USA > New York > Niagara County > Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Niagara County, New York > Part 32
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Niagara county medical society, of which association he served one term as presi- dent. He is a democrat, and has taken con- siderable interest in political affairs since coming to Lockport. He has served as coroner of Niagara county for six years, and as health officer of Lockport for five years. He is a member of the Blue Lodge, Ames Chapter, and Genesee Commandery, in Ma- sonry, and Ishmalia Temple, Mystic Shrine, He is also a member of Cataract lodge, I. O. O. F., and the Lockport lodge of Elks, and takes a deep interest in all of their social and charitable societies. He is a mem- ber of the Episcopal church, of which he and his wife are regular attendants. Dr. Cos- ford is an eminent physician in his specialty, very prominent as a man and citizen, has many warm friends in Lockport, and occu- pies a high position among the medical fra- ternity. He is regarded as a man of culture and refinement.
On October 26, 1882, Dr. Cosford married Mary S. Steele, a daughter of John W. Steele, of Lockport.
SAMUEL H. PETIT is a type of the educated American farmer, who, while he cultivates the soil, at the same time takes an intelligent interest in the institutions and development of his country. He is a son of Alexander and Mariah B. Petit, and was born February 28, 1844, in the town of Wil- son, one and one-half miles east of the vil- lage. His grandfather, Samuel Petit, was born July 17, 1774, in Montgomery (now Fulton ) county, and died at Broadalbin, in that county, December 11, 1822. He was a farmer by occupation, and in polities a dem- ocrat. He was married twice-first to Jemima Curtis, by whom he had a family
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of two sons and two daughters; and, sec- ond, to Elizabeth Oliver, to whom were born six sons and one daughter. Alexander Petit, father of Samuel H., was born in the town of Broadalbin, Montgomery county, in 1810, and removed to the town of Wilson, this county, in 1830. He was a farmer, and purchased from the Holland Land Company a farm containing one hundred and thirty- nine acres, and located one and one-half miles northeast of Wilson. He was formerly a democrat, but when the Republican party was organized he cast his lot with it, and became an active supporter of its principles. He was elected to the offices of constable, collector, and assessor, and served for two years as town supervisor. He was a prom- inent member of the Baptist church of Wil- son for lialf a century, and served as deacon for forty-nine consecutive years. The pres- ent influential position and prosperity of this church is largely due to his fidelity to its spiritual and temporal interests. He was married September 7, 1836. To this mar- riage were born four sons and two daugh- ters, four of whom are yet living. Mrs. Petit was born in Onondaga county, June 21, 1817, and was a faithful and consistent member of the Baptist church for forty years. She died on the old homestead, Oc- tober 20, 1876. In 1882 Mr. Petit was again married, this time to Mrs. Nancy V. Curtis (nee Crossman ).
Samuel H. Petit received his education in the collegiate institute at Wilson, and grad- uated from Bryant & Strattan's Business college in 1864. He has since pursued the peaceful vocation of a farmer with much success on the old homestead. He is a re- publican in politics, and takes great interest in the advancement and success of his party's principles. He has served four terms
in succession as supervisor of his town, and was a prominent candidate for assemblyman in the second district of Niagara county, in the fall of 1890, being defeated by only a few votes. He is a member of the Baptist church of Wilson, of which he was recently elected deacon, but modestly declined to serve. Ile is a member, and is now presi- dent of the Equitable Aid Union of Wilson.
On September 13, 1864, he wedded Mary E. Case, of Wilson, and to them were born four children : Luman A., a farmer, who married Ella Clark, and lives in the town of Wilson ; J. Ellsworth, Ella M., and Curtis O., all of whom reside with their father. Mrs. Petit died on the 7th of April, 1888, and on November 13, 1890, he was married to Mrs. Hattie Quick ( nee Crouch ).
