USA > New York > Schoharie County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Schenectady, Schoharie and Green counties, New York > Part 10
USA > New York > Schenectady County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Schenectady, Schoharie and Green counties, New York > Part 10
USA > New York > Greene County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Schenectady, Schoharie and Green counties, New York > Part 10
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John Voss, grandfather of Charles, was born in llolland. Ile also followed farming, and was one of the largest drovers in his vicinity. He had a large family of children, among them being Frederick, Henry, Horace, An- drew, and Louisa. He died at about sixty years of age. Frederick Voss, father of Charles, was also a farmer and cattle dealer. Ile shipped cattle from Denmark to England, doing an extensive business in that line; and he tilled the soil of a large farm successfully until he was about sixty years old, when he re- tired. Ile then removed to Altona, near the city of Hamburg, where he died at seventy- eight. He made three visits to his son Charles in America. His wife, Maria, was a native of Holstein, where her father, Adolph Retting, followed farming, and where he died at over seventy years of age. She was the mother of eleven children, nine of whom - namely, William, Edward, Charles, Mary, Ida, Andrew, Otto, Ernest, and Theodore - are still living, four residing in America. Mary the eldest sister, married Fred Koch; Ida
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married a Lieutenant in the German army ; Otto resides in Florida; and Ernest is in Philadelphia. Theodore is a carpenter and builder in Phoenicia, N. Y. The others were Frederick and Dora. The mother died in 1896, being over eighty years old. The par- ents were members of the Lutheran church.
Charles Voss spent his early years in his native town, and acquired his education in pri- vate schools. After finishing his studies he learned the trade of a miller and a cabinet- maker. He began his three years' apprentice- ship at the latter at the age of sixteen, and worked as a journeyman one year. In 1869 he came to America, sailing from Hamburg and landing in New York, where he at once se- cured employment in a bakery. He next went to Phoenicia, N. Y., and he was employed in the Chichester Chair Factory for one year. At the expiration of that time he went to Sul- livan County, Pennsylvania, and was engaged for two seasons in peeling hemlock bark. Re- turning to Phoenicia, he spent another year in the chair factory, and passed the next in Ger- many. Upon his return to the United States in 1876, he attended the Centennial Exhibi- tion in Philadelphia, and, remaining in that city the entire summer, he was employed as conductor on the Chestnut Street line of cars. Going to Delaware County, Pennsylvania, in the fall of that year, he worked on a farm, and also ran a milk route to Philadelphia, follow- ing this occupation for two years, when he sold out and returned to Phoenicia. He later became manager of the store owned by the Chichester Chair Company, which position he 1
occupied for nine years. Removing to Hun- ter, he erected the hotel known as "The Bel- videre," which has accommodations for one hundred and twenty-five guests. After con- ducting this hotel for eight years, he sold the property. Later he repurchased it, and still owns and rents it. He owns two dwelling- houses, one of which adjoins the hotel, and is used by him as a residence. In 1892 he rented the store formerly occupied by Jacob Fromer. This he conducted for five years, when he was obliged to make an assignment ; but he soon settled with his creditors, and again started in business. The building he now occupies he erected in 1894 as an annex to his large establishment, and it was used for the hardware and plumbing departments. Upon the expiration of his lease of Mr. Fro- mer's property, he removed the annex to its present location, where he now carries grocer- ies and notions. The post-office is located in his store; and on July 1, 1898, he received the appointment of Postmaster for four years.
In 1880 Mr. Voss was united in marriage with Jennie E. Haner, daughter of William M. Haner, of Prattsville. Her great-grand- father, Martin Haner, who was a native of Dutchess County, moved from there to Pratts- ville, and was a pioneer farmer. Her grand- father, also named Martin, went from Dutch- ess County to Prattsville, and settled upon a farm two miles from the village on the road to West Kill. He died at the age of seventy- five. He married for his first wife Elizabeth Shumaker. They had seven children, three of whom are living, namely: Lawrence, who
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married Judith Spencer; William M. Haner, Mrs. Voss's father; and Jemima A., who mar- ried Henry Palmer, of Gilboa. Mrs. Eliza- beth S. Haner died at the age of fifty.
