USA > New York > Oneida County > Steuben > A narrative history of Remsen, New York, including parts of the adjoining townships of Steuben and Trenton, 1789-1898 > Part 21
USA > New York > Oneida County > Remsen > A narrative history of Remsen, New York, including parts of the adjoining townships of Steuben and Trenton, 1789-1898 > Part 21
USA > New York > Oneida County > Trenton > A narrative history of Remsen, New York, including parts of the adjoining townships of Steuben and Trenton, 1789-1898 > Part 21
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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
Dr. Bill was in some respects a peculiar character. He was a practical philosopher, never borrowing trouble, and always bearing himself with an habitual
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calmness and cheerfulness. He was a true and sin- cere Christian, as well in deportment as in profession; naturally of a quiet and forgiving spirit, he seldom had any differences with those around him. One of his sons wrote of him that his recollection of his father extended over nearly half a century, and yet he never saw him angered but once, and then the provocation was very great. This is saying much, but his life testified to its truthfulness.
Of Dr. Bill's children, Henry J., Cyrus S., Charles O., Chauncey C., and Earl were born in Steuben; Horace N., Sarah M. and Susan J. were born at Rem- sen. Henry J. died at Unionville, N. Y., in 1832. Cyrus S. resided at Turin, in Lewis county, where he carried on the business of tanning for many years. He died in 1883. Charles O., who was educated as a physician, was accidentally drowned at Trenton Falls, in 1830. He was regarded as very promising, and his sudden death was a great affliction to his father who had looked forward to the professional companionship and aid of his son.
Chauncey C., for several years subsequent to 1835, published the "Vernon Courier," and was postmaster at Vernon under President Taylor's administration. In 1855, he removed to Sandusky, Ohio, where for several years he published the "Sandusky Commercial Register." He died in 1877.
Earl removed to Ohio when a young man, and filled various public offices in that state, serving successively as sheriff and treasurer of Erie county, and represent- ing the counties of Erie and Huron in the state senate. He was also associated with his brother Chauncey, as one of the editors of the Sandusky "Register." In 1861 he was appointed by President Lincoln U. S. Marshal for the northern district of Ohio, with head-
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quarters at Cleveland, where he resided until his death in 1885, and where for many years during the latter part of his life he was clerk of the U. S. Dis- trict and Circuit Courts. Horace N. was in his early manhood prominent in the political life of Oneida county. He too removed to Ohio, where he served as Clerk of Erie county. In 1860 he was appointed by Governor Dennison a brigadier general of mili- tia, and as an officer in command of the state forces was in charge of Camp Jefferson, near the Virginia line, until the time of its discontinuance. He also served as U. S. Deputy Marshal under his brother Earl. His death occurred in 1878. Dr. Bill's last surviving child, a daughter, Sarah M., was the wife of George Putnam, a life long resident and public- spirited citizen of Waterville, N. Y. His youngest child, Susan J., married Orlo Damon, of Waterville, N. Y., and died there in 1849.
AGUR FAIRCHILD was born in Connecticut, married there, and before 1800 came to Remsen town- ship and located in that section called "Fairchild Corners," or "Fairchild," about two miles northeast of the village. His children were Diana, Betsy, Martha, Barbara, Charlotte, Ingersoll, French, and Samuel. The first two named never lived in Remsen. Mr. Fairchild died here January 1, 1840, aged ninety years; and Amy, his wife, died April 17, 1839, aged eighty-five years. French Fairchild married Anna, daughter of Gershom Hinckley. They had two sons, Rev. Gershom Fairchild, a Wesleyan minister, born in Remsen in 1809, and as late as 1896 living at Nan- kin, Wayne county, Mich .; and French Fairchild, Jr., who married Mary Tanner, of Deerfield, N. Y., by whom he had six sons and one daughter. He removed
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to Liverpool, N. Y., was a successful farmer, and died there. Ingersoll Fairchild removed to western New York before 1820. Samuel, married Eleanor, daughter of William R. Roberts, of Remsen, and re- moved with his family to Monoa county, Iowa, where he died about 1866.
