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Gurden W. Bates, son of Robert and Mary (Wilson) Bates, grew up and was educated in
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his native town of Colchester. After his father's death he took complete control of the home farm. He and his widowed mother moved afterward to Downsville, when the lat- ter died. Mr. Gurden Bates was appointed Deputy Sheriff in the autumn of 1889, and continues to hold this office. He belongs to the Republican party in politics, and is in the communion of the Presbyterian church.
HARLES R. SCOFIELD is a worthy representative of an honored pioneer family of the town of Masonville. His birth occurred on the farm where he now resides, March 26, 1853, it being the home of his parents, Hiram and Angeline (Olmstead) Scofield, the former of whom was born in the town of Half Moon, Saratoga County, May 27, 1812, and the latter in Masonville, October 10, 1814.
His paternal grandfather, Gilbert Scofield, and his maternal grandfather, Benjamin Olm- stead, both served as soldiers in the Revolu- tion. The former was of English ancestry, and the latter of English and German. Gil- bert Scofield came to Masonville with his family in 1813, and bought the farm adjoining the one where his grandson now resides, it being then in a wild and unimproved condi- tion, a small opening on which a rude log house had been built being the only attempt at improvement. On a hill near by Mrs. Sco- field, when returning from a neighbor's one evening, was chased by wolves. She carried a pine torch in her hand, and was thus seen by her husband, who took a torch and ran out to meet her. Gilbert "Scofield was an ingenious man, and before the invention of iron and steel ploughs used to make wooden ones to use in cultivating his land. He was the first person in town to introduce a cook-stove into his household. He died when but fifty-five years old, his wife living to the age of eighty- one. Both were members of the Baptist church ; and, politically, he was a Democrat. Of their large family of ten children, Hiram, the father of Charles, is the only one now living. Benjamin Olmstead was also an early settler of Masonville, and managed a fine farm of one hundred acres. He was of great assist-
ance in building up the town, and one of the strong workers in the Baptist church. He had two wives, each of whom bore him two chil- dren, Angeline being a daughter of his first marriage. Both he and his last wife died when about seventy years of age.
Hiram Scofield grew to manhood in Mason- ville, receiving his schooling in the log school-house, which, with its pin-legged benches, stood two or three miles from his home. On September 8, 1836, he was united in marriage to Angeline Olmstead, the Rev. Henry Robertson, who now resides in Ben- nettsville, performing the ceremony. After his marriage he bought land near the old home- stead, a part of which he already owned, and on which he engaged in general farming and stock-raising for many years. In politics he is a stanch Democrat, and has always been in- fluential in local affairs, having served as Supervisor one term, besides holding minor offices. He is yet vigorous in intellect and body for one of his advanced years, and is looked upon with respect and esteem. He is liberal in his religious views. Of the nine children born to him and his wife, who passed away July 30, 1888, eight grew to maturity and six are now living, the family record being as follows: Gilbert B., born August 6, 1839, was married, and died May 15, 1886, in Dead- wood, Dak. ; Adaline, born May 3, 1841, died July 28, 1865 ; Matilda A., born December 16, 1842, is the wife of William Mosher, of Bainbridge; Louisa, born October 2, 1844, is the widow of Emerson French, and resides in Morrisville; Mary, born August 28, 1846, is the wife of Oscar Broad, of North Sanford ; Hiram E., born July 12, 1848, died March 25, 1849; Oscar, born February 7, 1850, is a resident of Carlisle, Pa., where he owns a creamery ; Charles R. ; Ella T., born March 14, 1855, is the wife of Levi Olmstead, of North Sanford.
Charles R. has spent the larger part of his life in the place of his nativity, having ac- quired his education in its district schools and in the academy in Unadilla. He remained a member of the parental homestead until attaining his majority, when he began life for himself. He has devoted his attention to cul- tivating the soil, and for three years was a
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resident of Afton, where he owned a good farm of one hundred and eight acres. This he sold in order to buy the homestead of his parents, of which he took possession in 1892, and which he and his estimable wife are now managing with profit. His farm, containing one hundred and forty-nine acres, is pleasantly located, well supplied with substantial build- ings, and stocked with Jersey grade cattle.
