USA > New York > Chenango County > Book of biographies : this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Chenango County, New York > Part 20
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After the war, Colonel Guernsey spent mueh of his time as an inventor, and obtained patents on all phases of electrie bank and poliee protection, inventions that are now extensively used in the principal cities of the United States. We present on a preceding page a portrait of this prominent, well-es- teemed citizen of Norwich.
OBERT E. MILLER, M. D., is an able and successful practitioner of Oxford, Chenango County, N. Y., where he located thirty-seven years ago and began the practice of his profession. He was born in New Canaan, Conn., August 27, 1837, and is a son of John B. and Abigail A. (Fineh) Miller. The father was a native of Westehester County, N. Y., and the mother of New Canaan, Conn.
Inerease Miller, the grandfather, spent the greater part of his life in Westehester, where he was engaged in agriculture. His last days were passed at the home of his son, John B., where he quietly breathed his last. In matters of religion he was inelined to be liberal, subseribing to none of the orthodox ereeds and dogmas, but being perfectly will- ing to trust everything to an all wise Provi- dence, resting contentedly in the belief that a loving Father would temper justiee with mercy, in dealing with his children. His family ineluded the following ehildren : Mary ; Charlotte; Anar ; Caroline; Betsey ; Elsie A .; Ralsey ; and John B., the father of our subjeet.
John B. Miller received a common sehool
education and then engaged in the time honored oeeupation of husbandry. He left Connecticut about the year 1839, and came to Otsego County, this state, purchasing a farm near Unadilla, where the remainder of his life was spent. He was considered a very prosperous man, for the times, and amassed quite a considerable property. He was a Whig of the Henry Clay type, and 'was among the first to join the ranks of the Republican party, upon its formation. Caleb Fineh lived neighbors to the Millers in Con- neetieut, and the friendship existing between the two families was cemented by the union of John B. Miller with Abigail Finch. Four of the children born to this couple lived to become citizens of honor and usefulness, the others dying in early life. The surviving children are as follows: Robert E .; Addie E., the wife of D. M. Ferry, whose name is familiar in almost every household in the United States, as the reliable Detroit, Mieh., seedsman,-they have four children, Edith, deceased, Blanehe, Dexter M., Jr., and Addie ; Dr. Christopher C., a resident of Detroit, Mieh., married Ellen Stratton of Oxford, N. Y., and has two children, J. Sherman and Raymond ; Sherman R. is the superintendent of D. M. Ferry's Canadian Seed Store, and is also a manufacturer of silverware both in Detroit and Canada. Sherman R. Miller married Estella Flandreau of Brooklyn, by whom he has six children: Sherman R., Jr .; Addie ; Mattie; Graec; Leroy ; and Chris- tine C. Mr. and Mrs. Miller were Presby- terians, and led upright Christian lives. He was ealled to his reward in 1868, at the age of sixty-two years, while his wife survived
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him almost thirty years, entering the dream- less sleep in 1895, at the great age of eighty- four years.
Dr. Robert E. Miller received his primary education in the common sehools and Gil- bertsville Academy, in Otsego County, which was still further supplemented by attendance at the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Dela- ware, Ohio. He left college in 1857, a sophomore, to read medieine with J. Ralsey White of Gilbertsville, later of New York City. He took a course of lectures in the Albany Medical College, and entered the Hahnemann Medieal College of Philadelphia, from which he graduated in May, 1861. He located in Oxford the following May and began the practice of his profession, winning the confidenee of the people by the eare and skill displayed in his methods of treatment, and the great number of eures he effected. He was untiring in his efforts to become what he now is,-a skillful and efficient physi- eian. He is very popular throughout the community, and his praetiee is all that could be desired, large and luerative. He is a member of the Chenango County Homeo- pathie Medieal Society ; the New York State Homeopathie Medieal Society; and the Medieal Institute of Homeopathy. He keeps well abreast the times in regard to the happenings in the medieal world of seienee, and has done a great deal to advance the cause of the homeopathie sehool in this part of the state.
