Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Chautauqua County, New York : with a historical sketch of the county, Part 6

Author: Dilley, Butler F; Edson, Obed, 1832-
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Gresham
Number of Pages: 740

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and politician of New York, in an article in the New York Tribune, writes : " All the elements and qualities, which elevate and adorn human life were harmoniously blended in the character of George W. Patterson. His life was not only entirely blameless, but eminently useful. To those who knew him as I did no form of eulo- gium will be deemed inappropriate. As a citi- zen, as the head of a family, and as a public servant, he was a model man. In the discharge of legislative duties, he was conscientious and patriotic. He was always in his seat, and no bad, defective, equivocal, or suspicious bill ever evaded or escaped his vigilant and watchful cye. He had troops of friends, and, so far as I know or believe, was without an enemy. In private life he was exceptionally faultless. Without making a proclamation of temperance, he was always a cold water drinker."

He married Hannah W., a daughter of John Dickey, merchant of West Parish, Londonderry. The last of his school education was received at the Pinkerton academy, Derry, N. H., and the first printed catalogue of this institution, shows his own and (then) future wife's name. He was a school teacher at Pelham, New Hampshire, in 1817, but in the following year, he engaged in the manufacture of fanning mills. In this business he was largely interested for twenty- six years, in the town of Leicester, Livingston county, N. Y. Here he resided until 1841, when he removed to Westfield, to accept the agency of the Chautauqua Land Office, as suc- cessor of Gov. Seward. When the lands be- came reduced by sales, Mr. Patterson bought the residue of lands and securities of the Hol- land Company, and continued the sales at the Westfield office until his death, when the title to the unsold lands passed to his only son, George W. Patterson. Gov. Patterson com- menced holding public office soon after his resi- dence began at Leicester, in 1824, and from that time until his death, it was the exception that he was not in public service. At no time

OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.

did he ever ask for an appointment, or nomina- tion, but they came unsolicited. When justices of the peace became elective, he was chosen to that office, which he retained by successive elec- tions until he removed to Westfield. He was commissioner of high ways, sehool commissioner, justice of the peace, brigade paymaster and su- pervisor of Leicester ; a member of the Assembly of New York for cight ycars, the last 1839 and 1840, he was twicc speaker of the House. After his removal, in 1841, to Westfield, he was ap- pointed basin commissioner at Albany, by Gov. Seward, harbor commissioner at New York, by Gov. Clark, and quarantine commissioner for the port of New York by Gov. Morgan ; was a delegate to the National convention that nomi- nated John C. Fremont for president, and to the National Republican convention that nomi- nated Abraham Lincoln; was supervisor of Westfield for three years, president of Westfield academy and president of the board of education of Westfield for many years; represented the county of Chautauqua in the State Constitu- tional convention of 1846 ; was elected lieuten- ant-governor of the State of New York in 1848, and in 1876 was elected to the Forty-fifth Con- gress as a Republican. He was a director in the Buffalo and State Line Railroad from its organization, in June, 1849, till its consolida- tion in May, 1867, and was from that date un- til Junc, 1868, a director in the Buffalo and Erie Railroad, now a part of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern.

W ILLIAM HALL was born in Wardsboro', Vt., August 17, 1793. He was the sev- enth of twelve children born to Wm. Hall and Abigail Pcase.

Both his parents were natives of Massachu- setts, and were characterized by great energy, industry and enterprise. His father was a sol- dier in the Revolutionary war, holding the rank of captain.

Soon after he attained his majority he started

for western New York, where several from his native town had already gone.

He passed his first winter in Chautauqua county, with his older brother James, who had already located in that part of the town of Car- roll which is now Kiantone.

Hc at onee began to make shingles, working far into the night with the frow and shave, which were the tools then used, instead of the modern shingle-machine.

In the spring he took the products of his labor down the river to a southern market, and thus began his career as a lumber dcaler, a busi- ness in which he was quite extensively engaged in later years.

In 1816 he came to Jamestown, which then contained less than a dozen families, and was for a time connected with the store and hotel of Elisha Allen.

In the year 1822 he bought of Natlian Kid- der, for $300, the lot on the corner of Main and Third streets, where the Prendergast block now stands, on which was an unfinished frame build- ing; this he completed and opened as a hotel, having entered into partnership with Solomon Jones, Esq.

In the year 1828 he removed to the south side of the outlet, where he had purchased a farm, but continued the business of a lumber merchant, buying large quantities of boards and timber, which he sold in southern markets.

