married Ruth Strong, daughter of Asahel Strong, and by her had nine, chil- dren. In the early days of the Revolutionary War he commanded a company of militia in the service of the colonies. From August i, 1776, he was stationed at Ticonderoga. In 1777 he was at Peekskill; and from April to November, 1779, he represented Farmington in the Lower House of the State Legislature. With the exception of one year, he was a rep- resentative from 1785 to 1791. His death oc- curred at Granby, Conn., August i, 1825. Thomas Norton, a son of Colonel Ichabod Norton, was born at Farmington, Conn., De- cember 31, 1773. In his native town he learned the trade, of, silversmith, and afterward for a. few years, was engaged as a merchant, first in Hartford, Conn., later in Clinton, Oneida County, N.Y. Then, buying a farm, he was engaged in farming until 1823, when he removed to Morrisville, where he followed his trade of silversmith until 1827, when he removed to Albion, Orleans County. At that time, Albion was but a small place, and the country around but little improved. Mr. Nor- ton remained there until his death, December 14, 1834. He married Mary (Dickinson) Big.- elow, who was born in Granville, Mass., a daughter of Captain Dickinson, a Revolution- ary soldier, and the widow of Dr. Aaron Bige- low. On the death of her second husband Mrs. Norton returned with her family to Mor- risville, and died at the home of the subject of this sketch. She reared three children, namely: Margaret, who died in 1888, at the age of eighty-one; James, who lives with his brother's family, and who, though eighty-two years old, is still engaged as a compositor on the Madison Observer ; and Edward. 190 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Edward Norton began to learn the trade of printer in the ofifice of the Orleans Republican, while his parents were residents of Albion, in 1830. In 1834 he removed to Morrisville with his mother, and in 1839 became one of the proprietors of the Madison Observer, with which paper he remained connected till his death, — a period of nearly fifty-five years, being for a portion of this time sole editor and proprietor. He was twice married: first, in 1843, to Almira Westfall, who died in 1852, leaving three children; namely, Mrs. Mary E. Cornell, Mrs. Harriet Mackie, and Mrs. Elizabeth Shedlock. In 1855 he was married to Nancy Daniels, who died in i860, leaving two children, namely: Miss Sarah D., at home; and Mrs. Emma Browne. Mr. Norton, though a Democrat from his youth, was never an offensive partisan. He was always a stanch defender of the principles of his party as laid down by Jefferson and Jackson, and, as editor of the Madison Ob- server, which has for a period of upward of half a century been a welcome visitor in very many of the best families of Madison County, through its columns made those principles household words. Mr. Norton's editorial ar- ticles were uniformly characterized by honesty of thought, and evinced a desire to instruct his readers in the true principles of politics and in the facts of history. That his efforts throughout his long editorial life were fully appreciated by the people of Madison County is abundantly evident from the fact of the extensive patronage of his paper, resulting in a good circulation and profitable advertising. by which means he was enabled to accumulate a comfortable competence. While Mr. Norton was never in any sense an office-seeker, he was frequently requested to accept the people's trust in this way, and in a few instances consented, serving as Clerk of the County Board of Supervisors — elected by said board — for a period of six years, as Jus- tice of the Peace four years, and as a member of the Morrisville Village Board of Trustees fifteen years, a greater portion of this time being its President, elected by the members of the board. He also held an office on the Board of School Trustees for about thirty- five years. Naturally, he was interested in national. State, and local politics. Few were more ready than he to foster schemes for vil- lage improvement, to promote measures con- ducive to the common weal. To his intel- ligent zeal in the cause of education were largely due the consolidation of the school districts and the establishment of the Union School. At the time of his death he was a Trustee of the Congregational church, of which he had been a faithful member for nearly thirty-five years. Exemplary in con- duct, irreproachable in character, he has left his children the priceless inheritance of a good name. It is eminently fitting that the excellent likeness of Mr. Edward Norton here presented to our readers should adorn the pages of the "Biographical Review" of Madison County. Most highly esteemed by those who knew him best, faithful to his convictions of duty, ever daring to say and to do what he thought was BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 191 right, few have shown themselves more worthy than he of being held in honored remembrance. fRUMAN D. CRUMB, a resident of East Hamilton, is a prominent representa- tive of one of the early pioneer families of this county, of which he is a native, and with whose agricultural industries he has long been closely identified. Brookfield is the place of his birth, and August 10, 1836, the date thereof. He is derived from a sturdy, ener- getic New England ancestry. His father, William Crumb, was born in the town of Stonington, Conn. His grandfather, who passed his early life in the same town, mi- grated with an ox-team to this State when the father of our subject was but seven years old. He found the country still in the hands of the pioneers; and he himself became one of the first settlers of Brookfield, where he bought a tract of timbered land, on which he erected a log cabin, and then began the task of mak- ing a clearing in the forest for a farm. He was well adapted to pioneer life, as he could turn his hand to mechanical work, having acquired the trade of a cooper; and he also often made shoes for his family. His wife was equally skilful at the loom, understanding how to weave cloth of all kinds, and not only kept her own family supplied with homespun garments, but employed three or four others in manufacturing cloth for sale. In those early days the marketing was done at Albany. There was a mill for grinding grain at Hub- bardsville. A trail marked by blazed trees led to this; and once the grandfather of our subject lost his way while on a journey to the mill, and wandered a long distance from home. The land on which he settled when coming to the county remained his home until death. He placed it under good cultivation, and erected a substantial set of farm buildings in place of the primitive log dwelling. His wife also died in Brookfield. They reared to maturity a family of twelve children. William Crumb was a lad of seven years when he accompanied his parents on their merriorable journey with an ox-team from the old New England home to a new one in the wilderness of New York. His education was obtained in the pioneer schools of the day, while at home he learned how to farm and was taught the trade of a carpenter. He assisted his father until he attained his majority, and then began life for himself. He married Miss Betsy Burdick, and they continued to reside in Brookfield until their demise. They had seven children, — William (the eld- est), Joseph, Lucy, Truman D., George, An- drew, and Daniel. Truman Crumb attended the public schools in his boyhood, and helped his father in his work, acquiring a practical knowledge of agri- culture. He also learned the millwright business. Upon leaving the parental home, at the age of twenty-one, he came to East Hamilton, where he still resides during the summer season, but spends the winter seasons at Hubbardsville, at which place he has also a fine residence. For fourteen years after en- tering upon an independent business career iga BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW he manufactured cheese boxes and operated a large saw-mill in conjunction with his farm of two hundred acres. He has accumulated a handsome property by his business energy and careful management of his interests, and is one of the moneyed men of the town. He is not behind others in public spirit, all feasible plans for local improvement always meeting with his encouragement; and his reputation as a man of honor and sound integrity is irreproachable. Our subject was first married at the age of twenty-one to Miss Ann Eliza Cheesbro, a daughter of Harry Cheesbro. Three children were born of that union, — Herris, Lewis, and Betsy. The estimable wife and mother died in 1872. By his second marriage Mr. Crumb has one child, Truman A. Mrs. Crumb's maiden name was Jerusha Ramsdell. She is a daughter of John and Lydia Ramsdell. Her paternal grandfather was Silas Ramsdell, who was born in Saratoga, and resided there until he was twenty -two years old. Then, in the flush and vigor of early manhood, he cast in h.is lot with the pioneers of Brookfield. He bought a tract of eighty acres of land, and began a clearing in the forest, having first erected a log house for a habitation. He had journeyed to his new home with an ox-team, following a trail marked by blazed trees, and was one of the very earliest to settle in that town. By diligent labor he cut down the wood on his land, and placed the soil under fine cul- tivation. He bought other land, and at the time of his death had a choice farm of two hundred acres, amply supplied with good frame buildings and everything necessary to carry on farming to advantage. His wife ac- tively co-operated with him in the upbuilding of their home. The substantial frame house in which they passed their declining years in comfort is still standing in the town of Brook- field. The grandmother of Mrs. Crumb was well versed in all the domestic work of her youthful days; and after her marriage her family were clad in garments that were spun, woven, and made by her faithful hands. She was the mother of ten children. Mrs. Crumb's grandfather lived to the good old age of eighty-eight years, and was hale and sound in health until two days before his death. He retained much of the activity and vigor that characterized his earlier years, and only two days before he died indulged in the pleas- ure of hunting. For fifteen years previous to his death he walked half a mile every Sunday to be shaved. In his last sickness he was tenderly cared for by his grand-daughter, Mrs. Crumb. HRANKLIN BLANDING, a resident of Hamilton, held in high repute for worth and works, was born in this town, No- vember 28, 1 83 1. He is one of the widest- known business men of Madison County, being one of the most extensive cheese manufact- urers in the State, and emphatically the ar- chitect of his own fortune. He is of New England descent, his father and paternal grandfather having been natives of Rehoboth, Bristol County, Mass., whence they removed to Richfield, Otsego County, N.Y., early in BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 193 the century. At a later period the father of the subject of this sketch came from that town to Hamilton, where he made his home until, his death, in 1835. Bred to the work of a farmer, he also learned the trade of a shoemaker. As was the custom in those primitive times, he went from house to house in the country, fitting each family with shoes. He married Amanda Filkins, who became the mother of four sons, of whom Franklin was the youngest, the others being Ebenezer, Henry, and William. Left an orphan by the death of his parents when he was but four years of age, Franklin Blanding was brought up in the family of a neighboring farmer. He pursued his primary studies in the district school, and had the advantages of a course in the higher branches in the Brookfield Academy. In the mean time, it may be safely affirmed, his industrial training in the art of agriculture was not neg- lected. At the age of twenty-one years, not being the possessor of inherited or purchased acres, and desiring to see a little of the world before settling down to his life-work, he went forth as a travelling salesman for a jewelry house, in whose employ he continued for the next three years, journeying through the East- ern States, adding to his knowledge of men and affairs and developing his inborn faculty for business. Returning to New York at the end of the time mentioned, Mr. Blanding bought a farm in Brookfield, and devoted himself assiduously for a number of years to its cultivation and improvement. In 1866 he embarked in the business of manufacturing cheese, in which he has since been continuously and increas- ingly engaged. The rapid growth of this important branch of dairying in the Chenango Valley has been largely due to his enterprise and administrative ability. He has superin- tended the erection of several cheese factories besides those which he is directly concerned in operating, the average daily output of which is thirty-seven cheeses at fifty pounds each, or eighteen hundred and fifty pounds per day. His business interests and influence are not confined within the narrow limits of a single town. He has been a prominent mem- ber for several years of the State Dairy Asso- ciation, and now ably fills the position of President of that body. He has been an active member of the Board of Trade of Utica since its organization. His brother, William Blanding, a contractor, built at Philadelphia the structure known as the National Dairy Building, which was devoted exclusively to the exhibits of butter and cheese at the Cen- tennial Exposition of 1876. In i860 Mr. Blanding married Miss Catha- rine Brigham, daughter of Lawson and Pru- dence Brigham, by whom he had four sons, — William L., Olin E., Homer F., and Hart- well. The latter died young. William, the eldest son, married Miss Minnie Stanton, daughter of Moses Stanton. Mrs. Blanding died in March, 1880; and in 1881 Mr. Bland- ing married Miss Carrie J. Gorton, of Morris- ville, Madison County, N.Y. Her parents were from Rhode Island. The religious faith of the family is that of 194 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW the fervent followers of John Wesley; and they are regular attendants at the Methodist Episcopal church, generously aiding in its work for the good of mankind. A loyal Re- publican, Mr. Blanding regularly votes the party ticket. His record as a public-spirited citizen and an honorable, straightforward business man is of the best, and in private life his character is above reproach. He is interested in the affairs of the community, and for ten years has admirably filled the office of Justice of the Peace. ^^ONAS L. REEVE was born August 14, 1828, in the town of Nelson, Madison County, N.Y., the son of James and Malinda (Lovejoy) Reeve. James Reeve was born in 1797 on Long Island, and the grand- father, Silas Reeve, in 1772, at the same place. The grandparents came to Madison County in 1801, settling in the town of Nel- son. The journey was made by conveyance as far as Utica; and from there they trudged their weary way on foot to the town of Nel- son, knowing no pathway but the blazed trees, which were the only "finger-posts" to guide their steps. The grandfather was a wheelwright and furniture-maker, and owned and worked a farm in the town. He died at the age of eighty years, and his wife when seventy-four. He was a deacon and active worker in the Baptist church. There were nine children born to them, all of whom are deceased. The father of our subject was but four years of age when his parents came to the town of Nelson. Upon reaching manhood, he learned the trade of a wheelwright and general me- chanic, but afterward gave his entire attention to his farm, which contained one hundred and fifty acres. He was well known and esteemed throughout the town of Nelson, and his death in 1856 was universally regretted. The mother died January 31, 1873, at the age of seventy-one. They were members of the Baptist church; and the father was a strong Abolitionist, and a personal friend of Gerrit Smith. Jonas L. Reeve was educated at the district schools and the High School at Morrisville. Besides learning the trade of carpentry, which he has followed to some extent, he has made farming his main business. January i, 1849, he was married to Miss Maranda R. Lovejoy, born in the town of Nelson, February 11, 1830, daughter of Abner and Maranda (Reeve) Lovejoy. Her grandfather, Jonas Lovejoy, was one of the early pioneers of the town of Nelson, Madison County, N.Y. Abner Love- joy died in Livingston County, New York, at the age of fifty-seven, and his wife in the town of Nelson, at the age of twenty-four. They had born to them two children : Darius, who died at the age of eleven; and Mrs. Reeve, the wife of our subject. In 1852 Mr. Reeve bought the farm of his grandfather Reeve, which consisted of one hundred acres, and there lived for about six- teen years. He is a practical farmer and dairyman, and has also made a great deal of maple sugar. He moved to the village of BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 19s Erieville in 1868, and has lived here ever since, with the exception of three years spent in the town of Cazenovia. He has a lovely home, and good, substantial buildings. The land consists of thirteen acres, and here he devotes his time to gardening. Mr. and Mrs. Reeve have one child, a daughter, Minnie, born September 20, 1865. She resides in the village of Cazenovia. Our subject belongs to the Republican party, and is a warm supporter of its principles. For six years he has served as Assessor. The family are Presbyterians in belief. Mr. Reeve is a man of intelligence and general information, keeping himself well posted on the topics of the day, and taking a keen inter- est in everything pertaining to the welfare of the country. In his pleasant home and in the society of his wife and daughter he takes his greatest comfort, and counts among his friends the best people of his village and town. kRS. KATE E. LOUNSBERY, a resident of Oneida, is the widow of John Edward Lounsbery. The latter was born in Onondaga, Madison County, N.Y., November 29, 1842, and when but two years of age removed with his parents to Montgomery County. Here he was brought up on a farm, and was early inured to the work inci4ent to farm life. His education was received in the common schools; and by close application he acquired a fairly good practical education, making rapid progress and understanding well what he undertook to learn. Subsequently he took a course of study at the Fort Plain Institute; and, having been all through his student career an apt and ready scholar, he became well qualified for the practical work of life. When he was twenty-three years of age, he married Miss Kate E. Seeber, the subject of this sketch; and in 1866 they removed to Oneida, where Mr. Lounsbery engaged in the stove and tinware business, as book-keeper and salesman. Being a man of pleasing address, he made a success of his work, but died before he really had time to develop the qualities that he undoubtedly possessed, his death occurring May 24, 1868. By his mar- riage with Miss Seeber he had two children ; namely, Louis Edward and George Willard. Both boys learned the printer's trade, the elder being now editor and manager of a newspapei- in Warsaw, Wyo. The younger, George W., is engaged in the drug business in Oneida, in which village there is no more pleasant and popular young man in business. Both he and his brother are strong Republi- cans, as was their father before them ; and both are well versed in the policies of that party. ^^mm»-^ T^T BURDETTE LEACH. There can be no reasonable doubt that agricul- ture is the most independent, as well as the most ancient and honorable, of all the callings to which civilized man is devoted. Of those thus engaged in Madison County, and one of the most prominent and successful of the number, is H. Burdette 196 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Leach, the subject of this sketch. Mr. Leach was born February 12, 1853, and is a son of Henry H. and Rosalind P. Leach, both of whom were born in Madison County. The former was a son of Backus Leach, a native of Massachusetts, and one of the first settlers in the town of Eaton, his journey from Massa- chusetts to Madison County being made by means of ox-teams. He settled on the farm upon which the subject of this sketch now lives, which at the time was a wilderness, the woods being full of wild beasts and game. A brother of his had settled on an adjoining tract. The two brothers erected a log house, and here lived for many years. During the earlier part of their residence the Indians were still co-occupants of the woods, but were usually friendly, and their presence was bene- ficial to the settlers. Mr. Leach was an old man at the time of his death, having been born January 16, 1782, and dying October 19, 1864. He was one of the patriots of the War of 1812-15, and was always found on the right side of political questions. He was married twice, and reared five sons and four daughters. His first wife was born August 28, 1780, and died April 22, 1841. Both she and her husband were members of the Baptist church, and among the best people of their day and generation. During the latter years of his long and active life Mr. Leach was a Republican. At his death he left a valuable estate, a part of which consisted of a farm of two hundred and thirty acres. Henry H. Leach, like his father before him, was a general farmer and stock-raiser, and kept a dairy of from twenty-five to forty cows. He was also engaged to some extent in raising hops. He reared a family of eight children, five sons and three daughters, seven of whom grew to mature years, and six are still living, namely: Horatio E., born in 1843, and now living in Georgetown; Eliza- beth B., born in 1845, and living near West Eaton; Ida M., born in 1846, and living in the town of Stockbridge; H. Burdette, the subject of this sketch; Carlos, born in 1855, and living at Stockbridge; Chad B., born in 1857, and living in the town of Eaton; Bur- dette, born in 1848, died in 1849; ^^^ Addie, born in 1850, died in 1873. Henry H. Leach died on the old home farm, August 27, 1892, at the age of seventy-eight. His wife died February 28, 1890, at the age of seventy-four. Both were members of the Baptist church. In politics he was a Republican. H. Burdette Leach was reared in the town of Eaton, and received his education in the district schools. Remaining at home until he was twenty-one years of age, he then began farming on his own account. He was married in 1874 to Addie S. Wells, a native of the town of Eaton, and a daughter of Joshua and Lydia Wells, the former of whom was born in the town of Nelson, December 18, 181 1, has followed farming all his life, and now resides in West Eaton. He and his wife had a fam- ily of four children, namely : Albina, widow of Orlando Farmer, and living in West Eaton ; Louisa, who married Sylvester Northrop, and is now deceased; Amelia, wife of Ezra Ben- nett, and living in the town of Eaton; and BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 197 Addie S., Mrs. Leach. Mrs. Wells died in 1878, having lived a life of usefulness, and having always manifested true womanly pa- tience and heroism. Mr. Leach removed to the farm upon which he now lives in 1882. It contains one hun- dred and eighteen acres, upon which he carries on general farming. He keeps a dairy of about twenty cows, of fine grades, though not thoroughbreds, and is a progressive and leading young farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Leach have two children: Clarence W., born Janu- ary II, 1886; and Hazel, December 26, 1888. In politics Mr. Leach is a Republican. So- cially, he is a member of Eaton Lodge, No. 356, A. O. U. W., and also of Glen Bay Lodge, No. 312, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His standing in his party and in his fraternity is high, and both he and his wife are among the excellent people of their town and community. ,ENTLEY BROTHERS is the name under which Edward C. and G. Duane Bentley are carrying on a thriving business in the manufacture of desks. Noah Bentley, their grandfather, was a farmer by occupation, and spent his last years in Sand Lake, Rensselaer County. In that town occurred the birth of George W. Bentley, their father. He was reared to agricultural pur- suits, which were not to his taste; and, when old enough to earn his own living, he went to Connecticut, and there learned the trade of a chairmaker. Remaining there three years, he then returned to this State in 1837, and started a factory for the manufacture of chairs in West Edmeston, where he remained until 1855. He then removed to South Brookfield, and established a factory there, which he operated for twenty-one years. Disposing of that property, Mr. Bentley built another fac- tory in New Berlin, and continued success- fully engaged in manufacturing in that town until the time of his death. The maiden name of his wife was Susan Cutler; and of their union two children were born, — Ed- ward C. and G. Duane. Edward C. Bentley, the senior member of the firm, was born in Edmeston, Otsego County, January 18, 1849. His elementary education was received in the public schools, and supplemented by a course of study at Whitestown Seminary. After leaving school, he entered into a partnership with his father, remaining thus until the death of the latter. He and his brother, G. D. Bentley, who had been admitted to the firm previously, then sold out the business in New Berlin, and re- moved to their present location in Earlville, where they erected a factory. They suc- ceeded well from the first, but were unfortu- nate enough to have the building struck by lightning and burned to the ground, all tools, machinery, and stock being also destroyed. This was a disastrous calamity to them ; but, with characteristic energy and enterprise, they at once began the erection of a new factory, having it well under way in less than twenty-four hours after the fire. Some years later they were the victims of another confla- igS BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW gration, again being completely burned out; but, Phoenix-like, they arose to brighter and better fortunes, and have since continued doing a most prosperous business. Edward C. Bentley was united in marriage in 1872 to Miss Sarah L. Clark; and of their union one child has been born, — Georgiana. He and his family are regular attendants at the Episcopal church. In politics he is a stanch Democrat. Socially, he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, having been a member for twenty years, and is now Chancellor Com- mander in the Knights of Pythias, and an esteemed member of the Veiled Prophets. G. Duane Bentley, the junior member of the firm, was born in South Brookfield, March 5, 1855. He attended the district schools, and afterward took the course of studies at New Berlin. Subsequently he was admitted to the firm with his father and brother, and has con- tinued thus engaged since, as above related. When twenty-four years of age, he married Miss Rosalind Talcott, daughter of William and Julia Talcott. To them has been born one child, a son. Glade T. Politically, he is a strong adherent of the Democratic party. Socially, he also is a member of the Knights of Pythias. He and his family are worship- pers at the Episcopal church. In the manufacturing and industrial inter- ests of Otsego and Madison Counties, the name of Bentley holds high rank, this firm having been in uninterrupted business for over half a century. First established in West Edmeston by the father in 1837, it has been continued since his decease by his sons. the present firm, who are recognized as valued factors of the business community, being prac- tical and progressive men, straightforward and honorable in all their transactions, well worthy of the high regard in which they are held. ^t^EWCOMB FIELD has resided in his I — / handsome home and on his farm of ^*-^ one hundred acres for the past twenty-nine years. He was born in Oneida County, March 9, 1820, the son of Lincoln Field, who was born in Massachusetts in 1784, and died at Durhamville, Oneida County, in 1834. He was the son of John Field, who was a soldier in the Revolution, and for his services received a pension. He moved to New York State from Massachusetts about the close of the eighteenth century, with his wife and seven children, making the trip by ox-team and covered wagon, bringing with him the sum of twelve hundred dollars in silver, which in those days was considered a goodly fortune. He bought three hundred acres of land, including the very site on which is now the village of Durhamville. He was a man of the strictest integrity and honesty, and an interesting incident of his traits of character is told in the following story. He was associated with one James Hulbert in raising a crop of rye; and when they came to divide it, by putting it into two separate heaps, Mr. Hulbert commenced to carry a part of his share over to Field's heap, as he maintained that the latter had done the most work in raising the crop. But BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 199 Grandfather Field sturdily objected to the transfer, and between the honesty of the one and the determination of the other they nearly came to blows. History does not say how the matter was eventually settled. This old gentleman was one of twenty-two children by one mother. Lincoln Field, the father of our subject, was the youngest of four sons; and his wife was Miss Fannie Newcomb, of Schoharie, N.Y., daughter of Rev. Benjamin Newcomb, one of the first Baptist ministers in that sec- tion. They were married about 1819, when Mr. Field was a sub-contractor on the con- struction of the Erie Canal, and his young wife did the cooking for sixty men employed on that section. Our subject distinctly re- members the celebration over the completion of this great artery of commerce. His pa- rents built a log house on the farm, where Newcomb, their first child, was born. They reared three sons and two daughters, and buried two children in infancy. Those liv- ing are: Newcomb; Harriet, wife of William Vroman, of Madison, Wis., a wealthy man, and retired from business; Ellen, wife of Charles Holt, editor of the Kankakee Gazette^ of Kankakee, HI. The father of these chil- dren was drafted in the War of 181 2, but served only a few months. The subject of this sketch received but a limited education in the log school-house of his village; but he eagerly sought the best of reading, including extensive history, which he often read by the aid of his tallow-dip until daylight. He was a great deal with his grandfather, with whom he was a favorite; an^ many lessons of wisdom were learned by him from the experience of the old gentle- man. He was but fourteen years of age when his father died; and he became the head of the family, and proudly claims that since then he has been able to maintain his credit and meet his debts. Mr. Field has been twice married, his first wife being Miss Nancy Briggs, of Massachu- setts, a niece of Governor Briggs, of that State. She bore him one son, Romanzo L. Field, a farmer of Canastota, and the father of two daughters. Mrs. Field died in 1851, aged thirty years; and in March, 1862, Miss Melissa A. Ransom became Mr. Field's sec- ond wife. She was born in Steuben, Oneida County, in 1824, daughter of Dyer D. Ran- som, a Baptist clergyman. He died in 1850, aged sixty-four years, leaving a widow and six children, all daughters, of whom Mrs. Field was the third in order of birth. She has three sisters living. Her mother died in 1869, at the age of seventy-five years. Mr. Field has been a dealer in general groceries, and has always been a farmer. In 1865 he purchased his present elegant farm, for which he paid twelve thousand dollars. He has thirteen acres devoted to hop-growing, and averages one thousand pounds to the acre. In one year that was especially productive he raised two thousand two hundred pounds to the acre. He raises small fruits, and has a fine orchard of apples, pears, and plums. His dairy consists of about eight good cows. Mr. and Mrs. Field, although uniformly pros- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW perous, have sustained a great loss in the death of their daughter Fanny, a talented, beautiful girl, who was being educated in the Madison (Wis.) University. She was but twenty-two years of age, and had every prom- ise of a long and happy life, when her un- timely death occurred, leaving her parents almost crushed by this sudden blow. One other child remains. Miss Florence, who was educated at Brockport, N.Y , and resides at home. Mr. Field is a Master Mason, and has been an Odd Fellow. Politically, he follows and upholds the Republican party. He was Audi- tor for his town for one year. The family are adherents of the Baptist religion, and are valued members of their church, their daily lives being true evidences of the sincerity of their profession. ^ -J YRON S. BRYANT, one of the lead- ■'VS ing business men of De Ruyter, a financier of tested skill and probity, and President of the Individual Banking Com- . pany of that place, was born in the town of Truxton, Cortland County, June 6, 1846. His father, Isaac S. Bryant, a native of Mas- sachusetts, doubtless kin to the distinguished poet, came from that State, when but two or three years old, with his parents, Ebenezer and Joanna Bryant, who were pioneers of Cort- land County, and early became inured to his lifelong occupation of cultivating the soil. Arrived at manhood, he bought land, and made for himself a home in the town of Trux- ton, where he resided until his death, in the year 1877. His widow survived him a few years, and died in De Ruyter in 1883. His union in marriage with Catherine Bennett, a native of Vermont, daughter of Charles and Sally Bennett, was blessed with two children, Rodorpha and Byron S. Being an only son, there was plenty of work for young Byron on his father's farm. In the intervals of attending school he had abundant opportunity, which he did not fail to improve, of gaining a practical acquaintance with vari- ous branches of agriculture. He lived with his parents, doing his share of the allotted toil, till the attainment of his majority, when, having a turn for trade, the marketing of farm produce being more to his taste than ploughing and harvesting, he started in busi- ness for himself as a wholesale and retail dealer in butter and cheese. Ably managed, the business has proved profitable, and is continued by him at the present time. In 1869 Mr. Bryant took up his abode in De Ruyter, where in 1873 he built the residence which he now occupies. December 24, 1868, was the date of the marriage of Mr. Bryant with Mary Ardale Pomeroy, a native of Truxton. Mrs. Bryant's father, Austin Pomeroy, was born in Cuyler, the son of James and Eliza Pomeroy. He was a cabinet-maker, and conducted business as a furniture dealer and undertaker in Truxton for many years. He is still a resident of that town. The maiden name of Mrs. Bryant's mother was Emily E. Hulburt. She was born in Truxton, daughter of Timothy and BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 201 Mehitable Hulburt, and died in 1872, having reared two children, Howard H. and Mary Ardale. In politics Mr. Bryant is a faithful Demo- crat. A public-spirited citizen, he has served seven years as President of the Village Board of Trustees, and four years as a member of the Madison County Board of Supervisors. A man of enterprise and ability, he was one of the organizers, in 1889, of the Individual Banking Company of De Ruyter, — an enter- prise which has proved a success, and which stands on a sound and reliable basis. Of this company Mr. Bryant has been President since its organization. G. STILLMAN, Jr., was born in De Ruyter, N.Y., February 6, 1856. His grandfather, Phineas Stillman, and his grandmother, who was a Miss Gardner before marriage, lived and died at Potter's Hill, in Rhode Island. The father, B. G. Stillman, Sr., left home at an early age, and came to the State of New York. He learned the trade of harness -making, and, after work- ing six or eight years for others, settled in De Ruyter, where he took up the business for himself, carrying it on for several years, then sold out, and started a nursery, which he con- ducted in conjunction with candle-making in the winter. He was quite successful in his candle enterprise until the introduction of kerosene, when he gave it up, and once more took up the business of harness-making, con- tinuing in this until 1891, when he sold out to his son, and is now living retired in the town of De Ruyter. His wife was Miss Sophronia H., daughter of Matthew and Wealthy Wells, of De Ruyter. They reared six children: Welcome E. ; S. Marie; our sub- ject; Phineas M.; George A.; and Celia E. They are all married: Celia to W. H. Cos- sum, a missionary, located in China; S. Marie to Rev. Thomas R. Williams, D.D., Profes- sor of Theology in Alfred University; Phin- eas M. to Miss Edna Maine, of De Ruyter, N.Y. ; George to Miss Cora Stillman, of Nile, N.Y. ; Welcome to Miss Mary A. Crumb, of Brookfield. Our subject remained at home until his eighteenth year, having been educated at the De Ruyter Institute. After finishing school, he went to Brookfield, and began working on a farm by the month, continuing this one season, and at its close obtained a situation in the store of A. J. Stillman in the same town. Here he remained for one year, then went to Richfield Springs, I^-Y., going into the har- ness business there with his brother. About this time he became interested in newspaper work, and went into the office of the Brook- field Courier to learn the art of printing. Here he worked, as an apprentice, journeyman, and foreman, for seven years, in what was then the firm of H. L. Spooner & Son, who controlled the paper. Mr. Stillman, in con- nection with W. E. Philipps, bought out the entire plant; and the original firm moved out, and went to Canastota, N.Y. The new firm continued to carry on business for two years, and then the Messrs. Spooner bought out BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW the interest of Mr. Philipps, and formed a partnership with Mr. Stillman, Mr. F. M. Spooner assuming the editorial portion of the work, and Mr. Stillman taking the manage- ment of the concern. A short sketch of this well-known and excellent journal will not be out of place here. The plant was originally founded by Frank M. Spooner, and has a peculiar history attached to it. In 1874 Mr. Spooner, being then a young man, was presented with a calf by some good friend, which he sold, and invested the money in a printing outfit. It was a very small beginning, and he modestly called it The Young America; but a rival con- temporary dubbed it The Brookfield Astonisher. At the end of the first year it was changed to The Brookfield Courier^ and was published by this young man and a Mr. Myngor for one year, from the very first being a most success- ful enterprise; and to-day it is considered one of the best paying influential papers in the State. At the age of twenty-five Mr. Stillman married Miss Nettie T. Babcock, daughter of Oliver P. and Susanna Babcock. They attend the Seventh-day Baptist church. Mr. Still- man holds a position of considerable influence in the Republican party, being a faithful fol- lower of its principles. He belongs to a fam- ily which rank among the pioneer settlers of the county, and is therefore deeply interested in the advancement and progress of his town, lending the columns of his ably edited paper to everything which will conduce to its best interests. Dealing as he does with the vari- ous issues of the day in a masterly and vigor- ous manner, he serves the highest purpose of journalism, which is to educate and elevate the people. 20RING MUNROE, whose interesting sketch we are about to give, was born ■■■^^ in Ashburnham, Worcester County, Mass. His grandfather. Lieutenant Ebenezer M. Munroe, was from Lexington, Mass., and was a prominent actor during the early strug- gles of the Nevv' England colonies. He was a strong patriot, and was engaged in the very first battle, — that of Lexington. It is said that he fired the first gun on the American side. The firing had commenced, and it was supposed that the British were using only powder, not bullets; but, when Ebenezer felt a stinging wound in his arm, he quickly ar- rived at the conclusion that it was child's play no longer, and responded to the c-ivilities of the enemy with sound, hard lead. He served through the whole of the Revolution, and died May 25, 1825. The father of our subject was Charles Mun- roe, born September 12, 1781. He was mar- ried June 9, 1808, to Lydia Conn. The patriot element was also strongly developed in him, as he was a soldier, too, being a member of the Ashburnham Light Infantry in the War of 1 8 12. He was a chair manufacturer, and died October 26, 1834. They had eight chil- dren, namely: Lydia, born August 8, 1809, married January 21, 1832, to Sylvester Win- ship, and died March 21, 1835; John, born December 24, 1812, is deceased; Mary F., BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 205 born May 3, 18 14, married John Winship, September 15, 1833; Charles, born November 19, 1 81 7, died in 1882; Lucy, born March 5, 1820, married July i, 1840, to Sylvester Winship, who died July 11, 1883; Ivers, born May 30, 1823, is practising law in Oneida, and was married first to Miss Lucia Gould, second to Miss Mary J. Thomas, and third to Maria J. Chapin, daughter of Samuel Chapin, whose biography appears elsewhere in this work; Loring, our subject, born June 12, 1826, married Miss Jane Co- warden, a native of Baltimore, Md., June 17, 1849; Harriet A., born July 20, 1829, was married to Timothy A. Tenney, September 19, 1853. He died April 17, 1868. John Conn, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was of a very prominent old New England family, who were a hardy, long line of pioneers. They did their full share toward the development of good government and soci- ety, being people of strength and position, and experienced their full share of the strug- gles and privations incidental to those years of the war for independence. Lydia (Conn) Munroe, the mother of our subject, was born December 26, 1789, and died March 9, 1837, at Ashburnham, Mass. Without going into further detail, it is easily discernible that Loring • Munroe, of whom we write, has every reason to proudly boast of his ancestry. If he was left poor in this world's goods, he had good blood, which will always tell. There is no truer saying than the French expression. Noblesse oblige , and Mr. Munroe has illustrated it during his whole life. His parents died while he was yet a boy, so that he was early deprived of their counsel and sympathy; but from a lad his habits were good, and he had a commend- able ambition to rise in the world. He was left without money, and had to make his way as best he could, securing a place on a farm, where he worked for three years, managing meanwhile to take every opportunity to attend school, and finally finished at the academy at Ashby, Mass., where he received a plain, practical course of study. However, his real business education has been mostly obtained by actual experience and observation. Learning readily arid remembering well, he treasured up much knowledge which was of wonderful use to him in later life. He taught school for a time, thus securing a little money, and then went to Cleveland, Oswegc County, New York, being at that time twent} years of age, and became interested in the manufacture of glass, subsequently owning ar interest in the factory of the American Glass Company at Bernhard's Bay, N.Y. In 1861 he purchased the Dunbarton glass plant at Verona, N.Y., which he managed successfully for sixteen years, meanwhile becoming inter- ested in organizing a bank at Oneida, Madi- son County, N.Y. The firm was Barnes, Stark & Munroe, and was a private bank, which paid well; but our subject withdrew from the firm about five years after its organi- zation. It was about this time that Mr. Munroe, while then living in Oneida County, was elected a Trustee of the Oneida Savings Bank. 2o6 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW He held that office for several years, when he resigned. He moved to Oneida in 1877, and has since resided here, being identified with the interests of the town, an influential man, successful in all of his undertakings, and has accumulated a considerable fortune. He owns valuable property in growing locations in the village, and has always been broad- minded and liberal, contributing largely and aiding in every way in the building of churches, good schools, and, in fact, every- thing which has a tendency to advance the best interests of the community. He built and owns the building now occupied by the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank, of which institution he is the President, and is also the owner of the Munroe Opera House. Mr. Munroe, while being politically a stanch Re- publican, has never sought office or any pre- ferment, but has represented the town of Lenox as Supervisor, and has been a member of the Village Board of Trustees. He was one of the original stockholders of the First National Bank of Oneida; and, being pos- se;3sed of excellent judgment, his opinion and advice have been of great value in business circles of the town. There were six children born to the mar- riage of Mr. Loring Munroe and his wife, — three girls, Jane, Marietta, and Ella, who are dead, and three boys: George Loring, a farmer in the town of Verona, Oneida County, married Miss Clara Hess, and has five chil- dren, Jennie, Daisy, Ella May, Cora, and Pearl; Charles L, living in Oneida, marrifed Miss Barbary Miller, and has two children, Loring and Frederick; Anthony B., living in Oneida, married Miss Louise Walrath, and has two children, Marjorie and Stewart. Anthony B. Munroe is now a director in the Farmers' and Merchants' State Bank. Mr. Munroe at present is not actively engaged in any particular business, having the various duties in connection with his large property and investments to occupy his time. He is a self-made man, — one who started without a dollar, — and a striking example to this gen- eration of what industry, pluck, and per- severance, together with good habits, can accomplish. It is a pleasure to the publishers to print in connection with this memoir a steel portrait of this gentleman, whose public labors in Oneida will long be remembered after he has bidden farewell to all that is earthly. -j-SypJILTON JENNINGS, of the firm of I I I J^""^"SS Brothers, farmers of the ^ V— • town of Lenox, — the firm con- sisting of two brothers besides himself, Will- iam and Charles, — is a son of William A. and Harriet La Suer Jennings, the former of whom was born in the town of Lenox, and the latter in the town of De Ruyter, Madison County. William Jennings, father of Will- iam A. Jeninngs, and grandfather of the above-named brothers, who are carrying on general farming upon the farm upon which they were born and reared, was a successful ^merchant at Quality Hill, and was among the first settlers there. He and his wife both BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 207 died in the prime of life at that place, leaving either two or three children, one of whom was a daughter, Louisa. She died, unmarried, in middle life. William A. Jennings died De- cember 6, 1863, at the age of forty-nine, and his wife May 20, 1865, at the age of forty- four. They reared a family of four sons and three daughters. The daughters are all de- ceased, one of them dying young. Eva L. married Nelson Beebee, and died in 1871, at the age of twenty-five, leaving one daughter. Hattie married Charles Taber, and died in April, 1887, aged twenty-nine. Frank Jen- nings is an architect, and resides in Denver. He married Hattie Dewey, of Sullivan, Mad- ison County, by whom he has one daughter. They went West in 1888. Charles, the young- est of the sons, married Louisa Prior, of Con- stantia, Oswego County, December 9, 1880. The brothers who constitute the firm of Jennings Brothers have eighty-six acres in the home farm, which was left them by their father. They also own forty-five acres in Onionville, on which they raise onions and celery. On the farm upon which they live they have a fine orchard of apples, pears, and plums, the trees having been planted since their father's death. In politics they are Republicans, as was their father before them. Their parents, though not members of any church, were people of excellent moral charac- ter, and good citizens in every respect. They attended the Congregational church at Quality Hill, whicn is probably the oldest church in the town of Lenox. The brothers who are the subjects of this sketch were all well edu- cated in the district schools, and two of them attended Cazenovia Seminary; but all prefer farming to a professional career, because of the independence that calling confers on its devotees. They are reading, thinking men, and firmly believe in the principles of the party which they support. The products of their farms they send to the markets of New York and other cities, shipping almost the entire crops of onions, celery, and hay. Their home is a most attractive one, sur- rounded as it is by fruit and shade trees, the latter being mostly maples, and is extremely inviting to the passer - by. Within the stranger meets with the most cordial recep- tion, Mrs. Charles Jennings being a lady of rare intelligence, culture, and charm. Will- iam and Milton still remain unmarried, be- lieving, it may be, in the maxim of Saint Paul, that he who marries does well, but he who marries not does better. KLOYD C. BUELL, an active, prosper- ous, wide-awake merchant of Hamil- ton, and a leading factor in the mercantile interests of this busy village, is a native of Madison County, born in Lebanon, September 4, 1858. His father, Philander C. Buell, was also born in Lebanon, being a son of Chauncy Buell. The father grew to manhood on the home farm, receiving his early education in the public schools, and afterward was gradu- ated from Cazenovia College. He was reared to agricultural pursuits, and made farming his chief occupation during his life, his death 2o8 BIOGRAPHICAL REYIEW occurring in Lebanon when he was a compar- atively young man. He married Ann Clark, who bore him four children, — Ellen M., Annett J., Floyd C, and Mary E. The subject of this sketch was but seven years of age when his father died, and the fol- lowing seven years made his home with his grandfather Clark in Earlville, where he attended the district school, gleaning a good common-school education, and later attended school at Cazenovia for two years. He was energetic, ambitious, and anxious to earn money for himself, and, desiring to see more of the world, made a trip West, remaining a year and a half, but, not finding any better advantages for business there than here, re- turned to Madison County, and entered the drug store of Mr. Douglass in Earlville, where he remained as a clerk for three years. He then bought a house in the village, and for five years was engaged in buying and sell- ing agricultural implements, wagons, etc. At the expiration of that time he purchased an interest in the drug store of his former em- ployer, and the succeeding three years re- mained a partner therein. Then, selling out his interest to Mr. Douglass, he opened his present place of business, as a dealer in flour and feed, and dealt successfully in grain, carrying on a large and lucrative business, until November, 1893, when he sold the flour and feed business, and put in a stock of hard- ware. Mr. Buell is a man of excellent abil- ity, possesses sound judgment, is quick and alert, and bids fair to take a foremost place among the prominent merchants of the county. In 1 88 1 Mr. Buell was united in marriage to Nellie L. Douglass, daughter of Dr. Andrew S. and Hannah Douglass. Their union has been blessed by the birth of four children, — Harold D., Ellen L., Floyd C, Jr., and Marjorey A. Mr. and Mrs. Buell are attendants at the Methodist church, are active in all good work, and held in high esteem by their large circle of friends. Politically, Mr. Buell affiliates with the Republican party. Socially, he belongs to Earlville Lodge, No. 124, Knights of Pythias. TT^HARLES McCONNELL, M.D., who I jT has been a successful practitioner of ^«» medicine at Clockville for the past sixteen years, was born on his father's farm in the town of Hull, near Aylmer, Ontario, Canada. Richard McConnell, the Doctor's father, is now living, in his eighty-second year. He was married twice, his first wife,* Emily Parker, dying when her son Charles was eight months old, and leaving also a daughter, Harriet, who became the wife of Essex Worril, now deceased. By his second wife Mr. McConnell had fourteen children, all of whom still survive but two. Their mother is yet living, active and healthful, at the age of seventy-six years. James McConnell, the father of Richard, was born in Scotland in 1764, and died at or near Aylmer, Canada, in 1856, aged ninety- two years. Upon the day prior to his death he walked six miles, and, lying down in the evening, went to sleep and peacefully passed BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 209 away. He was one of the first three settlers at Aylmer, and received from the government twelve hundred acres of land in consideration of that fact. Physically, he was a most re- markable man, a noted athlete, able to jump twelve feet and to vault over anything as high as his head. He and his wife reared a family of six sons and two daughters, all of whom are dead but the one above named. Charles McConnell is a well-educated man. In his youth he attended school at Ottawa City, Canada, at the Model, Gouverneur, St. Lawrence County, at Cazenovia, where he studied with T. F. Ham, and at Fort Plain. Matriculating at the Metropolitan M'edical College, New York City, he attended lectures there and also clinics at the Bellevue and Ward's Island Hospitals. He was twenty- one years of age when he began practice at Cazenovia. Two years later, on October 26, 1859, he married Mary Jane Caswell, of Caze- novia, daughter of Daniel and Julia (Brown) Caswell. After several years of professional activity Dr. McConnell removed with his family to Ottawa City, Canada, where he con- tinued in practice for a time. Returning thence to New York State, he opened his office in Clockville. On June 14, 1876, he presented himself before the Central New York Eclectic Medical Society for examina- tion, passing which, he became a permanent member of the organization, entitled to all its immunities and privileges. Afterward by unanimous vote he became President of the society. He is also a permanent member of the State Eclectic Medical Society, which he- joined October 17, 1878. Doctor and Mrs. McConnell have three children, namely: Charles F., a druggist of Canastota, who mar- ried Florence Cady, of Clockville, and has one son; Morley C, of Oneida, a mechanic, engaged with the Oneida Casket Company, who married Miss Effie Clow; and Minnie Maud, a young lady of seventeen, at home. Doctor McConnell belongs to no church and professes no creed. While he always votes the Republican ticket, yet he has never been an office-seeker or office-holder. His medical practice is sufficient to engage his attention, is quite large, and is steadily in- creasing; and he has driven over the hills and through the valleys in this region of the coun- try for many years, at all hours of the day and night, without reference to the weather. He is a physician by nature, having that keen, intuitive perception necessary to the quick and successful diagnosis of disease. That his practice should not only be main- tained, but that it should be steadily in- creased, is simply the natural result of his devotion to his profession and skill in the treatment of disease. Besides being an excel- lent physician. Dr. McConnell is a most genial and pleasant gentleman to meet so- cially, and is as highly regarded as a man as he is as a physician. fEVI KEITH, a worthy octogenarian of Madison County, far from being super- ""^ annuated at eighty-four, was born September 7, 1809, in the town of Nelson, his present place of residence, and the home of BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW his family for two preceding generations. He was a son of Lincoln and Submit (Doolittle) Keith. His father was born in Massachu- setts, his mother in Connecticut. His pater- nal grandfather, Luther Keith, originally from New England, was one of the first settlers in the town of Nelson, and died there at an ad- vanced age. The maternal grandfather, Doo- little, was also among the first settlers in Madison County. After several years' resi- dence in the town of Nelson he moved to Illinois, where he spent his last years. He had a large family of children. Lincoln Keith, son of Luther and father of Levi, was one of the early farmers of the town of Nelson, having gone to that place when it was sparsely settled and very little of the land had been cleared. He took an active part in the construction of the Erie Canal, the great watercourse which has so materially promoted the prosperity of the Empire State. His family consisted of seven children, of whom four are now living: Levi, the eldest; Mrs. Bennett, of Ontario County; Mrs. Church, of Cazenovia; Watson, of Cazenovia Village. Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln Keith were members of the Baptist church. They died at about the same age, nearly sixty years. Levi Keith grew up and was educated in his native town of Nelson, the father paying for the tuition of each of his children at the district school. He early turned his attention to farming, assisting until his twenty-fifth year. He bought his first piece of land when he was but twenty-four years of age. It was situated in the town of Nelson, and consisted of one hun- dred and twenty-one acres. He sold this farm, and in 1853 moved to the one of one hundred and ninety-five acres which he now resides on. He has been one of the leading farmers of his town, and a considerable dealer in live stock. His farm is one of the finest in the vicinity, yielding well-paying crops of grain and hay. He owns also other land in the town, besides large tracts in Kansas. On June 22, 1834, Mr. Levi Keith married Miss Persis Payne, of Richland, Oswego County, N.Y., fourth daughter of James and Mercy (Goddard) Payne. She was born in Eaton, Madison County, April 20, 18 10, and died December 6, 1890. They had one daughter, Jennie, who was born August 3, 1846, was married to D. W. Jones October 10, 1876, and died November 22, 1886, leav- ing one son, Keith Walton, born October 25, 1886. Mr. Keith married again September 15, 1 891, shortly after passing the eighty- second anniversary of his birth. His bride was Mary A. Scarth, who was born July 29, 1838, a daughter of John and Mary Scarth, both natives of England. Mr. Scarth was one of the early settlers in the town of Fenner. He died at the age of eighty-one years. Mr. and Mrs. Scarth had two sons and one daugh- ter, Mrs. Keith being now the only surviving one of the family. Mr. Keith has been Assessor for a number of years, and has also held other minor offices in the town. He is liberal and independent in his religious views, and in politics is a sturdy Republican. He lives in a pleasant home, and is extremely fortunate in possess- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 211 ing a good wife, who cares for him with true womanly devotion, and assists him in the management of his affairs. With her husband she displays a parental affection for his only grandchild, who resides with them, a lovely, promising boy of seven years. Being one of the oldest and most enterprising residents of Nelson, our subject has done much toward the prosperity of the town. He has witnessed many changes during his long life, none greater than the transition of a thinly popu- lated tract of forest and field into the seat of thriving towns and villages. T WILLIAMS BULL, an intelligent and thriving agriculturist of the town of Sullivan, was born May 25, 1849, in the village of Manlius, Onondaga County, N.Y., a son of Edwin and Sarah Jane (Williams) Bull. His grandfather, Luman Bull, a native of Connecticut, moved to New York State early in the century, being among the first to settle in the town of Lenox. He was a tanner and currier, and followed this occu- pation through life. He had seven sons, of whom all but one grew to manhood; but none are living now. They were as follows: Franklin, born March 22, 1812, died April 30, 1879; George, born March 28, 18 14, died December 15, 1879; Horace, born April 9, 1816, died January 16, 1885; Edwin, born April 27, 1818, died February 7, 1889; Mar- vin, born March 16, 1821, died December 14, 1829; Virgil, born July 9, 1823, died October 27, 1892; Linus H., born June 15, 1825, died July 20, 1874. The grandmother before marriage was Miss Lucy Hall. She was born May 15, 1783, and died in the town of Sulli- van, August 13, 1843. The grandfather was born April 25, 1786, and died in the town of Manlius, September 2, 1858. He served with distinction as a Lieutenant in the War of 1 81 2, was a Democrat in politics, and was a member of the Presbyterian church. Edwin, the father of our subject, was brought up in Madison County. When a young man, he hired himself out to work on a farm for twelve dollars per month. His next step onward was renting land and cultivating it on shares. The first farm owned by him was one hundred acres in the town of Sulli- van. After occupying this for a time, he sold it, and bought what was known as the old Cady farm, comprising two hundred and sixty- six acres, to which he added very materially. He moved to this place in 1863, and resided here until his death, at the age of seventy-two years, in 1889. Mrs. Sarah Jane Bull, his wife, died at the age of sixty-eight years, in 1887. The subject of this sketch was their only child. Mrs. Bull was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics her husband was a Republican. Besides attending district schools in his boyhood, V. Williams Bull spent about three years in the city of Buffalo, 1860-62, and during the terms of 1866 and 1867 attended Cazenovia Seminary. Having grown to man- hood, he early turned his attention to farming and stock-raising. He possesses one of the largest herds of sheep in the county, and has 212 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW dealt largely in Durham cattle. On the farm of four hundred and twenty - five acres on which he lives, and which he owns, he raises small grain and hay, the fertile and well- tilled soil producing large and excellent crops. He was married February 4, 1875, to Miss Carrie Brown, who was born in Cana- seraga, N.Y., daughter of Hiram and Ange- line (Beech) Brown. (For history of Mrs. Bull's parents see sketch of Hiram Brown.) Mr. and Mrs. Bull have an interesting family of five children: Clara L., born November 30, 1875; Edwin H., born December 25, 1879; Charles W., born September 18, 1881; Virgil L., born May 13, 1885; Fred E., born October 2, 1887. Mr. Bull is a member of the Farmers' Grange, and is a Republican in politics. Whatever he has gained in this world's goods as the result of continued labor has been turned to good account through the sympathy and co-operation of his wife, by whom his efforts have been ably seconded. 'MOS BRIDGE, deceased, was one of the most notable men among the early settlers of Oneida, Madison County. His father, after whom he was named, came from New England, and was one of the first settlers of Stockbridge Hill: he may have been the very first. At that time the entire country was covered with woods, and the only road in that part of the county was the Peterboro Turnpike. Upon arriving, Mr. Bridge, Sr., secured one hundred and fifty-five acres of land, erected a log house. and began pioneer life in earnest, with the view of making this new country his perma- nent home. Though markets were few and far between, and though the price of all farm products was low, the pioneers managed to make a good living and to enjoy their lives, perhaps as much as people do at the present day, or even more, notwithstanding the many modern improvements in every department of industrial activity and of art. Improving his farm and educating his family were his chief interests, and he found his time fully occu- pied in these ways. The frame house erected by him was the first built at that place, and is still standing. Mr. Bridge having an unusu- ally sound judgment, his advice was sought by many people from far and near. The people of his entire vicinity always had full confidence in him; and, as a consequence, his influence was more extensive than falls to the lot of the average man. His useful life was extended to eighty years, or some time beyond that of his wife, who had di.ed, well stricken in age, while they were on their old farm. Her maiden name was Mary Sloan. She bore him eleven children, namely: George, Orange, William, Mary, Emily, all deceased; Sally, wife of Sanford Coe, living in Cali- fornia; Amos, the subject of this sketch; Abigail, deceased; Lewis, of Los Angeles, Cal. ; Ira, now deceased. Amos Bridge was born at Stockbridge, March 31, 1815, was brought up on his father's farm, and there remained till he bought the adjoining farm, to which he re- moved. Working for his father until he was BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 213 of age, he afterward managed the home farm, in conjunction with his brothers, having dur- ing his minority secured a good, practical, common-school education. Inheriting a good share of his father's natural ability, he had a sound judgment, and was successful in life. He married in 1838 Delia A. Harvey, who died in 1851. In the following year, 1852, he married Hannah K. Day, daughter of Sel- don and Clarissa (Baker) Day, who had re- moved from Otsego County to Stockbridge when she was about six years old. Her father, who was a blacksmith by trade, and was also engaged in farming, was an early settler in this State, and was a very useful man. He died when sixty-five years old. His wife lived to the age of more than fourscore years. To Mr. and Mrs. Day had been born eight chil- dren, namely: Lovisa, wife of Abel Scribner; Hannah, widow of the subject of this sketch; Alvin, living in Kansas; Daniel, of Stock- bridge; George, of Whiteside County, Illi- nois; and three who died. In 1 86 1 Mr. Bridge bought a farm at Oneida Castle, and erected the house in which the widow now lives. The farm he originally owned has been reduced in size until it now contains only thirty acres. Here Mr. Bridge died at the early age of fifty-one years, December 19, 1866. Of his children by his first wife, only one is now living; namely, Mary E., wife of Monroe Dodge, of Stock- bridge, who has three children, — nam.ely, Forbes M., William, and Ina. By his second wife Mr. Bridge had four children, namely: Delia, wife of Charles Lamb, of Stockbridge Hill; Ada, wife of J. A. Butler; Selden D., of the town of Lenox, who married Zoa J. Lyman; and Jay L., deceased. Delia A. is the mother of four children; namely, Fred, Edith, Beulah, and Wesley. Selden D. has one son. Jay L. In politics Mr. Bridge was a Republican, and in religion both he and his wife were Baptists. Mrs. Bridge is one of the excellent women of Madison County, and, though now in her old age, is yet active phys- ically and mentally, and is passing her years in comfort and peace. AMUEL S. SPAULDING. Among the prominent agriculturists and ex- tensive land-owners of Stockbridge there is no one who is held in greater respect or is more widely and favorably known than the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this article. He is a native of Madison County, having been born in the town of De Ruyter, October 9, 1822, a son of John and Margaret (Peterson) Spaulding. (For history of parents and grandparents see the sketch of Ira Spaulding, which appears in another part of this volume.) As a lad, Samuel S. Spaulding attended the district school of his native town. He remained at home until twenty years of age. Learning the cooper's trade when a young man, he followed that occupation for four or five years. He then began working on a farm, receiving thirteen dollars a month for the first season's work. Having providently accumulated a sum of money, Mr. Spaulding 214 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW invested it in real estate, his first purchase being thirty acres in the town of Stockbridge. He owned this but a short time before he dis- posed of it ; and for some years thereafter he and his brother Philander, having formed a partnership, bought land and worked together. The firm dissolving partnership, our subject continued to deal in real estate to a certain extent, buying and selling several different farms. In 1870 he purchased the farm where he now lives, consisting of upward of two hundred acres of rich and productive land, on which he does a lucrative business as general farmer and stock-raiser. About twenty-five acres of this he devotes to the raising of hops, an important crop in this section of the country. He also has a large dairy, compris- ing fifty head of cattle, Durham and Ayrshire crossed being his favorite grade. Since it has been in his possession the homestead has been improved until now it is considered in every respect one of the best in this vicinity. His fine residence and commodious farm buildings, with the most improved machinery for carrying on his work, are indicative of the thorough and progressive farmer. Besides the home farm, our subject is the owner of other farms in the county, much of his prop- erty being in real estate. He is a man of untiring energy, possessed of excellent judgment and good financial abil- ity; and the high position he occupies among the wealthy farmers of Madison County is due to his own unaided efforts, as he has been the architect of his own fortune. Beginning life as a poor boy, working for every penny, he has earned, saved, made judicious invest- ments; and, without being at all miserly in any way, but, on the contrary, being liberal and generous in his dealings with his fellow- men, Mr. Spaulding holds high rank among the prosperous men of the county, and is num- bered among the prominent and solid men of the town. During his life he has crossed the ocean twenty-six times, going either for busi- ness or pleasure, and has become very familiar with the larger part of Scotland and England. Politically, he is a stanch Democrat. In re- ligion he is broad and liberal in his views. Mr. Spaulding was married October 18, 1847, to Fannie Parker, who was born in Cicero, Oneida County, being a daughter of Chester Parker. Both of her parents are now deceased. Mrs. Spaulding passed away long since, her death occurring on the home farm, July 20, 1878. To her and her husband were born four children, the following being their record: Adelbert, who lives on the old Ar- mour farm, owned by his father; Ruth, who married Edwin Morse, of Lenox; Letha, who lives in Augusta; and Imogene, who married Joseph Smith, and died at the age of forty- one years. ^ ENJAMIN F. MEAD is a fine exam- ^ pie of our self-made men. He has pushed his way to the front among the enterprising, prosperous farmers of this county while still in the prime of life, and has a valuable, well-conducted farm in Hamilton. He is a native of Constantia, Oswego County, and was born January 7, 1852. His father. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 215 Burr K. Mead, was born in Jefferson County, and there passed his boyhood on a farm, learn- ing by practice how to do all kinds of farm work, and whenever opportunity offered at- tending the local schools. He left home at an early age, and followed the work of clear- ing land and selling farms after he attained manhood. In that way he accumulated a comfortable property, and aided in the devel- opment of his county. He died at the ripe age of sixty-eight years, December 24, 1870, in the town of Paris, Oswego County. He and his good wife were blessed with four chil- dren: Lafayette, the eldest; Jane; Mary H. ; and Benjamin F. The subject of this biographical sketch ob- tained a fair education in the public schools, and, when only twelve years old, bravely took upon himself the cares and responsibilities of life, and thereafter was self-supporting. The sturdy little lad began his career as an em- ployee on the Erie Canal; and he, too, can boast of rising to an honorable position in the social and industrial world from the tow-path. He continued to work on the canal four sum- mers; but at the end of that time, obtaining a situation on a farm, he returned to the oc- cupation of which his childhood days had given him some knowledge. Since that time he has devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits, in which he has been signally pros- pered. Unremitting in his labors, combining frugality and excellent judgment with his work, he has come into possession of a choice farm, that is nearly all paid for, and is amply supplied with substantial buildings. Here, in his comfortable, hospitable home, so pleas- antly situated, he may well take pride in what he has accomplished, and in the thought that, in advancing his own interests, he has also materially benefited the town and county whereof he has proved himself a good citi- zen. He is an intelligent member of the Patrons of Husbandry, and belongs to the E. A. U. Society. Politically, he stands with the Republicans, and, religiously, is a faithful member of the Methodist church. At the age of twenty-eight years Mr. Mead was married to Miss Jennie E. Morey, a daughter of Charles W. and Eliza Morey. She died in 1884, leaving one son, Floyd A. Our subject's second marriage was with Mel- vina W. Smith, a daughter of Lewis C. and Clarissa A. Smith. Mrs. Mead is one of six children, the others being Elizabeth, Henry C, Sarah E., George, and Clara A. Lewis C. Smith was born January 13, 181 5, in Greene. Early in life he left home, and became self-supporting. Diligent and sav- ing, at the age of twenty years he was the happy owner of a farm in Lebanon. In 1836 he married Clarissa A. Beebee. Soon after marriage misfortune overtook him in the form of a note which he had indorsed to oblige a cousin, and the payment of which left him once more a poor man. Moving to Madison, he bought a small place, and with a brave heart and willing hands set to work to re- trieve his fortune. Yet more sorrowful was the loss that next befell him in the death of his wife, who passed away in the eighth year of their married life, leaving five little 2l6 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ones to be loved and cared for. Two years later he married Martha Burdick, who proved a worthy and helpful consort. At the time of his death, in 1877, he had accumulated enough property to be able to leave one thou- sand dollars to each of his two surviving daughters, Elizabeth M. and Melvina W. Sarah and Clara had passed away some years before. Having started out at ten years of age to make her own way in the world, Mel- vina W. Smith, before the time of her marriage with Mr. Mead, had acquired an experimental and thorough knowledge of the meaning of industry and economy. Her hus- band has found in her a true helpmate, — in Scripture phrase, "an help meet for him." The ownership of the farm has happily been brought about by their joint efforts. ^J^OHN DOWELL, a canny Scotchman from the Land o' Cakes, who has made his own way in the world, by industry, foresight, and thrift gaining a competence, and a resident of Hamilton these forty years and more, was born in Dumbarton, Dumbar- tonshire, Scotland, October 15, 1825. His ancestors so far back as known were all Scotch. Bereft of his mother when three days old, he had the misfortune a few months after to lose his remaining parent, Christo- pher Dowell, a sailor who suffered shipwreck on the American coast, and returned home to die of injuries there received. A kind- hearted, motherly woman named Kern took the little orphan in charge, faithfully caring for him until he was ten years old, when he was sent to live with an uncle in Givin, Ayr- shire County. The boy was so ill pleased with his new home and the treatment accorded him by his uncle that he ran away, with that irate relative in full pursuit. Sixteen long miles passed over, with weary feet he reached the dock of the nearest seaport town just in time to cross the gang-plank to the Greenock- bound steamer before it was pulled in and the paddle-wheels began to turn. From Greenock he went to Dumbarton, and sought the hospitable roof of his foster-mother, where he was made welcome and permitted to stay, notwithstanding a warning letter that followed from his uncle to Mrs. Kern, telling her she would receive no further pay for his board. Self-help was determined on by the resolute lad. He found employment in the calico print works three miles from Dumbarton, and, lodging with Mrs. Kern, walked to and from the mills daily for two years. Then a year and a half in a chandler's shop, making can- dles, a few months in the rope-works near Dumbarton Castle of historic fame, and six months of herding cattle on the banks of the Clyde. Next a period of farming, eventually to be the chosen life-work. At the Bryson farm, better known as the Dumbuck farm, to which he gave two and a half years, he was gradually promoted from working the odd horse to managing the third pair. With the aim of making himself master of farm work in its various branches, he often changed places. One year on the Scott farm in Lanark, the John Dowell. Mrs. John Dowell. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Green Hills of Kilbride, one year on the farm of Andrew Struthers, known as the Kirmon- ick Moor, one year at the Burnside farm of John Love, four years with James Jack at Campsie, — thus his time was filled up until 1849, when he decided to seek his fortune in a new land, — the free soil of America. Leaving Glasgow in June of that year, in the sailing-vessel "Hinderfore, " Captain Stevenson, he ' landed in New York August 10, after a voyage of seven weeks and four days, and went directly, via the Hudson River and Erie Canal, to Utica, and thence came by stage to Hamiton. He first worked by the month, and later did day and job work in the neighborhood. Diligent and saving, he laid up a large part of his earnings every year. His ambition was to be not only a working farmer, but a landed proprietor; and with this end in view, that he might more speedily acquire the needful purchase money, he late in 185 1 turned his steps to the newly opened gold diggings of California, going from New York to San Francisco by the Isth- mus. The Pacific Ocean belied its name, and gave them a stormy passage of three months in the sailing-vessel from Panama to Acapulco, Mexico. At this point he took the steamer "Winfield Scott," on her first trip, to San Francisco. From that place he proceeded to Sacramento, thence to Mud Springs, and from there to Hangtown, now Placerville. For one day's work here he received five dollars. Going that night to Coon Hollow, he bought some tools, and mined one day on his own account, then, returning to Mud Springs, en- tered the employ of Mr. Baird for eighty dol- lars and board per month. After three weeks their water, failed, and the work ceased. His next job, of three weeks' duration, was to cut hay and to split rails at five dollars per day and board. He now bought a claim, and did sufificient work to hold it until the water should come. Most of his mining was on Webber Creek, where he continued to work until the last of March, 1854, when he started for New York, via the Nicaragua route, arriv- ing at that city about three weeks later, and immediately proceeded to Philadelphia to get his dust coined. He waited a week for his grist, and then returned to New York, and at the Hudson River Railroad station met his old friend, Joel Osman, of Earlville; and they journeyed together by rail to Utica, and there hired a carriage to take them to Hamil- ton, where be arrived in season to deposit his money, four thousand dollars, in twenty-dollar gold pieces, in the bank. A home of his own was now within his reach. He bought the Loveland farm, took to himself a wife, and successfully engaged in dairy and hop farming until 1872. In that year he removed to another farm which he had bought, one mile from Earlville, near the East Depot. In 1875 he purchased a residence in Earlville, in which he lived until it was burned in the fire which devastated this village, August 21, 1886. He then built his present convenient and comely residence. Of late years he has become quite interested in village property, and is the owner of eight dwellings, besides that in which he lives, and several vacant lots. In 222 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW addition to this, he still owns the farm situ- ated near the depot, is a stockholder in the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company, in the Arnold Manufacturing Com- pany, the Earlville Land Company, and also of the Earlville Opera House. November 19, 1854, he was united in mar- riage with Mary A. Sawdy, born in Hamil- ton, March 6, 1830, daughter of Frederick and Ruth (Wait) Sawdy. Frederick Sawdy was a native of Hamilton, a farmer, and spent his whole life here. His father, Feleg Sawdy, born, it is thought, in Rhode Island, and probably of Welsh descent, was a pioneer in the town of Hamilton, and died here. He married Louisa Crandall, whose ancestors were Scotch. She was born in the State of New York, and died on the home farm. Mrs. Dowell's mother was born in Brookfield, a daughter of Benjamin and Abigail (Maine) Wait, who were of English descent. Mrs. Dowell's great-grandfather Wait, a pioneer of Brookfield, came from Rhode Island, and died here at the remarkable age of one hun- dred and one years. Mr. and Mrs. Dowell have had but one child, a daughter, named Lena, who died in her fourteenth year. Mr. Dowell is a Republican in politics. Ever since finally settling in Earlville, which is admitted to be one of the most enterprising and thriving villages in the country, he has taken a keen interest in its growth and pros- perity, and has done his full share toward the building up and improvement of the place. That his services have been appreciated is illustrated by the fact that he has been re- peatedly called upon to fill various offices of public trust, serving as Highway Commis- sioner one year, Village Trustee three years, and President of the Village Board for two years, and is now Street Commissioner. In social and fraternal matters, he is a member of Earlville Lodge, No. 622, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is also a member of the Cyclone Fire Engine Company of Earl- ville. In view of these facts, his portrait, accompanied by that of his excellent wife, is invested with additional interest, as repre- senting a type of citizen that is the boast of our great Republic. A man of great natural resources and strength of character, inheriting the vigorous and sturdy qualities of his Scot- tish ancestors, he owes to these qualities the remarkable success he has achieved in life. Starting with nothing in the way of fortune, and at first possessing but the simplest ele- ments of an education, he has not only suc- ceeded in surrounding himself with physical comforts and some of the luxuries of life, but, aided by a retentive memory and his own nat- ural intelligence, has greatly increased his stock of knowledge, and so cultivated his mind as to be in touch with and have a sympathetic comprehension of the foremost writers and thinkers of the day. His library is one selected with rare discrimination, and consists largely of standard works, the recog- nized classics of English literature, with whose contents he possesses an intimate acquaintance. Much of the comfort and refinement that he now enjoys can be traced to the influence and BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 223 exertions of his amiable and devoted wife, who has been his companion for so many years. Her true womanly qualities have found many opportunities for exercise in the beautifying of their home, as may be seen in the tasteful arrangements and pleasant sur- roundings. She has been, indeed, a true helpmate to her husband, and is widely known and highly esteemed for her Christian and womanly virtues. Realizing that true relig- ion is not only the basis of sound morality, but is the secret of happiness here and has the promise of the life to come, she many years ago gave her heart to her Divine Master, and has long been an active worker in the Metho- dist Episcopal church, her influence in the sphere of Christian activity and church work equalling that of her husband in the business circles of the village and town. It is to be hoped that Mr. and Mrs. Dowell have yet before them many years of useful activity and honorable distinction. ^"vn 'NDREW S. HART, a resident of the illage of Morrisville and a successful farmer, is a man of much more than ordinary intellectual ability, the peculiar bent of his genius lying in the direction of me- chanical invention, his achievements in this line being very remarkable. No one can doubt the value of this faculty, all governments hav- ing testified their sense of it by granting the exclusive use, for different periods of time, of the improved process or article to the man whose genius and study brought it forth. Be- sides this, a mere glance at the history of the race, even by a casual observer, is sufificient to show that the inventive talent is of incal- culable advantage to mankind, as it is con- stantly at work revolutionizing industrial, scientific, and other methods and processes, thereby increasing the rapidity of progress in almost every field, and bringing into opera- tion forces which gradually tend to supersede, to a large extent, both animal and manual labor, and to elevate man to a higher, if not to an ideal, plane of existence. Mr. Hart is a representative of one of the oldest families in Madison County. He was born in the town of Eaton in August, 1834. His father, Solomon Hart, was born in Con- necticut, and was a son of Phineas Hart, a native of the same State, who, accompanied by his wife and seven children, emigrated to the State of New York, making the entire journey by means of ox-teams. Purchasing a tract of land covered with the primeval forest, which is now included in the County Farm, Phineas Hart began in the true pioneer spirit to clear up his land and to make a home for himself and his family, aided by their presence and by their sympathy and love. He was destined, however, within a few years to lose his wife and four of his children, who died within a few days of each other, and who lie buried in the churchyard at the village of Eaton. Thus ruthlessly deprived of the com- panion of his labors, his sorrows, and his joys, and a large part of his family, he sold his land and returned to his native State, and there spent the remainder of his life. 224 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Upon the return of Phineas Hart to Con- necticut, his son Solomon went to live with Samuel Wickwire, of Hamilton; and when, some years afterward, he began life for him- self, he was without indebtedness and without money or other property of any kind. Pos- sessed, however, of a stout heart and willing hands, he began working by the month, and so continued to labor for fourteen years. Then, with the money he had earned having purchased a tract of timber land in the town of Eaton, paying therefor seven dollars per acre, he took possession of the little log cabin previously erected, and soon began to increase the small acreage already cleared. In this log house the subject of this sketch was born. Mr. Hart, being a very indus- trious man, soon had his farm well improved, and after some years sold it for fourteen dollars per acre, thus doubling the purchase price. Besides being a man of industry, he was also a man of sound judgment. He made profitable investments, and became possessed of wealth. He married Lucinda Palmer, a native of the town of Eaton, and a daughter of John and Mary (Pitts) Palmer, natives of Rhode Island and pioneers of the town of Eaton. Captain Rufus Pitts, the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Solomon Hart, for many years commander of a vessel upon the ocean, retired from the sea when forty-five years of age, and settled in the town of Eaton, pur- chasing land upon which he resided till his death. Mrs. Hart, now eighty-five years old, resides with her daughters in California. She and her husband reared seven children; namely, Jane, Marion, Susan, Andrew S., John A., Milton F., and Addie (deceased). Andrew S. Hart, having been reared and educated in his native town, upon attaining his majority engaged to work for his father for one hundred dollars per year and his board and clothes. Continuing thus engaged for five years, he purchased fifty acres of land, for which he paid forty dollars per acre, — a portion of the same tract previously pur- chased by his father at seven dollars per acre. Being a very industrious man, his property increased; and he bought other land, until at the present time he owns upward of seven hundred acres, — eighty in the town of Smith- field and the rest in the town of Eaton. Residing on his farm until 1888, he then re- moved to the village of Morrisville, and has lived there ever since, though he still gives his personal attention to the management of his farms. The inventive genius mentioned in the beginning of this sketch as possessed by Mr. Hart has manifested itself in many different ways. One of his important inven- tions is known as "Hart's Omnibus and Car Heater," patented November 4, 1890. An- other is "Hart's Vine Trellis," patented April 18, 1893. This invention is destined to come into general use in hop yards, as its merits become known to hop-growers. Another, and perhaps his most important one, is an elevated railroad to be worked by horse-power, but which has not as yet gone into operation. December 5, 1861, Mr. Andrew S- Hart married Nancy Louisa VVinslow, who was born in Eaton, Madison County. She is a BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 225 daughter of Captain Oliver P. Winslow, a native of Greenwich, R.I., a son of Perry Winslow, who, so far as known, resided in Rhode Island during his entire life. The maiden name of his wife was Judith Greene. Captain Oliver P. Winslow began life as a sailor in the whaling service when a boy, and rose to the rank of Captain of a vessel, fol- lowing the sea until he was forty-five years old. In 1838, accompanied by his family, he emigrated to Madison County, bought a farm in the town of Eaton, and followed agricult- ural pursuits until his death. He married Eliza W. Raymond, who was born at Nan- tucket, Mass., and was a daughter of Ebenezer and Abigail (Way) Raymond. The parents of Mrs. Hart reared five children; namely, Roland, Judith, Oliver, Elza, and Mrs. Hart. Mr. and Mrs. Hart have reared three children, namely: Bernice L., now wife of James G. Wilsie, a farmer, of Eaton; Blanche L., wife of E. C. Niles, a clerk in the wholesale gro- cery house of Walworth & Co., Syracuse, N.Y; and Palmer A. Mr. Hart has always been a Republican, having cast his first Presi- dential vote for John C. Fremont, and is thoroughly versed in the political history of the country. He and his wife are truly excel- lent people, highly respected by all who know them. 1 mmmt tRTEMAS G. McINTYRE, born in Brookfield, N.Y., July 2, 1845, son ^ - of William Harrison and Jerusha (Welsh) Mclntyre. The great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, like many of the pioneers of this county, was a New England man. He came from Rhode Island to the State of New York, making the journey, as they did, with an ox-team, over the roughest kind of roads, often having no guide but the marked trees, and enduring toils and priva- tions difficult for their descendants to realize in these days of luxurious plenty. He pur- chased a tract of timber land, erected his log house, and made a clearing for his farm. The grandfather of Mr. Mclntyre was born on this farm, and in this sparsely settled country had very little, if any, educational advantages, and few boyish sports to enliven the monotony of the wilderness. But, in spite of all difficulties, he obtained an educa- tion far superior to that of most people in those days. His daily toil on the farm, and his hunt for game with his trusty rifie, consti- tuted the duties of his earlier life. The grandfather and great-grandfather were prac- tising lawyers in the town of Brookfield, N.Y., and were able and prominent in their profession. William Mclntyre, the father of Artemas, was educated in the district schools, which by this time had been established, and were excellent of their kind. He also as- sisted in the work of the farm. At an early age he had prospered so well as to be able to buy the farm on which our subject now re- sides. To his wife and himself were born six children; namely, Almon H., Alonzo, Arte- mas, Adeline, Ellen, and Jeanette. Artemas spent his youthful days alternat- ing between the district schools and the farm work. The major portion of his schooling 226 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW consisted in the few weeks of winter; but he managed to make a good foundation, which he has since improved by judicious reading. In his vigorous manhood, at the age of twenty- nine, he married Miss Esther Talbot; and they are blessed with two children, — Emeline and Adeline. Mrs. Mclntyre was born in Edmeston, Otsego County, N.Y., and there received her education in the public schools, besides being trained at home by her excel- lent mother in the cares and duties of the household. Her people were originally from Connecticut, and have mainly been engaged in agricultural pursuits. Since Mr. Mclntyre took possession of his present farm he has greatly improved the land. His home is a neat and substantial dwelling with attractive surroundings. He naturally takes great pride in his farm, which has long been owned by the Mclntyre family. We find throughout his career that he has strictly attended to his own affairs, and has never evinced any burning desire to be an office-holder. He does his duty at the polls as a man and citizen, and in his invariable vote for the Republican party shows his pref- erence for its principles. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mclntyre are of the Methodist faith, and no good work of the church fails to receive their aid and encouragement. The charming family of Mr. Mclntyre are remarkable for their intelligence. The youngest daughter, though but fourteen years of age, stands among the foremost in her classes, and in business matters has a keen- ness of perception far beyond her years. In historical matters, and also in genealogy, she takes an absorbing interest, and with her parents is justly proud of her honorable ancestry. fIRGIL M. ARMOUR, now retired from active business and living at Morris- ville, N.Y., was born in Sherburne, Chenango County, N.Y., November 13, 1818, and was only a few months old when his parents settled on a new farm in Madison County, in the early part of 1 8 19, and built a log cabin "for their home. His father, Preston Armour, was born in Union, Tolland County, Conn., in 1795, grew to manhood, and was educated there. For some years he taught school, and was rec- ognized throughout that section as an intelli- gent and well-informed man. His wife, Betsy Brown, was born in Killingly, Conn., and brought up in Berkshire County, Massa- chusetts. She was of Rhode Island parent- age. At sixteen years of age she returned to her native State, and was married to Mr. Armour in the town of Union. After their marriage they went to Chenango County, in 181 8, but, as above mentioned, moved to Madison County early in the following year, and here spent the rest of their lives. They were devout members of the Methodist church. While Mr. Preston Armour was not particu- larly successful as a financier, he was uni- versally esteemed for his integrity and high mental gifts. In their later years the parents resided with their son, Virgil, at his beauti- ful home, one mile from Morrisville, N.Y., where he settled when he left Smithfield BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 227 twenty-two years ago, the father dying in 1879, at the age of eighty-four, and the mother in 1882, she having reached her ninety-first year. Virgil M. Armour is the eldest of the five children born to Preston Armour and wife. The others were: William W., the fourth child, deceased; Lucian B. of Morrisville, the third child; Volney, of Calhoun County, Iowa, the fifth; and Esther, the second child, widow of William F. Bonney, who lives in Austin, 111., a suburb of Chicago. Mr. Ar- mour's first wife was Mary Bay less, whom he married in Smithfield, N.Y. She was born in Worcestershire, England, and was but eighteen years of age when she arrived in this country. She lived in Philadelphia, Pa., for two years, coming from there to Smithfield, Madison County, where she mar- ried Mr. Armour in 1847, and died twenty-two years later, at the age of fifty-one. Six chil- dren were born to them, of whom four are now dead, namely: William W., at the age of thirteen years; Adalpha J., five years old; Isabell B., who was the wife of DeLoss Nor- ton, and died in June, 1885, at the age of thirty-four, leaving one child, Lynn; and Minnie B., who married Dr. Wesley Reeve, and, dying June, 1879, left one child, James Wesley. The children living are: Eliza, widow of William Chaffin, who has one child, Benjamin B., and resides in Oxford, N.Y.; and Mary E., wife of Mr. Jay Curtis, who with their three children reside at Exeter, Otsego County. Mr. Armour's second wife was Mrs. Wealthy J. Reeve, n^e Reese, whom he mar- ried in Smithfield, Madison County. She was born in Nelson, a town of Madison County, in October, 1833. Her parents, Samuel and Sallie (Hart) Reese, came from the valley of the Mohawk, where they were born and married. They settled on a farm in Nelson town early in the present century. The mother died in the prime of life, but the father lived to a ripe old age. Mrs. Armour, by her former marriage to Mr. Ramsey Reeve, had three children, who are still living: Mary v., wife of Bertrand Hardy, a farmer and me- chanic of Smithfield, Madison County, has one child, Ruby; Anna, wife of William Curtis, a farmer of Butternuts, Otsego County, has one son, Walter W. ; and James W., a physi- cian, of Morrisville, N.Y., whose present wife was Miss Maude A. Miller. By her second marriage Mrs. Armour is the mother of two sons, — Virgil M., Jr., and John P., both prosperous hop-growers and dairymen of the town of Eaton. Virgil M. Armour, Jr., mar- ried Miss M. Louise Bentley, a native of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, and has one child, — John H. John P. Armour married Miss Frankie Gregg, of Stockbridge, Madison County. Both the sons are Republicans in politics. They live on handsome one-hun- dred-acre farms, which are among the finest in the county. While Mr. Armour has been and is a thrifty, well-to-do farmer, he has met with many financial losses, but, fortunately, has been most generously assisted by his cousin, Philip Armour, the millionaire pork-packer 228 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW and philanthropist of Chicago, 111., to whom he feels indebted for much of his present prosperity. He never wearies in extolling the kindness and benevolence of this noble- hearted relative, who truly proved himself a "friend in need." By his timely help Mr. Armour's affairs were placed on a secure basis and his declining years made comfortable. In politics our subject is a firm and stanch Republican. Mr. and Mrs. Armour attend the Baptist church, Mrs. Armour being a pro- fessed member of that religion. LANSON ALEXANDER is a repre- sentative of one of the early settled families of the town of Lenox, Mad- ison County, N.Y. He was born in London- derry, Rockingham County, N.H., January 14, 1817. His father, Jonathan Alexander, was born in the same town, July 24, 1776; and his grandfather, James Alexander, was born on the ocean during the voyage of his parents when emigrating to America, in 1728. His ancestors were originally from Scotland, but took refuge in Ireland in the time of the Revolution. James Alexander married Miss Jennie McCurdy. They reared a family of eight children, spending their lives on their farm in the town of Londonderry. Jonathan Alexander spent his early man- hood in his native town, residing there until 1817, and then with his wife and five chil- dren came to New York State, making the entire journey with two yoke of oxen and a covered wagon, in which were loaded all their worldly possessions. Attracted by the beauty and fertility of Central New York, he bought a tract of timbered land in the town of Lenox, on which a comfortable log house was already built. Moving into this house, the family resided there until 1835, when, being blessed with prosperity, Mr. Alexander was able to build a substantial frame house, where the family lived until after the death of the mother. The father tTien made his home with his son Joseph, in MifBin County, Pennsyl- vania, remaining there until his death, Octo- ber 6, 1853. The name of his wife was Sarah Davidson. She was born in Londonderry, N.H., and became the mother of fourteen children, eight reaching maturity. At the time the Alexander family settled in Madison County the Indians still held their titles to the land, and inhabited all this section. They were peaceful and friendly; but the white man felt none the less inse- cure, and lived under constant apprehension. There were no railroads, no canals, no means of travel but by horseback or team; and, as the nearest market towns were Vernon Vil- lage, Oneida County, and Peterboro, Madison County, each several miles away, the jour- neys to and fro were made with some dififi- culty. The subject of this sketch was but an infant when his parents brought him to Madi- son County. Here he grew to manhood, re- maining with his parents until reaching the age of twenty-one, when he commenced life for himself. He worked out at first by the month, and was industrious and prudent, sav- ing his earnings until able to buy the old BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 229 Lenox homestead, where he farmed until 1867. The next sixteen years he spent in Oneida, at the end of that period returning to the farm, where he remained four years. He has now definitely taken up his residence in Oneida, and lives in quiet retirement. He married Miss Harriet M. Adams, No- vember 1 3, 1 844. She was born in Grafton, Mass., daughter of Nathaniel and Polly (Mer- riara) Adams. She died January 28, 1880. A son and a daughter were born to Mr. and Mrs. Alexander: Nathaniel Q., who died, aged eleven years; and Ida M., now wife of William Webb.. Mr. and Mrs. Webb have four children, — -Hattie Belle, Lulu Emma, Nellie A., and Ruth A. Mr. and Mrs. Alan- son Alexander have been members of the Methodist Episcopal church all their married life. Politically, Mr. Alexander is a Repub- lican. No subject is more worthy of his place in these brief memoirs than this gentleman, whose integrity and noble character have won for him the esteem and confidence of his fel- low-citizens. R. BAILEY was born in the town of Nelson, N.Y., January 22, 1826. His parents, Anson and Roxanna (Payne) Bailey, were natives of this State. The father was a prominent farmer of his day, although he commenced his working life modestly enough, laboring by the month for Mr. Ruggles Payne, and proving so acceptable to his employer as to be rewarded finally with the hand of his daughter. For a few years after his marriage Anson Bailey followed the fuller and clothier trade, but afterward bought a farm in the town of Nelson, and adopted the occupation of farming for the remainder of his life. At the age of fifty-two he met with a sudden and appalling death by falling from the roof of a barn upon which he was working, and leaving a wife and three children bereft of his care and protection. Of those chil- dren, only one is now living, — -Mrs. F. M. Darrow, now of West Easton, N.Y. Mrs. Roxanna Bailey, the mother, died at the age of seventy years. The family were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. David Bailey, father of Anson and grand- father of Asa R. Bailey, came to Madison County from his native New England State early in the present century. He settled in the town of Nelson, taking up new land which was yet covered with its primeval woods. Here he erected his log cabin, and worked hard and persistently to provide for the wants of his large family, which consisted of ten children. Besides the labor of his farm, he was a shoemaker by trade, and used to go from house to house, making shoes for fam- ilies. He was married three times, and died, at the age of eighty years, in the western part of New York State. In his politics he was a Whig. In his religious faith he followed the tenets of the Methodist church, of which he was an ardent and hard-working member, holding many prominent ofiSces. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Ruggles Payne, was also an early settler of the town of Nelson, where he suffered all the hardships of pioneer life. While building 230 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW his first home in the wilderness, his dwelling was in the woods, his couch a hollowed log, and his roof the twinkling stars, which kept watch over his slumbers. But out of all these unpropitious conditions he worked success, and died, at the age of eighty years, on the farm of three hundred acres which he had brought to the highest state of cultivation. He was twice married, his first wife being Miss Su- sanna Daniels, and his second Miss Betsey Farnham. He was a Republican in politics and a Universalist in religion. Asa R. Bailey grew to manhood in the town of Nelson, attending the district schools, and receiving a good common education. He remained on the home farm until 1849, when he was married to Miss Cemantha M. Farn- ham, who was born in the town of Nelson, November 28, 1829, daughter of Calvin and Nancy (Donaldson) Farnham. Her mother was a native of Scotland; and her father was born in the town af Nelson, where he became a successful farmer. Mr. Farnham died at the age of forty-two years, leaving a wife and eight children, five of whom are now living, as follows: Maria (Mrs. Holt), residing in Morrisville, N.Y. ; Clark A., living at Nel- son; Mrs. Bailey, wife of subject; John D., a resident of Minnesota; and Caroline M. Lelland. Mrs. Bailey's mother died at the age of ninety-one years. They were Baptists, and Mr. Farnham was a member of the Demo- cratic party. Asa Bailey after marriage worked a farm on shares for a few years, and then bought the farm, residing on it until his death, February 15, 1892, at the age of sixty-six years. His widow manages this farm of one hundred and seventy acres, with the assistance of her son- in-law, Thomas H. Roberts, who resides with her. Mrs. Bailey has no children living, her one daughter, Helen M., who was married to Mr. Roberts, having died at twenty-eight years of age." Mrs. Bailey is a worthy and iritelli- gent lady, displaying excellent ability in the management of her affairs, and highly re- spected by her neighbors and friends for her Christian charactei . She is a consistent mem- ber of the Methodist church, as was also her late husband, giving ample proof in their lives of the beauty of their religion. Mr. Bailey was a stanch adherent of the Republican party, and held many minor offices in his town. OHN TERWILLIGER was born on February 24, 1827, in Albany County, eldest son of George and Nancy (Coughtry) Terwilliger, both natives of that county, as was also his paternal grandfather, Simon Terwilliger, who served as a teamster in the' Revolutionary War. While Albany County was the home of the veteran during the greater part of his life, he died, at the age of seventy-nine years, in Onondaga County. His wife, whose maiden name was Jane Coon, died when she was seventy-five years old, having reared eight children. George Terwilliger was a carpenter, and also a farmer. He moved in 1834 to the town of Cicero, Onondaga County, where he bought a farm, on which he lived for forty years. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 231 He died in Madison County at the age of eighty-six years, hi-s wife at the age of sixty- five. Eight children had been born to them, six sons and two daughters, of whom five are now living: John, the subject of the present sketch, a resident of Sullivan; Elizabeth (Mrs. George Town) and Jane (Mrs. John Edgerton), residing in Michigan; James, who died in the late war at Andersonville Prison in 1864; Henry, who died in 1869, leaving a wife and one child; William, living in Indiana; Richard, who died in the service during the Civil War; Stanley, residing at Manlius Station, Onondaga County. The father was a Republican in politics, and the family were Presbyterian in religion. John Terwilliger left Albany County when he was about seven years of age, moving with his father to Onondaga County. In this sparsely settled section of the country the district school was a log cabin, with its puncheon floor and rough benches — a strik- ing contrast to the elegant buildings which are now erected for the youthful scholar. He had to trudge many miles to acquire the simple rudiments of learning, and marvellous were the adventures of the urchins who were "treed by a bear" or scared by an Indian as they journeyed through the woods. Simple and frugal were the manners and customs of those days. The mother was cook, nurse, weaver, and tailor for the family; and our subject was eighteen years of age before ever he wore a suit of "store clothes." When he was twenty-five years of age, he started out to work for himself; and, as salt-making was the principal industry of Onondaga County, he became a cooper, and was a long while em- ployed in the making of salt-barrels. The first piece of land bought by him was a tract of twenty-five acres in the town of Cicero, which he sold shortly afterward, and in 1866 purchased the farm of one hundred and forty acres which he now owns and occu- pies. He has increased this to ojie hundred and sixty-five acres, on which he raises wheat, oats, corn, and hay. He gives a great deal of attention to stock-raising, and in his dairy work prefers Holstein cattle. Mr. Terwil- liger's buildings stand on the spot mentioned in Mrs. Hammond's "History of Madison County " as the site of the palisade enclosure where in 1780 a band of Tories and Indians who had come from Canada on a marauding expedition left a guard to protect their boats filled with stores, which they had moored in the creek near by, while they went on, and, under command of Johnson Butler and Brant, burned Schoharie. Captain Vrooman, acting under the orders of General Van Rensselaer, hastening to this old fort with a small body of men, captured the guards and sank the boats, but was himself, with his prisoners, surprised and taken by a detachment of Butler's rangers, and marched off to Canada. The marriage of John Terwilliger and Miss Margaret Morrison took place in 1853. She was born in the town of Cicero, Onondaga County, N.Y., January 29, 1836. Her par- ents, Archibald and Sarah (Conway) Mor- rison, are natives of Washington County, the father having been born in 181 1 and the 232 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW mother in 1817. Their only child is Mrs. Terwilliger. Mr. Morrison is a carpenter, and has always followed the trade. He is an ardent Republican, and has never missed an election. Mr. and Mrs Terwilliger have two children. Sarah, who resides at home, was born in 1858. Arthur, born in 1854, is married, and with his wife and one son, named John Howard, resides on a part of the home farm. Mr. Terwilliger is a strong Republican in his political ideas, and unflinchingly supports his party in every election campaign. He has been Commissioner of Highways and Col- lector in the town of Manlius, and is a stir- ring, active worker in the district. In the Masonic Order he is a member of Sullivan Lodge, No. 148, F & A. M. He is a prom- inent and deservedly esteemed citizen of his county. By reason of his many years in this region he is fully conversant with its history, and, having keen observation and a fine mem- ory, is a delightful mine of information to those wishing to learn of the days that are one. He and his wife, in their upright and Christian lives, are a beautiful example to the generation around them; and the earnest wish of their fellow-citizens is that they may be spared long in the land. AVID H. PHIPPS, these thirty years and more an enterprising and well- known citizen of Oneida, an octo- genarian whose step is still firm and whose mind is clear, was born in the town of M Thompson, Windham County, Conn., Octo- ber 7, 1807. His father, David Phipps, who was born in the same State, August 3, 1768, son of Jason Phipps, received a good edu- cation and became a civil engineer, learn- ing also the trade of joiner. He, however, devoted much of his time to the care of the farm which he owned in the town of Thomp- son till the year 1821, when he sold hia real estate in Connecticut, and with his family, consisting of a wife and seven children, came to New York, the journey by team to Oppen- heim, then Montgomery County, now Fulton, requiring ten days. Here he resided, engaged in farming, until his death, July 29, 1850. He was a Whig, and had served as Justice of the Peace in Connecticut. His mother's maiden name was Chapin. The maiden name of his wife, the mother of his seven children, was Betsey Cloyes. She was born in New Hampshire, November 15, 1775, and died August 4, 1863. Her father served in the War of 1 8 12, and died of wounds received in a severe skirmish with the Indians. The subject of this brief biography, having been fourteen years of age when he came to New York, well remembers the incidents of the removal and the varied experiences of the pioneer life that followed. Albany was the market to which country produce was teamed, even from the western part of the State. At fifteen years of age he begafi to earn his own living, working out at five dollars per month and board. At twenty-one years of age he received ten dollars per month and board. A short time before his marriage he bought a D. H, Phipps. Mrs. Eliza H. Phipps. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 235 saw-mill in Oppenheim, and engaged in the lumber business three or four years. Having learned the trade of carpenter, while running the mill he took contracts to frame buildings. After selling the mill, he worked at his trade for a time, then engaged in farming. He lived in 0])penheim till 1840, when he sold what interest he had there, and, coming to Madison County, bought a farm in Nelson, m which town he was the first to engage in the dairy business. Always on the lookout to better his condition, two years later he sold his property in Nelson, and, moving to the town of Eaton, bought twenty acres of land. He worked at farming and at his trade there till 1856, when he became proprietor of a public house, which he kept for the next five years. In 1 861 Mr. Phipps came to Oneida, and has since continued a resident of this village, to the growth of which he has materially con- tributed, chiefly by purchasing and improving real estate. In the first place, having formed a partnership with S. H. Farnham, he bought property on Madison Street, which he held as a storage warehouse for two years, when he sold it to be converted into stores. He has since engaged in other similar enterprises. His business of late has been looking after his private interests; in other words, the care of his property as it is, without entering upon any new undertakings. December 19, 1831, was the date of the marriage of David H. Phipps and Eliza H. Brown. Mrs. Phipps was a native of this State, the daughter of Chad and Elizabeth (Healey) Brown. She was born April 22, 18 1 3, and died March 17, 1889. Mr. Phipps was formerly a Whig, and cast his first Presi- dential vote for John Quincy Adams. He has been a Republican since the formation of that party. He served as Justice of the Peace in Eaton, and has been a member of the Oneida Village Board of Trustees. We take pleasure in calling the reader's attention to the fine portrait of this venerable and respected gentleman. r)RGE T. FEARON, a very exten- sive farmer and horticulturist, and one of the truly representative citizens of Madison County, is eminently worthy a place in this "Biographical Review." Agriculture is much older than the Christian era, and its literature is richer than perhaps that of any other occupation of mankind. The art itself is, as a matter of course, older than its liter- ature, which may be said to have begun with Cato the Great, who was born at Tusculum in 234 B.C., who inherited from his plebeian father a small farm in the country of the Sabines, and who was the first and most cele- brated writer on this subject. The art of agriculture consists in rearing those animals and plants best suited to supply the wants of man; and, in all probability, no part of the United States is better suited to its perfect development than Central New York. Of those sufficiently fortunate to inhabit this favored region is Mr. George T. Fearon, who is one of its leading farmers and horti- 236 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW culturists, having successfully followed two branches of agriculture during most of his life. Mr. Fearon was born April 21, 1835, in the town of Eaton, on the farm which he now owns and occupies. He is a son of Robert and Ann (Christian) Fearon, both of whom were born in Ireland, the former having been the son of George Fearon, whose bio- graphical sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. Robert Fearon was a prosperous stock-raiser and hop-grower, and owned the farm on which the subject of this sketch now lives. Being an honest, hard-working man, he was highly respected wherever known. Religiously, he was a Methodist; and, po- litically, he was a Republican. His death took place September 13, 1875, when he was sixty-nine years of age. Mr. Fearon was twice married, by his first wife rearing seven children, and by his second one, who is yet living. All but one of the family grew to mature years. The three now living are: George T., the subject of this sketch ; Robert M., a lumber dealer, living in Ohio; and Henry, of Oneida, N.Y. George T. Fearon remained at home until he reached his twenty-fifth year, having in the mean time acquired a good education in the district schools and by attendance five terms at Cazenovia Seminary. In June, i860, he married Miss Adell F. Thurston, who was born in the town of Stockbridge, and is a daughter of Hiram and Emily (Hamilton) Thurston, the former of whom was a success- ful farmer of the town of Stockbridge, and died there at the age of eighty-one, his wife having passed away fourteen months before, aged eighty years. They were the parents of eleven children, seven of whom are still liv- ing, Mrs. Adell F. Fearon being one of the three younger. The farm of Mr. George T. Fearon contains one hundred and sixty-five acres, seventy acres of which he has devoted to large and small fruit, such as apples, pears, blackberries, raspberries, and grapes. Be- sides this farm, Mr. Fearon also owns one in Lake County, Florida, upon which he raises oranges, lemons, grapes, and peaches. On his Madison County farm he raises stock, and also keeps about one hundred sheep. Mr. and Mrs. Fearon have two sons — David C, born January 18, 1864, and Fred M., born Septem- ber 7, 1867 — both of whom are engaged in fruit-growing with their father. On April 12, 1893, in the town of Eaton were married Mr. Fred M. Fearon and Miss Lepha Lewis. The bride, a very capable young lady, of good attainments, was born and brought up at the home of her parents in Pratt's Hollow. Mrs. George T. Fearon is a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Fearon is a voter with the Prohibition party, and an advocate of its principles. I^ESSE CYPHER, who is the worthy subject of this sketch, was born in the town of Lenox, N.Y., March, 1826. His father, Andrew Cypher, was born there in 1779. The Cypher family is of Dutch de- scent, and came to Madison County from the Mohawk Valley. Andrew Cypher married, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 237 rather late in life, Betsey Snider, several of whose people were farmers, residing within a half-mile of her birthplace in the Dutch set- tlement of the town of Lenox. Four sons and two daughters were born to this couple, Jesse being the youngest. The four now living are: Betsey, widow of Robert Siver, living in Lenox; Ephraim, a farmer at Oak Hill; Ce- rena, widow of Thomas R. Guy, owner of a pleasant house and garden in MacKinley Square, N.Y., where she resides; and Jesse. The father died in 1829, at the age of fifty; and the mother lived for many years with her son Jesse, dying at his home in 1879, aged seventy years. Mr. Jesse Cypher, having received in his boyhood a fair common-school education, has lived on a farm, and closely applied himself to farm work the greater part of his life, the exception being fourteen years, when he was engaged in manufacturing glass boxes. He inherited nothing from his father s estate, and has had to work hard, to toil early and late for what he possesses. He purchased his comfortable home in which he now resides about ten years ago, paying about two thou- sand dollars for the property. In 1856 he married Miss Caroline E. Wright, daughter of Orson and Bathsheba (Clark) Wright, of Bath, Madison County, N.Y. Mrs. Wright died in 1865, at about fifty years of age, and her husband in 1883, aged seventy - one. They had six children — two sons and four daughters — of whom one son and two daugh- ters have reached maturity. To Mr. and Mrs. Cypher has been born one daughter — Rosalie L., wife of Eddie Stoddard — whose home is still under the parental roof. Mr. Cypher has twenty-five acres of farm land, on which he raises small fruit and gen- eral crops. Politically, he affiliates with the Democratic party, and, while leading a quiet and uneventful life, enjoys that most inde- pendent and, in many respects, enviable sta- tion of a farmer owning his own lands. By his own energy and industry Mr. Cypher has established himself comfortably and with pleasant surroundings. His various farm buildings are sufficiently commodious and well adapted to their use, his cattle are in good condition, and his watchful eyes see that everything about his place is kept in working order. Mr. Cypher's record may be summed up as that of a patriotic and honorable citizen, a true American — ■ not an aspirant for place and power, but one who is content to till his own fields, and only ambitious to do it well. Cheerfully, Along the cool, ssquestered vale of life He keeps the noiseless tenor of his way. ,ETER R. DUFFY. This gentleman was born June 11, 1828, in the town of Eaton, Madison County, son of Fergus and Elizabeth (O'Rourke) Duffy. His parents were both born in Ireland. His paternal grandfather, Ross Duffy, was a prom- inent farmer in the Emerald Isle, and spent his life there. Of his four children — Ross, Jr., Francis, Fergus, and Margaret — none 238 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW are living at present. Constantine O'Rourke, father of Elizabeth, emigrated to this country when a young man, a college graduate, and settled in Herkimer County. Much of the land on which the village of Herkimer now stands was owned by him. He was one of the foremost men of his time, being highly re- spected 'for his public spirit and enterprise. He spent his last days near Richfield Springs, Otsego County, N.Y., where he died at the age of sixty-five years. He had a family of six children, all now deceased. Fergus Duffy came to America when he was twenty-four years of age. After a brief stay in New York City, where he landed, he went to the Southern States, but did not remain there long. He finally located him- self in Madison County, New York. After his marriage, which took place in Herkimer County, he resided for some years in the town of Eaton, ending his days, however, in Georgetown, N.Y., dying at the age of sixty- eight years. His wife lived until she reached the age of seventy. Of their seven children, six are now living, namely: Thomas A., a retired farmer of Oneida Castle; our subject, Peter Ross; James Francis, a farmer of the town of Eaton; William Fergus', residing at the old homestead in Georgetown; Elizabeth (Mrs. R. Wallace), of the town of Nelson; Eleanor, wife of Marshall Marvin, a farmer, of Georgetown. Sebastian Duffy, one of the sons, died at the age of forty-five. He was a graduate of Union College, Schenectady, N.Y., and was Principal of Pulaski Seminary for seventeen years. Had the district been less overwhelmingly Republican, he would probably have held a seat in Congress. The parents of our subject were Catholics in relig- ion, and the father a Democrat in politics. Peter R. Duffy grew to manhood in the town of Eaton, and received his education in the district schools and in the Morrisville Academy. When he first hired out, he worked for one Sidney Spring, and received, to begin with, five dollars a month, giving his earnings to his father. For the first year's toil his remuneration was one hundred and eighty dollars, and he continued to work at the same place for some time. He then for eight years managed the farm owned by Mrs. Ruth Jen- nings, for the latter part of the time receiving five hundred dollars per year. On the death of Mrs. Jennings, in 1858, he rented her farm. He was so successful financially that in 1859 he enlarged his business, engaging in speculating and sheep-raising. He was at one time the owner of the largest sheep-fold in his vicinity; and in 1864 he made one sale of sheep which amounted to fifteen hundred dollars, and this was for only a small part of his flock. He sold wool as high as one dollar per pound, and was known as one of the most successful speculators in Madison County. During the last year of the war he gave up this business, and invested some of his money in land. Having bought a farm in the town of Nelson, in the vicinity of Erieville, he now carries on general farming, and is one of the principal men of that village. In 1867 he bought the cheese factory, which is one of the oldest and largest of the kind — a vast BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 239 concern, having a record of using twenty-two thousand pounds of milk in one day. Mr. Duffy also owns the saw-mill at Erieville, and keeps a good stock of lumber constantly on hand. He owns considerable real estate in various places, having lands in Georgetown, farms in the town of Nelson, and several resi- dences in Erieville. He was married May 24, 1869, to Miss Helen M. Cloyes, who was born in the town of Eaton, December 13, 1832. She was the adopted daughter of Hiram D. Cloyes, and died March 18, 1873, aged forty-one years, leaving no children. Mr. Duffy is a popular and busy man in the community. In 1879 he was elected Su- pervisor, and has held that position nine out of the ten terms that he ran. The town is strongly Republican by from one hundred and fifteen to one hundred and twenty-five major- ity ; but he stands so high in the regard of his fellow-citizens that, although a stanch Demo- crat, he has thus succeeded in winning over all opposition. He is a Free and Accepted Mason of Cazenovia Lodge, No. 616. As an enterprising and progressive man of good mental endowments, Mr. Duffy is worthy of the high consideration accorded to him in his native town. His judgment of men and affairs is esteemed of great value. tTWELL M. SMITH is a general farmer and dairyman, and is admin- s, , istrator for property of two hundred acres on the line of Smithfield and Eaton towns, which he has managed for two years very successfully. He was born in the town of Eaton, October 26, 1863, and is now thirty years of age. He has always lived in the town, except during the time of his attendance at a mercantile business college and at the seminary in Cazenovia, N.Y., where he completed his education. His grandfather, Joseph Smith, a hardy tiller of the soil, died in 1846, comparatively young. Judson Smith, son of Joseph, the father of our subject, was born about the year 1826, and was for quite a while a farmer in Eaton town, where he lived. In 1881-82 he went into business as a hop dealer and commission merchant, in which he continued for nearly ten years, when he removed to Clinton, N.Y. He is now connected with the Rose Gold Cure of that place. He is one of a large family of brothers and sisters, several of whom are yet living. His wife was Miss Josephine Wake- lee. She was born in Chenango County, New York, but in early life went to Smithfield, Madison County, and was there married. She died November 2, 1892, aged fifty-seven, much esteemed as a devoted wife, a loving mother, and an extremely intelligent woman. Her parents were Atwell and Ellen (Lacy) Wakelee, both of whom died on the farm they had improved and owned, which is now the property of their grandchildren, Atwell, and Benaja and Lorena, his brother and sister, who live with him. The grandfather died in 1889, aged seventy-nine years, and his wife in 1890, when she was seventy-six years old. They were good, frugal, and industrious people, loved and respected in their neighbor- 240 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW hood. Mr. Wakelee was for many years a large land dealer, was a Democrat, and, while taking a reasonable interest in po«litics, was not an office-seeker. They had but two chil- dren: Mrs. Judson Smith, deceased; and Miss Sarah Wakelee, who is still living in Morris- ville, N.Y." Mr. Atwell M. Smith, the subject of the present sketch, is the eldest of the three chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Judson Smith. He married Miss Lenna Tooke in the town of Eaton, Madison County, N.Y She was born in the town of Smithfield, May 8, 1863, and was reared and educated in Madison County. She is the daughter of Joseph and Salinda (Burroughs) Tooke, who were born in Pratt's Hollow, in the town of Eaton. Mr. To.oke has retired from business, and he and his family live in a beautiful home in one of the handsomest locations of the town. They have seven children, Mrs. Smith being next to the eldest. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the happy parents of three children — ^ Harry W., C. Leslie, and Doris J. Although a young man, probably no one stands higher in the estimation of his fellow- townspeople than Mr. Smith. He has car- ried on his business systematically and suc- cessfully, and is among the most prosperous and honored men in his county. He went to work early in life, beginning to farm some time before he became of age; on attaining his majority, taking charge of the large farm he now' manages, conducting its affairs with honesty and sound judgment, for the benefit of the heirs as well as himself. Intelligent and discriminating, he takes a keen interest in local public matters. In his political views he is a strong Democrat. He and his charm- ing wife and family are members of the Con- gregational church. KW. DOOLITTLE, a prominent and wealthy business man of Canastota, is descended from ancient and honorable ances- try, and is himself one of the patriots of the late Civil War. He has alwa3's been op- posed to anything in the form of slavery, and is one of those who are able to fully appreciate the value to mankind of liberty to think each one for himself and of liberty for each to work out his own destiny. Mr. Doolittle was born in the town of Lenox, April 13, 1839, a son of Francis W. Doolittle, who was a farmer and the son of a farmer, and who died at the early age of thirty-five in August, 1839, leaving his wife with seven children, the youngest, as is evi- dent from the dates above given, being then but three months old. The mother of these little ones before her marriage to Mr. Doo- little was Olive Lee. She was a daughter of Benjamin and Esther (Wheat) Lee, who came from Conway, Mass., to Madison County, New York, in 1806, when Olive was four years old, and settled on a small new farm in the town of Sullivan. Mrs. Olive Doolittle lived to be seventy-seven years old, and died at the home of her son, the subject of this sketch. She and her husband were the parents of six children, namely: F. W., the BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 241 subject; Benjamin, a miller of Oswego, N.Y., who about 1879 served one term in the State Senate; Charles, who died of heart disease at the age, of fifty-four years; Esther, wife of Marcus Wilcox, of Corunna, Mich. ; Joel, who died at Canastota, at the age of nineteen ; Amelia, who also died at the age of nineteen; and Harriet, who died at the age of eighteen — all three of consumption. When about nineteen years of age, the sub- ject of this sketch was given up by the doctors to die of the same disease which had taken three of the family, as above narrated; but, by virtue of a good constitution and of a de- termined will-power, which is beginning to be recognized largely as a remedial agent, he still survives, and is a rugged, healthy man, having endured, and being now capable of en- during, a vast amount of hard work, and of transacting a great deal of business. In poli- tics Mr. Doolittle is a Republican. He served during the late Civil War in the One Hun- dred and First New York Volunteer Infantry, from September, 1862, to February, 1863, being then discharged on account of physical disability. He is a mepiber of Reese Post, No. 231, Grand Army of the Republic, of Canastota, and has belonged to the Masonic Order more than thirty years. He is also a Knight of Pythias and an Odd Fellow. His father, Francis W. Doolittle, at his death left three small farms, slightly encumbered, one of which farms fell to the subject as compen- sation for labors from the time he was four- .teen years of age. On the death of his brother, F. W. took charge of his father's estate. At the present time Mr. Doolittle is the owner of two hundred acres of land within two miles of the village of Canastota. In the village he has two hotels. At the close of the war he erected a brick business block in the village, at a cost of thirty thousand dol- lars, which contained stores and a public hall. This fine building was destroyed in the great incendiary fire of 1873, and upon the same site Mr. Doolittle has since erected his pres- ent business building. Financially, Mr. Doolittle has been far more than ordinarily successful, and is at the present time one of the most wealthy men in the village. His methods have always been straightforward, his dealings upright. His reputation for integ- rity is second to none in the place. Mr. Doolittle was married February 18, 1862, to Miss Charlotte E. Dietz, of Sullivan, Madison County, a daughter of Tobias and Mariette (Hitchcock) Dietz. Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle have buried three children, namely: Cora, who died at the age of eleven months; Hattie, who also died in infancy; and Francis W., a bright and promising boy, who died at ten years of age. The living children are as follows: Minnie, wife of Edwin Grant, of Canastota, and the mother of two sons; Nellie, wife of Burt W. Posson, a grocer in the Doolittle Block in Canastota; Carrie, a young lady of twenty-one years, a graduate of the Canastota Academy, and now a sales- woman in the grocery store of Mr. Posson; and Lottie, a bright and intelligent miss of fourteen. F. W. Doolittle has served three years as 242 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Trustee of the village of Canastota and four terms as its President. He has also been President of the glass factory, and is now a Director of one of the banks. He has al- ways done his share in everything that has been started to improve the place and benefit the public. (^AMES WALKER, a resident of the village of Oneida, is one of the most successful men of the State of New York. He has always followed farming — not merely as an occupation, but as a busi- ness — and by adhering to business methods in his occupation has made it more than ordinarily successful. He has accumulated a competency by his own exertion and good management. John Walker, the father of James, a native of Connecticut, starting out on his own ac- count while yet a young man, left the old farm in his native State, and came to the State of New York, settling in Herkimer County, and marrying Miss Katie Oxner. He lived in Herkimer County the rest of his life, a highly respected citizen, dying when sixty years of age. His wife, the mother of the subject of this sketch, lived to the age of sixty-nine years. They were the parents of six children, namely: William, deceased; Henry, living in Richfield Springs, N.Y.; Mary, wife of Judson Brown, of Rich- field, N.Y. ; James, the subject of this sketch; Cornelia, wife of William Johnson, of Rich- field, N.Y. ; and Lucius, of the town of Rich- field. All these children were born in Herkimer County, and all have always been residents of their native State. James Walker was born on a farm in the town of Columbia, Herkimer County, Febru- ary 26, 1827, and during his youth, like most other boys, attended common school during the winter season and worked on the farm during the summer time. He was a most in- dustrious boy, being very ambitious, and feel- ing that the only way to make a success of his life was to do well what came to his hands to do. Remaining at home on the farm — faith- ful as a boy and as a young man — until he was twenty-three years of age, he then started out for himself, having at that time no money nor property of any kind, his previous labors having been for the benefit of others. At first he worked on a farm by the month, re- ceiving what was then considered good wages, twelve dollars per month, and continuing thus engaged on different farms for about eight years, in the mean time doing other work which required an educated mind. So that at the end of the eight years he had saved up two thousand dollars. Returning to the old homestead in Herki- mer County, he now purchased the interests of the other heirs, and engaged in farming as the owner of the property. After paying for the old place upon which he was born, he purchased additional lands, and was altogether successful in whatever he undertook. He made money when others failed, and accumu- lated a handsome property. Subsequently he sold out the old place, and bought a farm in the town of Sullivan, Madison County, near BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 243 North Manlius, containing eighty-two acres of good land. Upon this farm he remained for twenty-six years, or until April i, 1893, when he rented it, and removed to Oneida. During his residence upon the farm he had materially improved it, and erected good buildings upon it, so that it was left in excellent condition. Mr. Walker was married to Margaret Hill, by whom he has had three children, namely: Jay W., living near Syracuse; Olive, deceased; and Ida, the wife of John X. Smith, living at Oneida. Politically, Mr. Walker is a Repub- lican, and is a well-read and well-informed man. He takes sufficient interest in political affairs to perform his duty as a voter and as a citizen, but has never cared for office, pre- ferring his own private business to the busi- ness of the public, with the cares and uncer- tainties of official position. ~LjLIAS J. THOMAS, a prosperous mill- JPl owner of the town of Eaton, was born December 13, 1843, in Newtown, Montgom- ery-shire, Wales, and was the son of Elias and Eliza (Jones) Thomas, both of whom were born in Wales. The grandfather, Thomas Evan Thomas, a native of Wales, was a spinner by trade. He emigrated to America in 1854, and settled in Utica, N.Y., where he followed his trade until his death. His family consisted of five children, of whom three are now living, namely: John and David, both residing in Utica; and a sister Mary, who lives in London, England. The grandfather died when seventy - seven years old, and his wife at the same age. They were devoted members of the Methodist church. Elias Thomas, the elder, came to America in 1848, and was a weaver and spinner by trade. His wife and four children joined him a year after his arrival in this country. He first settled in Oneida County, and worked at weaving, but afterward moved to the town of Nelson, Madison County, where he bought a farm of one hundred and fifty acres, and car- ried on general farming. He was an honest, hard-working man; and, besides cultivating his land, he made a specialty of raising full- blooded Durham cattle, his herd consisting of about twenty head. To Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were born seven children, of whom three are now living, namely: Elias J.; Mary E., wife of John E. Lewis; Anna S., wife of Frank Blair, residing in the town of Nelson. The children who died were: Sarah, aged twenty- six years; Jane, eleven years; Evan C, nine- teen years; and Hannah, three years. The father and mother died on their farm in the town of Nelson, aged respectively sixty and seventy-four years. They attended the Bap- tist church, of which the wife was a devout member. Our subject came to the town of Eaton when he was but nine years of age, was edu- cated in the district school of the town, and began to work in the woollen mills at West Eaton, owned by Captain Smith, when he was twelve years old. He commenced in the card- room, receiving at first only seven dollars and a half per month, and continued to work in 244 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW this mill, until the' firm suspended, in 1854. He then obtained employment in the various mills along the valley until 1862, when he enlisted under Captain Henry B. Morse, in Company D, One Hundred and Fourteenth Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry. He fought in several battles, among which were the siege of Port Hudson and Sabine Cross Roads, under General Banks, and was also with Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley. He made a good record for himself, and was honorably discharged at the close of the war at Washington, D.C., June 8, 1865. He re- turned to his home, and worked at his trade until 1882, when with his brother-in-law, John E. Lewis, he bought the mill now owned by them, for description of which see biog- raphy of John E. Lewis. Mr. Thomas was married in 1867 to Miss Thirza C. Lewis, who was born in 1845, and is a sister of John E. Lewis. They have two children. Arthur R., born in 1868, was edu- cated at Cornell Preparatory School, and after- ward a graduate of the Chicago Medical College of Chicago, 111. He is now Attend- ing Physician of the Cook County (Illinois) Hospital in Chicago. A daughter, A. Luella, born in 1879, i^ at honi,e with her parents. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and have a delightful resi- dence in the village. Mr. Thomas is an agreeable man in social life, is liked by his employees in the factory, and is popular as a citizen. He is a thorough, energetic Repub- lican in politics, as were also his father and grandfather. AMUEL B. BENEDICT, a promi- nent farmer of the town of Lebanon, was born in that town, March 5, 1825. He is a son of Elijah Wescott Bene- dict, who was born in the town of Otego, Otsego County, August 4, 1799. His father, Zar Benedict, formerly a resident of Connecti- cut, came thence to Otsego County, New York, and lived for a time in the town of Otego, removing afterward to the town of Lebanon, Madison County, settling in the vicinity of Lebanon Centre. In addition to farming, he kept public house for a number of years, residing on his farm until his death. Elijah W. Benedict was a young man when his father came to Madison County. He assisted on the farm and in the hotel until he attained his manhood, when he himself settled on a farm in South Lebanon, where he spent the remainder of his days, dying there August 26, 188 1, at the age of eighty-two years. The maiden name of his wife, the mother of the subject, was Lois Harrison. She was a daughter of Daniel Harrison, of Chautauqua County, New York. She reared eight chil- dren, namely: Elizabeth B., born November 19, 1823; Adah L., born April 23, 1827; Thirza E., born February 20, 1829; Sarah R., born February 14, 1831; Mariette D., born April 25, 1836; Ur ula H., born August 15, 1839; Lucy A., born January 9, 1843; and Franklin J., born June 8, 1850. Samuel B. Benedict attended school in his youthful days, and worked upon the farm until he was eighteen years old, when he com- menced teaching school, and taught six winter BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 245 terms. The rest of the year he was engaged in farming. Remaining at home with his parents until his marriage, he then settled on the iarm in South Lebanon which he now owns and occupies. The name of his first wife was Louisa A. Foot; and she was a daughter of James W. and Lovisa Foot, of Otselic, Chenango County. By her he had one child, a daughter — Addie, wife of E. D. Squires, of Milford, Otsego County. Mr. and Mrs. Squires have three children; namely, Ida, Lula, and Eldora. Mrs. Benedict died November 12, 1863. For his second wife Mr. Benedict married Julia L., only daughter of James E. and Lucy Cady, of Lebanon, by whom he has four children; namely, L. Angela, Agnes V., Edith M., and M. Ernes- tine. L. Angela is the wife of Walter F. Ingalls, of Hamilton. Mr. and Mrs. Ingalls have two children — Ruth B. and Raymond F. And Agnes V. is the wife of George W. Os- borne, of Hamilton. Mr. and Mrs. Osborne have two children — Dorothy E. and Rob- ert H. Mr. and Mrs. Benedict are members of the Baptist church, and in politics Mr. Benedict is a Republican. He is a man in whom the people place confidence, as is evident from their having elected him to a position on the district School Board and having made him Town Collector, and about ten years ago hav- ing elected him Justice of the Peace, which office he holds at the present time. He was a successful teacher of vocal music and a choir leader for about eighteen years. Mr. Bene- dict was one of the patriots of the Civil War, enlisting in April, 1861, at the first call for troops, and being mustered in as principal musician of the Twenty-sixth New York Vol- unteer Infantry, remaining in that position until he was mustered out. He was present with his regiment through all its marches, campaigns, and battles, including the battle of Antietam, after which he was honorably discharged, and came home to take up again the duties of the private citizen, which he had laid down to aid his country in its struggle with armed treason and rebellion. -ICJVOMA lOMAINE D. BUTTON, a grandson of Chauncy Button, was born June 26, 846, in the town of Cazenovia, N.Y. His parents were Giles H. and Betsey (Standard) Button. The former was born in Montgomery County, and was a general farmer, owning a place in the town of Cazenovia, which he sold in 1861, and came to the town of Sullivan, where he bought another large farm. He was an extensive stock raiser and breeder, making a specialty of Cheshire hogs, and was the first to introduce them into the town of Sullivan. He died on his farm in 1879, aged fifty-eight years; and his wife, who was a native of Connecticut, died in 1885, aged sixty years. Mr. Button was a strong and fearless member of the Republican party, an industrious and energetic farmer, and an ac- tive and devoted worker in the Baptist church. There were three children born to this couple, of whom two are now living, Romaine D., the eldest; and George H., the youngest, who 246 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW is a Baptist minister, and resides in Millville, N.J. The second son, Gilbert, died at the age of forty-two years. The subject of this sketch gained his educa- tion partly in the district schools, finishing at Cazenovia Seminary. For six years he taught school in the States of Wisconsin, Michigan, and New York. In 1873 Mr. Button married Emma A., youngest daughter of Harry H. and Julia A. Freeman. Mrs. Button's father died in 1876, leaving a wife and two children; Mrs. EllaC. Goodell, of Canastota, N.Y. ; and Mrs. Emma A. Button, of Cotton's, N.Y. His wife still resides on the old home farm, which was originally a part of the farm now owned by Mr. Button. This farm of one hun- dred and thirty-five acres was bought about the year 1800 by Charles Freeman, the great- grandfather of Mrs. Button, one of the first to settle in this vicinity, when it was all timber land. After his death, which occurred in 1 82 1, it was owned by his son, Bradford, who died in 1831. His wife, Jane Freeman, owned it until her death, which occurred in 1873, at the advanced age of ninety-three; and it was then owned by her sons, Charles and George, who died, the former in 1874, and the latter in 1884. It was then bought by Mr. R. D. Button, and is still owned by him. Mr. Button also leases other land, and at present is working about five hundred acres. He follows his father's idea in making a specialty of stock-raising, besides running a dairy of twenty head of full-blooded Jersey cows. He is one of the largest shippers of the celebrated Cheshire hogs, sending to Ore- gon, Indian Territory, Wisconsin, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Maine, and Canada. He has exhibited them at the State fairs in Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, Michi- gan, Indiana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. He also had an exhibit at the World's Fair in Chicago. He has been very successful in raising fine poul- try, and deals in the following lines: brown and white Leghorns (rose combs), Domi- niques, Langshans, white and barred Plymouth Rocks, Dorkings (white, silver gray, and col- ored), bronze and buff turkeys; also Rouen and Aylesbury ducks, Toulouse geese, and tumbler pigeons, Belgium hares, and Angora rabbits. He is one of the largest exhibitors in the State, making from seventy-five to one hundred entries at the Fair, and in 1892 was the second largest exhibitor at the New York State Fair. He also raises sheep, among which the black top merinos are the finest. On the farm of Mr. Button are found the only plaster beds in the town of Sullivan, which have been worked for sixty years. Mr. But- ton has contracts for six hundred tons every winter. He gives his whole time and atten- tion to his stock and farm, and his two assist- ants and himself spend very few idle hours. Mr. and Mrs. Button have two children. Elva C, born October 16, 1876, is attending school at Canastota; and H. Freeman, born August 17, 1879, is at school in Chittenango. Mr. Button and his wife are Universalists. Politically, he votes with the Republican party. Fraternally, he is a Free and Ac- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 247 cepted Mason, belonging to Canastota Lodge, No. 232, and also other Masonic organiza- tions. He is a member of the Farmers' Grange. At the time of the Civil War he became imbued with the spirit of patriotism and enlisted in the army, but was not ac- cepted, as he was under age. There are very few men in this section of country who lead a more active life than this gentleman. Between the cares of his farm, his stock, and his poultry, he has very little time for outside interests, but still takes a commendable share in civic affairs, never for- getting to look after the welfare of his party, advocating its principles at the ballot-box, and being outspoken in its support. T^HARLES F. BAJES, one of the most I jp substantial citizens of Oneida, resides ^i»i — ' in his pleasant home on Main Street, in the enjoyment of an excellent repu- tation, fairly won, and in the possession of a competence honestly earned. His father, Jeremiah Bates, was born in Otsego County, but removed to Oswego County in 18 16, being at the time thirteen years of age. This was in the middle of winter, when the snow was very deep. At that time the country was new and wild; and the family lived in a log house, securing wood for their fire by cutting it in the forests and hauling it to the house, where it was burned in the open fireplace in large logs. The boy was thus inured to hard work early in life, and had plenty of labor preparing wood for the fire, as it required large quantities to keep the family warm dur- ing that long and cold winter. In going to and from the woods to get this wood, a path was tramped down in the snow, and at length some obstruction seemed in a measure to block the way. This being removed, still other obstructions were found, quite a number of small logs being removed before it was dis- covered that the pathway, or road, was really on top of a fence. For twenty-nine years he lived in Oswego County, experiencing all the hardships of pio- neer life in a new country, as well as all the pleasures, which were neither few nor far be- tween. Removing then to Onondaga County, he lived there three years, then came to Madi- son County, and bought a farm about one mile from Oneida, upon which he lived ten years, removing at the end of this period, and living in the house now occupied by the subject of this sketch. Here he died in 1869. He was married, when thirty-two years old, to Lucy Norton, of Herkimer County, who died in 1884. She was the mother of six children, namely: Harvey, who died in the town of Verna; Alfred and Alvin, twins, the former living in Indiana, and the latter dying at the age of one year; James, of Oneida; Augustus, who died in Yates County, New York, in 1867; and Charles F., the subject of this sketch. The latter was born in Scriba, Oswego County, N.Y., July 6, 1842. His education was obtained in the common schools, but he afterward learned more by actual contact with the business world than he had from books; 248 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW and his knowledge is of that practical kind needed to make life a success. He lived with his parents upon the farm until they removed to Madison County, then became clerk in a store, and subsequently worked upon a farm. He was then engaged in a clothing store for thirteen years, in which position he was un- usually successful, being well adapted to his business and gentlemanly in his deportment — necessary qualifications in a salesman. When thirty-nine years old, Mr. Bates mar- ried Caroline Everhart, a native of Oneida County. Politically, he is a Republican. He was brought up as a Presbyterian, but has never been a member of any church, being independent in thought, believing there is good in all systems of religion, and that it is the good that should be sought in all relations of life. He has always been one of the best of citizens, and maintains an excellent char- acter and reputation among his fellow-men. -f^TORACE STOWELL, one of the oldest r^ native citizens of Madison County, >«_• an octogenarian worthy and re- spected, was born in the town of Lebanon, where he now resides, November 29, 181 1. His father, Enoch Stowell, a native of Win- chester, N.H., was a son of Captain Enoch Stowell, also of New England, whose birth occurred in 1737, and who commanded a com- pany in the Revolutionary War. Captain Stowell spent the last years of his life with his son in Woodstock, Madison County, N.Y. He was an influential member of the Baptist church, and lived to "the advanced age of ninety-two years. The maiden name of his wife was Field. Enoch Stowell, Jr., father of Horace, came to this State when about twenty-one years of age, accompanying the family of Jonathan Bates. They were the first settlers in what is now the town of Lebanon, the territory at that time being included in Herkimer County. Their nearest neighbors on the east were at Whitesboro. Buying a tract of forest land in the almost unbroken wilderness — the haunt of deer, bears, and other game — he put up a log cabin, and began to clear the land for cultivation. Later the log structure gave place to a frame building, and that, in its turn, to a house of stone, which continued to be his home until his death, June 3, 1859, at the age of ninety-two years. He had lived to see Madison County developed from its prime- val wildness to the home of a numerous and wealthy population. Enoch Stowell, Jr., served a short time in the War of 1812. He married Cynthia Church, who was born in Pelham, N.H., and who died September 5, 1827. Of the six children of Enoch and Cynthia (Church) Stowell, the subject of this sketch is the only one now living. May 16, 1833, Horace Stowell married Annie Andrus, daughter of Levi and Elizabeth Andrus, and a native of this county. She died May 13, 1883. Mr. Stowell lived in Lebanon until 1836, then emigrated to the Territory of Michigan, going by way of the canal to Buffalo, thence by lake to Detroit, and from Horace Stowell. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 251 that place by team to Oakland County, where he was one of the first settlers. Selecting a tract of government land, then selling at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, he built a log house, in which he lived for five years. At the end of that period, selling his house and land in Michigan, he again started forth with his team, and went to Illinois, where he bought land now included in the city of Bloomington. In 1844 he sold this place, and returned East, coming with his team as far as Detroit, thence across the lake to Buffalo, and from there, also by team, to his father's homestead in Lebanon, which he continues to own and occupy. This farm is one of the choicest in the Chenango Valley. Its im- provements rank with the best in the country — sure evidence of industry and skilful man- agement on the part of the owner. Three children of Horace and Annie (Andrus) Stow- ell are now living: Kate, wife of Colonel Harlow Shapley; Sarah, wife of Willis Shap- ley — residents of South-western Missouri ; and Andrew, who served in a New York regi- ment during the late war, and who now lives upon the home farm. He married Rilla Millard. It is a noteworthy fact, in connection with the longevity of this family, that Mr. Stowell's grandfather, having been born in 1737, as above stated, and having lived until 1829, the lives of himself and grandson, our subject, have covered a period of nearly one hundred and sixty years. Horace Stowell himself has a record upon which he can look back with pardonable pride. In early manhood, being impressed with a deep sense of the sin of human slavery, he became an ardent Aboli- tionist, and was a coworker with Gerrit Smith and other noted leaders of the Abolition movement. While in Bloomington, 111., he assisted in the organization of an Abolition Club, and was there associated in the good work with Lovejoy and other prominent workers in that section. His home was one of the stations on the "underground railroad "; and many a fugitive slave passed through on his way from chains and cruel taskmasters to a new life of liberty and freedom, the God- given heritage of every human soul. The activity which Mr. Stowell manifested in his younger days in behalf of a down - trodden race, and in many other ways, he has never ceased to exhibit whenever a voice has been needed to proclaim the right or a willing arm to advance its triumph. Though now well along in years, he is still young in heart and spirit, and is one in whose society the young can take pleasure as well as the old. Possess- ing a large fund of information, the result of his extended reading, he takes a great interest in current events, having been particularly interested in the recent World's Fair at Chi- cago, the success of which, being acquainted with the energy and enterprise of Western character, he foresaw and prophesied. In political matters Mr. Stowell is a stanch Republican, having been a member of that party ever since its formation, and believing its principles to be the best adapted to the continued prosperity of this country. Believ- ing also that true religion is the source of 252 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW pure morality and the basis of good govern- ment, he has for many years been identified with those who publicly profess the name of their Divine Master, and is connected by membership with the Baptist church of his village, as was also his wife. Such has been the useful and active life of this veteran in the cause of human freedom; and, with such a record before us, the presen- tation to our readers of the accompanying por- trait of Mr. Stowell may almost be viewed as an act of public duty. For, while succeeding generations read of the lives of those who took an active part in the great emancipation movement, their interest will be quickened and their sympathies more deeply aroused if, in such connection, they are privileged to view the features and study the lineaments of those grand old heroes in the cause of liberty, freedom, and human progress -ONATHAN M. WILSON, one of the oldest and most revered among the citizens of the pretty village of Stock- bridge, was born June 12, 181 3, in the town of Wilmington, Windham County, Vt. His father, Thomas Wilson, born in 1785, and Rachael (McGee) Wilson, his mother, born in 1789, were natives of the State of Massachu- setts, and married there November 28, 181 1. Thomas Wilson was a tanner and currier, and also followed the trade of shoemaker for some years. He came to the town of Stockbridge, N.Y., in 1825, being among its earliest set- tlers. As in the case of nearly all the pio- neers, they came into a wilderness where their guns and ammunition served not only to provide their table with the plentiful game, but also to keep the wild and prowling Indian at a safe distance from their lowly log cabins. The journey was made by team, going by way of the old Cherry Valley turnpike; and in their humble cabin, on the site of which now stands their comfortable home, the only music heard was the whirr of the spinning-wheel, as the mother of the family, after her day of household toil, would end the evening in spinning the yarn that made the clothing for them. Rachael (McGee) Wilson died at the age of fifty. Her only child was Jonathan M. Thomas Wilson died in the village of Stockbridge, at the age of sixty-four. His second wife, Clara Pannell, survived him a few years. Mr. Wilson was a Democrat, holding some minor offices; and he and his wife were Universalists in their religious pro- fession. Jonathan M. Wilson was twelve years of age when his parents came to Stockbridge, and through his boyhood he assisted his father on the farm. When he was about twenty-one years old, he bought a piece of land consisting of fifteen acres, and has since added to it until he now owns three hundred acres. He is one of the leading farmers in his vicinity, and has a dairy of from sixty-five to one hun- dred cows. Mr. Wilson also follows his fathers' trade as tanner, currier, and shoe- maker. He has lived in his present home since 1825. January 6, 1841, he married Miss Betsey M. Durfee, who was born in the BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 253 town of Madison, Madison County, October 24, 1820. Her parents were William and Ursilla Durfee, who were natives of Rhode Island. The former was a farmer, and settled in the town of Eaton, Madison County, in 1787, being among the first settlers. The first land he bought was in the town of Madi- son, where he pursued general farming. Of his seven children, ^six grew up; but only three are now living. Thomas S. died at the age of forty-seven. Betsey Maria is now Mrs. J. M. Wilson. Eliza Ann died at the age of sixty-two. Deborah S. was fifty-eight years old at her death. J. S. Durfee resides in the town of Byron, Genesee County, and is a retired farmer. William V. lives in Water- ville, Oneida County. William Durfee died when he was fifty-seven years old, and his wife at the age of forty-seven. He was a Democrat in politics. The happiness of our subject and his wife has been greatly added to in being blessed with children and grandchildren. Thomas A., who was born February 12, 1844, on the old home farm where he resides with his wife and two children, married Chloe A. Perry in 1868; and their children are: Ella Maud, born June i, 1870; and Bessie Bell, July 29, 1872. He has been Postmaster for six years, and is a ^stanch friend and supporter of the Republican party. The second child of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson was Willie McGee. Ella M., Mrs. A. J. Barber, resides in the village of Oneida. Alzade R., Mrs. F. H. Brownell, also a resident of Oneida, has one daughter, Roslin Wilson Brownell. