Biographical review : this volume contains biographical sketches of the leading citizens of Delaware County, New York, Part 62

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 62

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Mr. Rosa is a Prohibitionist from the Re- publican ranks, and has held several offices in the party whose principles he upholds. Like his grandfather and father, he is a true Meth- odist, having been converted when but twenty years of age, since which time he has been a prominent helper in the good cause as Sun- day-school superintendent and class leader, which latter position he still holds. In this good work he has been materially aided by his faithful wife, who is ever ready to minis- ter to the need of those less fortunate than herself. Mr. Rosa is a man of most estima- ble character, who has the satisfaction of being thoroughly appreciated by those for whom he has labored so faithfully and so long; and he holds an exalted position in the esteem of the community for whose higher in- terests he is constantly striving.

ILLIAM H. WILSON, one of Col- chester's well - to - do farmers, was born June 25, 1851, and was the son of Ephraim J. and Ann Eliza (Young) Wilson. Ephraim was born February 27, 1819, and was the son of James C. and Sarah (Rumsey) Wilson. James C. was born in 1778, the son of Isaac, and grandson of Joseph Wilson, who came from Wales, and settled on the Hudson River with his wife and child, there making his home until he was killed by the Indians.

Isaac Wilson was married in Dutchess County, and started for Delaware County with horse, wagon, and two cows. The journey was a perilous one, there being no roads like those of the present day, but merely an Ind-

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ian trail, the loss of which meant bewilder- ment in dense woods. Great fortitude and a brave heart were needed to overcome the many difficulties in the way; and it was after many of these that Mr. Wilson finally settled on a farm of two hundred acres, now known as Wilson Hollow. A covered wagon was their only dwelling for a season, and their only food game, berries, and the milk of one cow, the other having been killed by an accident after their arrival. A log house was at length built, which served them far better when the cold storms of winter came; and some grain was raised, not in very large quantities, but enough for their own use. Later, as the times improved, more modern buildings were erected, and a comfortable home made for the family. In the great struggle for American freedom which began in 1775, Mr. Wilson served as an Ensign. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Wilson had these children, namely: James C., born in 1778; Peter, born in 1780; Addie, born in 1783; Jane, born in 1787; Elizabeth, born in 1793; Eleanor, born in 1798; An- drew, born in 1800; Charles, born in 1803; and Nancy, born in 1806.

James C. Wilson was a hard-working, sagacious farmer, and accumulated much prop- erty, at one time owning four hundred acres. This he eventually sold to his son Hiram, and, leaving the old home, moved to Downs- ville, where he died when a very old man, ninety-six years of age. His wife, however,; died on the farm. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wil- son were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics he was a Democrat. They raised a family of ten children - Peter, Hiram, Ephraim J., Isaac, Eleanor, Andrew, George, Rachel, Jeanette, and Jerusha.

Ephraim J. was the third son of J. C. Wil- son, and spent his childhood and youth on the home farm, assisting his father in the work, and attending the district school in its season. Later he engaged in lumbering in connection with his farm work; and, when he had saved eight hundred dollars from his earnings, he bought from Lawrence Carr fifty acres of land known as the George Dann farm. He then sought for himself a partner in life, and mar- ried Eliza, daughter of William and Sarah Young, and one of a family of nine children

- Samuel, Enoch, Charles, Elizabeth, Syl- via, Ann Eliza, Cornelia, Sarah, and Mary. William Young was a farmer in a neighbor- ing town, and met his death by an accident in a saw-mill. Mrs. Young died on the farm.

After his marriage Ephraim J. Wilson engaged very extensively in the lumber busi- ness, sending the lumber down the river to the Philadelphia market, where it brought a good price. He reared a family of eight chil- dren, namely: Estella, born July 16, 1845, died August 5, 1852; Augustus, born March 8, 1847, died November 10, 1851; Helen, born December 19, 1849, married in October, 1890, to Joseph Boileau, a farmer and carpen- ter; William H., the subject of this sketch; Eugene Chester, born November 13, 1853, a conductor, who married in 1874 Mary A. Sig- nor; Herman A., born October 17, 1861, a farmer, who married Belle White; Sarah A., born June 2, 1864, married to James C. Loos, a farmer; George E., born in 1869, who mar- ried Ann Eliza Jennings. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ephraim J. Wilson were members of the Methodist Episcopal church; and he was a good Democrat until the day of his death, Oc- tober 23, 1873.

