USA > New York > Niagara County > Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Niagara County, New York > Part 67
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
the company. He is now also civil engineer for the Niagara Falls and Suspension Bridge Railway Company, and for the sewer com- missioners of Niagara Falls and the village of Suspension Bridge. He has lately formed a co-partnership with a Mr. DeBand, and is the senior member of the firm of Johnson & DeBand, architects and civil engineers. This firm already does a large business, and being composed of practical men of ac- knowledged ability in their line, who give personal attention to all orders entrusted to them, their business is rapidly increasing in volume and importance. Mr. Johnson has been active and useful in the community, and being a man of liberal education and kindly disposition, has won a host of intelli- gent and worthy friends, of whose respect and esteem any nian might justly feel proud.
JOHN SWEENEY, one of the leading business men of Niagara Falls, and the junior partner in the firm of MeGarigle & Sweeney, is a son of John and Mary (Fur- long) Sweeney, and was born on the 22d day of April, 1853, in the city of Troy, New York. His grandfather, Thomas Sweeney, was a native of Tipperary county, Ireland, where he lived and died. John Sweeney (father) was born in Ireland in 1797, and came to America about the year 1850, locating in Newark, this State, and later took up his residence at Palmyra, New York, where he resided until his death, February 28, 1865. He was a railroad em- ployee by occupation, and in politics was a democrat. He first married Mary Furlong, by whom he had four children: Joanna, intermarried with Peter Lawter, and they reside in Palmyra, this State; Thomas, the eldest brother, who lives in New York, en-
tered the civil war in the 111th regiment, veteran cavalry, in 1864, and served until the close of the war. He was wounded and draws a pension; Timothy, who lives at Denver, Colorado; and John. John Sweeney (father) was married a second time, to Ellen Whalen, by whom he had one child that died in infancy.
John Sweeney was educated in the com- mon schools, and after leaving school worked in a sash and blind factory until he was fourteen years of age; he then learned the trade of a machinist in the Globe Man- ufacturing Company at Palmyra, and has followed this business ever since. He came to Niagara Falls in May, 1884, where he worked for Philpott & Leuppie one and one- half years, and then, in September, 1885, took charge of the Suspension Bridge water works, where he worked for six years. On September 1, 1891, he entered into partner- ship with T. E. MeGarigle and bought the former business of Philpott & Leuppie, which they carried on under the firm name of MeGarigle & Sweeney. They do a large general jobbing business of all kinds, have a factory that is 40x100 feet, and employ about seventeen hands.
In 1874 Mr. Sweeney was united in mar- riage with Margaret Horrigan, daughter of John Horrigan, and they have been blessed with six children, three sons and three daughters: Timothy, Nellie, Edward, Mag- gie, John, and Bessie.
In political faith and principles he is a democrat, and is at present one of the trus- tees of the village of Niagara Falls, and has served as inspector of elections. He is a member of the Roman Catholic church, and believes in a democratic form of govern- ment, where the rights of conscience are protected, and where religious and civil
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liberty are the corner stones of the republic. He is a member of the C. B. A., an insur- ance order, or, as we sometimes call them, " benevolent brotherhoods," where the pol- icy is paid to wife and children if they sur- vive the husband. He has been energetic, industrious, and attentive to business, and stands well with the business community.
SAMUEL TRIECHLER, a prosperous farmer of the town of Lewiston, residing near Sanborn, is a son of Daniel and Cath- erine (Shroll) Triechler, and was born at York, York county, Pennsylvania. Daniel Triechler (father) was also a native of York county, where he lived until April, 1833, when he removed to Niagara county, New York. He died in 1860, aged eighty-eight years. He was a miller by trade, and spent most of his long and active life in that occupa- tion. He also owned a farm and was con- sidered a first-class farmer. On arriving in Niagara county le settled in the town of Wheatfield, where he lived until 1857.
Samuel Triechler received his education in the common schools of that town. After leaving school he commenced farming on the place where he still resides. This farm consists of one hundred and eighty-eight acres of choice land, and is now in a good state of cultivation. It is well fenced, well watered, and supplied with commodious farm buildings. Mrs. Triechler also owns a farm of fifty-five acres, on which their son now lives. Mr. Triechler is regarded as a first- class farmer, is an active, energetic man for his age, and has been very successful and prosperous.
