USA > New York > Chenango County > Oxford > Annals of Oxford, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and early pioneers > Part 31
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Daniel McFarland and son Andrew, aged 28, were among a colony of Scotch-Irish who landed in Boston on the 4th of August, 1718. They settled in Worcester, Mass.
Andrew McFarland, son of above, married Rebecca Gray, and they had three sons, William, James, and Daniel. James married Elizabeth Barbour.
John McFarland, eighth child of James and Elizabeth (Barbour) McFarland, was born February 20, 1766, and
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resided for many years in Worcester, Mass. During the Revolution he was a drummer-boy, and later a member of Governor Thomas Hancock's bodyguard, a company of mounted men. After the war he became a blacksmith, married Abigail Spencer, and had two sons, Ira Barbour and Lawrence, and one daughter, Anna, who married an Ackerman. He died at the residence of his son, Ira B., in Oxford, May 31, 1843, aged 76. His wife died July 13, 1831, aged 59.
Ira Barbour McFarland was born at Kinderhook Land- ing, N. Y., August 30, 1780. He married Polly Fenton, a daughter of Solomon Fenton, December 28, 1808. He came with his family into this section in 1816, and after living in poor circumstances at Sidney Plains and in Guil- ford, finally settled upon a piece of land about three miles below Oxford village on the west bank of the Chenango river. After his arrival here he taught school on Panther hill seven winters in succession. The same school was taught by his brother, a son, and four grandchildren, ex- tending over a period of ninety years. Mr. McFarland cleared the forest land into a fine farm and reared a family of eight children. During his residence in Sidney he was considered one of the most skillful pilots on the Susque- hanna in running lumber rafts to Philadelphia and Chesa- peake Bay. The beggar for a crust of bread was never turned from his door, and the heart hungry for sympathy always found it in him. He was well read and a man of unusual breadth of understanding and judgment. Mr. Mc- Farland died January 21, 1880, aged 91. His wife, who was a faithful assistant and shared her husband's troubles and hardships during his pioneer life, was his true com- panion as long as life lasted. She died January 29, 1866, aged 74. Their children, all born in Oxford, were:
EDWIN F., born November 6, 1809; a school teacher in
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Oxford and later in Concord, Ky., where he died Decem- ber 12, 1857; married Abigail Simmons March 4, 1829, who died at Muscatine, O. They had six children, the youngest of whom, Henry B., came to Oxford at the death of his father to live with his Uncle Solomon. He was edu- cated at Oxford Academy, became a telegraph operator, and is now train dispatcher of the M. & St. L. Ry. at Minne- apolis, Minn.
ORSON L., born July 19, 1810; married Julia A. Holmes and moved to Troupsburg, N. Y., where he died April 11, 1894. They had two children. After the death of his wife he married a second time.
PHILENDA, born May 5, 1813; died July 6, 1820.
BETSY E., born April 17, 1816; died at Norwich Decem- ber 28, 1850; married Cyrus Horton, who died May 3, 1879. They had six children.
SUSAN M., born October 12, 1819; died -; married Erastus Briggs, who died August 8, 1894, aged 83. They had six children, Oscar E., married Julia L. Loomis; Marion, married Liberal C. B. Fish; Elizabeth, married Samuel Morehouse; has one daughter, Minnie ; Ire E., mar- ried Mayme Hasley ; have two children, Hazel and Robert; Edwin R. D., married Laura H. Arnold; a minister of the M. E. church; has one daughter, Christina ; Herbert A.
