USA > New York > Chautauqua County > Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Chautauqua County, New York : with a historical sketch of the county > Part 77
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92
Of their four sons and one daughter, but one, Homer Johnson (father) ever married. He was born October 31, 1803, (the third child) in the town of Norwich, Chenango county, where he followed farming until his death May 9, 1862. He was a republican and a trustce of the Baptist church and married Roxanna Skin- ner, by whom he had five sons and five daugh- ters, of whom six are living : John, Mary, Jonathan D., Abbie, Emily and J. M. (see sketch). One son, Charles, was a minister of the Baptist church. Mrs. Johnson is a daughter
620
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
of Daniel Skinner (maternal grandfather) who wedded for his second wife a Miss Green.
John Johnson was reared in his native town, where he was carefully trained to all kinds of farm work. Hc attended the schools of his neighborhood, which were then almost in the woods and afforded bnt a limited education. Leaving school, he worked with his father nntil he was twenty-eight years of age, when he com- menced farming for himself, which business he has followed ever since. In 1869 he came to Ripley where lie purchased liis present farm.
He married Delilah, danghter of Clark and Hannah Lewis. Mr. and Mrs. Jolinson had no children of their own bnt adopted and reared as their daughter Roxanna, who married Martin Harrington and died leaving one child, Truman, now residing with Mr. Johnson.
He owns fifty-six acres of good farming land, which he has carefully cultivated for the last twenty-two years. His farm is conveniently located to church, school and market. Mr. Johnson is a republican in politics and a mem- ber of the Baptist church.
OUIS L. JOHNSON was born in Dnn kirk, Chantauqua county, New York, February 13, 1862, and is a son of William V. and Louisa (Hazle) Johnson. His father was born in Boston, Lincolnshire, England, in 1830, educated in the common schools of his native town and learned the baker's trade. Emigrating to America in 1852, he located in Dunkirk, and at once opened a bakery, to whichi he added a grocery, and continued in the busi- ness until his death, which occurred November 5, 1857. He had built np a fine, large trade, which was left to Mrs. Johnson and his son L. L. Independent in politics, in religion he was a member of the Episcopal church. He mar- ried Louisa Hazle and had several children.
Lonis L. Johnson was brought up in Dun- kirk and educated in the public schools. Since leaving school, he has devoted his attention to
the business established by his father, being assisted by his mother. Politically he is a liberal republican, and in religion inherits his father's Episcopalian tendencies, and is a mem- ber of the same church. He is a member of the F. & A. M.
Louis L. Johnson was married in 1883 to Helena Allenbrand, a daughter of Elias Allen- brand of Dunkirk.
M ARCUS ALPHONZO PELTON was born in the city of Dunkirk, Chautauqua county, New York, November 19, 1855, and is the son of Theodore and Maria (Phillips) Pel- ton. His father is at present a resident of Lyons, Iowa ; is a machinist by occupation, a democrat in politics, and, although sixty years of age, is still actively engaged in the duties of life.
Marcus A. Pelton, thongh born at Dunkirk, New York, was brought up and educated at Rutledge, Cattaraugus connty. After leaving school he commenced farming, and operated a farm in the town of Conewango until he bonght the " Star Creamery " in the town of Gerry, in the management of which he has since been busily engaged. The output of this creamery is about thirty-five thousand pounds annually, the greater part of which is shipped to New York city. Mr. Pelton has always been an exemplary citizen, a man of honor and reliability, and has been a warm supporter of the Democratic ticket. At one time he served as postmaster.
On July 30, 1890, Mr. Pelton was united in marriage to Gertrude E. Terry, daughter of the late Freeman Terry of Gerry. They have one child, Bernice Gertrude.
S EXTUS H. HUNGERFORD was born in Smithfield, Madison county, New York, Jannary 14, 1806. When qnite young he re- moved with his parents to Vernon, Oneida county. He was the eldest of nine children, and was about twenty-one when his father died,
623
OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.
