USA > New York > Chautauqua County > Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Chautauqua County, New York : with a historical sketch of the county > Part 61
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BIOGRAPHY AND IIISTORY
E DWARD J. CRISSEY comes from a fam- ily which has been prominent in the af- fairs of Chautauqua county for nearly three- quarters of a century. He was born near De- lanti, in Stockton, Chautauqua county, New York, September 23, 1851, and is a son of Jason and Roxana (Winsor) Crissey. (For paternal ancestry see sketch of Samuel Shepard Crissey.) Rev. Washington Winsor (maternal grandfather) was born in Rhode Island in 1784, studied for the Baptist ministry, preached in Otsego county a few years and came to Stockton, settling near Delanti in 1827, preach- ing here, at Carroll, and afterward at Cassadaga, where he died in 1840, aged fifty-six years. His children were: Chauncey, who married Lucy Crissey, aunt of E. J., and is a druggist at Delanti ; Ora, who resides in Wisconsin ; Roxana (mother), and James M., a fisherman, who lives in Newport, Rhode Island. Jason Crissey (father) was born in Fairfax, Vermont, January 5, 1805, and came with his father to Stockton in 1814, where, when quite a young man, he bought a farm of his paternal parent, and followed the tilling of the soil the remain- der of his life. In religion he was a Baptist, . being a deacon of that church for several years. He married Roxana Winsor in 1836, and had eight children, six sons and two daughters : Stanton, who died at the age of eighteen years; Mary A., married to L. C. Warren, a farmer and lawyer at Stockton ; Sardis L., a lawyer, settler of estates, and also a physician, in Wash- ington, District of Columbia, who married May Morse ; Francis and Cynthia died while young ; Jirah D., a farmer for several years, and now a druggist and undertaker at Delanti (Stockton), who married Diana Salisbury ; Leroy, died in infancy ; and E. J. Jason Cris- sey died in Stockton, April 1, 1875, aged sev- enty years. His wife is still living in her sev- enty-ninth year, having been born April 12, 1812.
Edward J. Crissey attended the winter terms
of the common schools of Stockton, this coun- ty, until he was eighteen years old, when he became a student in the State Normal school at Fredonia, where he remained two years. In 1871 he entered the Fredonia Censor office, a newspaper which had just closed a half century of life and started on the other half, to learn the printing business. Later on he went over to another fifty years old newspaper office, the Advertiser. He remained here until 1875, and then went on the railroad as postal clerk in the United States mail service, his run the first year being from Buffalo, New York, to Toledo, Ohio, and from Niagara to Rochester, this State, and the next year from Dunkirk to New York City. In the fall of 1878 he entered the Fredonia gas company's office, and hassince rc- mained there, being now secretary, treasurer and general manager. In religion he is an influen- tial member of the Baptist church at Fredonia, of which he has been deacon for three years. Edward J. Crissey was married January 2, 1879, to Lucy Colburn, a daughter of Alvah and Annie R. (Norton) Colburn, the father being a miller at Fredonia. By this union there have been two children, daughters : Edith M., who was born April, 1880, and died in Febru- ary, 1888; and Eleanor, who was born April 1, 1883.
