USA > New York > Chenango County > Book of biographies : this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Chenango County, New York > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56
-
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01145 0464
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/bookofbiographie00biog_0
mr. Kortright 1951
1
BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES
THIS VOLUME CONTAINS
Biographical Sketches
-OF_ -
LEADING CITIZENS
OF
CHENANGO COUNTY, N. Y.
"Biography is the only true history."-Emerson.
BIOGRAPHICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, BUFFALO, N. Y. IS98.
1474968
PREFACE
"AVING brought to a successful termination our labors in Chenango County in compiling and editing the sketches herein contained, we desire, in presenting this Book of Biographies to our patrons, to make a few remarks, neces- sarily brief, in regard to the value and importance of local works of this nature. We agree with Ralph Waldo Emerson that "Biography is the only true History," and also are of the opinion that a collection of the biographies of the leading men of a nation would give a more interesting, as well as authentic, history of their country than any other that could be written. The value of such a production as this cannot be too highly estimated. With each succeeding year the haze of Obscurity removes more and more from our view the fast disappearing landmarks of the past, Oblivion sprinkles her dust of forgetfulness on men and their deeds, effectually concealing them from the public eye, and because of the many living objects which claim our attention, few of those who have been removed from the busy world linger long in our memory. Even the glorious achieve- ments of the present age may not insure it from being lost in the glare of greater things to come, and so it is manifestly a duty to posterity for the men of the present time to preserve a record of their lives and a story of their progress from low and humble begin- nings to great and noble deeds, in order that future generations may read the account of their successful struggles, and profit by their example. A local history affords the best means of preserving ancestral history, and it also becomes, immediately upon its publica- tion, a ready book of reference for those who have occasion to seek biographical data of the leading and early settled families. Names, dates and events are not easily remem- bered by the average man, so it behooves the generations now living, who wish to live in the memory of their descendants, to write their own records, making them full and broad in scope, and minute in detail, and insure their preservation by having them put in printed form. We firmly believe that in these collated personal memoirs will be found as true and as faithful a record of Chenango County as may be obtained anywhere, for the very sufficient reason that its growth and development are identified with that of
SURNAME TILĘ
iv
PREFACE
the men who have made her what she is to-day-the representative, leading men, whose personal sketches it has been a pleasure to us to write and give a place in this volume. From the time when the hand of civilized man had not yet violated the virgin soil with desecrating plough, nor with the ever-ready frontiersman's ax felled the noble, almost limitless, forests, to the present period of activity in all branches of industry, we may read in the histories of the county's leading men, and of their ancestors, the steady growth and development which has been going on here for a century and a half, and bids fair to continue for centuries to come. A hundred years from now, whatever records of the present time are then extant, having withstood the ravages of time and the ceaseless war of the elements, will be viewed with an absorbing interest, equalling, if not surpassing, that which is taken to-day in the history of the early settlements of America.
It has been our purpose in the preparation of this work to pass over no phase or portion of it slightingly, but to give attention to the smallest points, and thus invest it with an air of accuracy, to be obtained in no other way. The result lias amply justified the care that has been taken, for it is our honest belief that no more reliable production, under the circumstances, could have been compiled.
One feature of this work, to which we have given special prominence, and which we are sure will prove of extraordinary interest, is the collection of portraits of the represen- tative and leading citizens, which appear throughout the volume. We have tried to represent the different spheres of industrial and professional activity as well as we might. To those who have been so uniformly obliging and have kindly interested themselves in the success of this work, volunteering information and data, which have been very helpful to us in preparing this Book of Biographies of Chenango County, we desire to express our grateful and profound acknowledgment of their valued services.
BUFFALO, N. Y., June, 1898.
THE PUBLISHERS
NOTE
ALL the biographical sketches published in this volume were sub- mitted to their respective subjects, or to the subscribers, from whom the facts were primarily obtained, for their approval or correction before going to press; and a reasonable time was allowed in each case for the return of the type-written copies. Most of them were returned to us within the time ' allotted, or before the work was printed, after being corrected or revised ; and these may therefore be regarded as reasonably accurate.