On November 1, 1876, Mr. Scofield married Miss Deeta Keith, who was born July 21, 1853, in Milford Centre, Otsego County, being a daughter of Amos and Lydia (Scott) Keith, both of whom were natives of Massa- chusetts. Mr. Keith was a shoemaker by trade, but after his removal to Milford he engaged in farming. He died at the age of seventy-six years. His widow is still living, and makes her home in Binghamton with her daughter, Mrs. William Darling. He was a sound Republican, and both he and his wife were members of the Baptist church. They reared ten children, eight of whom are living, namely: Andrew Jackson, of Hornellsville; Lockwood, of Bainbridge; Mary Darling, residing in Binghamton; Newton, of Mason- ville; Eliza Phelps, of Chicago; George and Albert, of Sidney; and Mrs. Scofield. The deceased were Luzerne, who died at the age of eighteen years; and Angeline Green, who died in Binghamton, at thirty-four.
Mr. and Mrs. Scofield have four children : Harvey F., born January 11, 1879; Emerson C., born September 2, 1885 ; Florence A., born November 30, 1889; and Mary E., born June 29, 1891. Both parents are valued mem- bers of the Baptist church, and in politics Mr. Scofield is closely identified with the Democratic party. A man of undoubted in- tegrity, he is a member of Masonville Lodge, No. 606, A. F. & A. M.
OHN M. ORR was born on the farm in Kortright, where he now resides and has lived throughout his life. He be- longs to an old and prominent family, the members of which have been connected with the history of this town since the begin- ning of the century. Mr. Orr's grandfather, John Orr, was a native of Ireland and a pioneer
of Kortright, where he located his habitation about the year 1800, buying half of the land now occupied by the subject of this sketch. The tract consisted of one hundred acres, par- tially improved, containing a small clearing and a log house; and here he resided for many years, the latter part of his life being spent in Kortright. John Orr was an industrious and religious man. He died at the age of seventy- five years, his wife Elizabeth also living to a good old age. Both were members of the United Presbyterian church ; and they were the parents of seven children, three sons and four daughters, all of whom have passed away.
Their son, David Orr, was born in Dublin, Ireland, but at the age of twenty-one years came to America, where he married Nancy Spencer, of Davenport, N. Y. He was a weaver by trade, but gave his whole attention to farming in this country. His new occupa- tion proved eminently successful, and he be- came the owner of two hundred and fifty-two acres of land. His death occurred in the town of Kortright, at the age of eighty-three years, his wife dying when sixty-five years old, both members of the Presbyterian church. Of their eleven children, six still survive, namely : Elizabeth, a resident of Kortright ; Robert, who lives in Almeda; John, the subject of this biography; Joseph, of Kortright; William, also residing in Kortright; David M., a resi- dent of Davenport. The following have passed away : Sarah, Nancy, Hester, Mary, and James.
John M. Orr was born November 12, 1823, and grew up on the old home farm, attending the district school. In early manhood he pur- chased the old homestead, where he resided for twenty-six years, and then bought the farm which he now occupies, on the Beatty Brook road. He owns two hundred and sixty-two acres, carrying on general farming and dairy- ing. He has fifty cows, and manufactures butter of the finest quality.
On January 20, 1856, Mr. Orr married Miss Mary J. Pogue, who was born in Kortright, August 8, 1836, a daughter of John and Hannah (Kilpatrick) Pogue. Mr. Pogue was a native of Ireland, and died at the age of fifty-two years, his wife, who was born in Kortright, living until her sixty-second year. Both were Presbyterians. Mr. and Mrs. Orr
JOHN M. ORR.
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have been called to part with one child, Mary F., wife of J. S. Porter, who died at the age of thirty-three years; and they have three children now living, namely: James K, who resides at home and assists his father in the management of the farm; David W., who also helps on the home farm; and Jenny H., wife of Robert S. McCracken, a farmer of Kort- right. James K. Orr, eldest son of John M., has taken an active part in politics, having been nominated for Supervisor by the Demo- cratic party. He is a single man, of liberal religious views, and is a very successful farmer.
Mr. Orr's farm is carried on under the firm name of J. M. Orr & Sons, and is one of the most thriving in this section of the country. The family attend the Presbyterian church, of which David Orr is a Deacon. They are highly respected and honored throughout the town where they reside, the entire family being industrious, energetic, and upright. A portrait of this worthy representative of the sagacious and thriving agriculturists of Dela- ware County will be found on a neighboring page.
