The following family group descriptions are adapted from Hamilton Child's "Gazetteer of Jefferson County, N.Y.", published in 1890. The families are arranged alphabetically by township, and wherever possible, a link has been made to a Jefferson County Pioneer. We welcome any corrections and additions to the information presented.
This project has only been made possible through the efforts of several volunteers, directed by Shirley Farone, who has been a behind-the-scenes participant in this website from the very beginning. The original idea came from Sharon Patchett, who is also giving her time to the project. Sisters Marcia Alary and Barbara Britt, both of whom have been volunteering on other projects for the website, are also working on this, and the newest volunteer, Gary Roe, was one of the first to get his work in. We are grateful to each of them for making this material so easily available.
Note: In this file, the highlighted name clicks will take you to the pioneer
group sheet associated with the name.
Town of Ellisburgh Child's Gazetteer, pp. 419 - 445
David Andrus, son of Ira and Melinda (Taft) Andrus, was born in Ellisburgh in 1833. He was reared upon a farm, and at the age of 23 years commenced work on a railroad, where he continued about five years. He subsequently became a commercial traveler, in which business he is now engaged. He married Alzina H., daughter of John F. and Rhoda (Bailey) Robinson, January 28, 1880, and they have two sons and one daughter, viz.: William L., born December 11, 1880; John R., born July 13, 1882; and Edna Louise, born May 19, 1887. Mr. Andrus resides on Lorraine street, at Pierrepont Manor.
Samuel J. Andrus was born in Ellisburgh, August 5, 1823, and was reared upon a farm. He married, first, Elizabeth, daughter of Eli Farr, in 1850, and she died in 1858. For his second wife he married Laverna Stillman, of Union Square; and for his third wife, Marion B., daughter of Eben and Sally (Bronson) Abbott, in 1861. Mr. Andrus has kept hotel in Camden, N. Y., and Saginaw, Mich., and is now proprietor of the hotel at Pierrepont Manor.
Daniel Arnold, Jr., of English descent, was born in Providence, R. I., in 1770. He married, first, Waite Taft, in 1791, and they had three sons and three daughters. He married, second, Mary Barker, and they had three children. His son, Welcome Arnold, was born in 1799, and became a Methodist clergyman. He married Roxia, daughter of Jabez and Hannah (Mason) Rounds, in 1821, who bore him two sons and six daughters, viz.: Celestia, Cynthia M., Adeline A., Jane A., John W., Daniel S., Harriet O., and Eliza. Jane A. Arnold married Thomas B. Hunting, in 1852, their union being blessed with three sons and two daughters, viz.: Alfred A., of Salem, Mass.; Lettie F., who married T. B. Hooker and died in 1882; Nettie C., who married F. C. Lister, of Lynn, Mass.; Arthur J., of California; and Ray H., who resides at home. Thomas B. Hunting, son of Jabez and Abigail (Kimball) Hunting, was born in Ellisburgh in 1828. He is a farmer and resides In Belleville.
William Babcock was born in New Hartford, Oneida County, in 1806. He was a woolcarder and cloth-dresser by occupation, and when a young man worked at his trade in Adams. He married Alvira, daughter of Seth and Electa (Cook) Gaylord, who bore him eight children, equally divided as to sex. His son, Gaylord W. Babcock, was born in 1840, and was reared upon a farm. In 1861 he enlisted in Co. K, 24th N. Y. Infantry, was discharged for disability, and in 1863 re-enlisted in Co. M., 14th Regt. N. Y. H. A. He participated in the battles of the Wilderness, Spottslylvania Court House, North Anna River, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg, was wounded at Fort Steadman, and was discharged from the hospital in July, 1865. He attained by promotion the rank of first lieutenant. In 1863 he married Martha M., daughter of George W. and Mary (Chafin) Williams, by whom he has had four sons and one daughter, of whom are living Minnie L., a graduate of Union Academy, class of 1886, now teaching school; and Clifford A., born in 1873. Mr. Babcock is a shoemaker at Belleville.
Timothy Balch and wife, Hannah Damons, from Vermont, located in Orwell, N. Y., early in the present century, and reared a large family of children, of whom John, born in 1792, lived to the advanced age of 90 years. John Balch married Eunice Stowell, and they had five sons, and five daughters, viz.: Lucinda, Walstien, Susanna, William H., Orrin H., Harriet, Ira, Loretta, Laura A., and John. Orrin H. Balch was born in Orwell, N. Y., in 1835, and was reared upon a farm. At the age of 18 he removed to Oswego, and learned the blacksmiths' trade, where he remained until 1861. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Co. G, 147th Regt. N. Y. Vols., and in February, 1863, was transferred to the ambulance corps. He participated in the battle of Chancellorsville, was taken prisoner at the battle of Gettysburg, and was incarcerated in a rebel prison at Richmond for several months, when he was paroled and returned home. He married Catharine Elizabeth, daughter of Amos G. and Phebe (Steinberg) Curry, in 1856, and they had two sons and three daughters, viz.: Carrie E., born in 1857, who married Theodore Rounds, by whom he has two children, Edith and La Fayette; Fred O., born in 1861, who married Annie Wilson and resides in Oswego; Horace E., born in 1865, who married Anna Armstrong and resides in Pierrepont Manor; Ida Estelle, who resides at home; and Rosa May, a school teacher. His wife died in 1876, and in 1877, he married Clare E., daughter of Willard and Lydia A. (Lucas) Vernon, and widow of De Alton Brown, by whom he has a daughter, Sarah Eugenie, born in 1884. After the war Mr. Balch located in Orwell, and worked at his trade. In 1871 he settled in Mannsville, where he is now in business.
Joseph W. Barnes was born in Camden, Oneida County, N. Y., in 1812, was reared upon a farm, and learned the carpenters' and joiners' trade. He married Louisa Alexander and reared one son and three daughters, viz.: Curtis J., Ellen V., Jennette, and Sarah J. (Mrs. M. D. Bois). Curtis J. Barnes was born in 1842, and was reared upon a farm. He married Sarah A., daughter of Pliny and Amanda (Dewey) Dean, in 1866, and they have had two sons and two daughters, viz.: Mary A., born in 1869; Dee C., born in 1872; Albert B., who died in infancy; and Mabel L., born in 1871. Mr. Barnes is a farmer and resides on road 71.
Edward Barney, son of General Benjamin Barney, a Revolutionary soldier, was a native of Vermont. He married Mabel Brown, and they reared a large family, all of whom settled in Ellisburgh. He came to this town in the winter of 1804, with an ox-team and sled, the journey occupying three weeks, and bought 160 acres of land, where Herbert H. Barney now resides for which he paid $1.25 per acre, and upon which he erected a log house. John Barney was born in Guilford, Vt., in 1778. He married Cynthia Potter, in 1801, and they had four sons and five daughters, viz.: Hiram, David, Samuel G., John, Aurilla, Julia, Laura, Harriet, and Electa. Samuel G., born in 1815, married Maria J., daughter of John Clark, in 1846, by whom he had a son, Herbert H., born in 1848. Herbert H. was educated in Union Academy, Hungerford Collegiate Institute, and Geneva High School. He married Eliza A., daughter of William and Hannah (Griswold) Phillips, in 1888, is a farmer, and owns the homestead where he was born, and which has never been owned out of the Barney family. He also owns the Sheardson farm.
Newton Barrett, a son of Enoch, married Abigail, daughter of Grove Taylor, by whom he had one son and two daughters, viz.: Georgie Anna (widow of Joseph Alderson), a school teacher; Flora Adel, who married Fred Colton and has two children, Newton and Myra; and Fred M. The latter was born in Ellisburgh, June 21, 1863. He married Ida Myra, daughter of Edwin and Jennett (Rogers) Finney, of Henderson, January 1, 1889, and is now engaged in farming in this town.
Robert Beebe was born in Vermont in 1791, and located in Ellisburgh about 1825. He married Achic Cronkite, in 1806, and of their four children, Ithamer was born in 1827, and after attaining manhood worked in a foundry for many years. He married Mary C., daughter of Jesse and Mary (Wells) Wood, in 1850, and they have two sons and one daughter, of whom Ida M., born in 1851, married George L. Hunt, in 1871, and has a daughter, Cora Adele; Charles I. married Maggie Z., daughter of William H. and Eleanor (Dean) Ruplee, in 1882, and they have a son, Glenn M., born September 17, 1886. Mr. Beebe was elected town clerk in 1888. He is a blacksmith and is associated in business with George Remington, and resides in Ellisburgh village.
Benjamin Bemis, who was born in Brattleboro, Vt., came to Ellisburgh with his wife and a large family of children about 1806. Of his children, Benjamin, Jr., born in 1798, learned the clothiers' trade and established a business on Bear Creek, about one mile east of Ellisburgh village. He afterwards, about 1838, built mills just above the site of the stone mills. In 1843 he built the Universalist Church at the village. He was a prominent man in the town, and served as town clerk and collector several years. In 1820 he married Marilla Spink, by whom he had two children, Freelove L. and Marshall J. Freelove L., born in 1824, married, first, Chester Stearns, by whom she had a son, Henry, and second, Daniel T. Hopkinson. She died in 1861. Marshall J. was born in Ellisburgh in 1830, and was reared upon a farm. He married, first, Cornelia E., daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Swartfigeur) Christman, in 1849, who died in 1857, and second, Eliza Ann, daughter of Horace and Louisa (Tracy) McKee, in 1861. By his first wife he had a daughter, Cornelia E., born in 1857, who married T. H. Willard, by whom she had a son, Fred H., and a daughter, Alma C. By his second wife Mr. Bemis has had a daughter and two sons, viz.: Bertie Isabell, born in 1865, who married Charles H. Nobles and now resides in Little Falls, N. Y.; Winfred M., born November 21, 1867; and Pardon M., born October 16, 1869. In 1849 Mr. Bemis purchased the old Houck farm, on road 110, which he now occupies.
Samuel Bemis, son of David, with his wife, Elizabeth, came from Arlington, Mass., and located in the Wardwell settlement about 1806. He had born to him three sons and three daughters, viz.: Alvin, Chauncey, Samuel, Jr., Lydia, Clara, and Betsey. The latter died at the age of 19 years. Samuel, Jr., was born in Ellisburgh in 1811, and was reared upon a farm. He married, first, Nancy, daughter of Joseph Mellen, who bore him three sons, viz.: Joseph A., of Ellisburgh; Schuyler H., who died in Adams in 1875; and Samuel M. His wife died in 1845, and for his second wife he married, in 1846, Angeline, daughter of Thomas B. Kenyon, who died in 1878. Mr. Bemis died in 1883. Joseph A. Bemis was born in 1833, and was reared upon a farm. He married Ophelia L., daughter of David and Betsey (Randall) Holley, in 1857, by whom he has had one son and three daughters, viz.: Henry H., who died in 1882, Cornelia, Elizabeth, and Mary. Mr. Bemis located upon the David Holley farm, on road 90, in 1858, and there resides at the present time.
Horace Benton, son of John, was born in Florence, Oswego County, in 1814. When he was 11 years of age his mother, a widow, came to Ellisburgh with six children, and located in the southern part of the town. When 22 years of age Mr. Benton married Polly, daughter of Luther Nutting, by whom he had six children. He died May 2, 1889. His wife survives. A. L. Benton, son of Horace, was born June 2, 1840. He married Martha E. Whipple, of Ellisburgh, and settled upon the farm he now occupies. He is a farmer and breeder of blooded stock, and was the originator of the famous Benton family of horses, of which 'General Benton,' who was sold to ex-Governor Leland Stanford, of California, for $25,000, was one. Mr. A. L. Benton has a family of two sons and one daughter.
Peter Bettinger, son of Leonard and Lana (Lower) Bettinger, was born in Madison County in 1803, and in 1832 located in Ellisburgh. He married Eva, daughter of Lawrence and Maria (Campbell) Harter, and they had two sons and two daughters, viz.: Deloss, Harriet (Mrs. Calvin Lumm), Lana, who died young, and Philetus L., of Ellisburgh. Deloss Bettinger was born in 1828, and was reared upon a farm. He married Harriet, daughter of William and Sally (Smith) Hudson, in 1856, and their children were Lena, who married Charles A. Wardwell, of Mannsville; Eugene, of St. Lawrence County; Alice, who married Abner Sprague, of Sandy Creek; and Arthur, who resides in Sandy Creek. Mr. Bettinger's wife died in 1883.
Horatio N. Bigelow, son of William and Mary (Bigelow) Bigelow, was born in Guilford, Vt., in 1805, and died in 1885. He came to Ellisburgh when a young man, and worked out among the farmers for a number of years. In 1831 he married Watie Ann, daughter of Daniel Arnold, by whom he had two sons and three daughters, viz.: Emily F., who married Daniel Reynolds, of Michigan; George W., of Ellisburgh; Almena E. (Mrs. Frank Webb), of Adams; James K. P., of Ellisburgh; and Fanny A., who married William Farmer and resides in Belleville. James K. Polk Bigelow was born in 1846, and was reared upon a farm. He married Mary Josephine, daughter of Jotham and Mary (Rogers) Littlefield, in 1872, and now occupies the homestead where he was born.
Samuel Blanden, of Scotch ancestry, was born in Brookline, Vt., in 1794. He married Eunice R., daughter of Jonathan and Nancy (Wyman) Burt, in 1820, who was born in Townshend, Vt., in 1792. Their children were Lyman, born in Putney, Vt., in 1821, now a farmer in Gouverneur, N. Y.; Burton, born in Putney, Vt., in 1822, a farmer in Hermon, N. Y.; James N., born in St. Lawrence County, now a resident of Hermon, N. Y.; Boyden D. C., born in 1827, who died in 1871; Levi F., born in 1829, now a farmer in Kansas; John S., born in 1841, pastor of the Fourth Baptist Church of Syracuse, N. Y.; Wallace O., born in 1835, of Gouverneur, N. Y.; Otis H., born in 1835, also a resident of Gouverneur; and Volney R., born November 28, 1837. The latter was educated at Gouverneur and Fort Covington academies. He studied dentistry with J. B. Nichols and George W. Melott, and began the practice of his profession at Belleville in the fall of 1867, where he is now located, on South Washington street. He married Lemoine Josephine, daughter of John W. and Livonia (Brown) Merrill, of Mannsville, in 1867, and they have a son, Merrill J., born in 1871, who was a student in Union Academy, class of 1889. Mr. Blanden served in the war for the Union, in Co. L, 10th N. Y. H. A. He is a prominent citizen, and a deacon of the Baptist Church.
Matthew Boomer, son of Matthew, was born in Rhode Island, and in 1804 came to Ellisburgh. Of his children, Stephen died in infancy; Oliver died in Belleville village; Betsey married John Hagadorn, of Belleville; Huldah married Jacob Hoisington, and died in Geneseo; Matthew died in Ellisburgh; Judith married Alexander Stillwell, of Pennsylvania; Sally married Michael Matthews, of Ellisburgh; Lydia married Oliver Smith, of Iowa; Manley died in Chautauqua County, N. Y.; Leonard resides in Ellisburgh; John is deceased; Almeda married Zebidee Sherman, of Michigan; and Penelope married Michael Matthews. Leonard Boomer was born in 1808, and was reared upon a farm. He married Nancy, daughter of Benjamin and Lucretia (Boyden) Chamberlain, in 1828, by whom he had one son and three daughters, viz.: Mary Jane, who died in infancy; Sarah Ann, who married Charles Wood, of Ellisburgh; Stewart B., who resides in Ellisburgh; and Myra D., who married H. W. Clark, in 1865, by whom she has the following children, namely: Frances Ann (Mrs. Charles E. Weed), George B., Dennison H., Helen Jennette, and Leonard B. Mr. Boomer resides on road 124.
