Biographical review : this volume contains biographical sketches of the leading citizens of Delaware County, New York, Part 46

Author: Biographical Review Publishing Company, Boston, pub
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Boston : Biographical Review Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 744

USA > New York > Delaware County > Biographical review : this volume contains biographical sketches of the leading citizens of Delaware County, New York > Part 46

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25, 1845, on the American bark "Rosalba," which was commanded by Captain Tilton, a fine sailor and a noble man. They sailed for Montevideo, and were seventy-five days out of sight of land, being becalmed in the vicinity of the equatorial line. After making one or two stops on the Brazilian coast, Mr. Fry arrived in Montevideo in July, 1845. He returned to the States in November, 1872, and went from New York to St. Augustine, Fla., whence he came back to Sidney in 1879.

While sojourning in Montevideo, Mr. Fry wooed and won as his bride Jeannie Wield Birrell, their nuptials being solemnized May 15, 1848. Mrs. Fry was born in Dumfries, Scotland, May 6, 1821, being a daughter of John and Amelia (Halley) Birrell, both of whom were natives of Gretna Green, Scotland. Returning to Delaware County, Mr. and Mrs. Fry settled in the village of Sidney, where they are living in comfort, enjoying the es- teem and friendship of a large circle of ac- quaintances.

ILLIAM H. BARLOW, a prosper- ous and intelligent farmer of Dela- ware County, was born May 7, 1834, in Stamford, where his grandfather, Edmund Barlow, a native of Fairfield, Conn., was an early settler. He was interested in various occupations, being able to turn his hand to almost anything with gratifying re- sults. He died January 18, 1825, and his wife on June I of the same year. Their son Samuel, the father of William H., was born in Stamford, August 31, 1798, and was twice two children, Betsey Louise and Ellen Maria,

married. His first wife, Maria Squire, had both of whom have passed away; and she died January 17, 1828. His second wife was Betsey Rolins, who became the mother of four children, namely: Roswell, born March IO, 1830, and died May 18, 1833; Abigail, born March 30, 1832, and died May 23, 1858; William H., of whom this sketch is written; Edmund W., born December 16, 1837, and died September 12, 1857. Samuel Barlow was a successful farmer, owning three hun- dred acres of land at the time of his death, which occurred May 4, 1884. He was a

member of the Episcopal church at Hobart, and politically a Democrat. His wife died March 15, 1870.

William Barlow, after receiving the best education afforded by the district schools, gave his attention to farming, and lived at home until the death of his parents. On No- vember 29, 1859, he married Miss Sarah E. Carroll, who was born in Roxbury, March 26, 1840, a daughter of Enos and Anna Carroll. Her father was born in Dutchess County. Having grown to manhood, he engaged in farming in Roxbury, where he was married. He died December 1I, 1874, at the age of seventy-six years; and his wife passed away May 30, 1893, in her ninety-third year. They were the parents of five children, namely: John Carroll, of Roxbury; Angeline, also of Roxbury; Sarah E., wife of Mr. Bar- low; Samuel B. and Abbie, both of whom are dead.

Mr. Barlow succeeded to the ownership of the old homestead, where he resided until 1888, when he moved to his present place of two hundred and sixty acres. Including the old farm, he is now the possessor of five hun- dred and sixty acres. His time is devoted to farming, and he sells the milk from eighty cows. He is the father of six children. The eldest, Annie E., born January 29, 1861, is the wife of William B. Smith, of Bovina. Ella A., born April 7, 1862, is the wife of Daniel Craft, of Jefferson, Schoharie County. Ward S., born December 1, 1863, is married to Lizzie Puffer, and is engaged in black- smithing in Hobart. Frank C., born May 12, 1876, Fred W., born December 12, 1877, and Abbie M., who was born October 31, 1880, reside with their parents.

Mr. Barlow is one of the most extensive farmers in this vicinity, and a highly re- spected citizen, liberal in religious views, and in politics voting with the Democratic party.