Mr. Triechler was married to Laura Phillips, and to them were born seven children : Benjamin Walter, a farmer of
the town of Cambria, who married Georgiana Vail, and has two children-Bessie L. and Walter; Louella, Frank, L. V., Samuel C., Everett W., William Glenn, the six last named all living at home with their parents. Mrs. Triechler's father, Phillips, came from Rhode Island to this county at an early day, and settled on land which he cleared and reduced to a fine state of cultivation. He married and had a family of three children, two sons and a daughter: William, a car- penter, who married Pauline Master, and resides at Eaton Rapids, Michigan ; Charles N., married thrice-first wedding Saralı Stebens, who died leaving one child, and after her death united with Viola Camfield, and after her decease married Maria Gor- don, by whom he had two sons - Clar- ence L. and Silas H. The daughter, Saralı E., married Samuel C. Mix, and had three children -Florence E., deceased; Orie A., married Elton Spencer, and had a son named Elbert, who is now dead. They reside at Eaton.
In polities Samuel Triechler is a stanch republican, active and earnest in the support of his party. He has served as pathmaster and trustee of his district, and is a member of the Royal Templars. He and his family are regular attendants of the Methodist Episcopal church.
SALOME (REESE) TRIECHLER is
a daughter of Jacob and Salome Reese, and was born in Lehigh county, Pennsyl- vania, January 17, 1817. Jacob Reesc (father) was born in Philadelphia, and re- moved to Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, when a very small boy. Later he removed to Niagara county, this State, and located on the Lockport road, where he bought a
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farm and resided for about fifty years, then removed to the town of Shawnee, where he resided until his death, which occurred De- cember 8, 1863, in the eighty-third year of his age. He was a democrat, and a good business man. He married and had a fam- ily of seven children, three of whom are still living: Margaret, Mary, and Salome. Mrs. Reese was born in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, and was of German descent. Mr. Reese was also of German extraction, and came from the thrifty German element that populated most of the eastern counties of Pennsylvania.
On December 29, 1841, Salome Reese was married to Daniel Triechler, a farmer of this county. To this union have been born two children : Sarah A., resides with her mother; and Mary C., who resides with her mother on the old homestead, married Dr. A. H. Flood, who was a prominent physician of Elmira, where he practiced for seven years, and died there. This union was blessed with three children: Emma S., who is attending the State Normal school at Buffalo; Albert H., is in the em- ploy of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Com- pany at East Buffalo ; and Edith M., lives at home with her mother. Mrs. Triechler owns a beautiful little farm of twenty-five acres, which is in a high state of cultivation. When quite young she joined the Reformed church, and has been a life-long professing Christian. She and her husband have had the reputation of being charitable, gen- erous and unselfish, and never permitted the hungry to pass without assistance, be- lieving that charity is one of the essentials of a true Christian life.
Daniel Triechler, the husband of our sub- ject, was born in York, York county, Penn- sylvania, August 7, 1816, and died July 17,
1877. At the age of fifteen years he came with his father to Niagara county, with whom he resided until he grew to man- hood, when he started out to do for himself. They located in the town of Wheatfield, and engaged in farming.
C HARLES R. COBB, M. D., a skillful physician of North Tonawanda, is a son of Dr. Erasmus and Julia ( Meade ) Cobb, and was born at Youngsville, Warren county, Pennsylvania, February 16, 1851. He is descended from a family distinguished for the number of well qualified and skillful physicians which it has produced within the last century. The Cobb family was founded in the United States in the initial year of the present century by Dr. John B. Cobb, of England, who was the grand- father of Dr. Charles R. Cobb. He was a graduate of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, of London, England, and in 1800 settled at St. Albans, Vermont, where he had an extensive practice for many years before his death. His son, Dr. Erasmus Cobb (father), was born in 1811, read medicine with his father, and entered the Medical university of Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated with honors at the end of his course. He commenced the practice of his profession at Youngsville, Pennsylvania, in 1840. Twelve years later he removed to Mercer county, that State, where he remained until 1860, when he retired from active practice on account of ill health, and went on a farm, which he left in 1864 to remove to Meadville, Penn- sylvania, in which city he resided until his death, which occurred March 22, 1872. He was a republican in politics, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and mar-
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ried Julia Meade, a native of Youngsville, Pennsylvania, and a relative of General George G. Meade, for whom Meadville, Pennsylvania (where she now resides), was named. She was born in 1813, and is a consistent member of the Methodist Episco- pal church.