Alvah Bull, son of Elijah, Jr., and Eunice (Bumpus) Bull, of English descent, was born in 1803 and died in 1890. He married Louisa, daughter of James and Mary (Green) Packer, in 1832, and they had three sons and three daughters, viz.: James A., a farmer in Minnesota; Marietta (Mrs. James P. Converse), who died in 1865; Eunice (Mrs. William Mather), of Henderson; George E., of Ellisburgh; Frances L. (Mrs. Martin D. Swan); and Henry C., a loan agent in Cokato, Minn. George F. Bull was born in 1840, and was educated at Union Academy. He married Mary A., daughter of Jacob and Matilda (Saunders) Brimmer, in 1866, who bore him fours sons and one daughter, viz.: Alvah, deceased; Anna Louise, a student in Union Academy; Henry C., also a student in Union Academy; George A.; and Roy J., deceased. Mr. Bull has served his town as assessor seven years. He is a farmer, and owns and occupies the homestead farm at Rural Hill, on road 5, where he was born.
Ira Caster, with his wife, Chloe Loomis, came from Redfield, Oswego County, and located in Ellisburgh about 1823, on the farm on road 40 now occupied by G. Tousley. Of his four sons and five daughters, Charles H. was born February 19, 1816, and was reared upon a farm. He married Abbie H., daughter of Timothy and Anna (Chamberlain) Cornwell, in 1842, the union being blessed with two sons, Charles H., Jr., and Edwin I. Charles H., Jr., born in 1845, married Emeline A., daughter of Ursula (Tremain) Buell, in 1867, by whom he had a daughter, Minnie, born in 1875. His wife died in 1881, and for his second wife he married Marion E., daughter of Jacob and Maria (Osborn) Ackley, in 1882. Edwin I. Caster was born in 1849. He married Sarah Jane Bemis, in 1870, and they have an adopted daughter. Charles H. Caster, Sr., died April 19, 1886. The Caster brothers own a saw and grist-mill and box factory, and are also farmers and reside at Wardwell.
Levi Chapman was born in the town of Lyme, N. H., where he reared a large family of children. John, son of Levi, was born in 1814, and came with his parents to St. Lawrence County in 1817. He learned the blacksmiths' trade, and located at Robert's Corners, in the town of Henderson, about 1835. He married Miranda N., daughter of Tanner and Almira (Bidwell) Congdon, in 1836, and they had three sons and two daughers, viz.: Julian B., who died young; Eugene A., born in 1839; Engelia A., born in 1843, who married W. W. Gleason, by whom she has two children--Mae (Mrs. George Smith) and Ralph; Florence L., born in 1846, who died in 1865; and Washington I., born in 1849, who married Emma, daughter of Daniel and Harriet (Whitney) Snow, by whom he has a daughter, Grace, and resides in Henderson Harbor. Eugene A. Chapman was educated in Union Academy, the medical department of the University of Michigan, and graduated from the medical department of the University of Buffalo in the class of 1862. He commenced practice in Clayton, and in June 1862 enlisted in Co. G., 10th N. Y. H. A. He served one year as adjutant, and in June, 1863 was promoted to captain. In November, 1864, he became assistant surgeon U. S. A., and was assigned to Point of Rocks (Va.) Hopsital, where he remained during the winter of 1864-65. During the summer of 1865 he was quarantine officer and post surgeon at Brazos Santiago, Texas, and in November of that year his term of service expired. Returning to Henderson he practiced medicine until 1873, when, his health failing, he accepted a position in the railroad office of Salamanca, N. Y., where he remained one year, locating in Ellisburgh in 1875. He married Philinda M., daughter of Philo and Caroline (Davis) Hungerford, in 1865, and they had one son and two daughters, viz.: Clara M., a graduate of Cook Academy, class of 1885; Florence L., a graduate of Union Academy, class of 1887; and Walter E., a student in Union Academy. Dr. Chapman's wife died in 1874, and for his second wife he married Agnes G., daughter of Hiram W. and Caroline (Burlingame) McClure, in 1877, by whom he has two sons and one daughter, viz.: Ross McC., born in 1881; John H., born in 1885; and Margery C, born 1888. Dr. Chapman was postmaster at Henderson in 1872 and '73, was elected coroner in 1870, and again in 1886, and is president of the board of trustees of Union Academy, at Belleville, where he now resides in the practice of his profession.
Almanzer Converse, a son of Thomas, was born in 1808. He married Cornelia H., daughter of Gurdon and Laura (Waldo) Turner, in 1831, by whom he had one son and three daughters, viz.: Sarah J., born in 1833, who married Cyrel C. Clark, of Waddington, St. Lawrence County; Julia A., who married Orin Hicks, of Ellisburgh; Gurdon T., of Woodville; and Laura, who died in 1848, aged four years. Gurdon T. Converse was born in 1841, and was reared upon a farm. He married Ellen E., daughter of Apollas and Julietta (Doane) Smith, of Ellisburgh, in 1807, and they have a daughter, Sarah Blanche, born in 1872, and a son, Clifford L., born in 1882. Mr. Converse now owns the Simeon Wood farm, and is also proprietor of a grist and cider mill. In 1863 he enlisted in the Union army, and served to the close of the war. He resides in Woodville, on Main street.
James Converse, from Rupert, Vt., located in Ellisburgh, near the Wardwell settlement, about 1818. He married Polly Love, by whom he had two sons and 10 daughters, of whom Electa (Mrs. Simeon Martin), Louise (Mrs. David Warren), and W. Foster reside in Ellisburgh. The latter was born in 1839, and was reared upon a farm. He married Mary E., daughter of Michael and Elizabeth (Bovee) Decker, and they have had children as follows: Anna Elveretta (Mrs. Fred R. Lee), Emily Esther, Willie A. (deceased), Eva L. (Mrs. Benjamin R. Woodruff), Lena Elizabeth, Endora (deceased), and Racine H. Mr. Converse is a farmer.
Thomas Converse, son of David and Rachel (Elliott) Converse, was born in Belcherstown, Mass., in 1782, and early in the present century located in Bridgewater, Oneida County, N. Y., whence he removed to Ellisburgh in 1835. He married Lydia Stratton, and they had eight sons and four daughters, viz.: Theodore D., Almanzer, Cyrenus and Cyrena (twins), John W., Samantha, Rufus H. (deceased), George E., Hiram D., Cornelia Lucy, James F., and Mary J.
Cyrus Cook and his wife, Gratia, had born to them eight sons, viz.: Elon G., Norman G., W. La Fayette, Martin E., Malcolm G., Forrester L., Eugene K., and Cyrus. The latter was killed at the battle of Bull Run. Malcolm G. was born in 1829, and was educated at Union Academy. He was engaged in farming for several years, when, in 1856, he purchased the Hovey grist-mill, which he afterwards conducted until his death in 1876. In 1862 he enlisted in Co. E, 10th N. Y. H. A., was promoted to first lieutenant in the fall of 1863, and served to the close of the war. He married Celestine E., daughter of John and Lucy (Curtis) Freeman, in 1851, who survives him and resides on Washington street, in Belleville. Lucy Curtis was a daughter of Captain Nathaniel and Huldah (Weston) Curtis.
Rev. Leander Cowles, was born in Springfield (?) in 1780, studied for the ministry, and became a Methodist clergyman. He married Dorcas Tifft in 1805, and their children were Amy, Fanny, Susanna, Eber, John A., Melissa P., Caleb G., of Adams, and Angeline Jenette. The latter, born in 1823, married Charles C. Nutting, of Henderson. Mr. Cowles was an earnest laborer in his Master's vineyard, lived in Ellisburgh several years, and died in Rodman in 1841.
George J. Dack, son of John and Harriet (Savage) Dack, was born in London, England, March 27, 1836, and when a few weeks old his parents immigrated to America and located upon a farm, where George J. was reared. He married Helen Augusta, daughter of Riley and Lucy (Baker) Thayer, of Ellisburgh, in 1872, and they have a son, Charles N., born in 1874, and a daughter, Nellie Augusta, born in 1878. Mr. Dack enlisted in Co. L, 10th N. Y. H. A., August 31, 1862, and served to the close of the war. His wife owns and occupies the Ferry Fillmore farm, on road 56, in this town.
Demetrus Davis, son of John, was born in 1807, and when a young man came to Ellisburgh. He married Caroline, daughter of John and Abigail (Paul) Clark, in 1829, and they had nine sons and two daughters. Demetrus died in 1883, and his wife in 1870. William U. Davis, his son, was born in 1830. He married Sarah S., daughter of Joseph and Mary (Wiles) McKee, in 1851, by whom he has two sons and a daughter, viz.: Foster L., born in 1852; Frank P., born in 1857; and Mary L. The latter married Fenn Bishop, in 1884, and they have a daughter, Leah Pearl, born in 1888. Frank P. married Julia, daughter of Gustavus H. and Clara Noble Johnson, in 1878. William U. has served his town as assessor. He is a cattle drover and farmer, and resides on road 120.
John Decker located in Ellisburgh about 1823. He married Phebe Sturdevant, by whom he had four sons, viz.: William H., of Syracuse; Isaac W., of Ellisburgh; James, who died in infancy; and John D., who was a soldier, and died in the service. Mr. Decker died in 1861. Isaac W. Decker was born January 8, 1838, and spent his early life upon a farm. He enlisted in Co. K, 24th Regt., N. Y. Vols., and at the close of his term of service returned to Ellisburgh. He married Lodema, daughter of Stillman and Eliza (Boyt) Kibling, in 1865, and they have a son, Edward J., born in 1870. From 1866 to 1872 Mr. Decker was proprietor of a meat market and from 1872 to 1881 was a produce dealer. He is now commissioner of highways, is engaged in farming, and occupies the Kibling farm on road 108.
Paul Dickerson, a cooper by trade, was born in Lancaster, N. H., whence he removed to Dummerston, Vt., when a young man. He married Sally Bemis, by whom he had five sons and one daughter, of whom Sally married Barney Pool, and died in Watertown; Asa died young; Elias died in Ellisburgh in 1855; George resides in this town; Benjamin died in Missouri; and Alcander died in Ellisburgh. Mr. Dickerson located in this town about 1810, and died here in 1830. His wife died in 1811. George Dickerson was born in Vermont in 1803, and came to this town with his parents. He followed the dual occupation of farmer and peddler. In 1827 he married Priscilla, daughter of Joseph and Abigail (Hadley) Bemis, and in 1828 located on the Robert Ransom farm. He reared children as follows: George, Jr., now of Wisconsin; William B., now of Iowa; Joseph, who died in Ellisburgh; Edward, who married Lorena Crassfield, by whom he has one son and two daughters--Jennie, Claudius, and Mercy; Abigail, who died in Ellisburgh; Wesley, now of Minnesota; Austin, who married Carrie Miller, and has two sons--Arthur and Freddie; William, who died in 1863, aged 16 years; and Rosilla, who died in 1856, aged five years. Mr. Dickerson is a prosperous farmer.
Elias Dickinson, son of Paul who came to Ellisburgh from Vermont, was born in this town in 1801, and was reared upon a farm. At the age of 18 years he commenced peddling, in which business he continued nine years, when he engaged in farming, on road 67, where he bought the Ransom farm of 114 acres. He married, first, Anna Ethage, who bore him three sons and four daughters, and second, Clarissa, daughter of Jesse and Sally (Wood) Hubbard, in 1850, by whom he had four sons and one daughter, of whom Albert F., born in 1851, was reared upon a farm. Albert F. married Tinnie S., daughter of Westley W. and Cynthia (Cleveland) Streeter, in 1872, by whom he has two daughters, viz.: Myrtie Clara, born in 1876, and Lena Adelia, born in 1879. Mr. Dickinson located in Pierrepont Manor in the fall of 1887.
De Forest S. Dingman, son of Henry and Mary (Smith) Dingman, was born in Orwell, Oswego County, in 1858, and was reared upon a farm. He married Emogene Alvaretta, daughter of John Q. and Sarah M. (Hawley) Johnson, in 1880, and they have a daughter, Mabel Ella, born December 19, 1884. Mr. Dingman is proprietor of a hotel and livery at Woodville.
Avery Downer was born in Brattleboro, Vt., in 1783 and in 1810 located on the Allen farm in Ellisburgh, now owned by Elon R. Downer. He married, first, Patty Allen, and their children were Truman, Hiram, and Mary, the latter now living in Tennessee. His wife died in 1813, and for his second wife he married Mrs. Electa (Mitchel) Foot, by whom he had two sons and one daughter, viz.: Elon R., Julia Ann (deceased), and Emory, of Missouri. For his third wife he married Elizabeth Mitchel, a sister of his second wife, in 1825, by whom he had a daughter, Celestine, who died in 1840. Elon R. Downer was born upon the homestead in 1817. He married, first, Harriet Main, in 1839, who bore him two sons--Andrew J., of Nebraska, and Avery, who died in childhood. He married, second, Maria Hill, in 1846, who bore him a daughter, Mary E. (Mrs. John Q. Lee), of Ellisburgh. Upon the death of his second wife he married Mary Ann, daughter of William and Olive (Myres) Daily, in 1851, and they have a son, William Rawson, born in 1854, and two daughters, Electa Ann, a graduate of Hungerford Collegiate Institute, class of 1879, and Hattie Adelia, who resides at home. William R. married Emma, daughter of James Paige, in 1874, and they have two sons, Jervie E., born in 1877, and Harlie J., born in 1886. Avery Downer died in 1862. His wife, Elizabeth, resides on the homestead farm, at the age of 92 years. Elon R. Downer and son William R. occupy a farm one mile north of Ellisburgh village.
Benjamin Durfee, a native of Rhode Island, came to Ellisburgh about 1820, and engaged in farming. He married Sarah A., daughter of Abner and Phebe (Estes) McCumber, by whom he had four sons and a daughter. One son, Abner M., born in 1824, spent his early life upon a farm, and at the age of 16 years commenced to learn the blacksmiths' trade. He married Fidelia, daughter of Charles and Susan Scott Baker, in 1847, the result of this union being two sons and two daughters, viz.: Emma, who died at the age of two years; Catherine J.; Abner M., Jr., of Syracuse; and Charles, who resides with his father. Mr. Durfee's wife died in 1870, and for his second wife he married, in 1874, Alice B., daughter of John and Mary (Thompson) Spicer, and widow of Bradford K. Hawes. His daughter, Catharine J., married Nathan C. Shaver, who died in 1889. She has two children, Florence B. and Clarence B. Mr. Durfee has been trustee of Union Academy for more than 20 years. He is a blacksmith and dealer in agricultural implements, and resides in Mannsville.
