USA > New York > Delaware County > Biographical review : this volume contains biographical sketches of the leading citizens of Delaware County, New York > Part 87
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Tenth Legion Excelsior Brigade; Wesley, a soldier of the Forty-fifth Pennsylvania.
September 9, 1860, John W. Gould married Sarah Jane Lobdell, daughter of James and Sarah (Cowell) Lobdell, of Westerlo, Albany County.
Mrs. Gould's father and her grandfather were both ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and were pioneers of Albany County. Mr. and Mrs. Gould are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal church; and Mr. Gould has for seven years been Assessor of the town, and has also held the office of Notary Public. He is now engaged in farming and wool-growing, in which he is very successful. He has no chil- dren of his own, but he and his wife have edu- cated and brought up three who were of other families. Mr. Gould cast his first vote for John C. Fremont, and has always voted with the Republican party. He is universally regarded with respect and esteem, wherever known.
RCHIBALD CAMPBELL, an exten- sive farmer in the town of Colchester, now retired from active life, was born September 6, 1816. His father, Archibald Campbell, Sr., a British soldier for five years, was born in Scotland in 1776. After coming to America he married Mary Jones, of Wales, and settled in West- chester County, where he was overseer of a large farm. Tiring of his position, and eager for a home of his own, he shortly ventured westward, with only a pack of small articles to pay his way. He journeyed on through the wilderness of uncleared land, occasionally meeting a family, until at last he reached Brock Mountain and secured of Charles Teed a small tract of land. He returned for his wife ; and, accompanied by her and their three children, he again departed for the new home, where he lived a short time. And then he bought the site now owned by his son Archi- bald, and moved here, leasing one hundred and twelve acres. At different times he added land to his estate, which he cleared with the help of his son, and, building a saw-mill, sawed the timber and ran the lumber down the river to market.
The elder Archibald and his wife Mary had eleven children, namely: Daniel, who was born November 20, 1804, and married Phebe Bogart; Elizabeth, who was born May 14, 1806, and married Eleazer Conklin; Mary Ann, who was born March 29, 1808, and mar- ried David Warren; Robert, who was born May 5, 1809, and married Hannah Radeker ; Jennett, who was born May 15, 1812, and mar- ried Samuel Hitt; Jane Maria, who was born May 7, 1814, and married William H. Rade- ker; Archibald, subject of this sketch; Cor- nelia, who was born August 1, 1818, and married Josiah Warren; John, who was born April 30, 1820, and married Catherine Sprague; Esther, who was born June 3, 1822, and married George Gregory; Caroline, who was born August 25, 1825, and married George Elwood. When his wife died, the father became discontented with his home, and, sell- ing the farm to his sons, returned to Scotland and married a lady whom he had known and loved before he came to America. He died there August 30, 1856.
Archibald Campbell, third son of Archibald and Mary Campbell, bought a part of the estate and continued the work of lumbering, clearing the land and raising grain and stock. He married Charity, daughter of John C. Voorhees, a farmer of Sullivan County; and they had a family of ten children, as follows : Henry, who was born December 20, 1844, and married Laura Radeker; Sarah, who was born September 12, 1846, and married Mr. A. Cowen; James, who was born June 25, 1849, and married Luritta Jellett; John, who was born May 27, 1851 ; Archibald, Jr., who was born April 30, 1853; Charles, who was born February 26, 1856, and married Mary Shell; Colin, who was born in 1857, and mar- ried Sarah Johnston; Duncan, who was born October 23, 1859; Horace, who was born Sep- tember 17, 1861; and Hugh, who was born November 16, 1863, and married Minnie Gregory.
Mr. Campbell has made many additions to his farm, and now owns over five hundred acres, keeping twenty-five cows and a large stock of sheep. The old buildings have been remodelled, and new ones erected; but since his wife's death, March 27, 1892, he has
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rented his farm to his son, and now lives a retired life. Mr. Campbell was a Whig in politics, but is now a Prohibitionist. He is an esteemed member of the Presbyterian church, to which his wife also belonged. He has been very successful as a farmer, and his estate still prospers under the management of his son.
A BRAHAM VAN STEINBURG, a pros- perous farmer of Andes, Delaware County, was born in. this town October 13, 1850. He is an in- dustrious man, greatly esteemed, and enjoying well-deserved success. In politics he is a Re- publican.