Dr. Miller was united in the bonds of wed- lock, in 1865, with Miss Roxeie M. Westover, a daughter of Orlin and Betsey Westover of Oxford. She is a most estimable woman and
an exemplary wife. They have no children of their own, and have taken into their hearts and home an adopted daughter, Emma L., who is a pleasant, well informed young lady, and an accomplished musician, now devoting her time to the study of elassieal musie. Dr. Miller is a stalwart Republiean and partieu- larly well posted on politieal questions, but has never been an aspirant to office, feeling that the position of a petty office holder offers but little inducement to a man, who wishes to become of real serviee to humanity.
AMES K. SPAULDING. A name that will eall up a smile of pleasant recollection to the traveling publie that has made a stopping place at Norwich and Syracuse, is that of the popular ex-pro- prietor of the Eagle Hotel, James K. Spauld- ing. He was born in Gilbertsville, Otsego County, N. Y., November 18, 1846, and is a son of Ira and Esther (Hiekock) Spaulding.
Ira Spaulding had a most excellent reputa- tion as the proprietor of a hostelry that was first-elass in all its appointments. He made it the study of his life how to best please his guests, and the reputation of his establish- ment reached far and wide. In the early part of his life he lived in Franklin, Delaware County, whenee he moved to Gilbertsville, and later to Norwich, where he became the proprietor of the Palmer House, and after- wards kept the Spaulding House. He was a Demoerat in polities. Mr. Spaulding was a strietly temperate man, and never drank a drop of liquor nor used tobaeeo in any form.
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His union with Esther Hickock resulted in the birth of two children, James K., our sub- ject, and Henry D., a traveling salesman, at present residing in Mexico, Oswego County, and at one time proprictor of the Spaulding House at Norwich. Ira Spaulding died at the Spaulding House at the age of sixty-two.
James K. Spaulding attended the Norwich public schools and Norwich Academy, and later graduated from the Lowell Business College of Binghamton. For ten years or more after leaving school he was occupied with different employments before entering on his successful career as a hotel man. For the first twenty months he was employed in the capacity of clerk by Miller & Carr, wholesale produce merchants of Pearl Street, New York City ; at the end of that time he was compelled to return home to take care of his father, whose continued ill health re- quired his son's presence. He then engaged as clerk in the dry goods store of John O. Hill & Co. of Norwich, and remained with them two years, leaving them to accept a po- sition with W. H. Chapman & Co. of the same village, continuing with the latter mer- cantile house four and one-half years. He then engaged in business on his own account for the first time, opening a boot and shoe store, which he conducted for two years, having a partner in the person of Billings Wheeler. He then entered the employ of H. B. Vancott & Co., for whom he worked two years, when he was appointed postmas- ter of Norwich, by President Hayes, and re- appointed by President Arthur. During this time Mr. Spaulding became identified with the hotel business, first with Martin McLean,
under the firm name of McLean & Spaulding, proprietors of the Eagle Hotel of Norwich ; later he became the sole proprietor, and was actively engaged in that business from then until 1895. In 1891 he became interested in the Globe Hotel of Syracuse, N. Y., with Mr. Berry, and afterwards with Mr. Neeley. His success as a hotel man was phenomenal, and was no doubt due, in no small measure, to an inherited, no less than an acquired taste for that particular line of work. He gave the business his closest supervision, and no expense or trouble was spared to make the hotel service perfect, even to the smallest detail. That these efforts were not lost on those accepting of his hospitality was evi- denced by the fact that once guests they were always guests when business afterwards called them to that locality. His last house of entertainment was the Maple Bay House on the lake, which he conducted with the best success and satisfaction, both to the guests and to himself. In 1895 he returned to Norwich and took up his residence on the Spaulding homestead, where he owns 117 acres. Since his short stay here, he has shown himself proficient as an agriculturist, and may well be classed as a progressive, model farmer. His farm is in a splendid state of cultivation and betokens constant at- tention. His herd of Jersey cows is a source of much pleasure and pride to him, and would be a credit to any farm. They consist of thirty head of the finest specimens of Jer- seys to be obtained, and a lover of that class of animals would go into raptures over the beauty and good points to be observed in this herd of cattle. He sells the milk in the
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village of Norwich, and as the villagers have not been slow in finding out the superior ar- ticle he offered, he has consequently a most desirable class of customers. He also car- ries on general farming and derives a neat income from his well kept acres. He is an auctioneer of considerable repute, doing al- most the entire auctioneering in the county. He is a man of sound judgment and not easily influenced ; having made up his mind as to the right or wrong on any subject, he adheres firmly to that opinion unless he has the most conclusive proof to the contrary. He is a man of sterling worth and strict integrity, and his conduct in all business affairs is actu- ated by a desire to serve in such a manner as to promote the public welfare. He is most highly thought of in his county, and his ser- vices are in frequent demand as the appraiser of all kinds of property throughout the entire county. His early life has made him peculiarly fitted for this kind of work, as he has a wide and varied knowledge of the val- ues and qualities of almost all articles of commerce, while his well known reputation for honesty and fair dealing make him a most desirable person where fairness and straight decisions are wanted as the results.
