Biographical review : this volume contains biographical sketches of the leading citizens of Livingston and Wyoming counties, N.Y, Part 61

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Boston : Biographical Review
Number of Pages: 1256

USA > New York > Wyoming County > Biographical review : this volume contains biographical sketches of the leading citizens of Livingston and Wyoming counties, N.Y > Part 61
USA > New York > Livingston County > Biographical review : this volume contains biographical sketches of the leading citizens of Livingston and Wyoming counties, N.Y > Part 61

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Mr. Shattuck has the esteem and confidence of the community in which he lives, and his neighbors have given evidence of their appre- ciation of his worth by electing him to the offices of Justice of the Peace and Highway Commissioner. He is a conscientious mem- ber of the Presbyterian church of Piffard, set- ting thereby the goodly example of a godly and religious life to the younger men of the village. He has been loyal to the Republi- can party since his first vote was cast for General Grant in 1868.

EORGE M. SHULL, editor and pro- prietor of the Mount Morris Enter- prise, has ably conducted that paper since its establishment, March 4, 1875. He

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came to Mount Morris, Livingston County, N. Y., from Dansville, in which place he was born, April 11, 1846, and where also he was reared. Ilis father died in 1861; and he, the eldest of four children, was thrown largely upon his own resources. His early education was secured at the country district school and the printing-office, he being obliged to dis- continue his school studies at the age of thir- teen years. In 1860 he entered the office of the Advertiser at Dansville as "devil," in the course of time completed his trade as journey- man printer, and afterward worked at it in neighboring towns.

On the breaking out of the war in 1861 he twice enlisted, but was rejected on account of his youth. A third time, however, in Sep- tember, 1864, though still a beardless boy, he passed muster, being assigned to Company I, One Hundred and Eighty-eighth Regiment, New York Volunteers, Fifth Corps, Army of the Potomac, and remaining in the service until the close of the war, when he was dis- charged at Rochester, N. Y. He then returned to his native town, and worked at his trade, filling the position of foreman of the Living- ston Republican at Geneseo for a short time, and in 1870 accepted the foremanship of the Dansville Express, afterward becoming local editor and business manager.

During Mr. Shull's twenty years' residence in Mount Morris he has taken an active part in politics, the Enterprise having been a faith- ful and consistent adherent and advocate of Democratic principles from its start. Mr Shull has served several years as Secretary of the Democratic County Central Committee. He was Chairman of this committee when Grover Cleveland was elected President for the first time. Mr. Shull has been Clerk of the village of Mount Morris since 1879, and is a member of several prominent societies; namely, Bellwood Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, J. E. Lee Post, No. 281, Grand Army of the Republic; Active Hose Company, and Livingston Club. Upon the location of the Craig Colony for Epileptics by the State Board of Charities and the bill au- thorizing the purchase of the Shaker property for the State, Mr. Shull was the first one

named by Governor Flower as one of the five forming the Board of Managers for a term of five years. Upon the organization of the Board he was elected Secretary and a member of the Executive Committee.

ICHAEL D. HYMAN, a well- known miller of Strykersville, town of Sheldon, and member of the firm of C. Hyman & Sons, was born in this town, August 6, 1849. His father, Conrad Hyman, senior member of the above-named firm, and his grandfather, Con- rad Hyman, were both natives of Bavaria, Germany, where the elder Conrad was born in 1793. The grandparents came to America in 1835, bringing their nine children, four sons and five daughters. After a voyage of forty- three days they landed in New York on July 4, and immediately started for Buffalo by way of the canal, being three weeks on the jour- ney. Here the family remained three weeks more, while Grandfather Hyman was seeking a location. He was provided with small means, about four hundred dollars; and he purchased about fifty acres of land in Sheldon, near the village, upon which a log house had already been erected.

The family moved to this farm, and began the work of preparing it for tillage. They provided the necessities of life by cutting four- foot wood, which they sold to the ashery at one dollar per cord, and paid five cents a pound for flour. By untiring energy the emi- grants succeeded in establishing a home for themselves, and later possessed a good farm of one hundred and fifty acres. Of the nine children who originally came to America all but two are living, the oldest being Lena, wife of Dominick Cassel, now residing in Buffalo at the age of eighty years; and the youngest is John Hyman, a resident of Dans- ville, who is over sixty years of age. The father died in 1859, at the age of sixty-seven, and the mother, who survived him, in 1876, at seventy-six years.