SOLOMON F., born July 12, 1828. He received his educa- tion at the Panther hill school and Oxford Academy. Farming not being to his taste, he went into a foundry at South Oxford with his brother-in-law, Cyrus Horton, where he became expert at the business, and worked at the same in Addison, Norwich, and Sherburne. With the money thus earned he managed to pay his way through the study of medicine, and also through college. He studied with Dr. George Douglas in this village, was licensed to practice by the Chenango Medical Society in
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1854, and then located at Troupsburg Center, N. Y. After practicing two years he entered the medical department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, from which he graduated in the class of '57, and returned to Oxford, where he became a successful physician and surgeon. On the 15th of May, 1851, he married Hannah B., daughter of Peleg B. Folger. In August, 1862, Dr. McFarland was commissioned Assistant Surgeon by Governor Morgan, and assigned to the 83d Regt. N. Y. S. V. He was mustered into the service by Major Lee at Norwich and started at once to join the regiment. He was absent nearly three months and then was forced to resign on account of lack of physical endurance. He was present at the battles of South Mountain and Antietam. April 19, 1863, he was appointed by the President Surgeon of the Board of En- rollment for the 19th New York District, with quarters at Unadilla the first few weeks and afterwards at Nor- wich. He performed the arduous duties of that office for thirteen months, when continued ill health compelled him to resign from military service, and he again took up his professional work in Oxford. Mrs. McFarland died June 24, 1883, after a lingering disease, which she bore patiently. Her life was devoted to her family and she left remaining a noble record. On June 30, 1884, Dr. McFarland moved to Binghamton, where his reputation as an oculist became quite extensively known. In April, 1885, he married Addie L. Chamberlain. He died April 26, 1900. His children by his first wife were: Evalyn A., born at Troupsburg, N. Y., March 5, 1853; married Frank Cowan in October, 1883, and died November 6, 1883. Agnes P., born at Troupsburg, N. Y., October 20, 1854; now residing at Bing- hamton; unmarried. Francis H., died in infancy from in- juries received in falling from a wagon while at play. Frank Hervey, born in Oxford in 1861; married November
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9, 1887, Martha Kent of Lyons, N. Y., and is now an opti- cian at Binghamton.
HENRY A., born May 15, 1831; married Sarah Jane Hor- ton, who died June 9, 1882. He practiced dentistry for many years in Oxford and then removed to Binghamton, where he also built up a large practice. He was also man- ager for many years while in Oxford of the Western Union Telegraph Company, at the time when the register printed the dots and dashes on long strips of paper and was read by the eye. It was on this cumbersome instrument that he received the news of the firing on Fort Sumpter. He died at the home of his brother, Charles A., on the old homestead, January 20, 1892. His children: Fred A., born December 30, 1867; now stenographer in the office of the solicitor of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company at Minneapolis, Minn .; married Martha L. McNair, and has one son, Arthur Henry. Jennie Elene, twin of Fred A., married Fred L. Titchener of Bingham- ton; died at Cortland February 8, 1902, leaving five children.
CHARLES ARTHUR, born August 13, 1833; died May 30, 1905; was the last survivor of the family, and always re- mained upon the old homestead. He held acceptably the office of supervisor, as well as minor town positions. He married April 9, 1856, Charlotte Webb, with whom he lived in unbroken harmony for forty-five years. Mrs. McFarland died October 2, 1901. Their children are: Harriet, mar- ried Melvin B. Stratton of South Oxford. Ira B., married Alice R. Stratton October 21, 1885; resides in New York. Lottie, married Vernon D. Stratton, Esq., September 27, 1893; (children, Marion C., Margaret McF., died in in- fancy, and Hubert C.) Lillian, twin to Lottie, married Arthur E. Cline June 2, 1906 ; residence Ogdensburg, N. Y.
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His tribe were God Almighty's gentlemen.
-DRYDEN.
Ishmael Nichols.
Ishmael Nichols was among the early residents of the village of Oxford and came from Nooseneck, R. I., and was born April 5, 1766. His wife's maiden name was Lydia Holl. His death occurred in Oxford in 1820, after which his widow married - Stevens. They lived with her son, Archibald Nichols, in a part of the house at the head of Albany street, now known as the George Brown house. The children of Ishmael were: Archibald, married Betsey Sherwood ; Spencer, Palmer, Gardiner, Sarah, mar- ried Levi Sherwood of Oxford; after a few years they moved to Illinois and both died there. William, studied medicine and practiced in Abington, near Scranton, Pa., where he died November 12, 1822. Alfred, followed agri- cultural pursuits at Addison, N. Y. Hiram, studied med- icine with his brother William, and practiced over fifty years at Clarks Green, near Scranton, Pa., where he died September 29, 1886.
