Peter G. Low was born in Kingston, NY in 1750, one of three brothers, two of whom served in the Revolutionary War. Peter G., on account of ill health, was unable to participate in the conflict, but sent a substitute, and this fact entitles his descendants to membership in the order of the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution. For a number of years, Mr. Low was a resident of Clayton, but later removed to Brownville, NY, where his death occurred in 1847, at the extreme old age of ninety-seven years. In 1775, he married Catherine Hess, who was born in Kingston, NY in 1753. They were the parents of a family of children whom they reared to lead lives of usefulness and activity, namely: Jacob, Gideon and Margaret, who became the wife of Isaac White, of Denmark, Lewis Co., NY.
NOTE BPC: Peter G Low Findagrave Memorial 76302820, DAR Ancestor A07206 -Red Lined
Gideon Low, the first of the family to change the spelling of the name from Low to Lowe was born in New Paltz, Ulster Co. NY May 8, 1779. He spent the early years of his life in Denmark, NY, but later became one of the pioneer settlers of the town of Depauville, NY, where he cleared up some land, but the ground being low and swampy, he contracted a fever and therefore was obliged to remove to higher ground. He served in the War of 1812 and received credit and distinction for his gallant and meritorious conduct on the field of battle. He was united in marriage to Polly Goudiere, who was born in Middleton, New Jersey, April 2, 1782, a daughter of Francis Goudiere, who came to this country from De Vallitte, France, Province of Far, where he was born in the year 1755. His wife, Annie (Trieux) Goudiere, was born in 1758 and was a descendant of Philippe and Jacqueline (Norret) De Trieux, or De Truax. The earliest mention of the De Trieux family is found on the Walloon church register preserved in the University of Leyden, Holland, and by this it is shown that they joined the church at Leyden, October, 1617, by letter from Amsterdam, Holland. Other members of the De Trieux family joined this church at an earlier date.
Gideon Lowe, father of these children, following, died at his home in Depauville on May 14, 1853 at 74 years. Polly, his wife, passed away September 2, 1867 in her eighty-sixth year.
Gideon and Polly (Goudiere) Lowe were the parents of the following children:
1. Abel F. b July 3, 1802, d 1859; he was one of the prime organizers, founders and a liberal contributor to the Methodist Episcopal Church and his wife at her decease left a handsome endowment for the Ives Seminary at Antwerp, NY.
2. Abraham, b September, 1803, died December 18, 1857; his first wife was a Frame; his second wife, Adelia Frye, born in 1822 died November 27, 1855; and his third wife was Harriet Payne, a full account of her ancestry is found in the sketch of Milo McCumber.
3. Jacob, b in 1809, died April 6, 1874; his wife, Betsy (Hancock) Lowe, died October 11, 1895, age eighty-seven years.
4. John, b January 7, 1810, died September 22, 1876; his wife, Eunice (Phelps) Lowe, was born November 18, 1813. John was raised in Deer River, NY and on his manhood, located in the town of Clayton where he purchased a farm. In 1859 he bought a 185 acre farm at Gunns Corners, later occupied by their sons, John D. and Abel F. Lowe. In 1832, he married Eunice Phelps who was born in Denmark, Lewis Co., NY. She was the daughter of Sampson and Louisa (Smith) Phelps. (*see following) John Lowe was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church; he died on September 22, 1876 at 66 years. Eunice, his wife, was also a member of the same church and she died Nov. 22, 1900 at age 89.
The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. John Lowe:
a. Alzina b August 4, 1859, wife of M. V. Cook of Rodman, NY
b. John D.
c. Leonard, died 1895
d. Ashley D., a resident of Watertown, NY; married Ida Baldwin of Stone Mills, NY- one child, Gracie
e. Delia A., born March 18, 1842; married Isaac Webb of Kalamazoo, Michigan on Nov. 28, 1860; two children:
1. Georgie b Sept. 20, 1862, married Herbert Clark of Dexter, NY - one child, Florence,
b 1885
2. Eugene C. b Nov. 24, 1868; died in NY City, March 21, 1903; survived by wife,
Emma (Stimpson) Webb and their child, Delia Frances, b March 23, 1892.
f. Abel F. born June 1844 in Clayton; enlisted in the Tenth NY Heavy Artillery for two years.
