USA > New York > Chenango County > Book of biographies : this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Chenango County, New York > Part 18
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EORGE A. TIFFANY, a leading and well-to-do farmer of North Norwich township, is a son of Lewis and Maranda (Matthewson) Tiffany, and was born May 24, 1854: in the town of North Norwich, where he now resides. (For the ancestral history the reader is referred to the biography of William R. Tiffany.)
Lewis Tiffany, his father, was born in the same town July 17, 1817, and was educated in the district schools. He had been raised on a farm, and to agricultural occupations he turned his attention with such good results that he accumulated a large property. at one time owning 400 acres of fine farm land, upon part of which our subject now lives.
JUDGE ALBERT F. GLADDING.
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He was a zealous Christian and a devout Methodist, contributing with a liberal hand toward the support of the church. He was . married February 6, 1849, to Maranda Mat- thewson, and had a family of three sons and one daughter : Lewis; George A .; William ; and Della. Of these children only one, the subject of this sketch, is now living. The father died in 1895, at the advanced age of seventy-eight years, with the consciousness of a well spent life. The mother was born November 2, 1823, and is still living at the age of seventy-four years, a bright, cheerful old lady.
The first school days of George A. Tiffany were spent in the district school, whence he advanced to the Norwich Academy, and from there to the Brockport State Normal School. This latter institution he attended for three years, and while there became a member of the Gamma Sigma Society. The following three years were spent in teaching in his home town, but he came of a race that were all, in their occupation, wedded to the soil, and were then, as they are now, among the substantial farmers of the county ; so it was not strange to see him turn from the work of teaching to the more alluring em- ployment of agriculture, and to-day he is a prosperous and enterprising farmer living on the old homestead, where he owns 276 acres of ground and runs a splendid dairy of 35 COWS.
Mr. Tiffany took to himself a wife on De- cember 31, 1879, the lady of his choice being Miss Nettie Garatt, a daughter of Francis Garatt, a farmer of the town of Plymouth, this county. They have three children,-
Frederick, Edward, and Sarah. Mr. Tiffany is a Republican and takes an active part in political work, doing much toward the suc- cess of his party in local elections. He is now serving his eleventh year as justice of the peace, his sixth year as supervisor, and has also served one term as collector.
The maternal great-grandfather of Mr. Tiffany was Daniel Matthewson, a native of Rhode Island. He came to Walworth, Wayne County, this state, where he made his home, carried on farming and raised his family of two sons and three daughters. One of these sons was the grandfather of our sub- ject, Artemas Matthewson, also a native of Rhode Island. He came to this state, where he married Cynthia Tiffany and settled down to the life of a farmer. Ile held the office of supervisor for seven years, was poormaster and held other minor offices. He was some- thing of a public character and very popu- lar in his county. They were the parents of six children, namely: William H .; Alfred ; Laura; Maranda M .; George B .; and Hiram D. Mr. Tiffany takes an active interest in all matters pertaining to agriculture, and has contributed no little to the advancement of farming interests. He is an energetic, zeal- ous, public spirited citizen.
J UDGE ALBERT F. GLADDING, the able county judge and surrogate of Chenango County, whose residence is at the county seat in Norwich, is a de- scendant of John Gladding, who came from England in 1640, and settled in Bristol, Rhode
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Island. His oldest child he named John, and for seven generations thereafter, the oldest child was a son and in every instance re- ceived the name of John.
The first of the Gladding family repre- sented in Chenango County was John Glad- ding, who came from Bristol, R. I., and set- tled in Pharsalia, in 1816. This pioneer was the head of the seventh generation from the first John Gladding, and he was the father of James C. Gladding, and grandfather of Judge Albert F. Gladding.
James C. Gladding was born in Bristol, R. I., November 12, 1813, but was reared to manhood on his father's farm in Pharsalia. He followed agricultural pursuits on the old homestead until 1884, when he moved to Norwich, and there lived the last four years of his life, dying in 1892. In the community in which he lived and labored, he was a lead- ing spirit in all public enterprises. He was constant and persevering in his efforts, and whatever he undertook to accomplish, that he pushed through to success, unmindful of obstacles or hindering circumstances. His business ability was of such an order as would have shone in more extended fields, and even as it was, though his chief pursuit was farming, he was also engaged in other enterprises, some of which were of consider- able importance. His was a hospitable na- ture, nothing delighting him more than to entertain friends at his bountiful board, or to offer good cheer to the stranger that chanced his way. He performed his duties faithfully as a good, upright, intelligent citizen, and deserved the encomiums of praise that were bestowed upon his memory when his funeral
obsequies took place. He married Mary A. Fargo, who still survives him and lives in Nor- wich ; she was born July 3, 1813. The follow- ing children were born to them: Eliza Ann (Brown); Squire James; Mary Jane (Hill); Judge Albert F., our subject; Cynthia A. (Eddy); Nancy C. (Beebe); Rosa A. (Kel- logg); Benjamin F .; and John E.