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have the handsomest home in the village of Stockbridge, which they thoroughly enjoy, feeling that after a life of hard work and toil they have earned the rest and competence they have gained. In their religion, which is the Universalist, they are shining lights of true Christian fervor, and give a glorious example of the beauties of a well-spent life to the younger generation growing around them. Respected and vener- ated by their fellow-citizens, they have reared a monument to themselves in the hearts of the people; and, though their faces are turned toward the setting sun of life, they have no fears, confident in the hope of a joyous im- mortality. Mr. Wilson is a strong Republi- can, has always taken an active part in the politics of his town, and for ten years was Supervisor. m HITMAN CLARKE, a prominent farmer of the town of Lebanon, was born June 29, 1838, and is a son of Whipple Clarke, who was born in East Green- wich, Kent County, R.I. He was a son of Silas Clarke, also a native of Rhode Island. Silas Clarke was a son of James Clarke, of Rhode Island; and James was a son of Corne- lius Clarke, who was born in Wales, of which country his father, Wesson Clarke, was also a native, born there toward the latter part of the sixteenth century. Wesson Clarke was one of three brothers who came from Wales to America, landing on the island of New- port. One of them went to Pennsylvania; and at the time of his separation from his 254 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW brothers they all agreed to add an e to their name, thus changing the spelling from Clark to Clarke, in order to distinguish their poster- ity from others by the same name. Wesson Clarke resided in Rhode Island until his death, as also did his descendants, Cornelius and James. Silas Clarke was born January 27, 1779, and on March 10, 1800, married Ruth Wight- man, of Rhode Island, who died June 19, 1808, leaving two children, Whipple and Major. He then, on August 13, 1809, mar- ried Elizabeth Reynolds, by whom he had four children; namely, Henry R., Ruth, James, and Pardon Tillinghast. In 1814 he removed to East Hamilton, where he had brothers and a sister living, the country then being new and wild, the woods full of bears and other wild beasts, and an abundance of wild game. The streams were also full of fish. After residing in East Hamilton until 1834, farming and working at the cooper trade, and a part of the time keeping hotel, he removed to Lebanon, where he built a house for the purpose of boarding the men who were engaged in constructing the Che- nango Canal, which passed through his farm. While he worked at the cooper trade, he had plenty to do making barrels for the numerous distilleries then in existence. At length, however, preferring outdoor life to working under cover, he abandoned the cooper trade, devoting himself altogether to agricultural pursuits, and thus spent the rem£i_inder of his life, dying June 9, 1859. Whipple Clarke, father of Whitman Clarke, was born in East Greenwich, R.I., March 4, 1 80 1, and was therefore thirteen years old when his parents removed, as above narrated, to Madison County. While his father kept hotel, he assisted him, and afterward on the farm. He continued to live on the farm until his death, which occurred March 28, 1888. He was married December 21, 1836, to Eliza C. Tripp, who was born July 19, 18 14, and was a daughter of Richard Tripp, of Hamilton. Whipple Clarke and his wife had but one child, the subject of this sketch, who re- mained at home until he reached the age of twenty-four, in the mean time attending the district school and working on the farm. At the age just mentioned he came to Earlville, and has since resided here on a farm of his own; but much of his time he spends upon his old farm, in order to be near his aged mother. He married Frances E. Hitchcock, of Madison, Madison County, April 16, 1862, and by this union has one son, Millard J., born June 14, 1863, and married to Hattie C. Wilcox, daughter of Charles W. Wilcox, No- vember 28, 1883, by whom he has one daugh- ter, Lulu, born January 27, 1887. It is at least a tradition, and is probably a fact, that the first house built in the town of Lebanon was built on the home farm of Mr. Clarke by William Smith, an aide-de-camp to General Washington during the Revolutionary War, and who married a daughter of John Adams. This house was erected in June, 1778. It was a white oak frame, with brick and mortar between the studs, so that no rifle- ball could penetrate it. The old stone door- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 255 steps used in its construction are still in use. It ought to be noted that the place upon which William Smith settled was selected for him by an Indian chief from Fort Stanwix, by request of Mr. Smith, and was very near a good trout spring of pure water. Afterward he conveyed the title to this valuable farm to his brother, Justus B. Smith. Mr. Clarke was District Clerk and Clerk of the Board of Education in three different school districts for thirty - six consecutive years. He has been more than ordinarily prominent in different societies, and is at the present time Past Master of Hamilton Lodge, No. I20, A. F. & A. M-; Past High Priest of Cyrus Chapter, No. 50, R. A. M. ; P. E. C. of Norwich Commandery, No. 46, K. T. ; T. I. M. of Chenango Consistory, No. 31, S. P. R. S. ; P. C. of Alderbrook Lodge, No. 124, K. P.; D. D. G. C. of 33d District, K. P. of New York; D. D. G. M. of Che- nango County, A. O. U. W. ; Smyrna Lodge, No. 116, I. O. O. F. ; Mokanna Grotto, No. i, V P. E. R. In all of these societies Mr. Clarke stands well, and his standing in gen- eral society and in the community in which he lives is as high as in the fraternities. WILLIAM RICH ary i, 1819, RICHARDS, born Janu- in Merionethshire, Wales', 'is the son of Edward and Elizabeth (Hughes) Richards, of the same shire. Grandfather and Grandmother Richards were Welsh, and lived and died in their native country. The former was a leading man in his shire, and died at the age of eighty-two. His wife died at the age of sixty-five years. They had seven children, five sons and two daughters. All grew to maturity. The father of our subject was, like his father, a practi- cal farmer. He came to America with his wife and eight children in 1840, locating first in Oneida County, where he bought a farm near Oriskany. Here he lived for about ten years, moving in 1853 to the town of Nelson, where he purchased the farm on which his son John now lives. Finally, securing property in Williams Corners, town of Eaton, he re- mained there until his death, at the age of eighty-two. The mother died at the age of eighty-four. Both were members of the Pres- byterian church, the father being a deacon. He was a Republican in politics, and the whole of his life was a hard-working, honest, and upright man. There were eight children in this family, seven of whom are living, our subject being the eldest. Catherine, Mrs. Richard Roberts, resides in Oneida County. John is living on the old home farm in Nel- son. David is a retired merchant in Utica. Margaret resides in the town of Nelson. Mary, Mrs. J. J. Williams, is residing in Oneida. Elizabeth is the wife of Rev. John H. Jones, who is a Presbyterian minister at Rome. Jane, the wife of Hugh Jones, died at the age of forty-five years. William Richards was reared and received a good business education in Wales, and re- mained with his father, assisting on the farm, coming with him to America in April, 1840. They landed in New York City in June of 256 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW that year, having been six weeks on the ocean, the voyage having been made on the sailing- vessel "Virginia," Captain Higgins com- manding. They made their way to the wilds of Oneida County, where our subject engaged on a farm, working out by the month. The first wages he earned were fifty cents a cord for chopping four-foot wood. He next went into the harvest field, receiving twelve dol- lars per month, and afterward engaged on the farms of Thomas Carr and Barnhart Neilis for nearly ten years. Having been economical and prudent, he had saved money enough to start in business, and with his father hired the Neilis farm for about three years. In 1850 they bought three hundred and twenty acres of land, known as the Anson Bailey farm. Shortly afterward the farm was di- vided, and our subject took one hundred acres, to which he soon added eighty more. This farm he sold to J. J. Williams, and bought his present place in 1857. His landed prop- erty now consists of over fourteen hundred acres in the towns of Nelson and Fenner. He has always been a general farmer, but has besides given especial attention to his dairy, keeping on the home farm from fifty to sixty cows, and about eighty on his other farms. The grade of cattle he prefers is the Guern- sey, and he devotes a large part of his farm to grazing. For the past forty years he has been a dealer in butter, cheese, and all farm products, and for eighteen years has been extensively engaged in the manufacture of cheese, but at present has only one factory. He was for seven years in the mechanical business in Syracuse, N.Y., and is now, with his son Wellington, carrying on a general store at Nelson Flats, where they sell all kinds of farm produce. In fact, Mr. Rich- ards has been one of the busiest and best known men in Madison County. He was married January 23, 1852, to Mar- garet, daughter of Roland and Margaret Rob- erts, natives of Wales, in which country she also was born, August 11, 1828. This union has been blessed with nine children, all but one living. Nelson E., born December 23, 1853, is a farmer of the town of Nelson. Wellington R., born August 7, 1855, is a merchant of Nelson. Edwin W., born April 20, 1857, and Newton D., June 2, 1859, both reside in Nelson. Milton H., born May 23, 1 861, resides in Chicago, 111. Washington L., born December 15, 1862, lives in the town of Fenner. Margaret E., born March 20, 1869, and John G., October 18, 1872, reside at home. Everett B., born March 20, 1867, died in 1876. Among the old settlers in this town none have a stronger hold on the respect and esteem of the community than our subject and his wife. They are members of the Welsh Con- gregational church of the town of Nelson, and have been active participators in the success and fortune of the congregation, with whom they are deservedly pre-eminent. In his po- litical opinions Mr. Richards stands shoulder to shoulder with the best and stanchest sup- porters of the Republican party, and unwaver- ingly casts his vote for its nominees. He has held some local offices under its patronage, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 2S7 among them that of Assessor for nine years. By his own hard and earnest efforts he has accumulated wealth and prosperity; and in his domestic relations his loving kindness and parental care have secured for him a sunny, happy home, and the best wishes of all his friends are that he may enjoy these blessings for many years to come. M ARLIN BARBER, born August lo, 1812, on the farm he now resides on, is the son of John and Lovina (Thompson) Barber, and one of fourteen chil- dren, being the eldest of those now living. He was brought up on the home farm, and in his youth attended the district school, where he received a fair education. He assisted his father in the farm work, dividing his time pretty equally, as was the custom in those days, between a little schooling and plenty of hard work at home. The boy who now rises in time to eat his hearty breakfast and go only a few steps to his ward school cannot real- ize what his pioneer father had to endure in the early days of the settling of this country. Rising before dawn to feed the cattle, milk the cows, and do the " chores " so necessary on the farm, and then, after a homely meal, to trudge with spelling-book and arithmetic many weary miles through forest and glade to the little log school-house, where even the pens they wrote with had to be made by them, education was a hard and toilsome hill to climb ; and the only wonder is that they were as intelligent and well read as they were. When our subject was about twenty-one years of age, he married Miss Apema Annas, who was born in the town of Fenner, daughter of Oliver Annas, a farmer of that town. After his marriage he bought the old home farm from his father, which consisted of one hundred and twenty-eight acres, of which he still owns one hundred. He is one of the practical farmers of the town, and is foremost in the use of all the modern appliances, from the raising of grain to the improvement of stock on his place. Of his eight children six are living: Edwin J., a farmer of the town of Fenner; Eli M., a minister of the Baptist church in Manlius; Mary M., Mrs. Hilon D. Woodworth, of the town of Sullivan; Amelia T., Mrs. John Maginnis, residing on the home farm; Mason W., of Fayetteville, N.Y. ; and Augusta E., Mrs. B. T. Ball, a resident of Cazenovia. Those deceased are: Cornelia M., who died in 1886, aged forty-nine; and Emily E., who died in 1879, aged thirty- seven. The wife of Mr. Barber died Septem- ber 4, 1885, aged seventy-four years. Our subject still resides on the farm, carry- ing on its business, and is one of the oldest settlers of the town. He early affiliated with the Republican party, and supports and sus- tains its principles on every occasion. He has held several offices in his town, among them Assessor and Commissioner of High- ways. He is an earnest and consistent mem- ber of the Baptist church, and does not wear his religion as a cloak to cover ill deeds, but as a shining garment and an example of an upright and Christian life. A short history 258 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW of his parentage and ancestry will not be uninteresting. His grandfather was a native of Massachu- setts and a farmer in that State, living to b6 over eighty years of age. He was an active participant in the Revolutionary War, and did good service for the American cause. He had a family of two sons and one daughter, who grew to maturity. The father of our sub- ject was reared in Massachusetts, and came to Madison County in March, 1798, settling in the town of Fenner, on the farm which is now owned by his son Darlin. He bought land which was all dense woods and occupied by its original denizens — bears, wolves, and other wild animals, including the predatory Indian. The Six Nations abounded, espe- cially the Oneidas ; and they made Mr. Bar- ber's log house a frequent stopping-place. After he had cleared his farm, he went into the making of potash, in order that he might have money to secure the necessaries of life and pay for his farm. He had to carry his grist on horseback- to the nearest mill, which was at Whitesboro, taking from two to three days for the journey, and leaving his wife and children miles away from the nearest neighbor, and unprotected save by the watchful care of Providence. No one can appreciate in these days of peaceful serenity what a load of anxiety oppressed the heart of a loving father as he travelled through those trackless forests to procure sustenance for his family. Mr. Barber was well known throughout the coun- try, and was held in the highest estimation. His family consisted of fourteen children, thirteen reaching manhood and womanhood, but only four now surviving. They are as follows: Darlin, our subject; Amanda, Mrs. O. B. Hamblin, of Perryville, N.Y. ; Perme- lia, widow of Paul P. Maine, residing in Fay- etteville; Nancy, Mrs. Harrington, of Michi- gan. Mr. Barber was nearly ninety-five years old at the time of his death, which occurred November 30, 1869, on his farm. His wife also died there, aged eighty-four years. They were zealous Baptists, and reared their chil- dren in that faith. He was a stanch Repub- lican, being among the first to become a member of that party on its organization. Thus it is to be seen that Darlin Barber's industry, honesty, and integrity are as much his by inheritance as by his own native worth. "Blood will tell," as "good wine needs no bush'' ; and in the case of our subject these proverbs are justly verified. Y^ WHEELER was born in Brookfield, Jjj^ N.Y., January 8, 18 14. When his "^ - ^ grandfather, Amos Wheeler, who was born in Concord, Mass., but moved to Madison County, New York, from Vermont, where he had lived, reached this new country, it was a complete wilderness, and the nearest habitation to his was some miles away. He cleared his farm, built his home, and lived there until his death, at the age of eighty-two years. The grandmother died at the age of ninety-one years. The father of our subject, Josiah Wheeler, was born in Vermont, and was a lad of tender age when his parents BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 2S9 removed to Brookfield, but soon realized the importance of assisting in the farm work, and with the energy of youth helped in its toilsome labors. He remained with his father until his marriage to Miss Eunice Crandall, and then lived in adjacent places to his old home, but later removed to Friendship, Allegany County, N.Y., where he died. He and his wife were the parents of eleven children; namely, Jo- siah, Elmira, Calvin, our subject, Reuben, Lyman, Laura, Eliza, Catherine, Amos, and Alanson. The mother died in the town of Friendship, at the age of seventy years. Our subject can proudly show, in these days of such marked attention to Colonial pedigree, an ancestry which counts a great-grandfather and a great grand-uncle who received their baptism of blood in the first struggle at Con- cord, Mass., in the Revolution. Captain John Lock and Silas Wheeler were the names of these heroes ; and after peace was declared they moved to New York State, Captain Lock and his wife going to Cedarville, Herkimer County, N.Y., where she died at the age of one hundred and three years, and Silas Wheeler going to Steuben County, settling the town of Wheeler, which was named for him. The subject of this biography went to live with his grandfather when he was but nine years old, and was there reared to agricultural pursuits, receiving but a common-school edu- cation. He remained on the farm, assisting his grandfather, and after that gentleman's death carried on the work of the farm for his grandmother until she died. There were very few of the joyous free days of boyhood for him. Living in an isolated country, with scarcely any young companions, his only recreation after a hard day's work was reading the well-thumbed books that constituted their small library. The youth of to-day, who have the benefit of the almost unlimited supply of newspapers and periodicals, cannot realize what a boon a stray book or paper was to the early settler, and with what avidity the con- tents were devoured. The nearest market to the household of our subject was at Albany, N.Y. ; and the eighty-mile trip with teams has been often made by him. He has gone as far as East Haddam, Conn., with loads of produce, the journey taking three weeks to make. One can imagine the anxiety of the wife and mother during the absence of the loved one; for the country was wild, and many dangers beset the path of the traveller. But, when he returned safe and sound, one can also sympathize with her simple joy and delight over his escape from peril, and her pleasure in the little gifts of the dress for "mother" and the toys for the children, which had a wonderful value, coming so far from the market town. When Mr. Wheeler was thirty-eight years of age, he married Joanna M. Hoxie. There were three children sent to gladden their home; namely, Laura F., Herbert L., and Cora A. Laura is the wife of. Charles W. Rogers, and has two children, Herbert C. and Joanna C. Cora is the wife of Carroll Cheesbrough, son of Dr. Amos Cheesbrough. Mrs. Wheeler died after fourteen years of 26o BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW married life, and our subject's second wife was Miss Catherine E. Rogers. The farm Mr. Wheeler resides on he has owned since 1857, in which year he purchased it from John A. Dix, then Governor of the State. Among the many fine buildings on the place is one which was built in 1776. He has greatly improved the land, and has made for himself a beautiful home. In his religious proclivities he is a free thinker. His preference in politics is for the Re- publican party, and of its interests he is a warm advocate and sincere supporter. kRS. MARY A. RAY is the widow of James L. Ray, who was a pros- perous farmer and a worthy and highly esteemed citizen of his community. She was born in East Hamilton, June 5, 1 83 1, and is a daughter of Huron Foot. Her grandfather, Reuben Foot, came from Col- chester, Conn., to Hamilton, making the jour- ney through the boundless woods with ox- teams. He bought a tract of heavily tim- bered land, and at once began its improve- ment. After clearing a space, he erected a log cabin, which was for some years the home of himself and family. When he first settled here, matches were an unknown quantity; and they brought fire in an iron teakettle from Payne's Settlement (now the village of Hamil- ton). Here he lived the remainder of his life, dying on the old homestead in 1849. Huron Foot was reared to agricultural pur- suits on the farm of his father, and, when old enough, assisted in its management. In due course of tiine he married Miss Mary Com- stock, and brought his bride to the homestead, which was their permanent home thereafter. They reared three children — Phama L., Mary A., and Seneca H. The latter enlisted for nine months in the Union army during the late war, as a member of Company A, One Hundred and Seventy-sixth Regiment, serv- ing under General Banks in the South. He served one year, and was honorably dis- charged, but died in New York City while on his return home, aged twenty-six years. The subject of this brief biography was reared and educated in the place of her nativ- ity, attending the district school, and receiv- ing from her mother a practical training in household duties that well fitted her for the helpmate of her future husband. In 1863 she was united in marriage to James L. Ray, a son of William and Eunice Ray. James L. Ray was born in the town of Middlefield, Ot- sego County, N.Y. He was reared to agri- cultural pursuits, chose farming as his life occupation, and for many years was identified with the agricultural and business interests of this section of the county. He was a man of sterling worth, respected for his many excel- lent traits of character; and his death, which occurred December 27, 1884, was deeply re- gretted. Since his decease Mrs. Ray has superintended the management of the farm, which she inherited from her father, with ability and success. She is a woman of much force of character and energy, and is held in universal regard throughout the community. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 261 In religious matters she is a firm believer in the doctrines of the Universal ist church, hav- ing been reared in that faith from early childhood. In her home Mrs. Ray has the companionship of her sister Phama, who has resided with her since the death of her hus- band, the late Henry Farnsworth, who passed away September 2, 1891. He was a native of Bellville, Canada, born June 3, 1828, being a son of Abram and Sarah Farnsworth. W' ILLIAM HAMBLIN. The interest- ing biography of our subject has been furnished by his widow, Mrs. Phally Hamblin, who is, as was her husband, one of the oldest settlers of the town of Sullivan, and who still resides on the farm left to her by his provident care. Mr. Hamblin was born in the State of New York, March 6, 1803. His father was Lewis Hamblin, also a native of New York, who was a farmer, and came to Madison County, settling there when the country was more populous with Indians, bears, and wolves than white people. His first home was a log cabin on the edge of the clearing he had made; and there he and his wife reared a family of four sons and one daughter, none of whom are now living. Lewis Hamblin died at the age of eighty; and his wife, who was Mercy Selleck, died aged seventy years. They were members of the Methodist church, and Mr. Hamblin was a Whig politically. The subject of this memoir was but three years of age when his parents moved to the town of Sullivan, making the journey by ox- team. He attended the little log school- house of the district, and afterward owned the home farm of his father. When he was twenty-one years of age, August 24, 1824, he married Miss Phally Ransom. She was born November 24, 1805, in the town of Blenheim, Schoharie County, daughter of Russell and Elizabeth (Jones) Ransom. They were natives of Connecticut ; and he was one of the first settlers in the town of Blenheim, locating there when the country was almost a wilderness. Mrs. Hamblin well remembers how, when she was a girl, they used to pen up and guard the sheep, to keep them from being eaten by \volves. Her father, Russell Ransom, went to the town of Fenner in 18 10, when it was all new land; and she was edu- cated in the ordinary log school-house of the day. Mr. and Mrs. Ransom had eight chil- dren, of whom seven grew to maturity; but only two are now living: Mrs. Hamblin, who was the eldest; and Mrs. Betsey Hodge, who is a widow, and resides at Chittenango Falls. The parents were members of the Baptist church of Fenner. They died at the ages, respectively, of eighty and sixty years. After his marriage William Hamblin lived on his father's farm of one hundred and thirty acres, where he remained until his health failed. He then bought the present farm of forty acres on which his widow now resides. They had no children, but adopted two boys, whom they reared and educated, namely: William H. Smith, who resides on one of the farms in the town of Sullivan owned by Mr. 262 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Hamblin; and Franklin P. Storm, a resident of the same town. Mr. Hamblin died March 3, 1880, at the age of seventy-seven years, deeply mourned by his friends and neighbors. During his life he was an attendant at the Methodist Episcopal church, of which his widow is a member; and from their religious convictions he drew strength to die in hope and trustfulness in his Saviour, and she gained faith and resignation to bear her afflic- tion. Mr. Hamblin was an industrious, active man; and his long life was one of usefulness in his district. He was never an office- seeker, but was a conscientious and loyal follower of the Republican party. Mrs. Hamblin is a well-preserved old lady, ahd is deeply reverenced and loved in the com- munity. (sTr-^DREW JACKSON KNICKER- ^^ BOCKER, a successful agricultur- ^— ' ist and representative of a dis- tinguished pioneer family of the county of Madison, was born December 3, 1833, in the town of Eaton, on the farm he now owns and occupies. His father was Harley Knicker- bocker, and his grandfather was John Knick- erbocker. The latter was born in Con- necticut, and removed to Madison County, locating in the town of Eaton in 1803. To describe the changes that have been made since then in this county in the habits, cus- toms, and mode of living would require a vol- ume of considerable size. When he arrived here, the face of the country was covered with timber, and Indians still lived in their native haunts. There was also plenty of wild game, which was by no means a detriment to the early pioneer. In politics John Knicker- bocker was a Democrat. Both he and his wife were members of the Congregational church. Mr. Knickerbocker spent his last days in Cincinnatus, Chenango County, N.Y., dying there when he was one hundred years old. Harley Knickerbocker was also a farmer of the town of Eaton, and a successful man. He was born in Connecticut, and came to this town when he was eight years old. He died in Morrisville, in his eighty-seventh year. His farm contained one hundred and thirty acres, and upon it he carried on general farm- ing. He and his wife, who was a Miss Henri- etta French, reared a family of eight children, namely: Edwin resides in Morrisville, and his biographical sketch appears elsewhere in this volume; Sophia; Susan is the wife of Mark Holroyd; Andrew Jackson; Maria, who married Seth Whitmore, of Rathboneville, N.Y., is deceased, as is also her husband; Jannett and her husband, Albert Howard, of Rathboneville, are both deceased; Juliann was the wife of James Brown, of Eaton, and both she and her husband are now dead; Cordelia became the wife of Mark Holroyd, of Wyanet, 111., and is now deceased. Andrew Jackson Knickerbocker was edu- cated in the district schools and in the schools at Morrisville, being thus well pre- pared to sustain the struggle for existence, and to cope with other men in any field or line of work. Remaining at home until BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 263 thirty-three years of age, he then married Mary Reed, who was born in the town of De Ruyter, Madison County, and is a daughter of Josiah and Amanda (Shipman) Reed, the former of whom was born in Madison County, and the latter in Massachusetts. They reared six children, namely: Melvin Reed, now liv- ing in Cortland County; Mary, wife of Mr. Knickerbocker; Alice, wife of John Wood- ward, of Denver, Col. : Clara, wife of Milton Foote, of Syracuse, N.Y. ; Adellia, wife of Truman Williams, of Wisconsin; and Ida, wife of J. Millard, of Madison, Wis. Mr. Reed died, at the age of forty-six, in the town of De Ruyter, and Mrs. Reed in the town of Eaton, at the age of seventy-five. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Reed was a Democrat in politics. The subject of this biography was thirty years of age when he purchased his first farm, which contained one hundred and forty-four acres. At the present time he owns two hun- dred acres of fine farming land, and carries on mixed husbandry, dairying, and hop-raising, devoting about eighteen acres to the latter crop. For the dairy he considers the Hol- steins the best. He is well known for his industry and good judgment, and is one of the most successful farmers in the county. He and his wife have two children: Efifie May, born October 29, 1867, now the wife of George Todd; and Nina Belle, born July 7, 1869, and living at home. In politics Mr. Knickerbocker follows in the footsteps of his ancestors, and sustains the principles of the Democratic party, though, like all reasonable men, he sees good in all parties and a modicum of truth in their theo- ries and doctrines. -ERRY T. DURHAM, Attorney-at-law and Justice of the Peace, Oneida, N.Y., was born in Verona, N.Y., October 18, 1865, son of D. Harvey and Ellen (French) Durham. His people were pre-eminently connected with this section of the county, the town of Durhamville having been named after them many years ago. The family trace their ancestry partly to English extraction. The father was a farmer, and died in 1870. The mother is still living. Our subject spent his early days on the farm, attending, as did the rest of the children, the village schools. He has two brothers living: Edward E., now a resident of Oneida, and in the furniture business, in which Jerry T. holds an interest; and Daniel H., who also lives in Oneida. A twin brother of the latter died in infancy. Jerry T. Durham supplemented his com- mon-school education by an academic course, and, having a natural inclination for the study of law, when nineteen years old commenced reading in the office of Sayles, Jenkins & Devereaux, lawyers in Oneida, remaining- with them until July, 1887, later with Searle & Sayles at Rome, N.Y., and studied there until admitted to the bar at the general term of the Supreme Court at Syracuse, N.Y., No- vember 18, 1887. He was an apt student, and mastered the details of the profession 264 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW early, his judgment on points of law being always good. He first practised with A. D. Kneeland, Esq., at Rome, N.Y., continuing until February, 1888, when he came to Oneida, and formed a partnership with Charles Shumway. This lasted until June, 1890, during which time our subject was prominent in a number of cases of consider- able importance, among them the Jackson murder trial. He is now a member of the New York State Bar Association. In Febru- ary, 1890, he was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace, and in June, 1890, ap- pointed Justice of the Peace to fill a vacancy in the town of Lenox, and was subsequently elected to that office by such a majority of votes as to give ample evidence of his popu- larity. Besides the honor of the office, he has considerable business, because of his reputa- tion for fairness and impartiality, coupled with correct decisions. He has an excellent practice, and is one of the most popular men in his town, having the happy faculty of gain- ing and retaining the friends he makes. His father dying when he was but a child, he was early thrown on his own resources, and has worked himself up by his own energy and industry to his present enviable position. Politically, Mr. Durham is a firm Republi- can, and has been, and is, able to give good reason for the faith he holds. He is heart and soul identified with the fraternal orders, being a Mason since February, 1B87, and is now Worshipful Master of Oneida Lodge, No. 270, A. F. &. A. M. ; a member of Doric Chap- ter, No. 193, R. A. M.; Rome Commandery, No. 45, K. T. ; and of Eumenia Lodge, No. 196, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was one of the originators of the Central New York Masonic Association, which is a social organization of extensive membership, is its present Treasurer, and also a member of the Executive Committee. He is not a member of any church, but affiliates with the Baptists. Mr. Durham was married in 1891 to Miss Alice Toogood, of Rensselaer County. Being a permanent resident of Oneida County for many years, he is thoroughly identified with the work of his profession and the interests of the town. In personal appearance he is ruddy, handsome, pleasant-faced, and jolly; and no more genial gentleman is known in the town than Jerry T. Durham. (sTtLBERT WILLIAM MORSE is a ^^ prominent and successful farmer of the v.—- town of Eaton, and comes of an an- cient pioneer family of Madison County. He was born January 3, 1824, in the town of Eaton, and is a son of William and Sally (Shaw) Morse, the former of whom was born in Massachusetts in 1799, and the latter in 1795. William Morse was one of the suc- cessful farmers of his day, but died on his farm in the town of Eaton at the early age of twenty-eight. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, and a Lieutenant in the State militia. His life-work was but just begun; and his untimely death was greatly mourned, not only by his immediate family, BIOGRAPHICAL , REVIEW 265 but also by a large circle of friends. His wife died at the age of sixty-seven. Hezekiah B. Morse, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Massachusetts, came to Madison County, and settled in the town of Eaton near the village of Eaton, where he took up a large tract of new and wild land. This was when the Indians were still occu- pants of this country, and he witnessed the execution of the Indian chief Antoine at Morrisville in 1823. There were also at that time large numbers of all kinds of wild ani- mals in the woods, some of which were valu- able for food. The wife of Mr. Morse used to card, spin, and weave, and make the clothing for her family with her own hands, as also did the mother of the subject of this sketch. Many a man still living can well remember the usefulness of the women of the past, and their industrious and good-natured forbearance with conditions that would now certainly be considered adverse. Old-fashioned mothers and grandmothers are now almost a thing of the past, and it is nearly impossible to part with them without regret. Their music was that of the spinning-wheel; and, although it was far from being always rhythmical, yet it was far from being unpleasant, at least to the ears of the lords of creation. Late in life Hezekiah B. Morse removed to Oxford, Che- nango County, and there spent his last days. Grandfather Shaw died near Northampton, Mass., in middle life; and his widow died at the home of the subject of this sketch, when ninety-six years old. Albert William Morse was educated in the district schools, and also at the academy at Eaton. He remained at home until he was fifteen, and then took charge of the home farm, which he owns, and to which he has added until he now has two hundred and ten acres. Upon this excellent farm he carries on general farming, stock-raising, and dairy- ing, having a herd of twenty-five cows and a flock of one hundred and fifty sheep, some of them pure-blood Southdowns and some full- blood Shropshires. Besides the three lines of agriculture mentioned he also has about ten acres of hops. Of all these branches he is making a grand success, and is abundantly able to answer in the affirmative the question, "Does farming pay? " Mr. Morse was married December 16, 1856, to Levantha Brightman, of Brookfield, Madi- son County. She was born in 1835, ^^'^ is a daughter of Joseph Brightman and his wife, the former of whom was a farmer of Madison County. He and his wife reared a family of three children, one son and two daughters, all of whom are living. Joseph Brightman died in Chautauqua County, when sixty-five years of age, and his wife some years previously, when quite young. Mr. and Mrs. Morse have had three children, one of whom is living, Albert William, Jr., born in 1864, and residing at home. Mr. Morse and his wife are members of the Congregational church, and in politics he is a Republican. He has been honored by his fellow-citizens by election to the office of Supervisor, and to several minor offices, fill- ing all with credit to himself and satisfaction 266 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW to all concerned. He is a very pleasant, pop- ular man; has a fine farm and a beautiful home, about one mile from the village of Eaton; and is highly respected by all who know him for his progressive character as a farmer and his solid, substantial citizenship. r)RGE E. NASH, general mer- chant and popular orchestra leader of Poolville, was born in Hamilton, Au- gust i6, 1838. This town was also the birth- place of his father, Elijah F. Nash, who came into the world December 11, 18 14, and was a son of Thomas Nash, a native of Plainfield, Hampshire County, Mass., born March 24, 1788. Elijah Nash, father of Thomas, and great-grandfather of George E., came from Massachusetts, of which State he had beAi a resident and was probably a native, to New York about the year 1797, accompanied by his wife, Hannah Thayer before marriage, and eight of their nine children, their eldest son remaining in Massachusetts. The entire jour- ney was made with teams bringing all their worldly goods. Mr. and Mrs. Nash were among the pioneers of the town of Hamil- ton. Here they made their home, and here found their resting-place in death. The boy Thomas, one of those who came to Hamilton, was bred a farmer. Starting out for himself in early manhood, with two strong arms and hands inured to toil and with little else but a will to work, he invested in fifty acres of land near Poolville. After working on this tract a few years, he changed it for a neigh- boring farm. Unfortunately, about this time, by giving his name as security for another man's debt, he lost his property, and was obliged to begin anew. Later he bought a farm of sixty acres at Hamilton Centre. Here he died in his fifty-fourth year. The maiden name of his wife was Sally Fay. Her parents were Elijah and Martha (Robinson) Fay, of Massachusetts, where she was born. Surviving her husband some years, she died at the home of her son Clark at Hubbardsville, at the age of sixty-three. In the early days, when she was bringing up her family of eight children, the country people lived chiefly on the products of their land; and she used to card, spin, and weave wool and flax to make their clothing. While as yet there were no railroads or canals in New York, Albany was their principal market and depot of supplies. Later Utica was the market. When the Che- nango Canal was finally built, it became the great highway for traffic. Elijah F Nash lived with his parents until his marriage, at the age of twenty-two. The first few years after that he worked on the farm of his wife's father, and next rented a, farm in Brookfield two years, then one in Hamilton for one year. Going from there to Cayuga County, he rented a farm on shares two years. Afterward he bought seventy acres of land in Smyrna, Che- nango County. Selling this farm at an ad- vance three years later, he bought one of ninety acres, to which he subsequently added forty-five acres, and lived on it fifteen years, when he sold out again, and moved to Hub- bardsville, where he purchased another farm. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 269 on which he lived until 1892, at which date he bought his present home in Norwich. He has been twice married, and has three chil- dren — George E., Charles B., and Almeron T. His first marriage was in 1836, with Lucina Blanding, who was born in Brookfield, a daughter of Franklin and Mary (Holbrook) Blanding. She died May 28, 1877. Late in the same year he married Mrs. Almira (Hall) Langdon, daughter of Aaron and Philinda (March) Hall, and widow of George Langdon. She was born in Oxford, Chenango County. For many years a Democrat, Mr. Nash joined the Republicans when that party was formed. George E. Nash received his education in the district schools and in the seminary at Whitestown. At the age of sixteen he be- came a clerk in the store of Theron Nye, at Hubbardsville, where he remained about a year. After a period of school life came another year of work behind the counter, in a store at Norwich. Coming to Poolville in 1 86 1, he entered into mercantile business, in which he has since been continuously and suc- cessfully engaged. He married January i, 1 86 1, Henrietta Richmond, who was born in Hamilton, a daughter of Damon and Sophia (Thompson) Richmond, pioneers of the town. They have six children: Frederick R., Post- master at Poolville, and a commercial travel- ler representing Mosher Brothers of Utica; Walter F., a graduate of Bellevue Medical College, and now practising at Irving, Chau- tauqua County; Gertrudfe L. ; Jessie; George J.; and Etta. Musical talent is hereditary in the family, some of them being especially gifted. Gertrude is a teacher of the piano, Jessie of vocal music, while their father has for years been the leader of the well-known "Nash Orchestra," which is often called on to play on public holidays, at picnics, at Com- mencement exercises, and other occasions, and which has an enviable reputation in Madison and adjoining counties. Mr. and Mrs. Nash are prominent members of the Universalist church, holding the cheer- ful, optimistic views of life here and hereafter, and exhibiting the generous fraternal spirit characteristic of the followers of Murray and Ballou. In politics Mr. Nash affiliates with the Republicans. He was Postmaster at Pool- ville for sixteen years. He is a stockholder and Vice-President of the First National Bank at Earlville, a member of Hamilton Lodge, No. 120, A. F. & A. M., and of Mokanna Grotto, No. i. Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm. 7^ WILL CHAPPELL, one of the most I jp prominent and distinguished citi- ^'"— — ^ zens of Oneida, was born in the town of Cazenovia, Madison County, N.Y., April 5, 1845. He has a lineage far back in the history of New England, his great-grand- parents being John and Barbara (Webster) Chappell, of Andover, Conn. Their son, the grandfather of the subject of our present sketch, was born in that town, June 14, 1793, and remained a resident there until 183 1, when with his wife and four children, and bringing the household goods and provisions, 270 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW he migrated to New York State, making the journey overland by teams. They stopped at the towns and taverns on their way, but, as they were provided with food, paid only for lodging and the use of a table. After seven days of hard travel they reached Cazenovia, and settled on the sixty-three-acre farm which he had purchased the previous year, paying twenty-three dollars per acre therefor. As he grew successful and acquired more money, he bought small parcels of land adjoining, soon making his farm consist of one hundred and twenty-six acres. He improved the property greatly by putting up good buildings, and at his death, which occurred 'February 5, 1878, in his eighty - sixth year, left most of this comfortable estate to a grandson, Charles A. Chappell, who died in 1890. The grand- father is buried in Evergreen Cemetery at Cazenovia, where a monument fittingly in- scribed to his memory has been erected by his son, Chester L. Chappell. His family con- sisted of two sons and two daughters, and the maiden name of his wife was Esther Loomis. She was a native of Columbia, Tolland County, Conn., daughter of Asahel Loomis, her mother's maiden name being Woodard. This wife, who was of English origin, died September 5, 1849, ^S^<^ fifty- two years. The father of our subject, Chester L. Chap- pell, was born Augusf2i, 1819, at Andover, Conn., and was but twelve years old when he came to Madison County with his parents. At that time there were no railroads in New " York State, and the Erie Canal was the great highway of commerce. He made the best use of what chances he had to secure an education, and attended the schools of Cazenovia and the seminary of that place. At the close of his school years he adopted agriculture as his life pursuit, and at the time of his marriage re- sided on his own farm in the town of Caze- novia, where he remained until the spring of 1879, and then removed to his present pleas- ant home, at No. 12 Sullivan Street, Caze- novia. His farm now contains but forty acres, he having sold parcels of it from time to time. His wife was Miss Sarah Maria Jackson, born in Windham County, Vermont, December 3, 1822, daughter of Jonas and Rachael (Wilson) Jackson. She was but two years of age when her parents died, and was adopted into the family of Jacob F. Streeter. They removed to Massachusetts, and in 1828 came to the town of Fenner, Madison County, where she was brought up. To Mr. and Mrs. Chester L. Chappell were born seven children: C. Will; John Watson, born August 22, 1847, married, and has three children; Esther Maria, born October 4, 1849, died January 6, 1876, leaving one daughter, Esther M. Davis, who is now an interesting young lady of eighteen years, and a student at the Cazenovia Seminary ; Adoni- ram Judson, born November 14, 1851, died, unmarried, February 23, 1872; George Jack- son, born December 27, 1853, died March 24, 1874; Emma, one of twin girls, born August 12, 1856, is now Mrs. E. E. Torrey, of Oneida, and has a son fourteen years of age; Nellie J., wife of Dr. J. E. Salisbury, of BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 271 Cazenovia, born March 17, 1861, has two little daughters, Helen and Margery. C. Will Chappell attended the district school and later the Cazenovia Seminary, obtaining a good practical education, although at the age of fifteen he went to work, becom- ing a clerk in the employ of Charles Crandall, dealer in books and stationery, and also pub- lisher of school books. Two years later his father purchased an interest in that store for him, and the firm became Crandall & Chap- pell. The next year his father bought the interest of Mr. Crandall, and the firm was then known as Chappell & Son; but the entire management of the business was left to the son. Afterward the father sold his half- interest to Mr. Watkins; and this firm re- mained until 1866, when Mr. Chappell sold out, and engaged with the firm of Woodworth & Graham, manufacturers of blank books, en- velopes, etc., and went as a commercial trav- eller in their interest for three years through the North-west. At the end of that time he formed a partnership in a book and stationery business in Atchison, Kan., with a Mr. Heim, but sold out in a few months, and returned East. This was in the fall of 1870, and in March of that year he came to the village of Oneida. With Mr. Benjamin E. Chase he started in a gents' furnishing and clothing business in the Devereaux Building on Main Street. They were so successful from the start that they soon found their store accom- modation insufficient, and moved into the Monroe Opera House Block. In 1877, to- gether with Mr. J. F. Tuttle, they purchased the business of E. W. Jones (deceased), this being the manufacture of undertakers' goods. Mr. Chappell gave all his attention to this branch, while Mr. Chase attended to the clothing department. In addition to this, they engaged in the sale of caskets to the trade, and in 1879 sold the clothing store, and purchased the casket factory of Maxwell, Mc- Weeney & Co., of Rochester, N.Y. The same year they erected a building in Oneida, and removed the plant hither, established a warehouse in Rochester, and in i88i a branch house in New York City. In 1879 the firm name was Chappell, Chase, Maxwell & Co., our subject being the President of the corporation. This company conducted the business most successfully, enlarging the plant from time to time, until in 1890 it was purchased by the National Casket Company, the latter being a corporation capitalized for three millions of dollars under the manufacturing act of the State of New York of 1848. The National Casket Company also purchased the Stein Manufactory of Rochester, N.Y., the plant of Hamilton Lemon, Arnold & Co. of Alle- gheny, Pa., the Boston Casket Company of Boston, Mass., and the Maryland Burial Case Company of Baltimore, Md. This multiplic- ity of enterprises has been under one man- agement since. Mr. Chappell was chosen Vice-President and general manager of the company, and still holds his position. Since then the National Casket Company have es- tablished branch houses at Chicago, 111., Pittsburg, Pa., Brooklyn, and Albany, N.Y., 272 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW having also purchased a factory at Hoboken, N.J.; and under the skill, tact, and intelli- gence of Mr. Chappell, who has to a large extent the supervision and general manage- ment of the whole, the business has increased to its present enormous proportions, and has proved a very successful undertaking. His early and thorough business training, and the careful attention which he has given to all details in the various business enterprises with which he has been associated, have enabled him to grasp rapidly the most intri- cate problems that arise out of his business transactions, and to make up his mind readily, quickly forming an opinion based on sound judgment and accurate knowledge. While Mr. Chappell's affairs require his attention out of town much of the time, and compel him also to keep an office in New York City, yet he is naturally a man of domestic and social tastes, and is never so well contented as when pleasantly domiciled in his own comfortable home, surrounded by friends and in the company of his accom- plished and agreeable wife. During the long years of his personal and business associations in the village of Oneida he has always been characterized by his public spirit, and has supported with a generous hand all enterprises calculated to promote the physical or moral improvement of his village and county, and has ever in a quiet and unostentatious manner extended the hand of Christian charity to those deserving and in need. Among the prominent and public-spirited enterprises of Oneida with which Mr. Chap- pell is still connected are: the O. W. Sage Manufacturing Company, of which he is Vice- President and a Director; the Oneida Valley Bank, of which he is a Director; and the Oneida Savings Bank, of which he is Trustee. He is also interested in the Oneida Carriage Works and the Oneida Chuck Company. He supported liberally and labored earnestly for the Oneida Water Works, and assisted greatly in the establishment of the street railway from the New York Central Railroad to Oneida Castle. He was the first man in the village to put a telephone into his private residence, and the local fire company has always found in him a generous supporter. His progressive spirit is manifested in other than business spheres of activity; and he has ever proved a strong advocate of popular edu- cation, taking an active part in the establish- ment of the Union School system, and being at the present time a Trustee of the Cazenovia Seminary. Realizing, however, that secular education should be accompanied by moral and religious training in order not to prove a menace to the community, he has been ever among the fore- most in promoting sucli institutions as have for their object the moral advancement of the community and the spreading of true Chris- tian principles, and is a Trustee of the Coch- ran Memorial Church of Oneida Castle, and superintendent of their Sunday-school. His political affiliations are with the Democratic party; and for some years he took quite an active part in local and State politics, espe- cially during the campaigns of 1884 and 1888, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 273 but persistently declines to accept any official honors. Fraternally, he has been for years prominently associated with the Masons, being a member of Doric Chapter, No. 193, R. A. M., of Oneida, of which he was High Priest for several years. He is also a mem- ber of Syracuse Commandery, No. 25, K. T., of Syracuse, N.Y., and of the Consistory of the same place. Mr. Chappell has been twice married, — first, November 5, 1869, to Miss Emily C. Bridge, who was born at Oneida Castle, N.Y., and was a daugbter of J. L. and Cla- rissa Bridge. She died September 4, 1872. Mr. Chappell was again married on the loth of November, 1884, to Miss Mary Wells, of Oneida Castle, N.Y In 1886 he built his present beautiful residence, in the best style of modern architecture, at the corner of Eliza- beth and Grove Streets. It is a charming place, with beautiful trees and exquisitely kept lawns, dotted here and there with flower- ing shrubs. This gentleman's success in his life-work is a striking illustration of what can be ac- complished by wisely directed energy, accom- panied by a progressive spirit. He early commenced to work, and has never been afraid to turn his hand to any enterprise in which he saw success. Throughout his career he has so regulated his conduct toward his fellow- men as to win their respect and esteem ; and his many admiring friends in Madison County and elsewhere will view with interest and pleasure the portrait which accompanies this biographical sketch, and faithfully reproduces the well-known lineaments of this popular, progressive, and useful citizen. r)RGE W. BAKER, a well-known citizen and a leading agriculturist of the county, was born October 18, 18 18, on the farm in Lebanon where he now resides. His father, David Baker, was a native of Westmoreland, Oneida County, N.Y. His grandfather, Solomon Baker, was born, it is thought, in Cambridge, Washington County. His great-grandfather, David Baker, a New England farmer of English ancestry, served in the Revolutionary War, and was in the battle of Bennington. Coming to New York not many years after, he settled in Cambridge, and there spent the remainder of his days, dying when about eighty years of age. His wife was a physician. A farmer's son, reared to agricultural pur- suits, Solomon Baker pursued his father's calling during his life, going first to the town of Westmoreland, Oneida County, leav- ing that place about 1792, and coming to that part of Herkimer County, as it then was, now included in the town of Lebanon. Securing an extensive tract of land at gov- ernment prices, ranging from one to three dollars per acre, he built a log house; and, clearing the land of its heavy growth of tim- ber, in process of time he had a large farm under good cultivation. He lived to about the age of seventy-five years. The maiden name of his wife was Delany Loucks. She was born in the Mohawk Valley, of Dutch 274 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW parentage. She reared nine children. A part of the farm of Solomon Baker became the inheritance of his son David, father of the subject of this sketch, who lived on it until about three years before his death, when he sold the place to his son, and bought a home for himself in the village of Lebanon. David Baker married Dolly Batchelor, who was born in Connecticut, and who died in the village of Lebanon. Of the six children of Mr. and Mrs. David Baker, only two, George and Orange W., are now living. Orange W. resides at Grant Park, Kankakee County, 111. George W. Baker, the subject of this sketch, was educated in the public schools of his native town. At twenty years of age he began teaching, but, having taught about ten terms of school, turned his attention to agri- culture. After marriage he purchased with his brother the paternal acres, and later bought out his brother's interest in the same. He has since been successfully engaged in general farming, and now owns four hundred acres of well-improved land, one of the best farms in the county. October 14, 1846, he married Hannah Head, who was born in Leba- non in 1818. Mrs. Baker's father, Sanford Head, was born in Little Compton, R.I., a son of Joseph Head, a native, it is believed, of the same place, but of English descent. The last-named, a farmer, came to New York in his early years, driving a team. Buying timber land in what is now the town of Madison, he cleared a farm, and there lived and died. He married Rebecca Sanford, of Rhode Island, daughter of the captain of a whaler, who lost his life at sea. Mr. and Mrs. Head had six sons, none of whom are living. Mrs. Head spent her last years with a son in Georgetown. Sanford Head was seven years old when he came with his parents to Madison County. His education in the public schools fitted him to become a teacher at the age of about seventeen, in which pro- fession he continued for several years. Hav- ing taught one term after his marriage, he bought land in Lebanon, and from that time on engaged in farming, remaining a resident of this town until his death. He was twice married. His first wife was Sally Ballard, a native of Massachusetts, daughter of Dane and Rebecca (Forbes) Ballard. She died in 1821. His second wife was Anna Ballard, half-sister of his first wife. There were four children by the first wife, and five by the second. Mr. and Mrs. Baker have three children living — Sanford, Seymour, and Sarah. Sanford mar- ried Jennie Dunham, and has five children — Will, G. Larmon, Harry, Calista, and Max. Seymour married Annie Morgan, and has five children — Clara, Blaine, Katy, Molly, and George. Mr. Baker cast his first vote for William Henry Harrison. He was a Whig until the formation of the Republican party, since which time he has been a firm supporter of its principles. Various offices of public trust have been honorably filled by him, as that of Assessor six years. Justice of the Peace twelve years. Supervisor two years, and School In- spector five years. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 27s G. BUSH was born in Sangerfield, N.Y., February 10, 1840, son of Lee and Ann M. (Wells) Bush. The family orig- inally came from the State of Connecticut, the grandfather having moved from there to the town of Nelson, Madison County, N.Y., and later to Burlington Flats, N.Y., where the father of our subject was born, going after- ward to North Brookfield, N.Y., where he followed his business of milling. After some years at this vocation, feeling as his age ad- vanced that the work was too heavy, he pur- chased thirty-three acres of the Morgan Dix estate in Sangerfield, and lived there until his death. At the age of fourteen Lee Bush com- menced to work on the farm of Asa Carter, of Sangerfield, where he stayed until twenty-one years old, then rented a farm from him for a few years, afterward purchasing it, and re- sided on it until the age of fifty-five, when he removed to Whitesboro, N.Y., making his permanent home there until his death, at seventy-six years. His wife was the daughter of Elnathan Wells, and came from Rhode Island. She died in Milton, Wis., while visiting there with her husband. They were the parents of three children; namely, E. G., Eloise M., and Sarah E. Eloise married James A. Douglass, of Oriskany Falls, and resided there until her death. Sarah E. be- came the wife of a Mr. Owens, and their home is in Central City, Col. E. G. Bush was educated in the public schools, and also at Watertown and Cazenovia Seminaries. When he was twenty-one years of age, he went to work for his father by the month, and thus continued for two years. At this age he married Miss Adele Stearnes, daughter of F. W. and Betsey Stearnes. They were from Plainfield, Otsego County, N.Y. After his marriage our subject took his father's farm, and worked it for twelve years. In 1874 his wife died. The maiden name of his second wife was Eunice A. Conger; and she is a daughter of John E. and Jerusha (Williams) Conger, of Waterville, N.Y. Of this union there is one son, Lee. For the past twenty-five years Mr. Bush has been a prominent member of the Masonic fra- ternity, and has moulded his life on its be- nevolent principles. He belongs to Sanger Lodge, No. 129, of Waterville, N.Y. He is a thoroughly respected and well-known man in his town, and is among the number of its citizens who have had to struggle from youth to earn their fortunes; but his industry and thrift have made him to-day one of the most successful as well as influential residents of the county. In his career he has been ably assisted by his capable wife, who, not only in their domestic, but also in their religious life, has worked by his side for many years. In his political belief Mr. Bush is a con- firmed Democrat, and is thoroughly in sym- pathy with the principles of that party. He is a public-spirited man, not only in the com- mon acceptation of the term, as applied to those who are willing to follow where others lead, but in the fullest sense, as one whose energy and" far-sightedness enable him to see and point out the things needed for the prog- 276 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ress and good of his town. Such a man is an honor and a help to his community, and as such Mr. Bush is truly an example. 'OSIAH LOBDELL, a prominent farmer of District No. 1 1 of the town of Lenox, Madison County, was born in Herkimer County in 1836, and is a son of Joel Lobdell, who was born in the same county in 1809. Joel Lobdell was a son of James Lobdell, a soldier of the Revolutionary War, who was captured by the Indians while in the performance of his duty, and bound with strings or ropes made of moose-wood bark. Having a flask of gin in his pocket, however, he gave it to the small guard left over him, and, while they were under its in- fluence, rolled himself to the fire, burned off the bands that bound his wrists, burning his hands badly thereby, and succeeded in making his escape with a comrade, also a prisoner. By occupation he was a farmer, and an hon- orable, successful, and influential man. His death occurred in Herkimer County about 1840, when he was ninety-three years old. His widow died two years later, aged eighty- four. Both were interred near Little Falls, « N.Y. Their family consisted of four sons and two daughters. About 1833 Joel Lobdell married Margaret Achor, of Montgomery County. She was born about 18 12, and was a daughter of Lud- wick Achor. Mr. Lobdell was a farmer of Oneida County, and afterward of Madison County. He and his wife reared a family of seven children, five sons and two daughters. Four of the sons were loyal soldiers in the Civil War, and all were wounded during their term of service. One of them, Abel Lobdell, was a prisoner in different Southern prisons for an aggregate of twenty-two months, twelve months of which he spent in the horrible prison pen at Andersonville. Being there for so long a time, his sufferings were of course intense; and he barely escaped death from starvation and the peculiarly cruel treatment accorded there to Union soldiers. Mr. Lob- dell was in the Second New York Artillery two years as a private soldier, was wounded in the ankle at Spottsylvania and in the hip before Petersburg. At the time of his enlist- ment he was twenty-five years of age, and on his departure for the seat of war he left his young wife at home. She was Miss Matilda French, a daughter of Jonathan French, of Hamilton, Madison County, who was born near Sylvan Junction in 1836. Mr. and Mrs. Lobdell reared two sons and two daughters, all adopted children. The daughters were: Anna Phillips, of Montgomery County, who died in her fifteenth year, when a bride of but a few months; and Clara Lobdell, a daughter of Mr. Lobdell's brother. In politics Mr. Lobdell is a Republican. He and his wife are members of the Presby- terian church. They purchased the farm on which they now live in 1883, Paying twenty- six hundred dollars for forty-three acres and seven hundred dollars for twenty acres. Upon this farm Mr. Lobdell carries on general farming, and raises strawberries and onions, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 277 raising about four hundred bushels of the latter to the acre. Both he and his wife are still healthy and active, notwithstanding their years of toil. They are among the most highly respected people of the community in which they live, and are in favor of whatever tends to promote human progress in educa- tional, religious, and material matters. /^TlfY H. CLARK, Cashier of the First \^J_ National Bank of Earlville, a finan- cier of exceptional ability, older in judg- ment than in years, was born in Guilford, Chenango County, May 20, 1869. His father, John A. Clark, is a native of the same town. Arvine Clark, father of John A., hav- ing spent his early life in Chenango and Otsego Counties, later owned and occupied a large farm about six miles from Elmira, in Chemung County. He was a lumberman, and came to his death by an accident which occurred while he was engaged in "shooting" logs down a mountain not far from his home, a stone set in motion by a swiftly falling stick of timber, which had swerved from the track, striking and killing him instantly. John Clark, made fatherless at the tender age of six years, lived with his mother on the farm until he was twelve, when he entered the employ of the Erie Railroad Company, as driver of a team used in the construction of the railroad. This place he held but as a stepping-stone to something higher. Improv- ing his opportunities for education while winning his way onward, he at length reached the city of Chicago, where for about eight years he held a position as clerk in the office of the City Recorder. Returning to New York, he entered upon a business career of several years as a dealer in general merchan- dise, first at Rockdale, Chenango County, and later at Guilford. Selling his store at the last-named place, his next venture was in the cattle trade, which as usual brought him in good returns. The position now held by him, that of President of the Sidney Bank, is one for which he is eminently adapted. A youth of excellent natural abilities, Guy H. Clark received a good business education in the academies of Sidney and Oxford. He took to banking somewhat precociously as his hereditary occupation, being early called from school to the post of Assistant Cashier of the bank at Sidney. At the age of eighteen cir- cumstances forced him to assume the duties of Cashier of a national bank, he being then one of the youngest persons ever placed in that position. Three years ago, having attained his majority, he was appointed Cashier of the First National Bank at Earlville, where he remains at the present day, enjoying an envi- able, well-won reputation for integrity, accu- racy, and skill in the management of monetary matters, and all at an age when the majority of educated men have scarcely done more than take the first step in life. The Directors, who know him best, place in him the utmost confi- dence, regarding him as a model Cashier. Like father, like son. Energy, probity, faithful and continued application, are quali- ties that tell in the long run. 278 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW In 1892 Mr. Clark married Miss Lora Win- sor, daughter of C. A. and Frances Winsor. Mr. and Mrs. Clark are regular attendants at the Episcopal church. Fraternally, he is connected with the Masons, being a member of Sidney Lodge, No. 60 r, and with the Knights of Pythias as a member of Earlville Lodge, No. 124. TT^HARLES H. MAXSON, one of the I J[ most prominent and influential citi- ^**' "^ zens of De Ruyter, where he has been a resident for many years, was born in the town of Hopkinton, R.L, February 28, 1 8 16. The founder of the Maxson family in America was Richard Maxson, a native of England, who, early joining the tide of emi- gration to Massachusetts, first settled in Boston, and from there in 1638 removed to Portsmouth, R.I., making his permanent home in that State. John Maxson, son of Richard, who was born in 1639 and died December 17, 1720, married Mary Mosher, daughter of Hugh Mosher, who was born in 1639, and whose death took place February 2, 1 71 8. Jonathan Maxson, son of John, was born in Westerly, R.I., in 1680, and died November 20, 1732. He married Content, daughter of Jonathan and Naomi (Burdick) Rogers, and had a son John, who was born in Westerly, March 2, 17 14, and who became a preacher of the Seventh-day Baptists, and spent his life in Rhode Island. Rev. John Maxson married Tacy Rogers, of Waterford, Conn., and was the father of Caleb Maxson, who was born in Newport, R.L, November 2, 1752. Caleb Maxson, father of the subject of this sketch, followed the trade of a weaver, work- ing at a hand-loom in his native State till 1825, when, acompanied by his wife and one child, he came, via Long Island Sound and the Hudson River, to Albany, thence by canal to Jordan, Onondaga County, and from there by team to Homer, where he joined one of his elder sons, who had preceded him. Eleven years later he took up his abode in De Ruyter, where he died April 6, 1841. He had been twice married. His first wife, Mary, daughter of Elder William Bliss, was born in Rhode Island in 1757. She died March 16, 1798. His second wife, another Mary Bliss, daughter of Henry Bliss, was born in Rhode Island, March 6, 1770, and died July 6, 1852. The early boyhood of Charles H. Maxson was passed in Rhode Island, where he re- ceived his first schooling. Coming to New York at the age of about ten years, he at- tended school in Homer during two terms. In 1 83 1, a lad of fifteen, he entered the office of the Protestant Sentinel, to learn the printer's trade, at which he continued to work for. the next six or seven years, going to Schenectady in 1834, on the removal of the office to that place, and to De Ruyter in 1836, when he became half-owner of the business and a part- ner of his brother John, the founder of the paper. The following year, selling out his interest in the printing-office, he opened a wagon-shop, and did business there till 1855, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 279 when he moved on to the farm of his father- in-law. For the next thirty years he was engaged in farming. In 1885 he came to De Ruyter, where he has since lived, exempt from active toil. September 24, 1839, he married Sena Ann Enos, who was born in De Ruyter, February 17, 1 8 18, a daughter of Benjamin Enos, who was born in Richmond, R.I., February 13, 1788. Her grandfather, Joseph Enos, the second of that name, and his father, an earlier Benjamin, are supposed ■ also to have been natives of that State, within whose borders was probably the home of Joseph Enos, ist, father of the last-named Benjamin, of whose history nothing is known. Joseph Enos, 2d, grandfather of Mrs. Maxson, was a son of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Parks) Enos, natives of Rhode Island. He came from that State in 1789, and settled for life in Stephentown, Rensselaer County. The maiden name of his wife was Thankful Coon. Benjamin Enos, son of Joseph Enos, 2d, and father of Mrs. Maxson, was very well educated in the schools of Stephentown, and became a teacher. Com- ing to De Ruyter in 181 3, he bought a tract of partly improved land, and, clearing a farm, made his home here, with the exception of four years passed at Homer, until his death, February 4, 1868. He was prominent in public affairs, and served as State Treasurer one term, as Canal Commissioner three terms, and three terms as Member of the Assembly. April 8, 1 8 10, he married Sarah Doty, a native of Canaan, Columbia County, who was born September 21, 1788. Mrs. Enos was a direct descendant of Ed- ward Doty, who was born in England in 1600, and came to America in the "Mayflower" on her first voyage. He died at Plymouth, Mass., in 1655. His son, Joseph Doty, was born at Plymouth, April 30, 1651, and lived to be over eighty years of age. John Doty, a son of Joseph, was born at Rochester, Plym- outh County, Mass., March i, 1688, and, as far as known, spent his entire life there. Simeon Doty, a son of John, who was born in 1727, moved in 1747 to Sharon, Conn., and in 1760 came to Canaan, Columbia County, N.Y., where he died in 1807. A son of Sim- eon Doty, Samuel, a mechanic, who was born June 4, 1756, four years before his parents moved to Canaan, henceforth to be his home, married Anna Shepard, and was the father of Sarah Doty, who became the wife of Benja- min Enos. Mrs. Maxson had one brother, Samuel Doty Enos, Esq., who was educated at Hamilton College, and became a member of the bar. He died in 1854, aged thirty- three years. At the time of his death he was a clerk in the office of the State Comptroller at Albany, N.Y. Of the four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Maxson two grew, to manhood — Charles B. and Henry Doty. The first-named was born November 10, 1850, and is President of the Babcock Printing Press Manufacturing Com- pany of New London, Conn. He married Julia A. Wells, and has two children — Charles D. and Julia W. The second, Rev. Henry Doty Maxson, who died November 23, 1 89 1, was born September 6, 1852. A stu- 28o BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW dent from his early years, although doing his part on the home farm, he was graduated suc- cessively from the De Ruyter Institute and Amherst College, Massacliusetts, where he was valedictorian and class orator in 1877. After graduation he taught school for some years, first in Milton College, Wisconsin, the institution being known as the Seventh-day Baptist College, then in Markham Academy, Milwaukee, and later at the State Normal School at White Water, Wis. He was brought up as a Seventh-day Baptist, but began to break away from that faith while studying in a denominational school at Alfred University, Allegany County, New York. Eventually becoming a Unitarian, he was ordained to the ministry, now indeed having found his true calling, and continued active in his work dur- ing the brief remainder of his earthly life. He was a valued member of the Board of Directors of the Western Unitarian Confer- ence. His sudden and early death while pastor of a Unitarian church at Menomonee, Wis., was deeply and widely mourned. He married Ada A. Wells, who with one daugh- ter, Julia W., still survives, and resides at Menomonee, Wis. Mr. Maxson has always been a Democrat in politics, and has filled various positions of public trust. He has served four terms as Supervisor, and as Deputy Clerk in the As- sembly three sessions. He is a Notary Pub- lic, was Justice of the Peace eight years, Town Clerk one year, and Assistant Assessor of Internal Revenue. He was for some years a member of the State militia, and has a com- mission as Ensign, signed by William H. Seward, Governor. He has also for some time been an active member of the Board of Education, of which he is now President. 1^ |EV AMOS CROCKER, of Hamilton, N.Y., is a fine representative of two useful and honorable professions, that of the law and that of the ministry. He was born in 1815, and is a son of Amos Crocker, who is believed to have been born in Albany County, and who married Polly Owen of that county. Amos Crocker and his wife soon after their marriage removed to Lebanon, Madison County, in which town they settled down on a fine two-hundred-acre farm. Mr. Crocker was much more than ordinarily suc- cessful, and was certainly one of the best, if not the best, farmer in the county, receiving more premiums for the excellent products of his farm and his superior animals than any other man in the county. His family at the present time have in their possession a prize he received, in the shape of a solid silver cup, for being the best farmer in the county, which cup was awarded by the County Agricultural Society. When about forty years of age, on account of failing health, he retired from the farm, and engaged in general merchandising in the village of Hamilton, where he carried on a very large business, being, in fact, the leading merchant of the place. Besides being a complete success both as a farmer and a merchant, which is very rare, he was one of the kindest and most humane of men, one BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW whose honor and integrity were beyond ques- tion, and whose judgment was frequently sought and freely given. He died at Hamil- ton, when seventy-seven years old, leaving a handsome property and a splendid reputa- tion. His wife had passed away some years previously. They were the parents of six children, two sons and four daughters, one of the daughters marrying Joseph Addison Mott, whose biographical sketch appears elsewhere in this work. Rev. Amos Crocker prepared for college at Hamilton, N.Y., went to Yale College in 1832, when seventeen years old, and was graduated in 1834. Immediately afterward he entered the law office of Stoner & Gridley, and read law with them three years, was examined with a large class at Utica, passed a creditable examination before a committee, one of whom was Joshua Spencer, was ad- mitted to the bar, and practised some years. Being converted to Christianity under the preaching of Joshua Spencer's brother, he united with the Congregational church, and was engaged in the ministry until 1885, hav- ing but three pastorates during his entire ministr)', which fact is a most eloquent and convincing argument in favor Df his zeal, ability, and success. Rev. Amos Crocker was married in 1838 to Sarah Pierce, daughter of Jonathan O. Pierce; and they have one daughter, who is the wife of S. T. Martin. Mr. and Mrs. Martin have one son, Osgood C. Martin, of Chicago, and two daughters, Sarah and Rosamond, both young ladies, at home. Mr. Crocker has al- ways been an unswerving Republican. He has ever been true to every obligation in life, as lawyer, minister of the gospel, husband, father, and citizen. He is now living a retired life, with a conscience void of offence, surrounded by an affectionate family, and by many respecting and admiring neighbors and friends. <^»^»-' T^HARLES A. ALLEN, residing on I jr'^ his one-hundred-and-forty-acre farm, ^^ '^ where he was born forty-four years ago, is a son of Charles Allen, who was born in Greenwich, R.I., in 1792, and died in the town of Lenox, Madison County, N.Y., in 1872, at the age of eighty. His father was Joseph Allen, also of Greenwich, R.I., who married Sarah Tillinghast, of that State. They reared a family of nine sons and one daughter, of whom Charles was the sixth child and fifth son. All these children arrived at maturity, and married. They were as follows: Sarah, born in 1781, became the wife of John Tillinghast, of Rhode Island, and died in 1852, at the age of sixty-one; Benjamin T., born in 1783, died in 1830; John, born in 1785, died in 1855; Stephen, born in 1787, died in 1858, at Batavia, N.Y. ; Joseph, born in 1790, died in 1870, at Orleans, N.Y. ; Charles, the father of our subject; James, born in 1794, died in the West in 1854; Center, born in 1796, died at Cassville, N.Y., in 1863; Eason, born in 1799, died at Clayville in 1875; and George, born in 1801, died in the town of Lenox in 1851. The father of these children was a fanmer in BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW moderate circumstances. He and his wife were Baptists in religious faith. Both ar- rived at old age, Mrs. Allen dying at a very advanced age in Cassville, Oneida County. The father of our subject, Charles Allen, married for his first wife Catherine N. Allen, a cousin. She had one daughter, Lydia A., who became the wife of Rev. W. S. Mikels, a Baptist minister. Mrs. Mikels died in November, 1892, leaving two children. For his second wife Charles Allen married Har- riet M. Greene, of Bridgewater, Oneida County. Her only child was Charles A. Allen, the subject of this biographical notice. She died at the home of her son in March, 1893. Athough eighty years of age, she was bright and active until within two days of her death. Charles A. Allen attended school until his twentieth year, first in the district school at Lenox Furnace, and later at Bergen, N.J., and in New York City and Oneida. On the 7th of February, 1872, he was united in mar- riage to Clara J. Hubbard, daughter of S. J. and Alma J. (Tanner) Hubbard. Mr. Hub- bard died in 1888, at the age of sixty-one, leaving his widow and four children, two sons and two daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Allen have become the parents of five children, one of whom, a son, died in infancy. The living are: Hattie A., a bright and intelligent young lady of nineteen, residing at home; Cora A., seventeen, who is a teacher; Charles A., a youth of fifteen; and Marion E., a bright young miss of ten. Hattie has taught school one year, and given such satisfaction that her services are again in request in the same district. All these children have been well brought up, and taught to be honest, self-reliant, and conscientious in the perform- ance of the duties and obligations of life. Mr. Allen is a direct descendant of Ethan Allen, of Revolutionary fame. He is a stanch Republican in politics, as was his father; and both he and his wife are Baptists in religious faith, Mr. Allen being an official member of that church. He is engaged in general farming, the production of cereals, and keeps a number of cattle. With his wife and family he is looked upon as occupying a high place among the substantial farmers and useful citizens of Madison County. ■ ^ •^•^■h 2E ROY NASH. Among the most active, alert, and successful business —^ men of Madison County we find the subject of this sketch, who is extensively engaged in agricultural pursuits, owns and carries on a good mercantile business, and at this writing (January i, 1894) still fills the office of Postmaster at Earlville, to which position he was appointed in June, 1889. He is the descendant of an honored pioneer of Hamilton, his grandfather, Elijah Nash, a native of Connecticut, having emigrated from there to Madison County in the early days of its settlement, when few, if any, evidences of civilization existed, and took an active part- in the transformation of a wilderness into a beautiful country, rich in valuable farms and thriving villages. The long and wearisome BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 283 journey from New England was made overland with teams, a part of the way following a path made by blazed trees. He bought three hundred acres of heavily timbered land in Hamilton, and at once began improving a farm. There were neither railways nor canals spanning the country; and, there being no markets near, the family had to subsist on the products of the soil or on such game as could be found in the forests. Deer, wolves, and other animals were abundant ; and the native Indians roamed through the pathless woods. The wife did well her part in those early times, and worked as busily as those of the sterner sex. Her deft hands spun, wove, and fashioned the garments in which the family were clothed; and she kept the cabin table supplied with food well cooked over the large open fireplace, though oftentimes the fare was simple and homely. After many years of unceasing labor Mr. Nash improved a good homestead, where he and his worthy wife spent their declining days in comfort. Jacob Nash, father of our subject, was born in Hamilton. He was reared on the old homestead, and received his education in the early pioneer schools, but, not content with a farmer's life, in early manhood learned the trade of a stone-mason, and followed the busi- ness for many years, there being plenty for him to do in those days of building and im- proving. He was industrious and thrifty, and spent his entire life in his native town, dying at the venerable age of eighty years. His wife, formerly Abby Ann Willie, was also a native of Hamilton, and now lives in Earl- ville at the advanced age of eighty-five years, spending the last days of her life in comfort and contentment at the home of her son. To her and her husband were born two children — Le Roy and a daughter who died when quite young. The subject of this biography was reared and educated in Hamilton, and, being an ambitious boy, with good business talent, began life as a clerk when sixteen years old, remaining in that position for five years. As soon as he attained his majority he engaged in business on his own account in Earlville, where he had formerly been employed as a clerk, purchasing, a store, which he stocked with general merchandise, and has since car- ried on continuously. He has enlarged his operations from time to time, and, winning the confidence of his patrons, has been deservedly popular in all his undertakings. In addition to this, Mr. Nash has also engaged exten- sively in agricultural pursuits, and at the present time is successfully managing four different farms, following the most approved methods of the progressive modern farmer, and does a large business in general farming, hop-raising, and dairying. Mr. Nash was united in marriage in 1866 to Louisa E. Hecox. She is a native of Che- nango County, born in the town of Sherburne, being a daughter of Jacob and Caroline (Hart- well) Hecox. Of this marriage two children have been born — Ella and Roy. Mr. Nash is an important factor in the agricultural and business interests of Earlville, straightfor- ward in his dealings, and regarded as one of 284 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW the leading spirits of the community. Po- litically, he is a Republican, and a stanch supporter of the principles of that party, and has served as a delegate to different county and district conventions. He has been a member of the Madison County Republican Committee for a number of years. His first Presidential vote was cast for General U. S. Grant. So- cially, he is a member of Earlville Lodge, No. 622, Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, and of Hamilton Lodge, No. 120, A. F. & A. M. Both he and his wife are esteemed members of the Episcopal church, having been one of the organizers of this so- ciety in Hamilton, and a Trustee since its formation. "KiDWIN RANSOM. This enterprising J QJ_ ci tizen of the town of Fenner, N.Y., was born April 8, 1848, the son of Loren and Lydia (Whipple) Ransom, both natives of the town of Fenner. We have already, in the sketch of Mrs. William Hamblin, given an account of her father, and the grand- father of our subject. He was Russell Ransom; born in Connecticut, who went to the town of Fenner in the early days of the century, and endured all the hardships of pioneer life. His family consisted of four sons and two daughters, of whom Mrs. Ham- blin, in the town of Fenner, and Mrs. Hiram Hodge, in the town of Cazenovia, alone sur- vive. He died on his farm at the age of eighty-one years. He had been a brave sol- dier in the War of 181 2. His son Loren, father of our subject, carried on general farm- ing in the town where he was born. He was a very prominent and well-known man, and was a stanch supporter of the Republican party. In religious belief he was a Baptist, and died in that faith at Perryville, aged sixty-nine years. His widow still resides there. Of the five children born to them four are living: Edwin, our subject, who is the eldest; Dr. Charles H. Ransom, living in Syracuse; Henrietta, Mrs. L. Hamilton, liv- ing in the town of Nelson; and Marietta, wife of Dr. Miles, residing at Oneida, N.Y. Frank died at the age of five years. Edwin Ransom spent all his boyhood days on the home farm, which he now possesses. As did all the boys of his time, he received his first education in the district schools of his village, afterward attending the Cazenovia Seminary. He was a good and dutiful son, assisting his father in the farm work, caring for him in his last days, and is now doing the same filial work for his mother. He has fifty- two acres of land, and, besides raising the different cereals, has also a dairy of nine head of full-blooded Holstein cattle, of which he is very proud. Mr. Ransom was married October 22, 1873, to Miss Emma Hamblin, daughter of Lewis Hamblin. She was one of a family of thir- teen children, of whom six are now living. Her parents were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and her father was a Re- publican in politics. After his marriage our subject took his wife home to the old farm, where he has lived ever since. One child, Jessie May, born August 14, 1874, is the BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 285 loving and affectionate daughter of the household. Mr. Ransom is a firm believer in the poli- tics of the Republican party, and invariably supports its candidates. He is no aspirant for political office, finding in the delights of his home life and the duties of his farm more pleasure than in the turmoil of civic affairs. He is a gentleman of unblemished integrity, and in his relations, both in religious and social life, holds, with his family, a superior and enviable position. In their religious views he and his wife are of the Methodist Episcopal belief, Mrs. Ransom being espe- cially a devoted member. In this happy household we find filial love and reverence, intelligence and culture, making a bouquet of graces that is worthy of the highest admiration. ^I'^YTNORRIS OMANS, a representative 1 1 =y of one of the pioneer families of «4 ^iH? V. • Madison County, and a practical farmer, was born in the town of Eaton, January 4, 1821, and is a son of Job and Sally (Fisk) Omans, the former of whom was born in New England, and came to the State of New York at an early day, settling in the town of Eaton upon a farm, where he died in 1829 at the age of forty-five. He and his wife had three children: Morris, the subject of this sketch; Betsey, born in 1824; and Riley, who was born in 1830, and died at the home of his brother Morris, when twenty-one years old. Mrs. Sally Omans, the wife and mother, died at the age of eighty-seven. Morris Omans was but eight years old when his father died, and was thus compelled, while yet in his boyhood, to begin life on his own account, though he had received some little education in the district school. He worked by the month until he was twenty-three years old, then married, and began farming for him- self, his first purchase consisting of twenty- three acres of land. Since then he has from time to time added to this, until at the pres- ent time he has a farm of about fifty acres, with good improvements, his beautiful- resi- dence having been built in i860. June 9, 1844, he married Nancy Foster, who was born in Herkimer County, and is a daughter of Samuel and Mary Foster, the former of whom was a farmer, and spent his last days in the town of Eaton, dying at the age of sixty-one, his wife having died in Herkimer County at the age of thirty-nine. They were the pa- rents of seven children, all of whom are liv- ing with the exception of one. Their names are as follows: Louisa, Mary, Margaret, Nancy, Cornelia, and Elizabeth. Asa, the eldest, died at the age of seventy-two. Mr. and Mrs. Omans have had three chil- dren, namely: Merrill died at the age of forty-three. He married Aurelia Hopkins, who bore him two children, Cassius and Clar- ence, both of whom, with their mother, reside in Cortland, N.Y. Sarah is living at home. Elsie is the wife of Leverett L. Hamilton, a general merchant of West Eaton, and has one child, Lorenzo L. Mr. and Mrs. Omans are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he is a Republican. Both are 286 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW highly respected by all who know them, and are very pleasant, genial people. Though now quite well advanced in years, and not able to perform much labor of any kind, they are still healthy and active, and are enjoying their declining years in comfort and peace, possessing the consciousness of lives spent in doing good and in bringing up their children to true and noble principles. tOBERT J. STEW during his long — «^ a man whose it STEWART, deceased, was long life of usefulness a man whose influence was always on the side of right; and it is not too much to say that his community was, and is, the better for his having lived therein. He was born in Johnstown, N.Y., January i, 1814, and was a son of John and Grace (Stewart) Stewart, the former of whom was ajjlacksmith by occu- pation, was a soldier in the War of 1812, and died when Robert J., our subject, was but eight months old. Robert J. Stewart secured his education in the common schools, working on the farm and attending school until he was twelve years old. Afterward he divided his time in the main between attending school and teach- ing, until he was twenty-one years old. By his own efforts he secured a good practical education, and his success in teaching is indicated by the fact that he taught six years in one school. His success lay in part in his ability to govern children, and in part in his peculiar faculty of imparting knowledge in such a way that it was not only understood. but also easily remembered. In 1849 ^^ removed to Oneida, where for many years he was one of the leading business men. After locating here, he was at first engaged in the drug business, being thus occupied until 1 86 1, and afterward for two years was clerk in a drug store. Later he was for a time en- gaged as travelling salesman for a hat and cap firm, and in 1866 as a salesman for E. W. Jones, the undertaker. Then for one year he was with Chappell, Chase & Maxwell, and later travelled for Hard Brothers, manufact- urers of spring-beds and cots. He was thus engaged until the time of his death, which occurred November 20, 1882. Upon his re- moval to Oneida he united with the Presby- terian church, and on the nth of April, 1854, was elected to the board of elders, remaining an active member of the board so long as he lived. He was at the time of his death one of the oldest members of the church, and had always labored zealously for its welfare. Mr. Stewart was married in 1846 to Eliza- beth Stewart, a daughter of George and Mercy (Grose) Stewart, the former of whom was married twice, and was the father of eight children, three by his first wife, Mercy Grose, and five by the second, — Elizabeth the widow of our subject, being the only one now living of those by the first wife. George Stewart was a native of Scotland, and lived to be eighty-four years old. Robert J. Stewart and his wife became the parents of nine chil- dren, namely: John R., who in 1862, though scarcely sixteen years old, filled with patriotic ardor and enthusiasm, enlisted in the Union A. A. Stoddard. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 289 army as a member of Company D, Eighth New York Cavalry. His regiment was in reality one of the hardest fighting regiments of the war, taking part in many battles, among them Winchester, Harper's Ferry, Antietam, Philomont, Barbara Cross Roads, Amosville, Jefferson, Chancellorsville, Bev- erly Ford, Middleboro, Gettysburg, Will- iam's Post, Boonesboro, Funkstown, Falling Water, Brandy Station, Rappahannock, Cul- peper Court House, Raccoon Ford, Madison, Germany Ford, Oak Hill, Stephensburg, Bealeton Station, Culpeper (second), and the battles of the Wilderness. At Stony Creek Station he was taken prisoner, taken to Andersonville, and soon afterward died. It was after him that John R. Stewart Post, No. 174, Grand Army of the Republic, was named. The second and third children of Mr. and Mrs. Stewart were Adelia and Adel- bert, twins. Adelia is the wife of A. R. Davis, of Oneida, and has two children, Robert and Guy Irving. Adelbert died in infancy. The fourth child is Alvin D. Stew- art, M.D., a practising physician at Port Byron. He married Emma Johnson, and has two children — Alvin and Jennie. The fifth child, Hattie Grace, is the wife of A. J. Hatch, has one child, Elizabeth Stewart, and is living with her mother. The sixth, Ella G., is living at home. The seventh, Irving Fuller, died when eleven years old. The eighth and ninth, Mary Gregory and Matilda H., twins, are both dead. Mrs. Stewart, the mother of these children, is living in her pleasant home in Oneida. She is a lady of more than ordinary intelligence and refine- ment, and is highly esteemed by her friends and acquaintances, of whom she has a large number. (sTVLBERT A. STODDARD, an influen- ^L tial, well-to-do citizen of George- ^ ® V - town, was born in Otselic, Chenango County, March 9, 1828. William Patterson's genealogy of the Stoddard family in America, to which we are indebted for the following particulars, shows him to be a descendant, in the eighth generation, of John Stoddard, the emigrant ancestor, who is known to have been a large land-holder in Wethersfield, Conn., as early as 1639. This is the line: John Stod- dard (ist) married in 1642 Mary Foote, a daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth (Demming) Foote. He died in 1664. John Stoddard (2d), son of John (ist), born in Wethersfield, Conn., April 12, 1636, died in 1703 or 1704, married Elizabeth Curtis. John Stoddard (3d), son of the last-named, born February 22, 1674 or 1675, married November 19, 1696, Sarah Camp, a native of Hartford, Conn., daughter of John and Mary (Sanford) Camp. Moses, son of John Stoddard (3d), was born in Wethersfield, Conn., March 20, 1700 or 1 701. He was one of the petitioners for the incorporation of Newington as a sepa- rate ecclesiastical society. His marriage in Hartford, May 18, 1732, with Ruth Goodwin, is recorded in Litchfield, Conn., whither he went as a pioneer, and where he was a Deacon in the church and a Captain in the militia. He died September 2, 1777. Aaron, son of 290 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Moses, was born in Litchfield, July 15, 1739. He served in the Revolutionary War, was captured by the British, and died a prisoner. A sketch of his life is contained in Kil- bourn's History of Litchfield. David Stoddard, son of Aaron and grand- father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Litchfield, Conn., November 15, 1773. In 1803, a few years after his marriage, he came to New York, bringing his wife and children, with household goods and other movables, in a farm-wagon drawn by oxen, and was the second settler in what is now included in Otselic, then a part of the town of German. Buying an extensive tract of land mostly covered with a heavy growth of timber, he built a house of rough logs in this sylvan solitude, and set to work, with sinewy muscles and a stout heart, to clear and cul- tivate the land. After many toilsome years he removed to Groton, and there passed the remainder of his life. His first wife, Dorcas Kent before marriage, was a daughter of Seth and Lois (Blodgett) Kent. She died on the home farm, having reared four children — • Aaron, David, Harman, and John. Harman Stoddard, father of Albert A., having been born in Litchfield, Conn., June 27, 1797, was six years old when he was brought to the new home in Chenango County, where he grew to manhood, doing brave work in the task of making a farm out of the wooded wilds. Standing timber having then no market value, it was customary in clearing the land to roll the logs together and burn them. Carefully saving the ashes and extracting from them by some simple process the alkali known as black salt, which met with a ready sale, they had one sure source of income even before the land could be made to yield any surplus produce. In due course of time, coming into possession of a part of the paternal acres, he built thereon a superior log house of hewn timber. Taking to him- self a wife, he made this his home till his death, in May, 1873, when he left to his heirs one of the best improved farms in the county. He married Harriet Maria Brown, daughter of Miner and Clarissa (Hayes) Brown, who was born in Stephentown, Rens- selaer County, N.Y. She died in 1888. The eight children of Mr. and Mrs. Harman Stoddard were Albert A., Clarissa Maria, Cordelia, Sarah, Mary L., Noyes W., Elvira M., and Dever. While Albert A. Stoddard as a boy did not shirk his share of the labor on the home farm, he made the best of his opportunities for acquiring an education, attending the district school in his younger years, and later a select school for more advanced studies. His prog- ress was such that at the age of seventeen he was qualified to teach. Being a youth of energy and decision, he started forth to seek a situation in a neighboring district. The trustees to whom he applied inquired what salary he expected. He answered, "Ten dol- lars a month and board," thinking that a suffi- ciently low price. Refusing their offer of nine dollars a month, he went on to the next district. With the intention of coming down a little if need be, he here asked for fifteen BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 291 dollars a month and board. Two of the trus- tees were willing to pay thirteen dollars, in case the third, who was. not present, should agree. The applicant was not one to stand still and wait on an uncertainty. He passed on to another district, and engaged himself for eleven dollars a month. Here he had the rich and varied experience of "boarding 'round." With money earned in teaching he paid his expenses for several terms at De Ruyter Institute and Norwich Academy. At the time of his marriage he worked at farm- ing, and kept a public house in Otselic. At length purchasing a part of his grandfather^s farm, he devoted himself, with his accustomed energy, intelligence, and skill, to agriculture, in various branches of which he was success- fully engaged until 1870, when he removed to his present home in Georgetown. In 185 1 he married Julia A. Hare, a native of George- town, daughter of William P. and Betsey (Bartlett) Hare. Their only child, J. Floyd, is now engaged in mercantile business in Georgetown. He married Nettie Whitmore, and has two children, Lonnelle and Winni- fred Marie. In politics Mr. Stoddard has always been a Democrat, and faithful to the principles of that party as he interprets them. He cast his first Presidential vote for Franklin Pierce, in 1852. He was a strong Union man during the late war. The accompanying lines, evi- dently struck off at a white heat, show his ardent patriotism, his loyalty to the princi- ples of freedom, his intense abhorrence of the high crime of treason : — Otselic, June 10, 1861. Our flag is insulted by traitorous kindred, Our proud constellation is rended in twain : Our banner divided by madmen now misled Shall yet be united in triumph again. We fight for our country, our nation, our honor; We strike but for Union, our freedom and laws. Our country — the eyes of the world are upon her: We'll strike in our strength, for just is our cause. That banner shall yet blaze in its full glory O'er each rebel city America bears; And traitors shall tremble while reading the story. The just execration their foul treason wears. Let freedom proclaim to the world that her minions Are countless as the leaves of the forest, all told ; And Union, though scouted, still holds her dominions. And bids mad defiance to treason so bold. For each traitorous neck we have woven a halter, We'll hang them as high as Haman of old; While our fortunes, our lives, our all, on the altar Of Union, we pledge from the depths of the soul. Mr. Stoddard has ably filled various offices of public trust. He served as Supervisor in Otselic in i860 and 1861, and represented Georgetown two years as a member of the Madison County Board of Supervisors. He has also served a number of years as Town Superintendent of Schools and as Justice of the Peace, being first elected to the last- named office in 1873. He was also Notary Public for ten years. He was Postmaster from 1884 to 1888. In 1866 he joined the Masonic fraternity, and was a prime mover in the organization of Georgetown Lodge, No. 726, and was elected its first Master. The portrait of Mr. Stoddard, which accom- panies this article, shows him as he is, a man 2g2 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW of strong and resolute character and firm dis- position, but, withal, of a kindly heart. He and his amiable wife are never so happy as when enjoying the society of their two little grandchildren, whose bright and interesting personalities have made them favorites with all who know them ; and among the happy American homes of Madison County may well be classed that of Mr. and Mrs. Stoddard. KRANCIS T. PIERCE. Among the enterprising and progressive agricultu- rists of Madison Count)^ the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch easily occupies a leading position. He is a descendant of one of the original settlers of Hamilton, where he was born March 4, 1837, on the farm where he now lives, and which was also the birthplace of his father. His paternal great-grandfather was a resident of New York, and served in the French and Ind- ian War, dying soon after from disease con- tracted while in the army, leaving a widow, in limited circumstances, with five children. His eldest son, Theophilus Pierce, grand- father of our subject, was born in Canaan, Columbia County, and was but seventeen years of age when his father died, and the care of the family devolved on him. He was faithful to his duty, and found a home for each before he settled in life. He married Sarah Beach, who was also a native of Colum- bia County; and they continued to reside in Canaan for several years thereafter. In 1794 a little band of people, consisting of five families from Columbia, one of them being that of Theophilus Pierce, journeyed with teams across the countr^/^ to Hamilton, which was then included in Herkimer County, and was a howling wilderness. Deacon Payne and his family being the only residents of the place. Mr. Pierce selected five hundred acres of land belonging to Dominick Lynch, of New York City, going there to make his pay- ment. He went as far as Albany on horse- back, thence, by sloop, down the picturesque Hudson River to the city. The deed which he received was written on parchment, bear- ing date of October 28, 1794, and is now in the possession of our subject. One-half of the land he sold to his brother Benjamin, and on the other half erected a log house, which the family occupied for several years, and in which the father of our subject was born. He cleared a good farm, and in later years built a frame house and convenient farm buildings, residing there until his death, in 1841. His wife died in 1838. They reared a family of five children — William, Lucinda, Alanson, Sally, and Alvah. The three eldest were born in Canaan, and Sally was the first white child born in Hamilton. Alvah Pierce, father of our subject, was born on the home farm in Hamilton, July 20, 1800. He was educated in the pioneer schools, and when a young man was employed as a teacher two terms. He always took great interest in educational matters, and was for fifty years Treasurer of the Baptist Educa- tional Society of New York, being also a member of the Board of University Trustees. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 293 He succeeded his father in the ownership of the homestead, and here. spent his entire life, with the exception of three years in Fabius, where he was engaged in the mercantile busi- ness and milling. He was a man of marked business ability, and one of the organizers of the Hamilton Bank in 1853, being Vice- President of the same till 1875, ^-^^d President from that time until the year preceding his death, which occurred December 26, 1891, he being probably the oldest bank President in the United States. In politics he was for- merly a Whig, but a Republican from the formation of the party. Both he and his estimable wife were valued members of the Baptist church, which he served as Deacon for fifty consecutive years. The maiden name of his wife was Caroline Whitmore. She was born in Wilbraham, Mass., June 26, 1804, and died January 7, 1892. She was the daughter of Francis and Sally (Stebbins) Whitmore, early pioneers of Madison County. To Alvah Pierce and his wife were born two children: Harriet L., who married Henry O. Wheeler, and died in 1882; and Francis T. The latter, the subject of this brief biog- raphy, received his education in his native town, attending the district school, the acad- emy, and Hamilton College, ranking well in his studies in each. He succeeded his father in the ownership of the old homestead, which has always been his place of abode. In 1863 he was united in marriage to Miss Louise Burchard, daughter of Sylvester and Anna (Piatt) Burchard. She was born in Remsen, Oneida County, and died at the family home- stead in October, 1876, leaving an only child, Frank, whose birth occurred February 28, 1868. He was a studious, ambitious boy, and, after being graduated from the public schools, pursued his studies in Colgate Uni- versity, from which he was graduated in the class of 1888. He was a young man of rare personal merit, a general favorite among his fellow-students; and his death, January 4, 1892, after four years of invalidism, was a sad blow to his father and friends. Mr. Pierce is a worthy representative of the pioneer family whose name is honored throughout this section, the Pierces having taken an active part in the development of the county, and contributed materially to the advancement and welfare of Hamilton. In politics he is a stanch Republican. He is a member of the Baptist church, with whicTi he united in 1868, his wife having been a mem- ber of the same denomination from her early youth; and to its support he has always given liberally and cheerfully. W' ILBER M. HENDERSON, a resi- dent of Morrisville and a gentle- man well known throughout Madison County, though a young man, has had much experi- ence in various fields of activity, and pos- sesses great versatility of genius. He has been a successful farmer and business man, and has spent many years of his life in pub- lic service, commencing to hold office by the suffrages of his fellow-citizens when but twenty-one years of age. Mr. Henderson was 294 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW born in the town of Madison, November i8, 1848, and is a son of Solomon Henderson, who was born in Warren County, New York, came to Madison County in 1843, and for a number of years had charge of the repairs on the Cherry Valley turnpike, which was then a toll road. Purchasing a farm in the town of Madison, he has since that time been engaged in agricultural pursuits. His wife, whose maiden name was Emily A. White, was born in the town of Madison, and was a daughter of Alexander White, who belonged to one of the pioneer families of that town. She died at her home in the town of Madison, aged sixty-nine years. She and her husband reared four children, namely: Wilber M., the sub- ject of this sketch; John A.; Ada G. ; and Lizzie E. Wilber M. Henderson was educated first in the district schools, and later attended Goodenough's Business College at Hamilton. While quite young, he began to assist his father on the farm, and remained at home until he was twenty-four years of age. Three years previously he was elected Constable of his town, and soon afterward was elected Col- lector and appointed Deputy Sheriff. In 1875, having been elected Sheriff, he removed to Morrisville, the county seat, and has ever since that time made Morrisville his home. Since the expiration of his term as Sheriff, in which he rendered general, satisfaction in the performance of his duties, he has been en- gaged in the loan and insurance business, and has at the same time continued to keep up his interest in agricultural pursuits. Flis farm. which is located in the town of Madison, is worked on shares. In 1889 he was appointed Postmaster of Morrisville, and held the office four years, giving general satisfaction in this position, as he had done in the office of Sheriff of the county. Mr. Henderson is a sound Republican in politics, and fraternally is a member of Ham- ilton Lodge, No. 120, A. F. & A. M. ; of Cyrus Chapter, No. 50, R. A. M. ; and of Norwich Commandery, No. 46, K. T. He was for a number of years Vice-President of the Madison County Hop-growers' Associa- tion, and in this, as in all other positions which he has held, manifested the same zeal and efficiency in the performance of his offi- cial duties. At the last meeting of the Hop-growers' Association he was elected its President. OHN E. LEWIS, a prominent manu- facturer of West Eaton, has met with such success in business that a brief narration of the chief events of his life is eminently worthy of place in a work of this kind. He is a manufacturer of woollen goods, an industry that is indispensable to the comfort of the human race. His education he acquired mostly in Wales, from which country have come many skilled workmen who have found in the United States more profitable employment than in their native land, and who are among our most useful and*most valuable citizens. John E. Lewis was born in Wales, Decem- ber 25, 1 84 1, and is a son of Edward and BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 29s Mary Lewis, also natives of that country. Edward Lewis was a carder by trade : hence it was perfectly natural for his sons to fall into the lines they are following. Mr. Edward Lewis emigrated from Wales to the United States in 1853, his family coming the follow- ing year. Settling in West Eaton, he worked in factories for some years, and then went to live on a farm which he bought in the town of Eaton. He spent his last years in the village of West Eaton, dying when sixty years of age. His widow is still living with her daughter, Mrs. Elias Thomas, in the village of West Eaton. Mr. Lewis was a Republican in politics, and was, as his widow is, a mem- ber of the Congregational church of this place. John E. Lewis has lived in the town of Eaton ever since 1854. His early schooling in Wales was supplemented by one year's study in the United States. In 1855, when fourteen years of age, he began to learn his trade, that of loon-repairing and designing. Remaining at home until he was twenty-five years old, he then took an extended trip through the Western States, spending three years in Peru, Ind. In 1880 the company of Barnes, Jones & Lewis was formed for the purpose of manufacturing woollen goods. The style of the firm was in 1882 changed to Jones, Lewis & Thomas, so remaining until 1887, when Mr. Jones sold his interest. Since that time the firm has been Lewis & Thomas, Mr. Lewis being the senior member. Elias J. Thomas, the junior member, who was born in 1844 in Wales and removed to Eaton in 1851, is an equal partner in the firm and superintendent of the factory. This company has been very prosperous. It employs about sixty hands, and runs the year round. At the present time they have fifteen looms, but con- template an increase to twenty-one. They manufacture about one hundred thousand dol- lars' worth of goods per year. When their mill is increased in capacity, its output will be correspondingly increased. Their product is sold direct from the factory in all parts of the United States. The factory as it now stands is comparatively new, having been erected in 1886, and is completely fitted up with modern machinery. It takes the place of the old mill which was destroyed by fire November 17, 1885, the new one having been put in operation in July, 1886. Mr. Lewis married in 1868 Mary E. Thomas, who was born in 1849, near Utica, N.Y., and whose parents are both deceased. Mr. and Mrs. John E. Lewis have had three children, namely: Mary, born in 1870, died when ten months old; Charles, born July 3, 1873; and Walter, born July 5, 1879. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church; and, politically, Mr. Lewis is a Republican. In West Eaton he has about thirty-three acres of land and a very neat and comfortable home. L. W. Lewis, brother of John E., was born in Wales, October 3, 1849. He also came to the United States with the family, and at fourteen years of age began working in a mill for Alpheus Morse, continuing thus employed one year. He then went to work in the pres- 96 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW nt establishment of Lewis & Thomas, re- laining thus engaged until 1872. For the welve succeeding years he was employed in arious mills, returning in 1884 to what was hen the firm of Jones, Lewis & Thomas, laving been an industrious man and strictly ttentive to his duties, he has been advanced rom the very lowest round of the ladder to is present responsible position of overseer f the mill. Mr. Lewis was married in 1871 Sarah Green, who was born in Rhode sland on September 17, 1847, and is a aughter of Albert Green. He and his wife re members of the Church of Christ of Au- urn, N.Y. ; and in politics Mr. L. W. Lewis s a Republican, able to give good reasons for he principles that he professes. He owns comfortable home in the village of West i^aton, and with his wife is highly re- pected. Mr. Albert A. Green was born in Woon- ocket, R.I., October 29, 1824. His father, ohn Green, was also of Rhode Island birth, lis grandfather. Job Green, a native of Cov- ntry. Conn., a farmer, moved to Rhode Isl- nd after his marriage, and died there, in the illage of Franklin, when about eighty-seven ears of age. He and his wife were Quakers, ohn Green was one of a family of three sons ad two daughters, the others being Job, Jr., )aniel, Margaret, and Maria, the last-named Quaker preacher. He was a farmer, and Dent his entire life in his native State, dying 1 Smithfield, at about the age of forty-four sars. A Quaker by birth and breeding, in lature life he dissented from the faith of his parents. He married Miss Sarah A. Tink- ham, who is thought to have been born and reared in Rhode Island. After her husband's death Mrs. Green moved, with her children, to Millville, on the Blackstone River, in Mas- sachusetts. In religion she was a devoted Methodist. Two of her seven children are yet living; namely, Albert and J. Charles, the first-named being a resident of West Eaton, a finisher in woollen mills, his brother following the same trade in Killingly, Conn. Albert Green learned his trade in Millville, and there married Susan M. Fisher, of Wren- tham, Mass. Mrs. Green died in West Eaton in 1870, aged forty-four years, leaving three children: Mrs. L. W. Lewis; Emma, wife of Richard Vickers, a farmer at Reedsburg, Wis. ; and Allie M., wife of Edward Vaytte, who runs a hoop factory in Reedsburg, Wis. IRA LUCE, deceased, formerly a prom- inent resident of Oneida and a man of excellent business qualifications, was born in the town of Richfield, Otsego County, July 14, 1814. His education was secured in the common schools of that county, and was of a practical character. He was always interested in local political and business matters, and for some time was Deputy and Under Sheriff of Otsego County. In 1864 he located in Oneida, and for some time was engaged in speculation, buying hops, and being interested in various enter- prises, making money and accumulating a competence by fair and honest dealing with BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 297 his fellow-men. He was thus engaged until his death, which occurred April 13, 1888. He was married to Amanda Robinson, a native of Richfield Springs, Otsego County, born October 14, 18 14, and a daughter of Cyrus and Nancy (Duensmore) Robinson, the former of whom was from Massachusetts, set- tled in Richfield Springs when the county was yet new and wild, and was the first merchant of that village. After a prosperous career, in which he made for himself an enviable reputa- tion as a straightforward and honorable busi- ness man, he died, at the age of seventy years. To the marriage of Ira Luce and Amanda Robinson there was born one child, Alfred, now living in New York City, and a success- ful hop-dealer. Ira Luce was a Democrat in politics, and fraternally an Odd Fellow. His widow now lives in Oneida, comfortably situ- ated and surrounded, in the home her de- ceased husband prepared for his and her declining years. She is a member of the Episcopal church, a most excellent woman, and highly esteemed by all who know her. tBRAHAM A. WEMPLE belongs to a family originally from Holland, who <_• were settled in the eastern part of this State at asi early period of its history, in which they figured prominently, the name in the oldest records appearing as Wemp. His immediate progenitors lived in Canajoharie, N.Y., where he was born, February 12, 1814. A remote ancestor, Jan Barentse Wemp, is registered in Munsell's "American Ances- try " as " born in Dort, Lower Netherlands, Holland, in 1620, came to America about 1640, and settled at Esopus, now Kingston, N.Y., about 1643-45." In the History of Troy, N.Y., the same individual is said to have purchased from the Indians, in 1659, the "Great Meadows," the present site of that city. He is elsewhere spoken of as one of the original proprietors of Schenectady. He rnarried Maritie Myndertsee, and died in 1662, leaving a widow and six children. One of his three sons was named Myndert, and another Barent. The children of Abraham A. Wemple's grandparents were Roger, John, Myndert M. R., Abraham, and^ Deborah. Of the direct issue of Roger and Myndert none are now living. Of the children of John two or three are living, of the children of Abraham one, and of Deborah, wife of Philip Van Ant- werp, both deceased, one son is living, John Van Antwerp, of Niskayuna, Schenectady County, N.Y. Abraham Wemple, father of Abraham A., was born in Montgomery County, June 6, 1776, just before the Declaration of Inde- pendence. He married Maria Loucks, of Palatine, Montgomery County, about the year 1806. He was a merchant in that village, and was Captain of a military company. Having in some way over-exerted himself at a training, he was taken suddenly ill on his return home, and died soon after, leaving a good property by will to his widow and four children — John Barent, Henry M., Walter Y., and Abraham A.; but the trustees ap- 298 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW pointed, although they were near relatives, were not true to their trust, fell short of their duty to the widow and orphans. Our subject was but six weeks old when his father died; and the mother, taking the little family, moved to Schenectady, N.Y., where she reared this youngest son at home and placed the three elder ones at trades. She died in Troy, N.Y., at the home of her son Abraham, in 1848, when she was nearly sixty years of age. Her children were: John B., a cabinet- maker and farmer, who died in 1892, at the age of eighty-three; Henry Myndert, who was born in Canajoharie, October 22, 1800, and died in Mexico, Oswego County, in 1887; Walter Yates, who was born in Canajoharie, November 9, 181 1, died at Schenectady, at the age of twenty-two, leaving a widow and one daughter, Sarah M. Ormsby, who is now liv- ing in Michigan. Abraham A. Wemple received a good com- mon-school education, and at sixteen years of age became a clerk. He was one of those fortunate ones whom the situation sought instead of his seeking the situation. He went to Troy in September, 1835, staying there until 1849, was afterward interested in the agency of the Troy & Schenectady Rail- road in Schenectady. In the winter of 1853, when the four railroads were consoli- dated, he became the freight agent at Troy, and in 1855 removed to Albany, and had charge of the freight department of the New York Central Railroad, coming thence, in 1867, to his present place of residence, hav- ing bought the farm of forty acres left by John Avery, his wife's father. He married January 15, 1835, Mary S. Avery, of Schen- ectady, N.Y., daughter of John and Penelope (Nichols) Avery, formerly of Massachusetts. Mr. Avery was superintendent of a cotton manufactory at Schenectady. He went to the town of Lenox about 1845, and built a good home on this forty -acre farm mentioned above, near the village. He died there in 185s, ^ged sixty-seven years. Mr. and Mrs. Avery had two sons and five daughters, none of whom survive but Mrs. Wemple and her sister, Harriet, the wife of John P. Shaffer, of Canastota, N.Y. The mother resided with Mrs. Wemple until her death. Mr. Avery left property to the value of about fourteen thousand dollars. He was a good business man, straightforward in all his dealings with his fellow-men. In this new home bought by Mr. Abraham A. Wemple the family did not long remain, but went to Troy, where they resided for several years, he being there employed as freight agent for the New York Central Railroad. For nearly twenty years Mr. Abraham Wemple has now been living, retired, at Wampsville, in infirm health. He and his wife have buried four children — one daughter at two and one-half years, a son of four years, a young babe, and a daughter Har- riet, who died in the prime of life, leaving two sons, George A. Lindsay by her first husband, William A. Lindsay, and Willis I. Tuttle by her second husband, Irving Tuttle. The living children of Mr. and Mrs. Wemple are: Mary, wife of Palmer Egleston, who has BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 299 one son, H. Allen Egleston, and one daugh- ter, Ida M. Coburn, wife of Frank D. Co- burn, all of Baltimore, Md. ; Nelson Millard, a railroad employee of Albany, N.Y., who has a wife, one son, and four daughters ; and Lyman A., a merchant and Postmaster of Wampsville, living with his wife — who was Alvina Pendorf, daughter of Paul Pendorf, of Oneida County, New York — at home with his parents. Mr. and Mrs. Wemple are earnest and ener- getic members of the Baptist church, with which they have been connected more than forty years, ever ready to co-operate in all its good work. Politically, Mr. Wemple is a stanch Republican. He has the highest esteem and respect of the community, and even in his retired life has not ceased to give interested attention to the stirring events of the day. fg)7"ENRY O. TURNER was born June 17, 1847, in the town of Fenner, on the farm he now owns and occu- pies. He is of English descent. His grand- father, having been born in Yorkshire, Eng- land, emigrated to this country in 1799, where he settled first in the town of Cazenovia, re- maining but three years there, then moved to the town of Fenner, journeying with ox-teams. He was one of the very first to make his home here. The first mill in this place was called the "Waterville Mill," and was situated on the Chittenango Creek. In this unsettled country Mr. Turner cleared a farm of two hundred acres. He died at the age of fifty- five years. His wife survived him many years, dying at the age of eighty. They reared a family of three sons and one daugh- ter, who have all passed away. Robert, one of the sons of the emigrant, and his wife, Jane (Parkin) Turner, were the parents of our subject. The father was born in the town of Fenner, and in his boyhood attended the district schools. He settled on the ancestral farm in this town about 183 1, where he remained until his death, in 1882, at the age of seventy-six years. He was one of the men who built the turnpike from Caze- novia to Chittenango. On his farm of eighty acres he raised grain and fruits, and also dealt largely in fine stock. His wife was born in England, and was but an infant when her parents came to America. She died in 1891, at eighty-two years of age. To herself and husband were born five sons and one daughter, of whom only three are now living: William, a farmer in Minnesota; DeWitt, living at Baldwinsville, N.Y. ; and our subject, Henry O. The others were: John, a farmer in Min- nesota, who died at the age of fifty-six; Myron, at the age of twenty-five; and Mar- garet, at sixteen years. Henry O. Turner was educated in the town of Fenner, with the exception of a short time of attendance at Cazenovia Seminary. He remained at home until about nineteen years of age, afterward taught school for one winter, and then for a few years worked at various callings. He went to Minnesota, but re- mained there only a short time, when he returned to the State of New York and rented 300 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW land. In 1883 Mr. Turner moved to the old home farm, where he carries on general farm- ing, making hay the main crop. He also manages a dairy of Guernsey cattle. He has a fine, productive farm, on which he has made many improvements, thus placing himself in the first rank of successful agriculturists in the town. In February of 1870 he married Miss Ellen R. Canfield, of Cazenovia Village, daughter of Professor A. B. and Jeannette (Ives) Canfield, both now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Turner have been blessed with two chil- dren : Minnie R., born in 1872; and Robert B., born in 1883. The family attend the Methodist Episcopal church. In the fraternal orders Mr. Turner is con- nected with Farmers' Grange, and is a charter member of Cazenovia Grange, No. 601. He is also Inspector of Elections. In politics he is a Democrat. As an honorable, upright citizen, having many noble qualities of mind and character, he is accorded an unstinted measure of respect. His fireside is always a hospitable gathering - place for his many friends and acquaintances. /^TTlBERT O. SAWDEY, an ener- \pj^ getic and progressive young farmer of Hamilton, was born in this town, Jan- uary 25, 1854. It is supposed that Hamilton was also the birthplace of his father, Calvin Sawdey. His grandfather, supposed to have been a native of Rhode Island, came to this State at an early day in its settlement, and bought a tract of woodland in Hamilton. A hard-working man, he wielded the axe and guided the plough to good purpose. A log cabin, which was for some years the family domicile, was at length replaced by a more commodious frame dwelling. He closed a busy life at a ripe age, amid the scene of his pioneer labors. Calvin Sawdey, being one of several chil- dren of this pioneer household, began life on his own account at an early age, working out on a neighboring farm by the month. Dili- gent and frugal, he saved enough of his earn- ings in the course of a few years to buy a farm in Lebanon. Subsequently selling this land, he bought another farm in Hamilton, where he spent the remainder of his days. He married Betsey Pierce, by whom he had seven children — Alfred, Emily, Leroy, El- dora, Gilbert O., Fred, and Myrtle, Burdette, his eldest born, being a child by his first wife, Emily Shattuck. Attending first the district school of the neighborhood, advancing from that to the Lowell Commercial School at Binghamton, the subject of this biography received an edu- cation sufficiently practical to prepare him well for life. His home training familiarized him betimes with the details of farm manage- ment, practice in which has made him a profi- cient. Not being of a roving disposition, he has remained on the old homestead; and by dint of unwearied toil, by prudence and good calculation, he has been enabled to buy the farm of his father-in-law, Orrumel Hutchins, just over the town line in Sherburne. Here he is engaged in breeding and raising the BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 301 celebrated Holstein Friesian cattle, of which he has one of the finest herds in the Chenango Valley. He takes much pride in showing them to visitors, who are always welcome. He labors not less diligently in improving the estate by planting and by erecting convenient and tasteful buildings than he did in acquir- ing possession. Here, as elsewhere, his wife, whom he mar- ried in 1874, is his zealous and able co- adjutor. Her maiden name was Romelia Hutch ins, and she is a daughter of Orrumel and Angeline Hutchins. The religious con- nections of Mr. and Mrs. Sawdey are with the Methodist Episcopal church, and they are regular attendants on divine worship. Mr. Sawdey does not allow the care -of his farm to engross his entire time and energy, but saves some for social recreation and self-improve- ment, being a member of the society of Grangers and of Earlville Lodge, No. 622, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Politi- cally, he is a Republican. If; 'ILLIAM EUGENE LADD. The Ladd family was one of the earli- est to settle in America. Three brothers of this name came from England on board the "John and Ann" or the "Mayflower," and settled in Haverhill, Mass., in 1633. One of these brothers was Daniel Ladd. Ezekiel Ladd, born September 16, 1654, supposed to be a son of Daniel, married Mary Folsom, of Exeter, N.H. They had four children. Nathaniel Ladd, the youngest son, was born November 12, 1695. Ezekiel Ladd, the sec- ond, supposed to have been the son of Nathaniel Ladd above named, was a member of Captain Charles Morris's company raised for the reduction of Canada in 1747, and served in General Waldo's regiment, and is said to have been poisoned. He had an only son, William Ladd, who was a pilot in the Revolutionary War, and was on Commodore De Grasse's ship in the battle between Rod- ney and De Grasse. He afterward followed whaling, until he came to Duanesburgh, Schenectady County, N.Y. — a town owned by Mr. Duane, an Englishman, from whom it received its name. William Ladd's was the fourth family that settled in the town. He married Elizabeth Vining, of Abington, Mass., November 4, 1766. They had eleven children, five boys and six girls. The eighth child, Lemuel Ladd, grandfather of William Eugene Ladd, was born in Duanesburgh, March 6, 1778. Owning several farms, he spent his life there. He married Phebe Her- rick, and had a family of twelve children, all of whom grew up, and all, with the exception of two, lived to be over sixty years of age. The grandfather and his wife were over seventy years of age at their death. In relig- ious belief they were members of the Baptist church, and in politics he was a Democrat. The parents of our subject were William and Nancy (Koons) Ladd, who were both born in Duanesburgh. Their family con- sisted of two sons. Gilbert W., the elder son, was born June 9, 1840. He married Margaret E. Rogers, of Danube, Herkimer 302 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW County, N.Y., on March ii, 1863. They had two children, Izora M. Ladd and A. Eugene Ladd. He moved to Manlius, Onon- daga County, N.Y., in 1867, and was acci- dentally killed December 11, 1871. He and his wife were members of the Baptist church. The father owned a farm of one hundred and ten acres in his native town, and was what might be termed a general farmer. He died about the age of sixty years, April 5, 1869; and his wife, mother of our subject, died at the home of her younger son, December 11, 1890. They were consistent members of the Baptist church. While the father was a stanch Republican and an active worker in that party, he would never accept office. William Eugene Ladd was born in Duanes- burgh, Schenectady County, N.Y., April 22, 1846. As educational advantages had become vastly improved since the days of his father, he laid the foundation of a good education in the district schools of his native town, going from them to the excellent Normal School at Albany, N.Y., with the intention of follow- ing the vocation of a teacher; but the death of his father unexpectedly changed his plans, and he was obliged to return to his home and take charge of the farm. In 1871 he sold the place, and moved to the town of Manlius, where he resided with his brother for one year, and then went to Chittenango Village, where he remained another year. In 1873 he married Miss Sarah J. Button. (For sketch of her family see history of Charles P Button.) After his marriage Mr. Ladd took up his residence in Fayetteville, Onondaga County, where he was employed as a clerk for two years in the hardware store of Wells & Austin. In 1875 he bought the one-hundred- acre farm he now owns and occupies, of which small grain and hay are the main crops. It is an excellent farm, and, with its good, sub- stantial buildings, as attractive and well ordered as any place in the neighborhood. He has a fine dairy of sixteen head of grade Holstein and other cattle. As a result of industry and enterprise, his farm has come to be classed among the most valuable in the town. To his wife, who has been in every sense a true and loving helpmate, materially assisting him in his labors, he owes much of his present prosperity. They are the happy parents of two children, namely: William C, born in 1874; and Anna E., in 1879 — both of whom are at home. Mr. Ladd in politics is an old and tried member of the Republican party, and one of its most active adherents. Thoroughly American in his views, this love for his coun- try comes directly to him by years of hered- ity; for, as far as he can trace, his ancestors were ever lovers of the cause of freedom, and in the early struggle of the colonies shed their blood for the independence of the nation. He is not, nor has he ever been, an aspirant for public office, but does his duty at the polls simply for his loyalty as a citizen. He and his wife are devout members of the Baptist church, and few in the congregation are more highly esteemed for their religious principles and the exalted aims which animate BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 303 their daily lives than they are. In the fra- ternal orders Mr. Ladd is a member of Chit- tenango Lodge, No. 196, A. O. U. W. ; and both he and his wife are members of Chitte- nango Grange, No. 688, P. of H., also mem- bers of Onondaga County Pomona Grange. ^PjITgENE brown. The manufacture of Jpl butter and cheese' has increased enor- mously during the past thirty years. This is owing doubtless in a great measure to the growth of cities, which is in itself an indi- cation of the increasing wealth of the coun- try. Wealthy people are able to supply themselves, not only with the necessaries of life, but also with such luxuries as their tastes require. The processes of making both these articles have been much improved since the war, and better cheese and better butter are the results. Hence their manu- facture and sale have come to be a very profitable branch of business. Of the many engaged in it in Madison County one of the most successful is the subject of this sketch. Mr. Eugene Brown was born May 5, 1842, in the town of Eaton. He is a son of John H. and Elmina (Tuckerman) Brown. John H. Brown was a son of Chad Brown, a native of Massachusetts, who, desiring to better his fortunes, emigrated from his native State to the State of New York, and was among the first settlers of the town of Eaton, where he followed farming the rest of his life. John H. Brown, also a native of Massachusetts, was a farmer and a dealer in cattle, and was also for some years engaged in the manufact- ure of woollen goods. He reared a family of eleven children, six of whom are still liv- ing, namely: Healy, of Priceville, Madison County; Albert, of the village of Eaton; Jay, of Auburn, N.Y.; Eugene; Noble, of West Eaton; and Frank, living in Eaton. Mr. Brown, the elder, died at the age of eighty- two years, his wife having died previously, at the age of sixty. Eugene Brown was educated in the town of Eaton, and remained at home until he was nineteen years of age. About this time or a little later, animated by patriotic zeal, he enlisted, September 3, 1862, in Company D, One Hundred and Fourteenth New York Vol- unteer Infantry, under Captain Henry B. Morse, and served through the rest of the war, being honorably discharged in June, 1865. Though he participated in a number of battles, he was not injured until the battle of Port Hudson, in which he received a severe wound, from the effects of which he has never fully recovered. From the time of his dis- charge up to 1 87 1 he was variously employed. In that year he became engaged in the manu- facture of cheese and butter, which he still carries on with unusual success. At first his business was not of large proportions ; but in 1892 he made three hundred and fifty thou- sand pounds of cheese and seventy thousand pounds of butter. For the year 1893 the business will exceed that amount, the daily receipts of milk for this summer being twenty-nine thousand pounds. In 1869 Mr. Brown married Delia A. 3°4 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Brown, a native of the town of Eaton, and a daughter of Adon and Rosanna (Tuckerman) Brown, both of whom are still living, and are mentioned more fully in the biographical sketch of George A. Brown elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have had one child, Elma E., born in 1874, and died of consumption, July 31, 1893. Mr. Brown is a member of A. A. Morse Post, No. 268, Grand Army of the Republic, and of Lodge No. 356, A. O. U. W. In politics he is a Democrat, caring not for office. He is a straightforward business man, and commands the respect and confidence of his neighbors to an unusual degree. E I9 ^ROFESSOR NOAH P. GLIDDEN, deceased, formerly a resident of Oneida, and well known throughout a large part of the State of New York, was a son of Leonard Glidden, who was born near Augusta, Me., and was a farmer by occupa- tion. Mr. Leonard Glidden was an indus- trious and worthy citizen, and died when forty-five years of age. He and his wife were the parents of eleven children, all now de- ceased, Noah P. being the fourth in order of age. The subject of this brief biography was born on the farm in Maine, and during his youth remained there, working and attending school as he had opportunity. His inclina- tion and tastes were not in the line of farm- ing; and, having supplemented his common- school education by an academical course, he removed, when of age, to the State of New York, settling first at Hamilton. Being nat- urally inclined to music and having had the advantage of instruction from the celebrated Dr. Lowell Mason, of Massachusetts, he en- gaged in teaching music at Hamilton, and was much more than ordinarily successful in that professron, having both a natural and acquired ability of high order. It did not take long for his fame to spread abroad; and he taught music in Syracvise, Utica, Albany, and in various other towns and cities of the State.. When about twenty-four years of age, he mar- ried Margaret Manuel, a native of Wales, who still lives in Oneida. She belongs to a healthy and vigorous family, and one of con- siderable longevity, her father, David Man- uel, having lived to be eighty-one years old, and her mother, Margaret, to be sixty-seven. Mrs. Glidden has one sister, Ruth, now living with her in her pleasant home on Main Street. Dr. O. A. Glidden, only son of Professor and Mrs. Glidden, a prominent dental surgeon of Syracuse, N.Y., married Miss Mary E. Page, a native of Batavia, N.Y., and has four children, all of whom stand high in the art of music, both vocal and instrumental. They are: Ruth, now Mrs. M. R. Dunton, of Rut- land, Vt., a well-known vocalist; Pauline, now Mrs. E. P. Chapman, Jr., of Oneida, one of the best known and most skilful cornetists in this country, her music having been en- cored at a number of the prominent concert halls in New York City; Mabel, a violinist; and Margaret, a pianist — living at home with their parents. The other child of Professor BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 305 and Mrs. Glidden is a daughter, Emma, wife of William B. Sweet, a farmer of Elbridge, Onondaga County, N.Y., and mother of six children — Margaret, Cyrus, Florence, Wal- ter (deceased), Shirley Paulina, and Ruth. Noah P. Glidden was politically a Republi- can until about 1886, from which time he was an earnest Prohibitionist. Religiously, he was a Baptist. He died December 18, 1891. Few men under the same conditions and sur- rounded by the same circumstances attain to the high position held by the subject of this sketch at the time of his death. He readily adapted himself to the musical tastes and desires of the people, but at the same time always insisted upon a higher standard, and constantly strove to educate them up to that standard. Believing in the importance of right methods and the formation of correct habits of study and practice, his influence among those with whom he came in contact was always for good. True music, according to his idea of that noble art, is in its high- est form an expression of the emotional soul, and links the human with the divine in man. It must, according to his idea, when properly pursued exert an elevating and refining influ- ence, and thus tend to develop a civilization not yet realized, in the course of time pro- ducing such an effect upon mankind, espe- cially if pursued in connection with other arts, as poetry and painting and sculpture, that cruelty and all unkindness will be ban- ished from the earth. It would be well for the world if it had more of such teachers as Professor Glidden. T^HARLES G. CLARK is one of the I Ji numerous representatives of pioneer ^»— -^ families still living in Madison County who have attained a ripe old age. He has been for many years a successful farmer and a well-known citizen of the town of Eaton, in which town he was born, Feb- ruary 14, 18 18, a son of Samuel Clark and his wife Clarissa, both of whom were natives of Vermont. Samuel Clark was a son of James Clark, also a native of the Green Mountain State, a patriot farmer, who fought in the Revolutionary War, bravely performing his part in establishing the independence of the United States, for which service to his fellow-men due honor is paid to his memory. He died in his native State, when a very old man. Samuel Clark was born June 29, 1776, and about 1810 removed with his family, consist- ing of his wife and two children, to Madison County, making the entire journey with teams, that being then the only way to travel across the country. Settling near the village of Eaton on new land which was covered with timber, he erected a log house in the woods, cleared up his land, cultivated bis farm, and lived upon it many years. During the early part of his residence in Madison County Indians still inhabited the country, and the woods were well filled with various kinds of game. For many years after their arrival in this county the family of Mr. Clark, like the families of the other pioneers, were all dressed in homespun clothing, store clothes being, when first introduced, quite a luxury. 3o6 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Clark reared a family of four sons and four daughters, who arrived at mature years, only two of whom still sur- vive, namely: Charles G., the subject of this sketch; and Giles L., who resides on the old home farm one mile south of the village of Eaton, upon which Samuel Clark and his wife both died, the former at the age of eighty- five, the latter at seventy-nine years. Both were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics Mr. Clark was a Republican. Charles G. Clark was educated first in the district schools, and afterward at Cazenovia Seminary. Remaining at home until he was twenty-one years of age, he then began work- ing in a woollen factory situated near the village of Eaton, and was thus engaged four years, at the end of which time he took charge of his father's farm, which he managed with ability and success. In 1846 he married Mary Fuller, a native of Massachusetts, and a daughter of Daniel and Lovisa Fuller. Mr. Clark and his wife have reared a family of three children, namely: Charles F. Clark, M.D., of Omaha, Neb.; Clement L., a rail- road conductor, living at Omaha, Neb. ; and John S., a druggist of the same city. Mr. Clark owns a fine farm of one hundred and forty acres one mile west of the village of Eaton, but has resided in that village since 1876. Mrs. Clark died in 1886, at the age of sixty-two years. She was a member of the Baptist church. Mr. Clark is a Methodist in religion, and in politics a Republican. While never having been an office-seeker, he has been honored by his fellow-citizens by election to the ofifice of Overseer of the Poor, serving in that capacity during the years 1885 and 1886. "ON. EDWARD LOOMIS, M.D., a' ^1 widely known citizen of Oneida, held in much respect for profes- sional skill, for his active interest in matters pertaining to the public good, and for sterling traits of character, one of the early Abolition- ists, was born in Westmoreland, Oneida County, November 8, 1806. While his re- mote ancestors were English, his father, Erastus Loomis, and his grandfather, Nathan- iel Loomis, were natives of Connecticut, where they lived until 1796. In that year the elder Loomis, a shoemaker by trade, accompanied by his wife and children, came to New York, making the journey overland with two pairs of oxen and a horse, bringing provisions, and cooking and camping by the way. Oneida was then included in Herkimer County, and Whitestown and New Hartford were small villages, while Utica had not yet begun to exist. There was no post-office be- tween Whitestown and Cazenovia. Postage- stamps had not come into use, and twelve and a half cents were charged for the delivery of each letter. Buying a tract of land in this wooded wilderness, Nathaniel Loomis built a small log house for immediate occupancy, and proceeded by the usual process of cutting and burning to clear the land for cultivation. In the course of time the primitive log struct- ure was replaced by more elaborate buildings ■ ^^^^^^^^^B^ "^ l^^^^^^^^l ■ ^^^H ^^^^HB^ i^^^^^l ^^^H ^H ^H ^^H HHHHfC ^^^^^^I ^^H ^H jjp "' >jj., iik ^^^1 ^H Hv ^^H| '^^^1 ^^1 ' ^H 1 ^1 HB^SiH K^^^^'-'^B ^M ^^^^^^^^2 av """t^'^H J |^H^^^^^H||pl^^l^4'^ '''^^'f% rti**' ^ Edward Loomis. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 3°9 better adapted to the needs of the household ; and here the parents made their home during the remainder of their lives. Erastus Loorais, a youth of nineteen at the time of the family removal, was far from robust, and unable to do much hard labor, although bred to farm work. There was a newspaper printed at Whitestown ; and he car- ried the mail and papers from Whitestown to Cazenovia, a distance of thirty miles, making the trip on horseback, and delivering them along the route. This was just prior to his erection of a paper mill in the town of West- moreland, the first one built west of Troy; and he was engaged in the manufacture of paper until he reached the age of sixty years, when he sold the mill, and, going back to the old homestead, which in the mean time he had acquired by purchase, again turned his attention to farming. Here he died at the age of seventy-seven years. He married Lucy Demraing, a native of Massachusetts, and daughter of Jonathan Demming. She became the mother of five children — Clark D., James B., Edward, Henry, and Lucy A. Edward Loomis received a district-school education. At the ages of nineteen and twenty years he taught school during the winter season, and the rest of the year worked on the farm. Soon after attaining his major- ity he began the study of medicine at Manlius Four Corners, now Fayetteville. He was graduated from Fairfield College in 1830, and directly entered on the duties of his profes- sion at Lowell. After a few months in that village he removed to Westmoreland, where he was in active practice until 1862, when he joined the United States army, as Surgeon of the One Hundred and Seventeenth New York Infantry. Indefatigable in the dis- charge of his duties, while holding this posi- tion he examined fully three-fourths of the men in the regiment. In May, 1863, he resigned his commission, and, returning to New York, on the loth of June settled in Oneida. Mainly to his philanthropic fore- sight and business enterprise was due the organization in 1866 of the Oneida Savings Bank, which, like other similar institutions honestly conducted, has proved of great bene- fit to the community in promoting habits of economy and thrift. He continues to fill the responsible position of Treasurer, to which he was elected in the beginning. Dr. Loomis married in 1831 Charlotte Buell, who was born in Westmoreland, a daughter of Benjamin Buell. Some time after her death, December 13, 1843, he mar- ried for his second wife Miss A. Jane Meeker, a native of Fairfield, Conn., and born Decem- ber II, 1812. He has had eight children, four by each marriage, all now deceased. He has five grand-daughters living. A Whig in his early manhood, the Doctor past his first Presidential vote for John Quincy Adams. Early impressed with the iniquities of the slave-holding system, he became an ardent Abolitionist, and was for many years a co- worker of Gerrit Smith and other prominent anti-slavery agitators. His experience as a delegate to the Utica convention that was broken up by a mob and adjourned to Peter- 310 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW boro shows that in those days it took men with strong convictions of duty and with something of the martyr spirit to espouse an unpopular cause, however just. The Doctoj and a companion started from Vernon to drive to Peterboro to attend the convention. The object of their journey being known to people who did not approve of it, they were fre- quently hooted at along the route, and at length found their course obstructed by a pole placed across the road about ten inches from the ground. Driving over this without much difficulty, they were pursued by a shower of rotten eggs, with which their car- riage was soon besmeared. Nothing daunted, they kept on their way, and took part in the proceedings of the convention, their ardor in the good cause not in the least cooled by this sort of treatment. The Doctor never cleansed his carriage, but drove over the country in the pursuit of his duties as a physician, carrying without fear the colors that had been given him by his enemies. Safe to say, no one of those early agitators lived to regret the part he took in arousing public sentiment against the perpetuation of African slavery in America. Happy those who, having put their hands to the plough, looked not back till the field was furrowed, the good seed sown, and Freedom's harvest assured. The subject of this sketch was one of the organizers of the Republican party, and has continued a stanch supporter of its principles. He served as a Member of the Assembly in 1858 and 1859, and has since acceptably filled various public ofifices of trust. The Doctor is a fine example of what true manhood, 'temper- ate habits, and upright character can impart to a man. This brief record of his life, accompanied by his portrait, showing him at the age of fourscore, will be appreciated by his many friends. ENRY K. NASH, a prosperous business man of De Ruyter, a dealer in lumber, flour, and feed, was born in Truxton, Cortland County, N.Y., October 24, 1842. His father, Thomas Nash, was born in Lincklaen, Chenango County. His grandfather Joseph Nash, born in North Castle, Westchester County, October 28,1776, was a son of an elder Thomas, a native of Rye, Westchester County, whose father, one James Nash, coming from England to America a young man, having an income of eight hun- dred pounds from an entailed estate, had mar- ried a Mrs. Furman, and settled in that town. Thomas Nash, the elder, was a hatter, who spent his time mostly on custom work. He married Sarah Sniffin, and somewhat later in life removed to Columbia County, where he died. Joseph, son of Thomas, learned his father's trade, and followed it a few years. He married in Columbia County Annie Tripp, daughter of Israel and Sarah (Reynolds) Tripp, who was born in Dutchess County. In 181 1 he moved his family with team to Che- nango County, and bought a tract of land in what is now Lincklaen, a part of it in Madison County, a few acres of it being cleared and BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 311 containing a set of log buildings. After a few years of life in the log house the family moved into a new and commodious frame dwelling. Here he died in his sixty-ninth year, having lived to see teeming harvest fields, smiling villages, and flourishing towns take the place of the forest-covered wilderness of his early days. Of the six children reared in this pioneer family — Lewis, Thomas, Susan, Stephen, Artemas, and Edmund — Lewis is the only survivor at the present time. Thomas, the father of the subject of the present sketch, learned the trade of wagon-making, and later that of carpenter, at which he worked many years in the town of Lincklaen. He removed to De Ruyter some years prior to his death in that town. He married Elinor King, a native of Cuyler, Cortland County, daughter of Stephen and Margaret King, by whom he had three children — Henry K., George H., and Anna, the first-named being the only one now living. Henry K. Nash began his studies in the district school, and finished them at De Ruy- ter Institute. His school-days over, he found employment first in a cheese-box factory, and later at the carpenter's trade. In 1865, at the age of twenty-one, he went to Niles, Mich., where he was employed about a year and a half in a lumber-mill. Returning to New York, he worked in Pitcher, Chenango County, three years and a half. Thence com- ing to De Ruyter, he followed the trade of carpenter till 1887, when he purchased the lumber-yard and feed-mills where he has since continued, doing a thriving business. In 1863 he married Almeda Simonds, daughter of Samuel and Sally Simonds, who was born in Eaton, Madison County, September 18, 1843. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Their home is childless. A Republican in politics, Mr. Nash is too much engaged in business to crave the cares of office; yet he has been recently elected Town Clerk. He is a member of De Ruyter Lodge, No. 692, A. F. & A. M., and De Ruyter Lodge, No. 222, A. O. U. W., and of the Royal Templars of the same place. -AMES CHANCELLOR NEW is one of the oldest residents of Canastota, N.Y., having lived on his present farm for nearly forty years. His birthplace was in Ghent, Columbia County, N.Y., the date being May 7, 1821. His father, Elias New, was a native of the same county, born in 1776, and died in 1847. The grandfather, Jacob P. New, emigrated from Holland, and settled in Columbia County in the early years of its settlement. There were four sons and five daughters in the family, of whom Elias was one of the youngest. Jacob P. New was a farmer in moderate circumstances, and died in Columbia County at a very advanced age. Elias New, the father of our subject, married Miss Ann Ostrander, of Columbia County, daughter of Wilhelmus Ostrander, whose ancestors were early New Englanders. The death of Mr. New left his widow with ten living children, two daughters and eight 312 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW sons, of whom our subject is the ninth child and youngest son. She soon moved to Madi- son County, and resided henceforth near Chit- tenango with her daughter, Mrs. P. W. Smith. Dying there at the age of seventy-three, in 1850, she was buried beside her husband in the old cemetery at Claverack, Columbia County, N.Y. The sons of this large family were all farm- ers; and all spent their lives in Columbia County, with the exception of James, who shortly after his father's death went to Wampsville, where he worked on rented land. He had been reared to farm life and labor, receiving but a limited district-school educa- tion. For some years in his early life he was in the stock business, marketing cattle and sheep in the New York City markets. He was married in the town where he now resides, October 10, 1854, to Elizabeth Huyck, of Kinderhook, Columbia County, N.Y., daughter of Jacob P and Maria (Harder} Huyck. Mr. and Mrs. New have resided all their wedded life on their farm of about one hundred acres, which he bought in 1853, paying fifty dollars per acre. There were poor buildings and few appliances on it at that time; but Mr. New set to work and built his present beautiful home, with conven- ient barns, stables, and sheds, and all the modern improvements which serve to make farm life to-day so much less irksome and more attractive than in the olden time. One daughter and four sons have been born to this excellent couple; namely, Edwin James, Augusta Maria, Frank Ellsworth, Clarence Huyck, and William S. Edwin is connected with the railroad at Canastota, is married, but has no children. Augusta, un- married, resides at home. Frank is engaged in railroad business at Grand Rapids, Mich., and is married. Clarence, unmarried, is en- gaged as a printer at Niagara Falls. Will- iam S., single, lives at home on the farm. While none of them are college graduates, they have all received excellent education, and are well-informed, intellectual members of society. Mr. New and wife and the most of his children are members and supporters of the Presbyterian church of Canastota, of which Mr. New is an elder and an active worker in the affairs of the church. Polit- ically, Mr. New is a Democrat, the candi- dates of that political party always finding in him a warm advocate and steadfast adher- ent. In their long lives in Canastota Mr. and Mrs. New have shown themselves true Christian people and admirable neighbors, and their sterling qualities have endeared them to their fellow-citizens. *••• > r^DON L. PALMER, now deceased, was a representative of one of the pioneer families of Madison, — a family which traces its history back through several genera- tions in New England. The ancestry of Mr. Palmer was not only closely identified with the general history and development of the New England States, but also actively and prominently concerned in the struggle for the independence of the American colonies; and, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 313 if ancestral pride is ever justifiable, it is where a long line of ancestors has been dis- tinguished for both honor and patriotism, as is the case with this family. It is believed that Walter Palmer was the first of the race to settle in what is now the United States; but Gurdon L. Palmer traced his lineage back to Samuel Palmer, who settled in Connecticut at the close of King Philip's War. The tract of land upon which he established himself in that State was con- tinuously in the possession of the Palmer family until 1881. Joseph Palmer, the grand- father of Gurdon L., and his son, Seth, both served in the Revolutionary War. The former, who was quite old at the time, and unable to perform active service in the field, was set to guard' stores and ammunition; but Seth performed active duty as a soldier in the army. Joseph Palmer died on his farm in Connecticut, at the age of ninety-six. Calvin Palmer, another son of Joseph, was the father of Gurdon L., and was a native of Windham County, Connecticut. Gurdon L. Palmer was born in New Lon- don County, Connecticut, May 2, i8oi. Re- maining in his native State until seventeen years of age, he then came to New York State, locating in Edmeston, Otsego County, where he resided two years. Removing then to Madison County, he settled in the town of Lebanon, one and a half miles from the vil- lage of Eaton, where his father, Calvin, died, at the age of seventy-seven years. Gurdon L. Palmer purchased fifty-seven acres of land for his first farm, upon which he resided twenty years, when he removed to the Robert Stew- art farm of one hundred and sixty acres, and lived thereon eight years. In 1861 he finally removed to the farm of eighty acres upon which his widow and daughter now reside, and where he died, November 22, 1877. During his entire life in Otsego and Madison Counties Mr. Palmer was a highly respected citizen, an honest, faithful man. March 4, 1831, he married Miss Anrietta Brown, who was born October 4, 1805, in the town of Eaton, and whose parents, Samuel and Mary Brown, were both natives of the same school district, though of separate States, the district including portions of both Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Samuel Brown settled in the town of Eaton in 1804, at a time when wild beasts and Indians inhabited the country. The Indians and the pioneers usually lived on terms of peace and friendship, and it was frequently the case that Mr. Brown had red men sleeping round his fireplace. Occasionally, though, as was also true of the pioneers themselves, differences and disagreements led to personal encounters, as when the notorious Indian chief Antoine, who was afterward hanged for his many crimes, was horsewhipped by Mr. Brown for having attempted, in a drunken fit on one Fourth of July, to stab a neighbor, Mr. Nathan Wick- ware. It is said that Mr. Brown was the only man, white or red, that this savage chief ever feared. Samuel Brown and his wife reared six children that grew to mature years. Mrs. Palmer and her sister, Mrs. Mary Petrie, of Herkimerville, widow of Aaron Petrie, are 314 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW the only ones now living. Mr. Brown died in Herkimer County, at the age of eighty- four, his wife having died in Eaton, Madison County, at the age of thirty-seven. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Palmer has continued to reside upon the farm and to manage it, with the assistance of her daugh- ter Mary, the only one of her three children now living at the home. The others are: Helen A., born May 13, 1833, now the wife of Samuel Brown, living at Morrisville Sta- tion; Albert G., born October 20, 1834, and residing at Marshall, Calhoun County, Mich; Mary B., born June 9, 1843. Mrs. Palmer is one of the oldest inhabitants of the town of Eaton, has always been a good and true wife, mother, and a kind neighbor, and, though now in her eighty-eighth year, is still an active and intelligent woman, retaining her faculties to a remarkable degree. EUGENE SPENCER. This gentle- man is a well-to-do retired farmer, residing at Wampsville on his fine homestead of thirty acres. He was born in Canastota in 1825, and comes of good old New England stock, his grandfather, General I. S. Spencer, having been born in 1780 in Sheffield, Mass., and reared in Great Barring- ton of that State, where his brothers and sis- ters were born. General Spencer was well educated, and became an eminent lawyer. He married Miss Polly Pearson at Alford, Mass., in 1801. They came to Madison County in 1802; and the wife survived her husband for many years, dying at Wamps- ville, February 19, 1865, when she was over eighty years of age. During her early life Mrs. Spencer was thrown much in the com- pany of the Oneida Indians. She spoke their language fluently, and was regarded by them as a benefactress. Her children were three sons and one daughter, namely: Julius A., father of our subject; Frederick R., an artist of much ability, who resided in New York City and attained great celebrity, afterward retiring to his farm at Wampsville, where he died at an advanced age; Charles A., an opti- cian of excellent reputation in Canastota, whose son is now a manufacturer of optic glasses in Buffalo, N.Y.; Caroline, who mar- ried A. A. Bradley, of Little Falls, where she lived and died. Julius A. Spencer, our subject's father, was born at Quality Hill, near Canastota, in the year 1802. His wife was Miss Lucy K. Plumb, of Middletown, Conn. To this mar- riage there were four children born: J. Eugene; Oscar, who was a hardware merchant in New York City, and died at the age of sixty; Josephine, widow of Roscoe McCon- nell, who was a silk merchant of New York City, and has one son living; the fourth child died when an infant. Mrs. Spencer died at Utica, N.Y., a short time previous to the death of her husband. J. Eugene Spencer spent the greater part of his youth in Utica, N.Y., and received an excellent education in the high school of that place. He was a clerk for a few years after leaving school, and later became BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 315 engaged in railroad and express business, which he followed for many years. His first marriage was in 1862, with Miss Jennie N. Hoffman, of Fort Plain, Montgomery County, N.Y She died a few years after- ward, leaving no children. Mr. Spencer married in 187 1 Mrs. Harriet M. Corey, whose maiden name was Spence, although she was not akin to him. In 1874 Mr. and Mrs. Spencer moved to Wampsville, Madison County, where he bought a farm with a hand- some house and ample barns thereon, paying the round sum of ten thousand dollars for the property. For many years Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Spencer lived in this large pillared and por- ticoed house which he bought with the farm; but in 1888 he built his present elegant home, where they now live, surrounded with every needed luxury and comfort. The road that runs in front of their residence is the oldest in this region, if not in the whole State, being the "old trail" of the Six Nations from Albany to Buffalo. In the twilight hour one can easily imagine the first occupants of the land flitting along, in their paint and feathers, to interview the "white Father," and seek redress for their wrongs from the head of the government. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer have no children; but their hospitable home is always open to the young people of the village, who find the cheer of sympathy with their pursuits and pleasures in this genial couple, who have never allowed themselves to grow old in heart, even if advanced in years. Mr. Spen- cer is a member of the fraternal orders in high standing, being a Royal Arch Mason, and having occupied the several chairs of Odd Fellowship. He and his wife are attendants of the Episcopal church, with which they have been connected since early childhood. Politically, Mr. Spencer is a Democrat, and in his life of retired ease follows with much interest the progress of the party of which he proudly claims himself to be a supporter. (5 "Thomas p. PARKER, deceased. The (^1 memoir of this estimable man is fur- nished, as a mark of filial love, by his daughter Jennie. He was born in Stock- bridge, Madison County, N.Y., in 1827. His long line of ancestors date farther back than the Revolutionary War, and were early colonists in Connecticut. His great-grand- father was Gamaliel Parker, a patriot soldier; and his grandfather, Joel Parker, was reared and married in Connecticut, where he lived until the winter of 1804-5, emigrating then to New York State, accompanied by his wife and infant son. The journey was made over- land with oxen and sled, and all their house- hold effects were brought with them. He settled in what is now the town of Stock- bridge, and it is said that there were only two white families in the vicinity at that time. Mr. Parker bought a tract of timbered land, and commenced at once to fell trees and lay out a farm. On the edge of this clearing he built his little log cabin; and, surrounded with the primeval forest, whose silence was 3i6 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW only broken by the stealthy tread of the prowling Indian or the scaring cry of the panther, the young 'husband and wife started their new home. Those pioneer women must indeed have had strong nerves and a still stronger faith. After residing on this place for many years, they sold it, and removed to Georgetown, Madison County, where they bought a farm, and resided there until the death of Mr. Parker, at the age of seventy-two years. The maiden name of his wife, who was from New Haven, Conn., was Alba Cinda Bunnel. She lived to be eighty-seven years old, having reared ten of her fourteen children. Chester G, Parker, the father of the subject of our present sketch, was the eldest child of this pioneer couple, and was but a few months old when he was brought to New York State, having been born in 1804. His child- hood days were the very rough ones of pioneer life, his only playmates the stolid little Ind- ians, who looked on the white child as some- thing almost supernatural. When old enough to learn a trade, he adopted that of carpenter, and followed it for a time. He then went to Stockbridge to reside, and married Miss Electa Park, who was born in Smithfield, Madison County, daughter of Barney and Fanny (Hiscock) Park, natives of Connecticut and pioneers of Smithfield. A few years after his marriage Mr. Parker went to Cicero, Onondaga County, and there followed the trade of cooper and did some farming for ten years. He returned to Stockbridge in 1838, and in 1848 bought twenty-two acres of land in the town of Lenox, adding to it from time to time, and lived there until his death, Octo- ber 12, 1 88 1. Seven children were reared by them — Franklin E., Fanny L., Thomas P., Ruth A., Betsey E., George W., Harriet F The mother died July 9, 1883. Thomas P. Parker, the second son of Ches- ter G. and Electa (Park) Parker, followed gen- eral farming and hop-raising. He married Miss Hettie Haskin, who was born in Sulli- van, Madison County, where her father gave her such opportunities as offered of acquiring a good education. After marriage her hus- band bought a farm in the town of Lenox, two and one-half miles south of the village of Oneida. On this he erected substantial frame buildings, improved the place greatly, and resided there for the rest of his life. He died in 1877, at the age of forty-nine years. His wife survived him sixteen years, dying May 20, 1893, aged fifty-seven. They had buried two sons. Jay A. and Frank H. The family were members of the Methodist church, and the father was a Republican in politics. Miss Jennie M. Parker, daughter of Thomas and Hettie (Haskin) Parker, was born on her father's farm in Lenox, and here continues to make her home. Her maternal great-grand- parents were Paul and Patience (Tripp) Gif- ford. They came from Massachusetts with her maternal grandparents, Daniel A. Haskin and Anna R. (Gifford) Haskin, in 1828. They travelled via the Long Island Sound, Hudson River, and Erie Canal, settling first in Sullivan, before there was any Oneida Vil- lage and when there were but very few log BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 317 houses at Oneida Castle. They were pos- sessed of considerable means when they came to this part of the county, which they did not fail to increase by judicious investments. The great-grandmother died in her ninety- fifth year, in July, 1877, in Massachusetts, having buried her husband some years before. Grandfather Haskin died August 16, 1889, aged eighty-four. The farm on which Miss Parker lives comprises twenty-four acres, eight of which are devoted to hop-raising — a branch of husbandry which has been carried on by the family for some years. She main- tains the place in excellent order, and her beautiful home and pleasant surroundings are as attractive as any in the town. Finely edu- cated both in literature and music. Miss Parker fills her place in society with grace and dignity, and gives good evidence in her daily life of the eminent lineage of which she may well be proud. M. AYLESWORTH, Esq., an hon- ored resident of Leonardsville, some time District Attorney of Madison County, was born January 23, 1841, in Burlington, Otsego County, N.Y. The pa- ternal grandfather of this distinguished legal advocate, Elhanan Aylesworth, who was born in Providence, R.I., August 31, 1772, when be came to the State of New York, stopped for a short time at Hoosick, near Albany, N.Y., proceeding thence by ox-team to Burl- ington, N.Y., where he began a clearing in the forest, and there made his home until the time of his death, October 17, 1857. The ancestors of the family were originally from England. The father, named Perry, was reared on the farm, but received an academic education, and early developed a taste for literature. He had also a natural bent for mechanics. Hav- ing no inclination for agricultural pursuits, he did comparatively little in that line. He was married March 29, 1836, to Miss Luna Norton DeLong, daughter of James DeLong. She reared three children: Homer E., who died in 1886; our subject; and Nelson O. At the time of marriage Mr. Perry was en- gaged in teaching, which vocation he followed for some years. Later he returned to the farm, and took care of his parents in their last days. The year of his death he had been on a visit to Illinois, and on his return home unfortunately fell from the train at Thorold, near Niagara Falls, C.W., and was instantly killed. This was indeed a tragic ending for this gifted gentleman. He at one time held a license to exhort in the Methodist church, but on account of the opposition of his fam- ily did not take up the ministry as a calling. The mother is still living, at the age of eighty-three. Our subject remained at home until his fif- teenth year, having finished a course at the public schools and at the Cooperstown Semi- nary. At that age he went out to Central Illinois, and commenced teaching at a place four miles from Springfield. This school was composed of eighty-six scholars, and had the reputation of having the "hardest" set of 3i8 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW boys in that section, whose exploits in run- ning the school were the talk of the country. For one so young the new preceptor developed remarkable ability as a teacher, both in gov- ernment and in the art of imparting knowl- edge, and won laurels for himself which brought him into prominence. He was prob- ably the youngest teacher who had ever man- aged so unruly a public school, compelling obedience and commanding the respect of his pupils as well. After teaching in this coun- try in various schools for some years, he fi- nally returned to Otsego County, New York, where he resumed his studies at the Cazenovia Seminary and at Cooperstown Seminary. He was also a private pupil under Professor Homer Anderson, A.M. . Having made up his mind to become a lawyer, he first entered the office of George S. Graham, of Burlington Green. Finishing his course of study with S. S. Morgan, of West Winfield, N.Y., he was admitted to the bar in October of 1865, the general term at Syracuse, N.Y. He opened an office in Bridgewater, N.Y., where he remained one year. He then went to Brookfield, N.Y., for a short time, and in the fall of 1867 removed to New Berlin, N.Y., entering into partner- ship with Hon. Henry Bennett, one of the most gifted lawyers of his day, who had just retired from a successful Congressional career, and continued with him until the death of Mr. Bennett, and then practised alone and in partnership with Hon. H. H. Harrington until 1873, when he retired from active work for a year. In 1875 he went to Leonards- ville, where he has since remained. During three years of this time he was District Attor- ney of Madison County, and discharged the responsible duties of that important office with marked ability and success. At twenty years of age Mr. H. M. Ayles- worth married Miss Lucinda Bradley, daugh- ter of Horatio Bradley, of Hartwick, Otsego County, N.Y. They have one son, Elmer B., and one daughter, Minnie E. Elmer B. mar- ried Miss Grace Sampson, and has two chil- dren. Minnie E. is a graduate of Cazenovia Seminary and the Utica Conservatory of Music, and is now at the head of the Musical Department of Downer College at Fox Lake, Wis. This young lady has achieved consider- able reputation as an elocutionist, and is also attracting attention in musical composition, in which she shows great ability. The wife of Mr. Aylesworth died July 17, 1887, deeply regretted by her large circle of friends and mourned with intense grief by her husband and family. Mr. Aylesworth is as skilled in literature as in the law, and many exquisite bits of poetry have emanated from his facile pen. He takes a front rank in the Masonic Order, having been a member since 1865. He has been Master of Western Star Lodge, No. 15, and is now a member of Phoe- bus Lodge, No. 82, of New Berlin; Warren Chapter, No. 22; and Norwich Commandery, No. 46. The record of this gentleman is truly interesting and instructive. Beginning the world for himself at the age of fifteen, he has battled successfully with the difficulties of life, he has won recognition as a man of BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 319 letters and advanced culture, while as a legal advocate he stands admittedly at the head of the bar in his county. 