William H. Wilson was born on the old homestead upon which he now resides, and received his early education at the district schools of the town, afterward attending the Walton Academy for one term. As a young man he was a very good scholar; and for eleven terms he taught school, but finally gave this up, and devoted himself to farming and lumbering. July 3, 1873, he married Hannah M., daughter of James and Lois (Lindsley) Holley, the father being a farmer with a family of two children. His son, William Holley, married Jennie Hull, and lives at Cleaver, on Loomis Brook. Lois, the wife of James Holley, died in 1854; and James then married Elizabeth Moore, with whom he resides in Walton. Mr. and Mrs. William H. Wilson have had seven children, as follows: Frank H., born February 16, 1874; Walter H., born November 18, 1875; James E., born June 19, 1877; Melvin A., born May II, 1879, who died May 9, 1881; Earl H., born August 10, 1885; and Herman and Sherman, born June 2, 1888.

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In 1887 Mr. Wilson bought the old home- stead, and since that time has increased it so that he now owns three hundred and forty acres. He has erected one of the finest barns in the surrounding country, it being three stories high, with all modern conveniences, and accommodations for over forty head of cattle. Here he keeps a fine stock of graded Guernseys, having one registered Guernsey at the head, making his probably the most select and best dairy in the town of Colchester. He also has many fine work horses, and keeps a few of the Cotswold sheep. In his various undertakings Mr. Wilson has shown marked ability, close application, and perseverance, all of which have brought him success and the respect of his fellow-citizens. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are members of the Methodist Episco- pal church at Downsville, and he is a Demo- crat in politics.

R. RUTSON RUDOLPH LEON- ARD is a well-known and skilful physician, and the leading druggist of the village of Bloomville, in the town of Kortright. He was born June 3, 1868, at Broome Centre, Schoharie County, where his father, Dr. Duncan M. Leonard, is an eminent physician, and the oldest repre- sentative of the medical profession in the place, and with one exception the oldest in the county. Rutson R. Leonard is, on his father's side, of German extraction, and comes of illustrious ancestry. His great-grand- father, John Leonard Swatzbauer, was a noted general in the German army. He was the first representative of the family in America, where the surname of Swatzbauer was dropped, and he was called simply John Leonard. He was one of the first settlers of Roxbury, N. Y., which was then known only as Beaver Dam. He was a man of means; and here he bought land, and became a successful farmer. He lived to a good old age. His son, Henry Leonard, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born near Black River in or near Vermont. He devoted himself to agriculture, and spent his entire manhood in Roxbury, where he died at the great age of ninety years. He was the father of nine sons, five

of whom became physicians, and three daugh- ters. Nine of the family are still living. These children were: Peter Leonard, a farmer living in the town of Sidney; John Leonard, a farmer and retired physician in East Worcester, Otsego County; William Leonard, a doctor in Worcester, Otsego County; Daniel Leonard, a farmer in Greene County; Dr. Duncan M. Leonard; Asa Leonard, living in Triangle Town, Broome County; Salina, wife of J. Rudolph Hamma, a farmer, living in Roxbury; Lucy, wife of John Weckel, a miller in Roxbury ; Mary, wife of Christopher John Enderlin, a blacksmith in Roxbury ; George Leonard, a physician, no longer liv- ing; Samuel Leonard, a farmer, not living; and Charles Leonard, also deceased. It has long been a common remark that the family of Henry Leonard were "physicians by birth." Their mother was accustomed to spend a great deal of her time with the sick, being nearly always called before any doctor. She was a native of Fairfield, Conn. Her maiden name was Hull, and she was known as "Aunt Huldah."

Duncan M. Leonard, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in 1837, in the town of Roxbury, where his boyhood was spent. He was graduated at the Castleton Medical College in Vermont, and soon after taking his degree came to Broome Centre, where he is still established as a physician. His first wife was Vashtie McHench, who was born in Broome Centre, Schoharie County, in 1828. They reared a family of four children, all of whom are living. The eldest, Emma R. Leonard, of Bloomville, Delaware County, was born October 12, 1860. Frances A., wife of Frank B. Mackey, of Cobleskill, Schoharie County, was born in 1863. Ursula J., the wife of Dr. Christopher S. Best, of Middleburg, Schoharie County, was born in April, 1866. Their mother died June 4, 1877, at the age of forty-nine. In January, 1879, Dr. Leonard married Emma J. Mc- Hench, a sister of his first wife. Dr. Duncan Leonard is one of the leading men of his pro- fession in this part of the country, and has led a life of exceptional usefulness. He has been President of the Schoharie County Medi- cal Society, and nearly a half-hundred stu-

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dents have graduated under his instruction. He is a member of the regular Baptist church, and in politics is independent. Though he started in life in debt for his education and for the horse and saddlebags with which he made his daily rounds among his patients, he is to-day one of the wealthy men of his town, and is the owner of eight hundred acres of land.

