USA > New York > Ontario County > A history of Ontario County, New York and its people, Volume II > Part 11
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to his societies and to literary work. He is a frequent contributor to the Legal Gasette and other legal publications, is the author of a history of Geneva, and valuable papers on college fraternity matters.
DAVISON.
Charles C. Davison, who has been prominently connected with the milling industry in the state of New York for many years, is a son of Oz- mer L. Davison, who came to New York from New England and spent the greater part of his life engaged in agricultural pursuits. He died at Odessa, New York, in 1900, and his wife died in 1896.
Charles C., son of Ozmer L. Davison, was born in Odessa, Schuyler county, New York, June 22, 1868. He was graduated from the Odessa high school, then studied and was prepared for college at Cook's Acad- emy, and matriculated at Cornell University. After a few days' attend- ance of the lectures at the university, finding that a life of study did not appeal to him, he accepted a position in a flour mill at Ithaca, New York, and at the end of one year returned to Odessa, where he also found em- ployment in a flour mill and finished learning the trade of milling. He then went to Elmira, New York, remaining there for one year, and after a year and a half spent in traveling as an expert miller, he went to Tru- mansburg, Tompkins county, New York, where he remained one year. He again returned to Odessa, where he purchased a mill which he oper- ated for a period of three years, then sold and went to Geneva, New York, where he opened a flour and feed store, March, 1897, which he conducted for seven years. In 1904 he bought the Geneva Flouring Mill, the oldest in the city, it having been erected in 1874. It has a capacity of eighty barrels daily, and Mr. Davison has special brands of flour for home con- sumption known as the "Lithia," "Dandy," and "Delight." He ships the greater portion of his product to the east. His mill consumes about sixty thousand bushels of wheat annually in addition to a large amount of other grains, and gives employment to seven men. He is a member of the Dem- ocratic party and of the First Presbyterian Church, and is connected with the following organizations: The Blue Lodge, Chapter, Commandery and Shrine of the Masonic fraternity; Commercial Travelers' Club : Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; Kanadasaga Club.
Mr. Davison married, September 6, 1897, A. Louise, born in Tru- mansburg, New York, daughter of John and Annette Creque. They have one child : Annette B., born November 22, 1898.
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COVERT.
Dr. Jay Byington Covert, one of the leading physicians of Geneva, Ontario county, New York, while still young in years, has already attain- ed a foremost rank in the medical profession. His quick perception, sound judgment and thorough training, command the respect and con- fidence of all who know him, and he is held in the highest estimation by his fellow citizens. The fact is amply evidenced in the record of his daily life. He has devoted his life to a noble profession, and in all professions, but more especially in the medical, there are exalted heights to which genius itself dares scarcely aspire, and which can only be gained by long years of patient, arduous and unremitting toil, and inflexible and unfalter- ing courage. To this eminence Dr. Covert has risen, and we feel con- fident that this opinion will be sustained by his professional brethren, the best standard of judgment.
Dr. Nelson B. Covert, father of Dr. Jay Byington Covert, was born in the town of Ovid, Seneca county, New York, January 22, 1840, and died at Geneva, New York, in November, 1908, at which time he was the oldest physician in the town. During his earlier years he attended the common schools, and was prepared for college at the Seneca Collegiate Institution at Ovid. He then became a student at Cleveland Homœo- pathic College, from which he was graduated in the class of 1862. He began the practice of his profession in Fentonville, Michigan, but in Sep- tember, 1864, he removed to Geneva, New York, where he became asso- ciated in practice with Dr. H. L. Eddy, the father of Dr. H. D. Eddy. This association was discontinued at the expiration of two years, when Dr. Covert established himself in independent practice. This he con- tinued uninterruptedly for the long period of forty-five years, and his reputation as an excellent practitioner spread far and wide. He was one of the leading physicians in Geneva, and was frequently called into con- sultation by his colleagues. He was always one of the prime factors to be reckoned with in any movement to advance the standing or interests of the medical profession in the town, and whenever a project was suggested for the improvement of the health of the community, Dr. Covert was surely to be found in the van. During the earlier days of his professional career in Geneva, he filled the office of coroner for two terms, and for sev- eral years was the health officer of the city. The appointment of a sewer- age commission for the city was largely owing to the personal efforts of Dr. Covert, the duties of this commission consisting of providing maps and plans for a complete system of sewerage for the town of Geneva,