In 1888 he married Kate Cummings, a daughter of A. E. Cummings and they had
two children--Maud, living and John, deceased
g. Sylvia, wife of David A. Van Camp of Perch River, NY. (*see following)
5. Isaac was born at Deer River, town of Denmark, NY on November 12, 1812. When he was a young man, he located in Clayton, near the town of Depauville where he purchased a farm and engaged extensively in the breeding and handling of sheep, cows and horses, being the owner of as many as 150 cows at a time. Isaac Lowe died at his home in Depauville on May 31, 1879 at 66 years and Zilla, his wife, died November 6, 1889 at 71 years. He married Zilla Atwood, (*see following) who was born May 6, 1818 and they were the parents of nine children, three of whom are living at the present time:
a. Celia, wife of D. C. Herkimer of Depauville, NY
c. Frank D., deputy collector and inspector of customs at Clayton, NY, from 1898, a native of the town in which he resides having been born October 17, 1862, a son of Isaac and Zilla
(Atwood) Lowe. He was united in marriage on November 28, 1882 to Gertrude A.
a native of Depauville, NY and a daughter of Sandford Plumb, (*see following)
a farmer by occupation, who died at the age of 71, and Betsy (Rice) Plumb. Frank and Gertrude Lowe were the parents of one son, Ross B., born November 30, 1883.
6. Fanny, b 1814.
7. Chester b April 26, 1819; married Celestine Gould, born January 17, 1822 in Michigan and died July 28, 1894. They were the parents of three children:
a. Charlotte who became the wife of E. Rogers of Michigan
b. Alice and c. Eugene - both residents of Michigan
8. Margaret b 1821; became the wife of Homer Phelps and died in early womanhood
9. Ann b 1823; d Benton Harbor, Michigan
Zilla (Atwood) Lowe was the daughter of Anthony and Polly (Chandler) Atwood. Anthony was born 1769 in Vermont and was a well-know and highly respected hotel keeper. In 1817 he came to this section and located at Depauville, at that time there being no houses where the thriving village of Clayton now stands. Here he spent his life, and died October 29, 1845 in the 77th year of his age. His wife, Polly (Chandler) Atwood was born in 1786 and her death occurred in Depauville, NY on September 20, 1854 in the 69th year of her age. She was the daughter of Anthony Chandler, a relative of Gov. Gorman Chandler, of Vermont
Anthony and Polly Chandler Atwood were the parents of:
1. Isaac b 1810 in Vermont, d Depauville, NY Oct. 29, 1845; he came to Clayton as a child;
married Luthera Stetson, b 1814 and d Sept. 19, 1874.
Children:
a. Jeanette
b. Charles
c. James L. who married Arvilla Dodge, daughter of Isaac and Adeline (Hudson)
Cleveland.
2. Cynthia, married Oliver Rouse
3. Oliver P. b 1815; died March 21, 1845 at 30 years
4. Zilla, b May 6, 1818 and married Isaac Lowe*
5. Corilla b 1821 and d Nov. 18, 1839 at 18 years
6. William C., resided in Clayton, NY and d October, 1903
Abner Smith was born in Brownville, a son of Abner Smith, who came to Brownville as a pioneer and built a stone house which is still standing in a fair state of preservation. Abner Smith, Sr. died at the age of 82 years. Abner Smith, Jr. took a prominent part in educational matters, taught school for many years, and is supposed to have held the first state teachers' certificate ever issued in Jefferson Co., NY. He conducted a beautiful farm of 250 acres which was located about three miles from Depauville on the road to Clayton, but about 1880 he retired from active business pursuits and made his home with Mr. Lowe. Although 87 years of age he is still vigorous in mind and body and is one of the most intelligent men in the town.
Alma Wheeler Smith, his wife, was born in Russia, Herkimer County, NY, a daughter of Myron and Sally (Paine) Wheeler. Myron Wheeler came to Clayton, NY by means of marked trees and was one of the very earliest settlers of that section. He followed the occupation of drover and died at age 80. Myron Wheeler and his wife, Sally Paine Wheeler, were the parents of a number of children, two of whom are living at the present time--Ephraim who is the principal of the Pulaski School, formerly connected with the Ives Seminary and Elma, who became the wife of Abner Smith and died in 1842; and Susan, widow of Morgan Moffatt.