'MITH K. HYATT, an estimable citizen of the town of Fenner, was born in Connecticut, August 21, 1824, son of Charles and Rachel (Smith) Hyatt. His father was born in Litchfield County, Connecticut, and his mother in West- chester County, New York. The grandfather, Abajai Hyatt, was a native of Connecticut, and a farmer in that place. Of this grand- father who went to Madison County and bought land in the town of Nelson, a full history is given in our sketch of Hon. Francis A. Hyatt, published in this book. Charles Hyatt married in his native State, and with his wife and three children came to Madison County, settling in the town of Fenner in 1827, where he bought a farm and made their home. The land was new, and a great portion of it covered with thick forest. It was hard labor to fell those trees, clear the land, and to lay out the farm ; but the virgin soil was productive, and readily yielded grain and fruits to the work of the husbandman. The place was a home, even though in a com- parative wilderness; and, though the neigh- bors were few and far between, he had comfort in the society of his wife and children, who made his rural fireside happy. Here three more children were born, making a family of six, who were in the following order: Jane Ann, who became the wife of John Wilson, and died at the age of sixty; Smith K.; John H.; Mary E., widow of Charles Allen; Charles, Jr.; and Helen, Mrs. Summers Hill. Mr. Hyatt held some minor ofifices in the Democratic party. In his religious views he was a Methodist. Smith K. Hyatt was but three years of age when his parents settled in the town of Fenner. The rudimentary education of the district school was all that he was able to obtain; but he made the best use of his lim- ited opportunities, and at least laid a sub- stantial foundation for the fund of information which he has since acquired by experience and observation, which has proved in his case even more valuable than that obtained by books. He assisted his father in the farm work until he started out for himself by get- ting a wife and setting up a home of his own. The farm which he bought at first consisted of seventy-two acres, but has been added to until it has reached two hundred acres. Like the majority of the farmers of the county, he raises grain and fruits, and also deals largely in full-blooded cattle, and has a fine dairy. The buildings and improvements on his place are first-class, everything being neat, com- pact, and of modern construction. He is « practical farmer, and is a leader instead of a follower in the ranks. He married September 11, 1849, Miss Clarinda Woodworth, who was born in 1831 in the town of Fenner, daughter of George Woodworth, one of the early settlers of Madi- son County. Mrs. Hyatt died in April, 1890, at the age of fifty-nine years. An 320 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW estimable woman, a good and faithful wife and mother, beloved and respected, her death was mourned by a large circle of relatives and friends. She left six children: Ida M., Mrs. John Harter, residing in the town of Sullivan; J. Wilson, a farmer in the town of Fenner; Newell W., also a farmer of that town; Lee, living in Oneida; Eddy, residing in Cortland; Rachel, living at home. Mr. Smith K. Hyatt is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party, and has held several local offices in the town, among them that of Assessor for three years. An upright, honor- able, conscientious man, he has the confi- dence and esteem of his fellow-citizens, irrespective of creed or party. KEANDER W. BURROUGHS, though comparatively a young man, has met —i"^ with unusual success in life, both as a farmer and as a hop merchant, his loca- tion in Morrisville being especially favorable for the buying and selling of hops, as New York is probably the leading State in the Union in hop culture, and Madison, more- over, one of its most productive counties. Mr. Burroughs was born in the town of Stockbridge, Madison County, January 21, 1845, a son of William Burroughs, who was born in Lincklaen, Chenango County, N.Y., April 20, 1 8 14. William Burroughs, being very young at the time of the death of his father, was reared by his mother and his step- father on the farm, and while growing to manhood learned the cooper's trade. In 1834 he went to Cicero, Onondaga County, where in company with his brother-in-law, Andrew Parker, he purchased a large tract of land, and engaged in farming there uiitil 1837, when, selling their land, they returned to Madison County, bought another large tract in Stock- bridge Valley, and there engaged in dairy farming. They also established a cooper shop and a cheese-box factory, and operated a saw-mill and a grist-mill, all of which is evidence of the enterprise and business capac- ity of the two gentlemen. After continuing in partnership until 1855, they divided their stock and lands, Mr. Burroughs remaining on his farm until his death in February, 1880. William Burroughs married Laura Parker, who was born in what is now the town of Stockbridge, April 16, 181 3, and lives at the present time in Pratt's Hollow in the town of Eaton, past eighty years of age, bright and cheerful, a Methodist in religion. She was a daughter of Joel Parker, who was born in Wallingford, Conn., and was a son of Gama- liel Parker, supposed to have been a life- long resident of that place. The wife of Gamaliel Parker was Martha Parker, no rela- tive, though of the same name. She sur- vived her husband many years, and spent her last days in the State of New York. Joel Parker, the maternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, after living in his native State until 1805, emigrated, together with his wife and one child, to the State of New York, making the journey overland by means of ox-teams, bringing with him all his earthly possessions, and being three weeks on BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 321 the way. Settling in what was then Oneida County, now Madison County, and remaining there ten or eleven years, he then bought a tract of land in the town of Stockbridge, now known as the True farm, which he occu- pied some years, and then exchanged it for one in Stockbridge Valley, to which he re- moved. For many years after his arrival in the State of New York there were neither canals nor railroads; and Albany, one hun- dred miles distant, was the nearest market for the surplus products of his farm and the near- est depot of supplies. The people lived prin- cipally upon what they raised on their farms ; and the grandmother of Mr. Burroughs, dur- ing her early married life, was accustomed to card and spin, and weave the cloth from which she afterward made the clothing for her family. Selling his valley farm, Mr. Parker removed to Georgetown, and there sojourned till he died in a good old age. His wife, whose maiden name was Albacinda Bunnell, was born in Connecticut. She spent her last years with her children, and died at an ad- vanced age. The parents of the subject reared seven children; namely, Laperla, Lois S., Celinda B., Almina, Leander W., Lorenzo J., and Ella M., all of whom are living but Laperla and Almina. Leander W. Burroughs received his early education in the district schools, and after- ward attended Hamilton union schools three years. Having reached his majority, he bought one hundred and thirty-five acres of land in the town of Smithfield, and engaged in general farming and in the culture of hops. Being successful in both lines, he at different times bought other lands, until at one time he owned over three hundred acres. Remain- ing on his farm, engaged as stated, until De- cember, 1882, he then removed to the village of Morrisville, where he has since resided, owning eight acres in the village and fifty acres one mile to the south. November 6, 1867, he married Emogene Adams, who was born in Sullivan, Madison County. Her father, the late George Adams, was a native of Herkimer County and a son of Dudley Adams. George Adams was well educated in his youth, and for some years taught school, but during a great part of his life was chiefly engaged in agricultural pursuits. He died in Cazenovia in December, 1882, three months after the death of his wife, in Septem- ber of the same year. The maiden name of Mrs. Adams was Mary Forbes. Mrs. Burroughs is a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church. In politics Mr. Bur- roughs is a Republican. He has been hon- ored by his fellow-citizens by election to various offices, having represented the town of Smithfield on the County Board of Super- visors three terms, and having served as Sheriff of Madison County one full term, from 1888 to 1 89 1. Fraternally, Mr. Bur- roughs is a Mason, holding membership in Morrisville Lodge, No. — . He has been frequently called upon to represent his party in county. Congressional, and State conven- tions. He takes an active interest in local public affairs, always contributing liberally to the support of enterprises wisely planned to 322 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW promote the common weal. He has been for about eight years a working member of the Madison County Hop-growers' Association, being a leader in all matters pertaining to this great local industry, the culture of hops. -OHN T. WHITNEY, a representa- tive citizen of Madison County and a descendant of one of the pioneer fam- ilies, was born August i, 1815, in the town of Madison. The genius of the Whitney family is in the line of business rather than in that of agriculture or the professions, and its members have long been known as strictly honorable men and successful merchants. Mr. John T. Whitney is a son of Edward and Mary (Furness) Whitney, the first mentioned of whom was born in Northampton, Mass., August I, 1788, and the second near Worces- ter, Mass., August 15, 1793. They were married November 22, 18 14, in the town of Madison, Madison County, N.Y. Edward Whitney was a son of Nathan and Hannah Whitney. His father was born in Connecticut, June 2, 1762, and was a shoe- maker in his early days; and his mother was born in the same State, November 7, 1765. She died February 7, and her husband June 7, i860. They were the parents of eight chil- dren, and were members of the Episcopal church. In politics he was a Democrat. Edward Whitney came to the State of New York when a young man; and, having re- ceived a good education in his native State, he followed book-keeping and teaching for a number of years in New York, exercising the latter profession in Madison County, and was afterward engaged in the mercantile business until his death, which occurred December 9, 1863. He and his wife reared two children, John T. and Maria, the last-named of whom was born in 181 7, married William Manches- ter, and died October 10, 1848. Mrs. Whit- ney, the mother of these two children, died April 27, 1865. She was a member of the Episcopal church. John T. Whitney received his education in the district schools, and at the early age of eleven years began life for himself, entering the employ of a mercantile house in New York City, staying there three years, and then go- ing to Steuben County, New York. At seven- teen years of age he removed to the village of Eaton, worked for a time in the general store of Ellis Coman, saved his money, and at length purchased an interest in the business. Remaining thus engaged in business for himself for some time, he at length sold his interest, and took charge of the store of Mr. A. Morse, remaining in this responsible posi- tion twenty-six years, at the same time acting as clerk and book-keeper for Mr. Morse's woollen factory. Mr. Whitney is a Democrat in politics, and has taken a prominent part in public affairs. He was Postmaster nine and a half years, and had charge of the post-office twenty-one and a half years. He also served for three years as Superintendent of the Poor, and as Town Clerk for some seven years. Mr. Whitney was married March 16, 1869, to Mary Groves, who was born June 15, 18 19, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 323 in the town of Lebanon. She was first mar- ried, at the age of twenty-eight years, to Samuel Sherman, a native of New England, a farmer, the latter part of whose life was spent in the town of Eaton, N.Y., and whose death was on March 11, 1854. Mrs. Whit- ney's parents, John and Persis Groves, were natives of Brimfield, Mass., whence they emi- grated to Madison County in 1862. Her father, a successful farmer, died at the age of sixty-two years, her mother having passed away a few years previously. Mrs. Whitney holds in her own right a farm in Madison County, and also some prop- erty in the village of Eaton. Mr. and Mrs. Whitney are now among the oldest inhabi- tants of the village of Eaton. They are people of intelligence and of influence in society, and have the good will and esteem of a large circle of friends and acquaintances. KRANK H. MAYER, of Oneida, dealer in coal, feed, hay, and straw, is one of the successful men of the village, having built up a prosperous business, and is now enjoying a good trade and possessing the confidence of the people to an unusual extent, notwithstanding there are other firms which are older in the business than he. He is a kind-hearted and accommodating man, has an excellent coal-yard, and fills orders promptly and in a satisfactory manner. Augustus H. Mayer, the father of the sub- ject of this sketch, was born in Germany, and came to the United States in 1853. He at first worked in the Allen House in the village of Oneida, and afterward was employed at Durhamville. He married Caroline Beck, Frank H., the subject of this sketch, being their only child. He was a bright and intel- ligent boy, and had good opportunities for securing an education in school. His sound, practical knowledge of his own business, and his acquaintance with the history of his coun- try, have been obtained by his own endeavors and by his own accurate observation. When only nine years old, Frank H. Mayer began to drive a team on the tow-path of the canal, and was thus employed until he was fourteen, when he was promoted to steering the boat. He worked continuously on the canal for twenty-two years. He then bought a half-interest with Clark & Harvey, coal- dealers in Durhamville, soon mastering the details of the business, and two years later bought out his partners. In this business he continued four years alone, and then sold a half-interest. Leaving his partner in Dur- hamville to manage the business there, he himself removed to Oneida, and established the yard and business in which he is now engaged, being in Oneida the sole proprietor of his business, and still retaining the one- half interest in the business at Durhamville. At the time of his removal to Oneida, in 1892, he was thirty-four years old; and in this comparatively short period of time he has made a remarkable record as a business man. He married Helen Sipp, by whom he has three children; namely, Lucile, Frank, and August Harold. Politically, Mr. Mayer is 324 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW a Republican and a careful observer of the tendency of political thought and movement. His business now being established on a firm basis, he intends to make the pleasant village of Oneida a permanent home. Besides estab- lishing his business on a solid foundation, he has also established his own character and reputation as an honest, straightforward busi- ness man, and has the pleasure and satisfac- tion of living in a community in which he has the confidence of all. W^^ ILLIAM SMITH is an old and ighly respected resident of Hamil- ton, and one of its thrifty, prosperous farmers. The fine and well-irpproved farm that he lives upon, and of which he is now the sole owner, has been his home from his birth, which occurred September 15, 1830. He comes of good Revolutionary stock, his grand- father having fought in the great war that freed this country from English dominion. Nehemiah Smith, a pioneer of this region, father of William, was born in Colchester, Conn. After attaining manhood, he came to New York with some of his neighbors, jour- neying hither with an ox-team through the wilderness, where they had to find their way a part of the time by means of blazed trees. Mr. Smith bought a tract of timbered land in Hamilton, which he afterward developed into a good farm, the same that our subject lives upon. Six acres of the land were cleared when it came into his possession, and a part of a house stood on the clearing. He had learned the trade of carpenter, and was profit- ably employed at that for several years. Both he and his wife died on the old homestead. She was a daughter of a Revo- lutionary soldier, Hubbard by name The following are the names of her seven chil- dren: Tryon, the eldest; Emeline; Elijah; Sarah; Elmira; Gates; and William. The youngest son, whose name stands at the head of this sketch, attended the public schools in his boyhood ; and his education was further supplemented by a thorough train- ing in all that goes to make a good farmer. He inherited a part of the old homestead ; and, ambitious to own the whole of it, he worked hard until he had the wherewithal to buy the remainder of the other heirs. His pleasant, well-kept place shows everywhere the marks of industry, thrift, and good man- agement. Mr. Smith has not been without the assistance of an able helpmate through the years of toil that have passed, as by his mar- riage in i860 with Miss Amanda C, daugh- ter of Richard and Anna Estes, he secured an inestimable wife, who has faithfully co-oper- ated with him in -his work. They have one daughter, who married her cousin, Richard Estes, and is the mother of three children: Willie L., the eldest; Annie; and Marion. The mother of the wife of our subject was a daughter of Stephen and Molly Austin. She was born in New Hampshire, and came with her people at an early day to Jefferson County in this State. She lived to be ninety-four years old. Mr. Smith has been ever mindful of his D. A. WiLLCOX. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 327 duties as a husband, father, neighbor, and citizen, and has always led an ujiright life. Both he and his wife are esteemed members of the Baptist church, and contribute cheer- fully to its support. He was formerly identi- fied with the Order of Odd Fellows. Politi- cally, he is with the Republicans. M E FOREST A. WILLCOX, an en- terprising business man, and a member of the County Board of Supervisors, representing the town of Lebanon, was born in Smyrna, Chenango County, De- cember 4, 1837. His father, Alfred Willcox, a natural mechanic, working at saw and grist mills, came, when young, to New York from Massachusetts, his native State, with other members of his family, going first to Leb- anon, then to Smyrna, afterward moving to Earlville, where he died at fifty-eight years of age. He married Louisa Brown, daughter of Peleg Brown, who died at the home of the subject of this sketch at the advanced age of seventy-eight years, having reared to maturity seven of her eight children — A. Devalson, A. Delina, De Forest A., Delora, Derius, Delphurna, and Delano. De Forest A. Willcox received his early education, his instruction in book learning, in the public schools of Smyrna. At four- teen years of age he adopted the calling of a miller. Thoroughly mastering the trade, he followed it — a first-class miller — for many years, the latter part of the time being propri- etor of a mill at Earlville. In 1887 he be- came associated with J. R. Parsons in the manufacture of the now famous low-down milk and general delivery wagon. The firm began business in a small way, erecting a building twenty by twenty-four feet, three stories in height, and employing three men. Success did not immediately follow the new enter- prise. The wagon, not being perfected, proved less serviceable than it had promised to be, and failed to find favor with the public; and the business was run at a loss for two years. It was then that Mr. Willcox set his wits at work to improve upon Mr. Parsons's invention. As a result, the wagon which the company is now turning out is in large and constantly increasing demand. Additions have been made to the original building, which is now forty by one hundred and four feet, three stories in height, with a two- storied wing, twenty by thirty feet. Besides this, the old mill has been turned into a workshop ; and the company have in their employ from eighty to one hundred men. In 1 89 1 an electric dynamo was put in, to light the buildings by electricity, Mr. Will- cox's son, Walter D., taking full charge of this department. In the fall of 1892, it being found that increased facilities for light- ing were needed, the plant then in use was sold to St. Johnsville parties, and the present plant put in its place. Walter Willcox con- tinues its successful manager, supplying with light many of the citizens of the village as well as the corporation. Mr. Willcox married in i860 Sylvia T. Scarrett, daughter of James and Polly (Wool- 328 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW bridge) Scarrett, who was born in Smyrna, Chenango County. They have one child liv- ing, Walter D., who was born June 23, 1869, and married January i, 1890, to Nellie A. Booth. She was born in South Hamilton, N.Y., daughter of J. F. and Hannah F. Booth. The only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Willcox, Mattie D., died at the age of thirteen years. Mr. Willcox is Republican in politics. He was chosen Supervisor in 1888, and has been elected his own successor every year since. He has served on various committees, and has been the efficient chairman of some of the most important of them. He is a member of Earlville Lodge of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. The excellent portrait of Mr. Willcox which accompanies this biographical sketch is espe- cially noteworthy from the fact that it pre- sents the features of a representative business man, who is, in addition, a practical and skilled mechanic of inventive ingenuity, and who by his past record has won the respect and confidence of his fellow-citizens, as mani- fested by his repeated election to the public offices above mentioned. That he may long enjoy the high position he holds in his com- munity will be the sincere wish of his many •friends and admirers. HILO WALDEN, a successful busi- ness man of the village of West Eaton and a representative of one of the pioneer families of the county, was born April 14, 1833, in the town of Otego, Otsego County. He is a son of John and Roxie (Pane) Walden, the former of whom was born in Vermont in 1798, and the latter in Massa- chusetts. They were married in 1816 in Vermont, and came to the State of New York soon afterward, settling in the town of Otego. There the father selected and cleared a piece of timber land, and spent most of his life on this farm. He was a typical pioneer, sturdy, industrious, and honest, and lived to the great age of eighty-eight. He died at West Eaton, at the home of his daughters, his wife having died on the home farm in the town of Otego, at the age of seventy-six. They were both members of the Baptist church, and in poli- tics he was a Democrat. Their family con- sisted of sixteen children, fourteen of whom grew to mature years, and four of whom are still living, namely: Roxanna, wife of Stephen Westcott, residing in Oswego County; Sophronia, wife of Frank Westcott, residing in the town of Eaton; Philo, the subject of this sketch; and Deloss, residing in the town of Eaton. John Walden, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Vermont, and in middle life left home and never returned. He had started on a journey to New York City, but it was reported that he was robbed and killed. Philo Walden was reared and partly edu- cated in Otsego County, attending the district school as long as he could learn anything there, and then a select school for three months. At the age of seventeen he started out in life on his own account, walking the entire distance from his home in Otsego BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 329 County to the town of ,Eaton, Madison County, through the deep mud of March. At first he worked in West Eaton at fourteen dollars per month, continuing thus engaged for one year, and then began to learn the trade of carpentry. This trade he industri- ously followed two years, and then went to the northern part of Wisconsin, where he engaged in fur-trading with the Shawnees, Chippewas, and Oneidas. Returning to Madi- son County in 1858, he remained one summer in the town of Eaton, and in 1859 went to Kentucky, where he busied himself in putting up stemmeries for curing and drying tobacco. In the winter of 1859-60 he went to Canada, and again engaged in the fur-trade, remaining there until March of the latter year, then, in partnership with his father-in-law, engaged in the hotel business in West Eaton; but on account of the almost immediate death of the latter, which occurred March 28, i860, he abandoned the hotel, and went to the oil regions of Pennsylvania, remaining there until 1 86 1. Then, again returning to the town of Eaton, he engaged in selling goods and in buying wool, for the firm of J. E. Dar- row & Co., continuing in their employ two years, when he bought an interest in the firm. Since then he has been engaged in various kinds of business, and is also quite an exten- sive dealer in real estate in Brooklyn, N.Y. Mr. Walden has been an extensive traveller in the interests of his business, and has thus broadened his experience and widened the circle of his acquaintances. He has several times journeyed over the Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern States. He is well informed on current events, and keeps pace with the progress of the times. Mr. Walden was married in 1854 to Mary Ann Wellington, daughter of Calvin and Jane Wellington. She died in 1862; and in 1869 Mr. Walden married Ann Wellington, a sis- ter of his first wife. She died March 5, 1885. She was a member of the Methodist Eiscopal church, a good wife, and a worthy woman. In politics Mr. Walden is a Demo- crat, but is not an office-seeker. He is a most successful business man, and one of the leading citizens of the county. From this brief narrative of his career it is evident that he is self-made, in the best sense of the word, as he has accumulated a handsome property by his own good management and unaided exertions, and has established a reputation for probity and honor second to none. -OHN MORRIS was born December 22, 1846, on the farm which he now owns and occupies. The Morris name is one closely identified with the fortunes of the Revolution, a distinguished ancestor of our subject, one Robert Morris, who was the wealthiest man in the colonies, being re- nowned in history as having furnished one million rations to the patriot army during the terrible campaign of the winter at Valley Forge. The "ingratitude of republics" is a proverb well illustrated in his case; for this noble benefactor died some years afterward in jail, in New York, for a small debt he could 33° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW not pay. The family were originally from England ; and at the present time there is a litigation of seven million dollars still unset- tled, awaiting an established claim. The grandfather, Isaac Morris, was born in Dutchess County, New York, in 1781, and died at the home of his son, John Morris, Sr., December 9, 1856. He was a soldier in the War of 1 812. Hs wife was Miss Hannah Williams, daughter of Aaron Williams, born in 1776, and died in 1857. John Morris, Sr., the father of our subject, was born in Dutchess County, New York, in 1803, and married Miss Nancy Able, February 27, 1839. They had five children, namely: Hannah, who married John Main, of Clockville; Mary, wife of M. D. Root, a farmer of the same county; Lyman, who was killed by the cars in Chi- cago, 111., in 1872, leaving a wife and one son; John, Jr.; and Laura, wife of William Cramer, of Oneida. John Morris, the subject of our sketch, received an excellent education in the high school and seminary of Oneida, and has been engaged in farming for many years on the place left to him by his father. He was mar- ried October 30, 1867, to Alice P. Cole, the only child of Americus Cole, of Oneida County, who died in Allegany County, aged sixty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Morris are blessed with two children: Lulu, who is now at home; and a son, Myrtal, who is now about seventeen years old, and is a student in the Oneida Seminary. The patriotic spirit of the Morris family has shown itself in their descendants. One of them, Ira Morris, uncle of our subject, was a volunteer soldier in the Civil War, and laid down his life on the battlefield at Antietam, September 17, 1862, in defence of the Union. Politically, Mr. Morris is a voter in the Re- publican ranks, standing by its candidates faithfully and unswervingly. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The only public office he has held is that of Town Collector, which position he holds at present. Mr. Morris is a most successful farmer, having twelve acres of hops and two of aspara- gus, both excellent paying crops. He has also a fine flock of one hundred pure-blooded Southdown sheep, and they are a source of great pride and profit to him. His home, which was rebuilt in 1884 on the site where the old dwelling stood, is handsome and ele- gantly appointed; and here, with his family, he enjoys every comfort and felicity. JEWELL M. CHAFFEE, a prominent and successful farmer, now living on his two-hundred-and-fourteen-acre farm in District No. 6 in the town of Lenox, was born in the town of Smithfield, two and one-half miles from his present resi- dence, in 1820. He is of French descent, his ancestors having emigrated from France at an early date, and located in New England. His grandfather, Captain Ezra Chaffee, was born in Connecticut in 1742. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary army, and died in Vermont in 1815, aged seventy-three years. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 33^ Ezra Chaffee, Jr., the father of our subject, was born in Connecticut in 1777, and was reared from his sixth to his twenty-first year in Vermont. At the end of this period, or in 1798, he removed to New York, to make it his future home. He bought a tract of land on the Mile Strip in the town of Smithfield, and was among the earliest settlers of that town, and one of its most valuable citizens. He married Miss Fannie Shipman, who was born in Newark, N.J., and died on her hus- band's farm in Smithfield. She was a daugh- ter of David and Lydia (Combs) Shipman, and a niece of Moses N. Combs, a prominent citizen of Newark, N.J. Mr. Shipman was a soldier of the Revolution, a prosperous man, and died at the ripe old age of eighty-eight years. Ezra Chaffee, Jr., and his wife began life on a portion of the old homestead in Smithfield, where they resided for many years. They were the parents of ten chil- dren, five sons and five daughters, one son dying in infancy. The family afterward removed to Peterboro, where two of the daughters continued to reside- after the death of their parents. All the children are now deceased except the subject of this sketch. Their mother died August 26, i860, and their father in Peterboro in the year 1862. They were regular attendants at and supporters of the Presbyterian church at Peterboro, and both are now sleeping in the cemetery at that place. Newell M. Chaffee was reared a farmer-boy when the facilities for a liberal education were not what they are at the present time; but he received the education that the best common schools afforded in those days, which, with his reading and observation, made him a man of excellent judgment. He remained at home, taking charge of his father's farm, until he was married, in 1851. His wife was, previous to her marriage. Miss Catherine MacGregor, a daughter of Colonel Alexander and Margaret (Maclntyre) Mac- Gregor, the former of whom came from Scot- land at the age of four years, and the latter (whose ancestors were Scotch) was born in Montgomery County, New York. Soon after marriage Mr. Chaffee bought a farm opposite his father's old homestead. The farm upon which he now resides he purchased in 1854. It was then under a fair state of cultivation, but has since been much improved, the build- ings having been also remodelled and rebuilt. The large barns have been moved to the east- ward, so that they are not now an obstruction to the fine view of Oneida Lake and of the enchanting sceneiy along its shores. Rome, eighteen miles away to the north-east, can be seen with the naked eye; and Oneida, seven miles distant, can also be plainly seen from Mr. Chaffee's residence. Taken all in all, the view from this point vies with and rivals, if it does not surpass, the far-famed scenery of Italy and the Orient. Mr. Chaffee's home is beautifully embowered by many sugar-maples, planted by his own hands thirty-eight years ago. These trees are now large, stately, and beautiful, no other shade-tree surpassing the maple in beauty, and none in stateliness ex- cept the elm, of which there are also several 332 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW fine specimens near the house. Mr. Chaffee lived in Oneida ten years, where he was en- gaged in business. The remainder of his time he has spent on his farm. In politics he is a Republican. His party, recognizing his ability and devotion to its principles, have honored him with several positions of trust. Mr. and Mrs. Chaffee have had five chil- dren, two of whom, a son and daughter, they buried in infancy. The three living are as follows: Fannie E., wife of John Cowan, of Indianapolis, Ind.; Madge A., residing at home; and N. Fred., who married Miss Nina E. Hecox. The daughters were educated at Oneida Seminary, one afterward graduating at Newark, N.J. The son, N. Fred., was a student at Evans Academy, and later at Caze- novia Seminary. He now resides at home, managing the farm. Mr. and Mrs. Chaffee are kind and charitable people, unusually hos- pitable to friends and strangers. They are noted for their sympathy with those in dis- tress and for their encouragement to all who come within the circle of their knowledge and influence. [ARVIS A. HEAD, a representative of one of the oldest pioneer families of Madison County and a prosperous farmer, was born in the town of Lebanon, April 8, 1829. He is a son of Sanford Head, a native of the town of Westport, Mass., whose father, Joseph Head, was also a native of the old Bay State. The latter emigrated from his native State to the State of New York, and settled in the town of Madison, being one of its earliest pioneers. Here he purchased a tract of timbered land, erected a log cabin, and at once set about the work of clearing a farm, and here lived until his death. The maiden name of his wife was Rebecca Sanford. Sanford Head was seven years old when he came to the State of New York, at which time there were but few of the marks of civilization that now exist, there being no canals, railroads, nor telegraph lines, and but few, if any, good common roads. Overland journeys were necessarily made by means of teams. Mr. Head secured a fairly good education in the district schools, and at the age of sixteen commenced teach- ing, first at Oriskany Falls, and later at other places. At the age of nineteen he married, and located on land which is now owned and occupied by the subject of this sketch, but which was then covered with timber. This he cleared, erected good buildings, and re- sided upon it until his death, which occurred when he was ninety-one years of age. He was twice married, first to Sally Ballard, a daughter of Dane Ballard. His second wife, the mother of Jarvis A., was Anna Ballard, half-sister of his first wife. In his youthful days Jarvis A. Head as- sisted on the farm and attended school as opportunity offered, engaging for some years during the winter season in teaching, but otherwise has always followed agricultural pursuits. He is now engaged in general farming and dairying, his farm being located about one-half mile south of the village of Lebanon. It is well improved, and supplied BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 333 with good buildings. Like his father, he has been twice married, the maiden name of his first wife having been Thirza E. Benedict. She was the daughter of Elijah and Lois Benedict, fuller mention of whom is made in the biographical sketch of S. B. Benedict elsewhere in this volume. Mrs. Head died July 1 6, 1854. Mr. Head married for his second wife Eunice B. Hitchcock, a native of the town of Lebanon and a daughter of Isaac Hitchcock, who was born in the same town, and whose father, Joseph Hitchcock, was born in Massachusetts. The latter removed to the State of New York, settling first in Madison, but later became a pioneer of the town of Lebanon, where he improved a farm, upon which he spent the remainder of his days. The maiden name of his wife was Eunice Brownell, and she was born in Westport, Mass. Her father, Samuel Brownell, was one of the first settlers of the town of Madi- son. The father of Mrs. Head, though a nat- ural mechanic, always followed agricultural pursuits, succeeding to the ownership of his father's farm, which was situated about one mile east of the village of Lebanon. Upon this he resided until his death, in February, 1878, his wife dying one year later. Her maiden name was Antrace Pierce; and she was born in the town of Madison, a daughter of Timothy and Hannah (Dennis) Pierce. Mr. Head has one son living, by his first marriage, Addison W., who married Alletta S. Benedict, a daughter of O. A. Benedict. They have three children — Ralph, Ward, and Sanford. To the second marriage of Mr. Head there were born four children, only one of whom is now living — ^Anna S., wife of Frank Hatch, and the mother of one son, Raymond. The second child, Frank, died at Phoenix, Ariz., at the age of twenty-two. Carrie died when four years old, and Willie at the age of three. ^-r^\C>ERCY (SHEPARDSON) WILL- IE I =/ lAMS, widow of the late Wood- s' -L V_^ worth Williams, and now a resi- dent of Earlville, is a native of Madison County, her birthplace having been East Hamilton. She is of New England stock, being a great-grand-daughter of William and Hannah (Jones) Shepardson, both natives of Connecticut. The former was a cooper by trade, and worked at that business in his na- tive State until after the death of his wife, when he came to Madison County to spend his last days in East Hamilton with his son William, dying here at the venerable age of eighty-nine years. William Shepardson, grandfather of our subject, was born in Colchester, Conn., where he grew to manhood, married, and lived for several years. In 1807, accompanied by his wife and seven children, he came to Madison County, making the long and tedious trip overland with teams to East Hamilton, then called Colchester. Here he settled, and, buying a piece of property, soon after estab- lished a factory for the manufacture of rakes. In that early day all grass was cut and raked by hand; and the products of his shop were 334 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW in great demand, his goods being first-class in every respect, with his name stamped on each rake. He continued in this business for sev- eral years, living in that locality until his death, at the age of fourscore and four years. The maiden name of his wife, to whom he was married November 24, 1791, was Ede Cook. She was born in Connecticut, and died in East Hamilton, when eighty years of age. To her and her husband were born nine children, as follows: Laura, William, Aris- tobulus,' Erastus, John H., Maria, Ezra E., Azubah, and Delos. Azubah, the only surviv- ing one, is the widow of the Rev. Peregrine White, and resides in Earlville. Ezra E. Shepardson, father of Mrs. Will- iams, was an infant of four months when his parents emigrated to this State. At that time, and for many years after, there were no railways through the almost pathless woods, the clearings were few, large cities and mar- kets many miles distant; and the people were consequently obliged to subsist on the prod- ucts of their land or the game to be found in the forests. Their clothing was homespun and homemade, the women of the family card- ing, spinning, and weaving the material, and fashioning the garments. Ezra was reared and educated in- Hamilton, and, when old enough to choose an occupation, learned the trade of carpentry, which he followed for many years.. He established a home in East Hamilton, where he died at the ripe age of eighty-four years, honored and respected by all. The maiden name of his wife, mother of Mrs. Williams, was Clarissa Miller. She was a native of Brookfield, and daughter of Abner and Mary Miller, pioneers of that town. They reared a family of fourteen childen. Mercy, the subject of this brief narrative, became the bride of Woodworth Williams when only eighteen years of age. He was born in Deerfield, Oneida County, in 183.1. His ancestors were also pioneers of Madison County, his grandparents, James and Grace (Foote) Williams, supposed to be natives of Vermont, having emigrated to Hamilton in the early days of its settlement. Purchasing land which was well covered with timber, the grandfather began its improvement, and in the course of time was rewarded for his efforts, he having cleared' a fine farm and founded a home for himself and family, in which he resided until his death. Aris- tarchus Williams, father of Woodworth, was born in Hamilton; and here he was reared to man's estate. He assisted his father in the building up of a homestead, and received from him a practical education in the theory a:nd practice of agriculture, which he made his life occupation. With the exception of a few years passed in Deerfield, his entire life was spent in Hamilton. He married Betsey Webster, a daughter of John and Thankful Webster. The boyhood days of Woodworth- Williams, husband of our subject, were spent mostly after the manner of farmers' sons, attending the district school and becoming familiar with the labors of the farm. After marriage he purchased a farm in South Hamilton, where BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 335 he carried on an extensive and lucrative busi- ness as a hop-grower, residing on this farm until his death, in 1885. He held high rank as an agriculturist, was energetic and progres- sive in his views, straightforward in his deal- ings, and well and favorably known as a busi- ness man. In politics he affiliated with the Republican party. His family, though not publicly identified with any religious organ- ization, usually attend the Methodist Episco- pal church. After her husband's death Mrs. Williams removed to Earlville, where she has since resided. She has two children: Clara, born April 26, i860, and Fred, September 4, 1871. Clara married John McQuade; and they have five children — namely, Eva, May, Bessie, Jay, and Fay. ^AMUEL BROWN, a general farmer, stock-raiser, and extensive hop- grower of the town of Eaton, is one of the successful self-made men of Madison County, beginning life, it may almost be said, on his own account when but thirteen years of age; for at that early age he lost his father, who was one of the prominent citizens of the county. Samuel Brown was born September 15, 1826, on the farm he now owns and occu- pies, a son of Peleg and Martha (Hughs) Brown, both of whom were natives of Rhode Island. Peleg Brown, upon emigrating to the State of New York, first located in the county of Herkimer, but soon afterward came to Madison County, settling in the woods in the town of Eaton, where he at first purchased seventy acres of land, upon which he erected a log house. There he lived for many years, adding to his original purchase until he at length owned two hundred and fifty acres of land. He was one of the sturdy pioneers — a hard-working man, thoroughly honest in his methods and successful in his business, which, in addition to farming, consisted in managing a hotel, which he conducted for fully twenty-five years. Peleg Brown was twice married, by his first wife rearing five children, and by his second seven, four of the twelve being still alive, namely: George, a farmer of the town of Eaton; Samuel, the subject of this sketch; Sarah, wife of Henry Wilcox, and residing in Little Falls; and Willis, living in Bain- bridge, Ross County, Ohio. The father died on his farm in Eaton in 1840, at the age of sixty-two; and his second wife, Martha Hughs, died at the home of her son Samuel, when she was eighty-seven years old. Both she and her husband were members of the Presbyterian church, and in politics he was a Whig. The father of Peleg Brown, Benja- min Brown, was a native of Rhode Island, and followed the vocation of a farmer in that State until his death. He and his wife reared five children, three sons and two daughters. Samuel Brown, like other boys of his time, received his education in the district school, and on account of the early death of his father, in connection with his brothers, man- aged the home farm for several years, purchas- ing it at the age of twenty-seven. May 19, 33^ BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 1857, he married Helen Palmer, who was born in 1833, and is a daughter of Gurdon L. and Anrietta (Brown) Palmer, whose bio- graphical memoirs appear elsewhere in this volume. Samuel Brown now owns a fine farm of three hundred acres, is engaged in gen- eral farming, dairying, and quite extensively in growing hops, his hop-yard containing twenty-two acres. His dairy contains about thirty cows, mostly high grade and a few full-blood Holsteins. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have two children, namely: Dewayne P., born March 19, i860; and Elberta, June 19, 1867. Mr. Brown has one of the finest farms in his vicinity, and it is well supplied with good buildings. He is a Republican in politics. Mrs. Brown is a member of the Presbyterian church. Both are among the best people in the county, are well and widely known, and are highly es- teemed by all. -|^TON. GARDNER MORSE was born r^ in the town of Eaton, March 26, 1826. V— • His father and grandfather were na- ,tives of Massachusetts. The Morse family are of English origin, the earliest record of them dating to 1635, when three brothers of that name came to America; and in April of that year one of them, Samuel Morse, settled in Massachusetts, near the Charles River. He was the ancestor of our subject's family. About 1796 the grandfather of Gardner, Jo- seph Morse, came to Madison County, New York, his brother Benjamin having preceded, him the year before. There were three brothers — Benjamin, Hezekiah, and Joseph — who cut their way through the wilderness, encountering innumerable dangers, but finally reached the vicinity of the town of Eaton in Madison County, where they took up farms. Joseph settled on a place near Hamilton known as the Burchard farm, and erected the first frame house, and also put up the first mill, this being in the year 1800. The brothers lived to be quite aged, with the exception of Joseph, who died at the age of fifty-four years. His wife was Eunice Bige- low, whom he married in 1788 at Templeton, Mass. Their family consisted of eight chil- dren — Ellis, Eunice, Joseph, Lucy, Sophia, Calvin, Bigelow, and Alpheus. All reached maturity, but are now deceased. Alpheus Morse, the youngest son, was a man of much enterprise, and was for many years an exten- sive dealer in cattle and wool, and later a manufacturer of woollen goods. He was fore- most in promoting all enterprises for the pub- lic good. Late in life he was unfortunate, and lost all his property. He spent his last years with a daughter in Homer. Joseph Morse and his wife were devoted members of the Presbyterian church, living up to its teachings, and taking their greatest comfort in reading the Scripture; for in those days of early pioneer life it was difficult and well- nigh impossible for a minister to penetrate into the forests. Ellis Morse, the father of our subject, was but six years old when he came to the town of Eaton ; and here he grew up and was edu- cated. The first school-house in the town was BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 337 located where the cemetery now stands; and the second one was built on the Hamilton road, farther east. One of his intimate friends and schoolmates was Charles Finney. The teacher was Dr. James Pratt; and the studies were spelling, arithmetic, and the Bible. Wild turkeys and game of all kinds abounded, and the young men were expert hunters. The Oneida Indians were numerous in those days, visiting amicably in the vil- lage, and often sleeping around the Morse fireside. In these primitive homes all con- tributed their share in the work of the farm ; and the mother, besides the household drudg- ery, had to spin and weave the homespun that clothed the family. Ellis Morse was a gen- eral farmer, an extensive cattle-dealer, and an active man in his neighborhood, being engaged in many pursuits. The turnpike road from Hamilton to Skaneateles was built by him: and he also conducted the largest distillery at Eaton, which he started about the year 1825, and continued until 1857. The capacity of this still was at first six bushels a day, but was soon increased to three hun- dred and fifty bushels. At his death he owned one thousand acres of land. He was twice married, first to Miss Lora Ayer, who was born in Coimecticut, July 2, 1792, and who died at the age of thirty-nine. His sec- ond wife was Miss Adaline Bagg, who waS born in September, 1808, Ellis Morse died in 1869, at the age of eighty years. His family consisted of eleven children, namely: George E., born in 1820; Jane M., born in 1823; Jenette, born in 1824, and died in 1852; Gardner, our subject, born in 1825; Martha, born in 1828, and died in 1890; Andrew, born in 1830; Adaline, in 1834; Walter, in 1835; Henry B., born in 1836, and died in 1874; Alfred A., born in 1839, died November 24,^1864, on the battle- field of Cedar Creek; and Hartwell, who was born in 1843. Seven of these are living. George, the eldest, was educated in the dis- trict school and took an academical course. He engaged in farming at the age of twenty- one years, and now owns three hundred and sixty acres of land and a dairy of forty-five cows. In 1847 he married Miss Belinda Fitch, vfho was born in the town of Eaton in 1820, and died in 1879. To them was born one son, George Percy, in 1857. George Morse has been an active member (and is now President) of the Board of Trustees of the cemetery at Eaton. He is a Republican in politics, and has been Supervisor for four years. He is a member of the Baptist church. Two of the brothers of Hon. Gardner Morse, Henry B. and Alfred A., distin- guished themselves in the Civil War. Henry was Captain of Company D, One Hundred and Fourteenth New York Volunteer Infan- try, and was brevetted Major-General. He enlisted in 1862, and, although badly wounded in two engagements, remained on duty until the end of the war. When peace was declared, he went to Syracuse, N.Y., and entered the office of Messrs. Pratt & Mitchell, where he studied law, going from there to Arkansas. He was Probate Judge of Pulaski County, and later Circuit Judge. He was 338 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW also Associate Justica on the Supreme Bench of the State. Alfred was also a member of Company D, of the One Hundred and Four- teenth New York Volunteer Infantry, en- listing in (863. He was at the time a theological student in Hamilton College, New York, but at his country's call shouldered his musket, and gave up his life on the bloody field of Cedar Creek, aged only twenty-four years. Hon. Gardner Morse was reared in the town and village of Eaton, and finished his educa- tion at the academy here. He engaged in business with his father, both in the distil- lery and dealing in cattle, they working together until the latter's death, in 1869, when the property was divided. He then set- tled on the farm which he now owns, building on it a saw and grist mill. In 1852 he married Caroline L. Putnam, who was born in Oneida County in 1830, daughter of Daniel and Clarinda Putnam. Mr. Morse was one of the leading spirits in the building of the Mid- land Railroad. He has taken an active part in the politics of Madison County. He served as Member of Assembly in the year 1866, for four years was Justice of the Peace, is Railroad Commissioner for the town of Eaton, was District Clerk for twenty-seven years continuously, and in 1885 was elected County Treasurer. He has uniformly sup- ported the Republican party, and has repre- sented its principles faithfully in the many offices he has filled. He is a gentleman of culture and intelligence, being especially well informed, and a competent authority on the history of his county. He is an enter- prising citizen, having done much toward the prosperity of his town; and his friends and citizens earnestly hope he will be spared to them for many more years of usefulness. I A. WAGER was born in Grafton, Rensselaer County, N.Y., January 2, 1865. The original settlers of the family in this town came from Germany. The grandfather, Zacbariah Wager, bought a farm, residing upon it until his death. The father of our subject, Arnold Wager, was born in Grafton, and, after receiving his edu- cation, worked for some years on the farm of his father, later removing to Poestenkill in -the same county, where he died when his only child, our subject, was but eighteen months old. His wife was formerly Miss Anna C. Link; and she married for her second hus- band a Mr. Mason, and by him had seven children — Ulysses, John, Elva, George, Phoebe, Mary, and Harrison. I. A. Wager left home at the age of fifteen, after having finished a few terms at school, and went to Chittenango, Madison County, N'.Y., where he entered a cheese factory with his uncle, George H. Dennis. He remained here three years, and then started into busi- ness for himself at Lakeport, N.Y. He was one season in this place, and then hired out to Frank Blanding, of Hubbardsville, N.Y., and managed cheese factories for him in different places, among them two years in Franklin, Delaware County, three years in R. D. Robertson. Mrs. R. D. Robertson. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 339 Brookfield in what is now called the Marsh factory, and the last year at Oxford, Chenango County. In 1890 he became a stockholder in the Temple factory in North Brookfield, and manages the factory for the company. When he was twenty-six years old, Mr. Wager married Miss Maude E. Marsh, daugh- ter of Smith and Tacy Marsh. Of this union there is one child, Alta. Mr. Wager began life with no other capital than an honest heart and willing hands, and since he was fifteen years of age has, by strict attention to duty, built up for himself his present position. He is master of his business, and has proven himself thoroughly competent in every sense of the word. Politically, he is an adherent of the Republican party. He is a Mason in good standing, and belongs to Sullivan Lodge, Nci. 148, of Chittenango, and Lodge No. 632, Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Brookfield. The career of Mr. Wager is a potent example to the younger generation. He is an exemplification of what push and enterprising perseverance will do. Refined, intelligent, and of good social position, his splendid qualities as a domestic and business man have made him a universal favorite. m:- DUNCAN ROBERTSON was born May 2, 1852, on the farm that he now owns and occupies in the town of Fenner. The great-grandfather of our subject, John Robertson, came to the town of Fenner in 1800, making the journey through the trackless forest by no other guide than marked trees, and took up one hundred acres of land, on which our subject now lives. He died in the town of Lenox, at the age of seventy. His son, Robert Robertson, grand- father of R. Duncan, came with his father, and assisted in clearing the farm and erecting their log cabin, which had to be the home of the family for many years. In these wild woods their slumbers were often broken by the growl of the bear and the shriek of the wildcat; but they were firm and stout of heart, and, putting their trust in Providence, and keeping a steady outlook with their trusty rifles, they passed unharmed through many perilous days. The family of Grandfather Robertson consisted of three sons and one daughter, of whom two are now living: Dan- iel, residing in Joliet, 111. ; and Robert, in Colton, Cal. The daughter, who was Mrs. Margaret Morrison of the town of Lenox, died at the age of sixty-five years. Robert Rob- ertson died on the old home farm, at the age of seventy-two years. John Robertson, the father of our subject, was the eldest son, and grew to manhood on his father's farm in the town of Fenner, and was about thirty-three years of age when he married Miss Christianna McPherson, of Ful- ton County, New York. He was a stirring and enterprising farmer, and accumulated wealth, owning three hundred acres of land. He took an active part in the management of his farm and in the interests of his town. He was Commissioner of Highways for nine years, Overseer of the Poor for one year, and held other offices in the gift of the people. He was 34° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW accidentally killed by a runaway team on the 14th o^ June, 1882, at the age of sixty-five years. His widow survived him only four months, dying October 22, 1882. They were Presbyterians, and were true and consistent members of that church. He was a Republi- can in politics, and followed faithfully the maxims and principles of his party. R. Duncan Robertson was reared on the home farm, first attended the district school, and for three winters the Peterboro Academy, finishing at the Oneida Seminary. He was anxious to become a surveyor, and studied very closely; but on account of his father's ill-health he was obliged to return home and take charge of the farm. He was married July 25, 1875, to Miss Frances A. Greenfield, who was born in the town of Lenox, daugh- ter of Levi Greenfield, a farmer of that town. The latter was born in 1815; and he and his wife, who died in 1890, at the age of seventy- five, were consistent members of the Metho- dist Episcopal church. They had twelve children. Our subject brought his wife home to the old farm. Here he raises hay, barley, and hops, as the main crops. He is one of the most influential farmers in the vicinity, and has as productive crops and fine cattle as any one in this section. He manages his farm himself, and does not hesitate to put his own handiwork and strength in the necessary labor. To his excellent wife and himself Providence has given five children, four boys and one girl; namely, John L., Daniel R., Walter D., Miles E., and Grace Edna. Mr. and Mrs. Robertson, although of the sturdiest Scotch Presbyterian ancestry, have not professed membership with any church, but are liberal and broad-minded in their religious views. In politics Mr. Robertson is an outspoken Republican, and has sei-ved as delegate under its banner to the State Con- vention. For four years he has been Consta- ble, and for nine years Assessor of the town. He also holds the office of Supervisor of the town of Fenner, having served previously for one term. Fraternally, he is a Free and Accepted Mason, being a member of Lodge No. 231 at Canastota. He is also a member of Lodge No. 313 at Clockville, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The ordinary expres- sion in reference to Mr. Robertson is, "He is a pleasant man to meet " ; and this distin- guishing trait of urbanity and cordiality has followed him all through life. HERBERT TAYLOR. This gallant soldier was born July 4, 1846, and has illustrated by his brave career the signifi- cance of his glorious birthday. He was born in the town of Fenner, son of Edwin W. and Electa (Gallup) Taylor, the former of whom was a native of the town of Fenner, and the latter of Connecticut. Myron W. Taylor, the grandfather, emigrated from Scotland to this town when the country was wild and unsettled, the Indians being more numerous than whites, and wild game abundant. He died in Smithfield, N.Y., leaving a family of ten children, nine sons and one daughter, the latter, Mrs. John Brass, of Northum- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 341 berland County, Virgina,. being the only survivor. Her father was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, was a Whig in politics, .and served with distinction in the War of 1812. The maternal grandfather, Lyman Gallup, was born in Connecticut, but came to the town of Fenner, Madison County, took up new land, which he cleared, and there made his home. He had to go many miles on horseback to mill, his only guide through the woods being marked trees. He lived to be quite aged. In religious faith he was a Methodist, and in politics a Whig. The father of our subject, Edwin Taylor, was brought up and educated in the town of Fenner. He was a general farmer, and owned his eighty-acre farm. Following in his father's footsteps, he was also a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was one of the first to join tire Republican party. He died at his home on the farm, October 13, 1875, at the age of fifty-six. His widow sur- vived him a few years, dying at the age of sixty-seven. They were the parents of three children: Hulda E., Mrs. Robert Rountree, residing in Canastota; E. Herbert; and Her- man S., who is a mechanic, and resides in Syracuse. E. Herbert Taylor resided in the town of Fenner until his fourteenth year. He then attended the district school in Onondaga County four years, going from there to Caze- novia Seminary. This being during the war, he left the seminary to enlist, entering the service in 1864, in Company F, Harris's Light Cavalry, Second New York Regiment, Colonel Birdseye commanding, and partici- pated in ten battles and fifteen skirmishes. He was in the terrible battle of Cedar Creek, when General- Early stole his march on the Federal troops, and almost gained the victory, when Sheridan made his famous ride and drove his flying army back, shouting, as he waved his cap over his head : " Face the other way, boys 1 Face the other way ! We will have our camps and cannon back again ! " This was in the fall of 1864, and was one of the most memorable battles of the whole war. Again, at Five Forks — so named because there five roads met — he was in some desperate fight- ing, then on through Ashland and Appomat- tox, where the white flag came from General Lee's headquarters, requesting suspension of hostilities. After this peace was declared; and June 5, 1865, Mr. Taylor received an honorable discharge. During his term of ser- vice he had many narrow escapes from death, once having his horse shot from under him, and another time having his clothes fairly riddled with bullets. He was conspicuous for his bravery and reckless fighting, and has reason to be very proud of his war record. The family were all strong Abolitionists, the father of our subject having been a close friend of Gerrit Smith. After his discharge from the army Mr. Taylor returned home, and, being still a young man, attended the Cazenovia Seminary for two terms, and then taught school for six years. February 2, 1868, he was married to Miss Frances Hamblin, daughter of Lewis and Emily (Keeler) Hamblin, and born in the 342 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW town of Cazenovia. Her parents were mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church, and are both dead. The father was a strong Abo- litionist, an intimate friend of Gerrit Smith, and closely associated with him in his efforts to benefit the colored race. Mr. Taylor taught school for some years after his mar- riage, but, desiring to become a general farmer and stock-raiser, bought a farm of fifty acres of his father-in-law, settling upon it in 1874. Here he and his wife have lived ever since. They have two children: Ella, born April 4, 1876; and Ethel, February 12, 1889. The family are adherents of the same faith as their parents and grandparents, being devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Taylor is an ardent Republican, stead- fast in his belief in that party, and is very naturally a Grand Army man, belonging to Reese Post, No. 49, at Canastota, N.Y. Sharing, as he did, in the last and most excit- ing events of the Civil War, his memories of those days are full of interest; but, while proud of his heroic record, he is ever modest and unassuming. LPREDERICK ALLEN, deceased, re- P[j moved to Oneida in 1866, and during his residence here was well known, not only to the citizens of this village, but to many people from all sections of the State. He was a son of Phineas Allen, who was born in Amherst, Mass., October 3, 1778. The latter was a mechanic during his entire life, and always lived in his native State, Feb- ruary 12, 1800, he married Mary Carroll, who was born March 20, 1780; and to their union there were born eleven children, namely: Augustus, Nancy, Mary E., Abigail, John C, and Sarah — all deceased; Frederick; Luke, deceased; Martha, living at Worcester, Mass., aged seventy-five; Lavina and Lu- cinda, both deceased. Frederick Allen was born at Oakham, Mass., March 31, 1813. A portion of his education was obtained in the common schools of Massachusetts, but he acquired most of his practical knowledge by subse- quent observation and experience in actual business life. He appeared to inherit the mechanical genius of his father, and readily became a mechanic himself. When a young man, he began life for himself, removed to the State of New York, and worked for a number of years in Springfield, Otsego County, later returning to his native State, and being em- ployed in the armory at Springfield. After- ward he worked in Norwich, Conn., and other places. In 1843 he was married to Ann M. Dem- ing, daughter of Henry and Lucia (O'Brien) Deming, and in August, 1847, removed to Worcester, Mass., remaining there until 1 86 1, when he removed to Boston, and lived there one year. He then for some time re- sided in Mohawk, N.Y., but in 1866 settled in Oneida, where for some time he managed the National Hotel, and later became manager of the Allen House, which he continued to conduct until his death, which occurred May 10, 1876. He was z, member of the Baptist Frances Stafford. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 345 church. In politics he was a Republican. He and his wife had six children, namely: Washington, deceased; John C, of Buffalo; Luther J., living in Oneida, a retired hotel proprietor; Edward A., married to Hattie C. Allen; Theodore D. ; and Walter R. — the last four living at home. Mrs. Allen has recently purchased a beau- tiful home in Oneida, where she and her fam- ily live, comfortably situated and surrounded. She is one of the excellent women of this pleasant village, and has many friends and acquaintances, as had her husband. He was a successful man, and accumulated a hand- some property, at his death leaving his widow in most comfortable circumstances. KRANCIS STAFFORD, whose portrait is presented in this connection, is a public-spirited citizen of Oneida, a man of good judgment in affairs, and one whose counsel is sought in matters pertaining to the common weal. He was born March 31, 1843, in the town of Fenner, which was also the birthplace of his father, Joseph Stafford, Jr. His grandfather, Joseph Stafford, Sr., was born in Pennsylvania, July 6, 1798, and died in Madison County, New York, October 18, 1870. His great-grandfather, David Stafford, was one of the early pioneers of Madison County, New York. He bought and cleared a large tract of land, and lived long to enjoy the fruits of his toil, dying at the age of ninety-four years. Joseph- Stafford, Sr., in his young manhood followed the trade of carpenter and joiner. Later in life he moved from Fenner to Ontario County, and bought a farm one and one-half miles from Bloom- field, henceforth devoting himself to its culti- vation. He married Polly Ann Jones, who was born November 7, 1800, in Massachu- setts, of which State her parents were also natives. She died in West Bloomfield, N.Y., April 9, 1870. Joseph Stafford, Jr., son of the above- named, beginning life in the early part of the century, when Madison County was newly organized and sparsely peopled, lived to witness the remarkable development of its agricultural resources, the growth of its manufactures, and to see it become the seat of a numerous and thriving population. Farm- ing was his occupation. In 1863 he moved from his native town to Lenox, and contin- ued henceforth to occupy and improve the excellent farm which he there owned till two weeks before his death, March 20, 1876, when he took up his abode in Oneida. The maiden name of his wife was Cornelia Hill. She was a native of Fenner, a daughter of Stephen and Lucy (Woodworth) Hill. Two of her children grew to manhood, Francis and Nor- man, the last-named being a prominent citi- zen of Canastota. A daughter, Josie C, died at the age of nine years. Francis Stafford, having mastered the com- mon English branches in the district school of the neighborhood — between the sessions being industrially trained on the home farm — pursued a higher course of study in Caze- novia Seminary, and then sedulously betook 346 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW himself to his hereditary calling, "the manly employment of agriculture." His father's home was his own during the life of that parent, and he has always lived under the same roof with his mother. Francis Staf- ford and Mary Sherwood, a native of Brough- ton, England, daughter of John and Rebecca (Hare) Sherwood, were married in 1887. They have two children, Josie and Norman. Mr. Stafford cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1864, and has always been loyal to the principles of the Republican party. He is a member of the County Board of Supervisors, representing the town of Lenox, having been first elected in 1891, re-elected in 1892, and again in 1893. He has served acceptably on several important committees — on Equalization, Physicians' and Coroners' Accounts, Abstracts of County, Ways and Means, etc. He also served for some years as Assessor in the town of Lenox and for the village of Oneida. He is a Director in the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank of Oneida, and also of the State Bank of Canastota. Mr. Stafford was reared in the Baptist faith, while his wife is a member of the Methodist Epis- copal church. They are consistent in their profession, and always ready to help in ad- vancing any cause for the public good. IT' SQUIRES was born in Hub- bardsville, N.Y., March 15, 1853. His father is a native of Canada, and came to the United States about 1848, when he was twenty-three years of age. He had previously learned the trade of shoemaking, which he followed after settling at Hubbards- ville, N.Y. At the time of the Civil War he enlisted in the One Hundred and Seven- teenth New York Volunteers, but had only seen one year of service when, by the ex- ploding of a shell, he lost his right arm, which had to be amputated at the shoulder joint; and he was consequently in the hos- pital at Portsmouth for some time. Upon receiving his discharge, he returned to his home in Hubbardsville, of which village he is considered the oldest inhabitant, as there are now only two persons living who were contemporary with him in his youth. His wife was Miss Hannah Wilson, and they reared three children — Henry W., Anna, and W. T., our subject. W. T. Squires received a good education in the district schools and at Hamilton. Be- sides being a teacher, he was by trade a painter, which occupation he followed dur- ing the summer season, teaching during the winters in Hubbardsville and Madison. When he was twenty-five years of age, he mar- ried Miss Jennie M. Spurr, daughter of Dan- iel and Martha Spurr. Her people were residents of South Edmeston, Otsego County, but came originally from Pennsylvania. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Squires were born two children, George A. and Charles D. The former assists his father in the store dur- ing vacations, and attends school the rest of the time. In the year 1887 Mr. Squires went to Penn- sylvania, obtaining a very fine position in a BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 347 creamery, where he remained for three years. But, while financially prosperous, in his domestic life a heavy sorrow came to him in the death of his beloved wife, who was taken from him when her son Charles was but three weeks old. This sad blow shattered his home; and he returned to North Brookfield, where in the spring of 1890 he purchased the store of S. A. Fitch. He has greatly increased the concern, and is to-day carrying on an immense business. In June of the same year he was appointed Postmaster, and is still (January, 1894) holding the appointment. In this office he has won golden opinions from the people by his able handling of its affairs, and by his courtesy and affability. He is also Secretary of the Board of Education of North Brookfield, and was Justice of the Peace at Hubbardsville for eight years. Fraternally, Mr. Squires belongs to Sanger Lodge, No. 229. He is an active Republican in politics, but has the respect and admira- tion of the men of all parties, and in his pres- ent prosperity can truly say that it has been achieved by upright and diligent attention to business. W3 kICHARD E. JONES, superintendent of the carding and spinning depart- ments of the woollen mills of Lewis & Thomas at West Eaton, Madison County — a position he has held through vari- ous changes of ownership since 1867 — is an illustration of the value of technical educa- tion in youth, and also of the value to the United States of many of its foreign-born citizens, or descendants of the latter, who acquired skill in a trade learned when they were young. He was born July 29, 1839, and is a son of Hugh and Elizabeth Jones, both of whom were born in the northern part of Wales. Hugh Jones came to the United States when a young man, settling in the town of Eaton, Madison County. He mar- ried, and reared a family of six children, three sons and three daughters, five of whom are still living. In politics Mr. Jones was a Republican. His wife was a member of the Baptist church. He died at the age of seventy-seven, and she at the age of sixty-two. Richard E. Jones was reared and educated in the town of Eaton, and at the age of four- teen began working for Bamford & Son in their woollen mill at Eaton. Beginning on the lowest rung of the ladder, he was so dili- gent in his business, and worked so faithfully in the interest of his employers, that, when twenty-six years of age, he had full control of the carding and spinning machines in the mills. In 1880 he became a member of the firm of Barnes, Jones & Lewis, which firm was engaged in the manufacture of woollen goods, but continued as superintendent of the carding and spinning departments. He con- tinued as a member of the firm until 1887, when he sold out to Lewis & Thomas, the present proprietors, but remained in his old position. Mr. Jones was married September 3, 1865, to Cassa A. Munger, by whom he has one child, Minnie A., born November 8, 1867. 348 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW She is the wife of Adolphus L. Anderson ; and they reside half a mile from the village of West Eaton, Mr. Jones making his home with them. He is a man of character and influ- ence, and in politics is a Republican. If; HECTOR GALE. The follow- ing sketch was written especially for this work by Joseph Beal, Esq., of Oneida. Mr. Gale is a son of John and Sophia (Gilbert) Gale, and was born at Oneida, N.Y., January 15, 1847. He at- tended the common schools until he arrived at the age of twelve years, and then went to learn the printer's trade in the office of the Oneida Sachem, and on April i, 1863, entered the office of the Democratic Union. In the following November, when he was sixteen years old, he enlisted as a private soldier in Company M, Second New York Artillery, inheriting his patriotism and military ardor from his paternal ancestry, his grandfather having been a soldier in the Revolutionary army and his father in the War of 1812-15, while his great-grandfather on his mother's side was a surgeon in the patriot army of the Revolution. Young Gale was continuously with his regiment, participating in many of the battles of the Civil War, among them the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, North Anna, Deep Bottom, Ream's Station, Hatcher's Run, Patrick Station, Five Forks, Southside Railroad, Amelia Springs, Farmville, and the battle resulting in the surrender of Lee. Immediately after the sur- render he took charge of a government print- ing-office in Washington, D.C., located on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Nine- teenth Street, where were printed nearly all the general orders mustering out the Army of the Potomac. He was honorably discharged October 10, 1865. Returning home, he at once resumed work in the Union office at Oneida, but left this office the next spring to engage in lumbering and in the inspection of logs in the Saginaw Valley, Michigan. Until 1869 he travelled extensively in the far Western States and Territories, and joined a surveying party which operated in North British America in the vicinity of Hudson Bay. In 1874 he established the Streator Pioneer at Streator, 111., which paper he published for three years, at the end of which time he removed his office to Oneida, where he ran a job printing-office for a time. In 1880 he established and has since continued to publish the Oneida Free Press., a weekly paper devoted to local news and to the interests of the survivors of his regiment, which venture proved a success, his office being now located on the lot upon which he was born, at Nos. 5 and 7 Gale Street. In 1879 Mr. Gale was married to Jennie E. Moore, and has since had a home at Oneida. He has also a handsome summer residence called "The Maples," which is sit- uated at Sylvan Beach, N.Y. In politics Mr. Gale is an ardent Republican, but has never taken part in political matters except to vote and to fill the position of Village BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 349 Clerk. He is a Mason, and prominent and active in Masonic affairs, and is at this writ- ing (1893) the Worshipful Master of Oneida Lodge, No. 270, A. F. & A. M. ALLEN CURTIS, a prominent farmer and a trusted official of the county of Madison, is a son of Allen and Arabelle (Richardson) Curtis, the former of whom was born in Madison County, September 11, 181 1, and the latter in this county, August 30, 181 5. Both Allen Curtis and his son, S. Allen, the subject of this sketch, are distinguished for the confidence placed in them by their fellow-men, having frequently been elected to important positions of honor and trust. Allen Curtis is a suc- cessful farmer, and resides in the village of Madison. In early days he followed both shoemaking and tanning for a number of years, then purchased a farm in the town of Madison, where he has since followed agri- cultural pursuits, and at the same time per- formed public duties to the satisfaction of all interested. For some years he was Consta- ble, and for the past thirty-five years has been Justice of the Peace, and still holds that office. He was Supervisor thirteen years, and was for some years Chairman of the Board. For twenty-one years he was Super- intendent of the Poor, and was Railroad Commissioner twenty years. Allen Curtis and his wife have ten children living out of a family of twelve: Martin V., born November 19, 1834, died April 11, 1883; Adelia L., born January 9, 1836; Abner, born September 5, 1838, died August S, 1841; Marion L., born December 13, 1840; Fidora R., February 5, 1843; Lucinda R., January 8, 1845; S. Allen, December 24, 1846; George H., October 25, 1848; Joseph- ine M., November 13, 1850; Ida D., January 8, 1853; Louis A., March 22, 1855; and Cora A., January 11, 1859. Allen Curtis and wife are members of the Baptist church, and in politics he is a Republican. They have twenty-three living grandchildren. S. Allen Curtis was reared in the town of Madison, and was well educated both in the district schools and in Hamilton Seminary, which latter institution he attended two terms. Remaining at home with his parents until he was twenty-four years of age, he then took charge of the railroad station at Sols- ville as agent, and remained there eight and a half years. January i, 1879, he was ap- pointed Keeper of the Poor, holding that position four and a half years, also being engaged a short time in the coal business at Eaton. In 1885 he was elected Superintend- ent of the County Infirmary and Farm, tak- ing charge January i, 1886, and has held this position to the present time. Here he has given, and is giving, general satisfaction, being a careful and economical manager of the institution and a kind and considerate •superintendent. He is also Superintendent of the Children's Home at Peterboro. Mr. Curtis was married November 21, 1878, to Gertrude M. Bridge, who was born at Bouckville, Madison County, and is a 35° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW daughter of Rodney and Emily Bridge, the former of whom was born in Stockbridge, July 27, 1 8 19, and died at Solsville, October 19, 1889. The latter was born February 26, 1823, in the town of Madison, where she still resides. Mr. Bridge was in politics a Demo- crat. He was, as is his widow, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. They reared three children, namely : Llewellyn, born February 6, 1847; Mattie J., October 27, 1850; and Gertrude, Mrs. Curtis, August 8, 1858. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis have two daughters, namely: M. Ethel, born October 8, 1884; and Elma G., December 9, 1885. Mr. Curtis and his wife are members of the Baptist church. In politics he is a Republican. He is one of the most popular citizens of Madison County, and a very pleasant, genial gentleman. Y^ DE FOREST BLANCHARD, a prac- IJT tical printer and public -spirited '""^*" -^ journalist of Earlville, was born in Cuyler, Cortland County, July 2, 1855. His grandfather, Daniel Blanchard, came to Cuy- ler as a pioneer, and lived and died here on a farm. Levi Blanchard, father of the sub- ject of our present sketch, was brought up in this (his native) town, and continued a resident here until 1859, when he removed to De Ruyter, and established a wagon factory,* which he conducted until the time of his death. Before leaving Cuyler, he married Louisa Hakes, daughter of Nathan and Phy- > linda Hakes, and a descendant (of the fifth generation) of Solomon Hakes. (See geneal- ogy of the Hakes family, by Dr. Harry Hakes, of Wilkesbarre, Pa.) Her birthplace was Grafton, N.Y. She still lives at De Ruyter. De Forest Blanchard is the fourth of the five children of Levi and Louisa (Hakes) Blanchard, the others being Harris C, Or- rington M., Ella J., and Silas D. His edu- cation in the common and some of the higher branches of learning, in the village schools and in the De Ruyter Institute, was early supplemented by the study of telegraphy. While but a youth, he held a position of re- sponsibility as telegrapher and station agent at Cook's Falls, Delaware County. Resign- ing this position in 1875, he returned to De Ruyter, and set himself to learn the printer's trade. A few years later, having become a master of the art in its various branches, he ventured, in connection with C. E. Beekman, to start a paper, the De Ruyter New Era, the first issue of which was dated May 6, 1880. This enterprise proved successful; and the firm continued in business till 1885, and then sold out to another party, Mr. Blanchard re- maining in the office till December, 1887, when he removed to Earlville, then a village of five hundred people. Here he established the Earlville Standard, at first a seven- column, four-page paper, now enlarged to a seven-column sheet of eight pages, with a goodly circulation. In 1875 he married Helen A. Storrs, daughter of Rev. John and Eliza (Smith) Storrs, of Worcester, Otsego County. They have five children — Leon D., Earl, Linn, Gladys, and Fred H. While a BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 351 resident of De Ruyter Mr. Blanchard served as a member of the Village Board of Trustees. He has officiated for some years as foreman of the Cyclone Fire Company. He is a member of De Ruyter Lodge, No. 692, A. F. & A. M. ; Earlville Lodge, No. 622, L O. O. F. ; Earl- ville Encampment, No. 21; and Earlville Lodge, No. 124, K. P. Since coming to Earlville, Mr. Blanchard, by his energy and tact, his regard for the common weal, and his determined push, has done much to forward the business and improvement of the village. The Earlville Standard, conducted by him on liberal principles, and with the high aim of promoting the best interests of the people, is a recognized power for good in the community. "ENRY W. ADAMS was born at New Hartford, Oneida County, N.Y., De- cember 10, 1 80 1, a son of James and Lydia (Tharp) Adams, both of whom were born in New Hartford, Conn. The father was a farmer, owning about one hundred acres of land, most of which was a dense forest, which he had to clear by arduous toil and labor. His father was William Adams, an extensive farmer of Connecticut; and the family consisted of three sons and four daugh- ters. Being a strict and zealous Presbyte- rian, he reared his children in that faith. The mother of our subject had nine children, three sons and six daughters. The daughters grew to maturity and married; but of the whole family only two sons and two daughters are now living, of whom Henry W. is the eldest. The others are: Susan, Mrs. Babbit, who is a widow, and resides in Oswego, N.Y. ; Lucy, the widow of William Smith, residing in Williamstown, Oswego County, N.Y., and eighty-four years old; and Joseph B., eighty years old, a retired farmer and speculator, living in Mattawan, Mich. For nearly all his life our subject has fol- lowed the occupation of a miller, owning and managing his own grist-mill. This trade he learned at Sauquoit, Oneida County, where he worked many years. In the course of his long and eventful life he has had varied experiences. Starting in early manhood, empty-handed as to fortune, but well stored with energy, hope, and ambition, he has known what it is to achieve success, and also to sustain heavy and bitter losses. He had been for only a few years a merchant, when he had the misfortune to lose three thousand dollars of hard-earned savings. One of the bitterest trials he has had to -bear was in the death of a beloved son, who was killed by the cars while acting as brakeman. He was only twenty-three years of age, a fa- vorite with all who knew him; and his tragic end was a source of heart-breaking grief to his family and a sorrow to his native village. His living children are: Mariene, wife of Lew Miller, and mother of two sons and four daughters; and Henry L., residing at Lenox Furnace, married, and has two sons and two daughters. This gentleman is highly edu- cated, has taught for many years, and is con- sidered one of the best mathematicians in the State of New York. He is now fifty-seven 352 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW years of age. Mr. Adams has been twice married, first to Miss Pattie Knight, of Sau- quoit. She died in 1877, aged seventy-five years. One year later, in 1878, he married for his second wife Miss Hannah Halicus, whose father, Christ John Halicus, died when she was a small child. Her mother, who was Miss Thankful Tubbs, died at Wampsville, N.Y., at the age of eighty-four. Mr. Adams was a Lieutenant in the home organization of the militia; and the same spirit of patriotism which made him do his duty in that limited field afterward animated his son, Henry L., in the Civil War, when he enlisted as a private, and through bra- very and hard fighting won the epaulettes of officer, having besides the unfortunate experience of a year's imprisonment in An- dersonville. Mr. Adams affiliates with the Republican party, believing it the proper one to manage national and local affairs. He has never been a professed member of any church, but is broad-minded, liberal, and just toward all creeds. His belief has always been in espousing the right for its own sake, and he has a firm hope in the beneficent care of a loving Providence. If; ILLIAM R. GRISWOLD, a native of Madison County, born in the town of Madison, has always been identified with its citizenship, and now has a pleasant home in Hamilton. His father was William Griswold, who was born in the town of Canaan, Conn. ; and it is supposed that his grandfather was also born in that New Eng- land State. The latter spent his last years in this county, of which he was a pioneer. The father of our subject was young when he accompanied his parents to their new home in the virginal wilds of this State, and here he grew up amid the primitive scenes that surrounded the early settlers of this vicinity. He inherited land from his father in the town of Madison, and resided there many years. Finally, selling the old home, he removed to Michigan, and died at the residence of his son Manus, in Rollin, Lenawee County. In early life he had married Sarah Belden Graves, whose birthplace was Athol, Mass. She came to New York when a young woman, and her last years were spent in the home of a daughter in Oswego County. She was the mother of five children — Laura, Manus, Ma- randa, William R., and Lucinda. William R. Griswold was educated in his native county, was reared to the life of a farmer, and succeeded his father in the owner- ship of the hom€ farm. He continued to reside there, industriously engaged in its management, until the year 1877, when he purchased the home he now occupies at Ham- ilton. Mr. Griswold is a natural mechanic, and, with a love and talent for music, has made some fine musical instruments. He has also for a number of years been engaged in tuning pianos. His musical gifts and worthy qualities of mind and heart give him a desirable social standing among the people ^idst whom he has always lived, and by whom he is highly respected. He was BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 353 brought up in the Methodist Episcopal church, and still clings to the faith of Jiis fathers. Mr. Griswold has been twice married, first to Jane Maynard of the town of Madison. After her death he took for his wife Jane Ann Marshall, who was born near Pratt's Hollow in this county. There were two sons by the first marriage: Lucius W., a farmer in Madi- son; and Frederick L., who died at the age of forty years. By the second marriage there are three children: Charles J., who is teller in the bank; Will M.; and Nellie L. GEORGE BERRY was born in the town of Eaton, November 12, 1820, the seventh son of Henry Berry, who was a native of Ireland, born in the latter part of the eighteenth century. He was a farmer by occupation, and after coming to America settled in the town of Eaton, near what is known as Pratt's Hollow, but afterward went to Canada, where he died at the age of seventy-five years. The mother of our subject died when but thirty-seven years old. There were nine children born to them, namely: Robert, Rachael, and John, all de- ceased; Henry, living at Poolville, N.Y. ; Thomas, deceased; Isaac, in Elmira, N.Y. ; George, the subject of this sketch; David, deceased; and Margaret, living in Canada. George Berry was brought up on the farm, and, his parents being poor, had to work industriously, attending the common schools as he had opportunity, and, while not receiv- ing a classical education, gained a practical one, which fitted him for the useful positions he has held through life. There was this great advantage in those schools attended by the farmers' children: while the range of study was confined principally to the rudi- mentary studies of the language, the children had, in addition, the daily study of agricult- ure in the fields around them, the knowledge of Nature in her varied aspects, and the value of cattle in their service to man, their whole lives being benefited by this apparently un- methodical style of learning. Our subject was quick to learn, and, having an excellent memory, retained much of the information he gained during his younger days. When nine- teen years of age, he went to the village of Eaton, and was employed in making edge tools for four years. He then commenced buying hides and pelts, and subsequently was associated with one of his brothers in a tan- nery at Poolville, N.Y., remaining in this business for three years. For three years more he was in a woollen factory at Munns- ville, Madison County, N.Y., coraing from there to Oneida in 1857. Here he built a tannery, commencing in a small way; but the business rapidly grew to considerable dimen- sions, requiring additional buildings and facilities. For many years this plant was closely identified with the progress of the village. It covered about an acre of ground, and steam power was used to operate the machinery. To enhance the growth of the work, Mr. Berry purchased an adjoining prop- erty, by which he was enabled to obtain a 354 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW constant and unlimited supply of good water, so essential to the success of that brand of leather manufactured. The product consisted of what is known as "rough leather," mainly used in the making of boots and shoes. The output was of the very best quality, and was in the neighborhood of seven thousand sides of leather annually. This industry was built up solely by Mr. Berry, who managed it for years with great success; but of late the plant is not in active operation, he having practi- cally retired from its superintendence. At present he occupies himself principally in carrying on a considerable trade in hides, pelts, calfskins, etc. Mr. Berry has been a potent element in the development of the village of Oneida, and has contributed his share toward its prosperity. He is an enterprising citizen, and to his activity much of the flourishing condition of the place is due. Politically, he is a Demo- crat; but, notwithstanding the county is strongly Republican, so popular is he that he has been intrusted with many positions of trust and honor. In 1856 he was chosen Jus- tice of the Peace, later was Supervisor for the town of Lenox, serving three terms, and was elected President of the Village Board. In 1874 he was elected Member of Assembly, although having Republican opposition; and so well did he satisfy his constituency that he was re-elected to the same position in 1878. His honesty and integrity were power- ful allies, and made his name a stronger ele- ment than any the opposing party could find. He is also Vice-President of the Oneida Sav- ings Bank, and a Director in the Oneida Valley National Bank. At the age of twenty-four Mr. Berry was married to Miss Eliza Brown; and this union was blessed with a daughter, who is now deceased. She was the wife of Hon. Benja- min D. Stone, of Camden, N.Y. She left one daughter, Florence B., now Mrs. Lyman H. Carr, who has one child, Donald E., and resides in Chicago, 111. Mr. Berry is held in a more than reverential regard by the people of his town and county. His life has been marked by enterprise, industry, and rectitude; and his best energies have been utilized in the building up of his village and contribut- ing to its success and prosperity. Both he and his wife have been members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Oneida for a period extending over the past forty-five years, Mr. Berry having been steward and a Trustee for the greater part of this time. He has also been a class leader for a number of years. The causes of religion and edu- cation have ever found in him a liberal supporter. KUCIUS D. HOPKINS, a representative citizen of the town of Eaton, is de- ■■■^ scended from pioneer parents of Madison County, and from patriotic ancestry of the New England States, which traces its lineage back to Stephen Hopkins, one of the two signers of the Declaration of Indepen- dence who lived in Rhode Island, William Ellery being the other. Mr. Hopkins was born April 14, 1827, in the town of Nelson, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 3SS Madison County, and is a son of Daniel and Annie (Clough) Hopkins. Daniel Hopkins was a son of Daniel Hopkins, Sr., who was born in the town of Foster, R.I., on a farm, was reared to manhood in his native State, and reared a family of five children, all of whom are deceased. He died at the age of eighty-eight, on the farm upon which he was reared; and his wife, Hannah, died also in Rhode Island. Daniel Hopkins, the father of Lucius D., made the journey from Rhode Island to the town of Nelson, Madison County, by means of teams, through the woods, following a trail marked by blazed trees, and reached this town in 1805. He took up one hundred and sixty acres of land, cleared a farm, and made a good home for himself and his family. He and his wife reared nine children, two of whom are still living, Alonzo and Lucius D. He died at the age of seventy-six, and his wife at the age of fifty-three. The elder son, Alonzo, is now living in the town of Stock- bridge, Madison County. Lucius D. Hopkins was educated .in the district schools, and began life for himself when but fifteen years of age, receiving five and a half dollars per month for some time, and working by the month for four years. At the age of twenty he began farming for him- self on rented land, and when twenty-two years old purchased sixty-five acres, to which he has added until he now owns two hundred and twenty-two acres. This is a fine farm, is under a high state of cultivation, and is well adapted to general farming and dairying. While actively engaged in farming, Mr. Hop- kins usually kept from forty to fifty cows. He spent four years in Louisiana, but in 1881 settled down in the village of West Eaton, and has resided here ever since, retired from active labor. In 1848 he married Harriet T. Arnst, who was born in the town of Jefferson, Schoharie County, and is a daughter of Sheldon Arnst. Of this union there were two children, one of whom, Merwin D., born in 1850, is living on and managing the home farm. The other child, Jane, was born in 1S53, married Well- ington Blend, and died in 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins are members of the Baptist church. He is a Republican in politics. Both stand high in the estimation of their neighbors and friends, and are useful mem- bers of the community. rsT) I "ON. FRANCIS A. HYATT of the town of Fenner was born August 5, 1828, in Ridgefield, Fairfield County, Conn., and came with his parents to Madison County in 1832. He is a son of Aaron S. and Electa (Keeler) Hyatt. The family is of English origin. Thomas Hyatt settled at Stamford, Conn., in 1641, and was the founder of this branch of the name in America. The subject of our sketch began business life on a farm in 1850, and has since resided in Fenner. He was elected Town Clerk in 1856, serving several terms; Justice of the Peace in 1859, ^^^ held that office eight years; was elected Road Commissioner, 3S6 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW but declined to serve; was Member of As- sembly in 1 86 1, and again represented the district, in the Legislature of 1872. He was a delegate to the Republican State Conven- tions of 1861, 1872, 1881, and 1882. For more than twenty years he has been a Notary Public, and is often employed in the settle- ment of estates. Mr. Hyatt has membership with Sullivan Lodge, No. 148, A. F. & A. M. He is one of the best known men of Madison County, a representative citizen, and, although in a measure retired from active public duties, is still thoroughly interested in everything that pertains to the general welfare, and, vifhile courteous and liberal in his attitude toward the opinions of others, holds firmly his own views. /STeORGE B. BRITT was born on the \^J farm he now -lives on, in the town of Sullivan, September 10, 1845, the son of Benjamin and Catherine (Farnham) Britt. The mother was a native of Brooklyn, Conn. ; and the father came from Vermont. Grand- father Alpheus Britt was a native of Vermont, and moved from there to Madison County, New York, settling in the town of Lenox about 181 1. He was a clothier by trade. After coming to Madison County, he bought a tract which comprised about one hundred and twelve acres of improved land, and engaged in farming. Later he purchased one hundred acres of forest land. While his industrious wife spun and wove the clothing for the fam- ily, he tilled the soil, and with unerring aim brought down the game that made provision for their household. There were thirteen children born to them, seven boys and six girls, of whom three are now living, namely: Willard, living in Genesee County; Curtis, in Orleans County; and Justus, who also lives in Orleans County. Alpheus Britt died in the village of Perryville, at the age of sixty-six, and his wife at the age of eighty- three. They were members of the Universa- list church. He was a Democrat in politics. The father of our subject owned and resided on a one-hundred-and-fifteen-acre farm in the town of Sullivan, which is now owned by his son, George B. He was an honest, hard- working man and a progressive and advanced farmer, well known and respected in the community. He was married at the age of twenty-eight years, and reared a family of four children, of whom two survive, Oran and our subject. Oran resides with his brother at present, but has followed the lime business, also stone quarrying. He is married, and has four children. The father lived on this farm, where he began housekeeping, unti^his death, in his eighty-seventh year. His wife died at the age of seventy-four. He was a Democrat in politics. The family were Universalists. George B. Britt was brought up on the old farm, educated in the district schools, and remained at home on the farm, assisting and caring for his parents until their death. He now owns the place, and carries on general farming, stock-raising, and dairying. His fine herd of cows are Durhams, a breed he especially favors. In 1874 Mr. Britt was Eugene M. Perry. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 359 most fortunate in gaining Miss Elizabeth Harter for his wife. She was born in the town of Sullivan, daughter of John and Nancy Harter, the former of whom was a farmer in that town. To them have been born one daughter, Edith M., who is now thirteen years of age. Our subject follows the example of his father and grandfather in politics, being a strong adherent of the Democratic party, and earnest and hearty in the advocacy of its principles. Fraternally, he is connected with the membership of Sullivan Lodge, No. 148, A. F. & A. M. He takes a prominent rank among the farmers of his county, and with his estimable wife, who is the embodiment of womanly virtue and housewifely qualities, leads a happy and contented life. lUGENE M. PERRY, Sheriff of Madi- son County and one of its most es- teemed and influential citizens, was born in Georgetown, July 11, 1845. His father, Charles L. Perry, was a native of Fabius, Onondaga County, and a son of John Perry, of New England birth, who removed to New York, and was a pioneer in Fabius. An agriculturist by occupation, he spent his later years in Truxton, Cortland County. Having learned the trade of harness-making in PompSy, Onondaga County, Charles L. Perry followed it for a time, first in George- town and then in De Ruyter. Afterward he kept a public house in the latter-named place. Moving from there to Hamilton, he kept the Park Hotel for two years, at the end of which time he returned to Georgetown, and, open- ing a harness-shop, conducted that business a number of years. He finally went back to De Ruyter, his latest home and final resting- place. His death, in 1887, was the result of a kick by a horse. He married Charlotte C. Niles, a native of Lebanon, and daughter of Luther and Chloe C. Niles, pioneers of that town. Of this union there were two children. The daughter, Chloe Adellah, is the wife of T. A. Wilson, and resides in Hamilton. Eugene M. Perry, the only son of Charles L. and Charlotte C. (Niles) Perry, passed his boyhood and youth in attending school and in helping in his father's shop. In August, 1864, at the age of nineteen years, filled with the patriotic desire of serving his country, he resolved to consecrate his young life to the cause of liberty and to the preservation of the Union, and enlisted in the Oneida Cavalry, going South with his regiment, which was stationed for some time at City Point, Va. In the spring of 1865 they marched to Rich- mond, and thence to Washington. In May he was discharged, and came home. From that time until 1870 he worked at his father's trade in Georgetown, and spent the following year in Stockbridge. At the end of twelve months, returning to Georgetown, he opened a harness-making shop, and continued to do a thriving business until December, 1893, when, having been elected Sheriff of the county in the preceding month of November, he closed his business, and January i, 1894, removed to Morrisville. His marriage oc- 360 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW curred in 1871, when he led to the altar Miss Achsah Niles, who was born in Lebanon, a daughter of Edwin and Mary J. Niles. Their happy union has been graced by one son, Harold R. A well-informed man, one who reads the papers, is interested in public affairs and keeps abreast of the times, affable in manners and a general favorite in social circles, Mr. Perry is possessed of a happy faculty for mak- ing and retaining friends, and is one of the most popular of public officials. He has served his town in the capacity of Collector, Constable, Clerk, and Supervisor. A Repub- lican from his youth up, he cast his first Presidential vote for Ulysses S. Grant. He has been a member of the Republican County Central Committee for the past three years; was elected Supervisor in 1892, and re-elected in 1893; and served on the Committees on Equalization, Sheriff's and Jailer's Accounts, Apportionments and Loans, etc. In social and fraternal matters he is a member of Cau- tious Lodge, No. 726, A. F. & A. M., and was Master two years. He is also a member of Carey W. Miner Post, No. 624, Grand Army of the Republic, of which he was Offi- cer of the Day two years. As a public man, of high standing in the county, Mr. Perry has been faithful to every trust confided to his care; and the citizens of Madison County recognize in him one to whom they may safely confide the highest public interests. His genial disposition and unaffected manners everywhere win for him the personal esteem of those with whom he comes in contact, and have gained for him a wide-spread popularity. Perhaps, of all the many portraits of distinguished and represen- tative citizens of this county that appear in this volume, there is not one that will be more warmly appreciated or greeted with greater favor than that which is presented in connection with this brief personal memoir. LLEN S. WHITMAN. In these days of luxurious travelling in finely ap- pointed palaces on wheels it seems incredible that only ninety years ago the greater part of the beautiful State of New York was almost an impenetrable wilderness. But in the year 1800, when the grandfather of our subject, John Whitman, came from Rhode Island to New York, seeking a location for a home, he found that Madison County, then included in Chenango County, New York, was indeed scarcely more than a forest. Yet, being pleased with the country, he secured a tract of land, which is now in- cluded in the town of Lenox, fashioned a log house, and, returning to Rhode Island, gath- ered up his few effects, and with his family came to his new home, and here settled for life. His principal work was felling trees, clearing land, and tilling the soil; and, while meeting with many discouragements, disap- pointments, and hardships, he still succeeded in wresting from "Mother Earth" a com- fortable subsistence, and -remained on the farm until his death, at a good old age. He took an active part in building up the coun- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 361 try around him, and lived to see the place grow from a wilderness into a well-settled and wealthy community. His son, Franklin M., the father of our subject, was born in Lenox, Madison County, N.Y He was fort- unate in receiving a good education, and in early manhood taught winter school for sev- eral terms. He purchased a farm near the old home, and lived there until 1866, spend- ing the last few years of his life in the vil- lage of Clockville, where he died at the age of sixty-three. His wife was Miss Mary Stewart. She was born in the town of Fen- ner, Madison County, daughter of Thomas and Janet Stewart. She now lives in Syra- cuse. There were four children born to this marriage; namely, Allen S., Charlotte, Zulma, and Netta. Allen S. Whitman was born in the town of Lenox in 1836, and was the eldest son. He received his education in the district school of his town and in the academy of Peterboro, Madison County, and, when not in school, assisted his father on the farm. At his mar- riage his parents moved to Clockville, leav- ing him in charge of the farm, which became his on the death of his father. It is still in his possession, and comprises two hundred acres, all under splendid cultivation. In 1883 he removed to Oneida, and has become permanently identified with the interests of the village. He is a dealer in hops, also a dry-goods merchant, and is very successful in his affairs. Mr. Whitman married Miss Mary Wilcox in 1866. She was born in Clockville, Madi- son County, N.Y.; and her parents were Alanson and Catherine (Huyck) Wilcox. Of this union there are three children; namely, Florence, Frank M., and Floyd. Mr. Whit- man is a Director in the Farmers' and Mer- chants' Bank of his town, also an active member of the Madison County Hop-growers' Association. His political sympathies are with the Democratic party, and his forceful character and intelligence are of great value to the organization. w. ARREN W. AMES, editor and pro- prietor of the Weekly Gleaner, was born in the town of De Ruyter, Febru- ary 25, 1850, and is a son of Fordyce W. and Electa Ames, of whom mention is made else- where in this volume. He received his edu- cation in the district schools and at De Ruyter Institute. In 1868 he went to Coffee County, Tennessee, where he followed the occupation of a teacher for one year, and then removed to Illinois, where he taught school at Libertyville, Lake County, for four months. He never held other than first-grade certifi- cates. Then, returning to his native town, he taught two terms of winter school, and commenced to learn the printer's trade in the office of the New Era, remaining there one year. In the spring of 1872 he started the Cape Vincent (N.Y.) Eagle, which he con- tinued to publish for a period of five years, and in 1876 bought the Clayton Independent, thus publishing two papers for a year. He then sold the Eagle, but continued to publish 362 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW the Independent for one year, after which he sold, and came to De Ruyter, where he estab- lished the Weekly Gleaner, and in 1884 bought the De Ruyter Neiv Era, consolidat- ing the two papers. The Gleaner has been a success from the start, and probably has a larger circulation (two thousand one hundred) than any other secular weekly published in a place of similar size (six hundred and sixty- seven) in the world. Mr. Ames is also the patentee of the Ames Addressing Machine, which is in use in several hundred printing- offices throughout the country. It prints direct from the type. Mr. Ames was married in 1872 to Ella M. Wilcox, who was born in Taylor, Cortland County, N.Y., and is a daughter of James H. Wilcox, who died at Ypsilanti, Mich., Febru- ary 10, 1890. They have one son now liv- ing, Clifford, who is fifteen years old. Mertie, their first-born, died at the age of five, Carl at the age o'f three, and Grace when an infant but one and a half years old. Mr. Ames is a Republican in his political views, is a pronounced free thinker, and a man who has at heart the best interests of his town and county. His influence is ever directed in favor of all worthy and public- spirited enterprises; and he may always be found working in harmony with those who are seeking to promote the physical and moral improvement of the community in which his lot is cast. He and his amiable wife have many friends and admirers; and both occupy a place among the intelligent, progressive, and cultured citizens of Madison County. (sJVRTHUR J. STILLMAN, a leading ^sk merchant of the town of Brookfield, Vii^ was born February 25, 1841. His grandfather, Nathan Stillman, went to Brook- field from Rhode Island, and was one of the pioneers of the town. The father, Ethan Stillman, was born in Brookfield, and edu- cated in the public schools. He learned the trade of cabinet-making, but after a few years started in the tin and hardware business, keeping the largest stock of goods in the town, and conducted the store until the time of his death. The subject of this sketch, Arthur J. Still- man, was fortunate in receiving a good educa- tion at the Brookfield Academy, and at the age of eighteen started out to work for him- self. He clerked in the store of P. C. Brownell of Brookfield for two years, then left to enter the employment of Leroy Babcock, with whom he remained two years, and then, purchasing the stock from the owner, em- barked in business for himself. After an experience of three years at this he sold out and went to New York City, working in a wholesale notion store on Broadway. In 1869 he returned to the town of Brookfield, and went into the grocery business. At the expiration of about five years he located in his present handsome store, which is on the site of the old one where he first worked; and here he has been ever since, one of the most prominent and best known merchants in the county. Mr. Stillman is one of five brothers, whose names are John T., William Norton, Arthur, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 3^3 Duane, and Osmer. The latter died in early childhood. The mother is still living, and resides in this town, at the age of eighty- seven years — a hale, hearty, and well-pre- served lady. When Mr. Stillman reached the age of twenty-one, he married Miss Marie A. Clark, daughter of L. R. and Angeline Clark, all of Brookfield. They have one daughter, Mattie A., who is the wife of Mr. Charles A. Tefft, and has one child, Vera Adell. Mr. Stillman's family attend the Baptist church. He is a warm adherent of the Re- publican party, and has many times been elected to the ofiSce of Supervisor, having first served in 1882. By his straightforward course he gained the confidence of his towns- people, and was re-elected in 1883, and again in 1892 and 1893. When spoken of for this office, he refused the nomination unless it was the unanimous choice of the people. For seven years he was Clerk of the Board of Education of Brookfield Academy. Too much cannot be said in praise of the career of Mr. Stillman. He has worked hard, and improved every opportunity to advance himself. Sterling integrity has always char- acterized his actions, and from his earliest youth he has considered his reputation as paramount to everything else. Consequently, the fullest confidence has been reposed in him. His broad mind and frank, open dispo- sition have made him a genial companion; and his energy in seeing what is best for the interests of the people, then his active work until it is accomplished, make him a valued and beloved citizen. "jClDWARD DELAVAN VAN SLYCK, J Q[ edi tor and proprietor of the Hamilton Republican, and one of Madison County's best known citizens, has for many years wielded a marked and beneficent influence on the affairs of this section of the State, both professionally and as a man of strong, earnest character, progressive views, and true public spirit, who is a prominent factor in guiding its political destinies, and potent in guarding and advancing its dearest interests, materially, socially, and morally. A native of this State, he was born at Exeter, Otsego County, August 11, 1833. His father, Philip Van Slyck, was also a native of New York; and his birth occurred at Kinderhook in 1795. He was a son of Peter Van Slyck, who was likewise born and bred in the Empire State. Two of his sons went farther westward, and he spent his declining years on the frontier with them. Philip Van Slyck learned the trade of clothier in early life. When a young man, he settled in Exeter, Otsego County, and there married Abi Rider, a native of Tolland, Conn., and a daughter of Stephen Rider, a pioneer of Exeter, where he located as early as 1803. After his removal to Exeter the father of our subject bought land, and there engaged in farming until 1837, when he took up his residence in Cincinnatus, Cortland County. Thence he removed in 1830 to Homer in the same county; and from there, in 1847, to Sempronius, Cayuga County; then back again, the following year, to Cort- land County, making his home in Cortland- 364 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ville, and subsequently at Homer. Finally he returned to Sempronius, where his life was rounded out in 1866, at a ripe age. His widow survived him until 1878, when she, too, passed away, dying at the home of her son Edward. She was the mother of nine children, of whom six grew to maturity. Edward D. Van Slyck early had to face the stern realities of life, having to assist his father in the support of the family as soon as he was able. Unfortunately, he was a delicate lad, .and on that account could not attend school until he was ten years of age. However, he had a bright, receptive mind, and managed to secure sufficient education to teach school at the age of seventeen. His experience in that line was confined to district schools, in which he taught five winters. At the age of eighteen he began to devote the time not occupied in teaching to learning the trade of machinist at Homer, and worked at it a part of each year for five years. His tastes and inclination, however, led him to prefer a professional life; and, when he was twenty- three years old, he commenced reading law with the Hon. R. Holland Duell, of Cortland, and in 1858 was admitted to the bar. He had previously become interested in the newspaper- business; and the same year he established the Cortland Republican Banner, in company with P. H. Bateson, continuing as part pro- prietor and editor until 1861, when he sold it, and it was consolidated with the Cortland Gazette. The breaking out of the war roused in Mr. Van Slyck the spirit of the true patriot, and with voice and pen he advocated the cause of the Union until he could arrange his affairs so that he could go to the front with sword and rifle in defence of his country. In October, 1 86 1, he devoted his energies to raising the original Company K of the Seventy-sixth New York Infantry, and had the honor of being mustered into that regiment as First Lieutenant of Company D. He was connected with the regiment one year, serving with gal- lantry and characteristic fidelity, and proving himself a good soldier and fine officer in the various battles and skirmishes, seven in num- ber, in which he fought. A part of the time he was Quartermaster, and ably performed the duties of that responsible office. He was three times wounded, which so incapacitated him for active service that he was honorably discharged in October, 1862. Journalism still had its fascinations f«r him; and as soon as sufficiently recuperated to attend to business once more he re-entered the field, purchasing the Hamilton Democratic Republican February 6, 1863. He conducted the paper for twenty-three years with great financial success, making it one of the leading journals of this section of New York. At the end of that time he sold it to W. E. Tooke, as his health had become impaired while in the United States military service, from which he has never recovered. For a while he lived retired, but in 1889 resumed business as a pension attorney, in which he is still prosperously engaged. His abandon- ment of the editorial profession proved tempo- rary, as in September, 1892, he resumed the BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 36s proprietorship of the Hamilton Republican^ and has ever since had it under his manage- ment, in addition to his other business. His long experience in and decided talent for newspaper work enables Mr. Van Slyck to present to his patrons a model county paper, well conducted in every department, present- ing the news of the day in an attractive form, its editorials sound on all public and political questions of importance, and devoted to ad- vancing local interests. Mr. Van Slyck was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Fisher in 1856. They have had two children, both of whom died in in- fancy. Mrs. Van Slyck was born in the town of Willet, Cortland County, a daughter of John and Clarissa (Fenton) Fisher, who were natives, respectively, of England and Ver- mont. Mr. Van Slyck is one of the leaders of the Republican paity in this county. He was originally a Democrat, but was in full sym- pathy with the men who formulated the prin- ciples of the Republican party, and was an active and enthusiastic member of the Bing- hamton Convention that was convened in 1854 to organize the party in this State. Since then he has often served as delegate to county and State conventions, and has nobly per- formed his part in upholding the standard of Republicanism. His war record is commem- orated by his connection with Arthur L. Brooks Post, No. 272, Grand Army of the Republic. He attended the Grand Army National Encampment at Denver in 1883; was a delegate to the San Francisco encamp- ment in 1886, to the Boston encampment in 1890, to the Detroit encampment in 1891, and to the encampment at Washington in 1892. He is also prominently identified with the Masonic fraternity, of which he became a member at the age of twenty-four years. Mr. Van Slyck has read and travelled extensively, and is exceptionally well in- formed on all subjects of general interest, which he handles in a broad and catholic spirit. We venture to say that no man in this part of the world has more knowledge of his native country than he, as in the course of his travels he has visited every State and Territory (including Alaska) in the Union, with the exception of Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. He has besides been in the principal cities of Mexico and the Domin- ion of Canada. DWIN PERKINS, a well-known farmer, residing on his forty-acre farm in the town of Cazenovia, was born a few rods from his present home, March i, 1838. His father, Stillman M. Perkins, was also a na- tive of this town, born here in 18 10, and died on his farm, one-half mile from that of our subject, in 1885, in his seventy-sixth year. He was a son of Eliab Perkins, a native of Ashfield, Mass., who came to Cazenovia with his father, Abiezer Perkins, in 1804, when twenty years of age. He married a Miss Merick, their family in later years consisting of nine children, of whom the father of our subject was second in order of birth. They came here when the country was compara- tively new, and Albany was the nearest market 366 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW and depot of supplies. He died in middle life, when about forty-eight years old; and his widow survived him but a few years. His son, Stillman M. Perkins, was united in mar- riage to Anna Webster, who was born at Fort Ann, this* State, and was brought here on horseback, when a babe, by her mother, whose maiden name was Olive Kingsley. The lat- ter was first married to a Mr. Ward, to whom she bore three sons. By her marriage to Abi- jah Webster she had a family of six or seven children. Of the family of Stillman M. and Anna (Webster) Perkins, one son died in early childhood, and a daughter, Susan Jane, at the age of twenty. The living are: L. B. Per- kins, an invalid, residing at Georgetown, this county; Edwin, of this notice; Eliab, a farmer of this locality; Olive, wife of Charles Wagoner, of Georgetown; and George W., a farmer on an adjoining farm, which forms a part of two hundred acres left by the father. The latter died as mentioned above; and some three years later the mother passed away, at the age of seventy-five. They were people of high moral character, and in their riper years, at least, were Christians both at heart and by profession. Edwin Perkins received a good schooling in his youth, and at the age of eighteen com- menced to teach school, which occupation he followed for ten or twelve winters here and in Pennsylvania. In November, 1862, he was united at the marriage altar to Helen A. Mason of this town, daughter of Cooley Mason of the town of Nelson. Of this union there is one daughter, Ida Louise Bowers, now a widow and residing at home. Mr. Per- kins is engaged in general farming. Al- though not a regularly qualified veterinary surgeon, he possesses an extensive knowledge of the diseases of horses and the best methods of cure, and is frequently called upon by his neighbors to render services in this direction, meeting with great success. He is one of the substantial men of his town, takes an interest in the progress and advancement of the com- munity in which he lives, and with his ex- cellent wife is universally regarded as a useful and upright citizen. ULLIVAN D. HOLLENBECK, of Oneida, dealer in produce, real estate, and coal, is a son of Isaac Hollenbeck, who was born in Tully, Onon- daga County, N.Y., August 15, 1815, in which town he spent his life as a farmer, breeder of blooded stock, and general dealer in live stock, acquiring a considerable com- petency. He was married February 28, 1837, to Lydia M. Bonats, who survives him. They were the parents of eight children, six of whom are living. He died October 9, 1874. His wife was born in Tully, February 22, 1 8 17, and continues to reside in that place. She is a daughter of Christian Bonats, Jr., who was born at the foot of the Hallaback Mountain, early in life settling in the forests of Tully, and, after hewing out for himself a home, spent his life in that town as a farmer, dying about October i, 1865, when eighty- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 3^7 three years old. His wife was Elizabeth Adair, a native of the north of Ireland, born there in 1794, of Protestant Scotch-Irish pa- rents, who brought her to this country when she was but eight years old. They settled in Del- aware County, New York. She became the mother of eight children, four of whom are now living, the eldest being over eighty years of age. She also died about October i, 1865, aged seventy-one. The father of Christian Bonats was Christian Bonats, Sr., born in France, of French-German parentage, a gun- smith by occupation. He was a highly edu- cated man and a linguist of no mean powers, being able to speak fluently the French, Ger- man, Dutch, and English languages. He was also a soldier, and served in the army of Bonaparte. He attained to the advanced age of ninety or over. His wife, the mother of Christian Bonats, Jr., was Hannah Fraliet. She also lived to about the age of ninety. The father of Isaac Hollenbeck was Abram Hollenbeck, a farmer by occupation, who spent most of his life in Tullj-, and died of pneumonia in 1843, aged sixty-three years. He married Mary Van Baskirk, who died about 1856, aged about seventy-five. Her mother was Eva Spore, who lived to upward of eighty years. Abram Hollenbeck was the son of Aaron Hollenbeck, a mason, who also attained a good old age, being about eighty at the time of his death. Isaac Hollenbeck and his wife were the parents of the following children. Sarepta was born July 6, 1841, and was married March 7, 1866, at Tully, N.Y., to W. W. Kelsey, of Cortland, N.Y. Mr. Kelsey is the inventor of the famous Kel- sey furnace. Sullivan D. is the subject of this sketch. A. Hamlin was born August 8, 1846, and is a resident of Cromwell, la. He was married December 31, 1873, to Mary Gazley. I. Merrit was born October 4, 1848. He is a resident of Tully, N.Y. Francis M., born January 9, 185 1, married in March, 1879, Jennie (Wright) Chapin, of Homer, N.Y., who was the widow of Adelbert Chapin. Seward, born August 16, 1853, married Lillian Pratt, of Homer, N.Y., March 26, 1890; and they reside on the old home- stead. Bennett, born July i, 1855, resides on a farm near Cromwell, la. Sullivan D. Hollenbeck was born August 30, 1844, and was brought up on his father's farm. His elementary education was ob- tained at the district school, and was supple- mented by a course of study at the Cazenovia Seminary. Being an ambitious boy, he was careful and thorough in his studies, and learned much by observation outside of the school-room. He also taught school some six or eight terms, in order to more thoroughly impress upon his memory the knowledge he had already acquired, working during the vacations on the farm, that he might obtain money with which to defray his school ex- penses. Having secured the best education obtainable in the limited time at his disposal, he secured a position as salesman, and also engaged to some extent in jobbing. Being industrious as well as ambitious, he neglected no opportunity to improve his business chances. In 1878 he removed to Oneida, and 368 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW purchased a coal business, which he success- fully managed for ten years, in the mean time buying and selling real estate, building, and accumulating considerable property. In 1888 he sold the coal business, and organized the Oneida Manufacturing Chuck Company, which he placed upon a firm business foundation, becoming its President and Treasurer. In this business he still holds an interest, Mr. Hollenbecic has always been a public- spirited man, and has contributed his share toward all enterprises having for their object the betterment of the community in which he lives. He has assisted materially in building up the manufacturing interests of his adopted village, and is recognized in this respect, as in others, as a public benefactor. He was married in Durhamville, N.Y., December 31, 1874, to Leoria J. Hubbard, of Oneida, by whom he has two children, Charlena and James S. Politically, Mr. Hollenbeck is a Republican. His church membership is with the Presbyterians. He has a very pleasant home in Oneida, and is personally popular as a man of high moral character, genial man- ners, and one who endeavors to follow the Golden Rule in his dealings with his fellow- men. <^«*->- -r^TENRY S. KLOCK, one of the most r^l prominent and successful business -*- V . - men of Oneida, N.Y., was born in Manheim, Herkimer County, N.Y., October 2, 1832. Henry J. Klock, grandfather of Henry S., owned a very large farm in Manheim, and was for some time toll-gate-keeper at East Creek. He removed from there to Oneida County, and spent his last years in the town of Vernon. The father of Henry S. Klock was reared and married in Manheim, and resided there until 1841, when he went with his father, taking his family, to Vernon, Oneida County, where he bought a farm, on which he remained until his death, in 1891. He mar- ried Miss Eunice Easterbrook. She was born in Vermont, and died in Oneida in 1876. Four children were born of this marriage, namely: Andrew S., living in Vernon; Henry S. ; Margaret E., wife of Simeon B. Armour, now of Kansas City; and Robert C, also a resident of Kansas City. Our subject attended the public school in his district, but finished his education at Cazenovia Seminary. He lived with his parents until twenty years of age, when he formed a partnership with Simeon B. Armour and Edwin Wilder, and engaged in the manu- facture of high wines in Stockbridge, Madi- son County, N.Y. He continued in this business for eight years, and then returned to Oneida, where he has since engaged exten- sively in buying and selling hops. In 1886 he formed a partnership with Willard H. Bennett to carry on the lumber and ice busi- ness, which they conduct at the present time. The ice is harvested from Crystal Lake. Mr. Klock was married in 1862 to Miss Alma A. Rich, who was bom in Stockbridge, N.Y. Mr. and Mrs. Klock have one son and four daughters; namely, Henry S., Jr., Martha F., Grace, A. Louise, and Eunice. Both parents and children are members of the BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 369 Presbyterian church. While not an office- seeker, Mr. Klock takes more than a passing interest in politics, and does his duty toward the Democratic party, of which he has always been a strong adherent. As a business man, he is energetic, progressive, and successful. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Oneida Savings Bank. WELLINGTON J. LILLYBRIDGE. The subject of this biography, now a retired farmer of ample means, having his residence in Earlville, is a descendant of a prominent pioneer family of Madison County, who settled here in the early days of its history, when the cabins of the home- steaders were few and far between. He was born in Lebanon, May 27, 1825. Tradition says that his ancestors were from England; and it is probable that they emigrated to New England in Colonial times, as his grand- father, Champlin Lillybridge, was a native of Rhode Island. There he was reared and married, finally coming to Madison County, where he lived a number of years before going to Greece, Monroe County, to spend the last years of his life at the home of one of his sons. The maiden name of his wife was Hannah Wilcox; and she, also, was a native of Rhode Island. Jarah Lillybridge, father of our subject, was born February 6, 1794, in Richmond, R.I., where he spent the earlier years of his life. When seventeen years of age, he started out in search of a fortune, his total assets consisting of a three-year-old colt and three dollars in money. With the latter in his pocket, and astride the colt, he turned his face toward the Empire State. After a few hours' travel he overtook Mr. Davis, the keeper of a hotel in Sherburne, who was mak- ing the journey with a pair of horses and a wagon. So he finished the trip in company with him, riding in the wagon and leading the colt most of the way. Arriving in Leba- non, Mr. Lillybridge joined his brother-in- law, Deacon Stephen James, and soon after began life in this State, working by the month. Being active and energetic, and prudent in his habits, before many years he had saved enough of his earnings to buy sixty acres of land in Lebanon, paying nine dollars per acre for it Three acres were partly cleared, and the remainder was covered with timber. A loghouse had been built on the clearing, and in it he and his wife began housekeeping. He labored early and late,'' and in the course of a few years had not only eliminated a fine farm from the wilder- ness, but had accumulated a surplus capital, which he wisely invested in additional land. In 1825 the log cabin was superseded by a frame house, thus completing a substantial set of farm buildings. He became closely iden- tified with the interests and progress of this section of the county; and his death, which occurred May i, 1874, was a great loss to the community. The maiden name of his wife, mother of our subject, was Olive Wilcox. She was also a native of Richmond, R.I., born April 5, 1797, and was but seven years no BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW old when she came with her parents to Madi- son County. She died July 28, 1876. She was the mother of four children: John, who died in Delaware County, Iowa, November 2, 1892; Varnum W. ; Wellington J.; and Cla- rissa C. Her grandparents were Peleg and Dinah Wilcox; and her parents were Peleg Wilcox (Jr.) and Thankful Wilcox, both na- tives of New England, her father having been born in Rhode Island in 1776. He grew to manhood in the place of his nativity, learning when young to do all kinds of work incident to an agricultural life. In 1804, deciding that he could farm to a better advantage in the fresh and unbroken soil of some Western State, he emigrated to New York, bringing with him his family and all household effects. He secured a tract of timber land in the town of Lebanon, and at once began the erection of a log house. He had no sawed lumber, but hewed out the boards to cover the roof and floor, and, having no doors, hung a quilt in the doorway. At that time wolves roamed the woods, making frequent depredations on the flocks; and on one occasion, when they had been unusually aggressive, Mr. Lilly- bridge and the neighbors, joining forces, gave chase to the invader, and he, riding a small mare, caught and killed the wolf. This was but a single incident in the experiences which followed during the many years of toil and hardships required to overcome the difficulties besetting the pathway of the early pioneer. With characteristic energy Mr. Wilcox con- tinued the work of converting the wilderness into a beautiful garden spot, covered with I waving grass and growing grain, and at the time of his death, in 1846, had an excellent farm under good cultivation, amply supplied with substantial frame buildings. The subject of this personal history was reared in his native town, receiving his ele- mentary education in its district schools, and subsequently attending the schools of Smyrna and Earlville. When at home, he assisted his father in the, management of the farm, becom- ing familiar with the details pertaining to it, and finally succeeded his father in its owner- ship, which he still retains, and, in addition, has become the possessor of the land formerly belonging to his grandfather Wilcox, so that he has now an extensive farm, containing six hundred and fifty-six acres. In 1885 Mr. Lillybridge gave up the active cares of farm life, and moved to Earlville, where he has since resided. In 1850 he was united in mar- riage with Miss Sarah A. Allen, a native of Madison County, and born in Brookfield, of New England ancestry, her grandfather, Samuel Allen, son of Christopher Allen, having been born in Hopkinton, R.I. He married Sarah Kinyon, and emigrated from Rhode Island to Oneida County, New York, in 1806. Soon after they came to Madison County, and located in Brookfield, where they cleared a farm, and spent the remainder of their lives. They reared two children. Stead- man and Edward D. The latter, born in Brookfield in 1808, was the father of Mrs. Lillybridge. He was reared, educated, and spent his entire life in his native county. Becoming early initiated into the mysteries of BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 371 farming, he followed that occupation as long as able, and spent his declining years, ten- derly cared for, in the pleasant home of his daughter, the wife of our subject. His death took place July 29, 1893. The maiden name of his wife, to whom he was married in 1827, was Caroline Button. She was born in Brookfield, May 5, 1805, a daughter of John P. and Betsey (Palmenter) Button, both natives of Hopkinton, R.I. Leaving New England, they came to Madison County, and, purchasing a tract of land which was still in its primitive condition, erected a log house, which the family occupied for some years, and at once began to prepare the land for tillage. The town was then sparsely populated, the markets very distant, and the nearest mill thirty-six miles away. This Mr. Button had to- visit occasionally; and, as there was no road, a part of the distance he had to follow a trail. It took three days to accomplish the round trip, the family being left alone in the mean while; and, as the wilderness was inhabited by wolves, bears, and other wild animals, and Indians were in the habit of making frequent calls at the cabin, it was an anxious period for him as well as for his family. After a while he erected a mill at Brookfield, the first in the vicinity, which he successfully operated. Being a natural mechanic, and carpenters much needed in the new and growing town, Mr. Button worked for a number of years at that trade, being quite successful. His death occurred in 1839, and Mrs. Button's in 1852. The mother of Mrs. Lillybridge died in Smyrna in 1876. She reared six children — David,' Hannah, Erotus, Robert, Sarah, and Freeman. To our subject and his wife were born four children. Emma Oliva died at the age of ten years. John W. died when eight years old. Olive died at the age of six years. Mary, who was born August i, 1856, married Delos Finch; and they have a family of four children — John W., Jay, Raymond, and Cla- rissa. Mr. and Mrs. Lillybridge are mem- bers of the Baptist church, and are ever zealous in all good and charitable works. (sTrLVIN DUANE CHESEBRO. There fc?k are few in the county who can ^i^ count an ancestry any farther back than this gentleman, his great-great-grand- father, Christopher Chesebro, having been a farmer in the days of the colonists, when the New England States were first settled, and his great-grandfather, Harris Chesebro, hav- ing been among the first to explore the track- less forests which now constitute Madison County. It was before the present century; and he made his home in the then thinly settled portion of Brookfield, near the present site of what is now known as Clarksville, N.Y. Besides carrying on his little farm, he plied his trade of tailor, going from house to house, cutting and directing the making of the garments which had been spun and woven by the mother of the household. His wife was Miss Patty Champlain, and she was also a native of the Eastern States. In their new 372 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW home Mr. and Mrs. Harris Chesebro reared nine children ; namely, Patty, Harris, Lydia, Samuel, Rhoda, Phoebe, Nathan, Jared, and Ely. Jared Chesebro, the grandfather of our sub- ject, was reared on the farm of his father. As a matter of course, the educational privi- leges of that time were exceedingly limited; but, having a naturally bright mind and quick intelligence, he made the very best use of the opportunities afforded him, and after his day's work was done spent his evenings in m hard study over the few books that had been brought from the old New England home. The same studious habits which characterized him as a boy have clung to him always; and to-day, at the age of eighty-five years, he is well read and well posted in current events. When he left home, he was very young; and he went to work out by the month for the farmers around Brookfield. By economy and thrift he was soon able to purchase sixteen acres of land, which formed the nucleus of the beauti- ful farm of three hundred acres which to-day forms the homestead residence. Little by little, year by year, a few acres were added before the present large area was obtained; and many an anxious hour was passed, and many a sacrifice made, before the requisite sum was earned to pay for the coveted pur- chase. But he could not have accomplished this unless the hand that managed his house- hold affairs -had been thrifty and economical; and fortunate, indeed, was he in possessing a wife who was a fitting helper in his struggle in life. He married Miss Sarah, daughter of Zebulon and Sarah Brown, who were origi- nally from Petersburg, N.Y. By her careful management and wise counsels he was able to carry on successfully his outdoor affairs, knowing full well that no waste or extrava- gance in the home would counteract his efforts to save expenses. They had two chil- dren, J. Hiram and Rhoda L. The latter died when two years old. The grandmother is still living — an active, hearty lady of eighty-four years — and enjoys, with her be- loved husband, the happiness of a serene old age. Hand in hand they have walked the pathway of life, confident in their love for each other; and no more beautiful and peace- ful home can be found than theirs. Jared Chesebro is now eighty-five years old, and is still a keen, active man, with a memory which easily recalls all the stirring events of the days when he himself, a native of the county, grew up with it from its very earliest settlement. He served as Road Commis- sioner for six years. Their only son, Hiram, assisted in carrying on the farm, and, when he became of age, purchased the place adjoining, where he still resides. He is a man of more than ordinary importance in the county, and is universally respected and esteemed. He has been As- sessor for three terms. He married Miss Harriet S., daughter of Alric and Drury Williams, of Brookfield; and they have three children — Alvin Duane, Ora D., and Ida Louisa. Ora D. married Arthur Page, of Brookfield, N.Y. ; and they have one son, who is named Alvin. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 373 Alvin Duane is the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Chesebro, and was born on the old homestead in 1855. Until eighteen years of age he attended school and resided with his parents. He then married, and assumed the management of the farm, until failing health compelled him to relinquish its duties, and he removed to Brookfield. His health improving, in company with D. F. Maine he opened a hardware store, but after a short time sold out his interest, and returned to the farm of his grandfather, where he superintends and man- ages affairs. His wife was formerly Hattie A. Hinkley, of Brookfield; and she is a daugh- ter of Daniel and Jennie (Keith) Hinkley. Our subject and his wife have an adopted son, William Le Roy. They are members of the Methodist church, as are now all the family, though originally Quakers. In their political affiliations Alvin D. Chesebro, his father and grandfather, are adherents of the Republican party. The Chesebro family stand among the most prominent and respected in the com- munity, having always conducted themselves in such a manner as to command the regard which is entertained for them. j^A MASON, of North Brookfield, N.Y., was born in Stockbridge, Madi- son County, N.Y., June 26, 1831. Martin Mason, father of Ezra, was born in 1800, and went to Brookfield with the grandfather and great-grandfather from Rhode Island early in the century. They settled on a place near North Brookfield on the road to Clarksville, N.Y., where the grandfather and great-grandfather remained permanently. Martin Mason was educated in the district school of the neighborhood, and worked on the new farm until his manhood. He then removed to Stockbridge, and bought a farm, living there for some years. In 1845 he went to Michigan, and located himself near Grand Rapids, residing there until his death, in 1876. His wife before marriage was Miss Maria Powers. Her birthplace was at Au- gusta, Oneida County, N.Y. » The names of their children were Salis- bury, Marie, Statira, Rochester, Malvina, Ezra, Louisa, Armenia, Sarah, and Elliot. The mother also died in Michigan. Ezra Mason remained during his boyhood on the home farm, and at the age of fourteen years went to live with Mr. Garrett, staying there until his twenty-first year, receiving what educational training was possible in the village school. He worked for Mr. Garrett two years after he reached his majority. At the end of that time he married Miss Liver- more. He then formed a partnership with his employer to carry on general farming and hop culture. A few years later, having become fascinated with the marvellous stories of the great- Western country, Mr. Mason took a trip to Ohio, and liked it so well that he remained there eighteen years, engaged in agricultural pursuits and teaming. But his old love for his native State asserted itself so strongly that in 1883 he returned to Madison County, and has since lived on his small but fine farm in North Brookfield. His only child, Warren 374 BIOGRAPHICAL .REVIEW Oscar, married Miss Ada Hout; and they have one son, Charlie. Mr. Mason is a member in good standing of the Masonic fraternity, and belonged to a lodge in Ohio. He and his family atteftd the Baptist church. In his political faith Mr. Mason is a strong Republican, and gives that party his active and steady support. Having had the varied experience which travel and contact with the world gives, he is a man of ripe knowledge and sound judgment. Among his townspeople his advice is valued; and his good, practical sense is recognized by all. He is widely known in the county as worthy of the respect and regard which are freely accorded to him. STEPHEN R. CAMPBELL, a resi- dent of Lebanon, Madison County, N.Y., and for many years a highly successful teacher in the public schools, was born in this town in 1846. His grandfather, Daniel Campbell, a native of New England, settled in the town of Sullivan, N.Y., where he resided a few years, and then moved to the town of Lebanon, where he followed farming until the time of his death. He was one of three brothers who were prominent in the early settlement of Central New York. An- other of the brothers settled in the town of Paris, Oneida County, and died there at the age of ninety years. Daniel Kennedy Campbell, son of Daniel above named, was born in the town of Sulli- van, February 4, 181 1, and, after receiving a fair education in the village schools, turned his attention to farming. For a few years after his marriage he lived on the border line of Chenango County, New York; and, when he returned to the town of Lebanon, he bought a tract of land which is included in the farm now owned by the subject of this sketch. On this tract were a primitive log house and a small clearing, which constituted all the im- provements then. He made in a short time a very marked change in the place, building fine stables, barns, and a good residence. He married Theodosia M. Barr, who was born in Belchertown, Mass., June 12, 1810. Her father was Joseph Barr, who, so far as can be learned, was also a native of that town. To Mr. and Mrs. Campbell were born eight chil- dren, seven boys and one girl. Avis L. grew to womanhood, and died at the age of twenty- seven years. The sons' names were Nathan- iel B., David, Francis M., Stephen R., James D., Adelbert L., and Morell W. The mother, Mrs. Theodosia M. Campbell, died July 22, 1883; the father, Daniel K. Camp- bell, at the home of his son Stephen, Decem- ber 30, 1890, when within a few weeks of completing his eightieth year. When Mr. Joseph Barr decided to move to the State of New York, he left his New England home, making the journey by ox-team with his fam- ily, including Theodosia, who was then a girl of twelve years, and by the same conveyance bringing all his earthly possessions. He came by way of Albany, N.Y., and settled in the town of Lebanon upon a tract which he pur- chased of the land agents. As was the case William Taitlor. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 377 with much of the land here in those days, his purchase was well wooded; that is, entirely covered with trees, which he had to cut down to lay out his farm. This is the place where our subject now resides. The wife of Mr. Barr, Miss Ruth Waite before marriage, was also of Massachusetts. She shared the journey and the hardships of her husband in his pio- neer life, and died, full of years and of good works, in 1853. Stephen R. Campbell acquired the princi- pal part of his early education at the Brook- field Academy, and later took a course of study at the Hamilton Seminary. For twenty-four years, almost continuously, he has taught school, and has achieved a first- class reputation as an educator. He suc- ceeded his uncle in the ownership of the splendid farm of one hundred and forty acres upon which he now resides. He was married to Miss Alice Newcomb on the 24th of Sep- tember, 1872. She was born in Rome, N.Y. ; and her parents were Waldo and Sarah (Boss) Newcomb, of Corning, N.Y. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have six sons and one daughter. They are Daniel B., Miss S. Dotia, John E., George B., Clark W., Earl M., and C. Ray. Their third child, Olin, died at the age of nearly two years. Mr. Campbell has been shown the high appreciation in which he is held by his towns- men in having been thrice elected a member of the County Board of Supervisors for the town of Lebanon, although he is a Democrat, and his town is largely Republican in poli- tics. In the fraternal orders he is associated with Lebanon Lodge, No. 582, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In his work as a teacher he has never been unmindful of the fact that the proper education of youth is a primary and most important consideration in our republic, and that his vocation is second to none in usefulness and dignity. In the ranks of this honorable profession he holds a leading place, his intelligence and scholarly attainments being well supplemented by his urbanity and tact as a teacher. If: ILLIAM TAYLOR, M.D., a suc- cessful practising physician of Can- astota, and a representative of one of the first pioneer families of Madison County, is a worthy member of a most honorable and useful profession — a profession the study and practice of which, and the general diffusion of the knowledge peculiar thereto, are doing much to relieve mankind from the ills to which flesh is heir, and also to add to the general enlightenment of the world. Dr. Taylor was born in the town of Nelson, four miles east of Cazenovia, January 18, 1839. His father, William Taylor, was born in an adjoining town, and was a son of Thomas Taylor, who was born in Connecticut about 1787, and died about January i, 1865, on his farm in the town of Fenner. He was of English descent; and his wife, Alpha Bal- lon, was of French. When about twelve years of age, Thomas Taylor was brought to the State of New York by his parents, who settled in Oswego County, where the lad was 378 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW trained to work on a farm, and thus early inured to habits of industry and economy, which were of great benefit to him through life, and which were inherited by his posterity. He became a successful farmer and lumber manufacturer, following both these occupa- tions throughout his life. He and his wife were the parents of four sons and one daugh- ter, of whom William, the father of the sub- ject of this sketch, was the second child and son. Orrin, the third of the family, was a successful farmer, and owned a saw-mill. He died at Pratt's Hollow in 1890, aged seventy- iive years. His only son, Thomas, now lives in Peterboro, N.Y. Otis, the youngest son, was a man of education, taught school several years, and was for some time School Superin- tendent. Ruth is the wife of William S. Martindale, of Peterboro, N.Y. Mr. and Mrs. Martindale have buried one son, who served in the Union army during the late War of the Rebellion; and they have one son and two daughters still living. William Taylor was accidentally killed in his saw-mill on his farm in 1869. He left a widow and four children, all of whom are still living, namely: William Taylor, M.D.; Charles H., a farmer of the town of Fenner; James Otis, a tinsmith of Fulton, Oswego County; and Willard O., a grocer and baker of Canastota. Mrs. Taylor, retaining her strength and her faculties to a remarkable degree for a woman of her years, which are fourscore and one, is tenderly cared for in the home of her eldest son, the subject of the present sketch. Dr. William Taylor received a better edu- cation than in his early youth and manhood usually fell to the lot of young men in coun- try towns. He was permitted to attend the district schools, and afterward he completed his literary education at Peterboro Academy. At the age of nineteen he began teaching school, and taught three successive winters, in the mean time studying medicine, at first with Dr. Powers Mead at Nelson, and after his death with Dr. H. P. Mead, of Morris- ville. After taking a course of lectures in Buffalo, N.Y., he attended the University of the City of New York, graduating therefrom in March, 1862. From April to October, that year, he practised his profession in Munns- ville, and in the latter month volunteered as an Assistant Surgeon in the Twenty-third New York Volunteer Infantry, and was mus- tered out in May, 1863, at Elmira. Afterward he was commissioned Assistant Surgeon of the Eightieth New York Volunteer Infantry of Ulster County, serving under Surgeon Robert Loughran, the latter, however, being absent from the command most of the time, and Dr. Taylor being, in fact, surgeon of the regi- ment. He was mustered out at Hart's Island in February, 1866, having faithfully served his country in the trying period of the war. Dr. Taylor was a charter member of Reese Post, No. 49, Grand Army of the Republic, and was Commander of the Post four succes- sive years. In politics he is a loyal and true Republican, was Coroner of Madison County nine years in succession, and is now Presi- dent of the Board of Pension Examiners for BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 379 Madison County. Few men take greater interest in educational matters than Dr. Tay- lor, he having for years been a member of the Board of Education of Canastota — a board which is known throughout the State for its unusual success in educational work. Nor does the Doctor by any means neglect busi- ness affairs, having been a stockholder in the glass works since their establishment, and owning large quantities of real estate in Can- astota, which is mainly in lots and dwellings, one of the latter being a fine residence near the new Trinity Church, which is the home of the Doctor and his family. Doctor Taylor married in January, 1865, in the town of Smithfield, Miss Jennie Mc- Gregor, who lived afterward but sixteen months, and, dying, left no children. The Doctor married the second time in January, 1869, Sarah J. Brewster, who is of the tenth generation from Elder William Brewster. She is a daughter of John N. and Margaret H. (Eagles) Brewster, of North Carolina, was born in Wilmington in that State, and was brought to Syracuse, N.Y., in infancy. She is the only child of her parents that grew to mature years. Her mother died when she was an infant; and her father, who was an artist, died in 1861, at the age of fifty years. Dr. and Mrs. Taylor have two children, namely: William Brewster Eagles, born Jan- uary II, 1874, and now a student in the aca- demical department of the Canastota schools; and Marguerite Henrietta, born May 7, 1877, also a student in the schools of Canastota. Dr. Taylor and his wife and children belong to the Episcopal church. The family, being excellent members of society, showing them- selves friendly, have many friends. They are interested in works of philanthropy and char- ity, and whatever is for the betterment of mankind. The attractiveness and value of this volume of biographies are enhanced by the portrait of Dr. William Taylor, which will be viewed with satisfaction by those who know him inti- mately and know him but to praise, and by those who know him by reputation only, as one of the leading members of his profession in Madison County. T^HARLES FAULKNER was born in I jr^ Brookfield, N.Y., in the first quarter ^*» — ' of this century, and died on August 23, 1 89 1, at the age of seventy-one years. This brief memoir is but a slight tribute to the many estimable qualities which made the death of this gentleman a severe loss to his family and friends. He was a son of Friend L. Faulkner, of Connecticut, and a grandson of an elder Charles Faulkner — the first of the name of whom record is here made — who was a native of Guilford, Conn. Friend L. Faulkner with his wife, who before marriage was Miss Azubah Fisk, came to Brookfield at an early period of its history, purchased a tract of land in the heart of the wilderness, made his home here, and reared their nine children — George, Samantha, Sherman, Ed- ward, John, Olive, Friend L., Charles, and Alonzo. All these children received the best 5&0 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW educational advantages available in those days in the common schools of the district; and the sons were trained at home from their boyhood to the pursuits of farming, the daughters to domestic industries. In 1855 Mr. Charles Faulkner, son of Friend L. and Azubah (Fisk) Faulkner, mar- ried a daughter of Mr. John Welsh, of Ire- land. February 16, 1838, was the date of her birth. She was one of a family of five chil- dren — •William, Ann, Elnora, Mary J., and Eliza. After his marriage Mr. Faulkner and his wife settled on a farm in Brookfield, N.Y. ; and here were born their seven children — Mary Ann, Charles P., Hattie, William Scott, Sherman, Edward I., and Geneva. The children were all well educated in the Brookfield schools. Geneva, the youngest daughter, possessed of good literary attain- ments, is an able teacher, and has taught for two years in Brookfield and some terms in Waterville, N.Y. She is also an excellent business woman, assisting her mother in all her affairs. Mary Ann, the eldest daughter, a few years ago was married to Mr. Alfred Campbell, and is now the mother of two children, Grace and Charles. Hattie is the wife of Mr. Charles Livermore. The Faulkner family attend the Baptist church, and may be relied upon to do their part in its religious, beneficent, and social work. Mr. Charles Faulkner was eminently worthy of the respect and esteem in which he was held. He was of a high type of manly character; and his death a little more than two years ago, the close of an upright and Christian life, was deeply mourned by his wife and children, and regretted throughout the community. Mrs. Faulkner is a lady whose kindly disposition and many virtues have gained for her the sympathy and affec- tion of a large circle of friends, and whose pleasant home is an attractive social centre. RS. CLARISSA C. COOPER, widow of the late Charles Cooper, who died September 26, 1892, at the age of sixty-four, is a daughter of Willard and Eliza (Hall) Cotton, the former of whom came from Vermont, and the latter from Massachusetts. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Cooper, Justus Hall, came to Madison County in 1807, and settled in the town of Lenox, when his daughter Eliza was seven years old. Her grandfather Cotton came to Madison County from Vermont about 1805, when his son Willard was a small boy. He was a farmer in easy circumstances, and with the help of his good wife reared a family of eleven children, of whom four sons and four daughters grew to mature years, all now having passed away. Owen, the eldest of their sons, died at Attica, Wyoming County, N.Y., when upward of ninety years of age. Willard and Eliza Cotton were the parents of seven children, four sons and three daughters, three of whom are still living, namely: Ham- ilton, a farmer, near by; Ann, wife of Abner Snell, of Canastota; and Clarissa. Mrs. Cooper is a well-educated lady, having spent BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 381 three years in the boarding-schools of Clinton and Chittenango. She was married first February 7, 1854, when she was twenty years of age, to Elijah French, of Maine, who was a watch-maker and jeweller, and who died on the farm upon which the subject now lives in 1880, at the age of sixty years, leaving no children. Mrs. French was married in De- cember, 1884, to Charles C. Cooper, who died, as stated in the beginning of this memoir, leaving two sons and one daughter by a former marriage; namely, Edwin M., Clinton H., and Maria, the latter of whom was graduated from the Canastota Academy in 1 89 1, when seventeen years of age, and is now a teacher in the public schools. The three children are all at home with Mrs. Cooper, who has given them a mother's tender care, and whom they regard with filial affec- tion. Mrs. Cooper's farm contains one hun- dred and nine acres, seventy acres of which were taken up by Justus Hall nearly ninety years ago, when the land was new to cultiva- tion, when this immediate part of the county of Madison was appropriately designated "oak openings." Upon this farm Mr. Hall died suddenly of winter cholera, about 1830, when sixty-four years of age. His widow died in June, 1849, aged seventy-three. Mr. Cooper was a valued citizen of his town, often elected to offices of honor and trust. At one time he was well-to-do in the world; but through misfortune he lost a por- tion of his property, which depressing experi- ence doubtless hastened his death. As he was a Mason and an Odd Fellow, these fra- ternities were very attentive to him during his last illness, and superintended his funeral. Mrs. Cooper, since her husband's death, has successfully managed her place, carrying on general farming, keeping a small dairy, and having a hop-yard of from five to ten acres. Now living in the prime of mature woman- hood, she may be spoken of as well preserved, her appearance indicating excellent health and an active and contented mind. ^njTTjAH W. BROWN was born on July Jnjs, 1822, in Georgetown, Madison County, N.Y., where he remains to this day, a public-spirited citizen, immensely pop- ular in his town and county, and a thor- oughly representative man of the Republican party. Captain Samuel Brown, the grand- father of this gentleman, earned his honorable title by three years of arduous service on the battlefields of the Revolutionary War. He was born in Connecticut, and was one of the sturdy men of the colonies who left the plough standing in the furrow, the wife and babe hastily kissed, and, grasping the old flint-lock musket, hurried to the defence of the imperilled nation. After independence was gained, he returned to the peaceful pur- suits of a farmer's life, which he followed until his death. He lived to a good old age, and, after the removal of his son Elijah to New York State, made long and tedious trips every other year to visit him. The five children of Captain Samuel , Brown and his wife, who was a Miss Day, were 382 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Alanson, Elijah, Alfred, Erastus, and Lydia. All are now deceased. Elijah, the second son, who was born in New London, Conn., came to Georgetown, Madison County, N.Y., and on April i, 1813, bought a tract of land, a dozen acres of which were cleared, and on which was the only frame house on the high- road. He carried on farming, and soon cleared off the timber on the remaining por- tion of his farm. Here he raised wheat, corn, and oats, and for a good many years kept sheep as his principal live stock. His farm products he sold to people who supplied the markets in Albany, N.Y. One of the main sources of revenue in those days, when timber was so plentiful, was potash, which was made from the immense amount of wood cut down to make clearings. This, and the black salt from which pearlash is made, found a ready market in the capital, and, as money was scarce in those days, served as barter for home necessities. The family linen was woven from flax raised on the farm, and the mother fashioned the garments which the household wore; and they were substantial and well made, if not of the city's prevailing mode. Mr. Brown was early attracted by the charms of Miss Margaret Williams. A mut- ual attachment ensued; and the romance of their lives, which may be said to have begun when they were pupils in the same district school, happily resulted in their marriage in their native town in Connecticut, and to- gether they braved the hardships of the jour- ney to their habitation in New York State, where her cheerful endurance and housewifely thrift made their home in the wilderness a veritable garden of Eden. Their family con- sisted of six children, as follows: Lydia, La- vinia, Harriet, Elijah W., Loren W., and Julia A., whose pathetic death occurred when she had reached the budding age of sixteen years. They are now all deceased except Elijah W. Lydia married Alanson Niles, of Hamilton N.Y.; and one child was born to them, a daughter, Francelia, who married Erasmus Higgins. Mr. and Mrs. Higgins re- side in Kansas, and have one child, George. Lavinia, Mrs. L. E. Swan, lived in Cazeno- yia; and her children are Edwin, Levi, George, Flora, Maggie, and Mary. Edwin is married, and lives in Flint, Mich. He has two children. Levi married g. Miss Gridley, and lives in Fayetteville, N.Y. The wife of George was a Miss Lawton; and their home is in Binghamton, N.Y. Flora is Mrs. Faulk- ner, of Nelson, N.Y. Mary is Mrs. Charles Niles, of Cazenovia, N.Y. And Maggie is unmarried, and lives in Cazenovia. Harriet, the third daughter, married Lyman Bonney, of Georgetown, N.Y., and has one child, Loren. The second son and fifth child of Mr. and Mrs. Elijah Brown was Loren W., who married Miss Elcena Prentice. Their four children, married, are as follows: Her- man N., to Miss Upham, of Georgetown, and has one child, Frank; Morel, to Miss Blan- chard, of Manlius, N.Y. ; Emma is Mrs. Gil- bert Tripp, of Manlius, and has two children; and Herbert married a Miss Riggall. Elijah W., the eldest son and fourth child BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 3^3 of Mr. and Mrs. Elijah Brown, grew up on his father's farm, and with his brothers arid sisters attended the schools of the village. At this time the land had been pretty well cleared of the timber, and the farm had become productive and profitable. Arrived at a suitable age, and being conveniently circumstanced to take to himself a wife, he married Miss Ruth T. Robie, daughter of Jonathan Robie, of Georgetown. Four children have been born of this marriage. Amorette, the eldest, is the wife of Henry Hammond, of Syracuse, and has two children, Fred W. and George B. Ada, the next daughter, is Mrs. Chester J. Parker, of Lake- port, N.Y. ; and her one child is Chester J. Parker, Jr. George, the eldest son, married Miss Libbie Austin, of Georgetown; and they have two children, Mabel and Ruth M. Ed- Ward, the youngest, lives at home with his parents, the location of their dwelling being the same as that in which they fixed their residence twenty-seven years ago, and which they have since continued to occupy. Mr. Elijah W. Brown is a stanch adherent of the Republican party, a veteran worker in its ranks. He has been a delegate to the county conventions for the last forty years, also has attended the Senatorial and Congres- sional and State conventions. He was a member of the first Republican convention held in Madison County. For eleven years he has served as Supervisor, and, besides being an Assessor for nine years, has been Highway Commissioner, and for a certain part of his time has been Trustee of his school district. For several years he was Bank Ap- praiser for Madison County. In his religious opinions he is a Methodist, and with his family assists greatly in the good work of that church. Mr. Brown has ever been a devoted husband, a loving father, and a generous and patriotic citizen. He fully deserves all the eulogiums he receives. ^^E. FOC Y^Y^. 