Rutson Rudolph Leonard, fourth and young- est child of Dr. Duncan M. Leonard, grew to manhood in Broome Centre, the town of Gil- boa, Schoharie County. He first attended the district school, and then the normal select school in Broome Centre. Then he spent one year as a student at each of the follow- ing-named institutions: Stamford Seminary, Starkey Seminary and College, Hartwick Seminary. After leaving Hartwick Seminary, he began the study of medicine at the New York University Medical College, where he was graduated in March, 1890. He also stud- ied for a time in the medical department of the University of Vermont, spending in all nine years as a medical student. In July, 1890, he came to Bloomville, and established himself as a physician and druggist. October 12, 1893, he married Jessie A. Henderson, daughter of James and Nancy (McNeilly) Henderson, born in Kortright, May 3, 1866. Her grandparents were George and Eliza (Smith) Henderson, both born in this country.

George Henderson was an early settler in the town of Kortright, where he owned and tilled a farm of about one hundred and fifty acres. He was a worthy, industrious man, a member of the United Presbyterian church. In politics he was a Democrat. Of their children, twelve in all, five are still liv- ing, namely: Robert Henderson, in Kansas; William and Samuel Henderson, in Kort- right; Harvey Henderson, in Kansas; and Anna, the wife of Robert Rice, of Harpers- field. The father died on his farm at seventy years of age. His wife departed this life when about sixty-eight. Their son James, the father of Mrs. Leonard, was born in Kort- right, June 4, 1822, and grew to manhood on his father's farm. He improved his opportu- nities at the district school so well that he became a teacher. After spending several years as a schoolmaster, he became a farmer

and stock dealer, in which line he was very successful. September 12, 1853, he married Nancy McNeilly, a daughter of Andrew and Eliza (Morrow) McNeilly, born in Down County, Ireland, February 5, 1830.

Andrew McNeilly came to America with his family in 1841, and settled as a farmer in the town of Harpersfield, in Delaware County. Here he remained fifteen years. Then he sold his farm, and moved to Kortright, where his last years were spent at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henderson. It was not until the great age of eighty-nine was reached that he departed this life; but his wife had been taken away many years before, when about fifty-two. Mr. McNeilly was an Elder in the Presbyterian church, and his wife was a mem- ber of the same religious organization. Seven of their children are still living. Their en- tire family consisted of nine boys and girls, namely: Mrs. William Hazlett, of East Mere- dith; Mrs. Andrew Gibson, of Davenport; Mrs. James Rowland, of West Kortright; Mrs. Michael SexSmith, of Kortright Centre; Mrs. Henry SexSmith, deceased, late of Wal- ton; Mrs. Henderson; Adam McNeilly, of California; Mrs. John Wilsey, of Iowa; and William McNeilly, who met with an accident which proved fatal, when he was thirteen years old.

Mr. Henderson's residence was known as "the White House," because it was the first so painted in Kortright. Mr. Henderson bought his first land in the town of Kortright, where at the time of his death he possessed five hundred acres, and had at one time owned eight hundred. In 1874 he moved to the farm where his last days were spent; and his death took place November 29, 1890, when he was about sixty-eight. He was a man of great energy and industry, and very successful in business. He was a member of the Pres- byterian church at West Kortright, of which his wife is also a communicant. In politics he was a Republican. The home farm, con- sisting of three hundred acres, is still carried on in the most successful manner by his widow. She has a fine dairy, where the best of butter is made, and keeps a herd of thirty graded cattle. In all respects her farm is in excellent condition, and her home is most

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comfortable and attractive. Mr. Henderson was the father of ten children, nine of whom are still living. William Henderson, now in Iowa, was the only child of the first mar- riage, his mother being Nancy Harkness, who lived but a short time. Andrew Henderson died at one year of age. Andrew M. Hender- son lives at North Kortright. Emma E. is the wife of Howard Mitchell, of East Mere- dith. George Henderson is in Colorado. John Henderson lives in East Meredith. Jessie A. is the wife of the subject of this sketch. James M. Henderson is in Kort- right. C. Irving Henderson and M. Florence Henderson live at home.