TEPHEN LYON, a retired wagon manufacturer of the town of Walton, Delaware County, N. Y., is a man who has by his own unwearying efforts succeeded in accumulating a comfort-

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able fortune, and, what is still more com- mendable, is also one who bears an untarnished reputation as a thoroughly conscientious, up- right citizen. Mr. Lyon was born in Stamford, N.Y., on April 9, 1825. His grandfather, Walter Lyon, was born in that town, January 28, 1769, son of Seth and Mary Lyon, of Connecticut, and died March 19, 1819. Burr Lyon, the father of the subject of this sketch, was one of the nine children of Walter Lyon, and was born in Stamford, De- cember 2, 1795, and died in Walton in 1867. He married Melinda Churchill; and they were the parents of nine children, namely : Stephen; John, born October 30, 1826; Will- iam S., born October 5, 1828; Walter B., born December 1, 1830; Giles W., born Feb- ruary II, 1833, a carpenter by trade, who died in Walton, April 3, 1894, leaving one daugh- ter, Cora; Ann Eliza, born May 23, 1835, widow of William Elijah, who died October 19, 1869; Mary M., born May 1, 1840, and died October 3, 1881 ; George A., born Jan- uary 1, 1844; and Elijah, born January 24, 1838, and died in 1862. The last-named was one of the first volunteers of 1861, having en- listed in the One Hundred and Forty-fourth Volunteer Infantry, where he had reached the rank of Sergeant, with every indication of future promotion. But he died at Folly Island, a victim to typhoid fever, and there rests in a soldier's grave, a brave man who gave his life in the service of his country. His death cast a gloom over the whole com- munity, who sympathized with his family in their great bereavement.

Stephen Lyon was brought up on his father's farm, and attended the district school, later entering the high school of Walton, where he remained one year. After this, in 1847, he started out in life on his own respon- sibility, being employed by contractors in clearing the land and making it ready for cul- tivation. After his marriage he settled on his farm of two hundred and forty acres in Broome County, where he remained for four- teen years, when he came to his present home, occupying the same house in which he now lives. For twenty-three years, up to March, 1894, he here engaged in the manufacture of wagons, in which occupation he was emi-

nently successful, always giving satisfaction to his many patrons.

In 1854 Mr. Lyon married Julia Hoyt, of Walton, who became the mother of three chil- dren, two of whom, a son and a daughter, lived to reach maturity. The son, Melvern Lyon, M. D., was graduated from a Philadel- phia medical school, and is now a physician at Absecon, N.J. By his wife, Hannah Crosby, he has had two sons, only one of whom is now living, the other having died in infancy. The daughter, Myrtie, with her husband, Robert Berray, and two sons - Ken- neth, three years old, and Frederick, a young babe - resides at the parental home. Mrs. Lyon has been in delicate health during the last few years, and is now visiting her son in New Jersey.

Mr. Lyon is a consistent Republican, being an ardent supporter of the platform of that party, and has held some minor offices under that organization. He and his wife are both devout and interested members of the Congre- gational church of Walton, taking an active part in its religious and social affairs. A just, reliable, noble-principled man, he holds an exalted position in the esteem of his many friends, and is regarded by his townsmen as a valuable citizen, who is ever interested in good government and the welfare of the people.

EORGE W. ALLISON, a carpenter and well-known citizen of Cook's Falls, Delaware County, was born at Liberty Falls, Sullivan County, N. Y., July 21, 1830. His father, James Allison, who was born in Scotland, and was a carpenter and millwright, settled in the town of Liberty, and built a mill on Campbell Brook. He also built a number of other mills in Sullivan County. He married Lucinda Divine, to whom four boys were born, namely: Philo, who died in the late war; James, Jr., who died in 1869; Bradly H., who married C. Baxter, after whose death he married Juliet Cook, and now resides in Cook's Falls, Col- chester; and George, the subject of this sketch. Mr. James Allison died at Liberty Falls, December, 1830, while in the prime of

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life, leaving his wife and four children, the youngest of whom, George, was a mere infant. Mrs. Lucinda Allison died at Colchester when sixty-two years of age. She was a member of the Presbyterian church.

George W. Allison grew to manhood in Liberty Falls, spending his time working on various farms. He bought property in Gra- hamsville, Sullivan County, and, following the carpenter's trade, lived there for fifteen years. He then purchased a farm near Cook's Falls, and engaged in its cultivation, also spending some time at his trade. His next move was to the village of Cook's Falls, where he has since resided.

At the age of twenty-three he married Jane M., daughter of Henry and Catherine (Black) Porter, who lived at Grahamville, Sullivan County. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Porter had a family of seven children -- Elizabeth, Nancy, Abbie, Gideon, Jane M., Jeanette, and Ira. Mr. Porter was a prosperous farmer, and lived to a good old age. Mr. and Mrs. Allison have four children: Ida, born September 23, 1856, who married Alexander Sparks, a truck- man of Middletown, N. Y .; Emma B., born in October, 1862, who married Henry Dekay, and has two children; Anna, who was born April 14, 1866, and married John Healy, freight agent at Middletown, N. Y .; and Clar- ence, born August 17, 1870, who now lives in Rockland, and is a quarryman.