Charles R. Cobb went with his parents to Youngsville, in 1860, to the farm, and four years later accompanied them to Mead- ville, where he received his education in the high school of that place. Leaving school, he made choice of his father's and grandfather's profession for a life vocation, and read medicine from 1870 to 1873 with Dr. John T. Ray, of Meadville, Pennsyl- vania. He entered, in 1879, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York city, from which he was graduated in the class of 1880. Two years later he came to North Tonawanda, where he has remained ever since in the successful practice of his profession.
In 1876 Dr. Cobb united in marriage with Mary Churchill, of Townville, Craw- ford county, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Cobb is a republican in politics. IIe is a member of Ontario Lodge, No. 376, Free and Accepted Masons, of Wilson, New York; and Niagara River Lodge, No. 527, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Tonawanda, Erie county. To further per- fect himself in liis profession, Dr. Cobb took a special course, in 1884, at Bennett's Med- ical college of Chicago, from which institu- tion he was graduated the same year, and returned to his practice with much valuable experience derived from the thorough ex- amination and careful study of the most difficult and complicated forms of different diseases, whose proper treatment requires such special preparation upon the part of
the successful physician. In addition to the wide experience derived from his ex- tensive practice, he is a close and careful reader of the leading medical journals of the country, besides being a member of the New Jersey State Medical society. With unremitting energy, he endeavors to dis- charge the manifold duties of his profession, and never neglects an opportunity of adding to his stock of medical knowledge.
E 'DWARD MALONEY, a retired coal merchant, and present assessor of Sus- pension Bridge, is a son of Murtey and Mar- garet (MeInnarnly) Maloney, and was born in County Clare, Ireland, on May 1, 1825, of good old Irish stock. His father was a farmer, and lived and died in that part of the Emerald Isle, having married Margaret McInnarnly, and reared a family of eleven children, seven of whom emigrated to America.
Edward Maloncy came to the United States in 1848, at the age of twenty-three, locating first in New Hampshire, from which State he removed to Utica, New York, and later to Washington city, Dis- trict of Columbia, where he remained four years. During his residence at Washington he worked for two years on the capitol building, which was then in course of erec- tion, and attended the funeral of President Filmore, who died during that time. From that city Mr. Maloney removed to Vermont, and in 1852 came to Suspension Bridge, this county, where he has resided ever since. In 1876 he embarked in the whole- sale and retail coal business at Suspension Bridge, this county, which he conducted successfully until May 1, 1891, when his son Michael succeeded him and assumed full
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control of the business, and has met with as good, if not better, success, than his father did.
In politics Edward Maloney is a demo- crat, and has always been ready to do his share of political work in campaigns and at the polls, taking a deep interest in the success of his party. He served for two years as a policeman in the village, and was commissioner of water works for a period of four years. At the present time he is serving in the capacity of assessor of the village, a position he has already held for three years. In all his official relations he has given general satisfaction to the public. In religion he is a Roman Catholic, and regular in his attendance on the services of his church.
On July 3, 1833, he united in marriage with Bridget Fahey, and to them was born a family of six children : Margaret, de- ceased; Patrick J., married Emma Myers, and fills the position of clerk in the office of the American Express Company at Suspen- sion Bridge, and is a member of the board of education ; Michael, married Ina Frank, of Buffalo, this State; Thomas, a clerk, who married Mary Walker, and lives in the village of Suspension Bridge; Edward, lives at home; and Mary, deceased.