PEREZ FARR was one of the pioneers and came from one of the eastern states, though we have been able to learn but little concerning him. His children were Sarah, who married Gilbert Franklin; Maria, who married William Gay; Polly, who married Fenner Rockwood; Dolly, wife of Harry Franklin; and Jo- seph, who never married.
AMOS BULL was one of the earliest settlers in Remsen. He was a native of Connecticut, and a revolutionary soldier. His paternal ancestor, Capt. Thomas Bull, must have been in Connecticut as early as 1636, for he embarked from England in the "Hope- well," Thomas Babb, master, September 11, 1635, and became one of the early settlers of Hartford. He was prominent in the early history of the colony, did valiant military service, is said to have been fa- miliar with the Indian language, and was accounted a brave soldier. Born in 1606, he died in 1684, and his wife, Susan, died in 1680, aged seventy-four years. Their sixth son, Capt. Joseph Bull, a mariner, also settled in Hartford, and died in 1712. Of his chil- dren, Daniel, born in 1677, married Mary Mygatt, and was killed by a fall from his horse. Daniel's seventh son was Amos Bull, the Remsen pioneer. The exact date of his settlement here is not known; but a former history says "about the time that Barna- bas Mitchell and others came," which would make it
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not later than 1793. He located on what was known for many years as "Bull's Commons," not far from the farm of the late Milo Mitchell. This tract he cleared himself, and it was later known as the "Camp Farm." He married Mehitable Cooley, who was born in Lyme, Conn., and they lived in Hartford, for they came from that city to Remsen. We have been unable to ascertain whether they had children; but about 1813, when Mr. Bull was a very old man, they adopted Rebecca, infant daughter of Joseph and Re- becca (Slawson) Halstead. Mr. Bull became totally blind before he left Remsen, which was about 1820, when he removed to Rome, N. Y., where he died. The widow, with her adopted daughter who married a Mr. Allison, removed to Union City, Pa.
EBENEZER WEEKS was born in Pomfret, Conn., August 5, 1741. He married in New London, Conn., February 2, 1762, Eunice, youngest daughter of Rev. George and Elizabeth (Lee) Griswold, of Lyme, Conn., born February 1, 1742. They removed to Brooklyn, Conn., in 1777, and came to Steuben in 1791, locating on a farm south of and nearly opposite Ty Coch, about two miles west of Remsen village. Here his wife died October 6, 1792, and in 1797 he married Olive, daughter of Sampson Keyes, of Ashford, Conn. The cellar dug and walled by Mr. Weeks and his son Ebenezer is still in use, though the old house has been replaced by another. He held the office of jus- tice of the peace, and was familiarly known as "Squire" Weeks. Frequently he acted as arbitrator for his neighbors, who came into the habit of referring their disputes to him preferably to going to law. Though not a member of any church, he was much interested in church and school matters in the township. His
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children were Elizabeth, Anna, Eunice, Joseph, Han- nah, Ebenezer, David Jewitt, Eunice, 2d, Joseph Holland, George Griswold, Hannah, 2d, and Wil- liam Raymond. He died in Steuben July 6, 1813, and his widow died in Vermont in 1817. The graves of Mr. Weeks and his first wife, also of their son, Eben- ezer, are on the farm a short distance from the house.
David Jewitt Weeks, son of Ebenezer and Elizabeth (Griswold) Weeks, was born in Brooklyn, Conn., August 8, 1787. January 2, 1814, he married in Steuben, Elizabeth, born in Hartford, Conn., August 6, 1795, daughter of Samuel and Mary Marsh. He was a farmer, but in 1834 was ordained a Congre- gational minister, and preached in Smyrna, Martins- burg, Western, Trenton and other places. He died De- cember 9, 1845; and his widow June 17, 1861. They had removed from Steuben many years before their death.