Mr. Allison has held many positions of trust, among them being that of Justice of Peace, which he has ably filled for twelve years, and Justice of Sessions, Commissioner of Highways, and Postmaster, which latter office he has held since February 3, 1894. He is at present a Notary Public. He is a Democrat in politics, and is highly respected by all his fellow-citizens. In the social fra- ternities he is a member of the A. F. & A. M. and I. O. R. M.

TEPHEN RUSSELL, of whom this sketch is intended to be a brief me- moir, was born to his parents in Bo- vina on the twenty-sixth day of January 1824. His father, James Russell, was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1790;

and his mother, Margaret (Brice) Russell, was also a native of Scotland. The grand- father of Stephen Russell, and the founder of this branch of the Russell family in America, was William Russell, a Scotch farmer who came to America in 1800, and settled in Bo- vina, N.Y., where a grandson, Andrew T., brother of Stephen, now resides.

The two hundred acres of ground purchased by the emigrant was forest land; and the abundance of deer, bears, wolves, and small game gave food to the settlers, and furnished skins for traffic in the Catskill market, sixty- two miles distant. The nearest mill was six miles away from the log house of the emi- grant, who would shoulder the grist, and walk the distance when the bread supply became nearly exhausted and the housewife clamored for flour. Life in the primitive new settle- ment, though hard and rough, was healthful; and William Russell lived to be ninety-five years old. The husband and wife followed the faith of their fathers, and lived and died in the faith of the Presbyterian church. Their five children are all now dead.

James Russell, the father of Stephen, grew up in Bovina, and was educated in the primi- tive schools of that early period. He was a successful farmer, a prominent man among his neighbors, and a member of the Reformed Presbyterian church. Stephen Russell re- ceived his education from the masters in the district school, and lived on his father's farm until he was twenty-one years old. He then went to work for a Mr. William Thompson, with whom he remained nearly two years. His first year's earnings netted him the meagre sum of one hundred and eighty dol- lars. His employer raised his wages during the last nine months of his service; but Stephen Russell had decided to learn a trade which would insure him a competence, and so became a blacksmith under an apprenticeship with Andrew Craig. As soon as he felt him- self sufficiently well skilled in his craft, he set up a shop for himself in the village. Here the stroke of his anvil sounded through days of shine and storm; for the smith was an industrious man, and found much work to do. After nine years, however, he sold his shop, and bought a small farm of sixty acres, which

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he has enlarged by recent additions to its present proportions, two hundred and nine acres. Here he has established a dairy farm, and keeps a herd of fifty-five milk cows, whose average yearly weight of butter is two hundred and seventy-five pounds. He has the latest and best machinery for butter-making, and takes the deepest interest in his dairy, which is one of the largest in Bovina.

On November II, 1850, he was united in wedlock to Mary Armstrong, a native of Bo- vina. Mrs. Russell's father was born in Washington County, New York, and came to Bovina when the town was in its first stage of development. The mother of Mary Arm- strong was a Scotch woman. The Armstrongs were members of the United Presbyterian church, and certainly fulfilled the Biblical in- junction to "multiply and replenish the earth "; for out of a family of twelve children ten grew to maturity. Six of them are now living, namely: John Armstrong, a resident of California; Francis, who lives at the old homestead in Bovina; Elsie, Mrs. David Oliver; Mrs. Mary Russell; Margaret, Mrs. Walter A. Doig; and Ellen J., Mrs. John J. Foster, the latter a resident of Washington County.

To Stephen and Mary Russell seven chil- dren have been born, as follows: James, born December 5, 1851; John A., born June 19, 1854; Francis, born May 26, 1857; Mar- garet, born February 6, 1861; William J., February 17, 1867; Edwin D., born October 26, 1869; Henry George, born May 15, 1872. The parents of this family are in the folds of the Christian faith, being members of the Reformed Presbyterian church. Mr. Russell takes no part in politics, but gives his undi- vided attention to his work. His hospitality and geniality make him a favorite in the locality in which he lives; and his butter, cream, and milk are well known to the epi- cures of Delaware County.

LEXANDER McFARLANE and his brother, Gilbert McFarlane, intelli- gent and thriving farmers of the town of Hamden, are the owners of two fine and well-appointed farms, aggregat-

ing two hundred and twelve acres, pleasantly located in school district No. 12. They live together on the old homestead, where Gilbert, who is the elder, was born in the year 1825, and Alexander on August 7, 1830. These brothers are of pure Scotch blood, being sons of Malcom and Sarah (Crawford) McFarlane, who were natives of Scotland, the date of the birth of the father being 1790.