F RED W. CASE is a young man of excel- lent business tact and ability, and stands second to none in the estimation and respect of the community as a man of honor. He was born in Cattaraugus county, New York, July 6, 1857, and is a son of J. W. and Emily (Hubbard) Case. His grandfather, William Case, was born near Providence, Rhode Island, in 1793, and was a farmer, owning a large tract of land at one time. He served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and was granted a pension for his services. About 1840 he came to Cattarau- gus county, this State, and bought a farm near Randolph, which he improved. In religion he
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was a member of the Baptist church in Little Valley, in the above-named county. Politically he was a whig, and then a republican. William Case was married in 1814 to Sophia Arnold, a most estimable lady, by whom he had eleven children, eight sons and three daughters : Isaac, Job, Henry, Charles, J. Worden (father), John, Sidney and Martin, Martha, who married a Mr. Milks ; Rhoda, and Nancy, who married Mr. Chesbrough. William died in 1880, after living with his wife, who still survives, for sixty-five years. The maternal grandfather of F. W. Case was Manley Hubbard, a farmer and owner of fifty acres of highly cultivated land near Leon, Cattaraugus county, this State. In reli- gious matters he was an active member of the Baptist church at Leon, and did all in his power through life to aid the church. Politically he was a republican. Manley Hubbard married Jemima Milks, a lady loved by all, and she bore him six children, two sons and four daughters: Emily (mother); Mary (step-mother); Snsan, who | married Mr. Hunton ; Almina, married to Mr. Earl ; Marvin and William. Manley Hubbard died in 1882, and is buried at Leon. This was a happy couple, beloved by all who knew them. J. Worden Casc was born July 23, 1823, and was a farmer all his life. Left without a dollar's worth of property, he was dependent entirely on his own exertions and energy. He succeeded in buying two hundred acres of land in Napoli, Cattaraugus county, then by hard work he accu- mulated sufficient means to purchase four hun- dred acres more, about half a mile distant from his first-bought farm. In 1865 he sold one hundred acres from this four hundred acre farm, and in 1868 two hundred acres more, leaving him still three hundred acres in all. He was one of the largest land-holders in that section, and one of the most influential citizens. In 1870 he came to Fredonia for the purpose of educating his children, and bought a house and seven acres of land, but died August 9th of that year. In religion he was a Baptist, and a meni-
ber of the church of that denomination in Fre- donia. Politically, he was an active worker in the Republican party. J. Worden Case married Emily Hubbard, and by her had three children, two sons and one daughter : the eldest, Frank, died in infancy ; Eva married George W. Wright, of the Dunkirk Seed company ; and F. W. Mrs. Case died August 5, 1857, after which F. Worden Case married Mary Hubbard, a sister of his first wife. After his death she married, in 1872, Albert H. Wheelock, a farmer near Fredonia. Mrs. Wheelock died June, 1885.
F. W. Case was educated at the public schools in Cattaraugus county, and when his father removed to Fredonia he entered the Normal school here, which he attended five terms, but did not graduate. He worked on a farm until he came to Fredonia, and after leaving the Nor- mal school he went to Dunkirk and sold gro- ceries for Henry Negus for a year, then returned to Fredonia, December 14, 1874, and sold hard- ware for D. L. Shepard for seven years. March 1, 1882, he associated with himself J. M. Zahn, and engaged in the hardware business, in which they continued eleven months, when they bought out Mr. Shepard's stock, and have since carried on the business under the firm name of Case & Zahn. They have the largest hardware store in town, carrying fifteen thousand dollars worth of stock, and their yearly transactions amount to forty thousand dollars, besides which they have a large patronage in tin-roofing, water-conductors, etc. In religion Mr. Case is a member of the Presbyterian church in Fredonia, and an active worker. Politically he is an active republican, having been elected town clerk several years, and is still holding that officc.
F. W. Case was married May 10, 1876, to Lucy F. Pettit, a daughter of M. S. Pettit, an engraver at Fredonia, and by her had one son, Jesse M., born February 6, 1877. She died May 31, 1877, and September 1, 1880, Mr. Case married Ida Smith, a daughter of P. L. Smith,
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
a carpenter of Fredonia, and has had one daughter, Eva Louinc, born June 25, 1883. Both the son and daughter are bright and attractive children.
M ASON CUSHMAN, a gentleman identi- fied with the agricultural and live stock interests of Silver Creek and vicinity, is a son of Joshua and Keziah (Daily) Cushman, and was born in the town of Sherbourne, Chenango county, New York, March 12th, 1807. The Cushman family in America, it is said, are de- scended from an Englishman born in that country between 1580 and 1585 and was one of the much persecuted Puritans who forsook the land of their nativity that they might enjoy religious freedom. It is not stated when he came to America, but, presumably, shortly after 1632. Benjamin Cushman was the paternal grandfather and his son Joshua Cushman was born at Charlestown, New Hampshire, in 1766, married Keziah Daily and came to Villanova, this county, where he located in 1842. He bought a farm but, having reached advanced age, never actively employed himself there. Politically a republican and a member of the Presbyterian church, he reared a family of twelve children, whom he trained to those pre- cepts.
Mason Cushman has always followed farm- ing, buying and selling live stock and kindred work. He owns a fertile farm of one hundred and eighty acres, which is thoroughly tilled. Politically he is a republican and has served on the board of highway commissioners; belongs to the Methodist church at Silver Creek and has been its steward.