JAMES W. WORKS. The press has been truthfully called a prophet of free and beautiful thought, and such it is in any land where tyranny does not hold sway. One of the progressive republican papers of the county is the Daily News, edited by James W. Works, who is a son of Leonidas and Helen (Gazley) Works, and was born in Steuben county, New York, September 23, 1848. The Works trace their trans-
Atlantic ancestry back to Ireland, from which one branch of the family found its way into the scaboard colonies of King George. One of the descendants of the Works in New England was Samuel Works (grandfather), who lived in New Hampshire, and served his native State as a soldier in the war of 1812. He afterwards removed to Tioga county, Pennsylvania, where his son, Leonidas Works (father), was born in 1824. Leonidas Works, at ten years of age, went to Steuben county, New York, where he died in 1884, at sixty years of age. He was a prosperous farmer and dairyman of Steuben county, where he owned a valuable farm of four hundred acres of land. He was a member of the Baptist church and a republican in politics, and liad held several of the offices of his town. His widow, whose maiden name was Helen Gazley, still resides in Steuben county. She is a native of Cortland county, and has been a consistent member of the Baptist church for many years.
James W. Works passed his boyhood days on his father's farm, and received his education at Trapsburg academy, in his native county. In 1868 he left home and went to Addison, Steuben county, where he accepted the position of clerk in a hardware establishment. He served in this capacity for nearly four years, and devoted his leisure hours during this period to the study of law. In 1871 he went to Elmira, entered the law office of a Mr. Fassett, who was the father of the last republican candidate for governor of New York, and in May of 1872 was admitted to the Elmira bar. He soon afterward opened an office in Steuben county, was admitted to practice in the United States courts of New York, and in 1878, on account of ill health, went to
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OF NIAGARA COUNTY.
Texas to secure the benefit of that climate. A southern residence of a few months im- proved his health wonderfully, and he returned north to become editor of the Bradford Sunday News, of Bradford, Penn- sylvania. After editing that paper for some time, he came to Buffalo, New York, where he was engaged for a couple of years in literary work for different publications in the United States. In 1885 he removed to Tonawanda and assuned editorial man- agement of the Weekly Standard, which he continued to edit until the spring of 1886, when he established his present paper, the Daily News. It gives interesting general news and crisp items of local interest, gleaned by its reporters and correspondents, and has a wide and increasing circulation.
In 1878 Mr. Works married Mary P. Hays, daughter of James Hays, of Traps- burg, Steuben county, New York.
In politics Mr. Works is a republican, and while advocating the supremacy of the principles of the Republican party in his paper, yet has aimed to make the Daily News a full repository of local and general daily news such as to interest his readers of every political party and every religious belief.
G ARWIN B. STEVENS, a citizen of North Tonawanda, is a son of Ezra and Eliza (Parsons) Stevens, and was born in Saratoga county, New York, on the 20th day of July, 1833. Ezra Stevens (father) was a native of Saratoga county, and during the hard business times from 1855 to 1860, he concluded to change residence and sought his fortune in what was then termed the far west, Wisconsin, in the year 1858, and, not content there, he removed to the town of Joliet, Illinois, in the year 1876, when the
country was fearfully convulsed over the electoral count for president of these United States. He lived to see the country restored to peace and quiet, and departed this life in 1886, in the eighty-sixth year of his age. He was a republican in politics and devoted to his party, but was more devoted to the cause of Christianity. He was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church and deeply concerned in all church affairs. He was a shoemaker and farmer by occupa- tion, and was very successful at both, always finding plenty to do. He was of Irish cx- traction. Mrs. Stevens was a native of Massachusetts, and came west to Wisconsin with her husband, where she died in 1857, at fifty-eight years of age. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Garwin B. Stevens was reared in. this State until he arrived at the age of twelve years, when he was taken to Massachusetts, where he spent about ten years of his early life and then returned to New York, and, after a brief residence here, located himself, as he supposed permanently, in the State of Wisconsin. But a few years elapsed until the country became convulsed, the flag was fired upon, States withdrew from the Union, the president called for troops, and he felt it his duty to enlist. He joined Company E, 2d Wisconsin cavalry, in 1861, and served until December, 1864. He enlisted as a private and was discharged as a sergeant, which position he held for some time. His regiment engaged in nearly all the important battles of the southwest. After being dis- charged he returned to Madison, Wisconsin, and after two years of a temporary stay, he returned to Tonawanda in 1867. He took a sea voyage of nearly two years in dura- tion. After locating here he was engaged in the manufacture of sash and blinds, and
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was also in the mercantile business for a number of years. For the last twelve years he has been engaged in the manufacture of carriages, under the firm name of Stevens & McIntyre. This firm has quite an extensive plant and does a large business, and they have an enviable reputation as business men.