at which time the care of a small farm and a large family devolved upon him. In 1830 he was married to Maria P. Skinner, who survives him and now resides at Westfield. He contin- ued in the farming business in Vernon until 1837, when he removed to Westfield and pur- chased of Joshua R. Babcock, and continued in the mercantile business about six years in con- nection with his brother-in-law, H. J. Miner, under the firm name of Hungerford & Miner. In 1843 lie removed to Ripley on a farm, and after about two years returned to Westficld, where he resided until his death, May 15, 1867. In 1848 he established the bank of Westfield, of which he was president and John N. Hun- gerford, his brother, cashier. In 1864, he, with others, organized the First National Bank of Westfield. During the late war Mr. Hunger- ford was untiring in his efforts to sustain the government, and devoted much time gratuitously furnishing men and means. By the policy suggested by him the town of Westfield escaped the pressure of a heavy war debt. In 1865 he re- presented the assembly district in the Legislature, where he discharged with fidelity and to the gen- eral acceptance the trusts confided to him by his fellow-citizens. He was for many years a ruling elder in the Presbyterian church, and aided in sustaining the institutions of the church and of religious and benevolent institutions generally, by personal effort and liberal pecuniary contri- butions. By his will he bequeathed to the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions and the Theological Seminary abont fifteen thousand dollars, and sums of considerable amounts to other benevolent institutions. Mr. Hungerford during his life-time was a man of force and deep moral convictions, enjoying the high confi- dence and esteem of a wide range of acquaint- ances. He left no children to inherit the estates accumulated through a successful career ; but has devoted the sum total of his life's work as a heritage of philanthropy and the perpetuation of moral and religious institutions.
J
AMES WILSON was born November 24,
1806, in Scotland and is a son of William and Margaret (Reid) Wilson. His grandfather James Wilson was also a native of Scotland, of plebeian birth, where he passed his life and died. His grandfather on the maternal side was like- wise a Scotchman and a merchant by occupation. He died in his native land. William Wilson, father of James Wilson, was born in Scotland, and died in 1832.
The son, James Wilson, received what educa- tion he has in the schools of his native country and in 1827 he bid adieu to his Scottish home and sailed for America. He first took up his residence in the town of Hanover, New York, near Silver Creek, an uncle, John Reid, who died March 16, 1837, and himself settling upon the farm where he still lives. Here they built a cabin in the midst of dense woods and began to clear the tract of land upon which they had settled. The present condition of his farm is in a great measure due to his own efforts and untiring energy.
James Wilson was thrice married; first, to Philena Davison, by whom he had twelve chil- dren. His second wife was Harriet Flint, upon whose death, he again married, Mrs. Matilda (Torrey) Johnson. His surviving children are Margaret, wife of S. L. Mead, a resident of near Forestville, Chautauqua county, New York; Henry, a farmer by occupation, living with his father ; and Mary C., wife of Robert O. Bradley, a farmer living near Silver Creek.
James Wilson has always followed the voca- tion of farming, and, as such, has been very successful, gathering about him considerable real and personal property. He is a thorough- going republican in his political allegiance and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was formerly a member of the I. O. O. F. in good standing, but has allowed lis member- ship to lapse. Mr. Wilson enjoys the respect and good will of his neighbors.
624
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
M ATTHEW WALLACE is an agriculturist of Ripley town where he has lived for thirty-two years. He was born in County Down, Ireland, in June 1838, and he is a son of Samuel and Nancy McKee (McMeekan) Wallace. His grandfather, John Wallace, was a native of Ireland, followed farming and died a member of the Episcopal church. He mar- ried Nancy Melvin and had seven children. The maternal grandfather, Benjamin McMeckan, too, resided in Ireland. His wife was Nancy Blair and they had a family of eight children. Samuel Wallace was born in County Down, was a farmer and was twice married. First to Nancy McMeekan, who bore him nine children, three of whom, Matthew and two sisters, came to America. After his first wife died he united in marriage with Margaret Sigh, who bore him four children, three of whom crossed the great water, and one, David, is yet living at Sewickley, Allegheny county, Pa. The two sisters mentioned above who came to America are married.
Matthew Wallace spent his youth in his native land and came here when twenty-one years of age. Locating in Westfield he worked as an ordinary farm laborer for seventeen years and then bought the farm of one hundred and twenty-seven and one-half acres, where lie now lives. On it are nine acres of grape- vines. He was drafted to serve in the Union army but bought a substitute.
Matthew Wallace married Sarah Strain, a daughter of James Strain. They have one child : James S., who married Emily J. Coch- rane, a daughter of Alexander Cochrane and they have three children : Matthew, Alexander and Hurlburt.
Politically he is a republican, a member of the Presbyterian church and belongs to the Knights of Honor.