His grandfather, William Van Steinburg, settled on a farm near New Kingston in Middletown, and had a family of six chil- dren-George, Jacob, Jane, Barnett, Catherine, and Sally. He was a very active man, and a thriving agriculturist, but died in middle life. George, his eldest son, was educated and grew to manhood in his native town. He married Antoinette, daughter of Dr. George Stead, one of the best physicians of Delaware County, who was in practice with Dr. Cohoon, the first doctor in the county. Dr. Stead became blind, and after his affliction practised for thirty years, his wife visiting his patients with him. George and Antoinette Van Stein- burg had a family of ten children - Mary, Aaron, William, John, Abraham, Richard, Ella, Elizabeth, Colonel, and Almon. Mr. Van Steinburg bought one hundred and thirty acres of heavily timbered land, joining the Stead farm, on which he built a house and barn. He soon sold out, and rented a farm on Perch Hill, afterward buying one hundred and thirty-seven acres on Barkerboom Creek, where he lived for twenty-eight years. With his two sons, William and Aaron, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-fourth New York Infantry in 1862, and served during the war. After his wife's death he sold his farm and retired from active work. He is a Repub- lican in politics, and has lived a busy life, being highly respected by all who know him.
Abraham, the fourth son, as enumerated above, was sixteen years of age when he first
began his farming career. He worked on various farms in the vicinity, and later bought one hundred and seventy-six acres of uncleared land near Barkerboom Creek, on which was a log house. He had not intended that for a home; but at one time, when he was away on business, his wife moved their goods through the wilderness to the cabin, and was keeping house there on his return. Encouraged to continue his undertakings, he bought more land, making in all four hundred and seventy- nine acres, which he cleared, floating the lum- ber down the Delaware River to Philadelphia. Many extensive improvements have been made on his farm ; and he now has three large barns, a house, milk-house, and a blacksmith's shop for his own convenience. He has forty cows and as many sheep, several men being hired to assist him in the work.
He married Phebe, daughter of William Sprague, a successful farmer of Middletown, who had a family of six children: Carrie, Elizabeth, and George, who are dead; Phebe, who was born April 28, 1850; Aaron, a farmer in Ulster County, who married Phebe Dun- ning ; and Ezra, a carpenter of Ulster County, who married Ada Clayton. Mr. and Mrs. Van Steinburg have seven children: Mary, born January 8, 1869, who married George Rosencranse, and lives in Stamford; George, born April 14, 1875 ; Jessie, born May 21, 1877; Harvey, born May 26, 1879; Cassie, born December 28, 1882; Fannie, born No- vember 4, 1883; and Lola, born May. 24, 1885.
AVID B. WOODIN is one of the leading contractors and builders of Delaware County, and is conspicu- ously identified with the building interests of the town of Sidney, where he has resided since 1893. During the past ten years many of the more important buildings of Sid- ney and Walton were erected under his super- vision and that of his brother, who was until lately in business with him -among them, the spacious house of J. H. Ells, Dr. Hawley's fine residence, that of the late Dr. Alexander Montgomery, and the elegant and commodious dwelling of Dr. Stone.
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Mr. Woodin is a native of Delaware County, and was born in the town of Andes in 1857. His grandfather, Henry Woodin, was born in Putnam County, Conn., in 1798, and, when a young man, came to this county, casting in his lot with the early settlers of the town of Andes where he took up a tract of timber land, from which in the course of time he cleared a farm. His industry and frugality met with their natural reward; and he became one of the well-to-do agriculturists of the town, resid- ing on the homestead which he had wrested from the forest until his death in 1882. He was twice married, choosing for his first wife a Miss Hamilton, of Andes. She bore him four sons and three daughters, of whom three sons and two daughters are now living, Edwin Woodin, father of the subject of this sketch, being the eldest child. After the death of the mother of these children, Henry Woodin married Catherine Roney; and she became the mother of five children, four sons and one daughter, all of whom are now living, one of them, Henry, residing with his mother on the old home farm. She is a bright, active woman, and has full charge of the affairs of the household.
Edwin Woodin, father of David B., was born about seventy years ago, and in 1855 married Jane Murphy, who after thirty-three years of wedded life passed to her reward, in February, 1888, leaving him five sons, as follows : David B. ; William, a contractor and builder, living in Walton; Andrew, who is in the employ- ment of his eldest brother ; Sherman, a farmer, living in Andes; and Edwin, who is working with his brother William in Walton. The father still resides in the town of Andes.