Aaron R. Eastman, son of Enoch and Sarah (Rising) Eastman, was born in Rupert, Vt., in 1799, and died in 1868. He married Eunice, daughter of Asa Woolson, in 1822, and about the same time located in Ellisburgh. Cyrenius F. Eastman, son of Aaron R., was born in 1824. When seven years of age his parents removed to Hannibal, Oswego County, where he was reared upon a farm, and learned the coopers' trade. He married Ann E., daughter of Milton and Margaret (Nelson) Wilson, in 1847, and they had a son, Legrand De Forest, born in 1853, who is now married and resides in Fulton, N. Y. His wife died in 1870, and the same year he married Marion M., daughter of Amos and Hannah (Dean) Wood. Mr. Eastman returned to Ellisburgh in 1882, and now occupies the A. E. Wood farm, at Woodville.
Enos Eastman, son of Enoch, was born in Rupert, Vt., in 1786, whence he removed to this town and located where Charles B. Eastman now lives. He married, first Vashti Green, and their children were Austin, Cyrus, Lamira, Aurilla, Lafayette, and Enos E., Jr. His wife died in 1823 and for his second wife he married Charity, daughter of Thomas and Lizzie (Fairbanks) Woodward, in 1824, who bore him three sons and three daughters, viz.: Enoch R., Charles B., William H., Vashti, Lois L., and Charity E. Charles B. was born in 1828, and was reared upon the farm. He married Julia A., daughter of John and Maria (Brewster) Meacham, in 1858, and they have two sons and one daughter, viz.: Enos E., John M., a student at Amherst College, class of 1889, and Angie B., who resides at home. Enos E. Eastman was born in 1860. He married Alice, daughter of George and Sarah A. (Le Grange) Van Patten, in 1886, and they have a son, Everett. Mr. Eastman and son, Enos E., are prosperous farmers. Austin Eastman, mentioned above, was born in 1809, and came with his parents to this town about 1814. He married Sally, daughter of William and Sally (Mixer) Williams, in 1836, and they have two sons--Charles A., born in 1836, and John H., born in 1838. The sons are prosperous farmers and reside with their parents at Belleville.
Lyman Ellis, with his brother, Marvel, came from Troy, N. Y., in the spring of 1797, the former with the view of permanent settlement--the first settlement in the town. Lyman constructed a rude [sic] cabin, and made a small clearing on the place now owned by Marshall J. Bemis, just below Ellis village. He married Sylvia, daughter of Nathan Burnham. No children were born to them, but they adopted a son, Mahalon Ellis, who died in Utica, and a daughter, Caroline Willard, who married Daniel Fish, by whom she had two sons, Daniel, now in Florence, Italy, with his mother, and William Orville, who resides in Syracuse. Lyman Ellis died in 1847. Marvel Ellis died in Utica in 1806.
William Ellsworth, son of William H. and Sarah (Grimes) Ellsworth, was born in 1784. He married Hannah, daughter of Abel and Margaret (Green) Potter, in 1810, and located in a log house on the farm where Nathan G. Ellsworth now resides. They had three sons and three daughters, viz.: Gardner P., Emily, William Henry Harrison, M. Lucretia, Nathaniel Green, and Betsey. Gardner P. died in Ellisburgh in 1886. Emily married Emerson Burnham and had two sons, Loren B. and Ellsworth B. M. Lucretia (Mrs. Eastman Scott) had one daughter, Julia, who died in 1861, aged 17 years. Nathan Green Ellsworth was born on the homestead in 1824. At an early age he manifested an aptness for music, in which he afterwards received a thorough training, and became a proficient teacher, which profession he now follows. He occupies the Ellsworth homestead, on road 80, with his sister, Mrs. Scott. William Henry Harrison Ellsworth, born in 1817, married Elvira, daughter of Hial and Olive (Holmes) Richards, in 1846, by whom he had a son, William Dwight, and a daughter, Martha E. The latter married Alexander Brodie, in 1873, and they have three children, viz.: Julia M., Mary C., and Alexander. William D., born in 1849, was reared upon a farm. He married Alice Adel, daughter of Charles and Sarah (Pronty) Wood, of Pulaski, N. Y., in 1881.
Amaziah Fillmore, son of Luther, was born in Middletown, Vt., in 1790, and was reared upon a farm. In 1812 he married Sally Richardson and the same year located in Ellisburgh on the farm where his son, Dyer L., now lives. He had born to him four sons and two daughters, viz.: Lucy, who married Chauncey Smith and resides in Ellisburgh; Ferry, who was born in 1814 and died in this town in 1878; Clark, who was born in 1819 and died in 1863; Orson B., who died in 1862; Zerviah B., who married Joseph Van Wormer and died in 1856; and Dyer L., who was born June 7, 1827. The latter married Margelinie, daughter of Seth and Sophia (Maine) Worthington, in 1847, by whom he has a daughter, Fanny Sophia, who married Frank H. Millard in 1884, and has a son, Dyer F. Millard, who was born in 1887. Mr. Fillmore's wife died in 1875, and in 1876 he married Sophia L., daughter of Franklin and Rachel (Martin) Wood. He is a farmer and dairyman, and owns the homestead where he was born.
Ethni Fillmore, son of Luther, removed from Middletown, Vt., to Ellisburgh, in 1816, and located on the farm now occupied by Millard M. Fillmore, where he built a log house on the west bank of Trout Brook. His cabin was a rude affair, and more rudely furnished. It contained no floor save "Mother Earth," and in lieu of tables and chairs stumps were used, while the occupants took their nightly repose upon boughs gathered from the forest trees. Mr. Fillmore married Eunice Colgrave, who bore him a son and eight daughters, of whom Levias was born in 1811, and was reared upon a farm. He married Marrietta, daughter of James and Fanny (Maine) Thayer, in 1836, by whom he had six children, namely: Henry H., of Ellisburgh, born in 1837; Orson B., born in 1839, who died in 1841; Lucy H., who died young; Ferry De Forest, born in 1846, who died in 1855; Millard M., of Ellisburgh, born October 18, 1848; and Emma Marrietta, who died in infancy in 1853. Henry H. Fillmore married Mary M., daughter of Ira and Betsey (Marshall) Kemp, in 1866, and they have a son, Menzo E., born in 1868, and a daughter, Emma Marrietta, born in 1870. Henry H. is a farmer and resides near Woodville. Millard M. Fillmore married Jennie, daughter of Horace and Delilah (Brimmer) Chamberlain, in 1872, and they have a son, Arthur M., born in 1876. Levias Fillmore, by unremitting industry and frugality, accumulated a large landed estate. He was noted for his honesty and integrity in all business transactions. His first wife died in 1878. His second wife, Catharine Hopper, whom he married in 1879, died in 1885. He died August 5, 1885. His son, Millard M., owns the Trout Brook stock farm, which is the homestead where his grandfather first settled.
John Fish, son of Nathan and Esther (Green) Fish, was born in Bennington County, Vt., in 1806, and was reared upon a farm. At the age of 20 years he came to Ellisburgh and located at Rural Hill, where he bought the John Harrison farm. He married Betsey, daughter of Reuben and Elizabeth (Chittenden) Warriner, in 1832, and they had three sons and one daughter, viz.: Thomas A., who died in Belleville in 1888; Augustus C., who was born March 5, 1836; Edward W., who was born in 1838 and died in 1860; and Frances (Mrs. A. W. Kilby), of Adams. Augustus C. Fish married Sophia C., daughter of Charles and Maria (Kemp) Cushman, in 1859, and they have had two sons and one daughter, viz.: Nathan W., born November 25, 1861; Lillian, who died in infancy; and Arthur J., born May 2, 1867. Nathan W. married Nora O., daughter of Enoch R. and Julia M. (Bennet) Cushman, November 4, 1886, and they have a son, Glenn E., born January 21, 1888. Nathan W. and Arthur J. Fish are farmers and reside at Woodville.
Elijah R. Fox, son of Elijah and Sally (Burnham) Fox, was born in Lorraine in 1806. He married Eliza, daughter of Solomon Farewell, by whom he had seven sons and one daughter, viz.: William D., James M., Leroy R., Leander P., Sabina J. (Mrs. H. E. Sherman), Winfield M., Montrose L., and Ward W. Mr. Fox died in 1874. James Monroe Fox was born in 1834, and was reared upon a farm. He married Phebe O., daughter of Thomas and Waite (Hall) Hall, in 1858, and they have two sons, William H., born in 1859, and Fred T., born in 1861. William H. married Inez E., daughter of Luke and Lydia (Terry) Fulton, September 22, 1885, by whom he had a daughter, Muriel L., born September 5, 1886, who died February 10, 1888. Fred T. married Edith A., daughter of Floretta and Mary (Eastman) Clark, in 1883, who died in 1888. J. M. Fox located in Mannsville in 1881, and engaged in mercantile business with his son Will H. He resides on Lorraine street.
Fred D. Fox, son of Ashby D. and Jennette (Dodge) Fox, was born in Adams in 1861. At the age of 15 years he commenced to learn the jewelers' trade, and in 1883 became a member of the firm of Williams & Fox, of Adams, where he remained two years. In 1885 he located in Ellisburgh, where he is now engaged in business, with his store on Main street. In 1886 he married Carrie Josephine, daughter of Othniel and Emily A. (Beech) Williams, and they have a son, Kenneth W., born in 1887.
Elder Joshua Freeman, son of Jedediah and Amy (Wilson) Freeman, was born in Rhode Island in 1782, and about 1801 located in the town of Ellisburgh. He married Jane, daughter of Edward Boomer, in 1801, by whom he had children as follows, namely: John, Alvah D., Jedediah, Orrin, Michael, Bradley, Eliza J., Charles H., Mary, Emory, Calvin, Betsey Ann, Benjamin F., and John. The latter was born in Ellisburgh, and was reared upon a farm. He married Lucy, daughter of Nathaniel and Huldah (Weston) Curtis, in 1823, and their children were Charles, who died in 1845, aged 21 years; Jennie L., who died in 1881; Celestine E. (Mrs. Malcolm G. Cook), of Belleville; Theresa E., who married, first, Glenn E. Cleveland, and second, Rev. G. B. Cleveland, and resides in Ellisburgh; Mary A., who died in 1863; John J. and Adeline M., who reside in Belleville; Herbert E., of Iowa, Ellen B. (Mrs. J. S. Rowley), who died in 1871, leaving two daughters, Marion L. and Florence Ellen, the latter born in 1869, a student in Union Academy, and the adopted daughter of her aunt, Celestine E. Cook; and Emma F. (Mrs. Joseph L. Empey), of Orlando, Florida. Mr. Freeman was a deacon in the Baptist Church for more than 40 years. He died in Belleville in 1883.
George F. Gardner, son of Joseph and M. Celestine (Potts) Gardner, was born in Williamstown, Oswego County, August 4, 1857. He studied medicine with his father and graduated from the Albany Medical College in 1878. He commenced practice in Williamstown and there remained four years, locating in Pierrepont Manor in the spring of 1882, where he has since been in practice. Dr. Gardner was appointed postmaster December 7, 1885. He married Rebecca, daughter of Edward B. and Mary A. (Cowarden) Dixon, of Williamstown, November 10, 1880, by whom he has a daughter, Mary Addie.
Jedediah Gaylor, a Revolutionary soldier, was born in Harpersfield, Delaware County, N. Y. He married Lydia Stewart, and they had six sons and four daughters. His son, Harry N. Gaylord, was born in 1814. He married Phebe E., daughter of Ezekiel and Elizabeth (Durkee) Smith, January 8, 1839, and they had two sons, Charles H., of St. Joseph, Mo., and Henry A., of Belleville. Henry A. Gaylord was born in 1845, and was educated at Cooperstown Academy and Amherst College, graduating from the latter institution in 1872. He chose the profession of teaching as his life work, and in 1874 came to Belleville and engaged as assistant teacher under Principal George F. Sawyer, in which capacity he served several years. He then engaged in farming, and in the fall of 1884 became principal of Union Academy. He married Hattie L., daughter of Frank and Lestina L. (Williams) Trear, in 1881, and they have a son, Joseph K., born in 1882, and a daughter, Phebe Leonora, born in 1888.
Abijah Gillette, whose father came from France, was born in that country, and at an early day located in Litchfield, N. Y., where he died. Elihu Gillette, his son, died in the town of Lorraine. Amos, son of Abijah, settled in the town of Clayton and died there. None of his family survive. Eli, son of Abijah, settled in the town of Clayton. Of his children, Albert S. was a resident of Worth about 60 years ago, and died there, leaving no descendants; Lorenzo P. also settled in Worth about 57 years ago, and died there in 1887, leaving two daughters, one of whom has since died; Charles D., Lyman C., Mary M., and Samuel N., all deceased; Sophia A. married a Mr. Ross, and now lives in Illinois; Olive A. married a Mr. Ellsworth, and lives in Wisconsin; and Sheldon P. resides in this town.
Sheldon P. Gillette, son of Eli, was born February 21, 1822, in Litchfield, N. Y. He first settled in Clayton and engaged in farming, whence he removed to the town of Adams and continued the same occupation. He is well known as a dairyman, and is now living in Belleville. His first wife was Miss Phebe Gillette, daughter of Amos Gillette, of Clayton. For his second wife he married Miss Lany Nellis, of Orleans. He has had six children, one of whom, Miss Nellie Kinsey, of Utica, daughter of his second wife, is living.
Ira Goodenough, son of Liberty and Susannah (Barney) Goodenough, was born in Guilford, Vt., in 1798, and was reared upon a farm. He came to Ellisburgh about 1815, and was engaged in clearing land for several years. He married Polina, daughter of Oliver and Dorcas (Pryor) Scott, of Ellisburgh, in 1823, and located on a farm on road 19, about one mile north of Belleville. They had two sons and six daughters, viz.: Malvina, who died in Ellisburgh; Myron M., born in 1828; Murilla M., of Ellisburgh; Gilbert C., a Baptist clergyman, of Farmington, Iowa; Mila P., who married Frank Deitz, of Pierce City, Mo.; Mary D., of Ellisburgh; Matilda P., who married D. L. Angle, and resides in Ellisburgh; and Miranda A., who died at the age of three years. Mr. Goodenough was of genial disposition and sterling integrity, and became a prosperous farmer. He died in 1882, and his wife in 1881. His daughters, Murilla M., Mary D., and Matilda P. (Mrs. Angle) reside on the old homestead. Myron M. Goodenough graduated from Madison University, in the class of 1849, and has since been engaged in teaching. He is now a teacher in the Ladies' Seminary in Hamilton, Madison County. He married Mary Brigham, and they have had two children, Mary A., who died young, and Louis A. The latter graduated from Madison University with the class of 1886, and is now teaching in Plainfield, N. J.
Oren W. Graves, son of Joseph and Cynthia (Tousley) Graves, was born in Adams in 1811, where he was reared upon a farm. He came to Ellisburgh in 1823, and in 1840 married Irene, daughter of John and Catharine (Shaft) Cook, who bore him five sons and five daughters, viz.: Clark J.; De Etta E. (Mrs. Harris T. Perkins) of Ellisburgh; Amelia C. (Mrs. D. W. White), of Cape Vincent; Jennie E. (Mrs. William O. Lyman), who had five children--Minnie, Arthur, Claude, Oscar E., and Jessie--and died in 1886; Oren W., Jr.; Emeline O. (Mrs. Edgar Fish), of Ellisburgh; Eveline (Mrs. Elias Spicer); Charles H., who married Carrie E., daughter of I. F. and Helen E. (Farr) Tousley, in 1883; Walter E., of Ellisburgh; and Fred A., of Adams Center. Walter E. Graves was born in 1858. He married, in 1880, Eva C., daughter of Abram and Elizabeth (Pitcher) Jewett, by whom he has a daughter, Irene Elizabeth, born in 1884. Mr. Graves is a farmer.