Joseph Holland Weeks, son of Ebenezer and Eliza- beth (Griswold) Weeks, was born in Lyme, Conn., May 8, 1776. On December 10, 1800, he married in Steuben, Mary Griffiths, who was born in Carnarvon- shire, Wales, January 7, 1780, and came to America in 1794. Mr. Weeks served in the war of 1812, and removed to Granville, Licking county, Ohio, in 1815. The family of seven made the journey in a two-horse wagon, being five weeks on the way. He died Jan- uary 1, 1860, and Mrs. Weeks died June 9, 1864, at Sandusky, Ohio. Their son, Robert Eleazer, was born in Steuben December 24, 1812.
Silas Rockwood Weeks, born in 1765, married in 1797, Rebecca Hewitt, who was born November 13, 1775. He was in Steuben prior to 1798, and removed to Watertown and thence to Remsen. He was a land surveyor and farmer, and is said to have been noted for his great physical strength. He removed
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to Lima, Ohio, where he died in 1836. His son, Asa, was born in Steuben October 13, 1798, and married Clarissa Hall, February 1, 1824. He was a cooper and farmer and died in Remsen May 26, 1844. An- other son, Cephas Franklin, a carriage and wagon- maker, was born in Remsen November 13, 1838, and married Amelia Westcott. Silas Rockwood Weeks, 2d, was born in Remsen December 29, 1810, served in the Mexican war, and died in September, 1849.
BROUGHTON WHITE was born at South Hadley, Mass., November 28, 1773. He came to Steuben township with Baron Steuben, and until the latter's death was a member of his household. He married Susan Johnson, and their children were Albert, Thomas Broughton, Susan, William, Henry, Hannah, Mary Ann and George. Mr. White was a surveyor by profes- sion, and for many years served as a justice of the peace. Coming to Remsen in 1803, he opened the first store; taught school, engaged in farming and in various business enterprises here for more than fifty years. He died June 21, 1863.
JAMES SMITH, a pioneer and early inn-keeper of Remsen village, had one daughter, Betsy, and three sons that we have knowledge of, namely: Joab, who died at Sacket Harbor in 1812; Oliver; and Car- los, who married Betsy, daughter of Joseph Halstead. Mr. Smith died July 30, 1812, aged seventy-eight years.
JESSE MORGAN settled at Fairchild before 1800. He had a family of thirteen children, as follows: Sally, Whitman, Ambrose, Ira, Jesse, Lucy, Hannah, Amanda, Olivia, Elias, Zenus, Samantha, and Abigail.
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REV. JOSEPH MONTAGUE was born in Granby, Mass., October 2, 1763. He graduated at Dartmouth College in 1788, and it is recorded that here he was "distinguished for his brilliancy as a scholar and re- finement of manners." He spent considerable of his life in teaching, and was a very popular instructor. He taught in a young ladies seminary in New Jersey, and afterward was principal of a similar institution at Kinderhook, N. Y., and at other places. He was also for a time engaged in business as agent for, or associated with Aaron Burr and DeWitt Clinton in land speculations in western New York. He bought a farm of Baron Steuben near Sixty Acres, which he occupied for many years. He married Mary, daugh- ter of Jesse Brush, born at Huntington, L. I., a cousin of former Mayor Brush of Brooklyn. She is said to have been a woman of great strength of character, refinement and culture. Their children were Jo- seph Henry, born in Steuben, November 6, 1806; Mary Ann, born September 12, 1808; and Sarah Elizabeth, born September 11, 1810. Mr. Montague died at the home of his son, in Remsen, April 30, 1849. Joseph Henry Montague, became a land sur- veyor, and married Lucy Ann Crosby, born in Cohoc- ton, N. Y., July 19, 1821. He died in Remsen April 7, 1867. Their children, all born in Remsen, were Isabel, born June 22, 1843; Lucy Ann, born July 22, 1846, married Henry Miller, of Steuben; and Wallace Henry, born May 11, 1851. The latter left school at fif- teen, on account of the death of his father, and started out in life for himself. He gained an education unaided, except for some private instructions in German and medicine. He was for a time engaged in mining in Colorado, but for many years has been an official of the Pacific Express Company, at Kansas City, Mo.