David B. Woodin was reared in the town of his birth, and received a fair education in its public schools, acquiring a practical knowl- edge of his father's business before reaching the years of maturity. After following his trade for some time in Andes, he established himself in business in Walton, where, in com- pany with his brother William, he remained for about six years. His health failing, he was obliged to give up active work for a while, leaving his brother to carry on the business alone, and the latter being still thus engaged. Mr. Woodin removed to Sidney in the summer
of 1893, and now occupies a fine residence on Pike Street, the house being of his own con- struction. He has a large and constantly in- creasing business, and ranks among the foremost citizens of the place.
Mr. Woodin was married April 9, 1885, to Emma Shafer, of Andes, daughter of Wash- ington and Jane (Fuller) Shafer, the remain- ing children of her parents being as follows : Mary, the wife of H. D. Mayhan, residing in Buffalo, N. Y. ; Ella, who married George E. Lawrence, and lives in Creston, Ia. ; Emma ; and Ada, wife of E. T. Hoose, of Brooklyn, N. Y. Her mother passed from this life in 1884; and Mr. Shafer, now an aged man, lives with his daughter, Mrs. Woodin. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Woodin has been blessed by the advent of one child, Irving D., a bright boy of seven years. Mr. Woodin takes a warm in- terest in public affairs, and usually casts his vote with the Democratic party, although re- serving the right to support the candidate he deems best fitted to perform the duties of public office.
ESSE MURDOCK is a representative farmer and dairyman of Masonville, industrious, progressive, and highly respected throughout the town where he resides. His father, George Murdock, emigrated from the eastern part of the State of New York when quite young, and settled in Caroline, Tompkins County, early in this century, where he followed his trade of stone- mason. He married Ruth Knickerbocker, daughter of a pioneer of Roxbury, and a de- scendant of the old New York family of that name, whose ancestors came from Holland. George Murdock and wife were the parents of six children, namely: Edgar, who married Miss Cash, of Sidney, and there spent the latter part of his life; Harvey; George; Cath- erine A., wife of Edwin H. Shaw, of Sheboy- gan, Wis .; John J., a farmer in South Bain- bridge; and Jesse, the subject of this sketch.
Jesse Murdock was born at Caroline, March 6, 1832, and was educated at the district schools of his native town. He began life as a farmer, and was employed at farm labor in various places. About 1860 he settled in
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Masonville on the farm where he now resides and carries on a dairy. On July 10, 1864, he married a daughter of Isaiah Booth, who was a native of Delaware County, where he was engaged in farming and operating a dairy. Mr. and Mrs. Murdock have three children - Della, George, and Lilian -all of whom were educated at Masonville, and live with their parents. Mr. Murdock is an upright, useful, and valued citizen.
AVID ANDERSON, the son of An- drew and Sarah (Brotherton) Ander- son, was born in Bethel, Sullivan County, N.Y., on September 3, 1822. His father came from the north of Ireland to New York City, where he found employment as a car-man, and where he mar- ried Miss Brotherton. After his marriage, with a wisdom one wishes many more city denizens might emulatc, he left the crowded city streets, and went to Sullivan County, where he bought a farm of one hundred and forty acres. Here, amid the wholesome sur- roundings of country life, he and his wife raised a family of ten children, namely : Thomas, born November 5, 1804; William, February 18, 1806; Andrew, April 29, 1808; Eliza, February 18, 1810; James, October 29, 1812; Ellen, March 4, 1814; Sarah, April 24, 1816; Samuel, October 24, 1820; David, September 3, 1822; Maria, December 28, 1824. Samuel is living in Newark, N.J .; and Maria, now a widow, lives in New York City. Andrew Anderson was an industrious man, whose labors were crowned with success. In politics he was a Democrat. He died in the prime and vigor of life, at the age of fifty- three years. His wife, who died before him, was a member of the Presbyterian church.
David Anderson, with whose history this sketch has mainly to dcal, passed the years of child life and boyhood in the village of his birth, where he was educated. His first enterprise was one which requires some expe- rience as well as good judgment to insure suc- cess. This venture was hotel-keeping in the old Radiker house in Colchester, now used as a private residence. It was built by Jacob Radiker, and was the first inn in this section
of the country. After three years Mr. Ander- son left the village, and moved to the Garri- son farm on Campbell Mountain, and stayed there for a period of eight years. One year was passed at the Elwood farm. Then he came to Downsville, where he bought prop- erty at the lower end of the village, and built a hotel, now known as the Anderson House. The situation is one of the best in Downs- ville, and the house is very popular. Mr. Anderson conducts a livery in connection with his hotel business, so that his patrons may have the benefit of the lovely river drives about the country.
