USA > New York > Chautauqua County > Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Chautauqua County, New York : with a historical sketch of the county > Part 33
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
H ERBERT W. ALLEN is a young and enterprising manufacturer of Silver Creek, having a business which is known and patron- ized in all parts of the United States and is rap- idly spreading over Europe, his machines being in demand by the best millers in the world. Mr. Allen is a son of Hon. Henry F. and Lucy E. (Woodbury) Allen, of Buffalo, New York, and was born in Gowanda, Cattaraugus county, New York, March 18, 1862. John F. Allen, his grandfather, was born in the State of Ver- mont in 1799, and was a graduate of Amherst college, Amherst, Massachusetts, class of '29 and considered a finely educated gentleman. He was one of the early settlers of Gowanda, this State, where his son, Hon. Henry F. and his grandson Herbert W. were born, but in his later years lie removed to Buffalo, Erie county, where he died in 1885, in the eighty-sixth year of his age, honored and respected by all. Hon. Henry F. Allen (father) was born in Gowanda in 1836, in politics is a democrat, and was elected a member of the Assembly from Erie county in 1878 on the democratic ticket and afterward was a candidate for the supreme judge- ship against Hon. J. S. Lambert. In 1879 he removed to Buffalo, Erie county, and formed the law firm of Allen, Movions & Wilcox, which has a large and lucrative practice, and he is also one of the commissioners of the New York State Board of Claims. He is a member of Ancient Landmarks Lodge, F. and A. M. He married Lucy E. Woodbury, who was born in Silver Creek in 1842, and by her had four chil- dren. She is a member of the Lafayette Pres- byterian church in Buffalo.
Herbert W. Allen was reared in his native town of Gowanda, and graduated at the acad- emy there in 1879. He then read law with his father at the office of his law firm in Buffalo, and was admitted to the bar in 1883, after which he practiced two years in Gowanda. In the latter part of 1885 he abandoned Blackstone and entered the office of his father-in-law, Au-
gust Heine, in Silver Creek, this county, and engaged in the more congenial business of man- ufacturing. In 1888, in addition to his other duties, he commenced the manufacture of middling purifiers for flour mills and is rapidly building an extensive trade. He is a democrat in politics and is a member of one secret soci- ety, Relief Lodge, I. O. O. F.
Herbert W. Allen was married in 1882 to Mary A. Heine, a daughter of August Heine, of Silver Creek, by whom he had one son, named in honor of his father-in-law, August.
ROBERT SHAW, senior member of the boot, shoe and rubber firm of Shaw & Hale, of Westfield, was born in County Down, Ireland, July 17, 1833, and is a son of James and Margaret (Robinson) Shaw. His paternal grandfather, William Shaw, was a native and life-long resident of County Down, where he followed his trade of cooper. He was a Pres- byterian in religious belief, and died at the ad- vanced age of eighty-seven years. His son, James Shaw, the father of Robert Shaw, was one of the large linen manufacturers of Ireland. He owned a farm of one hundred and sixty- seven acres of land in County Down where his linen factory was built. He employed from four hundred to six hundred hands in the manufac- ture of linen, operated a general store and was a man well-known for his energy and enter- prise. He was a member of the Presbyterian church and died November 9, 1849, aged fifty- seven years. His wife was a native of County Down, and a Presbyterian, and died in 1837.
Robert Shaw was reared in his native county, received his education in the National schools of Ireland, and in 1857, at twenty-four years of age, came to New York. On May 27th, of that year he came to Westfield, where he has resided ever since. He was engaged in farming front 1857 to June 1, 1863, when he became a clerk in a grocery house of Westfield, which position he held for four years and two months.
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OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.