E UGENE M. ASHLEY, a lawyer of Lockport bar and ex-district attorney of Niagara county, is a son of Phineas L. and Emily L. (McClure) Ashley, and was born in the town of Bethany, Genesee county, New York, June 1, 1850. His great-grand- father, Captain Jeduthian Ashley, was born in England, and commanded an English vessel during the early part of the Revolu- tionary war. He was captured by a Yan- kee ship and held prisoner for five years in Connecticut, where he settled after peace was declared and became the founder of the Ashley family in America. His fourth son, Lemuel Ashley (grandfather), was born in Connecticut, and removed to Munford, Mon- roe county, this State, where he enlisted as a private in the American army, in which he was promoted to sergeant some time before being killed in a hotly contested fight. He was a farmer by occupation, a whig in politics, and married and reared a
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family of two sons and five daughters. His widow remarried, and her second husband was a Mr. Noyes, whom she outlived. One of the two sons mentioned was Jeduthan Ashley, the father of the subject of this sketch. He was a farmer, served for several years as under-sheriff of his county, and spent the latter part of his life in the man- agement of his different farms which he owned. Politically a whig and republican, he held several town offices, and always took an active interest in public affairs. He was born in 1809, removed in- early life to Genesee county, where he died in 1872. He married Emily L. McClure, a daughter of Manly and a grand daughter of Gen. Joseph MeClure, a general in the war of 1812, who had served as a member of the New York legislature, and who previous to his military career, had been a surveyor for the famous Holland Land Company, in the town of Franklin- ville, Cattaraugus county, where he passed the latter years of his life. His family con- sisted of six children : Hattie, Eugene M., Frank, who read law with W. C. Watson of Batavia, New York, was admitted to the bar in 1883, and is now in active practice in Lockport; Cora, Rose, wife of Edward Devens, of Rochester, New York, who is station agent in that city of the R. and R. & P. railway; and Lemuel, who is a postal clerk on a railway train.
Eugene M. Ashley received his education in the common schools, and upon attaining his majority engaged in teaching in Gen- esee county, where he taught for eight years. During this period of time he at- tended Ten Broeck academy, of Franklin- ville, Cattaraugus county. In 1875 he was appointed as a guager in the United States revenue service at Lockport, but after four months spent in that position he en-
tered the law office of L. W. & G. W. Bower of Lockport, with whom he remained six months. He then entered the law office of Miller & Douglass, and after the dissolution of that firm he remained with Mr. Miller until his admission to the bar in January, 1880. In the month of August following, he was nominated by his party for district attorney of Niagara county, to which office he was elected at the ensuing election. He served out his term and was re-elected in 1883, and served until January 1, 1887, when his second term expired. Since then he has been engaged in the practice of his profession.
On December 29, 1880, he united in mar- riage with Eliza W., danghter of Charles W. Adriance, who is a cousin of Henry M. Flagler, the well-known oil producer.
Mr. Ashley is a member of several secret societies, one of which is the Masonic fra- ternity.
THOMAS E. WARNER, of North Ton- awanda, is the son of Ulysses and Eliza (Jones ) Warner, and was born in Orleans, Ontario county, New York, March 23, 1844. Ulysses Warner was born in the same county, where he now resides, and is engaged, even at the advanced age of seventy-nine years, in farming, the chosen occupation of his life. He believes this branch of industry to be one of health, prosperity, and honor. Notwithstanding his advanced years, he still is deeply interested in public affairs. He is a republican in politics, and is always, as most Americans are, interested in the can- didates and contests as if he were of younger years. He served as justice of the peace for twenty-four years, was a justice of ses- sions, and a member of assembly, repre-
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senting the eastern district of Ontario county as a demoerat. John Warner (grand- father) was a native of Massachusetts. He came to the county of Ontario in 1797, where he took up a section of land and en- gaged in farming, shoe manufacturing, and tanning. He was quite successful in all his enterprises, and acquired the respect and esteem always accorded a first-class business man. At the time, as the records will show, he was a large land owner. He was born and brought up in Conway, Massachusetts. He died in 1870, full of years and full of honor. Mrs. Warner (mother) was born in Hopewell township, Ontario county, this State, and is now living, in her seventy- second year.
Thomas E. Warner was brought up in Orleans until he was sixteen years of age. He was educated in the common schools, but at sixteen went to Geneva, and there commenced to learn the trade of printing, at which he continued until 1880. In 1880 he came to Tonawanda and engaged in the printing business with T. M. Chapman.
On September 18, 1876, he married Flor- ence E., daughter of Rev. Phebe A. Hana- ford, of Jersey City, but who now resides in Tonawanda. To Mr. and Mrs. Warner has been born one child : Dionis C., born Novem- ber 24, 1881.