David Anderson's first wife was Miss Eme- line Bennet, by whom he had two daughters, only one of whom is now living; namely, Sarah, who married Mr. A. Tyler, was left a widow, and has since married again. Her sister who died was named Eliza. Mr. An- derson's second wife, to whom he was married on December 13, 1857, was Miss Emily Jane Williams, a daughter of Thomas and Laura Williams. The father of Mrs. Williams died in Oswego. He and his wife raised a family of seven children: Emily Jane, now Mrs. Anderson; Julia F .; George K .; Elizabeth ; William D .; Mather; and Ida.
David Anderson is a man whose ability is recognized by all with whom he comes in con- tact. Mrs. Anderson is a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, while he is liberal in his religious views. Mr. Anderson brought up and educated a nephew of his wife, E. T. Smith, who has proved himself a worthy recipient of the benefits bestowed upon him. He is one of the leading merchants in Downsville, and won for his wife a daughter of Dr. G. P. Bassett.
OHN HEDGE was born in the town of Bovina, December 17, 1821, and was the son of Francis and Susan (Boyd) Hedge, both natives of North Ireland. Francis Hedge was born in 1769, and emi- grated to America in 1827, bringing with him a family of twelve children, which was aug- mented by the addition of two of American birth after his arrival in the "land of the brave." Francis Hedge bought one hundred
ADAM GIBSON.
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and sixty acres of land in Bovina, which he cleared, and upon which he put up several buildings. This was sold at an advance, and two hundred acres of land was purchased near Walton. Here he lived until his death in 1841. He was a Democrat and a Presby- terian.
John was quite young when his father died; and the care of the farm fell to his lot, which cut short his educational pursuits, and forced him to turn his whole energies toward practical farming. He married Miss Nancy Hamilton, whose parents were natives of Bo- vina, though they had moved in later years to Delhi, where they raised a family of seven children - Thomas, Nancy, James, Andrew, John, Elizabeth, and William. Subsequent to his marriage Mr. Hedge moved to Hamden, where he bought a farm of one hundred and thirty acres, which he afterward sold, coming to Colchester, and buying from Seth White, of Delhi, a tract of one hundred and eighty acres, one mile from the river in Terry Cove. This estate is in a most desirable situation. Its trout streams afford excellent sport for the fisherman, as well as delicious material for the housekeeper's culinary art.
Comfortable buildings, attractive scenery, and pleasant surroundings all combine to make this a most charming home for the fam- ily of children who were reared here: Will -. iam Francis, who died young; Lydia Jane, who also died in childhood; John A., who married Miss Isabella Davis, and lives in Syracuse; Andrew, born May 4, 1868; Frank I .; and Libbie L. Mr. Hedge owns, besides his herd of cows which supply his excellent and remunerative dairy, a flock of thirty sheep and some fine horses and oxen. He is a stanch Democrat, and is a religious man.
AMES A. GIBSON, a highly intelli- gent and wealthy farmer of Kortright, in the north-eastern part of Delaware County, was born on the farm where he now resides, August 16, 1851. His father, Adam Gibson, of Ireland, married Dora Whigham, of the same country, and came with her to America in 1834, settling in Kortright. In 1837 he purchased the farm
where the subject of this sketch now resides, and here he lived throughout his life. His first purchase consisted of sixty-two acres, to which he was able to add from time to time, so that at his death he was the owner of one hundred and ninety acres. He and his wife were Presbyterians, and he was a supporter of the Republican party. Adam Gibson died January 21, 1890, at the age of seventy-seven ; but his wife is still living on the old home- stead. They were the parents of six children, four of whom are now living: Mary Ann McLaury, of Binghamton; Miss Isabelle Gib- son, residing with her mother; Charles, also in Binghamton; and James A., of Kortright.
James A. Gibson, the youngest child of his parents, grew up on his father's farm, attend- ing the district school, the graded school at Binghamton, and the Stamford Seminary. After receiving his education, he devoted his time to farming, residing on the home farm, and caring for his parents in the evening of their lives. He is the owner of twenty head of native cattle, and makes a good quality of butter for market, being eminently successful in his chosen occupation. Mr. Gibson is a bachelor of pleasant disposition and cultivated tastes, being extremely fond of reading, and owning a very good library. He is a Repub- lican, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and also of the Delaware Lodge, No. 612, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is regarded with much esteem by all who are fortunate enough to possess his friendship or enjoy his acquaintance.