Mason Cushman married Melissa Beech, a daughter of Ethan H. Beech, a native of Madi- son county, New York, on December 28, 1846, and they had four children : Mason E., born October 28th, 1848, married Adelaide Mc- Daniels, is a farmer in the town of Hanover, and has a son George ; Joshua E., born April
12th, 1851, married Millie Young, and now lives with his father and conducts the farm- he has two children, Vera and Livia; Maro, born September 28th, 1856, and died when four and one-half years old; and M. Livia, born November 26th, 1860, now the wife of W .. B. Horton, a farmer living at Hanover Centre. Mrs. Melissa Beech Cushman was born in Madison county, New York, May 24th, 1818. After spending a happy and useful married life of forty-five years, she dicd April 28th, 1891, and is laid to rest in the Hanover Centre cemetery.
W ILLIAM H. COLE is a contractor and builder in the city of Jamestown, and was born at Fairfield, Herkimer county, New York, January 22, 1848. His parents are Elisha and Lucy A. (Bailey) Cole, both of whom are descendants of western Now York's early settlers. His grandfather, Elisha Cole, Sr., was a native of Herkimer county, this State, but early in life emigrated to Chautauqua county and bought a farm near the town of Mina. He married and became the father of three children, two sons and one daughter : Spencer H. went to Herkimer county, Canada, and located ; Temperance married Joe Moyer and also settled in Canada, but after- wards removed back to the United States, locat- ing in Michigan ; and Elisha, Jr. (father). He was a democrat and continued to manage his farm until his death. Eaton Bailey (maternal grandfather) was a native of this county, being one of its earliest settlers, removed to Chautau- qua county and located near Mina, but after a season's residence there removed to Jamestown and practiced his art, that of a cooper, until his death, which occurred in 18 -. His wife was Sallie Bucklyn and they had a family of eight children, equally divided as to sons and daugh- ters. Mr. Bailey was a member of the Univer -. salist church and in politics a republican. Elisha Cole, Jr., was born in 1825 within the
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OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.
borders of Herkimer county, this State, near Fairfield, and came to Chantauqua county in 1856, remaining here ever since and now living in Jamestown, where he busies himself attending to his farm and gardening. He married Sallie Bailey and reared a family of three sons and four daughters : James B., a painter and paper- hanger, resides in Jamestown ; Frank K., also a painter, residing at Jamestown ; and William H .; the daughters are all married.
William H. Cole received his early education in the common schools of Chautauqua county and on attaining his majority began life as a common laborer. He came from Herkimer county early in life to Jamestown, continued laboring until 1879, when, embarking in busi- ness, he began as a contractor and builder, which he has since pursued and has attained prominence and the reputation of a reliable and trustworthy man.
His wife was Alice E. Graves, a daughter of Watres Graves, and was born in northeastern Pennsylvania. Three children have blessed this union, two sons and one daughter : Jay W., Roy H. and Lucy M.
.
HINEAS CROSSMAN who has assisted largely in the material development of his adopted city, was born to Alpheus and Catherine (Swaby) Crossman, in Ulster county, New York, April 18, 1829. His great-grand- father, Thomas Crossman, came from English parents but was born and lived in eastern New York where he died. He served the colonics as a private during the whole of the Revolu- tionary war, a term of seven years. He was a farmer by occupation and a member of the Methodist church. His grandfather Crossman, was born in the eastern part of the Empire State and was a farmer. He married and reared a family of nine children. The Swabys also came from the same locality where they lived and died. Alpheus Crossman was born in Ulster county, this State, in 1809, but in 1832
removed to Crawford county, Pa., and after- wards to Venango county, same State, where he followed farming until 1865, when he came to Jamestown and retired from active life. A farmer for thirty-five years feels the need of rest. In politics Mr. Crossman was a republi- can but now affiliates with the prohibitionists and is a member of the Methodist church. He married Catherine Swaby and became the father of five children, four sons and one daughter, three of whom are now living. After the death of his first wife he married Mrs. Mary Stoombs.
Phineas Crossman secured the usual educa- tion acquired by the boys of his time at the public school, and was then apprenticed to a blacksmith who taught the young man the " King of Trades." This was in 1848 and he worked at blacksmithing in Jamestown until 1860 when he went to the Pennsylvania oil fields where he remained five years and then re- turned to Jamestown and engaged in the real estate business, buying acreage, cutting it into lots, building houses upon them and offering them for sale. Mr. Crossman has erected and sold one hundred and four houses in this man- ner and has opened up about three miles of streets in Jamestown.