Benjamin Grenell, son of Ezra and Olive (Parker) Grenell, came from Montgomery County, N. Y., to Ellisburgh in 1812, and located on the farm now occupied by E. O. Grenell, where he died in 1865. He married Keziah, daughter of Moody Freeman, and their children were Ezra O., Moody O., David H., Caroline R. (Mrs. A. Allen), of Lorraine, Abigail C. (Mrs. W. Wardwell), Julia, and Keziah (Mrs. Benjamin Robbins). Ezra O. was born in 1815, and was reared upon a farm. He married Abbie M., daughter of Samuel and Hannah (Carey) Wardwell, in 1841, and they have two sons, William H. and Benjamin P. William H. Grenell, born in 1846, was educated at Union Academy at Belleville. In 1867 he married Adelaide E., daughter of Jerome B. and Olive A. (Castor) Allen, by whom he has a daughter, Anna W., born in 1873. Benjamin P. Grenell, born in 1853, married Mary E., daughter of John F. Robinson, in 1876, and now resides with his father, Ezra O., on the homestead near Pierrepont Manor.
Calvin Harrington, a native of Berlin, Rensselaer County, N. Y., located in Ellisburgh about 1820. He married Nancy Arnold, by whom he had four sons and five daughters, viz.: Harvey, Adolphus, Deloss, Edwin, Julia A. (Mrs. Levi Goodenough), Louisa (Mrs. Alonzo Brown), of Lorraine, Alma (Mrs. Alvin Cook), of Port Ontario, Diana (Mrs. Milo McCune), of Ellisburgh, and Betsey (Mrs. Harmon). Calvin Harrington was drowned in the mouth of Sandy Creek. Deloss Harrington married Roxia, daughter of Joseph and Pearly Howard, by whom he had three sons and one daughter, viz.: Jerome J., Cordelia (Mrs. Cyrus Gardner), of Sandy Creek, Henry C., of Ellisburgh, and J. Franklin, of Port Ontario. Jerome J. Harrington was born in 1836, was reared upon a farm, and for 22 years ran a threshing machine. He married Betsey E., daughter of Simeon B. and Electa (Converse) Martin, in 1860, by whom he had a daughter, who died in 1872. He resides with his father on the homestead farm on road 93.
William Harris, son of Guy, was born in Ellisburgh in 1806, and was reared upon a farm, and when a young man drove stage between Watertown and Rome for a number of years. He married Elizabeth Smith, and their children were Adelia, who married George Howard; Elijah, who died in infancy; Martha M., who married J. A. Crettenton, of Henderson; Daniel S., who died in the late war; Elizabeth, who married Leroy Fox; Louise D., who married Freeman Orton; and Guy W., who resides in Mannsville. Mr. Harris also resides in the village of Mannsville.
Felix D. Harwick, son of Jacob and Jane (Vorhees) Harwick, was born in German Flats, N. Y., in 1835, and when six years of age located with his parents in the town of LeRay. His parents are now living in the town of Hermon, St. Lawrence County. Mr. Harwick learned the trade of tanner and currier, and engaged in business with his father under the firm name of F. D. Harwick & Co. In 1857 he removed to Kansas, where he remained but a short time, when he returned to St. Lawrence County and again engaged in the tanning business. In 1863 he enlisted in Co. A, 14th N. Y. H. A., and served to the close of the war. He participated in many battles, was wounded at the battle of Petersburg, and was taken prisoner, but soon made his escape. After the close of the war, he returned to Hermon and again engaged in tanning. In 1870 he again removed to Kansas, but returned after a few years to Hermon. In 1881 he purchased the W. H. Brewster farm in Ellisburgh. He married Caroline Z., daughter of Solomon and Sarah (Davis) Sayles, in 1870, and they have two children, Jane Leah, born in 1872, and Sarah Pearl, born in 1874. Mr. Harwick is a prosperous farmer and dairyman.
David Holley, son of Jonathan, was born in 1751. He married Sarah Southard, and they had seven sons and four daughters, viz.: Laura, Almira, John M., Silphina, Luther, Benjamin F., Don A., Clarinda, Florence D., George W., and David. Mr. Holley located in Ellisburgh in 1807, on the farm now occupied by Joseph A. Bemis, where he built a log house. David, Jr., born in 1802, was educated in the home schools, and was reared upon a farm. He married Betsey S., daughter of Jared and Mehitable (Rogers) Randall, of Massachusetts, in 1827, and they had three sons and one daughter, viz.: Henry W., of Minnesota; Ophelia (Mrs. Joseph A. Bemis), of this town; and Hilan and Harlan (twins), who died in infancy. Mr. Holley died March 4, 1888.
Emily (Wodell) Holley, mentioned in the preceding sketch, is a daughter of Isaac and Phebe (Pierce) Holley. She married Sanford Holley in 1833, and they had five sons and four daughters, namely: Leonora, who married Alva Smith, of Ellisburgh; Phebe, who married Jonathan Ayer and died in 1864; William, who was killed at the second battle of Bull Run; La Mort, of Iowa; Charles I., of Ellisburgh; Eliza M. (Mrs. Frank E. Metcalf), also of Ellisburgh; Birney P., deceased; Elisha B., of Kansas; and Mary J., deceased. Sanford Holley died in 1870. His widow resides with her daughter, Mrs. Metcalf.
Miss Marietta Holley, whose well-known nom de plume is "Josiah Allen's Wife," was born in the town of Ellisburgh, and still has her country home here, in the same place, although a fine new residence has taken the place of the little cottage into which her father and mother moved the day they were married. Miss Holley's home is in the midst of a beautiful country, between the two villages of Pierrepont Manor and Adams, and from the windows of her study and the pleasant verandas a fine view of Lake Ontario is obtained. Six generations of the Holley family have lived and died in this place--quite an unusual occurrence in an American family. Miss Holley's first book, My Opinions and Betsey Bobbet's, was published in 1873. Since then she has published seven books, in order as follows: Samantha at the Centennial, My Wayward Pardner, Miss Richard s Boy, The Mormon Wife, an illustrated poem, Sweet Cicily, Samantha at Saratoga, and a book of poems. She is a very busy writer, and has several books now unfinished upon which she is at work. It is said that her work commands about the largest price of any American writer. The genius of this gifted writer, while it deals with all phases of life with a freedom and wise insight of sympathy that seems born of familiarity and experience, sprang and developed to its broad proportions, remote from the realities her masterly pen so graphically delineates. And what a wonderful, all-embracing pen it is! Instinct with strong sense, pregnant with kindly satire and tearful pathos, combined with a subtle, whimsical humor. It was in the peaceful, uneventful retirement of a country home, by the side of an invalid mother, that Marietta Holley, while yet a child, began her life work.
Sanford B. Holley, son of Theron and Anna (Spencer, nee Tousley) Holley, was born in Ellisburgh in 1810. He was a tanner and currier, which occupation he followed for many years. He married Emily, daughter of Isaac and Phebe (Pierce) Wodell, by whom he had five sons and four daughters, viz.: Leonora E. (Mrs. Alvah Smith), Phebe A. (Mrs. Jonathan Ayer), who died in Ellisburgh; William H., who was killed in the second battle of Bull Run; S. Lamort, of Iowa; Charles I., of Ellisburgh; Eliza M. (Mrs. Frank E. Metcalf), of Ellisburgh; Berney, who died young; Elihu B., of Kansas City, Mo.; and Mary who died in infancy. Mr. Holley died in 1870. Charles I. Holley was born in 1841, and was reared upon a farm. In 1862 he enlisted in Co. K, 94th N. Y. Vols., and participated in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, Wilderness, and several others. He married, first, Malvina Louise, daughter of B. F. and Sophronia (McKee) Wilds, in 1865, by whom he had a son, William H., born in 1865. His wife died the same year, and in 1867 he married Antoinette C., daughter of Stephen and Sally Ann (McKee) Martin, by whom he has had a son and two daughters, viz.: Ardella V., a graduate of Adams Collegiate Institute, class of 1887, now teaching; Phebe A., who was born in 1873 and died in infancy; and Floyd M., born in 1874. Mr. Holley is a farmer and owns the Holley homestead on road 100.
Charles Hollister came to Ellisburgh at an early day. He served as captain in the War of 1812, participated in the battle of Sackets Harbor, and was subsequently promoted to colonel. He married Pliny Lewis and reared a large family, most of whom settled in the West. The youngest son, Lewis E., born in 1845, went on the lakes at the early age of 14 years, and at the age of 25 was master of a merchant vessel. He married Ida F., daughter of Albert and Betsey (Snow) Fuller, in 1865, and they have two daughters, Alice A. and Edna L. Alice A. married Byron Bossinger, October 4, 1888. Mr. Hollister resides in Belleville.
Gideon Howard located in Ellisburgh, about half a mile south of Ellisburgh village, in 1797. He married Ruth Austin, and their children were Chauncey, Daniel, Harriet, Heman, and Elinus. Daniel was born in 1795, and was reared upon a farm. He married Asenath, daughter of James and Asenath (Booth) Sherman, by whom he had two sons, Chester and Chauncey. His wife died in 1824, and for his second wife, he married Phebe, daughter of Harmon and Mary (Cooke) Winters, in 1837, who bore him children as follows: Asenath A. (Mrs. John Saxe), Ella O. (Mrs. Byron Parson), William M., Amanda J. (Mrs. Nathaniel Coon), Ruth (Mrs. Hiram Cornwell), Winfield S., Mary (Mrs. Gaylord Clark), Emma A., and Ida M. (Mrs. J. R. Elliott). Mrs. Howard is a widow and resides in Ellisburgh.
Amos Hudson, son of William and Ruth (Shumway) Hudson, was born in Oxford, Mass., in 1786 and in 1820 came to Ellisburgh and located on the place now occupied by Lucien F. Hudson. He had born to him five sons and two daughters, viz.: Lucien F., of Ellisburgh; Judge Sanford A., of Fargo, Dak.; Louisa, who died in 1845; Bijah and Elisha (twins), practicing physicians, of Stockton, Cal.; Celia (deceased) who married Rev. Oscar F. Park; and Daniel F., who died in New York at the age of 20 years. Mr. Hudson engaged in the manufacture of axes, scythes, and other edged tools, and died in 1830. His wife died in 1856. Lucien F. Hudson was born in 1810, and at the age of 12 years commenced work in the shop with his father. He soon became an expert scythe and axemaker, and after the death of his father was entirely competent to conduct the business. He married Adeline, daughter of Ezra and Polly (Frazier) Stearns, in 1835, who bore him four sons and three daughters, viz.: George S., Mary A., Ezra H., Alice (Mrs. H. E. Root), Louisa (Mrs. Fred Jaycox), and Fred E. Mr. Hudson was a member of a militia company for 20 years, and attained the rank of captain. He was called with his company to French Creek during the Patriot war. Though advanced in years, he retains to a remarkable degree the vigor of youth, and from "early morn till dewy eve" the hammer of industry repeats the "anvil chorus" of 60 years ago. While his family has grown up in prosperity, he occupies the cheerful home of his youth, on Hudson street. George S. Hudson was born in 1835, and learned the cabinetmakers' trade. He is now engaged in the manufacture of furniture at Ellisburgh. In 1862 he married Alice J., daughter of Alfred Matteson, and they have two sons, William L., born in 1863, and Louis E., born in 1865, and an adopted daughter, Mary C., aged 19 years. Mary A. Hudson married James Colon, of Ellisburgh, in 1865, and their children are Celia A. and F. Lyell. Ezra H. Hudson, born in 1840, married Mary E., daughter of Benjamin F. and Sophronia C. (McKee) Wilds, in 1866, by whom he has had a son, Herbert H., who was born in 1869, and died May 1, 1888, and a daughter, Isadore Malvina, born in 1871. He is a blacksmith with his father. Lucien F. Hudson, Jr., born in 1846, is a painter by trade. He married Addie, daughter of John and Polly (Galley) Bassinger, in 1876, and they have a daughter, Ruby Louisa, born in 1877. Fred E. Hudson was born in 1853, and is a wagonmaker by trade. He married Maria, daughter of James and Cythia (Snow) Ramsdell, in 1871, and they have two sons, Sanford R., born in 1872, and Charles A., born in 1875.
Peter Huffstater was born in Herkimer County in 1806, and in 1837 removed to Boyleston, Oswego County, and married Catharine Myres, who bore him children as follows: James H., Catharine, Sarah M., Mary J., Nancy E., Horace, and Peter P. James H. Huffstater was born in 1831, and was reared upon a farm. He married Dorcas Ann, daughter of Almon and Eliza (Ethridge) Allard, in 1855, by whom he had a son and six daughters, of whom Ida M. (Mrs. C. W. Chadwick), Ellen (Mrs. George Mannville), of Camden, N. Y., and L. D., born in 1871, now a student in the deaf mute school in Rome, N. Y., are the only ones living. Mr. Huffstater located in Ellisburgh in 1859, and is now proprietor of the Empire House.
Henry N. Huggins, son of Albert and Nancy (Kellogg) Huggins, was born in 1816, and was reared upon a farm. In 1837 he married Jedidah Cody, and they had three children, George A., Jennie A., and Andrew P. His wife died in 1869, and in 1871 he married Mary E. Spear, widow of W. T. Clark. He located in Mannsville in 1853, and engaged in the insurance business. George A. Huggins was reared upon a farm and learned the tinsmiths' trade. He married Mary E., daughter of Edwin A. and Arminta (Myres) Kirkland, in 1863, and they have had four children, viz.: Mary M. (Mrs. C. L. Beebe), who died June 24, 1888; Charlotte A., who died in 1885, aged 18 years; George A., Jr., who died in infancy; and Matthew J., who was born in 1874. Mr. Huggins has been engaged in the hardware and stove trade for many years. He invented the "iron-clad can bottom," and a few years ago built the Huggins block. He resides in Mannsville, where he served as postmaster from 1881 to 1885 inclusive.
Benjamin Jackman, son of Samuel and Sarah (Merrill) Jackman, was born in Massachusetts in 1802, and in 1818 came to Jefferson County and engaged in farming. He married Sarah, daughter of Stephen and Patience (Buel) Post, in 1823, by whom he had fours sons and two daughters. Daniel L., son of Benjamin, was born in 1843, and grew up upon a farm. In 1861 he enlisted in the late war and served in Co. H, 34th Regt. N. Y. Vols., and in Co. D, 13th N. Y. Cav., and participated in the battles of Fredericksburg, Malvern Hill, Antietam, South Mountain, and others, and was taken prisoner at Fisher s Hill. In 1863 he married Kate, daughter of Patrick and Mary (Crotty) Colligan, and they have one son and two daughters, viz.: Abi Sibyl, born in 1869; Timothy, born in 1873; and Eva May, born in 1882. Abi S. was educated at Adams Collegiate Institute, and early in life evinced ability in literary work. In 1885, at the age of 16 years, she published her first work, A Silver Ray, a book of nearly 300 pages. This volume was well received by the public, as was also her second effort, entitled A Golden Sunset, published in 1888.