Soon after their marriage this couple emi- grated to the United States, in company with the bride's parents, Peter and Jennie (Mc- Naught) Crawford. They sailed from Glas- gow in 1820, and were six weeks on the water before reaching New York City. They very soon came to this county, settling at first in Bovina, and afterward removing to Hamden, where Mr. Crawford bought two hundred acres of land. After working on that for about three years, Mr. and Mrs. McFarlane bought one hundred acres of wild land, which is now included in the property of their sons. Mr. Barrus, an early settler, had here built a small frame or board house, filled in with sticks and mud; and in this house, to which some additions were made, twelve children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Malcom McFar- lane, seven sons and five daughters. Three sons and five daughters grew to adult life, and of these the sons and three of the daughters are now living. Malcom, the third son, is a resident of California, whither he went as soon as he attained his majority, in 1858, journeying across the plains. On his arrival there he engaged in mining for a while, but afterward became a hotel-keeper. One of the daughters, Janet, the wife of Lewis Launt, a farmer, lives in Hamden. Rebecca, the wife of Jeremiah Wilson, a farmer, lives in Sulli- van County; and Isabelle, the widow of Will- iam H. Beers, resides in DeLancey. Neither of the parents is now living, the father hav- ing departed this life in September, 1849, in the sixtieth year of his age, and the mother following him some four years later. They were very successful in their agricultural pur- suits, and, in addition to improving their first purchase, bought more land. At the time of their decease the homestead property con- tained two hundred and ten acres, with a good

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deal of standing timber. They were very up- right and religious people, although members of no church, and observed Saturday as a day of rest.

The maternal grandparents of the sub- ject of this brief record, Peter and Jennie (McNaught) Crawford, reared three sons and three daughters; namely, Daniel, Gilbert, Peter, Sarah, Katie, and Jennie. Daniel, de- ceased, was married, and his widow resides in Hamden. Gilbert was a Presbyterian minis- ter. Peter, who came to this country five years after the arrival of his parents, walked from Catskill to Delhi, a distance of sixty- eight miles, in one day. He was a carpenter by trade, and his first work in Delaware County was on the Delhi court-house. He next pursued his vocation in the city of Buf- falo, and there wooed and won his bride. After living there about fifteen years, he traded his Buffalo property for five hundred acres of wild land in Hamden; and this he sold in 1837, and removed to Chicago. He took up one hundred and sixty acres, just out- side the city limits; and during his residence there he acquired a large property, which at the time of his decease was divided among his three sons and one daughter.

Alexander McFarlane and his brother Gil- bert are as skilful and scientific farmers as can be found in this locality, exercising good judgment, and being highly prosperous in all their undertakings. Their farm is divided into fields and lots by about one thousand rods of substantial stone walls, and is well sup- plied with all the modern implements and machinery necessary for carrying on general husbandry. Alexander obtained his education in the district school, and at the age of twenty-one years hired himself out as a farm laborer at thirteen dollars a month, working eight months in the year. He learned the mason's trade soon after leaving home, and has continued to follow this in conjunction with farming ever since. He helped to build the Delhi branch of the New York, Ontario & Western Railway, and was also employed on many of the buildings in this locality. He began early as a steady man of work, and is still an energetic toiler, both he and his excellent wife, who has been his faithful help-

mate, possessing great mental and physical vigor.

On October 14, 1852, he was united in marriage to Abby J. Launt, who was born in Hamden in 1833. She is of German an- cestry, being a daughter of Philip and Almira (Reeves) Launt, the former of whom died April 30, 1880, aged seventy-four years, leav- ing a widow and seven children, all of whom are now living, Mrs. McFarlane being the eldest child. Seven sons and five daughters have been born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. McFarlane, and of these two sons and two daughters are now living. Philip M., a farmer in Hamden, married Anna Seaman; and they have one daughter. Jessie, the wife of James Wilson, lives in DeLancey. John, a farmer, married Maggie McLaury, and re- sides in Hamden. Almira, a young lady of eighteen years, lives with her parents, and, being well versed in the domestic arts, is her mother's able assistant. Nettie, who married Wilbur Coe, died in 1889, aged twenty-seven years, leaving one son, Alexander Coe, now tenderly cared for by his grandparents.

Mr. McFarlane and his family are members of the United Presbyterian church at De- Lancey. Politically, both he and his brother Gilbert, who is a man of great intelligence and well informed on all current topics, are firm Republicans. Alexander has served as Collector two years, as Assessor three years, and as Road Commissioner two years. Their brother John, at the time of his death, was Supervisor of the town.