In religion Mr. Warner is a member of the Episcopal church, and holds the office of church warden. He is also senior warden in Tonawanda Lodge, No. 247, Free and Accepted Masons. In politics he is a dem- ocrat, and is proud of his party's history, especially of the fact that the democratic was the first political party after the split in the old federal party, and it has survived and outlived all of its opponents, except the present Republican party, and he has hope
that the Democratic party may yet outlive its present opponent. He is now village clerk, and has the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens. He comes from good lineage, and is a credit and honor to the community in which he lives.
W ILLIAM O. PETIT is a farmer who
has lived a long, active and useful life, and is well-known and honored by a wide circle of friends. He is the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Oliver) Petit, and was born at Broadalbin, Montgomery county, New York, October 17, 1820. His father was born in Montgomery, then Fulton county, on July 17, 1774, and after a busy and successful career for forty-eiglit years he departed this life on December 11, 1822, at Broadalbin. (For full account of ances- tral history, see sketch of Samuel H. Petit in this volume). After his death Mrs. Petit removed with her children to Wilson, this county, when the subject of this sketch was only about two years old. Here he lived and grew to manliood. In 1843 he was united in marriage to Naney M., daugli- ter of John R. Newman, of New Fane. This union was blessed with five children : Harvey, a farmer, who married Carrie Picket and resides at Shelby, Orleans county ; Silas W., a sawyer, who married Belle Bickford, and lives in Tonawanda; Emma A., mar- ried Oscar E. Gifford and lives at Wilson; Sarah E., married to James W. Small, who keeps a meat market at Wilson; and Fred, who married Nellie Griffin and resides in the town of Wilson, where he is engaged in farming.
W. O. Petit has always been a cultivator of the soil, and can remember when this section was almost an unbroken forest. He
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now resides about two miles from Wilson, and by hard labor and close application has cleared out a fine farm just east of his home. He is a democrat in politics, but liberal in his views, and has never sought any office, preferring the more retired and peaceful walks of life. He is a member of Ontario Lodge, No. 376, Free and Accepted Masons, and of Karnac Chapter, No. 511, Royal Arch Masons, and is now senior warden in his chapter, and past master of his lodge. During a long period he belonged to Cap- tain Wilson's company of artillery, State militia, and finally received a commission as first lieutenant of the company. He was a drummer for thirty years, and won con- siderable reputation in this line. He has been for many years an active and prom- inent member of the Baptist church of Wilson, being one of its constituent mem- bers, and a trustee of the church for eight years.
A BRAM TAYLOR, a farmer and a prominent citizen of the town of Hart- land, and ex-postmaster, is a son of Henry and Mercy (Depew) Taylor, and was born at Johnson's Creek, town of Hartland, Ni- agara county, New York, January 1, 1852. His grandfather, Abram Taylor, was a na- tive of New Jersey, and came to Johnson's Creek at a very early day, about 1812. He was a farmer, and purchased a farm of one hundred and twenty acres of the Holland Land Company, in the town of Hartland, three-fourths of a mile east of Johnson's Creek, on which he lived until his death. He served in the Revolutionary war as a pri- vate soldier, and also in the war of 1812. He married and reared a large family of children. He was a strong democrat, and
took a lively interest in the politics of his time. Abram Depew (maternal grand- father) was also a native of New Jersey, and was a brother of the grandfather of Chauncey M. Depew, the distinguished statesman of the present day. The original progenitor of this branch of the family was Nicholas Depew, who was a French officer and Huguenot. Abram Depew was a very extensive farmer, and married Susan Huff- man, who was a relative of the distinguished Huffman family, and by whom he had twelve children. He was a Jeffersonian democrat, and always took a deep interest in the success of his party. Henry Taylor (father) was also born in the State of New Jersey, and came to Johnson's Creek about 1814, and purchased a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in the town of Hartland, of the Holland Land Company, and two years later returned and brought his family with him. He was a farmer by occupation, and spent most of his life on a farm, which he managed successfully. He was a demo- crat, and took a deep interest in the great questions of that day. He served in the war of 1812 as a private. He married Mercy Depew in 1814, reared a family of twelve children, eight sons and four daugh- ters, and died at Hartland, aged eighty- three years.