The children of Sandford Plumb and Betsy (Rice) Plumb, were six daughters, four of whom are living at the present time (1803):
1. Emma, who resides in Montana
2. Nettie, a resident of Buffalo, NY
3. Gertrude, wife of Frank D. Lowe
4. Winnifred, who married Merritt Andrus and resides in Washington, D.C.
Sampson Phelps was born in New Salem, MA in 1779 and died in 1857. Louisa was born August 30, 1783, a daughter of Job and Eunice (McClure) Smith. Sampson and Louisa were the parents of six children:
1. Clemina who married French Lowe
2. Homer who married Margaret Lowe
3. Eunice who married John Lowe
4. Lovinia who married a Nims
5. Leonard
6. John, the only surviving member of this family was born December 18, 1819. He married in Frankfort, NY, near Utica to Elizabeth Myers, who was born December 5, 1822. She was a daughter of Frederick F. and Abigail (Frank) Myers, who were the parents of seven children:
Mary, Catherine, Hiram, Abigail, Martha, Elizabeth (Mrs. Phelps), the only one
now living; and Frederick
John and Elizabeth (Myers) Phelps were the parents of four children of whom two are living:
a. Rev. D. L. Phelps of St. Lawrence
b. Rev. Brayton M. Phelps of Richville, St. Lawrence Co.
John and Elizabeth were residents of Chaumont, NY.
David was of Perch River, NY, born in the town of Clayton, NY on September 22, 1844, a son of Cornelius Van Camp, b 1818, died May 1859 and Mercy (Spicer) Van Camp, b April 10, 1819 and died October 13, 1896. Cornelius Van Camp was a farmer and extensive dealer in cattle, son of Henry D. Van Camp, born Montgomery Co., NY, a farmer by occupation and who died at Stone Mills.
David was in the Civil War and enlisted in Company H, Tenth Regiment NY Heavy Artillery, was in front of Petersburg and served until the close of the war. He married on March 19, 1868 to Sylvia A. Low, born December 31, 1846 in Clayton, NY, daughter of John and Eunice (Phelps) Low.
They were the parents of four children:
1. Charles H., born Jan. 10, 1869
2. Pitt De Elton, born April 13, 1872; located at Bisbee, North Dakota as a telegraph operator
on the Great Northern Railroad
3. Carrie Grace, born July 6, 1877, died Aug. 17, 1888
4. Roy David, born February 1, 1886.
David Van Camp, the father of the preceding four children, died October 17, 1901.
David's sister, Clara Van Camp, married on February 2, 1875 to Taylor E. Calkins of Perch River, the only surviving member of a family of six children born to Cornelius and Mercy (Spicer) Van Camp. Taylor E. Calkins was born near Perch River, NY on April 21, 1849, a son of Ervin Calkins and grandson of Seth Calkins and great-grandson of Asahel Calkins, a native of New York State, who died in Oswego Co., and his wife, Lena (Savins) Calkins. They were the parents of 12 children:
1. Seth Calkins married Nancy Holmes and they had 12 children.
2. Ervin Calkins was born in Canada and moved to Oswego Co., NY and then to Jefferson County.
He married 1)Abigail Wright and had two children--Ann Eliza and Jane.
He married 2)Mary McCombs of McComb's Settlement, (d at 90 years) daughter of John and
Magdalena (Frank) McCombs - children: Harriet; George who was a chaplain
in the Civil War; Henry, a corporal in the Civil War and died at Antioch Church
Virginia; Hannah; Mary; Walter, a resident of Dexter, who served in the Civil
War in Co. G., Tenth Reg., NY Heavy Artillery, and he married Christina E. Lowe,
daughter of Jacob and Betsey (Hancock) Lowe, of Brownville
Walter Calkins and Christina E. Lowe's children:
a. George E.
b. Eva M.
c. Arthur G.
d. Rev. John of Ox Bow
e. Edwin, a resident of Watertown
f. Taylor E. Calkins - died in Perch River Nov. 27, 1903; his wife survived him
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