The son Conrad, who was born in Bavaria in 1824, married Elizabeth Smith, a native of Germany, who reared a family of seven chil-

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dren, five sons and two daughters, all of whom are living .- Michael D., the subject of this sketch; John, who resides at home, and is unmarried; Conrad Hyman, Jr., a member of the firm of C. Hyman & Sons, having a wife and one son; Joseph, a farmer in Sheldon, having three children; Mary, wife of Albert Muste, also of Sheldon; Charles, a resident of Strykersville, having two daughters; and Elizabeth, wife of E. J. Conroy, a farmer and produce dealer in Java Centre. The mother died in 1884, at the age of fifty-six.

On October 28, 1873, Michael D. Hyman was united in marriage to Miss Lena Myers, a daughter of Peter Myers, a farmer of the town of Bennington. Mr. Myers was born in Prussia, where he also followed agriculture, and came to the United States in the year 1853, at the age of twenty-six or twenty- seven. The maiden name of his wife was Catherine Kirsh, and they were married in 1854. Peter Myers died in 1885, at the age of sixty-nine years. His widow still survives at the age of nearly eighty-two years. She is the mother of ten children, six sons and four daughters, Mrs. Hyman being her seventh

child. Mr. and Mrs. Hyman have two children Mary, a young lady residing at home, who is diligently pursuing her musical studies; and Conrad, a youth of seventeen. Mr. Hyman built his present residence, which is beautifully finished in hard woods, in 1889. Mr. Hyman is a radical Republi- can in politics; and, though residing in a strongly Democratic town, he has been elected Supervisor three consecutive terms, and is still in office. Both himself and family are German Catholics. His father, Conrad Hlyman, who is also a Republican in politics, has been Highway Commissioner.

The firm of C. Hyman & Sons consists in- dividually of C. Hyman, Sr., and C. Hyman, Jr., and Michael D. Hyman. They own and operate a large flouring-mill, to- gether with a saw and planing mill attached, and are also extensive dealers in agricultural implements, carriages, wagons, hides, cement, lime, salt, etc. This business, which is on a thoroughly solid basis, was established by Conrad Hyman, Sr., forty-two years ago; and

fifteen years ago he admitted his sons into partnership. He is also largely engaged in the cattle business. The firm own and con- duct four farms, aggregating four hundred and fifty acres.

P ETER CAMPBELL. In March, 1798, a number of married and single persons left Broadalbin, Perthshire, Scotland, to seek a home in America. They shipped from Greenock, landed in New York, and then proceeded without delay to Johnstown, Fulton County, where they remained for nearly a year, unde- termined as to their future location. Colonel Williamson, agent of the Pulteney estate, hearing of their arrival, journeyed there to see them, to induce them to settle on his com- pany's land near the Big Springs, then known as the town of Northampton, County of Onta- rio, which name was subsequently changed to Caledonia. He offered them land at three dollars per acre, payable in wheat at six shil- lings a bushel, and agreed to provide them with necessary provisions until they were able to provide for themselves. As they bad expended all of their money for passage to America, and were consequently too poor to purchase land in Johnstown, Colonel William- son's alluring offers were deemed worthy of acceptance; but, with the habitual shrewdness of their race, before giving him a decided answer, they sent out five of their number to explore the Big Springs country and report the result of their investigations.

Upon receiving the favorable report of the five explorers, a part of the emigrants in Johnstown made immediate preparations for their journey to the Big Springs country. The number of men, women, and children did not exceed twenty, including Peter Campbell, wife, and child, the subjects of this sketch. Mr. Campbell at once set at work to make a home for himself and family by purchasing one hundred and seventy-five acres of unim- proved and heavily timbered land, situated on Spring Creek, outlet of the Big Springs proper, clearing a small space and erecting a log cabin thereon. This served him and his

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family for some years; but, as soon as he was in a position to do so, he built a frame house, which, with some alterations and improve- ments, is occupied at the present time by some of his descendants.

The early settlers of Caledonia were Chris- tian people, and among the first objects of their care was the provision for religious ser- vice. Accordingly a meeting was held at the house of Peter Campbell, November 10, 1802, for the purpose of organizing a religious soci- ety, to be incorporated under the laws of the State. At this meeting they selected the name of the Presbyterian Religious Society of Caledonia, and at the same time chose five Trustees, Peter Campbell being one of the number, he afterward becoming a Ruling Elder, and remaining so until his demise.

Peter Campbell was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1769, and his wife, Catharine, in 1767, at the same place. They had a family of seven children, of whom the eldest, Jen- nett, was born in Scotland. The others, who were all born in Caledonia, were: Duncan, Daniel, Peter P., John P., Alexander, and Ann. Peter Campbell died November 9, 1836, and Catharine, his wife, November 20, 1831.

