USA > New York > Madison County > Biographical review : this volume contains biographical sketches of the leading citizens of Madison County, New York > Part 21
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BURDETTE LEACH. There can be no reasonable doubt that agricul- ture is the most independent, as well as the most ancient and honorable, of all the callings to which civilized man is clevoted. Of those thus engaged in Madison County, and one of the most prominent and successful of the number, is H. Burdette
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Leach, the subject of this sketch. Mr. Leach was born February 12, 1853, and is a son of Henry H. and Rosalind P. Leach, both of whom were born in Madison County. The former was a son of Backus Leach, a native of Massachusetts, and one of the first settlers in the town of Eaton, his journey from Massa- chusetts to Madison County being made by means of ox-teams. He settled on the farm upon which the subject of this sketch now lives, which at the time was a wilderncss, the woods being full of wild beasts and game. A brother of his had settled on an adjoining tract. The two brothers erected a log house, and here lived for many years. During the earlier part of their residence the Indians were still co-occupants of the woods, but were usually friendly, and their presence was bene- ficial to the settlers. Mr. Leach was an old man at the time of his death, having been born January 16, 1782, and dying October 19, 1864. He was one of the patriots of the War of 1812-15, and was always found on the right side of political questions. He was married twice, and reared five sons and four daughters. His first wife was born August 28, 1780, and died April 22, 1841. Both she and her husband were members of the Baptist church, and among the best people of their day and generation. During the latter years of his long and active life Mr. Leach was a Republican. At his death he left a valuable estate, a part of which consisted of a farm of two hundred and thirty acres.
Henry H. Leach, like his father before him, was a general farmer and stock-raiser,
and kept a dairy of from twenty-five to forty cows. He was also engaged to some extent in raising hops. He rearcd a family of eight children, five sons and three daughters, seven of whom grew to mature years, and six are still living, namely: Horatio E., born in 1843, and now living in Georgetown; Eliza- beth B., born in 1845, and living near West Eaton; Ida M., born in 1846, and living in the town of Stockbridge; H. Burdette, the subject of this sketch; Carlos, born in 1855, and living at Stockbridge; Chad B., born in 1857, and living in the town of Eaton; Bur- dette, born in 1848, died in 1849; and Addie, born in 1850, died in 1873. Henry H. Leach died on the old home farm, August 27, 1892, at the age of seventy-eight. His wife died February 28, 1890, at the age of seventy-four. Both were members of the Baptist church. In politics he was a Republican.
H. Burdette Leach was reared in the town of Eaton, and received his education in the district schools. Remaining at home until he was twenty-one years of age, he then began farming on his own account. He was married in 1874 to Addie S. Wells, a native of the town of Eaton, and a daughter of Joshua and Lydia Wells, the former of whom was born in the town of Nelson, December 18, 1811, has followed farming all his life, and now resides in West Eaton. He and his wife had a fam- ily of four children, namely: Albina, widow of Orlando Farmer, and living in West Eaton ; Louisa, who married Sylvester Northrop, and is now deceased; Amelia, wife of Ezra Ben- nett, and living in the town of Eaton; and
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Addie S., Mrs. Leach. Mrs. Wells died in 1878, having lived a life of usefulness, and having always manifested true womanly pa- tience and heroism.
Mr. Leach removed to the farm upon which he now lives in 1882. It contains one hun- dred and eighteen acres, upon which he carries on general farming. He keeps a dairy of about twenty cows, of fine grades, though not thoroughbreds, and is a progressive and leading young farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Leach have two children : Clarence W .. born Janu- ary 11, 1886; and Hazel, December 26, 1888. In politics Mr. Leach is a Republican. So- cially, he is a member of Eaton Lodge, No. 356, A. O. U. W., and also of Glen Bay Lodge, No. 312, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His standing in his party and in his fraternity is high, and both he and his wife are among the excellent people of their town and community.
B ENTLEY BROTHERS is the name under which Edward C. and G. Duane Bentley are carrying on a thriving business in the manufacture of desks. Noah Bentley, their grandfather, was a farmer by occupation, and spent his last years in Sand Lake, Rensselaer County. In that town occurred the birth of George W. Bentley, their father. He was reared to agricultural pur- suits, which were not to his taste; and, when old enough to earn his own living, he went to Connecticut, and there learned the trade of a chairmaker. Remaining there three years,
he then returned to this State in 1837, and started a factory for the manufacture of chairs in West Edmeston, where he remained until 1855. He then removed to South Brookfield, and established a factory there, which he operated for twenty-one years. Disposing of that property, Mr. Bentley built another fac- tory in New Berlin, and continued success- fully engaged in manufacturing in that town until the time of his death. The maiden name of his wife was Susan Cutler; and of their union two children were born, - Ed- ward C. and G. Duane.