In the year 1857 he bought of A. F. Hawley the building and lot on the southwest corner of Main and Third streets.

The building, which was of wood, having burned in 1860, he replaced it with a substantial brick structure now known as the Hall block.

He was identified with most of the various enterprises for improving the business facilities of the town in which he lived.

He was prominent in all efforts to secure rail- way communication with the outer world.

As director and vice-president of the Erie & New York City Railroad company, which is .

BIOGRAPHY AND IHISTORY

now merged in the N. Y., P. & O. Railroad, he friends, though not wont to make great demon- spent much time and money in the prosecution stration of liis feelings. of that enterprise.

He was a stockholder in the Dunkirk and Jamestown Plank-Road company.

He was also for a number of years a director in the Chautauqua County National Bank, and a stockholder in the Cane-Seat Clair company.

When already far advanced in years he en- tered into the project of building an alpaca-mill, an enterprise comparatively new in this country. This, from a business standpoint, was the great- est undertaking of his life. Although not the originator of the enterprise, it is safe to say no one contributed more to its success than he.

His knowledge, acquired by long experience in building, his sound judgment and energy, to- getlier with his capital, were all devoted to the success of the undertaking.

While yet a young man he attained the rank of colonel in the New York State militia, but being without military ambition, he soon re- signed the office.

Although deeply interested in the politics of his country, as every good citizen should be, he had no sympathy with the methods of the poli- tician, and having acceptably filled the office of town supervisor, his political ambition was sat- isfied.

Personally he was characterized by great physical strength, temperate habits (using neither liquor nor tobacco in any form), untiring indus- try, indomitable energy and perseverance and unswerving integrity ; these, combined with pru- dence, economy and sound judgment, achieved for him a large measure of success as a business man.

He was a friend of education, of temperance, of human rights and religion.

He contributed liberally for the erection of houses of worship, and for the support of the gospel, and was always, when able, in his seat on the Sabbath, in the Congregational church.

He was greatly attached to his home and his

He was married, July 4, 1824, to Julia, daugh- ter of Solomon Jones, Esq., by whom he had five children, three of whom,-William C. J., Clara M. and Elliot C.,-together with his wife, sur- vived him. He died July 6, 1880, having been a resident of Jamestown sixty-four years. His wife followed him to the grave January 18, 1888.

William C. J. Hall was born in Jamestown, N. Y., August 8, 1828 ; graduated from Yale college in. 1851 ; was successively a civil engi- neer on the Atlantic and Great Western Rail- way, principal of the Ellington academy, and a druggist and chemist in Jamestown. In 1861 he entered the army as first lieutenant of a com- pany of sharpshooters. He was appointed major of the 23d U. S. Colored Troops, and brevetted colonel. After nearly four years' service he re- signed on account of his healthi. He was for a time superintendent of the public schools of Mead ville, Pa., and afterwards returned to James- town to engage with his father in the manufac- ture of worsted goods. He was a man of ex- tensive knowledge, and his advice was sought on many different matters. He was a member of the faculty of Chautauqua university and pro- fessor of microscopy. He died October 30, 1887, leaving a wife and two children.

Clara M., wife of Rev. William A. Hallock, a Congregational minister not in active service in the ministry, now resides in Jamestown. They have two children.

Elliot C. Hall was born in Jamestown, N. Y., April 29, 1838 ; graduated from Yale college in 1862, and from Union theological seminary, New York, in 1865. After fourteen ycars' service in the ministry he was called home on account of his father's feeble health, and since his father's death has remained in charge of his business affairs. Mr. Hall was married, July 24, 1867, to Tirzah S., daughter of Prof. E. S. Snell, of Amherst College, Massachusetts. They have three children, and occupy the family homestead.

Mw. W. Patterson Born Feb 25.1826 Evans Phot 12

OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.