John Q. Johnson, son of John and Mary (Odekirk) Johnson, was born in Ellisburgh in 1828. He was reared upon a farm, subsequently learned the carpenters' trade, and engaged in lumbering. He purchased the Noah Hubbard saw-mill on Lindsey Creek in 1866, where he is still engaged in the manufacture of lumber. He married Sarah Mehitable, daughter of Myron and Abigail (Tyler) Hawley, August 13, 1852, and the fruit of this union was three sons and four daughters, viz.: Ada Alice, who married Jay Elmer, in 1876, by whom she has a daughter, Maude, and resides in Oneida, N. Y.; Henry N., who married Hattie Powers, in 1879, and resides in Woodville; Emogene Alvaretta, who married De Forest Dingman, in 1880, by whom she has a daughter, Mabel, and resides in Woodville; William, born in 1864, who married Libbie S., daughter of Michael and Rosetta (Greenwood) Palmer, in 1885, and now resides in Ellisburgh; Mary Abigail, who married William Davis, and also resides in Ellisburgh; Freddie, born in 1870, who was drowned in the mill pond, March 9, 1874; and Satie [sic] M., born in 1872, who resides with her parents.
Thomas W. Kennedy, son of Thomas, with his wife, Catharine Lewis, came to Ellisburgh in 1811 and located on the farm now occupied by E. T. Kennedy. He had two sons and two daughters, viz.: Leonard L., Hiram, Louisa (Mrs. Alvin Hurd), and Laura A., who resides with Leonard L. Leonard L. Kennedy was born in 1809, and was reared upon a farm. He married Caroline P., daughter of Edwin and Nancy (Earl) Potter, by whom he has had two sons and two daughters, viz.: Edwin T. and Charles B., of Ellisburgh; Louisa E., who died in 1879; and Hattie (Mrs. J. P. Cooper). Edwin T., born in 1839, was reared upon a farm. In August 1862, he enlisted in Co. E, 10th N. Y. H. A., and participated in the battles of Petersburg, Cold Harbor, Cedar Creek, and others, and served in the close of the war. He married Betsey A., daughter of Daniel L. and Nancy (Martin) Cook, in 1873, and they have a son, Irving E. Charles B. Kennedy, born in 1852, married Genevieve, daughter of Mills and Sarah W. (Stacy) Hackley, in 1886, and now resides with his father. Edwin T. Kennedy owns and occupies the homestead farm.
John Kibling, with his wife, Hannah Field, and sons Stillman and Jerry, came to Ellisburgh in 1808. They reared a large family of children, of whom Stillman, born May 2, 1802, married Eliza, daughter of Christian and Catharine (Weaser) Bort, in 1834, by whom he had two sons and three daughters, viz.: Emily S. (Mrs. Dr. Anson S. Thompson), of Ellisburgh; Fisher N., also of Ellisburgh; Lodema E. (Mrs. Isaac W. Decker); Helen M., who married Philip Millard, of this town; and Stewart L., of Richland. Mr. Kibling resides on road 108.
Roswell Kinney, son of Henry and Sarah (Gale) Kinney, was born in Rensselaer County in 1802, and was reared upon a farm. He chose the medical profession as his life work, graduated from Castleton (Vt.) Medical College in 1823, and in the spring of 1824 located in Mannsville. He married Abigail M., daughter of Newton and Abigail (Moxey) Mann, in 1827, and three sons and three daughters were born to them, namely: Sidney R., who died in Rome, in 1861; Julia, who married George W. Bond, of Syracuse; H. Herbert, who married Sarah B. Shepard, and died in Mannsville in 1869; Sarah, who married E. R. King, of Troy; George W. G., who resides in Rome; and Mary, who died in infancy. George W. G. Kinney was born in Mannsville in 1836, was educated at the Jefferson County Institute, and located in Rome in 1856, where he engaged as clerk in Fort Stanwix Bank, remaining there several years. In 1867 he entered the firm of Lewis, Searles & Kinney, in the insurance, real estate, and banking business, but subsequently left the firm and engaged in the same business alone. In 1867 he married Jennie V. Barnard, widow of Charles Stokes, and they have had three children, namely: George, who died in infancy; S. Wardwell, born in 1873; and Lottie M., born in 1879. Mrs. Kinney has one daughter, Lizzie Barnard Stokes, by her first husband. Dr. Roswell Kinney was one of the first members and an active worker in the Congregational Church at Mannsville. He was kind and sympathetic in his nature, and lived an exemplary Christian life, dying at the home of his daughter, Mrs. G. W. Bond, Mary 2, 1874. Edward Herbert Kinney is engaged in mercantile pursuits in New York city.
Ozias Lee was born in Connecticut in 1777 and died in Ellisburgh in 1833, where he had located, on road 77, about 1812. He married Lucy Lee, and their children were Philetus, Philander, and Alonzo. The latter was born in Ellisburgh in 1814. He married Susan Sarah, daughter of John and Sally (Cook) Hildreth, of Ellisburgh, in 1840, who bore him the following children, viz.: Julia A., William H., Sarah, Daniel W., John Q., Alden S., Chester L., Frank L., A. Eugene, and Minnie A. Daniel W. Lee, who was born in 1845, married Mary M., daughter of William and Hannah (Kibling) Stillwell, in 1868, and they have an adopted son, Eugene S., born in 1867. Mr. Lee owns the James Rogers farm on road 85. John Q. Lee was born in 1847. He married Mary E., daughter of Elon R. and Maria (Hill) Downer, in 1870, and their children are Arthur E., Alma N., Alonzo J., and Manford C. Alden S. Lee was born in 1849. He married Frank J., daughter of William Sheldon, in 1874, by whom he has a son, Floyd. Chester L. was born in 1855, was reared upon a farm, and educated at the Union Academy, in Belleville. He taught school several terms. In 1886 he married Addie E., daughter of James K. and Mary (Garside) Johnston, and now occupies the old homestead of 100 acres on road 87. Frank L. was born in 1858. He married Alta Julia, daughter of Martin E. and Amelia A. (Hall) Wood, in 1883, by whom he has a son, Ralph M. A. Eugene was born in 1860, and now owns and occupies a farm on road 96.
James Lester, of English ancestry, was born in Columbia County in 1732. In 1826, at the age of 94 years, he removed with his son James, Jr., to Sandy Creek, Oswego County, and located near Getty's saw-mill, on the Ridge road, about two miles south of Lacona. He met a fearful death by being burned with his cabin in December, 1827. His son, James, Jr., married Rebecca Kline, and they had six sons and four daughters, of whom Henry, born in 1787, learned the carpenters' trade. He married Sally M., daughter of Calvin Moulton, in 1810, by whom he had seven sons and three daughters. Of these children, Amanda (Mrs. A. J. Jones), of Florida, Edwin, of Ellisburgh, and Charles, of Dakota, are living. Edwin Lester was born October 15, 1817, and was about four months old when his parents located in Sandy Creek. He learned the millwrights' trade, and in 1850 removed to North Carolina, and there remained eight years. In 1859 he settled in Mannsville and engaged in the furniture and undertaking business. He married Laura, daughter of Arnold and Polly (Brown) Owen, and widow of Samuel Eaton, in 1858, and their children are Sarah M., a school teacher in Rhode Island; Anna L., who married Dr. H. H. Hitchcock, of Highland Falls, N. Y.; and Cora B., who is a school teacher and resides at home. By her first husband Mrs. Lester had a daughter, Mary A. (Mrs. Nathaniel Wood), of Woodville.
Stephen Lindsey, a native of Scotland, immigrated to America previous to the Revolutionary war, in which he participated. He located in Ellisburgh early in the present century, and reared a large family, of whom William S., born in Ellisburgh in 1806, married Nancy, daughter of Daniel and Nancy (Miller) Goodenough, by whom he had two sons and two daughters, viz.: Hannah (Mrs. Sylvester Potter), Daniel, who died in 1856, Charles, who died in Utica in 1879, and Lestina, who was born in 1838. The latter married Harry Dailey, December 31, 1860, by whom she had a daughter, Effie H., born in 1866. Effie H. married J. C. F. Sheldon, in 1883, and they have a son, Claud K. Mr. Dailey died in 1866. His widow married George W. Greene, July 4, 1873, and they have a son, Lindsey G., born in 1879. Mrs. Greene owns the Lindsey homestead, on road 138.
Josiah Littlefield was born in Vermont in 1761 and died in 1833. He married Mehitable Elliott, by whom he had five sons and four daughters, of whom Joel, born in 1788, married Hannah Faulkner, by whom he had six sons and two daughters. His son, Lyman Littlefield, was born in this town in 1814, and learned the trade of carpenter and joiner. He married Persis, daughter of Oliver and Dorcas (Pryor) Scott, in 1836, by whom he had seven sons and a daughter, of whom Milon P. Littlefield, of this town, was born in 1831. He was reared upon a farm, and early in life taught school for about seven years. He married Carrie, daughter of G. Henry and Lodema (Allen) Dorr, in 1865, by whom he had two sons and four daughters, viz.: Miles, born in 1867; Cora Melissa and Grace Dorr, who are students in Union Academy; Carrie and Mena, who died in infancy; and Edwin D., who was born in 1880. Mr. Littlefield has been in the insurance business for many years, and is also a farmer and resides at Rural Hill. Jotham Littlefield, son of Josiah, came to Ellisburgh when nine years of age and here learned the carpenters' trade. He married, first, Gratia Barney, in 1823, who bore him three children, and died in 1846. For his second wife he married Mary A., daughter of William and Abigail (Danks) Rogers, by whom he had a daughter, Mary Josephine, who married James K. P. Bigelow and has a son, Herbert J. Bigelow, of Henderson. Mr. Littlefield died in Henderson in 1868.
Dr. Bezaleel Mann, an eminent physician of Attleboro, Mass., was a Revolutionary solider. He had four sons, three of whom adopted their father's profession, and one, Dr. Herbert Mann, was a surgeon on board the privateer General Arnold, which was wrecked near Plymouth Harbor on Christmas day, 1778, when 100 men, among whom was Dr. Mann, perished by the cold, 66 of whom were buried in one grave, at Old Town, Mass. Dr. Mann was interred in the family burying-ground, and upon his tombstone was inscribed the following: "And now, Lord, God Almighty, just and true are all thy ways, but who can stand before thy cold?" One of the brothers, Newton Mann, located in Whitesboro in 1806, and engaged in mercantile pure suits, and was also interested in the manufacture of cotton goods with the late S. Newton Dexter. In 1825 Mr. Mann located in Mannsville and became the first postmaster of that village, which was named in his honor. He married Abigail Moxcey, in 1792, by whom he had a son and two daughters, viz.: H. B., born in 1793, who died in 1830; Hetty, who married Daniel Wardwell; and Abby, who married Dr. Roswell Kinney, a leading physician of Mannsville. Mr. and Mrs. Newton Mann enjoyed 60 years of wedded life, and are now "sleeping the centuries away." An elegant granite monument marks the resting place of the Wardwells, the Manns, and the Kenneys, at Mannsville. H. B. Mann married Julia Doolittle, of Whitesboro, who died at the home of her son, Dr. J. P. Mann, of New York city, in 1872, aged 80 years. Their children are Mehetable W. (Mrs. Littlejohn), Josiah M., John P., and George D. John P. Mann studied medicine with Dr. Roswell Kinney, and after graduating practiced with Dr. Kinney in this town and Adams for a few years, when he located in New York city as a specialist in the treatment of deformities. He married Ann Furman, of Syracuse, and they have one daughter, Prestonia, who is a highly accomplished young lady. Dr. Mann has an extensive practice.
John Marsh came from Mayfield, N. Y., with his wife and family, and located in Lorraine about 1818. Of his six children, William located upon the farm now owned by his son, William L., where he built and occupied a log house until he was able to own a better one. He married Hannah, daughter of Ezekiel M. and Ruth (Tanner) Gardner, who bore him two sons and four daughters, viz.: Gardner J., of Mannsville, Polly (Mrs. Ed. James), William L., Jennette (Mrs. David Wheeler), Rosetta (Mrs. N. B. Fish), and Ruth J. (Mrs. William Beebe). William L. Marsh was born in 1827, and in 1849 married Eliza Jane, daughter of James and Sally (Sheldon) Allen, by whom he has a son, Allen J., born in 1854. Allen J. was educated at Hungerford Collegiate Institute, and in 1876 married Jennie O., daughter of John and Sarah (Rotherwick) Kelly, who whom he has a son, William L., 2nd and a daughter, Sarah Eliza. Mr. Marsh located in Ellisburgh a few years ago, but still retains ownership of the homestead in Lorraine. Gardner J. Marsh, previously mentioned, was born in Lorraine in 1821, and was reared upon the farm. He married Emeline, daughter of Benjamin and Lucretia (Rowe) Allen, in 1845, by whom he has had two sons, William G. and John G., deceasd. William G. married Libbie E., daughter of John W. and Leonora C. (Brown) Merrill, in 1876, and they have a daughter, Jane Leonora, born in 1878. Mr. Marsh built and owns Marsh Opera House block, and is a farmer.
Benjamin Martin, son of Benjamin and Betsey (Bosworth) Martin, married Rachel Hicks, and removed from Swansea, Mass., to Ellisburgh about 1805, and located in the village of Belleville. His children were Lemira, Benjamin, Jr., Rachel, Nancy, Chloe M., Stephen, Elisha B., Sylvester, and Mary A. Benjamin, Jr., was born in 1803, and was reared upon a farm. He married Almira, daughter of Lodowick and Polly (Mott, nee Williams) Edwards, in 1830, by whom he had four sons and two daughters, viz.: Lodowick B., born in 1831; Wellington, born in 1833; George H., born in 1836; Frances, who died in 1839; Mason, born in 1841, who died in infancy; and Mary J. (Mrs. Charles Coburn). Lodowick B. was born in a log house and reared upon a farm. He married Julia E., daughter of William Bell, October 1, 1860, who died December 12, 1861. For his second wife he married Lucy C., daughter of Chauncey and Ursula (Tremain) Perkins, April 27, 1870, who died August 20 the same year. For his third wife he married Clarinda Josephine, daughter of Henry C. and Clarinda (Sweet) Raven, of Ilion, N. Y., in 1873, and they have two children, Warren Benton and Myra Josephine.
Elisha B. Martin, mentioned in the preceding biography, was born in this town in 1817. He married, first, Phlana, daughter of Noah and Nancy (Grott) Lamon, in 1841, who died in 1850. He married, second, Julia, daughter of Milo and Ruth (Cushman) Beman, in 1853, by whom he has had two sons and one daughter, viz.: Mary A., born in 1855; Herbert E., born in 1859, died in 1863; and Walter S., born in 1861. The latter, who was reared upon the farm, married Nellie E., daughter of William C. and Sarah E. (Kemp) McLean, in 1886, and they have a daughter, Julia, born in 1887. Mr. Martin is a farmer.