Edward C. Bentley, the senior member of the firm, was born in Edmeston, Otsego County, January 18, 1849. His elementary education was received in the public schools, and supplemented by a course of study at Whitestown Seminary. After leaving school, he entered into a partnership with his father, remaining thus until the death of the latter. He and his brother, G. D. Bentley, who had been admitted to the firm previously, then sold out the business in New Berlin, and re- moved to their present location in Earlville, where they erected a factory. They suc- ceeded well from the first, but were unfortu- nate enough to have the building struck by lightning and burned to the ground, all tools, machinery, and stock being also destroyed. This was a disastrous calamity to them; but, with characteristic energy and enterprise, they at once began the erection of a new factory, having it well under way in less than twenty-four hours after the fire. Some years later they were the victims of another confla-
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gration, again being completely burned out ; but, Phoenix-like, they arose to brighter and better fortunes, and have since continued doing a most prosperous business.
Edward C. Bentley was united in marriage in 1872 to Miss Sarah L. Clark; and of their union one child has been born, - Georgiana. He and his family are regular attendants at the Episcopal church. In politics he is a stanch Democrat. Socially, he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, having been a member for twenty years, and is now Chancellor Com- mander in the Knights of Pythias, and an esteemed member of the Veiled Prophets.
G. Duane Bentley, the junior member of the firm, was born in South Brookfield, March 5, 1855. He attended the district schools, and afterward took the course of studies at New Berlin. Subsequently he was admitted to the firm with his father and brother, and has con- tinued thus engaged since, as above related. When twenty-four years of age, he married Miss Rosalind Talcott, daughter of William and Julia Talcott. To them has been born one child, a son, Glade T. Politically, he is a strong adherent of the Democratic party. Socially, he also is a member of the Knights of Pythias. He and his family are worship- pers at the Episcopal church.
In the manufacturing and industrial inter- ests of Otsego and Madison Counties the name of Bentley holds high rank, this firm having been in uninterrupted business for over half a century. First established in West Edmeston by the father in 1837, it has been continued since his decease by his sons,
the present firm, who are recognized as valued factors of the business community, being prac- tical and progressive men, straightforward and honorable in all their transactions, well worthy of the high regard in which they are held.
EWCOMB FIELD has resided in his handsome home and on his farm of one hundred acres for the past twenty-nine years. He was born in Oneida County, March 9, 1820, the son of Lincoln Field, who was born in Massachusetts in 1784, and died at Durhamville, Oneida County, in 1834. He was the son of John Field, who was a soldier in the Revolution, and for his services received a pension. He moved to New York State from Massachusetts about the close of the eighteenth century, with his wife and seven children, making the trip by ox-team and covered wagon, bringing with him the sum of twelve hundred dollars. in silver, which in those days was considered a goodly fortune. He bought three hundred acres of land, including the very site on which is now the village of Durhamville. He was a man of the strictest integrity and honesty, and an interesting incident of his traits of character is told in the following story. He was associated with one James Hulbert in raising a crop of rye; and when they came to divide it, by putting it into two separate heaps, Mr. Hulbert commenced to carry a part of his share over to Field's heap, as he maintained that the latter had done the most work in raising the crop. But
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Grandfather Field sturdily objected to the transfer, and between the honesty of the one and the determination of the other they nearly came to blows. History does not say how the matter was eventually settled. This old gentleman was one of twenty-two children by one mother.
Lincoln Field, the father of our subject, was the youngest of four sons; and his wife was Miss Fannie Newcomb, of Schoharie; N. Y., daughter of Rev. Benjamin Newcomb, one of the first Baptist ministers in that sec- tion. They were married about 1819, when Mr. Field was a sub-contractor on the con- struction of the Erie Canal, and his young wife did the cooking for sixty men employed on that section. Our subject distinctly re- members the celebration over the completion of this great artery of commerce. His pa- rents built a log house on the farm, where Newcomb, their first child, was born. They reared three sons and two daughters, and buried two children in infancy. Those liv- ing are: Newcomb; Harriet, wife of William Vroman, of Madison, Wis., a wealthy man, and retired from business; Ellen, wife of Charles Holt, editor of the Kankakee Gazette, of Kankakee, Ill. The father of these chil- dren was drafted in the War of 1812, but served only a few months.