Archibald Nichols, son of Ishmael and Lydia (Holl) Nichols, was born June 14, 1787; place of birth unknown; died December 11, 1838, in Wellsboro, Pa .; married Betsey Sherwood, daughter of Levi Sherwood of Oxford. They moved to Wellsboro, Pa., about the year 1825, where he engaged in the lumbering business on West Branch of Pine Creek. While a resident of Oxford he owned the farm near Riverview cemetery, now known as the George Brown place. Children :
LEVI I., born December -, 1809, in Oxford; died Novem- ber 14, 1868, in Wellsboro, Pa .; married Sarah J. Brown, daughter of Thomas Brown of Oxford, who died in Wells-
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boro, aged 84. Mr. Nichols was a fine musician, and while yet very young played the organ in the Presbyterian church. Like Mrs. Sylvia Fox Taintor, his cousin, he re- ceived his musical talent from the Sherwoods. He moved to Wellsboro about the year 1831, and became largely identified with the material interests of Tioga county. He was engaged in mercantile business with his brother Enos, and served a term as Associate Judge upon the county bench. He was the father of thirteen children, one of whom, Mrs. Sarah Nichols Williams, still resides in Wells- boro, and has in her possession a piano given her father by his grandfather, and which was the first one taken into Tioga county, Pa.
Lydia Maria, died in youth, Enos A., unmarried; en- gaged in mercantile business with his brother Levi in Wellsboro; died at the age of 30 years. Mary E., married William Bache, one of the prominent citizens of Wellsboro.
Obedience, we may remember, is a part of religion, and there- fore an element of peace; but love which includes obedience, is the whole.
-SEWELL.
Universalist Church.
" The First Universalist Society in the town of Oxford " was organized July 8, 1833, at the west side district school- house in the village; Anson Cary and Luke Metcalf were appointed moderators, and Daniel Denison, clerk. Luke Metcalf, Philip Bartle, Daniel Denison, Anson Cary, Oliver Richmond, Ira Dodge, Jabez Robinson, Thomas Brown,
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and Henry Balcom were the nine trustees elected; Charles Perkins, clerk of the society ; James Perkins, treasurer, and Calvin Cole, collector. The earliest record of any meetings in the town is in the year 1833, of one conducted by Rev. George Rogers in the hall of the old hotel on Washington park. Occasional services were held at the residences of Messrs. Bartle and Metcalf, and at the west side school- house by Rev. Nelson Doolittle, who came to Oxford in the fall of 1834, and remained here nearly four years. The present church edifice was erected in 1836 and '37, and was dedicated February 22, 1837, the Revs. O. Winston, S. R. Smith, N. Doolittle, and M. B. Smith officiating upon that occasion. The edifice cost about $3,000. The site was purchased by Henry Balcom and Ira Dodge of Ethan Clarke, and deeded by them to the society November 26, 1839, for $300.
During the year 1862 the ancient pulpit was replaced by one of modern style, and in 1870 sundry changes were made upon the building, which was lowered twenty-eight inches, and stone steps replaced the wooden ones that had extended the whole length of the front. Outwardly the church remains unchanged, but the inside was renovated and modernized in 1882; the body was transformed, the side galleries removed, and the pulpit placed opposite to where it had stood so many years; the pews remodeled, the floor newly carpeted, and the walls tinted. A new organ was purchased, which occupies a space near the pulpit. Seventeen memorial windows, rich in design, light the auditorium; one above the pulpit and circular in form is dedicated to the memory of Rev. and Mrs. John Temple Goodrich by their son and daughter. About $1100 was expended in repairs. The rededication services were held November 22, 1882, Rev. D. Ballou of Utica delivering the sermon.