Jonathan Matteson, a Revolutionary solider, was born in Rhode Island in 1762. He married Martha Hill, and of their eight children, Samuel married Lucretia, daughter of Caleb and Susannah (Colvin) Tracy, and they had three sons and two daughters. William Matteson, son of Samuel, was born in 1832, and was reared upon a farm. He married Amanda M., daughter of Hiram and Susan C. (Graves) Tousley, in 1855, and they have two sons, William E. and Floyd W. William E. Matteson, born in 1855, married Ella E., daughter of Emory and Lucy (Montague) Fales, in 1876, and they have two children--a son, Joel S., born in 1877, and a daughter, Lucy May, born in 1884. Floyd W. Matteson, born in 1857, married Martha E., daughter of Sherman and Esther (Washburn) Caster, in 1878, and they have a son, Lynn L., born in 1884, and a daughter, Emma Rosetta, born in 1877. William Matteson and sons, William E. and Floyd W., are extensively engaged in farming on road 72, where they own 400 acres and have a dairy of 75 cows.
Horace K. McKee was born in Ellisburgh in 1811. He married Louisa, daughter of Joseph and Polly (Havens) Tracy, and they had two sons and three daughters, viz.: Frank H., who died young; Eliza A. (Mrs. M. J. Bemis), of Ellisburgh; Emily (Mrs. Norman Myers); William H., of Ellisburgh; and Frances, who died in 1866, aged 21 years. William H. McKee was born in 1842, and was reared upon his father's farm. September 9, 1861, he enlisted in Co. I, 76th Regt. N. Y. Vols. and participated in the battles of the Wilderness, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and many others, serving three years. He learned the blacksmiths' trade, which business he still continues. He married Addie, daughter of Nicholas and Lydia (Kiblin) Christman, in 1866, and they have a son, Frank H., born in 1869, who is associated in business with his father. Mr. McKee resides on School street, in Ellisburgh village.
Joseph McKee, son of Joseph and Ruth (Webster) McKee, of Scotch descent, was born in Hartford, Conn., in 1758, and was a farmer by occupation. He married Irene Marsh, who bore him one son and six daughters. About 1806 he located at McKee's Landing, in Ellisburgh, on the place now occupied by his daughter, Betsey Woodworth. He was possessed of a large share of ambition and persevering industry, and pushed back the surrounding wilderness far away from their rude dwelling, until the broad acres of productive soil yielded them a plentiful maintenance. Of his family, Horace died in this town in 1828; Laura married, first Avery Brown, and second, John Otis, and died at Sandy Creek; Mary married Abiah Jenkins, and died in this town in 1875; Betsey, born in 1792, married, first, William Woodward, who died in 1828, and second, Tyler Woodworth; Almira married Zera Todd, and resides in Oswego; Nancy married, first, Daniel Frazier, and second, George Brooks, and died in 1866; Harriet I. married Abram Ward, in 1827, by whom she had three sons--John, Joseph, and Horace. Joseph McKee, first mentioned, died in this town in 1829. His daughter, Betsey, married William Woodward, in 1813, by whom she had one son and three daughters, viz.: Almira (Mrs.Mason Rounds), of Mannsville; Abbie (Mrs. Daniel Barker), also of Mannsville; Mary A., of Ellisburgh; and Henry W.
Chester McLean, son of Chester and Nancy (Wadswroth) McLean, of Scotch descent, was born in Steuben, Oneida County, N. Y., in 1798. When Chester was nine years old his father died, and he came to Ellisburgh to live with Joseph McKee. He became a sailor, and was on the lakes for many years. He married Lucinda, daughter of Ezra and Polly (Frazier) Stearns, in 1824, by whom he had five sons and one daughter, viz.: William C., of Ellisburgh; Electa (Mrs. George Stearns), deceased; Charles H., who died in 1863; Ezra E., of Illinois; Alonzo, who died in 1873; and Franklin, who also died in 1873. William C. McLean was born in 1825, and was reared upon a farm. He married Sarah E., daughter of Ira and Betsey (Marshal) Kemp, in 1874, and they have had two sons and three daughters, viz.: Charles W., who died in infancy; Nellie E., who married Walter S. Martin; George C., born in 1871; Addie S., born in 1872; and Flossie E., born in 1878. Mr. McLean was a sailor on the lakes for five years and spent 10 years in California. He is a farmer and owns the homestead on road 108, where his father settled in 1827
Frank E. Metcalf, son of Robert and Jane (Gray) Metcalf, was born in Woodville in 1842. He was educated at Union Academy, and his early life was spent upon the farm. Since 1862 he has been engaged in mercantile pursuits at Ellisburgh. He married Eliza M., daughter of Sanford B. and Emily (Wodell) Holley, in 1865, and the result of this union was two sons and one daughter, viz.: Arthur L., born in 1867, graduated from Adams Collegiate Institute, and died December 2, 1888; Grace Adelia, who graduated from Adams Collegiate Institute in 1887; and Willie, who died young.
John Miner, son of John and Catharine (Colon) Miner, was born in Sharon, N. Y., Februrary 15, 1811, and at the age of two years came with his parents to Ellisburgh. At the age of 16 years he shipped as cook on board a lake schooner, and afterwards attained the position of captain. He sailed on the lakes for more than 40 years, and was master of several vessels. He married Mary R., daughter of H. J. H. and Elizabeth (Hollister) Myres, and widow of A. T. Fish, in 1865 with whom he is now living in the pleasant village of Mannsville.
Edwin H. Minot, son of Thomas F. and Marvia (Farrington) Minot, was born in Frankfort, N. Y., in 1827, and was reared upon a farm. He married Amelia Hazelton, of Frankfort, and removed to South Albion, Oswego County, and engaged in farming. He had one son and two daughters. The son, Thomas F. Minot, was born July 29, 1856, was reared upon a farm, and was educated at Pulaski Academy. He married Jennie M., daughter of Emri A. and Eliza M. (Orr) Frary, in 1877, and in the fall of 1883 came to Pierrepont Manor and engaged in market gardening. He has two sons and a daughter, viz.: Edwin H., Beula Jessie, and Thomas F. Mr. Minot resides at Pierrepont Manor, on road 105.
Harris T. Perkins, a native of Ohio, came to Ellisburgh and married De Etta Emily, daughter of Oren and Irene (Cook) Graves, in 1860, and they have an adopted son, Oren E. Graves, born in 1881. Mr. Perkins is a marine engineer.
T. Lewis Peters, son of Andrew and Rachel (Babcock) Peters, was born in Ernestown, Ontario, Canada, June 23, 1859. At the age of 16 years he came to Belleville, attended school for a time, and finally commenced work in the woolen-mill, where he continued several seasons. In 1884 he bought the mill, and now conducts the business. He has been a faithful member of the Methodist Church since was was 15 years of age.
Hon. William C. Pierrepont, eldest son of Hezekiah B. Pierrepont and Anna M. Constable, was born October 3, 1803, at Chelsea, now the Ninth Ward of the city of New York, to which place his parents removed, from their residence, 62 Greenwich street, during the prevalence of the yellow fever that year. The next year he was taken by his parents to Brooklyn Heights, where they afterward continued to reside.
His vacations were spent traveling with his father visiting the agencies of his extensive tracts of land, in the northern part of the state, known as Macomb's purchase, which had been purchased from the state in the year 1737 [sic], the half of which had been owned by his maternal grandfather, William Constable, the partner of Alexander Macomb. The purchase, which was made in the name of Macomb, comprised the present counties of Franklin, St. Lawrence, Lewis, and part of Oswego.
Mr. Pierrepont opened a land office in 1820 in Jefferson County, and subsequently built his residence near his office, the postoffice of which was called Pierrepont Manor. There he continued to superintend and direct his father's land agents in the settlement and management of landed property embracing about 1,000,000 of acres. On the death of his father, in 1838, he was under his will put in charge of the lands of the estate in Jefferson and Oswego counties. The lands in the other counties and in Brooklyn were put in the charge of his co-exectutor and only brother, Henry E. Pieerepont.
He married, in 1830, Cornelia A., daughter of Dr. Benjamion Butler, of New York, who had removed in 1823 to his landed estate in Oxford, Chenango County.
He had two sons, both of whom died early. Of his five daughters, one is the widow of W. H. Hill, of Pulaski. A second daughter is the widow of Dr. Samuel G. Wolcott, of Utica. A third married G. H. Van Wagenen, of Brooklyn. A fourth married William M. White, of Livingston County and Utica. Both of these daughters died. The unmarried daughter, Miss Mary Devereux, continued to reside with her father until his death, in December, 1885.
After the partition of his father's estate Mr. Pierrepont devoted himself to the improvement of the large tract he inherited. His accuracy in laying out and conveying land was fully recognized; his maps, even at the age of 76, were marvels of accuracy and exquisite finish; his proficiency in mathematics was illustrated by his study of the Great Pyramid; and the value of his calculations was acknowledged by Prof. Piazzi Smyth, the Astronomer Royal, with whom he corresponded.
Henry Powell, son of Joseph and Sarah (Rockett) Powell, was born in Dorsetshire, England, in 1833, and was reared upon a farm. He immigrated to this country in 1857, and located in Henderson, where he worked upon a farm until 1858, when he removed to Ellisburgh, and three years later returned to England and married Joanna P., daughter of James and Asenath (Copp) Rockett, of Dorestshire. Upon his return to Ellisburgh he purchased the Wheeler farm, on road 51, which he now owns and operates.
James W. Purdey, a millwright by trade, was born in Connecticut in 1803. He married, first, Philothelia Standish, by whom he had four sons, viz.: William, Oscar, Gilbert, and Warren. After the death of his first wife he married Armenia Kelsey, widow of Amos Coon, in 1835, who bore him two sons and one daughter, viz.: Philothelia (Mrs. Joseph Baird), Melvin, and M. C. The latter was born in 1848, and was reared upon a farm. He married Ida May, daughter of Percival D. and Catharine (Walradt) Bullard, in 1875, and they have two sons, William R. C., born in 1877, and Percival D. M., born in 1880. Mr. Purdey is a commercial traveler and resides on road 38.
Hosea Reed, a native of Salem, Mass., located on a farm at Henderson Harbor about 1822. He married Betsey Whittaker, and they had seven children, namely: Martha, Samuel, Priscilla, Nancy, David, Susan, and Chester. The latter was born in Henderson in 1831, and was reared upon a farm. At the age of 17 years he commenced to learn the shoemakers' trade, and in 1854 located in Ellisburgh and became a dealer in horses and cattle. In 1862 he married Mary A., daughter of Curtis and Martha (Jenks) Snow, by whom he had a daughter, M. Blanche, born in 1869, who graduated from the Adams Collegiate Institute with the class of 1886, and attended the Conservatory of Music in Boston in 1886-87. Mr. Reed's wife died in 1873 and for his second wife he married Ella S., daughter of L. D. and Samantha (Beebe) Palmer, in 1876, and they have two sons, Frank C. and Floyd H. Mr. Reed owns and occupies "Woodside stock farm" at Ellisburgh village.
George Remington, son of Alexander and Minnie Remington, was born in Lorraine in 1860, and was reared upon a farm. At the age of 14 years he went to Ellisburgh to learn the blacksmiths’ trade, and there commenced business for himself in 1882, and in 1883 became associated with Charles L. Beebee in the wagonmaking and blacksmithing business. He married Lettie, daughter of Sylvester and Mary (Kibling) Tyler, in 1880, and they have a daughter, Lena Belle, born in 1884.
Edward J. Robinson, mentioned in the following sketch, was born in Leyden, N. Y., in 1843, and when four years of age his parents removed to Lorraine. He was employed at the railroad station at Pierrepont Manor for several years, and in 1874 engaged in merchantile pursuits in which business he still continues. In May, 1877, he was appointed postmaster at Pierrepont Manor, which position he held until December, 1885. His store was burned June 16, 1887, and the same year he built the Robinson block, where he is now located. In 1870 he married Elizabeth, an adopted daughter of Ahi Warren, and they have a son, Charles W., born in 1871.
Stephen Robinson, son of James, son of Samuel, son of Ebenezer, son of John, Jr., son of John who came over on the Mayflower, was born in Dorchester, Mass., in 1777. He was an enterprising business man, and was several times elected to the General Court. In 1805 he married Hannah, daughter of Ebenezer Withington, by whom he had three sons and two daughters, viz.: Stephen A., Hannah W., John F., Mary W., and Edward B. John F. Robinson was born in 1817, and was educated at Phillips Academy at Andover, Mass. He taught school several terms, and in 1838 located in Leyden, Lewis County, where he continued teaching and farming. In 1839 he married Rhoda M., daughter of Edminster and Roxana (Miller) Bailey, who bore him four sons and four daughters, viz.: Ellen M. (Mrs. D. B. Wise), of Lorraine; Edward J., of Ellisburgh; Stephen, deceased; Alzina (Mrs. David Andrus), of Pierrepont Manor; John A., of Troy; Mary E. (Mrs. Benjamin P. Grenell), of Ellisburgh; Charles M., deceased; and Julia Adelaide, who resides at home. His wife died in 1887. Mr. Robinson was a farmer in Lorraine from 1850 to 1863, when he removed to this town and purchased the Waite farm near Pierrepont Manor. He also occupied the William C. Pierrepont farm for about 13 years, and was an extensive dealer in cattle. He now resides in Pierrepont Manor.
William Rury was born in Otsego County, N. Y., in 1793, and in 1819 came to Ellisburgh and located where Frederick Rury now resides. He married Lavina, daughter of Daniel Cook, by whom he had four sons and five daughters, of whom three sons, John, Daniel L., and Frederick H., reside in this town. Mr. Rury died in 1880. His son, John, born in 1823, was reared upon a farm and learned the coopers' trade. He married Miriam, daughter of Samuel F. and Zerah (Barney) McNitt, of Clayton, September 8, 1847, by whom he had three sons and one daughter, viz.: Madison, who died in 1862, aged 12 years; Emma A. (Mrs. John M. Millard), of Ellisburgh; Ernest N., who died in 1871, aged seven years; and Frank. Mrs. Rury died in 1889. Mr. Rury resides in the village of Ellisburgh.
Eli H. Salisbury was born in Richland, Oswego County, in 1815. He was a tanner and currier by trade. In 1848 he married Louisa, daughter of Jonathan Sneider, and soon after commenced business in Mannsville, where he remained several years, when he returned to Oswego County and located in Holmesville. He had three sons and two daughters, viz.: James E.; Llewellyn A., now of Bay City, Mich.; Emma M. (Mrs. O. M. Combs), of Pulaski; and Edward D. and Kittie L., also of Pulaski. Mrs. E. H. Salisbury died in 1871. James E. Salisbury leaarned harnessmaking and carriage trimming and worked at this business about 10 years, and was also a commercial traveler for the same length of time. He was located in Antwerp and Pulaski several years. In 1878 he married Alice A., daughter of James and Eliza (Wait) Welch, and is now proprietor of the first-class hotel in Belleville.
Dr. John W. Sargent, only son of John and Mary J. (McMaster) Sargent, was born in Lyndeboro, N. H., in 1814, and in 1828 came to Belleville with his father, his mother having died in 1820. He was educated at Union Academy, studied medicine with Dr. Lyman Stanton, of Copenhagen, N. Y., and commenced practice in Camden, Oneida County, in 1849. He subsequently practiced in Chaumont and Stone Mills, finally locating in Woodville, where he now resides. Dr. Sargent married, first, Phynanda Hollenbeck, in 1836, and their children were Emma (Mrs. Jacob S. Gates); Roswell K., of California; and Melvin B., born in 1843, who died in the army in 1863, aged 20 years. Mrs. Sargent died in 1853, and for his second wife he married Sarah Satchwell, in 1854. For his third wife he married Mary A., daughter of Dea. Samuel and Anna (Cole) Hinman, of Ellisburgh, in 1879, by whom he has a son, John L., born in 1880.