A few, however, were not returned to us; and, as we have no means of knowing whether they contain errors or not, we cannot vouch for their accuracy. In justice to our readers, and to render this work more valuable for reference purposes, we have indicated these uncorrected sketches by a small asterisk (*), placed imme- diately after the name of the subject. . They will all be found on the last pages of the book.
BIOGRAPHICAL PUBLISHING CO.
BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES CHENANGO COUNTY, N. Y.
.
DAVID MAYDOLE.
Book of Biographies
CHENANGO COUNTY
B AVID MAYDOLE. The village of Norwich has cause indeed to re- member with esteem, veneration and gratitude the gentleman named above, who over half a century ago, as a simple worker at the forge, laid the solid founda- tions of the great hammer industry, that more than any other agency has brought prosperity, wealth and fame to Norwich. Seldom has it fallen to our lot to compile a life record that compared in uniqueness and in the practical lessons taught with that of David Maydole, whose name will ever be associated with the best and most finished types of that most useful industrial tool, the hammer. His was a busy life, and whatever the success that he achieved, and whatever words of praise have been uttered in his be- half, all that came to him was richly deserved. Labor he did incessantly ; even when fortune had beamed on him and made him a rich man, he was still to be found in the factory with his employees, directing their efforts, and seeking by experiment to improve his products. Such labor as his was surely en- nobling, for he put his soul into what he did,
always with the ever present idea of doing the best he could. He was never satisfied with good work until he was thoroughly con- vinced that it was the best. His careful atten- tion to the smallest details, and his careful search for improvements that could be made, met with results that could hardly have been looked for by Mr. Maydole in the commence- ment of his career, for the hammers with the inscription "D. Maydole " are par excellence standard of the world, and may be found in the markets of every civilized country.
Mr. Maydole was born January 27, 1807, in the town of Seward, Schoharie County, N. Y., near "Neeley's Hollow," better known by the people of the present day as "Seward's Valley." In him were united by right of descent the enterprising and persevering traits of the Scotch-Irish, and the solid, patient characteristics of the Hollander. His paternal grandfather was of Scotch origin, while his mother traced her ancestry to the "land of dykes and ditches." They both took up their residence in the English col- onies of America prior to the Revolution, and the close of the century found both
2
12
BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES
families domiciled in Albany, N. Y. Alex- ander Maydole, the father of the subject of this writing, was one of several children whose names are still represented in those of descendants, who live chiefly in New York State. Alexander Maydole was born at East Albany, Rensselaer County, and served an apprenticeship as a shoemaker. His trade having been acquired, he journeyed into Schoharie County, where he labored at his bench with awl and last for several years. His location was in the town of Sharon, on the old Cherry Valley turnpike; there he settled down to a happy domestic life with his wife, Anna Van Valkenburgh, who was a member of an old and well known family in that part of the state. Nine children out of the twelve born to this worthy couple grew to maturity and were present at their father's funeral, in 1818.
Our subject's boyhood life was such as to bring out all his capabilities and to school him for a lite of great usefulness. He was the sixth child in the family of twelve, and from the age when he was first able to help in the least in the work of the household his time was fully taken up, chiefly with work, for the size of the family rendered it neces- sary that every member contribute his part to the support of the whole family. Even many of the benefits of a school education were denied him, thus forcing him to rely mainly on his own efforts for a rise in life and for a fit preparation to cope with prob- lems that were sure to come to him. Thus at an early age habits of prudence and indus- try were formed in him, and valuable lessons, whose wholesome effects have been seen in a
life of great prosperity, made a deep impres- sion on him. His school education was begun at a school in the town of Sharon, Schoharie County, and was concluded by that afforded during several winters in Cortland County, where the family had moved in 1816, settling on a small tract of land in Texas Valley, in what is now the town of Marathon. Mr. Maydole's mother was a woman of excellent judgment and stability of character, as was shown in the impress she made upon the minds of the children, the care of whom de- volved upon her in 1818, at the death of her husband. Under her guiding hand and in the light of her own exemplary bearing, her large family of boys and girls grew up to be respected and industrious members of the different and widely separated communities in which they lived in after years. From the time of his father's death, David Maydole, who was then but eleven years of age, ex- perienced little but hard work, with little or no schooling or leisure. Until 1822 he was employed by different farmers in the sum- mer, being able in the winters to attend school. In January, 1822, having passed his fifteenth birthday, he took the step which initiated him as an apprentice member of one of the oldest and most honorable trades followed by man. He became apprenticed to the late James Glover of Oxford, who was a well known blacksmith and most re- spected citizen of that village, the indenture papers being drawn by the late Governor Tracy, at whose instance David also chose Mr. Glover as his guardian.