Judge Gladding was born in the township of Pharsalia, N. Y., December 9, 1842. He early developed a love for knowledge, and an aptitude for continued and applied efforts in pressing forward toward the goal; with no other educational facilities than the dis- trict school and the home circle, he fitted himself to be a teacher. Working hard and long, and paying his own way, he became a student in Norwich Academy, where he made his mark as one of the brightest and most promising young men of the institution. In 1866, he entered the law office of Hon. David L. Follett as a student of the legal pro- fession ; by hard and systematic study, in scope most comprehensive and thorough, he gained early admission to the bar in May, 1869. He at once entered upon the practice of his profession in Norwich village, and was soon after elected to the office of justice of the peace. However, a large and increasing practice prevented his giving much time to the duties of the office, but enough was seen by his fellow citizens to warrant their com- ing to the conclusion that he possessed a logical, critical, and well balanced mind, that type of intellect that makes the best lawyer and the ideal judge. After eight years of practice he was admitted to the bar of the United States Supreme Court. He has had
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in charge many cases of great importance, and failure has not fallen to his lot, when suc- cess was possible by any exertions on his part. He has proven himself a safe counsel- lor, as an attorney, whose best services are always at the command of his clients.
In 1883, Judge Gladding was first nomin- ated to the office of county judge and surro- gate by the Republican party, of which he has ever been a loyal member; he failed of an election, for he and other good candidates were sacrificed for the discipline of the party. But in 1889 his race for the same office proved successful, and he was given a tenure of office of six years by his Republican sup- porters. In 1895 he was re-elected, being in- dorsed this time by all the parties, and en- countering no opposition. It was a splendid endorsement for the manner in which he filled the office, and an expression of confi- dence in his ability that was indeed pleasing to the Judge.
Our subject was joined in marriage, in 1881, with Grace V. E. (Randall) Owen, daughter of I. H. Owen of Auburn, N. Y., and to them were given four children, namely : Robert F .; Grace; Gladys; and Gertrude. The family are attendants of the Norwich Episcopal Church, of which Judge Gladding is an honored vestryman. He has been inti- mately connected with a number of semi- public enterprises, that have been the means of bringing much prosperity and good times to Norwich. He is a director of the Che- nango National Bank, of which he was one of the organizers in 1883. He also organized and incorporated, with a number of his busi- ness associates, the Norwich Water Works
Company, and has been a trustee in the cor- poration since. In 1889, he was an organizer and promoter of the Norwich Furniture Company. He is respected and honored by men of every walk in life, and is regarded as a man of moral habits, integrity, and high purposes in life. We present on a preceding page an excellent portrait of Judge Gladding, executed from a recent photograph.
MAZIAH DELOSS PARKER, who is numbered among the solid business men of Otselic Center, where he conducts a general merchandise store, and acts as postmaster of the village, was born July 9, 1826, in what is now called the town of Cuyler, but then a part of Truxton, Cortland County, N. Y. He is a son of Amaziah and Eliza (Wilcox) Parker, and grandson of Amasa Parker. Amasa Parker was a native of Tolland County, Conn., but moved to the town of Homer, Cortland County, N. Y., where he was one of the earliest settlers ; he followed the occupation of a farmer. He was twice married and reared a family of six children, of whom one was Amaziah, the father of our subject.