John Saxe, son of Elias W., was born in Greenfield, N. Y., in 1823. At the age of 11 years he located in this town, where he learned the wagonmakers' trade. He married a daughter of Hosea and Hannah (Martin) Parsons, in 1845, and they had two sons, Elias W., and John B. After the death of his first wife he married Asenath A., daughter of Daniel and Phebe (Winters) Howard, March 16, 1876. Mr. Saxe located on the Jesse Martin farm about 1848. He is now a farmer.
Dr. Cyrus J. Severance, son of Anthony P. and Frances (Rathbone) Severance, was born in the town of Parish, Oswego County, N. Y., in 1862. He was educated at Mexico Academy, studied medicine with Dr. J. W. Huntington, graduated from the medical department of the University of New York class of ‘87-88, and the same year commenced practice in Mannsville, where he is now located. He married Hattie E., daughter of Charles E. and Sarah J. (Davis) Davis, of Palmermo, Oswego County, in 1883.
Thomas Shepard was a native of Bennington County, Vt., whence he removed with his family, locating in Troy and Whitestown, N. Y., subsequently settling in Mannsville, on the farm now occupied by Henry J. Shepard. At this time his children were Thomas B., and Roxana. Thomas B. came to Mannsville when about 16 years of age and worked on his father’s farm. He married Hannah, daughter of Captain Nathaniel Wardwell, of Ellisburgh, and they had two sons and a daughter, viz.: Thomas E., Henry Wardwell, and Sarah. Sarah married Herbert Kinney, by whom she had a son, Edward H. Mr. Kinney died in 1869, and his widow married Dr. George Seymour, of Utica. Henry Wardwell Shepard was born on the homestead in 1840, was reared upon the farm, and at the age of 18 years removed to Oswego and engaged as clerk in a store. He subsequently returned to Mannsville and engaged in mercantile business with his brother, Thomas E., who died in 1863, after which time Henry W. continued the business alone for several years. He then purchased of George A. Huggins, the inventor, the right to manufacture and use “iron-clad bottoms” for cans, etc., and entered into a partnership with Robert Seaman, of New York city, for the manufacture of iron-clad goods, and has since done a large business. He married Lottie, daughter of Henry Green, and they have two children, Thomas G. and Jennie G. Mr. Shepard was in the terrible Ashtabula disaster, in which he was so badly injured that the amputation of one foot was necessary, which has greatly incapacitated him for active business. He spends much of his time in his country [sic] seat, the Shepard homestead at Mannsville, which was remodelled in 1889, making it one of the finest mansions in this county. Before his injury Mr. Shepard was a man of great energy and indomitable will. Although physically disabled, his mind works with great vigor, which has led him to complete success in the plans of his life.
David Smith, one of the pioneers of Ellisburgh, married, first, Charlotte Salisbury, and their children were Willard, Charlotte (Mrs. William Jones), Harriet (Mrs. Henry Wager), Priscilla, and Olivia (Mrs. Russell Jones). For his second wife Mr. Smith married Mrs. Elizabeth Salisbury, and their children were Mary (Mrs. Rev. Isaac Hunt), of Adams, and Clarissa (Mrs. Rev. Ward Hunt), also of Adams. Willard Smith married Hannah, daughter of Henry Wager, and their children were Henry, who died young; Lactitia, who married Daniel Wardwell in 1859; Charlotte W., who married O. E. Herrick; David, who died in Michigan in 1889; and Elizabeth, who married William W. Wardell, of Rome, in 1860.
Ezra Stearns, with his wife and two daughters, Lucinda and Mary, and his household goods packed on a sled, drawn by an ox-team, left his home in Brattleboro, Vt., in February 1804, and after a tedious journey of 21 days arrived in Ellisburgh, where he made a "pitch" on the Melvin Stearns farm, where he resided about 20 years, when he sold out and purchased the homestead where B. Franklin Stearns now resides. He reared a large family of children, of whom Lucinda (Mrs. Dr. William Fish), Adaline (Mrs. L. F. Hudson), and B. Franklin Stearns are the only survivors. He served the town as supervisor, was a man of sterling integrity, and died in 1871.
Truman Steele, who served in the War of 1812, was born in Connecticut in 1786, and about 1810 removed to Ellisburgh. He married Eliza, daughter of Lemuel and Sarah (Brigham) Tabor, and reared children as follows: Sally (Mrs. A. Pierce), who died in 1885; Truman, who died in infancy; Huldah (Mrs. Aaron Butler), who died in this town; James I., who died in 1865; and Roswell M. The latter was born August 4, 1823, and was reared upon a farm. He married Polly A., daughter of Alvah and Asenath (Pool) Tubbs, in 1850, and their children were Alice, who died in childhood; James R., who resides in Ellisburgh; Fred W., of Pierrepont Manor; Nettie, who maried Madison Cobb; Lillian, who died in infancy; and Mark R. and Burt M., who reside at home. In 1862 Mr. Steele enlisted in Co. L, 10th N. Y. H. A., and was discharged on account of injuries received at Fort Schuyler in 1863. He is a farmer and owns and occupies the Tabor homestead, on road 92. Lemuel Tabor was of Galway, N. Y., and settled in Ellisburgh in 1810.
Albert A. Stetson was born in Hounsfield in 1860, was reared upon a farm, and was educated in the Watertown High School. He married Franc H., daughter of David and Melissa (Kibling) Armstrong, of Ellisburgh, in 1885, and in 1886 removed to this town, where he now resides, on Mill street. He is a carpenter and builder by trade.
Dewey Swan, son of Joseph and Mary (Barber) Swan, was born in 1805. He married Polly, daughter of Jabez Rounds, and of their four sons and three daughters, Daniel M., was born in 1843, graduated at Union Academy and Union College in 1866, studied law, was admitted to the bar, and took the degree of A. M. at Union College. In 1869 he married Lemira Ford, and their children are Charles M., Mary, and Daniel M., Jr. Martin D. Swan, son of Dewey, was born in 1838, and was educated at Union Academy. He married Frank [sic] Louisa, daughter of Alva and Louisa (Packer) Bull, in 1866, and they have a daughter, Marietta Belle, born in 1867, who is taking a musical course at Syracuse University, and a son, Mason M., born in 1873. Mr. Swan enlisted in Co. E., N. Y. H. A., in August, 1862, and was promoted to second lieutenant, Co. I, in the same regiment. He participated in the battles of Cold Harbor and Petersburg, was with Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, and served to the close of the war. Mr. Swan is a prosperous farmer and seed grower, and resides on road 3.
Anson S. Thompson was born in Harrisburg, Lewis County, in 1828, and was reared upon a farm. He was educated in the district schools, and Denmark (N. Y.) and Homer (N. Y.) academies, studied medicine with Drs. Stanton and Allen, of Copenhagen, graduated from the Cincinnati (Ohio) Medical College in 1856, and has since been in practice in Ellisburgh. He has served as coroner three years, was deptuy collector of customs at Sandy Creek from 1866 to 1868, and was supervisor in 1881, '83, '84, and '85. He married Emily S., daughter of Stillman and Eliza (Bort) Kibling, in 1858, and they have an adopted daughter, Maude (Haight) Thompson, born in 1879.
William L. Thompson was born in Indiana in 1820, and died in 1885. He was reared upon a farm, and learned the carpenters' trade. In 1844 he married Mary, daughter of Rev. James and Margaret (Turner) McAuley, and came to St. Lawrence County, where he worked at his trade. Of his children, two died in infancy; Amy E. married William J. Knox, and died in Ogdensburg in 1887; and James M. resides in this town. The latter was born in St. Lawrence County in 1851, and was educated at Eastman's Business College. At the age of 13 years he became a clerk in a bookstore at Ogdensburg, and subsequently worked in a grocery store, and also in a drug store. In the spring of 1871, he removed to Mannsville, and was employed in the store of D. E. Hurd. In the fall of 1885 he engaged in the drug and grocery business. He was elected supervisor of the town in 1889, and re-elected in 1890. In 1873 he married Frank [sic] A., daughter of George R. and Pamelia A. (Wells) Lucas, by whom he has had four sons, Wyen W., Brant (deceased), Carroll L., and George G.
John Tifft at an early day located in Ellisburgh, on the place now occupied by J. W. Hagan, where he kept a hotel for many years. He married Betsey Hollenbeck, and having no children, adopted a son, J. W. Hagan, who was born in New York city in 1825. Mr. Hagan married Julia, daughter of John and Julia (Crowley) Finn, in 1862. One son and five daughters were born to them, viz.: John D., Franc J., Nellie, Cora Elizabeth, Anna L., and Lottie May. John D., who was born in 1862, was reared upon a farm, and was educated in the schools of this town, and graduated from Hungeford Collegiate Instititute in the class of 1883. He married Mary E., daughter of Samuel and Huldah (Burke) Burke, of Bloomington, Ill., in 1885. Franc J. married Chester E. Latham, and resides in Bloomington, Ill. J. W. Hagan is extensively engaged in farming, and resides on the Tifft homestead. His son, John D., owns and occupies the Wright farm on road 149.
Clement Tubbs came from Vermont and located with his family in Jefferson County early in the present century. Of his family of 13 children, Alvah, who was born in 1802 and died in 1850, married Asenath Pool, in 1826, by whom he had children as follows: William R., of Iowa; Polly A., who married R. M. Steele; Eliza A., who married Hosea Clemens, and died in Redfield, Oswego County; Lora J., who married Jeremiah Yeardon; Orris B. and Orissa (twins), who died in childhood; and Ormus B., who died in infancy.
John Waite was born in Northamptonshire, England, in 1803. In 1833 he married Sarah Masters, and two years later immigrated to America, locating in Wardwell, in this town, and later removing to Adams, where he died in 1888. His children were Charlotte, Fred, William, George, Sarah, Eliza, and Levi J. The latter was born in 1845, and was educated at Hungeford Collegiate Institute. He enlisted in Co. B, 10th N. Y. H. A., and served three years, till the close of the war. He married Etta M., daughter of Horace and Etta (Hunting) Clark, in 1869, and they have two sons and two daughters, viz.: Lottie E., Leon M., Willie C., and Genevieve. Mr. Waite is a merchant.
Hiram G. Walrath, son of Jacob A. and Mary (Klock) Walrath, was born in Montgomery County, N. Y., in 1821. He worked at tailoring until 1844, when he had the misfortune to lose his left arm at the shoulder, by the bursting of a cannon, on the 4th of July. He afterwards engaged in teaching. In 1846 he located in Belleville and purchased the block of stores he now occupies, and engaged in the drug business, while his wife carried on a millinery and fancy goods business. He married Philena M., daughter of Henry and Caroline (Polly) Shaver, in 1848, and they had two sons and two daughters, viz.: Gertrude E. (Mrs. Dennis Young), of Henderson; Lucella F., who died in 1881, aged 28 years; Byron H., of Syracuse; and W. E. The latter was born in 1859, was educated at Union Academy, and graduated in dental surgery at the University of Michigan, in June, 1886. He married Elizabeth C., daughter of James and Martha (Harris) Crittenden, in 1887, by whom he has a daughter, Florence C., born in 1888. He is now practicing his profession in the Walrath block. Byron H. married Maria T. Johnson, in 1886, who died at childbirth [sic]. He has a son, Cady B. J.
Abel Ward, an Englishman, married for his second wife, Jane, daughter of John and Hannah (Hopkins) Frasier, and about 1830 immigrated to this country and located at Sangerfield, Oneida County, where he remained about six years, when he settled in Ellisburgh, on the farm now occupied by E. J. Ward. He had three sons, namely: Robert A. and Erastus J., of Ellisburgh, and Owen S., who died in 1863, while serving in the Union army. Erastus J. Ward was born on the homestead in this town in 1838. He married Fidelia J., daughter of Madison and Jane (Irving) Welden, in 1873, and they have a son and daughter -- Earl J., born in 1874, and Ella Jennie, born in 1877.
Samuel Wardwell, born in Ellisburgh in 1823, was educated at Union and Mexico academies; studied law with A. Z. McCarty and Judge Calvin Skinner; was admitted to the bar in 1847; was engaged in practice at Pulaski for a number of years; about 1850 became cashier of the Hungerford National Bank of Adams; and in 1853 became cashier of the Fort Stanwix Bank, at Rome. In 1875 he organized the Bank of Rome, which in 1879 was reorganized as the Farmers National Bank of Rome, Mr. Wardwell serving as its cashier to the present time. He maried Mary A., daughter of John B. and Mary (Enos) Stillman, in 1848, and they had five children, namely: Hetty M., Minnie E., Daniel W., John S., and Charles E.
Samuel Wardwell, Jr., son of Samuel and grandson of John, was born in Rhode Island in 1788, and located in Ellisburgh about 1828. He married Hannah C. Monroe, in 1810, and they had four sons and three daughters, viz.: William M., who died in Mannsville in 1881; Hannah C., who married Albert Taylor and died in 1838; Abbie M., who married E. O. Grenell, of Ellisburgh; Lydia, who married J. I. Steele and died in 1874; Samuel, of Ellisburgh; and Charles H. and Allen M., of Mannsville. Samuel Wardwell, son of Samuel, Jr., was born in Bristol, R. I., in 1819, and came to Mannsville with his father. He learned the tanners' and curriers' trade, at which he worked about 12 years, when he engaged in farming. He married, first, Betsey Wright, and their children were Charlotte, Mabel, Bertha, and Reuben S. After the death of his first wife, in 1847, he married Cordelia N., daughter of Allen and Palmyra (Smith) Remington, in 1849, by whom he has a daughter, Gertrude (Mrs. J. Saxe), of Mexico, and a son, Charles A. The latter married Lena E., daughter of Deloss and Harriet (Hudson) Bettinger, in 1875, and they have a daughter, Abbie M. Mr. Wardwell was appointed postmaster at Mannsville in 1885, where he now resides. He is engaged in farming with his son, Charles A.
William Wardwell was born in England in 1604, and immigrated to America with the early Pilgrims, as we learn that he was a member of the First Congregational Church in Boston, organized in 1633. His son, Urial, who settled in Bristol, R. I., in 1681, married Grace Giddings. Among their children was Joseph, the father of John Wardwell, who married Phebe, daughter of Samuel Howland, who was the son of Jabez, who was the son of John and Elizabeth, daughter of Gov. John Carver, who came over in the Mayflower in 1620. The children of John and Phebe Wardwell were John, Nathaniel, Joseph, Phebe, Susanna, Mary and Elizabeth (twins), Samuel (a sea captain), Tabitha, Daniel, Allen, and Allen, 2nd. Samuel, born in 1755, married Lydia Wardwell (his second cousin) in 1777, and of their 12 children, Daniel was born in Bristol, R. D., in 1791; graduated from Brown University in 1811; in 1812 located in Rome, N. Y., where he studied law with Judge Hollaway, and with Gould & Sill, of Whitesboro; was admitted to the bar at Jefferson County Common Pleas in 1814; practiced in Rome until about 1820, when he removed to Jefferson County; was appointed side judge by Gouvernor Yates; elected member of Assembly in 1825, '26, and '27; elected member of Congress three successive terms, commencing in 1830; and was again chosen member of the legislature in 1837. He married Hetty, daughter of Newton and Abigail (Moxey) Mann, in 1815, and their children were Abby, who married Robert B. Doxtater, in 1836, and died in Rome, N. Y., in 1881; Henry, who was born in July, 1819; Newton M., of Adams; Julia D., who died in 1831; Samuel and William W., who reside in Rome; Charles H., who died in Mannsville, in 1859; John H., of Michigan; and Edward H., of New York city. Mrs. Wardwell died in 1858, and for his second wife, Judge Wardwell married Lactitia W., daughter of Willard and Hannah (Wager) Smith, of Adams, in 1859, who now resides with W. W. Wardwell, of Rome. In politics Judge Wardwell was a Jacksonian Democrat, and in all his political and business transactions was noted for his integrity. He became a resident of Rome about 1860, where he closed his long and well-spent life, at the home of his son, William W., in March, 1878, aged 87 years.