Having attained his majority and finished his apprenticeship, he went to Eaton, in 1828,
13
CHENANGO COUNTY
and entered into partnership with his brother Jacob, who had finished his appren- ticeship at the blacksmith's trade a year or two previous. The two brothers worked in company until the fall of 1830, when David sold his interest to his brother and made an engagement with Gardiner & Abbott to work at his trade for them for one year. In 1831 he went into partnership with David Abbott at Lebanon, in the edge tool busi- ness, which arrangement satisfactorily con- tinued for two years. Mr. Maydole then returned to Eaton and bought out a chair factory, attached to which was a water power, which was utilized when he trans- formed the plant into a blacksmith establish- ment, and entered upon a business in edge tools and carriage springs, besides attend- ing to general blacksmithing work. The custom he received was large in quantity, and quite flattering was the success that attended his efforts, the magnitude of the work requiring four fires. In 1837 he pre- pared to enlarge his business, and for that purpose he built an addition to his build- ings, designing to begin the manufacture of lumber wagons for the Chicago markets; however, misfortune, in the form of fire, overtook him, his building, stock and machinery being destroyed. But nothing daunted Mr. Maydole; in the same year (1838), in company with a younger brother, James, who was also a blacksmith, he bought the Gardiner & Abbott scythe factory, con- nected with which was a water power and sixty acres of land. The remainder of the year was spent in working the farm and in preparing for business, but nothing more
was done, for the title to the property proved to be defective, and the brothers re- fused to accept it. At this juncture Mr. Maydole was induced to consider the sub- ject of leaving Eaton for another location, and the result was he became a resident of Norwich in 1840, and formed a partnership with Levi Ray, since deceased, in the old stone blacksmith shop, which still stands on East Main Street. His special part in the business was the manufacture of edge tools and carriage springs, in which branches he had become an acknowledged expert, the character of his work having given him a wide reputation throughout this section.
It was soon after locating in Norwich that the events occurred that led up to the founding of the present mammoth hammer business. At that time there was no recog- nized hammer industry; blacksmiths made their own hammers, and similar tools for other artisans as well. Mr. Maydole's ham- mers did not suit him ; oftentimes the heads would fly off, then if the iron was soft, the head would spread and wear away, while if the metal was a trifle too hard it would split. But the chief trouble was the head coming loose from the handle; there were a number of expedients to obviate this, one kind had an iron rod running through the handle, with nuts at either end, another was made of metal throughout, handle and head being of iron, but all were clumsy and awkward. In regard to the mixing and tempering of the metal, Mr. Maydole only reached a point where he could feel satisfied by many years of experiment, carried on at odd moments. He finally came very near to his desires in
I4
BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES
the metal and at the same time hit upon an im- provement which led to his being able to put a hammer upon a handle in such a way that it would stay there, the head being attached to the handle after the manner of an adz ; the improvement consisted in merely making a longer hole for the handle to go into, thus giving a much firmer hold of the head. He made a number of other changes, all for his own convenience, however, for he did not dream as yet of going into the manufacture of hammers. He would have hardly bene- fited from the improvements he had originat- ed, at least not so soon as he did, for very few hammers were ever required in the little village, had not a party of six carpenters come to Norwich to work upon a new church. It so happened that one of these men had left his hammer at home, and the necessity was so grcat that he repaired to the village smithy, which David Maydole was then conducting, to have one made, there being none at the village store. "Make me a good one," said the carpenter, "as good a one as you know how." David had in his experiments arrived at some notion of what a hammer ought to be, and knew that he was able to produce a very superior article, but he was not sure that the workman wanted the best, so he asked him about his willing- ness to pay a good price, remarking, "But perhaps you don't want to pay for as good a hammer as I can make." To this the carpen- ter rejoined, " Yes, I do ; I want a good ham- mer." So the tool was made, the best one probably that was ever made in the history of iron-working, for it contained several im- portant improvements, original with Mr.