Mr. Spaulding was married when twenty- five years old to Miss Irene W. Bliven, a daughter of John Bliven. These nuptials were celebrated January 16, 1871, and four children have blessed their home, three of whom are still living. These children are : John I .; Minnie E., deceased; Marcia, and Caroline. Mr. Spaulding is a life-long Re- publican, and at different times served as as- sessor and trustee of the village. He entered
the fire department when quite a small boy, and was chief engineer and foreman for eight years. The Chenango County Agri- cultural Society chose him as its treasurer, and he is a member of the F. & A. M. and the Elks Lodge. He is a pleasant, genial, social gentleman, one whom many of our young men might pattern after in their efforts to make life a success.
J OHN H. CURTIS. The Rockdale Company of Guilford township, of which John H. Curtis is a member, manufactures butter, cheese, and casein, and operates creameries at Rockdale, Chatta- witchie, Glen Llewellyn, and Loomis. The company conducts business on the co-oper- ative plan and Mr. Curtis acts as general manager. That he is well qualified to fill this position is demonstrated by the prosperous condition of the company. He was born in the town of Unadilla, Otsego County, N. Y., November 28, 1866, and is a son of Joseph D. and Melissa E. (Morgan) Curtis.
Zechariah Curtis, grandfather of our sub- ject, was born in the State of Connecticut, and in 1800 came to Madison County, N. Y., where he remained a short time. He then moved to Unadilla, where he purchased a fine farm and tilled the soil until 1850. Leaving his farm in charge of his son, Joseph, he came to Rockdale where he was interested in a creamery and a mill. He remained here the rest of his days, dying in 1892, at the ad- vanced age of ninety-two years. He was twice bound in the holy bonds of wedlock,
LEWIS E. CARPENTER.
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his first wife's maiden name being Dickerson. Three children blessed that union: Joseph D., the father of our subject; Henry W., a merchant of Bainbridge ; and Fred W., who died in infancy. His second union was with Miss Hannah Westover, by whom he had one son : Ira M., a retired banker of Rock- dale. He was a faithful member of the Universalist Church. Politically, he was a Democrat and was elected to the county board of supervisors a number of times.
Joseph Delos Curtis was born in the town of Unadilla, November 28, 1831. He has spent his entire life working on the farm, formerly owned by his father. He has a well improved farm of 300 acres, supplied with a good house, barn and other convenient out- buildings. He is an industrious and energetic worker and is classed among the prosperous men in the community.
He was united in marriage with Melissa Morgan, a daughter of Guerdon Morgan, and they became the parents of the following children : John H., the subject of these lines ; Howard M .; Evelyn A .; and Scott L. In politics, he is a Democrat and served as sup- ervisor for nine years. He held this office during the late Civil War and assisted in filling the quota of volunteers. Mr. Curtis is an active member of the Universalist Church.
John H. Curtis was reared on his father's farm and attended the Bainbridge Union School. At the age of twenty he left the parental roof, and, to provide means of sup- port, taught school for the following six years. He then began work in the creamery at Rockdale and after becoming thoroughly familiar with the business, he was taken in
as a partner and was made general manager of the four plants. The Rockdale creamery is the largest in this section of the state, and was formerly owned by Mr. Curtis' grand- father. Six men are employed, who handle the milk from 1,500 cows, and get out the daily product of 1,500 pounds of butter and 2,400 pounds of cheese. Print butter and casein are specialties. The creamery is well equipped with all modern machinery and other conveniences. Mr. Curtis has untir- ingly devoted his whole time to his work, and has had the pleasure of seeing the plant grow to be one of the largest in the state.