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according to the most modern and approved methods. In the preliminary arrangements which resulted in the opening of the General City Hospital in 1898, Dr. Covert was the leading spirit, an ardent supporter of the institution, and an indefatigable worker in its interests. He was one of the most valuable members of the medical staff of the hospital until the time of his death, and his loss was a severe blow to the institution. The name of Dr. Covert was familiar in professional circles throughout the United States, and he was a member of the following named organiza- tions : Ontario Homeopathic Medical Society ; New York State Homco- pathic Medical Society, which, at its annual meeting in Albany in Febru- ary, 1891, conferred upon him the honorary degree known as the "Regents' Degree"; National Medical Society; American Institute of Homeopathy ; Ophthalmological and Otological Society. Dr. Covert was an active worker in religious matters. As a member of the First Baptist Church of Geneva, shortly after coming to this town, he was chosen superintendent of the Sunday school connected with that institu- tion, when the entire organization did not number more than twenty-five members. From this small beginning he built up the present efficiency of the congregation, and continued to fill the office of superintendent for a period of twenty-five years. When the project of erecting a new church building was first under discussion, Dr. Covert devoted a large share of his time, and contributed liberally of his means to further this enterprise, and to him, in association with a few others, is due the credit of the com- pletion of the structure in 1894. He was also especially active and inter- ested in organizing the Covert Family Organization, which took shape in 1875, and he was always one of the leaders in the family reunions. He was elected the first president of this association, and at the end of the first year of its existence, he was chosen to fill the office of recording sec- retary, a position he held until his death. As president of the People's Building & Loan Association, a former savings institution of Geneva, he was at the head of one of the largest and most important institutions of its kind and of its day in the state of New York. It will thus be seen that the life of Dr. Covert was an unusually active one, and that his enterprises were of such a nature as to add to the general health, wealth and welfare of the community in which he lived.
Dr. Jay Byington Covert, worthy son of a worthy father, has been consistently following in the path so nobly trodden by the latter. He was born in Geneva, Ontario county, New York, June 18, 1875, and from his earliest years the medical profession seemed to exert a fascination for him. After being graduated from the Geneva high school, he entered Hobart
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College, from which he was graduated in 1898. He then matriculated at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, and was graduated in 1902 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. After two years spent as resident physician in the Smith Infirmary, Staten Island, New York, he returned to Geneva and commenced practicing in association with his father. His office is the one occupied by his father for so many years, and while his attention is given to general practice, he devotes especial attention to diseases affecting the eye, ear and throat. Having given special study to these branches, he has attained a high degree of proficiency, and his services are frequently in demand by his confreres. While naturally of a social nature and genial disposition, Dr. Covert spends the greater part of his spare time in the reading of pro- fessional publications, holding the opinion that a physician's life must necessarily be one of constant study and application if a high degree of proficiency is to be maintained and new methods absorbed. In addition to his private practice he is the active president of the medical staff of the Geneva City Hospital. On political questions he maintains independent views, although he has never aspired to holding any public office, prefer- ring to give his undivided attention to his chosen profession. His fra- ternal affiliations are as follows: Theta Delta Chi of Hobart College: Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, No. 1054; Kanadasaga Club; University Club of Geneva ; Ontario County Medical Society ; New York State Medical Association; and the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis. He is liberal and charitable, and a mail of many kindly impulses, and these admirable traits, together with his pleasing personality, attract people to him.
Dr. Covert married, June 27, 1906, Magdalene, who was born in New Boston, Pennsylvania, September 30, 1878, a daughter of Jacob Schumacher, of New Boston, Pennsylvania. Before her marriage she was a registered nurse, and for a term of years superintendent of the Smith Infirmary, Staten Island, New York. Dr. and Mrs. Covert have had children : Magdalene V. H., born June 8, 1907, and Mary Nelson, born November 2, 1908.
CORNELL.