HOMAS HILL, proprietor and manager of the Ackerly Hotel in Margarettville, was born in Shokan, Ulster County, on April 19, 1846, and is a grandson of An- drew Hill, of Peekskill, who was a large landholder, and one of the first projectors of the Ulster & Delaware Railroad. Andrew Hill lived to an honorable old age, having been an energetic and successful worker for the Democratic party, in whose principles he was thoroughly and intelligently versed. Six sons were born to him, namely: Abraham; Will- iam; Samuel; John; Andrew, Jr. ; and Thomas -all of whom are now dead. Thomas Hill of the second generation, and the father of the Thomas of whom this sketch is written, was also a large land-owner, and was engaged as a merchant farmer and lumber dealer. He was a member of the legislature in 1864, and was an ardent Democrat and able politician. He held the office of Supervisor, and was prom- inent in civic affairs generally. In 1840 he married Maria Russell, a daughter of William
Russell, a farmer of Ulster County, who was successful in business and the father of a large family. The number of descendants was re- peated in this generation, six children being born to Thomas and Maria (Russell) Hill. One of their sons was Joseph, who married Elizabeth Hogan, and who lives with his family at Shokan. Thomas Hill, the younger, with whose name this article begins, was edu- cated in the Shokan school, and began business at the age of twenty-two years at Shandaken as a merchant, continuing in mercantile life for eighteen years, after which period he bought the Ackerly Hotel in Margarettville, which is still under his management. Mr. Hill won for his wife Miss Jessie Burhaus, a daughter of Francis B. and Louisa (Preston) Burhaus. Three children were born of this union, as follows: Maud, born February 3, 1870; Thomas B., now dead, born February 15, 1874; and Jessie M., born on August 20, 1876. Fol- lowing the family traditions, Mr. Hill is what may be called a "born " Democrat, and holds a political office after the manner of his fore- fathers.
Mrs. Hill's father, Francis B. Burhaus, was a son of Edward Burhaus, Jr., and a grandson of Edward and Mary Newman Bur- haus. Edward, the ancestor, was a native of Kingston, coming after the Revolutionary War to Roxbury, where he bought the farm now owned by R. Moore. Francis B. Bur- haus started to earn his own living at fourteen years of age, but shortly abandoned farming and learned the trade of blacksmith, in which he was very successful. He afterward trav- elled as far west as Chicago, and in all the States on this side of the Mississippi River, for Pratt, Snyder & Co., oil-cloth manufact- urers. He next went into the hotel busi- ness, which he finally gave up to enter mercantile life. He is a resident of Mar- garettville.
OHN O. WHITAKER, a farmer of Trout Creek, in Tompkins, Delaware County, a representative of a well- known pioneer family, was born in this town, August 27, 1849. He is a great-grand- son of Benjamin Whitaker, who was a pioneer
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of Wyoming Valley, Pa., and with his family was obliged to flee from the Indians and Tories at the time of the massacre, his wife bringing her baby on her back, while he carried the older child. Together they made their way on foot to the Delaware Valley, where Benjamin Whitaker built a house on the left bank of the river, and resided here until his death at an advanced age. His son John, the baby brought on that long and weary journey from Wyoming, having grown to manhood, settled near what is now Sanford, Broome County, and, after clearing the land, erected the build- ings which still stand on the place. He mar- ried Catherine Weaver; and they had these children - Squire, Henry, Ogden, Stephen, Richard, Elizabeth, Zilpha, Phebe, Polly, Catherine, and Margaret. John Whitaker died at the age of ninety-six years.
Richard Whitaker, the father of the subject of this biography, was born October 7, 1816, in Sanford, and attended the district school and assisted his parents on the farm. When twenty-one, he purchased a farm in Sanford, which he sold four years later, buying the farm now occupied by his son. He married Polly Ann Hill, born February 22, 1816, daughter of Isaac and Clarissa (Parks) Hill, of Tomp- kins. Mrs. Polly A. Whitaker died April 20, 1 883. Isaac Hill was a pioneer farmer of that section. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Rich- ard Whitaker were the following: Josephine, born February 24, 1845, the wife of William H. Brewer, a farmer of Masonville, died Janu- ary 28, 1894, leaving four children, namely : Martha E., born January 1, 1872; Marion E., born March 3, 1873 ; Alberta L., born Septem- ber 3, 1875 ; and Helen M, born January 8, 1883. Fredonia, born January 13, 1847, mar- ried Albert Gould, of Groton, Tompkins County, and has four children: Alice, born February 2, 1871; Rosa M., born in April, 1873 ; Mary, born in 1875 ; and Frank. John O. is the subject of this biography. Orville R., born May 10, 1853, married Helen McLean, of Owego, Tioga County, and has three children : Ole M., born March 8, 1875; Oscar F., born October 1, 1877; and Charles R., born July 20, 1881.