On July 27, 1867, he formed a partnership with William Ellison, and they purchased the establishment in which he had served as a clerk. This firm of Shaw and Ellison contin- ued one year when Mr. Shaw purchased the in- terest of Ellison and conducted the store until April 1, 1872. He then associated his two nephews, W. R. Douglas and J. R. S. Cros- grove in business with him nuder the firm name of R. Shaw & Co. On March 29, 1882, he disposed of his interest in this firm to W. R. Douglas, and for the next three years was not engaged in any line of mercantile business. On April 14, 1885, he formed his present partner- ship with G. W. Hale, under the firm name of Shaw & Hale. They are dealers in boots, shoes and rubbers, and their establishment is at No. 14, Main street. They have well arranged salesrooms, carry a nice stock, of goods and do a good business.
June 5, 1872, Mr. Shaw united in marriage with Nancy Ard, daughter of John Ard, Sr., of Westfield. They have three children, one son and two daughters: Edith May, George Pat- terson and Clara Jane.
Robert Shaw is a straight republican in pol- itics, has served for eighteen years as a member of the school board and is a successful business man of twenty-eight years experience. He is a member of the First Presbyterian church of Westfield, Westfield Lodge, No. 591, Indepen- dent Order of Odd Fellows, Olive Lodge, No. 521, Knights of Honor, Chautauqua Lodge, No. 3, Ancient Order of United Workmen, and Westfield Union, No. 63, Equitable Aid Union. He was a member of the village board of trustees for seven years, also town clerk for one year.
New York, February 6, 1855. Daniel Toomey was born in 1811, in County Cork, where lic married Catherine Buckley, a member of the Catholic church who died in 1860, at forty- four years of age. Daniel Toomey came to the United States in 1838, and settled at Piermont on the Hudson river, from where he removed to Dunkirk. He is a democrat and a member of the Catholic church and has been engaged for some years in the local freight business of the Erie railroad.
Daniel F. Toomey attended the public schools of his native city for a few terins and was engaged for two years on a farm which he left to enter the employ of Frank May, then in the flour and feed business in Dunkirk. At the end of seven years he left the employ of Mr. May to engage in the flour and feed business for him- self. His office is at No. 434-36 Lion street, while his ware and salesrooms are on the corner of Lion and Fifth streets. He handles a full line of flour, feed and grain, has the Dunkirk agency for Higgins' Eureka salt and Coe's bone fertilizers and enjoys a wide trade.
In October, 1885, he united in marriage with Margaret A., daughter of Arthur and Ann Lascelles of Dunkirk. To Mr. and Mrs. Toomey have been born two children : Loretta and Arthur D., aged respectively four and two years of age.
D. F. Toomey is a member of the Catholic church, has always been a strong democrat, is now serving his fifth term as chairman of the Democratic district committee and was a dele- gate to the Democratic State Convention of 1889. He is a member of the Young Men's association, which is limited to a membership of twenty-five and which was organized in 1887 as a philanthropic organization for the advance- ment of Dunkirk. This association has given one thousand dollars to the improvement of Washington park, besides donating books to the library association and in many other ways
D ANIEL F. TOOMEY, the proprietor of one of the largest and foremost flour, fced and grain houses in Dunkirk, is a son of Daniel and Catherine (Buckley) Toomey, and was born in the city of Dunkirk, Chautauqua county, : contributing to the progress of Dunkirk. Mr.
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Toomey has been engaged with good success for the last three years in the real estate business in Buffalo, N. Y. He and his younger brother, Michael P., arc the proprietors of the Dunkirk Stock Improvement farm, where they keep very fine thoroughbred horses. Their summer hcad- quarters are at the driving-park between Dun- kirk and Fredonia, while their winter head- quarters are in Dunkirk. They also buy and sell high-bred horses and have done much toward the improvement of the trotting stock of western New York. Mr. Toomey has achieved business success by his own unaided efforts and is energetic in whatever enterprise he engages.