William A. Cornell, secretary and manager of the Geneva Brewing Company, appears to be one of those fortunate individuals. the right man in the right place, if we may judge by the results he has achieved in the
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industry with which he has been connected for a number of years. He has inherited, and understands how to make the best use of, the admirable traits which have descended to him from his English and Scotch ances- try, and to these he has added the best that is to be found in our own country. Both his grandfather and father were brewers and it seemed but natural that he should adopt the same calling. He has made a thorough study of the art, practically and scientifically, in Canada, the United States and in Australia, and is considered by competent judges a master in it.
William A. Cornell was born in Toronto, Canada, December 25, 1864. His school education was a sound and practical one, fitted to the line of work he intended to follow in later life. He was an apt student when he applied himself to learning the art of brewing, and mastered the details with such celerity that at the age of seventeen years he was made the manager of a brewery in Canada; he has been connected with this industry without intermission since that time. He has traveled all over Canada and the United States, examining the different methods in use in the various cities and establishments, and has adopted the best details of each plant he has visited. He finally located in Ogdensburg, New York, and in 1909 associated himself with a Geneva Brewing Company, of Geneva, New York, incorporated with a capital of fifty thousand dol- lars. The officers of the company are: A. M. Curtiss, president ; Cole- man Curtiss, vice-president ; Charles G. Curtiss, treasurer ; and William A. Cornell, secretary and manager. Mr. Cornell personally supervises all the brewing which is done by this corporation, and this is an enormous quantity. The water used is drawn from Seneca Lake through their own pipe line, and it is purified on the premises, the plant having its own purifying apparatus. This water is used also for the purpose of cleaning the bottles, kegs, etc., in use by the company, thus making an absolutely sanitary and healthful product. The company has its own malting houses in Buffalo, New York, known as the Curtiss Malting Company, of Buffalo. The machinery and all the apparatus used in the brewery are of the most modern and improved design and the brewery has a daily refrig- erating capacity of thirty tons. The plant may be considered as up-to-date in every particular, and the officers are constantly observant of every new invention in connection with their line of business and give it a fair and impartial trial ; if it then proves practical it is immediately installed. The entire plant covers an area of three acres of land and every department is managed in the most systematic manner.
Mr. Cornell has little time at his disposal to devote to political mat-
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ters, but he takes a reasonable interest in whatever concerns the welfare of his town and country and gives his support to the Democratic party. His religious affiliations are with the Episcopal church, and he is a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, the Kanadasaga Club, the Country Club of Geneva, and the Century Club of Ogdensburg, New York. He married, in Brockville, Canada, February 11, 1903, Ada L. Brown, of Ogdens- burg, New York, daughter of DeWitt Clinton Brown, of that city, one of the first managers of the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg Railroad, which ran out of Ogdensburg, and a railroad manager all his life.
COLLIE.
Dr. James J. Collie, who has for a number of years been engaged in the practice of the medical profession in Geneva, Ontario county, New York, is descended from an old family whose original home was in Scot- land, and he has inherited the habits of thrift, determination and perse- verance which characterize the natives of that favored land. Honorable in every relation of life and earnest in forwarding the good of his fellow men in every possible manner, he has gained the respect and confidence of all with whom he comes in contact. As a physician he has won a dis- tinct place of his own, and the record of his daily life is filled with evi- dences of the esteem in which he is held.
James Collie, father of Dr. James J. Collie, was born in Scotland, and came to this country with his wife and four children, when he was thirty- five years of age. After giving the important subject of selecting a home due consideration he decided upon Cattaraugus, New York, where he bought a large farm in the town of Franklinville and there made his per- manent home. He followed agricultural pursuits until his death, in 1899. He married, in Scotland, Elizabeth Watson, also a native of that land, who died in 1903.
Dr. James J. Collie, son of James and Elizabeth ( Watson) Collie, was born in Franklinville, Cattaraugus county, New York, 1866. His preparatory education was acquired in the Cattaraugus Academy, and this was followed by a complete course of study in the Long Island Col- lege Hospital, from which he was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1889. His thirst for acquiring knowledge had been a pre- dominant characteristic of his early youth, and this characteristic has never deserted him, and is in a great measure the foundation of his later
A. B. Richards
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success. Immediately after his graduation he established himself in the practice of his profession in the city of New York, where he met with success, but decided that a smaller city offered a better field for the devel- opment of individual and independent methods. He therefore removed to Geneva, Ontario county, New York, in 1902, commencing a general practice in which his reputation was quickly established. Dr. Collie has applied himself with great diligence and assiduity to a study of the ills which particularly affect childhood and has made some notable observa- tions in this field, and the success which has attended his treatment of a number of cases has been considered remarkable, not alone by the laity, but by his professional brethren; his further progress will be watched with close attention. In all probability the professional life of Dr. Collie will be spent entirely in Geneva.