R ANSOM J. BARROWS, the son of Levi C. and Abigail (Putnam) Ransom Bar- rows, was born in Luzerne, Warren county, New York, August 24, 1831. His grandfather, Abner Barrows, was a native of Vermont, but removed to this State, located near Saratoga Springs and pursued farming until his death, in 1849. He married a Miss Call and had four sons and two daughters. Levi C. Barrows was born at Lu- zerne, this State, in 1804, and came to this county in 1832, locating at Stockton for about one year and then removed to Jamestown, where he engaged in the lumber business and, in part- nership with a Mr. John Scott, under the firm- name of Scott & Barrows, manufactured doors, sash, blinds and lumber. In politics he was a democrat, but became a whig and later a repub- lican, being a strong sympathizer of the aboli- tionists. When the underground railway was carrying the blacks through to Canada, Mr. Barrows took pride in being known as one of. its conductors and did much in advancing aboli- tion principles. For some years lic was a jus- tice of the peace, serving in that capacity at the time of his death, March 10, 1863. In 1861 he transferred his business to his sons, Ransom J. and Henry R., who continued it about two years. He was a member of the Presbyterian church-for many years a deacon. In 1828 he married for his first wife Abigail (Putnam) Ran- som, who bore him six children : Mary J., mar- ried to M. W. Hutton, of Jamestown, and is now dead; Maria, wife of Alexander Hawley who is the representative of one of the oldest families of this county; Ransom J., Sallie (dead), Henry R., who served as lieutenant of Co. A, 112th regt., N. Y. Infantry ; and Orton, who died young. After Mrs. Barrows' death, in 1846, he married Sallie Canfield and had three children : Halbert A., a resident of James- town ; Herbert L., who lives in California ; and Antoinette (deceased). He was a prominent and respected Mason, being one of the organizers of the first lodge of that fraternity established

in Jamestown, and to the time of his death was active and enthusiastic in its work.

Ransom J. Barrows received a common- school education, and married for his first wife Mary J. Putnam, daughter of Union Putnam, of Stockton, in 1854, and she died in 1859, leaving two children : Jennie M., wife of M. P. Hatch, of Buffalo, and Minnie M., wife of Dr. W. M. Bemus, of Jamestown. His second wife was Ellen A. Breed, a daughter of Deacon J. C. Breed, who died in 1869. In 1873 he mar- ried Minerva C. Williams, and this last marriage has been blest with three children : Ellen A., Elma M. and R. Jay.

He is a Mason, and has held continuous mem- bership for thirty-eight years in Mount Moriah Lodge, No. 145, of Jamestown. Mr. Barrows has held many offices of honor and trust in Jamestown, where he has resided for nearly sixty years.

G EORGE W. PATTERSON, one of the prominent and public-spirited citizens of Westfield, is a son of Hon. George W. and Hannah W. (Dickey) Patterson, and was born on his father's farm in Livingston county, New York, "February 25, 1826. His paternal and maternal ancestry is given in the sketch of his father which is published in this volume. At fourteen years of age, he came with his father to Westfield where he has remained principally ever since. He entered Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, from which he was graduated in 1848, afterwards read law for two years in Buffalo, but with no intention of practicing and only as an accomplishment. From 1850 to 1853, he was engaged in the manufacture of steel tools, and in 1854, in company with J. N. Hungerford, organized the Geo. Washington bank at Corning, which had a successful career until 1873, when it went down with hundreds of other banks in the great panic of that year. Since 1875 he has resided at Westfield, where he has a pleasant home and has given his time

BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

to the management of his lands, fifteen hundred acres originally owned by the Holland Land Company in Chautauqua county. He is one of the board of water commissioners of Westfield, president of the board and the chief engineer of the waterworks. He served as president of the board of education.

On September 17, 1861, he nnited in mar- riage with Frances D. Todd, a native of Todd- ville, Otsego county, New York, which was founded by her grandfather, Lemuel Todd. Their union has been blessed with four children: Catherine, a graduate of Vassar col- lege, the wife of Frank W. Crandall ; George W., born February 1, 1864, who graduated at Yale college, and at the Institute of Technol- ogy, Boston, and since 1889 has been instructor of electrical engineering at the University of Michigan ; Hannah W., a graduate of the art department of Vassar college; and Frances Todd, who was graduated from Vassar in the class of 1888.

Mr. Patterson has been for several years a vestryman of St. Peter's Protestant Episcopal church at Westfield.