w ILLIAM W. PETTIT is one of the leading grape cultnrists and farmers of Portland town. He was born in Pulaski, Oswego connty, New York, January 13, 1835, and is a son of James J. and Sarah (Hill) Pettit. The family is of French Huguenot extraction but of long residence in the United States. The paternal grandfather, Dr. James Pettit, was a native of Albany, this State, where he was born April 13, 1777. Dr. Pettit became a physician of renown, paid particular attention to optical surgery and gave to the world the eye salve which bears his name. He came to Fredonia in 1835 and practiced his pro- fession until his death May 24, 1849. James J. Pettit was born in Hamilton, Madison county, N. Y., May 26, 1804. He was a lawyer by profession and in 1838 he came to Fredonia and practiced for a number of years. From Fredo- nia he went to Perry, Wyoming county, and continued practicing law until 1848, when he removed to Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he practiced for a while and was then elected county judge. He died August 5, 1877. Mr. Pettit was a good man, a member of the Pres- byterian church and of the Republican party, by whom he was clected judge. He married Sarah Hill, in 1829, a native of Cazenovia,
Madison county, who was born March 15, 1805. She, too, was a member of the Presbyterian church. They were the parents of six children, Mrs. Pettit died May 30, 1863.
William W. Pettit was reared at Kenosha, Wisconsin, and educated in the public schools. After leaving school he learned the machinist's trade and followed it until 1860. In 1861 he joined Co. G, 1st regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, and entered the war for four months service, holding a first lientenant's commission. In 1862, he re-enlisted in Co. D, 34th regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, and remained in the army until 1864. At the expiration of his enlist- ment Mr. Pettit came to Brocton aud located on the farm he now owns, and began agriculture and grape culture which he has since pursued.
On September 20, 1864, he married Laura Reynolds, a daughter of Richard Reynolds, of Portland. They have four children, two sons and two daughters : Henry W., George R., Edith S. and Ruth H. They lost one infant, Fred. R., who died February 20, 1870, aged four years and one month. Mrs. Pettit is a refined and cultured lady who has a charming and model home.
William W. Pettit is a republican, a gentle- man of culture and is respected as one of our best citizens. He is a member of James A. Hall Post, No. 292, G. A. R., and holds the position of surgeon.
w ILLIAM R. MINER. Like many other citizens of Chantauqna county, William R. Miner is a lineal descendant of an old New England family. His parents were Justin S. and Elvira (Newell) Miner. He was born October 8, 1834. Grandfather John Miner was born in New England and.came to Otsego county, New York, shortly prior to the war of 1812. He lived but a short time in the county famons in literature and story, for he was soon called upon to place himself upon his country's altar. This he did with rare freedom
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OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.
and self-sacrifice ; his enlistment was a sad fare- well to friends and home ; he never returned. Grandfather Samuel Newell was a native of Massachusetts, and came to Sheridan, Chautau- qua connty, New York, about 1810. Here lie pursned his occupation as conjoiut farmer, stock- raiser and distiller. In business affairs he was a man of resources, energy and care, and, con- sequently, eminently successful. He married Miss Sarah Ranney, by whom he had seven children. His political caste was that of the old-line whigs, whose principles he supported with becoming ardor. He died in September, 1854. The father of the subject, Justin S. Miner, was born in the year 1809, in Otsego county, New York, came to Chantauqua county, when twenty years old, and died there at the age of forty-six years. He was a farmer by oc- cupation, owning a farm of some one hundred and twenty-eight acres in fine repair, and gave his leisure time to the public in the discharge of charitable and philanthropic duties. He was a member of the Presbyterian church for many years. His wife still survives, hale and hearty, at the advanced age of eighty years.
William R. Miner was the eldest of a family of three boys and now resides on a portion of the old homestead.
He married Lydia A. Gifford and has three children : Justin P. (married to Miss Martha K. Mosley), a graduate of Harvard, class of '85, and at present business manager of To-Day, published in Boston, Massachusetts ; Harley G., and Mertie E., at home.