John O. Whitaker attended the district school of his native town, and adopted a
farmer's life. On November 18, 1874, he married Laura Matleson, born September 15, 1859, daughter of Albert and Catherine (Davis) Matleson, of Masonville, her father being a farmer and carpenter of that town. Jonathan Davis, paternal grandfather of Mrs. Whitaker, was a life-long resident of Exeter, Otsego County, where he passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Whitaker have two children : Clara, born September 9, 1875; and Blanche, born June 1, 1881. Mr. Whitaker is a man of good character, upright in conduct, and is held in high respect by his neighbors and friends. .
ENRY J. DICKSON, a prominent citizen of Andes, Delaware County, where he is a large owner of mills and other property, was born Sep- tember 17, 1858, being the son of John and Alice (Gladstone) Dickson.
His grandparents, James and Jane (Trotter) Dickson, came to America in 1816. Though a carpenter by trade, Mr. Dickson took a farm of a hundred and forty acres in the town of Andes, which is the estate now occupied by James Armstrong. Their children were nine in number. Elizabeth Dickson married John Baker, and is now dead. William Dickson married a Miss Holmes, and is also dead. Thomas Dickson, no longer living, married Mary Turnbull. James Dickson, a resident of Andes, married Elizabeth Davis. Mary Dick- son, deceased, married Edward Turnbull. John Dickson married for his first wife Alice Gladstone, and his second wife was Elizabeth Oliver. Peter Dickson married Eliza Bank, and they are living in Pennsylvania. Henry Dickson, deceased, married Esther Gladstone. Ellen Dickson married Amos Frisbee, and their home is in Gladstone Hollow.
John Dickson, the father of Henry J., was born March 30, 1827, at the old homestead, and was educated in the common schools. As his father died while he was still young, his self-reliance was early developed; and at the age of twenty years he was engaged as a car- penter. While still a young man, he bought a farm of eight acres of D. Ballentine, but soon sold this parcel of land, and, marrying, purchased a farm and settled in Gladstone
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Hollow, in Andes. He became the father of six children, as follows: Walter, Maggie, and Mary A. Dickson, all of whom are dead ; Henry J. Dickson, the subject of this sketch ; Esther Dickson, who married George E. Glad- stone, a merchant in Margarettville, and has one child; William Dickson, living at home. After a time John Dickson sold the farm at Gladstone Hollow, and bought the present home in the village, with its ninety acres of land. He is a Republican, a member of the United Presbyterian church, and holds the office of Assessor.
Henry J. Dickson was educated at the acad- emy of his native town. At twenty-five years of age he turned his attention to agriculture, taking his father's farm; but at the end of three years he sold two hundred acres to Reed Dumond, and moved into the village of Andes. Here he bought of his uncle, Peter Dickson, a store filled with general merchandise and agricultural implements of all kinds; also a grist-mill, where he engaged in manufacturing by the roller process buckwheat flour, buying the grain and grinding it into different kinds of feed. For the first nine months he managed the entire business alone. Then in 1886 he took as a partner Walter J. Armstrong, son of Walter Armstrong, living in the village. A sketch of the Armstrong family may be found elsewhere in this volume. The grist-mill which Henry Dickson bought of Peter Dickson was originally a carding and fulling mill, and was built by the Waterburys about the year 1830. In 1887 Mr. Dickson rebuilt the mill, putting in a steam-engine of twenty-five-horse- power, to be used in midwinter and summer. Attached to this mill he now has a firkin fac- tory, and he is also the owner of a planing and saw mill. Among his other possessions are a . tenement house and a building containing a photograph gallery, law office, and dress-mak- ing establishment. He also owns real estate in Delhi.
Henry J. Dickson married Kate Lawson, daughter of James and Nancy McGregory, of Delhi. Jennie McGregory, a sister of Mrs. Dickson, married Adam Rutherford. Mr. and Mrs. Dickson have four children : Ray Dickson, born in 1884; Alice Dickson, born in 1887; Lynn Dickson, born in 1890; and
Clifford Dickson, born in 1892. The family residence is a fine mansion situated on Main Street, surrounded by beautiful grounds. Mr. Dickson is a Republican, a member of the United Presbyterian church, and a man of large ability and influence. He is very useful in the community, and has much to do with the prosperity of his town.
UGUSTUS J. CARPENTER, a re- tired farmer, who occupies a pleasant home in the village of Walton, may be classed as one of the self- made men of Delaware County, having begun his career without other resources than his own indomitable will and persevering in- dustry. He was born in the town of Ham- den, Delaware County, in 1844, and is a son of John L. Carpenter, a farmer by occupation, who married Juliet Smith, daughter of Ben- jamin Smith. At the age of thirty-six years she was called from this life, and was followed the next year by her husband. Four sons, the eldest of whom was but thirteen years old, were left orphans, and were subsequently cared for by kind neighbors and friends.