1840, ii FOOTE was born March 1 1 , in the town of Brookfield, N.Y. on the farm he now owns and occupies, and on which his father Rufus was also born. The Foote family came to this State from Colchester, Conn., and were persons of con- siderable education and research, as was evi- denced by the classical name of Epaphroditus given to the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, who came first to Brookfield, and set- tled on the above-named farm. Rufus Foote, son of the immigrant, was reared and educated in his native town, and there remained, engaged in active pursuits, until 187s, when he removed to Bridgewater, where he still lives, a hale and hearty man of seventy-six years. He did not need to go to a strange country or even to a neighboring village to seek a wife. He married Miss Emily Hall, who, like himself, was a native of the town of Brookfield. W. E. Foote was the only child of Rufus and Emily Hall Foote. He was educated in the public schools of Brookfield and at West Winfield Academy, and remained at home with his parents until he was twenty-two 384 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW years of age. He was twice married. After his first marriage he resided at the old home- stead for five years, and then removed to Bridgewater, having bought an interest in a hotel previously kept by Mr. Mason. Here he did a most successful business for five years, selling out at the end of that time, with the intention of returning to the farm. Since coming to Bridgewater, he had been elected Supervisor of the town, and, when he disposed of his interest in the hotel, had only partially served his term of office; but, being a man who always considered duty paramount to everything else, he remained in the town to finish his term, although not engaged in business. After this he went back for a short time to the old homestead. The year 1881 found him again in Bridgewater, where he en- tered the store of W. C. Marsh, staying there three years. He returned once more, and for good, to the old home farm in 1885. His first wife was Miss Josephine Otterbin, daughter of John and Catherine Otterbin. She was born in Cedarville, Herkimer County, N.Y., her parents being pioneers of the town. Two years previous to his leaving Bridgewater his wife died; and in 1874 he married Miss Emily Hall, daughter of Samuel and Nancy Hall. They have one child, Anna Josephine. Following the example of his father, Mr. Foote is a supporter and worker in the Universalist church, the grandfather having been a prominent member and strong supporter of said church. In the fraternal orders Mr. Foote is a mem- ber of Western Star Lodge, No. 15, of Bridgewater, one of the oldest in the State of New York. Socially, Mr. Foote and fam- ily hold a fine position, and have many true and warm friends in the community. Their home is noticeable at once as the abode of culture and intelligence, where the visitor is always sure of a pleasant, hospitable wel- come. In every department of life Mr. Foote has ably and worthily filled the station in which he has been placed, and is regarded by his townspeople as a thoroughly consistent and honorable gentleman. ':^EV. LEWIS HYDE STANLEY, a venerated minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, now retired from active service, was born in Cazenovia, N.Y., February 12, 181 2. His father, Lewis Stanley, a native of Hartford, Conn., wfeb was a farmer, came to Cazenovia when, he was but sixteen years of age. He IJAfed for a time at Lisle, in Broome County, with his brother-in-law, Calvin Hyde, wj..t1i whom he came to New York State from Connecticut. The father of Lewis Stanley was James Stanley, a mechanic, who also was a native of Hartford, Conn. His children were: Alexander; James; Lewis; Samantha, wife of Captain Hyde; and Mrs. Freeman, whose husband was a Methodist minister. Their father lived to a good old age, and their mother to a still older one, dying at the home of her son James, in the town of Pompey, Onondaga County, N.Y. Lewis Stanley mar- ried Miss Betsey Smith, of Johnstown, who BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 3^5 died in Cazenovia, in middle life, leaving eight children, the ninth one having been, at the age of three years, accidentally scalded to death. Mr. Stanley married again. The education of Lewis Hyde Stanley was begun in his early childhood in the rude log school-house of the district, and continued later in the Cazenovia Seminary. When a young man, he went to Genesee County, and taught school for some time. Having de- cided on the ministry for his profession, he entered the regular work in the Methodist Episcopal church at the age of twenty-three, and for forty years was in the itinerancy, in what is now the Central New York Confer- ence, but was then the Oneida Conference. He was married at Cazenovia, December 15, 183s, to Miss Nancy A. Parsons. She is now eighty-four years old, remarkably hale and hearty, as is her husband, who has reached his eighty-second year. He and his wife have buriedtwo daughters: Eliza Jane, who died in Chenango County, at nine years of age; and Josephine Louisa, who was skilled in music, and taught the art for sev- eral years. Her death on February 14, 1891, in their present home, at the age of forty-eight years, was a great sorrow to her parents. The living children are: Lewis McKendree, unmarried, and living at home, has taught school for some years, but con- ducts the farm now; and a daughter, Helen Marie, wife of Frank C. Jarvis, of Canas- tota, N.Y. Rev. Mr. Stanley was long an ardent Re- publican, but has now become a stanch Prohi- bitionist. For eighteen years he has been retired from active work in the ministry. He has labored hard in the vineyard of the Lord, and his years of ministration have brought forth good fruits. Many and severe were the reverses and trials he underwent in his jour- neys through the country. His strong phys- ical organization had much to endure; but, no matter how great his fatigue, his zeal was always fresh to move the sinner's heart, his voice clear and strong to lead the glorious hymns of his church. He bought his present homestead of sixty acres in the town of Lenox in the spring of 1866, paying four thousand one hundred dollars for the place, including house, barns, stock, and tools, and immedi- ately moved on to it with his family. He carries on general farming, raising the ce- reals and keeping a small dairy. Together this aged couple enjoy in peace and pleasant surroundings their last years, serene in the knowledge of well-spent lives, and assured of being welcomed in the realms above as good and faithful servants, having done their Mas- ter's will on earth. Wi ILLIAM H. CHAMBERLIN, M.D., one of the most active and suc- cessful practitioners of medicine of Madison County, now a resident of Oneida, is a son of Isaac Chamberlin, of Oneida County. The father of Isaac Chamberlin was Lowell Chamberlin, of Vermont, who came to the State of New York at an early day, and was one of the pioneers of Oneida County, where 386 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW he engaged in farming, working hard, and per- forming his full share toward the improve- ment and development of this then new country. He was of the hardy stock produced by the climate of New England, and lived to the good old age of eighty years, his wife living to be eighty-six. They were the parents of nine children, two of whom died in early life, one in middle life, and the rest in old age. Isaac Chamberlin, the third child, was reared on the home farm, and followed agricultural occupations all his. life. When twenty-four years of age, he married Eliza- beth Hinman, who came from Troy, N.Y., and died here in 1881, leaving two children: William H., the subject of this sketch; and Charles, now living on the old homestead. Isaac Chamberlin died in 1885, having been a straightforward, honorable man and a highly respected citizen. William H. Chamberlin was born at his father's home in Oneida County, October 5, 1850, and worked hard on the farm when a boy and young man. While attending the district school, his ambition was to study for some profession ; but in this ambition he re- received but little encouragement from his parents. Leaving the common school when fourteen years of age, he thereafter attended the village high school until he was eighteen years old, and then went to Illinois, where he found employment as a school-teacher in the city of Jacksonville, Morgan County. After a time spent in Illinois in this most honorable and useful occupation, he returned to this State, and was here similarly engaged for three years more. Though he liked the profession of teaching and was successful therein, yet he desired something that would furnish him a larger income, and something that would be permanent and at the same time useful, and therefore decided on the pro- fession of medicine. Being able now to support himself by means of the money he had saved from his wages as teacher, he began his studies in Michigan University at Ann Arbor, and completed them in the Medical Department of the University of the City of New York, graduating there in 1876. Soon afterward he engaged in medical practice at Vernon, Oneida County, remaining there two years, and then going to Delavan, Wis., where he was in practice four years. Since then he has been continuously engaged in his profes- sion in Oneida, has built up a large practice, and is frequently called in important cases. Dr. Chamberlin was married, when twenty- eight years old, to Clara Allen, of Verona, a daughter of James and Martha Allen. By this marriage he has two children, Wilfred and Whitney. Politically, the Doctor is a Republican; and both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Dr. Chamberlin is a physician who is widely and favorably known. He has made many friends, both in his professional capacity and as a private citizen. There are few fields, if any, in which a man who is well qualified for his duties can exert a better influence, can do more good work for wayward and suffering humanity, than in that of the practice of medicine, which fact is fully appreciated by BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 387 Dr. Chamberlin. The profession is one in which the unfit man is soon discovered and rebuked, and in which the honorable and skilful practitioner is sure of success and its rewards, moral and pecuniary. Dr. Chamber- lin enjoys the satisfaction which comes from the consciousness of living a life of useful- ness, being of true service to his fellow- beings, and also of possessing in large measure the confidence of the community, which brings him an extended practice, and assures the substantial pecuniary compensa- tion without which no physician could live by his profession. kRS. J. H. HAWLEY. The sketch of this estimable lady is of more than ordinary interest, as all branches of her family are intimately con- nected with the history of Madison County. She was born June 20, 1832, in East Hamil- ton, N.Y., where she now occupies the old homestead. Her father was Cyrus R. Ackley, a native of the same town, a son of Calvin Ackley, who came here from Colchester, Conn., and in connection with a brother, bought a large tract of timbered land. As the first thing necessary for the pioneers to do, they erected a log cabin on this tract for their temporary dwelling, and then set to work to fell trees and clear the land for their farm. Their purchase was situated about four and one-half miles from the village of Hamil- ton ; and, as even the primitive " loco-foco " matches were not then known, the first fire in their new home was started from live coals brought in a teakettle from the village. Cyrus R. Ackley lived with his father on this farm, and was reared to agricultural pursuits. He died in June, 1892, at the age of eighty-six years. His two children were Mrs. Hawley and Ellen F. (deceased). The wife of Cyrus R. Ackley was a Miss Abbey A. Carrier, a member of a well-known pio- neer family of the town, and one of ten children born to her parents. The eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ackley married Mr. John H. Hawley, of Brant, Erie County, N.Y. For fifteen years Mrs. Hawley and her husband resided in Erie County, where he carried on his father's farm, which was one of the finest in the county. So productive in one line of gardening alone — the culture of small fruits — was this place that three hun- dred and fifty bushels of berries were gathered in the last year of her residence on the farm, while other crops were correspondingly large. Thirteen years ago Mr. Hawley died, to the great sorrow of his wife and family. Shortly after the death of her husband Mrs. Hawley returned to the old home of the Ackley family in Hamilton, where she still resides, and has conducted the farm herself since her father's demise, a year and a half ago. The dwelling- house was built by her grandfather, Calvin Ackley, in 1819, and still stands in a perfect state of preservation. The children of our subject are Mrs. Grace H. Underdown and Abbie G. and Annie M. Hawley. Intelli- gent and sensible, these young ladies are also possessed of literary and other talents, one of 388 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW them being an artist of much ability, as is shown by the admirable specimens of her work which adorn the walls of their ancestral home. With good judgment and with tact, Mrs. Hawley manages her large farm; and its affairs are as thoroughly directed as if a man, instead of a woman, had the control. The strength of her character was shown when she suffered the loss of her husband. Instead of nursing her sorrow and sitting down help- lessly, she summoned up her energy to do double duty in the care of her children and of her aged father — a work in which she could not fail to find great peace of mind. Mrs. Hawley is a cousin of the well-known Supervisor of the town of Hamilton, H. Clay Ackley, one of the most popular and truly representative men of the town and county. She and her daughters are devoted members of the Methodist church, contributing freely of their time, influence, and means to the interests of religion. kRS. ELIZABETH W. CLIMEN- SON, widow of the late James C. Climenson, was born in Eng- land. Her parents, John and Elizabeth (Sanger) Young, came to the United States when she was but a little child, making the voyage across the Atlantic in a large sailing- vessel, and reaching New York after a pas- sage of somewhat more than five weeks. Both were well educated in their native country; and Mr. Young was there a prosperous busi- ness man, but left England on account of ill- health. He was for some time in the drug business in England, having served a seven years' apprenticeship, and being a registered pharmacist. He sold out his business before coming to the United States. At the time of their emigration from Eng- land Mr. Young and his wife had two chil- dren, namely: Elizabeth W., the subject of this sketch; and Marianne, who married Or- lando Ames, and died in 1886 in Boston, Mass. After arriving in the United States, Mr. and Mrs. Young had five children born to them, all of whom are now deceased. Fran- cis Joseph Young, a brother of Mrs. Climen- son — a noble. Christian young man — was a soldier in the ranks of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth New York Volunteer Infantry, and died at Harrison's Landing after a short period of service in the Union army, when but twenty-one years of age. Mr. John Young opened a drug store in Canastota in 1849, and continued in business there, a por- tion of the time on North Canal Street, and later on the spot where the Bruce Opera House now stands, until 1861, in March of which year, on account of ill-health, he sold his store. He was a Methodist preacher, and travelled in the Oneida Conference twelve years. His death took place in 1867, when he was sixty-three years of age. His widow married again, and survived her second hus- band; and she herself died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Climenson, May 12, 1892, well advanced in her eighty-fifth year. Mr. James C. Climenson was a son of BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 389 John Cliraenson, and was born on a farm in the suburbs of Philadelphia, but which now is built up with solid business blocks. He died June 25, 1891, when seventy-two years old. His was a superior education, finished at Asbury University, Indiana. He was a teacher for many years. The latter part of his life was spent on a farm that he pur- chased near Canastota. Mrs. Climenson has buried one daughter, Frances Ada, five years of age, and also a daughter who was twenty- seven years of age. The latter was the wife of C. J. Prichard. She died in Canastota, leaving an infant one month old, Maude D. E. Prichard, now eight years of age. The children of Mrs. Climenson still living are as follows: Florence Maude, now living in Boston, Mass. ; Ernest Lincoln, living in Canastota, who is married to Mary Phillips of the town of Lenox, by whom he has one son and one daughter; Emma H., a graduate of the Canastota union schools and of the State Normal School at Albany, who is thor- oughly qualified for teaching. Mrs. Climen- son was graduated from Cazenovia Seminary in 1848. Previous to her marriage she, like her husband, was a teacher. She is a mem- ber of the Protestant Episcopal church, and lives in her pleasant home one mile west of Canastota, highly respected by all who know her. tjf RANK ISBELL, a wide-awake farmer PIj of the town of Nelson, N.Y., a man with a good faculty for business, was born April 23, 1831, in the town of Eaton, son of Oliver and Sally (Ayers) Isbell, both natives of Massachusetts. The father was a farmer, and came to Madison County when there were very few settlers here. He purchased several different tracts of land, making some improvements on each parcel. His first home was the unpretentious log cabin; but, with the good luck that fol- lowed the industry and perseverance of all those pioneers, he was soon able to build for himself a substantial house and farm build- ings. He prospered in this country; and to himself and wife were born three sons and four daughters, of whom four are living at the present time, namely: Frank, above men- tioned; Eli J., a well-to-do farmer of the town of Eaton; Asa P., farmer and mechanic, also of Eaton; and Antoinette, unmarried, residing with him. Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Isbell died in the town of Eaton, he at the age of eighty-seven years, and she at seventy- seven years. They were members of the Baptist church. Attending the district schools in his boy- hood, Frank Isbell remained on his father's farm until he was of age, and then for three seasons worked out for farmers. He bought his first land in the town of Nelson, consist- ing of one hundred acres. Previous to this he had run a large dairy farm on shares, and also a cheese factory very successfully for eight years, in this manner earning the money which enabled him to purchase his land. Soon afterward he sold this first farm at remunerative prices, and in March 24, 1868, bought the beautiful place of one hundred 39° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW and ten acres, to which he has added lots from time to time, until he now has two hundred and ten acres under cultivation in the town of Nelson, besides land in Georgetown in the neighboring vicinity. While he carries on general farming, his special crop being hay, he has from twenty to twenty-seven head of stock, both for dairy and the work of the farm. On February 7, 1855, he married Miss Mary Wescott, who was born in the town of Eaton, April 5, 1834, and is the daughter of Paul and Elizabeth Wescott. Her father was a native of Rhode Island, and her mother of Vermont. Mr. Wescott was a farmer and an early settler of the town of Eaton, where he and his wife both died. They had nine children, of whom six are living: Dr. James J. Wescott, born in 1826, resides in Nor- wich, N.Y. ; Sylvester, born in 1832, lives in the old Wescott home in the town of Eaton; Mary, wife of our subject, born April 5, 1834; Wilber, born 1836, resides with Mr. and Mrs. Isbell; William S., born in 1838, lives at Orange Park, Fla. ; Henry, born in 1843, is a resident of Oswego County, New York. Ezekiel, Hiram, and Salem are now deceased. Paul Wescott was born in 1789, and died in 1847. His wife, Elizabeth, was born in 1802, and died in 1859. They were well-known and respected pioneer set- tlers of Madison County. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Frank Isbell resided in Eaton for nine years, and since then have lived in the town of Nelson. They have two sons: Charles F., born October 19, 1856, in the town of Nelson; and Elmer E., born September 30, 1861, in the town of Eaton — both of whom reside on the old homestead, assisting their father in the man- agement of the farm. Charles F. was mar- ried December 28, 1882, to Miss Emma Lord, who was born in Smithfield, Chenango County, N.Y. They have two children: Mary, born April 29, 1885; and Minnie L., born June 20, 1888. Elmer E., the second son, received a good education in the district schools, finishing at the Norwich Academy, and for a number of years taught school in the neighboring towns. On October 6, 1882, he married Miss Jennie A. Jones, who is of Welsh parentage. She is a very highly edu- cated lady, and with her husband kept a select school in West Eaton Village. They have one daughter, Anna Grace, born April 27, 1887. Elmer Isbell is liberal in his religious views, and his wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a Republican in politics, as is his father, both taking very great interest in the affairs of their party. While Mr. Frank Isbell is not a member of any religious organization, he is liberal- minded and tolerant of differing opinions. He is a man universally respected in his county, having during his residence here built up a solid reputation for integrity, industry, and uprightness of character. What he has started out to do has been well done; and his popularity is evinced by the positions of pub- lic trust he has held, having been Overseer of the Poor for some terms and Highway Com- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 391 missioner for a number of terms. He is a member of Farmers' Grange, No. 605, of which his son Elmer is an ex-Secretary. E. CRUMB, eldest son of J. O. Crumb, a native of Edmeston, Ot- sego County, N.Y., was born March 4, 1861, in Plainfield, N.Y., where his parents still reside, his father being one of the leading farmers of the place. His mother before marriage was Miss Charlotte Brown, of Bridgewater, N.Y. The five chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Crumb were: H. E., above mentioned; Charles W. ; Fred; Robert; and Ruby. The subject of this sketch left home when he was twenty years old, and began life work- ing on a farm. He had received a good edu- cation at a select school in Edmeston, and also at the public school at Leonardsville, N.Y. At twenty-six years of age he married Miss Lena R. Dye, the younger of the two daughters, Ellen and Lena, of Mr. H. B. and Celinda (Meeker) Dye, the former being a native of Brookfield, N.Y., the latter of Burlington, N.Y. The three children of Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Crumb are Mabel, Damond, and Lee. The family are attendants of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which they give cheerful and liberal support. Although not mixing much with political matters, Mr. Crumb has always been earnest and hearty in his advocacy of the principles of the Democratic party. Having proved him- self, in every relation of life, true to the dic- tates of the highest manhood, he has long been accorded the esteem and confidence of his fellow-citizens. Young in years, he is abreast with the times, alive to the opportu- nities that this magnificent age of literature and science affords to the broad and active- minded. Mrs. Crumb comes from an old family, who early settled in the town of Brookfield, and endured in their day priva- tions and hardships which can scarcely be un- derstood in these days of comfort and luxury. She has been carefully educated, and is a lady of refined taste and manners. Her supe- rior qualifications as a housewife are attested by a well-ordered, beautiful home. Her ma- ternal discretion is evidenced in the good bringing up of her children. COTT H. BURLINGAME, the pop- ular station agent of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad at North Brookfield, was born in Stockwell, N.Y., May 3, 1865. His parents, James G. and Phebe L. (Stetson) Burlingame, still live on their farm at Stockwell, which is a part of the town of Sangerfield, Oneida County. At an age when most lads are ex- pected still to enjoy the advantages of school- ing and the pleasures of boyhood, James G. Burlingame, having early lost his father by death, was obliged to begin earning his own living, as a clerk in a general store in Oneida County. Here he remained till some time before his marriage, when he bought the Stockwell farm, where he has since resided. 392 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW The five children born and brought up in this home were Willis C, Fred J., Scott, Mar- cia, and Clara S. Willis C. married Miss Nettie Bull, of Marshall, Mich., and resides there on a farm. Fred J. married Miss Kate Owens, of Chicago, 111. He is a carpenter by trade. Our subject in his boyhood attended the Waterville schools, and later the Lowell Business College at Binghamton, N.Y., where he took a course of study, and was graduated in telegraphy and book-keeping. At the age of eighteen he entered the employ of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company, as agent's assistant at Waterville. After remaining there fourteen months, he went to Brisben, N.Y., as agent for the com- pany. He gave so much satisfaction in these places that on January 21, 1884, he was tendered his present fine position in North Brookfield. Mr. Burlingame is the freight and ticket agent at this station, and is con- sidered one of the finest telegraph operators on the road. In the year 1888 he married Miss Grace A. Morgan, daughter of Albert E. Morgan, of North Brookfield. They have one boy, Clesson M. Mr. Burlingame, besides his railroad busi- ness, is extensively engaged in the coal and feed trade, and, although a comparatively young man, is looked upon as one of the leading citizens of his town. He is promi- nently identified with the Masonic Order, and is a member of Sanger Lodge, No. 129, of Waterville. It is plainly seen that in both his public and private life he endeavors to bring into practice the humane teachings of the ancient craft. In his politics, both na- tional and State, he is a straight and earnest voter in the Republican party, mindful of his responsibilities in carrying out the principles it inculcates. Mr. Burlingame and his esti- mable wife are held in the highest regard by their large circle of friends and acquaint- ances. Their social position is among the best in the town, and their pleasant home is the centre of true hospitality. ILAS S. CLARK, M.D., a veteran philanthropist and reformer, resi- dent in De Ruyter Village, is prob- ably the oldest practising physician in Madi- son County, where he was born in the town of Brookfield, June 17, 1824. His paternal grandparents came from Rhode Island, and settled as pioneers in that town. Here his father, Elnathan Clark, was brought up on a backwoods farm, where the axe and the flames preceded the plough, and where the harvesting was followed by the swinging of the flail. Some of the migratory instinct being left in the second generation, instead of settling down near the place of his birth after marriage, he made several successive re- movals, first to Lincklaen, Chenango County, thence back to Brookfield, after a few years to Jefferson, and from there to Lewis County, where an accident caused his death at the early age of forty-five years. His wife, whose maiden name was Maria Spencer, and whose parents were also pioneers of Brookfield, Silas S. Clark. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 395 whither they came from Rensselaer County, survived him some years, and died at the home of her daughter in Wisconsin. It was not so easy in those days as now for a farmer's son to obtain a liberal education. Even the public schools of New York were not free, but each family paid for tuition in proportion to the number of pupils it sent. The youthful Silas Clark made the most of his opportunities for acquiring book learning, and with such good results that at the age of twenty he was qualified to teach. He taught three terms in a district school, and a few terms in De Ruyter Institute. While thus engaged, he began the study of medicine under Dr. Ira Spencer, preparatory to attend- ing medical lectures at the University of New York. He was graduated from the Medical Department of that institution in 1848, and immediately began practising in De Ruyter, where he has continued till the present time — a period of forty-five years. The year of his graduation also witnessed his'' marriage with Mary J. Champlin. The three children born of this union are Lucy Maria, Frank Edwin, and Jane Lillian. The son adopted his father's profession, and, after receiving his diploma from the Buffalo Medical Col- lege, was successfully engaged in the prac- tice of medicine for twelve years. He is now doing business as a druggist at Catskill. Dr. Silas S. Clark, early becoming con- vinced that slavery was a great wrong, that slave -holding was a crime, zealously em- braced the cause of the Abolitionists, and ever cast his vote and used his influence on the side of human freedom, till emancipation became a fixed fact, and the "peculiar insti- tution," an anomaly in the heart of the repub- lic, was wiped out of the land. Deeply impressed with the immensity of evil result- ing from the unrestricted sale and free use of intoxicating liquors. Dr. Clark is as strong an advocate for temperance to-day as he was for anti-slavery before the war, when the movement was far from being a popular one. He has joined the Prohibitionists, believing that party the only one capable of accomplish- ing any reform in this direction, or even will- ing to undertake it. A portrait of Dr. Clark, which appears on another page of this work, will be appreciated as a good likeness of one of the most widely known and thoroughly respected citizens of the county, a physician tried and trusted, who has been in practice nearly half a century, a reformer never weary of pleading the cause of the oppressed or of siding with a minority in defence of a principle. MITH CADY, one of the oldest and most respected citizens of the town of Sullivan, was born here, in the vil- lage of Canasaraga, January 25, 181 1, son of Argalius and Mary (Herrick) Cady, both na- tives of Saratoga County, New York, where the grandfather lived and died. This grand- father was Elisha Cady, who owned a farm in Saratoga County, and was long one of the old landmarks of that county, so to speak, having been among the earliest settlers there. He 396 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW lived to be an old man, known by every one, and intimately acquainted with the history of every man, woman, and child in the place. He and his wife had a family of eight chil- dren, but none is now living. Argalius Cady came to the town of Sullivan when he was a young man, bought new land from the Indians, who owned everything around them at that time, and settled down to farming. He married Miss Mary Her- rick in the town of Lenox ; and their family consisted of three sons and three daughters, of whom the living are: Zilpha, widow of Ethan Benson, residing in Toledo, Ohio; and Smith, the subject of this sketch. The other four were: Henry, a public contractor, who died at the age of seventy; Piatt, who lived to be about seventy years of age; Ann, Mrs. Denton, who died at the age of sixty; Maria, Mrs. Daniel Denton, who also was ■sixty years old when she died. Mr. Cady was one of the pioneer hotel-keepers of this sec- tion, and was also engaged on canal and other public works. He bought the farm now owned by his son about the year 1810. It consisted of one hundred and twenty-two and a half acres, on which he carried on general farming. He died there at the age of fifty- five years, as did his wife some years after, at the age of sixty. Politically, he was a Democrat, and was also a Free and Accepted Mason. He served with distinction in the War of 18 1 2, having the rank of Major. Smith Cady was reared and educated in the town of Sullivan, going first to the district schools, afterward attending the seminary at Cazenovia. He assisted his father on the farm until his manhood, when he engaged in public works, building the Chenango Canal near Sherburne, and also the north branch of the Susquehanna Canal at Wilkesbarre, Pa. After this he bought the old home farm from his parents, and cared for them in their last days. The farm is very productive, yielding fine crops of corn, wheat, oats, and hay. He also has a good dairy, and a valuable herd of Holstein and Durham cattle. Besides this Mr. Cady deals largely in stock, raising horses, sheep, and hogs. He has never mar- ried, and still resides on the home farm. For some years he has rented the farm on shares, as his increasing years precluded the possibility of his working it alone. Mr. Cady has always been a strong Repub- lican in politics. He has filled the office of Superintendent of the Poor for two years, and Town Assessor for several terms. Since the years of his youth, which were early in the century, he has seen many changes and won- derful improvements in this part of the coun- try. Where was once an untrodden forest, the fertile fields now glow with ripening corn and golden wheat; and the rushing locomotive whizzes past on the road where the plodding ox-team then wended its weary way. Count- less villages and towns have sprung up; and the steam-mill is now but a step from one's doors, when in those pioneer days the primi- tive windmill, was only reached by miles of toilsome journey. His prosperity is largely the result of his own industry and thrift. He is held in BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 397 merited esteem by his large circle of social and business acquaintances, and has the grati- tude of those to whom he has extended the neighborly hand of sympathy and help. M R. ADRIEN E. WALLACE was born at Butternut Creek, Stetson- ville, Otsego County, N.Y., and was the eldest of the four children of Nathan- iel S. and Samantha (Walch) Wallace. Na- thaniel Wallace, grandfather of Dr. Wallace, was a native of Bennington, Vt., being of mingled English and Scotch origin. He set- tled in Otsego County in the early years of the century, coming there when his son, Na- thaniel S. Wallace, was but five years old. These were the days when the journey from the New England States to the State of New York was a long and difficult undertaking. It seems hard to realize that what is accom- plished now in a few hours of travel was then a matter of weeks. With no mode of convey- ance save the patient ox or the plodding horse through trackless forests, inhabited by savage animals and still more savage Indians, pioneer life, which we now find encircled with a halo of romance, as it comes down to us through the mists of a hundred years, was to them a very stern reality, and well illustrates that "distance lends enchantment to the view." The other three children of Mr. and Mrs. Na- thaniel S. Wallace were: Jason T., a physi- cian of Oneida, N.Y. ; Elbert M., residing in New Berlin; and Emily H., Mrs. William H. Davis, residing in Oneida, N.Y. Adrien E. Wallace was born November 28, 1834, and was brought up on a farm, where he was trained to habits of industry and econ- omy. When he was eighteen years of age, being ambitious to do something for himself, he bought his time of his father for one hun- dred and fifty dollars, and set about earning the money. This was under the old appren- tice system, where a boy was not his own master until twenty-one years old — a strange idea to the youths of the present day, who are apt to consider themselves emancipated from paternal restraint ere they reach the age of fifteen. Besides working on the farm, the aspiring youth availed himself of every oppor- tunity to be educated in the common schools, and later took an academic course. Having a natural inclination for the study of medi- cine, he managed to begin his studies in that direction, when about twenty-three years of age, with Dr. Spencer, of Winfield, Herkimer County, N.Y., and was there four years. He attended medical lectures also in the cities of New York and Philadelphia, graduating from the New York Homoeopathic Medical College of New York City, March, 1861, with high commendation. He was, by careful study, well qualified in medicine and surgery, and was anxious to offer his services to the United States government, but was denied on account of the foolish regulations and oppo- sition to his particular school of medicine. He demanded as thorough an examination in Materia Medica as they could make, but was refused even that. So he decided on going to Brookfield, Madison County, where he prac- 398 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW tised for three years, then went back to Win- field, and was with Dr. Spencer for one year. He is now permanently settled in Oneida. The Doctor has had from the first unquali- fied success in his profession. For niany years his practice extended though a wide area. Hence he has become well known over a large tract of territory. Politically, one would have supposed that he would be a Democrat, as all of his people were of that party, with the possible exception of his brother Jason, who favors the Prohibitionists, but who always votes, when the time comes, on the Democratic side. Notwithstanding these surroundings and his early education, the Doctor does his own thinking and reason- ing, untrammelled by tradition, example, or precedent; and thus, in the free exercise of his best faculties, he adheres to the Repub- lican party, and is a stanch supporter of its principles and measures. He is a member of the Madison County Medical Society and of the Central New York Medical Association, has been President of both these organiza- tions, the latter one embrafcing eight counties. He is a Free Mason and an Odd Fellow. Dr. Wallace was married at the age of twenty-five to Miss Abbie M. Potter, of Win- field, N.Y. They have two children, Will- iam A. and Victor M. William A. married Miss Anna Bernard; and they have four chil- dren — namely, Adrien C, Carlton, Lew, and Raymond. Victor married Miss Edna Rudy; and their children are Edith, Mabel, and Helen. Victor Wallace is a man of great mechanical talent, and has invented a car- coupler which has every indication of suc- cess, it being a merciful, ingenious, and desirable contrivance — a self-coupler perfect and simple — by which many of the terrible injuries to brakemen, and the consequent mortality, may be avoided. The murderous car-coupler has been very destructive to human life, and any one whose inventive genius can do away with this horror is de- serving of high reward. Dr. Wallace, our subject, resides with his pleasant family in a comfortable home at No. 1 1 Wilber Street. He is an agreeable gentle- man, and enjoys the society of a large circle of devoted friends, by whom his many genial qualities are fully appreciated. fHOMAS E. MAYNE, senior member of the firm of Mayne & Noble, coal- dealers at Oneida Castle, has been success- fully engaged in business at that point since 1888. His father, Arthur Mayne, was a native of Ireland, and removed from his native country to England, thence to Canada, and subsequently to the United States, set- tling in Vernon in the State of New York, where he engaged in a tannery for some time. He married Catharine Mount, who was born in Amsterdam, N.Y., of Mohawk Dutch par- entage, and by whom he had ten children, namely: John, living at Oneonta; Mary Ann, Margaret, Isabella, and Sarah, all deceased; Thomas E., the subject of this sketch; Will- iam, living at Oneida; Francis, Arthur, Edward Charles, and Fannie, all deceased. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 399 Francis served his country as a private in the One Hundred and Fifty-seventh New York Volunteer Infantry, taking part in many engagements, including those of General Grant's campaign in Virginia in spring and summer of 1864. He was honorably dis- charged at the end of a three years' term of service, while in front of Petersburg. Arthur enlisted in 1861 in the One Hundred and Forty-sixth New Yorlc Infantry, and bravely endured the hardships and fronted the dangers of war. He was killed at the seven-day battle of the Wilderness, in May, 1864. Thomas E. Mayne, the subject of this sketch, was born in Vernon, N.Y., November 10, 1836. He secured a fair education in the common schools, and at the age of four- teen began working in a woollen factory. In 1854 he went to work with his brother John in the foundry at Utica. In 1856 he went to Eaton, and still later was engaged simi- larly in Gilbertsville and Binghamton, his experience being of great value to him in the handling of iron in all its forms, changes, and transformations. When in 1876 he set- tled in Oneida, he was familiar with the busi- ness in all its details. He and four other gentlemen established the Oneida Iron Works, which under their management became a suc- cessful enterprise. In the casting department Mr. Mayne had full control; and the success of the entire plant was mainly due to his ability and experience, and to his knowledge of every detail of the business and of the trade. He was a member of this company till about 1887, and a little later became con- nected with his present business. He was married in May, 1861, to Mary F. Spencer, of Eaton, by whom he has one daughter, Nellie, now the wife of E. B. Noble, the junior member of the firm. Mr. Noble is a young man of sterli-ng qualities, and is well known in Oneida as having a good capacity for business. He was engaged for some time in the gentlemen's furnishing business, previ- ous to the formation of the present partner- ship in 1888. Mr. Mayne has a pleasant home on Lenox Avenue, Oneida, and also a cottage at Sylvan Beach. He has been a most successful busi- ness man, and has accumulated a handsome competency, wholly by his own energy and industry, and enjoys the confidence and es- teem of all those who know him, and espe- cially those who have had business dealings with him. He takes an active interest in everything calculated to benefit the village of his adoption. Politically, he supports the principles of the Republican party. Mr. and Mrs. Mayne attend the Presbyterian church, of which Mrs. Mayne is a member. 'ANDFORD L. CHAPEL, a com- mercial traveller with an excep- tional talent for business, was born June 27, 1842, in Hamilton, Madison County, N.Y., where he still has his home. His grandfather was born in Connecticut, but re- moved from there with his wife to the town of Hamilton at an early date, purchasing a tract of land covered with timber, and build- 400 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ing their log house after clearing a farm. He died when his son, Peter Chapel, the father of Sandford, was but four years of age, leaving his wife to continue the struggle for life in this sparsely settled country, with three young sons and two daughters. Peter Chapel received a fair education in the primi- tive school-house of that day, and remained at home, assisting his mother and caring for her until her death. At the time of his marriage, September 19, 1837, he purchased a farm, which is near the one now owned by oiir subject. He married Miss Marcia M. Gardiner, who came here with her parents from Coventry, Vt., and, settling down in his new home, became a thrifty farmer, being among the first in the town to raise hops. It is said that he always owned a good team, which shows that he was kind to dumb animals, that he took good care of his horses and cattle. Morever, he was a man who "always kept his word." May he long be held in honored remembrance I Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Peter Chapel — Ellen A., Genoa L., and Sandford. Ellen A. married Dewitt C. Reese, farmer, of Hamilton, N.Y., March 20, 1856. Genoa L. married George B. Munson, merchant, of Hamilton, October, 1875- Sandford L. Chapel remained on the farm until his twenty-first year, and then attended the Commercial College at Syracuse, of which Professor D. Y. Ames was President. Here he studied the different courses of book-keep- ing, telegraphy, and penmanship, acquiring a proficiency in these branches which enabled him to build up the wide reputation he has attained as a travelling salesman. He is not confined to any special line of goods, but sells independently, and, being thoroughly conversant with business matters and saga- cious and prudent in his dealings, has always been successful. At the age of twenty-two he married Miss Helen M. Reese, youngest daughter of S. Gillet and Mary A. (Nichols) Reese. They have four children — Mary L., Walter G., Arthur B., and Linn S. They attend the Methodist church, and are leading singers in the choir. Arthur and Linn are also very good singers. Mrs. Sandford Chapel has a splendid voice, having wonderful compass, and comes of a long line of musicians. Her father and her sister Clarinda were celebrated musicians, achieving great reputation in this line in their travels through the country, giving concerts. Clarinda was a magnificent singer. She married George Baker, the great basso of the renowned Baker family, and died suddenly with black erysipelas after a few days' ill- ness, having sung with the " Baker Vocalists " several years. Later Helen, who was after- ward the wife of Mr. Chapel, sang in concert with her father, who formerly led the choir at Earlville. Mr. Reese also taught singing- school several years, and was leader of the choir of the Second Baptist Church of Hamil- ton until his last sickness, in March, 1872, when he died in the town of Hamilton, being seventy-two years of age, having sung all his life. His daughter, Mrs. Chapel, led the BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 401 choir, playing the organ for several years fol- lowing his death. There is marked musical ability in the fam- ily of Mr. Chapel, his daughter Mary having a fine contralto voice ; and one of the sons, Walter, has made a considerable reputation as a composer, and is also a fine performer on the violin. He resides at home with his parents, being greatly afflicted with rheuma- tism. Mr. and Mrs. Chapel have thus nat- urally led a harmonious and charming life. Music, that most refining of all arts, has softened many a weary hour; and they have doubly consecrated their beautiful talent by devoting it to the service of worship. Mr. Chapel has taken the interest that all good citizens should in civic affairs, and does his duty at the polls as a thorough and consistent Democrat, but has no aspiration or inclination for political office. In his home circle, re- freshed with "Music and her sister. Song," he finds his greatest happiness. "EMAN A. HILL was born in Brook- ^ fi.eld, N.Y., February 26, 1822, son of James Hill, who in 1800 came to Madison County, bought a tract of land in the town of Brookfield, and proceeded to build a log house and to clear a farm. William Hill, father of James, came to this town be- fore 1 81 2, but later settled in the town of Eden, Erie County. He was an elder in the Methodist church, and the first regular relig- ious services in the town were held here by him. His grave is at Eden Hill. Two of his sons remained in the town of Brookfield, and the rest went with their father to Eden. James Hill continued to work on the farm which he had purchased in Brookfield, and before his death had replaced the log house with a fine residence and good farm buildings, including a barn thirty by forty feet. He worked at shoemaking, in addition to farm- ing. He married Miss Ardilissa Angel, whose birthplace was Exeter Centre, N.Y. Thir- teen children were born of this marriage, seven boys and six girls. Their names were : William; Jonathan; Sylvester; James and Ardilissa, twins, who died in infancy; Sam- uel; Heman A.; James; Cylinda; Esther; Mary; Eunice; and Ardilissa. The mother died in the town. Heman, the fifth son, stayed on the home farm until the age of nineteen, and then went to work by the month, remaining eleven years with the same employer. At the age of twenty-three he married Miss Maria Hink- ley, daughter of David and Susanna Hinkley, a native of Brookfield. After leaving his first employer, he bought a farm in the village, where he stayed for three years, afterward taking a trip to the West, upon his return from which he rented a place near his present farm. It was in this home that the first great sorrow of their lives came -to them. Malig- nant diphtheria carried off in a week their two lovely daughters, Ida Vannette and Lilla May, also their grandfather New — three of the loved ones of the family — leaving Mr. and Mrs. Hill childless and fatherless. It 402 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW was long before they rallied from this heavy- stroke sufficiently to take an interest in life again. After six years' residence at this place they bought the present beautiful home. For many years no sorrow crossed their path. A daughter had been sent to bless them, whom they named Bertha M., when suddenly the wife and mother died on Febru- ary II, '1890, directly following the death of her sister, Miss Lois Hinkley, who had made her home many years with the family. Thus once more a double funeral wended its way from their door. Mr. Hill was indeed sadly afflicted in the loss of his wife. For nearly half a century they had met the joys and griefs of life together; and when her sum- mons came, while grieving to leave him deso- •late, her face was still radiant with the blessed anticipation of meeting her angel children. Not only to her immediate family, but to the community at large, was her death a cause of the deepest mourning. With her husband she had been for many years closely identified with the Methodist church, an inde- fatigable worker. Both, being gifted with excellent musical talent, gave their services in singing the praises of God in the choir. Mr. Hill, although over seventy years of age, still keeps up his connection with the active affairs of the church; and his judgment in financial matters is regarded with the high- est respect. He has been Steward of the church since he united with it, and has been District Steward for many years, also super- intendent and treasurer of the Sunday-school in Brookfield for three years, and Treasurer and Clerk of the Board of Trustees. Since 1865 he has been a Director in the Brookfield Rural Cemetery, and is also its Treasurer. Mr. Hill was one of the first organizers of the Annual Fair of Madison County, has held the office of First Vice-President for many years, and has not missed a fair in forty years. For nearly a quarter of a century he has been an auctioneer, and in that capacity has trav- elled extensively in the United States. Mr, Hill belongs to the Royal Templars, Grangers, and Odd Fellows, and in the latter organization holds the office of Vice Grand Supporter and Master. He formerly voted the Republican ticket, but from a sense of duty has latterly espoused the cause of the Prohibitionists. He is a man on whom his years have told lightly, and whose life of uprightness and integrity has endeared him to the community. His surviving daughter, Bertha M., Mrs. Orville Southworth, presides over his home. Her husband is the son of Captain Horace Southworth, a noted advocate of the cause of temperance, who was born in the town of Edmeston, Otsego County, in 1809. His great-grandfather. Constant Southworth, was one of the Pilgrims who came over in the "Mayflower." (An ex- tended sketch of the family will be found in the biography of Dr. Oscar L. Southworth, elsewhere printed in this book.) Orville Southworth was educated in the public schools and at Whitestown. After having followed a mechanic's trade for several years, he came to live on the farm of his father-in-law. He deserves much credit for BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 403 having brought the temperance organizations up to their present standard, and in the pres- ent strength of the Prohibition movement he can see the marked change from the days when his solitary vote was the only one cast for the cause. He has represented his dis- trict in convention on several different occa- sions. In this household, comprising Mr. Hill, Mr. and Mrs. Southworth, and their two children, is found the spirit of happiness and contentment, tempered by Christian resig- nation. In the cause of religion, temperance, and good government the family are foremost in their sympathies; and their opinions on all such matters are hearkened to with deference and respect. < ^»^» /JEFFERSON NEW, dairyman and hop- grower of the town of Lenox, was born at Clockville in 1838. His father, Simeon P. New, who was born in Columbia County, New York, in 181 3, was the fifth child of the eight sons and two daughters of Elias New, all of whom are now dead but one, James C. New, in whose biographical sketch, on another page, is given an account of the ancestry of the family. Mr. Simeon P. New was a farmer, as his father had been before him. He married about the year 1835 Sarah Lynk, of Columbia County, daughter of Zachariah and Catherine Lynk, by whom he had eight children, four sons and four daughters, of whom two sons and one daugh- ter are still living. They are: Jefferson, of this sketch; Joanna W., widow of Asa E. New, living in Chicago, 111., with one son and one daughter; and Martin V., residing in Oneida, N.Y., who has one son. Mr. New died at the home of his son Jefferson in i860. His widow was married again, to Peter F. Mesick. She died in Columbia County, June, 1877, aged sixty-one years. Our subject was brought up to farm life, and received the greater part of his education in the old stone school-house half a mile west of his home, finishing with one term's attendance at the Oneida Seminary. Febru- ary 7, 1 861, he married Miss Marietta'Van Brocklin, of Oneida, N.Y., daughter of Garret and Regina L. (Cooper) Van Brocklin. Mr. Van Brocklin died in 1882, at the age of seventy-seven. His widow still lives on the farm near Oneida, and in full possession of her faculties, at the advanced age of eighty- five years. She has had eleven children, of whom five sons and four daughters are still living. Mr. and Mrs. New have been blessed with five children, three sons and two daughters; namely, Charles E., Sarah Regina, Herman v., and Tilden G. Their first child, an in- fant, is an angel in heaven. Of the living children, Charles E., a farmer of the town of Smithfield, married a Miss Maud Shaver, and has two daughters. Sarah married J. Will Caswell, and resides in Chicago, where the husband is connected with Marshall, Field & Co.'s mercantile establishment. They have one daughter. Herman V is also a resident of Chicago, employed in the wholesale depart- ment of Marshall, Field & Co. Tilden G., nineteen years of age, remains at home, un- 404 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW married and assisting in the management of the farm, which was settled in 1839. This family are all well educated, and Herman is a graduate of a business college. Mr. Jefferson New runs a large dairy, with from twenty to twenty-seven cows, and sup- plies a great number of customers in Canas- tota with milk. For the past fourteen years he has been extensively engaged in hop-grow- ing, having from seven to ten acres under cul- tivation, and getting from thirty-five dollars to three hundred dollars per acre, and gather- ing as high as fourteen hundred pounds to the 'acre. He has one hundred and fifty acres in his farm, on which he carries on general hus- bandry. In politics he follows the course of his ancestors, who were all sterling. Demo- crats. He has never sought office, but was at one time Collector of the town of Lenox. He is an Odd Fellow, and has served his lodge as Chaplain. Both Mr. New and his wife are strict and professed Presbyterians, leading Christian lives, and finding joy and comfort in their children, who, having received moral and religious training, have not ceased to walk in wisdom's ways and to show their grateful appreciation of their parents' loving care. 'MOS P. DODGE, M.D., a popular and distinguished physician of Oneida Castle, N.Y., was born in Win- field, Herkimer County, N.Y., December 16, 1854. His grandfather, Rufus Dodge, was an extensive farmer and a lifelong resident of Winfield. Sanders Dodge, son of Rufus and the father of our subject, was born in that town, and made such excellent use of his op- portunities as to be one of the best educated men in the community. He went to St. Law- rence County when a young man, and was for some years private secretary of Mr. Parish, a wealthy mine-owner. After resigning that position, he returned to Winfield, purchased a farm, and devoted his time to agricultural pursuits until his death. He married Miss Elizabeth Prescott, who was born in New Hartford, Oneida County, N.Y. Her fa- ther, Daniel Prescott, was born in the same place, and spent his entire life there as a farmer. His son, Hon. Amos H. Prescott, was a member of the State Assembly for a number of terms, and County Judge of Herki- mer for seventeen years. His son, Daniel, was also an Honorable. His grandson, Will- iam, is a member of the State Assembly at the present time. Sanders Dodge and wife were the parents of three children — Sarah, Mary, and Amos P. The father was a Democrat in politics, served as Justice of the Peace for a number of years, was the candidate of his party for the Assembly, and also for Super- visor. The mother died on the home farm. Amos P. Dodge attended the district school in his boyhood, and later the Clinton Liberal Institute at Clinton, N.Y., where he was graduated in the class of 1872, when he at once began the study of medicine with Dr. Spencer, of Winfield. He attended medical lectures at the University of Maryland, and received a diploma from that institution. Later he attended medical lectures for one BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 40s year in New York City, and was for a time resident physician at one of the hospitals in Albany, N.Y. Going from there to Ilion, N.Y., he practised with Dr. E. S. Walker for several months, and finally settled at Oneida Castle, where he has been actively engaged in his profession ever since. On June 29, 1 88 1, Dr. Dodge married Miss Hattie A. Wells, a native of Oneida Castle, Oneida County, N.Y. The following little sketch of her ancestry will be of interest to the reader. Her great-grandfather, Calvin Wells, removed from Long Island, his birth- place, to Niskayuna, Schenectady County, N.Y., where he joined the Shakers, and there spent his last years. His son, Joseph Y. Wells, was young when his parents united with this community. He resided with them until he was nineteen years old, when he mar- ried a Shaker girl, and went to Oneida County to live, this being in 18 18, and a few years later kept hotel, then bought a farm in the town of Lenox, Madison County, where he remained until his death. The maiden name of his wife was Sophia Thomas. His son, Calvin H. Wells, the father of Mrs. Dodge, was born in Vernon, Oneida County, N.Y., June 8, 1823. For the past thirty years he has lived at Oneida Castle, practically retired from active life. He married in 1846 Miss Adelia Brown, who was born in Brookfield, Madison County, N.Y., and was the daughter of Clark and Julia (Babcock) Brown. They reared six children; namely, Sidney, Mary, Hattie, Calvin, Marrilla, and Florence. Hat- tie, who became the wife of Dr. Amos P. Dodge, died in 1886, leaving one child, a daughter — Marian Prescott Dodge. Dr. Dodge occupies the position of Surgeon for the West Shore Railroad, is a member of the United States Society of Railway Sur- geons, also of the New York State Medical Association and the Oneida County Medical Society, and was Pension Surgeon from 1884 to 1888. Dr. Dodge is an able and consci- entious physician, has an excellent practice, and is one of the leading members of his pro- fession in the county. He is deserving of his success, as he has an honorable record; and his genial qualities and pleasant manner make him a welcome friend at the bedside of a patient. He takes an interest in politics, and has always supported the Democratic party. 6"r~ ALBERT STANSBURY, a prom- ^ I ising and already highly successful young business man of Canastota, belongs to an old family, several of whose mem- bers are accorded brief mention in this memorial sketch. He was born at Tunkhan- nock. Pa., December 19, 1862, son of Truxton S; Stansbury, who was born at the same place in 1828. The latter was a son of Washington Stansbury, born in Baltimore County, Mary- land, June 20, 1805, and he the son of Elijah Stansbury, whose father, William, was one of the earliest settlers of Baltimore and a sol- dier in the Revolutionary War. The veteran raised a family of four sons; namely, Abra- ham, William, John, and Elijah. The Stans- bury family trace their origin to England, 4o6 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW where several of its members were prominent among the men of their time, holding posi- tions of trust in military and civil life. On arriving at years of maturity, Elijah Stans- bury married Elizabeth, daughter of Jacob Eak, a native of Switzerland. In 1809, tak- ing with him his wife and family, he went to Tuscarawas, Stark County, Ohio, and entered land. He died in 1813, leaving five chil- dren, three sons and two daughters; namely, Tishe, Dorcas, Washington, William, and Julia Ann. The family was kept together by the mother, who, although possessed of but limited means, toiled successfully for her children. She died at the advanced age of ninety-five years and six months. Her hus- band was a man of abilities above the aver- age, and was well educated. William Stansbury, second son of the pre- ceding, born April 20, 1807, accompanied his parents to Ohio in 1809, and became a chair- maker and painter. The first house in Rich- mond, Jefferson County, Ohio, was painted by him. He married in 1828 Elizabeth Arm- strong, a native of Lancashire County, Penn- sylvania, born August 5, 181 1, daughter of John and Elizabeth (McKinley) Armstrong, the latter being of Irish extraction. After his marriage William Stansbury located him- self on a farm in Tuscarawas Township, Stark County, Ohio, of which place he has to the present time been a constant resident. He and his wife became the parents of eleven children, namely, John, Joshua, Josiah, Waft, Tishe, Alsina, Joseph, Mahala, and Absalom; also Elizabeth and Thomas, who died when young. John, Joshua, and Waft reside in Indiana, the others being still residents of Stark County, Ohio. Tishe is a marble-cut- ter in Massillon. Alsina is the wife of Reuben Birchfield, of the same place. Mahala is the wife of Daniel Wilhelm, of Canal Fulton. Washington Stansbury, like his brother William, removed to Ohio with his parents. He lived at home with his mother until the age of sixteen, when he went to Richmond, Ohio, and learned the cabinet and chair- making trade with David Johnston. In 1824 he went to Pennsylvania, and first settled at Danville, Montour County, where he worked at his trade, afterward going to Orwigsburg, Schuylkill County, and from there to Wilkes- barre, Luzerne County. From the latter place he went to Tunkhannock, where in the spring of 1828 he commenced business for himself. On the 4th of September, 1828, he married Elizabeth Higgins, a resident of Wilkesbarre. She was of Irish ancestry on her father's side, and was born in the State of New Jersey on June 2, 1806. Six children were the result of this union, four sons and two daughters, as follows: Benjamin W., Aurora E., Truxton S., Henry S., George W., and Olivia E. All of these, except Aurora E. and George W., are now deceased. The father of these children became a prominent and widely known citizen of Tunk- hannock, where, in addition to his regular trade, he carried on the business of undertak- ing for fifty - eight years. He served five years as Justice of the Peace, to which ofifice BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 407 he was elected in 1840, and was also chosen Coroner of Wyoming County at the first elec- tion held for that office, being later elected Associate Judge in the same county. This is the more remarkable from the fact of his edu- cational advantages having been confined to about two years' attendance at a log school- house, where he acquired but the rudiments of learning. His natural intelligence and con- tinued mental activity, however, supplied the lack of early opportunity, and obtained for him a high position among his fellow-citi- zens, which he occupied to the close of his life. For forty-eight years he was a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church, being a class leader all that time, and serving as Trustee and Steward. He was a good hus- band and father, giving his children the best schooling obtainable at that time. He died in January 17, 1891, leaving a large estate. His widow died March 20, 1892. Truxton S. Stansbury married Armina Vosburg, of Russell Hill, Pa., daughter of Romanzo Vosburg. They resided at Tunk- hannock. He was Deputy Sheriff of his county when in the spring of 1864, on March 21, he enlisted as private in Company B, Twelfth Regiment, New York State Volun- teers. He was in the service but a few months, when he was taken prisoner at the Weldon Railroad battle, and died three days after from the hardships of prison life, when but thirty-eight years of age, leaving his widow and two sons, namely: T. Albert, the subject of this sketch, and Truxton E. Stans- bury, now a farmer in Oklahoma Territory, residing near Reno City. The widow of Truxton Stansbury married George Shupp, who has since died, leaving her with three children. She is now the matron of the Bap- tist Academy at Factoryville, Pa. T. Albert Stansbury was well educated in the public schools, and, when seventeen years of age, began to learn the baker's trade at Tunkhannock, serving three years as an ap- prentice, at the end of which period he started in business for himself at Bloomsburg, Pa. In 1888 he removed to Canastota, as manager for Mrs. Joslyn, three months later purchased the business at No. 2 Centre Street, and in the spring of 1890 bought out the establish- ment of W. J. Jones. Here he is doing a large and increasing business, having won the confidence of the people by adhering to strictly legitimate methods and by close attention to the wants of his patrons. He at first did all his own work, but now employs three men in the bakery and two men on the road, his wife and another woman being fully occupied as assistants. He has an extensive trade in ice-cream, the excellent quality of this article manufactured by him having attracted the attention and won the enco- miums of his patrons. He bakes about two hundred loaves of bread per day, and a large quantity of cakes and pies. August i, 1893, he purchased the fruit, confectionery, and tobacco business of C. Garlock at 211 Peter- boro Street, which he uses as a branch bak- ery. Here he manufactures nearly all his own candies. Mr. Stansbury was married July 11, 18.92, 4o8 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW to Miss Bertha Nash, of Clockville, a daugh- ter of F R. Nash and his wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Bos worth. Mr. Nash is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Stansbury have a charming infant daughter, Ruth B., born March 26, 1893. Mrs. Stansbury has one brother, Burt Nash, of Norwich, N.Y., and a half-sister, Mary, wife of Thomas Lunn. The mother of Mrs. Stansbury came from England, when she was eleven months old, in 1838, with her parents, Obediah and Hannah (Vials) Bosworth, who settled in Chenango County, where they followed farming for a livelihood. Our subject belongs to the Sons of Veterans, and in his political views is a Republican, though he comes of Democratic ancestry. He and his wife are members of the Baptist church, in which they are active workers; and both have made for themselves many warm friends in the community in which they live, and are numbered among the useful, enterprising, and worthy citizens of their county. iDGAR L. BEEBE, a progressive farmer and extensive cheese manufacturer, re- siding at Nelson Flats, was born April 26, 1848, in the town of Eaton, son of Wicome and Julia (Stewart) Beebe. His grandfather Beebe was at one time a resident of the town of Fenner. His maternal grandfather, Charles Stewart, a native of Connecticut, came from that State to Madison County, settling first in the town of Fenner, and from there re- moving to the village of Eaton, being among the early settlers of the town. He was a car- penter, and worked at his trade, and also owned and cultivated a Jarge farm. He died at the age of seventy-two. His wife, Betsey Rockwell, lived to the age of seventy-five years. They were members of the Methodist church. Mrs. Beebe was their only child. Wicome Beebe grew to manhood in the town of Fenner, where he learned and fol- lowed the trade of carpenter, but, like his father, also carried on farming, as was the rule with all the settlers. For a few years after his marriage he occupied his farm in the town of Fenner, but later bought one about a mile north of West Eaton, where he lived for twenty years, then moved to the town of Nelson, and bought the Reuben Cook farm. After remaining here for fifteen years, he went to Erieville and spent his last days, dying in 1887, at the age of seventy-two years. His wife is still living in Erieville, about seventy-three years old. Of their fam- ily of six children, four are now living: Charles, a farmer, residing in Nelson; Cor- nelia, Mrs. James Mantel, and Herbert, living in Erieville; and Edgar L. Mr. and Mrs. Wicome Beebe were members of the Metho- dist church, and the father was a strong sup- porter of the Democratic party. Edgar L., the third child and second son, was brought up in the town of Eaton, at- tended the district schools of the place, and remained on the home farm until twenty-one years of age. He learned the trade of butter and cheese making, and has owned factories in Madison and Chenango Counties. In 1879 he disposed of half his interest in the factory. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 409 and bought the old Reuben Cook farm, which his father had owned in the town of Nelson, and which consisted of two hundred and twenty-four acres. Here he carried on farm- ing on a large scale. He also bought and sold stock to quite an extent, and carried on a dairy of twenty-five cows, principally Hol- stein cattle. After living five years on the Cook farm, in 1884 he purchased the Whit- ney estate, and now gives his attention to his three cheese factories — two in the town of Nelson and one in Ihe town of Fenner. Mr. Beebe's farm consists of ninety-four acres of productive land, on which are good buildings, with all necessary adjuncts and appliances. It may be mentioned as an evidence of his will- ingness to give new things a trial that Mr. Beebe built the first silo in the town of Nelson. Under the firm name of English & Beebe for a few years he did quite a business in eggs, pickling from ten to fifteen thousand dozen. He married November 22, 1871, Miss Ella Williams, who was born in Williams Corners in the town of Eaton, April 6, 1851, daughter of Sumner and Sophina (Bailey) Williams. Mr. Williams was a prominent business man of his day. He carried on an extensive tan- nery, and a shoe-store, at Williams Corners, which was named in honor of the family. Mr. Williams was but thirty-five years old when he died. His widow still resides at Nelson Flats, aged seventy-five years. They had three children, all of whom are living: Mrs. Beebe, wife of our subject; Mary, Mrs. Albert Martin, residing in Erieville; and Elijah, living in the town of Nelson. Mr. Williams was in politics a Republican, and he and his wife were Methodists in their religious belief and connections. Mr. and Mrs. Edgar L. Beebe have no chil- dren. They reside in their beautiful home at Nelson Flats, surrounded by a host of friends, and are deservedly esteemed. They are ac- tive and influential members of the Metho- dist church, interested in all its good work. As to his political affiliations, Mr. Beebe is a follower of Thomas Jefferson — ■ a sound and thorough Democrat. He is among the fore- most in his ideas and methods of farm work, devoting much thought to the science of agri- culture. He is Master of the Farmers' Grange, No. 615, at Nelson. (^Tr-UGUSTUS E. BURHYTE, a thriv- HA ing farmer, of South Brookfield, a ^ ^-^^ noted breeder of carriage horses, was born in North Brookfield, N.Y., February 2, 1853. His grandfather, a tailor by trade, came to this country from Germany. His father, Egbert Burhyte, who was born at Remsen, Oneida County, N.Y., was educated in the district schools, and trained to farming pursuits. When he was twenty-one years old, he mar- ried Miss Pauline Marsh, by whom he had a family of seven children. He died when he had scarcely reached middle life. Some years after the father's death his widow married a Mr. Crocker, by whom she had no children. She is still living in North Brookfield, N.Y. 410 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Left fatherless when but six years of age, Augustus E. Burhyte remained at home with his mother until twenty-one years of age, being educated in the schools of the town, and as soon as able to work assisting his mother in the management of the farm. When he reached manhood, he was united in marriage to Miss Alicia, daughter of Welcome and Gracia Dennison. She was from New Berlin, N.Y. ; but the parents were formerly from Connecticut. This couple had but one child, Earle D., whom they had the misfortune to lose by death at an early age. After two years of marriage the young wife died on the 3d of July, 1878. The second wife of Mr. Burhyte was Miss Jessie Crego, who was a resident of Columbus, Chenango County, at the time of her marriage, but was a native of South Brookfield, N.Y. They have two chil- dren, Egbert L. and Bessie E. The grand- father of Mrs. Burhyte was a native of Herkimer, -N.Y., and an early settler in the town. Her mother was one of a family of fourteen children. Her people were pioneers of New Berlin, Chenango County. The farm on which our subject now resides is one of two hundred and forty-three acres, of which a large number are devoted to the culture of hops. He also carries on a dairy of twenty-two cows, yielding about eight hun- dred pounds of milk per day. He has a wide- spread reputation- for his success in raising stock, and his farm is a Mecca for buyers of sound and reliable carriage horses. Some of the finest in the county have come from his place. Mr. Burhyte is a leading, model farmer of the town; and what he undertakes is generally understood to be a guaranteed success from the first. He is a Free and Accepted Mason, and is also a member of the Grangers. He has not always resided at his present home, having lived for two years in North Brookfield. He is a man who gives close attention to his farm work. His beauti- ful home and its surroundings are sufficient evidence of what he has accomplished in years of industry. The family attend the Baptist church, and are loyally devoted to its teach- ings. The principles of the Republican party meet the approval of Mr. Burhyte, and find in the county no more consistent or warmer sup- porter than he. A sketch of his brother, Dr. O. W. Burhyte, a leading physician of Madi- son County, appears elsewhere in this volume. .ATRICK F. MILMOE, editor and proprietor of the Canastota Journal and the Canastota Bee, has for seven years been prominently connected with jour- nalism in Madison County. As to the great importance of journalism to the general pub- lic there can be no doubt or question. It is not, strictly speaking, a modern art; for it dates back to ancient Rome, when the Acta Diurna, an official gazette, probably the earli- est approach to a newspaper, first appeared. Since then the newspaper has gradually grown up in all civilized countries to be a most powerful political and social engine, diffusing information on all subjects of interest, and acting on the public mind, especially in times Ira Shepard. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 413 of excitement, to an immeasurable degree. It is in this great and important field of labor that the subject of this sketch is honorably engaged. Mr. Milmoe was born in St. Lawrence County, New York, in i860, and is a, son of Michael Milmoe, a native of Ireland, who came to the United States when a young man, and here followed his trade — that of a stone- cutter — for several years. After his mar- riage to Mary Wheeler, of Cornwall, Ontario, he bought a farm, and has followed that occu- pation to the present time. Patrick F. Mil- moe, the eldest of ten children, was reared upon his father's farm; and, as his labor was required to assist in paying therefor, his edu- cation was during his boyhood limited to that acquired in the district school. When about twenty years of age, he entered the Ogdensburg Free Academy, and was in at- tendance there two years, during which time he contributed to the columns of the Ogdens- burg Advance. Upon leaving the academy, he went into the office of that paper, and remained there until April i, 1887, when he removed to Canastota, and purchased the Can- astota Journal, which paper he has since owned and edited. In June, 1892, he pur- chased the Canastota Bee , and since then he has -conducted both papers. Mr. Milmoe was married August 5, 1891, to Miss Margaret E. Mooney, of Ithaca, N.Y. She is a graduate of Cornell University (1885), and for the past six years has been Preceptress of the Canastota Academy. She is one of Canastota's leading society ladies, is a most successful teacher, and presides over her household with becoming dignity and grace. Mr. Milmoe is a loyal Republican, and is a member of the New York Press Asso- ciation. In his editorial work he is earnestly laboring to give the readers of his two papers, which circulate largely among intelligent people, the most accurate information obtain- able, and to teach them the correct principles of politics and political economy, knowing full well that it is only truth that can lead to satisfactory results. Mr. Milmoe in 1892 was elected a mem- ber of the Village Board of Trustees, and is now in office, his term of two years not having yet expired. The Bee is a local paper, whose influence is exerted for the good of the com- munity, its editor being one of the foremost in encouraging and aiding enterprises calcu- lated to benefit the village and the adjoining country. IRA SHEPARD, a New Yorker of New England stock, who after many years of active industry is now at the sunset of life, enjoying the restful quiet of his pleasant home in Oneida, was born in Paris, Oneida County, June 19, 1807. His father, Asa Shepard, was born in Connecticut. Reuben Shepard, a farmer, father of Asa, was probably a native of the same State, being known to have emigrated thence, and to have been one of the pioneer settlers of New Hartford, Oneida County, where the re- maining years of his life were passed. Com- ing to this State when a youngj man, Asa 414 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Shepard bought a considerable tract of land in the town of Paris, and devoted himself energetically to its improvement. Removing about the year 1827 to Oswego County, he spent his last years in the town of Volney. His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Gilbert, was born in Connecticut, and died in Oswego County, New York. She had been twice married, and had reared ten chil- dren, nine sons and one daughter. The subject of this sketch well remembers when much of this part of the Empire State was a virgin wilderness, when there were neither railroads nor canals to facilitate jour- neying and transportation. He was early familiar with the healthful toil and the hard- ships as well as the pleasurable pursuits of pioneer life. Naturally, his first work was on his father's farm. This he left at about the age of fourteen to become a millwright, at which trade he served an apprenticeship of five years, and afterward worked two years. At the end of this time he purchased a mill in the town of Lenox, which he operated for about twenty years. He next engaged suc- cessfully for a number of years in the malting business in Oneida. He now lives retired from all these activities, enjoying the fruits of his early and long-continued toil. In 1833 Mir. Ira Shepard married Mary Avery, a native of Paris, Oneida County, who died in 1870, leaving four daughters, only one of whom, Julia A., now survives to cheer the darkened home and minister to her father's needs in his declining years. The others, who have followed their mother to the Silent Land, were Mary E., Susan, and Sophia, all of whom were married and had children. Mr. Shepard always votes the Republican ticket, but has taken no further part in politics, having never held office. The accompanying portrait of Mr. Shepard is that of a man who lagged only a little behind the century in coming into the world, and whose physical and mental strength give him fair promise, if one may venture so to speak of anything so uncertain as the tenure of life, of seeing the century through. The fourscore and six full years of his pilgrim- age which he can now look back upon have been years of wonderful achievement, such as the world never saw before. And he has done his part. CPRANK VANE, a retired business man, I la has been a resident of Oneida since 1857. His father, Frank Vane, lived in Montreal, Canada, and was a farmer by occupation. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Brooks. She died when about sixty-five years of age, and he at the age of forty-four. They were the parents of three children, namely: Frank; Mary, deceased; and Joseph, a resident of Cleveland, Ohio. Frank Vane, the subject of this notice, was born near Montreal, Canada, December 29, 1828, was brought up on a farm, and was edu- cated at the common schools in the French language. When eighteen years old, he went to Upper Canada, and there worked in the woods in the lumbering business for one year. He was early thrown upon his own resources BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 415 because of the death of his father, which occurred in 1840; but his experience in early life, which he then considered very severe, was in reality what made him a successful man. After the year spent in the woods of Upper Canada he returned to his old home, his mother having married again, her second husband being John Provo. Remaining at home until 1849, ^^ then removed to Troy, N.Y., and the same year to Canastota. In 1857 he removed from that place to Oneida, where, as previously stated, he has resided ever since. Upon his arrival in Madison County he engaged in cutting timber and in lumbering for a considerable time. Subse- quently he worked on different farms, and in this way succeeded in getting together some money, with which he made a start in life for himself. Having but little knowledge of the English language, it was necessary for him to acquire it; and many a night was passed by him in its study. At length he decided to learn the trade of carriage-maker, and served an appren- ticeship of three years at Canastota, when, having fully mastered every detail of the busi- ness, he went to work in the same place, remaining there some time, and afterward went to Munnsville, where he remained from July, 1856, until March 14, 1857. He then removed permanently to Oneida, and was engaged at his trade until 1861, when the Civil War caused him to lay down his tools and take up arms in defence of his adopted country. Having considerable knowledge of military tactics from his connection with a military company for some years, he began recruiting a company, which was one of the finest bodies of men in the service. It was known as the Oneida Independent Cavalry. Mr. Vane became Second Lieutenant of this company, was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant, and served until June 14, 1865. His company, which was a most remarkable body of men, was in constant demand for spe- cial duty, and was a component part of the Army of the Potomac. The individual mem- bers were variously employed, but always where special bravery or unusual intelligence was required. Some of them served as staff ofificers, others as special messengers, others as bearers of special despatches on the field of battle and at other times when there was less danger. Lieutenant Vane had an unusually varied experience in the army, and knows much about war in all its phases, having wit- nessed and participated in all the principal battles of the Army of the Potomac. When mustered out of the service, he returned to Oneida and resumed work at his trade, but soon realized that his health and endurance had been much weakened, and that his former splendid physical constitution would no longer stand the strain of hard work as before the war. He therefore reluctantly abandoned his trade, and in 1866 bought a billiard hall, later engaging in the hotel business. Being a popular and successful landlord, he made money in the latter busi- ness, and in 1887 sold out, and has since lived in the main a retired life. Mr. Vane was married in 1876 to Frankie 4i6 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Saltsman, a daughter of Peter W. and Mary (Fox) Saltsman, who soon afterward died; and he then married Mary Saltsman, a sister of his first wife. Politically, Mr. Vane is a Republican, and is an intelligent observer of the tendency of the parties which from time to time strive for the suffrages of the Ameri- can people. Fraternally, he is a Mason, be- longing to Oneida Lodge, No. 270, to Doric Chapter, No. 193, and to Rome Command- ery, No. 45. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, belonging to John R. Stewart Post, No. 174. Few men, if any, are more highly respected by the entire com- munity than he, not only for his success in business, but also for his excellent character as a private citizen, his splendid record as a patriot soldier during the War of the Rebel- lion, and his attention to the necessities of the old soldiers since the war came to such a happy conclusion for the people of the United States and the world at large, preserv- ing, as it did, the liberties of the individual, and extending so materially the blessings of liberty to a large number of human beings long held in cruel and unjust bondage. ^ELEG STANBRO, a late citizen of Brookfield, long venerated for prac- tical wisdom, integrity, and con- stant acts of kindness, was born in Cortland County, New York, February 12, 181 7, and died at his home in Brookfield, October 13, 1893. By loving hands his remains were laid to rest in the Brookfield cemetery. When a man has illuminated his whole life by acts of benevolence, earning for himself from the whole community the endearing title of "uncle," the writing of his biography is truly a pleasant task. Far back in the early part of last century John Stanbro, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, having grown to manhood in Connecticut, the State of his birth, came to New York, settling first in Plainfield, Otsego County, being a pioneer of the town. Later he removed to Cortland County, where he resided until his death. Peleg Stanbro, the first of the i;gme of whom record is here made, a son of the immi- grant, after his education in the public schools pursued farming, and, when he was eighteen years of age, purchased his time from his father, and hired out by the month. This continued for twelve years, when he went to Brookfield, N.Y., and became a dealer in real estate, owning several large farms. His first wife was Miss Rhoda Collins, born in Rhode Island. They reared eight children: Peleg, Jr., characterized in the opening para- graph above; Rhoda Jane; Hannah Serene; Joseph C. ; Mariette; Joshua F. ; William; Hoxie. The mother died in Brookfield, and Mr. Stanbro's second wife was Miss Laura Burdick. She died in the town of Brookfield, of which she was a native. The father then resided w.ith his eldest son, Peleg, Jr., until his death, which occurred at the age of eighty-eight. Peleg Stanbro, son of the elder Peleg and grandson of John Stanbro, received but a BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 417 brief common-school education, and before the age of twenty had been initiated into the work of farm life. When he reached his majority, he learned the carpenter's trade, and remained working for an uncle for three years. After this he went to Illinois as a commercial traveller, but soon returned to Brookfield, N.Y., and at the age of twenty- four married Miss Bathsheba Kenyon, daugh- ter of Gideon and Sarah Kenyon, who, like himself, were Quakers. At this time he bought a farm of two hun- dred and fifty acres in the town of Brookfield, beginning his married life with only four hundred dollars in cash, but a princely fort- une in the possession of a thrifty, able wife, and his own stock of indomitable will and perseverance. He soon paid for his farm, and lived on it in a simple dwelling for twenty-five years, moving then into a beautiful new residence, which he supposed would be his home for the remainder of his life, but which the fire fiend laid in ashes, destroying in a single day the fruits of his years of toil. Nothing daunted, however, by this misfortune, with his habit- ual hopefulness and energy he set about building another house upon the same site — a lofty hill, overlooking all the surrounding country. He continued to buy land until he was the owner of a farm of four hundred and sixty- seven acres, finely improved, with all neces- sary buildings, besides various other pieces of property in West Brookfield. About five years ago his greatest sorrdw came to him in the death of his wife, who was called away March 22, 1888. Mr. Stanbro always clung to the Quaker faith, finding strength and comfort in its doc- trines of peace, its teachings of simple good- ness of life. In no more marked way did he show his greatest trait, benevolence, than in his kindness to orphans. Having no children of his own, his home was ever open to the fatherless and motherless; and in three cases he took and reared children, providing them with ways and means to make their own liv- ing in the world. One young man who exp^ rienced his generosity is now married, and is a prosperous farmer in Iowa. Another grate- ful beneficiary, who was taken by him and his wife into their home when only three weeks old, and there grew to womanhood, superin- tended his household after the death of his wife, and gave him in his declining years the loving care and devotion of a daughter. Her mother was Mrs. Jane Greene. Five years ago she was married to Mr. Henry Dyball, who, with Mr. Stanbro's nephew and name- sake, Peleg S. Jennings, now carries on the farm. Others besides these already mentioned were the recipients of Mr. Stanbro's bounty, among them a Miss Carter and a Miss Cham- plain, who had a home in his family for many years. He was never known to deny aid and comfort to the worthy unfortunate and dis- heartened, but, on the contrary, was always the first to help such as these by encouraging words and kind deeds. "Uncle Peleg" he was familiarly called, 4i8 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW and well deserved the affectionate appellation, being practically so near akin to all. He was Commissioner of Highways for fourteen years. At the time Mr. Stanbro was ap- pointed to this position the townspeople were about determined to abolish the office, as it was considered useless. He soon demon- strated the fallacy of this view by showing the necessity of good, substantial bridges; and during his time of office he built an iron bridge over every stream in the town, fourteen in all, which are pointed out by his townspeople as a monument of his sagacious energy. He always voted the Republican ticket, and repeatedly served as Inspector of Elections. He was a man of rare intelli- gence, having an especially fine library, in which he took great pride and pleasure. He was an honor to his town, where he was re- vered and beloved by all, and where his fra- grant memory will long be cherished. His inward light shone clear. He walked with unfaltering steps in the narrow way the "faithful fathers knew." 'OHN J. INGRAHAM, one of the prom- inent and successful business men of Canastota, has been identified with the mercantile interests of that place for the past twenty-one years. Mr. Ingraham was born in Ulster County, New York, January 23, 1844, and is a son of O. N. Ingraham, also a native of Ulster County, who removed to Herkimer County about 1847. O. N. Ingraham was a son of Amasa Ingraham, a farmer, who died in Ulster County. He and his wife reared a large family of sons and daughters, and lived to a great age. O. N. Ingraham married Barbara McMul- len, of Ulster County, about 1842, and by this marriage had four sons and three daugh- ters, all of whom are living, and of whom John J., the subject of this sketch, is the eldest. The father of these seven children 'died in 1881. His widow, now sixty-five years of age, is living in Herkimer County with a daughter. By trade O. N. Ingraham was a tanner, and was at the head of a large establishment. He was unusually successful in business, and at his death left a good name as a worthy member of society. John J. Ingraham was reared at home, and was educated in the district schools of the neighborhood until he attained his fourteenth year, and then became a clerk in a large gen- eral store, remaining thus engaged until August 8, 1862, when his love for his coun- try led him to enlist as a private in Company- D, One Hundred and Twenty-first New York Volunteer Infantry, in which he served until June 25, 1865, being then honorably dis- charged. During the entire period of his en- listment — nearly three years — he was con- tinuously on duty with his regiment, with the exception of two months, when he was sick in the regimental hospital. Considering the hardships of the war, the dangers and the exposures, Mr. Ingraham returned to his home in 1865 in fair health and strength, and might feel proud of his patriotic record; for, if ever there has been a service rendered to BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 419 a country by its citizen soldiery, it was by the Union soldiers of 1861-65, saving the nation, as they did, from disruption and ruin by armed rebellion. Mr. Ingraham was married in 1868 to Mary L. Green, of Herkimer County, a daughter of Thomas and Rebecca (Lamed) Green, and almost immediately afterward opened a boot and shoe store in Munnsville, Jefferson County, in company with his wife's brother, this partnership lasting about two years, when it was by mutual consent dis- solved. In 1 87 1 Mr. Ingraham removed to Canastota, which village has ever since been his home and the scene of his active labors. From 1 87 1 to 1877 he was a clerk for Brown & Co., and subsequently for nine years for J. M. Parker; and at the end of this period he purchased an interest in the business, which was then conducted from 1886 to 1890 under the firm name of J. J. Ingraham & Co. In the latter year Mr. Ingraham pur- chased the interest of his partner, and has since then been conducting a general mercan- tile business alone, carrying a large stock of dry-goods, boots and shoes, wall-paper, etc. Mr. Ingraham has had large experience in business, and through strictly honorable methods and close attention to the wants of the community has built up a trade that is creditable to his ability and sagacity, and which constitutes a fair share of that which naturally comes to the pleasant and thriving village of Canastota. In politics Mr. Ingraham is a Republican, but takes only a moderate interest in public matters. However, he served one term as Village Corporation Treasurer to the satis- faction of all concerned. Mr. and Mrs. Ingraham have had five children, two of them, sons, dying in infancy, and three still living, namely: Bessie, a young lady of seventeen, in school at Canastota; John J., Jr., fifteen years of age, employed in the First National Bank of Canastota ; and Grace, thirteen years of age. Mr. Ingraham is a Master Mason, being a member of Canastota Lodge, No. 231. He is also a working member of the Grand Army of the Republic order of this place, known as Reese Post, No. 149, being inter- ested in all matters concerning past achieve- ments and present welfare of the brave boys who defended the stars and stripes in their hour of peril. Mrs. Ingraham, a well-edu- cated and cultured lady, taught school some time previous to her marriage. She is an active member of the Presbyterian church. The eldest daughter, in addition to her regu- lar studies in the school, is pursuing a course in instrumental music. Of Mr. Ingraham it is but proper to remark that he is truly the architect of his own fortune, having been and being still one of the most successful merchants in Canastota, enjoying not only a prosperous, but an increasing trade, the con- fidence of the people being his to an unusual degree. In contemplating such a life as his, one is reminded of the fact that the business interests of a place are always the first to attract attention, and are of the utmost impor- tance in relation to the general prosperity. They are not only of prime necessity to the 420 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW people everywhere, but their condition is indicative of the general condition of the country, the varied business interests of dif- ferent parts of the country being so inter- woven and so dependent that, when one suffers or prospers, others sympathize there- with, to a greater or less extent. r)RGE FEARON, deceased, one of the early pioneers of the town of Eaton, who aided largely in clearing and improving the country, and was an indus- trious, honest, and good citizen, is eminently worthy of honorable mention in this " Bio- graphical Review " of Madison County. He was born in Ireland in 1781, and was a son of Robert Fearon, a prosperous farmer, who on February 17, 1779, had married Amelia Gaven. Robert and Amelia Fearon were the parents of two children, namely: Catharine, born January 23, 1780, and died April 13, 1799; ^nd George, the subject of this sketch. The daughters death, which was a sad blow to the family, was caused by a fever which she took from her brother, and which he had contracted in the army, while serving in the Irish Rebellion. George himself was seri- ously ill for three months, a part of the time delirious. Robert Fearon's farm was known as Bally Rush farm, was situated three miles from Arklow, county of Wicklow, and thirty miles from Dublin. Mr. Fearon was acci- dentally drowned, while crossing a river, about the year 1782 or 1783. His son George grew up a farmer, and remained at home until 181 1, when with his wife, three children, and his mother, he emigrated to the United States, his voyage across the sea to Boston consuming seven weeks. From Boston the family moved to Attica, N.Y., and thence to the town of Eaton, making the jour- ney by means of hired ox-teams, and became pioneers in that town. There he purchased a farm, which was at the time partly im- proved, and on which was a log house. In this log cabin Mr. Fearon lived for a short time, and then erected a more substantial frame house, the farm being in possession of his younger son, James T. During the first years of his residence in this county the woods abounded in various kinds of wild beasts and game, bear and deer being espe- cially plentiful. The Stockbridge Indians also resided in the vicinity, but they were usually peaceful and friendly. Mr. Fearon was a most industrious and thoroughly honest man, and well known to the entire community as possessing the noble qualities most to be desired, as marking a good citizen of a free country. He was suc- cessful as a farmer and a business man; and at the time of his death on his old farm, March 4, 1863, though not what would now be considered wealthy, he was the possessor of a goodly amount of property. He and his wife, Lydia, were the parents of eight chil- dren, namely: Robert and Elizabeth Bailey, deceased; Catharine, born October 18, 18 10; Amelia Burns, deceased; George, born Janu- ary 10, 1 8 16, and living in Oneida; Susanna, deceased; Lydia Jane, born January 5, 1824, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 421 living with her elder sister; James T., born October 28, 1829, and living at Morrisville. George and Lydia Fearon were members of and active workers in the Methodist Epis- copal church, of which he has been a Trustee and was at one time a class leader. The mother of George Fearon died at the old homestead in Eaton in 1824, at the age of sixty-six years. His wife died December 16, 1838, aged fifty-two years. The sisters, Catharine and Lydia Jane, maiden ladies, have lived at Pratt's Hollow about thirty years, their comfortable and beautifully furnished home being on their one-hundred-acre farm, which they lease, and which has been in the family upward of fifty years. They also own the store building in the village, and are in comfortable circum- stances. Both are religiously inclined, and for more than sixty years have been active workers in the Methodist Episcopal church at Pratt's Hollow, to which their father gave the land on which the building stands, and which he aided largely in many other ways. Both of the sisters were well educated in their youth, at first attending the district school, and later Cazenovia Seminary, from which the younger was graduated, July 16, 1846. Lydia has been Superintendent of the Sunday- school for several years. Catharine is the oldest church member in Pratt's Hollow, and one of the most aged inhabitants of the place. She well remembers the friendly Stockbridge tribe of Indians, and the murderous chief Antoine, his trial, and his execution, which took place when she was in her girlhood and, naturally, made a deep and dreadful impres- sion on her young mind. Her memory is a well-filled storehouse of the past, in which, safe to say, pleasant, cheerful recollections predominate. No doubt the early training and the continued activity, of mind of these sisters, together with the sustaining and quickening power of their religious faith, have largely contributed to the preservation of their physical soundness and vigor. As with sweet inward peace and dignity of soul they tread the downward path leading to the sunset land, they have the warm regards of many friends to whom the world is brightened by their presence and influence. DWIN WHITFORD, born in the town of Brookfield, N.Y., December 29, 1825. Long before the Declaration of Inde- pendence was signed, and while yet the col- onies were loyal to the mother country, the great-grandfather of our subject, Joshua Whit- ford, went from Connecticut into the wild and uncultivated region of Rensselaer County, and settled at a place then called Petersburg, but which is now known as Berlin. There the grandfather, who was also named Joshua, was born in 1755, and in 1794 took up a tract of timber land lying between Leonardsville and Brookfield, being one of the earliest recorded settlers of the place. This very farm is now owned by the great-grandchildren of the fam- ily. The grandfather lived on this place until his. death, and is buried in the plot of ground on the farm which was laid out for 422 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW a burial-site. William Whitford, father of Edwin, remained at the homestead for many years, living for a short time on an adjacent farm, but returning to the old home, and re- siding here until his death, in the year 1850. He married Miss. Hannah Clark; and there were four children born to them: Clark M. ; Silas, deceased 1892; Calvin; and Edwin, our subject. The mother died in i860, at the age of seventy-four. Edwin Whitford received a fine education in the district school and in the Brookfield Academy, and until twenty-one years old remained at home on the farm. When he became of age, he commenced teaching school, following this occupation in the winter and running his farm in the summer. For two years he was a preceptor in the Brookfield Academy, and then for eight years taught in the district schools near by. He then purchased a farm, and went in strongly for agriculture. In 1871 he purchased a grist-mill in Leonardsville, which he man- aged for eight years, but still attended to his farm, and had his present beautiful home built. When he disposed of the mill, he bought thirty acres of land between Leonards- ville and Brookfield, and began the culture of fruit, to which he still gives a great deal of attention. In the year 1849 he married Miss Ruth J. Crandell, daughter of Kilburn and Ruth Crandell. They have two children, Abert and AUie A. The son, Abert, married Ella J. Edwards in 1872. They have four children — Ernest C, O. Benjamin, Edwin, Jr., and Paul A. The daughter, Allie A., was married to W. E. Phillips in 1883. Two children have been born to them — Ruth L. and Kent Whitford. These families reside in Leonardsville. Mr. Whitford is the propri- etor of the lumber-yard and saw-mill. Mr. Phillips is the Superintendent and Treasurer of the Leonardsville Canning Company. The whole family are Seventh-day Baptists, Mr. Whitford's father having been a Deacon in that church for many years. The subject of our sketch has been a member of the church for more than a half-century, and superintendent of the Sabbath-school and chorister for twenty years. He still con- tinues to hold, as he has held for a number of years, the office of Church Clerk. While Mr. Whitford cast his first vote for John C. Fremont, and has always been a firm believer in the principles of the Republican party, seeing the evils that unlimited license in the liquor traffic has done to the youth of this country, he is an active worker in the temper- ance cause, and leans very strongly toward the Prohibitionists. ULIUS A. TITUS. The Titus family originally came from Long Island, the father of our subject, Henry Titus, having been born there, but came with his wife to Herkimer County, New York, settling on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, all dense woods with the exception of about five acres of cleared land. They brought up a family of two sons and two daughters, as fol- lows: Laura, wife of Henry Snyder, died in Pennsylvania when past middle life; Martha, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 423 wife of Francis Symonds, died in Whitesboro, at the age of fifty; Jarvis, a grocer at Whites- boro, died at the age of forty-six; Julius, born in Litchfield, Herkimer County, January 17, 1810. The mother died on the old home- stead in 1843, and the father when eighty- nine years of age. He left quite a large property. Julius A. Titus was reared at home on the farm. The only advantages for an education which he received were the limited chances afforded by the old log school-house, with its rough slab benches, the ill-constructed house, allowing the cold wintry air to have full sweep to nip the fingers of the little ones wrestling with their infantile attempts at "pot hooks" and sums; and he can tell many interesting stories to his grandchildren of the discomforts and inconveniences of his school- days as compared with the modern elegances of public schools. He remained with his parents on the home farm until the age of thirty-one years, when he married Miss De- light Coolidge, of Herkimer County, and bought a farm there, which they lived on for about ten years, then sold, and removed to the present home in the town of Lenox, which now consists of some seventy acres, he hav- ing sold a great portion of the original tract to the railroad. The only child is Henry W. Titus, who is about fifty-one years of age, and has always lived at home. This son has been twice married, first in 1870 to Miss Emma Davis, who bore him four children, one of them a son, who died while an infant, and three daughters, who are still living, as follows: Carrie, wife of Frank G. Terrell, a farmer, living in the town of Lenox; Nellie Ruth, aged thirteen; and Mary Gertrude, eight years of age. Their mother died in 1890; and the father married for his second wife Emma Fitzgerald, daugh- ter of Daniel and Rose (^McGinnis) Fitzger- ald, their marriage taking place in November, 1891. For forty years Julius A. Titus has been a thorough and earnest Republican, and, while not seeking any political favors, has always been keenly alive to the interests of his party. In his religious faith he is a Pres- byterian. He cherishes with a tender and chastened sorrow the memory of his devoted Christian wife, with whom he shared his joys and troubles for over fifty years, and with a calm tranquillity and hopefulness awaits the hour when he shall join her in the home of eternal happiness, where all tears shall be wiped away. Through a long life spent in this section Mr. Titus has established an unblemished reputation as an upright and worthy citizen, and in his venerable age is accorded the highest meed of reverence and respect. (^lYLBERT L. CAMERON, an enterpris- es^ ing agriculturist, is a gentleman in ■^ ^— ' the prime of life, active, energetic, possessing excellent judgment, and has for many years been closely identified with the industrial interests of this section of Madison County. He was born in Smithfield, on the farm which he now owns and occupies, Sep- 424 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW tember 2, 1847, being a son of Daniel and Lucina (Rich) Cameron. His grandfather, James Cameron, was a native of Scotland, where he grew to manhood and married. About the year 1800, accompanied by his family, he crossed the Atlantic, and, landing in New York, made his way to this county, and settled in the town of Cazenovia, now Fenner, being among the original settlers of that place. He bought a tract of land, and began the improvement of a farm. The region was little more than a pathless wilder- ness, lighted only by the camp-fires of the native Indians, and through which wolves, bears, and deer roamed. The nearest markets were many miles away ; and Mr. Cameron had to carry his grain to mill on horseback, fol- lowing a path marked by blazed trees. He spent the remainder of his life on this home- stead, where he died in middle age. His widow, surviving him, died in Onondaga County, at the venerable age of eighty years. Both she and her husband were devout mem- bers of the Presbyterian church. They reared a family of nine children, only one of whom is now living, Margret, widow of Calhoun Grant, and a resident of the State of Michigan. Daniel Cameron, son of James, was born on the old homestead in Fenner, and grew to manhood in his native town. By the early death of his father being thrown mostly on his own resources, he began life by working by the month. Active, industrious, and eco- nomical, he accumulated enough in a few years to buy a small tract of land and estab- lish himself in life by marrying. He labored perseveringly, and, as time went on, added to his first purchase of fifty-four acres, until he had two hundred acres of rich and arable land, well improved, on which he did good business in general farming. In politics he was a firm supporter of the principles of the Republican party. His wife was a worthy member of the Presbyterian church. Both spent their last years on the old homestead, where she died when seventy years old, while he rounded out a period of fourscore and three years. They reared four sons and one daughter: Delos W., residing in Cazenovia; Ann M., residing in the village of Peterboro; Charles E., propri- etor of the Cameron Hotel at Peterboro ; John T., residing in Kansas City, Mo.; Albert L., residing on the home farm. The subject of our sketch was educated in the public schools of his native town, and assisted his father in the labors of the farm, obtaining an excellent knowledge of agricult- ure in all its branches; and, as his parents approached the sunset of life, he took upon himself the burden of care, and had charge of the homestead. In 1881 he purchased the home farm, which he has since managed with unqualified success, carrying on an extensive business in general farming and stock-raising, and in addition thereto has a fine dairy, con- sisting of twenty head of cattle of mixed breed. He has an excellent farm, everything about the place giving indication of the owner's skill as a progressive modern farmer. Mr. Cameron has been twice married. His first wife, to whom he was united in 1878, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 425 was Miss Ida Hadden, a native of this town. Their pleasant wedded life was of short dura- tion, her death befalling in January, 1882. For his second wife Mr. Cameron married Miss Calpurnia Black, the wedding taking place in December, 1885. She is also a native of this town, and a daughter of Lot and Lucinda Black, residents of Stockbridge, where Mr. Black is engaged in agricultural pursuits. To our subject and his wife have been born three children — Robert, Margery, and Florence. Mr. and Mrs. Cameron are genial, hospitable people, with a large circle of friends, who are ever made welcome in their pleasant home. In politics he is a stanch Republican, and ever willing to work for the interests of his town. He served as Supervisor in 1892, and was re-elected the following spring. Mrs. Cameron is an es- teemed member of the Methodist Episcopal church. T^ORMAN STAFFORD, of the well- I =? known firm of Patten & Stafford of ^*— -" Canastota, was born in the town of Fenner, Madison County, N.Y., in 1840. This gentleman can truly boast of an ancestry intimately connected with the early settling of New York State. His great-great-grand- father was John Stafford, of England, who came over about the middle of the eighteenth century, and settled in one of the New Eng- land colonies. He was a miller by trade, and no doubt ground the first wheat used in Massachusetts. He had a large family; and his son David, the great-grandfather of Nor- man Stafford, was a farmer in Connecticut, who removed to Pennsylvania, and later to the town of Fenner. His wife was Sally Shuts. They had four daughters and five sons, all of whom had families. David Stafford survived his wife six years, and died, at the age of ninety-four, in Fenner. He was a strong, active man until about two years before his death. His wife was an exceedingly bright and intelligent woman, and her children inherited much of their brilliant talents from this source. Their names were David, Amos, John, Joseph, Harry, Sally, Betsey, Anna, and Mary. David is a manufacturer of threshing machines, and resides in Syracuse, N.Y. Joseph Stafford, the grandfather of Norman, for many years a farmer of Fenner, later moved to Ontario County, New York, where he died at West Bloomfield, October 18, 1870, aged seventy-two. His wife, who was Miss Polly Jones, died the same year. Six sons and three daughters were born to them, all of whom, with the exception of one, grew to maturity. Those living are: Polly, the wife of Royal Mowrey, of Ontario County; George, of Wauwatosa, Wis. ; Mary, widow of Lorenzo Gordon, of Ontario County; and Henry, of the same county. The father of our subject was Joseph Stafford, Jr., born in the town of Fenner, August 18, 1818. He died in Oneida in 1876. His wife was Miss Cornelia Hill. She is still living, and re- sides with her son Francis in Oneida. She has two grandchildren, aged respectively three and five years. 426 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Norman Stafford was reared at home, and received a liberal education at the schools of Peterboro and Cazenovia. At the age of twenty-one he was engaged in building the stone road between Peterboro and Canastota, at which he was employed about two years, when he returned home, and assisted his father in farming for ten years. In 1873 he married Miss Nettie Smith, daughter of Will- iam Smith, an octogenarian farmer, who is a fine and venerable old gentleman,- still residing at Westmoreland, N.Y. Mrs. Staf- ford died in March, 1878, at the age of thirty-six years, leaving no children. The second wife of our subject was Miss Jennie S. Bull, daughter of George Bull. Her mother was Miss Elizabeth Sanford, daughter of Rob- ert and Rachel (Marsh) Sanford, of Kent, England. They came from Liverpool to New York State in 1830, the voyage across the Atlantic lasting six weeks. Mrs. Stafford has one sister, Mrs. Theodore G. Moot, for- merly of Canastota. The mother lives with her daughters, and is seventy-five years old, and is still active. Her husband died De- cember 15, 1879, at the age of sixty-five years, at his farm in the town of Sullivan, and is buried in the Lenox Rural Cemetery. Of this family a more detailed sketch will be found in the memoir of Edgar Bull. Mr. Stafford entered into partnership with William H. Patten in their present business of manufacturing wheel rakes, known as the New York Champion, in the year 1873. This concern has the reputation of making the best article of the kind in the market, and has been exceedingly prosperous. The first eight years our subject travelled on the road, and also worked in the office. Their plant occupies about three acres of ground, being situated near the tracks of the West Shore, New York Central, and Elmira, Cortland & Northern Railways, giving them the best facilities for shipping by these roads and the Erie Canal. The main building is three hundred and twenty-five by forty feet, three stories in height. In this the foundry, workshops, and offices are located. They employ from twenty to seventy-five hands, and have six agents travelling for them, covering the most of the United States. Mr. Stafford is a member of the Indepen- dent Order of Odd Fellows, and is politically affiliated with the Republican party, but does not care to hold any office. In the handsome home erected by Mr. Stafford in 1889 he and his wife enjoy comfort amid pleasant sur- roundings. They are among the leaders in social life in Canastota, their fine residence being an attractive centre for the brightest and most cultured people. An enterprising and industrious man, Mr. Stafford deserves the wealth and prosperity which he has attained. A. CLARK, a well-known farmer of Brookfield, a leading member of the First Baptist Church, steadfast in the faith, having a good report of them which are without, was born in Bridgewater, Oneida County, N.Y., October 15, 1843. The father of our subject was about four- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 427 teen years of age when the death of his father, who formerly lived in Plainfield, N.Y., obliged him to set to work to assist in supporting the whole family, which he did with great credit to himself, and to the grati- fication of his friends. His opportunities for education were limited to a few winter terms of the district school. He was reared to agricultural pursuits, but turned his attention also to various other callings, achieving quite a fine reputation both as an auctioneer and as a veterinary surgeon. He married Miss Nancy A. Carpenter, who was of Connecticut parentage. Their children were: Savannah M.; Orange J.; O. A., our subject; Rosa D.; Charles C; Francis E. ; William J.; Cora A. ; and Minnie A. After his mar- riage the father first lived in Plainfield, but later removed to Bridgewater, where he re- mained for over thirty years on the farm he there purchased. He subsequently bought a smaller place in the town of Bridgewater, where he and his wife died. O. A. Clark remained at home with his parents during his boyhood and youth, acquir- ing an education in the public schools of his town and assisting in the farm work. When he attained the years of manhood, he went out to work by the month on a farm. After con- tinuing this for two years, he married, and purchased a farm in the town of Bridgewater, and resided on it for two years. From Bridgewater he went to Sangerfield, N.Y., for one year, and then bought a farm in the town of Paris, which he sold after occupying it four years, and bought one in Sangerfield. Stay- ing there also four years, he again sold his homestead, and went this time to Marshall. At the end of a year he bought back his old Sangerfield farm, which is still owned by him, lived on it a second term of four years, and then bought the farm in Brookfield, where he has now made his home for eleven years, having by persistent industry brought it into the front rank among the excellent farms known in the county. He has built a fine residence, and here, with his estimable wife and family, enjoys the domestic comforts which he has richly earned. At the age of twenty-three years Mr. Clark married Miss Mary A. Spencer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albertus M. Spencer. Her paternal grand- father, Job Spencer, came to Sangerfield, one of the earliest pioneers, when the country was new, and bought a large tract of land for an ox-yoke. He died in 1858. Mrs. Clark's parents are both living, her father at the age of seventy-five, her mother sixty-five years old. Mr. and Mrs. Clark were blessed with a family of tour children — O. Arthur, Harlo R., Lettie A., and Herbert L. But the angel of death visited this happy household, and took from them their youngest child, Herbert, a winsome pet of three years, whom earthly aid could not avail to save. "There fell upon the house a sudden gloom, A shadow on those features fair and thin; And softly from the hushed and darkened room Two angels issued where but one went in." The parents sorrowed, but not without hope and the sustaining power of religion. Mr. and Mrs. Clark have long been active and val- 428 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ued members of the First Baptist Church of Brookfield. Their son, O. Arthur Clark, was graduated from Brookfield Union School in 1887, and at the age of eighteen years commenced teaching. Having taught a number of terms, he decided to study medicine, and entered the Baltimore Medical College. He is now taking his third course of lectures in that school, and expects to graduate in April, 1894, and begin the practice of medicine. He has not yet decided where. He ranks among the brightest students in the college. His family take just pride in this young man. All three of these children — namely, O. Arthur, Harlo R., and Lettie A. — were con- verted under the age of twelve years, and united with the First Baptist Church of Brookfield, of which, at the ages now of twenty-five, twenty, and eighteen years, they remain consistent members. The two younger children still reside at home with their parents. All three have held offices in the church and Sunday-school at different times, and have always been faith- ful members and workers in the church and Sunday-school since they were old enough to attend Sunday-school and church. Mr. Clark has been assistant superintend- ent of the Sunday-school, and has served on the Pulpit Committee for several years. He is now one of the Trustees of the church prop- erty. Mrs. Clark was also for many years a devoted worker in the Sunday-school, and in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. In the midst of her usefulness she was stricken with illness, and has not been able of late to be an active participator in the church affairs; but the influence of her char- acter and her deeply religious spirit, and of the good works she has done, is still potent. In political questions Mr. Clark is heartily in favor of the Republican party, and gives his support to its principles; but he is also a strong advocate for temperance, and is deeply interested in the promotion of this cause. PHRAIM BERRY was born in Brook- field, N.Y., February 18, 181 1, the son of Ephraim and Lydia (Wheaton) Berry. Ephraim Berry, Sr., left Pomfret, Conn., his native place, to seek a home in the State of New York, and upon reach- ing here secured a tract of one hundred and seventy acres of virgin land, and was one of the first settlers of the place called Sanger- field. He, with his brother John, built a log house, and soon developed a fine farm, mak- ing a comfortable home. He had married Miss Lydia Wheaton in Pomfret, and brought her and two children. Content and Saxton, with him when he came. They aftervvard had four more children — Lovina, Lydia, Ephraim, Jr., and Ruth. The father died when his son was only three years old. After the death of her first husband in Sangerfield the mother married a Mr. Henry Beebe. They reared one son, Ezra, and later removed to Stockwell Settlement, N.Y., where they died. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 429 Our subject was reared on the farm, and ■emained there until his thirty-third year. \t that time he married Miss Electa House, ffho died at the end of their first year of mar- -ied life, leaving one child, named Alice. He next married Miss Sarah Seabury, and shortly after went to Cook County, Illinois, ind there lived for nine years on a farm, ivhere his second wife died. Later he came East, and married August 16, 1849, Olivia Read. Removing to St. Charles, Kane County, 111., he entered into partnership with bis brother-in-law, husband of his sister Lydia, in the hardware business, which con- tinued for two or three years. When he :losed out his business in the West, he re- turned to Madison County, New York, and bought a farm in Brookfield, N.Y., of Mr. Miller, which adjoined the one on which he now lives. He remained on the first-men- tioned farm for six years, and at the end of that time bought the farm of his cousin, Darius Beebe, making it his home unto this iay. Mrs. Berry comes from an old and distin- guished family of these parts. Her father, Lemuel Read, was but four years of age when bis father, Daniel Read, came with his wife, Hester Leffingwell, and two children, from Connecticut to Madison County, making the journey with an ox-team. They settled on a :ract of land near the present farm of the subject, and resided there until their death. Lemuel Read remained on his father's farm, :arrying on the trade of wheelwright, making ;pinning-wheels and reels, continuing this work until his death, at the age of seventy- five years. He married Sarah, daughter of John and Mollie Clark, from Exeter, Kent County, R.I., by whom he had five children — Elmina, Olivia (Mrs. Berry), Walworth, Tirzah, and Oracy. Mrs. Read died at the age of seventy-nine. Mr. and Mrs. Berry reared five children; namely, Sarah, Susan, Nellie, Lola, and Hattie. Alice, the child by the first wife, married Mr. Lester Thayer, now deceased, and has five children — Ephraim E., Clay, Lynn, Electa, and Wayne. Sarah married De Villo Fitch, but is now a widow. Nellie married Louis Parkhurst, of Boonville, Oneida County, N.Y. Lola married Arthur Thayer, had one child, Edith, and died at the age of twenty-two years. The son-in-law, Parkhurst, carries on the farm, residing at the homestead with his wife and two children: Emogene, an intelligent young lady of seven- teen; and Ephraim. Mr. Parkhurst is a young man of ability and perseverance, con- ducting the affairs of the farm in an energetic and practical manner. He is truly a son to Mr. Berry, aiding him greatly in the manage- ment of all his business, and is regarded by this venerable gentleman with warm paternal affection. The youngest daughter, Hattie, remains at home with her parents, who are in feeble health, and is untiring in her filial attentions — a stay and a comfort in their advancing years. Mr. Berry is a member of the Methodist church, and votes the Republican ticket, although his people were all Democrats. He 43° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW became a Republican when he went out to Illinois, and was for many years an Assessor there. He is now the last one of this well- known and worthy family. This venerable couple have literally seen the "wilderness blossom like a rose," and in their lives have witnessed the growth of a small settlement into the present large community. Mr. Berry is now enjoying the results of his early years of industry, energy, sagacity, and economy. He is surrounded by a loving and inteHigent family, and it can be well said of him that " He wears the marks of many years well spent, Of virtue, truth well tried, and wise experience." If; ILLIAM STRINGER. In the an- nals of Madison County no name stands higher on the list of its benefactors than that of the late William Stringer. He was one of the enterprising and self-made men of the county, who contributed so materi- ally to its present prosperity. He was born in Eaton, March i, 1815, being a son of William W. and Elizabeth (Underwood) Stringer, both natives of Ireland. His pa- rents emigrated to the United States with their family in 1809, and settled in that part of the town of Eaton known as Crow Hill, buying a tract of land ere it had been re- deemed from the wilderness. At that time Indians were numerous, and wild animals and game of all kinds inhabited the forest. He toiled unceasingly, and cleared a farm, where he spent his last days, dying at the age of sixty-four years. His widow lived to be seventy-six years old, and died at the home of one of her sons. Both were members of the Episcopal church. They reared eight children, of whom three are now living: William, our subject; Alice, who is the wife of Henry Clark, of Hamilton; and Charles, who lives in Lebanon. During the Irish Rebellion Mr. Stringer was an officer in the army, and received a severe wound. William Stringer, the subject of this brief history, was reared and educated in the town of Eaton, where he attended the district school. His father having a large family of children to support, and our subject being among the older ones, he was sent out to labor when a lad of ten years, working at first on a farm for five dollars per month, his wages being given to his parents each month until he was twenty -one years old. Not being satisfied with the life of a farmer, he learned the trade of carpenter and joiner, working for Nelson Cook and George Kirk- land, receiving thirteen dollars per month, and continued in that occupation for fifteen years. Mr. Stringer moved to Munnsville March 6, 1837, that day being also the date of his marriage to Mrs. Louisa Sherman Barr. She was the widow of Robert Barr, by whom she had one child — Robert Sherman Barr. Their wedded life was of short duration, Mrs. Stringer dying November 16, 1845. She bore her husband one child, William Henry Stringer, who was born September 22, 1839. He grew to manhood in the home of his father, and, when a call for volunteers was made to quell the late Rebellion, responded, William Stringer. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 433 enlisting in 1862 as a private in Bates's Battery, being afterward promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He participated in many of the battles and skirmishes, being present at tlie surrender of General Lee, and was honor- ably discharged at the close of the war. He was a man of excellent character, a good citi- zen, and influential in town affairs, serving acceptably as Supervisor two terms ; and his death, which occurred in August, 1887, was a loss to the community. The second marriage of Mr. Stringer took place May 27, 1848, when he wedded Adaline J. Shepard, who was born in Verona, Oneida County, March 14, 1821. Her parents, Aaron and Sylvia Shepard, were from Berk- shire County, Massachusetts. They owned a farm in Oneida County, and there lived to an advanced age, both dying on the same day, at the ages of eighty-six and eighty-two years respectively. They were worthy people, much respected for their many excellent per- sonal traits of character, and were both es- teemed members of the Universalist church. In politics Mr. Shepard was identified with the Whigs. They reared a family of three sons and five daughters, six of whom survive : George, who lives in Nebraska; Jane, Mrs. Johnson, who lives in Wisconsin; Ann, Mrs. Brooks, who is a resident of Chicago; Ada- line, Mrs. Stringer; Caroline, Mrs. Adams, who lives in Madison, Wis. ; and Henrietta, Mrs. Pardee, who lives in Vernon, Oneida County. Of the children born to our subject and his second wife, two only are living. Sylvia L., who was born in Munnsville, Sep- tember 6, 1849, married Samuel A. Maxon, of Oneida, and has three children — William, Lynn, and Bessie. Charles, who was born in Munnsville, March 7, 1854, married Flora E. Merrell, and has a son and 'daughter — Henry J. and Sylvia Esther. After giving up his trade as carpenter, Mr. Stringer engaged in the manufacture of sashes, doors, and blinds, and carried on a successful- business for several years. In 1857 the firm of Holmes, Stringer & Co. was organized for the manufacture of agricultural implements. Beginning in a small way, the growth of the business was steady and satis- factory, the number of ploughs made the first year having been about fifty; and, with the growing demand for them, as they have be- come known throughout the country, the number has been gradually increased, until one thousand per year will scarcely supply the market. In addition to the Munnsville plough, which was founded by Mr. Stringer, the firm also manufactured cultivators, evap- orating and hop stoves, employing from twenty to twenty-five men during the year. In January, 1890, Mr. Stringer sold out his share of the business to his son; and the busi- ness was continued under the firm name of Stringer, Dexter & Co. until August 17, 1892, when the son sold his interest, and the proprietors incorporated under the name of the Munnsville Plow Company, which firm still continues. Mr. Stringer was highly honored and re- spected by his employees, who regarded him as their friend, his counsel and advice being 434 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW freely given and as readily taken; and to his assistance many of his men are indebted for the comfortable homes they own and occupy. During the half -century and more that he resided in Munnsville he was intimately identified with its every interest, encouraging and promoting each beneficial plan for its advancement; and to him is largely due the present status of that prosperous village. His influence was felt in every department; and his death, which took place September 5, 1893, was deeply regretted by the community. He served as Supervisor two years, and as Railroad Commissioner for twenty years. Politically, he was a strong Republican, and ever sustained the principles of that party. Religiously, he was a firm believer in the doctrines of the Universalist church, toward the support of which he contributed liberally. A portrait of Mr. Stringer is presented on an accompanying page, and forms a fitting ad- junct to this brief memoir. ^CJDMUND ADAMS, a highly intelligent J Q[ far mer of the town of Sullivan, skilled in the art of surveying, was born here July 24, 1840, son of Vespasian and Ca- lista (Dewey) Adams. His paternal grand- father, John Adams, who was born at Troy, N.Y., November 12, 1782, received from De Witt Clinton an appointment as Pub- lic Surveyor. He came to the town of Sulli- van in 1802 on a hunting expedition, and killed a great number of otters, which paid all the expenses of his trip by the sale of the skins. So pleased was he with this country, to wltich he had been led by the fact that his father, Elisha Adams, had been made owner of Lot 55 for military services I'endered in the Revolutionary War, that he moved to it and became a permanent settler in the year 1806. This was new land, which was all a wild forest. There were no roads and no mills near; and the manner of getting meal was to pound the corn in a hollowed stump. Fish abounded in great numbers. Salmon trout was a daily ration, and could be caught in Chittenango Creek with the hands. Deer and other game were plenty; but any one going on a hunt for them ran the risk of encountering bears and wolves, with the pos- sibility of pieeting a savage Indian. Still, this latter chance was not, after all, so peril- ous, because, as a general thing, the Indians were friendly. They had not yet met the hordes of rapacious white people who after- ward treated them so unjustly, and consid- ered the few white settlers scattered around as some favorite children of the Great Spirit, and, when they came with their little presents of game to the log houses, warmed themselves at the firesides, and often spent the night. Lot 55, jon which John and his brother Der- rick settled, was conveyed to the latter about 1820; and John purchased Lots 48 and 49, three miles south, and the present farm of Edmund. The grandfather owned a farm of two hun- dred and fifty acres. He lived there until his death with his wife. Miss Theodosia Barnes, whom he married near Manlius Vil- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 435 lage, May i6, 1808. He died at the age of seventy-five years; his widow, some years after, at the same age. They had a family of six children, two of whom are living, namely: Mrs. Susan G. Cook, in Syracuse; and Mrs. Betsey C. Adams, in the town of Sullivan. Their mother was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. For many years Mr. John Adams was a Justice of the Peace. He was a Democrat in politics. James Adams, son of John, succeeded to the estate on his father's death, in 1856. James remained a bachelor. He died in 1886, sixty-five years old. Be- sides being a model man and a most progres- sive farmer, he succeeded to his father's pro- fession, and was a most competent engineer and surveyor. The parents of our subject were both born and reared in the town of Sul- livan. The father was a farmer, and owned land in his native town. He was twice mar- ried, and had one son by each marriage. Ed- mund Adams is the eldest. His brother James is a farmer, residing in Wisconsin. Vespasian Adams died at the age of twenty- six years, and his first wife was but twenty- two years of age at her death. They were Methodists in belief, and Mr. Adams was a Democrat in politics. Edmund Adams grew to manhood in the town of Sullivan, attending the district schools there, and graduating from the semi- nary at Cazenovia in 1862. After that he went to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor for one year. He married in 1865 Miss Helen A. Wild, one of his classmates of Cazenovia Seminary, a daughter of Allen Wild, who owned farms in Gtsego and Dela- ware Counties, and was a very prominent man of his day. Mr. Wild was born in the year 181 1, and is connected with some of the best families of the country, having been closely related to Vice-President Wheeler. He now resides with his son-in-law, our subject, in whose home his wife died in 1892, at the age of eighty-three years. After his marriage Edmund Adams worked on shares for sixteen years his uncle James's farm, formerly his grandfather's, and in 1875 bought a part of it. He now owns one hun- dred acres of the old homestead, on which he does general farming, having made valuable improvements in the matter of buildings and variety of stock. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Adams, namely: Kate, wife of Rev. Charles Bassett, a Methodist minister of New Jersey — she was also a graduate of Cazenovia Seminary, ranking the highest in the class of 1886, winning the Wendall Scholarship medal, and being chosen Preceptress of the De Ruyter Institute; Robert B., born in 1873, now in Syracuse University; and Caryl, born May 17, 1882. Mr. Adams is well read, a man of quick and clear understanding. He has a tasteful home, and is very comfortably provided with this world's goods. Just and liberal in his dealings with his fellow-men, he is blessed with a sagacity which has prevented him from falling a prey to speculative advent- urers, while by steady application and good management he has attained his present pros- 436 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW perity. In his politics he is a stanch Repub- lican, and he and his wife are prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Besides farming, Edmund Adams served an apprenticeship, both with his grandfather and uncle James, as a surveyor, and since the death of the latter has had an extensive prac- tice in both Madison and Onondaga Counties. Almost a century covers the practice of these three men, who have been most prominent in all the legal contests pertaining to real estate in the towns of Sullivan and Manlius. Mr. Adams boasts, honestly and with pride, that no court has ever yet changed a line nor altered a peg that an Adams set. 'AMES W. MARSHALL is a gentle- man of means and position, who is able, after a life of industry and toil, to live in a well-appointed home, and enjoy, in an atmosphere of good books, pleasant friends, and a cheerful fireside, the fruits of his years of labor. He was born in the town of Eaton, Madison County, N.Y., November 26, 1820. His father, John Marshall, was born in County Wicklow, Ireland; but, according to information which is considered reliable, the family was of English ancestry. He was reared and married in his native land, and emigrated with his family to America about the year 1808. During the voyage a great misfortune befell him in the death of his wife; and he had the additional grief of seeing her body committed to the deep. He located at Pratt's Hollow, where he followed his trade, tailoring, and was a resident of the county until his death, at the age of eighty years. His second wife was Miss Jane Connor, and she was the mother of James W. Her birthplace was in County Wicklow, Ire- land; and she was but nine years old when she came to America with her parents, her father being James Connor, and her mother's maiden name was Nailor. She died in 1828. The subject of this personal narrative com- menced to earn his own living when very young, working out by the month in his boy- hood days, and, when sixteen years old, re- ceived five dollars and fifty cents and his board per month. Still, out of this meagre salary he began to save and economize, which practice he followed until, in his thirty-second year, he was able to purchase a farm in the town of Eaton. In 1888 he sold the place to his son, removed to Oneida, and bought an elegant residence on Main Street, where he now lives. After having settled on his farm in 1852, Mr. Marshall, finding that "it is not good for man to live alone," sought a wife, and made a happy selection in Miss Susanna Tackaberry, who was born in the town of Eaton, daughter of James and Anna (Belton) Tackaberry, natives of Wicklow, Ireland, and residents of the town of Eaton. Mrs. Marshall died in July, 1885; and in May, 1889, Mr. Marshall married his present amiable wife, Mrs. Jane Forrester. Mr. Mar- shall has four children living, namely: Anna L., now Mrs. Fred Stringer; Fred W., who married Miss Ada Potter, and whose two children are Franklin James and Fred Burton; BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 437 C. B., who married Miss Eunice Gill, and has one child; Melvin, who is unmarried. Franklin James died at the age of twenty- four, and two other children died in infancy. Although of Irish descent, Mr. Marshall proves his English ancestry by strongly up- holding English laws. His grandfather was an Orangeman, and very prominent as a par- ticipator in the Irish Rebellion. Mr. Mar- shall keeps himself abreast of the times, and well posted in the political affairs of the country. He is a deep reader, and spends many hours in his amply filled library of excellent works. In his political affiliations he is a stanch Democrat. W: ILLIAM A. JOHNSTON, a practi- cal and successful farmer, living in the town of Lenox, Madison County, was born in the town of Smithfield, March 17, 1836. His father, Alexander Johnston, was born in Ireland, and was brought to this country by his parents when three years old. He was a son of Samuel Johnston and his wife (a Miss Thompson before marriage), who were the parents of four sons and four daughters, all of whom have now passed away. With the exception of one of the daughters, all became heads of families. Alexander Johnston married Lois Mathew- son, of Smithfield, daughter of Winchester and Abigail (Swift) Mathewson, the former of whom was a native of Rhode Island, and the latter of Connecticut. They were mar- ried February 9, 1832, he at the age of twenty-nine, she at nineteen; and they spent their married lives on their one-hundred-acre farm in the town of Smithfield, which they purchased of Gerrit Smith, paying therefor twenty-five dollars per acre. The timber which covered the farm at the time of pur- chase Mr. Johnston cut down and cleared off, burning it up, for the most part, to get it out of the way, but selling some of it for fifty cents per cord to the glass works in Peter- boro. Beginning life without cash capital, Mr. Johnston by industry and wise manage- ment acquired a good fortune. He and his wife reared a family of eight children, namely: Abigail, widow of James N. Green, living near the old home in the town of Smithfield; Mary Ann, who died at the age of sixteen, in 1850 ; William A., the subject of this sketch; Eliashib, a wheat -buyer of Ashton, Spink County, So. Dak. ; Winches- ter, living on the old farm; Isabella, wife of Anderson Johnston, of Peterboro; Barton, a bachelor, living on the old homestead; and Marshall, who died in 1873, at the age of twenty -four, leaving two sons, merchants in Peterboro. The father of these children died August 25, 1850, at the age of forty-seven; and the mother, after living a widow thirty- five years and having successfully reared and educated her children, died August 31, 1885. Both she and her husband were members of the Presbyterian church, and were earnest, consistent Christian people. They were laid to rest in the cemetery at Peterboro. William A. Johnston was reared at home to farm life and labor, and, being the eldest 438 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW son, was obliged to work hard in his early boyhood and youth. His education was re- ceived in the district schools, which he was able to attend only in the winter season. A universal feature of pioneer life seldom men- tioned in these memoirs, but which Mr. John- ston well remembers, was the wide, open fireplace, where cooking was done in a big black iron pot hanging on a crane over the fire. Victuals cooked in this way were, as Mr. Johnston now remembers, more palatable to the taste than any that he has eaten since. The food was of his mother's cooking, and was eaten with the appetite of youth. On August i6, 1862, Mr. Johnston left home to defend the flag of his country against armed rebellion, as a member of Company A, First New Vork Light Artillery, under Captain Bates, the company being known as Bates's Battery. After serving nearly three years, he was honorably discharged June 28, 1865, having been promoted from the ranks to a sergeancy. In his war experience Mr. John- ston was more than ordinarily fortunate, not being sick, wounded, or taken prisoner, al- though he had a narrow escape from capture at Chambersburg, Pa., when that place was burned by the rebels. Mr. Johnston married March 17, 1869, Miss Mary Allen, daughter of George and Arvilla (Whitman) Allen, the former of Rhode Island, and the latter born on the farm upon which she died October 24, 1884, aged seventy-nine, her husband having died in 1851, at the age of fifty years. By trade Mr. Allen was a carpenter, and came, when yet a young man, from Rhode Island to Madi- son County, where he married Fannie Pratt, August 30, 1825, who died of consumption July 30, 1828, leaving a son and a daughter. The son died at the age of seventeen, and the daughter at the age of twenty-two years. De- cember 24, 1829, Mr. Allen married Arvilla Whitman, by whom he had four children, and reared two sons and one daughter — ■ Mrs. Johnston. John Milton, the eldest son, died at the age of twenty-six, leaving four chil- dren, of whom two are still living: Charles Milton, a manufacturer in Fulton; and John T., a carpenter,- of Syracuse. Myron Stuart Allen, the younger son, now of Delphi, Onondaga County, married Miss Flaville Tucker, a sister of O. J. Tucker. They have four children, the eldest, John B., being a physician of Woodstock. Before marriage Mrs. Johnston attended Oneida and Cazenovia Seminaries, and later taught school three terms, beginning when seventeen years old. She was married at twenty years of age. The house in which she now lives was erected in 18 13 by Asa Randall, and for a house eighty years old is still in a remarkably good state of preserva- tion. The farm on which this house stands was purchased by Mrs. Johnston's father in 1849, ^nd she has lived upon it since she was three months old. The memories therewith connected are of the most sacred character to Mrs. Johnston; for it was long the home of her mother, who was a widow for thirty-three years, an invalid the last fifteen, and was the place where her father and her mother's BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 439 father, John Whitman, spent their last days. Mrs. Johnston's maternal grandfather, John Whitman, was a son of Valentine and Barbara (Olin) Whitman, of Rhode Island. He mar- ried Mary James, and came with her first to Vermont, and thence to New York, where their first child was born in 1801, the father being at that time only twenty years old. They became the parents of thirteen children. Mr. John Whitman died in 1862, when eighty-two years old. His wife died in 1853, aged seventy-two. He was a most remark- able man in many ways, and at the time of his death was worth some twenty-five thou- sand dollars. So much confidence had the people in him that they elected him to vari- ous positions of honor and trust, in every one of which, including those of Justice of the Peace and Representative in the State Assembly, he acquitted himself creditably and with satisfaction to all concerned. His wife's father, Mrs. Johnston's maternal great- grandfather, James, a farmer in good circum- stances, died at his daughter's home in 1814, a very aged man. He left eight children, of whom Mrs. Johnston's grandmother was the third child. The subject of this sketch, William A. Johnston, has never failed to vote the Repub- lican ticket. In his farming, though he has not accumulated a fortune, he has been suc- cessful, and has justly acquired the reputation of being a most worthy citizen of the great republic. Not being blessed with children of their own, Mr. and Mrs. Johnston take great interest in the children of other people. especially in their education, and are always ready to contribute to their happiness and advancement. Mrs. Johnston presides over her home with grace and dignity. ■AMES B. NASH was born at Alex- andria Bay, Jefferson County, N.Y., June 27, 1856. His grandfather, Na- than Nash, was originally from Vermont, and first settled' in Hamilton, subsequently remov- ing to Jefferson County, at which time the father of our subject, Timothy, was but a boy. He died at Alexandria Bay. Tim- othy Nash was a sailor, and, although his home was at the Bay, followed his vocation on the Northern Lakes, as master of a mer- chantman. The last vessel he commanded was the "Volunteer," which foundered in a terrible gale in 1869, all hands, including the captain, being lost. He left a wife and two children, James and Alida. The mother's name before marriage was Miss Caroline Smith, and she died at Alexandria Bay in 1876. Our subject was but thirteen years old when his father met his tragic death, and, being thrown on his own resources to make his way in the world, started out as cabin-boy in a vessel on the lakes, working his way up from the ranks, until at the age of nineteen he received his commission from the United States government as pilot. The first boat he ran, holding this position, was the "G. B. Farrington," which continued for one season, and then the " Wanwinet " and others for the 440 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW next six years. Tiring by this time of the water, and embracing an opportunity to com- mence farming, he removed to Brookfield, Madison County, N.Y. His first wife was Miss Mary Funk, who lived only three years after her marriage. He then married Mrs. Lucia Talcott, daugh- ter of J. V. R. Livermore, of Brookfield, Madison County. They have one child, Zil- lah. Mrs. Nash was previously married to Mr. Denslow H. Talcott, who died in Brook- field, leaving her with two children, William and Lulu. Lulu was graduated from the Brookfield Academy in June, 1892, carrying off its highest honors, and has since taken a course of stenography and typewriting at Keuka College, Yates County, New York. She is very talented, and bids fair to be a bright business woman. Her brother Will- iam finished at the Rochester Business Col- lege, and is now . a telegraph operator in Greene, Chenango County, N.Y., employed by the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railway Company. Alida, the sister of Mr. Nash, married a Mr. Burdick, and lives near her brother. In early manhood Mr. Nash became iden- tified with the Masonic fraternity, and be- longs to Sanger Lodge, No. 129, the Veiled Prophets of Hamilton, N.Y., also to Lodge No. 632, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Brookfield. Politically, he is a Democrat. He and his family are earnest members of the Baptist church. Mr. Nash began life a poor boy, but worked his way up from the humble position of cabin-boy to the high one of first pilot, and by his carefulness and capability won an en- viable reputation. The same integrity and strict attention which he gave while on lake service he has brought into his affairs on land, and his energy and industrious habits have brought about a productive result for his labor on the farm. He has remodelled the houses on the place, and has proven himself an adept in the vocation he has chosen. In all matters pertaining to the improvement of his town he shows an active interest, and is looked upon as a model citizen in every sense of the word. A. RISLEY was born, March 14, 1848, in the town of Hamilton, N.Y., where he abides at this day — a use- ful and respected citizen, a thriving farmer. His grandfather, Benjamin Risley, and his father, Elijah, were natives of Glastonbury, Conn., the former having spent his whole life there. Elijah Risley came to New York State in 1823, making the journey on foot. Working at his trade, carpentering, he earned money,. and bought the farm now occupied by his sons. He was twice married, his first wife being the mother of eight children; namely, Cyrus, Irvin, Marion, Matilda, Good- rich, George, Albert, and Luman. By his second wife, Amanda Allen, a native of En- field, Conn., daughter of James and Eunice (Clark) Allen, he had two sons, J. A. and Romaine. Mr. and Mrs. Elijah Risley both died at their home in the town of Hamilton. James Allen was a son of Ebenezer and Chloe BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 441 (Osborne) Allen. The father and son were farmers and lifelong residents of Connecticut. The Allen homes were at Enfield and East Windsor. Mrs. Elijah Risley*s mother, Eunice Clark, was a daughter of Daniel and Rebecca (Davis) Clark. J. A. Risley received his education in the district schools of his native town, and began to work while quite young on the home farm, the same now conducted by him and his brother Romaine in partnership, which under their excellent management has become one of the finest farms of the town. At the age of twenty-eight years our subject was married to Miss Nellie Kinney; and their union has been happily blessed with one son, Allen. In their religious views Mr. and Mrs. Risley adhere to the tenets of the Methodist church, of which they are earnest members, showing the beauty and value of their faith in their lives. Just as honest and consistent are Mr. Risley's opinions and doings in politics, he being persuaded that the leadership of the Republican party is essential to the safety and prosperity of the country. Mr. Risley's brother Romaine was married, when he was twenty-eight years old, to Miss Ada Crandall, a daughter of John and Sedana (Fuller) Crandall. The great - grandfather and grandfather of Mrs. Romaine Risley, on her mother's side, who were each named 'Joseph Fuller, came from East Haddam, Conn. The senior married Miss Mary Briggs, and his son married Miss Sarah Bon- ney. An aunt of Mrs. Risley, Mrs. Matilda Fuller, who in her seventy years has seen five generations of the Risley family, now makes her home with Mrs. Romaine Risley. The brothers Risley are well known and highly esteemed citizens of their town, being men of ability and push, farmers in prosper- ous circumstances, who, asking favors of no man, have won success by hard work, good judgment, and indomitable persever- ance. The noble example of -diligence and fortitude given them by their father in sus- taining the hardships of pioneer life has, no doubt, been of material benefit to them, as the competence acquired by his years of in- dustry has not been idly frittered away, but has been largely increased under their judi- cious administration. Mr. and Mrs. Romaine Risley are the parents of two children: Luella, eight years of age; and James A., aged six. These chil- dren and their cousin Allen, the son of Mr. James Risley, are remarkably bright and promising, and are the centre of affection and the pride of their parents. Safe to say, no happier homes are known throughout the county than those of the Risley brothers. As people of real worth, these families hold an enviable position in the society of their town, and as hosts are proverbial for their gener- ous hospitality. EARD LEAVENWORTH. Among the prominent and successful gen- eral merchants of the village of Eaton is Mr. Beard Leavenworth, who carries on a very prosperous business, having every article needed in a store of the kind in such 442 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW a village. Although Mr. Leavenworth is now nearly seventy years of age, he is still as actively engaged as when a younger man. He was born in Woodbury, Litchfield County, Conn., August 6, 1824, and is a son of David B. Leavenworth, a Connecticut farmer and a native of that State. When past middle life, he went to Illinois with his son, Birdseye, -and died in that State at the age of seventy- eight, his wife, Sarah, dying in Ohio at about the same age. They reared a family of nine children, two of whom still survive, namely: Sarah, who resides at No. 408 West Adams Street, Sandusky, Ohio, and is the wife of Charles Ryan, who has been an extensive lumber dealer; and the subject of this sketch. Beard Leavenworth left his native county at the age of nine years, going in a canal-boat from Albany to Syracuse, N.Y., where he learned the cutlery business, following that line some ten years. March 22, 1849, when the gold fever was running very high, he, like many another ambitious, aspiring young man, went to California, making the voyage by way of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, crossing the Isthmus of Panama. While in California, he was engaged in the clothing business for two years, but in 1852 returned to his native State, and engaged in selling goods for his brother, David B. Leavenworth, in Smyrna until 1856. He was married in 1857 to Catharine Coman, who was born in the town of Eaton in 1835, and is the daughter of Ellis and Sophronia Coman, who were among the first settlers of the town of Eaton, Mr. Coman being one of the first merchants of the village of Eaton. Mr. and Mrs. Coman had two children: Mrs. Leavenworth; and a son, who died at the age of six years. Mr. Coman died in the village of Eaton when seventy-three years of age, and his wife at the age of eighty. In politics he was a Republican, and a most exemplary man throughout his life. Since his death Mr. Leavenworth has carried on the business left by his father-in- law, the house being one of the oldest in the place. He keeps a general store, and carries a complete stock of goods. The business transacted is very large, he being strictly honorable in his dealings and possessing the confidence of all. Mr. and Mrs. Leavenworth have had two children, only one of whom is now living, Lucian Coman, who was born in 1859, and is engaged in a clothing store at Syracuse, N.Y. Ellis B., a bright and promising boy, died when ten years old. Mrs. Leavenworth is a consistent member of the Congregational church. In politics Mr. Leavenworth is a Republican, but has never been an office- seeker. ^ROFESSOR AARON WHITE, at present occupying the chair of Math- ematics at Cazenovia Seminary, was born in the town of Paris, Oneida County, N.Y., September 18, 1824. His lineage has been traced through several generations of Americans to English ancestors. The first known member of the family in America was Elder John White. Neither the time nor fiiOGRAtHICAL REVIEW 443 the place of his birth can be named with cer- tainty. It is supposed that he came from Chelmsford, England. The earliest knowledge of him is as a passenger in the ship "Lyon," Captain Pierce, which sailed from England about the 22d of June, 1632, and arrived at Boston on the i6th of September. He was admitted a freeman March 4, 1633. At the first election in the town of Cambridge, in 1635, he was chosen one of the seven Select- men. In 1636 he went to Connecticut, and was one of the earliest settlers at Hartford. After the death of Rev. Mr. Hooker he, with other members of the colony, formed a settle- ment at what is now Hadley, Mass. Later he returned to Connecticut, and died there. His son Nathaniel, the next in line, who was born in England about 1629, was one of the original proprietors and first settlers of Mid- dletown, Conn. His home was in the upper part of the town, now included in the town of Cromwell. He filled several offices of trust, and was eighty-five times elected to represent the town in the General Court,- as the Legis- lature was called in Colonial days, the ses- sions being semi-annual. He was about eighty-two years old when he died. Ensign Daniel White, son of Nathaniel, was born February 23, 1661, and died in Middletown, Conn., December 18, 1739. He married Susanna Mould, daughter of Hugh and Martha (Coit) Mould. Hugh Mould and John Coit were noted ship- builders. Deacon Isaac White was a son of Ensign Daniel. He was born in Upper Mid- dletown, Conn., November 9, 1696, and died June 30, 1768. He was chosen Deacon of the church June 15, 1749. He married Sibbil Butler, who was born March 6, 1702, and died November 7, 1781. Their son, Moses White, was born in Upper Middletown, Conn., August 22, 1727. A hatter by trade,- he spent the greater part of his life in his native State, residing a short time in Guilford and Chatham. In his old age he removed to Newport, N.H., where he died October 12, 1796. He married October 12, 1749, Huldah Knowles, of Hartford. A son, Isaac, was born in Guilford, Conn., October 14, 1752. He resided in Southington, Conn., a number of years, but about 1790 emigrated to the State of New York, and settled a few miles from Utica. About the year 181 5, again starting westward, he went to Springville, Erie County, N.Y., and there spent the rest of his days, dying January 15, 1822. He married December 7, 1775, Thankful Clark, of Southington, Conn., who was born Janu- ary I, 1760, and died June 27, 1836. She was a daughter of Colonel Joel Clark, who died in New York in 1776, while a prisoner of war. Roderick White, son of Isaac and Thankful (Clark) White, and father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Southington, Conn., December 8, 1 788, and was in his third year when his parents settled in Oneida County. His last years were spent in the town of Paris, where he died January 12, 1877. His wife, Lucy Blakeslee, whom he married July 5, 1816, died March 15, 1873. She was born in Paris, Oneida County, September i, 1798. 