In 1863 he was married to Maria C., a daughter of Francis Wood, of Delton, Wis- consin. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Tonawanda Lodge, No. 247, Free and Accepted Masons, and Tonawanda Chapter, No. 278. He is also a member of Centennial Lodge, Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Select Knights, and Scott Post, No. 29, and the Equitable Aid Union. In politics he is a prohibi- tionist, and, as a matter of principle, he be- lieves it to be his duty to wage war on the liquor traffic in every way and place.
J OHN SPILMAN is a son of Anthony and Mary (Baker) Spilman, and was born near Frankfort, Germany, on June 18, 1833. His mother died in Germany in 1843, and his father came to this country in- 1847 and located at Buffalo, New York, where he resided until 1868, when he camne to Tonawanda and made his home with his son until 1872, the year of his death. The life of Anthony Spilman is replete with striking instances of his courage and perse- verance. He was a man of heroic appear- ance-tall, stately, and dignified. He had been a soldier in the mighty army of the Fatherland. He witnessed the accession of Frederick William IV. to the Prussian throne, and after the downfall of the Or- leans dynasty he was a participant in the insurrection that followed, and when the sunset of his life had come, and the land of
his birth was engaged in that great struggle with France, he watched from across the water the gallant Prussians conquering a country which, with Napoleon at its head, had once terrorized them.
John Spilman received his education in the public schools of Germany, and shortly after locating at Buffalo, this State, he began to learn the trade of rope making. Cord- age work being entirely too confining, he secured work in the Eagle Street theatre as a gas maker, in which capacity he remained for over a year, when he began work on the steamer "Empire State," as a greaser, and after two months' service in this capac- ity he was promoted to the position of en- gineer, which position he held for three years. In 1856 he went to Tonawanda and secured a position in a distillery, and occu- pied this position for five years, when he engaged in the retail liquor business. He returned to the distillery business, and served as engineer for two years, and was identificd with the grist mill business. This venture was a failure, and he returned to his old position as lake engineer, where he continued to work for five years. He was on the tug Sprang for five years, Relief five years, barge Plymouth two years, John Owen one year, and Olean two years. In 1883 he returned to Tonawanda and opened a saloon, and is now engaged in the whole- sale and retail liquor business.
In 1856 he was married to Caroline Gool. They have five children living, two sons and three daughters: Ida, married to Allen Herschell, of the Tonawanda Machine Com- pany; Rosetta, wife of George Millman, an express messenger; Albert, who married Hattie, daughter of Jacob Cramer, of Ton- awanda, and is a machinist by trade, and now city collector; Eddie, and Josie.
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John Spilman is a member of the An- cient Order of United Workmen, and in politics is a democrat. He has served two years as collector and three years as assessor of Tonawanda.
C APTAIN CORNELIUS C. CUSICK,
now a resident of Sanborn, served with distinction in the late civil war, in North Carolina, and was complimented by his superior officers for meritorious service as an officer of the regular army in the last Indian wars of the west. He is a son of James Nicholas Cusick, and was born in western New York, August 2, 1835. His paternal grandfather, Nicholas Cusick, was an officer in the Revolutionary war, and served under Washington and LaFayette, with both of whom he was intimately ac- quainted. His maternal grandfather was Captain Chew, who served for many years in the British army. James Nicholas Cusick (father) resided for many years in western New York, where his forest home was often honored by visits from Audubon, the Amer- ican ornithologist, and that mysterious and eccentric missionary, Dr. Eleazer Williams, who was said to have been the missing Dauphin, of France. Mr. Cusick was for several years the associate and companion of Catlin, the Indian historian, and con- tributed largely to the subject of myths in the celebrated work of that author.
Cornelius C. Cusick was reared on the home farm, and received a good education. In the second year of the late civil war he ell- listed in the 132d regiment of New York infantry, with the rank of second lieutenant. On August 14, 1862, he was promoted to first lieutenant, and on July 1, 1863, was commissioned captain. He was stationed at
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