Amaziah Parker was born in 1806, and was reared on a farm. He engaged in the hotel business for fifty years and made a reputation for himself; his hotel was always neat and home-like, and he always made it as pleasant as possible for his guests. At various times he conducted hotels in Otsego, Onondaga, and Cortland counties, and the last one at Otselic, Chenango County. He died at Ot-
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selic, where he had for some time lived a re- tired life. He was married three times, his first wife being Miss Eliza Wilcox, who was a daughter of Edward and Anna (Benjamin) Wilcox, the former of whom was engaged in farming in what is now the town of Cuyler. Mrs. Wilcox was a daughter of Darius Ben- jamin, a soldier of the Revolutionary War, and a niece of Captain Benjamin of the 1812 War with England. Darius Benjamin was a native of Connecticut and one of the early settlers of Truxton, Cortland County, N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. Parker became the parents of six children, four sons and two daughters, namely : Amaziah Deloss; Edward D., a farmer and jeweler of Georgetown, Madison County, N. Y .; Henry, deceased, was a hotel keeper of South Otselic; Stephen W., a far- mer of the town of Otselic; Anna Eliza, de- ceased, was the wife of David Benjamin ; and Mary, who is the wife of Clark Cook, a resi- dent of Mount Blanchard, Ohio. His sec- ond wife's maiden name was Diana Franklin. Miss Lovina Compton was his last wife, and to their union one child was born, Mardula, who married Floyd Marble of Syracuse, N. Y.
Amaziah Deloss Parker remained at home with his parents and attended the district schools during his boyhood, after which he became clerk in his father's hotel. At the age of eighteen he engaged in tilling the soil as a means of earning a competence, and he continued at this occupation until 1873 ; he then engaged in the mercantile business at Otselic Center, where he still remains. He carries a full line of general merchandise of excellent quality ; he quickly acquired a good
trade, and now enjoys a lucrative business. He is a public-spirited man and takes a deep interest in politics; he is a Gold Democrat, and in the election of 1896 cast his vote for Mckinley. He has held the office of collec- tor, clerk, and has been either deputy or postmaster of Otselic Center since 1873. Mr. Parker is pleasantly situated in regard to his home life, as he is blessed with a good wife, to whom he was wedded July 7, 1844. Mrs. Parker's maiden name was Mabel Bucking- ham, and she was born March 30, 1826; she is a daughter of Reuben Buckingham, who was one of the early settlers of the town of Otselic. The following is the record of the ten children who have hallowed her marriage with Mr. Parker : Catharine, who died in girlhood; Joseph D., who died April 4, 1897 ; Francelia L., who lives at home; Lucinda, wife of Elwin S. Newitt, a grocer and hard- ware dealer of De Ruyter, N. Y .; Mary, who is the wife of Daniel Dye, a wagon maker of Otselic; James, who died when but two years of age ; Franklin, who also died at the age of two years; Henry, who died in child- hood; Adelbert, who died at the age of eleven years; and Katie, who died at the age of twenty-two years.
R ANSOM BUTTS, proprietor of a general merchandise store in Ply- mouth, is a shrewd business man and a representative citizen of Che- nango County, and has the respect of the entire community. He was born September 5, 1852, in the town of Otselic, this county.
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CHENANGO COUNTY
His immediate ancestors were Samuel C. and Eliza M. (McMinn) Butts, also natives of Otselic.
Samuel C. Butts was a son of Alexander Butts, who was a blacksmith, and who fol- lowed that trade in connection with farming. Alexander Butts at one time owned a farm of 150 acres. He was a Whig, but when that party was merged into the Republican party, he united with the Republicans, and so continued through his life. He was of a religious temperament, and his life was governed by the Golden Rule, his aim being to follow the precepts of the Master, as demonstrated by the teachings of the Baptist Church. His wife was Laura Calkins, and eight children were given into their keeping. They were: Mary Ann; Betsey ; Samuel C .; Alexander J., and Lysander, both of whom died young; Philander; and two that died in infancy. Alexander Butts died at the age of ninety-one years, at the home of his son, Samuel C., where he was living. After leaving the public school, where he received his education, Samuel C. Butts learned the trade of a blacksmith, which he followed for years. He also en- gaged in the mercantile business at Beaver Meadows, at which place he was postmaster. In early life he was a Republican, but not lik- ing the party's attitude in regard to the liquor question, he became a Prohibitionist, and cast his vote with that body. He served three years as fifer in the Civil War, in Co. K, 114th Reg., N. Y. Vol. Inf. He was mar- ricd to Eliza M. McMinn, two sons being the fruit of this union : Ransom ; and W. R. Samuel C. Butts is now in a better world,
but his wife is still left to add to the happi- ness of her children the blessing of her presence.
