Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 154

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1354

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J OHN S. WING. This gentleman is ac- credited with the ownership of one of the best farms in the town of Washington, Dutchess county, comprising 165 acres of rich and arable land, and he is numbered among the most progressive and industrious agri- culturists of the locality. His farm buildings and machinery are in keeping with the neat and thrifty appearance of his place. He was born in Washington town, June 9, 1857, and is a son of Thurston Wing, a native of the town of Dover, Dutchess county. His pa- ternal grandfather, Jason Wing, a native of Holland, after his marriage located in the town of Dover, where he reared his family.

On reaching manhood the father of our subject was united in marriage with Ann Tripp, a native of Washington town, where her father was engaged in agricultural pur- suits. On a farm in the same town the young couple began their domestic life, and there were born to them six children, namely: Charles, deceased, was a farmer of the town of Washington, where he wedded Mary Maroney; Thurston J. married Hattie Cutter, and operates a farm in Dover town; Elias makes his home in Washington town; Mary T. is the wife of Joseph Talmadge, a farmer of the town of Lagrange: John S. is next in order of birth; and George died in infancy. In politics the father of these was a stanch Democrat, and was called from this life in 1875. while his wife, who preceded him to the other world, died in 1869.

The boyhood of our subject was spent upon the old home farm, assisting in its culti- vation and improvement during the summer months, while in the winter season he at- tended the common schools of the locality. The lady who now shares his name and fortune was in her maidenhood Miss Maggie Learey, a native of the Emerald Isle, and a daughter of John Learey, a farmer of that country. After their marriage Mr. Wing and his bride lived for two years and eight months at Verbank, Dutchess county, and in 1890 removed to his present farm. Three children have been born to them: George W., Lucy H. and Anna.

Besides general farming, Mr. Wing is also engaged in the milk business, and sells that product quite extensively to the Wassaic Condensary. He is an earnest supporter of Democratic principles; is public spirited and progressive, and contributes his share to im- provements of various kinds in the community.

AMES V. BENSON. The splendid farm owned by this gentleman in the town of Dover, Dutchess county, is a standing monument to his industry, perseverance and good management. It is pleasantly situated on one of the picturesque hills near the village of Dover Plains, and invariably attracts the eyes as being under the supervision of a thorough and skillful agriculturist, and a man of otherwise good business qualifications.

His grandfather, Samuel Benson, was a native of the town of Dover, Dutchess coun- ty, where he received a good common-school education, and always followed the occupation of farming there. He was there married, and became the father of six children: Phila, who wedded Preserved Cooper; Jemima: Paltire; Joshua, who married Amanda Hopkins; Sam- uel and John.

Samuel Benson, Jr., the father of our sub- ject, was also born in the town of Dover, and like his ancestors had a common-school educa- tion and followed farming throughout his life. He wedded Miss Sallie Knapp, of Danbury, Conn., and in their family were the following children: Joseph married Helen Hall; Samuel married Ruth Wheeler; John married Marga- ret Irish; James V .; Joshua married Susan Tappin; Darius married Polly J. Dutcher; Charles died at the age of eighteen years; Ebenezer married Emily Deuel; Sallie J. married Elias Trish; Ada married John D.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Dutcher; and Harriet married Van Ness

Dutcher.

The birth of Mr. Benson, whose name in- troduces this record, occurred in the town of Dover, Dutchess county, April 20, 1823, and in the village of Dover Plains he received a good common-school education. After his graduation he took up the pursuit of farming, to which he had been reared, and has since given most of his time and attention to that occupation. He is a man of more than ordi- nary business ability, and is at present one of the stockholders and directors of the Dover Plains National Bank. He has always taken a deep interest in political affairs, favoring the Democratic party with his support, but has never aspired to public office, perferring the quiet life which he has always led, though he has often been urged to accept official posi- tions. He is an earnest Christian gentleman, having the respect and confidence of all who know him.