Phineas Crossman, married Caroline Price, a
daughter of Charles Price, who came from one of the old families of James- town (see sketch of A. A. Price). They have one daughter : Etta C., wife of James N. Weller, who is now connected with his father- in-law in the real estate business-they have one child, Roy C. When President Lincoln called for soldiers, Mr. Weller responded with three years of service and was attached to the Excelsior Brigade.
In political matters, he is a republican and from 1872 to 1875, served as deputy revenue collector and in addition to this has been trustec, sixteen years assessor of Jamestown and seven years strect commissioner. He has been an
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
active man and has secured the reward of toil.
C HARLES F. CHAPMAN, a lawyer of
Sinclairville, who practices in the various courts of the State of New York, was born in the town of Woodstock, Windham county, Con- necticut, February 10, 1853, and is a son of Charles W. and Cornelia M. (Chapman) Chap- man. His grandfathers, Thomas Chapman and Stephen Chapman, although both of Scotch descent and natives of New England, yet were not related to each other. Charles W. Chap- man, the father of Charles F. Chapman, was born in Connecticut, where he learned the trade of shoemaker, which he followed for some years and then became a farmer and stock-dealer. In 1855 he came to New York and settled in the town of Stockton, of which he was supervisor for three years, and in which he died March 7, 1888, aged sixty-two years. He married Cor- nelia M., daughter of Stephen Chapman, of Connecticut.
Charles F. Chapman spent his boyhood days on the farm, and received a good education in the schools of Chautauqua county. Leaving school in 1872 he commenced to read law with Judge Obed Edson, and at the end of three years continuous reading he entered the Albany Law school, from which he was graduated in 1876. During that ycar he was admitted to practice in the various courts of the State of New York, and opened an office at Sinclair- ville, where he has successfully practiced ever since. He owns a farm of two hundred and thirty-five acres of land in the town of Stock- ton, which he manages in addition to the prac- tice of his profession.
In 1881 he united in marriage with Fannie Marvin, of Chautauqua county, and their union has been blessed with four children, two sons and two daughters : George L., Lena M., Anna M., and Charles T.
He is a republican in politics, and has served
three years as supervisor of the town of Stock- ton. Mr. Chapman studies his cases well, and is a very earnest and eloquent speaker before a jury.
S AMUEL S. CARLSON. It has often been remarked by close observers and men of wide-horizoned experience among all nationali- ties, that among the countries of the world which contribute to the population and wealth of this great republic, Sweden, the home of snow and ice, from her far-away corner in northwestern Europe, sends her best represen- tatives and never her poorest to America, an example other countries would do well to em- ulate. Samuel S. Carlson is a son of Sweden, and was born in the centre of that kingdom Feb. 12, 1847, being a son of Samuel Lawrence and Christina (Johnson) Carlson. His grand- parents and parents were natives and life-long residents of Sweden. Samuel L. Carlson married Christina Johnson, and their union was blessed with four children, three sons and one daugh- ter: John F., the eldest son, married Louise Hedstrom, and now resides in Jamestown, where he is engaged in business with his brother, Samuel S .; Andrew Speater, the second son, resides in his native country, having never left the sight of her lakes and mountains ; Anna Christina, who has also chosen to remain amid the scenes of her childhood ; and Samuel S.
Samuel S. Carlson received his education in the excellent Swedish schools, where he was reared, and where he resided until 1868, when he sailed for America. Selecting Jamestown as his future home, he went to work as a day la- borer, and then engaged in the furniture busi- ness for a short time, which he left to serve as ยท section foreman on a railroad. In 1879 he en- gaged in the manufacture of furniture on Vil- liard street, where he has continued to the pres- ent time. He owns some very valuable real estate in the city, besides his handsome resi- dence. Politically he affiliates with the Demo-
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OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.
cratic party, and believes in doing his whole duty as an adopted citizen of the country, where floats the stars and stripes, signifying freedom and equality to all men, who choose to be true to what is best in their nature.
Mr. Carlson married Edith Sanburg, who lived near the home of his boyhood.
children, equally divided as to sex; of the sons, the oldest, James, is an experienced and trustworthy engineer, living at Denver, Col. He was with the Union army three months, entering the service from Iowa, where he joined the 1st Iowa Infantry ; Thomas is a resident of Salt Lake city, Utah ; Matthias is traveling in Europe, where he has spent a number of years.