444 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Her father, Eli Blakeslee, a native of Litch- field, Conn., and a pioneer of Paris, Oneida County, was a farmer and blacksmith. Aaron White, son of Roderick and Lucy (Blakeslee) White, received his primary edu- cation in the district schools of Paris, and was fitted for college at Cazenovia Seminary. His father's means being limited, he was obliged to earn his living, and pay his own way through academy and college. Entering Wesleyan University at Middletown, Conn., he studied and taught alternately till his graduation in the class of 1852. In the year 1852-53 he taught in a young ladies' insti- tute at Flushing, L.I. In the latter part of 1853 he came to Cazenovia as a teacher in the seminary, remaining here till 1866. The ensuing three years, spent at Sauquoit, Oneida County, as Principal of the academy in that town, were followed by one year as Professor of Mathematics in Cazenovia Seminary, then by nine years at the head of the academy and union school at Canastota. From, that place he went to Oneida, where he established a classical school, which he continued one year. At the end of this time the seminary trustees, recognizing his admirable qualifications as a teacher, offered him inducements to return to Cazenovia, which he accepted. He has since continu£d teaching in this institution, with his usual marked ability and success. Professor White married April 6, 1859, Isadore Maria Haight, who was born in Caze- novia, March 13, 1835. Her grandfather, James Haight, was born December 19, 1776, probably in Dutchess County, where he mar- ried Rebecca Slater, a native of that county, whose birth was on June 4, 1774. Mr. and Mrs. James Haight came to Madison County, accompanied by two children, making the journey with an ox-team, about the year 1803, when Madison County was a part of Chenango County. Buying land three miles north of Cazenovia, they resided there a number of years, then sold out, and bought at Bingley. Mr. Haight followed the trade of blacksmith in addition to farming, and also operated a saw-mill. He spent his last years on his farm at Bingley, where he died July 7, 1839. His wife died at the home of one of her eight children, William H. Haight, the father of Mrs. White, September 8, 1859. William H. Haight was born in Cazenovia, August 8, 1807. His occupation was farm- ing. The pleasant homestead on the lake shore in this town, where he lived till his death, September 22, 1885, was purchased by him shortly after his first marriage. The maiden name of his first wife, the mother of Mrs. White, was Cornelia Cushing. She was born in Fenner, Madison County, October 12, 1808. Her father, Enos Cushing, was .born December 27, 1779, in Hingham, Mass. The father of Enos, Thomas Cushing, great- grandfather of Mrs. White, who was born in the same town, March 21, 1747 (O.S.), emi- grated from Massachusetts to Madison County in 1796, and was a pioneer in the town of Fenner. He was a farmer, and bought a tract of land, a part of which is now owned by his grandson, De Witt C. Cushing. He died on his farm, December 15, 1823. His wife, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 445 Elizabeth Turner, was born at Scituate, Mass., April j, 1747 (O.S.), and died Octo- ber 31, 1823. Mrs. White's maternal grand- father, Enos Gushing, a man of good educa- tion, was one of the early teachers in Madison County. He had a practical knowledge of civil engineering, and did much surveying. His surveys are still referred to, and accepted as authority in cases of disputed titles. In- heriting a part of his father's farm, he later bought land in the town of Sullivan, where he resided a number of years. His death occurred in 1866. The date of his marriage with Clarissa Needham, a native of Massa- chusetts, was September 2, 1804. She was born October 12, 1786, and -died in 1839. Mrs. White's mother, the first wife of Will- iam H. Haight, died January 9, 1848. Her father afterward married Sarah Clark, who still survives him. A sketch of her appears elsewhere in this work. Mrs. White has two brothers: William H., Jr., born December 12, 1836; and George P., December 9, 1839. The children of Professor and Mrs. Aaron White are Cornelia G., Henry S., and Lucy B. Henry S. is a graduate of Wesleyan Uni- versity, Middletown, Conn., class of 1882. In 1887 he went to Gottingen, Germany, where he took a three years' course of study in the university, and in 1890 received the degree of Ph.D. He is now Professor of Mathematics in the North-western University at Evanston, 111. Professor and Mrs. White are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. The political principles of the fam- ily are those of the Republican party. I^ATHAN S. WHITFORD was born in Brookfield, N.Y., August 4, 1854. His great-great-grandfather was Joshua Whitford, a native of Connecticut, who settled in Rensselaer County, at a place now called Berlin. His great-grandfather was also named Joshua, and was born in 1765. He was^one of the earliest known settlers of Madison County, having bought a tract of land here in 1794. This place is still owned by his descendants. The grandfather, Will- iam Whitford, was from Berlin, and came with his father to Brookfield, where he was reared to agricultural pursuits, and where he resided until his death. The father of our subject was Silas Whitford. He was born in the town of Brookfield, and followed agricult- ural pursuits on the old home farm until his death, in 1892. His wife was Mary, daughter of Nathan Birch, of Rhode Island. They reared seven children — Charlotte, William J., Caroline B., Orson, Mina, Nathan, and Mary. Nathan, of whom we write, was born in Brookfield, and enjoyed the best advantages of education from the excellent district schools of his town, and assisted his father in the management of the farm until the age of thirty-three years, when he purchased his present home, Spring Brook farm. At the same age he married Miss Angie Clark, daughter of Edwin Clark, of Westerly, R.I. They have one child — Arthur. Mr. Whit- ford is a Seventh-day Baptist, this having been the religion of his ancestors for genera- tions, his grandfather, William Whitford, 446 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW having been for years a Deacon in that church. He also adheres to the prevailing political opinions of his family in being a Prohibition- ist, as they are all devoted to the cause of temperance, and bitterly opposed to the liquor trafific. Mr. Whitford comes from a long line of ancestry, which is closely identified with the early history of Madison County. The first of the family in this section had literally to mark his way by blazed trees when he started to lay out his home in this new coun- try. In his actual experience of encounters with the savage animals of the forest and the deadly whizz of the stealthy Indian's arrow, he realized all the dreadful terrors which seem incredible to read of to-day. These family histories, which are so prized and carefully preserved, are more accurate and interesting to those personally concerned than any gen- eral historical work could be, and will serve as potent factors in the centuries to come in illustrating what the forefathers of this republic underwent in opening this glorious country. [^EYMOUR HARVEY, an enterpris- ing business man of Oneida, a use- ful citizen, held in much esteem for many sterling traits of character, was born in Washington County, New York, August 14, 1838. Arnold Harvey, grandfather of the above-named, a native of Rutland County, Vermont, removed from that State to Wash- ington County, New York, and thence, two years later, to Durhamville, Oneida County, where he purchased land, and farmed the place until his death. His wife. Miss Melatta Hall, was born in the same county as her husband, and died at Durhamville, 1885, aged about eighty-three years, the mother of eleven children. Her father, Ammon Hall, an early settler in Oneida County, located himself at Sconondea, and worked a farm there until his death, at about eighty years of age. He mar- ried Miss Grace Peck. Ira Harvey, son of Arnold and father of Seymour, was born in Washington County, New York, and on reaching manhood be- came a farmer, and also followed his trade of sawyer, remaining in that county until 1844, when he removed to Durhamville, where he resided a short time. Leaving that place, he went to Sconondea, and kept a hotel for two years. Going back at the end of this time to Durhamville, he ran a saw-mill for the next few years, and was finally employed on the Erie Canal until 1880, when ill-health compelled him to cease from active labor. He married Miss Emily Searles, daughter of Gideon Searles, of Washington County, New York, by whom he had three children — Sey- mour, Lucy M., Delos S. Mr. Ira Harvey died in 1884. His widow, vigorous and active at seventy-three years of age, resides in Durhamville. Our subject was fortunate in receiving a good education in the excellent public schools of Durhamville; and, when he reached the age of twenty-one, having already assisted his father on the canal for a few years, he began boating on his own account. In 1862 he BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 447 sold his boats, and formed a partnership with R. A. Hartwell for dealing in and forward- ing coal. The next year Mr. Azel Clark bought out the interest of Mr. Hartwell, and the business has since continued under the firm name of Clark & Harvey. Their office was in Durhamville until 1870, when the New York, Ontario & Western Railroad was completed, and they established their present fine offices on East Walnut Street, Oneida. In his early manhood, at twenty-four years of age, Mr. Seymour Harvey was united in marriage to Miss Luthera B. Ure, who was born in Vernon, Oneida County, N.Y., . daughter of William and Laura Ure. It is but a small tribute to the many excellences of this estimable lady to say that she illus- trates in her life the Scripture sayings that a virtuous woman is a crown to her husband, that his heart doth safely trust in her, to which may be added that her own works do praise her. Three children were born in their happy home, two of whom, William H. and Marion G.,. here grew to maturity. The youngest, Laura W., was taken from them in 1883, at the tender age of five months. The son, William H., a young man of much prom- ise, is superintendent of the Howe & Harrison Iron Company's works at Bessemer, Ala., one of the largest in the State. The daughter, Marion, is the wife of C. E. Eager, a pros- perous jeweller, of Syracuse, N.Y. In the Masonic Order Seymour Harvey is a bright and shining light, pursuing his life on the "square" with his neighbors, and keeping a "level" head, with his "compass" set true, guiding him to his eternal home. In his politics he follows the fortunes of the Democratic party, and is a stanch supporter of its principles. Ever actively interested in the progress of the village of Oneida, for more than thirty years he has been one of the foremost in looking toward any enterprise which would benefit the community. He was one of the original stockholders of the Oneida Street Railroad, and is also connected with a large manufacturing company here. Hg is an energetic worker in the Young Men*s Christian Association, and through his strong personality and sagacious counsel makes his influence widely felt. Mr. and Mrs. Harvey attend the Episcopal church, of which Mrs. Harvey is a communicant. In a beautiful part of the city, surrounded with shade-trees and smooth-shaven lawns, is the pleasant dwelling to which at the close of the day's business Mr. Harvey returns, feeling that for rest and quiet enjoyment "there is no place like home." •OHN BETTINGER was born in March, 1823, in the town of Sullivan, a son of Leonard and Laney (Lower) Bettinger, natives of the State of New York. The grandfather, Baltis Bettinger, was born in Germany, and upon arriving in America settled in the valley of the Mohawk. He afterward moved to the town of Sullivan, and took up six hundred acres of land. He was an early settler here, and a prominent man among the people. He had a family of six sons, all of whom are dead. He died in the 448 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW town of Manlius, at the age of eighty years. The father of our subject was a farmer, and owned and worked two hundred acres of land. He lived to the venerable age of eighty-four, dying in the year 1863. His wife died in 1870, at the age of eighty years. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Chittenango, N.Y. Mr. Bettinger was a Democrat in politics. His family consisted of eight sons and three daughters, of whom only two survive, John and Jacob. The latter resides on the old home farm in the town of Sullivan, N.Y. It was not the privilege of John Bettinger to receive a college edutation, for those insti- tutions of learning were then very few; but he made the best use of what he could gain in the district schools, and, when not studying, assisted his father in the toilsome labors of the field, and helped his mother in her duties around the home, thus evincing his filial love to her who had not only her ordinary domes- tic work to do, but also was compelled to card, weave, spin, and make clothes for the family. He was twenty-one years of age be- fore he ever wore a tailor-made suit. Upon reaching manhood, he bought a farm of one hundred and fifteen acres in the town of Sullivan. In 1848 he married Miss Sarah Richards, who was a native of the town of Sullivan. The home of this estimable couple has been blessed with thirteen children, ten of whom survive: Cornelia, Mrs. W. S. Siver, of Chittenango, N.Y.; Frank, residing in Chittenango; Austin J., a farmer in the town of Sullivan, N.Y. ; Marcus C. and George K., both in California; Edwin N., in Oregon; Richard C, on the home farm; Horatio Seymour, in California; Damon, at home; and John L., in Syracuse. Minnie E. died at the age of twenty-five years, Edwin at the age of eight, and an infant unnamed. In 1876 Mr. Bettinger bought the farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres on which he now resides. Here he is engaged in general farming, and has a fine herd of from twenty to thirty head of Jersey and Holstein cattle. To this stock he devotes a great deal of atten- tion, and with wonderful success. Mr. and Mrs. Bettinger are liberal and independent in their religious views, believ- ing in the broad mantle of Christian charity and the inherent right of each to follow his own opinions. In politics Mr. Bettinger is one of the most earnest supporters of the Democratic party. By unremitting industry and perseverance he has acquired a well- improved farm, on which he has reached a comfortable state of independence and pros- perity. Liberal-minded in his dealings with his neighbors, as in his religion, he knows no creed or politics in his relations with his fellow-men, and is universally respected and esteemed in his town and county, as is also his estimable wife. TTO PFAFF, M.D., a successful and well-known physician of Oneida, is one of the younger members of the medical fraternity in this county. He has been in practice in Oneida since 1891, having BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 449 graduated from the Medical Department of the University of New York in 1888. He is a son of Jacob Pfaff, a farmer, who came from Germany thirty-six years ago, and set- tled in the town of Croghan, Lewis County. Here Otto Pfaff was reared on a farm, but, being naturally of a studious disposition, improved his educational opportunities and acquired a fair schooling, attending the dis- trict schools, as he had opportunity, until he was nineteen years old, and afterward the Union Free School at Carthage, Jefferson County. While in attendance at this school he boarded with Dr. N. G. Ferguson, who took a kindly interest in his intellectual wel- fare and development, and directed his atten- tion to the study of medicine. In 1885 Mr. Pfaff began the study of medicine with Dr. Ferguson, and afterward attended the Medical Department of the University of New York, graduating from that institution March 8, 1888. Almost immediately afterward he located in Turin, Lewis County, opened his office, and began the practice of his chosen profession alone, acting in this respect against the advice of the local physicians, who thought he should first associate himself with some regularly established practitioner. But, hav- ing confidence in himself, he disregarded their advice, and had the satisfaction of see- ing his judgment vindicated, the result being an unqualified success. This was, in part at least, owing to his natural ability and adapta- tion to his profession, to which he had given much study and independent investigation. Remaining in that location three years, he was in the second year elected to the Presi- dency of the Lewis County Medical Society. He soon after removed to Oneida, where he has been located ever since. He was married in Oneida, N.Y., to Delia T. Williams, who was born in Rome, N.Y., and who persuaded him to locate in this place, though somewhat against his will. The re- moval having been made, he has had no occa- sion to regret it, as he now has a large and profitable practice. He has attained a high rank in his profession, and is deservedly pop- ular, both as a practitioner and as a private individual. In his politics he is a Democrat, though he never has been an office-seeker or office-holder. Fraternally, he is a Mason, being a member of Oneida Lodge, No. 270, and an Odd Fellow, belonging to Eumenia Lodge, No. 296. In general, he is one of the best citizens of the place. OLOMON B. GATES, of the town of Lebanon, N.Y., was born there May 22, 1826. Far away in his New England home the grandfather, Aaron Gates, heard of the beautiful country so pro- ductive and so much milder in climate than his own native State, and, becoming imbued with the same spirit of adventure that had brought his ancestors from far across the seas to this land of liberty, he decided to seek a new home in this lauded section. It was in the latter years of the last century that he left Connecticut and came to New York 45° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW State, settling in the town of Lebanon. As it was with many pioneers, the results of his anticipation were not nearly so rosy - hued when found as when imagined ; and dreary and desolate enough it was, when they reached this "promised land," to find it an untrodden forest, where their very pathway had to be marked by blazed trees, and their fitful slumbers in the wild woods broken by the weird cries of the denizens of the forest and the treacherous step of the lurking Ind- ian. His first work, on seeing the unpromis- ing condition of things, was to make what protection he could for himself and family. He built a log cabin, and ' at first cleared enough of the land to raise what would about support them in cereal food, for their meat having to depend on the game which abounded in the forest. He afterward teamed to Al- bany for his livelihood. He spent his last days on the original farm he had laid out. The father of our subject, Silas A. Gates, was born in the town of Lebanon, and was a carpenter by trade. In his boyhood days he lived near Syracuse, N.Y., when it was little more than a village, and it was no uncommon thing to see fights between the dogs and bears, the latter of which were very plentiful at that time. He married Miss Caroline Baker, daughter of Solomon Baker, who lived in the eastern part of the town of Lebanon ; and they resided on the farm where Mr. Gates was born, and which is now owned by F. D. Seymour. Solomon B. Gates grew up on the home farm, and received a good education in the district schools. When he reached the age of manhood, he made a most fortunate mar- riage in his union with Miss Ursula Watrous, daughter of Harry Watrous, of Lebanon, him- self a descendant of one of the pioneer settlers of the town. There were four children given them by Providence to bless their household, namely: Nellie, v/ife of Frank Purdy, of Sherburne, N.Y. ; Delia, residing at home; Frank N., an employee of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, and now residing in Utica, N.Y. ; and Lena, wife of Charles Burd, and the mother of one child, Harry Solomon. Mr. Gates resides at present in Earlville, N.Y. Realizing the importance of a correct position in politics, he considers that in the Republican party the best safeguard for the prosperity of the country is to be found, and therefore is to be found in its ranks. In his domestic life and worldly affairs he enjoys peace and prosperity, and fully deserves all the blessings he has received. 7-^APTAIN THOMAS JEFFERSON \A ^^^^^LL, deceased, one of the ear- ^*- — ^ liest settlers of Oneida and one of the most enterprising of its citizens during his lifetime, was born in New Hampshire, March i, 1811. His paternal grandfather, who was of sturdy New England stock, fol- lowed the sea for many years, as captain of a sailing-vessel. His grandmother, who was of the robust Whitcomb family, lived to be one hundred and five years old. T. J. Randall. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 453 Captain Thomas Jefferson Randall was the fourth son in a family of six sons and three daughters. Beginning his active life on the farm with his father, he remained thus en- gaged until he was nine years old ; and from that time until he was fourteen years old he attended school at Keene, N.H. Leaving school when about fourteen years of age, he then engaged in general merchandising. Somewhat later, his father having sold the home farm, which was known as the Sterling place, he began to work for Horace Saxton, contractor, who at the time was constructing a dam across the Susquehanna River at Nan- tucot Fa;lls. This kind of labor was congen- ial to young Randall, and the splendid ability which he afterward displayed then first mani- fested itself to a noticeable degree. Com- pleting his engagement with Mr. Saxton, he next became interested in the stage business at Elmira, and for four years conducted a mail line between that place and Canning. Then, returning to his parents, who had re- moved to Oneida Valley, he was married April 28, 1833, to Amanda Lampman, daugh- ter of Abram and Susan (Hoffman) Lamp- man, early settlers at Oneida Lake. Mrs. Randall was born January 25, 1816. At the time of the marriage of Mr. Randall and Miss Lampman there was no village, or even settle- ment, where now stands the pleasant and prosperous village of Oneida, nothing being there but a low, long stretch of wet land. In 1834 Mr. Randall settled where that village now stands, and in connection with Sands Higinbotham built the first saw-mill in Madison County. This mill was located at the foot of Madison Street. Mr. Randall and Mr. Higinbotham were the first permanent settlers there, and both of these gentlemen are appropriately represented in this volume. Having thus become interested in the building of saw-mills and grist-mills, Mr. Randall started out from the little hamlet of Oneida with a team for Milwaukee, Wis., the trip requiring thirty-one days. Reaching Wisconsin, he engaged in building mills at Waukesha and several other places in Wis- consin, and after his return to Oneida built the Gordon Block, and later the Eagle Hotel and other buildings, which were destroyed in 1844. Superintendent Phelps, of the Syra- cuse and Utica division of the New York Central Railroad, learning of Mr. Randall's special ability as a contractor and builder, sought and obtained his services as Deputy Superintendent of that division; and in this capacity Mr. Randall continued to labor until the consolidation of the road in 1855, when he accepted a similar position on the Great Western Railroad between Quebec and Wind- sor. Subsequently he was actively engaged in the construction of the Chicago & North- western Railroad from Dixon, 111., to the Mississippi River, and thence to Cedar Rapids, la. By too close application to his work he injured his sight, and was troubled with an affection of the eyes for two years. Returning again to Oneida, he built several private houses, and took charge of the Oneida Creek bridge for the Syracuse and Utica di- vision of the New York Central Railroad. 454 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Subsequently Mr. Randall became Inspector and Roadmaster of the Midland Railroad be- tween Oswego and New Berlin, in which capacity he had charge of that road for some time, giving excellent satisfaction. Mr. Randall's first experience as a public official was as Deputy Sheriff of Madison County, holding this position until the death of Sheriff Stone; and then he was appointed by the Governor of the State to fill the vacancy. Mr. Randall was President of the Village Board of Trustees, was Road Com- missioner and President of the village of Oneida in 1880. His military services dur- ing the War of the Rebellion were of much more than ordinary value to his country. In 1862 he was commissioned Captain, and raised Company B for the One Hundred and Fifty-seventh New York Volunteer Infantry, the company containing one hundred and three men. This company left camp on Sep- tember 2, 1862, for the seat of war. Captain Randall was a brave soldier, and participated in the battle of Fredericksburg. In conse- quence of active )service in the war his health failed, and he was compelled to resign. Shortly before entering the army, Mr. Randall was married the second time to Caroline Saultsman, daughter of Peter W. and Mary (Fox) Saultsman. Mrs. Randall still survives, and is pleasantly situated in her Oneida home. Mr. Randall's life was full of honorable labor and achievements, his toil being more than ordinarily fruitful in its results. Weighed in the balance, his life, in human judgment, was not found wanting. either as to his work or his character. On one occasion he met with a severe wound from the accidental discharge of his gun, the result being the loss of his left arm. He was always interested in the progress and development of the village of Oneida; and it was largely through his active labor and generosity that land sufficient was given to the leaders of different industrial enter- prises to induce them to establish themselves in this place, the Oneida Casket Factory being one of the notable instances of this kind. Mr. Randall was also interested in Sylvan Beach, where he built the first cot- tages, and gave cottage lots to many others, with the view of making that place a summer resort, which it has since become. Mr. Randall died at his cottage at Sylvan Beach on Sunday morning, September 18, 1892, leaving no children of his own, and but one adopted child, Maude Randall, who was born July 25, 1875, and who now lives with Mrs. Randall at her home on Main Street, Oneida. Many of the citizens of Oneida have always taken a deep and active interest in the growth and prosperity of their village. They have always been enterprising and public-spirited men; but it is doubtful if any of them ever have taken a more active and influential part in securing this growth and prosperity than did Mr. Randall, who contributed very largely to the upbuilding of what is now the largest village in Madison County. It is altogether within the limits of truth to say that but for this interest on his part the village would have been far less prosperous than at present. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 45S It is a pleasant task to publish in this work even a brief and imperfect narrative of the life and deeds of such a man. The portrait of Captain Randall which appears in connection with this sketch shows a man with a good record both as a soldier and a civilian, — a patriotic and useful citi- zen, whose services entitle him to be held in honored remembrance. (gTrNDREW J. MARSH was born in ^s^ Brookfield, N.Y., December 9, 1839. Vi-^ His great-grandfather, Elder Na- thaniel Marsh, was a native of Connecticut, and came from there to Madison County, pur- chasing a tract of land near North Brookfield. He was a stirring, active man, and a promi- nent elder in the church, having for many years preached with great zeal, and giving so much time and attention to the religious progress of the country as to be looked upon almost as "the church" itself. The grand- father of our subject, James Marsh, left Con- necticut later than his father, but settled on the home farm, where he died. Mr. Marsh's father, Isaac Marsh, was left early in life to take care of himself, and started out first in the town of Otselic, Che- nango County, N.Y., where he carried on a farm, and also made potash. While there, he married Miss Betsey Miller, who bore him two children, Sarah and Hannah, and shortly after died. Later he removed to Brookfield, N.Y., and married Miss Abigail Moore. There were five children born to this mar- riage; namely, Betsey, Paulina, Abigail, An- drew J., and Marion. The father died in 1 86 1, and the mother in 1864. Andrew J. Marsh was fortunate in gaining a fine education in the public schools, and adopted mercantile pursuits for his profession, assisting in his father's store until the age of twenty-one. Then, his father dying, he was obliged to return and take charge of the old homestead, but later took his present farm, erected a comfortable house, and has since devoted himself to the work of agriculture. He was married, when twenty-one years of age, to Miss Emily Parker, daughter of Daniel and Harriet Parker. Of this union there are three children; namely, Allen, Arlie E., and Claudius A. Allen married Miss Inez Ingals,.of Hamilton, N.Y Arlie E. is an intelligent and talented young lady, a graduate of the North Brookfield Union School. She has taught the primary depart- ment of the academy for four years, and will the coming year have charge of the inter- mediate classes. Her marked ability as a teacher is already well recognized; and, it apparently being her natural vocation, her success in reaching the highest ranks in her profession may be considered assured. The younger son, Claudius, is a student of great promise. He stands among the highest in his classes, and is said to be one of the best scholars in Brookfield. Mr. Marsh takes great interest in the prog- ress of education, and was Secretary of the Board of Education for six years. He is a member of that branch of the Baptist society 45 6 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW called the First-day Baptists. In his politi- cal affiliations he is a Republican, and votes conscientiously for the candidates of his party. He takes especial delight in his well- filled library; and, being a man of refinement and excellent literary taste, the best works are found there. He has labored industri- ously, and acquired a fine property, and is now enjoying the fruits of his early toil amid hosts of friends, who value and appreciate him. /^Y^MES SIMS, a retired farmer and teacher of Cazenovia, now one of its oldest inhabitants, was born in this town, July 9, 1802. He comes of a long- lived race, said to be of Scotch origin. So far as known, the first of the family in Amer- ica was John Sims, born September 14, 1675, at Jamestown, Va., whence he migrated to Andover, Conn., where he died March 6, 1763. The next in line, William Sims, son of John, was born in Connecticut in Febru- ary, 1706, and died in 1796. Edward, son of William, also a native and a lifelong resident of that State, was born June 19, 1745, and died March 20, 1844. He married Mary S. Clark. She was born in 1744, and died in 1771. William Sims, the second of that name, born in Andover, Conn., January 9, 1770, son of Edward and Mary S. (Clark) Sims, came to New York, when a young man, in 1793, and was one of the first settlers in Madison County. Buying of Colonel Linck- laen in Cazenovia, at one dollar and fifty cents per acre, a tract of land, much of it covered with forests, and abounding with game, as deer and bears — ^ wolves also being objectionably near and numerous — he felled trees, put up a log house, and proceeded to clear and cultivate the soil. Here was his home till his death, December 13, 1864, at the venerable age of ninety-five years, lack- ing twenty-seven days. His wife, Deborah Weaver, was born in Pownal, Vt., April 26, 1779, and died February 19, 1859. She was the mother of four children, of whom James, the subject of this sketch, was the first-born, his brother John W. the latest. The others were daughters, Louisa and Phebe. The pioneer schools in which James Sims received his primary education were taught in log houses, the furniture of which was of the most primitive kind, and the course of study limited to a few branches. Happily, his school privileges went beyond these. He attended an academy at Pompey Hill, and later one at Hamilton, and at the age of eighteen assumed the functions of a teacher. For the next ten years his time was divided between the school-room and his father's farm, on which he worked during planting and har- vesting. He taught two years in Onondaga County, and afterward in Cazenovia and Nel- son. During his youth and young manhood, in the early part of the century, Albany, one hundred miles distant, was the market for farm produce and the place to buy household supplies, the round trip requiring eight or nine days. There being many hotels along the route, the farmers used to carry their pro- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 457 visions with them, and only pay for their lodging and feed for their teams. James Sims made frequent trips to Albany while helping on his, father's farm. The children were clothed in homespun of the mother's own spinning and weaving. James Sims was married March 22, 1829, to Sabra Blodgett, of Penfield, Monroe County, where she was born December 28, 1803. She died March 9, 1859, leaving eight children — Caroline, Louisa, Daniel, Eliza- beth, Sarah, Harriet, Helen, and Josephine. Mr. Sims has one grandson living bearing his name — James Edward, son of Daniel. At the time of his marriage Mr. Sims bought a farm in School District No. 9, town of Cazenovia. A practical farmer, he was here actively engaged in various branches of agri- culture till i860, when he moved into the village, where he has since lived in well- earned, leisurely retirement. He cast his first vote for John Quincy Adams. His politi- cal principles are those of the Republican party, which he joined at the time of its formation. The family attend the Baptist church. "YS\r\ARVIN E. MILLIKIN, attorney- F I =/ at-Kw, residing in Earlville, Madi- H -*- V_^ son County, and holding a fine position among his professional brethren, is a native of Otsego County, his birth having taken place at Burlington. His grandfather, William Millikin, was born on the wave- washed coast of Block Island, where, in com- mon with the natives of the isle, he first began earning his living as a fisherman. Finding this a precarious business, he deter- mined to leave the sea, and seek some new occupation. Turning his face westward, he journeyed on until he reached Burlington, where he secured a tract of wild timber land, from which after years of toil he cleared a farm. Being a sturdy, industrious man, frugal in his ways, possessing good manage- ment, and blessed with a capable wife, he prospered well, and accumulated a goodly sum of money. To him and his wife were born seven children — Benjamin, Hannah, Polly, Rebecca, Elector, John L., and Philinda. John L., father of our subject, was a native of Burlington, born in March, 1821. His boyhood and youth were spent on his father's farm, where he became familiar with agricult- ure in all its branches, but did not decide to adopt farming as his life occupation. When a young man, he began to deal in real estate in a small way, and, meeting with good suc- cess, enlarged his operations until be became one of the most extensive dealers in realty in the county, and is now one of the largest land-holders in Central New York. In early life he married a most estimable woman, Rowella Rowland, who was born in Sher- burne, Chenango County, being a daughter of Eli Rowland. While yet a comparatively young woman, with many years of usefulness and happiness before her, she was called to her heavenly home, her death occurring in 1878. To Mr. and Mrs. Millikin was born one 4S8 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW child only, Marvin, the subject of our sketch. Much attention was paid to his early educa- tion; and, after leaving the public schools of his native town, he attended the seminary at Whitestown. At the early age of seventeen years he began the duties of a teacher, and while still engaged in that profession com- menced the study of law. Mr. Millikin afterward entered the office of Delos Atkyns, a prominent lawyer of Sherburne, and was admitted to the bar in May, 1867. He con- tinued practising in that village until 1870, when he removed to Camden in Oneida County, remaining there a period of five years. In 1892, seeing a fine opening for one of his profession, he came to Earlville, where he is meeting with a success that fully justified his expectations. He is already in possession of a good practice, and is held in high esteem professionally and socially. ■ENRY S. PHELPS, deceased, was of English origin, and was born in the town of Eaton, Madison County, N.Y., September 16, 1819. He was a son of John Phelps, who was born in Wilbraham, Mass. Elijah Phelps, the father of John, was a native of Lyme, Conn., and served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He was at Valley Forge with Washington, and was a brave soldier and a true patriot. He never failed to observe the anniversary of Indepen- dence, and, if in no other way, by firing off his old war musket and relating to his grand- children stories of the war, inspiring them with his own ardent love of country. He and his wife, Mary Gibbs, also a native of Lyme, Conn., spent their last days with their chil- dren in the town of Eaton, this county. John Phelps was born in Massachusetts, and came to Eaton in 181 1, where he followed his trade of carpentry. He was a man of great energy, erected many buildings in his town and vicin- ity, and also carried on farming. He died at the age of forty-six. His wife, Betsy Ayer, was a native of New England, and died in Chautauqua County, New York. Henry S. Phelps at the age of twelve was called upon by the death of his father to make his own way in the world, an equipment of industrious habits enabling him to do so successfully. At the age of seventeen he began the trade of harness-making, which he followed until 1848, when he returned to his native town, and engaged in mercantile pursuits in Morrisville, continuing thus em- ployed until 1880. He was a man of sterling integrity, an active and useful citizen, and occupied many positions of public trust in his community. His death occurred May 16, 1 89 1. He was married in Tennessee, June 29, 1854, to Mary Austin, who was of Eng- lish and Scotch ancestry. She was born in the town of Homer, Cortland, County, N.Y., November 18, 1823. Her father, Asa Aus- tin, was the son of Joab and Eleanor (Kel- logg) Austin, of Sheffield, Berkshire County, Mass. Joab Austin died in Sheffield, and his wife, Eleanor (Kellogg) Austin, in Homer, N.Y Asa Austin came to the State of New York in 1801, to practise surveying and to BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 4S9 seek a home. His choice was in the town of Homer, where he purchased land, erected a saw-mill, and later a flouring and grist mill, which he operated many years. He removed to McGrawville, in the same county, ten years previous to his death. The maiden name of Mrs. Phelps's mother was Susannah Stewart. She was born in Colerain, Mass. Her father was Charles Stewart, who married Mary Hulbert in 1783, and came to Truxton, Cortland County, N.Y., in 1795. The win- ter after her husband had located a new home Mrs. Stewart, a gentle, refined woman, with five children, the oldest of whom was Susan- nah, aged nine years, made the journey with an ox -team. They were six weeks on the way. Mr. Stewart bought a large tract of land, and in a few years built mills, and fur- nished transportation for his own and adjoin- ing towns, sending their products to Albany, to Salt Point (now Salina), and to other new settlements, his line of teams returning laden with merchandise. In his later years he removed to Michigan, where he died. Mrs. Phelps received her education in the district school and in the academies of Homer and Cortland. She began teaching while yet in her teens, and taught in the towns of Homer and Owasco and in the vil- lages of Skaneateles and Cortland, and for seven years in the State of Tennessee. She and her husband reared two children, Susan- nah and Henry. The latter attended Cornell University, and adopted dentistry as his pro- fession, but on account of ill-health was obliged to relinquish his studies, and died in 1886, at the age of twenty-six. Susannah prepared for college at Morrisville and at Cazenovia Seminary, and graduated at Cornell University with the class of 1880. She is the wife of Professor Simon Henry Gage, Associate Professor of Anatomy and Physiol- ogy in that university. They have one son, Henry Phelps Gage. "irSR. H. CLIFT BROWN, a well- I '^1 known medical practitioner of the i"^-^ town of Brookfield, N.Y., was born in that place February 14, 1857. In 1791 Elder Simeon Brown, the great-grandfather of our subject, came to Madison County from Stonington, Conn., and purchased a tract of land near the town of Brookfield. He girded the trees around the place to mark it out, and then returned to Connecticut for his family. In the fall of 1792 he returned, his wife riding horseback all the way, the rest of the family, with the household goods, travelling in ox-carts. He cleared the land and made a farm; and here the grandfather, Justus H., was born. He was the youngest son, and was brought up on the farm, where he remained until his death. The eldest son located in the western part of the town on another .tract of land. The father of our subject was named Stephen, and, like all the boys of that day, divided his time between the log school-house — where he received the rudiments of educa- tion — and work on the farm. His son, H. 460 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Clift, of whom we write, was reared at home until the age of twenty-five, and during this time attended the district schools of his town and the Brookfield Academy, going from there to the Alfred University in Allegany County. After leaving the latter institution, he taught for some time, and prepared him- self to enter the University of Syracuse, from which he was graduated in 1881 as Doctor of Medicine. In August of that year he began practising in South Brookfield, and remained there for four years, after which he removed to Brookfield, where, by reason of his excep- tional skill, intimate knowledge of his profes- sion, and upright personal character, he has succeeded in building up a large and lucrative practice. He was married at the age of twenty-one to Miss Caroline Babcock, daughter of Gideon H. and Lydia Babcock. The Doctor and his wife are the parents of one child, ^ bright, intelligent, and interesting boy, in whom their hearts and hopes are centred. Dr. Brown is an honored member of the Madison County Medical Society, having served it both as President and Vice-President. He is also one of its Board of Censors. The family attend the Seventh-day Baptist church, and are among its active and influential work- ers. In political belief the Doctor is affili- ated with the Republican party, having an accurate knowledge of its past history, and believing that its doctrines and principles, when properly applied, are conducive to the best interests of the nation. His profes- sional practice is not confined to his own vicinity, but extends into surrounding towns; and he is often called in consultation in complicated and difficult cases. He is untir- ing in his attention to the needs of his patients, and has the affectionate regard of many a former sufferer whom, by his skill and with divine blessing, he has raised from a bed of pain to an active participation in life's duties once more. Counting back to an ancestry in which are found the pioneer settlers of his town, and still farther back the sturdy yeomen of New England, one can easily understand those well-balanced quali- ties of stability, energy, and high intelli- gence that characterize our subject, and obtain for him that prominence in medical and social circles which he holds. Dr. Brown has a clean and honorable record as a citizen; and the genial qualities of him- self and wife, who is a lovely, refined, and accomplished lady, make their pleasant home an attractive centre for their hosts of friends. RANK D. SEYMOUR was born May 27, 1857, in the town of Lebanon, N.Y., and from very early years showed him- self to be of a studious disposition. He had been already some time at school, when at the age of ten his parents removed to Hamil- ton, N.Y., in which place he attended the union graded schools for five years; but his too close application to study caused his health to break down, and he was obliged to leave school. About that time his father's family moved back to the old homestead farm BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 461 in Lebanon. Here he adopted farming as his profession, also commencing to teach at the age of seventeen, following the latter occupa- tion during the winter, and working on the farm in the summer. In September, 1880, he was married to Miss Nettie L. Gates, daughter of Samuel C. Gates. The latter was born, brought up, and resided on the farm now owned by our sub- ject. He moved to Hamilton in the spring of 1 88 1, and died there in 1888. His widow, Celia (Billings) Gates, is still living, and resides in Hamilton. Mr. and Mrs. Seymour have one son and three daughters, who brighten the domestic fireside with their affection and cheerfulness. They are Her- bert G., Bessie A., Bertha L., and Blanche C. After his marriage Mr. Seymour taught for two or three winters, but has since de- voted himself exclusively to agricultural pur- suits. He is a strong and ardent Republican in politics, and has held many local offices. He was for a time Poor-master of his town, and then for two terms held the office of Assessor, serving with much satisfaction to his party and fellow-citizens. He has also been Inspector of Elections for several terms, and has always taken a lively interest in the public affairs of his town. Mr. Seymour is a man of unusual intelli- gence and of deep thought, passing much of his time in his library, well stocked with standard works, which are his choicest friends and companions. His profession as a teacher, which he followed for so many years, served to broaden his views of life; and in his capac- ity of teacher he made a favorable and last- ing impression on the minds of those so fortu- nate as to be his pupils. Always interested in the cause of temperance, and clearly seeing the dreadful evils resulting from the sale of intoxicating liquors, he has ever been devoted to the noble work of rescuing his fellow-men from the pitiful condition into which they have fallen from becoming slaves to their acquired appetites, and has long been an active member of the Rechabites, a temper- ance organization of his town. He is also a member of the Independent Order of Good Templars, and is identified with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, occupying a prominent social position among them. Mr. Seymour is a liberal and public-spirited citi- zen, doing all in his power to promote the welfare of his town and county, and one who naturally takes a deep and absorbing interest in the invaluable educational privileges which are open to every child in America. ■OHN W. TORPY was born March 19, 1833, in Cazenovia, N.Y. His father, J. F. Torpy, who now resides with his son, at the age of ninety-three, was born May 12, 1802, also in Cazenovia. The ear- liest member of the family to settle in the State of New York was John Torpy, who took up forest land, which he cleared, built his home, and carried on farming. He married Miss Polly White, daughter of Joel White, of Cazenovia. During the War of 1812 he was pressed into service by the United States 462 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW government to carry supplies with his team to Sackett's Harbor, N.Y. Later in life he moved from the home which he had built to Sandy Creek, on Lake Ontario, where he passed the remainder of his days. After his death the family returned to Cazenovia. The father of our subject married Miss Polly Moore, daughter of William Moore, of the town of Nelson, N.Y. ; and their union was graced by two children, Daniel M. and John W. Although John W. Torpy was born in Caze- novia, he early removed to Manlius, N.Y., and attended the district schools. The fam- ily afterward going to Georgetown, N.Y., he finished his studies in the schools of that town, and received a plain but solid educa- tion. Believing that in the profession of farming the most independent life and peace- ful existence could be found, Mr. Torpy adopted it as his vocation; and on his beauti- ful farm of one hundred and twenty acres of fine, rolling land, with its handsome barns, stables, and commodious dwelling-house, he finds a contentment and happiness to which few denizens of the city can attain. He has an additional source of contentment in his rural home in the person of his pleasant and amiable wife, who was formerly Miss Abigail Barrett, daughter of Joseph and Clarissa (Barber) Barrett, of Amsterdam, N.Y. As into all lives some shadows must come, Mr. and Mrs. Torpy have experienced theirs in losing one of their children, who died in infancy. They have reared three sons and one daughter; namely, Willis E., Francis, Homer, and Cora. Willis married Miss Lou- isa Jones, daughter of Morey Jones, of Nel- son; and they have one son, Ray. Francis resides in Syracuse, N.Y. Homer, a young man of great charm of character and person, resides at home, and with his sister Cora con- tributes in every way to the happiness of his parents. Mr. Torpy has on many occasions fulfilled his duties as a citizen by acting with judg- ment and decision in the grand juries of the courts of his place. He has also served as District Trustee, and has held other local offices. As a voter, he casts his ballot with the Democratic party, believes in its princi- ples, and strongly supports its candidates. In their religious proclivities Mr. Torpy and family are Methodists, and attend the church of that denomination at Erieville, giving evi- dence in their lives of the sincerity of their belief. Socially, Mr. Torpy is connected with organizations pertaining to agricultural interests, and has closely identified himself with the Grange Lodge, No. 605, of Erie- ville, N.Y. He is a wide-awake and patri- otic American, and in all his duties as a citizen has always proved himself the "right man in the right place." OHN MARSHALL TUFTS was born in Ava, Oneida County, N.Y., March 18, 1847. Hs grandfather was Sam- uel Tufts, of Boston, Mass. ; and his father, John Marshall Tufts, Sr., was born in Can- ada, and moved to Verona, N.Y., where he BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 463 pursued the occupation of farming for many years. His wife was by maiden name Miss Maria Franklin, of Remsen, Oneida County, N.Y., whom he married September 20, 1838. He died November 30, 1886, at the age of sixty-nine years. Our subject was one of nine children, of whom five are now living, namely: Helen M., the widow of S. W. Cheever, and residing in Clarksville, la. ; Martha Ann, wife of W. B. Osgood, of Verona; James Franklin, a graduate of the class of 1872, Hamilton College, and now an eminent lawyer of Atchison, Kan., where he has lived for seventeen years; Charles Her- bert, a farmer, living at Vernon, Oneida County; and John Marshall. The latter, of whom we write, was reared to farm work, and also received a liberal educa- tion at the Vernon Academy. He started in life for himself at the early age of nineteen, hiring his father's farm for two years. He was married December 13, 1870, to Miss Lydia A. Fish, of Vernon, who was born in Augusta, N.Y., December 13, 1848, and is the daughter of David an"d Catherine Fish, both of Oneida County. Her father died Sep- tember 30, 1857, leaving his widow with five children, of whom two daughters and one son survive, namely: R. J. Fish, a prominent lawyer of Oneida; Mary, wife of Henry Jacobs, of Vernon; and Lydia, wife of the subject of this sketch. The mother still lives at Vernon. Mr. and Mrs. Tufts moved from Vernon to Stockbridge in 1873, and in the latter place carried on general farming on a place of fifty acres for fifteen years. In February, 1888, they came to Wampsville, where they now live on a magnificent farm of two hundred and fourteen acres, the property of Mrs. Marion Moore, of Clinton, Oneida County, to whom they pay a rent of nine hundred dollars per year. This farm is considered one of the finest in the town, it being all good and highly productive land. Mr. Tufts has re- cently erected on this place a splendid barn, which cost about two thousand dollars. It is fifty by ninety-five feet, with stone basement, and room for stabling fifty-seven cows. He carries on an extensive milk business, sell- ing over three hundred quarts per day to the citizens of Oneida. His farming is also on a similarly large scale, he having forty acres of sweet corn alone for canning, and using the stalks for ensilage in his silo, the latter being twenty by twenty feet, thus showing his provident nature in providing for his cattle in winter. He also keeps six fine horses, which are splendid specimens of equine strength and endurance. Mr. Tufts has improved this property very much since he rented it, and Mrs. Moore is fortunate in possessing such an enterprising tenant. Mr. and Mrs. Tufts have been blessed with five children, namely: Robert James, a far- mer and milk-dealer near Wampsville, who married Miss Delia Stisser — ^they have one son, Myron; Arthur John, residing in Utica; Mary Louise, a graduate of the class of 1892, Oneida High School, who is now a teacher; Kate M., aged fifteen, a student at the Oneida High School; and Ernest Marshall, aged nine 464 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW years. Mrs. Tufts began teaching school at the age of sixteen years, and was a successful teacher up to the time of her marriage, and has since kept herself in touch with the intel- lectual progress of the day. In politics Mr. Tufts is a Republican, and a very firm ad- vocate of the principles of his party. The family are Presbyterian in religion, and give evidence in their lives of the sincerity of their Christian belief. Mr. and Mrs. Tufts have many warm friends, who rejoice in their prosperity and wish for them increased success. B ERALZMAN HASKELL, a lead- ing citizen of Cazenovia, a man of affairs, and especially interested in educational matters, was born in the town of Nelson, December 31, 1819. He comes from a line of Haskells of English ancestry, sev- eral generations of whom lived in Massachu- setts. His great-grandfather Haskell was a soldier in the French and Indian War, and died from disease contracted in the service. His grandfather, Simeon Haskell, was one of four brothers who served in the War of the Revolution. He was on Long Island at one period, and at the time of the evacuation was on picket duty, when General Lafayette rode up, and, informing him of the departure of the British troops, took him on his horse to the boat. He was a mason by trade. The removal of his family from Massachusetts to New York State, about the year 1800, was made by team. Simeon Haskell was one of the first set- tlers in the town of Nelson, Madison County, then Chenango County. Buying timber land, he built a dwelling-house of logs, and set to work to clear a farm. After a residence here of many years he moved to the town of Fenner, and died at the home of his son Daison in 1846. The maiden name of his wife, grandmother of the subject of this sketch, was Sally Parsons. She was born in Massachusetts, and died on the new farm at Nelson, having reared ten children — Parsons, Thomas, Horace, Daison, Leonard, Jabez, Sally, Sophia, Orpha, and Abigail. Daison Haskell, born in Granville, Mass., came to Nelson with his parents. At the age of seventeen he went back to New Eng- land, and spent some four or five years in Connecticut, where he married. Returning to Nelson, he bought a farm, after living on which for a few years he removed to a later purchased farm in Fenner. For many years after the family came to this State there were no railroads; and Albany, more than a hundred miles distant, was the market to which the farmers used to draw their produce, bringing back on their return general merchandise needed to supply the wants of the family. Some of the time while living in Massachusetts he was engaged in teaming between Boston, Albany, Hart- ford, Providence, and other points with a five-horse team. He made one trip from Hartford, Conn., to Charleston, S.C, taking down a load of saddles, and bringing back copper. The last years of his life were spent in Cazenovia, where he died June 9, 1869. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 465 He married Elsie French, who was born in East Windsor, Hartford County, Conn. Her parents were John and Abigail (Adams) French. John French, a native of East Windsor, inherited a large tract of land on the east bank of the Connecticut River. He was a farmer, and spent his entire life in his native town. Mrs. Daison Haskell, mother of our subject, died in Cazenovia, Janu- ary 17, 1 87 1. Her four children — Emily Agnes, D. Eralzman, Elsie Maronette, and Flavia Abigail — are now living. The educational advantages enjoyed by D. Eralzman Haskell were those of the district school and of a select school at Cazenovia, and his opportunities were so well improved that at the age of seventeen he was fitted to be a teacher. He taught successively eleven winter terms, in the intervals between work- ing at farming. He served two years as Superintendent of Schools. In 1852 he was elected Justice of the Peace, and began to study law, being admitted to the bar in 1858. Coming to Cazenovia in 1859, he started in business as a dealer in general merchandise, continuing in trade twenty years. Since that time he has been engaged in the insurance business, and now represents the New York Life Insurance Company. Mr. Haskell married in 1842 Louisa L. Garrett, a native of Nelson, daughter of Rufus and Mary Garrett, pioneers of this place. She died in December, 1874, leav- ing one child, Frances Louisa, a daughter, Mary Josephine, having previously died at the age of seven years. His father being a Democrat, Mr. Haskell was reared in the political faith of that party; but, disagreeing with some of its principles, he joined the Liberty party, and voted in 1844 for James G. Birney for President, in 1848 for John P. Hale, and in 1852 for Gerrit Smith. He has been a Republican since the organization of that party, in 1855. His fellow-townsmen have shown their confidence in his good judg- ment and integrity by electing him to various offices of public trust. During the war he was one of the committee to raise men to fill the town's quota. On one occasion the Supervisor of the town, going to Washington to secure recruits, was made the victim of spurious vouchers; and Mr. Haskell was sent there to straighten out the matter. The Pro- vost Marshal turning a deaf ear to his re- monstrances, he made a personal appeal to President Lincoln, the result of which was satisfactory. Mr. Haskell has served on the Village Board, and for twenty-one years as a member of the Board of Trustees of Caze- novia Seminary, fourteen years being Secre- tary of the Board. ■OSEPH D. SENN, a popular citizen and a successful lawyer of Morris- ville, was born in Verona, Oneida County, N.Y., April 18, i860. He is a son of Frederick Senn, who was born in the Province of Alsace - Lorraine, and whose father, George Senn, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a native of the same province, where he spent his entire life 466 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW on a farm. Three brothers came to the United States; namely, Frederick, Martin, and Jacob. Frederick, the father of our sub- ject, was reared and educated in his native land, and was twenty years of age at the time of his arrival in this country. He settled in the town of Verona, Oneida County, on a piece of timbered land. At the time of his purchase of this land a log house was already erected, and in this house the family of Mr. Senn lived for some years. He was a very active, industrious, and hard-working man, clearing his land of its timber, and converting it into a productive farm. He married Mary Fessman, who, like himself, was a native of Alsace-Lorraine, but who was brought to this country by her parents when three years of age. To this marriage there were bgrn seven children; namely, Caroline, Margaret, Mary, Frederick, Michael, Samuel, and Joseph D. Joseph D. Senn received his earlier educa- tion in the district schools, later attended the New London (Oneida County) union schools, and still later the Oswego State Normal School. Being thus well qualified to teach, he commenced that occupation when nineteen years of age, and taught two terms. At the age of twenty-three he began the study of law with Edwin J. Brown, of Oneida, Madison County, N.Y., and was admitted to the baj August 23, 1886, commencing the practice of his profession at Morrisville. He was elected District Attorney in 1892, and still retains that position. In 1888 he was married to Mabel Dunham, who was born in Stockbridge, Madison County, and is a daughter of A. S. and Mary Dunham, both natives of the same town. Mr. and Mrs. Senn have two children, Lucy and Elsie. Mr. Senn is strictly devoted to the profession of the law, and, while a Re- publican in his political opinions (casting his first Presidential vote for James G. Blaine in 1884), is not a politician in the usually accepted sense of the term. TT^HARLES H. WICKS, a successful I J| farmer, residing on his seventy-acre ^ ^ farm in the town of De Ruyter, hav- ing been a resident there for the past thirty- seven years, was born in Truxton, Cortland County, N.Y., in 1818. His father, Benajah Wicks, was born in Saratoga, then known as Charleston, and married Mary Ann Enearl, of Saratoga County, the marriage taking place in that county. He was a blacksmith by occupation, and followed his trade for many years. They moved to Truxton about the year 181 3. They reared five sons and one daughter, two of their children dying in infancy: Zophar when a boy, at Truxton; and Betsy. The mother of these children died in middle life, and was followed by her husband within four years, leaving our sub- ject then a boy of twelve. Upon the death of his father he took up his abode with a farmer named Pierce, residing near Truxton, and lived with him until he reached the age of twenty-one, receiving one hundred dollars and being permitted to attend school three months each year. He then learned the shoe- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 467 maker's trade, at which he worked for some ten years, and was later engaged as a carpen- ter for a short time. i J^^ly 3) 1844, he was united in marriage to Hannah Pierce, of Truxton, daughter of Jona- than and Electa (Burtles) Pierce, the former of Colerain, Mass., and the latter of Saratoga County, New York. She was the sixth child in a family of thirteen, five sons and eight daughters, who attained maturity, and of whom three sons and three daughters are still living. When five years of age, Mrs. Wicks went to live with an aunt in Truxton, while her parents went to Kenosha, Wis., where they were among the early settlers. The journey was made by way of the Great Lakes, and they were five weeks on the way. This was about the year 1835. Mr. Pierce was a carpenter by trade, and helped to build the first frame house in Kenosha. His wife died at the age of sixty-six, and he about four years later, in 1865, when seventy-eight years old. Mr. and Mrs. Wicks have lost one son, Henry Otis, who died at the age of seven, June 7, 1856. They have two children now living, namely: Mary, wife of Delancy M. Benjamin, a farmer in this town; and Allen, residing in Cortland, and employed in the marble works. The latter married Helen McCarthy, October 31, 1891; and they are the parents of an infant daughter. Mr. Wicks is now engaged in general farm- ing, but formerly devoted some time to the cultivation of hops. He erected his large, comfortable farm-house in 1884; and this, with his seventy acres of fertile and highly cultivated land, forms a nice and valuable property. He began life at the foot of the ladder, and has achieved success by energy, perseverance, and honest toil, and with the assistance of his devoted and faithful wife. The latter, although not always in the enjoy- ment of perfect health, has ably performed her part in the duties of life, in the adminis- tration of her household and the bringing up of her children. She and her husband are passing their declining years surrounded by the comforts of life, and secure in the con- sciousness of a well-spent life. B ANIEL HESS was born in the town ^ , of Palatine, Montgomery County, N.Y., July 26, 1815. His great- grandfather, John Hess, was born in Ger- many, and came to America with his two brothers in Colonial times, one of them set- tling in Pennsylvania, another on the Hud- son, and John locating in Palatine. He was a thrifty, hard-working man, and followed his trade of blacksmith so industriously that he was soon able to secure a tract of land and build a home, where he resided until his death. His son Daniel, after whom our sub- ject is named, learned the trade of carpentry in the town of Palatine, where he was born and educated, worked at it for a few years, but later bought a farm in his town, and resided there until quite aged, making his home, after the death of his wife, with his son John, in Schuyler, Herkimer County, N.Y., where he died at the age of ninety. 468 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW The maiden name of his wife was Mary Youngs. She was born in Palatine, and there died, leaving five sons and three daughters. The father of our subject, John D. Hess, was born in Palatine, and was a prominent resident in that town until 1819, when he went to Schuyler, Herkimer County, bought a farm, and lived there until 1836. Selling his farfti in Schuyler, he removed to Verona, Oneida County, N.Y., where he spent his last years, dying at the age of sixty-eight. He married Miss Lanny Flanders, who was born in Montgomery County, New York, daughter of John Flanders, and died in Verona, aged seventy - three years. They had eight chil- dren; namely, Daniel, Archibald, William, Lanny A., Catherine, Margaret, Nancy, and Julia. Daniel Hess, of this biographical notice, was the eldest of the family, and was brought up and educated in the town of Schuyler. He commenced to learn the trade of tanner and currier when he was seventeen years of age, and followed that occupation for nearly three years, but, being persuaded by his parents to abandon it, turned his attention toward securing contracts on public works. This pursuit was eminently successful, as he obtained contracts on many large railroads in the different States in the Union; also on canals, especially on the Sault Ste. Marie, a leading highway of commerce in America. He was until 1865 engaged as contractor on public works, but in that year started a wholesale business in Oneida, N.Y. He has lately, however, practically retired from ac- tive participation in its affairs. Mr. Hess has invested largely in real estate, consisting of farms and city property, and has greatly improved the latter. September 24, 1868, he married Miss Mary Sitterly. She was born in Vienna, Oneida County, N.Y., daughter of Christian and Lanny (Cook) Sitterly, who were natives of Montgomery County. Their only child died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Hess are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In the old days of the Whig party Mr. Hess was a stanch adherent of that political organiza- tion; but, when the Republican party was formed, he was among the first to subscribe to its principles, and, while wide-awake to its best interests, is discreet and judicious in his advice in its councils. As a citizen, Mr. Hess stands in the highest regard of the community. (^Vr-LFRED SEYMOUR, a representative ^L of Madison County and a member of ^ ^V-^ one of its oldest settled families, was born January 8, 181 7, in the town of Lebanon. ^ His father, Silas . Seymour, was born May 7, 1777, in Hartford, Conn., and was a son of Eleazer and Anna (Merrills) Seymour, both natives of Connecticut. The former was by trade a nail-maker, and fol- lowed that occupation before nail -making machinery had been invented. He and his wife, Anna, were the parents of twelve chil- dren; namely, William, Jesse, Noah, Joel, John, Eleazer, Silas, Lucy, Lydia, Mehit- able, Rhoda, and Elizabeth. Three of the Alfred Seymour. Mrs. Alfred Seymour. BIOGRAPHICAL- REVIEW 473 sons, William, Jesse, and Noah, served their, country in the War of the Revolution, and were present at the surrender of Burgoyne, October i6, 1777. Major Moses Seymour, the grandfather of Governor Horatio Seymour, a distant relative of the father of our subject, was present at the same event. Silas Seymour, the father of our subject, purchased sixty acres of timbered land in the town of Lebanon, on which he built a log house, and engaged in farming and stock- raising. He married Sally Gilbert, who was born April i, 1779, and was a daughter of Eleazer and Sarah (Weeks) Gilbert. This marriage took place at Stillwater, Saratoga County, N.Y., November 2, 1800. It was in the winter of 180 1-2 that they removed to the town of Lebanon, Madison County, and settled on Lot 25, where they lived until their death. He became very prosperous, and added to his landed estate until he was the owner of two hundred acres. In 1828 he erected a substantial and commodious stone house, which is still standing and in good repair. He raised some flax on his farm; and his wife used to card, spin, and weave, and dressed her children in homespun made by her own hands. She and her husband were the parents of eleven children, namely: Fanny, born December 19, 1801; Eleazer, May 3, 1803; Lucy Ann, January 26, 1805; Miranda, September 12, 1806; Henry, April 15, 1808; William, October 19, 1810; Sally, June 3, 1813; Maria, May 3, 181 5; Alfred, Januarys, 1817; Charlotte, April 14, 1821; and Mary, July 14, 1827. Silas Seymour was one of the honest, hardy, and industrious pioneers of this county. Upon the organization of the town, in 1807, he was elected the first Town Clerk, and held that office for many years, and, though never an office-seeker, was elected by his fellow-citizens to various other positions of honor and trust. Politically, he was a Whig, and was nominated several times for Assemblyman; but, his party being in the minority, he was uniformly beaten. This, however, did not disturb his serenity or dis- appoint him in any way ; for he was emphati- cally a man of a quiet and retiring disposi- tion, and averse to public display, preferring to remain at home and attend to his own pri- vate affairs. The cause of popular education found in him a strong supporter. He was a man of liberal views, and opposed to all intolerance, bigotry, and sectarianism, believ- ing that the highest truth can only be found by striking off all shackles from the human mind; and the principles and rules of conduct enunciated by Christ, as applied to the affairs of every-day life, found in him a practical exemplar. Those in trouble frequently sought his counsel and advice, realizing that in him they had a sympathizing friend and one cap- able of self-sacrifice in behalf of others. He was a foe to all intemperance, and viewed with abhorrence the crime of human slavery. His humanitarianism was of the broadest and truest type; and, when he died, the town in which he had lived for so many years lost one of its purest and noblest citizens. Alfred Seymour, the subject of this sketch. 474 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW succeeded his father in the ownership of the home farm, and still owns it, having resided thereon until 1892, at which time, leaving his son in charge, he removed to the village of Lebanon, where he now lives, retired from the active duties of life. He stands high among the intelligent and enterprising citi- zens of his town, and well fills the place in the community left vacant by his father's death. In politics he is a Republican, but has never been an aspirant for office. Having an excellent education and being a constant reader, he is well informed on the current events of the day, and is capable of discussing them in an intelligent and convincing man- ner. He has served as Secretary and also as President of the Agricultural Society of the town of Lebanon, and has been a Deacon in the Congregational church for over twelve years. He has always taken a deep interest in whatever tends to promote the material and moral welfare of the town and the intellectual improvement of its inhabitants. Mr. Seymour's marriage occurred January I, 1846, when he led to the altar Miss Rhoda H. Green, daughter of William and Mercy (Tifft) Green, both natives of Rhode Island. William Green was born April i, 1779, and was a son of Amos and Elsie Green. His wife was born May 12, 1785, and was a daughter of Jeremiah and Rhoda (Hoxie) Tifft, the former of whom was a native of Rhode Island. He came from there to Madi- son County, and purchased a Chenango River Valley farm in the town of Lebanon, on which he resided until his death. His wife was also a native of Rhode Island. She sur- vived her husband, and died at the home of a daughter in Brookfield. Mr. Green, the father of Mrs. Seymour, came to Madison County in 1803, making the trip overland. He bought a tract of timber land in the town of Brookfield, and erected a log house in the wilderness. There was no railroad for many years, and the people lived chiefly off the products of their farms. The mother used to card, spin, and weave, and taught her chil- dren the same art. After a few years Mr. Green erected a small frame house, and in 1825 a commodious frame dwelling, that is still standing. After the death of his first wife, the mother of Mrs. Seymour, he sold his farm, and removed to Lebanon, where he purchased another farm, and resided thereon until his death. Both he and his wife were of the Quaker faith, which they always re- tained, and in a measure followed the customs of that sect. He had learned the trade of blacksmith, and had a shop on his farm, where he did all his own work. The mar- riage of himself and wife occurred May 2, 1801 ; and they became the parents of eleven children, namely: Hoxie, born August 28, 1802; Mary, December 24, 1804; William, January 14, 1807; Eliza, April 5, 1809; Jeremiah T., October 18, .1811; Mercy, Octo- ber 18, 1814; Peleg, April i, 1817; Levi, June 16, 1819; Amos, August 31, 1821; Martha E., October 15, 1823; and Rhoda H., March 27, 1826. Mr. Green's death occurred in March, 1857, at the age of seventy-eight, and that of his wife September 20, 1839. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 475 The marriage of our subject and his wife has been blessed with seven children, those living being: Silas, who was born August 2, 1847, and married Amelia Morgan; Sarah M., who was born February 19, 1849, and married to Albert Morgan in 1866; Arthur W., born October 2, 1854; and Frank D., May 27, 1857. These children were carefully reared, were given as good an education as the times permitted, and were trained to be obedient, honest, pure, and self-respecting. Mr. and Mrs. Seymour took great pains with their bringing up, watched over them with true parental solicitude, and carefully guided and directed the development of their characters. As a result, they have the satisfaction of see- ing them lead noble and useful lives, being a credit and joy to their parents, and a bless- ing to the community in which they live. As it is true that "the child is father to the man," so is it true that the character of the coming generation depends upon the training that the children of to-day receive at the hands of their parents and teachers; and those children may indeed be considered fortunate whose parents, like Mr. and Mrs. Seymour, watch over them in youth, check all evil impulses, and develop and bring out all that is good and noble in their characters. In this way is moulded, not only the character of the individual, but of the community, the State, and the nation ; and the true makers of history are not those who, at the head of con- quering armies, pursue their devastating way through a wasted country and over the ashes of ruined homes to a victors' crown of tri- umph, but those who, by the cradle's side, in the home circle, and in the school-room, plant in the minds of the young those seeds that shall ripen in due time into the fruit of a well-rounded and perfected character. The morals, character, achievements, and stability of a nation depend upon the character of its home life; and to the happy homes of Amer- ica may be attributed most, if not all, that is great in its past history, present performance, and future prospects. As the builders and authors of one of such homes, rich in happy memories of parental and filial love, we pre- sent this brief sketch of Mr. and Mrs. Seymour, together with their portraits, be- lieving that it will not only afford pleasure and gratification to each and all of their many friends, but to all the readers of this volume. T^HARLES BROWN, distinguished in I J[ the annals of Cazenovia as the oldest ^ ' native-born citizen now residing within its limits, is still an active factor of its industrial -life, being engaged in the occu- pation of tinsmith, with a large store, well stocked with all goods in his line, which he has carried on in this village for nearly half a century. He was born April 3, 1819, being a son of Seba and Sarah (Webler) Brown, natives, respectively, of North Adams, Mass., and Hebron, Conn. Seba Brown was reared in the old Bay State, and there among its rugged hills was trained to habits of thrift and industry. When a young man, he left home to seek his 476 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW fortune in the then Far West, and located in Cazenovia. Having learned the trade of wagon-maker, he established a factory here, and engaged in the manufacture and general repair of wagons, carriages, etc., the business proving so lucrative that he remained here till his death, in 1837. His widow survived him many years, dying at the age of eighty- nine years, December 22, 1881. Her parents were natives of Germany, and both spent their last years in Madison County, the mother dying at the age of one hundred and two. Seba Brown and his wife were the parents of three children — Charles, George C, and Sarah. George learned the trade of tinsmith, and was associated in business with his brother Charles until his death. He married Maria Burton, of Erie, Pa., and they had three children — Charles E., Henry B., and Seymour — all of whom are now deceased. Sarah died when a young woman. Charles Brown was educated in his native town, and at the age of sixteen years was apprenticed to a tinsmith, with whom he worked four years. He liked this occupation, and, becoming an expert in the business, es- tablished himself in Marcellus, where he met with much success, and remained until 1848. In that year he returned to Cazenovia, and, forming a partnership with his brother George, opened a store for the sale of stoves, tinware, and hardware, keeping a fine stock constantly on hand, and has continued this occupation till the present time, extending his operations year by year, paying strict attention to the details of its management, and sending out some very superior specimens of his handiwork. Mr. Brown was married in August, 1843, to Helen L. White. She was born in Mar- cellus, Onondaga County, being a daughter of Jeremiah and Lois (Richardson) White. Of their marriage two children were born, George H. and Frances E. George H., residing at Upper Montclair, N.J., married Lottie Rice, and has four children living — Helen, Agnes, Bettie, and Charles. Walter, the youngest child, is deceased. Frances married Walter Goodyear, and they have homes in both New York City and Florida. Mr. Brown is a man of excellent judgment and good business capacity, and an influential citizen of his native town, in whose develop- ment and growth he takes great pride. In politics he is a steadfast Democrat. Mrs. Brown and her daughter are esteemed mem- bers of the Presbyterian church. HAMLIN WHITMORE, an intelli- gent young farmer of Georgetown, where he was born and has always resided, is a son of Russell Whitmore, who died at his home in Georgetown on the 2d of May, 1885, at the age of seventy-one. The father of Russell Whitmore was Dr. Epaphro- ditus Whitmore, well known throughout this section of the country as the first resident physician of Georgetown, where his son Rus- sell was born, February 4, 18 14, the family removing the following April to the farm upon which our subject now resides. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 477 Russell Whitmore was well known in his community as a particularly industrious and successful farmer, having chosen an occupa- tion for which he was naturally well endowed. His educational advantages were limited to one term at Smyrna, supplementary to attend- ance at the common schools of the period. He made the best use of his opportunities, however, and at the age of sixteen taught school in the town of Lebanon. Throughout his life he was interested in everything per- taining to educational work, and for several years was Town Superintendent of Schools. His sterling integrity and rigid adherence to principle procured for him many enemies, who, however, though they might disagree with his views, could not but respect him personally. He took active part in the anti- slavery agitation at a time when to do so was to invite a storm of personal abuse and bitter invective, and was an early worker in the almost equally despised cause of temperance. In spite of his support of these unpopular reforms, his integrity was such, and his per- sonal honor so unquestioned, that he was at various times chosen to fill offices of trust in his town; and he invariably acquitted himself with credit in the performance of his public duties. He was frequently applied to for advice in the settlement of estates, and in- trusted with numerous interests which gave evidence of the confidence reposed in him as a man of honor and discriminating judgment. He was plain of speech, and opposed to all kind of ostentation and meretricious display; and at his death Georgetown lost one of her most useful and honored citizens. An obitu- ary which appeared in the Madison County Observer of May 5, 1885, from which we have liberally quoted, gives evidence of the esteem in which he was held by those among whom his lot was cast. He was twice married, first February 25, 1838, to Miss Julia M. Niles. In a little more than two years after Mr. Whitmore suffered a severe bereavement in the loss of his wife, who died on the 7th of May, 1840, leaving him with an infant son less than a year old. He was married again November 10, 1840, to Jane M. Conant, of the town of Eaton, who was a faithful and loving wife to him during the rest of his life, they becoming the parents of a large family, all of whom arrived at maturity and became respected and useful citizens. Addison R. Whitmore, his son by his first marriage, married Philie Livermore, of German, Chenango County, N.Y., and resides in Willet, Cortland County, this State. They are the parents of six children. By his second marriage Russell Whitmore had the following children : Eu- gene, who died when a child; Cornelia, who became the wife of Edwin Smith, and died January i, 1877; Wesley and Martha L., both of whom died in infancy; Otis H., born June 29, 1848, died March 17, 1890 — he married Nellie Tillotson, December 4, 1878, and they became the parents of two children, Lida S. and Louise; Francis E., married Carrie H. Thompson, daughter of William Thompson, of Georgetown; Mary J., born December 27, 1852, died April 26, 1872, 478 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW unmarried; Martha J., born November 28, 1855, is unmarried; Lincoln L. and H. Hamlin, twins, were born March 3, 1861 — the former died January i, 1862. Otis H. Whitmore, brother of our subject, was edu- cated at Cazenovia Seminary and Oswego Normal and Training School, and was for many years a successful teacher in the public schools. At the age of sixteen he joified the Baptist church, in which he became a recog- nized leader. He was greatly interested in Sunday - school work, and held at various times the offices of President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the County Sun- day School Association. He was an ardent Prohibitionist. In 1875 he was elected Jus- tice of the Peace, which office he filled eight years. At the time of marriage he settled on a farm near the old home. His death was deeply regretted by the entire community. H. Hamlin Whitmore was reared on the old homestead, just on the outskirts of the vil- lage of Georgetown, where he still resides. In boyhood he attended the district school, and made the most of his opportunities for securing an education, but early became initi- ated into farm life and work, which pursuits he has followed up to the present time, and in which he has been eminently successful. He possesses in a large degree those qualities which made his father respected and es- teemed, and keeps up with the times in every- thing that pertains to his calling, using the latest and best farm machinery, and adopting the most improved methods in his work. In addition, he is a man of much general knowl- edge, keeping well informed on all the impor- tant events of the day, his opinions on which are guided by an intelligent appreciation and discriminating judgment. He is a member of the Patrons of Husbandry, belonging to Leba- non Grange, No. 753. He was married March 26, i8go, to Luella V Hay, daughter of Charles Hay, a well- known and respected citizen of Georgetown. Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore attend the Baptist church, and are universally recognized in their community as people of high moral excellence and useful and upright citizens. RS. MARY (ROOT) ALLEN, a resident of the village of Morris- ville and widow of the late John S. Allen, was born in the town of Eaton, Madison County, N.Y. Her father, Chaun- cey Root, was a native of the town of Greene, Chenango County; and his father, Joshua Root, was, it is supposed, born in Connecti- cut, and emigrated from that State to the State of New York, being one of the early pioneers of the town of Greene. He secured a tract of timber land, on which he erected a log house, cleared his farm from the wilder- ness, and resided thereon for a number of years, then removed to Oxford, where he spent his last days. The maiden name of his wife was Mehitable Belden, and by her he reared a family of seven children. Chauncey Root, father of Mrs. Allen, when eleven years of age removed to Eaton to live with Dariiel Hatch, residing with him until BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 479 he was about fifteen. Soon afterward he began to learn the carpenter's trade, and fol- lowed it a number of years. At the time of his marriage he located on a farm in the town of Eaton, it having been inherited by his wife; and this he occupied until 1850, when he removed to Morrisville, where he pur- chased a home. Here he also bought a saw- mill, which he operated for a few years. The last years of his life he lived retired, and died August 4, 1884, at the age of eighty-four. The maiden name of his wife, the mother of the subject of this sketch, was Betsy Pitts. She was born in Cranston, R.I., and was a daughter of Rufus Pitts, a native of the same locality. For a number of years he followed the sea, but in 1802, together with his wife and four children, came to the State of New York, making the journey with teams, and purchased a tract of land in what is now the town of Eaton. At that time the town was very sparsely settled, and of course but little improved. In removing to the village of Morrisville, they followed a trail marked by blazed trees. Upon the farm he selected he and his wife spent the remainder of their days, engaged in improving the land and in rearing their family. The maiden name of his wife was Waitie Joy. She was also a native of Rhode Island. Mrs. Allen was the only child of Chauncey and Betsy (Pitts) Root, and was married to John S. Allen at the age of twenty-two. The latter was born in the town of Willet, Cortland County, N.Y., and was a son of Horace Allen, an early settler of that town. who followed farming there for a number of years, but spent the latter part of his life in Chenango County. The maiden name of his wife was Elizabeth Wheeler. When eleven years of age, John S. Allen went to Cincin- natus, Cortland County, and made his home for a few years with Ray Cole, a farmer. He then removed to Madison County, where he was employed in woollen mills for a time, and after his marriage engaged in farming, which occupation he continued to follow till his death, which occurred September 8, 1870. He was a member of the Baptist church, as were also Mrs. Allen and her parents. Mrs. Allen is a lady of estimable character, strong in her convictions of right and duty, and in every way a woman worthy of honor and respect. Ye)YMAN AVERY. This gentleman, who I J has for over thirty-two years held the "^^ " position of station agent of the New York Central Railroad at Wampsville, Madison County, was born at Paris Furnace, Oneida County, in 18 19. His father, Gardi- ner Avery, was born at Munson, N.Y., in 1773, and died at Saratoga Springs in 1849. The' grandfather, Gardiner Avery, died of diphtheria in December, 1831, when he was eighty years of age; and his wife, whose maiden name was Amy Newell, fell a victim to the same disease but one day before. They had fourteen children, namely: Gardi- ner B., born in 1773, and died in 1849; Stephen, born in 1775, died in 1813; Han- nah, born in 1778; Benjamin, born in 1780, 480 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW died in 1885; Betsey, born in 1783, died in i8t5; Calvin, born in 1785, died in 1829; Anson, born in 1786; John, born in 1788, died in 1855; Lyman, born in 1790, died in 1809; Amy, born in 1793, died in 1827; Charles, born in 1795; Sophia, born in 1798, died in 1799; Sophia, born in 1800; and Jared, born in 1803, died in 1880. The father of our subject was married to Miss Hulda Haskell, of Albany, N.Y., whose only child, Eliza, died young. The mother also died early, and was buried in Albany, while her husband was attending the Legis- lature, to which he was elected for two terms. He was a man of limited schooling, but of great natural ability, and was very wealthy. He was one of the founders of the Paris Fur- nace, holding stock in the company, and later of the Lenox Furnace, now of Hobokenville. He married for the second time Miss Betsey Sage, of Connecticut, who became the mother of seven children, of whom our subject was the youngest. He and his brother, Newell Avery, together with their father, were inter- ested in a cotton factory near Sauquoit. All the members of the family but himself are now deceased. Lyman Avery was brought up on a farm belonging to his father and situated near Paris Furnace. He went to school in Clin- ton, N.Y., and remained at home with his parents until his marriage with Miss Cynthia Spencer, daughter of William and Polly (Fletcher) Spencer, natives of Massachusetts. This marriage took place in May, 1847, at the home of the bride's parents in Wampsville, N.Y. For about four years after their mar- riage he and his wife lived on a farm in Oneida County, but in 1861 removed to their present residence. Their beautiful home is pleasantly situated near the Wampsville sta- tion, across the road from the New York Central station. This handsome dwelling was erected on the ruins of their former house, which was burned in September, 1878. They have four acres of land at this place, and thirteen more about half a mile away. Mr. and Mrs. Avery have one daughter, Mary Ada, wife of F. M. Benjamin. Mrs. Benja- min resides with her father and mother; and she and her husband are the parents of one little girl, Ruth Avery, born August 12, 1889. Mr. Avery is a strong Republican in his political creed, though not an aspirant for office. He once served, however, as Town Collector in Oneida County. He has been for many years an Odd Fellow, and has filled all the chairs up to that of Noble Grand. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer, the parents of Mrs. Avery, were married in Deerfield, N.Y., and lived in Utica for some years, where they kept a hotel, later keeping one in Vernon. They afterward came to Wampsville. Mrs. Avery's mother died in 1853, at the age of fifty-seven, leaving four children, three daughters and one son, William, who died in his seventeenth year. The father died in 1856, when he was over seventy years old. His death occurred in Milwaukee, Wis., to which place he had moyed some seven years before. He left considerable property. He was a Master Mason, and in religion a mem- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 481 ber of the Methodist church, standing high in the regard and esteem of the community. Mr. Lyman Avery is now in his seventy- fifth year, strong and sturdy, with undimin- ished faculties, and with every prospect of many years of usefulness and comfort before him. Honest and upright in all his dealings with his fellow-men, he stands as high as any citizen of his town in the esteem and confidence of the people. kRS. HARRIET T. JOHNSON, widow of Darius H. Johnson, who died September i, 1892, is a daughter of Isaac J. and Abigail (Sayles) Forbes, and was born in 1834. Mr. Johnson was born in the town of Smithfield, Madison County, September 13, 1836, and was a son of William F. Johnson, who was born in Saratoga County in 1798, and died in Troy, N.Y., about i860. He was a grandson of Sir William Johnson, a native of England, who came to America previous to the Revolu- tionary War, and settled in Saratoga County, where he became a prosperous farmer, and was a patriot during the war, supplying the sol- diers with provisions. On one occasion when he was away from home with a wagon-load of farm products for the army, his house was visited by Torres and Mohawk Indians, and was pillaged and burned. His wife, seeing the band of marauders coming, concealed her- self and her children in the garden among the hop vines, where they were compelled to wit- ness the destruction of their home, but were more than glad to escape with their lives. There is still in existence a family relic that is highly prized, which is in the possession of Professor John D. Conley, formerly of Canastota, now Vice-President of (and Pro- fessor of Geology in) Wyoming State Uni- versity, situated at Laramie. Professor Conley is a son of John W. and Pamelia E. (Johnson) Conley, Mrs. Conley being the eldest sister of Darius H. Johnson. This interesting relic is a powder-horn which was carried in the Revolutionary War by one of the noble ancestors of Mr. Johnson, who was present at the surrender of Burgoyne at the battle of- Saratoga. It is finely chased or engraved by hand, the work having been done by Dr. Darius Johnson, a bachelor, and a grand-uncle of Darius H. Johnson, deceased husband of the subject of this sketch. The engraving shows skill and taste on the part of the artist, and commemorates the scenes and incidents of the great and successful struggle for liberty in 1776. Darius H. Johnson received a common English education, and began his life-work without the assistance of capital, relatives, or friends, notwithstanding which he made his life a notable success. He was married in 1854 to Harriet T. Forbes, the subject of this sketch; and they began their married life in Canastota, Mr. Johnson at that time being engaged in boating on the Erie Canal. Afterward they removed to New York City, where Mr. Johnson was engaged for twenty- one years in the insurance and transportation business. They had one child, Pamelia J., 482 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW who married William A. Eurich, and died in Canastota in 1884, at the age of twenty-six, leaving one son, William D., now a bright lad of thirteen, and living with his grand- mother. Mr. Johnson was a Mas6n of the thirty- third degree, and held various positions of honor in the fraternity. He was a straight- forward, successful business man. Since his death his wife has carried on the coal busi- ness which was left by him. She purchased her present home in 1880, and here lives, sur- rounded by the comforts of life and by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. "]CiDWARD H. VIDLER was born in J ^ Clj nton, Oneida County, N.Y., Sep- tember 4, 1842. This gallant soldier of the late war, who carries the scars of many bat- tles, is the son of James Vidler, a native of Battle, Sussex, England, who came to this country, settling first in Clinton, Oneida County, N.Y., but removed from there to Brookfield, N.Y. His wife was Eliza Curtis, born in Fonda's Bush, Schoharie County, N.Y Their children were: Edward H., the subject of this biographical mention; Arthur B.; Arvilla M. ; Mary A.; and Victor J. The parents died in Brookfield in the year 1885. Our subject remained at home on the farm until he was fourteen years old, attending the district schools, and then hired out with a farmer to work, availing himself of his unoc- cupied time in the winter to go to school in the vicinity, which he continued to do until he was about twenty years of age. At this time the Civil War broke out; and, filled with a patriotic impulse, he enlisted in'the One Hundred and Fourteenth New York Volunteer Infantry, marched to the front, and served for three years. He took part in seven battles, and was twice severely wounded. At the battle of Winchester, which, as is well known, was one of the hottest engagements of the war, there were fifty men of his regiment killed around him. After being desperately wounded, he was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps, where he remained for nine months. At the close of the war he was mustered out, and went to work for a short time on a farm, later buying the place where he now resides. At the age of twenty-seven he was married to Miss Jane Mason, a daughter of Henry and Deborah Mason, whose family consisted of five children; namely, Hannah, Charles, William, Jane, and Angeline. The parents of these children died in Brookfield. Two children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Vidler, Clarence and Benny. The great- grandfather of Mrs. E. H. Vidler was one of the pioneer settlers of her native county, moving there when the country was an un- broken wilderness, and after clearing a farm fashioned a plain log cabin with his own hands. In religious views our subject and his wife are Baptists, being connected by membership with the church of that denomination in Brookfield. They are sincere Christians, as BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 483 exemplified in their daily lives, and do their part in assisting to promote every good and worthy cause. In political matters Mr. Vid- ler is a Republican, and not only has an intelligent understanding of the principles of his party, but believes that, when carried out, they are conducive to the best interests of the country at large. During his term of military service he was a brave soldier, fear- less in danger, and never afraid of a foremost place in the conflict, and since his return to the more peaceful avocations of private life has won the esteem of his fellow-citizens, who respect him not only for his former record of bravery in the field, but for his qualities as a man and citizen. K' JUDSON GAUL. The subject of this sketch is a well-known citizen of the town of Eaton, this county, hav- ing been associated as foreman in the office of the Madison Observer at Morrisville for many years. He was born in the town of Lenox, Madison County, N.Y., October 29, 1853, and comes of an old family, the history of which dates back to Colonial times. The family name is of French origin, the first progenitor of the family in this country having been a native either of France or the German-French provinces. The first of the name however, of whom there exists any defi- nite record in this country, so far as known to the family, was one Jacob Gaul, the great- grandfather of our subject. He settled in Ghent, Columbia County, N.Y., where he lived the rest of his life, and died at a ripe old age. Before his settlement there he had married Catherine Wrought, who was German by birth; and she, like her husband, lived to an advanced age. They were farmers by occupation, and were numbered among the sturdy pioneers of Columbia County. In direct line was their son Adam, who was born in that county and grew up a farmer, marrying a Miss Eve Finger, who was born in Johnstown, Columbia County, N.Y. They spent their entire lives in Columbia County, dying when full of years, and rearing quite a large family, of which their son, Jacob A., the father of our subject, was one. His birth occurred at Ghent, February 15, 1826. Growing to manhood on his father's farm in Columbia County, he later, at about the age of twenty-three, came to Lenox, Madison County, N.Y., and was here married to Miss Elizabeth Harder, who was born and reared in the town of Lenox, and is the daughter of Peter I. and Lana (Van Dusen) Harder, both of whom were natives of Columbia County, N.Y., but who after their marriage , came to Madison County, and were early settlers of the town of Lenox. They secured and im- proved a new farm in this town, but afterward moved to Will County, Illinois, Mr. Harder dying at Lockport, that county, and his wife some time later in Wisconsin. Both were old people at the time of their death. Jacob A. Gaul and his wife lived for some time after their marriage on a farm in Lenox, and later removed to the village of Oneida. They afterward went to Morrisville, where 484 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW they resided for about eighteen years, after which they returned to Oneida, where they now live, Mr. Gaul being engaged in the grocery trade on Lenox Avenue, having spent a great many years in that branch of business. To them have been born four sons and one daughter, of whom our subject is the eldest son. The others are: Mary, wife of L. E. Todd, of Oswego, N.Y. ; Charles F., of Utica, N.Y. ; Sidney E. ; and James B., of Oneida, N.Y. He of whom we write grew up in his early years on his father's farm in Lenox, but on the removal of his parents to Oneida attended the village schools of that place, and later the union schools of Morrisville. While his opportunities for securing a thorough educa- tion were not such as he might have desired, he was gifted with the happy faculty of close observation, which did much to make amends for other deficiencies, his present liberal knowledge and large store of general informa- tion being the result of his own painstaking efforts and earnest application. These quali- ties of perseverance and industry have also gained for him the high degree of success which he has attained in his chosen calling. While yet a boy, he entered the office of Mr. Norton to learn the printer's trade. This was in March, 1867; and after four years of steady application, having acquired a consid- erable knowledge of his trade, he went to work in the office of the Union at Oneida, N.Y. Here he remained two years, and then returned to the office of the Madison Observer, and again (in May, 1873) engaged with his old employer, Mr. Norton, for one year. The year rolled around, and after it another, and another, without any further arrangements than their mutual understanding, until more than twenty years had passed; and only the death of Mr. Norton came to break the close association, which had become so welded by their friendly as well as business relations that they worked together more like father and son than employer and employee. A biographical notice of this veteran printer will be found elsewhere in this volume; and Mr. Gaul never tires in his praise, as of one whom he regards with almost filial love, and as a devoted and lifelong friend. Mr. Norton was not slow to notice the worth and high qualities of Mr. Gaul, and after a few years made him the foreman of his office, which position he has since held. The latter after some time associated with his other business a line of stationery. Close application and attention to business have made Mr. Gaul a skilful and valuable man in his chosen pro- fession. Having mastered every detail of his trade, he is competent to have charge or assume the duties of each department, as but a thorough, practical printer could do. Mr. Gaul was married in Troy, N.Y., to Miss Carrie P. Losee, who was born in Sara- toga County, this State, and reared and edu- cated in Schenectady. She is the mother of one daughter, Jennie L., a bright and inter- esting girl of thirteen. Mr. Gaul is con- nected by membership with the Methodist Episcopal church of Morrisville, while his wife is a member of the Baptist church of BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 48s the same place. He is a man of genial and pleasant disposition, and with his excellent wife is popular among his fellow-townsmen, who recognize in him one who has always had the best interests of his town and county at heart, and has always lent whatever assistance might be in his power to all plans for the betterment of the community in which he lives. ■ON. JUSTIN DWINELLE. In the annals of Madison County, high among the prominent, prosperous, and influential citizens may be found the name of Justin Dwindle, for many years an honored resident of Cazenovia. He was iden- tified with its interests from its earliest set- tlement ; for at the time he came here from his Eastern home the country was not very far advanced from its primitive condition, as it took many years to transform the pathless wilderness into smiling farms and flourishing villages. He was born in Shaftsbury, Vt., October 28, 1785. His parents, Stephen and Susanna (Olin) Dwindle, were, as far as known, natives of New England, and spent their last years in Shaftsbury, Vt., dying at the ages of fifty-five and fifty-three years, respectively. They reared a family of seven children — ■ Henry, Sarah, Stephen, Ebenezer, Justin, Benjamin, and Susanna. Justin, the subject of this biography, was reared on the farm of his father in the Green Mountain State, receiving his element- ary education in the common schools of his native town, and afterward studied for a time at Williams College. He subsequently en- tered Yale College, and was graduated from there in the class of 1808, with an honorable record as a student. After leaving Yale, he studied law in the office of John Dickinson, of Troy, being admitted to the bar in 181 1. The same year he came to Cazenovia, and began his professional career, meeting with such success that in a few years his practice gave him a very large clientage. His ability, comprehensive knowledge, and keen insight into the questions of the day met with ample recognition from the public; and he was soon an important factor of the political arena. He was elected to several important offices, serving first as District Attorney, and later as Judge of the County Court. In 1822 and 1823 Judge Dwindle was a Member of the General Assembly of New York, and in the latter year was elected as Representative in Congress. In politics he was a Jeffersonian Democrat, and remained a strong advocate of the principles of that party till his death, which occurred in Cazenovia, September 17, 1850. Judge Dwindle was united in marriage September 12, 18 13, to Louise Whipple, a native of Madison County, born in Nelson, May 18, 1795. On the paternal side she was of Welsh ancestry, being able to trace the family record back to one John Whipple, who, in company with two brothers, emigrated from Wales to the United States in 1628, and located in New England, presumably in Con- necticut, as his grandson, Ezra Whipple, paternal grandfather of Mrs. Dwinelle, was 486 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW born in Stonington, Conn., in May, 1742. Ezra married Lydia Dow, a native of the same State, born in Plainfield, and spent his last years in Vermont. He served under Gen- eral Gates in the Revolutionary War, partici- pating in the battle of Saratoga. Jeremiah Whipple, father of Mrs. Dwin- elle, was born in Adams, Berkshire County, Mass., March 22, 1776. In early life he went to Wallingford, Conn., coming from there to Madison County in 1794, being one of the pioneers of the town of Nelson. Re- maining there but a short time, he came to Cazenovia, and at once identified himself with the business interests of the town, and was for some years engaged in mercantile life. He bought property in the village, and re- sided here until his death. The maiden name of his wife was Eunice Hull. She was born in Connecticut, and died in Cazenovia. She was a lineal descendant of Richard Hull, who was a native of England, and one of five brothers — Richard, John, George, Joseph, and Robert — who came to America in Co- lonial times, and settled in New England. From the best information we have, Richard was admitted freeman in Massachusetts, and from there removed to Connecticut. The line of descent is as follows: Richard, John, Joseph, Caleb, and Samuel. The latter was the grandfather of Mrs. Dwindle. He mar- ried Eunice Cook ; and, as far as known, they were lifelong residents of Connecticut. Mr. and Mrs. Dwindle reared seven of their nine children — John Whipple, William Henry, Justin, Samuel Hull, Louise S., Susan, and James. John and Samuel emi- grated to California, being among the early pioneers of that State, and soon took a promi- nent position among its leading citizens, spending their last years there. Susan, who married Theophilus Fisk, died in Baltimore, Md., 1878. William and Louise live on the old homestead in Cazenovia, which has been in the possession of the family for nearly one hundred years. William began the study of dentistry when a young man, and ere many years reached a high position among his asso- ciates. In 1856 he removed to New York City, where he built up an extensive and lucrative practice, soon ranking among the most skilful and successful members of the profession in the city. The world at large is indebted to him for many improvements in dental surgery, the most important of which is the crown tooth. Never having patented any of his inventions, however, others have reaped the pecuniary benefit of his genius. He is now living, retired, with his sister, enjoying the peace and tranquillity of their pleasant home. < •■ • > rDRGE W. CHAPMAN, counsellor and attorney-at-law at Canastota and a representative of one of the most distin- guished pioneer families of Madison County, was born in Clockville, October 11, 1847. Though yet comparatively a young man, he has won for himself an enviable reputation in his profession, which is one of the most ex- acting in its demands upon the mental and physical equipment of its devotees. His fa- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 487 ther, William H. Chapman, who is still liv- ing at Clockville, this county, was born in 18 1 3, and although past his eightieth year, is still actively pursuing his lifelong calling, that of a farmer. He is a son of Colonel Stephen Chapman, of Stonington, Conn., who, when a young man, removed with his wife from his native State to Clockville, Madison County, N.Y. Colonel Chapman was a lawyer by profession, and was also a surveyor, following both professions in this county for many years. He was a leading man of his section of the county, was a Colo- nel of the State militia. Postmaster of his village for several years, a thoroughly practi- cal surveyor, and a successful lawyer. He was married twice, his second wife being Keturah Palmer, of Connecticut, by whom he reared a large family of sons and daughters, William H., the father of the subject of this sketch, being one of the eldest. Three of these children are still living, the others be- sides William H. being Mary Ann, widow of Conrad G. Moot, of Clockville, and Augusta, widow of Clinton L. Cotton, of Canastota. Colonel Chapman lived to a good old age, dying at the age of eighty; and his widow survived him some fifteen years. William H. Chapman married Mary Sayles, of Clockville, a daughter of Silas Sayles, one of the ancient pioneers of the county. She died at the age of thirty-three, leaving two children, George W. and A. F., the latter now living at Clockville. William H. Chapman was afterward married to Ann Taylor, of Auburn, who died in middle life, leaving no children. George W. Chapman, like most boys of that day in his county, was reared to farm life until he was eighteen years old, having in the mean time received a good education in th€ district schools and at Cazenovia Semi- nary, which institution he attended for several terms, paying his way therein with five hun- dred dollars which he had inherited. At the age just mentioned he entered the law office of Chapman & Forbes, of Clockville, and, having successfully pursued the study of his future profession, was admitted to the bar in 1876, and immediately began the practice of his profession in the same office in which he had studied, as a member of the legal firm of Forbes & Chapman. In 1878 he removed to Canastota, where he has since been success- fully engaged in practice. He has been twice elected and twice appointed to the office of Justice of the Peace, and has four years of his second appointive term to serve, the length of his period of service in this responsible position being fully and amply indicative of the satisfaction he has given to his fellow- citizens by the manner of his performance of its duties. Beginning life with little or no capital, Mr. Chapman has by his own unaided efforts won his way to an enviable position at the bar and a high place in the estimation of his fellow-citizens, and has also succeeded in ac- cumulating a comfortable competence by the exercise of his profession. He is a thirty- second degree Mason, with which fraternity he has been connected since 1870, and is a member of Central City Commandery, No. 488 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 25, K. T., of Syracuse; of Mecca Temple, of New York City; also of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. For five successive years he has been Master of the Canastota Lodge, has served as High Priest of Doric Chapter of Oneida, and has for several years been District Deputy Grand Master. He is also an Odd Fellow, and was Grand Master of the State of New York dur- ing 1889 and 1890, and at the present time is Grand Representative of the State to the Sovereign Grand Lodge of the United States and Canada. Mr. Chapman was married June 22, 1870, to Miss Sarah Wilcox, daughter of A. C. and Catharine (Huyck) Wilcox, both of Clock- ville, a fuller history of which family is con- tained in the sketch of A. C. Wilcox. 'OHN FISK was born in the town of Lebanon, Madison County, N.Y., December 6, 1840, and is the third of the name in direct line of descent, his father and grandfather having both borne the name of John. His mother, by maiden name Millie Stevens, was the daughter of Gaylord Stevens, who reared a large family, and was one of the earliest pioneers in this section of whom mention is made in Hammond's His- tory of Madison County. John Fisk, the father of our subject, was born of poor parents in tlie year 1797. In early life he possessed few educational advan- tages, there being at that time no district or common schools; but, being of an ambitious nature, he made up by energy and persever- ance for lack of other advantages. At the age of twenty-one he married, and with a little assistance built a log house in the forest, cleared the land, and with his wife set up housekeeping and established a home. The first bushel of wheat he bought for seed cost him two dollars. As time went on, he en- larged his clearing, and raised wheat, corn, and other cereals. The first of his larger possessions which he owned in after years he purchased from the original land agents for two dollars or three dollars an acre. This he cleared, felling the trees into large piles or rows and burning them, saving the ashes, from which he manufactured potash — a branch of industry that brought him in a fair income. As his area of cleared land increased, he com- menced sheep-raising; and at times his flock numbered from three to four hundred, which was considered large in those days. So familiar was he with them that he could easily recognize each individual of the flock; and after a heavy winter storm he used often to dig out missing ones from under the snow. In time, thinking dairying more profitable than wool - raising, he sold his sheep, and turned his attention to the former industry, at one time keeping over one hundred cows. He was very successful in his farming opera- tions, adding one farm after another to his already large possessions, until he owned some twelve hundred acres of land. The marriage of himself and wife was blessed with eight children, four sons and four daughters, whose names were as follows: BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 489 Albert, Phebe, Olive, Harriet, Ann, Eph- raim, Luman, and John. Of these Albert died some forty years ago, and Olive and Ann at a more recent date. The rest are still liv- ing. In politics the father of these children was a lifelong Democrat, voting his ticket when there were but six or seven Democratic ballots cast in his town. Although he could read to some extent and write his name, in all his large business transactions he never kept any book account, trusting to his excel- lent memory, which rarely, if ever, failed him. He never saw a railroad, although in a few years after his death the trains ran in sight of his late residence. At one time he and his wife were regular attendants at church, and in his later years he contributed toward the support of the gospel. From his many acres he gave to each of his sons a good farm; and at his death in March, 1866, he left a will disposing of his property among his sons and daughters. John Fisk, of whom we write, the young- est of the eight children, being eleven years the junior of the youngest of the others, now lives upon the old homestead in the house where he was born and where his father and mother died, they having built it some ten years before his birth. In his youth he attended the district school, and later the village school, some two miles away. His father objected to his spending so much time at his studies, thinking it wasted, and that he would be better employed working on the farm; but the son persisted, and at last even obtained his father's reluctant consent to at- tend one winter term (1861-62) at the Caze- novia Seminary. He thus secured a good ed- ucation, and in the spring of 1862 was mar- ried to Miss Nettie A. Morrow, of Augusta, Oneida County, N.Y. After his marriage he settled on one of his father's farms, and has followed agricultural pursuits up to the pres- ent time. He has never sought public office, preferring to devote his time to his own per- sonal matters, but was once elected Excise Commissioner on the No-license ticket in his town. He has always taken a great interest in educational matters, and in this connection has acted as School Trustee in his district.. Early in their married life he and his wife connected themselves with the Congregational church in the village of Lebanon, at which they have ever since been constant attendants. Their union has been graced by four chil- dren, the first being Carrie, who died in in- fancy. The next in order of birth, Cora, attended school several terms at Cazenovia Seminary, and ikter was graduated from the State Normal School at Albany. She is now a successful teacher in the public schools in Weehawken, N.J., teaching next to the high- est grade in a large school of over two thou- sand pupils, and has occupied this position for the last five years. Ada, the next born, was a young lady of decided musical talent, having first pursued her studies in this di- rection in the Cazenovia Seminary. Later, under the direction of a private teacher in Norwich, N.Y., she became highly accom- plished, and appeared in public several times in that village, receiving the most flattering 490 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW notices from the press of that town. While in Norwich, she became acquainted with Will- iam F. Eldredge, of that place, whom she married, but died in a little less than three years after her marriage, leaving two sons, only one of whom — the elder — is living. He resides with his father in Rochester. The other child of Mr. and Mrs. Fisk is William J., a very promising young man, now nineteen years of age. He has so far spent much of his time in school, and is now in attendance at the Albany Business College. Mr. Fisk, in connection with his other farming, has of late years devoted some time to the cultivation of small fruit, being very successful with strawberries, some seasons raising over one hundred bushels. He also possesses the only vineyard in his town, it consisting of some seven hundred vines just coming into bearing. Mr. and Mrs. Fisk are among the best known people of their town and county, and are also among the most pop- ular. Their pure and upright lives, pleasant dispositions, and hospitable manners have won them the esteem of all with whom they have come into contact; and few occupy a higher or more respected place in the commu- nity. rUDGE CHARLES L. KENNEDY, deceased, a native of Chittenango, Madison County, was born November 15, 1825. His father, Dr. Samuel Kennedy, was a prominent citizen of Sullivan. He died suddenly in 1849, ^t the age of fifty-six. At the age of fifteen Charles L. went to Caze- novia, and entered the ofSce of the Union Herald as an apprentice, remaining until the paper was discontinued some two years after- ward. He subsequently entered the law office of the late Duane Brown, of Morrisville, with whom, after his admission to the bar, he went into partnership. Returning to Chitte- nango in 1850, he formed a partnership with Hon. W. E. Lansing, which lasted until the latter was elected County Clerk; but in 1855 Judge Kennedy returned to Morrisville. In 1858 he was elected successor to Mr. Lans- ing, and at the close of his term resumed his legal practice, in company with Hon. S. F. Holmes. In 1867 he was elected County Judge and Surrogate, and held office by re- election until the time of his death, his last term expiring with the close of that year. In his official capacity Judge Kennedy was accurate and impartial, and was so popular that the Democratic County Convention de- clined to place a candidate in opposition to his re-election in 1877. He was a charter member of Morrisville Lodge, No. 158, A. F. & A. M., and in 1880 was a member of the National Convention at Chicago. Judge Kennedy was personally a man of the strictest sense of honor, and was affable in his manners and social in nature. As a politi- cian, he was prudent and sagacious, and prob- ably exerted a wider and more controlling political influence in this county during the last twenty-five years than any other man. Yet his political feelings never biassed his official action or interfered with the amenities of his social life. To Morrisville, and in fact B. Franklin Chapman. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 493 Madison County, his death was more than an ordinary loss, and was so felt by all citizens, without regard to party affiliations. During his residence in this county for more than a quarter of a century he contributed liberally of his time and means to all measures having for their object the welfare of the community; and long will the gracious memory of his gen- erous acts and kindly personality linger in the minds and hearts of the people. p^ FRANKLIN CHAPMAN was born I ^^\ at Clockville, Madison County, N.Y., March 24, 1817,. His father, the late Colonel Stephen Chapman, and his mother, Keturah (Palmer) Chapman, were born in Stonington, Conn., and. emi- grated from there in 18 12, settling in Clock- ville. The life of Colonel Chapman is especially interesting in view of his early military connections with the State militia, as well as his prominence as an attorney, and as an official both in State and local affairs. Among the relics now in possession of his grand-daughter, Mrs. Charles E. Remick, of Oneida, and which are valued by her very highly for their historical associations, are his many commissions of appointment to vari- ous military and civil offices within the State, some of which date' back to the early twenties, one or two of them having been issued by Governor De Witt Clinton. He received the various promotions in the State militia, until his appointment as. Colonel of the Seventy- fourth New York Infantry, which commission was issued to him by Governor De Witt Clin- ton in August, 1827. He was a recognized leader of the bar in Madison County in its early history, being admitted to practice in 1822, and later in the same year was licensed to practise in the Supreme Court. He and the late Joshua A. Spencer were mechanics, but were employed in "pettifogging" cases, and soon became adepts in their profession, and finally together entered the law office of General Israel S. Spencer as students, where they prepared themselves for admission to the bar, as before mentioned. Colonel Chapman was an energetic man, full of enterprise. Through his efforts the first post-office was established in Clockville, in 1814; and he was appointed the first Postmaster, an office which he held (with a brief interval) until his resignation in 1847. He reared a family of twelve children, five of whom survived him. His death took place in June, 1861. The subject of this biography, who from youth up was ever familiarly known as " Frank " Chapman, was possessed of an active brain and strong muscle, and was a leader among the "boys." Whatever was to be done, he did it first, and took the conse- quences afterward. His father early deter- mined to educate him for the legal profession. He was fond of mathematics, and idolized a compass, and always assisted his father in making surveys. In the fall of 1834 he entered Stockbridge Academy, and the next spring went' with Professor Ostrander (to be under his mathematical instruction) to the new Hudson River Seminary, where he re- 494 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW mained two terms. From there he went to Manlius Academy, and applied himself to the study of languages under the instruction of Mr. Burhans. The next spring he followed his teacher in opening Fayetteville Academy, where he remained until entering the Sopho- more Class in Hamilton College at Clinton in August, 1836. In his Junior year he was one of the prize speakers, and in 1839 was gradu- ated with one of the five honors • — the philo- sophical oration — ■ and received a certificate from the President of that institution that he was the second student who had ever been graduated from there with a "clean page" and without a demerit mark. Upon leaving college, he entered the law ofifice of his father in Clockville, and was admitted to the prac- tice of law in January, 1841, and subsequently to the District, Circuit, and Supreme Courts of the United States. By his indomitable in- dustry and perseverance he acquired a large practice, and soon became one of the leading members of the bar of Madison County. His large experience as a surveyor and engineer gave him a thorough knowledge of the country through the region of Central New York, and made his services particularly valuable as counsel in suits involving the title of real estate and water power. In November, 1841, he was united in mar- riage with Miss Huldah Wilcox, daughter of Deacon Alanson Wilcox, of Clockville, N.Y. This union was blessed with three children: Elmer W., who died at the age of two years; Mattie M., who married Captain Charles E. Remick, of Hardwick, Vt., who was at that time engaged in business in Boston, but after- ward removed to New York City, and from there to Oneida, N.Y., where he now resides; Stephen, who studied law with his father, then entered and was graduated from the Albany Law School, admitted to the bar in 1874, and entered into partnership with his father. In 1884 he married Miss Kittie M. Spencer, of Rome, to which place he removed in 1888, continuing the practice of law there until his death on the i6th of November, 1890.. In 1880 Mr. Chapman left his old home- stead in Clockville, the house in which he (and afterward all of his children) was born, and removed with his entire family to his new residence at Oneida, where he made his home the remainder of his life, recognized as one of Oneida's distinguished and honored citizens. In politics he was a pronounced Democrat, and was one of the influential Democratic orators of Central New York. He was as faithful and unswerving to the principles of Democracy as to the business principles which ever guided his successful career. In early life he held various town ofiSces, such as School Inspector, Commis- sioner, Town Superintendent, Supervisor, also District Attorney and Postmaster. On January 24, 1883, he was appointed County Judge and Surrogate of Madison County by Governor Cleveland, and the same day was confirmed by the Senate to fill the unexpired term of Hon. Charles L. Kennedy, deceased, the duties of which position he discharged with honor and credit. In September of the BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 495 same year he received the unanimous nomi- nation of the Democratic Convention for can- didate for Judge and Surrogate, to succeed himself, running against Hon. A. D. Ken- nedy, one of the most popular Republicans in the county, and came within one hundred votes of overcoming the Republican majority, which was between two thousand and two thousand five hundred. In 1861, at the breaking out of the Rebellion, Mr. Chapman led off with the first war speech in the county; and no patriot ever worked harder than he during that long, memorable struggle. He was a constant and hard worker, en- joying almost perfect health, blessed with a constitution capable of great endurance, endowed with a vigorous mind, and enter- taining, interesting, and instructive in con- versation, which was interspersed with mirth and anecdote. Though thoroughly a business man, amid all the turmoil of life he yet found time for literary work and social enjoyment. He prepared several lectures — "Harper's Ferry," "Washington and its Defences," and especially his last very popular one on "Salem Witchcraft," which was received with great favor throughout the country, wherever delivered. His word pictures of that ter- rible delusion were as vivid as the closest ac- quaintance could make them; and audiences seemed to be completely fascinated by his eloquence, and were swayed at his will as he described in vigorous, impressive language the terrible scenes through which the people of Salem passed in that fated period. Judge Chapman retired from active business cares some five years previous to his death, which occurred March 29, 1892. He left not only the results of his industry, sagacity, and economy, but what his friends and family may prize and value more — his principles of honor and his high moral standard of justice and right. In connection with this memoir the publishers take pleasure in presenting to their readers an excellent portrait of the late Judge Chapman, which will be highly appre- ciated by his numerous friends, by whom he was held in the highest esteem, and who tenderly cherish his memory. lORRIS N. CAMPBELL, an enter- prising and progressive agricultur- ist and a fine representative of the farming community of Lebanon, was born on the old homestead where he yet lives, No- vember 17, 1824. His grandfather, Archi- bald Campbell, who was of Scotch ancestry, was born in Massachusetts, February 16, 1761. His early years were spent among the rugged hill's of that State. In the struggle between the colonies and Great Britain he took an active part, entering the Revolutionary army in the latter part of the war, and serving until its close, after which he came to Madison County (then a part of Chenango County, Madison County not having been organized until 1806). Upon his arrival here he pur- chased a tract of land near the present site of the reservoir, on which was a fine water privi- lege, which he took advantage of by building one of the first saw-mills in this section of 496 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW the country. He cleared a part of his land and engaged in farming, residing in the town until his death, when about eighty years of age. His marriage occurred in Lebanon, May 4, 1786, to Mary Wiley. She was the , daughter of a pioneer family, and was born April 20, 1762. She died in Lebanon, and with her husband now sleeps in the Campbell Cemetery. To them were born four chil- dren; namely, Harvy, Polly, Asenath, and Archibald. The latter, father of our subject, was born in Lebanon, Madison County, March 15, 1795. In the primitive pioneer dwelling of his pa- rents he grew to manhood, assisting in the farm labors, gleaning his education in a rude log school-house, and starting out for him- self even with the world. He began his career working by the month at small wages, but by industry and careful economy saved enough to purchase a tract of land, build a log cabin, and warrant him in taking a life com- panion. His prosperity continuing, he pur- chased the adjoining farm, and followed agri- cultural pursuits many years. Late in life he relinquished the arduous duties of farming to younger hands, and removing to Hamilton, there lived a retired life until his death, in 1863. The maiden name of his wife was Susan Niles. She was born in the town of Madison, May 6, 1798, being a daughter of John and Susan (Bryant) Niles, natives respectively of Massachusetts and Otsego County, New York. Mr. and Mrs. Niles were the parents of a large family. Mr. Niles left his home in the old Bay State to take up government land in the town of Mad- ison. Securing a tract, he improved a farm, which he subsequently sold for seven dollars per acre. He then bought wild timber land in the town of Lebanon, the journey to which he made with teams, going by wagon road part of the distance, but at times having to follow a trail marked by blazed trees. Upon this land he lived several years. Later, seeing an ex- cellent opportunity to secure a farm in the north-eastern part of the same town, near the present site of the reservoir, he availed him- self of it, and bought the property, there spending the remainder of his years. The parents of our subject reared a family of four children, bringing them up religiously in the faith of the Baptist church ; and two of them, Harvy M. and Mary C, imbued with the true spirit of Christianity, went as missionaries to Burmah, where both died while yet in the prime of life. The former, Harvy, married Clarissa Conant, of an early family of this town, and at his death left two children, Clarissa and Harvy, who returned to this country. Archibald B., the youngest son, died in Hamilton, June i, 1881. Morris N. Campbell, of whom we write, was born in the old log house in which his parents began their wedded life. He grew to manhood under the parental roof -tree, re- ceiving a substantial education in the district school, which was supplemented by a course of study at Hamilton Academy. At the age of eighteen years he secured a position as teacher, engaging himself for a term of three months, at a salary of twelve dollars and a BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 497 half per month and board around among the patrons of the school. He proved himself a very capable instructor; and the term was extended another month, that the pupils might have the benefit of his instruction. Not taking kindly to the profession of a teacher, however, Mr. Campbell determined to try the mercantile business, and for two years was employed as a clerk in Hamilton. At the end of that time, tiring of the busi- ness, he resumed the occupation to which he was bred, and has since devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits. He has an excellent and productive farm of one hundred acres, ten of which were a part of his father's original homestead, and whereon he was born. This he carries on most successfully. In 1847 Mr. Campbell was united in mar- riage to Patience, daughter of John Rowell and a native of Madison County, born in Hamilton in July, 1825. Of this union there are four children living, namely : Ida, widow of W. H. Jones, of Eaton; J. Archie; Mary C, wife of W. G. Hitchings and Post- mistress at Randallsville; and Na Motte,' whose wife died in December, 1890, and is in- terred in Woodlawn Cemetery at Hamilton in the same plat where his mother was interred later in the same month. Mr. Campbell is one of the Ibading men of his town, having held many varied offices of public trust. Among others he has served as Commissioner of High- ways, was Supervisor for many years, and is now Justice of the Peace. In 1875 he was elected Member of the Assembly, serving in 1876 from Madison County. He has also served the public as civil engineer and sur- veyor, acting some time as assistant in the State's employ. Politically, he was always opposed to slavery, and has been a stanch sup- porter of the Republican party ever since its formation, believing in its principles and in- dorsing its measures by his influence and vote. In social and fraternal matters he is a member of Hamilton Lodge, No. 120, A. F. & A. M.; of Cyrus Chapter, No. 50, R. A. M. ; and of Norwich Commandery, No. 46, K. T. Mr. Campbell has always been the friend of every worthy enterprise, and has ever manifested deep interest in whatever was designed to promote the public good. That his qualities as a public-spirited man have been appreciated is attested by the fact that he has so often been elected to serve his town and county in public office, and that his high standing in the community as a man and citi- zen is recognized by all. "YaVfr^ H. KILEY, attorney-at-law and F I ^ President of the Village Board, ^ V— • residing in Cazenovia, is one of the leading attorneys of Madison County. His parents, who live in Warren County, came to this country from Ireland previous to their marriage. Five of their six children still survive. Michael H., of this notice, was the eldest child. He was born in War- ren County, and during his boyhood and early youth attended the common schools as he had opportunity, and worked on the farm until he was eighteen years old. He was ambitious to 498 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW become a scholar and a learned man, and at the age mentioned went to Chittenango, and attended school there for one term, working for a Dr. Eaton for his board. After spend- ing the following summer at work on the farm, he the next fall attended the seminary in Cazenovia, doing chores generally for his board. He was graduated from the semi- nary in 1883, having completed the course of study through years of trial and poverty which certainly would have discouraged most young men. While engaged in the pursuit of knowledge in Cazenovia Seminary, he carefully considered the advantages and disadvantages, so far as he could, of various fields of labor, in order to make an intelligent selection of a calling, and, deciding upon the law, entered the office of D. W. Cameron. For three years afterward he pursued the study of law with characteristic energy and determination, and then became junior partner in the firm of Cameron & Kiley, which firm was in. existence for a period of six years, at the end of which time Mr. Kiley opened his present office, and has since been engaged on his own account. He has built up a large practice, and enjoys the entire confidence of the community. Mr. Kiley was married in 1888 to Celia Sterling, of Herkimer County, by whom he has two daughters. Marguerite and Helen Gertrude. Politically, he is a Republican, but has never been an office-seeker, although, as stated in the beginning of this sketch, his fellow-citizens have chosen him for Presi- dent of the Village Board. He is one of the Law Committee for the Catholic Benevolent Legion. Fully appreciating the value of edu- cation, seeing clearly what it has done for himself, he is doing what he can in a general way to extend its benefits to others, besides educating one of his brothers, his intention being to do likewise by another. Mr. Kiley has made his mark on the tablet of the history of his county, and has the ability of a first- class lawyer. Taken all in all, he is a young man of great promise; and much may confi- dently be expected of him in the future. ^-pjVpJICHAEL DORAN. Old Ireland, III "'^^^'^h ^^s contributed so many able ^ ^-^ men toward the history of Amer- ica, was the home of the ancestors of this gentleman. His father, Edward Doran, emi- grated from that country, and after a voyage of nearly two months settled in Canada with his wife and two children, this being in the year 1827. He bought a farm of two hun- dred acres, on which he lived until his death, in 1887, at the age of eighty-eight years. His wife was Miss Anna Powers. She sur- vived him two years, dying at the age of eighty-two years. There were nine children, six sons and three daughters, all living with the exception of two daughters — one buried in Canada, the other in Michigan. Our subject was born in Upper Canada in the year 1830, and at the age of eighteen left his home and went to Boonville, Oneida County, N.Y., where he worked on the con- struction of the Black River Canal. He started out to m^ke his own fortune with BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 499 just six dollars in his pocket, having but a very limited education, but later secured oiie winter's hard study at State Bridge, Oneida County. At the age of twenty-one, in the year 1851, he began boating, very soon becoming boatswain and steersman. Within three years of that time he was put in charge of a boat on the Syracuse and Oswego line, which position he filled for five years. During these years he bought a lake boat, which he quickly sold at a great profit. He then had one built at Durhamville, and called it the "Major Good- sell." In the spring of 1863 he purchased the dry dock at Durhamville, in company with Frank Hosley; and, although it was but half finished, they paid therefor six thousand two hundred and fifty dollars. This firm contin- ued in business for eleven years, when Mr. Doran bought out the interest of his partner, and entered into partnership with a Mr. Hol- lenbeck. Four years later Mr. Doran pur- chased his interest, and has since carried on business alone. He builds from four to six boats per year, nearly all being sold on con- tract before being built, and during the sum- mer of 1893 employed a force of thirty-five men. The dry dock, under his efficient man- agement, is one of the best on the canal. Mr. Doran is one of the kind of men who are of use in a community; one who, with energy and enterprise, keeps money moving and business interests progressing. He has been the architect of his own fortune; and, though he has lost much by bad debts, owing to him by persons who have traded on his charity and benevolence, still his honesty and integrity are such, and his reputation as an experienced workman is so well known, that his name is good for any amount of credit. Mr. Doran married Miss Margaret Dunn, of State Bridge, in the winter of 1863. She is the daughter of John Dunn, who came to America in 1844, and died at the home of our subject in 1883, at the age of eighty-four, leaving three sons and two daughters. Five children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Doran, of whom three are living. Edward M. is a graduate of Poughkeepsie Business College, and assists his father at the dry dock. He is married, and has one daughter. Mamie E. is a graduate of the Oswego Nor- mal School and a fine musician and teacher. She is in her nineteenth year. William P., of Buffalo, N.Y., is employed as a collector for his father, and represents him in a grain commission house. He is twenty-two years old, and was educated at Georgetown College, District of Columbia. The family are exem- plary Catholics, faithful in fulfilling their religious duties and charitable to the poor. In politics Mr. Doran is a Democrat. 'fl, ^RS. GENEVIEVE CULVER, wid- ow of the late William Culver, who died at his home in Canastota, March 12, 1893, in his seventy-eighth year, was born in Fenner, Madison County, and is a daughter of James and Nancy (Cramer) Wilder, the : former of whom was born in Genesee County, New York, and the latter in Schuyler, Herkimer County. He died at Soo BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Perryville in 1890, at the age of seventy- seven, leaving his wife and five children, one son and four daughters. They had previ- ously lost their eldest daughter, Mary Jane, who was the wife of D. Pickett. Their son, Alfred, enlisted in the One Hundred and Fifty-seventh New York Volunteer Infantry, and, after serving his country but a few months, died in his twenty-second year, and was buried at Fairfax, Va. Esther L. Wilder died of consumption at the age of nineteen. The mother of these children is now more than eighty-one years old, and is yet active and healthy for her great age. She is living with her daughter, Mrs. Culver. Mrs. Culver is a woman of superior ability and education, having attended a first-class academy in her youth. She was married December 21, 1881, to William Culver, who was a noble and upright man and one of the best of husbands. He was a son of Elias Culver, of Southampton, Conn., who became a pioneer farmer of Madison County, settling here when everything was new, and literally hewing for himself a fortune out of the wilderness. He was twice married, his first wife being a Miss Sarah Lupton, of New England, who died in middle life, leaving three sons and two daughters, all of whom have now passed away, William of this sketch being the last survivor. Elias Culver died at Canastota in his eighty-eighth year, leav- ing a moderate fortune. William Culver was married twice, being united to his first wife, Mary Smith, at the age of forty. She died March 28, i88i, when past middle life, leav- ing no children. Mr. Culver was a very industrious man and a most successful farmer, beginning with but a small capital and accu- mulating a comfortable competence for his later years, which his widow is now enjoying. In politics he was a Republican, and, though not a member of any church, was a man of the highest integrity, a good citizen, and an excellent neighbor. The fine house in which his widow now resides he erected in 1884 on the ruins of their former dwelling, which was destroyed by fire, the loss being re- lieved only by the receipt of some little in- surance. In connection with this residence there are one hundred and twenty-eight and one-half acres of land, the entire estate being left by will to the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Culver is a lady possessed of all true womanly virtues, and one of those who prefer the quiet of home life and family comforts to the empty honors and exacting demands of social life. She has a wide circle of friends in her town and county, and has the good will and esteem of all. AVID TORREY, D.D., formerly [qJ pastor of the Presbyterian church, and who for the last twenty-four years has been a resident of Cazenovia, pre- sents a high type of the cultured Christian gentleman. He was born in Bethany, Wayne County, Pa., November 8, 18 18. His father was a native of Williamstown, Mass., and came from the old Bay State to Pennsylvania about 1793, when a young man. He was BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW SOI born in 1772, and married Lois Welch, of Williamstown, returning to Massachusetts from Pennsylvania for that purpose. By occupation he was a surveyor and land agent, being employed for many years by Philadel- phia capitalists. He died at the home of his son John in Honesdale, Pa., when advanced in years. This son succeeded to his father's business, and is now a man of wealth, though eighty-six years of age, being still fairly active and able to conduct his own business. He of whom we write is the youngest of eleven children, nine sons and two daughters, all of whom arrived at mature years, with the exception of two sons. All have now passed away except our subject and his brother above mentioned. The mother of these children died in middle life, being forty-five years of age. David Torrey received a good educa- tion, and in early life acquired a knowledge of surveying. At nineteen he began prepar- ing for college, and entered Amherst at the age of twenty, graduatiug in 1843. He then spent one year in Andover, Mass., and two in the Union Theological Seminary of New York. He received his ordination at Delhi, N.Y., in 1849, was installed, and remained there-until 1861, when he removed to Ithaca, in which place he was pastor four years. Owing to poor health, he went abroad for one year in 1865, visiting Europe and the East in the endeavor to recuperate his exhausted faculties, and on his return received a call to Ann Arbor, Mich. In this place, where he remained for a year and a half, he had the misfortune to lose his wife. Her maiden name was Mary E. Humphrey; and she was a daughter of Dr. Heman Humphrey, the President of Amherst College. Their mar- riage had occurred in 1848; and she died in 1868, at the age of forty, leaving two chil- dren, namely: Sarah, now the wife of Will- iam D. Wells, of Cazenovia, and the mother of two daughters and one son; and James H. Torrey, a prominent attorney of Scranton, Pa., who is married, and has two sons and two daughters. Dr. Torrey was married for the second time to Georgiana (Mitchell) Moseley, widow of George F. Moseley, who died in Janesville, Wis. He was a well-to-do bookseller, and a man of high reputation personally. Mrs. Torrey is the daughter of Dr. David and Sarah (Coman) Mitchell, the former of whom was from Westmoreland, N.H., born there in May, 1793, and died at the present home of the Doctor and his wife August 31, 1873. His father died in Walpole, N.H., when he was a child of four; and there he spent his youth, later becoming a student and graduate of Dartmouth College and of the Hanover Medical College. He came to Cazenovia in 1 816, and was married here in the following year, his wife being seventeen and he twenty- four at the time of their marriage. He prac- tised his profession in Cazenovia for many years, and at his death left his widow with seven children, two sons and five daughters. His wife was of the town of Eaton, and was a daughter of pioneers of this county. One son and three of their daughters are now living, namely: Nancy D. Mitchell, of Chi- 502 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW cago; Maria E., widow of Rev. A. P. Smitii, a rector in the Episcopal church, and who resides in Chicago; Mrs. Torrey, of this sketch; and Lucian Coman Mitchell, who has been a resident of Chicago for many years, and was one of the sufferers of the great fire of 1 87 1. He holds a prominent position in the house of A. C. McClurg & Co. of that city. The subject of this sketch, although ad- vanced in years, is well preserved both men- tally and physically, and is a man of pure and upright life and true Christian character. All who are acquainted with him and his es- timable wife will surely wish that they may yet enjoy many years of comfort and happi- ness here below; for their loss would be a se- vere bereavement to their numerous friends and well-wishers who reside in this county and elsewhere. B R. OSCAR L. SOUTHWORTH, a public -spirited citizen of Madi- son County, a skilful physician of wide-spread popularity, was born in Edmes- ton, Otsego County, N.Y., July 21, 1839, son of Horace and Sophronia (Crumb) .South- worth, and fifth in the line of descent from Constant Southworth, who from England came to Plymouth, Mass., it is presumed in 1628. (See Savage's Genealogical Diction- ary.) His mother, Alice Southworth, a widow, became the wife of Governor Brad- ford. Joseph Southworth, grandfather of the Doctor, was born in Plymouth, Mass., and upon the death of his father left that State, | and went to what is now Stonington, Conn. The same love of liberty which had animated his ancestor made him a minute-man of the Revolution. As a beardless boy he enlisted, and marched out "to die or be free." After three years of hard service he re-enlisted, and remained in the army until his country had gained its independence. When the war closed, he went to Mansfield, Conn., where he married Miss Lydia Barrows, and from there moved to Edmeston, N.Y., being one of the first settlers of that place. There he kept a store and potash factory and built a trav- eller's home. He died in Edmeston at an advanced age. Horace Southworth, son of the patriot sol- dier and father of Dr. Southworth, was born April 30, 1809. He was the youngest child in the family, his brothers and sisters being Sally, Betsey, Joseph, Thomas, Dennis, and Polly. He was reared to the carpenter's trade and agricultural pursuits. When he reached manhood, he was strongly interested in military matters, and rose to the rank of Captain in a company which was located at Burlington, N.Y. He was also a prominent temperance man, and organized many lodges. In his politics he was a Whig as long as that party lasted, and a pronounced Abolitionist in principle. He cast his vote for William Henry Harrison as President. He married Miss Sophronia Crumb, daughter of Joseph Crumb, who was one of the first settlers of the town of Plainfield, owning all the land, nearly one thousand acres, lying in the vicin- ity of our subject's home. Mr. Crumb had BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW S°3 fourteen children, twelve of whom grew to maturity, several of them being well-known professional men. Their names were: Will- iam Sidney and Gardner, who died in infancy in Rhode Island; Varnum, Stephen, Joseph, Sophronia, Archibald K., Orville, Julia, Susan, Miriam, Russell, Franklin P., and Louisa. Mr. and Mrs. Horace Southworth had five children, namely: Horace, Jr., and Lucy A., deceased ; Susan L. ; Oscar Lemuel ; and Or- ville W. The mother died in the town of Plainfield, at the age of sixty-one years. The education of Oscar L. Southworth in the district schools of his native town was supplemented by a three years' course in the South Trenton Academy. His first work was on his father's farm, where he began at the age of twelve years to earn a living. He hired himself out by the month, and gave his father one hundred dollars every autumn for nine years, leaving home at the age of twenty- one without a dollar in his pocket. At twenty-three years of age he began to study medicine with Dr. Chauncey Perkins, of Co- lumbus, N.Y., remaining there until the death of this estimable physician. He after- ward attended a course of lectures at the Philadelphia College of Medicine and Sur- gery, and was graduated from that institution in February, 1866, and has been in active practice ever since. October 2, 1862, he mar- ried Miss Isiphine J., daughter of his first tutor, Dr. Chauncey Perkins, of Columbus, N.Y. They have one son, Horace C, who was graduated from the graded school at Leonardsville, attended the Whitesboro Acad- emy, and entered the Medical Department of the University of the City of New York; but, his health failing, he was compelled to give up his studies and return to his home. Horace C. Southworth married Miss Maud Burdick; and they have one child, Mertie Lea. Dr. Southworth's practice covers a very large territory, extending as far as Smyrna, twenty-two miles away, and taking in the towns of Burlington, Edmeston, Winfield, Columbus, New Berlin, Bridgewater, and all the sur- rounding country. The Doctor became a mem- ber in 1867 of the Eclectic Society of New York, and was subsequently Vice-President of the Eclectic Medical Society for the 23d Senatorial District. He is a Free Mason in good standing, belonging to Western Star Lodge, No. 1 5, A. F. & A. M., one of the oldest lodges in the State. He was elected Supervisor on the Republican ticket in 1885 by a large majority, overcoming both the Dem- ocrat and Prohibition opposition. In 1886 he again received the nomination, and was re- elected. While Supervisor he served upon the Equalization Committee both years, as well as acting -upon other important committees. He has been a member of the Board of Educa- tion of Leonardsville, N.Y., for a number of years. He attends the Methodist church. Madison County is noted for the high stand- ing and particular excellence of its medical men, but none among them hold a more deservedly popular position than Dr. Oscar L. Southworth. Of a genial disposition. 504 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW blending firmness with kindliness, he pos- sesses more than the ordinary qualifications necessary in a physician j and his skill has brought back to health the lights of many a home. He comes from an illustrious family on both sides, and in his useful life proves that he has not degenerated from the virtues of his ancestry. Dr. Southworth fills an important place in the community where he lives, has a large practice, and enjoys the confidence of the people in a marked degree. rfl> ^RS. ANN KING, widow of Davis T. King, is one of the excellent women of the town of Eaton. Davis T. King was born in Oneida County in 1820, and was a son of Thomas King, who came from New Hampshire, and was the son of a Revolutionary soldier. The King family were among the earliest settlers of the town of Sangerfield, Oneida in County; and that town Thomas King lived and died, his death occurring when he was seventy-nine years old. He was twice married, and reared six daughters and one son, four of whom are now living, namely: Esther, wife of J. W. Moore, residing in Detroit, Mich.; Cordelia, widow of J. V. R. Livermore, and residing in Madi- son County, New York; Catharine, wife of A. H. Barry, of Elgin, 111.; and Adeline, wife of D. T. Camp, living in Oneida County, New York. Davis T. King was educated in the town of Sangerfield, Oneida County, and was mar- ried in 1846 to Angenetta Leland, who was born in the town of Eaton, on the farm where she now lives, October 31, 1821. She is the daughter of Ezra and Anna (Griffin) Leland, the former of whom was born in Sherburne, Mass., January 29, 1789, and was the son of Joshua Leland, who was born in the same place in 1741, and died in 18 10. The first of the Leland family of whom there is any record was Henry Leland, who was born in England in 1625, married Margaret Bab- cock, and came with her to America in 1652, settling in Massachusetts, and living there till their death. The motto on the Leland coat of arms was Cut Debeo Fidus. Joshua Leland was the first white man who settled in the town of Eaton; and he was killed while hauling potash to Albany by falling, it is supposed, off his wagon, being run over and killed, June 22, 1810. Ezra Leland and his wife, Anna Griffin, were the parents of seven children, namely: Eliza A., who died when three years of age; Isaac, who was born in 1817, and died in 1849; Leonard, who was born in 18 19, and died in 1884; Mrs. King, the subject of this sketch; Huldah M., who was born in 1825, and died in 1843; Osmer B., who was born in 1832, and died in 1865; and Oscar F., twin brother of Osmer B., who died in 1867. Mr. and Mrs. Leland were members of the Baptist church and good people, honest and upright in all their dealings with their fellow-men. Mr. Leland was a Republican in politics, and in every sense a true, reliable, self-made man. Davis T. King disappeared about the time of the war, and it is supposed that he was BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 5°S killed. Mrs. King, after the first ten years of her married life, returned in 1856 to her native town, Eaton, to the old farm belonging to her father, and took care of her parents in their last days. She has continued to live on the old homestead ever since, and is the owner of a one-half interest, leasing it to a tenant. She was well educated in youth, at- tending the district school held in the school- house which is still standing, just across the way from her present home. She also attended the schools in Morrisville, and spent one year at the Ladies' Seminary at Hamil- ton. Mrs. King has four children, namely: Anna L., born April 22, 1847, and now resid- ing in New York City; Mary, born May 15, 1848, the wife of Charles M. Seymour, and residing in Morrisville; Cordelia M., born June S, 1850, and residing at honie with her mother; and Frank Leland, born April i, 1854, and living in Johnstown, Fulton County, N.Y. Mrs. King is a consistent Christian, her membership being with the Baptist church. . < •■» > r3RGE W. MILES, M.D., a popular physician of Oneida, N.Y., whose advice as a specialist in the treatment of throat and lung diseases is much sought, a man of high standing in his profession, being a member of the American Academy of Medi- cine, was born in the city of Auburn, Cayuga County, N.Y., December 27, 1851, the only child of his worthy parents, Monroe and Clara (Chittenden) Miles. His mother was from Ithaca, Tompkins County. His father, a cabinet-maker by trade, who removed to Auburn from Wayne County, died in 1884 at sixty-five years of age. Dr. Miles spent his early life in his native city of Auburn. After pursuing his prepara- tory studies at the Auburn High School, he entered Hamilton College in 1869, and was graduated at that institution in 1873, later also receiving the degree of Master of Arts in course. On leaving college, he began the study of medicine with Dr. Lansing Briggs, of Auburn, then one of the leading surgeons of Western New York, and graduated with the highest honors of his class, being accorded the valedictory from Columbus (Ohio) Medical College in the class of 1879. Since his re- moval to this place Dr. Miles has built up one of the largest office practices, general and special, in Oneida. That he is a thorough practitioner is evident from the fact of his having been chosen a Fellow of the Ameri- can Academy of Medicine at Baltimore in the year 1880, one of the highest honors accorded to physicians in this country, none being admitted to membership in this academy except those who have received the degree of Master of Arts previous to graduation from a medical school. It is shown by statistics that only ten per cent, of the physicians of the United States are thus eligible. So strong has been and is the desire of physi- cians to belong to this academy that some years ago a strong effort was made to remove this restriction, but up to the present time the effort has been a failure. One of the strong arguments against such extension of member- 5o6 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ship was made by Dr. Miles in a paper pub- lished some years since in the Columbus Medical Journal. Dr. Miles has been for several years a frequent contributor to period- ical literature, both medical and general. On December 31, 1874, Dr. Miles was mar- ried to Esther L. Allen, of Augusta, Oneida County, N.Y., who died June 7, 1876. On August 17, 1 88 1, he married his present wife, Marietta Ransom, of Perryville, Madison County. In religion he is an Episcopalian, having been confirmed a member of St. John's Parish by Bishop Huntington in the spring of 1887. Mrs. Miles is also a communicant of this church. The Doctor is local examiner for the Equi- table Life Insurance Company; and he is also the nominator of other examiners, which is another evidence of the confidence reposed in him. In politics he is a Republican, and has recently been elected Coroner of Madison County. Dr. Miles is held in the highest respect, both as a physician and a citizen. ^UANE B. STILLMAN, Esq., an able counsel lor-at-law, son of Ethan and Clarissa (Bailey) Stillman, was born in the town of Brookfield, N.Y., Decem- ber 10, 1846. His father was also a native of this place, to which his grandfather, Nathan Stillman, one of the early settlers, came from the Eastern States in 1800. Ethan Stillman upon leaving his home learned the cabinet-maker s trade, and worked at it for some years, later following the occu- pation of a tinsmith. He married a daughter of the late Rev. Eli S. Bailey, and spent his life in Brookfield, leaving at his death a widow and four sons — -John T., William N., Arthur J., and Duane B. The youngest of these sons, the last-named, pursued his studies in the public schools of Brookfield and afterward in the academy. Adopting law for his profession, he entered as a student the offices of S. B. Dayboll and S. S. Morgan, applied himself with diligence, and was admitted to the bar in the year 1872. Directly opening an office in the town, he has since devoted himself to consultation and other office work, in which he has shown himself very capable. He was some time ago elected to the important position of Town Clerk, which he held for twelve years. Dur- ing his long term he was most painstaking, accurate, and thorough in keeping the records and in his official papers. So that it was with the utmost regret that his fellow-citizens gave him up, when he decided not to serve longer. The mother of Mr. Stillman, a venerable lady, eighty-seven years of age, resides with him, and is so well preserved mentally and physically that she superintends all the work of the household. For several years Mr. Stillman has closely identified himself always with the general aims and charities of the Masonic Order. He is at present Senior Warden of Western Star Lodge, No. 15, A. F & A. M., of which he has twice been Master, and is a member of Warren Chapter, No. 22, R. A. M. He is William K. Porter. BIOGRAPHICAL. REVIEW 5°9 also Master of Madison County Pomona Grange, Patrons of Husbandry. For four years Mr. Stillman was Justice of the Peace, and gave as great satisfaction in that office as in the others he has held in the town. A strong Republican in his political principles, he gives a hearty support to the teachings of that party, and is prompt and energetic in his duties. as a citizen and voter. Mr. Stillman has not yet completed his half-century, but has proved himself a man of many sterling virtues. Already prominent in the affairs of the town, he bids fair to be among the most valued and highly honored of its people. ^Yl\p\AJOR WILLIAM K. PORTER, a F I =/ veteran of the late war, an officer H -•- V_^ who bravely earned his promo- tions, now a resident of Cazenovia, was born in Baltimore, Md., January 21, 1827. He is a son of the late Professor Nathaniel Porter, a native of Worcester, Mass., and grandson of Samuel Porter, a farmer who owned and occupied a large farm near that city. Na- thaniel Porter was educated in the schools of Worcester and at Amherst College. His first work was teaching, which he gave up to be a clerk in a mercantile house in New York City. Joining a church choir and being constant in attendance on divine service, he became converted, and was received into church mem- bership. Applying himself to the study of theology, he became a preacher of the gospel. In 1825, on the opening of Cazenovia Semi- nary, he was engaged as its Principal. Ably discharging the duties of this office till the autumn of 1826, on account of ill-health he then resigned, and went to Baltimore as teacher of a select school, which position he held one year. The remainder of his brief life was devoted to ministerial labors. After a year at Morristown, N.J., he was called to Newark to take charge of a newly established church. He was very successful in his min- istry, and added three hundred members to his church the first year. He preached in Newark and vicinity, and resided in that city till his death, August 17, 1831, at the early age of thirty years. The maiden name of his wife was Laura Anna Kilborn. She was born in Cazenovia in July, 1807. Her father, Hon. Jesse Kil- born, was born in Litchfield, Conn., August 3, 1778. (See genealogy of the Kilborn family.) He married Abigail Ward, a native of the same town. In 1806 Mr. and Mrs. Kilborn erriigrated from Connecticut to Madi- son County, making the journey by land. Cazenovia was then a very small place, and they were obliged to take lodgings in the basement of the Presbyterian church. They soon bought property on Sullivan Street, near the present site of the Green. Mr. Kilborn first engaged in the dry-goods business. At this time all merchandise was drawn by teams from Albany. Later for a number of years he was in the drug business. In 1821 he was commissioned Postmaster, which office he held nineteen years, or during the adminis- trations of Monroe, Adams, Jackson, and Van Si° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Buren. In 1833 he was elected to the Gen- eral Assembly. For many years he was Trustee and President of the Village Board. He died here May 14, 1842. His wife died in March, 1878. Their daughter, the widow of Rev. Nathaniel Porter, was married a sec- ond time to Rev. L. A. Eddy, a preacher of the Methodist Episcopal church. She spent her last years in Cazenovia, dying here in June, 1 891. The subject of this sketch was four and a half years old when his father died and his mother returned to Cazenovia. In addition to the educational advantages of this town, which he duly improved, he profited by a two years' course of study in select schools at Ridgefield and New Canaan. Leaving school at an early age, he began the business of life at Lockport as clerk in a wholesale drug store. Failing health led him to give up this position, and devote a year to farming, preparatory to passing a year in Genesee College at Lima. At the end of this time he bought a farm in Batavia, which he culti- vated for seven years. Selling this place, he moved to Worcester, bought another farm, and engaged for four years in market garden- ing. His next move was to Owego, Tioga County, where he engaged in the wholesale boot and shoe trade until 1862. In July of that year he enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and Thirty-seventh New York Vol- unteer Infantry, and served with the Army of the Potomac till after the battle of Gettys- burg, when the Eleventh and Twelfth Army Corps were united to make a provisional corps, and sent to Tennessee to join General Hooker's army, and in due course of time to form a part of the Army of the Cumberland. He served until the close of the war. Among the important battles in which the regiment was engaged may be mentioned Chancel- lorsville, Gettysburg, Wahatchie, Ringgold (Ga.), battle of Lookout Mountain, known as "the battle above the clouds," and Missionary Ridge. It was with Sherman's command in his grand march from Chattanooga to Atlanta, participating in the battles en route and in the siege and capture of that city. The divi- sion to which he belonged was the first to march into Atlanta. Its course was from this city to Savannah, and thence, via the Caro- linas and Richmond, to Washington and the Grand Review. He was discharged with his regiment in June, 1865, and returned home. He was mustered as Orderly Sergeant, and was made successively First and Second Lieu- tenant. After the battle of Gettysburg he was promoted to the captaincy of his com- pany, and continued in command from that date. At the time of his discharge he was Brevet-Major. In the fall of 1865 he went to Owego, and engaged in the boot and shoe and leather findings business. His store being burned two years later, he left Owego, and accepted a position in the New York post- office, which he held seven years. He then returned to Cazenovia, where he has since resided. Major Porter married in 1848 Agnes M. Greenland, of Brooklyn, N.Y., daughter of William and Sarah (Marshall) Greenland, na- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 511 tives of England. They have one son living, William N., a dentist of New York City. Mrs. Porter is a member of the Episcopal church. Major Porter belongs to Cazenovia Lodge, No. 6i6, A. F. & A. M.; and Knowl- ton Post, No. 1 60, Grand Army of the Repub- lic. His life has been one of useful and varied activity. In the vigor of his early manhood a defender of the imperilled Union, he may be counted on in his declining years to be true to the principles of liberty and law, and to lend his influence to the cause that is just. A portrait of Major Porter is presented in this connection, as being an interesting addi- tion to his life history as narrated above. TTAORNELIUS ([JRIFFIN, one of the 1 J[ oldest citizens of the town of Eaton ^*' "^ and a representative of one of the pioneer families of this part of the State of New York, was born in the town of New Berlin, Chenango County, January 30, 1818, and was named after his father. Cornelius Griffin, Sr., was born in Dutchess County, N.Y., whence he removed to the town of New Berlin, Chenango County, and after a short residence there came to the town of Eaton, Madison County, in 1832, where he purchased a farm at Pierceville. Here he lived the remainder of his life, dying in 1863, at the age of eighty-seven, his wife having died in 1855, at the age of seventy-three years. They reared a family of nine children, three of whom are still living, namely: Richard, who lives at Pierceville; Cornelius, the sub- ject of this sketch; and Sarah A., widow of Sylvester Holt, of Rochester, Minn. In politics the father of these children was a Democrat, and was an honest, industrious, highly reputable man. Cornelius Griffin, son, the subject of this sketch, lived in the town of New Berlin until he was eleven years of age, and then went to the town of Lebanon. When twenty-one years of age, he started out in life on his own account, and for some years worked by the month at rather small wages compared with what are now paid for the same kind of work. Returning home, he took charge of his father's farm, which he purchased after occupying it for some years, his parents living with him until their death. He was married April 10, 1867, to Lovina Tucker- man, who was born May 18, 1829, in the town of Eaton, the second of the two daugh- ters of Jacob and Delia (Blakeman) Tucker- man. Her grandfather, Jacob Tuckerman, Sr., was one of the early settlers in the town of Eaton and a soldier in the War of 1812-15. He came to this State from Massa- chusetts, and died in Clintonville. The father of Mrs. Griffin was also a hard-working farmer of the town of Eaton, where he owned and managed a farm of one hundred and ten acres. In politics he was a Democrat of the early Jeffersonian type. Mrs. Griffin has no brothers. Her only sister, Rosanna, wife of Adon Brown, lives on the old homestead, where the father and mother both died, he at the age of sixty-four years, she much BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW younger — at thirty-five. Mrs. Tuckerman was a faithful member of the Congregational church. After marriage Mr. Cornelius Griffin, the subject of this memoir, removed to the village of Eaton, where he has continued to live, and in which he owns considerable real estate, including several tenant houses, besides his pleasant home. Mr. and Mrs. Griffin have no children. Mr. Griffin has now nearly completed his seventy-fifth year, and is still strong and sprightly, possessing his mental faculties unimpaired — the result of his life of active usefulness, healthful exercise of brain and muscle, without overwork. No longer engaged in hard manual labor, he finds sufficient occupation in the care of his prop- erty. His life-span has covered a most inter- esting and important period of the world's history — a period remarkable for scientific discovery and industrial development, and for the enlarged recognition of human rights. Mr. Griffin has been a diligent worker and an intelligent observer of the progress of the age, no doubt lending his influence to promote what he conceives would result in the greatest good to the greatest number. JRS. EXPERIENCE DEITZ, a ven- erable and beloved lifelong resident of Canastota, N.Y., was born in the year 1814, and is now in her eightieth year. She is the widow of her cousin, Elias Deitz, who was born in Berne, Albany County, N.Y., and died October 2, 1884, when he was eighty years old. His father, John Deitz, of the same place, reared seven sons and four daughters, all of whom, with the exception of two sons and one daughter, are deceased. The parents of Mrs. Deitz, Henry and Catherine (Richter) Deitz, had eight daughters and three sons, of whom she was the youngest. Her three sisters living are: Gathering, eighty-three years; Sophia, eighty-five years; Maria, eighty-eight years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Elias Deitz began their wedded life with no capital but their native health and strength, with habits of industry and economy; and so thrifty and provident were they as to acquire for their old age a snug property of about ten thousand dollars, the use of which during her life is secured to Mrs. Deitz by her husband's will. As she has no children, after her death it will descend to his nearest of kin. Mr. Deitz was a stone-cutter and mason, and a master workman at his trade. For many years he had a fine position in the gov- ernment works -at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Having the misfortune in September, 1848, to break one of his legs, it was amputated below the knee; and he wore a wooden leg the rest of his life. He was also one of the mechanics on the Harlem Bridge, and until the last four or five years of his life waS a hard-working man. For about five years before his death he was helpless from paraly- sis; and during this long period his devoted wife tenderly and faithfully cared for him, taking little rest night or day. Mrs. Deitz was fortunate in possessing remarkable physi- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 5^3 cal strength and power of endurance. So little did she spare herself during her early life of toil, and in the severe ordeal of her husband's grievous illness, that it was a source of wonder to her many friends that she survived him. But the strength of the Lord is always sufficient for those who seek it. Led by his hand, and though bowed to the earth with her sorrow, when the parting came she still kept her little home, and took up the burden of her lonely life with cheerful resig- nation. At the time of her husband's death they were within ten days of celebrating their golden wedding. Although now somewhat enfeebled from overwork in that season of trial and from increasing years, she lives all alone; and her home is as scrupulously neat as if tended by younger hands. Her mind is still clear and active, and she takes a keen interest in the affairs of the world around her. She often remarks that she expects to live for many years yet, and it is the earnest wish of the hosts of friends who love her that she will see the twentieth century. She is a faithful attendant and supporter of the Presbyterian church of Canastota, as was her husband; and her unwavering faith in the promises of the Bible will aid her to die triumphant in her hope of meeting her beloved one. Mrs. Deitz's cosey cottage at the corner of North Main and New Boston Streets has been her home for many years. Here the young peo- ple of the town are glad to gather around her fireside, and are made as welcome as at any home in the place. Living peacefully and enjoying her modest competence, this "mother in Israel" awaits with calm trustful- ness her Lord's will, having every assurance of a blessed future, an eternal rest. JB R. JAMES F HUNTLEY, the third of this honored name and calling, a highly esteemed physi- cian of Oneida Village, may be said to have entered his profession through inheritance, environment, and education, having succeeded his father and grandfather, skilled medical practitioners, from whom he received his patronymic, and also his maternal grand- father, the late Dr. Freeman, of Oswego County. James F. Huntley, Jr., M.D., son of Dr. James F. Huntley, Sr., was born in the town of Plainfield, Otsego County, N.Y., and after completing his medical education settled in Durhamville, N.Y., where he practised until 1873, and then moved to Oneida, continuing active in his profession until 1887, when he died, aged sixty-two years. He was a skil- ful physician, a good citizen, and a kind and benevolent man. His death was a source of general regret in the village. He married Miss Esther E. Freeman, whose father was a physician in Oswego County for many years. She died when forty-seven years old, having been the mother of three children, namely: Xenophon, deceased; James F., our subject; and Charles, who died when six years old. Our subject was born in Durhamville, SI4 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Oneida County, N.Y., June 19, 1855. He was at first a pupil at the common schools in the village, and later at Fulton and Whites- town Academies. He afterward studied medicine with his father. In 1877 he was graduated from the University of New York City, and for a few months practised at Oneida with his father. Going from here to West Winfield, Herkimer County, N.Y., and entering into partnership with Dr. J. M. Rose, he built up a highly successful prac- tice, and remained there twelve years. In 1889 he removed to Oneida Village, where he is now living. In 1879 ^^ married Miss Nellie Wood, daughter of Colonel Alonzo Wood, of Herkimer County, New York. She comes of long-lived ancestry, her father, the Colonel, being still living at the age of eighty years, his father having lived to ninety years, and his grandfather having reached one hundred and three years. Of the seven chil- dren in Colonel Wood's family, two besides Mrs. Huntley are now living. Dr. and Mrs. Huntley have four children; namely, Esther, Harold, Kate, and J. Warren. The Doctor is a firm Republican in poli- tics, is' a Royal Arch Mason, and is connected in his profession with the Madison County Medical Society and the State Medical Asso- ciation. Mrs. Huntley is an exemplary mem- ber of the Presbyterian church. Dr. Huntley is pleasantly situated, having his office and residence at No. 10 Broad Street, Oneida, N.Y. He is a gentleman of culture and refinement, possessing rare social qualities; and, as a physician, he has been widely recognized as worthy of confidence and patronage. He is an extensive reader, keep- ing himself fully up with the times, well informed in regard to the newest methods in the practice of his profession, and weighing with judgment and care the many inventions and expedients brought to his notice from day to day for the alleviation of pain and suffering. Dr. and Mrs. Huntley have a large circle of friends who cordially welcome them in society, and who in turn enjoy their graceful hospitality. 