The subject of this sketch received but a limited education in the log school-house of his village; but he eagerly sought the best of reading, including extensive history, which he often read by the aid of his tallow-dip until daylight. He was a great deal with his
grandfather, with whom he was a favorite; and many lessons of wisdom were learned by him from the experience of the old gentle- man. He was but fourteen years of age when his father died; and he became the head of the family, and proudly claims that since then he has been able to maintain his credit and meet his debts.
Mr. Field has been twice married, his first wife being Miss Nancy Briggs, of Massachu- setts, a niece of Governor Briggs, of that State. She bore him one son, Romanzo L. Field, a farmer of Canastota, and the father of two daughters. Mrs. Field died in 1851, aged thirty years; and in March, 1862, Miss Melissa A. Ransom became Mr. Field's sec- ond wife. She was born in Steuben, Oneida County, in 1824, daughter of Dyer D. Ran- som, a Baptist clergyman. He died in 1850, aged sixty-four years, leaving a widow and six children, all daughters, of whom Mrs. Field was the third in order of birth. She has three sisters living. Her mother died in 1869, at the age of seventy-five years.
Mr. Field has been a dealer in general groceries, and has always been a farmer. In 1865 he purchased his present elegant farm, for which he paid twelve thousand dollars. He has thirteen acres devoted to hop-growing, and averages one thousand pounds to the acre. In one year that was especially productive he raised two thousand two hundred pounds to the acre. He raises small fruits, and has a fine orchard of apples, pears, and plums. His dairy consists of about eight good cows. Mr. and Mrs. Field, although uniformly pros-
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pcrous, have sustained a great loss in the death of their daughter Fanny, a talented, beautiful girl, who was being educated in the Madison (Wis.) University. She was but twenty-two years of age, and had every prom- ise of a long and happy life, when her un- timely death occurred, leaving her parents almost crushed by this sudden blow. One other child remains, Miss Florence, who was educated at Brockport, N. Y , and resides at home.
Mr. Field is a Master Mason, and has been an Odd Fellow. Politically, he follows and upholds the Republican party. He was Audi- tor for his town for one year. The family are adherents of the Baptist religion, and are valucd members of their church, their daily lives being true cvidences of the sincerity of their profession.
B YRON S. BRYANT, one of the lead- ing business men of De Ruyter, a financier of tested skill and probity, and President of the Individual Banking Com- pany of that place, was born in the town of Truxton, Cortland County, June 6, 1846. His father, Isaac S. Bryant, a native of Mas- sachusetts, doubtless kin to the distinguished poet, came from that State, when but two or three years old, with his parents, Ebenezer and Joanna Bryant, who were pioneers of Cort- land County, and early became inured to his lifelong occupation of cultivating the soil. Arrived at manhood, he bought land, and made for himself a home in the town of Trux-
ton, where he resided until his death, in the year 1877. His widow survived him a few ycars, and died in De Ruyter in 1883. His union in marriage with Catherine Bennett, a native of Vermont, daughter of Charles and Sally Bennett, was blessed with two children, Rodorpha and Byron S.
Being an only son, there was plenty of work for young Byron on his father's farm. In the intervals of attending school he had abundant opportunity, which he did not fail to improve, of gaining a practical acquaintance with vari- ous branches of agriculture. He lived with his parents, doing his share of the allotted toil, till the attainment of his majority, when, having a turn for trade, the marketing of farm produce being more to his taste than ploughing and harvesting, he started in busi- ness for himself as a wholesale and retail dealer in butter and cheese. Ably managed, the business has proved profitable, and is continued by him at the present time. In 1869 Mr. Bryant took up his abode in De Ruyter, where in 1873 he built the residence which he now occupies.
December 24, 1868, was the date of the marriage of Mr. Bryant with Mary Ardale Pomeroy, a native of Truxton. Mrs. Bryant's father, Austin Pomeroy, was born in Cuyler, the son of James and Eliza Pomcroy. He was a cabinet-maker, and conducted business as a furniture dealer and undertaker in Truxton for many years. He is still a resident of that town. The maiden name of Mrs. Bryant's mother was Emily E. Hulburt. She was born in Truxton, daughter of Timothy and
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Mehitable Hulburt, and died in 1872, having reared two children, Howard H. and Mary Ardale.