Dr. Collie married in 1898, Myrtle Balch, born in Minnesota, 1876, daughter of Andrew Balch. The doctor is a staunch adherent of the Re- publican party ; although he can spare but little time from his numerous and responsible professional duties to devote to political matters, yet he takes a lively interest in whatever concerns the welfare of the community in which he lives. His fraternal affiliations are with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
RICHARDS.
Allen Becker Richards, a native of Pennsylvania, who served in a New York regiment during the civil war, is now a retired business man of Geneva, where he has resided for nearly sixty years.
Michael Richards, father of Allen B. Richards, was born in Maxa- tawny, Pennsylvania, in 1800, was a lifelong resident of that state and died in 1880. His wife, Ada Richards, was also a native of the Keystone state, born in 1809, died in 1899. Children: 1. Allen Becker, see for- ward. 2. Azuilla, born in 1832, now the widow of Unie Zeigler, who died in 1901; children: Emma and Albert. 3. Mary, born in 1834; married Nathan Hertzog; eight children. 4. Walter, born in 1842, is married and has two children : Ella and Clara. 5. Milton, born in 1845; died in 1907 ; had six children. 6. William, born in 1847; married Emma -, and has one child.
Allen Becker, son of Michael Richards, was born in Maxatawny, Pennsylvania, September 1, 1830; died October 10, 1898. Provided with a good practical education, acquired in the public schools, and possessing
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excellent business ability, he established himself in the saddlery business at Geneva, New York, in 1854, and resided there until his death. For more than thirty years he conducted a profitable business, dealing in all kinds of harness and kindred articles, and retiring in 1886, was succeeded by his son, Alfred W. Toward the close of the rebellion he gallantly responded to the call of his country for additional troops, enlisting Sep- tember 12, 1864, in the One Hundred and Eighty-eighth Regiment, New York Volunteers, and he was honorably discharged from the service near Washington, District of Columbia, July 1, 1865. In 1889 he visited Europe, accompanied by his wife, remaining abroad one year, and again crossing the ocean in 1892, they spent another year in foreign travel. He was widely known and highly esteemed. In politics he was a Democrat, and he attended the Baptist church.
Mr. Richards married, at Waterloo, New York, November II, 1855. Emma A. Flinn, born in Geneva, January 26, 1836, daughter of William H. and Prudence (Dennison) Flinn. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Richards : I. William, born September 1, 1858; married Harriet Decker, and resides in Geneva. 2. Milton, born January 9, 1860; married Mary Ludlow, in 1882, and their only child, Emma, became the wife of Warren Shaw, July, 1905. 3. Alfred W., born March 20, 1862 ; succeeded his father in the business which he continued until 1898, and is now conducting an exten- sive real estate business in Geneva. He married Georgia Bush, of Geneva, in 1882. 4. A daughter, who died at birth.
William H. Flinn, Mrs. Richards' father, was born near Geneva, in 1809; died in that town, August II, 1845. He was a tanner and carried on business in Geneva. Prudence Dennison, his wife, whom he married in Oxford, New York, December 31, 1832, was born in Connecticut, in 1807; died in Geneva, January 3, 1887. Both were members of the Meth- odist Episcopal church and actively engaged in church work. Children : I. Clarisa Elizabeth, born in Connecticut, February 23, 1834; died in March, 1885 ; married Joseph Davis, who died in 1900. 2. Emma A., married Allen B. Richards, as previously stated. 3. William Horace, born in Geneva, November 22, 1841 ; died in early childhood.
CASE.
Edson T. Case, an extensive dealer in live stock and wool, who has done a great deal to advance the agricultural interests of Ontario county, New York, traces his descent to the early settlers of Connecticut.