1A. CRANDALL was born in Leonards- ville, N.Y., August 5, 1848, son of " Darwin S. and Alzina (Babcock) Cran- dall. An elder Crandall, who had served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, on the very night of his return to his home, after his dis- charge from the army, had a son born, who was subsequently the grandfather of Mr. I. A. Crandall. This son remained with his father in Rhode Island until manhood when he moved to Rensselaer County, New York State, and there married Miss Lydia Green- man, by whom he had these children: Will- iam G. ; Jonathan; Darwin S. ; Jane; Polly, deceased. Later the grandfather moved to De Ruyter, Madison County; and there he and the grandmother resided until their deaths. Darwin S., father of I. A. Crandall, was born January 22, 18 16, and was brought up on the farm. The limited education he re- ceived was attained with a great deal of diffi- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 515 culty. The school-house was two miles away, and he had to work for the means to obtain what little instruction he received. When he was twenty years old, he went to Brook- field, N.Y., and learned the carpenter's trade with Richard Stillman. He served at this for two years, working at the carpenter's bench in summers and doing cabinet work in the winters. He started in business for him- self at the end of this time, taking contracts for the erection of buildings. The first house he built was for Tracy Dennison, over fifty years ago. For nearly forty years he contin- ued this business, being actively engaged and employing a large number of men, build- ing houses all over this part of the country, and even going as far south as the State of Florida, where he built a house for J. P. Brown at his orange grove in Palatka, on St. John's River. For the last ten years he has lived retired from business, spending most of his time with his son, our subject, of whose beautiful home he superintended the building. This fine residence, situated on an eminence overlooking all the surrounding country, is indeed the crowning work of the genius of the architect, and a monument to the artistic taste and skill of the builder. This house commands a view not only of the village, but of the whole landscape for ten miles around, and is considered one of the finest in the county. This venerable gentleman is now seventy-five years of age. His wife died in the town of Leonardsville, at the age of seventy. Three children were born to them — our subject, Arthur W., and Alice M. They adopted a nephew of Mrs. Crandall, who resides in Saginaw, Mich. I. A. Crandall was reared to manhood at his present home, being educated partly in the common schools of Leonardsville and partly in select schools of the town. In his youth he was conspicuous for being in the lead in his classes, as he is to-day among his business competitors. At the age of sixteen he began working as a clerk for N. V. and W. H. Brand in a general store, and remained with them two years. He was for one year after this with North & Babcock, and later served for a short time in the County Clerk's office in Morrisville, N.Y. After his term expired he returned to Leonardsville, and went into business for himself August, 1867. His first store was where the post-ofHce now stands, and the firm was known as Kinney & Crandall. This had previously been a large general store, kept by Charles Maxson, who succeeded Mr. Daniel Harding. Mr. Max- son having been burned out, Mr. Harding again took possession of the stock; and Messrs. Kinney & Crandall bought it of him, making it a nucleus of the business they were about to establish. At the end of the year Mr. Crandall bought out Mr. Kinney, and has since continued the business alone. After ten years in this store and the one owned by Mrs. H. W. North he removed to the present building, constructed for him by Wheeler & Harding, where he has ever since conducted a most successful and constantly increasing business, until to-day he is one of the leading merchants in the county, having S'6 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW also a large branch store at West Winfield, N.Y. Arthur W. Crandall began life as a clerk in this store, where he worked for his brother, I. A., for ten years. He then opened a shoe department in the rear of the building, which has since been bought out and added to the already large business of Mr. I. A. Crandall, Arthur still continuing its management. At twenty-two years of age Mr. I. A. Crandall married Miss Algprose L. Higley, daughter of John F. and Elizabeth Higley, of Cortland County, New York, whose people came to Madison County in 1866. They have four children — Elva E., Ralph E., Mable M., and Blanche. The eldest daugh- ter, now twenty-two years old, has been edu- cated at Vassar College, and is a lovely and accomplished young woman. The family are Seventh-day Baptists, Mr. Crandall, like his father, having been from his earliest years identified with this church, of which he is a Deacon. He is Treasurer and Secretary of the Otsego Furnace Co., which is a rapidly growing concern, and is a Director in the Leonardsville Canning Company. He. has served for ten years on the Board of Educa- tion, and has been President for several years. Mr. Crandall, besides being one of the most enterprising and successful merchants of Madi- son County, is a splendid specimen of a self- reliant man. From his earliest years he has worked hard, and his comfort and wealth have been the result of his persevering industry and thrift. He takes a deep interest, not only in the cause of education, but in all public affairs, and votes conscientiously and faithfully with the Republican party. gADURNA P. NICHOLS, one of Georgetown's highly esteemed native ^•^ citizens, was born June 30, 1830, on the farm where he now resides. George Nichols, grandfather of Ladurna, moved from Rhode Island, his native State, to Lincklaen, Chenango County, N.Y., in 1809, bringing with him his wife and children. He bought a tract of the virgin forest, and, having first made a shelter for his family by building a log house, began to clear the land. This process in those days was called logging, and consisted in drawing the felled trees by ox- teams and piling them in heaps in certain spots where they were burned. From the ashes a salt was produced, which yielded pot- ash. This was sold to the nearest market, and was quite a source of revenue to the farmer. After the labor of clearing the farm was completed and the sowing of the different grains, such as corn, wheat, rye, and oats, was done, the sower had to wait with what patience he could for the^un and dew and rain to do their part in bringing forth the fruit. In these years, when in our extended coun- try the shortage in crops in one section is made up for by superabundance in another, we can scarcely understand the anxious nights and days of these pioneer fathers, whose hopes of sustenance for their little ones depended on the harvest yielded from one small patch of ground. But they somehow came out all BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW S17 right, and seemed to verify in their lives the proverb that "God helps those who help themselves." George Nichols married Miss Charlotta Coon in Rhode Island, and found her a fitting help in the new home in this rugged country. He raised and tended the cows: she milked, and made the butter and bread. He raised the flax in the field : she spun, wove, and made it into clothing. And so in every de- partment of his outdoor life she supplemented .it with her equal labor in the household affairs. Asa C. Nichols, son of George, was but four years old when his father moved from Rhode Island to Lincklaen, N.Y. On this, farm he grew up, receiving what education the limited opportunities of the place af- forded. He eventually removed to George- town, N.Y., and here he remained until his death. In 1844 he built his frame house, and did himself nearly all the carpenter work then required on his farm. He filled the offices of Pathmaster and Trustee of his school district. He married Miss Sallie Anna Pot- ter, of Stephentown, Rensselaer County, N.Y. ; and their children were Martha Me- lissa, Ladurna, Lucinda Adelia, Joseph Jerome, Lucy Jane, Stephen Eugene, George Deloss, and Martha Elizabeth. The first child, Martha Melissa, died when a young girl. Lucinda A. was twenty-two years of age at her death. Joseph Jerome married Miss Susan Smith, and resides at Pleasant Hill, Cass County, Mo. Lucy Jane is Mrs. Leeurtus Palmer, of Georgetown, and has one child, named Bret Palmer. Stephen Eugene died while a boy. George Deloss died un- married. And Martha Elizabeth married Mr. Benjamin Beach, and resides in Fort Bridger, Wy. Mr. Asa C. Nichols and fam- ily attended the Seventh-rday Baptist church at Otselic, N.Y. Ladurna P. Nichols spent his boyhood on the home farm in Georgetown, N.Y., attend- ing the district schools, helping in the work of piling logs, and also assisting in the dairy work. Somewhat later he was for a time a pupil in the De Ruyter Institute; and at twenty-one years of age he went to Wiscon- sin, where he remained for four years, avail- , ing himself of the opportunity to pursue a two years' course of study in the Albion Academy of that State, afterward working at farming and carpentering in the summer and teaching school in the winter at Albion. Although prospering in Wisconsin, he con- sidered his filial duties paramount; and, when his father, who was becoming advanced in years, needed and desired his help, he returned to the homestead in Georgetown, N.Y. He picked up the trade of a carpen- ter when he was seventeen years old, at the time his father's house was being built; and, being ingenious and successful in anything he undertakes, he has erected his handsome dwelling, a sugar-house, barns, blacksmith's shop, and cheese factory — in fact, all the buildings needed on his place. He married Marcelia Harvey, of Burdict Settlement, of the town of Lincklaen, Chenango County, N.Y. Her father, Daniel, was a son of Paul Harvey, one of the pioneer settlers of Pitcher, S'S BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW N.Y., who came from the New England States. Mr. Daniel Harvey was a farmer, and married Lydia Crandall, daughter of Justice Crandall, a clothier, whose wife was Lydia Holt. To Mr. and Mrs. Nichols have been born five children — Eleanora Loretta, Letta Me- lissa, Lydia Adelia, A. D. Ladu, John Lav- ier. Eleanora is the wife of Will Halbert, a resident of Chenango County; and their only child is Zella Alice. Letta Melissa married Mr. John M. Crumb, of De Ruyter, N.Y; and their one child is Miss Daisy May. Lydia Adelia, an accomplished young lady. ville, N.Y. A. D. Ladu and John Lavier, aged eleven, live at home. Mr. Nichols leads the quiet, happy life of a farmer in easy circumstances, possessing a cultivated mind, having a taste for good literature, and reading the papers to keep himself informed of the general events of the times. He and his estimable family stand high in the good opinion of his townspeople, and count among them scores of good friends. wife had eleven children, six of whom still survive, namely: William, living in Syra- cuse; Waite, Elmina R., and Elizabeth, all of Otis, Mass. ; Kinsman D. ; and Charles, living at Dalton, Livingston County, N.Y. Kinsman D. Broga was brought up among the Berkshire hills, and in his youthful days worked at farm labor and also with his father at his trade. He was always thorough in whatever he undertook. Being always anx- ious for an education, he attended school and studied as he had opportunity. A certain lady boarding with his people was of material assistance, lending him various text-books. an artist of much ability, teaches in Morris-, ^ which he took great delight in studying, KINSMAN D. BROGA, M.D., eclec- ^ tic physician of Oneida, N.Y., was born in Becket, Berkshire County, Mass., April 29, 1830, son of Kinsman W. and Marion (Cole) Broga. The father was a carpenter and joiner by trade, and lived dur- ing his entire life in Berkshire County. The mother, though of a long-lived ancestry, died in middle life. Kinsman W. Broga and his among them works on chemistry, physiology, and kindred subjects. He soon became most interested in works pertaining to medicine and surgery, and read them extensively, in preference to those upon other subjects, which was a proof in itself of his early leaning toward his profession. Remaining at home with his father until he was twenty-one years old, doing the work of a dutiful son of those days, he at that age started out in life for hfmself. The first work that presented itself to him was blacksmithing, and he worked at that trade for a time. His sister Harriet, now deceased, having married a doctor of the eclectic school, his attention was directed particularly to that system of medical practice; and he began his studies under the direction of his brother-in-law. Being, as has already been intimated, a nat- ural physician, so to speak, and having con- fidence in himself, there is no wonder that BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 519 he should, when he became a regular prac- titioner, be successful. His later preceptors were Dr. W. Soule and Dr. Soule, Sr., and Dr. Wood, of Durhamville, where he began practice about 1861, under a license. After the war the Legislature passed a law requir- ing all physicians to have a diploma or a certificate from an examining board, or to retire from practice- Considering himself qualified, he appeared before such a board, together with thirteen others, three of whom, including himself, passed the examination successfully, notwithstanding its thoroughness and rigidity. His practice, which has been attended with most gratifying success, is gen- eral, not special; and at Oneida as at Cam- den, where he has a branch office, he has plenty of work. He reads a great deal upon the science of medicine, thus keeping him- self abreast of the times and prepared to meet any phase of disease. Dr. Kinsman D. Broga has been twice married. By his first marriage, to Miss Demaris Brown, of Lee, Mass., he had four children : Harriet Louisa, wife of Chauncey Kinney, who has four sons — ^ Arthur, Frederick, Leon, and Charles; Franklin Dwight, who married Capitola Campbell, and has one son, George; Arthur Ellery, M.D., of Stockbridge, who married Nellie Beard, of Shelton, Conn., and has one child. Hazel; and Susan Ellen, of Stock- bridge. By his second marriage, to Mrs. Ellen A. Dolbey, n^e Crofutt, of Constantia, Oswego County, N.Y., a native of Stratford, Conn., Dr. Broga has one child, Dwight C, thirteen years old. Politically, Dr. Broga is a Democrat, and fraternally an Odd Fellow. He has attained his present position by his own close study and continued faithful striving after excellence in his pro- fession. T^HARLES MARSHALL, a prosperous I J| general farmer and stock-raiser of ^ ^ Pratt's Hollow, was born- in the town of Eaton, Madison County, N.Y., Janu- ary 20, 1824. His maternal grandfather, James Connor, a native of Ireland, came to America at an early date in the present cen- tury, bought forest land, and by hard and continued toil cleared it, built a log house, and laid out his farm. His wife, who came with him from the old country, succumbing early to the hardships and privations of this new land, died at the age of thirty years, thus leaving him to work his way without her help and solace. John and Jane (Connor) Marshall, the pa- rents of our "subject, were born in Ireland, and on emigrating to America settled first for a while in Canada, but remained there only a short time, coming from there to the town of Eaton, where after their marriage here they bought a farm, Mr. Marshall having pre- viously been a tailor. Seven children were born to them, of whom only three are now living, namely: James, residing in Oneida; Jane, wife of William Griswold, of the vil- lage of Hamilton, N.Y. ; and Charles. The father, John Marshall, died on his farm, aged eighty years ; and his wife departed this life aged seventy-five. They were strict members S20 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW of the Methodist church, and in politics Mr. Marshall was an unflinching Abolitionist. Charles Marshall received his education in the district schools in the town of Eaton, and from early youth turned his attention to agri- cultural pursuits, which he has followed all his adult life. He remained with his father on the farm until his twenty-first year, when he hired himself out, receiving nine dollars a month for his first six months and one hun- dred and twenty dollars for the next year. By wise economy he saved enough to buy, with his brother James, one hundred and forty acres of land, which, after improving it for some years, he sold to James, and bought the farm adjoining. Thus, selling and buying, he increased his landed estate, until he now owns about three hundred acres. So success- ful has Mr. Marshall been in his undertakings that he has now retired from active work, and in his beautiful home can spend his declining years in grateful ease and serenity. About twenty-six years ago, having moved to Pratt's Hollow, he built a substantial mansion, which stands in most inviting grounds, adorned with trees and shrubs, the interior being a model of tasteful decoration, and the place quite the pride and admiration of the neigh- borhood. While having retired from active participation in the toils of husbandry, Mr. Marshall still interests himself in his farm, where there are forty acres of hops under cul- tivation this year, and where he possesses a fine herd of thirty head of Holstein cattle. On March i, 1858, Mr. Marshall marrie;! Miss Lois S. Burroughs, a native of Stock- bridge, N.Y., whose parents were William and Laura (Parker) Burroughs. Her father, one of the prominent farmers of his day, and a member of the Methodist church, as his widow is to this day, died at the age of sixty- five. Her mother still lives in Pratt's Hol- low, a well-preserved and active lady for her eighty odd years. Mr. Burroughs was a Republican in politics. Mr. Marshall is a Democrat. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall con- sists of eight children: Florence, wife of John Dowd; Jay, a railroad agent, living in Pratt's Hollow; and Nettie, Lorenzo, Laura, Samuel, Lois, and William, residing at home — a truly religious household, all being consistent and active members of the Metho- dist church. Mr. Marshall is justly promi- nent as one of the most energetic men of these parts, having achieved his present com- fortable position by untiring industry and wise management of his affairs. M R. GEORGE W. DAVIS, one of ||^y the active and enterprising young men of promise in this county, is a well-known druggist of Peterboro, where he is carrying on a thriving and lucrative business. He was born in Little Falls, Her- kimer County, January 9, 1866. The Doc- tor's grandfather, John J. Davis, also a native of Herkimer County, and a prominent agri- culturist there for many years, is at present living, retired from the active cares of life, in the village of Little Falls. He married BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Mary Armstrong; and to them were born five children, four of whom are now living. Both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church, and he is a steadfast Democrat. Simeon Davis, son of John and father of George W. Davis, was born at Little Falls, N.Y., September i8, 1840. He was reared to farming pursuits on the home farm, and chose agriculture as his life occupation. In 1868 he came to the town of Smithfield, and is now carrying on a successful business as general farmer in that part of the place known as the Mile Strip. He married Nora Ginney, a native of Ireland, who emigrated to this country when quite young. Both Mr. and Mrs. Simeon Davis are valued members of the Presbyterian church; and Mr. Davis is politically a Democrat, always upholding the principles and measures of that party. George W. Davis, of whom we write, was the only child born to his parents, and was but two years of age when they came to Smithfield. He attended the district schools until twelve years of age, and finished his fundamental studies at Evans Academy, Peter- boro, N.Y. He was always much interested in medicines and drugs; and at the age of seventeen years he entered the employ of W. E. Coe as a clerk in his drug store, where he remained four years, spending his leisure hours in the study of pharmacy. In 1887, at twenty-one years of age, he formed a partner- ship with W. D. Johnson, and carried on a successful business as druggist. He received his diploma as a pharmacist in 1888; and. continuing his studies, he was graduated from the Buffalo Medical University in 1891, as a physician and surgeon. Having bought out his former partner's interest in the store. Dr. Davis has since conducted it skilfully in connection with his medical practice, building up a good business, and carrying a complete line of drugs. He has a thorough understanding of his professions, and is most careful in the filling of prescriptions, thereby winning and retaining the confidence of the community and securing an honorable reputa- tion as a reliable busine'ss man and worthy citizen. In politics he is a stanch supporter of the Democratic party. He is a mem- ber of Morrisville Lodge, No. 658, A. F. & A. M. The marriage of Dr. Davis with Miss Nellie Bliss was solemnized October 20, 1 89 1. Mrs. Davis is the adopted daugh- ter of Edward and Rosetta Bliss, and was born September 16, 1872. "|r>v R. H. S. CRANDALL, a venerated I '^1 and beloved physician of Leonards- f*—^ ville, was born in the town of De Ruyter, January 13, 1818. His knowledge of his ancestry goes back far beyond the time of his great-grandfather to the lords and ladies of the court of England. There were three brothers of this name who emigrated from England; and one of them was the great- grandfather of our subject, and the founder of the family in this country. The grandfather Crandall bought a farm in Rhode Island, and lived there all his days. The father of our 522 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW subject resided in that State until his mar- riage to a Miss Abigail West, when they removed to Brookfield, N.Y., where he taught school in the winters, and in the summers worked at shoemaking. This couple had a large family of children, including Oliver B., Abigail, Luke W., Amey, James, Esther W., and Lucius, who became a Seventh-day Bap- tist minister, very celebrated, and sometimes exchanged pulpits with Henry Ward Beecher. The youngest of the children was named Elizabeth. The mother of these children died ; and for his Second wife Mr. Crandall married Mrs. Lydia Colegrove, whose maiden name was Lydia Saunders. They had one childjthe subject of this sketch. The mother had four children by a previous marriage; and the father had nine by his first wife, the names of eight being given above. The father spent most of his life in De Ruyter, but in his latter years resided on his farm in Fabius, Onondaga County, N.Y. The mother died September 24, 1848, at the age of seventy-six years. The father was ninety- two years and six months old when he died. H. S. Crandall remained home until his twenty-first year, working on the farm, and teaching school for four winters, to raise money enough to go to college. He suc- ceeded so well that he was graduated at Geneva Medical College, and in 1840 began to practise in the town of De Ruyter, N.Y. In the spring of 1840 he opened an office in Leonardsville, Madison County, where he has been an active practitioner ever since. When he was twenty-four years old, in 1842, Dr. Crandall married Miss Fannie A. Sisson; and to them were born five children — Stephen H., Mary DeEtta, Lucius A., Lucina A., and Charles S. The last-named is a physician of large practice in Utica, N.Y. His wife is an accomplished vocalist, holding a position as a soprano singer in one of the largest churches in that city. They have two children, Lee S. and Francis R. Stephen H. is married, and has three chil- dren; namely, Mary, Abraham, and Fannie. Mary DeEtta married Ellis J. Dunn, of New Market, N.J., and has an adopted daughter, thirteen years old. Lucius married a Miss Becker, of Cooperstown, and has one child, a little girl. Lucina married Silas K. Hawk- ings, of Burlington Flats, Otsego County, N.Y.; and they have one child, Adrian. The Doctor's first wife having died in Janu- ary, 1889, he married second Miss Olivia E. Copley, of Eaton, Madisoij County. Dr. Crandall stands very high in the medi- cal profession in his county, in skill and experience unrivalled in his town, having a most extensive practice, and looked upon as a Nestor among the people — a wise counsel- lor. Kind, cautious, and considerate, his visits are a blessing to his patients. He has been in active practice for over fifty-three years, is now in his seventy-fifth year, and has always lived a temperate, even life. Dr. H. S. Crandall belongs to the Medical Soci- ety of Madison County, the American Medi- cal Association, and to the State Medical Society of New York. Of this latter he has been a member twenty-six years, and since BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 523 1854 has never missed a meeting of the society. He has been always an attendant of the Seventh-day Baptist church, and in his politics was at first an old-line Whig, casting his maiden vote for William Henry Harrison in 1840, and is now a strong advocate of the principles of the Republican party. ^-pVTNARLIN LYON, a thriving agri- |— I — I culturist, who has continued to ^ v--' reside in Madison County since his birth here on November 3, 1826, is of the third generation in direct descent from Ebenezer Lyon, who settled in Nelson about one hundred years ago, several years before the town was incorporated and received its name from the great English naval com- mander, being one of the first to explore its wilderness and make the foundation of a family home. As was common in those days, this homestead consisted of a few acres of cleared land and a humble house of rough- hewn logs, which poorly served to shelter them from the rigors of the climate. The grandfather from time 'to time increased the area of his farm, until he had about one hun- dred and seventy acres of land. He was an able and influential man of his time, hold- ing the office of County Judge and of Super- visor several years. By his wife, Chloe Jack- son, whom he married in New England, he had twelve children. He died on his farm in Nelson, at the age of sixty years; and his widow lived to be about ninety years old. The parents of our subject were John and Ruth (Card) Lyon, who were both born in the town of Nelson, and were there married. John Lyon carried on general farming all his life. He died at the home of our subject, who was his eldest child, at the age of eighty- five years, his wife having died at forty-two years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Lyon were mem- bers of the Baptist church ; and, politically, he was a Democrat. They had one son and three daughters, namely: Marlin; Emeline, Mrs. Thomas Morey, of the town of Nelson; Betsey, Mrs. William Judd, of Mason City, la. ; and Caroline, Mrs. William Morey, who died at the age of twenty-six years. Marlin Lyon had but limited opportunities for schooling, the circumstances of the family being such that he was led to start out for himself at the age of eleven, doing farm work, receiving the meagre sum of twenty-four dol- lars for the first six months' labor. He con- tinued working out by the month until he was thirty years of age. In May of 1865 he mar- ried Miss Electa Hyatt, who was born in Connecticut. (For family history of Mrs. Lyon, see sketch of Hon. F. A. Hyatt.) In the same year that he married he bought eighty-five acres of the farm which he now occupies, having increased it by later pur- chases to one hundred and seventy acres. It is fine, productive land, yielding good crops of hay, oats, wheat, and other grains. Mr. Lyon also here carries on a dairy of twenty cows. Mr. and Mrs. Lyon have three children, as follows: Frank H., residing in the town of Fenner; Rev. Walter S., a min- ister pf the Methodist Episcopal church, 524 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW having a charge in the town of Fenner; and Henry H., who lives at home. Mr. Marlin Lyon has toiled early and late to acquire the possessions he now enjoys, and no one has been more deserving of success. As to his political views, having seen and deplored the evils caused by intemperance, he believes that in prohibition the only salvation of the country is to be found, and therefore votes with that party. He has been Assessor for three years, and has held other local offices of trust. The family are all devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and it is a great satisfaction to Mr. Lyon that he has a son devoted to the ministry of this church. Mr. Lyon is an intelligent and genial gentleman, and is justly considered a man of good judgment, faithful to his convic- tions of duty, and an influential and worthy citizen. ^tjVQAJOR AUGUSTUS P. CLARKE, FIt a.m., civil engineer, who has ^ ^-^ wrought efficiently in many of the country's works of internal improvement, was born in the town of Cazenovia, of which he is a resident, July 23, 1835. His grand- father, Joseph Colville Clarke, a native of England, was born in 1768, was married December 9, 1790, to Elizabeth Clark, and died July 16, 1799. His widow was married December 25, 1808, to Benjamin Withenbury. Benjamin Tarbox Clarke, son of Joseph and father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Middletown, Conn., February 21, 1797, and was but two years old when his father died. He continued to live with his mother, and came to Madison County with her and other members of the family, making the journey by team to Schenectady, and ■ thence by flat-boat on the Mohawk River. He was with the troops sent to the defence of Sackett's Harbor in the War of 18 12, and for service there rendered was a pensioner during his later years. Learning the trade of cabi- net-maker, for a number of years he dealt in furniture, building up a flourishing business, accumulating a handsome property, including the business block erected by him on the south-east corner of Lincklaen and Albany Streets. His long and honorable life was terminated by an accident August 14, 1875. The maiden name of the wife of Benjamin T. Clarke was Harriet Kingsbury; and she was a member of the seventh generation in a direct line from Henry Kingsbury, Sr., of England. She was born in Cazenovia, Sep- tember 26, 1800. Her father was Lemuel Kingsbury, who was born in Andover, Tol- land County, Conn., a son of Dennison Kingsbury, a native of the same town. Cap- tain Nathaniel Kingsbury, father of Denni- son, was born in Haverhill, Mass., August 23, 1684. He was a son of Lieutenant Joseph Kingsbury, who was born in Ipswich, Mass., about the year 1656, and grandson of Henry Kingsbury, Jr., who, from the best information at hand, was born in England in 161 5. Henry Kingsbury, Sr., father of Henry, Jr., was born in England. He came to America in the same fleet with his friend Governor Winthrop, landing at Salem, July BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 525 30, 1630. Both he and his wife, Margaret, joined the first church in Boston, being the twenty-fifth and the twenty-sixth members on the list. Later they settled in Ipswich, Mass. Their son, Henry, Jr., removed from Ipswich to Haverhill, Mass., where he died October i, 1687. His wife died February 21, 1678. Their son. Lieutenant Joseph Kingsbury, removed from Haverhill to Nor- wich, Conn., in June, 1708, and died there in 1 741. He married in 1679 Lois Ayres. Their son, Captain Nathaniel Kingsbury, after his marriage went to Windham, now Hampton, Conn., and in 1731 or 1732 moved to Coventry, now Andover, in the same State, where he died in 1750. An old letter preserved in the State House in Boston, by permission given here in full, is interesting as containing the earliest known references to the ancestors of the American Kingsburys. Edward Flint, Esq., of New York City, is authority for the state- ment that it was written from Groton Manor, Suffolk, England, in November, 1629, to "the right worshipful John .Winthrop, Es- quire," newly elected Governor of the colony of Massachusetts Bay : — My deare Husband I reioyce in thy welfayre and in the expecta- cion of thy presence wch I hope shortly to enioy. I send up my daughter M. somewhat the soner by reson of Mr. P. cominge up and would pray thee to send word this weeke when I shall send up thy horsses. I pray make what hast you can for the hart of your good ser- vant is fallen so loe that she sayth if you do not com home presently you will never lift it up agayne. But I think hir desyre is that she may confir with you about Mr. P., whome I think she will scarce have power to deny. He preached with us the last Lord's day and did very well. He seemeth to be a very godly wise man, but I am sure my sister will not make any promise till she hath confired with thyselfe and the rest of hir frends. Coles Kinsman shall come up next weeke. Kingesbery will goe for N. E., his wife and two children. You must pardon me that I am so short in righting to you, for my affections are longe enough if I had time to expresse them. But I must leave thee for this time, beinge in hast. Desyringe the good Lord to prosper all thy businesse and affayres and send us a comfortable meetinge, I commend my best love to thee, and commit you to the Lord and rest Your faythfuU and obedient wife, Margaret Winthrope. Mr. Flint also gives the following addi- tional particulars: "Governor Winthrop was at the time sitting in Parliament, and selling his property preparatory to leaving England. The Kingesbery mentioned is the first Henry, who came to this country in 1630. As a neighbor of the Winthrops, our ancestor came from Suffolk, Groton Manor House being about fifteen miles north-east of London. In April, 1630, four ships of the fleet anchored in the Solent, off Cowes in the Isle of Wight. The "Arbella' contained the governor and sons, Deputy Governor and Madame Dudley, the Lady Arbella, daughter of the late pious Theophilus, Earl of Lincoln, and other leaders. The Kingsbury family were on board the 'Talbot.' In this month Governor Winthrop wrote to his wife, who was still at the Manor House (she joining him at Boston the next year): 'Henry Kingesbery hath a child or two on the "Talbot," sick with measles; but I hear they are apt to do well.' 526 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW The children recovered, one of them being the second Henry from whom we descend. A storm separated the vessels, and small-pox broke out in the 'Talbot.' But the Kings- burys were spared, and in June, 1630, landed at Salem, Mass." In politics Benjamin T. Clarke was a Whig. Intelligent and well informed, he took a lively interest in all matters pertain- ing to the public good. He served a term as Postmaster in Cazenovia, and fifteen years as a Justice of the Peace. After a preparatory course of study at Caze- novia Academy, in 1851 Augustus P. Clarke entered Union College at Schenectady, where he was graduated in 1855, having taken the scientific and engineering course, with the degree of C.E., later receiving the degree of A.M. in course. Leaving college, he went to Wisconsin, and assisted in the survey of the Fox River Valley and of the Milwaukee & Beloit Railroads. The panic of 1857 practi- cally putting a stop to railroad building, he engaged in teaching in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, and later was employed in intro- ducing text-books into the schools of that part of the country. Returning East in i860, he enlisted, August g, 1862, in Com- pany K, One Hundred and Fourteenth New York Volunteer Infantry. Mustered in as a private, he was promoted to the post of Quartermaster Sergeant, and from that to the adjutancy of the regiment. Before receiving his commission as such, he was transferred to the engineer corps, and joined the Depart- ment of the Gulf. He was made Captain of Engineers, and later Major, and had charge of the construction of various important works, including the fort at Brazos Island near the mouth of the Rio Grande, in sight of the first two battle-grounds of the Mexican War — Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma — and the works at Port Hudson, a completely bastioned fortress. He was with General Banks at the Red River expedition. He was taken sick while in charge of the works at Mobile, in April, 1865, and was honorably discharged from Le Vert Hospital May 12, 1865, his health being very much impaired. After the war Major Clarke was stationed for a brief period at Toledo, as Trainmaster of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Rail- road. Resigning that position on account of continuing ill-health, he afterward went to Kansas, and assisted in locating the surveys for the central branch of the Union Pacific Railroad. A few months later he entered the employ of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, in the engineer department, and made surveys for the bridges at Burlington and Quincy, and also had charge of the build- ing of many other bridges and culverts. The year 1868 found him working for the Illinois Central Railroad, with headquarters at Du- buque, la. The following year he formed a partnership with L. C. Mitchell to carry on the book and stationery business in Chicago. Selling out this business after a short time, he moved to Red Wing, Minn., and was en- gaged in surveying a route from Wabasha, via Lake City and Red Wing, to Hastings, and later on the Hastings and Dakota road. In BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 527 1 87 1 he came back to his native village. When the company was organized for build- ing the West Shore Railroad, he entered its service and did important work, to him being assigned the construction of some of the most difficult parts of the road. His efforts did much toward securing the right of way through Syracuse. Major Clarke married in 1866 Frances S. Groff, who was born, reared, and educated in Cazenovia, and who has been a devoted wife and mother. They have four children living — Harriet Elizabeth, Theodore Paul, Sophia Brightman, and Robert Augustus. Major and Mrs. Clarke are members of the Presbyterian church at Cazenovia. He is a member of Knowlton Post, No. 160, Grand Army of the Republic, and of Sullivan Lodge, No. 148, A. F. & A. M. Politically, he is a Republi- can. In his busy life, much of which has been spent away from his early home, he has found some time to devote to the public affairs of his native town. He has for six- teen years served as Trustee and Treasurer of Cazenovia Seminary. f^yON. NORMAN A. CRUMB, a young and promising attorney - at - law, resident in Brookfield, Madison County, was born here January 15, 1866. Daniel Crumb, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, came from Rhode Island to Brookfield among the pioneer settlers, cleared a few acres of the thickly timbered land, and built his log house. He was a farmer, and also followed the trade of cooper. He died in the town of Brookfield at an advanced age. James Crumb, son of Daniel, having been educated in the public schools and trained to agricultural pursuits, as soon as he gained his majority purchased the farm of his late father, and paid the other heirs their portion. He married Eunice Collins, daughter of Hoxie and Silvia (Teft) Col- lins, and lived in the original log house of his parents. His wife's father was a Quaker preacher, and she was brought up in that faith. Her mother was of an old family that came from Rhode Island, and were early settlers of Brookfield. There were four chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. James Crumb; namely, Francis, Marion, Hoxie J., and Nor- man. The father still lives on the farm ; and his son, Hoxie J., resides with him. The mother died in the town of Brookfield, Feb- ruary 2, 1892, at the age of sixty-three years. A highly respected lady, her loss was sincerely mourned by a large circle of friends. Norman A. Crumb remained upon the home farm until he was seventeen years of age, in the mean time attending the district school, and later pursuing a course of study at the Brookfield Academy, from which institution he was graduated in 1884. He then taught school for a few terms ; and afterward, by way of preparation for the study of law, he took a short course in the Cazenovia Seminary. In March of 1886 he entered the law office of Senator John E. Smith at Morrisville, N.Y., where he studied for two years, and then went 5^8 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW as managing clerk' into the office of A. O. Briggs, Esq., of Canastota, N.Y., where he remained until his admission to the bar, May 3, i88g, at the general term at Syracuse, N.Y. On September 3, 1891, he married Miss Carrie E. Lamb, daughter of Charles and Helen Lamb. He cast his first vote in the ranks of the Republican party, and has since been a strong and faithful adherent to that organization. Mr. Crumb is an active and influential mem- ber of Brookfield Lodge, No. 632, Indepen- dent Order of Odd Fellows. While yet young, Mr. Crumb has evinced a high order of talent, and has shown himself possessed of a fund of legal lore and a capac- ity for work that would do credit to. a much older member of the profession, so that he already takes a front rank, being considered among the most judicious lawyers of the county. He is essentially a man of peace, and, instead of advising clients to "go to law," is ever ready to adjust differences and settle disputes amicably. He is a man who has risen by his own efforts, always preferring self-reliance, to any outside assistance; and his achievements are the results of his own perseverance, push, and pluck. Straightfor- ward and courteous, he has from a very small beginning built up a large practice, and made for himself an extensive circle of friends, who have the utmost confidence in his integrity and skill. Having a high social position and a pleasant home, he enjoys a well-earned prosperity, and may be trusted to merit and to win still greater successes in the future. RS. AMELIA L. BROWN was born in the town of Lenox, January 23, 1829, and is a daughter of Edwin and Laura (Douglass) Lewis, the former of whom was born in Whitesboro, Oneida County, N.Y., in 1799, and the latter in 1801 on the farm, in the town of Sullivan, where Mrs. Brown now resides. Colonel Zebulon Douglass, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was the original settler of this farm. He and his wife, Mary Noyes, were born in Columbia County, New York, and were married in the fall of 1796. The fol- lowing spring Mr. Douglass came to West- moreland, Oneida County, and worked land, raising crops to supply his need, when he should have taken possession of lands bought of the State in what is now known as the town of Sullivan. During the summer he made a small clearing, and built a log cabin on the new tract; and in February, 1798, he brought his wife and infant child to the new home, making the journey by ox - team. Blazed trees were their only guide from Whitesboro. There were but few white set- tlers at that time, but plenty of Indians, who were, as a rule, friendly to the whites. By untiring industry and hard labor Mr. Doug- lass made his farm of three hundred and fifty acres one of the most productive and beauti- ful in the county. The County Agricultural Society in 1819 awarded him a silver cup for having the best cultivated farm in the county. He was also one of the pioneer tavern- keepers. During the War of 1812 his beauti- ful meadows, fronting his home, were the BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 529 camping - ground for a short time of a large force of troops on their way to the scene of action. Mr. Douglass was a public-spirited man, interested in all improvements, and assisted materially in having the Erie Canal pushed through to completion. He was Colo- nel of a regiment of State militia, and was an old-line Whig in politics, and was elected Member of Assembly in 181 1. He died in the village of Canastota in 1849, at the age of eighty years; and his wife, a noble woman, died in 1835, at the age of sixty-four. They were Presbyterians in religious faith. They were the parents of eight children, seven daughters and one son, all of whom are now deceased. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Brown, Deacon Edward Lewis, was a prominent man among the early settlers of the town of Lenox. He was born in Guilford, Conn., in 1766, and came in early life to Whitesboro, where he taught school, edited a paper, etc., being a man of scholarly tastes and habits. In the early years of the present century he moved to Quality Hill in the town of Lenox, where he made farming his business. He was for a time a Justice of the Peace, and was always deeply interested in the educational, moral, and religious interests of the community in which he lived. He was an active member and Deacon of the Presbyterian church of Quality Hill, and an earnest anti-slavery and temperance man. He died at Quality Hill in 1840, aged seventy-four years. His wife, Olive Barnard, an estimable Christian woman, was a native of Connecticut. She died quite young. They were the parents of ten chil- dren, five sons and five daughters, who grew to manhood and womanhood in the town of Lenox. They were all men and women of ability, intelligence, and high Christian char- acter, and became earnest promoters of all that was highest and best in the communities in which they made their respective homes. Mrs. Brown^s father, Edwin Lewis, came to the town of Lenox when but a boy. He gained his education in the district schools, and for some time followed the occupation of a teacher. But soon after, and in early man- hood, he gave his attention to farming, and made it his business for life. In 1843 he sold his lands in the town of Lenox, and moved to the town of Sullivan, buying a part of the land then owned by his father-in-law, Zebulon Douglass. Here Mr. Lewis ended his days, dying May 15, 1850, at the age of fifty-one years. His wife, Laura Douglass, reached the age of eighty-two, dying January 27, 1883, on the farm where she was born. They were both members of the Presbyterian church, and were earnest friends to every righteous cause. Of their four children, only Mrs. Brown, our subject, survives. The two younger daughters died in childhood; and the only son, Edwin D. Lewis, who was a useful and respected citizen, a successful business man, and a Christian, died at the old homestead in 1889, at the age of fifty-seven, leaving a wife and one daughter. The subject of this biographical notice came to womanhood in this vicinity, and gained her education at the district schools of 53-5 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW the town and at De Ruyter Seminary. She was married in January, 1849, to Josiah P. Brown, a native of Massachusetts. She has one son, Edwin L., who was born November 21, 1849. He came to manhood in the town of Sullivan, being educated at the Chitte- nango High School and Oneida Seminary. In 1878 he had the great misfortune to lose his sight, as the result of sunstroke while working in the harvest field. For long years he has walked in perfect darkness, but has bravely and cheerfully borne the affliction. He resides with his mother on the home farm, which he manages with good judgment. Mrs. Brown and her son are both members of the Methodist church, stanch Prohibitionists, and deeply interested in all that pertains to the progress of the age. W: M H. PATTEN, of Canas- a leading member of the firm of Patten & Stafford, manufacturers of the New York Champion Wheel Rakes, is a worthy representative of a large and important industry. The manufacturing industries of a country may always be ranked as among its greatest blessings, the benefits resulting therefrom extending to all classes, every in- dustry, art, and science being under obliga- tions to the skill of the manufacturer and mechanic as well as to the genius of the inventor, the latter being stimulated to the highest exercise of his faculties by the oppor- tunities afforded by the former. Mr. Patten was born in Westmoreland, Oneida County, N.Y., February 17, 1837, and is a son of Osmond Patten, who was born on the same farm in 1802, the father of the latter and grandfather of our subject, William. Patten, having settled thereon toward the close of the last century. William Patten married a Miss Phelps, who lived to be over ninety years of age, and died at Vernon, Oneida County, in 1847. He was one of three young men who settled in an early day in Westmoreland, the other two being a Mr. Cone and a Mr. Bowen. At the time all were young and vigorous, and ambitious to carve out for themselves a home and a fortune. They jointly selected and took up a tract of one hundred and eighty acres of land, divid- ing it into three equal parts, Mr. Bowen, who was a manufacturer of potash, giving a potash kettle to the others for the first choice of the divisions. William Patten and his wife were the parents of five sons, namely: Alton, who died, unmarried, in early life; William, who owned a carding and fulling mill, and died in old age, leaving a son and daughter; Osmond, the father of the subject of this sketch; Silas, a farmer of Walworth County, Wisconsin, who died in his eightieth year about 1883, leaving a family of four sons and two daughters; and George, a man of frail health, who was a book-keeper and accountant, and who died at the home of our subject in middle life. Os- mond Patten married Betsy Bradford, who was born near Westerly, Conn., and was a daugh- ter of William Bradford and his wife, the latter, previous to her marriage, having been a Miss Dickens. They had but one son, the W H. Patten. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 533 subject of this sketch, and two daughters, namely: Mary Ann, who married J. J. Bon- ney, of Westmoreland; and Elizabeth, who became the wife of Martin Parson, of the same place. Osmond Patten died at West- moreland about 1870, under very peculiar cir- cumstances, being at the time in full health and vigor. Soon after eating a hearty meal he was stung on the temple by a honey-bee, and lived but three hours afterward, his strange death being commented upon by many of the newspapers in the country. His widow survived him some three years, and died at the age of seventy-two. Mr. Patten was a suc- cessful and progressive farmer, and a man of much general information. He was a great reader of newspapers, and an ardent admirer of Henr}'- Clay. His entire life was spent on the farm upon which his father settled when first coming to this State. He was a man greatly respected throughout his life, and deeply mourned at death. William H. Patten, the subject of this sketch, during his youth lived at home upon the farm, acquiring the rudiments of educa- tion in the district schools, and perfecting his studies at an excellent academyat Westmore- land, N.Y. At the age of twenty-eight he removed to Clockville, where he engaged in the manufacture of wheel rakes, a business in which he has ever since remained. He was at first associated with J. L. Mansfield & Co. This was in 1866. Two years later the name of the firm was changed to Patten, Clarke & Co.; and in 1872 it became Patten & Staf- ford, thus remaining until 1882, when John E. Myers became a member of the firm, and the name was then changed to Patten, Stafford & Myers. In 1892 Mr. Myers retired; and the firm then became Patten & Stafford, under which name it is now known. Mr. Patten has always been closely identi- fied with the interests of the village of Can- astota, and, although averse to public office, was Chief of the Fire Department of the vil- lage for years, and was also one of the prime movers in securing the fine system of gravity water-works established in 1885, and of which the village is justly proud. He was also one of the organizers of the State Bank, of which he is a stockholder and President at the pres- ent time. It was also through the energy of Mr. Patten that in 1878 the Electric Light Plant was established at this place, he being one of the leading spirits in its incorporation. The capitalization of the company is twenty thousand dollars; and Mr. Patten owns over one-half the stock, being at the same time its Secretary and Treasurer. This business en- terprise is conducted on a sound basis, and its value and utility are much appreciated by the citizens of Canastota. Mr. Patten is also a member and one of the promoters (being now Vice-President and a Director) of the Justin Projectile Company of Syracuse, N.Y., which firm, established in 1891, manufactures a shell that can be fired with high explosives in any rifled cannon, the peculiar construc- tion of the shell having the effect of overcom- ing its inertia, which is regarded as the prime difficulty in the firing of high explosives. An exhibition and test given in Perryville, S34 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW N.Y., June 20, 1892, before the full Board of Ordnance and Fortification, including Major- General Schofield, Colonel Henry Mabbott, Colonel Henry W. Closson, Major Clifton Conly, General Byron H. Cutcheon, and Cap- tain C. C. Morrison, of the Ordnance De- partment and Recorder of the Ordnance Board, was considered highly satisfactory. A second and similar test was made in Septem- ber, 1893, at Sandy Hook, with similar results, and with the effect of securing the approbation and recommendation of the mili- tary authorities. The Wheel Rake Manufacturing Company of Patten & Stafford is the leading industrial establishment of the village of Canastota, and is, in fact, one of the leading industries of this part of the State of New York. The plant covers about two acres of ground, the buildings being three-story frames, two hun- dred feet long by forty wide. The company turn out about eight thousand five hundred rakes per year, as compared with one hundred and fifty the first year it started. These rakes are worth at wholesale about twenty ■dollars apiece. The firm employs six travel- ling men; and their trade covers a territory extending over New York, Pennsylvania, New England, and the North-western States. One of the first horse dump rakes made was manu- factured under the patent of Smith & Cowles; but it was left to Mr. Patten, by his inventive genius, while working in the Smith & Cowles shops, to improve and perfect this compara- tively crude implement for gathering hay. The rake now manufactured by his company has been on the market for many years, and is generally considered to be the best of the kind made. The business of the firm is well established, and is based upon the sterling character of the company for integrity and honest business methods, and upon the sub- stantial and reliable nature of the article man- ufactured. Few men have more or warmer friends in the business world than the gentle- men composing the firm of Patten & Stafford. Mr. Patten was married first in 1869 to Miss Gertrude Smith, of Westmoreland, a daughter of William Smith and a sister of the former wife of Mr. Stafford, Mr. Patten's partner. She died in 1878, leaving no chil- dren, her sister, Mrs. Stafford, having died in 1876. Mr. Patten was married the second time to Miss Louise M. Cady, a daughter of George B. and Nancy (Way) Cady, of Clock- ville. Mrs. Patten is a refined and highly cultivated lady; and her true womanly quali- ties make her a general favorite in society. She and her husband are the centre of a large circle of friends. Mr. Patten is a man of a generous disposition, and is quick to respond to appeals in behalf of every worthy cause, giving liberally of his large means to such enterprises as are designed to benefit the com- munity at large. It has been said that he who makes two blades of grass to grow where but one grew before is a benefactor to -mankind, and it will be acknowledged that no country can claim pre-eminence over the United States in the degree of inventive genius possessed by its citizens. Mr. Patten, therefore, can surely BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 535 be counted among those who by their natural talents and life-work have been of useful ser- vice to their fellow-men; and it is as a repre- sentative of such that the publishers of this volume take pleasure in presenting their readers with the portrait that appears in con- nection with this biographical sketch. ■]CJDWIN R. BODEN, M.D., was born in JQI Orange County, New York, January 14, i860, and was reared and educated by Jabez Boden, by whom he was adopted. Of his own father and mother he has no recollection or record. Jabez Boden was in many respects a remarkable man, and was well educated and well adapted for business. He brought up eight children, though the subject of this sketch was the only one legally adopted, and was the eldest of the boys whom he educated. Edwin R. Boden had every opportunity for securing a good education, first at the com- mon schools, and later at Trinity High School. Not having any particular predilec- tion for any vocation, and being advised by the Rev. Dr. John Potter to study medicine, he followed .that advice, and took a regular course of lectures at Long Island College Hospital, being graduated when twenty-one years of age, after four years of study. After practising for four months near his old home in Orange County, he removed to Munnsville, and successfully followed the practice of his profession there for six years. In 1887 he removed to Oneida, and practised here for some time, then retired from the active prac- tice of his profession, and established a gen- eral merchandise house, where he carried on business successfully until January i, 1894. He then resumed his profession, opening an office in Oneida. Dr. Boden is a frank, pleasant gentleman, and is exceedingly popular. He married Lena Rockwell, by whom he has two chil- dren, John F and Frank R., both at home. Politically, Mr. Boden is a Republican, and fraternally a Mason and an Odd Fellow. He is a regular attendant at the Episcopal church, and for eight years has been a mem- ber of the choir. He has been Auditor of the village for one year. Appreciating to its full extent the value of the education of the young, he is in favor of compulsory educa- tion, perceiving the difficulty of procuring universal education in any other way. He is one of the most progressive and intelligent men in the place, and favors all enterprises calculated to advance the material interests of his adopted town. He and his wife, with their bright and intelligent sons, are domi- ciled in a pleasant home, where their friends and acquaintances ever find a most hospitable welcome. M R. LEVI P. GREENWOOD, one of the most eminent physicians of the town of Nelson, Madison County, now deceased, was born September 26, 181 6, in the town of Lebanon, Madison County, N.Y., son of Paul and Betsey (Brig- ham) Greenwood, who were natives of Massa- chusetts, where the father was born in 1767, 536 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW and the mother in 1777. About the year 1800 Mr. and Mrs. Greenwood settled in Lebanon, and, being among the first comers there, endured the various trials and hard- ships of pioneer life. They had ten children, as follows: Jonas, Lucy, Eli, Sally, Marion, Erastus, Ira, Levi P., Cornelia, and Roxanna. Mrs. Greenwood died February 9, 1839. Her husband, surviving her nearly three years, died November 17, 1841. From his early years fond of books and learning, the youth Levi was enrolled as a pupil at Hamilton Academy until he had qualified himself for teaching, and thereafter taught school a few terms, subsequently beginning the study of medicine with Dr. P. B. Havens at Hamilton, Madison County, N.Y., in whose office he continued for some time. He also attended lectures at Fairfield, Herkimer County, N.Y., and was graduated from the Physicians' and Surgeons' College there, with the degree of M.D., in February of 1840. On May i of that year Dr. Greenwood formed a partnership with Dr. John Heffron, settling in Erieville, Madison County, N.Y., remaining there until 1863, when they sepa- rated; and our Doctor took in for his new partner Dr. W. M. Carpenter, a former fel- low-student, they working together until Dr. Carpenter was elected to the Assembly, and his place here was filled by Dr. C. H. Ran- som. Dr. Carpenter was born in Erieville, August 2, 1839. He was brought up on his father's farm, and assisted his father until he was a young man. He entered the State University at Ann Arbor, Mich., and was graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons there in 1868. In 1869 he was elected to the Assembly of the State of New York by the Republican party, and served one term. He died in New York City, at the age of fifty years. On September 13, 1845, Levi P. Green- wood, M.D., married Miss Susan J. Blair, daughter of the late Jeremiah Blair. She was born September 21, 1822, and died at the age of fifty-eight years, leaving no children. On May 29, 1892, Dr. Greenwood married for his second wife Miss Marion Norton, a native of Georgetown, Madison County, daughter of Jerome A. and Phebe (Atwood) Norton. Her father was born in the town of Cazenovia, N.Y., September 21, 1821, and was a mer- chant in Georgetown for about twelve years, dealing in general merchandise, and for about fifteen years a farmer in the town of Nelson. His wife died in August of 1889; and he now resides with his daughter, Mrs. Greenwood, the only surviving one of his three children. Dr. Greenwood practised medicine in Erie- ville for more than fifty-two years, making a record for himself second to that of no other physician in Madison County. He died at his home on December 25, 1892, after a brief illness of five days, mourned by a large circle of friends and acquaintances, and grieved over by the poor to whom he had been a benevolent friend, cheerfully giving to them his time and services. Having been prepared by thorough study for his chosen profession, to which he was untiringly devoted, and gathering wisdom by BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 537 daily experience, winning his way to the con- fidence of the people, his practice became large and widely extended. He was fre- quently called in counsel by his medical brethren of the neighboring towns, and his judgment was always considered exceedingly valuable. A Methodist in religion. Dr. Greenwood died happily, steadfast in faith. In politics he was a Democrat, and served as Supervisor for one term. Mrs. Greenwood, his widow, still resides in her pleasant home at Erieville, a lady of intelligence and cultivation, highly appreciated in society, and an active and val- ued member of the Methodist Episcopal church. -OHN STEBBINS, who was a lifelong resident of Cazenovia and a useful and valued citizen, actively concerned in the development of its business interests, was born in this town, October 20, 1825, and died suddenly in Boston, Mass., April 29, 1892. He was connected both by descent and by marriage with worthy and honored people not a few. The history of the Steb- bins family in America dates back to 1634, in which year Roland Stebbins with his wife and five children emigrated from Ipswich, England. He first settled in Springfield, Mass., and later in Northampton, where he died December 14, 1671. His elder son. Lieutenant Thomas Stebbins, represents in direct line the paternal history of John Steb- bins. The latter' s father, Charles Stebbins, was the only son of Lewis Stebbins, a native of Springfield, Mass. Lewis Stebbins was the eldest son of Captain Thomas Stebbins, who was the eldest son of Thomas Stebbins (3d), who lived and died in Massachusetts, as did all the Stebbins family to the time of Lewis Stebbins. Thomas Stebbins (3d) was the eldest son of Thomas Stebbins (2d), who was the son of Lieutenant Thomas Stebbins. The latter was the eldest son of Roland Stebbins, the first ancestor to come to America. The father of our subject, the late Hon. Charles Stebbins, a native of Williamstown, Mass., and a graduate of Williams College, class of 1807, came to Cazenovia in 18 10, making the jourijey on horseback. Entering the office of Hon. Perry G. Childs, he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 18 13. His death, after many years of active prac- tice, occurred at his home in Cazenovia in March, 1873. Eunice Masters, with whom he was united in marriage, was a native of Schaghticoke, Rensselaer County. This town was also the birthplace of her father, Hon. Josiah Masters. Her grandfather, James Masters, a farmer and powder manufacturer of Schaghticoke, was born, it is thought, in Connecticut, of remote English ancestry. Hon. Josiah Masters continued both the farm- ing and the powder - making, and took a prominent part in public affairs. He was appointed County Judge in 1808. He served successively as a Member of the Assembly and as a Representative in Congress from 1805 to 1809. Although his public duties sometimes necessitated long absences from 538 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW home, he always retained his residence in his native town. He married Lucy Hull, who was born in Derby, Conn., and who spent her last years in Schaghticoke. Five chil- dren grew to maturity in the home of Charles and Eunice (Masters) Stebbins — Lucy, Mary, Catherine, John, and Charles. The subject of this sketch received his edu- cation in the schools of Cazenovia and at Bartlett's Collegiate Institute in Poughkeep- sie. Having no inclination to a profession or political life, and possessing an aptitude for business, he devoted himself with energy and profit for many years to the manufacture of woollen goods, also giving some attention to farming. He was for a time President and Superintendent of the Chittenango Turnpike Company, and was also for a time Superin- tendent of the Cazenovia & Canastota Rail- road. He was elected Supervisor of the town of Cazenovia in 1858 and 1859, ^^'^ again in 1882 and 1883. He was for a num- ber of terms a Trustee and also President of the village of Cazenovia. In 1878 he was appointed Assistant Superintendent of Public Works, having under his direct supervision the middle division of the Erie Canal, extend- ing from the east side of Oneida County to Wayne County, and including the Oswego, Cayuga, and Seneca and Black River Canals. He held this office until 1881. In 1884 he was reappointed to the position, and con- tinued to hold it until 1890. We quote from an obituary notice, as fol- lows: "Mr. Stebbins was one of Cazenovia's foremost citizens. He was universally re- spected for his unimpeachable integrity, and trusted for his business sagacity. He was kind and devoted to his family, and loved by his servants and employees, of whom he had many. He was emphatically a friend to the poor man, and many are the grateful memories of his kindness cherished in humble Caze- novia homes." September 27, i860, Mr. Stebbins married Katharine Fairchild, daughter of the late Sidney T. Fairchild (of whom see sketch) and sister of Hon. Charles S. Fairchild, ex- Secretary of the United States Treasury. Mrs. Stebbins inherits many of her father* s sterling qualities and his decided type of character. She has two daughters, Katharine and Helen Lucy. The first-named is the wife of J. H. Ten Eycke Burr, a banker in Caze- novia. Mrs. Stebbins continues to occupy the Childs homestead, endeared by the clus- tering remembrances of her early years, and now rich with the associations of three gen- erations. ^ARNA J. STIMSON. The legal ^^ profession of Madison County is ably represented by this gentleman, who is influential in all that tends to promote its religious, educational, social, and political progress. He is a well-known figure in the public life of the village and town of Hamil- ton, where he has a pleasant home; and his record as a civic official is above reproach. Our subject was born in the town of Nelson, April 24, 1837, a son of James H. Stimson, who was a native of Blandford, Mass. He, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 539 in turn, was a son of Barna Stimson, who is thought to have been born in the city of Salem, in the same State. He was a resident of Blandford for many years, but the latter part of his life was passed in this county. He married Mary Nimox, who survived him many years. James H. Stimson was reared in his native town, and, having received excellent educa- tional advantages, began to teach school in early manhood. He subsequently abandoned that profession to give his attention to mer- cantile business. In 1840 he took up his residence in Canandaigua, whence five years later he removed to Michigan, going by rail and canal to Buffalo, and thence by the lakes to Detroit. He settled about ten miles south of that city, and devoted himself to the trade of a cooper, continuing to live there until death claimed him, in 1875. His wife, who was Cornelia Button before marriage, was a native of this county. They reared a family of six children. Barna J. Stimson of this sketch laid the foundations of a liberal education in the academy at Canandaigua and in the public schools of Wayne County; and, following in the footsteps of his father, he, too, com- menced his career as a school-teacher, enter- ing upon that vocation at the age of nineteen. When he attained the age of twenty-one, he began to prepare himself for his life-work, pursuing his legal studies in Detroit. He was admitted to the bar in that city in 1865, and in Binghamton the same year. He prac- tised in Detroit two years, and then, return- ing to his native county, opened an office at Brookfield, where he remained until 1873, when he came to Hamilton, in which place he has since been actively and lucratively engaged in conducting an extensive law busi- ness. Through close application to his work, and by thoroughly familiarizing himself with the laws of the country, as well as by his acumen, tact, and fine business qualifications, he has risen to an enviable position in his profession. He is a safe counsellor, ever watchful of the interests of his clients; and they, in turn, repose in him perfect confidence on account of his well-established reputation for fairness, justice, and strict integrity in all matters whatsoever. In 1867 Mr. Stimson was united in mar- riage with Miss Rosalia B. Green, who was born in Sangerfield, Oneida County, but was reared- in Brookfield. They have an attractive home, in which culture and true hospitality abide, and have many warm and steadfast friends. One son, William D., has blessed their union. A man of Mr. Stimson's cali- bre and standing, professionally and socially, is naturally regarded as eminently qualified for places of public trust; and we find him an incumbent of the office of Village and Town Clerk, and a member of the Village Board of Education ; and he has also served three terms as Justice of the Peace. He is very active in the social life of the county, and is identified with the following organiza- tions: Hamilton Lodge, No. 120, A. F. & A. M.; Cyrus Chapter, No. 150, R. A. M.; Norwich Commandery, No. 46, K. T. ; and 54° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Mokanna Grotto, No. 31, Veiled Prophets. Politically, he is a Republican of no uncer- tain tone, and in religion a communicant of the Episcopal church. r)RGE G. SPERRY. The great philosopher and cynic of Chelsea, Thomas Carlyle, wrote a famous book about clothes, in which he moralized at length upon their exterior character as something foreign to the inner man, but did not venture to dis- pute their potentiality in influencing opinion and determining the degree of estimation in which we are held by our fellow-men. This most truly applies to civilized communities, where, in the ceaseless rush and whirl of life's battle, one is forced at first acquaintance to estimate others by mere externals; and the clothes of a man — their style, quality, his manner of wearing them — afford in many cases a correct clew to the character of the wearer. Those, therefore, who in any stage of the world's history have been engaged in the production, improvement, manufacture of, or traffic in, the raw liiaterial or finished prod- uct of these articles of use, whether designed for protection from the severity of nature in northern climes or for mere personal adorn- ment, have been a potent influence in the onward movement of civilization, and have formed an important wheel in the complicated machinery of human society. It is in connection with such an important branch of industry that the subject of this biographical sketch stands forth as a repre- sentative. A member of the firm of Sperry & Sperry, leading dry-goods merchants of Hamilton, Madison County, he is a prominent representative of an ancient pioneer family of the State of New York, and an honorable, successful business man of Hamilton. He was born in Augusta, Oneida County, in 1830, and is a son of Minot Sperry, born in Connecticut in 1787, and died in Augusta, Oneida County, in 1869. Minot Sperry mar- ried Miss Nancy Sperry, who was not a rela- tive, though of the same name. She was also of Connecticut. They reared a family of six sons and five daughters, the subject of this sketch being their seventh child. All grew to maturity but one son, Albert, who was accidentally killed, when seven years of age, by a fall from a tree. Of these eleven chil- dren there are now living four sons and two daughters, namely: I. M. Sperry, who resides at Oriskany Falls, near the old home, and is now about seventy-six years of age; Charles B., a carpenter of Beatrice, Neb. ; George G., the subject of this sketch; Mary A., wife of A. Delevan, of Duanesburgh, Schenectady County; Frank B., a farmer on the old home- stead; and Albertina R., who is unmarried and in the store with her brother, the subject of this sketch. George G. Sperry remained at home until he was fifteen years old, attending school and working on the farm. At the age mentioned he became engaged in the mercantile busi- ness, and has thus continued up to the present time. Being a man of industrious habits, persevering disposition, and of unsullied per- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 541 sonal integrity, he has acquired an ample competence by means of his own exertions. His store in Hamilton is one of the best of its class, and is conducted on the most approved business methods, the stock being replenished at frequent intervals, according to the demands of fashion or the wants of his customers. In the light of his successful career he may be truly considered as one of the self-made men of Madison County. In 1853 he was married to Miss Eunice L. Durkee, of Augusta, Oneida County, a daugh- ter of Samuel D. and Laura (Hurd) Durkee, both of the State of New York. Mr. Durkee was a successful farmer of the town of Au- gusta, and died there at the age of seventy- five, in 1871, leaving a fine estate to his widow and four children. Mr. and Mrs. Durkee had buried one daughter, Sarah A., who was the wife of S. F Lathrop. She died at the age of twenty-five, leaving one daugh- ter. Mrs. Durkee is still living on the old home farm in Oneida County, and is in her eighty-seventh year, still healthy and active for her age. It has been her custom for years to spend her winters in Florida and to pass the summer months in Canada — a practice which she has found greatly conducive to health. Those of her children who are living are: S. Morris Durkee, of Burlington, Ontario, Can- ada; Joseph H., of Jacksonville,. Fla. ; H. Jay, of Augusta, Oneida County; and Mrs. Sperry. Our subject and his wife are the par- ents of one daughter, Augusta, wife of C. S. Strowbridge, and one son, -Samuel M., of Ham- ilton, who is married, and has two daughters. Mrs. Sperry received an excellent academic education in her youth, attending the acad- emy at Augusta, and is a cultured, refined, and highly intelligent lady. She is of Scotch-Irish ancestry on her father's side, and on her mother's comes of New England stock. Her ancestors on both sides were noted for their longevity, many of them living to be over eighty or ninety years of age. She and her husband have a most pleasant and happy home; and few, if any, among the represent- ative citizens of Madison County are more highly esteemed or more sincerely respected than the subject of this sketch and his amia- ble wife. ^-r^iYf^ASON G. PERRY, a well-known F I ^ citizen of Canastota, was born in H -L v._^ Oswego, N.Y., in March, 1859, and is a son of George O. Perry, who was born in Fulton, N.Y., June 11, 1834. He was a son of Jarvis H. Perry, of Canajoharie, Montgomery County, N.Y. ; and Jarvis H. was a son of James Perry, of Connecticut, who came to the State of New York, a single man, and engaged in the manufacture of pot- ash. He married a Miss Jarvis, of Canajoha- rie, and reared six sons and three daughters, of whom Jarvis H. was the first-born. Jarvis H. Perry married Sarah M. Joyner, of Sack- ett's Harbor, by whom he had seven children, namely: Theodore, who went to California about 1857, and died there in 1883; George O., father of the subject of this sketch; Celia M., wife of Silas W. Wadsworth, of Beatrice, Neb. ; Ward J., who probably died in Flor- 542 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ida; William Henry, who volunteered in the One Hundred and Fifty-seventh New York Infantry at the formation of the regiment, going out as a drummer-boy while still a minor, and afterward regularly enlisted, and served with the regiment through the war, being" wounded in one of the battles, and coming out at the close as Hospital Steward, now residing at Beatrice, Neb. ; Wallace K., now of St. Louis, Mo.; and John A., an engineer in the oil regions of Pennsylvania. George O. Perry married Elizabeth A. Wright, of Ontario, a daughter of Charles W. and Diana (Mott) Wright, both of Canada, and both of whom have passed away. She has two brothers and one sister living, namely: Hiram C. Wright, of Winterset, la.; Wallace W., a farmer, of the same place; and Angeline R., wife of Alfred Scott, of Onta- rio. Mr. Perry removed in 1861, with his wife and family, from Oswego to Canastota, and in this latter place succeeded John Young . in the drug business, in which business Mr. Young was the first in Canastota. Mr. Perry learned, the business in his youth, followed it all his life, and was a prominent druggist in Canastota from the time of his settlement there until 1876, for several years being the only one thus engaged in the place. He was also prominent in the Masonic fraternity, being Master of the lodge three successive terms, and being also its historian, in such capacity collecting valuable data pertaining to the lodge itself. In politics, while not a violent partisan nor an office-seeker, he voted the Republican ticket. His death occurred August 9, 1878, when he was but forty-four years old, he being at the time in Jacksonville, Fla., where his family had been living for about three years. His widow and only child survive him. His remains were interred in Canastota Cemetery, where also his father is buried. Mason G. Perry was educated and brought up to the drug business by his father. He took a regent's examination in Canastota, and graduated at the College of Pharmacy in Philadelphia when twenty-one years old. In 1 88 1 he established himself as a druggist, and was thus engaged until 1885, when he sold out. His marriage occurred June 20, 1888, to Miss Ida E. Harrison, of Brooklyn, N.Y., a daughter of James and Mary E. Harrison, of Philadelphia. -Mr. and Mrs. Perry have buried two children, one an infant daughter, and Grace E., aged eighteen monjhs. Mr. Perry and his mother are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. fSAAC A. BLAIR, one of the largest land-holders of Madison County, a rep- resentative of one of the oldest fam- ilies of Nelson, was born in this town Jan- uary 26, 1830, the third son of Jeremiah and Susan (Clark) Blair, natives of Massachu- setts. His grandfather, Enoch Blair, moved with his family from Massachusetts to this part of Madison County in the year 1800, journeying by the primitive conveyance of those days, an ox -team, much of the way, belike, being through a roadless wild, where BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 543 they could shoot all the game they desired and occasionally have a parley with the Ind- ians, who continued to roam the forests. Selecting land in what shortly after became the town of Nelson, he cut down trees, and with his family passed the nights sheltered under the cover of their wagon while the log house was being built. Six sons and two daughters were reared in this pioneer family. The father died in Nelson, when sixty-five years old. His wife, Sarah, died also at a somewhat advanced age. Jeremiah Blair, son of Enoch, came to the town of Nelson when he was about four years old. He was educated in the district schools of the time; and such good use did he make of his opportuaities for study that he was afterward for twenty - five years a school- teacher in the town. He was also a promi- nent farmer of those days, and owned the old homestead where his son Isaac now lives. He was ,a Justice for some twenty years, and well known as "Squire Blair." He was also Supervisor, and a stirring and capable man in the affairs of the county. Of his eight children, only three survive; Isaac A., Charles C, of Erieville; and Addison D., a resident of Elmira. Susan, Mrs. Dr. Greenwood, died at the age of sixty-six years ; Jeremiah, at sixty-six; Henry C, at sixty- three; Arvin H., at fifty-three; and Edmund P., at sixteen years of age. The parents died on the old home farm, the father in 1879, aged eighty-three, and the mother in 1856, aged fifty-eight. They were Universalists in religious belief, emphasizing the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, the "Squire" in politics being a Democrat. Thus it will be seen that our subject has good reason to be proud of the honorable record made by his father and grandfather, which it has been a matter of principle with him to continue in his own life. Isaac A. Blair grew to manhood, and re- ceived all of his education at the district schools. He remained on the home farm, assisting in the work, until he attained his majority, when he began the world for him- self. At twenty-two years of age, on October 5, 1852, he married Miss Harriett A. Whit- ney, who was born in what was then the Ter- ritory of Michigan, May 22, 1832, daughter of Abraham and Amy Whitney. Her father was a farmer in Michigan, where he died at the age of thirty years, leaving a wife and three children, namely:- Mrs. Blair, the eld- est; Albert, living in Michigan; Amanda, widow of Mr. Lilley, residing in Michigan. Shortly after his marriage Mr. Blair bought one hundred acres of land, which he subse- quently traded for the two-hundred-acre farm he now owns. He has always been one of the foremost farmers in his vicinity, being one of the largest owners of land in the town of Nelson, holding title-deeds now to about one thousand acres. On his handsome farm of eight hundred acres which he manages himself, leasing the rest, he raises hay and small grain, and also carries on a dairy of from fifty to seventy -five cows, principally of native breeds. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Blair have four children, namely: Susan J., wife of 544 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW M. D. Hopkins, born in the town of Nelson, October 5, 1854; Edmund F., born Septem- ber 12, 1857; Jeremiah C, born 1868, resi- dent of Morrisville; Isaac W., born in 1871, residing at home with his parents. One son, David C, born in i860, died at the age of twenty years. At sixty-three years of age, apparently in the prime of life, Mr. Blair still gives per- sonal attention to his large estate; and his handsome residence and neat and beautiful surroundings denote his energy and thrift. His farm is well furnished with modern machinery and tools, including the latest approved labor-saving inventions. His suc- cess is due to his own good management and assiduous care, as he has made his property not by speculation, but by, strict attention to his business. He is an active Republican in politics, has been Supervisor for five years, and Highway Commissioner two terms. He is also a Mason in good standing, being a member of Morrisville Lodge, No. 658, A. F. & A. M., and belongs to Nelson Grange, No. 615. His wife is a devout and earnest member of the Methodist Episcopal church, a faithful "mother in Israel," reverenced and beloved. "IRAM BROWN, a well-remembered =!l farmer, late of the town of Sullivan, Madison County, who cultivated a goodly number of acres and dealt somewhat extensively in live stock, was born in this town in September, 1806, and died at his homestead, July 27, 1875. He was a son of Timothy and Olive (Clark) Brown, who were of Welsh and English descent, and who moved from Massachusetts to Madison County at the close of last century, when the region was wild and unpeopled except by the original occupants of the soil, the roving Indians, who, naturally enough, made it often de- cidedly uncomfortable for the new-comers. But these pioneers of civilization were not easily disheartened. Timothy Brown bought land, improved a farm, and resided thereon until his death at the age of seventy-two years. His wife died at seventy- five years of age, having reared a family of six children, none of whom survive. Hiram Brown was brought up in the town of Sullivan, and received what education was obtainable in the district schools. When he reached manhood, he turned his attention to farming, buying large tracts of land, on which he raised grain and small fruits. He also dealt largely in cattle and horses. He was married June 20, 1834, to Miss Angeline Beach, also a native of Sullivan, who was born February 5, 181 7, daughter of David M. and Nancy (Peck) Beach. Her parents were natives of Connecticut, and came from that State about the year 18 16 to the town of Sullivan, where they owned a farm. Of their three children, two now survive, Mrs. Brown and her brother. Miles Beach, who resides with her. The ancestors of the Beach family in America came over from England during the period of the early settlement of the colo- nies, two or three brothers of this name mak- ing their homes in Connecticut, where they BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 545 reared large families. After forty-one years of married life Mr. Brown died, as he had lived, on his farm, leaving a widow and five children, namely: William B., born April 14, 1835, residing in Sullivan, N.Y. ; Cathe- rine E., born April 23, 1841, wife of Austin French, living in Oneida Village; Alice A., Mrs. Frank Jackson, born January 24, 1845, residing with her mother; Albert E., born June I, 1848, living on the home farm; Car- rie, Mrs. V. Williams Bull, born August 25, 1850, living in the town of Sullivan. Three other children, "not lost, but gone before," were: Sarah A., born January 13, 1837, died at the age of seventeen years; Josephine, born March 8, 1839, died September 16, 1 841; Irene, born July 15, 1859, died March 9, 1863. A large settlement at Canasaraga long bore the name of Brown. In this village, which is now known as Sullivan Post-office, Mrs. Angeline B. Brown resides on a valuable, well-improved farm of two hundred and forty acres, which is managed by her son Albert. Highly respected people, possessed of ample means, they live in a pleasant home, provided with every needed comfort and luxury. Mr. Hiram Brown was a man of more than average ability, and was of marked prominence in the place where his life was passed; and, al- though the foundation of his fortune was laid by his father's toil, his own constant dili- gence in his business enlarged the estate to its present dimensions. While not a seeker for office, he was interested in political mat- ters, and was loyal to his duties as a citizen, ever by his vote maintaining the principles of the Republican party. Mr. and Mrs. Brown attended the Methodist Episcopal church, of which they were exemplary members, as she continues to be, finding consolation and hope and joy in the teachings of religion. Ji, B. WEST, now deceased,* was for many years President of the Na- tional Hamilton Bank, and occu- pied a conspicuous place among the respected and influential citizens of Madison County, his life furnishing a striking example of what can be accomplished by industry, integrity, and perseverance. With few of the advan- tages possessed by the boys of this genera- tion, relying solely on his own efforts and his inherent ability, Mr. West most success- fully climbed the ladder of prosperity, and, while advancing his own interests, was not unmindful of those of others, during his long and busy life winning the confidence and esteem of all with whom he came in contact. His grandfather was a native of New Jer- sey, where he was reared to manhood, and resided for some years after his marriage to Eunice Hall, who was a native of the same State and of Scotch descent. Subsequently he and his family joined a company of Seventh-day Baptists who came to Madison County, and formed a colony in Leonards- ville, then a sparsely settled hamlet, and there built for themselves homes in the wilderness. They came by way of the Erie Canal to Utica, thence by teams to Leonards- 546 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ville, where for many years they labored to build up the town, suffering the privations and hardships of pioneer life, but also finding many pleasures and enjoyments. There the grandparents of our subject spent the re- mainder of their lives, honored and respected citizens of the town in whose development they had assisted. Clement H. West, father of our subject, was born in Cumberland County, New Jersey, not far from the village of Bridgeton. He grew to manhood in his native State, and, when a young man, learned the trades of shoemaking and wagon-making. He came to Madison County with his parents, and for some years made his home in Leonardsville. Not fully satisfied with his prospects in this county, he returned to his native State, where he bought a wagon-shop and continued in his former business; and there he and his wife spent the remainder of their days. The maiden name of his wife was Rachel Davis ; and of their union seven children were born, five sons and two daughters, our subject being the eldest child. D. B. West, of whom we write, was born in Shiloh, Cumberland County, N. J., January 27, 1 82 1. His early education was received in the schools of his native town and the dis- trict schools of Leonardsville. He was an energetic, ambitious lad, and, when twelve years of age, began to earn his own living. At first he secured a position in a store in Leonardsville, and the succeeding six years remained in this county, clerking in different places. Then, removing to Oneida County, he continued awhile in the same vocation, being employed as clerk in the towns of Sangerfield and Waterville. Desirous of be- coming established in business, Mr. West then bought an interest in the store of an uncle in Cassville, remaining there for a year and a half. Going thence to Utica, he ac- cepted a position in the office of the County Clerk, which he filled satisfactorily for two years. The following year he spent in a store in Cortland, coming from there to Ham- ilton (about 1846) to accept a clerkship with Joseph A. Mott. At the end of the year he bought an interest in the firm known as Pierce, Cobb & Co., which later became Cobb & West, remaining with them until the organization of the bank in 1853, then known as the Hamilton (State) Bank, when he was appointed Cashier of that institution — an of- fice which he filled with such credit to him- self and so acceptably, not only to the stock- holders, but to the patrons of the institution, that he was subsequently elected its Presi- dent, succeeding Deacon Pierce. His finan- cial ability and excellent judgment were rec- ognized throughout the business community, where he was considered a representative man of the county. He was for some time President of the village, and for a long time its Treasurer, and was active in securing the construction of the Utica, Clinton & Bing- hamton Railroad, and was for a long time Director of that company. Mr. West was united in marriage in No- vember, 1850, to Eliza B. Mott, a daughter of John and Eliza Mott, of Sangerfield. Their BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 547 union was blessed by the birth of three chil- dren, namely: General William M. West, until recently Cashier in his father's bank, and a member of Governor Flower's staff; Catherine W. and Caroline M., twins. The death of Mrs. West occurred at her home in Hamilton, March 21, 1891. (See sketch of Charles Mott for full family history.) She was an esteemed member of the Episcopal church, contributing generously toward its support and aiding in its every good work. Politically, Mr. West was a Democrat, and socially belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and was a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, having taken all its degrees. He was a member of Utica Com- mandery, K. T. His death occurred January 3, 1894; and the sad event plunged the vil- lage in mourning, for all realized that the community had lost a noble citizen, and one who had ever the best interests of his town and locality at heart. Since his death his son, William M., has been elected President of the bank by the Board of Directors, thus succeeding his father in that important position. |RS. F. ARABELLE SAGE, of the village of Cazenovia, is the widow of the late Orrin W. Sage, an enterprising manufacturer and public-spirited citizen, who died here October 23, 1891, at the age of seventy-eight years. Mr. Sage was born in Greenfield, Mass., April i, 1813, and was a son of Oliver Sage of the same place, who was born in 1769, and died in 1859. Oliver was a son of Solomon Sage, of Berlin, Conn., born in 1737; and the father of Solomon was David Sage, also of Berlin, Conn. Oliver Sage was a farmer by occupa- tion. He married Polly Denio, of Green- field, daughter of Aaron Denio, who was an innkeeper of Deerfield, Mass., many years, and was of French ancestry. Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Sage became the parents of sixteen children, but seven of whom, however, arrived at mature age. Of these Orrin W., the late husband of Mrs. Sage, was the youngest. He came from New England to Truxton, Cortland County, bring- ing with him his wife and their only child, Frances. He was a manufacturer of sashes, doors, and blinds at the Fern Dell Mills, this enterprise being established by him- self and his wife's brother, Newton Ames, about the year 1850. The business was suc- cessfully conducted for forty years. Mr. Sage finally sold out his interest in this con- cern, and at his death was engaged in the same business in Oneida, where he had estab- lished himself six years previously. He took an active part in the public affairs of his town, was President of the Village Board, and was prominently associated with various pro- gressive enterprises having for their object the physical and moral advancement of the community. His political sympathies were enlisted on the side of the Republican party; and in religious faith both he and his wife were Episcopalians, of which church he was a Warden and Vestryman many years. In fraternal matters he was an Odd Fellow and 548 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW a member of Homer Lodge. At his death he bequeathed a good estate to his wife and daughter, and left the reputation among his fellow-men of having been an upright, pro- gressive, and high-minded citizen. Frances, the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sage, was educated at the Cazenovia Semi- nary, and was married September ii, 1877, to Wliliam W. Watkins, of Skaneateles. Mr. Watkins is a bookseller at Cazenovia, and is also interested in manufacturing business in Oneida. He is a man of liberal education, and identified with the educational interests of Cazenovia, being Trustee of the seminary and Treasurer of the Board of Education. He lost his father in early youth, and has made his own way in life, beginning as a clerk, when but twelve years old, and coming to Cazenovia in 1863. Mrs. Sage is well known to the people of Cazenovia as a lady of intelligence and refinement, and one whose sympathies are enlisted in behalf of every worthy cause. She is passing her declining years in comfort, and enjoys the respect and esteem of all who know her. TJTJHARLES WILLIAMS MOTT, one of I J| the foremost among those citizens ^•""■^^ of Onei'da who are conspicuous for their intelligence, business ability, and use- fulness to the community in which they live, a member of the Board of Education of Oneida, was born in Sangerfield, Oneida County, N.Y., June 7, 1835. His father was John Mott, a native of Dutchess County, New York, born July 20, 1792, son of an elder John Mott, of French ancestry, whose birth took place April 13, 1753. The family name was originally written La Motte. John Mott, Sr., emigrated to Oneida County, New York, probably from New England, and was a pio- neer of the town of Bridgewater. He pur- chased a farm, engaged in agricultural pur- suits, and resided there until his death. May 16, 1833. The maiden name of his wife was Jane Mabbitt. She was born December 24, 1759, and died March 22, 1831, in her seventy-second year, after having reared a family of nine children, whose names are as follows: Joseph, Sarah, Samuel M., Deborah, John, Jane, Anna, Parmelia, and Parmenas. All of them lived to maturity, upright men and women, good, honest Quakers. All are now deceased, John having been the latest survivor. John Mott, Jr., was quite young when his parents removed to Oneida County, where he was reared. In early manhood he engaged in mercantile business in Bridgewater, where he remained until his marriage, after which he removed to Sangerfield. Here he secured a store, laid in a stock of general merchandise, and was engaged in business thirty-six years, being succeeded by his two elder sons, George C. and Elias Hicks. He resided in that locality until his death, July 20, 1874. The maiden name of his wife was Eliza Williams. She was born in Newport, R.I., February 3, 1799, and was a daughter of Obadiah Will- iams, a native of the same place, who was born February 10, 1767, son of John and BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 549 Mary Williams. Obadiah Williams married Dorcas Earle, also of Newport, a daughter of John and Dorcas Earle, Quaker settlers and pioneers of the town of Bridgewater, their farm being contiguous to the Mott farm. Mrs. Mott died April 22, 1890, at the advanced age of ninety-one years. She had well performed her duties in life, having been a faithful wife and good mother, and having reared ten children, whose names were, re- spectively, Emily, Martha, Maria, Eliza, George Canning, Elias Hicks, John, Charles Williams, Edward, and William. Charles Williams Mott obtained a fair edu- cation in his youth by attendance at the dis- trict school, and later extended the range of his studies by means of a course at the Caze- novia Seminary. In 1855 he went to Wis- consin, and settled at Allen* s Grove, where he became engaged in the lumber business and in the manufacture of sashes, doors, and blinds, remaining here two years. He then returned to Sangerfield, and engaged in farm- ing, in which occupation he continued for five years, and next came to Oneida. In this place he engaged in the lumber business, and was so occupied for a period of twenty years, being also interested at times in various manufacturing enterprises. At the present time he is a jobber in lumber, and does a large and flourishing business, his trade extending into several different States. March 24, 1859, he was united in marriage with Sarah Louisa Cleveland, who was born in Owego, Tioga County, N.Y., March 10, 1839, and is a daughter of Benjamin Franklin Cleveland, a native of the town of Madison, Madison County, N.Y. General Erastus Cleveland, father of Benja- min, was born in Connecticut, and emigrated thence to New York State. He rode on horseback, and for a part of the way marked out a road through the wilderness by blaz- ing the trees. Upon reaching his destina- tion, he secured a tract of land in the town of Madison, which at that time formed a part of Herkimer County, and was an unbroken wilderness, where roamed at will and in countless numbers the wild beasts of the forest. With the energy of a typical pioneer he at once began the work of improvement. He cleared his land, constructed a water- power, and erected the first grist and saw mill in that locality. Not only did his active mind and busy hands contribute to the devel- opment and prosperity of his country in times of peace, but in her hour of peril from foreign foes he responded to her call, and was found bravely doing his part in the field, serving as Major through the War of 1812, and was later known as " General, " as a popular recognition of his military services. The maiden name of his wife was Rebecca Berry, and she was also a native of Connecticut. His son, Benjamin Franklin Cleveland, father of Mrs. Mott, was educated for a physician, biit on account of ill-health abandoned practice, and engaged in the drug business in Oxford, Chenango County, N.Y., and later in Cleveland, Ohio. From Cleveland he returned to Madison, where he was similarly occupied until failing health compelled him to seek outdoor employ- 55° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ment, when he assumed the management of his father's mills, and was thus engaged until his death, which occurred January 2, 1851. He married Elizabeth Avery Putnam, who was born in Pawtucket, R.I., and was a daughter of the Rev. Aaron and Mary (Greene) Putnam. She now makes her home in West Newton, Mass., with her children. Mr. and Mrs. Mott have three children living; namely, Alice Williams, Lucy Cleve- land, and Charles Earle, all of whom have received a good education, and have developed into intelligent and useful members of soci- ety. Mr. Mott's political views find expres- sion in the principles and measures of the Democratic party. He and his wife are com- municants of St. John's Episcopal Church of Oneida; and both occupy a high place in the regards of their fellow-townsfolk, as useful and upright citizens, people of sterling worth. /jTeRRIT smith, the most famous man y^J that has ever lived in Madison Coun- ty, the man who made the village of Peterboro known hundreds and thousands of miles away as the home of a millionaire Abou Ben Adhem, was born in Utica, N.Y., March 6, 1797, second son of Peter and Elizabeth (Livingston) Smith. His paternal ancestors were Hollanders, who settled at Greenbush, Rockland County, N.Y. His father, from whom the town of Smith- field and the village of Peterboro had their names, was a son of Gerrit P. and Wintje Lent Smith, and grandson of Petrus Smith and wife, Annitje. Peter Smith was for a number of years in partnership with John .Jacob Astor in carrying on a trade in furs with the Indians. Both young men began poor: both applied themselves closely to busi- ness with the practical wisdom that commands success. Mr. Astor invested his money in real estate in New York City; Mr. Smith, his in land in the interior of the State, where by repeated purchases he came in time to pos- sess, it is said, nearer a million than half a million acres. Having removed to Madison County, he became a Judge, and presided at the county courts. He lived on very friendly terms with the Indians, and named his eldest son for an Oneida chief, Peter Skenandoah. Of the six children of Judge Smith, only four reached maturity; and none are now living. The family left Utica for Whitesboro about the year 1802, and removed to Peterboro early in 1806, taking up their abode in the house built by the father in 1799 — ^ large, square mansion of wood, which, having been altered in 1855, is still occupied by his descendants. It is probable that a greater number of guests and a greater variety, embracing all sorts and conditions of men, have been entertained in this house than at any other private dwelling in America. Leaving home in his sixteenth year, Gerrit pursued his preparatory studies at the acad- emy at Clinton, Oneida County. A hand- some youth, well endowed physically and mentally; a social favorite, cheerful and spor- tive, but "never wild"; a faithful student — he was graduated with honors at Hamilton GERRIT SMITH. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 553 College, under the Presidency of Rev. Henry Davis, in 1818. The death of his mother in the same year, and his father's ensuing mental depression, led to his remaining at home and devoting himself to business in- stead of studying law. He was not quite twenty-three years of age when he was invested by his father, who had no longer any ambition for worldly cares and activities, with the entire charge of an estate of about four hundred thousand dollars — a large fortune in those days— with debts to the amount of seventy-five thousand, the Judge himself to receive the income of one hundred and twenty-five thousand, and one- half of the remainder eventually to be distrib- uted among other heirs, nieces, and nephews of Gerrit. A gigantic task was before him, and he performed it well. Having good nat- ural abilities to begin with, he developed a wondrous capacity for business. His name stood so high in commercial circles that, when during a period of financial straitness he needed the loan of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, he had but to ask and receive it of Mr. Astor — on a mortgage, to be sure, the papers whereof, through the mis- take of a clerk, not being forthcoming, in- quiry was made from the New York office, but not till after two or three weeks had gone by. Every talent intrusted to him must have doubled itself several times, as it is under- stood that on his demise property to the value of a million of dollars fell to his heirs, and that he had previously distributed in charity eight times that amount. "God gave me money to give away," he said; and he was always giving — from fifty thousand to a hun- dred thousand dollars a year, after his wealth had accumulated to warrant that expenditure. In settling the estate after his father's death, in 1837, he was more than just to the heirs, his nieces and nephews, promptly paying them their portion according to the value of the estate at that time, and in later years at divers times distributing among them other sums, amounting in all to three hundred and twenty thousand dollars. It would take volumes to tell of his varied activities and his munificent benefactions to individuals, to institutions and communities. As a reformer, he was especially interested in the anti-slavery and temperance movements, helping each with voice and pen and purse. His work for temperance began in 1828, and ceased only with his life. That he was about a quarter of a century in advance of his con- temporaries forty years ago in regard to the duties of women appears from a letter written by him to Susan B. Anthony, dated 1853, in which he says : " I know not why it is not as much the duty of your sex as it is of mine to establish newspapers, write books, and hold public meetings for the promotion of the cause of temperance. The current idea that modesty should hold women back from such services is all resolvable into nonsense and wickedness. There is but one standard of modesty and delicacy for both men and women." "Everyone," he held, "should be at entire liberty to choose an individual sphere." SS4 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Elected to Congress as an independent candidate in the fifties, he served one term, made his voice heard, his influence felt, and declined a renomination. Emphatically a tnan who would do his own thinking and fol- low his own convictions, he worked not well in party traces. His course was often cen- sured, his motives misunderstood. His first wife. Miss Backus, daughter of the first President of Hamilton College, hav- ing died in the year of their marriage, 1819, in 1822 he married Ann Carroll, daughter of William Fitzhugh, of Geneseo, Livingston County, N.Y. It was a true marriage: he had found a fitting mate. After more than half a century of happy wedded life, the union was broken by the sudden death of Mr. Smith, of apoplexy, while they were on a visit to a friend in New York City, December 28, 1874. Mrs. Smith survived her husband but a few months, leaving a son, Greene Smith, and a daughter, Elizabeth, Mrs. C. D. Miller. Throughout his mature life Gerrit Smith was characterized by a deeply religious spirit. He and his wife joined the Presbyterian church; but, coming in time to dissent widely from its doctrines and practices, he took the lead in organizing in 1843 "The Church of Peterboro," for whose use in 1847 he built a chapel, in which religious services were regularly held till two years after his death, Mr. Smith himself sometimes being the preacher, and hesitating not to preach politics as often as he saw fit. He had a deep rever- ence for the Bible, and at his home held fam- ily worship every morning, which all guests were expected to attend. Horace Greeley once spoke of him in the Tribune as, though "wrong in some of his notions," "an hon- est, brave, kind-hearted philanthropist, whose religion is not put aside with his Sunday cloak, but lasts him clear through the week." After his school-days he was not a great reader of anything but newspapers. Of these he took and read a great many, because he wanted to live in touch with his own age. Besides writing and printing on his own press in Peterboro many pamphlets relating to ques- tions of the day, he was the author of several books, the list including "Speeches in Con- gress," 1855; "The Religion of Reason," 1864: "Nature the Base of a Free Theology," 1867; and others. His authorized biography, by Octavius B. Frothingham, published in 1878, is a careful study of his life and charac- ter, and very interesting reading. One only wishes it were fuller, contained somewhat more of homely, simple detail. The author repeats from the Nation a former utterance of Rev. Dr. Channing-, describing Mr. Smith as "a man worthy of all honor for his overflow- ing munificence; for his calm, great, in- vincible moral courage; for his Christian liberality, embracing men of every sect and name; and for his deep, active, inexhaustible sympathy with the sinful, suffering, and oppressed" — words which that paper said "might well furnish an inscription for his tombstone." It is certainly much to know that here was one who tried to follow the Master in doing BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 5S5 good, one who did not allow the management of a large estate, necessitatin'g a great deal of care, to so engross his time but that he found abundant opportunity also to be about his "Father's business," trying to make the world better. In connection with this memoir is pre- sented a portrait of Mr. Smith. M EACON DANIEL WEBSTER SKINNER, a prosperous and hon- ored citizen of Madison County, the descendant of a widely and favorably known pioneer family of Hamilton, was born in Far- mersville, Cattaraugus County. His grand- father, Captain Isaac Skinner, was a native of Connecticut, spent the earlier years of his life in that State, and served as Captain in the State militia. Coming from New England to Madison County, he bought a farm in the eastern part of Hamilton, being one of the original settlers of the town. He at once identified himself with the interests of the growing community, built up a good home- stead on the uncultivated land, and there died at the age of about fifty-five years. Erastus Skinner, father of our subject, was born in Hamilton. He was reared to man- hood on his father's farm, attending the pio- neer school during its session, and gaining a knowledge of agriculture when at home. After his marriage he migrated to Cattaraugus County, coming overland with teams, bought a tract of timbered land in Farmersville, and immediately began improving his property. putting up first a small frame house for the shelter of his family. He cleared quite a number of acres, and, after residing there a score of years, removed to the adjoining county, where he bought a farm of eighty acres, a part of which was afterward included in the village of Arcade, Wyoming County. Disposing of that land, he purchased a home- stead of one hundred acres, three miles east of the village of Arcade, making that his resi- dence until his death. He was a man of sterling worth, and a member of the Baptist church; while his wife was reared as a Pres- byterian. The maiden name of his wife, mother of our subject, was Eunice Willy; and she was a daughter of Jeremiah and Hannah (Staples) Willy. She was born in East Had- dam. Conn., and died in Cortland County, New York, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Eggleston. She reared a family of eight children: Sarepta, the widow of Hon. O. B. Lord, resides in Hamilton; Caroline, widow of Hollis Atwater, resides in Allegan County, Michigan; Saxton; Monroe; Nelson; Adoni- jah; Daniel W. ; and Madison. Of the sons, all but one served in the late war, Monroe having previously met with an accident which rendered him unfit for active service. Adoni- jah served in the Second United States Infan- try, and was three times wounded, at one time being left for dead on the field. The others served in New York regiments. Two of them lost their lives in the service of their country. Nelson dying from wounds received at the battle of Cold Harbor, and Madison dying in the rebel prison at Salisbury, N.C. SS6 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW All but one (Saxton) of these brave brothers were wounded in the Rebellion. D. W. Skinner, of whom we write, spent his youthful days on the home farm, attend- ing the district school, and, when sixteen years of age, came to Hamilton to live with his uncle. Deacon Isaac Skinner, remaining there until he attained his majority. He had already an excellent common-school educa- tion, but, anxious for more extended knowl- edge, spent the next year at Hamilton Academy, and afterward pursued his studies in the academy at Homer. Returning to Hamilton, Mr. Skinner entered the Freshman Class of Madison University. During that year came the outbreak of the late Civil War; and on September 2, 1861, he enlisted as a Union soldier in Company C, Sixty-first New York Volunteer Infantry, and served until November 11, 1862. He was with his regi- ment in different marches and campaigns, taking an active part in all skirmishes, and at the battle of Fair Oaks, June i, 1862, re- ceived a wound in his right shoulder, the ball entering at the front and being taken out at the back. He was sent to the hospital in Philadelphia, where he remained about three months, rejoining his regiment September 4, although his wound was not yet healed. The 17th day of the same month, while participat- ing in the battle of Antietam, Mr. Skinner's gun was hit by a bullet; but he was not injured. The regiment was subsequently sent to Harper's Ferry, and a few weeks later was ordered to Fredericksburg. During this latter march, his wound breaking out anew, our subject was disabled from further service, and received his honorable discharge. As a soldier, he was brave and courageous, never shirking any duty, and at the time of his discharge was filling the office of Sergeant, to which he had been promoted. For some time after returning home he suffered much from his wounds, but, after obtaining relief, re- sumed his studies at the university, and received his diploma in 1865. He had al- ready resolved upon a ministerial life, and next became a student in the Theological Seminary, from which he was graduated in 1867. Mr. Skinner was actively engaged in his professional duties for a time, but his health, never very good," began to fail ; and he reluc- tantly retired from the ministry, and returned to Hamilton, where he has since resided. He has never lost interest, however, in the dis- semination of the gospel, but as far as in his power has assisted it in every way, serving for a number of years on the Board of the Bap- tist Educational Society of New York, and has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the university for six years. He is a mem- ber of the Baptist church of Hamilton, in which he served as superintendent -of the Sunday-school for fifteen years, and for the past twelve years has been Deacon of the church. Mr. Skinner has also identified him- self with the welfare of the town, and was at one time a member of the Village Board of Trustees. In politics he was formerly an ardent Republican, but is now a supporter of the Prohibition party. Socially, he is a BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 557 member of Arthur L. Brooks Post, No. 272, Grand Army of the Republic. kEV. WILLIAM BAINBRIDGE DOWNER, a noted teacher of Madison and other counties, dis- tinguished by many years of faithful service, a retired minister of the gospel, living at Caze- novia, was born December 12, 181 5, in the town of Smithfield, now Fenner. He came of heroic stock, one of his ancestors having fought under William of Orange at the memo- rable battle of the Boyne. His father, Joel Downer, was born in Pownal, Vt., November 9, 1780, and came to that part of Cazenovia now known as Fenner in 1802. The father of Joel Downer was John Downer, an early settler of Pownal, Vt., and his grandfather, William Downer, a native of England, whose wife was of Holland descent. John Downer was one of the famous Green Mountain Boys who fought under General Stark in the battle of Bennington. He married Lydia Dunham, of Pownal, Vt., a daughter of Dr. Obadiah Dunham and Lucy Gil left, his wife. Dr. Dunham was a soldier in the French and Indian War, and one of the delegates from Pownal to the Dorset Convention, which took the incipient measures that led to the formation of the State of Vermont. He died in 1813, his wife in 1830, on her ninetieth birthday anniversary. One of her grand- daughters, Mrs. Lucy D. Thurber, of New York, died recently in her ninety-third year. Mr. John Downer died at seventy-two years of age, in 1815. His wife died the same year, aged about fifty-eight. Joel Downer yvas married in 1806 to Lovina Risley, a native of East Hartford, Conn., who came with her father's family to Smithiield in 1 801. Her father, Stephen Risley, was a soldier of the Revolutionary War, and was one of the guard at the execution of Major Andre. Mr. Downer and wife became the parents of nine children, six sons and three daughters, of whom our subject and a twin sister were fifth and sixth in order of birth. All attained maturity, with the exception of one son, who was accidentally killed in infancy. Hiram died in his twenty-fourth year, unmarried. Joel G., the eldest brother, died in Oroville, Cal., in 1867, when sixty years of age, having gone to that State in 1850. His son, Hiram K., served his coun- try faithfully in the War of the Rebellion, and was mortally wounded at the battle of the Wilderness. Joel Downer died on his farm in Fenner, where he had lived some sixty years. May 22, 1865, in his eighty-fifth year. His wife died September 17, 1866, in her eighty-first year. Six of his children taught school more or less; and four of the children — -William and Mary (the twins), Luke W., and Cornelia — are now living. Our subject was reared to farm life, and received a fair schooling in the common schools, besides being for some little time a student at different institutions, and also adding thereto while teaching and by study at home. He began teaching in 1835, when in his twentieth year. He united with the SS8 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Peterboro Baptist church April 27, 1834, commenced preaching July 5, 1836, and was ordained Christmas Day, 1840, at Three Mile Bay, Jefferson County, N.Y. In 1843-44 he was pastor of the Baptist church in Preston, Chenango County, teaching school in the winter to aid in the support of his family. His marriage took place in Fenner, February 26, 1839, to Harriet L. Fay, who had been his pupil in school. She bore him eight children, of whom five are now living, namely: Mary E., wife of Seymour Spencer, of Syracuse, who has two sons and two daugh- ters; William W., a farmer, of Chittenango; Charles E., of Syracuse, who has one son, Harry Vincent; Flora C, a young lady at home, keeping house for her father; and Henry Lincoln, named after the martyred President, who is married, and has one daugh- ter, born July 4, 1893. When the War of the Rebellion broke out, our subject enlisted at Canastota, being one of the first to enlist from the town of Fenner, but was rejected at Elmira on account of his age, he being then over forty-five. He again enlisted August 25, 1862, at Hamilton, and joined the One Hundred and Fifty- seventh New York Volun- teers as a private in Company F. After serving some six months, he was honorably discharged on account of physical disability resulting from over-exertion and fever. He came to his present home in April, 1863, and has since then, with the exception of some two and a half years in Chautauqua County, been numbered among the prominent and respected citizens of Cazenovia. Owing to failing health, he has sometimes been in straitened circumstances, but since January, 1 891, has been in receipt of a small pension, a material help well deserved. The home he occupies in Cazenovia was deeded to Mrs. Downer and her children by her father. Mr. Downer has lived in seven different counties, and taught school in six counties in the State. He is a Republican in politics, and has taken some active part in local affairs, having served as School Commissioner and held various town offices. He was one of the founders of Knowlton Post, No. 160, Grand Army of the Republic, of Cazenovia, his name heading the roster. He was also Chaplain for some years, and has officiated at funerals and on memorial days on various occasions. He is well known in literary and political circles throughout this part of the State as a poet of acknowledged talent and a ready writer and speaker, as well as news- paper correspondent. On November 29, 1892, Mr. Downer suffered a severe bereave- ment in the loss of his beloved wife, who had been his faithful and devoted companion for over fifty-two years. He first made her acquaintance in 1838, when she became one of his pupils in the district in Fenner in which her parents resided. Mrs. Downer was a woman of true Christian character, having at an early age manifested an interest in religious matters, and united with the Baptist church in Fenner. We quote the following from her obituary notice: "She was the kind and faithful mother of eight children, five of whom survive. Her eldest, William Lo- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW SS9 renzo, died November lo, 1862, from a wound received in the battle of Corinth, Miss. At the tiipe her husband was with the army in Virginia, while with her four children, aged respectively fourteen, twelve, seven, and two years, she had charge of a farm of one hun- dred and twelve acres, and had also the care of her husband's parents, aged respectively eighty-two and seventy-seven years, perform- ing the great task nobly, but to the impair- ment of her naturally robust constitution. Her life was one of industry and most tender care of her family, thus winning their love while promoting their welfare." An extract from a letter written by our subject two weeks after his wife's death will not be out of place in this biography: "During the War of the Rebellion Mrs. Downer manifested a patriotic interest in the preservation of the Union, and freely consented to her husband's enlistment in the army, though it entailed unwonted cares and labor upon her, which she nobly endured and performed to the best of her abil- ity. She was quite reluctant to have me attend the Grand Army of the Republic Encampment at Washington, fearing it would be too fatiguing for me, and, when she finally consented to my going, charged me not to march in the grand parade. I marched with the 'boys,' however, and was glad to be able to show her on my return that it did not injure me, notwithstanding my age, this being my seventy-seventh birthday anniver- sary, my twin sister, Mrs. Lewis Johnson, being also living. Last August we began repairs on our buildings, and had made them much more comfortable for ourselves and our farm stock; but our loved one has made a happy exchange, we trust, for the 'many man- sions ' of her Heavenly Father." The letter concludes with the following verses, a sponta- neous outpouring from the heart of the be- reaved husband: — Farewell, farewell, dear wife, adieu : To me thou hast been kind and true, And oft this sorrowing heart of mine Has beat in unison with thine. Right well I recollect the time We two were wed in youthful prime. When each to each gave solemn vow Faithful to be from then till now. O Death, thou hast a fearful sting ; To mortals sorrow thou dost bring; Asunder tear the ties of life Which bind the husband to his wife. But, then, there is another view ; And Death is now a friend so true, Becomes the gate to endless joy. Where sin and sorrow ne'er annoy. Thus may it be for us, my dear Our mortal union ended here, We meet again beyond the skies, Where no disunion can arise. So will I live in hope, my love, Of meeting thee in heaven above; In endless glory there to reign. Freed from all sorrow, sin, and pain. It is with such sweet hope and Christian resignation that Mr. Downer bears his heavy loss, his faith enabling him to pierce the gloom of sorrow and see the sunshine beyond, looking to a happy reunion in that fair land where there shall be "no more death, neither s6o BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW sorrow nor crying; for God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Besides preaching many sermons and writing essays on different subjects, Mr. Downer has delivered addresses on various occasions of public interest. An agricultural address delivered at Cazenovia in 1866, on the occasion of the town fair, was repeatedly published by the State Agricult- ural Society in their Transactions (1865 and 1866) and otherwise. Other addresses have been published in the county papers or in pamphlet. Of one of these last Hon. Gerrit Smith, who had known him from childhood, wrote him as follows: — Peterboro, March 31, 1872. Elder Downer : My old Neighbor and Friend,— \ have this moment finished reading your address before our Association of Teachers. The address is good, — very good. It com- pares well with other productions of your pen, and that is praise enough to bestow upon it. Your friend, Gerrit Smith. Mr. Downer has not engaged in teaching since 1890, having taught that year in a dis- trict where he had taught three terms previ- ously. Three of his children —William W., Charles E., and Flora C. — have also taught three or more terms, respectively. His poet- ical compositions have been written on a great variety of topics. Some of them have been published in papers and otherwise. His last one will appropriately close this narrative : — To-day returns the solemn hour When Death our loved one snatched away, And by hi% own resistless power Bore her to realms of endless day. In sadness, yet with sacred joy. The wife and mother comes in view; Our thoughts of her find now employ, As we the past in thought renew. We think of her in youthful days. When life's brief race had just begun ; Or, later, when more sober ways Had told of conflicts fought and won. Life's battles must be ever fought By those who would life's victories win : We gain life's prize by triumphs wrought In earnest strife 'gainst self and sin. Thus fought the wife and mother dear, The glorious victory to obtain ; And thus she left us mourning here, Forevermore with Christ to reign. (sTruGi UGUSTUS STISSER, a resident farmer in Wampsville, town of Lenox, for over a quarter of a cen- tury, was born in this town, on Cole Hill, in 1826. He is of German descent, his grand- father, Dr. John H. C. Stisser, having been born in BrunswLck, Germany, in 1745. When seventeen years old, young Stisser came to America, and some years afterward served in the patriot army of the Revolution as a sur- geon. In one of the skirmishes of the war he was, with two other comrades, captured by the Indians. His two friends were killed; and only his medical ability, which he had occasion to prove, saved him from sharing their fate. For six weeks he was a prisoner, watched night and day, and subjected to many indignities; but, fortunately, finding his guard very drunk one night, he stole away, and once again reached the camp of his BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW S6i friends. He came with his family to Madi- son County in 1820. Solomon Stisser, last of the nine children of Dr. Stisser, died in Orleans County in 1888, at a very old age. The grandfather died at the house of his son, John Stisser, at Cole Hill, at the age of ninety-six. The grandmother was eighty years of age when she died, in 1828. John Stisser, the father of the subject of the present sketch, was born in Amsterdam, N.Y., in 1800. He married in 1822, at Lenox Furnace, Delilah Buyea, of Lenox. The early years of their wedded life on the farm at Cole Hill were years of toil and privation. They were poor, and had to save and economize in every way to bring up their nine children, of whom three sons and two daughters are living, namely: Jacob, of Can- astota, aged sixty-seven; Augustus; Maria, wife of John Davis, a farmer, living near the old home; John, living on the old homestead, where the grandfather and father died; and Nancy, widow of William Davis, of the town of Smithfield. The father died at Cole Hill in March, 1881, within two days of his eighty -first birthday. He was Road Com- missioner for three years, and Assessor for nine years. His wife, Delilah, died in May, 1886, at eighty-three years of age. He left about five hundred acres of land, four hun- dred of which were in one farm. Augustus Stisser was reared on the farm, early learning to help in the farm work, and receiving a good education in the district school, which was an excellent one, three miles away. He remained with his parents until his marriage, January 12, 1853, to Miss Asenath Clement, of Stockbridge, Madison County; N.Y., daughter of Lewis and Doro- thea (Vedder) Clement, both of Oppenheim, Montgomery County, now Fulton County. Mr. Clement, the father, was a farmer at Stockbridge, N.Y., where he died, aged seventy-five years, and his wife six years later, in 1884, at the age of eighty-one. Mr. and Mrs. Stisser have seven children, namely: Charles A., of Tacoma, unmarried, aged thirty-nine, a carpenter by trade; Lewis J., unmarried, at home; Ellen M., wife of Franklin Pine, farmer, of Oneida County, who has one daughter; Albert E., living with his wife and one daughter on the home farm; Andrew J., farmer in the town of Lenox, who is married, and has two sons and two daugh- ters; William H., unmarried, living at home; and Adelia, wife of Robert Tuft, farmer in the town of Lenox. They have one child, Myron, eighteen months old, the pride and joy of the whole family. Our subject is closely allied with the Democratic party in politics, but has never sought for or held any office in its preferment, his farm and the business therewith connected occupying all his time. He has one hundred and twelve acres in the farm he lives on; in another, near Canastota, one hundred and eleven; on Cole Hill, the old homestead, one hundred and fifty-one; and sixty-five in one other, aggregating four hundred and forty acres in his possession. He makes a spe- cialty of stock-raising, having twenty-seven horses, including two stock horses, besides S62 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW running a large dairy of thirty-five cows. He also does general farming, and takes a com- mendable pride in producing the best results in every department of labor in which he is engaged. Mr. Stisser is a man highly re- spected and esteemed in his town and county. His wife, a valued member of the Methodist church and a true Christian, has been an admirable helpmate to him through the many years of their wedded life. LAMBERT B. KERN, attorney- at-law, resident in De Ruyter, is a native of Eaton, Madison County. Skilled in legal and in political law, quick- witted, keen, an able pleader at the bar, he is one of the most popular and successful lawyers of the county. His father, George Kern, and his grandfather, John Kern, were natives of Ireland, whence they came to America in 1806. Sailing up the Hudson in a keel-boat to Albany, they there took teams for Madison County, then mostly a forest-cov- ered wilderness with a few scattered inhabi- tants. Uncleared land was for sale at ten shillings per acre. The family camped in the pine woods while the elder Kern prospected for a farm. He finally secured a tract of timber-covered land in the north-east part of what is now the town of Eaton, and built a log cabin as a temporary home for his wife and children. Like other pioneer farmers, he cleared the land for the plough by cutting and burning timber, and then raised flax, as well as a variety of food products, and kept cattle and sheep; while the good house-mother, equally diligent in well-doing, cooked and carded, spun and wove, made butter and cheese, and attended to other domestic details. The Kerns came from the north of Ireland with other families of Irish Protestants, so well known to history as a self-reliant, lib- erty-loving, law-abiding, thriftful people, mainly of Scotch descent, than whom no better class of immigrants has ever set foot on American soil. Having cleared his land, John Kern erected substantial and commodi- ous frame buildings, and resided there until he was called from the scene of his earthly labors. After his death the homestead passed into the hands of his son George, who bought out the interest of the other heirs, and occu- pied it as long as he lived, having added thereto other land in the vicinity. He mar- ried Hester Tooke, who was born in the town of Eaton, and died on the home farm. Lambert B. Kern was one of the ten chil- dren of George and Hester (Tooke) Kern. Fond of his books, he early determined to have a liberal education. From the district school he went on to the Free Academy and to Madison University, now Colgate Univer- sity, paying his way, as many another student of limited means has done, by teaching. He was graduated from the academy in 1854, and from the university in 1857. After reading law in the office of Hon. Sidney T. Holmes, of Morrisville, he was admitted to the bar in 1862. He continued in the work of his pro- fession in Morrisville till 1865, when he BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 563 came to De Ruyter, where he has since re- mained in active practice. In 1867 he mar- ried Phebe Arnold, a native of De Ruyter, daughter of Ephraim Arnold. They have two daughters: Gertrude, wife of Frederick Schellenger, Postmaster at De Ruyter; and Mary, wife of Clarence E. Coan, of Syracuse. Mrs. Kern was reared in the Quaker faith, and has many of the quiet Quaker graces of manner and character. In politics Mr. Kern is a devoted Republican, and stands high in the counsels of the party. He was elected District Attorney in 1867, and Member of the Assembly in 1878. In 1893, when the great tidal wave of Republicanism swept over the State, he participated in his party's triumph, and was again elected a Member of the As- sembly. He is a valued member of De Ruy- ter Lodge, No. 629, A. F. & A. M. ILLIAM LEWIS, a descendant of one of the earliest of the pioneers, and a prominent citizen of the town of Leba- non, was born in this town, October 30, 18 12. His father, Samuel Lewis, a native of Con- necticut, removed from that State to the town of Lebanon at an early day, purchased a tract of timbered land, and upon it erected a log house in the woods. After partially clearing his farm, he sold it in 1815, and purchased another tract of forest land, containing one hundred and forty acres, some three miles distant from his first selection, but in the same town, the second tract being now occu- pied by his son, the subject of this sketch. The greater part of this land was cleared by Mr. Samuel Lewis, who resided upon it until his death. Before removing to Madison County, he married Miss Esther Gibbons, a native of Connecticut. Twelve of their four- teen children grew to maturity; namely, Nathan, Ann, Lucinda, John, George, Esther, Benjamin, Edwin, William, Matilda, Mary, and Charles. William Lewis is one of the oldest of the native-born citizens of his county, and re- members many of the incidents of his early pioneer life. Most of the country was then covered with timber, with only small clear- ings here and there. For years after his father settled in this county there were no railroads and but few markets, and the people lived off the products of their farms. Money was very scarce, and more difficult to obtain than at the present time. His father cleared twenty acres of timbered land for one hun- dred dollars and the ashes obtained from the burned logs, much timber that would now be valuable being burned up merely to get it out of the way. His mother used to spin and weave the cloth of which she made the cloth- ing for her family, the clothing, because of its being home-made and of strong material, wearing for a number of years. The educa- tion of the subject was obtained in the dis- trict school, which he attended in the winter season, going barefoot through the snow, very few children of these large pioneer families then having shoes. When ten years of age, young Lewis worked for a neighbor for three dollars per 5^4 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW month. Later in his youth he worked alter- nate weeks for each of two neighbors, earning in this way ten dollars and a half per month. He was thus engaged six months during one summer, losing but three days in that time, two of them being occupied in military duty, the other being spent for his own pleasure. At the end of his six months he gave to his father sixty dollars in money. After the hay- ing on the home farm was finished, he used to mow for the neighbors for fifty cents per day, and in this way earned considerable money. He married Elizabeth Francis Powell, daugh- ter of John and Elizabeth Powell, the former of whom was born in Wales, and came to the United States when forty years of age. Upon reaching this country, he came direct to Madison County, and for a time worked in the town of Madison, but soon removed to the town of Lebanon, where he purchased land, cleared a part of it, and took to Albany the wheat he there raised, together with a tub or so of butter. The wheat he sold for a dollar per bushel, and the butter for a shilling per pound. Upon this farm which he reclaimed from the wilderness he lived until his death. William Lewis has five children living; namely, Sidney M., Lucinda M., Mary M., Charles S., and Jessie. Three of his chil- dren have died; namely, Edward, Sarah, and Kittie. Politically, Mr. Lewis was an Abolitionist and a coworker with Gerrit Smith and other prominent men, until the organization of the Republican party, since which time he has been a Republican. He is a well-read man, familiar with the civil and also the political history of the country, and is thus qualified to intelligently consider the political questions of the day — a duty incumbent on the citi- zens of a republic who would not be domi- nated by irresponsible party leaders, whose rule is even more mischievous in a democratic than in a monarchical form of government, for the reason, perhaps, that rulers in mon- archies are under no necessity of resorting to corrupt practices in order to gain or to main- tain their power, being installed and kept in place by the polity of their realms. OHN LAMB, a native of Madison County, and in the last part of his life one of the oldest residents, after being for many years successfully engaged as a farmer within its precincts, was for some time retired from active business, and died at his pleasant home in the village of Hamilton, August 17, 1893. Madison was his birth- place, and April 26, 1821, the date of his birth. He was of New England antecedents, his father, Jacob Lamb, having been born in the town of Charlton, Worcester County, Mass. His father, Ebenezer Lamb, lived in that town for many years, carrying on his occupation as a farmer, and there died. Jacob Lamb came from Massachusetts to New York in early manhood, and, settling in Madison County, was married in due time, and began the upbuilding of a home on a tract of timbered land in the town of Madison, said land comprising two hundred and twenty-five BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW S6S acres, for which he paid seven dollars an acre. He erected a small house in the wilderness, and bravely began the struggle by which the pioneers of this section conquered their forest domain. He had none of the advantages that aid the farmer of to-day, as his tools were of the most primitive sort, and there were no railways or canals to facilitate the transporta- tion of his produce, while a good market was many miles distant. He had to carry what- ever he wished to sell from his farm all the way to Albany with teams, where he secured necessary supplies, though living mostly on what he produced from his land by hard toil. He kept sheep and raised flax; and his wife used to make cloth from the wool and linen, which she spun and wove with her own deft hands, and then fashioned into garments for the members of her family. He was a hard worker, and improved a fine farm in the course of years, clearing off the land and erecting good buildings, and continuing to reside thereon until his demise. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Clara Thomp- son, was reared in this county, and likewise died on the old homestead. Her father, John Thompson, who is supposed to have been a Pennsylvanian, was one of the pioneers of the town of Hamilton, where he followed the trade of millwright. They reared five children. John Lamb received his education in the district school, and on his father's farm acquired a thorough knowledge of agricultural pursuits. After his father's death a share of the old homestead fell to him; and he was actively and successfully engaged in farming until 1888, acquiring a competence thereby. In the year just spoken of he removed to Hamilton, and purchased a home, in which he lived surrounded by the comforts and luxuries that were the fruits of his early labors. Hav- ing always lived in Madison County, he was well known ; and respect and esteem were accorded to him on every side for those sterl- ing traits that marked him as an upright, just, and candid man, and a good neighbor and citizen. In him the Democratic party had a sturdy supporter. September 21, 1847, he was united in mar- riage with Miss Phebe Manchester; and to them were born these ten children : Minerva, Clara, William, Amos, George, Eveline, ^millius, Ada, and Ida (twins), and Le Roy. Mrs. Lamb was born in the town of Madison, May 21, 1827, and died in Hamilton, October 26, 1893. Her father, William Manchester, was a native of Little Compton, R.I., and a son of Job and Zilpha Manchester. Job Man- chester migrated from Rhode Island, his native State, to New York, and was an early settler in the town of Madison. Some time after this he paid a visit to his old home, making the journey on horseback; and, when he returned from that trip, he brought some apple-trees, which he planted on his farm. Scions from these trees are now bearing apples on the farm belonging to the children of the subject of this sketch. He improved the land upon which he settled in Madison, and there death found him at a ripe age. William Manchester, Mrs. Lamb's father, was S66 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW a boy when he came to this region with his parents; and the remainder of his life was spent on the farm on which he grew up, a part of which came to him by inheritance, and it remained his abode until his death, in 1859. He i^arried Anna Beach, who became the mother of five children, and who survived him but a few years. She was born in Hamilton, and was a daughter of Elnathan Beach, a pioneer of the town of her birth, whose wife's family name was Hubbard. STrLo> LONZO A. FAULKNER, a worthy septuagenarian of Brookfield, Madison County, N.Y., an experienced agri- culturist, was born in this town, September 6, 1 8 19. In the memoir of Charles, the brother of our subject, which will be found elsewhere in this book, the father is men- tioned as having been born in Guilford, Conn., and coming thence to Brookfield, N.Y., where he purchased a tract of land and built his log house, enduring the hardships and privations inseparable then from the lot of the pioneer farmer. The wife of the im- migrant, who before marriage was Miss Azu- bah Fisk, was born in Union, Conn. She was a noble representative of the women of the early settlements of this country, toiling side by side with her husband in making their home, and not only doing the usual domestic work of cooking, cleaning, and sewing, but also spinning and weaving nearly every article of clothing worn by the family. Nine chil- dren grew up to aid and comfort their parents' declining years. Their names were George, Samantha, Sherman, Edward, John, Olive, Friend, Charles, and Alonzo. When the father died, Alonzo A. Faulkner was but eight years of age. He attended the district schools, where he received a fair edu- cation, and was reared to the laborious but healthful and useful life of a farmer. He lives on the home farm, where his father and mother died, and by the aid of modern machinery and methods is enabled to realize good returns. Mr. Faulkner married Mrs. Rebecca Madison, daughter of Elisha and Katie Loomis, by whom he has two children, Addie and Helen. The family are Baptists in religion, and they all are active workers in their church. Politically, Mr. Faulkner, while not aspiring to official duties or honors, is a firm supporter of the Republican party, and at the polls conscientiously discharges his duties as a citizen. As a substantial and trustworthy man, honorable in the transaction of business, having an unsullied reputation, he commands the respect and confidence of his townsmen. He carries on general farming and stock-raising, in which he has had excel- lent success, and has attained a good degree of worldly prosperity. OSEPH J. BURTON, a veteran agri- culturist of Madison County, one of the best authorities for its history, was born July 7, 18 14, in the town of Nelson, son of Charles and Patience (Freeborn) Bur- ton. In 1793, one hundred years ago, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 567 Charles Burton and wife left their native State, Rhode Island, and came to what is now the town of Nelson, Madison County, N.Y. He secured a tract of one hundred acres of wild land, which he soon increased to one hundred and seventy acres. To this, the original homestead, he added another farm of two hundred and fifty acres, now occupied by his son Joseph. When the father and mother first arrived in this county, much of it was primeval forest, and timber of centuries of growth felt for the first time the keen edge of the woodman's axe. The wild denizens of these woods were the only inhabitants; and there is a tradition in the family that one of the sons, David by name, was chased by a savage bear, and only saved himself by creep- ing into a hollow log, where he remained until rescued by his father. Charles Burton became one of the leading men of his town, being one of the first to keep a dairy and to set out a hop-yard. He was also a dealer in sheep, having as many as six hundred head at a time, and raised other valuable stock. He was ably assisted in his work by his wife, who was a typical pioneer woman, and bore her full share in the hard- ships and active toils incidental to the life of these early settlers. They had ten children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the only one now living. Their names were Freeborn F., David, Calvin, Joseph J., Phebe, Alma, Olive, Electa, Nancy, and Jane. The father was drafted, and served his country as a sol- dier in the War of 1812. He was a Demo- crat in politics. He died at the age of sixty-six years, and the mother at the age of seventy-nine. Joseph, fourth son of this pioneer fam- ily, was reared in the vicinity of the town of Nelson; and his educational advantages were limited to the district schools. He remained at home, assisting in the management of the farm and taking a part in the business there- with connected, until the death of his parents. He married in 1845 Miss Betsey Sharder, who was born in Cicero, Oswego County, N.Y., daughter of John and Nancy Sharder. At the time of his marriage he moved to the farm he still owns and occupies. By purchases of land he has added to his home about three hundred acres. Besides doing general farming, he has been one of the largest breeders of live stock in the town of Nelson, raising for the last three years nearly four hundred head of sheep. In connection with this he runs a dairy, preferring Durham cows. By well-directed industry he has built up a most successful business, and in con- ducting it is now ably assisted by his son. To Mr. and Mrs. Burton were born six children: Ellen, living at home; Emma, Mary Jane, Amanda, Charles, David, all mar- ried. The mother died in 1873, at the age of fifty-three. She was a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Burton in his political opinions agrees with the Democratic party, with which he casts his vote. This gentleman is one of the substantial, well-to-do citizens of the county, and has long been prominently iden- tified with the development of the town of 568 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Nelson. He is now enjoying the friiits of his early begun and long continued labors, and spending his life in ease, holding an honora- ble position in the community. fSAAC S. ALLEN, one of Hamilton's skilful farmers, enterprising and pros- perous, was born in the town of Brook- field, November 4, 1848. His father, Win- throp Allen, was a native of Sturbridge, Mass. His grandfather, Timothy Allen, whose home in early life was in Massachu- setts, came from there to New York, and settled in the town of Madison, whence he removed in a lumber-wagon successively to Sangerfield and to Brookfield. He died in Wisconsin while on a visit to that State. Winthrop Allen, receiving a district-school education, and working on the home farm, remained with his father till he was eighteen years of age, when he went out to work by the month. After marriage he lived for a time on a farm in Brookfield, and later removed to Hamilton, his final home. He had six chil- dren, including Ursilla, Clarissa M., Isaac S., Irving W., and George W. The subject of the present biography, pass- ing his boyhood and youth on his father's farm, acquired a practical knowledge of differ- ent branches of agriculture. He pursued his studies in the district school, and later at a boarding-school. Intelligent, industrious, progressive, he is now owner of one of the finest farms in- the town of Hamilton. At the age of twenty-one he married Minnie Sawdey, daughter of Harvey W. and Cylinda Sawdey. They have two daughters, Minnie and Ora C. The family attend the Uni- versalist church. Large - hearted, liberal- minded, open-handed, wishing well to his fellow - men and doing well by them, Mr. Allen illustrates the sincerity of his cheerful religious faith by his upright walk in life. Politically, he is an adherent of the Repub- lican party. W- ILLIAM WERMUTH, an industri- ous and thrifty farmer of the town of Fenner, Madison County, N.Y., was born >in this county, September 21, 1842, son of William C. and Libbie (Myers) Wermuth. The father owned a farm in the town of Lenox, which consisted of abotit one hundred and seventy-six acres, on which he raised grain. He sold this place in 1853, and bought the one on which he died, and which our subject now owns and resides on. He died at the age of seventy-two years, and his wife some time after, in her eighty-eighth year. They had eight children, of whom five are now living: Ebenezer, Alexander, and Hamilton, residing in California; Nelson, in the village of Eaton, N.Y. ; and William. The three who died were: Moses, at the age of forty-two years; Jeremiah, at the age of twenty-two, during the late war, in Salisbury prison; and Julia, wife of C. M. Warner, aged twenty-eight years. The subject of this sketch was brought up in Madison County, and started out soon in life to work out by the month, doing this for BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 569 nearly twenty years. Frugal and thrifty, he saved his money, and in 1873 was able to buy the old home farm, where he resides to the present time. He keeps his farm and all things pertaining thereto — his buildings, his cattle and horses and tools — in fine condi- tion. He owns sixty-five acres of land, and makes a specialty of a high grade of live stock. In his religious views he is a Metho- dist, and is a constant attendant at the church in his town. Socially, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, belonging to the lodge in Cazenovia. He is a good, honest Republican, and, while not receiving any preferment from the party, is faithful to the principles it teaches, always voting a straight ticket. For reasons best known to himself, and which the writer, equally with , the public, has no call to inquire into, Mr. Wermuth remains a bachelor. He " is not unsocial, is by no means a misanthrope; and his home is the abode of comfort and plenty. Among friends, neighbors, and fellow-citizens generally he is accorded the high considera- tion and regard he so deserves as a sound- minded man, not over-hasty in judgment, one who may be relied on to be as good as his word. TT^HARLES H. HITCHCOCK, a well- I J| known farmer of Cazenovia, was born ^^ ^ in the town of Fabius, four miles from his present residence, October 7, 1832. Jeremiah Hitchcock, father of Charles, also a farmer of the same town, though later of Smyrna, was born in 1791, and died in Goose- ville near this place in 1854, at the age of sixty-three years. His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Crumb, was a native of Rhode Island, where she was married to Isaac Pendleton, with whom she came to Madison County. After the death of her first husband she became the wife of Jeremiah Hitchcock, to whom she bore three sons and two daugh- ters, whose record briefly is as follows: Cor- delia, widow of Thomas Russell, resides at Smyrna, Chenango County. Her husband served his country in the War of the Rebel- lion, being a private in the same company and regiment as his brother-in-law, Charles, whose name heads this sketch. He died in the hospital at Hilton Head, S.C., in 1864, being at that time in the prime of life. He left his widow with two sons and two daugh- ters. Fidelia, who died in Michigan, the wife of Christopher Kenyon; Daniel L., who died in Binghamton, leaving six children, four sons and two daughters; Charles H., the sub- ject of this biographical notice; and Thomas J., who served as a private in Company D, One Hundred and Fourteenth New York In- fantry, and was wounded in the head by a rebel bullet at the battle of Winchester and reported as dead, but came home alive, and died near Ionia, Mich., in 1884, when forty- nine years old, leaving one daughter and one son. Charles H. Hitchcock was reared on his father's farm, and received but a limited edu- cation in his youth. August 22, 1862, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Fifty- seventh New York Volunteer Infantry, Com- S7° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW pany F, Captain Stone, and continued in active service for three years. He received a wound in the right hand, but otherwise escaped unscathed. His health, however, was greatly impaired in consequence of the exposure and hardships incidental to life in the field. On August i, 1865, his duty to his country faithfully performed, he laid down his arms, and returned to the farm and home of his widowed mother at Smyrna and the peace- ful avocations of civil life. At this place she died in 1883, being then over seventy years of age, and leaving but a small estate. In 1854 he married Olive Havens, who bore him two daughters and two sons, of whom two now survive, namely: Mary, wife of Jeremiah Hitchcock, with whom he is mak- ing his home, they being the parents of three daughters and one son ; and Wallace, a farmer of the town of Madison, this county, who has one daughter and one son. De Etta died when a child of three, and John in early in- fancy. Mr. Hitchcock is a member of Hunt Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of De Ruyter. He was formerly a Democrat in his political views, but of late years has sup- ported the Republican party, voting for Har- rison for President in 1892. He is a natural mechanic, and, although he never served an apprenticeship to any trade, is an excellent carpenter, and can do anything in a mechan- ical line that he has ever undertaken. It is such men as he who form the representative citizenship of our country, and who are at once its defence in time of peril and its strength and pride in time of peace. ■OHN H. BROAD, editor and proprie- tor of the Madison County Leader, was born at Lee Centre, Oneida County, January 14, 1871, of English parents, and, when a small boy, removed with his parents to Morrisville. Until he was thir- teen years old he attended the union schools, but left school with only a partial education, and entered the office of the Madison Ob- server, one of the oldest weeklies published in the State, to learn the printer's art. Dur- ing the two and a half years he was engaged on this paper he received most of his educa- tion, and during the two subsequent years was engaged in the composing-room of the Oneida Post, whence he went to New York, and ac- cepted a position in the composing-room of the New York Ledger. In the fall of 1890, with the portion of his earnings that he had saved, he purchased a one-fourth interest in the Madison County Leader, published at Morrisville by Stillman & Nash, he at that time being nineteen years of age. As soon as he became a member of the firm he took entire charge of the news and editorial col- umns, the firm being known as Stillman, Nash 8: Broad. The Leader was established as a Republi- can journal by Frank Spooner and W. E. Stillman in June, 1885; and from the start it grew in popularity, and its subscription increased until it reached two thousand five hundred within the first year. About one year later Mr. Spooner withdrew from the firm; and the paper was continued by Mr. Stillman until the latter received an appoint- John H. Broad. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 573 ment in the Sub-treasury at New York in 1890, at which time he sold a one-half inter- est to F. W. Nash, who conducted the paper until Mr. Broad purchased an interest. From mismanagement and from numerous changes of proprietorship the paper had lost much of its former prestige, and its business had greatly diminished. During the next year Mr. Broad purchased the interests of Stillman & Nash, thus becoming sole proprietor. By hard work and strict attention to his duties as editor and general business manager he restored the paper to its old position in the estimation of the public; and it is now one of the best weeklies in the State, and is as influ- ential a country newspaper as can be found in Central New York. He has improved the office, and has added to its mechanical effi- ciency, until it is now a model country print- ing-office. The machinery is run by steam power, and the job presses and news press are of the latest improved style. Mr. Broad is a practical printer, and is as much at home at the composing-rack or at the press as in the editor's chair. He occupies a leading position among the influential men of his town, and in his capacity as editor has an opportunity to lend his aid to all good influ- ences and to all projects having for their aim the moral and physical betterment of the com- munity in which he lives. That he is well qualified to fill his responsible position is attested by his past record; and all may well hope that the promise of his youth will be ful- filled by a still brighter record in later years. It is with much pleasure that the publishers of this volume find themselves enabled to present to their readers in the accompanying portrait the features of this young and able representative of the editorial and journalistic profession. WELLINGTON E. BARNARD, a public-spirited and useful citizen of Madisan County, an enterprising tiller of the soil of the town of Sullivan, was born November 12, 181 3, in the town of Lenox, N.Y., son of Friend and Ormentia (Moses) Barnard. His parents were natives of the State of Connecticut, and were both born in the year 1791. Friend Barnard came to New York State in 1798 with his father, David, who settled first in Oneida County, and from there came to Madison County when it was a comparative wilderness, and bought land, which he cleared, and, erecting his log cabin, resided here until his death, at the age of sixty. Friend Barnard, the father of Wellington, was brought up in the town of Lenox, and married there. He was a farmer, and a great politician in the Democratic party, being a member of the Assembly in 1849, and also serving as Side Judge for two or three years. He came to the town of Sullivan, and lived on a farm which he bought in this town for thirty-five years, but spent his last days in the town of Vernon. He had a family of two daughters and one son, of whom our subject, Wellington E., and his sister Charlotte, widow of Edwin Wilder, residing in Chi- 574 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW cago, 111., survive. Phebe Ann, Mrs. Philip Wager, the second daughter, died at the age of fifty years. The father died at the age of seventy-two years, having been twice married. His first wife, the mother of our subject, died March i, 1825, at the age of thirty-three years. She was an exemplary member of the Presbyterian church. At eight years of age Wellington Barnard came to the town of Sullivan, where he grew to manhood, attending the public schools in. his younger days, and finishing his education in the seminary at Cazenovia, N.Y. He re- mained at home until nearly twenty-three years of age, when January 25, 1841, he mar- ried Miss Louisa Keene, who was born July 25, 1 8 19, in the town of Pompey, Onondaga County, and was the daughter of Samuel and Pamelia Keene. Mr. Keene was one of the practical and progressive farmers of the town of Lafayette, N.Y He died at the age of seventy-one, in 1869; his wife, in 1858, at the age of sixty-five years. They had six ■children, of whom three are now living: Mrs. Barnard; Nancy, Mrs. R. M. Kimball, resid- ing in Wisconsin; Mary Ann, living with her sister. After his marriage Mr. Barnard bought a farm of sixty-six acres in the town of Lenox, where he lived ten years, and then sold it, buying a place near Clockville, N.Y., where he stayed for four years. He afterward sold this place, and purchased a farm of three hun- dred acres in the town of Sullivan, where he remained for ten years. From here he removed to Chittenango Village, where for eight years he engaged in business as a specu- lator; and in September of 1873 he settled on the farm of ninety acres which he now owns and occupies. This is all good, tillable soil, on which productive crops of wheat, corn, oats, hops, and hay are raised. He has also a dairy of ten head of fine cattle, some of which are of choice Durham breed. Mr. and Mrs. Wellington Barnard have had four children, of whom two a:re living: Charles J., who is in the wholesale business in Syracuse; and Ellen A., residing with her brother in that city. They have been deeply afflicted in loosing two daughters : Mary, at the age of twenty-four; and Emily, at thirteen years, both lovely and promising young women. Politically, Mr. Barnard is a Democrat. He has been Assessor six years. He was Supervisor for the town of Lenox in 1854, and filled the same office for the town of Sul- livan in 1863. He takes a great interest in the political fortunes of his party. The Bar- nard family are among the oldest and most respected in Madison County. Horace Bar- nard, an uncle of our subject, was a distin- guished soldier in the War of 18 12; and Pardon Barnard, another uncle, was Member of the Assembly, and Sheriff of Madison County from 1828 to 1831, a Justice of the Peace for many years, and also Supervisor. He died in 1841. Eli Barnard, another uncle, who was Collector for the town of Sul- livan, was lost in the woods near Oneida Lake, having, it was supposed, wandered south into the swamps. This happened about the year 1807. His body was found after a BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 575 long search. Mr. and Mrs. Barnard are lib- eral and independent in their religious views, taking the Golden Rule rather than any par- ticular church doctrines for their law of life. They reside in an attractive home, their farm ranking as fine as any in the county. Friends of good order and morality, they deservedly enjoy the esteem in which they are held by the community. /®Xc EORGE B. CRANDALL, an unwea- \[^^ ried toiler in the fertile fields of Madison County, the years of whose virtuous pilgrimage already exceed fourscore, was born in Brookfield, N.Y., February 12, 1812. His grandfather, Joseph Crandall, a farmer, was born and died in the State of Rhode Island. Henry Crandall, son of Joseph, came to Brookfield from that State, bringing with him his wife and one child. He was one of the pioneers of the town, and bought a tract of timbered land, on which he erected his dwelling-house and farm buildings. The children of Henry and Polly (Dennison) Crandall who were here reared were Polly M., Luraney M., Esther S., Henry H., Daniel S., Joseph H., William R., George B., and Avery C. Our subject was educated in the district schools, and remained at his boyhood's home with his parents until the age of twenty- three, when he married Miss Sarah Burdick, daughter of Mr. Jacob Burdick, a prominent man of the town, and moved to a farm near by, where they began housekeeping, resid- ing there for about twelve years. He then bought a place west of his present home, and struggled for some time to pay for it, but met with so many misfortunes, — the greatest one being his inability, on account of the vetoing by President Van Buren of tl\e tariff bill, to find a market for his wool, — that he was unable to do so. For two years he battled manfully with his troubles, but was finally obliged to return to the farm where he had formerly lived. There he remained for twenty years, at the end of that time yielding to the persua- sions of his father, and coming to live on the home farm, of which at his father's death he became the owner, and has since resided here. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Crandall, Lorin B. and Henry D. Lorin B. married a daughter of Stephen Clark, Miss Susan Clark, who died in "August of 1893. Henry D. married Miss Lucia Pope, and has one child, Francis O. Mr. Crandall's wife died at the age of forty years. She was a lovely Christian character, and her death was a great sorrow to her family and friends. Although eighty-one years of age, Mr. Crandall can scarcely be considered an old man, as he is hale and hearty, and an active worker yet on his farm, attending to its whole management, his mind being as clear as in his younger days, and his judgment well ripened by long experience of life. He is a strict and conscientious member of the Seventh-day Baptist church, having never been ashamed of professing Christian faith. A loyal citizen of the republic, he is regard- 576 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ful of his civil rights and duties. He follows the principles of the Republican party in voting. Mr. Cfandall is venerated and esteemed wherever known throughout the county, and no shadow has obscured or tarnished his reputation. Mr. Crandall has been privileged to see in this marvellous age changes that seem almost like the work of magic. From the plodding ox-team to the rush of the locomotive, from the dim tallow candle to the glare of electricity, and from the rude implements' of farm work to the finished machines of to-day — all these and more have been brought about since he began to walk the earth. And he has seen the growth of the United States into a mighty nation of more than sixty-two and one-half millions of people, with a territory whose area is more than three and one-half millions of square miles. [^ WELLINGTON TABER, of hon- '^^\ ored memory, late worthy citizen of Cazenovia, Madison County, N.Y., was born in this town, December 8, 1827. He and Loyal C. Taber were the only chil- dren of Clark and Mary (Gibbs) Taber, the former of whom was born in Little Compton, R.I., April 30, 1790, and the latter in Tol- land, Mass., June i, 1796. They were mar- ried in the town of Cazenovia, February i, 1827, and began housekeeping at Tkber's Mills, now known as Juddville, in the house at present owned by Albert Judd, where their two children were born. They soon pur- chased a farm of their own, upon which they resided until death claimed them. Clark Taber was a carpenter and joiner by trade. His father, Philip Taber, a shoemaker of Little Compton, R.I., had married a Mary Gibbs, of an earlier generation than the above named; and their family contained seven children, four sons and three daughters. They came to Cazenovia about 1820, where Mr. Philip Taber died when he was well past middle life. His wife survived him many years, being ninety-three years old at the time of her death. They are now resting in Nelson Cemetery. Loyal C, the brother of B. Wellington Taber, was a member of the firm of Wood, Taber & Morse, manufacturers of horizontal engines, at Eaton, N.Y. The mother, Mary Gibbs Taber, died March 28, 1858, at sixty-two years; Clark Taber, Janu- ary 16, 1862, at seventy-two years; B. Wel- lington Taber, July 12, 1885, at the age of fifty-eight; and Loyal C. Taber, January 12, 1892, aged fifty-nine. His death occurred at his home in Syracuse. He left a widow, Mary Smith-Taber, and three sons — Wel- ling W., Loyal C, and Clanden. H. Amanda Taber, widow of B. Welling- ton Taber, was born in Northampton, N.Y., February i, 1828, a daughter of Lemuel and Hannah (Lyon) Ward, both of whom died when she was a small child. She was united in marriage to Mr. Taber in this town, July 23, 1848. She and her husband spent many happy years together, residing here during their entire wedded life of thirty-seven years. They lived upon their farm, four miles south BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 577 of Cazenovia Village, until three and a half years before his death, when they moved into the village of Cazenovia. His trade was that of a millwright; and he was also the owner of a farm of two hundred and forty-four acres, which is still retained in the family. Their only child is Charlotte Amanda, born May 6, 1849. She is the wife^of Charles H. Perkins, son of Wilson L. and Sarah Salisbury- Perkins. He was horn March 31, 1850, on the farm which he how owns, and upon which he and his wife reside. Mrs. Taber has made her home with them since the death of her husband. Charles H. Perkins was first mar- ried in 1872 to Alice Kingsley, of Hamil- ton, Madison County, who died two years after her marriage, leaving one daughter, Alice. Mr. Perkins was united to the daugh- ter of Mr. and Mrs. Taber December 2, 1879. They have lost one son, Wellington, who died August 18, 1881, aged eight months. They have a son now Living, C. Taber Perkins, a bright, promising boy of eleven years. Mr. Perkins has been a practi- cal farmer since leaving school at the age of eighteen. His wife is a cultured woman and a highly competent teacher. Mr. Perkins is a Prohibitionist from prin- ciple, and in the interests of his party and a righteous cause has had the honor of being defeated for most of the town offices, and also for the offices of Sheriff and Member of As- sembly. He has for two years been the Chairman of the County Prohibition Commit- tee, and is at the time of this writing the nominee of his party for County Treasurer, His wife is equally enthusiastic in the tem- perance cause, and by her efforts every scholar in this district school was enrolled as a mem- ber of the Loyal Temperance Legion. She is a most earnest and successful worker in Prohibition circles, and inspires both young and old with a personal interest in the erasion of that dark stain on the history of civiliza- tion — the drink traffic. Mr. Perkins was elected at Binghamton, May 19, 1892, as delegate to the National Prohibition Conven- tion at Cincinnati, and his wife as an alter- nate, both attending. Their bright young son is an ardent little temperance man, and is a delegate to a county convention from the Loyal Temperance Legion. "f^ORTON A. BLISS, a prominent and I — f influential agriculturist of Madison ^— ^ County, thoroughly identified with its business and industrial interests, is a val- uable resident of the town of Smithfield, which is the place of his nativity, 1843 hav- ing been the year of his birth. The Bliss family, as far as we can trace back the ances- try, were of New England origin. Ephraim Bliss, grandfather of our subject, was born in Massachusetts, and there grew to matu- rity and married. He subsequently came to Madison County, and, buying a tract of land lying in Smithfield, began to clear a farm. The soil was unbroken and heavily timbered. Wild game was abundant, and formed a large part of the subsistence of the family. Ind- ians were numerous, and made frequent calls 578 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW at the log cabin in which the family dwelt. He improved a good farm, and died on the old homestead, at the age of sixty-three years. To him and his wife were born five children, three boys and two girls, all of whom are now deceased. Lyman Bliss, son of Ephraim and father of Norton, was a native of Smithfield, having been born and reared on the old home farm, where his death afterv^ard took place. He assisted his father in tilling the soil and improving the farm, watching the rapid devel- opment of this part of the country from a sparsely inhabited forest to a populous and growing town. He was a practical and pro- gressive farmer; and, after becoming owner of the old homestead, he adde'd more land by purchase, until he was the possessor of three hundred acres. He was very successful in raising sheep, owning sometimes three hun- dred head of merinos, and realized large profits from the sales of wool. He also carried on general farming on an extensive scale. He married Anna Chaffee, who, like himself, was a prominent member of the Presbyterian church. Both are now dead, he having passed away at the age of seventy-three years, and she when sixty-eight years old. They reared a family of nine children, seven sons and two daughters, six of whom are now living. Joseph lives in Smithfield. Dr. Lyman is a physician in Michigan. Aaron lives in Sagi- naw, Mich. Marcia married Silas W. Tyler, of Saginaw, Mich. Norton A. lives in Smithfield. The Bliss Brothers, of Michi- gan,, are well known. They have made a fortune in the lumber business, and are num- bered among the influential and prominent citizens of that State. Three of the sons served in the army during the late Civil War: Leuman, now deceased, was Chaplain; Dr. Lyman served as Surgeon ; and Aaron entered the Tenth New York Cavalry ■ as First Lieu- tenant, and was afterward promoted to the rank of Captain. He has recently presented to the soldiers of Madison County a hand- some monument, which is located in Peter- boro, and was dedicated with appropriate cere- monies July 4, 1893. Mr. Lyman Bliss was a Republican, and was for many years Cap- tain of the State militia. Norton A. Bliss, the subject of our sketch, was the youngest child born to his parents. He was reared to agricultural pursuits, and received his education in the district schools of his native town and in the Peterboro Acad- emy. He remained at home, assisting his father in the labors of the farm, until he was one-and-twenty years of age. At that time he began life in earnest, purchasing a farm of ninety-five acres, on which he soon after set- tled with his bride, to whom he was married January 27, 1863, and who became the mother of two children, a son and a daughter. The maiden name of Mrs. Bliss was Sally M. Brown. She was born in Stockbridge, being a daughter of Philander M. and Cordelia (Haxton) Brown, both of whom are now de- ceased. Mr. Bliss managed this farm profit- ably for a number of years, and in 1877 sold it and bought the one he now owns and occu- pies. This farm consists of two hundred BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 579 acres, which he has improved and cultivated industriousl)^ for many years; and it is now a valuable and productive estate. In addition to general agriculture, our subject is an ex- tensive stock-raiser, and has a fine dairy of twenty-five cows of the Holstein breed, which are exceptionally well cared for. Everything about the place is indicative of the enterprise and excellent management of the proprietor, the buildings being substantial and conven- ient, the machinery being kept in good repair; and it is hardly necessary to add that Norton A. Bliss is a thorough-going business man, prospering in all he undertakes. Politi- cally, he is a wide-awake Republican. He has served as a member of the Board of Excise. His only son, Eli J., born June i8, 1866, now carries on the home farm. The daughter, Mary W., born October 29, 1869, is the wife of John Warner, of Lenox. /^STeORGE G. WALDRON, a defender \J5|_ of his country's flag in the late war, now Postmaster at Hamilton, Madison County, and since 1865 editor and proprietor of the Hamilton Sentinel, was born at Hamil- ton in July, 1842. He is a son of George R. Waldron, a journalist and a patriot of the War of the Rebellion, whose biographical sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. As therein stated, a far-off ancestor, the great- great-grandfather of the subject of the present sketch, was born in Holland, came to Amer- ica at a very early day, and was one of the three original purchasers of Manhattan Island. George G. Waldron was one of ten children of George R. Waldron, and is the third of the seven that are still living. He was well educated in the district school, and when yet quite young was put to work in his father's printing-office to learn that trade. His talent, however, appeared to lie in the direction of art; and he was earnestly advised by his father's partner, ex-Postmaster-General Thomas L. James, to take instruction in engraving. But, his country being in need of soldiers, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Fifty-seventh New York Volunteer Infantry in July, 1862, and was mustered into the service of the United States September 19, same year, as a private in Company A, of which company J. Hunt Smith was Captain. He served three and a quarter years, and saw much campaigning. In the battle of Gettys- burg he was taken prisoner; but, being mistaken for an army nurse when the Con- federates were collecting their prisoners to march them off to the South, he concealed himself in a blacksmith's shop, and thus eluded them. He did not, however, dodge the bullets of the other side quite so luckily, as he met with several narrow escapes, and re- ceived a bad flesh wound in his left arm, in consequence of which he was taken to Gettys- burg hospital, and lay there thirteen weeks before he was able to rejoin his company. When he did rejoin them, they were at Jack- sonville, Fla. ; and there he was placed in charge of the printing-office, serving under General Birney two months, when he was transferred to Hilton Head, S.C., where he S8o BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW had charge of the government printing-office, and was also connected with the secret ser- vice under General Gilmore. After perform- ing his duty faithfully for his full term, he was honorably discharged, and mustered out in July, 1865. In the fall of 1863 Mr. Waldron secured a furlough, returned home, and married Mary A. Harrison, of Churchville, Monroe County, N.Y., a daughter of Edmund Harrison. Mr. and Mrs. Waldron have buried one son, Fran]jie, who died at the age of three years. They have one daughter, Jennie Estelle, an intelligent, studious girl, fifteen years of age, who is doing well in the general branches of learning and in music, and, like her father, has a natural taste for art. Among the many specimens of the handiwork of Mr. Waldron in the line of drawing and carving is a spread eagle, twelve by twenty-eight inches, carved out with a knife from a cherry board. Mr. Waldron is a member of Arthur L. Brooks Post, No. 272, Grand Army of the Republic, of which he has held all the offices at different times. He is a Knight Templar Mason; and, though a stanch Republican in politics, he hopes to remain Postmaster at Hamilton another year. ^ETER B. HAVENS, M.D. Among the native-born citizens of Madison County who have risen to distinc- tion in professional life is Dr. Peter B. Havens, who is well known in this part of the State, and is recognized as one of our ablest physicians. He was born in Hamilton, April 17, 1824. His grandparents, Peleg and Martha (Bessey) Havens, were born either in Rhode Island or Massachusetts, and emigrated from New England to New York, being early pioneers of Westmoreland, Oneida County. They made the journey overland with an ox- team, the long and tedious trip occupying many days. Mr. Havens bought a tract of land which was yet in its primitive condition, and at once built a log house and began the labor of clearing a farm. There were neither railways nor canals for many years afterward, and no markets very near, the people being obliged to subsist on the products of their land or the game, which was abundant. As soon as he had enough land under cultivation to raise a surplus of grain, he was obliged to haul it to Albany with teams, to dispose of it for needful merchandise. He improved a good farm, and resided there until his death, having ably done his part toward the build- ing up of the town and the county. Dr. Peter B. Havens, Sr., son of Peleg and father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Westmoreland, Oneida County. He was born in the rude log cabin of his parents, and attended the pioneer schools of his native town. Being unusually fond of his books, his father gave him the advantages of a good edu- cation, and, after he had turned his attention to the study of medicine, sent him to a medi- cal college in New York City, from which he was graduated in 181 2. He commenced practice in Hamilton, and met with such good success that he remained there until his death, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW S8i in November, i860. The maiden name of his wife was Martha Clark. She was born in Erie County, New York, and died in Hamil- ton in 1857, having reared four children — Marcia, Hannah, George, and Peter B. The last-named, the subject of this biog- raphy, having received the foundation of his education in the public schools of Hamilton, supplemented it by attendance at the Hamil- ton Academy. Determining to adopt a pro- fessional career, at the age of eighteen years he. began the study of medicine, and after- ward attended medical lectures at the West- ern Reserve College of Cleveland, Ohio, from which he was graduated with an honor- able record in the class of 1848 and 1849. Dr. Havens, following the footsteps of his father, began the practice of medicine in Hamilton, remaining there until 1853, when he removed to Davis County, Indiana, where he remained four years, actively engaged in the practice of his profession. Returning to Madison County, he resumed his professional duties in his native town, where he has achieved a brilliant success, having a large and widely extended practice. The maiden name of his first wife, to whom he was mar- ried in 185 1, was Charlotte E. Stanley. She was born in Pompey, Onondaga County, and died in Hamilton in 1868. They had a fam- ily of three children : Florence E. ; Charlotte E., deceased; Samuel P. Florence married J. W. Clark; and they have one child, Char- lotte E. Samuel married Mina Holton, and lives in New York City. The present wife of Dr. Havens, Miss Lyra Foote before mar- riage, is a native of Hamilton, and was mar- ried to the Doctor in 1886. In politics Dr. Havens is a strong adherent of the Demo- cratic party, although not a seeker after offi- cial position. « •■ »i •^ROWN BROTHERS occupy a most '^N prominent position among the stock-raising farmers of the town of Smithfield, who constitute an important ele- ment in its business circles. The subjects of our sketch, Fred G. and John E. Brown, natives of Madison County, were born in Smithfield, one in the year 1840 and the other in 1843. Emerson Brown, Sr., their grandfather, who was born in Connecticut, in early life removed to New York, and, coming to Madison County, took up land in Smith- field, being among the original settlers of the place. He built a log house, improved a farm, and there spent the remainder of his life, dying at a venerable old age. Emerson Brown, Jr., father of our subjects, was born on the old homestead in Smithfield, and reared to a farmer's life. He married Margaret Douglass, a native of Scotland, and subsequently bought a farm in Smithfield, which he made his permanent home. He car- ried on general farming in a successful man- ner until his death, at the age of fifty years. His good wife survived him several years, and died at the age of seventy-four, having reared a family of six children, all of whom are now living. She was a member in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics Mr. Brown was a Republican, and S82 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW for three terms served as Road Commissioner. Two sons took an active part in the late Civil War, Burton Brown having been a vol- unteer in Company D, One Hundred and Fourteenth New York Infantry, and James a member of the Light Artillery in a Wiscon- sin regiment. Fred G. and John E. Brown were reared to manhood and educated in the town of Smith- field. Being young men of exceptional abil- ity, energetic and ambitious, and desiring to become established in life, they united their savings, and bought a tract of land, consisting of seventy acres, which they operated judi- ciously for some time. Disposing of that, they purchased the farm they now own and occupy, and where they carry on a most pros- perous business. Their estate consists of two hundred and ten acres of arable land, which they utilize to good purpose, raising hops, hay, and the cereals common to this section of the country on a part of it. Another part is devoted to grazing, stock-raising being an important industry with them. They make a specialty of raising horses of the Norman Percheron breed. In addition thereto, our subjects have an excellent dairy, composed of twenty-five head of Holstein cattle, which they find most profitable. In the management of their farm the Messrs. Brown display excellent judgment and skill; and the premises are made very attractive, the substantial buildings being models of convenience, and the handsome residence giving indications of the good taste and ample means of the owners. Fred G. Brown, the elder brother, is married, and has one child. Flora E., who was born in 1872, and is living at home. The brothers are both Republicans politically, and Fred has served as Collector two terms and as Constable two years. Religiously, he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. tOBERT D. RIDDELL, a highly suc- cessful farmer and horticulturist, liv- — ^ ing near the village of Chittenango, a man skilled in various handicrafts, represen- tative of a very ancient and noble family of the sunny land of France, was born November 2, 1834, in the town of Sullivan, Madison County, N.Y., son of David and Nancy (Joiner) Riddell. The family had not always the double consonant in the middle of their name, as they can trace their lineage to the year of our Lord 860, when lived one Wal- grinus Ridell, a native of France, who is said to have been related to Charles the Bald, King of France and Emperor of Germany, who was born in 823 a.d. Walgrinus died in France in 886; and the family have been well known through Normandy, Great Britain, and Ireland for many generations. The grandfather of our subject, Robert Riddell, was born in Londonderry, N.H., January 27, 1768, and in 1784 married Miss Jemima Long, who was born* in Massachusetts. They moved to the town of Sullivan about the year 1806, coming to wild and uncultivated land, forests inhabited almost solely by wild beasts and game; for few indications of civilized life BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 583 were near. Few sounds were heard but the songs of the birds and the rustle of the winds in the trees, except when at night the cry of the wolf and the heavy footstep of the prowling bear startled them from their un- easy slumbers. The hardy, fearless grandfather and his equally brave wife built their log cabin in these wild woods, and settled themselves to their life of hard labor and many privations. Fortunately, they found the Indians almost uniformly friendly and hospitable. They be- came the parents of eight children, as fol- lows: Polly, born in 1785, and died in 1848; Sally, born in 1787, died in 1859; Jemima, born in 1788, and died in 1869; Patty, born in 1790, and died in 1862; Robert, born in 1792, died in 1861 ; David, born in 1794, died in 1884; Susan, born in 1795, died in 1808; Thompson, born in 1798, and died 1877. The father of these children died on August II, 1808; and his wife followed him September 14, 1822. They were members of the Baptist church, and Mr. Robert Riddell was a strong adherent of the Democratic party. David Riddell, father of Robert D., was born in Massachusetts in 1794, and came to the town of Sullivan with his father when he was but twelve years of age. When he grew to manhood, he learned the trade of tanner and currier in Peterboro, N.Y., and after- ward went to Chittenango, where in 1815 he formed a partnership with his brother Robert in the business of tanning and currying leather. This firm continued for forty years, carrying on one of the most flourishing indus- tries in the village. David Riddell also owned lands in the vicinity, including a part of the very farm on which the subject of this sketch now resides. He was a very promi- nent and influential man in these parts. He died December 27, 1884, in his ninety-first year, his wife having preceded him to the grave September 19, 1851. They attended the Dutch Reformed, now Presbyterian church; and the wife was a most devoted adherent, being in full membership. Fra- ternally, Mr. Riddell was a member of Sulli- van Lodge, No. 148, A. F. & A. M. Four children were born to this family, namely: Angel ine F., born January 31, 18 19, and died in 1882, unmarried; William Wal- lace, born October 20, 1820, and died April II, 1888 — his widow now resides in the vil- lage of Chittenango, N.Y. ; Hannah M., born February 5, 1829, and died December 25, 1830; and Robert D. The last-named is the theme of our sketch. He was brought up in the village of Chitte- nango, and attended the schools of that vil- lage. When very young, he learned the carpenter's trade, and was not only handy with tools, but had a very marked talent for mechanical construction. He did not make a business of his trade, but is perfectly cap- able of doing his own work in that line, hav- ing built his present handsome home. He always remained with his parents on the farm, and also assisted his father in running the tannery. At the death of his father the whole farm near Chittenango Village came S84 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW into his possession. He has added to this land until he now has one hundred acres under cultivation, of which wheat, oats, corn, and hay are the main crops; while he also has splendid orchards of apples, pears, plums, quinces, and other fruits. He has three acres devoted to grape culture, having twenty varie- ties of vines. He also manages a dairy, and has a fine herd of Holstein and Jersey cattle. Mr. Riddell has not yet found his fate, but still resides at his home in a state of bachelorhood. In politics he is a stanch Democrat, and in his religious views is a Presbyterian. Mr. Riddell is singularly fortunate in these days, when the subject of heredity is attract- ing the attention of scientists and genealogy is becoming a popular study, in being able to trace his ancestry to so remote a period. A harmonious blending of races is seen in the evenly balanced character of this gentleman, who is deservedly popular in his village, and is one of the real live men of the place, being of an energetic as well as pleasant disposi- tion, and courteous in manner. /®Yo EORGE S. SADLER, President of Vi£l. the village of Canastota, a successful business man, and for years a trusted railroad employee, was born at Ingham's Mills, Herki- mer County, August 31, 1845. His father, Samuel Sadler, was born in Wiltshire, Eng- land, about 1 8 16, and was a son of Richard Sadler, a native of the same county, who came to the United States at an early day, and with his family of ten children, six sons -and four daughters, located for a time in Newburg, N.Y. The names of these ten children were as follows: Robert, John, George, William, Samuel, Timothy, Maria, Martha, Ann, and Sarah. The widow of Timothy Sadler is liv- ing in EJmira with her son John, one of that city's successful business men. Ann was the wife of a Mr. Charles Rodbouver, of Brees- port, Chemung County. Sarah was the wife of a Mr. Moore, of Elmira. All lived to rear families, and nearly all have passed away. Richard Sadler died at Elmira in old age, his wife outliving him some years. Samuel Sadler was twice married, his sec- ond wife, Lovina Bellenger, being the mother of four children, namely: George S., the sub- ject of this sketch; Byron, a hotel-keeper and box manufacturer, of Ingham's Mills; Fran- cis, who died in infancy; and James D., of Ingham's Mills, manager of a country grist- mill. Samuel Sadler died May 31, 1892, aged seventy-six years. His widow still lives at Ingham's Mills, a well-preserved and active woman for her years. George S. Sadler was educated in the com- mon schools of his native village, at Little Falls Academy, and had one term at a busi- ness college. He was brought up to the miller's trade in his father's mill. For some seven years he was book-keeper for his cousin, Joseph Rodbouver, and for other milling and manufacturing concerns; and in 1872 he began railroading on the Elmira, Cortland & Northern Railroad, as book-keeper for a firm of railroad contractors. From this place he George S. Sadler. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 587 has been promoted through every position in the railroad service up to that of superin- tendent, first becoming station agent, then train despatcher and accountant, then travel- ling freight and passenger agent, and finally superintendent of transportation. In August, 1886, he took the general coal agency for the Elmira, Cortland & Northern Railroad and the Elmira Coal Company, with headquarters at Canastota, which position he still holds. Mr. Sadler was married October 31, 1863, to Miss Melissa C. Claus, of Oppenheim, Fulton County, N.Y. They lived in Preble, Cortland County, three years, and a few years at Breesport and Elmira City; and for the past five years they have lived in Can- astota. As an enthusiastic member of the leading fraternities, Mr. Sadler is well known. He has been a Mason twenty-one years, has taken the thirty-second degree, and is thor- oughly versed in Masonic lore. He is a member of Little Falls Lodge, No. 181, and Chapter No. 161, and Elmira Commandery, No. 19, K. T., Corning Consistory, Scottish Rite and Zyara Temple, of the Mystic Shrine of Utica. In Canastota Mr. Sadler has been prominently identified with the Odd Fellows. He aided materially in the organ- ization of Canastota Lodge, No. 254, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he was the first Noble Grand. He has been indefatigable in laboring for the upbuilding of this order; and as a result Canastota Lodge has an unusually large membership, composed of the best citizens of the place, and its lodge room, its furnishings, and its paraphernalia are among the finest and most complete in the State. Mr. Sadler is also a member of Adieno Encampment and of Oneida Canton, P. M. ; and he has several times been honored with the appointment of District Deputy Grand Master. He is also a member of the Royal Arcanum, the Equitable Aid Union, and the American Legion of Honor. Mr. Sadler is very methodical in all his affairs; and during the two years he has been Water Commissioner — the only public office he had held up to his election as President of the village — he systematized the book-keeping of the Water-works Department, and, together with the other commissioners, largely in- creased the revenue from water rents. He has always believed in unalloyed Democracy. The accompanying portrait of this most eminent brother will be recognized and appre- ciated by many friends, both within and with- out the mystic orders. EMUN EDDY, an intelligent farmer and mill-owner of the town of Lenox, was born at Merrillsville, N.Y., about two miles south of his present home, in the year 1824. The family name of Eddy is a very old one in New England. In 1630 Richard and Samuel Eddy, sons of the Rev. William Eddy, vicar of St. Dunatan's Church in Cranbrook, Kent, England, who died in 1616, sailed from Boxhill in the good brig "Handmaid," which brought, it is said, the last company of the early Puritan colonists to Massachusetts. They landed on the 2gth 588 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW of October. Samuel soon purchased a home, and was enrolled a "freeman" in the same year. These were the days when the blue laws were in full force; and Samuel's wife, being of a rather independent turn of mind, had the misfortune to fall under the displeas- ure of the Governor of the colony, and was twice fined, once for leaving her washing out over the Sabbath, and secondly for travelling on the same sacred day from Plymouth to Boston, to minister to a dying friend. The grandfather of our subject was Reuben Eddy, of Massachusetts, who came to Madi- son County in 1801, with his son William, the father of Semun. The wife of Reuben was the widow of Jasper Aylesworth. Reuben died on his farm, aged eighty-three. William Eddy, the son, was born in Massa- chusetts in 1779, and was twenty-two years of age when he came with his father to Madi- son County. His wife was Miss Nancy Torey, daughter of John and Amy (Arnold) Torey, whose family were of the Shaker per- suasion. She survived her husband (whose death occurred at his farm in 1854, at the age of seventy-five) seven years, and was totally blind during all that time. She died at Chittenango, at the age of seventy-five. While not being extremely wealthy, they had lived in comfortable circumstances, having an abundance of the good things of this life. Their burial-place is at Merrillsville; but the grandparents were interred in Cazenovia, N.Y. Of the nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. Eddy, seven grew to maturity, five sons and two daughters; but only three are now living, namely: Seneca, of Manlius, N.Y., nearly eighty years old ; Leroy, aged seventy- four, living on the old home farm; and Semun, who is the youngest. Our subject was sent to the district school, and was reared a farmer. He was married November 5, 1846, to Miss Sally Jane Hainesworth, of Camillus, Onondaga County, N.Y., who was the daughter of Joseph and Lovina (Van Deusa) Hainesworth, they being of English and Dutch descent. Mr. and Mrs. Semun Eddy have three children, namely: Lovina, whose husband, James Shaver, a farmer, died one year after their marriage; James L., of Syracuse, N.V., who is married, and has two children; and Arthur M., who lives at home with his parents. He married Miss Ida McRouse. Mr. Eddy has been a farmer nearly all his life, having worked at the homestead two years, and at other places, including Chitte- nango, where he lived for ten years, trading his farm of one hundred acres there for the property he now owns near Merrillsville. This property consists of twenty acres of land, with saw-mill, grist-mill, two dwellings, two barns, and a blacksmith shop — all in excel- lent condition. For the past twenty-three years he has worked a small farm near Wampsville, letting his mills to his son and grandson, who now take charge of them. He votes with the Republican party, and, like his New England ancestors, is stern and uncom- promising in regard to the principles he has adopted. In October 29, 1882, our subject attended a reunion of the Eddy family at BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 589 Providence, R.I., and found about two hun- dred people claiming the same descent — his relatives near and distant. Quiet and unob- trusive in his manner, acting before the world honestly and uprightly, Mr. Eddy fills his place in it creditably and with honor. TT^ONRAD INGALLS, a prosperous and I J| practical farmer of Smithfield, is ^ — ^ pleasantly located in District No. 10, where he owns upward erf two hundred acres of valuable land, which is well im- proved and amply supplied with convenient and substantial farm buildings. He is a native of Madison County, born in Lenox, December 29, 181 8, a son of James and Annie (Moot) Ingalls. On the paternal side our subject is of English descent. His grandfather, Joseph Ingalls, a native of Eng- land, emigrated to America in the eighteenth century, settling in Connecticut. He at once identified himself with the welfare of his adopted country, and during the Revolution- ary War served as Captain in the army. He died when in the prime of life, at the early age of forty years, leaving two sons and three daughters. On his mothers side our subject is of German ancestry, his grandfather, Conrad Moot, having been the son of one John Moot, who was born in Germany, and came to Amer- ica in 1750. John Moot left his native land in May, and crossed the ocean in a sailing- vessel, being on the water more than six months, not touching shore until December 25, the same year. He was then a boy of sixteen, without money, obliged to work out his passage; and the officers of the vessel sold his time for five years. He settled in New York, and there married, subsequently taking up land from the government in Rensselaer County, where he spent the remainder of his life, dying at the age of eighty years. He had a family of five children, none of whom are now living. James Ingalls, father of our subject, was born in Connecticut; but from the time he was three years old lived with an uncle in Columbia County, this State. He had inher- ited much of the energy and enterprise of his forefathers, and on attaining his majority started out to make for himself a home, if not a fortune. Accordingly, in 1807 he came to Madison County, and took up new land from the government in Lenox. The present town site was then a wilderness, with an occa- sional clearing in which the smoke of some pioneer's cabin could be seen. Railroads had never been heard of. Canals and public highways were conspicuous only by their ab- sence, the necessary journeys to mill and market being made on horseback over a road marked by blazed trees. He erected a log cabin, in which he installed his wife, for- merly Annie Moot, as mistress; and the family subsisted on the food they raised or the game found in the forests. The wife and mother ably did her part in caring for the household, being kept busy in carding, spinning, and weaving the homespun from which she fash- ioned the garments of the family. He la- 59° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW bored unceasingly, improving his land, doing a good business as general farmer and stock- raiser. He and his wife spent their last years on the homestead, where they died at the ages of eighty-two and eighty-three years, respectively. Both were worthy people, and lived true Christian lives, being consistent members of the Universalist church. In politics Mr. Ingalls was a Whig. They reared five sons and one daughter, of whom the following are living: James and Joseph, who live in Lenox; and our subject. Conrad Ingalls received his education in the district schools of his native town, and commenced the duties of life at an early age by assisting his father on the farm. He con- tinued at home thus engaged until thirty-two years of age. In 1851 he was united in mar- riage with Lydia Jane Tucker, a native of Lenox, born in 1826, a daughter of Eli and Eleanor Tucker, both of whom are now de- ceased. Mr. Tucker was a shoe-dealer in the town of Lenox, and a respected citizen of that place. Three years after his marriage our subject came to Smithfield, and bought a tract of land, containing fifty-six acres, which con- stitutes a part of his present homestead. He began farming on a small scale, but, as time progressed, increased his business and con- tinued to add to his landed estate, until now he has a rich and productive farm of two hun- dred and ten acres, all under excellent culti- vation. He carries on general farming and dairying, having from twenty to thirty good cows. He makes a specialty of raising hay, and is ranked among the progressive and suc- cessful agriculturists of his county. To Mr. and Mrs. Ingalls have been born three chil- dren: Albert, who is married, and lives at home; Willis A., married, and lives in McGrawville, Cortland County; Owen, who is a civil engineer, residing in the District of Columbia. Politically, our subject is a steadfast Republican, and a man of influence in his community, which he has served for four years as Assessor and for two years as Road Commissioner. Mrs. Ingalls is a val- ued member of the Methodist Episcopal church. /pTTc EORGE J. SHELDON, a prosperous \mJ_ farmer of this county, a descendant of an old and highly respected New England family, was born in the town of Sullivan, N.Y., June 21, 1828, son of Justus and Lu- cinda (Bates) Sheldon. Caleb Sheldon, the paternal grandfather of George, a native and farmer of the State of Massachusetts, had eight children, who all lived to be over fifty years of age. In politics he was a Federalist, and served as a very brave soldier in the War of 1 81 2. He died in Chesterfield, Hamp- shire County, Mass., at the age of sixty-two years. Justus Sheldon and his wife, who were both natives of Massachusetts, were married there, and afterward came to the town of Sullivan, and bought one hundred acres of new land, on which they did general farming. Mr. Shel- don was also a wagon-maker by trade, and was a hard-working man. He died, at the age of seventy-nine years, on the farm where he had BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW S9i resided since coming to the county; and his wife died when she was seventy-eight years old. They were good and pious members of the Presbyterian church, and in his political preferences Mr. Sheldon was a Whig. Of the seven children born to them, five grew to maturity, but only four now survive : George J., our subject; Henry W., of Ontario County; Mary L., widow of John J. Ingalls, residing now with George; and Martha L., also living with her brother. Richard B., a son, died at the age of fifty-three years. Henry and Louise died when infants. George J. Sheldon grew to manhood in the town of Sullivan, and has always resided here. When he was a boy and attended the district school, it was a common sight to meet the red men of the forest as they strolled along; and often they would give him wild game and venison in exchange for a little package of ammunition. They were peaceful and friendly Indians, seeming not to under- stand the value of the land they were so easily bartering away, and content with a little powder and shot, a few pounds of tobacco, and perchance a little "fire-water." Mr. Sheldon remained on his father's farm until his marriage, which occurred in 1863, to Miss Mary Rankin, a native of Madison County, daughter of John and Abigail Rankin. Mrs. Sheldon died July 19, 1877, at the age of fifty-three years. Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon's domestic circle was never cheered with the sounds of children's songs and laughter; and, when Mrs. Sheldon died, her husband was indeed left desolate. He has never married again, but takes fra- ternal pleasure in the society of his sisters, who manage his household. He has a large area of land, over two hundred acres, on which he raises hay, wheat, oats, corn, and also small fruits. He runs a dairy of four- teen cows, but does not care for fancy stock, preferring native breeds. By birth and con- victions Mr. Sheldon is a dyed-in-the-wool Republican, and steadfastly adheres to the principles of that party. He has a comfort- able supply of this world's wealth; and in his beautiful home, surrounded with shade-trees and flowering shrubs, evidently the abode of one who thrives by good husbandry, he leads a serene and contented life. ROFESSOR NATHANIEL SCHMIDT, A.M., a member of the faculty of Colgate University, a gentleman of superior linguistic attain- ments, an Orientalist of much proficiency, is a fine representative of that large class of for- eign-born citizens that has rendered to this country such eminent services in the various branches of art, science, and letters. Profes- sor Schmidt was born in Hudiksvall, Sweden, May 22, 1862, and in 1882 was graduated from the Hudiksvall Gymnasium. He de- voted himself to scientific and linguistic stud- ies at the University of Stockholm from 1882 to 1884. In the summer of 1884 he came to the United States and entered Hamilton Theological Seminary, from which institution he was graduated in 1887. During the years S92 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 1887 and 1888 he was pastor of the First Swedish Baptist Church in New York City. In the latter year he was appointed Associate Professor of Semitic Languages in Hamilton Theological Seminary. During the year 1890 he devoted himself to studies in Ethiopic and Arabic literature, in history and theology, at the University of Berlin, learning of such men as Dillmann, Schrader, Dieterici, Pfleiderer, and Harnack. He also visited a number of other German universities, becoming person- ally acquainted with the leading representa- tives of his chosen branch of study. Upon his return he was made full Professor of Semitic Languages and Literature in Hamil- ton Theological Seminary, and Professor of Semitic Languages in Colgate University. The Professor is the author of a large number of treatises, brochures, and articles in Eng- lish, German, and Swedish, and is known as an accomplished Semitic scholar. His lin- guistic attainments, however, are not limited to Oriental tongues, as he is equally familiar with European languages, and speaks several of them with fluency. In 1887 he received from Colgate University the degree of Master of Arts. Professor Schmidt was married Sep- tember 26, 1887, to Miss Ellen Alfven, of Stockholm, Sweden. 'IDNEY T. FAIRCHILD, for many years a leading member of the New York bar, was born in Norwich, Chenango County, N.Y., November 15, 1808, and died at Cazenovia, February 15, 1889. His father, John Flavel Fairchild, son of Abijah Fairchild, was born in 1787, in Mor- ristown, N.J., the birthplace and home of the family for several generations. David Fair- child, father of Abijah, was born May 6, 1734, a son of Zacharias, who is thought to have been a lifelong resident of that town. David Fairchild married Catharine Gregory. Abijah Fairchild, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, served under Washington in the War of the Revolution, and participated in the battle on Long Island. A few years after peace was declared he emigrated to New York, and was one of the pioneers in the town of Otsego, Otsego County. He spent his last years in Cooperstown, where he died at the venerable age of ninety-three years. The maiden name of his wife was Sarah Howell. John Flavel Fairchild was but a lad when his parents came to this State. Learning the trade of a printer in his youth, he worked at that occupation in Washington, D.C., and in various places in the State of New York, at length settling in Sherburne, Chenango County, where fie started a newspaper called the Olive Branch. Subsequently removing to Norwich, he there published a paper for a time. Later he lived successively in Coop- erstown and Georgetown. About the year 1820 he went to Morrisville, where he edited a paper for four years, at the end of which time he came to Cazenovia, and bought the Republican Monitor., which he published a number of years, making his home here till his death, January 5, 1864. The maiden name of his wife was Flavia Merrill. She BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 593 was born in Hartford, Conn., and was the daughter of Thomas Merrill, also a native of Connecticut and a pioneer of Chenango County. The subject of the present sketch was the eldest son of John F and Flavia (Merrill) Fairchild. The father's removal to Caze- novia brought him within easy reach of the seminary, where he finished his preparatory studies. Entering first Hamilton College, he went later to Union College, where he was graduated in 1829. Studying law in the offices of Childs & Stebbins at Cazenovia and of Joshua A. Spencer at Utica, he was ad- mitted to the bar in 1831, and began practice in partnership with E. P. Hurlbut at Utica. In 1835, returning to Cazenovia, he became a partner of Charles Stebbins. The firm of Stebbins & Fairchild were the attorneys of the Syracuse & Utica Railroad Company, having charge of its local business after its consolidation with the New York Central Railroad Company, Mr. Fairchild being ap- pointed about the year 1858 general attorney of the last-named company, having his office at Albany. His last work in his profession was the argument of a cause in the Court of Claims of the United States, in which the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Company was complainant, and in which a favorable decision was rendered in January, 1889. He was a Director and the Secretary and Treasurer of the Third Great Western Turnpike Road Company during the last twenty-five years of its existence, a Director of the Madison County Bank, President of the Cazenovia & Canastota Railroad Com- pany, and for many years previous to his death a Trustee of the Union Trust Company of New York. Some of the foregoing particulars are gleaned from an outline sketch of the life of Mr. Fairchild, which appeared as an obituary notice from the pen of a friend, whence also discriminating sentences like these, showing what manner of man he was: "In his profes- sion Mr. Fairchild was thoughtful, studious, indefatigable, cautious, persistent, sagacious, learned. As an adviser, he was discreet and candid. In the preparation of his cases he was thorough and exhaustive, both as to the facts — as far as possible — and as to the law. His aim was always to enlighten the dullest juror in the panel or to convince the court. His forensic efforts were therefore labored, exhaustive, and often prolix. For clearness, conciseness, comprehensiveness, aptness, and neatness, his papers of all kinds were models. Upon arriving at manhood, he, contrary to parental influence, united with the Democratic party. For the last forty years, at least, he has been a prominent and trusted leader of that party, attending its conventions — -local, State, and national — and largely influencing its policy and the policy of the administration whenever that party was in power. He was the valued friend and adviser of Seymour, Richmond, Cassidy, Hoffman, Tilden, Robinson, and Cleveland; and his opinions were always received with respect and deference. He was, however, no slave to party platforms or political chieftains; 594 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW and, whenever his party strayed from what he regarded as true Democratic principles or practice, no criticism was more scathing than his. He never sought or held office except that of Clerk and President of his village. "As a man, he was absolutely pure and just. From this it resulted that he had little tolerance for those whom he regarded as vicious or dishonest, and judged them un- sparingly. His opinions were not borrowed from others, but were the product of his own intellect. He was modest and unassuming, and without a spark of personal vanity. To his friends he was loyal and true; to his de- pendants, a kind and indulgent master. In the practice of his profession the widow and the helpless found in him a painstaking, prudent, and feeling adviser, defender, and helper, and all without fee or reward. For those who were nearest to him he had a lav- ishness of affection, a wealth of tenderness, a depth of sentiment little suspected by those who knew him but casually." August 20, 1834, Mr. Fairchild married Helen Childs, second daughter of Hon. Perry G. Childs. She died in Cazenovia, October I, 1892. Her father was a native of Pitts- field, Mass., and a graduate of Williams Col- lege. He came to Cazenovia a young man in 1804, and, entering into the practice of law, kept his residence here till his death. He served in the State Senate from 1819 to 1823, and in 1822 was a member of the Governor's Council. The maiden name of his wife was Catherine Ledyard. She was born in Mor- ristown, N.J., daughter of Benjamin and Catherine (Forman) Ledyard. Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild had three children — Katharine, Charles S., and Sophia. The first-named was married to the late John Stebbins, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. Sophia is the wife of Rev. T. G. Jackson, rector of the Episcopal church at Flatbush, L.I. The only son, Charles S., late Secre- tary of the United States Treasury, married Helen Lincklaen, daughter of Ledyard and Helen Clarissa (Seymour) Lincklaen. ^^•^■» UTNAM C. BROWNELL, ex- Sheriff of Madison County, was born in the town of Hamilton in 1835, a son of Nathan and Polly (Brown) Brownell. His father was born in Little Compton, R.I., March 13, 1789, and died in Brookfield, Madison County, May 24, 1866. He was a son of George Brownell, of the same place, who was born March 31, 1744, and who married Lucy Richmond, born July 26, 1751. George and Lucy Brownell were the parents of eleven children, eight sons and three daughters, of whom Nathan was next to the youngest child. About 1793 they removed from Little Compton to the State of New York, bringing with them only limited means, and upon arriving here bought a farm on Paris Hill, Oneida County, upon which farm they lived and labored, loved and died; and there the husband and father lies burled. Their eldest son, Loring, was a sea- faring man, owning the schooner of which he was the captain. He came to this State with BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 595 his parents, and bought the farm upon which they afterward lived, and then returned to his vessel to make one more voyage to the West Indies, taking with him his two brothers, Peres and Putnam, both single men. None of them ever came back, nor were any tidings from them ever received. This was about the year 1792. Loring left a widow and one son, who, having been born after his father left on this last fatal voyage, was never seen by him. He became a prominent man, and died in Piqua, Ohio. On December 30, 1817, Nathan Brownell married Polly Brown, of the town of Madison, he being at the time twenty-eight years old, and she seventeen.- He followed farming for some time, and then engaged in general mer- chandising in Madison Centre, afterward in Hubbardsville, and still later in Brookfield, where he died. He and his wife were the parents of ten children, eight sons and two daughters, five of the sons and one of the daughters living to mature years, and four of the sons surviving to the present time, namely : George, a painter, living at Earlville, who has three sons and two daughters; Nathan, a farmer, of Hubbardsville, who was Supervisor during the War of the Rebellion, and later County Clerk, and who has one son and one daughter; Peres, of Utica, who has one son and one daughter; and Putnam C, the subject of this sketch. Lucy married Jerome Terry, who died, leaving one son, George B., who in the spring of 1861 was one of the first to respond to his country's call. A fine young man, a good soldier, he died of small-pox in a hospital near Washington, D.C., at the early age of nineteen. Nicanor died at Hubbardsville in 1887, at the age of sixty-four, leaving one daughter. After the death of her first husband Mrs. Lucy Terry became the wife of Alfred Babcock, who died in December, 1866, leaving her again a widow, with three children: A. Jerome, now a successful mechanic, of Chicago; Hattie, wife of Dr. Chase, of Morrisville, N.Y., and Charles, who was adopted by Mr. E. A. Brown, of the town of Brookfield, N.Y. Putnam C. Brownell married February 12, 1857, Cornelia E. Morgan, a daughter of William and Minerva (Curtis) Morgan, both now deceased, the father having died in 1883 at Hamilton, N.Y., aged eighty-three years, and the latter at Brookfield in March, 1867, aged sixty-two. Six of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan are still living, namely: Mary Morgan, of Hamilton; Wealthy, widow of Martin P. Willis; Mrs. Brownell; Myron, of Clinton, Oneida County; Sarah, wife of S. D. White, attorney-at-law, of Hamilton, who has one son; and Mandalia, wife of Myrtus A. Sanders, of Rochester, N.Y. Mr. and Mrs. Brownell have buried two sons: Everett, who died April 10, 1862, aged twenty-one months; and Willie H., who died July 27, 1866, aged three years. They have one daughter, Florence Minerva, an interest- ing young lady of good capacity, who at six- teen years of age has finished with credit her course of study at the Hamilton public school. Mr. Brownell began life for himself as a 596 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW general merchant at Brookfield, when twenty- two years of age, and remained there until 1866, when he sold out his business and removed to Hubbardsville, where for sixteen years he was a buyer of hops for Charles Green & Son. In 1882 he was elected Sheriff of the county, and removed to Mor- risville,. after the expiration of his term coming to his present fine home in Hamilton on the east side of the, beautiful park. He has a fine farm of one hundred and ten acres one mile south of the village. He was out of business for some years, except as a buyer of hops. In the spring of 1893 he became a stockholder and manager of the Hamilton Lumber Company, which company purchased the business of Wedge & Allen. In connection with this business he has travelled over twenty-eight States and Ter- ritories of the United States, and is thus well acquainted with the country, with its conditions and possibilities. In politics he is a Republican, and has been true to its policies and its career since the candidacy of its first nominee, General John C. Fre- mont, the brilliant young "Pathfinder of the Rocky Mountains." I^ETH S. MORTON, a retired farmer, living in the village of Eaton, one of the oldest and most highly es- teemed citizens of Madison County, and a descendant of a prominent pioneer family, was born May i, 18 16, in the town of Eaton, on his father's farm. He is a son of David and Polly (Snow) Morton, both natives of Massachusetts. The father of Mrs. Morton, also a native of Massachusetts, emigrated to Madison County by means of ox and horse teams, and at a very early day settled in the town of Eaton in the woods, erected a log house with accommodations for travellers, and became one of the first tavern-keepers in the town. The conditions under which he lived and labored were those common to pioneers, and have been repeatedly described, in part at least, in the various personal memoirs of the old settlers incorporated in this volume. At that time the Oneida Indians still inhabited the country, but were generally friendly to the whites, and in many instances proved good and useful neighbors. Game of various kinds, as turkeys and deer, abounded; and wolves and bears were also numerous. Grandfather Snow reared a family of seven children, all of whom grew to maturity. He died in Ohio, having attained the remarkable age of. nearly one hundred years. His wife also died at an advanced age. David Morton migrated to the State of New York after he had arrived at manhood's estate, his marriage taking place after he reached this county. Selecting for a farm near the village of Eaton a tract covered with timber, he erected a log house thereon, and spent his days for the most part in clearing, improving, and cultivating the land. Being a man of industry, honesty, and high personal charac- ter, he had many friends; and his influence was always exerted for the good of the com- munity in which he lived. He reared a BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 597 family of five sons and two daughters, of whom four of the sons are still living, namely: Alfred, who resides in Pennsyl- vania; Seth S., the subject of this brief sketch; Hiram, of Steuben County, New York; and George, living in Ohio. David Morton was a Democrat in his political views, and in religious matters a member of the Bap- tist church. His death, at the age of sixty- nine years, was regretted by all who had known him. Seth S. Morton was educated in the district schools, and remained at home, assisting in the care of the farm, until his father's death, when he bought the interests of the other heirs, and has ever since owned the old home- stead. In 1846 he married Miss Maria Allen, who was born in Cayuga County, a daughter of David Allen and wife. Mr. Allen was one of the pioneer settlers of Cayuga County, and died there on his farm. Of his three children, only Mrs. Morton now survives. After his marriage Mr. Morton settled down to farm life and labor, and con- tinued to live on the old homestead until 1879, the entire period of his life there hav- ing been sixty-three years. In the year last mentioned he removed to the village of Eaton, where he has since resided, surrounded by his family and friends. Mr. and Mrs. Seth S. Morton reared five children, namely: Lutie, wife of Stewart Payson, of Middletown, N.Y. ; Allen D., of the village of Eaton; George H., of Erie, Pa.; Charles E., now residing on the old home farm; and Eddie S., of Hume, Bates County, Mo. Mr. Morton is a Trustee of the Baptist church, of which both he and his wife are members. In politics he has been a Republican since that party was organized, believing that its principles, when practically applied to the affairs of the nation, are the most conducive to the prosperity and happi- ness of the people. Mr. Morton has never sought office, preferring to faithfully perform the duties of a private citizen rather than to seek publicity in town or county affairs. He and his excellent wife, his faithful companion for so many years, are among the oldest and best known citizens of the town of Eaton; and none are more highly esteemed by their friends or better respected by all who know them. §OHN A. ARMSTRONG, an enterpris- ing and prosperous miller of Perry- ville, N.Y., who has done much to promote the industrial development of the village, was born February 7, 1848, in the town of Lime, Jefferson County, N.Y. His parents, Robert and Elizabeth (Liddy) Arm- strong, were born in Ireland; but the Arm- strong family, as is well known, is of very ancient origin in Scotland. G. F. Arm- strong, who went to Ireland from that coun- try, was the founder of this branch. Robert and his wife came to America in the early years of their married life; and he still re- sides on his farm of fifty-six acres in Jefferson County, New York, and is a general farmer. Of the four children born to them, two are living: our subject, who is the elder; and 598 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Margaret, Mrs. Mortimer Rich, residing in Watertown, N.Y. The father is now seventy years old. His first wife died at the age of forty-five years. John A. Armstrong was brought up in Jefferson County until his sixteenth year. He attended the district schools, getting a fair education, and working between times on his father's farm. In 1864 he enlisted at Sackett's Harbor in Company A, Sixteenth United States Regulars, Captain Gay com- manding, and was honorably discharged in 1866. After leaving the service, he became a miller, learning the trade at Ogdensburg, N.Y., where he remained about three years, working for Moffett & Billard, who were among the leading millers of that place. At the end of that time he went to Phoenix, Oswego County, N.Y., where he pursued this occupation for three years more, and then came to Perryville, N.Y., and rented the mill which he now owns. He remained in this place about two years, at the end of which a good opening offering at Caughdenoy, Os- wego County, N.Y., he started business there in company with a Mr. Hart ; but in about eighteen months he disposed of his interest in that concern, and went again to Phoenix, where he stayed one year. Finally, returning to Perryville in 1883, he bought the milling property where he had worked before, and fitted it up with the best modern machinery, and has established a flourishing business. It is a grist and flour mill, and has a large output. Besides owning this, Mr. Armstrong also holds shares in the cheese factory of the village. In 1874 he married Miss Jennie Armstrong, a native of Jefferson County, born January 13, 1846. She was the daughter of Frank Armstrong, a farmer of that county, who died at the age of seventy-two years. His wife, who is still living in Pittsburg, Canada, has been the mother of fourteen chil- dren. In his politics John A. Armstrong differs with his father in being a stanch Republican; but in religious observances he follows, as does his wife, in the way of their ancestors, being a faithful Churchman. They are the happy parents of two sons: Frank G., born June 12, 1876; and Albert A., born August 9, 1 88 1. Mr. Armstrong is a Free and Accepted Mason, belonging to Sullivan Lodge, No. 148, at Chittenango, N.Y. He has a beautiful residence in Perryville, and the position he and his estimable wife main- tain in the community by virtue of their many sterling qualities is one which none in the village could more worthily fill. Reli- able in his word, upright in his dealings, he is a man entitled to the prominence he has attained. APTAIN CHARLES E. REMICK, I ex-Sheriff of Madison County and a " ^ resident of Oneida, was the second child of Samuel Kelly and Sophia (Cushman) Remick, and was born in Barnet, Vt., May 6, 1840. His ancestry was English, the founder of the family coming over in the "Mayflower." The great-grandfather of Cap- tain Charles E. Remick was James Remick, born at Haverhill, August 15, 1760, and died C. E. Remick. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 6oi July i8, 1836, at Barrington, N.H. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He •married Mary Kinsman, of Ipswich, Mass., September 10, 1782. She was born Decem- ber 18, 1 762 ; and her death occurred Sep- tember 19, 1840. The father of James Remick was David Remick, born in Charleston, Mass., February 22, 1732, and died June 30, 1793. He served as a soldier in the French and Indian War, and for his services in that struggle was commissioned as a Lieutenant of a Massa- chusetts company, the commission being dated May 21, 1759. This commission was signed by Governor Thomas Pownall in the name of King George. He also served in the Revolu- tionary War, and secured by capture a pair of silver link sleeve-buttons and a brass chafing- dish, both taken from the tent of General Burgoyne at Saratoga. These trophies and family relics have been transmitted by will from one generation to another, until at the present time they are in the possession of Daniel Clark Remick, of Littleton, N.H., a brother of the subject of this sketch, by whom they are valued highly as family heirlooms. The wife of David Remick was Susan Whit- tier, of Haverhill, Mass., their marriage occurring March 25, 1757. She died in 1794. The poet Whittier of our times was related to her. The grandfather of our subject was Daniel Remick, born February 22, 1785; and he was in early years a resident of the Province of Ontario, Canada. He grew up there to the business of a farmer, manufacturer, and fur- rier, but came to the States when a young man, and when they were still colonial pos- sessions of Great Britain. He participated in the Revolutionary War, fighting bravely in that memorable struggle for liberty and inde- pendence, and after peace was declared settled in Vermont, in which State he followed his usual avocations, becoming known as a promi- nent manufacturer in Danville, Barnet, Peacham, and St. Johnsbury. He died in Danville, June 13, 1827, after a useful and active life, his death being mourned by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. He was married December 25, 1806, to Miss Olive Kelly, who was born at Dover, Mass., December 22, 1784. She was of good parent- age, and was, so far as can now be ascer- tained, descended from old New England stock. She died January 4, 1849, having reared a large family, of which Samuel Kelly was the second son, and became the parent of Mr. Remick of this notice. On the maternal side Mr. Remick is a descendant of the distinguished Cushman family, the members of which have for gen- erations graced every profession and noble calling, the original ancestor being no less a personage than Sir Robert Cushman, who, as history narrates, was one of the gallant band of Pilgrims who in 1620 landed from the good ship " Mayflower " on Plymouth Rock, and with firm hands and sturdy hearts laid the foundations of that glorious liberty which is to-day the pride and boast of every true American. To Sir Robert belongs the credit of preaching the first sermon that was ever 602 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW printed in New England, which he did in the "Common House" in Plymouth, Mass., De- cember 12, 162 1. He was famed for his goodness, probity, and courage. He was born in England, probably between 1 580 and 1585, and was one of the brave nonconform- ists who refused to accept the teachings or conform to the ceremonials of the established Church of England, and left their native country in order that they might enjoy liberty of conscience in a new and free land. It is shown by a carefully prepared genealogy of the Cushman family, issued by Henry Wyles Cushman in 1855, that the family, while a large one, has come down in an unbroken chain from this first distinguished gentleman to the present day; and, find them where you will, their career has been upright and honorable. The father of our subject, Samuel Kelly Remick, was born in Barnet, Vt., October II, 1816. He was an enterprising man, largely engaged in manufacturing clothing in Hardwick, Vt., and was keen and shrewd in character, alive to the merits of a bargain and quick to take advantage of one. So with these characteristics he soon made consider- able money in his business. Unfortunately, in a large fire, which did great damage in his town, and in which his property was de- stroyed, he lost almost all his savings. To better his fortunes, he went to California in 1852, making the long journey around the "Horn" in the clipper ship "Grecian," being about nine months on the voyage. He en- gaged in mining, was among the explorers who first discovered gold in the Frazier River country, and located there. His experiences in this wild region, the camp life remote from any settlement or mail facilities, the min- gling with people from every nation under the sun, the alternate fluctuation of hope one day and despair the next, would fill a volume of itself. For many years his people heard nothing from him; but, when he had secured what he deemed an ample sufficiency in gold dust, his thoughts turned toward the wife and children in Vermont, and he made up his mind to return to his home. Before leaving California, however, he made and lost large sums of money in speculation, and invested in landed interest in Linn City, Ore. He was also concerned in some heavy cases in liti- gation about various properties there. His attorneys were Senators Williams and Kelley. After settling these matters, he started home on a steamer which was blown up, and he was one of the very few who were saved. All this took many months, and he was almost looked on by his family and friends as among the dead. It was both like and unlike the com- ing home of Enoch Arden, for communi- cation had been at long intervals and in- frequent, and he knew very little of the fortunes of his loved ones; and, as he set foot once more in his native village, " His heart foreshadowing all calamity, His eyes upon the stones, he reached the home Where his wife lived and loved him and his babes In those far-off seven happy years were born." The day on which he arrived was the one ever sacred and of paramount importance to BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 603 the New Englander, for it was Thanksgiving Day. In the chill November evening, as he approached his house and saw the ruddy glare of the firelight, his heart beat fast as he wondered if they would recognize him. He had grown a long beard, and the privations and hardships of the past years had left their furrows on his face, so that he regarded im- mediate recognition as very improbable. But as he timidly knocked at the door, and, on its being opened, stood in their midst, the keen eyes of his loving son Charles gave but one glance, when the glad cry of " Father ! " went up; and he was immediately clasped in the arms of wife and children. The scene that followed was too sacred for words. Friends gathered around him, his adventures were told over and over again, and a merrier Thanks- giving had not been celebrated in that old town in many years. In later years he moved to St. Johnsbury, Vt.. and bought a hotel; afterward went to Colebrook, N.H., and bought a hotel there, improved the property, and lived there until his death, at the age of sixty-six years. His wife, Sophia, was born October 12, 181 7, and was of a very prominent New England family. There were eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. Remick, namely: Kate Olivia, who married Edwin Small, and lives at Colebrook, N.H.; Charles Edward, our subject; Augus- tus Samuel, a jeweller and skilled mechanic, of Colebrook, N.H.; Louise Matilda, wife of Judge Edgar A. Aldridge, appointed to the new Court of Appeals, United States Supreme Bench, by President Harrison ; Mary Sophia, married to Lewis M. Heald, and living at St. Johnsbury, Vt. ; Ada Augusta, deceased; Daniel Clark, of Littleton, N.H. ; and James Waldron, United States District Attorney of the State of New Hampshire. He was ap- pointed by President Harrison, being the youngest appointee ever holding that position in New Hampshire. Charles E. Remick, when a boy, desired and expected to have a finished education; and his early years were devoted to prepara- tion for college. But, when he was eleven years old, his father suffered his heavy pecuni- ary losses from the fire; and his subsequent trip to California interfered materially with his plans. So, securing a place on a farm, he worked there for five years, and at the age of eighteen was apprenticed to learn the trade of carpenter and joiner. His father having returned, and being able to assist him in his ambition to be a student, he entered the academy of Hardwick, Vt., in i860, but was there only a few months when the Civil War broke out. Animated with the spirit of patriotism and enthusiasm, he answered his country's call at once, and with a comrade, George W. Bridgeman, started on foot for Montpelier, Vt., twenty miles distant, where they enlisted in the Second Vermont Volun- teer Infantry as "three years' men," they being among the first to enlist in the State for this long term of service. It had been, how- ever, their intention to enlist in the First Vermont Infantry, which claimed precedence; but, owing to a dispute, the Second Vermont Regiment was organized and officered, Mr. 6o4 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Remick being one of the first to enroll his name as a volunteer to serve his country in her hour of need, and do or die as a true patriot in the cause of the Union. He became Orderly Sergeant of Company F, com- manded by Captain J. V. Randall. At Bur- lington, Vt., he was detailed by Colonel Henry Whiting as principal musician, or Drum Major, of the regiment. This regiment followed the historic Sixth Massachusetts through Baltimore, and during the riots there participated in some of the first fighting of the war. His regiment was subsequently encamped at Capitol Hill, and was among the forces which made the advance on Bull Run; and in that first battle he was wounded, and brought back to Washington, D.C. Through the kindness of the Vermont delegation of Senators and Congressmen he received the best of care at Willard's Hotel; but he was not satisfied to stop there longer than he could possibly help, and at the end of twelve days rejoined his regiment at Alexan- dria, Va., and was with it all through the Peninsula Campaign, taking part in some hard fighting. Its first engagement was at Young's Mills, which was followed in rapid succession by many battles and skirmishes, among them Lee's Mills, Williamsburg, Sav- age Station, Charles City Cross Roads, Mal- vern Hill, White House Landing, battle of the Wilderness, Fredericksburg, second battle of Bull Run, where by a strange coincidence the regiment was in line of battle on the identical ground they occupied at the first battle of that name. After the battle of Antietam our subject was sent to the hospital, suffering from wounds and neuralgia of the stomach, but even under these circumstances was active, and helped to establish the first hospital tent to receive the wounded from the second battle of Bull Run. As convalescent, he was ordered to change location; but, not liking the idea, and desiring to be on the field with the boys, he ran away from the hospital, and once more joined his regiment at Hagers- town, Md. He remained with it until the battle of Gettysburg, and was then discharged on the ground of disability. Mr. Remick then returned to St. Johns- bury, Vt., and as soon as able set about get- ting some work. He cut cord wood for fifty cents per cord, and, having put up thirty-five cords, concluded to try for something else, and went to Boston. He knew nothing about the dry-goods trade, but applied to the house of Jackson, Mandell & Dannell, and an- nounced his willingness to do anything. They finally offered him a job for three years, giving him three hundred dollars for the first year, five hundred dollars for the second, and seven hundred dollars for the third, which proposition he accepted, and almost immedi- ately had good luck in selling large bills of goods when on the road. In a short time he had such success that the firm sent him a telegram to select his own field and go where he pleased. He returned in thirty-six days, having averaged sales at about two thousand dollars per day. The third year they volunta- rily raised his salary to four thousand dollars per year. He remained with that firm for four BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 60s years, then engaged with Sargent Brothers & Co., dry goods, and was with them three years, receiving five thousand dollars a year. Mr. Remick then went into the employment of Edward S. Jaffrey & Co., and remained with them until 1879, when he came to Oneida, established a large retail dry-goods store, and did an extensive business. He was married June 23, 1868, to Miss Martha M. Chapman, a daughter of B. Frank- lin and Hulda (Wilcox) Chapman. Her father was one of the most active and promi- nent men of Madison County, occupying many positions of honor and trust. He was Judge and Surrogate, and accumulated a large property. An extended sketch of him apears elsewhere in this work. Politically, Mr. Remick is the odd fellow of the family, as he affiliates with the Democratic party, and has always voted for its Presidential nominee, excepting in the case of General Grant, for whom he cast his ballot. He has been a member of the Village Board three terms, and was one term its President; was for three terms Supervisor of the town of Lenox, and in 1890 was elected Sheriff, which office he held until January, 1894. The county is strongly Republican, and he was the first Democratic Sheriff elected in forty years. His majority was one hundred and ninety-two, the usual Republican one being two thousand five hun- dred. He has always been very popular, and has been candidate for Member of Assembly, for State Senator, and for Congress. His canvass in each case was very creditable, he polling a vote much in advance of his ticket, and greatly reducing the opposition majority. But the district was too strongly Republican to permit of a victory for the opposite party; and he was but leading a forlorn hope. He was a delegate to the Chicago Convention of 1884, and later to the one held in that city in 1892, he being pledged to the nomination of David B. Hill. He has always been quite active in the affairs and councils of his party. In the Masonic fraternity he is a member of Doric Chapter, No. 193, R. A. M., of which he has been High Priest. He is a member of Rome Commandery, No. 45, K. T., and also of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The first commission issued by Governor Cor- nell was one issued to our subject as Captain of the Thirty-fifth Separate Company Na- tional Guard, an organization now defunct, in consequence of the opposition of tax-payers. Mr. Remick and his estimable wife live in a most attractive home on Broad Street, sur- rounded with every comfort, where they enjoy their prosperity to its utmost. He started in life without means other than willing hands and a bright and active mind, and has ac- cumulated a competence, which, together with the property of his wife, makes them entirely independent for the remainder of their lives. Mr. Remick is a man of generous instincts, ready to relieve those in distress who are deserving of help, and has been of great as- sistance to his younger brothers in educating and starting them in life. He believes in building up home industries, and does not encourage foreign speculation. He is inter- ested in the cause of education and morals. 6o6 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW and lends his aid and encouragement to schools and churches, identifying himself with every worthy local enterprise. His edu- cation is sound and practical, obtained more by contact with the world and by observation than in schools. A man like Mr. Remick proves himself a valuable citizen in any community, and one whose life history is well worth narrating for the lessons it teaches of self-reliance, patriot- ism, industry, and perseverance; and the pub- lishers take a pride, therefore, in their ability to place before their readers the interesting portrait which appears in connection with this sketch. STEPHEN BARBER, Superintendent of the Madison County Children's Home, located in Peterboro, is a native of New York, born in the town of Owego, March 17, 1843, son of Frederick and Betsey Barber. The father was a farmer by occupation, and in 1867, accompanied by his wife, emigrated to Michigan, whe];e they spent the remainder of their lives, she pass- ing away in 1880, and he three years later. Both were members of the Methodist Epis- copal church, and he was a steadfast Re- publican. The subject of this brief biography has spent the greater part of his life in Madison County, receiving his early education in the district schools. He is most assuredly the architect of his own fortune, having begun to support himself when quite young, working out for seven or eight seasons on a farmj' receiving as wages ten dollars per month. Ere he attained his majority the late Civil War broke out; and in April, 1862, he en- listed in the One Hundred and Fourteenth New York Infantry, in Company K, under command of Captain Seneca Lake. He took an active part in many battles and skirmishes, among the more prominent ones being Fort Bisum, Port Hudson, Opecon Creek, and Pleasant Hill in Louisiana; and subse- quently, accompanying his regiment to the Shenandoah Valley, he participated in the battles of Winchiester, Pitcher Hill, Cedar Creek, and other minor engagements. He served' until the close of the war, being hon- orably discharged in 1865, and mustered out of service at Washington, D.C. After the war he came to Madison County, and engaged in farming in Cazenovia, spending what leisure time he could find in learning the carpenter's trade. This latter business he followed suc- cessfully for a period of seventeen years. In 1890 he gave up his other occupations to take the position of Overseer of the Insane, which he retained until November, 1891. At that time he was appointed Superintendent of the Madison County Children's Home, an office which he has since filled most accept- ably in every respect. In this institution there are six employees, and oftentimes thirty-eight or forty children to be cared for, twenty-five being the number at present. These waifs are well fed, well clothed, and taught, school being in session four and one- half days each week of the year. Much atten- tion is paid to their moral and physical BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 607 education as well as their intellectual, each one being required to attend church and Sun- day-school each week; and cleanliness is also insisted on, every child having a refreshing bath and a clean suit of clothes Friday after- noons. When possible, good homes are found for these little ones, sixty having been thus provided for within a year. In the manage- ment of this home and care of the children Mr. Barber is assisted by his estimable wife, who attends to their clothing, during the past year having made one hundred and twenty-five pairs of trousers and twenty - seven coats. The children do credit to her kind supervi- sion, always looking neat and clean, whether in their week-day dress or in their Sunday suits. Mr. Barber has made many improve- ments in the Home since it has been in his charge, his mechanical ability having been put to good use, he giving his time while the county pays for the material he employs in construction. Among other substantial addi- tions to the building may be mentioned a beautiful bay-window which adorns one side. Everything about the place indicates constant care both on the grounds and in the house, where kitchen, dining-room, beds, bedding, and so forth, are models of neatness and cleanliness. Mr. Barber married in 1866 Pamelia Curtis, who was born in Cazenovia in 1846. Her parents, Abel and Sarah Curtis, were born near Cazenovia, and were lifelong resi- dents of that place, where they died at the ages of sixty-eight years and sixty-seven years, respectively. Both were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Curtis was a butcher by occupation, well and favor- ably known in that locality. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Barber has been blessed by the birth of one son, George A., on April 12, 1867. He is ticket agent in Utica for the Ontario & Western and Delaware, Lacka- wanna & Western Railways. Mr. and Mrs. Barber are worthy members of the Congrega- tional church, contributing liberally to its support. Politically, he is an ardent Repub- lican; and, socially, he is a member of Eaton Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of Eaton Post, No. 3 1 2, Grand Army of the Republic. TT^HARLES N. CADY, a -machinist of I J[ . Canastota, whose shop was estab- ^■— ^ lished there in 1884, is a worthy representative of a large and very useful class of men, the manufacturers and machinists of the country. To them the entire country is largely indebted for its rapid industrial prog- ress, nowhere more evident than in the de- partment of agriculture, whose labor has within the last half-century been more than half reduced by the use of improved machin- ery. Mr. Cady is yet a young man, having been born May 25, 1856. He is a son of George B. Cady, who has been a resident of Hoboken, Madison County, for thirty-three years. George B. Cady was born at Clockville in 1834; and his father, Nathan S. Cady, was born on Oak Hill, Cady's Corners, in 1803. The father of Nathan S. Cady, Captain Asa 6o8 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Cady, married a Miss Stanton, by whom he had a large number of children, Nathan S. being the first born. Captain Cady, though a farmer by occupation, was a mechanic and an inventor by nature, one of his principal inventions being a steam excavator, and an- other a combined threshing machine and cleaner, the first machine of the kind ever invented. The inventive talent of this pro- genitor has descended to his posterity, and is possessed to a remarkable degree by Charles N. Cady, of Canastota. Nathan S. Cady was a cousin of Eliza- beth Cady Stanton. He married Louisa M. Beecher, a relative of the famous Henry Ward Beecher. The first Supervisor of the town of Lenox, Madison County, was Sylves- ter Beecher, the maternal grandfather of George B. Cady. Nathan S. Cady also served as Supervisor, and was Justice of the Peace at Clockville; and his son, George B., though a Republican, has served two terms as Supervisor in a Democratic town. George B. Cady was educated at the academies at Chittenango and Cazenovia, standing un- usually high in his studies. His .life-work has been that of a manufacturer of woollen cloth at Hoboken, and during the war he ran his factory to its full capacity in the old buildings of the Lenox Iron Company. Mr. Cady was married first, when about twenty- two years of age, to Nancy M. Way, born in 1840, who bore him three daughters and one son, all of whom grew to maturity and mar- ried. After the death of his first wife Mr. Cady married Adelia Brewer, by whom he has no children. Mr. Cady is a Knight Templar Mason, and is now practically retired from active business, living on his little farm of twenty-two acres. For many years he was the leading business spirit of Hoboken and Cloclcville. He has been a very active and successful man. Charles N. Cady remained at' home on his father's farm until he was twenty-two years old; and after the spring crops were all in, in 1878, he told his father that he had ploughed his last furrow and was through with farming. When asked what he was going to do, he said he did not know, but that he was going away to seek his fortune. His father predicted that he would fail and desire soon to return to the farm, kindly promising to send him some money in that case to pay his way back. The young man, however, was not discouraged by his father's gloomy prediction, and was away from home for two years, and then, re- turning, was at home only a short time. He has manifested a spirit of self-reliance which, together with natural intelligence and ability, has enabled him to make a success of his life, notwithstanding the fact that, on account of being an invalid from his fifth to his four- teenth year, he was unable to secure the edu- cation that other boys of his age obtained. The three sisters of Mr. Cady are: Louise M., wife of William H. Patten, of Canastota; Grace I., wife of Duane Clock, of Clockville, who has three children, one son and two daughters; and Florence M., wife of Charles F. McConnell, a druggist of Canastota, who has one son. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 609 Mr. Cady was married, when twenty-one years of age, to Flora L. Baldwin, of Massa- chusetts, who bore him one daughter and one son, George B., and died in 1883, the daugh- ter having previously died at eighteen months of age. Mr. Cady was married again in Jan- uary, 1886, to Minnie A. Anson, daughter of James Anson, who was born near Taberg, Oneida County, and by whom he has one son, Charles Patten, a precocious little fellow, four years old. < •• » > (sTtaron D. I M resident of Vx^ living: retir DUNBAR, an honored Hamilton, where he is living retired from a long and suc- cessful business career, was born in Charlton, Worcester County, Mass., November 24, 1813. His grandfather, David Dunbar, was, judging from the best information at hand, born in Needham, Mass., of Scotch parentage. He married Hannah Hammond, also a native of Massachusetts, and, removing to Charlton in that State, purchased a farm, where they spent the remainder of their lives. John Dunbar, son of David and Hannah, was born in Charlton, Mass. ; and there he grew to manhood, and married. Soon after the latter event the young couple migrated to Madison County, New York, where they re- mained two years, and then returned to Charl- ton to take charge of the old farm. Succeed- ing his father in its ownership, he lived on the old homestead until 1837. In that year, accompanied by his family, he again bent his steps westward, travelling with team across the country to Oneida County. He bought a tract of land in the town of Marshall, where he engaged in farming till 1852, with most excellent results. The last years of his life he spent retired in Hubbardsville, dying there at the ripe old age of eighty-four years. The maiden name of his wife was Eunice Fitts. She was also a native of the old Bay State, born in Charlton, being a daughter of John and Rebecca (Dresser) Fitts. She survived her husband, and, spending the last years of her life with her children, died at the ad- vanced age of fourscore years. To her and her husband were born five children — Ade- line, Pascal, Aaron D., Lovisa, and Hannah. Adeline and Aaron D. are the only ones now .living. The subject of this biography was reared to man's estate in his native town, obtaining the rudiments of his education in the excel- lent public schools of Massachtisetts. On the home farm he received a practical training in agriculture; and, when his parents came to Madison County, he accompanied them, and assisted his father in clearing the land, fell- ing trees, uprooting stumps, and breaking the sod, and remained on the old homestead till 1852. That year his marriage with Eveline Sheldon, a native of Lebanon, was solem- nized. Removing to Hubbardsville, he bought a grist and saw mill, and the fol- lowing six years carried on an extensive mill- ing business in that place. Disposing of the mill, Mr. Dunbar came to Hamilton, where he saw a fine opening for a man of enterprise and activity. At that time there were no railroads traversing this section of the coun- 6io BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW try, the Chenango Canal being the great highway of commerce. So, purchasing a warehouse and a number of boats, he carried on a thriving business in forwarding goods, continuing thus employed until the comple- tion of the railway. Then, selling out his property in Hamilton, he established a bank in Clinton, which he managed profitably until 1876. Subsequently, becoming interested in the subject of mines and mining, he went to Colorado to make a personal investigation of their operations; and, investing money in different localities in that State, he settled in Denver, and continued to reside there until 1888. Though pleased with the beautiful " City of the Plains," Mr. Dunbar longed once more for the familiar home scenes, and accordingly returned to Hamilton, where he is now liv- ing, surrounded 'by all the comforts of life, enjoying the fruits of the labor of earlier years, the society of old friends, and the respect of the entire community. In politics Mr. Dunbar is an active supporter of the Republican party, ever exerting his influence in upholding its principles. kRS. CLIMENA E. ELMORE, of Cazenovia, a kindly matron, se- renely enjoying the ripe autumn of her years, was born in 181 1, the eldest of the six daughters of James and Almena (Smith) Thrasher, of this town. The mother was a native of Connecticut. But two of Mrs. El- more's sisters survive at the present day, namely: Sarah, wife of David Eigabroadt, of Cazenovia; and Mary, wife of Henry White, of Syracuse. George Thrasher, the grand- father of Mrs. Elmore, was from New Eng- land, and was one of the first twelve who settled in Cazenovia. On the night of their arrival they slept in the open air, near the site of the present Carpenter residence. He rea'red four sons and two daughters, and died full of years on his farm,. half a mile west of Mrs. Elmore's present home. Mrs. Elmore is the widow of Madison El- more, who was born on the spot where she now resides May 2, 181 1, and died here on the 13th of January, 1885, when nearing the seventy-fourth anniversary of his birth, leav- ing an enviable reputation as a man and citizen. Eliphalet Elmore, the father of Madison, was a native of Connecticut, where he was born in 1778. He died in the town of Cazenovia in 1850, when in his seventy-third year. His wife, whose maiden name was Mabel Pitkin, was also born in Connecticut, the date of her birth being 1777. They came to Madison County with but small means, and purchased of a Mr. Webster one hundred and sixty acres of land, which form a part of the present homestead of one hundred and ninety acres. To them were born four sons and five daughters, their son Madison being the fifth child and third son. The names of their children are as follows: Horace, born in 1804, married Adeline Mitchell; Selah Pit- kin, born in 1810, died June 19, 1892, married Maria Wallace; Madison; Elisha, born in 18 19, and married Eliza Dodge; BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 6ii Emily, born in 1805; Diana, in 1807; Jane, in 1813; Harriet, in 1817; and Mabel, in 1 82 1. The mother of these children died September 20, 1821, when her daughter Mabel was but an infant. Mr. Elmore was married for the second time to Mrs. Latin, a widow, who bore him one son, Sidney, who married Jane Thompson; and a daughter, Eliza, now the widow of George Peake, of Delphi. Of the eleven children born to Eliphalet Elmore, but three now survive — Elisha, Mabel, and Eliza. With the exception of the first few years of her wedded life, Mrs. Elmore has resided at her present home since her marriage, which occurred February 25, 1836. She and her husband became the parents of one son, James, who was reared on the home farm and received a liberal education at the Woodstock and Cazenovia schools. September 27, 1871, he married Amelia Ainsworth, daughter of Leroy and Mary (Carpenter) Ainsworth, both of the town of Cazenovia. Mrs. Ainsworth died in 1883, when sixty-nine years of age, and her husband in 1890, at the age of seventy-eight. They left five children, all of whom are still living. James Elmore and wife have become the parents of five children, two of whom, both sons, died in infancy. The others are: Climena, a young lady of sixteen; Mary, a miss of thirteen years; and Mabel, ten years old. This son and family all reside with his mother on the fine large farm left to her by her husband. He is engaged in its management, and, like his father, has been most successful. He makes a specialty of dairying, keeping a large herd of good grade cattle and a few good horses, and is also engaged in general farming. When thirty-three years of age, Madison Elmore united with the Baptist church, of which he remained a consistent member, and in which he was an active worker to the close of his life. He was earnest in the advance- ment of all true Christian and moral reforms, and a strong advocate of the cause of temper- ance. In politics he was a Republican, had an intelligent understanding of the principles and policy of his chosen party, and always cast his vote with a view to the advancement of the public good and the best interests of the community in which he lived. He was an affectionate husband and kind father; and his loss was a severe bereavement to his family, and was mourned by the entire com- munity. He sleeps in peace in the beautiful Evergreen Cemetery at Cazenovia. We quote from the obituary of Mr. Elmore the following tribute to his worth: "We are again called upon to mourn the loss of one of our honored citizens, who has moved in our midst nearly three-fourths of a century, hav- ing been born on the farm where he has toiled and died, and where by honest toil and econ- omy he had accumulated a large fortune. None were sent from his door empty-handed, he being always ready to lend a helping hand to the needy and to speak words of cheer and kindness to those in trouble and sympathize with the distressed." Solaced by the loving care of her son and daughter-in-law, and happy in the society of her grandchildren, 6l2 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Mrs. Elmore passes her declining years in peace, knowing that he who for a short time has left her side has but gone before, and that she may again meet him in that Beautiful City where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest. (sJY MOROSE E. SAWYER, of the Rath- fcn bun-Sawyer Company, a prominent Vi^' business man of Oneida, local man- ager and part owner of the Oneida Flouring Mills, is a son of the Rev. Elisha Sawyer, a Baptist clergyman, and his wife, Clarissa Baker, both of Jefferson County. Elisha Sawyer and his wife were the parents of eight children, namely: Albert, now living in Michigan; Anna, wife of the Rev. E. P. Weed, a Baptist clergyman; Ellen' A., for- merly wife of Horace Hooker, of Carthage, N.Y., but now deceased; Ambrose E., the subject of this sketch; Clarissa D., wife of J. T. Gorsline, of Rochester; William, de- ceased; Mary E., wife of L. V. Rathbun, of Rochester; and Alonzo, deceased. He of whom we write was born in Water- town, N.Y., August i6, 1838, and when young attended the district schools. Later removing to Parma, N.Y., he pursued a course of study at the Parma Institute. After this he was for some years occupied as a teacher, and subsequently became engaged in business in both Eastern and Western New York. In 1875 he was elected School Com- missioner of Jefferson County, which office he held for six years, during this time devoting himself entirely to educational interests. He brought about many reforms in the schools, and made suggestions and recommendations to the department at Albany the value of which was recognized, as evinced by their speedy adoption. In 1879 he formed one of a syndicate of five in purchasing Round Island in the St. Lawrence River, and in forming what is known as Round Island Park. This company was incorporated with a capital of fifty thousand dollars; and Mr. Sawyer became its Secretary, continuing active in the business of the company until 1888, when he and the other stockholders sold their holdings to New York capitalists. In the same year, 1888, he and his brother- in-law, Mr. L. V Rathbun, purchased the Oneida Flouring Mills, then in a very poor condition, the equipment being antiquated and practically useless. They at once intro- duced the most modern machinery, and made other improvements in the property, the result being that the mill is now one of the most elaborate and best fitted out in Central New York, and probably the most profitable. It is operated by water power obtained from Oneida Creek, and utilized up to one hundred horse power, a steam-engine of sixty-five horse power being used as auxiliary. There are in the mill two run of stones and eighteen pairs of rollers, of which twelve pairs are used in the manufacture of flour, the rest con- stituting a fine and complete roller buckwheat plant. The entire capacity of the mill is twenty-five hundred bushels of grain per day. Mr. Sawyer is the local manager of the enter- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 613 prise, and devotes his entire time to the busi- ness of the company, the latter having been incorporated in March, 1893, with a capital stock of eighty thousand dollars, he being made Vice-President and Treasurer. At a convenient time for settling in life Ambrose E. Sawyer married Frances E. Cox, a native of Byron, Genesee County, by whom he has had two children, namely: Rose, who died at the age of eight months; and Charles E., who died when seventeen years of age. Politically, Mr. Sawyer is a Republican, and in religion a member of the Baptist church, of which he has been a Deacon for a number of years. He has always taken a deep inter- est in church and Sunday-school work, believ- ing true religion to be the basis of sound morality and good citizenship. He is a mem- ber of the Grand Army of the Republic, having been a soldier in the war for the pres- ervation of the Union. He served two years in the Thirteenth New York Volunteer Infan- try, and on account of the hardships and exposure incident to active military life was taken sick in Virginia and sent to the hos- pital, where he suffered a severe attack of typhoid fever. Mr. Sawyer is well known, and is one of the most highly respected citi- zens of Madison County, having an excellent reputation as a sagacious man of business and a man of unimpeachable integrity. Few, if any, of his fellow-citizens manifest a stronger desire to be of service to the community; and he has taken an active part in many use- ful and benevolent undertakings having for their object the promotion of the public good. (sTr-LANSON DUNHAM, deceased, for ^^ many years an extensive farmer in V^ Lebanon, was born in the town of Franklin, Delaware County, N.Y. His father, Elijah Dunham, was a native of New England, but removed from there to New York when young, and resided for a time in the town of Franklin, going thence to Leba- non. A few years later he moved to Pennsyl- vania, and settled in Bradford County, where he spent the remaining years of his life. The subject of this brief biographical sketch was educated in the public schools, and dur- ing the early part of his life worked with his father at the carpenter's trade,, making that his chief occupation for several years. He was always interested in agriculture, and, having a fine opportunity, purchased the farm which is now the home of his family, thence- forward being engaged in farming until his death, Feb. 8, 1887, at Lebanon, N.Y. Mr. Dunham was an energetic, industrious man, possessing sound judgment, and managed his business in such a manner that during his life he acquired a handsome competency. Very domestic in his tastes, he found pleasure in making a happy home for his wife and chil- dren, and lived honored and respected throughout the community. In politics he was a Democrat, though not aggressive in his opinions. Mr. Dunham was united in marriage Sep- tember 20, 1849, with Delia A. Ballard, who was born in the town of Lebanon, April 10, 1828. She is of New England ances- try, her paternal grandfather, Dane Ballard, 6i4 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW having been a native of Massachusetts. Emi- grating from there to New York, he became a pioneer of Madison, Madison County, largely assisting its industrial development A. few years later he removed to Lebanon, where he purchased land and erected a saw-mill, the first in the locality, remaining there until his death. The maiden name of his wife was Anna Millin. Their son, Elmer Ballard, father of Mrs. Dunham, was born in the town of Madison, November 12, 1802, and was a young lad when his parents moved to Leba- non, where he was reared to manhood. Marrying in the twenty-second year of his age, he bought a tract of land near the village of Lebanon, a few acres only of which were cleared, and on which had been erected a barn and a plank house. By dint of industry and steady perseverance he improved the re- mainder of the land and bought adjacent prop- erty, until at the time of his death he had a fine farm of more than three hundred acres, all under excellent cultivation and well sup- plied with good buildings. The maiden name of his wife was Lydia Utter, who was born in the town of Eaton, Madison County, August 20, 1806. Elijah Utter, Mrs. Dunham's maternal grandfather, it is thought, was born in the eastern part of the State of New York, of Welsh ancestry. He became a pioneer of Madison County, coming here at an early date with his wife and three children. His first stopping-place was Hamilton, where he pitched a tent in which he left his family while he went prospecting for lime rock, as he was a lime-burner by trade, and was look- ing for a place to locate himself where he could'easily find materials to supply him with work. Finding a large body of the rock near Eaton, he settled in that place with his fam- ily, and followed his occupation there for a number of years. Later he removed to Georgetown, where he and his wife spent their last years. He married Annie Carhart, a native of Long Island; and to them were born ten children. The parents of Mrs. Dun- ham reared five children, namely: Chandler Ballard, Delia A., Ladurna, Amelia, and Ophelia. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Dunham was blessed by the birth of two children, one of whom, the only daughter, Elma, passed on to the new and better life when only eighteen years of age. Their son, Carleton, married Miss Lena Upham, and resides on the home farm, faithfully carrying on the work begun by his father. Mrs. Dunham is a woman of much ability, highly esteemed by her friends and neighbors, and a valued member of the Congregational church. J^OHN WESLEY COE. This gentle- man, an exceedingly popular and prominent farmer, residing near Wampsville, Madison County, N.Y., was born in Smithfield, this county, May 20, 1828. His grandfather, David Coe, of Mid- dletown. Conn., went to Kirkland, Oneida County, in 1796, taking with him his son, also David Coe, who was born in Middletown, John W Coe. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 617 Conn., in 1784, and was then but twelve years of age. The family, consisting of the parents and four children, travelled, as had all the other pioneers of that region, with an ox-team and large covered wagon, in which they lived until the timber was cut out of the dense for- ests and the log cabin with its earthen floor constructed, to shelter them and make their first home in the wilderness. This was in the region near where the beautiful city of Utica, N.Y., now stands; and one lonely log house occupied the site where Bagg*s Hotel now opens its hospitable doors to the weary trav- eller. At that time even the turnpike from Albany to Buffalo, which is ninety years old, was not even projected. In 1806 the father of our subject was married to Orra Ellen- wood, daughter of Reuben Ellenwood, who came from Brimfield, Hampden County, Mass., about 1797. He became a wealthy farmer of Smithfield; in fact, the wealthiest in Madison County. Our subject's parents went to Peterboro when there was but one white family (the Greggs) within ten miles east of where they located. Mr. Coe made a permanent home in this place, buying one hundred and fifty-six acres in the midst of heavy forest land, hav- ing many large trees of white pine and hard wood. He built a saw-mill, and turned out quantities of lumber, becoming, as the town increased, a prominent factor, loaning money to the settlers, from whom he would only take the legal interest. He was a' leading man also in the county, holding several offices. He was not a church member, but was upright in all things, taking the Golden Rule as his guide. His wife was a consistent and true believer in the Baptist faith. They reared six sons and three daughters, of whom John Wesley was the sixth son and eighth child. All arrived at adult age, the first to die being the youngest daughter, Henrietta, a lovely girl of twenty-one years. Of that large family, only three sons and one daughter are now living, namely: Eli A., a farmer residing at Kirkville, Onondaga County, aged seventy-three years; Mary C, widow of Seth Roberts, living at Oneida, aged seventy years; George Whitfield, a retired farmer of Peterboro, sixty-eight years old ; and John W. John W. Coe received his education at the Clinton Liberal Institute at Clinton, Oneida County, from which he was graduated at the age of nineteen. He began his mercantile life as a clerk in Oneida with S. H. Goodwin & Co., at a salary of fifty dollars per year and board in the family of his employer; and that year he considered the best in his life, be- cause of the good precepts and example given him by Mr. Goodwin. He then embarked in trade for himself, starting in Stockbridge, N.Y., where he remained for four years. In i860 he went to Hiram, Portage County, Ohio, where for one year he conducted a dry- goods store, and was an intimate and cherished companion of the late President James A. Garfield, with whom he was for a time partner in oil-well enterprises. He next went to Tidioute, Pa., where he engaged in the oil business and also dealt in hardware, having a large trade and being very successful in 6i8 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW both branches. In March, 1875, he moved to his present home near Wampsville, retaining his interest in the oil lands at Tidioute. Mr. Coe was married to his first wife July 2, 1852. She was Miss Charlotte R. North- rup, of Clinton, N.Y. Of this union there were three children, namely: John W., Jr., born in 1855, now of Chicago, 111., a manu- facturer of electric dynamos; Charlotte Alice, unmarried, and residing at home ; and George Monroe, born in i860, living on a farm near the old homestead, and a natural and ingeni- ous mechanic. The mother died March 5, i860, at the age of thirty-three years. Four years later Mr. Coe contracted a second alli- ance, marrying Miss Albertina W. Coleman, of New Bedford, Mass. There were five sons born to this marriage; but all died young, none of them reaching their third year. Mr. Coe is an unflinching and active mem- ber of the Republican party; was a delegate at the first Republican State Convention in New York, in 1856, and has always been prominent in campaigns, having voted in three different States — New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Fraternally, he is a Master Mason. Time seems to have dealt kindly with Mr. Coe, as he is still a fresh and vigor- ous gentleman, enjoying ease and comfort in the fine property which he has acquired mainly by his own efforts and sagacious spec- ulations, one of these being the purchase of thirty-three thousand five hundred and fifty- six acres of mineral and timber land in Virginia. Altogether his landed property embraces forty thousand acres. He is to be congratulated that the passing years have left so few marks upon him, and that his nature has remained unspoiled with his accumulated wealth. Among the many souvenirs of his life he counts among the most treasured an autograph album, which was dedicated to him by his most beloved friend, James A. Gar- field, who expressed in a characteristic, warm, and friendly manner his appreciation of the man he was proud to call his comrade. In the light of Mr. Coe's past career and high standing in his community as a man and citizen, the publication of his portrait in con- nection with this sketch is peculiarly appro- priate, and will be viewed with pleasure and interest by his many friends and acquaint- ances as that of one who has well earned the respect, esteem, and admiration of his fellow- townsmen, and deservedly ranks among the noble, high-minded, and prominent citizens of his county. EYMAN WELLS, a retired farmer of Hamilton, who has been one of the ^"^ most progressive and successful of that large class of useful and honorable citi- zens, was born in the town of Nelson, Madi- son County, in November, 182 1. His father, Joshua Wells, son of Joshua, was born in Rhode Island, July 17, 1771. Joshua Wells, Sr., was a Rhode Island farmer who emi- grated to Madison County, settling in the town of Brookfield on a farm, where he lived until his death, in 1831, when he was ninety years old. He was one of the hard-working, typical pioneers, who cleared his land of its BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 6,9 timber, cultivated his fields, built his fences, erected his house and his barns, and per- formed his full share of the work necessary to convert the wilderness into a place fit for the habitation of civilized man. He was twice married, and reared three sons by his first wife, their names being Joshua, Gardner, and Robert. Joshua, Jr., came to this new country with his wife, Cassandra Collins, in 1792, when he was but twenty-one years old, and she was nineteen. A year or two previously he had been out to this county, making his first journey most of the way on foot, and bring- ing with him four hundred dollars in gold. Upon this first trip he bargained for a farm in Ueerfield, Oneida County. But, being in- formed by one of the settlers that the title thereto was defective, he gave up the pur- chase, and selected eighty acres in the town of Nelson, Madison County, upon which he erected a log cabin; and it was to this farm and to this abode that in 1792 he brought his bride. His second journey was made with an ox-team, and for a considerable distance he cut his own way through the woods. Upon this eighty-acre farm he and his family lived for many years, at first his nearest grist-mill being north of Utica and about forty miles distant from his home, the journey hither and thither requiring two full days. When he began to sell his pork and wheat, he hauled these products of his farm to Albany with his team of horses. During his earlier residence in this new country the woods contained all kinds of wild beasts and game that were indigenous to this climate and this country, such as wolves, deer, bears, and so forth, of which Mr. Wells was one of the successful hunters, the killing of wild beasts being necessary in order to protect domestic ani- mals, and that of game being needful for the replenishing of the family larder. Being a strong and rugged man, full of energy and industry, of good habits and of sound judgment, Mr. Wells accumulated prop- erty; and soon his eighty -acre farm upon which he first settled was enlarged to one hundred and fifty acres. His first child. Palmer, born June 12, 1796, was the first white child born in the town of Nelson. He died of consumption, March 12, 1823. Joshua and Cassandra Wells had in all eleven chil- dren, of whom these grew to mature years: Lydia, George, Clark, Amanda, Eunice, Hen- rietta, Joshua, and Betsey. The youngest died in infancy with its mother. The two still living are: Eunice, born December 12, 1808; and Joshua, born in 181 1, now a re- tired farmer of West Eaton. Eunice is the widow of George Warren, of Richmond, Mo. The father was married a second time to Mrs. Mary Wellington, n^e Fletcher, by whom he had five children, two sons and three daugh- ters, namely: Mary, who was a teacher for several years, and who died a single lady, aged forty-two ; Jonathan, who was a farmer, and died in 1867, aged forty-eight, leaving one son; Lyman, the subject of this sketch; Emily, who married Thomas Medbury, of Madison County, and died in October, 1867, aged forty-four, leaving a family; and Ruth, 620 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW who died February 2, 1893, aged sixty-seven. The mother of these children died August 6, 1839, aged fifty-five years. Mr. Wells died January 27, 1864, aged ninety-three, leaving a valuable estate, besides having assisted his children largely when they desired to begin life for themselves. He was a devoted mem- ber of the Baptist church, and his home was for many years headquarters in these parts for members and ministers of that denomination. Lyman Wells received a good education in the district school, and was married February 12, 1850, to Miss Ambrpsia Turner, of Erie- ville, Madison County, a daughter of Captain Benjamin and Esther (Medbury) Turner. Mr. and Mrs. Wells immediately began life for themselves on a one-hundred-and-sixty- acre farm in the town of Georgetown, upon which they continued to live and labor for sixteen years. April i, 1866, they removed to Hamilton, and bought for one thousand two hundred dollars their present fine lot, con- taining a modest dwelling, in which they lived until 1876, commencing in 1874 to build their present large mansion, moving into it in 1876. Mrs. Wells died April 22, 1887, at the age of sixty-one; and Mr. Wells was married the second time November 25, 1890, to Mrs. Amanda Hall, nie Smith, daughter of David D. and Althea (Preston) Smith and widow of William J. Hall, the latter of whom died in 1876, at the age of forty-two, leaving one son, Fred. R., now of Chicago, married, and has one daughter. Mr. Wells still owns his fine farm in George- town, but is practically retired from active business, and is living in his pleasant home, which occupies half a block in the charming village of Hamilton, enjoying the companion- ship of his most estimable wife, both being among the most highly respected and honored people of the place. Mr. Wells is independent in regard to poli- tics, voting always for the man rather than the party. Mrs. Wells is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Hamilton. ^CTlBRIDGE E. CUMMINGS, a worthy JTl representative of the farming and stock-raising industries of Stockbridge, Madi- son County, is prosperously engaged in his chosen occupation on his homestead in Dis- trict No. 3 of that town. He is a native of this town, where he was born in April, 1839, a son of Nichols and Amelia Cummings. For biography of parents and grandparents, see sketch of Lincoln L. Cummings, which appears on another page of this "Review." The subject of this brief memoir was edu- cated in the district and high schools of his native town, and, being brought up on a farm, became familiar in early life with the labor attendant upon an agricultural career. Hav- ing been most successful in his early under- takings, in 1885 he was enabled to buy the old home farm where he now resides and carries on a good business as a stock-grower and general farmer. He pays special atten- tion to the culture of hops, that being a very profitable crop to raise, returning sure divi- dends. He is a man of excellent reputation, BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 6zi his sterling integrity fully entitling him to the position which he holds in the estimation of the community. He is a single man; and besides himself his household consists of his brother, Henry N., who was born in Augusta, Oneida County, November 19, 1827, and his sister, Electa A., who was born in Stock- bridge, March 8, 1835. None of them is married; but, living together in a cheerful home endeared by the recollections of child- hood, they enjoy all the comforts of domestic- ity, and cordially reciprocate the hospitality of friends and neighbors. They have one brother, Cyrus Cummings, who served in the late Civil War. He enlisted September i, 1861, in Company G, Second Illinois Light Artillery, under command of Captain Stahl- bind, and participated in the battles of Coffey- ville and Vicksburg, besides taking an active part in many skirmishes. He was honorably discharged October 4, 1864, at Springfield, 111. In politics Mr. Elbridge E. Cummings is a firm believer in the principles of the Republican party, supporting them by all the means in his power. (sTTLBERT H. BONNEY, a valuable citi- A-A zen of the village of Eaton, was born ■^ ^-^ February 2, 1849, in the town of Eaton, a son of Orrin and Irene (Warren) Bonney. The father of Orrin, Levi Bonney, emigrated from Connecticut, and settled in the town of Eaton in 1790, making the jour- ney from his native to his adopted State with ox-teams. He was one of the first settlers in that town, where he selected about two hundred acres of land, erected a log house thereon, and reared a family of thirteen chil- dren, twelve of whom grew to mature years, and one of whom, Mrs. Rhoda P. Storrs, the only survivor, still lives in the village of Eaton. Levi Bonney died on his farm in January, 1855, at the age of eighty years. He was always a hard-working, honest, and peaceful citizen, a good neighbor and friend, and had many striking personal characteris- tics. He was of a sound and vigorous consti- tution; and his strength was of great use to him in pioneer days, as, when he first settled in this State, he was obliged to carry his grist to mill on his back — a distance of twenty-six miles. Orrin Bonney, like his father before him, was a general farmer. He owned a portion of the old home farm, and lived there for many years. He reared a family of six children, four of whom are now living, namely: Char- lotte, wife of J. N. Wheeler, of the town of Eaton; Joseph W., living in Bradford County, Pa. ; Melvin Orrin, also of that county; and Albert H., the subject of this sketch. Orrin Bonney, who was an Aboli- tionist, died on his farm, at the age of eighty-four. His widow, a member of the Baptist church, lives with her daughter, Mrs. Wheeler. Albert H. Bonney was reared and edu- cated in the town of Eaton, and at the age of twenty-two began life on his own account by purchasing a farm of forty acres. This farm he still owns, but is princi- 622 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW pally engaged in teaming in the village of Eaton. For a period of five years he was engaged in the coal business in this place, but retired therefrom some years ago. He married in 1871 Elizabeth C. Wright, a native of the town of Fenner. They have three children, namely: Walter, born August 4, 1883; Charles, born May 28, 1887; and Irene, born June 11, 1891. Mr. and Mrs. Bonney are members of the Baptist church, and live consistent Christian lives, being well known and highly esteemed. In politics Mr. Bonney is a good Republican. He feels the necessity of putting the best men in office, and uses his influence to this end. The Bonney family is one of the oldest and best in this part of the county; and Mr. Albert H. Bonney, the subject of this brief memoir, is a most worthy descendant of the pioneers who settled here in the early days. ^aERRY WILLARD, a man of up- ^*^ ward of threescore years and ten, who has worked diligently at sev- eral trades, and has now for some years suc- cessfully managed a farm in Canastota, where he lives, was born near Paris Hill, Oneida County, in 1819. The recital of changes that he has observed during his long and useful life, if made with strict and literal fidelity, would read like a fairy tale. Mr. Willard was born in the same year that the first steamship crossed the Atlantic Ocean, before the Erie Canal was constructed, and ten years before the first trip of the first locomotive in the United States — the Stourbridge Lion, at Honesdale, Pa., August 8, 1829. He was twenty-five years old when Professor Morse successfully established telegraphic communi- cation between Baltimore and Washington in 1844 — the first telegraph line in the United States, if not in the world. Anson Willard, father of Perry, a-native of the same county, was born about 1784, and died when seventy years of age. The father of Anson Willard was Lewis Willard, a farmer by occupation, and prosperous, who died in Madison County, near South Bay, Oneida Lake, in 1828, when seventy years of age. Anson Willard, who was the only child of his parents, married Lucretia Baker, of Oneida County, by whom he had seven sons and three daughters, all of whom grew to mature years; and all married except two of the daughters. Those of this family who are still living are as follows: Jane, widow of John Palmer, of Kansas; Dubartus, a farmer of Kansas; and the subject of this sketch, who is the eldest of the three. Anson Willard died in Wisconsin about the year 1854. His widow survived him until i886, retaining her mental faculties to a remarkable degree, dying at the home of her daughter in Kansas, at the age of ninety-one. She and her husband were of the "plain people," es- timable, useful citizens, and were consistent members of the Universalist church. Perry Willard was reared on the home farm until he reached his fifteenth year, when he was bound out to a Mr. Knowles, of Chit- tenango, to learn the trade of carding and BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 623 dressing cloth and the manufacture of lead pipe, serving an apprenticeship of five years. At the end of this period he became en- gaged in a large cloth manufactory, remaining there five years. Being a natural mechanical genius, very handy with tools, he has done a great deal of carpenter work, one of his last jobs being the erection of his own fine farm residence, which he built in 1889 and 1890. The farm on which he now lives he purchased in 1 88 1, paying therefor fifty dollars per acre. His principal crop on this farm is hay, of which he cuts annually from seventy-five to one hundred tons, the yield averaging two tons per acre, though some acres yield as high as three tons. He also raises from two to four acres of onions, his rich, reclaimed swamp lands being especially well adapted to this vegetable and to celery. Of onions he has raised in one year as many as one thou- sand two hundred bushels; and he has re- cently built a house, eighteen by thirty-two feet in size, in which to cure his onions, the house having a capacity of two thousand bushels. Mr. Willard is as thorough and neat a farmer as is often seen, though on account of his age he is now practically re- tired. The butter made on his farm is sold directly to the consumers. Mr. and Mrs. Willard have one child, a daughter, Fidelia, Mrs. David Bender. She and her husband and their two sons, Willard, sixteen years of age, and Freddie, fourteen, live at the parental home, and now take the principal charge of the farm, the boys work- ing on the farm in summer and attending school in the winter. Mrs. Willard is a daughter of Stephen and Marmora Root Her- rick, the former of Dutchess County, and the latter of Delaware County. Mrs. Her- rick died in 1877, aged sixty-three years, her husband having died in 1871, at the age of ninety-one years. Mrs. Willard has three brothers living, namely: Alanson Herrick, a farmer of the town of Lenox, aged eighty; Henry, of Canaseraga, who served his coun- try three years during the Civil War, is now seventy-four years old, and has two daughters and one son; and Dennison, a mechanic, who has one daughter. Mr. Willard built his present fine barns — one thirty by seventy-two feet in size, the other thirty by fifty-six — himself. In politics Mr. Willard is a Repub- lican, and in religion a member of the Uni- versalist church. He has always, been an active, hard-working man, honest and upright in his dealings with his fellow-men, and is passing the declining years of his long and useful life in the consciousness of having been true to all his obligations, so far as has lain in his power, which is as much as any man need wish to say when his life is drawing near its close. NDREW WHIPPLE, a deserving and well-to-do citizen of Cazenovia, born January 14, 1839, in the town of Fenner, N.Y., a son of John and Lucy (Dryer) Whipple. John Whipple, Jr., the father of Andrew, was born in the town of Fenner, was reared in this vicinity, and became the owner of two hundred and twenty- 624 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW six acres of land. He was a prominent and influential man of his day, serving as Road Commissioner and holding other offices under Democratic administrations. He married Miss Lucy Dryer, a native of Cazenovia, by whom he had seven children, of whom six are living: Lydia, widow of Loren Ransom, of Perryville, N.Y. ; Louisa, Mrs. O. Allen, of Cazenovia; Mariette, Mrs. W. D. Brown, of the town of Nelson; Helen, widow of L. D. Know, of the town of Nelson; An- drew; and Charlotte, wife of Deloss Barpus, of Wayne County. The seventh one, John Whipple, enlisted as a member of the Oneida Cavalry, and died during the late war. The father died at the age of eighty-six years in the town of Nelson, and his. wife at the age of eighty-three. They were Presbyterians in religious views. The grandfather, John Whipple, was born and grew to manhood in Rhode Island. He came with his wife to the town of Fenner, Madison County, in 1797, having the same experience as did all the pioneers of bringing their families and household effects by ox- team, and finding the land covered with forest trees, and wild game and Indians plentiful. Of course, coming into a country which had been a hunting-ground of the Six Nations of Indians, it appeared hazardous work to try to make a home or till the land among them. But the Indians were friendly; and the pio- neers were brave, attending strictly to their own affairs, cutting trees, and laying out a little farm which they had to call home. Of his two hundred acres of land John Whipple soon made a fine farm. Seven of his fifteen children grew up to be of assistance to him in his work. He died at the age of seventy- six, and his wife at the age of seventy-two. In politics he was a Federalist, and a man who stood high in the community by reason of his sterling character and unremitting industry. Andrew Whipple was born on his farm that he now owns, and the only education he was able to obtain was that of the district school of his town. He remained on his father's farm to work until he was able to purchase and manage it for himself. He was married December 29, 1867, to Miss Carrie Carter, who was born November 5, 1844, in the town of Sullivan, daughter of Hiram and Mary Carter. Hiram Carter was a farmer, and died when a young man. His widow reside^s with her son Frank in the town of Sullivan. Four children were born to them, all of whom are now living. After his marriage our subject settled on the old home farm, living there for twenty- three years, until 1890. He was very suc- cessful in farming, having excellent crops of oats, wheat, barley, and corn, besides dealing in sheep, horses, and cows. His two hundred and twenty-six acres of land are all tillable and productive. He has good barns and stables and a fine farm-house, but for the last three years he has lived comfortably as a retired farmer in Cazenovia. Mr. and Mrs. Whipple have had but one child, Frank, who with his wife, Mary Bur- ton, now occupies the old home farm. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 625 Mr. Andrew Whipple is an active and ener- getic supporter of the Democratic party, and has held the office of Supervisor for seven years. He has led an industrious and useful life, and is fully deserving of the competency, he now enjoys in his days of retired ease. He has every reason to be interested in the growth and prosperity of the county in which four generations of his family have found a home. Judicious and prudent, he has made good use of his opportunities for advance- ment. He has been successful in his finan- cial undertakings, and has merited and won the esteem of his fellow-citizens. 7r%HARLES BURTON MARSHALL, I J| an alert and active farmer of the ^ ' town of Smithfield, holds a promi- nent place among the enterprising agricult- urists of Madison County. He was born in Stockbridge, August 6, 1868, being a son of James and Susanna (Tackaberry) Marshall, natives, respectively, of Southbridge and Eaton. (For history of his paternal grand- father, see sketch of Charles Marshall, of Pratt's Hollow, which appears elsewhere in this volume.) The father of Mrs. Marshall, James Tackaberry, was born in Ireland, and emigrated thence to the United States when a young man, settling in Madison County, where he purchased and improved a farm. His last days were spent on the homestead in Pratt's Hollow. James Marshall grew to manhood in the town of Stockbridge, residing on the home- stead of his father, where he early became familiar with the necessary labor involved in the art of agriculture. After attaining his majority, he bought a farm, which he carried on successfully for several years. He was industrious, ambitious, and thrifty, and, as he accumulated money, invested it in other land, being at different times the owner of several farms. He did business on an extensive scale, managing affairs judiciously, and was one of the largest hop-growers in this section of the county. Having accumulated a compe- tency, he is now living, retired from the active labors of life, in the village of Oneida, well meriting the prosperity he now enjoys. Politically, he is an uncompromising Dem- ocrat. His wife died some years ago on their homestead in Stockbridge, being but fifty- two years of age when called from earthly scenes. Of the children born to them four are now living: Anna, who is the wife, of F. J. Stringer, of Canastota; Melville, who is a stenographer and typewriter in New York City; Fred, who lives in Stockbridge; and Charles B. The subject of this brief narrative grew to maturity in his native town, receiving his ele- mentary education in the public school of his district, and afterward taking a course of study at Colgate University in Hamilton. In the mean while he assisted his father on the farm, there gaining the experience which fitted him for conducting successfully in later life his own agricultural operations. Desir- ing more extended acquaintance with his country, when eighteen years of age he took 626 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW a trip through some of the Western States, but was not sufficiently attracted by anything that he saw to invest any money there. Re- turning to his native State, Mr. Marshall then purchased a farm of ninety-four acres near Oneida Castle, where he lived for some time. He subsequently bought the place he now owns and occupies, which consists of one hundred and thirty acres of excellent land, all under good cultivation. He makes a spe- cialty of raising hops, having about twenty acres growing, from which he realizes hand- some profits. Mr. Marshall was united in marriage Feb- ruary 6, 1889, with Eunice Gill, who was born in Smithfield in 1867, a daughter of Sumner Gill. (For further parental history, see sketch of Sumner Gill, to be found on another page of this "Review.") His home- stead is a most attractive place, furnished with a convenient and commodious house and all the buildings necessary to the completion of a first-class modern country estate. The fireside of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall has been brightened by the birth of one child, Harold Gill Marshall, who was born June 22, 1892. Politically, Charles B. Marshall is a stanch Republican. W: ILLIAM C. JENNINGS, an indus- trious, intelligent, and esteemed citizen of the town of Brookfield, Madison County, was born of English and American parents in Smyrna, Chenango County, N.Y., May 29, 1855. His grandfather and father emigrated from England to New York State, and were among the pioneers of the town of Brookfield. The father lived at Smyrna a few years after his marriage, and was there engaged in running a saw-mill and cheese- box factory. Later he removed to Brookfield, and bought a farm, where he resided for about twenty years. He afterward rented a house in the village, near the store of Oliver B. York. He married Miss Mariette Stanbro, a sister of the well-known "Uncle" Peleg Stanbro, the kind-hearted, beneficent, al- ways friendly man, whose biography appears elsewhere in this volume. They reared two children: William C, our subject; and Peleg. The mother died in the town of Brookfield, the father at the house in the village above mentioned. After being educated in the dis- trict schools of Smyrna, and working in the factory there, William Jennings came with his father to Brookfield, but continued for some time working in cheese or cheese-box factories located in different parts of the Chenango Valley. He was married at the age of twenty to Miss Frances Crumb, daugh- ter of James and Eunice Crumb. They have one child, named Harley. Mrs. Jennings is a native of the town of Brookfield, and her- self and husband are devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Having had no daughters of their own, they have taken into their home a young lady, to whom they have given a mother's and father's loving care. Mr. Jennings takes a commendable interest in local public affairs, and, while not a rabid politician or chronic office-seeker, gives his hearty support to the Republican party. He BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 627 is a very well-read and intelligent man, acquainted with general literature, keeping himself informed of the events of the day, and with his books and newspapers spending many an hour of intellectual enjoyment. The family live in a convenient and pleasant dwelling on a well-improved farm, with excel- lent barns and other buildings. A self-help- ful man, Mr. Jennings has thriven by his own energy and industry. Whatever education his parents were able to give him was but the foundation upon which he has built until he has now a cultivated and well-stored mind, and acquits himself well in all his relations as a man and a citizen. 'OHN M. GRAVES, an industrious and worthy citizen of the town of Nelson, one who has been emphatically the architect of his own fortune, was born in this town, June i, 1836, son of John and Jane (Hammond) Graves, also natives of Nelson. Nathan Graves, paternal grandfather of John M., was born in Massachusetts, and came to Nelson in the early days, being one of its first settlers. He bought a tract of timber land and cleared it, residing there until his death. Of his large family, only one son is living, Asa Graves, who now resides in Nel- son. John Graves, son of Nathan, was a farmer in Nelson, owning seventy-five acres of land. Late in life he moved to Minnesota, where both he and his wife died, he having lived to be seventy-six years old. They had seven children, of whom five are living: John M., the eldest; Orison, living in Nelson; Melissa, at Nelson Flats; Lydia, who died at the age of fifteen; Sarah, living in Minne- sota; and Asa, in California. Ellen died when an infant. The parents were members of the Baptist church, and the father was a Republican in politics. In his boyhood John M. Graves attended the district school of his village, where, as there were then no free public schools in the county, the parents had to pay so much for the tuition of each child. The times were stringent and money scarce, so that the chil- dren did not get instruction beyond the sim- plest rudiments of learning. When John was thirteen years of age, he went to work on a farm, receiving at first the paltry sum of five dollars per month. He continued hiring himself out until at about thirty years of age he began to get employment in the fall of the year on the neighboring farms with a thresh- ing machine of which he had become pos- sessed. He did this work for twelve seasons. He was married February i, 1866, to Miss Frances Hopkins, born in the town of Nelson, daughter of Alonzo Hopkins. Im- mediately after marriage he brought his wife to a farm of about fifty-three acres which he had previously purchased. They remained there for two years, when Mr. Graves sold it, and bought the farm of seventy-five acres on which he now resides. It is a good, produc- tive tract of land; and, though general farm- ing is carried on, the main crop is hay. He also carries on a dairy, having some very fine cattle. 628 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW On this farm Mr. Graves has availed him- self of modern machinery and all the most approved appliances for carrying on agricult- ure, and the results have been most satis- factory. He began life dependent upon his own resources; and his success is a splendid illustration of the emoluments to be obtained by resolute, well-directed, untiring industry. Mr. and Mrs. Graves are the parents of two children: Chauncey A., who is a druggist in Buffalo, N.Y. ; and Lester H., who lives with them on the home farm. Both in religion and politics Mr. Graves is liberal and in- dependent, believing in the right and duty of every man to form his own opinions, al- ways to think before he acts, and to judge for himself what is right. Sincere and steadfast in his friendships, fearless and manly in his dealings with the world, he deservedly com- mands the respect and esteem of his neigh- bors and fellow-citizens. 'OHN SAMUEL, an adopted citizen of Madison County, an industrious and influential farmer of the town of Nel- son, was born in Wales, March 12, 1824. His grandfather, Enoch Samuel, a lifelong resident of that country, a laborer, was three times married, and reared a family of twelve children, and died at the age of fifty-five years. The grandmother of John died when she was fifty-seven years old. Our subject's parents, David and Sarah (Janes) Samuel, emigrating from Wales to America in 185 1, settled first in Bridgewater, Oneida County, N.Y., and moved from there in 1859 to the town of Nelson, where they bought a farm. They had eight children, of whom three are now living: John, the eldest; Mary, widow of William Williams; and Mar- garet, widow of Thomas Thomas, residing in Wales. The father died in Nelson at the age of one hundred and one years and six days, and the wife lived to the age of seventy-seven years. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church in Nelson, and the vener- able old gentleman was a Republican in politics. Our subject was educated and married in Wales, and with his wife and two children came to America in December of 1856, tak- ing passage in the good ship "Robert Kelly," commanded by Captain Barstow, whose kind- ness was unremitting in trying to mitigate the inevitable discomforts of his passengers on so long a voyage. Immediately on land- ing they went to Bridgewater, Oneida County, N.Y., remaining there for four years, and in i860 came to the town of Nelson. Mr. Samuel started out bravely in the struggle of life, never hesitating to do any honest work that came to hand. He first chopped wood for three shillings and a half per cord, and then worked on his father's farm. Having saved a little money, he rented the farm which he was able to buy in 1862, and which he has occupied and improved ever since. He was married August 10, 1850, to Miss Mary Bevan, daughter of Benjamin and Ann Bevan, of Wales. They have three children living: Sarah, wife of Hugh Hughes, residing BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 629 in De Ruyter, N.Y. ; Benjamin, on the home farm; Ann, Mrs. J. E. P. Davis, of Missouri. The farm on which Mr. Samuel resides is a valuable one of one hundred and fifteen acres, with good, substantial buildings. He does general farming, making no specialty of any particular branch of agriculture or any one crop. He has been successful as a stock- raiser, and can boast of some very fine cattle. The family are members of the Welsh Con- gregational church; and in his politics our subject is a Republican, giving that party his cordial support and hearty sympathy. Be- sides some minor offices he has held, he is now filling the position of Poor master, this being his seventh year in office. Mr. Samuel is a gentleman of integrity, popular and influen- tial in his district, and is deservedly accorded the respect and esteem of his fellow-citizens. He has every reason as he surveys his broad acres and comfortable home to be proud of the success which he has achieved by his own hard labor. /^^TeORGE R. WALDRON, a patriot \f^J, soldier of the late war, recently de- ceased, an honored resident of Hamilton, Madison County, for more than sixty years, was born in Mechanicsville, Saratoga County, October 3, 181 5, within a stone's throw of the Ellsworth monument. He was a son of Gilbert Waldron, who was born in the same county, February 11, 1778, and died at Honesdale, Pa., May 6, 1830. Reserve Wal- dron, the father of Gilbert, came from Hol- land, and was one of the three original purchasers of Manhattan Island. Some of his descendants are large land-owners on the island at the present time, and are litigants in a suit for the establishment of a claim to a valuable estate there, to which the subject of this sketch was one of the heirs. Gilbert Waldron was one of five sons born to Reserve Waldron and his wife. He married Margaret Grawbarger, of Saratoga County, by whom he had ten children, namely: Abram, born in 1803; Maria G., born in 1804, and married Charles L. Reese; Catherine, born in 1806, and married Jabez Lovej.oy; Jane Ann, born in 1808, and married P. L. Tylor; Elizabeth, born in 18 10, and married J. T. Teetor; Amelia, born in 181 3, and married James Morgan; George R., the subject of this sketch; Margaret, married a Mr. Atwater, of Chicago; Caroline, who married General Rogers, of Bath, N.Y. ; and Elias, born in 1824, and drowned at the age of seventeen, while engaged in the whale-fishery. The mother of these ten children died in 1830, at the age of seventy. The father was a very active, enterprising, and successful business man, erecting many dwelling-houses and at least two dams across important rivers. That across the Hudson River at Fort Edward, Washington County, which he built with the aid of Melancthon Wheeler, was washed away, causing him a loss of one hundred thou- sand dollars. He built a dam across the Delaware River at the mouth of the Lacka- waxen River, and also about fifty houses in Rondout, N.Y., and Honesdale, Pa. George R. Waldron, when twelve years of 630 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW age, was apprenticed to learn the printer's trade, for which he had a strong inclination, having already printed a small spelling-book. Becoming a skilled and rapid workman, he easily found plenty to do, and continued to work at his trade and at the publishing of newspapers until 1883, at which time his son, George G., took his work off his hands. The first paper published by George R. Waldron was the Hamilton Courier, which was estab- lished in 1 83 1, and which was purchased by Mr. Waldron in 1832. Mr. Waldron was one of the Union soldiers of the War of the Rebellion, enlisting in September, 1862, in Company E, One Hundred and Fifty-seventh New York Volunteer Infantry, a company which he had himself helped to raise. He was commissioned Captain by Governor Mor- gan; but, his company being consolidated with another. Captain Waldron afterward served in the ranks. After nearly one year's service he was discharged on account of an affection of the eyes, from which he continued to suffer ever after, being practically blind for the last twenty-five years of his life. Mr. Waldron was married December 3, 1835, to Mary E. Crisman, who was born in Wilkesbarre, Pa., in 1815, now, at seventy- eight years of age, after nearly sixty years of wedded life, a widow. Her father, Jesse Crisman, was murdered for his money in Wheeling, W. Va., when he was fifty years old. He left eight children, of whom but three are yet living. Mr. and Mrs. Waldron buried two sons and one daughter. The chil- dren living are as follows: Margaret C, wife of Wilson Fox, of Fultonville, N.Y.; Vic- toria, wife of Rev. Charles E. Simmons, of Worcester, Mass.; George G. ; Harriet E., wife of A. L. Slawson, a printer, of Boston, Mass.; J. C, of Hamilton; Marcella, wife of A. M. Russell, also of Hamilton; and Ida P., wife of Henry Miller, of Suffield, Conn. fHOMAS HITCHCOCK, a venerable farmer of the town of Lebanon, was born in the town of Oxford, Canada, June 2, 1808, a son of Julius Hitchcock, who was born in Connecticut, December 20, 1777. The last-named, when thirteen years old, began to learn the trades of shoemaker, tanner, and currier, at which he served an apprenticeship of three years, at the end of that time going to Canada, where he engaged in farming and in working at these trades. In March, 1812, he started in a sleigh to visit friends in New York, and while on his way happened to read in a newspaper that war would certainly be declared by the United States against Great Britain. Thereupon he returned to his home in Canada, sold off his personal effects as quickly as possible, and again started for New York, crossing the line between the United States and Canada the day before the declaration of war was promul- gated, his removal to Madison County being made with teams. Upon arriving in Madison County, he purchased a tract of land in the town of Lebanon, a few acres of which were cleared, and whereon a log cabin was already erected. Upon this farm he lived during the BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 631 rest of his life, following agriculture and his trades, dying in 1850. Thomas Hitchcock was four years old when his father removed from Canada to Madison County; and it was here that he received his education, first in the district schools, then by attendance for one term at a select school in Smyrna, and afterward by attendance sev- eral terms at Lebanon Academy. When twenty-one years of age, he taught school one term. Learning the trade of shoemaking, he followed that trade, and also farming, until he was twenty-seven years of age, when he settled on the farm which he now owns and occupies, since then having devoted himself exclusively to the cultivation of the soil and the various industries therewith connected. On April 13, 1833, he married Roxanna C. Ballard, who was born November 21, 1808, in the town of Lebanon. Her father, Daniel Ballard, a native of Salem, Mass., who was there reared and married, removed to the State of New York by means of ox-teams, and, after residing for a time in the town of Madi- son, came to the town of Lebanon, bought timbered land, erected a log house in the woods, and cleared a farm. He remained a resident of the county till his death. The maiden name of Mrs. Ballard was Ann Mil- len, she being, also a native of Salem, Mass. Mrs. Hitchcock was well educated in her youth in the district schools, and from the age of eighteen she taught school a part of each year until her marriage. She is to-day one of the oldest lady residents of the county who taught school in their youth. Mr. and Mrs. Hitchcock have lived together more than sixty years — a remarkable length of time, considering the average duration of human life. Increasing his years by ten, how well the beloved poet's lines apply! — " With sixty years between you and your well-kept wed- ding vow, The Golden Age, old friends of mine, is not a fable now. "And sweet as has life's vintage been through all your pleasant past, Still, as at Cana's marriage feast, the best wine is the last! " May many more of quiet years be added to your sum. And late at last, in tenderest love, the beckoning angel come." IRVING O. WRIGHT, an energetic, pros- perous man in the prime of life, is widely and favorably known as a val- uable factor in the business and industrial interests of this part of Madison County. He is a native of the town of Smithfield, born June 18, 1851. His parents, Orson and Bas- saby (Clark) Wright, who were also born in Smithfield, died at their home in Lenox, one at the age of seventy-two years, and the other at fifty-eight years of age. Orson Wright was reared to agricultural pursuits, but on arriving at manhood learned the trade of a stone-mason, which he followed successfully at Smithfield and Lenox. He was a man much respected for his integrity and genuine worth. In politics he affiliated with the Republican party. To him and his wife were 632 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW born a family of four children : Alzaney, who died when sixteen years of age; Caroline, who married Jesse Sipher, and resided in the town of Knox; Valnett, who married Leander Betts, and lives in Van Buren County, Michi- gan; and Irving O. The subject of this biography received a good common-school education, to which he has continually added by observation and reading. When fourteen years of age, he left the parental roof, and engaged in the battle of life for himself. He secured work on a farm, receiving at first only six dollars per month, and continued farming until twenty-one years of age. Desiring more remunerative employ- ment, he next started out with a pedler's stock of tinware, and for the following six years travelled on the road. He had good business talent, and prospered so well in his new occupation that, by living frugally and saving what he could of his profits, he was enabled in a few years to establish himself permanently in trade by opening a hardware store in Peterboro. This was in 1880, since which time he has pushed steadily onward. His business increased so rapidly that in 1886 he erected the building he now owns and occupies, putting in a stock of general mer- chandise valued at about ten thousand dollars. By persevering energy and excellent manage- ment he has extended his business until now he has the leading store of Peterboro, with yearly sales averaging from twenty thousand to twenty-five thousand dollars. He exhibits a large assortment of agricultural imple- ments, and is the sole agent for the cele- brated Munnsville Plow Company, his trade extending over a circuit of many miles. Mr. Wright was united in marriage January 17, 1877, to Mary Courtney, who was born in the town of Lenox, May 28, 1852. She is a most estimable woman, and shares with her husband the respect of their neighbors and friends. She is of Irish ancestry; re- ligiously, is a devout Catholic. Her father, Peter Courtney, was born in Ireland; while her mother, Mary Courtney, was a native of Stockbridge, Madison County. Her parents reared a family of seven children. Mr. Courtney died when fifty-three years old, his wife at the age of fifty-seven years. Mr. Irving O. Wright is regarded as among the ablest and most influential citizens of Peterboro, and is doing his full share in up- holding and advancing the interests of his native town. In politics he is a stanch Republican. T^LEON H. TONDEUR, whose portrait I J| accompanies this sketch, is a manu- ^ facturer and flattener of glass, and a prominent and honored resident of Canas- tota. He was born in Belgium, February 5, 1847, and is a son of Joasin Tondeur, who was a glass-cutter and foreman of a large glass works in his native country. It was of his father that the subject of this sketch learned his trade. Joasin Tondeur was a most skilful workman, industrious and eco- nomical in his habits, and acquired a large property. At his death, which occurred in 1879, when he was eighty-nine years old, he Cleon Tondeur. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 63s left a comfortable estate. Six of his children are still living, two sons and three daughters in their native land, and the subject of this sketch. All of his children had excellent opportunities for securing a good education, and all but Cleon H. availed themselves of those opportunities to the fullest extent; and even he secured a good common-school educa- tion. His eldest sister is a physician and midwife, as was her mother before her. The mother was killed in a railroad accident in Belgium, May 31, i860, on her way to the college commencement at which this daughter was to graduate. CleoH H. Tondeur left his home in Bel- gium when he was eighteen years old, going thence to Sunderland, England, and engaging there as flattener in the glass works. This was in 1865 ; and he remained there, engaged in the works for the same company, until 1880. On January 11, 1870, he was married to Mary Jane Cunningham, whose parents were both deceased. She has one brother and two sisters living, namely: William, of Can- astota; Margaret, widow of Joseph Johnson, living in Dunkirk, Ind. ; and Elizabeth, wife of John Grant, a glass-cutter of Findlay, Ohio. In 1880 Mr. Tondeur came to the United States, leaving his wife and family in England until such time as he could find a home for them in this country. He reached La Salle, 111, on the 28th of August of that year, and worked there as flattener until Octo- ber 26, 1 88 1, when he removed to Ithaca, N.Y., working there some few months. While in Ithaca, he invented a process of annealing glass, for which he received letters patent May 16, 1882. Since that time he has taken out six new patents, including one upon an oil-l)urner and another upon a berry basket. Upon his several inventions he has received a fair return, though, like many another of his class, he has been compelled to spend large amounts in the defence of his rights to his inventions. A late decision in his favor passed by the Court of Appeals of New York City has, however, confirmed his rights, thus ending a long-continued litiga- tion. Being a very skillful man and faithful to his employers, he has always been able to command good wages; and through this source, and from his patented articles, his income has been and is ample to meet all the necessities of life and to lay by for later years an abundant support. On October 20, 1881, his wife and two chil- dren joined him at Durhamville, N.Y., two of their children having been buried in England. The two living are: Felix Cleon, a young man of twenty-two years, at home and in business with his father; and Barbara Honoree, a well- educated young lady of twenty, a practical housekeeper, and living at home. Sh6 also has a natural talent and taste for art, of which her work in this line gives abundant evi- dence. In politics Mr. Tondeur is a Repub- lican and a stanch supporter of his party. He has filled various offices of trust, having served as Trustee of the village of Canastota for two years, and also as a member of the Board of Water Commissioners. He is now a member of the Excise Board of the town of 636 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Lenox. He and his family are members of the Catholic church. His present home, which is in striking contrast with neighbor- ing houses because of its railings, colored glass in the windows, etc., he purchased in 1883; and it stands on one of the finest resi- dence streets in the village. The^ house is very attractive on account of these features, and also because of the fine front and side porch, richly ornamented and enclosed above and below with a rich variety of colored, or cathedral, glass. Every resident of Canastota knows where Mr. Tondeur, the glass manu- facturer, lives. His invention of a process for annealing and cooling glass as it comes from the furnace was a most valuable one to the business world; and this process, being quite elaborate as well as ingenious, proves that he is a man of great ability and in- genuity. Mr. Tondeur owns a farm of twenty acres at Onionville land which is well adapted to the growing of onions and celery. This farm he purchased recently at one hundred and fifty dollars per acre. Besides this valuable piece of property, he owns 'stock in the Canastota Glass Works, and has glass works of his own at Freeville, Tompkins County, which he started in 1886. This is a six-blast furnace, making roof, rib, and cathedral glass, em- ploying twenty-seven hands, and is doing a prosperous and increasing business. Thus it will be seen that Mr. Tondeur is successful, not only as an employee and business man, but also as an inventor — a combination of talent as rare as it is valuable. Both he and his wife are excellent people, and stand high in the estimation of their friends and ac- quaintances. I LAS E. MORSE, a prosperous car- riage-maker and farmer, of New Woodstock, who has resided at this place for the past fifty-three years, was born in Wallingford, Conn., in 1824. His father, Street Hall Morse, also a native of that place, was born in 1781 ; died at Union, in the town of Cazenovia, in 1836, at the age of fifty-nine. The last-named was one of the two sons of Lyman Morse, who lived and died at Wal- lingford. In Medfield, Mass., there is a monument erected to the memory of the seven brothers, the progenitors of the family in this country, who came over from Old England to New England between the years 1635 and 1639. This is a very handsome monument, consisting of three fine marble shafts, the central one the, tallest, and all mounted on one base. Upon it are given the names, ages, and deaths of each of the brothers, as follows: Samuel, born 1585; John, 1604; Anthony, 1606; William, 1608; Robert and Peter, twins; and Joseph. Street Hall Morse, the father of our sub- ject, was a manufacturer of shooks, barrels, and so forth, and a farmer, his farm being situated on the Four Corners, near the old school-house where his son Silas took his early lessons in industry and book-lore. He was a man of large means at one time, but met with reverses, which led to his moving to Greene, Chenango County, and a year later to BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 637 Union, where he died in 1837, when fifty- seven years of age. About the year 1 800 he married Martha Bartholomew, by whom he had nine sons and two daughters. The mother died at Delphi, January 10, 1846, at the age of fifty-six. Of these eleven children but three now survive, namely: Martha, widow of Alfred Coleman, residing near Hartford, Conn., has one son; Harvey, a farmer of Fayetteville, Onondaga County, now seventy-one years of age, has one daughter; and Silas E. The subject of this sketch was married October 30, 1851, to Miss Sarah J. Bell, who was born in Perry, Wyoming County, April 7, 1832, and is a daughter of Ralph and Emily (Moffat) Bell, the former of Oneida County, and the latter of New Woodstock. Mr. Bell is now an octogenarian, residing at Webster City, la. His wife died in the vil- lage of New Woodstock in 1862, when fifty- three years of age. They left six children, two sons and four daughters, all of whom survive, with the exception of one daughter, Hattie, who married D. D. Chase, of Web- ster City, la., where she died in 1844, aged forty-six, and leaving one son. The other members of the family, with the exception of Mrs. Morse, reside in the North-west. Mr. Morse served an apprenticeship of three years at his trade of wagon and carriage making with his wife's father, Mr. Bell, from 1840 to 1844, afterward becoming his partner, and later, in 1847, succeeding to the business. He has kept his shop, running constantly for the last forty-six years, and has one man in his employ who has worked for him at the bench for the last thirty-two years, and one or two others who have worked for periods of twenty to thirty years. Mr. and Mrs. Morse are the parents of one daughter, Hattie, wife of Richard L. Miller, of De Ruyter. She is a lady of great musical talent, and a graduate in piano music of the school of Professor Hinton, of Syracuse. She has one infant daughter. Belle. Mr. Morse is a Republican in politics, and has served as Postmaster of his village. He is one of the Trustees of the Baptist church, is also School Trustee, and holds the same office in connection with the cemetery. He is well preserved, and is still actively en- gaged in business, conducting his shop and managing his farm of thirty-eight acres in the village, on which his shop, dwelling, and three tenant houses stand. His farm-house across the way was the first hotel in New Woodstock, and is now about seventy years old, but still in good repair. His first visit to New Woodstock was made when a bare- footed boy of twelve, about two years after his father's removal from Connecticut, to at- tend the raising of the Methodist Episcopal church; and the circumstances are the more vividly impressed upon his memory as he was upon that occasion treated to a pair of shoes — an event in those days not to be lightly regarded, being of very infrequent occurrence. He began life without any capital save health, intelligence, and a good name. The latter, however, proved equal to a bank account, as he always found himself able to 638 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW procure credit, when necessary, from any who knew him, and often from those who were acquainted with him only by reputation. He can look back over his past life with pride, conscious of the fact that the place he now holds in- the confidence of his fellow-citizens is owing to his own habits of self-reliance, industry, perseverance, and rectitude. He believes that practice is better than preach- ing, and, though not a member of any church nor an adherent of any man-made creed, his moral influence and substantial support are always given to every useful and worthy enterprise calculated to promote the public good. (gYt' W. LINDSLEY, an industrious and ^^, enterprising young farmer, profitably V.i^ pursuing his laborious but pleasant and healthful calling in the town of Stock- bridge, Madison County, N.Y., was born in this place, October 28, 1849, son of Alden and Mary (Rockwell) Lindsley. The father was a native of Connecticut, the mother of Massachusetts. Alden Lindsley, who was a son of Eliab Lindsley, also of Connecticut, removed to Sullivan County, New York, when but a boy, and there grew to manhood, when he bought a farm of one hundred acres in Madison County, New York. Of the four sons and one daughter included in the household of Mr. and Mrs. Alden Lindsley, the theme of our sketch and his sister, Ida M., Mrs. Dwight Davenport, alone survive. They live on the old home farm with Mrs. Davenport's mother, where the father died, October 15, 1876, at the age of sixty-eight years. A. W. Lindsley was reared in the town of Stockbridge, and attended the district and high schools of Oneida. When of age, he decided to become a farmer, and received eighteen dollars per month for his first seasorv of work. In 1878 he bought a farm of fifty- three and a half acres, which he has re- modelled and greatly improved, making for himself and family a very comfortable and tasteful home. He is a general farmer, and among other profitable products of his farm are hops and maple syrup. He also manages an extensive dairy, having many fine Hol- steins in his herd of cattle. On March 6, 1878, Mr. Lindsley married Miss Etta Mallory, who was born in Columbia County, April 12, 1853. Her mother, who is her only surviving parent, resides with Mrs. Lindsley. To this household have been born three children, of whom only two are living. Alma Bell and Emma Grace. Anson, their only son, died at the age of five years — a loss that has been greatly felt. Mr. Lindsley is an enthusiastic supporter of the Republican party, having in youth imbibed its principles from his father's teach- ing, and, while not seeking office, discharges his duties as a citizen with promptness and fidelity. He and his wife are active members of the Methodist Episcopal church, never backward in seconding its good work, and always pleased when an opportunity offers to serve the cause of righteousness. Mr. Lindsley's well-tilled fields, amply BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 639 stocked barns, sleek and healthy cattle, and pleasant dwelling, all show his energy and thrift. The prosperity he enjoys he has justly earned. He is comparatively a young man; but his influence is felt and will doubt- less increase as he rounds out the measure of his days, pressing toward the mark set on high. ^LBE LBERT E. RICHARDSON, a worthy representative of New England an- cestors, was born June 8, 1850, in Erieville, town of Nelson, Madison County, and is a son of A. F. Richardson, a native of the same place, who there carried on general farming on his own farm. Lemuel Richard- son, father of A. F., a native of Massachu- setts, removed thence to the town of Nelson at an early day, being among the first settlers of that town. He settled in the woods, because there was then no cleared land, built him a log cabin, cleared up his farm, with his wife reared quite a large family of children, and spent his last days in the town of Nelson. A. F. Richardson in company with his brother bought the old home farm, the former afterward selling his interest to the latter and buying another farm in the same town. He and his wife reared one son, Albert E., the subject of this sketch. He died in the vil- lage of Erieville, at the age of twenty-six, his widow still surviving. Albert E. Richardson remained in his native village of Erieville until he was eight years of age, and then removed to the village of Eaton. He received his education in the district schools and at the academy at Water- ville, and started out in life for himself at an early age, working on the farm for four dollars per month. After working in this way for some time, he concluded to try a different employment; and, entering a drug store, he followed that business some three year, when, tiring of the close confinement in a store, he learned the trade of machinist, beginning when seventeen years of. age to work for Wood, Tabor & Morse for seventy- five cents a day. By strict attention to his work, and by serving the interests of his em- ployers, he has gradually risen to his present place, that of Superintendent of the establish- ment. The business of this firm is the manu- facture of portable and agricultural engines; and Mr. Richardson has under his supervision from fifty to seventy-five men, according to the demand for the articles manufactured in the works of the company. Mr. Richardson's career is a distinguished demonstration of the value of sincere and honest service as com- pared with the restless dissatisfaction of those who think their wages are too low, and who are led by captious, designing men to strike for higher pay, thus often — like the dog, crossing a stream and seeing his shadow in the water apparently carrying a piece of meat, dropping what he had in his own mouth and plunging into the water to secure what he supposed was another piece of meat — losing even what they have had. Mr. Richardson married Emeline O. Ben- nett, a native of Pennsylvania, a daughter of Rev. and Mrs. W. L. Bennett, both of whom 640 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW are living. Mr. and Mrs. Richardson have one son, Linnwood A., born February 24, 1879. Mr. Richardson has been prominently identified with several different fraternities, as the Masons, the Odd Fellows, and the Knights of Pythias; and both he and his wife are members of the Baptist church. They have a pleasant home in the village of Eaton, and enjoy the society of many friends by whom they are highly appreciated. Mr. Richardson is in politics a Democrat, though he has no ambition to occupy public station, preferring to attend strictly to his private duties. He is a most genial gentleman, and is very popular with all classes of his fellow- men. LVA P. HUTCHINSON, an esteemed native resident of the town of Fen- ner, Madison County, N.Y., a prac- tical farmer, energetic and thriving, was born May 15, 1830, son of Loren and Nancy (Woodworth) Hutchinson, of this town. The father was a well-known man in his day, and one of the leading farmers in this vicinity, being engaged in general farming, and also paying particular attention to sheep-raising. He was a man much interested in politics, being a strong Republican and a great friend of the celebrated philanthropist and reformer, Gerrit Smith. Loren Hutchinson was always deeply interested in military matters, and was a Colonel of the State militia. He was Jus- tice of the Peace for some years, and was a class - leader in the Methodist church. He died in the town of Fenner, at the age of seventy-two, and his wife when she was sixty- eight years of age. Of the nine children born to them, five sons and four daughters, only two are living: our subject; and Myron, of Cazenovia. David Hutchinson, father of Loren, was one of the early settlers of the town of Fen- ner, having come here, it is probable, from New England, where the name was known as long ago as the first half of the seventeenth century. He had to clear the land, which was all a forest, and erect a log cabin, before proceeding to cultivate the soil. He died on this farm, at the age of eighty years. His family were nearly all members of the Baptist church, and in politics he was a Whig. The subject of this sketch grew up in the town of Fenner, and was educated in the dis- trict school, when at home assisting in the work of the farm. He was twenty-seven years of age when, in 1857, he married Miss Pamelia Lattimer, who was born in Stock- bridge in 1837, daughter of Elisha and Ann (Edson) Lattimer, of Stockbridge. Her mother was born in New York State ; and her father was one of the old Lattimer family, of Massachusetts. There were nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. Lattimer, of whom four are living — Mrs. Hutchinson, Linda, Polly, and Adelphia. When Mr. Hutchinson married, he bought a farm of forty-one acres in the town of Fen- ner, and also a saw-mill, which he conducted for twenty-five years. He lived on that farm for about fifteeh years, and then purchased the old home farm of one hundred and thirty BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 641 acres, where he now resides, raising excellent crops of various kinds of grain, and carrying on a dairy of thirty head of young cattle, principally Holsteins and native breeds. Mr. and Mrs. Alva P. Hutchinson have five chil- dren, three girls and two boys — Josephine A., Willie W., Henry A., Jennie A., and Gertrude C, all at home. While Mr. Hutch- inson attends the Methodist church, he is liberal in his religious views and not a mem- ber of any denomination. He is a Democrat, taking much interest in politics and in pub- lic affairs generally, and has filled many town ofifices. His fine farm is in a high state of cultivation, the owner's restless energy and good management being everywhere visible in continual improvements. The example of Mr. Hutchinson, showing what may be ac- complished by persistent labor, should prove an encouragement to others who are strug- gling to secure a competency for their later years. ■«^«^» J'RED I. BURNHAM, M.D., a success- ful physician of the village of West Eaton, and a worthy representative of an old and important New England family, was born in Lowell, Mass., April 24, 1859. He is a son of Filius and Eliza (Wade) Burnham, the former of whom was a native of Maine, and the latter of Nova Scotia. At the pres- ent time Filius Burnham is a resident of Lowell, Mass., and is the Superintendent of the Massachusetts Cotton Mills of that city. He was born in 1835, and his wife in 1834. They have two sons, namely: Clarence E., born January 16, 1858, in Lowell, Mass., and now a lawyer of Chicago; and Fred L, the subject of this sketch. The parents of these two children are members of the Congrega- tional church, and in politics Mr. Filius Burnham is a Prohibitionist. Fred L Burnham was reared in Lowell, Mass., surrounded by influences calculated to develop the best of character, educated in the excellent public schools of the far-famed City of Spindles. Dr. Burnham remained at home until he was twenty-two years of age, in the mean time beginning the study of medicine, when eighteen years of age, with Dr. Hunter, a resident physician of high repute, remaining with him one year, and then attending the Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia, graduating from that institution in 1882. Almost immediately after receiving his di- ploma he settled in West Eaton, and has remained there until the present day. Dr. Burnham has a large practice, extending over a wide region, and has already become one of the leading physicians in this part of the county. From the fact that he is a graduate of a homoeopathic college it will be seen that he practises the art of healing according to a system founded on resemblances — a sys- tem which appears to have grown rapidly into popular favor within the last fifty years, hav- ing by the quiet but intelligent and active persistence of its advocates and practitioners steadily overcome much of the prejudice which greeted its establishment in this coun- try, so that it is now regarded with tolera- tion, if not with favor, by the adherents of 642 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW the regular school of medicine. Dr. Burn- ham is one of the most successful men of his class, and is a kind-hearted, genial gentle- man. While taking but little personal inter- est in the question of office-holding, yet he is much interested in politics as they apply to the general welfare of the people, and usually votes the Republican ticket. 11" ^ALPH E. GREGG, the third child and second son of John Gregg, was born at his present home on his father's farm in the town of Lenox, November 24, 1858. In his youth he attended the Caze- novia Seminary, and on reaching manhood became a farmer and stock-buyer, which occu- pation he has followed all his life. For one year only was he absent from the farm; and that was when, in 1886, he was in Albion, Mich., where he had a contract for purchasing live stock for the Buffalo market. He is a general buyer, and has shipped as many as five hundred calves in three weeks, and four thousand in one season. His principal mar- kets are New York and Jersey City. On his large farm he has fourteen acres of fine hops under cultivation, this having been the lead- ing industry with his father on the same farm for over twenty-one years. Mr. Gregg married December 6, 1882, Miss May Cleveland, whose birthplace was Winnebago City, Minn. Her father was George Cleveland, of Stockbridge, N.Y., a mechanic by trade, who married Miss Lovina Hodges, by whom he had three children, Mrs. Gregg being the only one who reached matu- rity. Her father died in Minnesota in No- vember, 1870, at the age of thirty, when she was but seven years old. She was then brought to Stockbridge, Madison County, to the native home of her parents, where her mother subsequently became the wife of John Housman, at present of Chicago, 111. Mrs. Gregg's grandfather, John Cleveland, was one of the early settlers of Stockbridge — a gen- tleman well known for his radical principles on the question of temperance. He died in 1869, well on in years. His large farm was noted for its neatness, substantial buildings, fine stone fences, and the beautiful long avenue of stately trees leading to the door of his handsome residence. Mrs. Gregg was educated at Oneida in the fine boarding-school of that village, and taught school with excel- lent success for three terms before her mar- riage. Four little daughters brighten the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gregg, namely: Allie Cleveland, aged eight years; Ellen Field, four years; Polly M., two years; and Ruth Elmira, one year old. While Mr. Gregg is a decided Democrat and a strong supporter of the principles of that organization, his friends are not confined to any political or religious party. He has served on the Board of Excise Commissioners with honor to himself and benefit to his village. He is an intelligent, energetic, and successful man of affairs, thoroughly at home in the details of his business, and is an au- thority in his neighborhood on any question relating to the buying or raising of live stock. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 643 EIBERTY HALL, a practical farmer and stock-raiser, resident in Smith- ■■^ field, N.Y., nearly seventy years, was born December 19, 18 14, in Vermont, son of Newell and Sophia (Stockwell) Hall, natives of Massachusetts, but then residents of the Green Mountain State. The name given to the child in those early days of American independence is a sufficient indica- tion of the political principles of the family. Hence the reader will not be surprised to learn that far back in the Revolution the grandfather was a soldier of Massachusetts, his native State. After the war he was a farmer, and died there, when seventy years of age. Newell Hall, one of the five children of this patriot, was born, reared, and married in Massachusetts, and moved from there to Ver- mont, where he owned and cultivated a farm. In 1824 he sold that land, and, moving to Madison County, New York settled in Smith- field, where the subject of this sketch now lives. The farm was one of the finest and first cultivated in the vicinity, as a tract of timber land having been once owned by Judge Smith and cleared by Mr. Jonas Cleveland. When Newell Hall came to this part of the country, he travelled on foot, viewing the land, and, being pleased with this farm, bought it, paying for half of it in cotton and woollen goods and horses and farming imple- ments. It consisted of one hundred and thirty acres of land; and, although some of it had been broken by the plough, bears and Indians were nearer neighbors than any white set- tlers. Mr. Hall moved his family to this farm, making the journey all the way from Vermont by team. Of the three sons born to him, only one lives now — he whose name heads this sketch. Those who died were: Palmer, at th^ age of sixty-four; and Albert, aged thirty. Newell Hall was seventy-two years of age when he died, and his wife was eighty-two. He was well known and es- teemed in Jiis vicinity. In politics he was a Democrat. Liberty Hall came to the town of Smith- field when he was but ten years of age. He remained on his father's farm, and attended the district school in his boyhood, obtaining a fair education. After marriage he managed the old farm on shares ^for about six years, removing at the end of that period to the farm of his father-in-law, in the town of Nelson, where he stayed three years. He then bought a place of sixty acres in Smithfield, which he afterward sold. He now owns his father's old home farm and other land, making in all about two hundred and fifty-four acres. He has given special attention to the raising of sheep, horses, and cows, and has a very fine dairy. He married in 1836 Miss Lydia Cutler, who was born in the town of Nelson. Her father was Frazier Cutler, one of the early settlers of that town, who went there with his few belongings by ox-teatn. He was then considered an old bachelor, but shortly after arriving in Nelson was capti- vated by a charming young lady of the place, and married her. He died in the village of Eaton, aged eighty-two years. There were three children born to Mr. and 644 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Mrs. Hall; but only one is living, a daugh- ter, Jeanette, wife of Henry Isaacs, a resident of the village of Peterboro. A son, Newell, died at the age of fourteen years; and Clark, the other son, at the age of thirty-two years. His widow and daughter, Flossie, the only grandchild in the family, reside with his father. Mrs. Hall died at the age of seventy- two, October, 1891. Liberty Hall is one of the progressive and influential citizens of the county, and both in farming and stock-raising has been eminently successful. He gives much attention to mod- ern improvements, and the prime condition of his buildings and his cattle attests his good husbandry. In his political opinions Mr. Hall takes sides with the Democratic party, and has been elected to several offices, but never cared sufficiently about the honor to even qualify for them. ^AMES A. MOORE, a worthy successor of the brave band of toilers through whose prolonged exertions the former wilds of Madison County, New York, have been brought into a higJi state of cultivation and thickly set with prosperous towns and vil- lages, was born in Brookfield, September 16, 1 84 1. From the long-settled State of Mas- sachusetts, in the early part of the nineteenth century, the grandfather of our subject pushed out into New York State, the interior of which had not yet become populated. Here he secured his tract of land, which was well covered with timber, cleared a part of it, and built his temporary home of logs, which be- fore his death, by his thrift and industry, he was able to replace with a handsome frame dwelling and good farm buildings also. This enterprising man was named Josiah Moore; and he made his home in the town of Brook- field, Madison County. His two brothers, Elijah and Jacob, left Massachusetts with him to explore the new country which has since become the family home. The three worked side by side, tilling the land and harvesting the crops, and re- mained on their farms as long as they lived. Alfred Moore, son of Josiah, and the father of our subject, was born on the home farm, and was reared as a farmer, going to school in winter and working in the summer. He was a shingle-maker, and Was also engaged in cut- ting and selling timber. At the time of his marriage he bought the farm adjoining his father's, and resided there until his death, at the age of forty- four years. His wife was a Miss Sarah Saley, daughter of James Saley, of Sherburne, N.Y., by whom he had but one child, James. Mrs. Moore died, at the age of fifty-six, on the home farm. James A. Moore was sixteen years old when his father died, and had been educated in the district school and a select private school. As his mother now needed him on the farm, he remained at home, assisting her in its management till he was able to take full charge. Being the only child, he succeeded to the ownership of the home farm, and still carries it on. For a short time he managed a hotel at Earlville, known as the "Teft House." B F. BONNEY. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 647 In 1864, at about twenty-three years of age, he married Miss Abigail Saunders, and has since resided on his farm. He attends the Universalist church, and in his politics is a strong adherent of the Democratic party. Quiet and unobtrusive in his manner, he is yet a man of strong character and high moral principles, and is consequently thoroughly respected by his fellow-citizens. Having a well - cultivated mind, Mr. Moore's literary tastes are of a high order. He is a great reader, and in these days of exceeding interest in the Colonial history of the United States cannot fail to approve of a work like this, which makes a specialty of recording the names and fortunes of the county's pioneers, who may well be held in grateful remembrance, seeing that " These are they who made this wilderness Turn fair enough for angels to caress, Who set this heart of empire throbbing forth Its sterling manhood round tlie belted earth." ^aNENJAMIN F. BONNEY, for many ^^S years a leading business man in the town of Hamilton, where he is now living in retirement, is numbered among the most honored and respected citizens of Madi- son County, New York. He was born May 24, 1818, in the town of Hamilton. His grandfather, Benjamin Bonney, was, it is sup- posed, born in Massachusetts; and there he spent his last years, dying in Chesterfield. He was a farmer by occupation, and during the Revolutionary War gave up the plough for the musket, and fought for liberty. His wife, formerly Hannah Day, survived him, and died in Hamilton at the ripe old age of ninety-two years. The father of the subject of this sketch, also named Benjamin, was born in Chesterfield, Mass., in 1781, and there grew to manhood, and married. In 1809 he came to Madison County, accompa- nied by his family, making the slow and tedi- ous journey overland with teams. He bought a tract of land near the centre of the town of Hamilton, on which stood a log house sur- rounded by a few acres of cleared land. At that time there were neither railways nor canals; and all surplus produce had to be hauled to Albany, which was the principal market and depot for supplies. The people in the settlements depended upon their farms or the game found in the vast forests for their daily sustenance; and the families were clothed in- garments made from cloth which was spun, woven, and fashioned by the in- dustrious wife and mother. He improved a fine farm, subsequently erected substantial frame buildings, and remained on the home- stead until his death, in 1837. He took an active part in the War of 18 12, being stationed at Sackett's Harbor. Subse- quently he served in the State militia, hold- ing a commission as Colonel. He was a man of much influence in the town, and both he and his wife were esteemed members of the Baptist church. The maiden name of his wife, to whom he was married in the old Bay State, was Lucinda Wilder. She was born in Chesterfield, Mass., in 1782, and died in 648 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Philadelphia, Pa., in 1854. She was buried in Hamilton. Her father was Abel Wilder, a soldier of the Revolution, who took an active part in the battle of Bunker Hill, standing within a few feet of General Warren when he fell. To her and her husband were born two children that lived to maturity, Ben- jamin F. and Mary L. The latter, a woman of fine mental powers and great force of char- acter, was educated in the Troy Female Semi- nary. In 1850 she and Miss Harriet A. Dillaye established a school in Philadelphia, known as the Chestnut Street Female Semi- nary, which they conducted with great success for thirty -three years. A pleasing sketch of her life appears in a work entitled "A Woman of the Century," which was edited by Miss Frances E. Willard and Mrs. Mary A. Livermore, and published by Charles W. Moulton, of Buffalo. A brief biography of Mrs. Rambaut is also given on another page of this book. Benjamin F. Bonney was reared on the home farm, attending the district school, and subsequently the academies of Hamilton and Homer. At the age of eighteen year* he made his entrance into mercantile life, begin- ning at the foot of the ladder as a clerk, and gradually working his way up until, in 1854, he purchased an interest in the store with his then employer, Hon. John J. Foote. Under the firm name of John J. Foote & Co., they carried on an extensive business in drugs and groceries. In 1869 the firm was changed to Bonney & Welton, and thus remained until Mr. Bonney retired from active business life. in April, 1893. Our subject married in 1847 Augusta C. Allen, who was born in Homer, N.Y., April 7, 1828, and died in Hamilton, April 13, 1888. She was a true Christian woman and an active member of the Baptist church. When a young man, Mr. Bonney, who had inherited the soldierly spirit of his ancestors, joined the State militia as a mem- ber of a regiment of light infantry, being mustered in as Corporal, and rose through the different grades to be Colonel of the reg- iment. Mr. Benjamin F. Bonney is a man of integ- rity, influence, and ability, possessing sound judgment, and is a msmber of the Board of Directors of the National Hamilton Bank and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York. Politically, he is a steadfast Republican, and has filled the various offices of trust within the gift of his fellow-towns- men, and has served as a member of the Village Board of Trustees. He was chosen Postmaster under General Grant, and served satisfactorily for thirteen years. He has al- ways been intimately identified with every movement for the advancement of education and morality, and with his sister is a consist- ent mgnber of the Baptist church. The attention of the reader is called to the excellent portrait of Mr. Bonney that is pre- sented with this notice. Representing, as it does, a man of sterling integrity, and one who has always been devoted to public inter- ests, and especially to the welfare of .his town and county, its appearance will be viewed BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 649 with feelings of pleasure by all who have come within the circle of his acquaintance or are familiar with his reputation.- fOHN McQUADE, a native American, of Irish parentage, a practical farmer, laborious and prospering, residing on his own homestead in Hamilton, Madison County, was born in Chenango County, New York, June 18, 1851. His father, Patrick McQuade, was born and brought up in the County of Limerick, Ireland, and there mar- ried Miss Mary Nash. Having immigrated to America immediately afterward, he ob- tained a situation in New York on the Public Works. Later he came to Middleport, town of Lebanon, where he remained for a while. Finally buying a farm near Hamilton Village, he resided here until his death. Patrick and Mary McQuade were the parents of six children — Hannah, John, James, Michael, Thomas, and William. The mother, since the death of her husband, has resided with her daughter in Hamilton. The subject of this biographical sketch, who was the eldest son in the family of the immigrant, worked on the home farm until the age of twenty-five. -He took all the opportunities offered ^in the public schools of his place, and, being ambi- tious for an education, has continued in later life by reading and study to build on the good foundation he there laid. For a part of the time when he was at home on the farm he worked out by the month, and gained experi- ence in agricultural labors. When twenty- five years of age, he began paying for the farm on which he now lives, and by his persevering industry has brought it into line with the finest in the county. His neat and comfort- able dwelling, substantial, well-filled barns, stables, and other buildings attest the success he has met with, his own strong hands and active brain being the only capital he had for his start in life. He was most fortunate in his choice of a wife, having married, when he was twenty-seven years of age. Miss Clara Williams, who by her good management of household affairs has greatly contributed to their prosperity. Their union has been blessed with five children ; namely, Eva, Mary, Bessie, Jay, and Fay. Mr. McQuade is an upright man, a good citizen and neighbor; and he and his family are highly respected in the community in which they live. He is a strong Democrat, and votes invariably the ticket of that party. Mr. McQuade illustrates the sturdy virtues of his ancestors. Coming to this country with only willing hands to work and an undaunted love of liberty, the father early implanted in the breast of his son loyalty to the American flag, attachment to the institutions of his adopted country; and the son in his life has consistently manifested these patriotic sentiments. LpRANK E. DEWEY, M.D., a prominent P J physician of Madison County, resid- ing in the village of Peterboro, is a worthy representative of the medical fraternity of this section of the country. He was born October 6s° BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 1 6, 1849, in the town of Lenox, being a son of Charles and Eliza (Grain) Dewey. The grandfather of our subject, Elijah Dewey, was born in Connecticut, and there grew to man- hood and was married. After marriage he came with his wife to Madison County, set- tling in Stockbridge when it was a compara- tive wilderness. He was a mason by trade, and assisted in the erection of many of the earlier buildings of that place. Both he and his wife spent their last years in Chautauqua County, he living to be seventy-five years of age, and she rounding out seventy-six years. Both were members of the Methodist Episco- pal church, and the husband was a Whig in his political views. They reared a family of nine children, four of whom are now living: Ralph, who resides in Cattaraugus County; Charles, father of our subject, who resides in Lenox; Sarah, Mrs. Wood, and Mary, Mrs. Sackett, who both live in Wisconsin. The parents of our subject, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dewey, are natives of Madison County, where the father was born in Febru- ary, 1823, and the mother in July, 1825. They are living in the town of Lenox, pass- ing their last years in comfort and content- ment at their pleasant home in the village. He was a boot and shoe maker, and followed that trade most successfully until his retire- ment from active business. Politically, he is a strong Republican. Religiously, he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church; while his wife is a consistent member of the Baptist church. To them were born three children, namely: a son, Frank E. ; and two daughters — Frances M., born January 18, 1851, and Florence L, widow of William Hughes, both of whom are now living with their parents. Frank E. Dewey grew to manhood in the place of his nativity, attending the public schools, and receiving additional instruction in private schools. As soon as old enough to work he sought employment during his vaca- tions, and, Mrhen fourteen years old, began working in the Oneida Community trap-shop, spending his leisure time thus for several years. Having a decided taste for the medi- cal profession, when nineteen years of age he began studying with Dr. James More. In 1870 he entered the University of Buffalo, and after three years of steady application to his studies was graduated from the medical department of that institution with honors, receiving his diploma February 25, 1873. Six months later Dr. Dewey settled in Peter- boro, and has since remained there, having built up a large practice in that and adjacent towns. Being the oldest physician in experi- ence in the place, with a remarkable record for ability and sound judgment, he has won the confidence and esteem of a large circle of patrons and friends. Soon after his graduation the Doctor was united in marriage with Ella A. Cowles, the wedding taking place April 16, 1873. She was born in Stockbridge in 1853, being a daughter of Caleb G. Cowles, a native of Adams, Jefferson County. She has two sis- ters, Emma and Mary. Mr. Cowles learned the trade of carpenter and joiner when young. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 651 and has made that his life occupation. In politics he is a firm Republican. Relig- iously, both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church. The union of our subject and his wife has been blessed by the birth of one child, Emma R., born September 26, 1884. Politically, Dr. Dewey is a stanch Republican, and has served as County Cor- oner two terms. He is a member of the Medical Society, in which he has served as President, also a member of the Central New York Medical Association, and of Morrisville Lodge, No. 658, A. F. & A. M. kRS. ROSEPHA ROUSE CROSS, widow of the late George Cross, occupies a leading place among the respected and honored residents of Caze- novia. She is a daughter of James and Esther (Child) Rouse, who were married in Cazenovia, the home of the bride, in No- vember, 1824. Mr. Rouse was a farmer on the west side of Cazenovia Lake, residing there during the whole of his married life, with the exception of eight years spent in Homer, where he went to educate his chil- dren, two sons and two daughters. The mar- riage of Rosepha Rouse and George Cross took place September 13, 1865. Their happy married life of fifteen years was passed in Syracuse, N.Y., to which place Mr. Cross had come with his parents at the age of twelve. He was born in England, and was a son of George Cross, Sr., who settled on a farm near the site of the present city of Syracuse. Mr. Cross died May 13, 1880, at seventy years of age, leaving by will a handsome es- tate to his widow, who had a home for the next nine years with her brother George in Cazenovia. A brief mention of this gentle- man and his family will here be in place. George L. Rouse was reared to mercantile life, and was for many years a prominent merchant and leading citizen of Cazenovia, being closely identified with the growth and prosperity of the village. In his political principles he was a Republican, and was elected Assemblyman, serving in 1861-62, and was a personal friend of Chauncey M. Depew. For many years he was Treasurer of the Cazenovia Seminary. He was a sincere Christian and a member of the Baptist church, which he supported liberally with his means, and in which he was an active worker. He died October 4, 1889, aged sixty-one years. His pew and place in the church are kept by Mrs. Cross in affectionate remem- brance of him who was at all times a loving brother, an affectionate husband and kind father, and a true and upright man. His wife, who was Jennie C. Corwin, of Caze- novia, survived him nearly two years, and died in July, 1891, at the age of sixty-three. They left three sons, namely: Herbert J. and Edwin C, twins, now (1893) thirty-eight years of age; and George Harry. Herbert J. Rouse, one of the mercantile firm of Rouse Brothers, married Miss Henri- etta Pomeroy, of Brooklyn, N.Y. They have one son and one daughter, namely : Harry Leonard, a boy of eleven years; and Elizabeth 6s2 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Pomeroy, a girl of nine. Edwin C. Rouse, the twin brother of Herbert, and partner in the hardware and house-furnishing business in Cazenovia, married Grace H. Keeler, of this place; and they are the parents of two sons and two daughters, as follows: Edwin Har- ley, eleven years old; Rosepha M., nine; Leonard Martin, seven; and Grace Irene, five. Both of these gentlemen are well known, and are among the most prominent and popular citizens of Cazenovia. Herbert J. Rouse resides at bis pleasant home on Lincklaen Street, where his aunt, Mrs. Cross, has lived for the past four years, since the death of her brother. Time has dealt kindly with this most esti- mable lady; and, though her hair is somewhat frosted with many winters, yet her bright, kindly eyes are windows to a soul which be- longs alone to a noble and unselfish life and brings a happy and youthful old age. ■jCJDWARD FULLER, M.D., late esti- J Q[ ma ble and well-beloved physician of Chittenango, Madison County, was born Feb- ruary 19, 1807, in the city of Schenectady, N.Y., and died in this village, January 27, 1877, at the age of nearly seventy years. His parents were Jeremiah and Mary (Ken- dall) Fuller, who were both born in London, England. Jeremiah emigrated from his native country with his father, Samuel Fuller, to America, and settled for life in the city of Schenectady. Fourteen children were born to Jeremiah and Mary Fuller; and, with one exception, all lived to be over sixty years old, most of them together averaging seventy years. The father died June 18, 1839, at the age of seventy -two years. Edward Fuller grew to manhood in Schen- ectady, advancing from lower to higher schools, and graduating from the college of that place. He afterward studied medicine in the University of the City of New York, and received his diploma from that institution in 1828. He came direct to the village of Chittenango, where he settled with his brother, Dr. Samuel Fuller. A successful practitioner from the very first, he never removed from Chittenango. In October of 1840 he married Miss Octavia Lee, who was born in Madison County, daughter of Abram and Betsey Lee, her father being a farmer. To Dr. and Mrs. Fuller were born three chil- dren, one son and two daughters. The son was but one year old when he died ; and the daughter Elizabeth was taken away from the family in the bloom of maidenhood, at twenty years of age. Miss May, the only surviving member of the family, still resides in the old home in the village. The mother died Au- gust 26, 1886, at the age of seventy years. The good Doctor was one of the prominent men of the village, and well known for many miles around, devoted to his profession, in his healing ministrations making no distinction between those who could and those who could not recompense him. No matter how the wind blew or the storms raged, this good physician was ever attentive and alert to the call of duty, often travelling many weary BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 653 miles into the country to attend the sick and suffering. Well educated in his profession, he early established himself in the esteem and confidence of the community. He also had a wide range of literary knowledge, which made him a delightful conversationalist, in- teresting and agreeable in society. His death was looked on as a veritable calamity in his village, and now that the grass grows green over his grave his fragrant memory is still cherished. Politically, Dr. Fuller advocated the principles of the Demo- cratic party, and, religiously, was a good Churchman. His wife was a Congregation- alist church member. In the home made beautiful by his provident care his only child. Miss May Fuller, an estimable and highly educated lady, superintends her household with dignity and exercises a gracious hospi- tality. She is a graduate of the union schools of Schenectady, and a devoted com- municant of the Episcopal church. fOHN R. COWAN, a diligent and suc- cessful dairy farmer of Brookfield, was born in Madison, Madison County, N.Y., January 30, 1848. His grandfather, John Cowan, a schoolmaster, came to New York from the Eastern States, and settled for life in Brookfield. The father of our subject knew very little of the pleasures of boyhood ; for he was barely seven years old when he was bound out to a Mr. Fuller, of Unadilla Forks, N.Y., where he worked until he was fourteen, at that age returning to Brookfield, and here remaining for some time. Thrown early in life on his own resources, he soon understood that he had to put his own hand to the plough and not look backward, if he wished to make his way in the world. When he was twenty-two years of age, he married Miss Nancy Johnson, and began housekeeping in Madison, staying there for eleven years, but later bought a farm in the town of Brookfield, and resided there permanently. They became the parents of five children — -Anna Marie, George, John, Clara, and Irving. The mother is still liv- ing, active and healthful, at the age of seventy-six. John R. Cowan remained at home during boyhood and youth, and in the intervals of attending the district school was trained to agricultural pursuits. When he was twenty- three years old, he married Miss Abilla Green, by whom he had one child, Arabella, now the wife of Mr. Lee Birch. His first wife dying, July 15, 1872, Mr. Cowan mar- ried for his second wife Miss Emma Win- chester, daughter of Horatio and Jeannette Winchester, who has become the mother of one son, George E. Cowan. Mr. Cowan has been very successful in his toilsome, pains- taking, and thriftful undertakings, having an excellent farm and various appliances essen- tial to convenience and comfort according to modern ,ideas of agriculture. In addition to the raising of small grain and the usual products of farming, he makes a specialty of dairying, keeping a remarkably fine herd of cows, thirty-one in number. 6S4 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW He sincerely and zealously advocates the principles of the Democratic party, and takes a hearty interest in his town and county affairs. Mr. and Mrs. Cowan are members of the Methodist Episcopal church in good standing. Wide-awake, honest of purpose, persistent in labor, the sturdy husbandmen of Madison County, of whom we have here a representative, stand high in the esteem of their fellow-citizens as it is natural that they should; for " Honor waits, o'er all the earth, Through endless generations, The art that calls her harvest forth, And feeds the expectant nations." kRS. CAROLINE L. MOTT, widow of Joseph Addison Mott, who died at Hamilton, May 23, 1885, when nearly seventy-six years of age, is a worthy woman and a representative of a highly hon- orable pioneer family of Madison County. Her deceased husband, Joseph Addison Mott, was born in Bridgewater, Oneida County, on the farm of his father, Joseph Mott, who was a native of Dutchess County, New York, and re- moved thence with his wife and one child to Madison County about 1800. His wife was by maiden name Susan Germond. John Mott, the grandfather of Joseph Addiscm Mott, was a farmer of Dutchess County, and removed to Oneida County, where he died in old age. The family came originally from France, and settled on Long Island, the name at that time being written "Le Mott." Three brothers of this name left their native land together and came to America, and from these brothers have sprung the numerous members of the Mott family that now reside in this country. Joseph Addison Mott was the sixth child of his parents, they rearing a family of four sons and three daughters, all of whom are now deceased. Joseph Mott, the father of these seven children, died in Utica, when about sixty years of age. He had been a successful merchant there for many years, and left to his v/idow and children a comfortable estate, in- cluding a fine farm in Bridgewater, to which his widow removed, and upon which she lived several years. She died in Hamilton at the home of her eldest son, Smith Mott, when she was about eighty-three years of age, retaining her mental faculties to the last. The maiden name of Mrs. Mott, the subject of this sketch, was Crocker; and she is a daughter of Amos and Mary (Owen) Crocker, both of Rensselaer County, New York. She was married at her present home in Hamilton in 1832, it having been erected by her father about that time. He was a merchant in Hamilton for some years; and his wife, who died at about the age Of sixty, was the mother of six children, of whom Mrs. Mott was the third child and the eldest daughter. All of these children are still living but Althea, who became the wife of Judge Blodgett, of Chicago, and died at Waukegan, Wis., about 1886, when past middle life. Mrs. Mott lost an infant son, Edward Eugene, and has two children living, namely: Susan Jeanette, J. Clarence Rasbach. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 657 widow of William H. Cobb, living in St. Louis, Mo., and who has one son and one daughter; and David Crocker, of Hamilton, N.Y., who is married, and has a son and daughter. Mrs. Mott is a communicant of the Protes- tant Episcopal church, as was also her late husband. She is living on the old home- stead, a large and attractive house on the west side of the public square in Hamilton, and one of the ancient landmarks of this pretty, thriving village. Mr. Mott, though begin- ning life with but a few hundred dollars, was so industrious and such a successful manager that at the time of his death he was possessed of a fine estate, which he left to his widow; and she is thus enabled to live in comfort and ease, and to enjoy the society of many friends. Her excellence of character and the charm of her disposition have made her liked and es- teemed by all ; and, though now in her seventy-eighth year and in somewhat impaired health, she yet possesses all her mental facul- ties to a remarkable degree, and is one of the intelligent, interesting, and good women of the village of Hamilton. CLARENCE RASBACH, Cashier of the First National Bank of Canastota, an experienced financier, a public- spirited and popular citizen, was born in Her- kimer, February 2, 1849. On his father's side he is of German ancestry. His family name, which was formerly spelled "Raschbach," meaning "swift brook," has been changed until it has reached its present form. The great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, Marks Rasbach, was born in Ger- many, June 20, 1769; and it is believed that he came to the United States about 1790. He was married in Herkimer, January 31, 1796, to Elizabeth Devendorf, of Herkimer, by whom he had four sons, of whom Adam M. was the first born. Marks Rasbach was one of sixteen signers to a call extended in 1802 to Rev. John P. Spinner from the Dutch Reformed churches at Herkimer and German Flats. Rev. John P. Spinner was the father of General Francis Elias Spinner, an Ameri- can financier, born at German Flats, now Mohawk, Herkimer County, N.Y., in the year just mentioned; was a member of Congress from 1855 to 1 86 1, and Treasurer of the United States from 1861 to 1875, during which period his signature upon the paper money of the United States was probably the most familiar autograph in the world. Adam M. Rasbach, grandfather of our sub- ject, was born near Herkimer, May 11, 1798. He married Elizabeth Balde, the daughter of Henry Balde, of Herkimer County, who was a native of Germany, and was educated at Amsterdam, in Holland, and in company with two brothers came to the United States, one of the brothers, John, dying of yellow fever during the voyage. Henry, with the other brother, William, safely reached the land of promise, where they lived and prospered many years. Adam M. Rasbach died in 1826, leav- ing his wife with three children. She died April I, 1891, at Herkimer, N.Y., in the 6s8 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ninetieth year of her age. Of the three chil- dren left by Adam M. Rasbach, David H., the father of our subject, was born at Herki- mer, January 1,-1821, and now lives at Can- astota, N.Y. M. W. Rasbach, a brother of David H., is a fur-dealer in the Far West. David H. Rasbach married Sarah Getman, of Herkimer, daughter of James and Nancy (Campbell) Getman, the former of whom was accidentally killed by the caving in of a gravel bank, and left his wife with two chil- dren: Sarah, mother of oui: subject; and Elizabeth, wife of Elias Van Valkenburg, of Little Falls, N.Y. J. Clarence Rasbach has two sisters: Mary E., wife of Legrand Col- ton; and Fannie E., a single lady, living with her parents. His brother, Frederick, died in 1873, of typhoid fever, at the age of twenty-six. He had been a student at Ham- ilton College, Clinton, N.Y., and, though not a graduate, was a well-informed and ener- getic young man, and had filled several important positions in banks and with large business firms, having acted as book-keeper, teller, and cashier. At the time of his death he was cashier for the extensive house of John Crouse & Co., of Syracuse, N.Y. J. Clarence Rasbach was educated at Canas- tota High School, and in his eighteenth year entered the Canastota National Bank as mes- senger and clerk, his father being Cashier of the bank at the time. Afterward he became teller, and later an Assistant Cashier and a Director, and still later Cashier, being pro- moted to this latter position in 1887. At the organization of the First National Bank of Canastota, N.Y., in 1890, he was made its Cashier, which position he still holds, at the same time remaining Cashier of the old Can- astota National Bank, thus being Cashier of two national banks at one time, and giving perfect satisfaction in the performance of the responsible duties of both places. Mr. Ras- ■ bach was married September 13, 1871, to Belle M. Moot, daughter of Colonel Daniel B. and Nancy (Nellis) Moot, both of whom are now deceased, the former dying in his eighty-eighth year, . and the latter when seventy-eight. They left three sons and two daughters, namely: Bloom D. Moot, of Oneida; Melancthon N., a farmer of Clock- ville, Madison County; Theodore G., a farmer of Cotton's, Madison County; Eliza- beth M., wife of C. S. Hutchinson, of Syra- cuse, N.Y. ; and Mrs. Rasbach. Mr. and Mrs. Rasbach have one daughter, an accom- plished young lady, who in 1893, at the age of eighteen, was graduated with high honors from the Canastota Academy, being the vale- dictorian of her class. Mr. Rasbach and his family are active and consistent members of the First Presbyterian Church of Canastota. He has been an elder, a Trustee, and the Treasurer of his church for some twenty-four years, and likewise super- intendent of the Sunday-school. He is also Treasurer of the village of Canastota, and Acting Treasurer of the Cemetery Associa- tion. In politics Mr. Rasbach is a Demo- crat, having on the occasion of his first elec- tion to the office of Treasurer of the village overcome a strong Republican opposition, and BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 659 the last time being elected by the universal suffrages of the people, the Republican can- didate having withdrawn. He has always taken a deep interest in all movements in his village calculated to promote the pub- lic, weal, especially in educational matters. Both Mr. and Mrs. Rasbach are prominent and influential people in society, and are highly esteemed by a large circle of friends. The portrait of Mr. Rasbach forms a fitting accompaniment to this sketch. TTAHARLES E. STROUD, a worthy de- I jy scendant of a pioneer farmer of the town of Lenox, was born May 28, 1832, in Madison County, N.Y., son of Charles and Dardena Stroud. His paternal grandfather migrated from Vermont to this part of New York State when the country was new to white settlers. Buying land and building a humble log cabin, he entered on a farmer's life of the most primitive simplic- ity in the town of Lenox, where he reared a large family, all now deceased but one, Ira Stroud, who lives in the State of Vermont. Charles Stroud was but a small boy at the time of his father's removal to this State. He was reared in the town of Lenox, and became a prominent man, known all over the State as a contractor, much employed on gov- ernment works. The bridges of the New York Central Railroad in this vicinity were built by him, and he was for a number of years Superintendent of the Erie Canal. He owned a farm in Lenox of over six hundred acres. He married and had eight children, two of whom are now living: Charles E., the eldest; and Seward H., a farmer of Canas- tota. The names of those who died are: Mrs. Eliza Corson, at the age of sixty-five; Albro B., sixty years; Sarah Ann, Mrs. John O. Corson, forty years; Perry G., at fifty-five; Ira, aged eighteen; Adelaide, at the age of seven. The father died at Canastota, after reaching the age of eighty-one. He was Supervisor in the town of Lenox for three terms, and was a Whig in politics. He and his wife, Dardena, were consistent and de- voted members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Stroud was born in New York State, and died in Canastota, at the age of eighty-three years. Her father was a soldier in the War of 1812. Charles E. Stroud was brought up in the town of Lenox, and attended various schools, district and select, completing his studies in the seminary at Cazenovia. Until he was twenty years old he assisted his father on the farm. When he became of age, he started out for himself, and went to the West, where he remained five years, engaged in mercantile business, hotel-keeping, and farming in the States of Wisconsin and Illinois. Returning to New York State about the year 1857, he bought a farm of seventy-seven acres in the town of Lenox. In the course of the next few years he bought and sold different farms, but has now finally settled on the one he bought in 1866, consisting of sixty acres of arable land, on which fine crops of corn, wheat, oats, and hops are raised. He also 66o BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW has a dairy, his cows being of the famous Holstein breed. In 1852 Mr. Stroud married Miss Sarah P. Benson, a native of England, who died July 18, 1888, leaving one son. He again mar- ried July 30, 1890, his bride being Mrs. Eliza Hughes, born in Wales. Charles H., son of our subject, is a railroad engineer, whose home is in Syracuse. In his politics Mr. Stroud is a firm supporter of the Repub- lican party. He belongs to the Congrega- tional church, and is a member of Sullivan Lodge, No. 148, A. F. & A. M. He is a man of more than ordinary intelligence, whose mind has been quickened by contact with the world, who in his varied experiences in dif- ferent parts of the country has acquired a fund of interesting and valuable information. The name he bears is an honorable one in the records of the county. (^OHN H. NORTHROP, one of the most prominent and useful citizens of the town of Eaton, a representative of an early pioneer family and of various lines of activity, was born in the town of Fenner, August 15, 1835. He is a son of Sylvester and Mahala (Kimball) Northrop, the first- named of whom was a son of Barzilla, and Abigail (Rockwood) Northrop. Barzilla, Northrop was born in Lenox, Mass., and removed thence to Mile Strip in the town of Fenner in 1806, being one of the earliest settlers of that town. He made his journey to this county by means of ox-teams, settled in the woods on a farm of one hundred and twenty-three acres, and erected a modest log cabin, in which he lived several years, in the mean time clearing his land, cultivating his farm, and laying the foundations for a perma- nent home in this new country. Many were the hardships experienced by him and his family, and many were the pleasures they enjoyed; for no condition of life is without its bright side. Five of his six children grew to mature years, but all are now de- ceased. He himself died on the farm on which he first settled, having been in his day a prominent and honored citizen of his adopted State, well known as Captain North- rop of the State militia. In politics he was a Whigj and both he and his wife were mem- bers of the old school Presbyterian church. They died when full of years, mourned by a large circle of friends. Sylvester Northrop was also a native of Massachusetts, born in 1792, and came to Mile Strip with his father when still a young lad. The farm he purchased in later years adjoined that of his father. He was twice married, first, when twenty-one years of age, to Lucinda Lathrop, who died leaving two children; and for the second time to Mahala Kimball, who was born in Oriskany Falls, Oneida County, N.Y. By these two mar- riages Mr. Northrop was the father of twelve children, of whom these are now living, namely: Abbie Lawrence, by first wife; Syl- vester, Amelia, Stafford, Laura Ketchum, John, Charles, Joseph, Armina, Hubbard, and Hattie, by the second. The father died on BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 66i his farm in the town of Fenner, at sixty-one years of age, highly respected by all who knew him. He was always a hard-working and honest man. He was an elder in the Presbyterian church, and in politics was a Whig. His widow died when she was sixty- eight years old. John H. Northrop was born in the town of Fenner; and there grew to manhood's estate, assisting his father in the management of the farm. His education, which is of a more comprehensive nature than that received by even many young men of the present day, was secured first in the district schools, and later in Peterboro Academy and in Cazenovia Sem- inary. When eighteen years of age, he began teaching school in Madison County, and con- tinued in the exercise of this profession till 1870. Then, purchasing an interest in a general merchandise store at Munnsville, he was engaged in trade two years. In 1873 he removed to West Eaton, and here engaged in the milling business. At the present time he conducts a grist-mill, a saw-mill, and a cider- mill, all three of which give him plenty to do. He has been honored by his fellow-citi- zens by election to the office of Justice of the Peace, and has served continuously from 1876 to the present time. He is a member of Farmers' Grange, No. 873, of West Eaton, and in politics is a Republican. Mr. Northrop was married in 1871 to Lizzie Gallup, who was born in the town of Fenner, a daughter of Lyman arid Fannie Gallup, of that town. Mr. and Mrs. Gallup had a family of five children, all of whom are living. Mr. Gallup died when about sixty- five years of age, and his wife when eighty- seven. In politics he was a Whig; and both were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, as are their daughter and her husband at the present time. Mr. and Mrs. Northrop take an active interest in both religious and educational work and in everything, in fine, that tends to advance the material and moral interests of the community in which they live. Thus, acting well their part, they are held in merited respect. MMETT G. LAMPHER, a prominent business man of Hamilton, is a large and extensive dealer in coal, having offices both in Norwich and Hamilton. He is a native of New York, born in Owego, Tioga County, September 26, 1835. His father, George Lampher, was born in Catskill, Greene County. He was a man of energy and enterprise, and, when quite young, engaged in the lumber business, to which he added-that of a contractor. When railways began to be pushed through this State, he secured the con- tract for supplying ties, building material, and wood fuel as used in the early days, of several different ones, among which may be mentioned the Delaware & Hudson, Bing- hamton & Susquehanna, Binghamton & Syra- cuse, Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, and the Canandaigua & Niagara Falls Railways, holding a contract for the last four at the same time. After the completion of the railways, and before coal was used in general- 662 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ing steam, Mr. Lampher was awarded the contract for cutting and sawing the wood on the different railways. In addition to this profitable business he was actively engaged in agriculture, being the possessor of three or four farms in Tioga County. For a period of four years he resided in Chenango County, engaged extensively in the lumber business. With this exception, the larger part, of his life after marriage was spent in Tioga County, where his death occurred in August, 1875, in the seventy-ninth year of his age. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Simonds. She was a daughter of John Simonds, and was born in Catskill, N.Y., in 1799. She died in Tioga County, January 16, 1874. To her and her husband were born nine children, of whom three are now living. E. G. Lampher, of whom we write, re- ceived a substantial education in the public schools of his native town, and remained under the parental roof until attaining his majority. At that time he entered the employ of the Delaware, Lackawanna & West- ern Railway Company, remaining with them nearly four years. He then went to Erie County, and in partnership with his brother, J. C. Lampher, purchased a tract of land seven miles from Buffalo, and, erecting a saw- mill, engaged in the manufacture of staves, barrel heads, etc., continuing in this business nine years. Disposing of this property, the following two years he was engaged in the bridge department of the Erie Railway Com- pany. Leaving their employ, Mr. Lampher then settled on the farm which he still owns in Candor, Tioga County, and for the next eight years superintended his farm, and car- ried on a successful business in lumber. Removing thence to Tonawanda, in company with his brother, J. C. Lampher, he operated a planing -mill and machine-shop for two years. He then removed to Norwich, and engaged in business as a coal-dealer, and has continued thus employed until the present time. His trade increasing from year to year, he has continually extended his opera- tions; and in the spring of 1893, in conjunc- tion with his brother, C. W. Lampher, he purchased the warehouses of Mr. Smith in Hamilton, and removed to this place to take charge of the business here, his brother re- maining in Norwich to look after the interests there. Mr. Lampher has been twice married. The maiden name of his first wife was Mary Adelaide Thornton. She was born in the county of Tompkins, New York, and was a daughter of Peleg and Maria Thornton. Her married life was of short duration, her death occurring in 1864. To her and her husband were born two children, Ida and Edith. Mr. Lampher' s second marriage was celebrated February 18, 1867, when he was wedded to Helen Dodd, a native of Ithaca, N.Y. She is a descendant of an old New England fam- ily, her great-grandfather. Captain John Dodd, who was for many years a sea-captain, having been a native of New Haven, Conn. His son John, grandfather of Mrs. Lampher, was also born in New Haven. He was a car- riage-maker by trade, and some years after BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 663 his marriage with Susan Potter emigrated to Tioga County, and continued his business in the town of Owego for many years, dying there at an advanced age. John S. Dodd, father of Mrs. Lampher, was born in New Haven, Conn., and was there reared and educated. He learned the trade of carriage-builder from his father, and for many years carried on the business in Ithaca, Tompkins County, where he spent his last years, dying February 22, 1871. The maiden name of his wife was Lucy Hatch. She was a daughter of Reuben Hatch and a native of this State, born in Owego, Tioga County. She died in Ithaca, August 20, 1875. To her and her husband were born five children, of whom four are now living. Reuben Hatch, maternal grandfather of Mrs. Lampher, was born in Connecticut, and there reared to manhood. He married Rox- anna Curtis, also a native of Connecticut; and a few years after their marriage they joined a party, consisting of several families living in their vicinity, and emigrated to this State, becoming pioneers of Tioga County. Mr. Hatch purchased a tract of wild land, and, after erecting the customary log house for his family residence, began clearing a farm. Deer, turkeys, and the smaller birds were plentiful ; and the pioneers of those days usually furnished the family larder with the game supplied by the markets of the present day. There were no railways in this section of the country for many years after their settlement here, and all marketable products were conveyed down the river by means of rafts. Mr. Hatch improved a fine farm ; and there he and his wife spent their last years, both dying on the old homestead. Of the second marriage of our subject three children were born, namely: John S., who died June 6, 1893, in the twenty-fourth year of his age; May and Grace, living at home. Mr. Lampher is a thorough business man, well and favorably known in the locality, and everywhere respected for his integrity and straightforward business principles. In local politics he is independent, voting for the best man for the position, but on the national ticket cast his vote with the Republican party. 1 ■ ■■ t OEL G. WATKINS well represents one of the principal industries of the United States, that of agriculture, which must of necessity flourish, or no other industry can flourish, and which therefore is at the base of prosperity and progress. Mr. Watkins has a farm of one hundred and thirty-five acres in the town of Lenox, Madi- son County, upon which he has lived since 1854. He was born at Kirkville, Oneida County, January 22, 1830, a son of Truman Watkins, a native of New England, and, it is believed, of Connecticut, by occupation a farmer. The mother of Truman Watkins died when he was fifteen years old. He married Maria Prosser, who on her mother's side was of Dutch descent. She was the second wife of Mr. Watkins; and he was her second husband, each of them having had children by a former marriage. The first 664 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW child born of this marriage was Joel G. Wat- kins; and besides him they had the following- children : Garret, a farmer of Chittenango, and a reliable, religious man; William, who died in Ovid, Mich., in 1892, at the age of fifty-nine; Harriet, who died in infancy; Phebe, who married Henry White, and died in middle life, leaving no children; and Edwin and Edward, twins, who died within a few hours of each other, when eighteen months old. Truman Watkins died March 21, 1862, at the age of sixty-two, leaving a farm of two hundred and fourteen acres, which belonged to him and his son Joel jointly, and which had an encumbrance of nine thousand dollars. His widow was after- ward married again, and survived him many years, dying in her daughter' s home at Filer Settlement in 1884, at the age of seventy-six. She was the mother of ten children, and a most worthy woman, being of a retiring dis- position and devoted to housewifely and motherly duties. Joel G. Watkins was reared to farm work, but in early life began to learn the car- penter's trade with Jacob Schuyler, thinking that he was a natural mechanic. He worked three years before finding out that in this supposition he had made a mistake. He has, however, worked at this trade to a greater or less extent all his life, though his principal occupation has been farming. In politics Mr. Watkins is a Republican, believing that party the most competent by experience and by principle to manage the great and varied interests of the nation. On his farm he raises a variety of crops, including tobacco, and has been a hop-grower for fifteen years. Of late he has kept' a dairy of about eight cows, making butter in his little creamery at home. In 1873 he built a new farm-house, which was one of the finest dwellings in the town of Lenox; and its destruction by fire, January i, 1891, was a severe loss to Mr. Watkins, as, besides being a handsome and commodious house, which was but partially insured, it contained many souvenirs and relics, articles precious from association, that can never be replaced. He now lives in his tenant cottage, and the old house erected by his father is still doing duty as a car- penter-shop and creamery. It is built, as houses always were in those days, with a very strong and heavy frame, its timbers being eight inches square and the sleepers four feet apart. It has been the scene of many a jolly frolic, such as the pioneers knew how to enjoy, but which now appear to have lost their charm. Mr. Watkins was married November 11, 1854, to Miss Minerva I. Hopkins, a well- educated and capable young lady of about seventeen years, an adopted daughter of Albert Cook, of Pompey Hollow, Onondaga County. Mr. and Mrs. Watkins are the parents of three children, namely: Ida W., wife of W. L. Chapman, of Bradford, Pa., by whom she has one son and one daughter — Will R. and Beatrice; Laura, wife of Robert L. Brophy, a grocer of Canastota; and Vina 1 A., a farmer, living at home, married to Hattie Weiner^ daughter of Bernhart Weiner, Asa R. Bailey. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 667 whose wife was Catharine Rice, of Syracuse. Mrs. Hattie Watkins has two sisters living, namely: Julia, wife of Wellington Green; and Eva, wife of George Poland. Mrs. Ida W. Chapman is well known in Madison County as a reader and elocutionist. She is a graduate of the National School of Oratory and Elocution at Philadelphia, having re- ceived therefrom the degree of Bachelor of Elocution; and she is still a popular and suc- cessful teacher of elocution and Delsartism. SA R. BAILEY, now deceased, was one of the best known and most highly respected citizens of the town of Nelson, where he was born, January 22, 1826. He was the son of Anson and Roxanna (Payne) Bailey, natives of New York State. David Bailey, father of Anson, came to Madison County from Connecticut early in the present century, and settled in the town of Nelson, taking up new land yet cov- ered with the primeval forest. Here he erected a log cabin, and worked hard and per- sistently to provide for the wants of his large family, he and his wife being parents of ten children. Besides engaging in the labor of the farm, he was a shoemaker, and used to go from house to house, plying his trade, after the pioneer custom. He was married three times, and died at the age of eighty years in the western part of this State. In politics he was a Whig, and in religious faith followed the tenets of the Methodist church, of which he was an ardent and active member. The maternal grandfather of the subject o^ this sketch, Ruggles Payne, was also an early settler of the town of Nelson, and suffered all the hardships of pioneer life. While building his first home in the wilderness, his dwelling was in the woods, his couch a hol- lowed log, and his roof the starry vault of heaven. From such primitive conditions he by honest, persevering toil evolved success, and died at the age of eighty years on his farm of three hundred acres, which he had brought to the highest state of cultivation. He was twice married, the maiden name of his first wife being Susannah Daniels, and that of his second Betsy Farnham. He was a Republican in politics, and in religious belief a Universalist. Anson Bailey, the father of Asa R., in his mature years was a prominent agriculturist of this town, although he began his working life modestly enough, laboring by the month for Mr. Ruggles Payne, at the same time, it is to be presumed, winning the affections of his employee's daughter, whose hand he at length received in marriage. For a few years after this event he followed the trade of fuller and clothier, and later bought a farm in the town of Nelson, upon which he resided for the re- mainder of his life. At the age of fifty-two he met with a sudden and appalling death by falling from the roof of a barn upon which he was working. He left a widow and three children, only one of whom is now living; namely, Mrs. F. M. Darrow, a resident of West Eaton, N.Y. The mother, Mrs. Rox- anna (Payne) Bailey, died at the age of 668 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW seventy years. The family were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Asa R. Bailey grew to manhood in the town of Nelson, receiving a good common- school education. February 21, 1849, he married Miss Cemantha M. Farnham, who was born in the town of Nelson, November 28, 1829, a daughter of Calvin and Nancy (Donaldson) Farnham, her mother being of Scotch ancestry. Mrs. Bailey's paternal grandparents were Calvin and Martha (Kings- bury) Farnham, natives of New England, and pioneers of the town of Nelson. Her father, inheriting the home farm, being their only son, resided thereon until his death, at the age of forty-two. Five of his eight children are now living, as follows: Mrs. Maria Holt, residing in Morrisville, N.Y. ; Clark A., who lives in Nelson; Mrs. Cemantha Bailey; John D., residing in Minnesota; and Caro- line M. Lelland. Mrs. Nancy D. Farnham was born in Eastern New York, a daughter of Alexander and Clarissa (Stowell) Donaldson. She died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Holt, in Morrisville, at the advanced age of ninety-one years. After his marriage Mr. Bailey remained on the home farm for a time, and then purchased the farm upon which his widow now resides in the eastern part of the town of Nelson. Here he lived until his death, on February 15, 1891. Mrs. Bailey now conducts the farm of one hundred and seventy acres, with the assist- ance of her son-in-law, Thomas H. Roberts, who resides with her. She has no children living, her only daughter, Helen M., who was married to Mr. Roberts, having died at the 'age of twenty-eight years. Mrs. Bailey is a worthy and intelligent lady, displaying great ability in the management of her affairs, and being much respected and admired by all who know her. She is a member of the Metho- dist church, as was her late husband, both proving in their lives the sincerity of their faith. Mr. Bailey was a stanch adherent of the Republican party, and held at different times various ofifices in the gift of his party. He was a man of the most upright character, faithful to the public interests intrusted to his care, and true to all his personal obliga- tions, being a true and loving husband, a kind father, and a firm and constant friend. At his death the town of Nelson lost a man who was in the highest sense representative of its best citizenship; and his portrait, which appears in connection with this sketch, will be welcomed by all who knew him per- sonally or by reputation. "ERMAN PALMER, a useful and highly respected citizen of Brook- field, N.Y., a veteran of the late war, was born in this town April 11, 1846. In early life Sheffel Palmer, grandfather of Herman, moved from his birthplace in Ston- ington, Conn., and settled in Sherburne, Chenango County, N.Y., where he spent the remainder of his days. Herman's father grew up on the home farm, and was trained to agri- cultural pursuits. He afterward moved to Otselic, Chenango County, and from there to BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 669 Brookfield, where he purchased a farm and resided permanently. He married Adelia Moore; and they reared five children: Herman, the eldest; Devilla; Elmer; Ella; Ora. Both parents died on the home farm near North Brookfield. Herman Palmer received all the advantages of a good education in the public schools, and remained at home assisting on the farm until twenty-one years of age. He then learned the carpenter's trade with J. Hart, and worked for him two years, going from there to his Uncle Sardis Palmer s home, where he stayed three years. He then took up farming again, renting a place where he lived for eleven years, buying it at the end of that time, and since making it his home. He married Laura M. Brown, daughter of Nelson Brown, whose family dates back to the very first settlement of Brookfield. Mr. and Mrs. Palmer reared four children; namely, Gladys E., Glamis, Lawrence A., and Mott. Mrs. Laura M. Brown Palmer died in 1885, and Mr. Palmer married for his second wife Miss Julia M. Jordan. To this marriage three children have been born — Shirrell, William, and Lillian. Mr. Herman Palmer served during the Civil War, and is a member of the Searle Post, Grand Army of the Republic. He is also a member of the Grangers, and has been a Deacon in the Baptist church for twenty-five years. His sympathies and study of politics have led him to give his support to the Republican party. He has been Tax Collector for one year and Assessor for three terms, which has made a service of nine years in that position. Mr. Palmer is an active worker in the cause of religion and in the public affairs of his town, ready to do his part, and in everything that will in any way promote the material, moral, and spiritual improvement of the community. W. ILLIAM R. ROWLANDS, M.A., Treasurer of Colgate University, an efficient worker in the cause of education, was born near Hamilton in the town of Madison, January 23, 1853. William O. Rowlands, father of William R., was born in Wales in 1805, and in 1840 came to the United States, bringing with him his wife, whose maiden name was Mary Parker. He and his family settled in the town of Eaton, where they lived some eight years, and then moved to the town of Madison, purchasing a farm upon which they lived nearly forty years. In 1885 they moved to the village of Hamilton, purchasing a home, in which Mr. Rowlands died August 27, 1891, aged eighty-six, having remained a strong, healthy man up to the beginning of his last illness of eight weeks. His widow, who was born in Montgomery-shire, Wales, survives at the age of eighty-four years, and still resides at Hamilton. William R. Rowlands spent his boyhood and youth on the home farm just outside the village of Hamilton, and was educated in the schools of that place, graduating from the commercial department of the seminary in 1868, from the high school in 1870, and 670 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW finally from the university in 1874, from which he received the degree of Master of Arts in 1879. After his graduation in 1874 he was engaged one year as an accountant for a firm in New York City, and in the fall of 1875 became Assistant Principal of Medina Academy and Professor of Mathematics, which position he filled one year. Being chosen Principal of the high school of Hamilton in 1876, he filled the position for four years, during which period the average attendance was higher than it had ever been before ; and his last graduating class, that of 1880, of thirty-one members, was larger than any pre- vious graduating class during the history of the school. During 1881-82 Professor Rowlands took a post-graduate course at Yale University, and was for some time assistant to Professor Ben- jamin Silliman of that university. Mrs. Rowlands accompanied him, and pursued a course at the Yale Art School. From 1882 to 1889 he was engaged in business in Utica, erecting during that time the Rowlands Office Building, which has elevator service, and is one of the best buildings in Utica. Dur- ing four of those years he was President of the Young Men's Christian Association, a member of the Board of Trustees, and was Chairman of the Building Committee that erected the Association's building, at a cost of one hundred and ten thousand dollars. He was also Chairman of the committees which built the Park Baptist Church, and later of the committee which built the Im- manuel Baptist Church, Utica, N.Y He likewise served as Chairman of the Citizens' Committee, whose work resulted in the pav- ing of Rutger Street with asphaltum, and led to the general introduction of that kind of pavement in the city of Utica — a. highly appreciated improvement. In 1889 Mr. Row- lands removed to Hamilton, his native place, being elected Treasurer of Colgate Univer- sity, which position he^has filled since in a most capable and acceptable manner. He is the resident member of the Building Commit- tee for the new Colgate Gymnasium now being erected. This university is one of the best of the many excellent institutions of learning in the State of New York, having an endowment of nearly two million dollars and holding property to the amount of two million two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. On August IS, 1877, Mr. Rowlands mar- ried Miss Helen A. Underbill, of Medina, N.Y., who was the first graduate of Cook Academy, Havana, N.Y., being the only member of her class, that of 1874. She died January 21, 1878, aged twenty -two. Mr. Rowlands married the second time March 25, 1880, Miss Agnes Gjant, of Greene, N.Y., by whom he has had five children, namely: Agnes Augusta, who died March 12, 1892, aged ten and a half years ; Mary Jane, seven years old; William Harrison, five; and Agnes Genevieve and Florence Augusta, twins, three years old. Mr. and Mrs. Row- lands are domiciled in a beautiful and sightly house recently erected adjacent to the uni- versity campus. In 1887 he was active Presi- dent of the National Fraternity of the Delta BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 671 Upsilon College Societies. For the past six years he has been a member of the State Com- mittee of the Young Men's Christian Asso- ciation. ' From this brief relation of a few of the prominent events of the life of Mr. Row- lands it is clear that in him the university has a most valuable officer, the general com- munity a very worthy member, and the State of New York a good and useful citizen. K} kOYAL WOODWORTH, a retired farmer, now living in the village of Peterboro, has been a resident of Madison County ever since his birth, which took place in Smithfield, January 30, 1818. During the many years he has been here he has been prominently identified with the development of the agricultural resources of the place, and has made for himself a worthy record, winning the respect and good will of all with whom he has come in contact. He is of New England origin, being a grandson of Ichabod Woodworth, a native of Massachu- setts, who emigrated from there to New York, and became a pioneer of Lenox in the very early days of its settlement. The land was then mostly in its primitive condition, with now and then a clearing in the woods. Mr. Ichabod Woodworth first erected a log house, into which he moved with his family, then began cultivating a few acres, keeping the larder supplied with the products of the earth or the game to be found in the forest. He lived there several years, but spent his de- clining days in Fenner, where he died at the advanced age of eighty years. In politics he was a Whig. His wife, who proved an able helpmeet, preceded him to the better land, dying at the age of sixty-five years. They reared a family of seven children, all of whom are now deceased. Ephraim Woodworth, father of Royal, was born in Smithfield, and there grew to man- hood. He received the education commonly given to pioneer's sons, and assisted his father in redeeming a farm from the wilder- ness, living to see the primeval forest con- verted into smiling fields, rich with growing grain. In this gradual development he took an active part, aiding the growth of the town- ship while improving his own homestead, which was situated in the towns of Fenner and Smithfield. When a young man, he mar- ried Alice Hill, who bore well her share of the burdens of life; and to them were born four children, all of whom grew to maturity, our subject being the only one now living. Both parents spent their last years in Smith- field, the father dying at the ripe old age of eighty-three years, while the mother departed this life when sixty-five years old. He was a firm supporter of the principles of the Democratic party. Royal Woodworth was reared and educated in the town of Smithfield, attending the pub- lic schools and assisting his father in the labors of the farm. Deciding to devote him- self to agriculture, he bought the old home farm when twenty-three years of age, and began life in earnest. Endowed with a good stock of energy, enterprise, and youthful 672 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW vigor, he succeeded in his efforts, and added to his landed estate until his homestead com- prised one hundred and twenty acres of arable land, all under good cultivation, which he devoted to general farming, stock-raising, and dairying, having twenty-seven fine cows of mixed breed. Mr. Woodworth was united in marriage in 1839 with Cynthia Jane Sanders, a native of Smithfield, a daughter of Aaron and Cynthia Sanders, by whom he had three children : Morris, who resides on the old farm; Eliza, wife of Adalbert Rich, of Smithfield; and Mary, wife of Daniel Campbell, of Smith- field. Mrs. Woodworth's parents were among the original settlers of Smithfield, where they improved a farm, on which they spent the remainder of their lives, dying one at the age of seventy years and the other at sixty. Mr. Sanders was a Whig in politics. Having sold his farm to his son Morris in 1870, Mr. and Mrs. Woodworth are spending the sunset of life in their pleasant village home, sur- rounded by all necessary comforts, and enjoy- ing to the utmost the fruits of their earlier years of toil. Mr. Woodworth is pleasant and social, a just man and good neighbor, and politically is a strong Democrat. RED W. BARRETT, one of Madison County's prospering agriculturists, re- siding in the town of Fenner, N.Y., was born March 30, 1824, in the town of Smithfield, son of William P. and Electa (Sopher) Bar- rett. Jacob Barrett, the father of William, was born in Connecticut, and migrated with his family to Smithfield, N.Y., being one of its early settlers. He was a wagon-maker by trade, and died, at the age of seventy-five, in Fenner Corners, Madison County. Of his six children none is now living. William P. Barrett, who was also a wagon-maker, came with his father to the town of Smith- field, settling in the village of Peterboro, where he resided a short time, later living in what is called Mile Strip. He finally settled in Fenner, where he ran a saw-mill for some years. While in Smithfield, he married Miss Electa Sopher, by whom he had six children. The three now living are: Fred W., the eld- est; G. F. Barrett, of Fenner; and Hiley Jane, of Syracuse. The father died on the home farm at the age of seventy-five years, and the mother when she reached the age of seventy. When the family came to the town of Fen- ner, Fred W. Barrett was but seven years of age; and he has since continued to reside here. He was educated at the district school, and learned to work in his father's saw-mill while yet a boy. He worked out for a short time for Colonel John Needham, receiving seven dollars a month. At twenty-eight years of age he made his first purchase of land, consisting of twenty and a half acres in the town of Fenner, adding to it from time to time until he had seventy acres. He after- ward sold this farm, and bought the one of one hundred and fifty acres where he now lives, which is as handsome a place as any in the vicinity. He raises hay, barley, and corn BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 673 with great success, and deals largely in sheep and cattle. Besides the usual farm buildings, he has a feed-mill, slaughter-house, and re- pair-shop. He was married at the age of twenty-four to Thankful S. Wilber, who was a daughter of Willard Wilber, one of the early settlers of Fenner. Her father, a farmer, lived to be about eighty years of age, and is survived by three of his four children. To Mr. and Mrs. Fred W. Barrett five sons have been born, of whom four are living: Willard W., of the town of Hamilton; Harvey M., resid- ing at home; Frank O., at Fort Atkinson, Wis.; Clarence A., in Oak Park, 111. Mr. Barrett is a thorough-going Republican; has been Collector of the town and Constable one year each, and for fourteen years has been Railroad Commissioner. Honest, whole- souled, liberal, actively interested in what- ever pertains to the welfare of the community, he may well be set down as one of the best and most useful citizens of the town. His actions are guided by true manly principles, and he is an esteemed member of his social circle. <-^»^ » ^RS. ADELONE (WILBER) BLODGETT, one of the oldest na- tives of Madison County now liv- ing, an esteemed resident of Cazenovia, was born in the town of Nelson, May 18, 181 1. A woman of many virtues, the surviving help- mate of one of the most successful and enter- prising farmers of this vicinity, she bears as lightly as may be the burden of more than fourscore years. Few can tell so much as she of the history of the county. Her mind still preserves the memory of her early years, when railroads had not been dreamed of, and when farm produce was drawn to a distant market with ox-teams, when the means of life were nearly all wrested from the soil, and when carding, spinning, and weaving were familiar industries of every well-ordered household. Richard Wilber, father of Mrs. Blodgett, was born in July, 1770, in Massachusetts, where he grew to manhood, and whence, accompanied by his newly wedded wife, he emigrated in 1795 to Madison County, mak- ing the journey with oxen. They were among the earliest settlers in what is now the town of Nelson, then a thickly wooded wil- derness. No moments were lost in felling trees and putting up a log cabin, which they moved into in a few days' time, although it was yet without floor, chimney, or permanent door. Crusoe and his man Friday were not more favored with solitude. Did they yearn for social intercourse with their kind, they could have it by stepping over to their nearest neighbors on the one hand, three miles away, or by tripping through the forest by the guid- ance of blazed trees seven miles in another direction. Howling wolves sought to in- trude, but were not made welcome. The woodman could not afford to spare the trees, which but cumbered the soil needed for culti- vation. There being no market for timber, huge piles of trunks and branches were burned to clear the land. As the years went on, 674 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW improvements were made in the clearing: the log house gave place to frame buildings. Here Mr. Wilber made his home until his death, October 24, 1842. The maiden name of Mrs. Wilber was Rhoda Miller. She was born in Massachusetts, January 20, 1775, and died February 11, 1861. Of the nine chil- dren of this family of hardy pioneers that grew to maturity, Adelone, Mrs. Blodgett, is the only one now living. Adelone Wilber remained at the home of her birth till her marriage, at the age of twenty years, to Arba Blodgett. Her hus- band, a native of Smithfield, was born March 20, 1807. Ozem Blodgett, father of Arba, came from Massachusetts, supposed to have been the State of his birth, to Madison County, and was a pioneer in the town of Eaton. After remaining there a few years, he removed to Smithfield, and from thence to Nelson, where he died May 17, 1835. His wife, whose maiden name was Mary Ander- son, died in Smithfield in January, 1862. Arba Blodgett was bred to the life of a farmer. Beginning in his tender years as chore-boy at home, staying with his parents till his marriage, he gained a practical ac- quaintance with the varied details of farm management. Intelligent and enterprising, Mr. Blodgett became one of the most successful agricultu- rists of Madison County. His specialty was dairy farming, and more particularly cheese- making, to which he early turned his atten- tion. In 1862 he built at Peterboro the first cheese factory in Madison County. In 1866, selling his estate in Smithfield, he bought a farm on the west shore of Cazenovia Lake, and there made his home for a period. Be- coming now well advanced in years, and wish- ing to retire from active labors, he sold this place and bought a home in Cazenovia, where he lived till his death, in September, 1891, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. A man of industry and integrity, who had thriven by his own exertions, one who was well disposed toward his fellow-men, he was much respected. Five children of Mr. and Mrs. Blodgett. grew to maturity — ^ Rhoda, Mary, Sarah, Ludum, and Amelia Velnett. Mrs. Blodgett has nineteen grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren now living to com- fort her declining years. F. BLANDING, a retired farmer, liv- ing in the village of Brookfield, Madi- son County, was born in Exeter Hollow, Otsego County, N.Y., March 22, 1820. His paternal grandfather and his father, both named Franklin, were natives of the Eastern States, but moved to New York State, and settled in Otsego County. The father was reared to the trade of shoemaking, and for many years went from house to house, making shoes, but after a while had a shop in North Brookfield, and later in East Hamilton, at which place he resided until his death, at the age of sixty-eight years. He married Miss Nancy Holbrook, of Swanzey, N.H.; and they reared a large family of children — Joseph, Eliza, Lucina, Nancy, E. F., Will- Mary L. Bonney Rambaut. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 677 iam, Jefferson, Oscar, Susan, Adolphus, Mary, Amanda, and Freeman. Of these, only three are now living — ■ Oscar, Adolphus, and our subject. The mother died at the age of seventy-two years. The early life of E. F. Blanding was with- out any special incident, marked only by his taking the usual education of the public schools of his district and remaining at home until the age of twenty-one, when he made his introduction to the sterner duties of life and its lessons. He first went to North Brookfield, N.Y., and worked out by the month. By industry and hard labor he soon acquired enough money to buy a farm, for himself. On this place he lived, and erected the buildings necessary for carrying on the farm. After some years of residence here he sold it, but in the following year bought it back, and lived on the place until 1885, when he again sold it, and moved to the village of Brookfield;. where he has resided ever since, practically retired from business. When twenty-two years of age, he married Miss Louisa Forbes ; and to them were born three children — namely, Nancy, Lovell, and Bru- nette. Lovell married Miss Imogene Hills, and died in 1885, having had one child, Lynn. Nancy, who married Albertus Lovejoy, re- sides in Madison, N.Y., and has four children -Nina, Frank, Monterville, and Charlotte. Brunette married David Foster, of Brookfield, and has two children, May and Cora. Mrs. Blanding died in February of 1890, and the widow of Lovell Blanding now presides over the home of her father-in-law. Mr. Blanding is an earnest follower of the principles of the Democratic party, thorough- going in his support. While deeply inter- ested in the political questions of the day, on which he keeps himself well informed, Mr. Blanding is by no means obtrusive in his opinions or a seeker for office. He does his duty at the polls; and he allows every man the right to his own ideas, believing that every one should vote as his best judgment directs. He has been considerably interested in the Masonic Order, and is a member of Sanger Lodge, No. 129, A. F. & A. M., of Waterville, N.Y. He is prominently con- nected with the Universalist church, to which he gives valuable aid. A popular and highly respected citizen, Mr. Blanding has won his good name by a long life of usefulness and integrity. — <^«»> iRS. MARY L. BONNEY RAM- BAUT, after having for more than half a century honorably filled the position of a teacher, most of her work having been in the line of the higher education of women, is now living in retirement, with its accompanying cheer of friendship and books, in her native town of Hamilton, Madison County, N.Y., where she was born June 8, 1 816. She may be said to have inherited a talent for teaching, as her mother was thus engaged for years. Mary L. Bonney received at home a true Christian training, and with increase of years came moral and spiritual development. After four years as a pupil in the Hamilton schools she entered the Troy 678 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Seminary, and graduated in 1834. This semi- nary at that time was the highest institution for young ladies in this country. After her graduation Miss Bonney was successfully en- gaged as a teacher in various places until the year 1850, when, in company with Miss Har- riett A. Dillaye, she founded the Chestnut Street Seminary, of Philadelphia, Pa., and was actively and earnestly engaged in the work of this school for thirty-three years. In 1883 the school was removed to the ele- gant and spacious country seat of Jay Cooke, near Philadelphia, under the name of " Ogontz School for Young Ladies." Miss Bonney re- mained in the school in active service for five years after its removal. In 1879 from transactions in Congress Miss Bonney' s sympathies and conscience were aroused in behalf of the Indians of the United States. She accumulated facts in regard to their treatment, which, together with her con- victions of personal responsibility, she com- municated to her friend, Mrs. Amelia S. Quinton. Thus was begun the work which is recorded in the history of the Woman's Na- tional Indian Association. (See "Woman's Work in America," edited by Annie Nathan Meyer.) The Association has been assured of its influence in securing the passage of the Dawes Severalty Bill, in advanced educa- tional and mission work, in securing to Ind- ians equality before the law. To-day it has various departments of work — missionary, home-building, educational, libraries, hos- pitals, and so forth — each department having at its head an able chairman, pressing its work with vigor. A report published in 1893, entitled "Our Work: What? How? Why?" shows the scope and methods of the Associa- tion at the present time. Its President is Mrs. A. S. Quinton; Honorary President, Mrs. Mary L. Bonney-Rambaut. In 1888 Miss Bonney retired from Ogontz School, and was married in London, England, where she had gone as a delegate to the World's Missionary Conference, to Rev. Thomas Rambaut, D.D., LL.D., a devoted friend for many years, who was himself a prominent educator, and was also a delegate to the conference. Dr. Rambaut died in Hamilton, N.Y., in 1890. Mrs. Mary L. Bonney-Rambaut now resides with her brother, Benjamin F. Bonney (of whom see sketch and portrait on preceding pages) in Hamilton, quite at home in the congenial atmosphere of the refined and cultured circles of this edu- cational centre. She is deeply interested in the religious, moral, and social movements of this progressive age, and, as her strength and means permit, is ever ready to contribute to their advance. The presentation, with this sketch, of the portrait of Mrs. Rambaut, will meet with the hearty appreciation of all who know her, and will add to the value of this work in the eyes of its readers. ^TjTjGENE B. ROBIE, proprietor of a grist- J Cl mij l in the village of Eaton, was born October 8, 1862, in the town of Eaton, a son of George W. and Emily (Brown) Robie. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 679 George W. Robie was born in Vermont, and came from that State to Madison County, New York, when a growing lad, with his father, Jonathan Robie, who settled with his family in Georgetown early in this century. Mr. Jonathan Robie and his wife each lived to be about seventy-five years old. Of the ten children reared by them, only two now survive. George W. Robie continued to reside in Georgetown with his father for a number of years after coming to this State, in the mean time securing a good education and learning the trade of a millwright. On leaving the parental roof, he began life for himself by working at his trade, going to the town of Eaton and erecting the grist-mill at Pierce's Mills. After remaining in this place a num- ber of years, he removed to the village of Eaton, and while residing there was elected by his Republican friends Superintendent of the Poor — a position which he held nine years. During the later years of his life he and his son, Eugene B., were partners in the grist-mill at Eaton. He was always an ac- tive, honest, industrious man, and highly es- teemed by all who knew him. His death occurred April 23, 1891, in the village of Eaton. His wife, who was born in 1833, died October 30, 1890. They reared a family of four children, all of whom are still living, namely: George L., teller in a bank at Morrisville; Eugene B. ; Addie, wife of LeRoy Bonney, of Syracuse; and William, who resides in the village of Eaton. Eugene B. Robie was reared in the village of Eaton, and educated at the union schools of that place. At the age of sixteen he entered the drug store of Mead & Hamlin, and followed the drug business about ten years. On November 11, 1885, he married Miss Fannie Snell, who was born May 13, 1862, in New Haven, Oswego County, N.Y., and is a daughter of Lyman D. and Malinda Snell. Her father, a prosperous farmer of Oswego County, was born in 1834, her mother in 1839. They are the parents of three children; namely, Fannie, Carrie, and Fred. Mr. and Mrs. Snell are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in poli- tics Mr. Snell is a Republican. Since his marriage Mr. Robie has resided in the village of Eaton. In 1887 he became engaged in the grist-mill with his father, buying the entire business in 1890, and run- ning it until 1892, when he sold it. Mr. Robie has always been a Republican in poli- tics, and, though not caring for official posi- tion or preferment, was elected Town Clerk in 1890, and served till May, 1893. Mr. and Mrs. Robie are members of the Metho- dist Episcopal church, and are highly re- spected in the community. They have two children, Harry E. and Nina L. The family live together comfortably and happily in their beautiful home in the village of Eaton. KREDERICK H. HODGES, a promi- nent and representative citizen of Can- astota, ex-Deputy Sheriff of Madison County, was born in the town of Stockbridge, N.Y., 68o BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW in 1833. His father, Frederick Hodges, was born in Connecticut about the year 18 12, and was a son of Matthew Hodges, a Connecticut farmer, who was a lifelong resident of that State, and died there when eighty years of age. He married a Miss Millman, and they reared twelve children. Frederick Hodges on September 17, 1815, married Lovina Gilbert, a native of Connecti- cut, by whom he had twelve children, five sons and seven daughters, of whom five are still living, namely: Elizabeth, widow of Rev. Chester Percival, who was an Episco- pal rector, of Marshalltown, la. ; Frederick B. ; Lyman, an engineer, of Bradford, Pa. ; Caroline, wife of George Houseman, a farmer; and Laverna, wife of John House- man, of Chicago. Rev. Chester Percival was a graduate of Hamilton College at Clinton, N.Y., was a successful teacher when a young man, was a writer of poetry, and an able preacher of the gospel — a man of superior talent and character. His wife, Elizabeth, also a graduate of Hamilton College, a woman of culture and refinement, was a teacher pre- vious to her marriage. Frederick H. Hodges remained at home until he was fifteen years of age, and then began to learn the printer's trade with his brother-in-law, Frederick W. Cook. In 1852, in company with thirty-one others, he went to California, all reaching that State in safety after a journey of five months, and each after arriving there striking out for himself, independent of the rest. Mr. Hodges se- lected mining as his occupation, and was very successful, making twenty thousand dollars in money. While residing in California, he was married to Anna M. Corbett, a cousin of Boston Corbett, who shot John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln. She bore him one son, and soon afterward died. The infant, having been sent by its father East to be reared, died when eleven months old. Some time afterward, when East on a visit, Mr. Hodges married September 27, 1859, his present wife, Malvina Coe, who was born in 1837, and is a daughter of Rensselaer Coe. By this marriage Mr. Hodges has had five children, one of whom. Flora, died at the age of two years. The four living are as follows: Gertrude, wife of Henderson Hinman, a farmer, of Stockbridge, who has two sons and one daughter; Lilian, wife of William Brown, living in Cold Water, Mich. ; Susie, a young lady at home; and Vettore, a young man of twenty years. Mrs. Hodges is the eldest of a family of seven children, two daughters and five sons. Her sister died when three years old; and one brother died when one year of age, and one at three years. The three brothers living are: Hiram M., a farmer of Kenwood; Alasco, a farmer of Stockbridge; and Jay R., of Fort Atkinson, Wis. The mother of Mrs. Hodges died in April, 1885, aged seventy-four; and her father died in June, 1892, aged eighty-four. Mr. Coe was a man of decided character and strong peculiarities, and one of the most suc- cessful farmers of his day. In politics Mr. Frederick H. Hodges is a Cleveland Democrat. He has served as BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 68 1 Deputy Sheriff six years and as Constable twenty years, the latter office being filled by him during the war and during the construc- tion of the Midland Railroad, giving him considerable warlike experience without going to the front. Mrs. Hodges has been a mem- ber of the Methodist Episopal church for the past forty-three years, her husband being now also a member of that church. Both are active in the support of religion and of educa- tion, believing that the right training of the young is essential to true social progress. ^ISS RHODA FOSTER, who is a representative of one of the old- est pioneer families of Madison County, is a daughter of Joseph Foster, who was born in Warren, Conn., in 1786. He was a son of Joseph Foster, a New England farmer, whose eldest son, Nathan, removed from the land of his fathers to Madison County, New York, about 1780, and was followed to this then new Western country in 1799 by the father of the subject of this sketch. Joseph Foster, the grandfather of our subject, married Desire Hopkins, by whom he had two sons and three daughters, the daughters being: Deborah, who married John Pomeroy ; Thursa, who married Joshua Tucker, and whose son, Adoniram Tucker, now resides near Hamilton; and Azubah, who removed to Michigan. Joseph Foster and his wife lie at rest in the cemetery at • Hamilton Centre, Madison County. Joseph Foster, the father of our subject, married Lois Alderman about 1805. They were the parents of nine children, four sons and five daughters, namely: Nathan, who died at the age of three years; Melinda, who died, unmarried, at the age of twenty-six; Abbey Ann, who died in 1882, aged sixty-four; Harley, who died in 1887, aged sixty-eight, leaving a son and daughter; Lyman, who has three daughters; Harriet E., widow of Benja- min Richmond; Spencer, a farmer on the old homestead, who has one daughter; Rhoda, the subject of this sketch; and Cynthia, wife of Charles W. Wilcox, who has one son. Miss Rhoda Foster has been a milliner in the village of Hamilton for the past forty years, and through strict attention to her business has been quite successful. iHIL BENNETT SPEAR, A.M., D.D. Prominent in the educa- tional and literary circles of Madi- son County stands the gentleman of whom we write. During his entire life he has sought to raise the standard of education in his native State, leaving nothing undone that would advance the progress of civilization, and has been a substantial help in making Hamilton one of the most important centres of learning in the State. He was born in Palmyra, Wayne County, May 23, 181 1. His grandfather, Lemuel Spear, was, it is thought, a native of Massachusetts. In 1789 he came with his family to New York, mak- ing the journey overland with teams, at times being obliged to cut a path through the 682 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW wilderness. He bought a tract of land in the town of Palmyra, and improved a farm, living there until shortly before his death, which occurred at the home of his son, Dr. Spear, in Hamilton. Abram Spear, father of our subject, was born during the residence of his parents in Massachusetts, his birth occurring November 19, 1780, in the city of Boston. He was a lad of nine years when he came with his parents to Palmyra, which was afterward his home. He was trained to agricultural pursuits, and, when he attained his majority, started out for himself, with no capital excepting willing hands, vigorous youth, and a stout heart. By thrift and economy he accumulated enough in a few years to buy a small tract of land in Palmyra, on which was a house that had been built for a tavern. He did not open it as a public house, however, but turned his atten- tion to farming, continuing his habits of industry, and occasionally purchasing adjoin- ing land. His landed property increased until he had a rich and productive farm, one mile long and one-half mile in width, and mostly under good cultivation. He married Clarissa Bennett, who was born in Perinton, Monroe County, September 8, 1782. To them .were born four daughters and one son — Irene, Cordelia, Philena, Clarissa, and Phil Bennett. They resided on the home- stead all their lives, Mrs. Spear dying August 26, 1859, her husband following her a few days later, his death occurring September 9, 1859. The subject of our sketch was the only son of the household, and received the best educa- tional advantages of that period, attending the common schools and the high school of his native town. He made a further study of mathematics under Tobias Ostrander, and received instruction in the languages from Dr. Seth Davis, an Episcopalian clergyman. At the age of twenty he entered the Hamilton Literary and Theological Seminary of Ham- ilton, N.Y. After completing the academic and literary course, in 1836 he entered the Theological Department, from which he was graduated in 1838. He had commenced teaching when in the Literary Department, and, after being graduated from the Theo- logical Department was appointed to the chair of Hebrew and Latin. He taught both lan- guages for some years, but subsequently con- fined his teaching to Hebrew, and continued an instructor in the university until 1889, when he resigned. He has always labored for the interests of his Alma Mater, which had a hard struggle for life in its earlier years. In 1846 application was made for a charter for the Literary and Scientific Department, which was granted under the name of Madison University. Soon after an attempt was made to remove the institution. To this Dr. Spear very much objected, and all of his influence was used to retain the location at Hamilton. The contest waxed warm until 1850, when the location at Hamilton was made permanent. Those who were in favor of removal withdrew from the university; and, though dire results were predicted, the opposite happened, how- ever, for the institution at once flourished as BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 683 it never had before. The chief financial responsibilities of the institution rested upon Dr. Spear, and how well he fulfilled his part cannot be told without giving a complete history of the institution. Sufifice it to say that its landed estates have been largely in- creased, and the endowments raised to upward of one-half million dollars. In 1889 the name was changed to Colgate University, and it is now recognized as one of the solid insti- tutions of the country. Dr. Spear has been twice married. The maiden name of his first wife, to whom he was united August 29, 1838, was Esther Jack- son. She was born in Palmyra, N.Y., and died January 19, 1878. In 1881 he was united in marriage to Mary Dielle, of Platts- burg, N.Y. Of the first marriage four chil- dren were born — Frank B., Charles, John, and Mary. The Doctor is now living retired, enjoying his well-merited rest from active duties, happy in having won the confidence and esteem of all with whom he has come in contact during his many years of busy life. The people, not only of his town, but. of the whole county, look up to him with respect; and his name will be handed down from gen- eration to generation as "one whose highest aim was to benefit his fellow-men. « i*»^ > ^ERTON H. BROWN, an enterpris- ing young merchant, doing a thriv- ing business in Brookfield, was born in this town, December 16, 1859. Asa Brown, great-grandfather of Merton, was born in Connecticut in 1765, and came to the State of New York at the close of the last century, settling at a place in Brookfield called the Five Corners. His youngest son, Noah, who was born in Stonington, Conn., came with him to Brookfield, at the age of sixteen, and assisted in the work of the farm. Noah Brown was educated in the district schools, and at the age of twenty-one married Cathe- rine Brown, and settled on his farm, one mile south of North Brookfield, where he resided until his death, he and his wife having reared eight children — Noah K., Crary, Eunice, Cyrus, Catherine F., Cynthia E., Susan J., and Henry. The mother died at the home of her daughter, Susan J., March 30, 1881, aged eighty-eight years Henry Brown, the father of Merton H., was born in Brookfield at the old homestead. He was reared on the farm, married and lived there for nine years, and till the death of his wife. Two years later he went to Clarkville, a village of the town of Brookfield, where he was given the offices of Constable and Deputy Sheriff, which he held for about eight years, having been several times re-elected to office. His second wife was Miss Jennie White; and they reared six children^ Adin P., Katie, Charlie, Louie, Wendell P., and Bessie. The name of Mr. Brown's first wife was Arditsa Palmiter. Their three children were Carrie, Merton H., and Ardy. Carrie mar- ried Mr. Frank Sherman; and Ardy married Mr. William Fitch, of North Brookfield, and has one child, Emma. Merton H., eldest son of Henry Brown, 684 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW was educated at South Brookfield and at the union school of his town. At the age of twenty he entered the employment of A. J. Stillman, where he remained one year, and then engaged for six years with Irving Cran- dall. He moved to the village of Brookfield in 1886, where he has since continued, pros- perously engaged in trade. In 1885 he married Miss Hattie E. Babcock, of Leon- ardsville, N.Y., whose father, William A. Babcock, a native of Truxton, Cortland County, N.Y., was born November 19, 1820. Christopher Babcock, grandfather, and Asa, father of William, were born in Rhode Island, and moved to New York State, where they were farmers, the father in the latter part of his life residing in Jefferson County. He married Miss Elizabeth Barker, and they had a family of nine children. William, who was but three years old when his mother died, lived in Smyrna until he was nine years old. At the age of thirteen he went to the western part of the State, remaining there ten years at work on a farm, and then came to Brook- field, where he now resides, engaged in mechanical pursuits. He married Miss. Har- riet Pelton, a native of Waterville, Oneida County, N.Y., born September 9, 1846. They have two children living: Mary, wife of Calvin Birch, of Brookfield; and Hattie E., Mrs. Merton H. Brown, as above noted. Mr. Babcock is a Deacon in the Seventh-day Baptist church. In politics he votes the Pro- hibition ticket. Mr. and Mrs. Merton H. Brown have one child, Elsie. Mr. Brown is one of the most prosperous merchants in Brookfield, and is a prominent and highly respected citizen. By his own intelligent industry and by honora- ble methods of dealing he has gained his present excellent position in financial and social circles. He and his wife are exem- plary members of the Seventh day Baptist church. Mr. Brown votes with the Republi- can part}-, and, while being too much en- gaged in his own extensive business to aspire to any political office within the gift of the people, still takes a reasonable and commend- able interest in public affairs. FRED SAUNDERS, proprietor of cheese and butter factories in the town of Georgetown, N.Y., was born in Madison, Madison County, N.Y., January 13, 1861. His father, Henry Saun- ders, a native of London, England, born there in 1820, in 1855, at the age of thirty-five years, emigrated to America, com- ing directly to Madison. He remained here about fifteen years, working at the trade of carpenter, and then removed to Binghamton, N.Y., and bought a farm. He remained at that place only one year, and then moved to Georgetown, following his trade as long as his health permitted. He afterward travelled for six years as an insurance agent; but his physical condition would not permit his con- tinuance even at this occupation, and he was obliged to retire from active business. By his wife, Jane Watson, of London, Eng- land, he had five children, namely: Sarah BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 68s deceased wife of R. R. Hall, of Pitcher, N.Y., mother of three children — Hovey, Grace, and Fred; Mary, widow of De Witt Whitmore, of Rochester, N.Y., whose four children are Henry, LaMott, Marion, and Hovey; Henry C, deceased, of Norwich, who married Miss Emma Evans, of the same place, and had two children, Harry and Hon- orine; Lena, Mrs. E. J. Bowdish, of Mara- thon, N.Y., who has one son, Clifford; and B. Fred, the subject of this biographical sketch. After the removal of the family to George- town B. Fred, the youngest son, pursued his studies for a time at the district school of his neighborhood, and later took a course at the Rochester Business University. Returning to his home prepared for the labors of life, he found employment in the butter and cheese factories of Georgetown. He continued this work as an employee for several years, and then, hiring a factory, became a manager, the first year conducting the business alone, and then forming a partnership with P. E. Briggs, which continues at this day. Such has been the growth of the business that the firm has now eight factories in full operation. By careful supervision and untiring industry, united with a high standard of fair dealing, Mr. Saunders has established a reputation in his business second to none in the county; and his present prosperity is by no means the effect of luck, but of honest work. Mr. Saunders married a daughter of Dr. Benjamin Franklin, who for forty-five years was a noted physician of Georgetown, N.Y. Her grandfather, Nathaniel Franklin, was a descendant in the direct line of the great Benjamin Franklin, "printer," whose illus- trious life sheds a glory on his country's his- tory. Mr. and Mrs. Saunders rejoice in the possession of a little daughter, now four years of age, named Honorine. In politics Mr. Saunders is a sound Republican. His wife is a member of the Baptist church of Georgetown. fB. iRS. ANN S. BOWERS, one of the excellent women of the village of Oneida Valley, Madison County, was born in the town of Turin, Lewis County, in 1 83 1. Her ancestors were among the pio- neers of that county, and were eminently respectable people. Her father, Jonathan R. Davis, was a native of New Jersey, a son of Samuel Davis, a New Jersey farmer, who removed to Collinsville, Lewis County, N.Y., about 1828. He was a cousin of Mayor Op- dyke, of New York City, and also of the Strykers. His wife died in the prime of life, leaving five sons and two daughters that grew to mature years. Of these seven children Jonathan Reddinghouse Davis was the eldest ' but one; and their father, the grandfather of the subject, died in the town of Lenox, Madi- son County, when about eighty-five years old, leaving a fine property, and having settled his children well. Jonathan R. Davis married Mary Allen, of Lewis County, New York, a daughter of Ebenezer Allen and a grand-niece of Ethan Allen, of Revolutionary fame. Jonathan R. 686 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Davis died at Oneida Valley in 1877, aged seventy-seven years. Mrs. Bowers has one brother, George Davis, a farmer, of the vicin- ity of her home. She has two daughters: Mary Pamelia, wife of Bruce Sterling, a farmer near by; and Ella Eliza, wife of Frank Keller, a merchant and Postmaster of Oneida Valley. Mrs. Sterling has had five children, one of whom, a little son, was drowned. Those living are as follows: Leonard B., Edna, George D., and Bruce. Mr. and Mrs. Keller have two children: Hugo, four years old; and Ernest, two years. Mrs. Bowers has a farm of fifty-five acres, left her by her father, and one of thirty-three acres in Oneida County, near her Madiso.n County farm. In religion Mrs. Bowers was reared a Presbyte- rian, and, though not a member of the church, yet does her full share in its support. She is one of those who believe in living a relig- ion in preference to a mere profession thereof, and consistently strives to carry out in prac- tice her views of right and duty. /^pTEORGE A. ROGERS, farmer, a \[^J_ worthy representative of one of the first families of Brookfield, N.Y., was born here, December 25, 1865, on the farm on which his father, DeLoss, and his grand- father, James, were born before him. The great-grandfather, Thomas Rogers, who was born and reared in Rhode Island, came to Brookfield, and took up a tract of timber land there, he and one other man being the very earliest settlers of the town. This great- grandfather and his son died on the farm which they had cleared. The centennial bells that have been making their joyful music around the country at in- tervals for the last twenty years have stimu- lated research, have set people to counting back the years and rehearsing the deeds of their ancestors, the emigrants from the Old World who colonized the thirteen original States. Scarcely less interesting than those twice-told tales is the history of the interior counties of the State of New York, which were founded by scions of the old English and Dutch stock. DeLoss Rogers was but eight years of age when his father died. He attended the good public schools of the town in his boyhood, and early took up farming for his occupation. He married Miss Cynthia Parmenter, of Brookfield. Their family con- sisted of four children: Gena C. ; Elmer, deceased; George; and Nellie. The mother and father still live at Leonardsville, N.Y. George A. Rogers was educated in the Brookfield Academy, and has followed farm- ing for a pursuit in life. He married at the age of twenty-three Miss Bertha Langworthy, of the town of Brookfield, and after his mar- riage bought the farm where he now lives, carrying on general husbandry. Mr. and Mrs. Rogers have one child, a daughter — Edna. The family attend the Seventh-day Baptist church. In politics Mr. Rogers regularly votes the Republican ticket. Longevity seems to be an inheritance in the family, as the forefathers of Mr. Rogers lived to a good BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 687 old age; and his grandmother is still living with his parents, at the age of ninety-four years, a well-preserved and active lady. Mr. Rogers is ambitious and enterprising, taking pride in his farm, which is one of the best cultivated and most productive in the town. He brings energy and intelligence to his work, and with most satisfactory results, holding his own as one of the most progres- sive agriculturists of the day. 'OLOMON HENDERSON, a gen- eral farmer and hop-raiser of the town of Madison, was born in Chester, Warren County, N.Y., November 29, 1 817. This gentleman can boast of thrifty Scotch ancestry, being a grandson of Guy C. Henderson, a native of Scotland, and one of the pioneer settlers of Warren County, whose first work after securing his land was to cut timber and build the modest house of logs, where he lived the rest of his life. Guy Carlton Henderson, son of the emigrant and father of Solomon, was born, reared, and edu- cated in Chester. When grown to manhood, he purchased land and engaged in farming, residing in the town until 1833. In that year he sold out, and removed to Oneida County, going first by team to Amsterdam, N.Y., then through the Erie Canal to Utica, there again packing their goods and chattels in wagons, and driving to the town of Marshall, where he settled for a number of years and followed his trade of masonry. Mr. Hender- son's next move was to the town of Madison, where he stayed for about four years, when, hearing of a job of work in Sherburne, he started to walk to that place, and was never heard from afterward. He married Sarah Lo- vina Smith, also a native of Chester; and to them were born twelve children. Solomon Henderson was sixteen years old when his parents moved to Marshall. He lived and worked on the farm until his twenty-second year, and then was appointed Superintendent of Repairs for forty miles of the Third Great Western Turnpike, which position he held for twelve years. During that time he bought a farm, comprising one hundred and twenty-three acres, on which he erected good buildings, where he now resides, engaged^ in general farming and hop-raising. He was united in marriage October 19, 1847, with Miss Emily A. White, who was born in Madison, Madison County, N.Y., February 8, 1824. Like her husband, she was of Scotch descent, her great-grandfather having been a native of Scotland. He was a weaver by trade, and went while yet quite young to Ireland, where he worked for a time, and then emigrated to America, dying in Massachu- setts during the Revolutionary War. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Calhoun. She survived her husband many years, and died in the town of Madison. Their son, John White, grandfather of Mrs. Henderson, was born in Massachusetts, and was fourteen years old when his father died. He served as a Captain's waiter during the Revolutionary War. Some years afterward he came with his family from Massachusetts 688 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW to New York State, having to travel by team the entire distance. He was one of the earli- est settlers in the town of Madison, where he bought four hundred acres of primeval forest land, and soon, with strong hands vigorously toiling, cleared a tract for cultivation, and built his house of logs. For many years there were no railroads, and Albany was the nearest market for supplies. Farmers kept sheep and cultivated flax; and the women of the pioneer households had to card, spin, weave, and make all the wearing apparel of the family. But, if in those days there were privations, hardships, and poverty, their hearts were hopeful, their temptations few, and their simple, every-day life of toil made their coarse fare all the sweeter and their sleep the more refreshing. Mr. White im- proved the farm, and remained there until his death. His wife, Mary Elizabeth Stean, was born in Massachusetts, of Scotch-Irish ances- try. She died on the home farm. The father of Mrs. Henderson was Alexander White, who was born in Belchertown, N.Y., and was reared on his father's farm in Madison County, where he was successfully engaged in farming for many years, later carrying on the manufacture of woollen goods at West Eaton. He was a resident of Madison County his entire life. The mother of Mrs. Henderson was Miss Polly Armstrong, who was born in Frankfort, N.Y., and died on the home farm. Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Henderson have been deeply afflicted in the death of three of their six children:. Emma, aged five years; Carrie, aged three; and Ada, at the age of twenty-nine. They have three now living; namely, Wilber M., John, and Lizzie. John married Miss Ella Hatch; and they have two daughters, Grace and Ruth. Lizzie married Peter Keiffer; and they likewise have two daughters, Emma and Ada. Mr. Henderson has lived to see many important changes in this county. Where were once log cabins and virgin forests are now commodious dwell- ings, stately mansions, and blooming gar- dens; and his own comfortable and attractive home is a t3'pe of what industry, energy, and ability can accomplish. He and his estima- ble wife occupy a very- high place in the regard of the community. (syY LEXANDER McWHORTER BEE- ^^ BEE, D.D., Professor of Logic in ^^-' Colgate University at Hamilton, N.Y., was born in Skaneateles, Onondaga County, in 1820. His father, Alexander McWhorter Beebee, LL.D., was a son of Samuel Beebee, a broker of New York City. He was a graduate of Columbia College, stud- ied law in the office of Judge Hoffman, and was admitted to the bar in 1807. He was a life-long friend of Washington Irving, with whom he was for a time a fellow-student. For thirty years he was editor of the New York Baptist Register, published at Utica, N.Y., now the Examiner, published in New York City. He was a grandson of Rev. Alexander McWhorter, D.D., who for forty-seven years was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church A, M. Beebee. BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 691 of Newark, N.J., and of whom there is a biographical sketch in the American Cyclopaedia. Alexander M. Beebee, the father of the subject of this sketch, married Mary Margaret Roorbach, daughter of Barent Roorbach, M.D., a surgeon in the British army, and a grand-daughter of Rev. John Ogilvie, D.D., who from 1764 to 1774 was assistant minis- ter of Trinity Church, New York City. This marriage took place in New York City, May 30, 1807, the ceremony being performed by Bishop Benjamin Moore. They reared four children, two sons and two daughters, namely: Pierre Ogilvie, who was for a time a lawyer in New York, died in Utica in 1888, aged seventy-seven; Mary Ella, who married Hon. James M. Hoyt, LL.D., of Cleveland, Ohio, and died there when she was over sev- enty years of age; Alexander M., of whom we write; Augusta Margaret, who married Will- iam Middleberger, a prominent business man in Cleveland, Ohio. She died in that city at the age of sixty years. The parents of the Rev. Dr. Beebee removed to Skaneateles, N.Y., in 1807. The journey from New York to Albany was in a sloop up the Hudson River, before Robert Fulton's great steamboat experiment, and occupied an entire week. The mother died in Utica, December 11, 1830, at the age of forty-five; and the father married the second time Mrs. Mary Hoyt, widow of David P. Hoyt, of Utica. He died in 1856, aged seventy-three. Alexander M. Beebee passed his early childhood and youth in Utica, though for quite a period of his youth he had an impor- tant business training under Mr. D. G. Dor- rance, now of Oneida Castle, the outline of whose life is given in this volume. He received his education at Madison, now Col- gate University, was graduated from the college in 1847, and from the Theological Seminary in 1849, in which latter year he was ordained to the Baptist ministry. In 1850 he became a professor in the univer- sity, and occupied the Chair of Logic and English Literature for eighteen years, at the same time giving instruction in Political Economy. In 1868 he was made Professor of Ecclesiastical History in the seminary, and in 1869 received the degree of D.D. from Shurtleff College. In 1872 he was trans- ferred to the Chair of Homiletics, retaining Logic in the college. The duties of these last professorships he discharged for nineteen years. In 1891 he retired from the Chair of Homiletics, and was made Professor Emeritus in that department. Dr. Beebee was married in f85o to Cathe- rine J. Hall, of Sullivan, Madison County, daughter of Daniel Hall, a pioneer settler and agriculturist of that town. In 1842 Miss Hall was graduated from the Oneida Confer- ence Seminary, Cazenovia, and in 1843 from the Albany Female Academy. Their happy union has been graced by three children, namely: Alexander McWhorter, employed in the Live-stock Exchange in Kansas, Mo., is married, and has one son; James Hoyt, a graduate of Colgate University, and a dentist in Rochester, N.Y., who is married, and has 692 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW a son and a daughter; and Catherine Mar- garet, wife of Albert G. Harkness, Professor of Latin in Brown University, Providence, R.I., who has one son. Of Dr. Beebee's characteristics as a teacher one of his former pupils says: "During his entire professorship he has been an intellect- ual and moral force of the rarest educative quality. To analytical powers remarkably keen and strong he joins literary and aesthetic perceptions unusually delicate and discrimi- nating. So that in critical ability he has few equals. In the lecture-room he has handled his classes with peculiar skill. His pupils have learned to distinguish between what they knew and what they only supposed they knew. Mental sluggishness has been transformed into mental activity. Shirks could not thrive in an atmosphere so stimu- lating to intellectual endeavors. Requiring of the student intelligent apprehension of an author's meaning, and then the clear and facile reproduction of that meaning, he has developed in hundreds of young men powers of thought and of expression which would have remained half dormant under a method less masterful than his. The literary work of the students was for many years under his oversight, and his criticisms upon their pro- ductions were always most highly valued, The rich treasures of his wide reading were laid under tribute, and his refined taste had all the certainty of literary instinct. His influence upon the student's intellectual proc- esses tended to cultivate robustness as well as grace. No mere flesh-tints of rhetorical em- bellishment could compensate for feebleness in the logical sinews of thought. "His services to young men have not been limited to the subjects of his instruction, but he has ministered in many ways to the culture of his students. To a teacher so alert and sympathetic the topics of his teaching or the incidents of the class-room have often supplied suggestions leading him out into lines of wise and inspiring counsel which have been most helpful toward the formation of character and the right conduct of life. His classes have always recognized in him not only an intellectual man of large re- sources, but a high-toned, cultivated Chris- tian gentleman. To few teachers is it given so to impress their personality upon young men as has Dr. Beebee impressed his upon the students of Colgate University." Dr. Beebee's relations to his fellow-citi- zens have always been cordial and influential, and his character above reproach. In 1852 he bought and moved into his present home. The house is a substantial structure, with massive oak frame, and, although erected one hundred years ago, is still sound and strong, and is one of the ancient landmarks of the place. In this connection is presented a portrait of the Rev. Dr. Beebee. W' ALTER M. LITCHFIELD, M.D., an able and rising young member of the medical profession of Madison County, was born March 4, 1863, in Sandusky, N.Y., BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 693 and is a son of Noah S. Litchfield, whose father was Simeon Litchfield, a farmer of Cattaraugus County, New York. The Litch- field family came originally from Litchfield, Conn., and settled in Cattaraugus County, New Vork. Simeon Litchfield, the grand- father of the subject of this sketch, married a Miss Williams; and his son, Noah S., was born in EUicottsville, N.Y., and grew up on a farm. He attended the district school in his boyhood, and later learned the trade of wagon and carriage making. He selected his wife in the person of Miss Jane E. Morris, who was the daughter of Joseph Morris, a native of Pembrokeshire, Wales, and a gun- smith by occupation. Mr. Morris was a well- educated man, and imparted much of his knowledge to his children. He was affiliated with the Odd Fellows, and at his death was buried with all the ceremonies of the order. Dr. Walter M. Litchfield received his pre- liminary education at the district schools, and afterward attended an academy, graduating in 1879. He taught school for some time in Cattaraugus County, and was subsequently engaged awhile with his brother, Royal S. Litchfield, in the banking business in Frank- linville, N.Y He then went to Lima, Ohio, where he was employed in the inspection of lumber for the firm of Joseph Morris & Co., Mr. Morris being his uncle. Two years later he returned to his native State, and took up the study of medicine with Dr. Francis D. Findley, of Franklinville, which he continued by attending lectures at the Medical Depart- ment of the University of Buffalo, N.Y. He received his degree of M.D. February 21, 1886, after a course of four years, and was the valedictorian of his class, being so appointed for his high scholarship. On August 6, 1889, he married Miss Ida M. Sharpe, of Louisville, Ky., and since his marriage has been actively engaged in the practice of his profession. He is a gentleman of upright character, skilled as a physician, and of genial and courteous manners, which qualities have secured for him many friends and well- wishers. His practice is already large and steadily increasing; and, although young, he takes a high rank among the professional men of Madison County. AMES S. DIXON, a thriving farmer of the town of Brookfield, was born in Utica, N.Y., August i, 1833. In re- viewing the history of this branch of the Dixon family in New York, we find that Rufus Dixon, grandfather of James S., com- ing, like the majority of the early settlers of Madison County from New England long be- fore the days of railroads, his early home having been in Litchfield, Conn., travelled by ox-team with all his household goods, camped in the unbroken forest, cleared a few acres of its heavy growth of timber, and here estab- lished his dwelling. James Dixon, son of the pioneer and father of James S., was born in Litchfield, Herki- mer County, N.Y., where the grandfather first made a settlement. He was early taught the trade of sash and blind making, which he 694 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW followed many years. One of his earliest recollections is driving the team which took the sashes and blinds for the insane asylum which was being built at Utica, N.Y. He married Miss Cordelia Church; and they had three children — Delia, James S., and A. M. Dixon. The parents both died in Utica, the mother surviving her husband some years. Left fatherless at thirteen years of age, James S. Dixon went to Bridgewater to live with an uncle, RusseW Dixon, where he remained about three years, or till the death of his uncle, after which he came to Brook- field, N.Y., residing there six years, then going to Brisben. Having passed three years in that place, he returned to Brookfield, and there married, moving immediately afterward to Indiana, where he lived for eight years. He next went to Rutland, Ohio, and from there came to Cazenovia, Madison County, N.Y., remaining for some years, and lastly settled in his present home near Leonards- ville in the town of Brookfield. On this farm he has erected fine buildings, and has brought the land into a high state of cultiva- tion. He has very extensive hop-fields, mak- ing that culture a specialty, and getting a profitable crop ever year. While being an active and conscientious citizen in his duty at the polls as a Demo- crat, he does not care to pose as an office- seeker. An enterprising, hard-working man, deprived of his father at an early age, he has had his own way to make in the world. That he has succeeded is well evinced in the pros- perity he enjoys to-day. OHN GILL SANDERS, occupying a valuable farming estate in Smithfield, is successfully engaged in general agriculture, hop-raising, and dairying. He was born in Stockbridge, son of John and Sophia (Gill) Sanders. The paternal grand- father of our subject, Aaron Sanders, was a native of the old Bay State, where he grew to manhood and married. Coming from there to Madison County, he settled in Smithfield when the country was new, before railways or canals were built, and when trips to the mill or market were made on horseback, the road through the pathless woods being marked by blazed trees. He bought a farm of one hun- dred and ten acres, improved and cultivated his purchase, established a comfortable home, and remained there until his death, at the age of threescore and ten years. Politically, he was a Whig, and a man of influence in the community. He was twice married, and reared a family of eleven children, four of whom are now living. John Sanders, father of John Gill, was born during the residence of his parents in Massa- chusetts, and was but a young lad when he came with them to this county, making the long and tedious journey overland with teams. He was reared on the home farm, which he assisted in clearing, gleaning his education in the primitive log school-house of that genera- tion. After arriving at manhood, he engaged in farming on his own account, and eventu- ally bought the old homestead, where he died at the age of seventy-three years. In politics he supported the principles of the Republican BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 69s party. He was three times married, and reared a family of nine children, seven of whom are now living, namely: Louisa J., widow of M. T. Morgan, who lives in Leba- non; John G. ; Silas, who lives in Smith- field; Ellen, who is the wife of Delos Faulkner, of Fenner; Romaine, who lives in Michigan; Mary, who is the wife of William Burnett, of Smithfield; Fillmore, who lives in Michigan; Orville, who died in Penn- sylvania, when twenty -two years old; and Sarah, who married L. Butler, and died in Wisconsin, when twenty-five years of age. John Gill Sanders grew to maturity under the parental roof-tree, receiving a careful home training, a good education in the dis- trict school and in a select school at Peter- boro, and practical instruction in the details of farming. Deciding on agriculture as a life occupation, he purchased forty acres of land in the town of Eaton, where he remained about ten years. Selling that property, he next bought a farm of one hundred and four- teen acres in Smithfield, which he managed with success for about fifteen years. Having an opportunity to sell that advantageously, he did so, and moved to Peterboro, where he resided for five years. In 1886 he bought the old home farm, which he now occupies. At the time he purchased it the farm consisted of two hundred and ten acres of land, but Mr. Sanders has sold part of the land, so that his estate now comprises one hundred and ten acres, all under good cultivation and well stocked with a high grade of domestic ani- mals. His dairy consists of a fine lot of Holsteins, and his machinery and implements for carrying on agriculture are of the most approved patterns. He at one time did an extensive business in buying and selling stock, and now devotes himself to general farming and hop-raising. On January 17, 1851, were married John G. Sanders and Paulina J. Haling, a native of this State. Neither of the two children born of this marriage is now living, Sarah having died when five yearS old, and Sophia at the age of thirteen years. Mr. and Mrs. Sanders are very pleasant, affable people to meet, and are held in high respect throughout the com- munity. Mr. Sanders is a Republican in politics, and has served as Assessor twelve years. f^AMES W. STEWART was born in the town of Essex, Essex County, N.Y., September 17, 1874. His father, Albert G. Stewart, was born in Eaton, Madi- son County, N.Y. The grandfather, Jonathan Stewart, was born in Scotland, and came to this country when a young man, locating in the town of Eaton, where he bought a farm upon which he resided until his death. His son, Albert G., was reared on the homestead until the age of twenty-one, when he went to Essex County, and there followed agricultural^ pursuits. Shortly after his marriage to Miss Mary Jane Knox, of Essex County, but vrhose birthplace was in Canada, he returned to Brookfield, N.Y. They reared three chil- dren — James W., Eliza Ann, and Loretta Jane. Eliza Ann became Mrs. Michael 696 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Flanagan, and died about 1877, leaving one daughter, Jennie, who married Fred Sherman, a farmer of South Hamilton, N.Y. Loretta married Louis Crouse, of Elmira, N.Y., and has two children, May and Albert. The father died on the home farm ; and the mother, who is still living, married for her second husband Mr. John Lont, of West Eaton, N.Y. Very early in life James W. Stewart had to start out to make his way in the world. When barely twelve years of age, having had but few opportunities to acquire an education, he commenced to work by the month, receiv- ing for his first summer's work the sum of seven dollars per month. At the end of this time he entered the employ of a Mr. Bene- dict, with whom he remained for four seasons, here obtaining the opportunity of attending school during the winters. From there he went to the woollen mills at West Eaton for two years, after which he again worked on different farms for about seven years. On November 19, 1873, he married Miss Ida May Eaton, only daughter of Levi and Elvira Eaton, of Brookfield, and after working for Mr. John Garnett for some time purchased his present fine farm of one hundred acres. While at work for Mr. John Garnett, of Brookfield, Mr. Stewart had the misfortune to meet with a terrible accident. He was driving out of the barn, when in some manner he was crushed between a bale of hops and the beams of the barn. For many months he was a helpless invalid, but by tender care was nursed back to health. Mr. and Mrs. Stew- art have had their family circle blessed with five children ; namely, Kirkland, Zeaday May, William Wort, Germain, and Statira R. These children have had every advantage that the best schools could afford of gaining excellent educations, and their natural bright- ness and abilities have been thoroughly cultivated. Although his early advantages were limited, Mr. Stewart has always been a great reader, and, having a good foundation, has built up a solid education. He takes much interest in civic affairs, and is a firm advocate of the principles of the Republican party. He and his family attend the Universalist church. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have many warm and devoted friends, and are highly esteemed in the county. D. BANNING, a representative of one of the pioneer families of Ham- ilton, where he was born February 3, 1830, for many years has been closely identi- fied with the agricultural interests of this part of the county, his well-kept farm ranking among the most desirable here. His grand- father, who was of English birth, came to this country at the age of thirty-five; and it is thought that he first settled in some small town in Connecticut, whence he removed to New Haven in the same State. He subse- quently cast in his lot with the pioneers of this county, journeying all the way through the intervening wilderness with ox-teams. He became an early settler of Hamilton, buy- ing a tract of timbered land here, which he BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 697 partly cleared, and whereon he erected a log house and barn. Later he returned to Con- necticut, and after that made his home there and here alternately, dying in that State. His wife, who lived to the advanced age of one hundred years, also died in Connecticut. The father of O. D. Banning continued to live in Hamilton on the tract of land his father had bought after the return of the latter to Connecticut, busying himself in its further improvement. He tilled the soil with profit, and eventually bought other land, on which he erected a substantial set of buildings. He died here at the venerable age of eighty-five years. By his wife, Lucilla, he had three children besides our subject — Joseph D., Helen L., and John M. Here on the old homestead O. D. Banning grew to a stalwart manhood, assisting his father in its management. He subsequently purchased a rich tract of farming land, which he has developed into a fertile, well-tilled farm, and has provided it with convenient buildings. He is an excellent farmer, hav- ing a practical knowledge of agriculture in all its branches; and his industry has placed him in comfortable circumstances. He is a man of good habits, is well liked in his com- munity, and has the reputation of always dealing with fairness and justice in all his transactions. He was formerly a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. To the wife who has been his devoted helpmate these many years Mr. Banning was married June 26, 1861. She was Sarah Williams in her maiden days, and her parents were Will- iam and Floy Williams. The one child born to them died when quite young. ^\t; JOHNSTON AND BROTHER, general merchants of Peterboro, hold igh rank among the rising young men of this county, being already valued factors of the mercantile industries of their native town, giving promise of attaining still greater success in the near future. Clarence B. Johnston, the senior member of the firm, was born in Smithfield, June 11, 1872; and Marshall Johnston, the junior partner, was born in the same town, August 15, 1874. Both brothers were reared and educated in the town of Smithfield, living on the home farm and attending the district schools, where they received a good common-school education. They were active, wide-awake, energetic boys, and endowed with good busi- ness talents. When old enough to begin life on his own account, Clarence secured employment in the store of I. O. Wright, of Peterboro. He proved a most competent and faithful clerk, discharging his duties ably, and during the two years he remained there obtained a clear insight into the business. On March i, 1893, he formed a partnership with his brother Marshall, under their present firm name, and, buying the stock and fixtures of Mr. Woodbury, opened a store for general merchandise. They carry a stock valued at from five thousand to six thousand dollars, have a large and steadily increasing trade, 698 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW and are classed among the reliable business firms of this vicinity. They are young men of exceptionally good habits, courteous and genial in their manners, and frank and honest in their dealings with all. In politics they are steadfast Republicans. Among the pioneers of Smithfield the name of Johnston holds an honorable place, the grandparents of our subjects having been among the original settlers of the town, and having aided materially in the development and growth of this section of the country. The parents of our subjects, Marshall and Adelia Johnston, were natives of this county, born in Smithfield. The father was a pros- perous farmer and stock-raiser, owning a good homestead in the town, on which he spent his last years, dying in 1874. Mrs. John- ston, surviving her husband for. several years, managed the home farm, rearing and educat- ing her two sons. Both she and her hus- band were regular attendants of the Methodist Episcopal church In politics Marshall Johnston was a Republican. rwyo EORGE O. C. LAWRENCE, a na- \|£J_ five of Lancaster, Worcester County, Mass., is a member of the well-known Law- rence family of Massachusetts — a name emi- nent in the annals of its commerce and manufactures, and honorably associated with its educational and philanthropical work, and which has recently furnished a successor to the lamented Bishop Brooks in the dioces^ of that State. Mr. Lawrence is the eldest of the three children : — ■ George O. C, Eliza- beth, and Edward — of the Rev. Amos and Ann Maria (Crocker) Lawrence. His father, a native of Geneseo, Livingston County, N.Y., a graduate of Yale College in the lit- erary and scientific course, and of Hartford Theological School, is a minister in the Con- gregational church, who has held various pastorates and has preached in many differ- ent places. For some years he has been a resident of Newton, Mass. The advantages of a liberal education and of foreign travel have been enjoyed by Mr. George O. C. Lawrence. Having pursued his preparatory studies in the public schools of Newton, he took his college course at Am- herst, where he was graduated in the Class of 1882. He afterward spent two years as a student at the University of Gottingen, Germany. Returning to Massachusetts, he shortly went to Buenos Ayres, Argentine Republic, S.A., where he established an ex- tensive business in the canning of native fruits, which is conducted with marked suc- cess to the present time, the goods finding a ready market in different parts of South America. Our subject seems to have inher- ited in a good degree the genius for business, the foresight and enterprise that characterize the Lawrences ; and, though yet a young man, he has already achieved an assured position in commercial and financial circles. Honorable and upright in all the relations of life, Mr. Lawrence is a worthy member of the Congregational church. He was united in marriage with Miss Ida Beem, of Hamil- BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 699 ton, in 1887. They have one daughter, Gladys. Mrs. Lawrence is a communicant of the Episcopal church, and is active in its every good work. M AVID W. JONES, a useful and highly esteemed adopted citizen of the town of Nelson, was born in Caermarthenshire, Wales, April i, 1849, and is a son of Thomas J. Jones, a native of the same shire. The parents of the latter were James and Ann Jones, who were lifelong residents of that shire and locality. Thomas J. Jones' was reared in his native land, and married there to Hannah Jones, who was also a native of Caermarthenshire, and was a daughter of David L. and Dinah Jones. They resided in Wales until the year 1850, when, accompanied by his wife and two chil- dren, Mr. Jones came to America, landing in New York after a voyage of six weeks in a sailing-vessel. They then came, via the Hudson River and Erie Canal, to Utica. After residing for one year in New Hartford, they removed to Nelson, where Mr. Jones purchased a farm, upon which he lived until his death, in October, 1873. His wife, who reared eight children, still occupies the home farm. Her parents, David L. and Dinah Jones, also came to America, and spent their last years in the town of Nelson. David W., son of Thomas J. and Hannah Jones, received his early education in the district school, and supplemented it by attendance at Cazenovia Seminary. In 1874 he went to Iowa, and taught school one year in Montgomery County, after which he re- turned, and was married October 12, 1876, to M. Jennie Keith, the only child of Levi and Persis (Payne) Keith. After his marriage Mr. Jones went to reside on his father-in- law's farm, where he has lived ever since. His wife died November 22, 1886. She was a true and noble woman, devoted to her parents and a loving and faithful wife. She left one son, Keith, who was born October 25, 1886. Mrs. Jones could trace her ances- try on her mother's side back to Moses Cleve- land, of Woburn, Mass., in 1641, who appears to have been the common progenitor of the Clevelands of New England, of whom the present President of the United States is a descendant. Moses Cleveland is said to have emigrated to this country in 1635, from Ipswich, Suffolk, England. (See "Geneal- ogy of the Cleveland Family," by Horace Gillett Cleveland.) Mrs. Jones's maternal grandfather was James Payne, who married Persis Cleveland, a descendant of Moses, in Wendell, Franklin County, Mass., July 4, 1798. Her mother, Persis Payne, was born in Eaton, Madison County, N.Y., April 20, 1 8 10, and was married to Levi Keith, June 22, 1834. Mr. Jones is a member of the Presbyterian church of Cazenovia, to which his wife also belonged. He was President of the Town Sunday School Convention for two years after its organization, in 1890. A Republican in politics and a loyal supporter of his party, having an intelligent comprehension of its 70O BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW principles and a correct knowledge of its history, he has served his town as a mem- ber of the County Board of Supervisors, and is at present Railroad Commissioner of the town. He is a member of Nelson Grange, No. 615, and has served as Master of the Grange for two years. In brief, Mr. David W. Jones is well known as one of the promi- nent agriculturists of his town, and univer- sally respected as a man of upright character, and as a patriotic citizen who faithfully per- forms his public duties, and is ever willing to lend his aid to the advancement of every worthy cause. 'AMES ARTHUR LOYSTER, an able representative of the journalistic en- terprise of Madison County, was born in Niles, Cayuga County, N.Y., June 22, 1866, son of Lewis B. Loyster, whose father was Peter Loyster, a native of Orange County, New York. Abram Loyster, a farmer by oc- cupation, great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, removed from Orange County, where his Dutch ancestors were early settlers, to Niles; and there spent his last years with his son Peter, who had gone to Cayuga County in his young manhood, and engaged in farming. Peter Loyster married Angelina Van Auken, who was, so far as can be ascer- tained, a lifelong resident of that county. He died at his home in Niles, at the age of forty years. Lewis B. Loyster, being left an orphan, at seven years of age, was early apprenticed to a tanner, but, after working at that trade a few years, went back to farm work. Indus- trious, resolute, and economical, he in time accumulated enough to purchase the old homestead in Niles, where he still resides. His wife, Lucy Howland, was born in Jeffer- son County, New York, and was a daughter of James and Celinda (Goodenough) Howland. James A., only son of Lewis B. and Lucy (Howland) Loyster, received his rudimentary education at the district school, and supple- mented it by attendance at a select school in Moravia and a year at Cazenovia Seminary. He then accepted a position as book-keeper in the sash factory in Cazenovia, continuing thus engaged for two years, at the end of which time he returned to the seminary, and, after studying there for two years, was grad- uated with the class of 1888. Purchasing an interest in the sash factory, he was con- nected with that business until 1890, when he sold his share in the factory, and bought the Cazenovia Republican, the only paper published in the village of Cazenovia. He at once assumed management of the paper (which, as its name indicates, is Republican in politics), and has conducted it very suc- cessfully up to the present time. In addi- tion to his newspaper work, he does a large and rapidly increasing business as job printer, the excellence of his work enhancing his repu- tation and assuring his prosperity. He was married September 3, 1890, to Dora L. Freeborn, who was born in New Woodstock, and is a daughter of Leonard W. and Ruby (Morse) Freeborn. Mrs. Loyster BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 701 IS a lady of intelligence and refinement, and both she and her husband are popular in social circles. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in the daily duties of life give evidence of the sincerity of their religious faith. Mr. Loyster is a Republican in. his political views, and ably upholds the principles of his party in the bright and pro- gressive sheet of which he is editor and pro- prietor. He is still a young man, and with his qualities of energy and perseverance, guided by a keen intelligence, has before him an enviable future. That his voice will ever be heard in behalf of the good, the true, and the right, and his influence exerted for the best interests of his native town and county, will be believed by all who know him or are familiar with his reputation. INDEX. BIOGRAPHICAL. Ackley, H. Clay 184 Adams, Edmund 434 Adams, Henry W. 351 Alexander, Alanson . 228- Allen, Charles A. . 281 Allen, Frederick 342 Allen, Isaac S. . 568 Allen, Mrs. Mary Root . 478 Allis, Joel 18 Ames, Warren W. 361 Armour, Virgil M. 226 Armstrong, John A. .' 597 Avery, Lyman . 479 Aylesworth, H. M., Esq. 317 Bailey, Asa R. . 667 Baker, George W. 273 Banning, O. D. 6g6 Barber, Darlin 257 Barber, Stephen 606 Barnard, Wellington E. 573 Barnes, Thompson E. 127 Barr, Samuel 30 Barrett, Fred W. . 672 Bates, Charles F. 247 Beebe, Edgar L. 408 Beebee, Alexander M., D.D. . 688 Benedict, Samuel B. 244 Bentley Brothers 197 Berry, Ephraim 428 Berry, Hon. George . 353 Bettinger, John 447 Betts, James 185 Birdsall, Dr. G. Blair, Isaac A. Blanchard, L. De Forest Blanding, E. F. Blanding, Franklin Bliss, Norton A. . Blodgett, Mrs Adelone Wilber Boden, Edwin R., M.D. Bonney, Albert H. Bonney, Benjamin F. Bosworth, William V. Bowers, Mrs. Ann S. Boyce, James L. Bridge, Amos Britt, George B. Broad, John H. ; Broga, Arthur EUery, M.D. Broga, Kinsman D., M.D. Brooks, Anson C. Brown, Mrs. Amelia L. Brown Brothers Brown, Charles Brown, Elijah W Brown, Eugene Brown, George A. Brown, H. Clift, M.D. Brown, Hiram . Brown, Merton H. Brown, Samuel Brownell, Putnam C. Bryant, Byron S. Buell, Floyd C. Bull, V. Williams . Bump, Jeremiah Burdick, Prof. Francis M. Burdick, Samuel B. Burhyte, Augustus E. Burhyte, Orlando Walter, M.D. PACK PAGE 139 Burlingame, Scott H. 391 542 Burnham, Fred I., M.D. 641 35° Burroughs, Leander W. 320 674 Burrows, Alvin A. 138 192 Burton, Joseph J, 566 577 Bush, E. G. . 275 673 Button, Charles P. 182 535 Button, Romaine D. 245 621 647 179 C 685 35 Cady, Charles N. . 607 212 Cady, Smith 395 356 Cameron, Albert L. 423 570 Campbell, Morris N. 495 129 Campbell, Stephen R. 374 5.8 Carpenter, Henry W., M.D. 49 25 Chaffee, Newell M. 330 528 Chamberlin, William H., M.D. 385 581 Chapel, Sandford L. 399 475 Chapin, Horatio E. 158 381 Chapin, Samuel, Sr. . 95 303 Chapman, Hon. B. Franklin 493 3' Chapman, George W. 486 459 Chappell, C. Will 269 544 Chase, Diogenes D., M.D. 144 683 Chesebro, Alvin Duane 371 335 Clark, Charles G. 305 594 Clark, Gilbert E. . 87 200 Clark, Guy H. . 277 207 Clark, 0. A. 426 211 Clark, Silas S., M.D. 392 23 Clarke, Major Augustus P. 524 13 Clarke, Whitman . 253 172 Climenson, Mrs. Elizabeth W. 388 409 Coe, John Wesley 614 .67 Coleman, Mrs. Emily Otis 152 704 INDEX PAGE PAGE PAGE Cook, Alfred G. 80 Fearon, George 420 Hill, Heman A. 401 Cooper, Mrs. Clarissa C. 380 Fearon, George T. 235 Hill, Norman B. 43 Cowan, John R. 6S3 Field, Newcomb 198 Hinkley, Oliver B. 65 Crandall, George B. . 575 Fisk, John 488 Hinman, Lewis C. ir Crandall, H. S., M.D. 521 Fitch, Derick 177 Hitchcock, Charles H. 569 Crandall, I. A. . 514 Fitch, Gerrit E. 159 Hitchcock, Thomas 630 Crocker, Rev. Amos 280 Foote, W. E. 383 Hodges, Frederick H. 679 Cross, Mrs. Rosepha Rouse 6s I Forbes, Gerrit A. 68 Holmes, 'Hon. Alexander M. . 9 Crumb, H. E. 391 Foster, Miss Rhoda . 681 Hopkins, Lucius D. 354 Crumb, Hon. Norman A. 527 French, Andrew J. 75 Hollenbeck, Sullivan D. 366 Crumb, Truman D. 191 Fuller, Daniel H. 46 Hubbard, Mrs. Alma J. 89 Culver, Mrs. Genevieve 499 Fuller, Edward, M.D. 652 Hunt, John 164 Cummings, Elbridge E. 620 Huntley, James F., M.D. 513 Cummings, Lincoln L 15 Hutchinson, Alva P. 640 Curtis, S. Allen 349 G Hyatt, Hon. Francis A. 355 Cypher, Jesse 236 Gale, W. Hector Garrett, J. F. 348 122 Hyatt, Smith K. 3'9 D Gates, Solomon B. 449 Davis, George W., M.D. 520 Gaul, A. Judson 483 I Deitz, Mrs Experience 512 Gill, Frank B. 41 Ingalls, Conrad 589 Deitz, Tobias 120 Gill, Sumner 175 Ingraham, John J. 418 Dewey, Frank E , M.D. Dixon, James S. 649 693 Glidden, Prof. Noah P. Graves, John M. 304 627 Isbell, Frank 389 Dodge, Amos P., M.D. 404 Greenwood, Levi P., M.D. 535 Doolittle, F. W. 240 Gregg, Ralph E. 642 Doran, Michael 498 Griffin, Cornelius . 5" J Dorrance, Hon. Daniel G. Douglas, William H., M.D. 70 86 Griswold, William R. Guthrie, Albertus L . 352 92 Jeffery, John H. Jennings, Milton 82 206 Dowell, John 216, Jennings, William C. 626 Downer, Rev. William Bain- J 1 Johnson, Mrs. Harriet T. 481 bridge 557 H Johnston, Clarence B. and Mar- Duffy, Peter R. 237 shall 697 437 699 347 Dunbar, Aaron D. Dunham, Alanson Durham, Jerry T. Dwinelle, Hon. Justin 609 613 263 485 Hall, Frederick C. Hall, Jesse Wilson Hall, Liberty Hamblin, William . 24 38 643 261 Johnston, William A. Jooes, David W. Jones, Richard E. Hand, Theodore F., Sr. 26 Harrington, Elmer D. 149 B Hart, Andrew S. Harvey, Seymour 223 446 K Eddy, Semun 587 Haskell, D. Eralzman 464 Keating, Daniel 60 Elmore, Mrs. Climena E. 610 Havens, Peter B., M.D. 580 Keith, Levi 209 Elphick, Richard W. 141 Hawks, Austin A. 99 Kennedy, Judge Charles L. 490 Ensign, Thomas 107 Hawley, Mrs. J. H. 387 Kern, Hon, Lambert B. 562 Head, Jarvis A. 332 Kiley, Michael H. 497 F Henderson, Solomon 687 King, Mrs. Ann 504 Henderson, Wilber M. 293 Klock, Henry S. 368 Fairchild, Sidney T. 592 Hess, Daniel 467 Klock, Solomon 132 Faulkner, Alonzo A. 566 Hess, Marvin M. 97 Knickerbocker, Andrew Jackson 262 Faulkner, Charles 379 Higinbotham, Mrs. Eliza 135 Knickerbocker, Edwin . 117 INDEX 70s Ladd, William Eugene 301 Lamb Brothers 157 Lamb, Edwin M. . 124 Lamb, John 564 Lampher, Emmett G. 661 Lawrence, George O. C. 698 Leach, H. Burdette 19s Leavenworth, Beard 441 Lewis, John E. 294 Lewis, William 563 Lillybridge, Wellington J. . 369 Lindsley, A. W. 638 Litchfield, Walter M., M.D. 692 Lobdell, Josiah 276 Loomis, Hon. Edward, M.D. 306 Lounsbery, Mrs. Kate E. 19s Lowe, James S4 Lowe, Walter R. 147 Loyster, James A. 700 Luce, Ira 296 Lynch, James C. 32 Lyon, Marlin 523 Mott, Mrs. Caroline L. . Mott, Charles Williams Munroe, Loring N Nash, George E. Nash, Henry K. Nash, James B. Nash, Le Roy Near, Eli New, James Chancellor New, Jefferson Newitt, Rev. Henry L Nichols, Ladurna P. Northrop, John H. . . Norton, A. DeLoss Norton, Edward Omans, Morris M Maine, Paul S. 166 Marsh, Andrew J. 4SS Marshall, Charles 519 Marshall, Charles Burton 625 Marshall, James W. . 436 Mason, Ezra 373 Maxson, Charles H. . 278 Mayer, Frank H. . 323 Mayne, Thomas E. 398 McConnell, Charles, M.D. 208 Mclntyre, Artemas G. 225 McQuade, John 649 Mead, Benjamin F. 214 Miles, George W., M.D. 505 Millikin, Marvin E. 457 Milmoe, Patrick F. 41° Moore, James A. 644 Morris, John . 329 Morse, Albert William . 264 Morse, Darwin B. and Frank B. 59 Morse, Hon. Gardner 336 Morse, Silas E. 636 Morse, Walter 128 Morton, Seth S. 59^ Palmer, George B., M.D. Palmer, Gurdon L. Palmer, Henry C. Palmer, Herman Palmer, Lucius C. Parker, Thomas P. Patten, William H. Perkins, Edwin Perkins, Wilson L. Perry, Eugene M. Perry, Mason G. Pfaff, Otto, M.D. . Phelps, Henry S. Phipps, Abi A. Phipps, David H. Pierce, Francis T. Porter, Major William K. PAGE 6s4 548 202 266 310 439 282 21 3" 403 16 S.6 660 los 189 PAGE Rasbach, J. Clarence 657 Ray, Mrs. Mary A. 260 Reed, Edmond M. 163 Reeve, Jonas L. I94 Remick, Capt. Charles E. . 598 Rice, WiUiam H. . 161 Richards, William 255 Richardson, Albert E. 639 Richardson, Thomas M. 79 Riddell, Robert D. 582 Risley, J. A. 44° Roberts, De Witt C. 150 Roberts, Mrs. Jennette A. 45 Robertson, R. Duncan 339 Robie, Eugene B. 678 Rogers, George A. 686 Rowlands, William R. 669 285 114 312 '9 668 62 3'5 53° 365 loi 359 541 448 458 40 232 292 509 Rambaut, Mrs. Mary L. Bonney 677 Randall, Capt. Thomas Jefferson 450 Ransom, Edwin 284 Sadler, George S. 584 Sage, Mrs. F. Arabelle . 547 Samuel, John . . 628 Sanders, John Gill 694 Saunders, B. Fred 684 Saunders, Ocran 0. 78 Sawdey, Gilbert O. 300 Sawyer, Ambrose E. 612 Sayles, William G. 181 Schmidt, Prof. Nathaniel, A.M. 591 Senn, Joseph D. 465 Seymour, Alfred 468 Seymour, Frank D, 460 Seymour, Henry . 83 Sheldon, George J. 590 Shepard, Ira 413 Sims, James 456 Skinner, Deacon Daniel Webster 555 Smith, Atwell M. . 239 Smith, Gerrit 550 Smith, William 324 Smitzer, Rev. John 106 Snell, Addison F. 63 Snell, Herman . 67 Southworth, Oscar L., M.D. . 502 Spaulding, Ira. 88 Spaulding, Philander A. 112 Spaulding, Samuel S. 213 Spear, Phil Bennett, D.D. 681 Spencer, J. Eugene 314 7o6 INDEX Sperry, George G. Squires, W. T. Stafford, Francis Stafford, Norman Stanbro, Peleg Stanley, Rev. Lewis Hyde Stansbury, T. Albert Stebbins, John . Stewart, James W. Stewart, Robert J. Stillman, Arthur J. Stillman, B. G., Jr. Stillman, Duane B. Stimson, Barna J. Stisser, Augustus . Stoddard, Albert A. Stowell, Horace Stringer, William Stroud, Charles E. Taber, B. Wellington Tackaberry, Nathaniel J. Taylor, E. Herbert Taylor, William, M.D. . Terwilliger, John . Thomas, Elias J. Tift, William A. Tillotson, Washington I. Titus, Julius A. 540 346 345 425 416 384 405 537 695 286 362 201 506 538 560 289 248 430 659 576 33 340 377 230 243 42 142 422 Tondeur, Cleon H. Torpy, John W. Torrey, David, D.D. Tucker, Orville J. Tufts, John Marshall Turner, Henry O. Vane, Frank Van Slyck, Edward Delavan Vidler, Edward H. W Wadsworth, Alvin Wager, I. A. Walden, Philo . Waldron, George G. Waldron, George R. Walker, James Wallace, Adrien E., M.D. Warren, David R. Watkins, Joel G. Webber, Norman L. Wells, Lyman Wemple, Abraham A. Wermuth, William West, D. B. Wheeler, John O. 632 461 500 53 462 299 414 363 36 338 328 579 629 242 397 51 663 S7 618 297 568 545 no Wheeler, L. Whipple, Andrew White, Prof. Aaron Whitford, Edwin . Whitford, Nathan S. Whitman, Allen S. Whitmore, H. Hamlin Whitmore, Joel S. Whitney, John T. Wicks, Charles H. Wilber, Samuel Wilcox, Alanson C. Willard, Perry . Willcox, De Forest A. Williams, Rev. Dwight . Williams, Mrs Mercy Shepard- son Williams, William R. Wilson, John Wilson, Jonathan M. Woodbury, John N. Woodman, George B. Woods, George E. Woodworth, Royal Wright, Irving O. 258 623 442 421 445 360 476 «o3 322 466 90 109 622 327 64 333 130 125 252 169 170 69 671 631 York, John Henry York, Oliver B. 146 56 PORTRAITS. FAGB FAGB PAGE Bailey, Asa R. 666 Gill, Sumner 174 Remick, Captain Charles E. . 600 Beebee, Alexander M., D.D. 690 Hand, Theodore F., Sr. 28 Roberts, De Witt C. 150 Birdsall, Dr. G. 139 Higinbotham, Niles 134 Robertson, R. Duncan . 339 Bonney, Benjamin F. 646 Holmes, Hon. Alexander M. 8 Robertson, Mrs. Frances A. 339 Bosworth, William V. 179 Knickerbocker, Edwin n6 Sadler, George S. 586 Broad, John H. S72 Loomis, Edward, M.D. 308 Seymour, Alfred 470 Carpenter, Henry W., M.D. 48 Morse, Walter . 128 Seymour, Mrs. Rhoda H. 472 Chapin, Samuel, Sr. . 94 Munroe, Loring 204 Shepard, Ira 412 Chapman, Hon. B. Franklin 492 Norton, Edward 188 Smith, Gerrit . 552 Chappell, C. Will 268 Patten, William H. 532 Stafford, Francis 344 Clark, Silas S., M.D. 394 Perry, Eugene M. 358 Stoddard, Albert A. . 288 Coe, John Wesley 616 Phipps, David H. 234 Stowell, Horace 250 Coleman, Mrs. Emily Otis 154 Phipps, Mrs. Eliza H. . 233 Stringer, William 432 Coleman, Noah T. . 156 Porter, Major William K. 508 Taylor, WiDiam, M.D. 376 Dorrance, Hon. Daniel G. 72 Rambaut, Mrs. Mary L. Bonney 676 Tondeur, Cleon H. 634 Dowell, John 218 Randall, Captain Thomas J. . 452 Willcox, De Forest A. 326 Dowell, Mrs. Mary A 220 Rasbach, J. Clarence 656