RCHIBALD FALCONER MAY- NARD is a wealthy and influential farmer in Bovina, Delaware County, and belongs to a family absolutely identified with the history and welfare of this gilt-edged town. Bovina was organized on the first Tuesday of March, 1820, the earliest town-meeting being held in the inn kept by John Hastings, two miles from the centre, on land still known as the Hastings farm. The first town Superintendents and Justices were Elisha B. Maynard and Thomas Landon. The place was settled chiefly by the Scotch, thrifty, industrious, God-fearing people, de-

A. F. MAYNARD.

MRS JENNIE I. MAYNARD.

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voted to the Presbyterian church, United or Reformed. They early gave their chief at- tention to dairy products, in which they now stand at the head of the county. Indeed, its very name, Bovina, coming from the Latin word for cow, indicates the main characteris- tics of the town - still one of the very small- est in the county, though at the same time one of the richest. Temperance prevails, and not a liquor license has been granted for a long time. Partly as a result of this policy, there is not a pauper in the community. Tennis Lake takes its name from the friendly Indian, who lived near it on the Doig farm. The first mail was opened on January 27, 1821, on the shore of Lake Livingston, and the office was called Fish Lake. Thomas Landon was the first Postmaster. Of course, the place had been settled some thirty years previous to its separation into a township; and in 1796 the first mill was erected by Stephen Palmer for Governor Morgan Lewis, who was interested in the settlement of the vicinity. The first marriage was between James Russell and Nancy Richie. The first Supervisor was Thomas Landon. The Hastings family in- troduced Jersey cattle, now to be found on every acre; and to the culture of this breed special attention is still given by J. E. Hast- ings and W. L. Ruff.

The Maynards are of English descent, the first immigrants of the name coming to Amer- ica about the beginning of the eighteenth century, and settling in Westchester County, New York, in the town of Rye. The grand- father of the subject of this sketch was Elisha B. Maynard, who came to this region between 1790 and 1792, with two yokes of oxen and a cart, and settled on Maynard Brook. The first birth in the settlement was that of one of his sons, Elisha H. Maynard, in 1793. Pio- neer Maynard followed the Indian trail, set- tling in this valley because it took his fancy, and purchasing the hundred and fifty acres still constituting the Maynard farm. He built his log cabin, and cleared his land, passing his life in hard work, active in every- thing pertaining to the welfare of the town. In this homestead were born most of his twelve children, five boys and seven girls, all of whom have passed away. The patriarch

was very liberal in his religious views, and was a soldier in the War of 1812. In his latter years he inoved back to Westchester County to the old Maynard homestead, where he died at a good old age.

One of his sons, the father of the subject of this sketch, was Isaac Maynard. He, of course, grew up on the farm, and went to the district school. Being studious by nature, he also studied by himself, giving special at- tention to law, so that he was abundantly able to fill the office of Justice of Peace for a quarter century, though his life business was farming, in which he was assisted by his sons. His marriage took place on January 22, 1824; and his wife was Jane Falconer, born September 9, 1797. Through her the subject of this sketch came by his first name, as she was the daughter of Archibald Falconer, who was born in Scotland, and came to this country in 1795. For a while Mr. Falconer lived in New York City, and then removed to Stamford, Delaware County, where he died in 1842. Isaac Maynard and his wife had five children, of whom four are now living: Elisha B., a Bovina farmer; Elsprit F., de- ceased, was the wife of A. H. Johnston, now of Hamden; Archibald Falconer; Esther, the wife of Edward Combs, a Delaware farmer; and Judge Isaac H. Maynard, a resident of Stamford, who has an office in Albany, a man whose public career has of late years excited so much attention. The father of these chil- dren lived to the advanced age of eighty-two, and then was killed by a runaway horse. In religious views he was liberal, like his father, and in politics he was a Democrat; his wife who died at the age of seventy, was a Prcs- byterian.

Archibald F. Maynard was born on the homestead where he still lives, on November 14, 1829. He takes pride in the condition of this ancestral farm, unchanged in area, though it has kept up with the times in adopting the latest methods. Archibald attended the dis- trict school, and felt it a duty and privilege to remain at home and care for his parents when they nceded his help; but he did not marry till June 2, 1875, when over forty-five years of age. His wife was Jennie Isabel Cowan, born in Stamford, January 29, 1849.

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Biographical review : this volume contains biographical sketches of the leading citizens of Delaware County, New York, Part 46

Author: Biographical Review Publishing Company, Boston, pub Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Boston : Biographical Review Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 744

Author: Biographical Review Publishing Company, Boston, pub
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Boston : Biographical Review Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 744