Maydole. To say that the customer was satisfied would be a mild expression for his feelings; he took the greatest delight in the hammer, showed it to his friends and fellow- workmen, and could not say enough in praise of the young blacksmith and his work. The result was that on the following day the man's five companions went to the shop, and each ordered one, and when they were done the contractor came to the shop, and ordered two more, intimating that the blacksmith ought to make his hammers a little better than those he had made for his men. "I can't make any better ones," said honest David. "When I make a thing, I make it as well as I can, no matter who it's for." Soon after the store-keeper of the village gave him what seemed the magnificent order for two dozen, which in due time were placed on the merchant's shelves. There the hammers chanced to catch the eye of a New York tool merchant, who at once recognized their superior merits, and when he left Norwich, it was after giving David Maydole a standing order for as many hammers of that kind as he could make. This was the beginning of prosperity for David Maydole, for orders in- creased, and gave him an opportunity of enlarging his works, and of employing more men, thus in the end building up the great industry of which Norwich is justly proud.
About this time, in the summer of 1845, Mr. Maydole leased one-half of the building that stood on the site now occupied by the Maydole Hammer Factory, and engaged in the manufacture of edge tools on his own account and in his own name. In this build- ing he began the manufacture of the adz-eye
I5
CHENANGO COUNTY
and other hammers in quantities. In the spring of 1847, the partnership that had existed in the blacksmithing business with Mr. Ray was dissolved, and from that time on our subject's attention was devoted to the hammer business. In 1848 a fire burned the building and stock, causing Mr. Maydole a loss of $1,500.00, above his insurance, which was for the same amount. This second scorching he did not allow to interfere much with his work, for he at once set about the work of repairing damages, recovering lost ground, and firmly establishing himself once morc. He purchased the entire property of the owners, and erected a factory, which is the eastern portion of the present main building, but it was then only two stories in height. The works have since been several times enlarged, an extension upon the ground and a third story over the whole having been put on in 1856.
During the first twenty years, Mr. May- dole was constantly experimenting with a view to perfecting the hammer. The proper combination of ores was at last decided, and the requisite amount of tempering found by experiment. The curve of the handle, the curve of each part of the head, and every little point about the tool was carefully con- sidered, thought over, tried, until at last Mr. Maydole could say with pride, "I make the best hammer in the United States." The handle is made of selected hickory, seasoned for a term of three years, so as to prevent any appreciable shrinkage, when the head is put on. Mr. Maydole never tried to com- pete with others in price; he made the best tool he could, set a fair price on it, and let it
sell on its own merits. He never advertised his hammers, never pushed the enterprise, and never borrowed money. He was con- tent to secure a steady growth, that had its foundation on real merit.
In 1857 the hammer business suffered with other manufacturing 'enterprises, but while Mr. Maydole's business felt, it did not long nor materially suffer from the effects of the panic. As early as 1860 he was working from 75 to 80 hands, and was forced to put in a 50 horse-power engine to supplement the water-power obtained from the canal. From then to the present time, the business has gone on increasing, and except for the period of depression that followed the panic of 1873, there has been no time when the establish- ment has been able to keep up with its orders, despite the constant enlargement of facilities. In 1873 there were 115 men em- ployed. The forging had all been done by hand up to 1876, each hammer being heated slowly and carefuly over a charcoal fire, and then fashioned by experienced workmen. In that year machinery was first introduced, and has been added to from that time to this. At the present time the adz-eye hammer is made in three heats, while the ordinary blacksmith and riveting hammers are forged at one heat. The capacity of the establish- ment has in this way been increased very largely, at the same time greater perfection being obtained than by hand forging. Mr. Maydole invented the now common adz-eye hammer, and it was always a matter of regret to him that he never had it patented ; on the introduction of forging machinery, he invented and patented several important im-
2+
16
BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES
provements, the one for drawing up the adz- eye being especially ingenious and perfect, excelling all other known contrivances de- signed for the same kind of work.