In politics Mr. Bryant is a faithful Demo- crat. A public-spirited citizen, he has served seven years as President of the Village Board of Trustees, and four years as a member of the Madison County Board of Supervisors. A man of enterprise and ability, he was one of the organizers, in 1889, of the Individual Banking Company of De Ruyter, -an enter- prise which has proved a success, and which stands on a sound and reliable basis. Of this company Mr. Bryant has been President since its organization.
G. STILLMAN, JR., was born in De Ruyter, N. Y., February 6, 1856. His grandfather, Phineas Stillman, and his grandmother, who was a Miss Gardner before marriage, lived and died at Potter's Hill, in Rhode Island. The father, B. G. Stillman, Sr., left home at an early age, and came to the State of New York. He learned the trade of harness-making, and, after work- ing six or eight years for others, settled in De Ruyter, where he took up the business for himself, carrying it on for several years, then sold out, and started a nursery, which he con- ducted in conjunction with candle-making in the winter. He was quite successful in his candle enterprise until the introduction of kerosene, when he gave it up, and once more took up the business of harness-making, con- tinuing in this until 1891, when he sold out
to his son, and is now living retired in the town of De Ruyter. His wife was Miss Sophronia H., daughter of Matthew and Wealthy Wells, of De Ruyter. They reared six children : Welcome E .; S. Marie ; our sub- ject ; Phineas M .; George A .; and Celia E. They are all married: Celia to W. H. Cos- sum, a missionary, located in China; S. Marie to Rev. Thomas R. Williams, D.D., Profes- sor of Theology in Alfred University; Phin- eas M. to Miss Edna Maine, of De Ruyter, N. Y .; George to Miss Cora Stillman, of Nile, N. Y .; Welcome to Miss Mary A. Crumb, of Brookfield.
Our subject remained at home until his eighteenth year, having been educated at the De Ruyter Institute. After finishing school, he went to Brookfield, and began working on a farm by the month, continuing this one season, and at its close obtained a situation in the store of A. J. Stillman in the same town. Here he remained for one year, then went to Richfield Springs, N. Y., going into the har- ness business there with his brother. About this time he became interested in newspaper work, and went into the office of the Brook- field Courier to learn the art of printing. Here he worked, as an apprentice, journeyman, and foreman, for seven years, in what was then the firm of H. L. Spooner & Son, who controlled the paper. Mr. Stillman, in con- nection with W. E. Philipps, bought out the entire plant ; and the original firm moved out, and went to Canastota, N. Y. The new firm continued to carry on business for two years, and then the Messrs. Spooner bought out
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the interest of Mr. Philipps, and formed a partnership with Mr. Stillman, Mr. F. M. Spooner assuming the editorial portion of the work, and Mr. Stillman taking the manage- ment of the concern.
A short sketch of this well-known and excellent journal will not be out of place here. The plant was originally founded by Frank M. Spooner, and has a peculiar history attached to it. In 1874 Mr. Spooner, being then a young man, was presented with a calf by some good friend, which he sold, and invested the money in a printing outfit. It was a very small beginning, and he modestly called it The Young America; but a rival con- temporary dubbed it The Brookfield Astonisher. At the end of the first year it was changed to The Brookfield Courier, and was published by this young man and a Mr. Myngor for one year, from the very first being a most success- ful enterprise; and to-day it is considered one of the best paying influential papers in the State.
At the age of twenty-five Mr. Stillman married Miss Nettie T. Babcock, daughter of Oliver P. and Susanna Babcock. They attend the Seventh-day Baptist church. Mr. Still- man holds a position of considerable influence in the Republican party, being a faithful fol- lower of its principles. He belongs to a fam- ily which rank among the pioneer settlers of the county, and is therefore deeply interested in the advancement and progress of his town, lending the columns of his ably edited paper to everything which will conduce to its best interests. Dealing as he does with the vari-
ous issues of the day in a masterly and vigor- ous manner, he serves the highest purpose of journalism, which is to educate and elevate the people.