William R. Miner is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, of which he is also trustee, and belongs to the order A. O. U. W. He is a good business man, keen, fore-sighted and of good judgment, always ready to lend a helping hand to those less fortunate, always eager to ameliorate those weighted down by a seemingly forced adversity. He is republican in politics, and has served six years successively, as supervisor of the town of Sheridan. Heury
N. (a brother of subject) was married to Alzina Kilam, and is at present engaged in farming in the State of Indiana. His children are Nellie, Bertha, Archie and Fanny. Herbert S. (another brother) was married to Susan H. Ensign. He is also a farmer and resides in the town of Sheridan. His children are Edward H., Burton O., and J. Leslie.
The wife of subject was born February 24, 1839 and married December 30, 1857. Her parents were natives of Rensselaer county, N. Y ., and removed to the town of Pomfret, Chan- tauqua county. Oliver P. Gifford, her father, was born November 24, 1816, and learned the trade of tanner, which occupation he followed until his death. He was at one time an officer in the State militia, a whig in politics and a member of the Baptist church. He died in the town of Sheridan, February 14, 1852. The maternal grandfather of subject's wife, Abram Keech, was also a native of Rensselaer county, and was born abont 1772. His father was a soldier of the Revolution and was killed at the battle of Bennington, Vermont. At the time of his death he held the rank of captain. Abram came to Chautauqua county in 1834, and loca- ted in the town of Pomfret, shortly afterward re- moving to the town of Hanover. He was a man of fine military bearing, and was commander of a company of State militia. His wife was Naomi Taylor, by whom he had six daughters. .
A LBERT J. TIFFANY. One of those, who have expended a great deal of energy and is deeply interested in developing the prop- erty about Falconer, and bringing it to the at- tention of a class of desirable residents from other places, is A. J. Tiffany, who is a son of Jelial and Sophronia (Durkee) Tiffany, and was born in the town of Ellicott, May 21, 1843. He is a grandson of James Tiffany, who came from Vermont to Genesee county, this State, in 1807, where he followed farming and mechani- cal work of various kinds until he died.
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
Like many of the emigrants who came from the "Green Mountain State," he belonged to the Universalist church and was a very devout man. New Hampshire furnished the other grandfather, Silas Durkee, who also came to Genesee county, where he died. Jehial Tiffany was born at Randolph, Vermont, in 1798, and passed his early boyhood on his father's farm. When the senior Tiffany removed in 1807, the young son remained in his native State, mak- ing it his home until 1818, and then he came direct to Chautauqua county. The com- mon schools of Vermont were the fountains from which he drank his theoretical knowledge, while constant rubbing against the rough edges of an unsympathetic world taught him the practical lessons of life. From 1818 until his death in 1867, he was a continuous resident of this county, with the exception of two years spent at Randolph, Vermont. Shortly after coming here, he secured one thousand acres of land and began the business of changing the standing timber into manufactured lumber, for which, at that time, there was quite a demand. There was method in his work and while secur- ing the logs for lumber, he also cleared the land and made it arable. His work formed quite a little settlement, which was known as Tiffanyville. Jehial Tiffany was a prosperous business man and builded his own fortune. He remained single until twenty-nine years of age, and while on a visit to his parents in Genesee county, met Sophronia Durkee, whom he soon afterward married. They had eight children. His first wife died in 1848 and he married a second time to Charlotte Hopkins, in 1853. She bore him two children. All are now dead except Albert J., by first wife, and John H., a son by the second. Jehial 'Tiffany affiliated with the Republican party and was a member of the Congregational church. While he was a push- ing and energetic business man, all wrapped up with the matters in hand, he was conservative and close calculating, always seeing where he
was coming out, before going into a business speculation.
Albert J. Tiffany was born and reared on the old homestead. He passed an uneventful boy- hood and was educated in the common schools and at Jamestown academy. Upon stepping out into the arena of life, he began improving some land which he owned near Falconer and conducted a general real estate business. In 1874 he built a store in Falconer, and, with his other duties, has given it general supervision.