Mr. Maydole was often interviewed and visited by great men, who had been at- tracted by his original character and excel- lent traits. In 1878 James A. Garfield, after- wards president of the United States, visited Norwich and was shown around the works by Mr. Maydole. A year later, Gen. Gar- field made an address before the Consolidated Business College at Washington on the " Ele- ments of Success," and told the story of Mr. Maydole, substantially as we have told it, citing him as an example of a successful man, who by diligent application on one object became the leader in his special line of work. James Parton, in his "Captains of Industry," gives an account of his beginning in life, and places him with Peter Cooper, Horace Gree. ley, Richard Cobden, and Henry Bessemer, all kings of business in their own fields of effort.
At the time of his death, Mr. Maydole was the head of the concern, his sons-in-law, Charles H. Merritt and Cyrus B. Martin, being associated with him. In 1861, Mr. Merritt bought a quarter interest in the plant, and from then until his death was most influential in building up the business. In 1877, Mr. Martin purchased a quarter interest of Mr. Maydole, and has since been and is now identified with the management of the company. In 1890, the present com- pany was organized, the interest of each part- ner continuing in the new concern. Mr. Merritt was the first president, and was suc- ceeded by Mr. Martin, who still retains the
presidency ; he and his children own one-half of the stock. Mrs. Cornelia E. Merritt owns the other half of the stock, and is the vice- president of the company.
The Maydole hammer has received prem- iums in every industrial exposition where ex- hibited. In the Centennial-Columbian case, now standing in the engine room of the fac- tory, may be seen the Chicago exhibit intact. The machinery used requires a 200 horse- power engine to move it, and several hun- dred tons of solid, crucible steel, made espec- ially for their use, are cut up in the works each year. Grindstones by car loads are used up. A half million and more hickory handles are necessary for a full year's supply. In their catalogue are shown thirty-six different styles of hammers, some new in design, but most are of old and approved patterns. Many sizes are made of every style, but the heaviest hammer on the list weighs but four pounds. The works employ about 130 men, and turn out about a hundred dozen a day.
Mr. Maydole's habits of life were ever tem- perate and industrious. At the age of eigh- teen he first experienced religion, and united with the Presbyterian Church of Oxford, and was at different times a member of socie- ties at Morrisville, Eaton and Norwich. He was a pronounced advocate of temperance. He was a generous contributor to church, charitable and public enterprises. Though Mr. Maydole was no politician, he took a hearty interest in public affairs, affiliating originally with the Democrats, but becoming a Republican, when the former organization became hopelessly wedded to slavery.
Mr. Maydole was joined in marriage, May
17
CHENANGO COUNTY
5, 1830, with Mary Madelia Hartshorn, daughter of Jacob Hartshorn, long a magis- trate and prominent citizen of Lebanon, Madi- son County. Three daughters were born to this union, namely : Jane Madelia, wife of Col. William B. Guernsey ; Ann Vernette, wife of Cyrus B. Martin; and Cornelia Eliza, wife of Charles H. Merritt. He con- tracted a second marriage with Charlena Dickinson, daughter of Abner Dickinson, Esq., who now survives him.
David Maydole died October 14, 1882, at his residence in Norwich. The funeral serv- ices were most impressive, business generally being suspended, while the citizens of Nor- wich and adjoining towns joined in paying their last respects to him who had finished his life-work, and had been called home. The casket was borne by eight of Mr. Maydole's trusted employees. At the close of the ser- vices, which were held in the Congregational Church, the coffin lid was removed, and nearly the entire audience availed themselves of the opportunity of gazing upon the face of him who for upwards of forty years had been most intimately associated with every- thing that was best and noblest in the vil- lage of Norwich. The casket was then placed in the hearse, and was followed by a large number in carriages and on foot to the cemetery, where the last impressive rites of the burial service were concluded, and white flowers, " emblems of immortality," covered him from the sight of those left behind. David Maydole, after a life of the greatest usefulness, had entered into his reward. Mr. Maydole's portrait appears as the frontispiece of this work.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.