J
JOSEPH H. ANDREWS, a well-to-do and
comfortably-situated farmer of the town of Hanover, and a Union soldier in the late civil war, is a son of Sylvester and Rachel (Harris) Andrews, and was born in the town of Portland, Chautauqua county, New York, October 27, 1827. His paternal grandfather, Benjamin Andrews, was a native of Massachusetts, and in 1813 came to the town of Portland, but sub- sequently removed to Erie county, where he followed farming until his death. He was a member of the Baptist church, served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war, married and reared a family of threc sons and two daugh- ters. One of these sons was Sylvester An- drews (father), and was born in Massachusetts near the Connecticut State line about 1790. In April, 1828, he came to the town of Han- over, near the village of Silver Creek, where he purchased a farm of one hundred and six acres of land, which he tilled until his death, in 1865. He was successively a whig, repub- lican and democrat in politics, and had been a member of the Free-Will Baptist church for many years previous to his death. He married Rachel Harris, who was a daughter of Harry Harris, of Massachusetts, who re- moved to Erie county, where he died. Mrs. Andrews, who died in 1883, aged fifty-nine years, was the mother of nine children, six sons and three daughters.
Joseph H. Andrews attended the early com- mon schools of the town of Hanover, and has always followed farming and stock-raising on the old homestead farm.
Mr. Andrews married Jane, daughter of Thomas and Rachel De Laney. To their union have been born two children, a son and a daugh- ter : Louella, wife of Walter Lanphere, assistant postmaster of the progressive and manufactur- ing village of Silver Creek ; and John, who is now dead.
Joseph H. Andrews is a democrat, politically, but is no aspirant for offices. He is a charter
625
OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.
member of Lodge No. 10, Ancient Order of United Workmen, at Silver Creek, organized in 1875. He enlisted in June, 1863, and served as a corporal in Co. F, 68th Regiment, N. Y. Infantry Volunteers. They were or- dered into Pennsylvania to aid in driving General Lee from northern territory, and arrived within five miles of Gettysburg, where they were held as a part of a reserve force while that great battle was fought. He gives the necessary attention to his farm to keep it well improved ยท and in a good state of cultivation. This farm, which lies one-half mile from the manufacturing centre of Silver Creek, is well adapted to farm- ing and grazing, and has been very productive under the careful and judicious management of Mr. Andrews.
D ERMOUTH R. BAKER was born in the
town of Charlotte, Chautauqua county, New York, on December 12, 1846, and is the son of Henry and Ella E. (Rindus) Baker, the former being born June 27, 1833, in the town of Charlotte, the latter in 1834, in the town of Gerry. Henry Baker has been a farmer, but recently has retired to the village of Ellington Centre. The Bakers were originally native to Vermont, where the grandfather of subject was born, reared and died.
Dermouth R. Baker spent his youth and early life in the town of Charlotte, and there took his first steps in education, soon leaving school to engage in the more active work of the farm. This he has continuously pursued until two years ago, when he relinquished his claim on the old homestead, and purchased in the town of Gerry what is known as the Thompson farm, containing about one hundred and fifty acres. He now occupies his time in managing his farm, raising sheep of the South-Down variety, and in the manufacture of cheese and maple sugar. In politics Mr. Baker has been a life-long re- publican, and is a member of the Empire State Legion of Honor.
Dermouth R. Baker united in marriage with Mary A. Brown, daughter of J. C. Brown of Ellington. To them have been born two daughters : Lita May, wife of Ransom Liver- more of the town of Ellington ; and Ella Ame- lia, wife of Dorritt C. Davis, also of Ellington.
C APT. COMFORT BIRDSEY, of English descent, and a well-respected citizen of the town of Hanover, was born in the town of Paris, Oneida county, New York, November 23, 1813, and is a son of John J. and Clarissa Ward (Crampton) Birdsey. The first members of the Birdsey family who settled in the new world were two brothers, John and Joseph Birdsey, who came from England to Stratford, Connec- ticut, in 1639. John, the great-grandfather of Comfort Birdsey, in 1710, removed to Middle- town (now Middlefield), Connecticut, where he purchased eight hundred acres of land. His son, Seth Birdsey (grandfather), was born in 1736, and while engaged at work in the woods was killed by a falling tree. He was married and left a widow and family of seven children, five sons and two daughters. One of the sons, John J. (father), was born in Middletown, Conn., in 1774, and in 1811 removed to the town of Paris, Oneida county, N. Y., where he died April 8, 1826. He was an industrious farmer, and married Clarissa W. Crampton, by whom he had two sons and three daughters (see sketch of Phineas Birdsey). Mrs. Birdsey, who passed away in 1857, aged 76 years, was a daugh- ter of Josiah Crampton, an old Revolutionary soldier, who removed from his native State of Connecticut to Genesee county, N. Y., where lie died when well advanced in years.