He married Coralyn Conic, a daughter of Ephraim Conic, of Ellicott, on the 11th day of January, 1871.
Mr. Tiffany belongs to the Republican party, and is a member of Mount Moriah Lodge, No. 145, F. and A. M., and of James- town Commandery, No. 61, of Jamestown.
B YRON A. BARLOW, an active and suc- cessful lawyer of Jamestown, is a son of Rev. Abner and Polly (Strunk) Barlow, and was born in the town of Ellicott, Chautauqua county, New York, August 10, 1835. His grandfather, Daniel Barlow, was a native of New England, and removed to Chautauqua county, New York, in 1821, or '22. He served in the army during the War of 1812. He was a farmer. He married Elizabeth French, and had seven children, three sons and four daughters. One of these sons, Rev. Abner Barlow, was born in New Hampshire in 1799, removed to Chautauqua county, New York, and in 1836, removed to Wisconsin, where he died May 8, 1881. He was a Con- gregational minister, and in politics was, in early manhood, a whig, but after the disrup- tion of that party in 1853, he joined the repub- licans. He married Polly Strunk, a descen- dant of one of the pioneer families of Chautau- qua county. To their union were born eleven children : La Fayette, a hotel keeper and far- mer of Medford, Minnesota, who married Maria Wheeler; Sophia, wife of Edmund
B B. Lords
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OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.
Andrus; Elizabeth, wife of Sylvester Giles, who was postmaster in Galveston, Texas, and died there of yellow fever during the late war ; Mary, wife of Lance Estes, a stock raiser in California ; Margaret, wife of Henry Janes of California ; Eunice, wife of David McNeal, a farmer in Wisconsin ; Byron A .; Brainard, a hotel keeper in Chicago; Henry, died in Colo- rado; Sylvester, who enlisted in 1861 in the 29th regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, and served until the spring of 1863. He accompanied the Red River expedition and died from exposure. Byron A. found him sick near Vicksburg, pro- cured his discharge and brought him home, where he died soon after ; and Frances, wife of M. P. Strunk, a lawyer of Jamestown, now deceased. Their mother, Polly Strunk Barlow, was a descendant of Henry Strunk, who, with his sister Katherine, emigrated in 1750, from Lippe Detmold, in the north of Germany, to Troy, New York, where they suffered from the ravages of the British soldiers during the Rev- olutionary war. Henry Strunk died in 1775, and three of his ten children removed to Elli- cott in 1809. Jacob Strunk (maternal grand- father) the eldest of these ten children, died in Ellicott in 1836, leaving several children, among whom was Polly Strunk, the wife of Rev. Abner Barlow.
Byron A. Barlow received his education at Albion academy, at Albion, Wisconsin, from which school he was graduated in 1861, and for three years was a teacher in the academy. In the fall of 1863, he went into the oil region of Pennsylvania as a book-keeper for a firm dealing in oil, and afterward became a partner in the firm. Hc remained there until 1865, when he removed to Jamestown and read law with Cook & Lockwood. He was admitted to the bar in 1867, since which time he has prac- ticed law in Jamestown. He married Roxanna E. Crane, a daughter of Gerard and Sarah E. Crane, of Ft. Atkinson, Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Barlow have three surviving children :
Belle F., wife of Henry C. Marvin of James- town ; Edith M., and Byron A., Jr. In poli- tics, Mr. Barlow is a republican, and has served as the city clerk of Jamestown for four terms. He was also a member of the board of educa- tion for thirce years, and from 1860 to 1863 lie was school commissioner for Dane county, Wisconsin.