Dr. Rutson Rudolph Leonard and his wife now live in the village. of Bloomville, his inherited and acquired skill as a physician bringing him a very large practice. He is the proprietor of a drug store, where a full line of drugs are constantly in stock. He owns a business block, erected in the fall of 1892, which contains three stores besides his own, also two halls - Leonard Hall, for pub- lic meetings, and a larger hall for dancing, measuring thirty by forty-five feet, the only halls in the village. The block measures forty by sixty feet. Dr. Leonard, though lib- eral in his religious,views, leans toward the doctrines of the Baptist church, his wife being a member of the United Presbyterian church. Politically, he is a Democrat, and is a health officer. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge, No. 630, of Gilboa, an Odd Fellow in the Delaware Valley Lodge, No. 612, of Bloomville, and also belongs to the Royal Encampment of Oneonda, No. 112. He has been the Noble Grand of the lodge, and was one of its originators and charter members. He is a most valuable member of the Dela- ware and Schoharie County Medical Societics. Though still a young man, Dr. Leonard's prominence and suceess are already so marked that a brilliant career is predicted for him.

OSEWELL KELSEY PALMER- TON, M.D., the successful and universally popular physician of Cannonsville, in the town of Tompkins, is deseended from an old pioncer

family of the Empire State. His great-grand- father, William Palmerton, was an English- man who immigrated to America in the old Colonial days, and settled in Saratoga County. Sylvenus, son of William, was born in Balls- ton in that county, and resided there until 1822, when with his family he removed to Delaware County, taking up habitation in what is now the town of Deposit. Here he purchased a tract of heavily timbered land, and at once built his log house. At this time there were no railroads in the State; and Catskill, nearly one hundred miles distant, was the nearest depot for supplies. Sylvenus Palmerton was exceedingly industrious; and by unceasing patient toil he cleared his land, and converted the wilderness into a bountiful farm and the log house into a comfortable home, which he occupied for many years. Afterward he removed to the village of De- posit, where he lived in retirement for the remainder of his life. His wife was Eleanor Eggleston.

Samuel Palmerton, a son of Sylvenus, was born in Ballston, and reared to a life of agri- culture and lumbering. On the death of his father he succeeded to the ownership of the old home, which he has enlarged by the pur- chase of more land. He has also erected some substantial buildings and otherwise im- proved the place. He married Miss Lydia Kelsey, daughter of Rosewell and Hannah (Smith) Kelsey; and she became the mother of six children. One son, Harvey, died at the age of eleven ; the others, Sarah A., Ellen F., George W., Rosewell K., and Capitola, are all living.

Rosewell K. Palmerton was born in that part of the town of Tompkins which is now included in Deposit, Delaware County, Au- gust 13, 1857, and received his early educa- tion at the district schools of the village. At the age of seventeen he began to teach, and for five winter terms taught in the schools near his home, assisting his father on the farm during the summer and attending the Deposit Academy in the spring and fall. In 1877 he accepted the position of clerk in Studevant's drug store in Deposit, and began the study of medicine with Doctors Studevant and Radiker, entering the College of Physi-

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cians and Surgeons in Baltimore, Md., in 1879. He was graduated from this institution on March 1, 1881, and began practice in Can- nonsville, where he has remained since that time, being remarkably successful in his pro- fession, and having an extensive and con- stantly increasing practice.

In 1879 Doctor Palmerton married Miss Jenny Wilson, who was born in Bennetts- ville, Chenango County, a daughter of Merton and Olive (Bennett) Wilson; and they have one son, Abel B. Palmerton. The Doctor is an active Democrat, and was appointed Post- master of Cannonsville in 1893. Doctor Palmerton is a conscientious, intelligent man, an unwearying laborer in his profession, thoroughly deserving his prosperity.

ETER FRASER, a highly respected farmer residing on the River road north of Platner Brook, was born in the town of Delhi, November 16, 1848, a son of James and Mary (Arbuckle) Fraser. The grandfather, Andrew Fraser, was a native of Scotland, but emigrated to America when a young man, and located at Delhi, where he purchased a tract of land on Scotch Mountain. Hc began life in a log cabin, afterward building a fine frame house. His last years were spent in the village of Delhi. He reared a family of nine children, six of whom are living; namely, Daniel, Ebenezer, James, Ann, Emily, and Jennie.