J OHN H. TOUSLEY, a descendant of ante-

Revolution fathers, is living in retirement, having disposed of his baking and confectionery business abont three years ago. His parents were William and Charlotte (Haughton) Tous- ley, who reared ten children. John H., the subject of our sketch, who was born in Madison connty, New York, December 28, 1827, is the youngest. John Haughton (maternal grand- father) came from England to Madison county, but we have not the date of his arrival, except that it was some years before the Revolution- probably between 1760 and 1765. At the be- ginning of the war for independence he was im- pressed in Burgoyne's army, but escaped as soon as possible and joined the colonial troops, serv- ing with then, sharing the privations and dan- gers of the isolated camp-life and a skulking

Indian enemy until the close of the war, when he returned to his plow and followed it. In politics a democrat, he was a warm supporter of Jeffersonian principles. William Tonsley was born in Connecticut and came of old New Eng- land stock, but early in life came to Madison connty, this State, where he conducted a black- smith-shop and followed farming. He married and had a family consisting of three sons and three danghters : Sarah (now Mrs. Coman) lives in Madison county ; Hiram, died in Madison county in 1890 ; Lncinda (Mrs. Ames Belknap) moved to Michigan, where she died ; Edmund O., lived eighteen years in Jamestown, but re- moved to Madison county, where he now resides; Deborah, married Leonard Leland (now dead), of Madison county ; and John H.

John H. Tousley received the usual early education of a conntry boy and afterwards took an academic course, and upon leaving school learned to be a carpenter, which trade he fol- lowed until 1855, when he opened a bakery and confectionery store. In 1864 he came to James- town and continued his business, following it uninterruptedly until 1889, when he was snc- ceeded in the business by his sons.

In Jannary, 1855, he married Mary E. Par- ker, of Allegany connty, New York. Three children have blest this union : Charles P., mar- ried to Addie Torlow, is conducting the baking and confectionery business in Jamestown ; John H., Jr., is also engaged in business with his brother and lives at home with his father; and Ruth C., a teacher in the Jamestown public schools.

Of a retiring and modest disposition, Mr. Tousley, while being a supporter of the Demo- cratic party, has never songht office or permitted his name to be used as a candidate, and has now arrived at an age where he can take a retrospee- tive view of life and feel satisfied with his life's work. He is a member of Mount Moriah Lodge, No. 145, Free and Accepted Masons, and is held in high esteem by the fraternity.

OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.

ISRAEL JAMES, an aged gentleman and respected citizen of Jamestown, was born in Cumington, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, March 13, 1814, and is the son of Moscs and Polly (Vining) James. The stock were natives of that State for at least two generations prior to these mentioned, and may have been among the first arrivals. Moses James, Sr. (grand- father), was a native of Massachusetts, but emigrated to Ohio 1812, and purchased one thousand acres of land, a part of which he cleared and began farming. He was married, before leaving Massachusetts, to Rebecca Ketts, and reared a family of twelve children, one dying while an infant. Mr. James was a whig, and took an active interest in the political affairs of the early republie. Moses James (father) was a native of Massachusetts, but went to Ohio about 1813, where he followed his trade (tan- ning) until he died. He was a whig, and a member of the Presbyterian church. He was twiee married : first in 1813, to Polly Vining, by whom he had three children (the name of but one is remembered, Israel) ; and after hier death, in 1822, he married for his second wife Catherine Williams, who bore him one child, Lucretia, who married Henry Wales.

Israel James has been an energetic and very active business man. After receiving the edu- cation commonly given in the schools in the early half of this century, he was apprentieed to and learned blacksmithing, which he followed for a number of years, and then began the development of the iron industry, which since has grown to such magnitude in Ohio. His work in this line was done at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, it being the manufacture of wrought iron. With the acquisition of experience car axles were attempted, and the first that were used by the New York, Pa. and Ohio R. R., now a divis- ion of the Erie railway, was turned out by Mr. James, and used in the manufacture of ears by a car-building firm doing business at Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. James was engaged in the rolling-

mill business about thirty-five years, and came to Jamestown in 1885, and purchased six acres of land, which at that time was covered with woods, and which he clcared and built npon.

On September 5th, 1835, Mr. James married Hannah T. Stcele, who bore him two children : the eldest died in infancy ; and Henry, a travel- ing salesman, who resides in Jamestown, and married Kate Bush. Mrs. James died in 1847, at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and Mr. James mar- ried Mary E. Randall, daughter of Elias Ran- dall, of Jefferson county, this State, by whom he has two children : Laurel E., married to Minnie E. Pryor, and resides in Ohio; and Minnie L., wife of E. J. Squire, who is em- ployed in a shoe factory in Jamestown where they reside.

Politically Mr. James is a republican, and has been since eighteen years of age a member of the Methodist church, in which he was a steward for thirty-eight years at Cuyahoga Falls, and has also been a trustee. Many years ago he joined the Masonie fraternity at the above-named place, which membership he still retains.