William M. Haner, after cultivating a farm in Prattsville some time, moved to the town of Roxbury, where he continued to till the soil until his retirement. He is still living, and is now seventy-six years old. Ilis wife, Cor- nelia Maginnis, a native of Prattsville, is a daughter of Jacob and Jennie (Stanley) Ma- ginnis. His family consisted of eight chil- dren, four of whom are living, namely : George Haner, M. D., who resides in Tanners- ville; Jennie E., who is now Mrs. Charles Voss; Homer, who resides in Omaha; and Clark R., a book-keeper in Tannersville. The mother attends the Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Voss was educated in the com- mon schools of P'rattsville and at Jewett Acad- emy. She is the mother of three children - Ralph, Ethel Ann, and Mollie M. Ralph is attending the high school in Hunter, and Ethel Ann has attained the highest rank in her class at school the present year. Mollie M. Voss, now a student in the Hunter High School, is considered the champion girl trick bicycle rider in the State.
Mr. Voss is a Republican in politics, and has taken an active part in public affairs. He was Supervisor in 1892 and 1893. He was greatly interested in the incoporation of the village, and was Trustee in 1897 and Presi- dent in 1898. He has been a member of Kingston Lodge, F. & A. M., for over twenty- five years; is a charter member of Catskill
Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, and also belongs to the Royal Arcanum. The family attend the Congregational church as well as the Sun- day-school, in which Mrs. Voss is a teacher.
RA M. TERPENING, a skilful and pro- gressive agriculturist of Fulton, N. Y., was born July 31, 1857, in the town of Knox, Albany County, a son of Henry HI. Ter- pening. His paternal grandfather, Moses Ter- pening, was born and brought up in Esopus, Ulster County, N. Y., whence he removed to Albany County, where he settled on a farm in Knox, being one of its earlier pioneers. Sub- sequently, coming to Summit in Schoharic County, Moses Terpening was there engaged in general farming until his decease, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. He mar- ried a Miss Snyder, and they reared ten children.
Henry H. Terpening was educated in the district schools, and, becoming a farmer from choice, he purchased land, when a young man, in Cortland County, where he pursued his in- dependent calling a few years. Not being very well satisfied with his prospects there, he sold out and removed to Knox, in Albany County. Several years later he purchased the farm in Fulton that is now owned and occupied by his son, Ira M., and here passed his remaining days, dying August 10, 1897, at the venerable age of ninety-one years. A man of integrity, he was highly respected by all. In politics he was an adherent of the Re- publican party. lle married Cornelia L.,
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daughter of Jeremiah Havens, a lifelong farmer of Jefferson, N. Y. They reared four children, namely: Ira M., of Fulton; Eunice, wife of John Feeck; Bertha, the wife of Charles Mann, of whom a brief sketch appears elsewhere in this volume; and Henry J. Both parents were members of the Reformed church, in which the father was an Elder.
Ira M. Terpening obtained a practical edu- cation in the public schools of his native town, and from his earliest youth, when not in school, assisted in the labors of the home farm. On the death of his father he succeeded to the ownership of the homestead estate of one hundred and fifty acres, and he has since managed it with signal success. He carries on general farming, including stock-raising to some extent and dairying. In politics he is a sound Republican. He is a member of the Dutch Reformed church of Middleburg, and he and his family attend also the Sunday- school connected with that church.
On January 14, 1876, Mr. Terpening mar- ried Angeline Murphy, daughter of Peter Mur- phy, of Fulton, and grand-daughter of Timothy Murphy, the renowned Indian scout. Tim- othy Murphy, born in America, of Irish par- ents, was one of the pioneer settlers of this section of Schoharie County, and one of the largest landholders of Fulton, owning also large tracts of real estate in South Worcester and in other places along the Susquehanna. During the Revolutionary War he rendered in- estimable assistance as one of the most brave and daring scouts. His exploits, which are well-known to all students of history, won for
him the name of "Murphy, the Indian Killer." At Bemis Heights his gallant con- duct turned the tide of affairs and gave to General Gates the victory. At the "Middle Fort," by his cool and decisive actions, and more especially by his refusal to obey the orders of a superior officer, he saved the Scho- harie garrison from falling a prey to the Red- skins. After the war he resumed the pursuit of agriculture, and remained on his farm until his death, at the age of sixty-seven years. His first wife, Margaret Feeck, was born in Fulton, on Mr. Terpening's farm, and died in this town at the early age of forty years. She left five children, of whom Peter was the youngest.
Peter Murphy inherited the ancestral home- stead in Fulton and two other farms in this vicinity. These three he carried on simulta- neously, and for years was one of the largest and best-known agriculturists of Fulton, where he spent his long and useful life of fourscore and four years. He was deeply interested in the welfare of his native town, which he served as Supervisor two terms, and as Collec- tor a number of years. His wife, Catherine Borst, was born on the old Borst farm in Scho- harie, one of the nine children of Peter Borst, a prosperous farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy reared seven children, as follows: Marian, de- ceased; Helen, wife of John Follick; Mar- garet, who married William Wearman ; Bet- sey, wife of Thomas Follick; Ann; Kate; and Angeline, now Mrs. Terpening.