Ransom Butts attended the district schools, and there received his educational training. He then entered his father's shop and learned the trade, becoming an expert smith, and working some time with his father at Beaver Meadows, and then at Plymouth, until 1891, when he opened a store there. In this establishment can be found everything usually kept in any large general store, and it fills a long felt want in the village. He is a most energetic, wide awake, and thoroughly reliable man of business, and his constant endeavor is to sustain the reputation so gen- erally accorded him, of being an honest, con- scientious merchant. His customers cover a large territory and constitute a highly desir- able class.
Mr. Butts is a stalwart Republican and has taken an active interest in the affairs of the party, contributing largely to the success of that organization in local clections. He was postmaster from 1891 to 1895, under Harrison, and for four years served as justice of the peace of the town of Plymouth. He was at one time elected to that office in the town of Otselic, but refused to accept the proferred position. He was married June 20, 1876, to Flora E. Daly, only daughter of John Daly, who at that time was a farmer of Otselic. They have one child, Walter, a bright young man, who is his father's assistant in the store. For the past three years Mr. Butts has held his present position as treasurer of the Plymouth Cheese Factory. He is a mem- ber of the Masonic Lodge of Norwich, No.
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305 ; is a Knight Templar, and is also a mem- ber of the Royal Arch Chapter of Norwich, N. Y. He has been an active worker since his membership with the lodge, in December, 1896, and is a pleasant, agreeable companion.
ARCUS D. BOTSFORD, the well- known cashier of the Sherburne National Bank, was born at Morris, Otsego County, N. Y., and is a son of Daniel and Phoebe (Rockwell) Botsford. Daniel Botsford was a native of Connecticut, and at an early age came to this state, locat- ing in Otsego County. There he was en- gaged in the tilling of the soil until 1855, when he went to Scranton, Pa., and followed mercantile business for some time. He was also a carpenter by trade, and followed that occupation several years in Scranton. He formed a matrimonial alliance with Phœbe Rockwell, who died in 1891, aged eighty- seven years. Their union was blessed by the births of the following children : Henry, de- ceased ; Ezra V., deceased ; Eliza, deceased ; Carrie E .; and Marcus D., in whom the in- terest of this sketch centers.
Marcus D. Botsford was reared in the town of Morris, and received his intellectual training in the common schools. He became teller at an early age in the banking house of A. N. Meylert & Co. of Scranton, Pa., and later accepted a like position with the Sec- ond National Bank of Scranton, which he held for four years. His next business ven- ture was in mercantile business in partner- ship with a Mr. Rockwell, under the firm
name of Rockwell & Botsford. He contin- ued to be thus occupied for four years, and in 1876 came to Sherburne, which has ever since been his home. He at once assumed an important position in the life of the com- munity as the Co. of White, Smith & Co., manufacturers of cheese. Later the firm became White & Botsford, and after a time Mr. Botsford became sole proprietor. At one time the firm owned and operated as many as twenty-seven factories, three of them being in St. Lawrence County. Mr. Bots- ford was a shrewd and successful business man, and realized handsome profits from these factories. A few years later he dis- posed of his factories, and purchased the Barber farm; after tilling the soil for a few years, he sold the farm to his brother, Ezra V., who still owns it. In 1894, our subject was called to accept his present position as cashier of the Sherburne National Bank, which he has since faithfully held. He has had a long and varied business career, there- by gaining greatly in experience, which, combined with his superior natural abilities, makes his services valuable.
Our subject was united in the holy bonds of wedlock with Miss Annie R. White, daughter of Dr. Devillo and Caroline (Pratt) White. Dr. Devillo White was born Febru- ary 11, 1801, at Bainbridge, and was a son of Asa White. Having no chance to study for his profession in a medical college, he set about with great strength of will and deter- mination to master the fundamental princi- ples of his profession alone. By dint of hard study and close application to his work, he mastered the required studies, and was
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OLIVER H. WILLARD.