ORING MUNROE, whose interesting sketch we are about to give, was born in Ashburnham, Worcester County, Mass. His grandfather, Lieutenant Ebenezer M. Munroe, was from Lexington, Mass., and was a prominent actor during the early strug- gles of the New England colonies. He was a strong patriot, and was engaged in the very first battle, - that of Lexington. It is said that he fired the first gun on the American side. The firing had commenced, and it was supposed that the British were using only powder, not bullets; but, when Ebenezer felt a stinging wound in his arm, he quickly ar- rived at the conclusion that it was child's play no longer, and responded to the civilities of the enemy with sound, hard lead. He served through the whole of the Revolution, and died May 25, 1825.
The father of our subject was Charles Mun- roe, born September 12, 1781. He was mar- ried June 9, 1808, to Lydia Conn. The patriot element was also strongly developed in him, as he was a soldier, too, being a member of the Ashburnham Light Infantry in the War of 1812. He was a chair manufacturer, and died October 26, 1834. They had eight chil- dren, namely: Lydia, born August 8, 1809, married January 21, 1832, to Sylvester Win- ship, and died March 21, 1835; John, born December 24, 1812, is deceased; Mary F.,
Laviny Munique
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born May 3, 1814, married John Winship, September 15, 1833; Charles, born November 19, 1817, died in 1882; Lucy, born March 5, 1820, married July 1, 1840, to Sylvester Winship, who died July 11, 1883; Ivers, born May 30, 1823, is practising law in Oneida, and was married first to Miss Lucia Gould, second to Miss Mary J. Thomas, and third to Maria J. Chapin, daughter of Samuel Chapin, whose biography appears elsewhere in this work; Loring, our subject, born June 12, 1826, married Miss Jane Co- warden, a native of Baltimore, Md., June 17, 1849; Harriet A., born July 20, 1829, was married to Timothy A. Tenney, September 19, 1853. He died April 17, 1868.
John Conn, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was of a very prominent old New England family, who were a hardy, long line of pioneers. They did their full share toward the development of good government and soci- ety, being people of strength and position, and experienced their full share of the strug- gles and privations incidental to those years of the war for independence. Lydia (Conn) Munroe, the mother of our subject, was born December 26, 1789, and died March 9, 1837, at Ashburnham, Mass.
Without going into further detail, it is easily discernible that Loring Munroe, of whom we write, has every reason to proudly boast of his ancestry. If he was left poor in this world's goods, he had good blood, which will always tell. There is no truer saying than the French expression, Noblesse oblige ; and Mr. Munroe has illustrated it during his
whole life. His parents died while he was yet a boy, so that he was early deprived of their counsel and sympathy; but from a lad his habits were good, and he had a commend- able ambition to rise in the world. He was left without money, and had to make his way as best he could, securing a place on a farm, where he worked for three years, managing meanwhile to take every opportunity to attend school, and finally finished at the academy at Ashby, Mass., where he received a plain, practical course of study. However, his real business education has been mostly obtained by actual experience and observation. Learning readily and remembering well, he treasured up much knowledge which was of wonderful use to him in later life. He taught school for a time, thus securing a little money, and then went to Cleveland, Oswego County, New York, being at that time twenty years of age, and became interested in the manufacture of glass, subsequently owning an interest in the factory of the American Glass Company at Bernhard's Bay, N. Y. In 1861 he purchased the Dunbarton glass plant at Verona, N. Y., which he managed successfully for sixteen years, meanwhile becoming inter- ested in organizing a bank at Oneida, Madi- son County, N. Y. The firm was Barnes, Stark & Munroe, and was a private bank, which paid well; but our subject withdrew from the firm about five years after its organi- zation.
It was about this time that Mr. Munroe, while then living in Oneida County, was elected a Trustee of the Oneida Savings Bank.
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He held that office for several years, when he resigned. He moved to Oneida in 1877, and has since resided here, being identified with the interests of the town, an influential man, successful in all of his undertakings, and has accumulated a considerable fortune. He owns valuable property in growing locations in the village, and has always been broad- minded and liberal, contributing largely and aiding in every way in the building of churches, good schools, and, in fact, every- thing which has a tendency to advance the best interests of the community. He built and owns the building now occupied by the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank, of which institution he is the President, and is also the owner of the Munroe Opera House. Mr. Munroe, while being politically a stanch Re- publican, has never sought office or any pre- ferment, but has represented the town of Lenox as Supervisor, and has been a member of the Village Board of Trustees. He was one of the original stockholders of the First National Bank of Oneida; and, being pos- sessed of excellent judgment, his opinion and advice have been of great value in business circles of the town.
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