Comfort Birdsey was reared in Oneida coun- ty, where he attended the short winter schools of that day. He has always followed farming and, in 1828, came to the town of Hanover, in which he purchased his present desirable farm of one hundred and seventy-five acres of land. During the earlier years of his life he
626
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
was quite active in the military affairs of the county. He served in 1839 as second lieuten- ant, was promoted to first lieutenant the follow- ing year, and in 1841 was commissioned as cap- tain of a light infantry company in the 9th Regiment of the New York militia. On Novem- ber 24, 1842, he married Margaret, daughter of Thomas Waxham, a native of England, who came to the town of Hanover, in which he fol- lowed farming. They are the parents of four chil- dren, one son and three daughters : Abbie G., widow of Samuel Rollins, has five children- Archie B., Hortense, Eugene, Dana and Louis A. ; Francilla B., who married Reverdy C. Clothier, an extensive farmer of Hanover, and has two children, Hamilton B. and Fred- erick B. ; Mary, wife of Sheldon H. Burgess, of Silver Creek, and has one child, Cora M .; and Eugene G., married Cornelia Baker, and is a farmer by occupation.
Comfort Birdsey is a republican in politics, has served as commissioner of highways and has assisted in building quite a number of bridges in his community. Capt. Birdsey is well pre- served for his years, has always taken an interest in the material and mental development of his community and is one of the substantial and successful farmers of the county.
p HINEAS BIRDSEY, of the town of Han- over, who has been successfully engaged in carpentering and cabinet-making for over fifty years, is a son of John J. and Clarissa Ward (Crampton) Birdsey, and was born in the town of Paris, Oneida county, New York, Feb- ruary 29, 1812. The Birdsey family in the United States was founded by two brothers, Joseph and John Birdsey, who came in 1639 from England to Stratford, Connecticut. In 1710 John (great-grandfather) settled in what is now Middlefield, that State, where his son Seth (grandfather) was born in 1736 and after- wards killed by a falling tree. One of his seven children was John J. Birdsey (father), who was
born in 1774, and in 1811 removed to Oneida county, where he died in the town of Paris on April 8, 1826. He married Clarissa W. Crampton, a daughter of Josiah Crampton, an old Revolutionary soldier, who died in Genesee county. They had five children : Phineas, Capt. Comfort (see his sketch for full ancestral history) ; Eunice (deceased), who married Mr. Southridge, and after his death William Yates, who is now dead ; Clarissa, widow of Samuel Russell, a republican politician and once port- warden of New York city ; and Abbie, widow of Wells G. Russell, now a resident of Hamil- ton, Madison county.
Phineas Birdsey was reared in his native town, where he received his education in the common schools of that early day and learned the trades of carpenter and joiner and cabinet- maker, which he has followed ever since. He came to the town of Hanover, and is an in- dustrious and useful citizen. He is a dem- ocrat in politics, always supports his party, but is no politician or office seeker.
He married Jeannette, daughter of Benjamin Horton, and they have two children : John J., a resident of the town of Hanover, who married Hattie Dagett and is extensively engaged in buying and selling lumber ; and Elmer J., who was in the lumber business for ten years, mar- ried Mary Cockburn and is now engaged in farming and raising small fruits.
H ENRY BURNMASTER, now resident of Irving and an industrious and respected citizen of the county, was born in Germany, December 21, 1823, and is a son of Cort and Isabella (Bronte) Burnmaster. His paternal grandparents were natives and life-long residents of Germany. His father, Cort Burnmaster, was reared and educated in his native land, where he followed farming until his death. He married Isabella Bronte, by whom he had eight children, of whom some did not live to reach maturity.
627
OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.
Henry Burnmaster received his education in the common schools of Schenectady, New York, to which city he had been brought from Ger- many at an early age. He also learned there the trade of broom-maker, which he followed successfully for many years and at times manu- factured very large quantities to meet the de- mand made for his brooms, which always sold well in the markets as a reliable and first-class article. In 1856 he came to Irving, where he has resided ever since. He married Ann Waite, a native of Schenectady, New York, and a daughter of Oliver Waite, a carpen- ter, who came from Massachusetts to Schenec- tady, where he married Anna Reese, by whom he had six children. To Mr. and Mrs. Burn- master have been born nine children : Helen L., wife of Lyman Newton, of Irving; Charles, a farmer, who married Lydia Taylor ; Josephine, wife of Renben McPherson, of Marion, Ohio, where he is in the employ of a railroad com- pany; Anna, married to W. H. Parsons, a druggist of Forestville; Mary, wife of George Parks, a merchant of Irving; Kate, married to George Sackett, a farmer; Allen, married to Agnes Gleason and in the employ of a railroad company ; Henry, married to Mary Baird and likewise in the employ of a railroad company ; and Cora, wife of William Bolden, a grocer of Evans Centre.