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FILKINS BEADLE lived on the Joshua G. Jones farm, about a mile and a half south of Remsen. His wife was a daughter of William Frazier, a Scotchman, and a sister of the late Alexander Frazier, of Trenton village. The parents of Filkins Beadle lived near the present site of the Prospect depot of the R. W. & O. railroad, but, when old, came to live with the son, and died at his home. They were probably buried on the place, where there are many graves, some marked and many others that never had a permanent marker. A son of Filkins Beadle, Filkins Beadle, Jr., is buried there, who died January 15, 1807, aged twenty-one years; also a child, Daniel Beadle, who died May 3, 1807, aged two years. Other children of Mr. Beadle were Chrisjane, wife of Joseph Jones, who died some years since in Toledo, O., leaving two daughters, Helen and Alice, now deceased; Harriet, who lived in Whitesboro, and Ellen, who married Lewis Powell, and removed to Schoharie, N. Y. There were other children whose names are unknown to us.
JOSEPH HALSTEAD, an early resident of Remsen, was born in Connecticut July 8, 1777, married Re- becca Slawson December 25, 1796, and came here from Hartford. Their children were born as follows: Stephen, October 28, 1797, never married; Elizabeth, October 18, 1799, married Carlos Smith; Catherine, February 11, 1802, married a Mr. Gager and removed to Massachusetts; Judson, June 4, 1804, died May 23, 1826; Hannah, April 19, 1807; and Rebecca, March 9, 1813. Mrs. Halstead died March 26, 1813, and their infant daughter, then little less than a month old, was adopted by the pioneer, Amos Bull. She married a Mr. Allison and removed to Union City, Pa., and died there, having attained the age of nearly
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ninety years. Mr. Halstead married second, Ber- nice (Throop) Potter, widow of Robert G. Potter, of Remsen, August 20, 1818, by whom he had one child, Susan Helen Margaret, born October 16, 1820. After leaving Remsen village, Mr. Halstead kept an inn, or half-way house for travelers and teamsters about two miles south of Remsen, at the place afterward owned by the late Jonathan Jones, and more recently by William Meth Jones. His son, Stephen S., was a cattle-buyer and drover, early removed to Orange county, N. Y., and died there. Judson, another son, a peddler, died from the effects of a kick of one of his horses, and was buried in Fairchild cemetery. The Mr. Gager who married Catherine Halstead, once kept the upper hotel in Remsen, and later removed to Massachusetts. Hannah married John Smith, who also kept the same hotel. Mrs. Smith lived only a few years after her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Halstead removed to Troy, N. Y., where some of the family had preceded them and where they both died.
GREEN WHITE was a noted character here dur- ing pioneer times. He was by nature a rover, and therefore became well-known in every settlement throughout a wide section of the northern wilderness. He was accounted a great hunter and trapper, and some vested him with the title of "Indian Killer." Whether this appellation was merited or not, is un- known at this time; but it is represented that he cer- tainly had little love for the Indian race.
Where White originally came from we have been unable to learn. The earliest account we have of him locates him at Bardwell, where he was among the early settlers. One of his daughters married John ' Bronson, of Ninety Six; another daughter married
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and emigrated to the west, and with her husband, it is said, joined the Mormon sect; while still another daughter, Hannah, married John Rockwood, son of Nathaniel Rockwood, Sr., and removed to Michigan. White was one of ten men who availed themselves of an offer by Silas Thomas, agent in charge of "John Brown's Tract" in 1841, to settle Township No. 7 of the John Brown estate. As an inducement to settlers, the first ten families to locate there and re- main two years were each to receive title to one hun- dred and sixty acres of land, a cow and ten sheep. Among the ten families thus gotten together were those of Silas Thomas and his two sons, Lewis and Isaac; Caleb Sweet; Ephraim Justin, of Boonville; Green White; Robert Prichard, a blacksmith; and Robert Roberts (Y Gof) of Steuben, brother of Dr. Daniel Roberts.