Mr. and Mrs. Terpening have one son, C. Frederick Terpening, M. D. He completed
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his early education in the graded schools of Middleburg, studied medicine for a year with Dr. Rifenberg, and then entered the Univer- sity Medical College, New York City, class of 1898. After receiving his diploma, he en- tered the Blackwell's Isle Hospital, where he will graduate in 1900.
ARKE C. LEHMAN, of the firm of Lehman Brothers, dealers in general merchandise and farming implements at Argusville, in the town of Carlisle (for- merly a part of Sharon), Schoharie County, N. Y., was born in this place on April 3, 1869, son of Sylvester and Mary Ann (Lane) Lehman.
His great-grandfather Lehman came to America with Burgoyne's army, having crossed the English channel with other Germans, and joined the British soldiery before leaving Eng- land. After arriving in this country he de- serted from the army, and settled in Sharon, where he was one of the first white inhabi- tants. It is related that he wore a metal breastplate which he brought over with him, and that this at one time saved his life by pro- tecting him from a bullet. He remained in Sharon as long as he lived, engaged in farm- ing. Hle spoke only the German tongue.
His son Benjamin, grandfather of Parke C. Lehman, was born here, and always resided here until his death at the age of eighty years. Like his father he was closely identified with the Lutheran church. He worked at his trade of carpenter, and he also farmed to some ex-
tent. Ile settled at what is now known as the Lehman homestead, on which his grandson Charles now resides. This property contained originally three hundred and fifteen acres. Benjamin Lehman built most of the barns and houses in this vicinity. He underwent many hardships. While working at Stone Arabia, some thirteen miles distant, he would rise early in the morning on Monday, travel the whole distance on foot, and be on hand in time for his day's work. On Saturday night he walked home again. During his absences the farm was cared for by his sons, of whom there were four. Each of these upon being married was given a plot of land and a fair start in life. Benjamin Lehman had four wives. His sons were: Stephen, who is the only one now living, Charles, Peter, and Sylvester. Both Charles and Peter were married, and the latter had a family of children. Peter died in Brooklyn, N. Y. Benjamin Lehman spoke the German language and broken English.
Sylvester Lehman, father of Parke C., was a lifelong farmer on his hundred and seventy- five acres, raising mixed crops. He was also engaged to a considerable extent in stock- raising, breeding short-horned cattle, which farmers from all the neighboring towns came to purchase. He was an ardent worker in the church, and held at one time and another nearly all the church offices. Of his family of nine children, the eldest, Jay, died in infancy. The others were as follows: Mary, who is the wife of William Crosby, M. D., of Rochester, Ind. ; Charles, above named, who resides on the Lehman homestead; Jessie, who died at
THOMAS E. FERRIER.
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the age of twenty-six; Romaine, who is a farmer of Sharon, N. Y. ; Sylvester, Jr., who is a member of the firm of Lehman Brothers; Parke, the subject of this article; Ford, who is a student in the classical course at Penn College, Gettysburg ; and Bessie G. Sylves- ter Lehman, Jr., married Kate Allen, daugh- ter of James Allen, of Root, N. Y. Bessie G. Lehman was married in December, 1897, to Lewis C. Berger, of Seward, N. Y.
Parke C. Lehman in his boyhood attended the district schools in company with his brothers and sisters, and subsequently worked out at farming. After saving a small amount of money he went to Albany, where he took a course in the business college. Subsequent to that he was clerk for four years for J. P. Milligan; and at the expiration of that time, or in September, 1893, he formed a partner- ship with his brother Sylvester, and bought out the business of Mr. Milligan. This firm has done a most prosperous business. Their's being the only general merchandise store in Argusville, they have a large trade, and, as their business methods are prompt and thor- oughly honorable, they are popular, and have the fullest confidence of their patrons. Many changes have been made in the store since Lehman Brothers took possession of it.
Parke C. Lehman was appointed Postmaster on May 6, 1898. He had previously served as Deputy Postmaster. In politics he is a Re- publican. Both brothers are Masons and members of Sharon Springs Lodge, No. 624. Both are active in politics, and prominent in church work. Parke C. Lehman is secretary
of the Sunday school and of the church council.
Parke C. Lehman married on June 16, 1898, Miss Lilah Wemple, of Fonda, N. Y., she being a daughter of one of the first families of Montgomery County.