Abram Taylor received his education in the common schools of Hartland, where he acquired a good English education. He was reared on a farm, and has always been a farmer. He and his brother, George B. Taylor, own the old homestead, each having sixty acres. Mr. Taylor is a well-known democrat, and is a strong belicver in the doctrines and fundamental principles of democracy. He served as supervisor of the town of Hartland for three years in succes-
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
sion, beginning in 1883, and was appointed postmaster of Johnson's Creek under Cleve- land's administration, which position he filled satisfactorily to the people.' He holds a high position among the citizens of John- son's Creek, and is universally esteemed by all of that community.
He was married to Emma Joice, by whom he had four children, two of whom died in infaney : Florenee B., wife of John Ban- brick; they reside with Mr. Taylor and assist in running the farm; and John, at home.
W ILLIAM SEAMAN, a leading farmer and prominent citizen of the town of Hartland, a descendant of a pioneer family of Niagara county, is a son of Daniel and Amy (Olen) Seaman, and was born in the town of^Hartland, Niagara county, New York, October 2, 1825. The Seamans are of Irish and German extraction on both paternal and maternal side. His grand- father, Charles Seaman, was a native of Rhode Island, but moved from that State to Vermont, and settled in the town of Clar- endon, Rutland county, where he died. He was an extensive farmer and followed that oceupation all his life. He was a stanch whig, a deacon in the Baptist church, and was generally known as " Deacon Seaman." He married Mehitable Osborn, September 24, 1786, and they were the parents of six children : Eliza, born June 24, 1787 ; Lydia, born February 18, 1789; Daniel, born Feb- ruary 3, 1794; Charles, born May 11, 1799; Roxanna, born May 21, 1806; and Rachel, born May 21, 1806. Jonathan Olen (ma- ternal grandfather) was a resident of Ben- nington county, Vermont, nearly all his life, but in his latter years moved to Ohio,
where he died in 1856, at the advanced age of ninety years. IIe was a farmer all his life, and an old-line whig. He married a sister of Hon. Theophilus Harrington, who was born in 1756, in Clarendon, Rutland county, Vermont. He was a lawyer by profession, held the offices of selectman and representative of Clarendon, and chief judge of Rutland county. For the last ten years of his life he was chancellor and associate judge of the supreme court of Vermont. He died at Chippen Hook, Vermont, and was buried with Masonie honors. Daniel Seaman (father) was born in Clarendon, Vermont, and came from there to Hart- land, this county, in October, 1815, where he bought a farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres from the Holland Land Company. The county at that time was a dense forest. The journey was made in a month with an ox team. He served in the war of 1812 at Lake Champlain, and while in the service contracted the measles, which disabled him for a time. After the war he began farming, in connection with which he made shoes. He was a democrat, a very active politician, and served as town clerk, assessor, justiee of the peace, and supervisor of the town of Hartland, where he died January 28, 1861. He married Amy Olen, and they had a family of eight children, five sons and three daughters.
William Seaman received a good English education in the common schools, but he has added to his stock of learning, by devoting his spare time to reading and observation. He has spent his life in agricultural pursuits, and now owns a farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres of good land at Hartland, which is in a fine state of cultivation. He is a stanch democrat, but prefers a quiet rural life to the feverish vexations of a po-
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litical life. He has accumulated a compe- tency for this world's needs, and has won the respect and good opinion of all who know him, and leads a contented and happy life on his farm.
He married on June 18, 1856, Hannah A. Seaman. This union has been blessed with two children : James D. and Edward A., both at home.
A ARON J. BICKFORD, a well-known
and substantial citizen of the town of Hartland, residing on the old homestead near Middleport, is a son of Charles and Mary (Lee) Bickford, and was born on the Bickford homestead, in the town of Hart- land, Niagara county, New York, October 17, 1843. Charles Bickford was born near Danville, Vermont, October 6, 1805, and removed with his father's family to the town of Hartland, Niagara county, this State, about 1814. He purchased the interest of the heirs in the original homestead of fifty acres, and added to this purchase until he owned one hundred acres of fine land, in the cultivation and improvement of which he spent all the active portion of his life, dying on his farm August 25, 1866, at the age of sixty-one years. In politics he was first a whig, and later became a repub- lican. For many years he was a member of the New York militia, served as ensign or color bearer, and was also elected and served as captain. He was an earnest and influential member of the Methodist Epis- copal church, and was a trustee of the church for several years. On March 7, 1830, he married Mary Lee, who was descended from the brilliant and honored Lee family of Revolutionary times, and by this union had a family of seven children, one son and
six daughters. Mrs. Bickford died March 7, 1852, and Mr. Bickford remarried, this time wedding Saralı Ketcham, by whom he had two sons.