JOHN B. COLLINS is one of Jamestown's representative business men whose pride John B. Collins received his early edncation at the public schools, and while yet a young man secured employment as a railroad fireman, which he followed for some time, and has the distinction of firing the first locomotive that crossed the Mississippi river, which occurred at Dubuque, in 1861. Remaining there until 1862, Mr. Collins went south, and fired on a southern railroad, and then ran a locomotive until, discovering his adaptability for the work, he entered the secret service of the United States army, and served in this capacity until the close of the war, the scenes of his operations being chiefly in Georgia, nnder General Sher- man. He was present at the battles of Kenne- saw Mountain and Franklin, Tenn., and during his service was thrice captured, the first time being in the interior of Alabama, where he escaped after forty-eight hours detention; again, by General Morgan, and the third time by John Morgan, at Tilton, Ga., and both the lat- ter were very narrow escapes. Mr. Collins' services to the army were very valuable, and the courage displayed was much greater than required of a common soldier, for capture and detection meant "death at sunrise." At the close of the war he went to Colorado and en- gaged in mining until 1877, when, returning east, he decided to again enter mercantile life, which was done in New York city. Remain- ing here one year this business was disposed of and he moved to Buffalo, this State, where he was employed on salary until 1880, when he again established himself, this time permanent- is in her prosperity, and whose efforts are con- centrated towards her advancement. He was born at Dovre, East Canada, October 28, 1848, being a son of Capt. Thomas and Elizabeth (Marcy) Collins, who were respectively of Irish and Welsh extraction. This combination, to- gether with a long residence under the stars and stripes, serves to make a number one American. His grandfather Collins came of a family familiar to readers of Irish history. His maternal grandfather was a Welshman well known in the locality where he lived and died. Captain Thomas Collins (father) was born in Ireland, and when but nine years old, being of an adventurous disposition, went to sea, which dangerous calling he followed until he arrived at manhood, when he married Elizabeth Marcy and came to America. The date of his arrival is not established, but prob- ably some time in the early forties. He, for some time, was a captain of a vessel plying the waters of Lake Erie, and afterwards navigated the Mississippi river in like capacity. During the war of the Rebellion .he served as a lieu- tenant, and was afterwards promoted to captain in the Union army. He afterwards settled at Detroit, Michigan, where he lived for a nun- ber of years, and died in Dubuque, Iowa. Independent in politics, Capt. Collins had the courage of his convietions to vote as he chose. His wife, Elizabeth Collins, is still living, making her home with a son in Denver, Col., and although seventy-two years of age, is still hale and hearty. She was the mother of eight | ly, for his present fine store is a branch house
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
established while in Buffalo, and discovering that this city was all that could be desired for a business house, in 1883 he made this his headquarters, and built the magnificent estab- lishment known as "The Fair," which requires two storc-rooms, 20 by 80 fcet, to accommodate his patrons, and employing at times as many as twenty assistants. He also conducts in connec- tion with this a fine store at Corning. Mr. Collins was one of the leading spirits in the organization of the Jamestown Driving Park association, and has been the secretary since its organization, in 1886. Politically he is a dem- ocrat, but in local elections he eliminates parti- sanship from his convictions. In addition to his connections with the Driving Park associa- tion, he is a member of the board of trade, and is always foremost in every enterprise advanced to promote the city's prosperity.
On January 7, 1885, Mr. Collins married Mary T. Powers, a daughter of John Powers, of Corning, and has four children : Mary E., Frank T., Harry J., and Louis W., in whom he takes much pride and comfort. He is a prom- inent member of the I. O. O. F., and at the organization of the Royal Arcanum connected himself with it.
TOSEPH DAVIS, a son of Simeon and Lydia (Toby) Davis, was born in the autumn of 1820, at the town of Carroll, Chau- tauqua county, New York, and died in James- town, in 1887. The grandparents of Mr. Da- vis were of English extraction. Paul Davis (grandfather) was for many years a venerable minister of the Baptist church. Simeon Davis, the father of the subject of this sketch, removed to this county, settling in the town of Carroll and following the occupation of a farmer.
Joseph Davis was reared on his father's farm and assisted in the working of it until he reached manhood, having attended the schools of his neighborhood. He bought a farm in Kiantone town, which he resided npon and cul-
tivated until 1867, when he removed to James- town where he lived until his death in 1887. Politically a republican, he was elected in 1854, as one of the first constables of Kiantone town, and in the following year was the superinten- dent of schools.
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