December 9, 1886, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Carrie E. Brown, daughter of Dubois Brown, and one son, Harry B., was born to make their home happy. Socially, he is a Mason, belonging to Sidney Lodge No. 801, F. & A. M .; Unadilla Chapter, R. A. M., No. 178; Norwich Con- mandery No. 46, Knight Templars ; and Zirayra Temple of the Mystic Shrine, at Utica, N. Y.
EWIS E. CARPENTER, a portrait of whom the publishers of this volume present on the opposite page, is one of the oldest and most highly respected citizens of the town of North Norwich, and has devoted many years of his life to public service. His work as a public servant began while he was yet a young man, and has con- tinued to the present time, when he is as ac- tive and efficient as formerly. In 1849 hc was elected justice of the peace of North
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Norwich, and has held the position continu- ously ever sinee. About the same time he was appointed postmaster, under the admin- istration of Zachary Taylor, and has held the offiee through every Republican administra- tion sinee. During the '6os he served for three terms as Justiee of the Sessions, oeeu- pying the bench with Judge Balcom and Judge Clark of Oxford. Then he has filled innumerable minor offiees, was for five years supervisor of the town, president of the board of health, ete. He possessed a mind of rare analytical power, his judgment was diserim- inating and sound, in the court room his learning and impartiality commanded re- speet, while his own dignified deportment inspired decorum in others. His aneestors were among the pioneers of Chenango County, and here he was born, in the town of Preston, March 31, 1820. His parents were Noah and Judith (Wait) Carpenter.
Noah Carpenter was a son of Noah Car- penter, Sr., and lived in the town of Preston, where he owned a farm and owned and operated a eloth mill in the village. He was also a elothier, and made home-spun and other earded material. He was an industri- ous, hard working eitizen, and a eredit to the community in which he lived. He had been a Demoerat, but at last beeame dissatisfied with their policy and joined forees with the Republicans. He was a member of the Masonie fraternity. A short time before his death, which took place when he had reached the ripe old age of eighty-four, he had taken up his residenee in the village of North Norwich. He was united in marriage with Judith Wait and raised a family of nine
children, two daughters and seven sons, whose names were: Nelson; Submit; An- drew ; Eleeta ; Ralph; Lewis E .; Franklin ; Chester W .; and William.
Lewis E. Carpenter was thrown on his own resourees at an early age in life and de- veloped an independence of eharaeter and a fearlessness of critieisni, which, combined with his love of truth and honorable deal- ings, soon won for him the admiration and esteem of the entire community. His edu- eation was received in the publie sehools until he was seventeen years old, when he had to leave the school room to earn his liv- ing. His first work was obtained on a farm, where he staid until he was twenty-one, when he went to work with a earpenter and joiner. Being naturally quiek, he soon became pro- fieient at this trade and followed it for twenty years. When he was twenty-four he went to Michigan and plied his eraft for one and one-half years, and then eame baek to North Norwich, where he has sinee lived and worked, and where many evidenees of his skill are diseernible. Twelve years were spent in catering to the public taste, when he was the popular and entertaining landlord of the Carpenter House of North Norwich. At the same time he was earrying on his farm, and was extensively engaged in lumbering, owning and operating a grist and saw-mill. His farm consists of 60 aeres, lying near the village of North Norwich, and is still owned and eultivated by him.
Mr. Carpenter was married October 31, 1841, when he was but little past twenty-one years of age, to Laura Baker, and no doubt mueh of the prosperity and popularity which
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has been meted out to them is due, in no small degree, to her faithful and loving coun- sel and encouragement. A family of five children were added to their home, viz : Earl, deceased, married Frances Brown, also deceased : Jane, deceased ; Jane (2), who mar- ried Alonzo S. Kinney, and left two children, Lewis A. and Fred A .; Lewis, who died at the age of fourteen months ; and Annie Laura, the wife of Sam A. Hayes, a carpenter and joiner, who resides in North Norwich with our subject. Mrs. Hayes is the mother of one child, Jennie Earleen. Mr. Carpenter is a man of intelligence and a close observer of human nature, and his long attendance in the court room has so familiarized him with the different phases of character that he can read the countenance like an open book. He had a hard struggle with poverty in his boyhood, and his sympathies have always been with those who work with their hands rather than their brains, and to a worthy representative of this class he finds pleasure in giving assist- ance in the shape of employment, the most desirable form of charity.