Aaron J. Bickford received his education in the common schools of his native county, where he received such instruction as quali- fied him for the prompt and satisfactory discharge of the ordinary duties of life. After leaving school he devoted himself to agricultural pursuits, in which he has met with a good degree of success. He has always resided on the old homestead, to the improvement and development of which he has devoted the best years of his life. In politics he is a republican, taking much interest in the success of his party and in the triumph of its principles and policy. He has never at any time been an aspirant for office, however, and only desires the success of such measures as would be of public benefit and for the general good. HIe is not identified with any religious de- nomination, but contributes liberally to the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mrs. Bickford is a member.
On March 20, 1867, Mr. Bickford was united in marriage with Susan E., daughter of John and Sarah (Voohies) Van Nortwick. Mrs. Bickford is a native of New York, and an educated and intelligent lady. She is a devoted member of the Methodist Epis- copal church, and of the Foreign Mission- ary society of that church, and has served as vice-president of the missionary society.
A. DOUGLASS PEASE, a prominent agriculturalist, and an intelligent, ac- tive, and useful citizen of Wilson, is a son of Enoch and Eliza (Douglass) Pease, and was born in the town of New Fane, Niagara
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county, New York, December 30, 1834. His grandfather, Samuel Pease, was a na- tive of Maine, and removed, in 1808, to Niagara county, New York, becoming one of the pioncer settlers of this section. Hc was a farmer by occupation, and after living at Olcott during the war of 1812, he pur- chased a farm of one hundred acres from the Holland Company, in the town of New Fane, where he settled and continued to re- side until his death, in 1882, at the good old age of eighty years. He was a whig in pol- ities, and active and prominent in his day, being also a leading member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He married Nancy Par- sons, and reared a family of three sons and three daughters. The maternal grandfather of A. Douglass Pease was Alexander Doug- lass, born on the Scottish highlands in 1778, and came to America with his parents when only nine years of age. They located at Patterson, New Jersey, where his father died, after which the family removed to New Fanc, Niagara county, about 1820. Mr. Douglass was a farmer, and an active mem- ber of the Presbyterian church. He mar- ried Emily Benedict, and had a family of two sons and five daughters, dying about 1848, at the age of seventy years. Enoch Pease (father) was born in Parsonsfield, Maine, January 12, 1806, and came to New Fane, this county, with his parents, where he was reared and educated. During the war of 1812, while the family lived at Ol- cott, a detachment of British soldiers from Canada captured Fort Niagara and laid the surrounding country waste. Some of these men visited the residence of Mr. Pease, with the evident intention of burning the house, but they were received so kindly and treated so well by the ladies of the household, that they left without destroying the property.
They did, however, capture and imprison Mr. Pease, then a mere lad, but released him at his mother's entreaty. In 1835 he (father) removed to the town of Wilson, where he resided until his death, in 1887. He was a farmer by occupation, a whig and republican in politics, and in religion a de- voted and active member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he served for many years as trustee and steward. He was married, first to Polly Toland, who only lived one year after marriage, and then to Sally Crossman, by whom he had one son. She died in two years, and he then married Eliza Douglass (mother), who was born in 1802, and died in 1849, in the town of Wil- soll. By this union he had a family of two sons and four daughters. After her death, Mr. Pease married Rebecca Sherwood, who died in 1864, after which he married Mrs. Susan Petit, who also passed away in 1888.
A. Douglass Pease received his education in the common schools and Wilson col- legiate institute, also attending the Lima seminary, at Lima, Livingston county, near the city of Rochester, a Methodist institution, from which he was graduated in the scien- tifie course in 1855. After graduating he returned to the farm, and has ever since been engaged in the cultivation of the soil, meeting with a good degree of success.
On September 29, 1859, Mr. Pease united in marriage with Abigail V. Sayer, daughter of Jonathan Sayer, of Wilson, this county, and to them were born five children: Ar- thur D., Frances M., Mary E., Howard E., and Edith G.
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