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On the 22d of February, 1887, occurred the fiftieth an- niversary of the dedication, at which the sermon preached by Rev. S. R. Smith at the dedication in 1837 was read, and Rev. D. Ballou delivered a semi-centennial address, giving a historical sketch of the society. A bell was added to the church in 1887. For over fifty years Mrs. Sylvia (Fox) Taintor was organist and " played the melodies of devotion, the bridal march and the funeral dirge for al- most two generations of her associates and companions."
The clergymen who have served the society as pastors are: Rev. Nelson Doolittle, 1833-34; Rev. - Skeel, 1835; Rev. J. T. Goodrich, 1836-1849; Rev. A. W. Bruce, 1850-51; Rev. Charles E. Hewes, 1852-56; Rev. J. G. Bar- tholomew, 1856-58; Rev. A. J. Canfield, 1859; Rev. B. L. Bennett, 1859-60; Rev. Daniel Ballou, 1861-63; Rev. F. B. Peck, 1865-69; Rev. J. W. LaMoine, 1872-74; Rev. R. F. Kingsley, 1875-77; Rev. J. M. Clark, 1879-'80; Rev. Ure Mitchell, 1881-85, and 1887-88; Rev. Amanda Deyo, 1889-91; Rev. Charles Palmatier, 1892-93; Rev. L. M. Clement, June, 1894-95; Rev. J. L. Scoboria, 1895-96; Rev. G. W. Powell, 1900; Rev. O. R. Beardsley, 1903, died May 25, 1905; Rev. H. L. Rickard.
Rev. John Temple Goodrich was born May 28, 1815, in Middlefield, N. Y. He came to Oxford and boarded in the family of Rev. Mr. Doolittle, until his removal to Norwich in the spring of 1838. Mr. Goodrich preached his first sermon in public in this village and remained here some twelve years, where he was united in marriage to Miss Margaret M. Bolles, daughter of Elias Bolles, Esq. Five children were born to them. Mr. Goodrich is supposed to have perished in the great Chicago fire. He registered at the Metropolitan Hotel in that city October 5, 1871, en- gaging a room for an indefinite period. On Sunday, the
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eighth, he was known to have been in his room up to the hour of retiring, and this was the last seen of him. The hotel burned early the next morning.
He lived in that past Georgian day, When men were less inclined to say That "Time is Gold," and overlay With toil their pleasure. -DOBSON.
General Ransom Rathbone.
General Ransom Rathbone, a man of rare social qual- ities, was born at Colchester, Conn., April 10, 1780, and came to Oxford in 1806. His father was an officer in the war of the Revolution. He was an enterprising man and carried on a large mercantile business on the corner now occupied by the residence of F. G. Clarke. His store and dwelling were among the palatial buildings of that day. He also had a store in McDonough, under the charge of his son, Henry W. Rathbone. He owned a paper mill in that village, which in later years was burned.
General Rathbone came to Oxford when the urgent needs of a village in the full tide of a successful settlement, and hopeful for the future, required vigorous and enthus- iastic men like him to take a part in its business and de- velop its resources. For more than a quarter of a century his personal history appears prominently blended with every important public enterprise. As one of the founders of St. Paul's church, and one of its vestry for twenty years; as trustee of Oxford Academy for a still longer term, and during its greatest trials; as a brigade major and inspector
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in active service on the frontier in the war of 1812, and as a friend and active promoter of the Chenango canal project, superadded to other public duties, he found full scope for the exercise of rare energy, industry, and public spirit. He was a lover of fine horses, always keeping them, and occasionally would hitch them tandem to his gig, driv- ing to neighboring towns, and even to Utica in a day.
Among General Rathbone's chattels was a slave boy named Pomp, who was full of pranks and very mischiev- ous. When his master had occasion to flog him, which was often, he would take him by the wool on the top of his head. One day Pomp thought he would get the better of the General for once, so he had the wool shaved off clean on the crown of his head, and then stuck it on with wax. The next offense occurring soon after, the General got his rawhide and seized Pomp at the usual point, but much to his amazement it didn't hold, and Pomp danced off in high glee, shouting, " Oh, Massa Rathbone! youse snatched me baldheaded and I's an ole man now; 'cause I ain't got any wool on the top of my head." This prank of Pomp's gave him a reprieve from the rawhide for many days.