The following incident concerning Green White was related by the late Didymus Thomas: "Green White and John Bonner, once on a hunting tour had a falling out which resulted in a fight. White being small in stature, but quick and nimble, for a time pelted Bonner rather uncomfortably; but Bonner finally getting hold of him, and being a large, powerful man, and good-natured, as strong men generally are, crushed him to the earth and there held him. Finally White, when he saw there was no chance for him, said: 'Bonner, what's the use to fight? There's no one to see who whips!' Bonner at once released him and they were good friends again."
White's life came to a tragic end, concerning which there are two versions: one is that while on a hunting- trip he camped one night, building a fire against a dead and partially decayed tree stub, beside which he laid down to sleep. During the night, the fire ate
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its way through the base of the barren stub, causing it to topple and fall across White as he lay, breaking his legs and pinioning him to the ground. In this plight he was found, and was taken to Hawkinsville, where he soon after died. Another account says that while on his farm in Brown's Tract he went into the woods to watch some men who were felling trees, and that while sitting with a young man upon a log not far from the choppers a tree fell towards them. The young man threw himself backward over the log and thus escaped injury; but White for some reason failed to protect himself in this manner, and the tree fell upon him breaking his legs. His companions carried him twenty miles on a stretcher to Boonville, where he died.
OWEN GRIFFITHS, one of the pioneers of Welsh birth who located in Steuben in 1795, came from Carnarvonshire, North Wales. He made a clear- ing and built a log house just north of the place owned by the late Dr. Everett, and a few years later built a store and dwelling combined on the east corner of that road and the one leading from Remsen to Sixty Acres. This building was painted yellow, and it was always known as "Store Felen" (Yellow Store). In this immediate neighborhood was the nucleus of the Welsh colony that settled here in 1795, and for many years Store Felen was the common meeting- place for social chats by the men of that nationality who were more distantly located, while passing to and fro between their homes and Remsen; and here the youth, with inherited physical hardiness from an interminable line of sturdy British ancestors, com- peted with one another in the athletic sports of the . time. Mr. Griffiths' first wife was named Anne, by
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whom he had five children: Griffith O .; Lydia, who married Lewis P. Lewis; Elizabeth, who married Rich- ard W. Jones; Cornelius; and Josiah. Mrs Griffiths died January 12, 1815, aged forty-five years; and by a second wife he had two sons, Owen and Titus. Grif- fith O. Griffiths married Margaret, daughter of Capt. William Williams another Welsh pioneer. Children: Ann, wife of Morgan Owen; Mary; Lydia, who married Evan Charles; Rebecca, who married James P. Owen; George, who served in Company A. 14th Regt. N. Y. S. Vols., and was killed at the battle of Fair Oaks, Va .; Matthew Henry; S. Amelia; and Margaret. He married second, Mary, widow of Richard H. Jones, of Steuben. He died April 17, 1875. Cornelius married Jane, daughter of William R. Roberts, and their children were William, Mary Ann, James, Brisco, Henrietta and George. Josiah married Elizabeth Colegrove, and their children were Elizabeth, Helen, Fanny, Milton, George, Frederick, and Rosa May.
GRIFFITH ROWLAND, another of Steuben's pioneer Welshmen, settled on part of Lot 151 of the Steuben Patent. consisting of the north half and the southwest quarter of the lot, which he held under perpetual lease from Baron Steuben to John Platt, Sr., who assigned to Griffith Rowland.
EVAN OWEN, we find, was among the early Welsh settlers in Steuben, though we have been unable to learn anything about him. A lease for land in that township from Baron Steuben to John Platt, Sr., was transferred March 21, 1796, to Evan Owen, Owen Griffiths and Griffith Rowland; and on September 9, 1799, Evan Owen's interest in the same was as- signed to Griffith Rowland.