Mr. Benson has been twice married, his first union being with Miss Mariette Hufcut. daughter of John and Mary Hufcut, who were prosperous farmers of Denmark, Lewis Co., N. Y. They became the parents of seven children: Clark H., who married Nina Oxley; George V., who wedded Carrie Fry; Martha A., who died at the age of sixteen years; Mary, who became the wife of James Bird; Carrie and Sarah, who died in infancy; and Hattie. In 1872, the mother of these children died, and two years later Mr. Benson married a sis- ter of his former wite, Miss Caroline Hufcut, by whom he has one son, Horatio S., who was born December 24, 1874, and since complet- ing his education in Dover Plains, has en- gaged in teaching school in one of the district schools of the town of Dover, Dutchess county.

The family to which Mrs. Benson belongs have also been prominent agriculturists of Dutchess county. Her grandfather. George Hufcut, was a native of Dover town, and re- ceived his education in the school of Dover Plains, where he also studied law. He prac- ticed to some extent in connection with farm- ing, but gave most of his time to the latter pur- snit. He married Miss Hannah Benson, of Dover Plains, and to them were born the fol- lowing children: Martha married William Iloward; John B. was the second in order of birth; George B. married Sallie Dennis; Obed was also married; Shedrish married Susan Tappency : Henry first married a Miss Dixon,

and, after her death, Eliza Wheeler; William married Pattie Preston; Perry married Sarah Schammerhorn; Jane married Aaron Benson; Caroline first married Myron Knickerbocker, and, for her second husband, Samuel Edward; and Betsy married Andrew Pitcher.

John B. Hufcut, the father of Mrs. Ben- son, was a native of the town of Dover, Dutch- ess county, where he attended school, and like his father, followed the occupation of farm- ing. In early life he married Miss Mary Simp- son, daughter of Ambrose and Elizabeth Simpson, prosperous farmers of Dover Plains, and to them were born seven children: Am- brose, who married Lurinna Wilson: Henry, who married Elizabeth Butterworth; George, who wedded Melvina Barnum; Delia, who be- came the wife of Samuel Worm; Martha, who remained single; Mariette, the first wife of our subject; and Caroline, the present Mrs. Ben- son.

S AMUEL P. TEN BROECK, a prominent agriculturist of the town of Wappinger, Dutchess county, and a descendant of one of the oldest and most distinguished families of that locality, was born March 20, 1839, in the town of Livingston, Columbia county, N. Y. His father, the late Samuel Ten Broeck, was also a native of Columbia county, and passed his early years there, removing to the town of Rhinebeck, Dutchess county, when the sub- ject of this sketch was only six years old.

Mr. Ten Broeck has spent most of his years in Dutchess county. On October 25, 1876, he was united in marriage with Miss Adeline Montfort, and settled upon the farm near New Hackensack where she was born. Her family has been prominent in this region for several generations, her ancestors being among the earliest settlers. Her grandfather was a leading farmer in the town of Fishkill, and her father, the late John Montfort, fol- lowed the same pursuit. He married Miss Martha Emmons, a member of another well- known family and daughter of Cornelius Em- mons, a prosperous agriculturist of the same locality. They established their home at the farm now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Ten- Broeck, and reared a family of four children: Catherine, deceased ; Adeline, Mrs. Ten Broeck; Gertrude, now residing in Chicago; and John Jacob, deceased. Mr. Montfort was never active in political life, but he was a supporter

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

of the principles of the Democratic party, and was influential in local movements of various kinds.

Our subject has resided at this farm since 1877, and is considered one of the successful farmers of the vicinity. He has no specialty, his 114 acres being devoted to general crops. Mrs. Ten Broeck is an Episcopalian, but they attend the Reformed Church. Their four children-Catherine, Samuel M., Charles and Walter L .- are all at home. In politics, Mr. Ten Broeck, like his ancestors before him, ad- heres to the Democratic faith.

C OLLINS SHELDON, a leading lawyer of Millerton, and an ex-surrogate of Dutchess county, was born July 26, 1839, in Copake, Columbia Co., N. Y. The Sheldon family is of English origin, but on the maternal side the ancestry is Irish. Agrippa Sheldon, our sub- ject's great-grandfather, was born in South Dover, Dutchess county, and was a blacksmith there for many years.