General Rathbone left Oxford in 1842, removing to Steuben county, where, amid the green ruins of the forest, he founded a village, which bears his name, and where he died July 17, 1861, at the age of 81. His wife, Catherine, daughter of Captain John Fisher, an Englishman, died July 27, 1857, at Rathboneville. Children :
CORNELIA M., married Dr. W. G. Micks; died June 25, 1857, at Clinton, N. C.
CATHERINE, unmarried.
WILLIAM R., who bore the title of Major, died July 9, 1872, in Elmira, N. Y.
HENRY W., died September 29, 1891, at Elmira. One son, James B., now resides in that city.
MAJOR O. H. CURTIS
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JOHN F., died unmarried October 28, 1865, at Wood- bridge, Cal. His inheritance from his father of the love for fine horses was the cause of a terrible accident on the Canisteo river near Rathboneville. He had two high- strung horses hitched tandem to a cutter and invited Miss Jane Jones, a young society lady, to a drive on the ice. The river was frozen hard, and when at their highest speed in crossing a reef where the ice was thin, the forward horse broke through, but leaped across on to firmer ice. The rear horse also sprang upon the ice, drawing the cutter with its occupants into the opening at such an angle that the momentum threw the young lady head foremost under the ice. Mr. Rathbone seized her by her dress and cloak, but the latter unfastened and she disappeared from sight. As- sistance was quickly at hand, but it was necessary to cut the ice in blocks of a rod long and float them under to move with the current one after another for two hours before reaching the body.
Take thou thy arms and come with me, For we must quit ourselves like men. -BRYANT.
Major O. H. Curtis.
Major Oscar Henry Curtis, son of George and Nancy Curtis, born March 25, 1832, in the town of Norwich; died December 26, 1903, in Oxford; married June 6, 1866, Susan Elizabeth, daughter of John and Sarah (Hopkins) Van Wagenen.
Major Curtis spent his childhood on a farm at White Store, Norwich, working through the summer and attend-
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ing school in the winter. At an early age he taught in dis- trict schools and later entered the Gilbertsville Academy, where he prepared himself for Union College, from which he graduated in 1858. Soon after he came to this village and taught languages and higher mathematics in Oxford Academy, and during the last term was principal in charge. In 1860 he commenced reading law with Henry R. Mygatt, Esq., having studied in the interval of teaching under Henry VanDerLyn, Esq. He was admitted to the bar in May, 1861, and commenced the practice of law in this village. In 1862 he offered his services to the govern- ment and on July 29 was commissioned by Governor Fen- ton to raise a company for the 114th Regt. N. Y. S. V., and immediately transformed his office into a recruiting sta- tion, raising the first company in that regiment, and going to the front commissioned a captain. By the death of Col. Smith in 1863, Captain Curtis was promoted to the rank of Major, and served in that capacity till the close of the war. He was an intrepid soldier and participated valiantly in all the hard fought battles that the regiment was en- gaged in, and happily escaped without wounds. When Lieutenant Colonel Morse was wounded at Sabine Cross Roads, Major Curtis commanded the regiment, and also after the fall of Colonel PerLee at Opequan he commanded the battalion under very trying circumstances. Twice he he held the position of Judge Advocate, once of a general court-martial under General Dwight, and again of a mili- tary commission under General Emery. At the close of the war Major Curtis returned to Oxford and resumed his law practice. He was Justice of the Peace eight years from 1867, and in 1868 was elected Special County Judge, holding the office four years, and was Loan Commissioner three years. He represented Chenango county in the Leg- islature in 1879 and '80, and did effective work in that
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body. For a decade previous to his decease he held posi- tions in the United States Senate, his last position was in the office of the Secretary of the Senate. Major Curtis was prominently identified in the centennial of Oxford Acad- emy held in 1894, and afterwards compiled and published a work on the celebration, a book that cost him much labor and pains, but one that proved interestingly valuable.