Augustus J. Carpenter was nine years old when the death of his father occurred, and he was taken to the home of a neighbor with whom he lived for a year. He then became an inmate of the household of a relative, Jotham Scudder, a blacksmith, residing near Delhi, with whom he lived until attaining his majority. He received a limited amount of schooling, and became familiar with the trade of a blacksmith; but work at the forge having no attractions for him, he turned his attention to agriculture, and went to work on a farm by the month. Being hard-working and econom- ical in his habits, he saved some money, and in 1878 bought one hundred and six acres of good land in the town of Masonville, where he carried on general farming with excellent re- sults. In 1893 he sold his farm and removed to the village of Walton, where he is now en- joying the fruits of his earlier years of labor.
Mr. Carpenter has been twice married. On February 4, 1869, he was wedded to Alida Cramer, daughter of William and Polly (Mun- son) Cramer, all natives of Delaware County.
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She died on the farm in Masonville, March 12, 1885, leaving one son, William. Since her death Mr. Carpenter was united in marriage to Mrs. Margaret (Wright) Ogden, daughter of Malcom and Margaret (Shaw) Wright, and widow of the late Edward Ogden, who died in the village of Walton, in March, 1871, being then but thirty-six years old. Mr. Ogden was born in Walton, son of Abram and Mar- garet (Sawyer) Ogden, who removed here from New Jersey. His great-grandfather was one of the earliest settlers of the county; and his grandfather, Daniel Ogden, cleared and im- proved a fine farm, four miles from Walton, on West Brook, the farm now being owned and occupied by William H. Ogden, a son of Mrs. Carpenter. Mr. Wright, the father of Mrs. Carpenter, was born in Scotland, emi- grating from there when a young man. His wife, Margaret Shaw, was a native of Delhi. Three sons and six daughters were born of their union, all of whom, with the exception of two daughters, are now living. Of the union of Margaret Wright and Edward Ogden eight children were born, three of whom are deceased ; namely, Eliza, Emily, and Charles. Eliza died at the age of twenty-two years. Emily, who married Platt Hanford, died in 1887, at the age of twenty-nine years, leaving an infant daughter. Charles married Imelda Beers, he died May 1, 1892, aged thirty years, leaving his widow and two children - Thurman and Louise. The names of the living children are as follows: William H. who resides on the Ogden farm, as before mentioned; Julia, who was graduated from the Walton High School, was a successful teacher, and is the wife of Edwin Guild; Jennie, an active young lady, living with her brother on the farm; John, a harness-maker; and James, a salesman in a hardware store in Oxford.
OHN W. GOULD, a prosperous farmer of Hancock, was born in Devonshire, England, in 1830, and was brought to this country by his parents when but two years of age. His father, John Gould, was a stone-mason, who came to this country with his family and settled in Newburg on the
Hudson, where he was very successful in his trade of stone-cutting. In 1842 he exchanged his property in that place for eight hundred and fifty acres of land in the wilderness of what was then considered the West. Hiring a guide to pilot them through the forest, they made the journey to Westfield in wagons; and from there seven ox teams hitched to wood- shod sleds transported them to what is now called Gould's settlement. They were the pioneers of this section, it being five years be- fore any other settlers came here. John Gould married Mary Gillard, of his native town; and they had eight children at the time of their removal to Hancock, four of whom had been born in England. After settling in that town, he was head mason for the Erie Rail- road, and was employed on many public works in the State, being exceptionally skilful. In his forty-ninth year, while engaged in drawing logs to a mill, he was killed by the rolling of a huge log. His life had been one of untiring industry, and his death occurred just as he was rising to easy circumstances. His wife sur- vived him about six years.
John W., being the eldest son and about twenty-four years of age, was now called to the management of the farm. He subse- quently purchased two hundred and thirty-two acres of land near the old homestead, and erected a substantial frame house and com- modious farm buildings, there being no roads within six miles of his farm. At the break- ing-out of the war he went to Hancock to en- list in his country's service, but was persuaded by his seven brothers, who were already en- rolled, to remain at home and care for their families. He is the eldest of twelve children, nine of whom grew to maturity, namely : John W. ; George, who was a soldier in the One Hundred and Forty-fourth New York State Volunteers; Hannah, who married Marvin Thomas, a farmer in Gould's settlement ; James, a soldier in the One Hundred and Forty-fourth Regiment, now a resident of California; William, a member of the same regiment; Richard, who enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-third New York State Volunteers ; Henry, a soldier of the One Hun- dred and Forty-fourth New York State Volun- teers; Charles, who died in service in the
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