0 ELA B. LORD, a gentleman who has be- come prominent not only in Chantauqua county and the State of New York, but where- ever the name of " Holstein cattle" is known, as an importer and breeder of the black and white beauties, as well as " French Coach" and " Percheron" horses, was born October 7, 1840, on the farm upon which he now resides, within the corporate limits of Sinclairville, Chautau- qua county, New York, and is a son of Bela B. and Polly (Hall) Lord, both of whom came from Otsego county, New York. Bela B. Lord, Sr., came to this county in 1819, purchased the tract of land, and cleared the farm upon which his son now resides. When he arrived the country was almost in its virgin creation, and where the prolific fields now fecd the fattening kine, the tall monarchs of the forest then stood in majestic grandeur, and many of them fell beneath the blows of the axe which his strong arm wielded. Bela B. Lord, Sr., was a son of Sylvenus Lord, and was born in 1799 ; he died on the 28th of November, 1874. Sylvenus Lord, like Aaron Hall, was a descendant from New England Yankees, who, in turn, traced their ancestors to the Pilgrims.
Bela B. Lord was reared on his father's farm, and educated at the country schools.
On March 11, 1862, he married Elizabeth C. Kirlton, of Louisville, St. Lawrence county, New York, with the understanding that they should remain with her invalid, widowed mother during her lifetime, which they did ; and are still remembered by their acquaintances there, as deserving their later successes for their
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devotion to their aged and helpless relative. They have one son, Clarence J., who associated himself with his father, and when twenty-one years of age was admitted to partnership. Clarence J. Lord received a thorough business education at Eastman's Business College, of Poughkeepsie, New York, and is now cashier of the Capital National Bank, of Olympia, Washington. He returned to Sinclairville, Chautauqua county, New York, for his bride ; marrying September 3, 1890, Mary Elizabeth Reynolds, only daughter of Henry and Helen K. Reynolds, of Sinclairville.
In 1876, Mr. Lord returned to Chautauqua county, and to gratify the wish of his mother, purchased the old homestead, and in 1880, commenced the importation of Holstein cattle, which, from the first, proved a very successful venture. Year by year his business increased, and in 1884 he included French Coach and Percheron horses in his importations, and at the present time, the importing and breeding of these horses, and the breeding of standard bred trotting horses constitute the larger part of his stock business, although the handling of Holstein cattle will always remain with him a pleasant special work.
Since 1880, Mr. Lord has made seven, and his son nine trips to Europe, visiting Holland, Germany, Scotland, England and France in the interests of his business. Chautauqua county is known far and near for the excellence of its dairy products, and the " Sinclairville Stock Farm," the home of B. B. Lord, has added much to its reputation, both for dairy goods, large milk and butter records and fine stock. No finer horses and cattle can be found in America than upon this farm, for Mr. Lord's motto has always been to purchase only the best, and he attributes all his success to this fact, together with fair, honorable dealing. His stables and herd are well represented at all the prominent fairs, and win their share of the prizes. At the International Fair held at
Buffalo in 1889, every horse he entered re- ceived a prize.
Mrs. B. B. Lord is a woman of marked ability, and has attained an eminence in the Grange of the State of New York, which has been reached by no other of her sex. Mr. and Mrs. Lord have been identified with the move- ment for fifteen years, and are enthusiastic on behalf of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. Mrs. Lord (Elizabeth C. Kirlton) was selected Master of Chautauqua County Pomona Grange (fifth degree) in 1890, and is the first woman to achieve that distinction. She is also Master of Sinclairville Grange, and has several times rep- resented her district at the State Grange, being an able advocate and active representative ; has filled nearly all offices in grange work in the county, being at the present time a member of the Executive Committee of the County Pomona Grange; was for two years an officer of the State Grange, filling the office of Flora (sixth degree). She is an intelligent parlia- mentarian with a fund of practical knowledge of important subjects and ready tact, which in- tuitively reads human character aright ; quali- ties that, supported by a firm devotion to the best interests of the organization, render her an able delegate, whose assistance is counted of great value. Mrs. Lord has risen to this prom- inence because her abilities fitted her to execute its duties, and her elevation is only the proper recognition of her personal value. B. B. Lord and son attribute much of their success in life to the able advice and earnest co-operation of this devoted wife and mother.
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