HOMAS E. FERRIER, one of the rep- resentative business men of Catskill, was born in the town of Warwick, Orange County, N. Y., on April 15, 1821, son of Jo- seph and Hannah W. (Edsall) Ferrier. Ac- cording to the best information obtainable his first progenitors in this country were French Huguenots, who during revolutionary or relig- ious disturbances in France emigrated to Ire- land and thence to America.
His great-grandfather was Thomas Ferrier, who was born in 1705, and died in 1792. This Thomas removed from Connecticut to Orange County, New York, settling near Amity. His wife, whose name in maidenhood was HIester Lucky, died in 1796. Their fam- ily consisted of three daughters and one son - Sarah, Hester, Jane, and Robert. Sarah mar- ried David Perkins, Hester married Benja- min Carpenter, and Jane became the wife of William Owens.
Robert Ferrier, who was the grandfather of Thomas E., and who succeeded to the posses- sion of the homestead farm, was born in 1762, and died in 1822. He married Mary Wilcox, said to have been of German ancestry, who was born in 1764, and died in 1836. They had a family of ten children, namely : William, born
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in 1786, who died in 1873; Anna, born in 1788, who died in 1858; Joseph (father of the subject of this sketch), born in 1791, who died in 1871; Thomas, born in 1793, who died in 1839; David, who was born in 1795; Hester, born in 1798, who died in 1889; Elizabeth, who was born in 1800; Robert, born in 1802, who died in 1872; Michael J., who was born in 1805; and Sarah M., born in 1807, who died in 1821, at the age of fourteen years. Will- iam married Ilannah Samons, and settled at Ypsilanti, Mich. Anna married Daniel Nanny, and settled in the town of Warwick, N. Y. Joseph married Hannah W. Edsall, and settled in the town of Warwick, N. Y. Thomas married Sarah Dennison, and settled on the Ferrier homestead. David married Eliza Cain, and settled first in Yates County, New York, whence he removed subsequently to Sunbury, Delaware County, Ohio. Hester became the wife of Samuel Conklin, and settled in Yates County, New York. Elizabeth married David Carr, and settled at Wautage, Sussex County, N. J. Robert married Emily Tobey, and set- tled at Dundee, Yates County, N. Y. Michael J. married Mary Ann Neighbor, and went to reside at Swartswood, Sussex County, N. J.
Joseph Ferrier, who was brought up to agricultural life, settled on a farm adjoining the homestead. His wife, in maidenhood Hannah W. Edsall, was of English ancestry. They reared the following children : John M., born in 1816, married Frances Coleman in 1841, and died in 1843 as the result of an ac- cident. Sarah M., born in 1818, who married Matthew Bailey in 1840, after his death be-
came the wife of James Thompson in 1862, died August 10, 1899. Thomas E., born in 1821, is the subject of this sketch. Louisa, born in 1824, married Cornelius J. Jones in 1845, and after his death married for her sec- ond husband William Walling. She died in 1858. Almira, born in 1827, married Cor- nelius J. Laziar in 1844, and is still living. Edsall, born in 1831, married Anna M. Hum- mel in 1859, and is now one of the faculty of Lafayette College at Easton, Pa. Robert, born in 1835, married Cecelia D. Jones, and died in 1877.