James Fraser, like his father before him, was reared to agricultural pursuits, remaining on the homestead until of age, after which he went to work on a farm by the month, so con- tinuing until his marriage, when he rented a farm for nine years. He afterward pur- chased the farm where his son Peter now re- sides, and here lived for twenty years, when he sold the property to his son, and purchased the adjoining farm. Mr. Fraser marricd Mary Arbuckle, a daughter of Robert and Sally (McGregor) Arbuckle; and of this union there werc nine children, seven of whom lived to maturity ; namely, Peter; Robert A., a law- yer of Delhi; Mary; Ella; Sheldon; Wal- lace; and Augusta.

Peter Fraser was educated at the district

school, and assisted on the home farm until he was twenty-two years of age, when his father gave him one hundred acres of timbered land, which he partially cleared. He later purchased the farm where he resides from his father, and is now the owner of four hundred and fifty acres of the best farining land in the county. He devotes much time to keeping graded Jersey cattle, having seventy-two cows, and makes a fine line of butter, which finds a ready sale.

Mr. Fraser was married at the age of twenty-two to Miss Elizabeth Hogg, a daugh- ter of William and Margaret (Curry) Hogg, natives of Scotland, but residents of this vicinity for over forty years. Mr. and Mrs. Hogg have three children: Elizabeth, Frank, and Margaret. Mr. and Mrs. Fraser are the parents of five children - Clara, Bessie, William, Harry, and Jessie. Two of the daughters received their education at Delhi Academy.

Mr. Fraser is a Republican in politics, and has served his time acceptably as Assessor. He is emphatically a self-made man, is pro- gressive in his views, and works his farm on thoroughly practical lines, factors which doubtless conduce to his present prosperity. Mrs. Fraser is a member of the First Presby- terian Church, the family attending the same place of worship.

ENRY W. CLARK, the trusted sta- tion agent at Sidney, N. Y., is well known as one of the most faithful and capable employees of the D. & H. C. Co. Railroad. He was born in Newark, Tioga County, N. Y., November 23, 1845, eldest son of Watson W. and Phebe (Smith) Clark. He has one sister, Julia, wife of Dr. R. M. Clark, in Guilford, and a brother, Arthur P., a dentist in Sidney. His paternal grandfather was Gershom A. Clark, a Connecticut farmer who moved to Guilford, Chenango County, about 1815, and thence, about 1845, to Newark, where he died in 1866. He was a very successful farmer, gain- ing a bountiful livelihood by his earnest toil, which enabled him to provide the luxuries as well as the necessities of life for his seven

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children. The last of his family, Lucius P. Clark, died in April, 1894, in Nebraska, where he was engaged in farming. The mother of the subject of this sketch was the daughter of Joel Smith, a farmer in Newark, who died at the advanced age of ninety-seven years. She is one of eleven children, eight of whom are still living, the youngest, Susan (Smith) Ames, of Newark, being over sixty.

Henry W. Clark attended the district school in his boyhood, and later began business life in Guilford, where he remained for eight years. He then cntered the Engineer Corps of the New York & Oswego Midland Rail- road, being employed by that company for five years as assistant engineer, having charge of two divisions. In 1872 he entered the em- ploy of the Erie Railroad, where he remained for about a year, and then accepted a position with the D. & H. C. Co. Railroad as yard- master at Sidney, later being called to the office of ticket clerk of this place. For ten years he faithfully performed his duties in that capacity, and was then made station agent, which position he has held since that time, giving complete satisfaction to the com- pany as well as to the patrons of the road.

October 14, 1872, Mr. Clark married Miss Ella D. Clark, who, though of the same name, was no relation to him. Mrs. Clark was born in De Ruyter, N. Y., daughter of R. F. and Clarissa (Lansing) Clark; and she is the mother of one child, William W. Clark, a school-boy of fourteen. The family are con- stant attendants of the Congregational church, of which they are highly respected members. They reside in their delightful home, at No. 5 River Street, which Mr. Clark erected in 1890, and where his mother is one of the fam- ily circle.

Mr. Clark is a consistent Republican. He was President of the village in 1893, is a Director of the Sidncy National Bank, Presi- dent of the Sidney Water Company, and fore- man of the Phelps Hose Company. In all the positions of trust and responsibility which he has held and now occupies, he has ever ex- hibited a manly, noble character, firm in prin- ciplc, cheerful in disposition, courteous and modest in bcaring; and his long connection with the company by which he is now em-

ployed testifies to the regard and confidence in which he is held by his superiors as well as subordinates in office.

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Biographical review : this volume contains biographical sketches of the leading citizens of Delaware County, New York, Part 62

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