Peter P. Campbell, the third son, who was born in 1805, seven years after the arrival of the family in Caledonia, inherited the home- stead, the tract originally taken up by his father. He was educated in the district schools, was a farmer by occupation, and re- sided at the old homestead all of his life. When a young man he was a member of the State militia, belonging to an independent company. He was a public-spirited, hard- working, and progressive citizen, and proved a most valuable and popular member of the community, succeeding his father as a Ruling Elder in the religious organization of Cale- donia. He died August 29, 1884, at the age of seventy-nine years. He was twice mar- ried, and by his first wife, Elizabeth Stewart, who died in 1844, he had five children, namely : Catharine, Peter P., who married Elizabeth E. McPherson, Jane, wife of Rob- ert Ritchie, all residing in Caledonia; Don- ald P., a merchant at Mumford, N. Y., who

died February 26, 1895, aged fifty-three years; and James P., a farmer, residing in Dakota.

Mr. Peter P. Campbell's second wife was Margaret Mckenzie, daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth McIntyre Mckenzie. Her mother, Elizabeth McIntyre, was born at Appin, Argyleshire, Scotland, November 20, 1798, came to America in 1805 and to Cale- donia in 1811. Although then but thirteen years of age, she kept house for two brothers while they cleared the tract of wild land which they had taken up. She lived to see her great-grandchildren, being in her ninety- third year at the time of her death.

By his second wife, Margaret, Mr. Camp- bell had eleven children, namely: Jennett Elizabeth, who died in infancy; Margaret A., who lives at the homestead; the Rev. John P., who married Alice Freeny, and has for the past sixteen years been pastor of Faith Church, Baltimore, Md .; Elizabeth, also re- siding at the homestead; Jennett, wife of James Annin, Jr., residing at Caledonia; Alex. P., who married M. Augusta Hannah, and at this writing resides at and has charge of the homestead; Ellen Mary, now Mrs. Hugh Campbell, residence Caledonia; Chris- tabel, instructor in public school, Denver, Col .; Florence A., public-school teacher, Brooklyn, N. Y .; Eveline J., artist, at the homestead; Dr. Duncan, graduate Hahne- mann Medical College, Philadelphia, Pa. Mrs. Margaret Mckenzie Campbell survived her husband nearly ten years, and died May 21, 1894, aged seventy years.

RS. CYNTHIA A. MATTHEWS. With the exception of about three years' residence in the town of Wyoming, this estimable and highly respected lady has passed her entire life at her present home in Genesee Falls, where she was born, March 7, 1823, being the daughter of a pioneer, who cleared and im- proved the farm from the wilderness. Her father, Erastus Robbins, was born at Middle- bury, Vt., May 11, 1796, her. grandfather, John Robbins, whose death occurred when she

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was a child, having been an early settler in that State.

Erastus Robbins was the fourth of seven children, all sons except one, Esther Rob- bins, who is still residing in the Green Mountain State. Erastus was reared to the vocation of a farmer, and upon attaining his majority journeyed westward in search of a suitable place in which to locate. Arriving in this region with but one dollar in his pos- session, he purchased an axe, and boldly ap- plied himself to the task of clearing a farm from one hundred acres of wilderness, which he had acquired wholly upon credit, includ- ing the site of the present home of his daugh- ter. He erected a log house, in which he and his wife resided for a short time. They then journeyed back to Vermont for the pur- pose of moving their household effects to the new home, which they accomplished with the aid of an ox team, and began life in the for- est. Little by little the wild lands were cleared and became cultivated fields. The log shelter was superseded before many years by a plank house, in which their children were reared; and in course of time the pres- ent residence was erected, where the parents passed the remainder of their lives. Erastus

Robbins died at the age of sixty-eight years, in very comfortable circumstances, owning a farm of two hundred and thirty acres, besides having considerable money at interest. His wife, Cynthia Burnell, daughter of Samuel Burnell, was born February 22, 1794. She reared two of her three children - Cynthia, Mrs. Matthews; and Clarissa A., born Sep- tember 27, 1819, now the widow of David H. Warne. The mother died at the age of seventy-two years, being, as was her husband also, a member of the Presbyterian church.