Thomas E. Ferrier when in his fifteenth year left home and went to Edenville, where he remained two and a half years, working in a country store. He then attended the district school for a year, after which he taught school for a year at Bellvale in the town of Warwick. Then, returning home, he was employed dur- ing the summer of 1840 on his father's farm. In the fall of that year he left home for a trip through the West with the view of gaining a knowledge of the country and of possibly find- ing a desirable place in which to settle. Rail- roads were few in those days ; and much or most of his journey was made by steamboat, canal, or stage. Going to Newburg, he trav- elled by steamboat to Albany, and thence to Buffalo by way of the Erie Canal. After spending a day or two at Buffalo and Niagara Falls, he went by steamboat on Lake Erie to Cleveland, Ohio, and thence by canal to Colum- bus, Ohio. Then, after staying a few days with an uncle at Sunbury, he took the stage from Columbus to Dayton, and from there travelled
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by canal to Cincinnati. From that place he went by steamboat on the Ohio River to Louis- ville, Ky., where he stopped for a few days, and then went by boat down the Ohio to the Mississippi and up that river to St. Louis, Mo., in which city he remained for two weeks. From St. Louis he went on up the river to Quincy, Ill., and after looking about in that neighborhood for a week or two he took a school in Pike County, which he taught until the following spring. He then returned home by way of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to Pittsburg, and through Pennsylvania and New Jersey, partly by canal and partly by rail, to New York City, and thence to Newburg by boat, arriving home in April, 1841. He then resumed work on his father's farm, following that occupation during the summer and teach- ing school in the winter in the neighboring school districts. In 1845, when in his twenty- fifth year, he was married to Elizabeth, daugh- ter of John W. and Dorothy Wheeler (Rogers) Vandererf, and settled on a farm of ninety acres, adjoining his father's, which had for- merly formed a part of his grandfather's home . stead. Here he followed an agricultural life for twenty years. Then, selling out, he re- moved to Catskill, N. Y., where, in company with his brother Robert, who had preceded him to that place by about five years, he en- gaged in the manufacture of brick. Shortly afterward they enlarged their sphere of opera- tions by engaging in building in Brooklyn, N. Y., Robert removing to New York to look after their interests there, while Thomas re- mained at Catskill to superintend the manu-
facture and shipping of the bricks. After the great financial panic of 1873, which proved very disastrous to their building operations, Robert returned to Catskill in very poor health, and soon afterward died. Thomas, hav- ing previously purchased his brother's interest in the brickyard and other property, continued to carry on business alone until 1882, when he took his son-in-law, Percival Golden, into part- nership; and the firm has since been conducted under the name of Ferrier & Golden. Mr. Ferrier has been a director of the Catskill National Bank for the last twenty years or more, and is now vice-president of that institution. He is president of the Catskill Building and Loan Association and treasurer of the Catskill Rural Cemetery Association. He is also largely interested in the Catskill Knitting Mill, owning a three-eighths interest, which concern, one of the largest and most important in the town, gives employment to from one hundred and fifty to one hundred and sixty hands.
Mr. Ferrier is a Republican in politics. In 1885 he was elected Supervisor of the town, and, being subsequently re-elected to the same office, served therein for five years. He also was elected County Treasurer, in which office he served three years, declining a renomination on account of advancing age, he being then in his seventy-fifth year. In religion a Presbyte- rian, he has been for a number of years a trus- tee and Elder of the church of that denomina- tion in Catskill. His reputation is that of a business man of more than average ability and of the strictest integrity, and also that of a cit-
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izen who has rendered useful service to the town and whose aid and influence can always be counted upon in favor of any practical meas- ures for the moral or physical betterment of the community.
Mr. and Mrs. Ferrier have been the parents of three children, namely : Hannah Elizabeth, born in May, 1849, who married in 1872 Iliram W. Lane, and has one child, Herbert A. Lane, born in 1870; Willis Wentworth, born in October, 1850, who died in 1871, as the result of an accident ; and Mary Wheeler, born in 1854, who married Percival Golden in 1875, and has had four children -- lizzie F. Golden, born in 1876, who died in 1885, Wil- lis P. Golden, born in 1882, May Marshall and Mabel French Golden, twins, born in 1887.
6 OANI DIBBLE WEST, a well-known apiarist of Middleburg, N. Y., is one of the largest honey producers of Schoharie County and with but two excep- tions the largest in the entire State, if not in the Union. He was born March 5, 1845, in the neighboring town of Gilboa, the birth- place of his father, David West, Jr. Ilis great-grandfather West, who came, it is be- lieved from England, was one of the original settlers of Gilboa, whither he removed from Connecticut in Colonial times, coming here when the country was a wooded wilderness and rearing the small log cabin in which he and his family first found shelter.
David West, Sr., the grandfather of Noah D., spent the larger part of his threescore and
ten years in Gilboa, where he was one of the leading farmers and a citizen of influence. Possessing considerable legal knowledge, he transacted law business to some extent for his neighbors, by whom he was highly esteemed. At his death he left his widow, whose maiden name was Rachel Ward, with four children - Orman West, Julia Ann, David, and William. She subsequently married again, and by her second husband, George Hughson, had four sons - John C., George, Cephas, and Robert. John C. Hughson left home at the early age of sixteen years, and after working out for a few years he became interested in the lumber busi- ness. He died a millionaire.
David West, Jr., was born September 27, 1813, and died June 12, 1883. Ile was reared on a farm, and was engaged in agricultural pursuits to a greater or less extent during his entire life. Having a natural aptitude for mechanics, he also worked at the carpenter's trade in his early manhood. Purchasing a tract of woodland, he cleared a space, on which he built his first dwelling, and in a few years he erected a fine set of other frame buildings. Thereafter he attended to the cultivation of his land until his death, at the age of sixty-nine.
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