Henry Burnmaster was formerly a whig and is now a republican in politics. He at one time gave some attention to farming in the town of Hanover, where he then owned one hundred and twenty-one acres of land. He is a member of the Irving Baptist church and of the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows.
C ALVIN W. BARNES, one of the leading and most snccessful business men of the prosperous village of Ripley, is a son of Calvin W., Sr., and Anna (Frazee) Barnes, and was born in Oneida county, New York, June 23, 1823. The Barnes family is of English de-
scent and grandfather James Barnes was born at Austin, and died in Oneida county, N. Y., where he had been a farmer for several years. He was an old-line whig, married Anna Marcy and reared a family of fourteen children. The Frazee family is of English extraction and Eliphalet Frazee (maternal grandfather) was a native of Blenheim, Albany county, but be- came one of the early settlers of the town of Verona, Oneida county. He was a farmer, a whig and a baptist, and married a Miss Soule, of Blenheim, by whom he had twelve children. Calvin W. Barnes, Sr., was born in the town of Floyd, Oneida county, about 1795, served in the war of 1812, and was engaged principally in farming until his death. In early life he was a contractor and builder, a life-long whig and a member and deacon of the Baptist church. He married Anna Frazee and they were the parents of eleven children ; eight grew to man- hood and womanhood.
After receiving a good common school edu- cation, Calvin W. Barnes left the farm to become a manager for a lumbering company whichi had large lumber interests at the village of Oneida. He remained seven years and then resigned his position and established a foundry at Durham, N. Y., which he operated for six years. In 1865, he removed to the oil regions of Pennsylvania and has owned and operated oil territory ever since. After one year's resi -. dence in Pennsylvania, he returned to New York and settled at Ripley, this county, where he established his present cider-mill and vinegar manufactory. In addition to the management of his factory and oil interests he owns a vinc- yard of thirty acres near the village and also deals in real estate, at the present time owning thirty-two village lots.
He married Alzuria Toby, who was a daugh- ter of Franklin Toby, of Oneida county, and died in 1864, leaving onc child that died in infancy. Mr. Barnes then united in marriage with Jane Y. Siggins, of Forest county, Penn-
628
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
sylvania. By his second marriage he has had three children : Alice, the wife of C. B. Clark, now engaged in the lumber business at Hen- dricks, West Virginia, has one child, Donna Virginia ; Albert, who died in infancy ; and Bertha, at home.
Calvin W. Barnes is a republican in politics but no aspirant for office, although he has been frequently solicited to become a candidate. He is a member of the Ripley Baptist church, of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Equitable Aid Union.
C ARLISLE DURAND, a prosperous farmer of the town of Ripley and a descendant from one of the early families of the county, is a son of Fisk and Nancy (Forsythe) Durand, and was born near the village of Westfield, in the town of the same name, Chautauqua county, New York, February 4, 1834. The Durand and Forsythe families are both of New England stock. Fisk Durand, Sr., (paternal grandfather) was of French descent and during his early life was engaged in the coast trade on the North Atlantic, between New England ports and Halifax, Nova Scotia. He served in the war of 1812, and three years later came to the town of Westfield. He reared a family of ten children, one of whom, Fisk Durand, was born in 1797, in Connecticut, and in November, 1855, died in the town of Westfield, this county, whither he had come in 1815. Fisk Durand was a carpenter by trade and built a great many houses during his forty years resi- dence in this county, but the latter years of his life were devoted chiefly to farming. He was a republican and a well-thought-of-member of the Presbyterian church. Having married Nancy Forsythe, he reared four children, of whom three are yet living : Carlisle ; Nellie, who married I. S. Terry, of Westfield; and Addie, the wife of H. C. Evans, now living at Chattanooga, Tennessee. Mrs. Nancy Durand is a daughter of Charles H. Forsythe, who, in
1805, came from New England to the town of Ripley, purchased a tract of five hundred acres, upon which, in 1834, he built the brick house where the subject of this sketch now resides. He was a prominent whig and repub- lican.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.