Cynthia A. Robbins was carefully reared by her parents and trained in the arts of housewifery. In January, 1851, she married her first husband, William H. Chute, a me- chanic, residing in Pike, who was engaged with his father, Noah Chute, in manufactur- ing pumps. He was a member of the Baptist church, and died in 1858. Her second hus- band, whom she wedded in June, 1862, was Isaac V. Matthews. He was born in Wash-

ington County, New York, his father, for whom the son was named, being also a native of Vermont and a farmer. Young Isaac, on reaching his majority, settled in Michigan as a merchant, and married Elizabeth Bliss, who lived but a few years. After her decease he returned to Covington, N. Y., near Wyoming, where his father had in the mean time located. Ile subsequently removed to Wyoming, in which town he married his second wife, by whom he had five children. One of the four still surviving is his son, Charles Matthews, who has been a candidate for governor on the Populist ticket. The second wife of Mr .. Isaac V. Matthews died after eighteen years of wedlock; and the subject of this brief record became his third wife, leaving her home in Genesee Falls, and residing with her husband at Wyoming for a period of three years, when they returned to the former place, where he remained until his decease, which ocurred in 1889, at the age of eighty years.

Mr. Isaac V. Matthews was prominent in local public affairs, serving as Supervisor two or three terms and as Justice of the Peace for several years, also filling the office of High- way Commissioner and other minor posi- tions. He was a very active member of the Presbyterian church, in which he was an Elder and superintendent of the Sunday-school. His sons are also active in church affairs, the eldest being a lawyer in Chicago. The sec- ond, who is a leader in the Populist party, is in the oil business; and the third is in real estate business, living in Salem, Ore.

Mrs. Matthews is a bright and interesting lady, representing one of the oldest and most prominent families in the county. It is evi- dent that there have been transmitted to her many of those substantial characteristics for which the blood of old Vermont is so justly celebrated.

T HADDEUS GERRY, a successful tiller of the soil, a useful and esteemed mem- ber of society, was born in Avon, sixty-two years ago, and has resided here all his life. His father. Jonathan H., was a native of the old Bay State, born in Hatfield

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at the beginning of the now almost ended century. He came to Livingston County, New York, in 1831, when he was just thirty- one years of age, and located at Avon; but a number of years elapsed before he bought a farm, he renting land at first, and devoting it to the cultivation of broom corn. Finally he purchased a farm, and lived on it for the re- mainder of his days. Jonathan H. Gerry, however, was not so much of a farmer as he was merchant ; and he was largely engaged in trade at Avon for about ten years. He was the builder of the structure occupied by the firm of Allen & Carson as a sanitarium. He survived but seventeen years after his arrival at Avon, dying in 1848, in the forty-eighth year of his age.

Jonathan II. Gerry married Sarah High- land; and they reared six children, of whom all but one were boys, their names being as follows: Owen, Thaddeus, Houghton, Wells, Thomas, and Maria L. Houghton Gerry was one of the first to enlist 'in Captain Sackett's company, which was formed at Avon in 1862. This company saw a good deal of fighting, underwent many hardships, and bore an im- portant part in the struggle for the preserva- tion of the Union during its three years of service. Of the one hundred men who went to the front only forty-four returned to be mustered out; and Houghton Gerry was not among them, for he had died in a hospital, of sickness contracted during service. Mrs. Sarah Gerry survived her husband for half a century, reaching the age of ninety-four years, nearly double the period of his earthly so- journ.

Thaddeus was the second son. He was educated at the Avon district schools, and has always followed agriculture as an occupation. He has resided on his present estate for nearly forty years, having bought the place in 1856, and having made it his residence ever since. Of course he has seen many and radical changes occur in Avon and vicinity during that long period, has seen what was once valuable become worthless and what was once worthless become valuable; but he has seen no changes take place in what constitutes good citizenship, and he has never altered the

principles that have guided him in the per- formance of the duties which cannot be slighted by a conscientious man who means to be a citizen in fact as well as in name. He has served one term as Village Trustee, but as a rule has had very little to do with public office.

Thaddeus Gerry cast his first Presidential vote for Bell and Everett when he was twenty- three years of age, this election occurring in 1856. He has since been a member of the Republican party, never swerving in his alle- giance to it, and deeming its past record the best possible assurance that could be given of its present good faith and its future useful- ness.