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EVAN GRIFFITHS (Ty Coch) came from Llanor, North Wales, in 1795. He settled at Ty Coch Cor- ners, and in time built a framed house and painted it red, hence the name "Ty Coch," or Red House. Un- til very recent years the house at this place was al- ways painted that color and the name Ty Coch re- tained. Mr. Griffiths' first wife was Margaret (Peggy), daughter of John Parry, who died within a few years after their arrival here, and is buried on the lot at Ty Coch, only a few rods from the house. For many years the grave was enclosed with a picket fence. Mr. Griffiths' second wife was also a daughter of John Parry.
CONSIDER BARDWELL, son of Ebenezer Bard- well, of Whately, Fort Ann township, Washington county, N. Y., came from Fort Ann to Remsen about 1798, and located at what was later known as Bard- welltown. His children, all born in Remsen township were: Cynthia Conklin, born December 28, 1803, married James Hooper and removed to Wampsville, N. Y .; Eliza, born September 7, 1804, married a Mr. Dart; Harriet Ann, born October 16, 1810, married Philip Roberts, and removed south of Oneida Lake; Mary Maria, born September 22, 1812, married Ray- mond Hall; David A., born June 1, 1815; Jeanette, born December 16, 1817; and Elias, born January 14, 1820, married Margaret Ausman. David married first a Miss Dayton; second, Elizabeth Owens, by whom he had three children, Morgan O., Susan, who married Owen Richards; and Clinton, who died in infancy. He married third, Ann Van Tanyo; fourth, Mary Jane Bronson; and fifth, Charlotte Dickinson.
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WILLIAM P. JONES, son of John Parry,* came from Brynhynog Bach, Wales, in 1797 or 1798. He located first a little north of Ty Coch Corners, but later took up a farm on Pen-y-mynydd. After he had made a clearing and put up permanent buildings, his barn which stood on the summit of Pen-y-mynydd was a landmark, conspicuous for many miles. Mr. Jones was the father of the late Thomas P., Henry P., Humph- rey and John P. Jones, well-known and respected citizens of Remsen township for many years; and of Ellen, wife of Thomas Thomas (Terytan), who lived near the old Steuben station of the R. W. & O. rail- road. Henry, a son of Thomas Thomas was a veteran of the civil war, and for many years lieutenant of police in Detroit, Mich. About 1870, Henry P. Jones removed with his family to Iowa, where he died soon after. Thomas P. Jones died in Remsen, February 6, 1879, aged seventy-three years.
BOHAN SMITH was born about 1779, and came to Remsen with his father's family in 1796. He mar- ried Betsy, daughter of Ezra and Amy (Church) Green. Their children were Hanora, born August 31, 1808, married Evan Owens; Urana, born August 10, 1810, married Lyman Mitchell; James Carlos, born Novem- ber 17, 1812; Alsamena Rogers, born August 9, 1815, married John Owens, of Remsen; and Lucy Wooster, born March 6, 1818, married Francis Welles. When a young man Mr. Smith located at Fairchild and be- came one of the most prosperous farmers of the township. He died here April 4, 1869, aged ninety years. When about twenty years of age, and before her marriage, Mrs. Smith, accompanied by her mother,
* See Introductory pages, concerning peculiarities of Welsh family names.
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made a journey on horseback in 1804, to Bethlehem, Litchfield county, Conn., their former home.
JOHN PARRY, of Brynhynog Bach, Carnarvon- shire, came here in 1798 or 1799 with a number of families from the same locality. He located a short distance north of Ty Coch Corners, where a year or two previously had settled his son, William P. Jones. A daughter, Jane, was the first dressmaker and tailor- ess about here, and for many years worked around from house to house as the custom then was, wherever her services might be needed, and was always wel- comed as a member of the household. She died un- married, December 13, 1860, aged seventy-nine years. Martha, another daughter, married a Mr. Waldren and removed to the west. Mr. Parry died March 11, 1805, aged sixty-six years; and Mary, his wife, died September 26, 1810, aged seventy-nine years.
EVAN THOMAS came here with John Parry, and lived in a straw-thatched log house north of Ty Coch Corners. His wife was a sister of Mrs. John Parry, as was also the maternal grandmother of Joseph I. and Wallace Francis, of Remsen.
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