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(I) Jonathan J. Case, great-grandfather of Edson T. Case, lived in Connecticut, at Marrudin. He married Lucy
(II) Isaiah, son of Jonathan J. and Lucy Case, was born in Bristol, Ontario county, New York. He was a farmer and mason by occupation, and was one of the workers on the old aqueduct at Rochester, New York. He married, in Bristol, Rachel Reed, and had children : Jonathan, Lucy, Jerome, Isaiah, Watson, Nancy, Andrew, Louise and Caroline.
(III) Isaiah (2), son of Isaiah (1) and Rachel ( Reed) Case, was born in Bristol, New York, November 10, 1832. He followed the occu- pation of farming, was a Republican, and a member of the Universalist church. He married, 1862, Mary, born in Bristol, daughter of Ira and Nancy (Gregg) Totman, both natives of Ontario county. They had one child.
(IV) Edson T., only child of Isaiah and Mary (Totman) Case, was born in Bristol, Ontario county, New York, January 23, 1865. He was a student at the Union high school, from which he was graduated, and then took a course in the Canandaigua Academy. At an early age he engaged in farming and dealing in live stock and wool. Too much cannot be said of the energy, combined with integrity and a high standard, which Mr. Case displayed invariably in the conduct of his business, and these measures did not fail to produce the deserved amount of success. Mr. Case has accumulated a comfortable fortune and owns a considerable amount of farm land in the village and its vicinity. He has been active in the interests of the Republican party, and has served as trustee of the village of Canandaigua. He is a member of the Methodist church, and of the Masonic fraternity, Ontario County Grange, and is vice-president of the Men's Club of the Methodist Church. He is also one of the directors of the McKechnie Bank of Canandaigua.
Mr. Case married, at Canandaigua, January 28, 1885, Cora L., born in Richmond, New York, October 6, 1866, only child of Marion P. and Celestia M. (Case) Worthy, the former a merchant and miller, who has served as supervisor of the town of Canandaigua, and as a soldier in the Union army during the civil war. Children: Marion I., born November 30, 1885, married Elsie McKechnie, and has three children: George, Marion Shirley and Albert W .; Bertha M., August 30, 1887; Clarence W., April 20, 1891 ; Edson E., July 26, 1899.
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BURRELL.
T. William Burrell belongs to that class of citizens who have been very generally overlooked by the biographers of modern times in favor of those whose paths in life lie in the learned professions. Yet it is a fact that no class is more worthy of the respect and esteem of all their fellows than those who labor earnestly to bring from the earth the best that it can yield, and improve and advance the methods of cultivation. The Bur- rell family has been engaged in agricultural pursuits for many generations and came to this country in the eighteenth century from Northumberland county, England.
(I) Thomas Burrell, grandfather of T. William Burrell, came to this country with his father, Edward Burrell, September, 1800, when he was but four years of age. Seneca township, Ontario county, New York, was decided upon as a suitable location for a family home, and the home- stead has been in the possession of the family since 1801. It consists of one hundred and seventy-five acres of land, the greater part of which is now being cultivated.
(II) Edward, son of Thomas Burrell, was born on the homestead in 1825, and after the land had passed into his possession made the im- provements which the times and conditions warranted. He married Elizabeth Parker, who was also of English descent. He died in 1907, while his wife passed away in 1902. Children: T. William, see forward, and Edward P.
(III) T. William, son of Edward and Elizabeth ( Parker) Burrell, was born on the family homestead, November 8, 1872. His education was acquired in the district schools, and was supplemented by a course at Canandaigua Academy. While still attending school he assisted in the farm labors during the summer vacations and during all his spare hours, and thus acquired a thorough knowledge of all the details connected with the successful management of a farm. This knowledge he has put to the best practical use, has continued to follow up all the later improvements in this field, and is ever ready to give a fair and unbiased trial to any new device or invention which has been developed. Scientific farming has a great interest for him and he has been successful in the experiments he has made in this direction. Mr. Burrell is a quiet and unassuming man, modest and retiring in his demeanor, yet he takes an active interest in all matters that concern the welfare of the community and gives his earnest support to the Republican party. He is a member of No. 9 Presbyterian Church. Mr. Burrell is unmarried.
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