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licensed to practice at the age of twenty- three years. Poor in pocket but rich in de- termination and ambition, he entered upon his practice in Sherburne. By arduous ef- forts and strict attention to business, mingled with economy, he made a success of his life, and as years rolled by many of his young associates in business are forgotten, but Dr. White's name as a physician, friend, neigh- bor, and townsman grew into prominence, and is with great pride carried down to the rising generation. In 1857, he erected an octagonal brick house, which was then con- sidered the finest in the county. Shrubbery and shade trees were set out, and the green lawn was indeed beautiful to look upon. He built and owned the town hall, and was also the proprietor of several farms in the county. In the fierce political contests' of his younger years he was a Whig adherent, but latterly supported the Republican party. In 1824 he was united in marriage with Caroline Pratt, a daughter of Joshua Pratt, and as no chil- dren were born to bless their union, they adopted two daughters, namely : Ellen, who married Dr. Van Keuren, is now deceased ; and Annie R., the wife of our subject. Mrs. White was born in the village of Sherburne, and is now living at the advanced age of ninety-four years, and resides with our sub- ject. Her health is remarkably good, and she is a regular attendant at religious ser- vices. Neither her hearing nor her sight is impaired in the slightest, and she is a pleas- ant conversationalist. She has been a life- long resident of Sherburne, and her friends are numbered by her acquaintances.
In political belief, Mr. Botsford is a firm
believer in the principles advocated by the Republican party, upon which principles he believes the prosperity of our country de- pends. Socially, he is a member of the Ma- sonic lodge, F. and A. M.
R CHARLES WILLARD, a resident of Chenango Forks and one of the finest house painters and decor- ators in the county, was born at " Willards," Chenango County, April 15, 1848. His parents are Oliver H. and Deborah Ann (Richards) Willard, and his grandparents Dea. Oliver and Lydia ( Hall ) Willard. These ancestors were among the very first to settle in Che- nango County, and, amid the privations and want which the early settlers alone have felt and can understand, helped to build up the country, and lay the foundation for the suc- cess that makes the county what it is to-day.
The Willard family originated from Cacn, in Normandy, when the name was spelled Villiard, and was seated in the County of Sussex, England, during the reign of Edward III., at which time the name was changed to Willard. From one Richard Willard, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the family is de- scended in a direct line of father and son to the gentleman whose name heads this biog- raphy, as follows : Richard Willard, father of Major Simon, father of Dea. William, father of Simon, father of Solomon, father of Dea. Oliver, father of Oliver H., father of R. Charles. Richard Willard settled within a few miles of the border of Sussex County, at Horsemonden, Kent, England, where he held
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an estate in the Hundredth of Branchley and Horsemonden, and died there in 1617. He was the father of Major Simon, the colonist, who in 1634 came with his wife, Mary Sharp, and settled at Cambridge, Mass., and was known to have been possessed of abundant means. He was later one of the founders of Concord, and for thirty-five years was a member of the General Court of the colony. He was proud of his descent, and made use of the family crest and coat of arms. He was commander-in chief of the military force in King Phillip's War, and died at Charlestown, Mass., April 24, 1676. It was his son, the Rev. Samuel, who was the author of the " Body of Divinity," and another son, Simon, was installed pastor of Old South Church, Boston, Mass., in 1678, and was vice-presi- dent of Harvard College from 1701 to 1707.
Simon Willard, the great-great-grandfather of our subject, was married to Abigail Belden, of Lenox, Mass., and was the father of four sons : Horace, Oliver, Joseph, and Simon. He was the architect of the Bunker Hill Monument, his services beginning in Novem- ber, 1826, the contract lasting one year, and being renewed from year to year until the work was completed, July 23, 1842, when the capstone, weighing 21/2 tons, was put in place. In 1826 he started a subscription for the monument, at the Quincy House, in Quincy, Mass., and headed the list with $1,000.00.
Dea. Oliver Willard, the grandfather, was born in Lenox, Mass., April 27, 1783. His father was a native of Petersham, N. H. Dea. Oliver received a good liberal education, and then learned the trade of a cloth dresser, dyer and carder. In the spring of 1805, he
brought his mother, then a widow, and two apprentice boys, named Stevens, to this state. The journey was made with teams and lumber wagons through the then un- broken and uncultivated wilds, and the place chosen for their home was near Chenango Forks, where he bought a piece of land and erected a small house, the property now known as the Henry Haoadley estate. He then purchased a water privilege of Simeon Rogers and John Barker, and assisted in the construction of a more durable dam, on the site of the present one. There he put up a building for carding, dressing and dyeing cloth, and operated it some five years, when he sold it to his two apprentices, the Stevens. He then purchased a tract of land, consisting of 115 acres, which extended from the river, where the bridge now is, to Absalom Ter- williger's place, taking in half of the noted spring. He paid $5.00 per acre for this land, which was then covered by heavy timber. It was known as the Craig tract and the only building on it was a log house, which stood on the ground now occupied by Mrs. Hun- ter's residence.
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