'Tis not the whole of life to live, Nor all of death to die.
-MONTGOMERY.
Jesse Brown.
Jesse Brown, a native of Devonshire, England, was born December 27, 1807. His death occurred January 31, 1899, in this village. Mr. Brown and wife came to America in 1840 and first located in Preston near the Norton farm. After residing for a time at Preston Corners they came to the farm in this town next south of the Halfway House, where they resided forty years, and where Mrs. Brown died February 17, 1888. In 1898 Mr. Brown, becoming physi- cally helpless and enfeebled by age, disposed of his farm and removed into the village with his youngest daughter. Here he passed the remainder of his life in full enjoyment of sound mind and intellect. Children : William H., died in 1862, in early manhood; unmarried. John H., married and resides in Scranton, Pa. Lucy J., married Frank W. Comstock, and resides in Oxford. Helen F., married Thomas Knight, and resides at Oradell, N. J. Josephine J., resides at Oradell, N. J .; unmarried. Charles A., mar- ried and lives in Kansas City, Mo. Mary G., married A. W. Colony, and resides at Madisonville, Pa.
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Formed on the good old plan, A true and brave and downright honest man.
-WHITTIER.
Cole Family.
Samuel Cole, born July 23, 1775, in Voluntown, Ct., died November 8, 1832 in Oxford; married December 20, 1798, Alice Pullman of West Greenwich, R. I., born June 22, 1783. died January 21, 1858, in Sterling, Ill., and buried in Mt. Hope cemetery, Norwich, N. Y. Mr. Cole, accompanied by his wife and son Calvin, then a lad of 12, came from Sterling, Ct., in 1814 to Oxford and settled the farm now occupied by Clarence R. Miner. He put up a log house containing two rooms and clearing the land subdued the soil for agricultural purposes. The family were congenial, fond of entertaining, and soon became popular with their neighbors, though many lived at a dis- tance.
One extremely cold winter's night, when the snow lay deep and drifted, three couples of young people started out for a straw ride to the Cole farm. Their conveyance, a rough sleigh drawn by a yoke of oxen, was slow of locomotion, but with the jest and mirth of youth, the time seemingly passed in a quick manner. While passing through a deep drift near their destination the sleigh was overturned and all were thrown in the snow. With much laughter and joking the party reloaded, when it was found the tongue of the sleigh was broken and could not be used. The sleigh was too heavy for the men to propel with their companions in it and all were forced to walk the re- mainder of the way. By shoveling and stamping the snow a path was made that the ladies could follow and in this
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way they finally reached the home of the Coles. They could not return to their homes until the sleigh was sup- plied with a new tongue, and the men accompanied by Mr. Cole went with lanterns into the woods to cut one. Ne- glecting to ascertain the correct measurements, they re- turned to the sleigh and then again entered the woods, and after many trials and vexations found a tree that would answer. Quickly felled and roughly hewn it was taken back to the house. The night was cold and bitter and the work had to be finished in the living room of the little log cabin. The stick reached from one side of the build- ing to the other, and with the huge fireplace and the large old-fashioned bedstead, there was but scanty room for the company. But they accommodated themselves to the situ- ation and enjoyed a social visit, notwithstanding the many inconveniences. There was but one drawing knife to work with to any advantage and as soon as one became weary with using it another would take it and the others worked with their jackknives. The men worked with a will and as in the course of natural events all things come to an end, so did their work upon the tongue, and it was fitted to the sleigh. It was roughly made, but could be used, and that was all that was necessary. In the meantime Mrs. Cole was preparing supper and had to make frequent visits to the pantry. In doing so she had to climb upon and walk across the bed. Potatoes were put in the ashes of the fireplace to roast, a large panful of doughnuts fried, biscuits made, and with brown bread and apple butter, she served a supper, when the men had finished their labor, that was heartily enjoyed. At a late hour the party started on their return trip and reached their destinations without further mishap.
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