H ON. ALMON A. VAN DUSEN, judge of the courts of Chautauqua county, New York, is the eldest son of Benjamin F. and Mehitable (Lovell) Van Dusen, and was born in Jamestown, Chautauqua county, New York, Jan. 3rd, 1843. The family of Van Dusen in New York, is descended from aneestors who were anciently established in Holland, and came to New York, then New Netherlands, some time during the carly part of the seventeenth century. They settled at Claverick, in what is now Colum- bia county, and in 1720 Abraham Van Dusen, a descendant of one of these Van Dusens, removed to Connecticut where he settled at Salisbury. In lineal descent from him was John Van Dusen, the father of Jolin Van Dusen, Jr., whose son, Benjamin F. Van Dusen, is the father of Judge Almon A. Van Dusen. John Van Dusen, Jr.

BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

(grandfather) resided during the latter part of a respectable clientage which increased in num- his life-time in Michigan where he died about bers as long as lie was in practice at the Chautauqua county bar and in the United States District court. The Democratic party made him their nominee several times for county Judge but in the face of an adverse majority of from four to five thousand votes, his clection upon each occasion that he ran, was an impossibility although he always reduced the republican vote. In 1890, Judge Lambert, county judge of Chautauqua county, was elected as a justice of the Supreme Court of New York and for his position as county judge many of the ablest lawyers of the bar were applicants. Judge Van Dusen was nominated by the democratic party of this county as their candidate for county judge in October, 1890, to succeed him, and although the coun- ty has a republican majority of from 4,000 to 6,000, he was elected over Jerome B. Fisher, republican, by a plurality of 899, for the term of six years. 1875. He married Mary Forbes, by whom he had thirteen children ; Alonzo, Marshall, Harry, Elizabeth, Benjamin F., Mary, Rachel, Charlotte, Emily, Theodore, Eliza, Charles, and Edwin, who was killed while serving as a soldier in the late civil war. The second son, Benjamin F. Van Dusen (father), was born in Locke, Cayuga county, New York, June 4th, 1817, and learned the trade of cabinet-maker. In 1841 he removed to Jamestown where he now resides and where he was successfully engaged for many years in the cabinet-making business. He is a member of the Baptist church and a republican in politics. He married Mehitable Lovell. They are the parents of three children ; Judge Almon A., Theodore F., a successful business man of Jamestown and George C., a well known lawyer of the same city. Mrs. Van Dusen is a daughter of Jonathan Lovell (maternal grandfather), who was born in Wor- cester, Massachusetts and died in Jamestown, In February, 1871, he united in marriage with Juliet E. Merchant, daughter of William G. Merchant, of Boone, Iowa. They have one child living, a son : Vernon, who is eighteen years of age. N. Y. in 1854, at cighty-five years of age. He was a democrat in politics and married Mehita- ble Knight, who bore him seven children : Mary, Moses, Jonathan, Cyrus, David, Eliza and Mehitable.

Almon A. Van Dusen was reared at James- town and received his education in the James- town, academy and Chamberlain institute at Randolph, Cattaraugus county, this State. Having made choice of the legal profession as his life vocation he commenced the study of law in 1863 with Alexander Sheldon, of James- town and completed his course with the firm of Alexander and Porter Sheldon, the latter of whom afterwards served as a member of Con- gress. He was admitted to the bar on Novem- ber 19, 1866. Shortly after this he was admitted and licensed to practice in the United States District court for the Northern District of New York. After admission to the bar hc opened an office at Mayville and soon obtained

During the short time Judge Van Dusen has been on the bench, he lias discharged the many important duties of his responsible position in a manner that has been acceptable to the members of the bar and the general public. He has pre- sided over the few courts which he has held with ability, impartiality and faithfulness. As a. lawyer he has met with good success in both the county and the supreme court of the State, and at the present time is a retained attorney for the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad company. He takes an active interest. in educational matters and has served for several years as president of the Sherman and Mayville Boards of Education. Socially Judge Van Dusen is affable and approachable alike to high or low, yet reserved and dignified when the

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Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Chautauqua County, New York : with a historical sketch of the county, Part 6

Author: Dilley, Butler F; Edson, Obed, 1832- Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Gresham Number of Pages: 740

Author: Dilley, Butler F; Edson, Obed, 1832-
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Gresham
Number of Pages: 740