B REWSTER BROTHERS, pro- prietors of the well-known and extensively patronized hotel of the village of Oxford, Chenango County, the New St. James, are men of prominence in the village, and throughout the county are esteemed as the best of citizens, and as the most enterprising of business men. The firm is composed of Zeno C. and Ezra S. Brew- ster. They were born in the town of Gilboa,
Schoharie County, N. Y., and were sons of Daniel D. and Lucinda B. (Stephens) Brewster.
John Brewster, generally known as Judge Brewster, the great-grandfather of our sub- ject, took up his residence in Blenheim town- ship, Schoharic County, as one of the first settlers, coming from the New England home with his wife and family of children. He was a descendant of Elder William Brewster, the liberty-loving Pilgrim, who came to the bleak Massachusetts shores in the good ship Mayflower, and settled at Plymouth. Judge Brewster was one of the first men elevated to the bench in Schoharie County, and proved himself to be a man of enterprise, by importing choice grades of sheep into the new country, a business that was afterwards extensively conducted by his son, Otis Brewster, the grandfather of our subjects.
Otis Brewster was born in New England, and came with his parents to Schoharie County, when a young man in years, settling on a large tract of land, which it was his intention to divide into smaller farms for his sons, when they became old enough to shift for themselves. He was engaged in agri- cultural pursuits all his life, but the greater part of his time was spent in superintending the work on his large estate. He was the most extensive sheep raiser and breeder in his part of the state, and supplied the carly settlers for many miles around with blooded sheep, from which they in turn built up valuable flocks. He attained prominence in whatever enterprise he engaged, for it was an axiom with him that if there was anyone going to excel, he might as well be that one.
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He was first a Whig in his politics, but latcr espoused the principles of the Republi- can party. He never aspired to nor coveted political famc, being content to secure his successes along agricultural lines. He mar- ricd a Miss Gardner, a native of Western Ncw York, and a sister of Dr. Gardner. To them were given the following eight children, namely : John ; Sylvester; Daniel D. ; Lyman ; Phoebe ; Sarah ; Rhoda ; and Martha. In religious belief, the family were Quakers. Otis Brewster dicd in 1867, aged about seventy years. He was preceded to the other shorc by his wife, who died some years previous, about 1858.
Daniel D. Brewster, the third son born to his parents, and fifth child in order of birth, was educated in the common schools of his native town, in Schoharie County. Upon completing his education, and having at- tained the ycars of manhood, he purchased the old Brewster homestead, and turned his undivided attention to pursuits of an agri- cultural nature. He remained there about ten years, engaged in farming, and then moved to Otsego County, N. Y., where he bought a farm, and a grist, saw and plaster mill, and entered upon a very prospcrous career, which continucd for eleven years. During this time, with the assistance of his two oldest sons, Roscoe A. and Zeno C., he invented the first machine that ever success- fully removed the shucks from buckwheat, beforc reducing the grain to flour, namely, a Buckwheat Refiner, for which they received letters patent for the United States. Mr. Brewster then disposed of his farming prop- erty to his brother, Sylvester Brewster, and
with his sons removed to Onconta, N. Y., where they engaged in the manufacturing business, for they were the original inven- tors and held the patents for the United States for the new process for making buck- wheat flour. The firm of D. D. Brewster & Sons continued to manufacture their buck- whcat refiner in Oneonta for five years, and then moved to Unadilla, N. Y., in 1876, there securing a valuable water power, which became of inestimable service to them in the manufacturing of flouring mill machin- ery. A little later on, their business incrcas- ing wonderfully, and wholly beyond what might have been expected, they became the largest manufacturers of flouring mill ma- chinery in the United States, of that kind, and gained a national reputation, and accu- mulatcd a comfortable fortune. About this time they secured more United States patents, including the renowned process patent, for the manufacture of new process flour for the United States and Canada. This patent proved the most valuable of any. In 1879, the business still increasing, a new partnership was formed, by which R. A. Brewster moved to Rochester, N. Y., and started a branch manufactory for himself, while D. D. & Z. C. Brewster continued the original business under the firm name, as above, with great success, until the partner- ship was dissolved by the death of D. D. Brewster, in 1880, when he was fifty-five years of age.
In political belief Daniel D. Brewster was a Republican, but confined his activity in politics to voting on election day, and to quiet little discussions of men and measures
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