RS. ELIZA WELLES, a venera- ble and highly esteemed resident of Arcade, widow of Lemuel C. Welles, has reached the age of eighty-six years, the date of her birth having been April 22, 1809. Her parents were John and. Elizabeth (Seaburn) Miller, of Seneca County, where her paternal grandfather, Thomas Miller, a native of New Jersey, came as a pioneer, and resided considerably more than half a century, or until his decease. His wife's first name was Rebecca. She reared five sons and three daughters, the fam- ily being what is known as Low Dutch. John Miller was trained to agricultural pursuits, and resided in Seneca County until his daugh- ter, of whom this is a record, reached the age of fifteen years, when he purchased a farm situated on Cattaraugus Creek, which he occu- pied about fifteen years. Selling it then, he removed to Linesville, Pa., residing upon a farm there until his death, which occurred at the age of seventy-five years. His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Seaburn, was a daughter of John and Nellie Seaburn. She was born in the vicinity of Trenton, N. J., and reared six of her ten children, Eliza, Mrs. Welles, being the only one now living. Mr. and Mrs. John Miller were members of the Presbyterian church.

Eliza Miller resided with her parents until the year 1826, when she was united in mar-

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riage to Lemuel C. Welles, a son of Simeon and Rhoda Welles, who was born in Sidney, Delaware County, and came to Arcade with his parents in 1809, when he was eight years of age. Ile was one of eight children, and became an old resident of the above-named town, his parents having passed the remainder of their lives here. Mr. Lemuel C. Welles was a thorough agriculturist, and owned the farm of two hundred and seventy-five acres upon which he settled soon after his marriage, and where he lived until his decease, in the year 1849, at the age of forty-eight years. He was a very successful farmer, thorough- ly conscientious and straightforward in all business transactions, and a Democrat in politics.

Mrs. Eliza Miller Welles has been the mother of eight children, five sons and three daughters, namely: Madison J., who married Maria Shaw, having one child - Hattie Eliza; Betsey Ann, who married Philander Parker, and has five children - Luella, Welles A., Erastus R., Mary, and Minnie; Harrison, who married Nancy Smith, now deceased, and had one daughter - Ruth; Lysander; Adelia; Martha, who married Stacy W. Robeson, now deceased; Volney C., deceased, who married Mattie Tisdell, and had three children - Lemuel, Raymond, and Carrie; Eastman C., also deceased, who married Lizzie Smith, and had one daughter, Louic.

The family is one of high standing in the county. Mrs. Welles's daughters were all given an academic education, and are ladies of superior qualities of mind and character, exceedingly active socially and in church work, being of the Methodist faith. The ven- erable mother, who was born in the first decade of the century, and has been a resident of Wyoming County for more than seventy years, displays even at her present advanced age rare intellectual attainments, and is de- servedly admired and revered by a large circle of acquaintances.

"She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness " -- thus the ideal woman of the Hebrew Book of Prov- erbs, and thus the subject of the foregoing sketch and the original of the portrait on

another page. Happily the "new woman," so designated of late, began to be long, long ago.

B RICHMOND BOSLEY, a farmer of Geneseo, a scion of some of the best pioneer stock of Livingston County, was born in this town, Oc- tober 6, 1834. His great-grandfather, John Bosley, a native of Maryland, was a lineal descendant of Walter Bosley, a native of Eng- land, who settled in Baltimore County, Mary- land, in 1700, and died in 1715, leaving a large estate. In 1792 John Bosley emigrated to this State with his family, consisting of his wife, three sons, and two daughters, and was one of the very first to settle in what is now Livingston County, at that time Ontario, a vast wilderness, inhabited solely by Indians.

Mr. Bosley selected a tract of land situated at the outlet of Conesus Lake, where was a great water-power, which he, being a miller by trade, shortly improved by erecting the very first mill in these parts. During many years the settlers for a distance of twenty-five miles brought their grist to his mill upon horseback or with ox teams, the long journey often making it necessary for them to remain over night with the hospitable miller. No railways or canals intersected the Empire State in these early days, and the nearest market available to the pioneers was Albany. Consequently they were compelled by force of necessity to subsist entirely upon the products of their farms. Mr. Bosley had been a slave owner in his native State; and he brought his slaves with him, but soon after his arrival gave them their freedom. The farmers all raised flax and kept sheep; and the women spun and wove the stout and durable home- spun with which the family were clothed, the itinerant shoemaker in his annual visits mak- ing the boots and shoes. Mr. Bosley had been but three years in his new home when in the year 1795 he was suddenly killed by a falling limb while walking in the woods. His wife, whose maiden name was Hannah Bull, was born in England.

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Biographical review : this volume contains biographical sketches of the leading citizens of Livingston and Wyoming counties, N.Y, Part 61

Author: Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Boston : Biographical Review Number of Pages: 1256

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Boston : Biographical Review
Number of Pages: 1256