William W. Wardwell was born in Mannsville in 1834; clerked in his brother's store several years; in 1854 removed to Rome and engaged in the grocery business with H. L. Stillman, with whom he continued until about 1869, when he engaged in the hardware business with his brother, Samuel, in which business he is now engaged. He married Elizabeth W., daughter of Willard and Hannah (Wager) Smith, in 1860; He is a thorough business man, and is identified with many of the manufacturing interests of Rome.
Virgil C. Warriner was born in the town of Brownville. He married Ruth Ann Packer, who bore him three sons and one daughter, viz.: Jerry V., of Smithville; M. E., of Belleville; Ruth Ann (Mrs. James M. Freeman, Jr ), of Adams; and William W., also of Adams. M. E. Warriner was born in 1852. He married Dell F., daughter of James M. and Mahala (Randall), Freeman, in 1880, and they have a daughter, Blanche M., born in 1885. Mr. Warriner has carried the mail between Belleville and Adams, and resides on Main street, in Belleville.
Henry Washburn, son of Samuel and Hannah (Howard) Washburn, was born in Williamstown, Mass., in 1780. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Baxter) Brooks, in 1802, by whom he had three sons and four daughters, of whom Henry, Jr., born in Lee, Oneida County, in 1808, came with his father to Ellisburgh in 1816, and located where George A. Washburn now lives. Henry, Jr., married Juline, daughter of Abner and Esther (Clark) Brooks, in 1834, by whom he had three sons and two daughters, namely: George A. and J. Stewart, of Ellisburgh; Caroline (Mrs. Cyrus Wood), of Sandy Creek; Betsey, who died in 1862, aged 17 years; and Henry C. George A. Washburn was born in 1835, and was reared upon a farm. He married Louisa F., daughter of Peter and Eliza (Skelton) Gilbert, in 1860, and they have had three sons and one daughter, viz.: Ferdinand, who died in infancy; Edward, who was born in 1862; Kittie; and Byron A. The children all reside with their parents. Mr. Washburn is a dairyman and farmer, and occupies the homestead.
Benjamin Waterman, of Schenectady, N. Y., married Rebecca White, and about 1815 located in Ellisburgh, on the farm now occupied by Byron F. Waterman. He had born to him four sons and five daughters. Ismond Waterman, son of Benjamin, married Sophronia, daughter of Daniel and Sophronia (Shaver) Calkins, in 1848, by whom he had a son, Byron F., born in 1853. Byron F., married, first, Carrie R., daughter of Aaron and Caroline (Grenell) Allen, in 1876 who bore him a daughter, Lillian C., born in 1877. His wife died in 1880, and in 1886 he married Christie Ann, daughter of James and Lucy Ann Quinn. He is a farmer and dairyman, and owns the homestead.
Alfred Webb, son of David, was born in Litchfield, Conn., in 1788, and when 14 years of age located in Lorraine and worked at farming. He married Nancy Gillman, and they had five sons and five daughters, of whom two are living, viz.: Amelia (Mrs. G. A. Fox), of Lorraine, and Albert. The latter was born in Lorraine in 1819, and was reared upon a farm. He married Cordelia, daughter of John and Nancy (Chase) Boyden, in 1846, and they have two children, viz.: Fred B., who resides in Ellisburgh, and Hattie B. (Mrs. Brayton Clark), of Dexter. Mr. Webb located in Ellisburgh in 1867. Fred B. married Fanny E., daughter of Thomas and Almira (Webster) Lucas, in 1871, and they have a son, Albert L., born in 1877. Mr. Webb and son, Fred B., are farmers, and reside on Railroad street, Pierrepont Manor.
Gilbert L. Wheelock, son of Lewis and Eliza (Barney) Wheelock, was born in Mannsville in 1849. He married Betsey Maria, daughter of Daniel and Lucy (Gault) West, in 1870, who bore him five sons and three daughters, viz.: Lewis, deceased, Albertus, deceased, Ora Loretta, Abbie Carrie, John W., Grove L., deceased, Bessie, and Joseph H., the latter born November 11, 1886. Mr. Wheelock is a carpenter on the N. Y. C. & H. R. Railroad, and resides on road 35, in this town.
John Wilds, son of John and Sarah (Babbitt) Wilds, was born in Norton, Mass. He married Lydia, daughter of John and Lydia (Bassett) Newcomb, who bore him three sons and four daughters. Mr. Wilds located in Ellisburgh in 1824. His son, Benjamin F., who was born in 1803, was a shoemaker by trade. He married Sophronia C., daughter of Horace and Clarissa (King) McKee, in 1828, who bore him a son and four daughters, viz.: Horace M., Harriet (Mrs. Charles Hill), Pamelia (Mrs. T. G. Brewster), Mary E., (Mrs. E H. Hudson), and Melvina (Mrs. Charles Hawley). Horace M. Wilds was educated at Union Academy and at the State Normal School, and subsequently taught school a number of years. He has served as justice of Sessions, justice of the peace, and town clerk. In 1868 he married Frances L., daughter of George and Tabethy (Martin) Chamberlain. He is now engaged in mercantile business in Ellisburgh.
Henry M. Williams, son of Moses and Amy (Bawdwich) Williams, was born in Dorsetshire, Eng., in 1846, and when about eight years of age came with his parents to America. He married Ella M., daughter of Jones and Mary (Elsey) Fox, in 1868, who bore him a daughter, Jennie Adel, and died in 1874. For his second wife he married Lucretia, daughter of Harvey and Sarah (Spencer) Powers, in 1874, who bore him two daughters, Helen M. and Inez F., and died in 1886. For his third wife he married Mary M. Powers, a sister of his second wife, December 29, 1886. In 1868 Mr. Williams purchased the E. T. Boomer farm, on road 44, one mile from Belleville, where he now resides.
Isaac Wodell was born in Hoosick, N. Y., in 1776, and came to Ellisburgh in 1797 or '98, and worked a few years for Lyman Ellis, receiving for his services 340 acres of land located where C. I. Holley now lives. He married Phebe Pierce, who bore him five sons and four daughters, viz.: Aaron, William, Phebe, Emily, Eunice, Ithamer, Isaac, Jr., Christopher, and Olive M., of whom Emily, who married S. B. Holley, and resides in this town, is the only one now living. William Wodell was born in 1803, and died in Ellisburgh in 1884. He married Sarah, daughter of William Wood, in 1827, by whom he had three sons and two daguhters, viz.: Aaron B., born in 1829; Mary E., born in 1830, who married Dr. Henry Saunders, and died in Michigan in 1878; Phebe, who died young; Isaac P., born in 1837; and Warren W., born in 1839. Aaron B. Wodell was reared upon a farm. He married Minerva Aurora, daughter of Solomon and Mary P. (Garnesy) Curtis, in 1853, and they have a daughter, Ada Isadore (Mrs. W. A. Dennison), of Ellisburgh, and a son, Herbert C., born in 1870, now a student in Adams Collegiate Institute, class of '89. Mr. Wodell resides on his farm, on road 100, where he located in 1854.
Isaac P. Wodell was also reared upon a farm, and was educated at the Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N. Y. October 30, 1861, he enlisted in Co. K, 94th Regt. N. Y. Inf.; in March, 1862, was promoted to second lieutenant, and in October of the same year, to first lieutenant. He participated in the battles of Cedar Creek, second Bull Run, South Mountain, and Antietam, was wounded in the battle of Fredericksburg, and discharged on account of disability. September 30, 1863, he re-renlisted and was appointed first lieutenant of the Invalid Corps, and afterwards in the Veteran Reserve Corps, serving until 1867. He married, first, Helen S. Hotchkin, in 1862, who died in 1867, and second, Mary B. Brown, in 1868, who died in 1870. By his second wife he had a daughter, Anna, who died young. Mr. Wodell married for his third wife, Sarah J., daughter of Hiram and Ann (Wood) Mitchell, and widow of Charles G. Mixer, in 1872, by whom he has a son, William H., born June 14, 1877. Mr. Wodell has been supervisor of Ellisburgh nine terms. He is commander of Calvin Burch Post, G. A. R., No. 345, is a prosperous farmer, and owns the homestead settled by his father, which has never been owned out of the Wodell family.
Warren W. Wodell, mentioned above, was reared upon a farm. He married Isadore M., daughter of Eugene and Huldah A. (Williams) Stearns, in 1863, and they have a son, Frank Eugene, born in September, 1865. In April, 1861, Mr. Wodell enlisted in Co. K, 24th Regt. N. Y. Vols. He received an injury to his spine which compelled him to retire from the army in 1862 and he is stll incapacitated for labor.
Ebenezer Wood, son of Nathaniel, was born in Norwich, Conn., in 1777, and at the age of 16 years removed to Middletown, Vt. He married Abigail, daughter of Philemon Wood, in 1795, and their children were Victor, born in 1795; Polly, born in 1797; Jacob, born in 1799; Abigail, born in 1802; Ebenezer, Jr., born in Ellisburgh in 1811; Harrison, born in 1814; and Nathaniel, born June 22, 1816. Ebenezer Wood located in this town at Woodville, about 1804 or '05, and built a big house where he resided for a few years, when he built a large frame house and kept hotel for a number of years. He also kept a general store. His wife died in 1842, and the same year he married for his second wife, Sarah Lyon, who died May 20, 1858. Mr. Wood died August 20, 1858. Nathaniel Wood was reared upon his father's farm, and was twice married. His first wife, Phebe, whom he wedded in 1837, died in 1842. He married, second, Flora J., daughter of Milton and Amelia (Willard) Clark, of Woodville, June 12, 1842, by whom he had two sons, George Milton and Nathaniel J. George M. was born in 1843. He married Frankie, daughter of Cyrus and Pamelia (Goodenough) Littlefield, in 1867, by whom he has a son, George Milton, Jr., born November 24, 1880, and a daughter, Fannie, born in 1869. George M. Wood was educated at Union Academy, and in Syracuse. Nathaniel J. Wood, was born in 1846, and was also educated at Union Academy and in Syracuse. He married, first, Almira M., daughter of Samuel J. and Anna (Williamson) Williamson, in 1872, who died in 1876. For his second wife he wedded Mary E., daughter of Samuel and Laura (Owen) Eaton, in 1885, by whom he has a son, Nathaniel Eaton, born in 1887. N. Wood & Sons owns a large landed estate, are extensively engaged in manufacturing, and do a large mercantile business at Woodville.
Ephraim Wood, one of the early settlers of Ellisburgh, son of Rev. Nathaniel Wood, was born in 1755, and in 1779 married Esther Eastman, who bore him three sons and eight daughters. Of these children, Amos E., born in 1787, married Hannah, daughter of Samuel and Rachel (Chamberlain) Dean, in 1819, who bore him two sons and four daughters, viz.: Elvira O., who married Edwin R. Finn; Simeon T., who resides in the village of Woodville; Amos F., of Michigan; Rachel M., who married George A. Jenkins; Marion M., born in 1829, who married C. F. Eastman; and Mary E., who married Merrett F. Wood. Hannah Wood survives her husband and resides with her daughter, Mrs. C. F. Eastman, at Woodville, aged 99 years.
James Wood was born in Saratoga County, N. Y., in 1779, and was reared upon a farm. He married Barbara Ireland, and in 1805 located at Woodville, in this town. He had born to him six sons and seven daughters, viz.: Epinetus B., born in 1806; Mary (Mrs. David Wheeler), born in 1808; John, born in 1811; Dorothy (Mrs. E. Alexander), born in 1812; Martha (Mrs. Orson Whitney), born in 1815; Timothy, of Illinois, born in 1817; Stephen, of Ellisburg, born in 1821; Hepsey (Mrs. Charles Shaver), born in 1819; Horace, born in 1825, who resides on the old homestead; James, who died in infancy; Julia (Mrs. H. Boomer), of Illinois, who was born in 1828; Emily (Mrs. L. Thayer), of Illinois, who was born in 1832; and Betsey (Mrs. H. Smith), also of Illinois. Stephen Wood, mentioned above, married Brittana, daughter of Apolus and Sally (Boyden) Smith, in 1844, who bore him three sons and two daughters, viz.: George, born in 1846; Ella F. (Mrs. Brayton Whipple), born in 1849; Alva E., born in 1852; Alice E. (Mrs. J. H. Lovelee), of Henderson, born in 1855; and James R., born in 1858. The latter was reared upon a farm, and in 1876 married Alice, daughter of Sylvester and Mary (Kibling) Tyler, by whom he has a son, James A., born in 1878. Stephen Ellis and son, James R., are farmers and reside on road 81.
Merrett F. Wood, son of Franklin and Rachel (Martin) Wood, was born in Ellisburgh in 1829, and was reared upon a farm. He married Mary E., daughter of Amos E. and Hannah (Dean) Wood, in 1857, and they had born to them two daughters, viz.: Hannah J., born in 1861, who graduated from the State Normal School at Oswego, married Stephen C. Mead, September 30, 1886, and resides at Fort Howard, Wisconsin; and Julia O., also a graduate of the State Normal School, class of 1884, now a teacher, and resides with her parents. Mr. Wood is a farmer.
Mosley Wood, son of Philemon, was born in 1772, and died in 1837. He married Patty Franklin, and came with their two children, Lydia and Philemon, to this town, and located in Woodville in 1804, on the farm now owned and occupied by Moses W. Wood. Their children born in Ellisburgh were Franklin; Betsey (Mrs. Amos Colvin); Marlin S., born in 1811, who died in 1883; Amanda (Mrs. John R. Palmer), born in 1803, who now resides with Moses W.; Hannah (Mrs. A. Spaulding), who was brn in 1815 and died in 1876; and Julia, who was born in 1817 and died in 1843. Marlin S. Wood married, first, Jane, daughter of David and Jane (Tagget) Fulton, in 1837, who bore him one son, Moses W., and died in 1844. For his second wife he married Phebe Fulton, sister of his first wife, in 1845. Moses W. Wood, born June 26, 1841, married Emily E., daughter of Hermon and Maria (Brayton) Streeter, in 1867, by whom he has a son and two daughters, viz.: Franklin M., born in 1871; Millie Inez, born May 23, 1873; and Myrtie Jane, born in 1875. Mr. Wood is a farmer and breeder of Holstein cattle. He owns the Hillside stock farm, on road 79, at Woodville, where he was born.
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