A portrait of his father, the late Adam Gib- son, may be found on another page of this volume.
AVID ROTHENSIES, who is carry- ing on a lucrative business in Wal- ton as a manufacturer and wholesale dealer in cigars, has resided in that village since 1891. Many of the most enter- prising and successful business men of Dela- ware County are of foreign birth, and Mr. Rothensies is an excellent representative of this class of citizens, having been born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, in 1838. Ilis father, Levi Rothensies, was an extensive
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farmer, and dealer in stock. His wife was, by maiden name, Anna Blumenthal; and she bore her husband five children, three sons and two daughters. Both of the daughters married in their native country, and both died while in the prime of womanhood. The three sons, of whom David is the eldest, are all liv- ing. Joseph, the youngest, is a merchant in Walton. Aaron, the second son, remained in his native country. The parents are no longer living, the father having died at the advanced age of eighty-three, in 1886, and the mother, who survived him, dying at the age of fourscore years.
David Rothensies received a substantial education in his native country, and began to learn the butcher's trade at the age of seven- teen. In 1855 he emigrated to the United States, taking passage in a sailing-vessel, at Havre de Grace, France, the voyage lasting forty-one days. He found employment at his trade in New York, but remained there only six weeks. Coming to Delaware County, he settled in the town of Meredith, and began his mercantile career by peddling, on foot, dry goods and notions. Being very successful in his ventures, he bought a horse and wagon, and enlarged the scope of liis trade. His business continued to grow; and his one-horse wagon was in due time superseded by a cov- ered vehicle drawn by a pair of superb horses, his turnout being well known throughout this part of the State. Mr. Rothensies continued -his commercial travels for about eight years, and in 1864 opened a dry and fancy goods store in Downsville, subsequently adding cigars to his original stock. In 1875 he sold out his stock of merchandise, and turned his entire attention to the manufacture and sale of cigars, being thus engaged for several years. Deciding to leave the rural village of Downsville, Mr. Rothensies went to Middle- town, Orange County, N. Y., conducting a prosperous business there for two years. At the end of that time, his health being im- paired, by the advice of his physician he sought a place of higher altitude in which to settle, and removed his business to Walton in 1891. Since then he has been closely identified with the manufacturing and mer- cantile interests of the village.
October 18, 1881, Mr. Rothensies married Miss Ida Russell, daughter of William Rus- sell, of Hamden. Their wedded life has been gladdened by the birth of two children - Leo and Charles - both bright boys, their respec- tive ages being eight and three years.
ACOB BIELER, a worthy citizen and prosperous wagon-maker at Griffin's Corners, in Middletown, Delaware County, was born in the Duchy of Baden, Germany, on December 15, 1838, and was a son of Christian Bieler, who was a farmer, and lived to the age of threescore years and ten. His wife died when sixty-five. They left four children - George, Chisholm, Lena, and Jacob Bieler.
Jacob Bieler was educated in Germany, and came to this country when sixteen years of age. He crossed the ocean in a sailing- vessel, and landed at New York after a pas- sage of twenty-eight days. He first came to Margarettville, remained three years, and learned the trade of wagon-making. Thence he went to Franklin, in this county, where he made a stay of one year, and went from there to Western New York, and spent some time. Returning to Delaware County, he sojourned awhile in Delhi, and then went again to Margarettville. In 1860 he established him- self in trade at Griffin's Corners, but at the end of a year was burned out. After this mis- fortune he built another shop near the bridge, which, however, he soon sold, and bought a house and lot of land. Here he erected the two shops now standing, where for twenty years he has carried on a large business.
In 1862 he married Essenth Engle, who was born in the town of Halcott, Greene County. She was the daughter of Frederick and Ella (Garrison) Engle, and grand-daugh- ter of John Engle, who was born in Germany, but came to this country and became a soldier in the Revolutionary War. After the war was over, he went to Lexington, Greene County, where he was one of the pioneer set- tlers. He lived to the very remarkable age of one hundred and seven years, and, dying, left .four sons - Jacob, Christopher, Frederick, and Peter Engle - and one daughter. Fred-
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