Gideon Sheldon, our subject's grandfather, was born at South Dover, and lived there un- til he was about twenty-five years old, when he moved to Copake, and purchased a farm of 200 acres on which he spent the remainder of his life. He was a man of note in that local- ity, a Whig in politics, and for a number of years was a justice of the peace. He died in 1835, his wife, Lydia Lake, surviving him un- til 1850. They had nine children: Henry; Isaiah; Eliza, wife of Thomas Trafford; Daniel; Emma, wife of Jacob Vosburgh; James; and three who died in childhood.

Henry Sheldon, the father of our subject, was born at the old homestead in South Dover, July 23, 1812, but his life was passed mainly at Copake. He inherited his father's farm, and was largely engaged in cattle raising, being noted for his excellent judgment in this line. He was a man of fine natural ability, possess- ing an unusually good memory, and his strong and positive nature made him a leader in the community. In early life he was a Whig, and later a Republican, but he never sought political position for himself. He was greatly interested in educational work and in the temperance movement, taking advanced ground in both, and he was an active and generous supporter of the Methodist Church. He married Selina Cook, daughter of Lot Cook, a well-known citizen of Amenia. His death occurred in De- 1

cember, 1865, his wife surviving him until 1892. Of their nine children all were care- fully educated to fill honorable positions in life. They are: Eveline, living at Brooklyn; Col- lins; Wilson, a farmer at Hillsdale, N. Y. ; Allen, a farmer and speculator at the same place; Miranda, who married Chester Dayton, of Northampton, Mass .; Otis, a farmer of Copake; Franklin, living at Glens Falls, N. Y. ; Frances, living at Northampton; and George, a resident of New Briton, Connecticut.

Collins Sheldon attended the public schools of Copake for some years, and in 1860 was a student at the Hudson River Institute at Claverack. He then took the regular course in the Albany Law School, graduating May 23, 1862, and after some months of preparatory work in the office of Maynard, Wright & Moore, he went to Millerton and opened an office of his own, February 23. 1863. Since that time he has been successfully engaged in practice, making no specialty of any particular branch, although his business consists mainly of the settlement of estates, in which he has gained a high reputation. In 1864 he was elected clerk of the town of Northeast, and in the fall of 1877 was chosen surrogate of Dutchess county, taking office January 1, 1878, and serving for six years with entire satisfac- tion to the public. He was offered a re- nomination, but declined it. He has taken a leading part in various local movements, es- pecially those which relate to educational affairs, and was a town trustee at the time of the building of the Union Free School house, and was a trustee of Millerton Academy. Possessing keen perceptions and strong con- victions, he is a forcible and pungent speaker, and a most positive man.

In June, 1867, Mr. Sheldon was married to Miss Maria Pulver, daughter of Henry Pul- ver, a prominent resident of Stanford, and has two children-Harriet, who is at home, and is a graduate of Mrs. Gynn's Seminary in Pough- keepsie, and Wallace A., a graduate of the Albany Law School, who is now in practice with his father, under the firm name of C. & W. A. Sheldon.

E DWARD JEFFERSON HALL, M. D., of Moores Mill, Dutchess county, a rising young physician whose abilities are already winning recognition, is a descendant of an old English family, being of the seventh genera-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

tion in the direct line from Col. Harry Hall, who came from England about 1690, and set . tled in Connecticut. By his activity during Queen Anne's War he gained the name of " Harry, the Indian Killer," and is so men- tioned in history His son, Ichabod Hall, settled in Enfield, Conn., and was married May 31, 1730, to Lois Kibbie, of that place. Their son, Ebenezer Hall, moved to Massa- chusetts, and died there in 1817. His son, Gen. Isaac Hall, married Vashti Johnson, of New Marlboro, Mass., and moved to Pompey, N. Y., in 1797. Their son, Johnson Hall, was born at Sheffield, Mass., January 6, 1794, and became a hardware merchant at Syracuse, N. Y., where he died October 27, 1870. He was known as Judge Hall. He was married in 1816 to Polly Andrews, and their son, John- son LaFayette Hall, our subject's father, was born at La Fayette, N. Y., September 16, 1825. He obtained a district-school educa- tion, and then went into the hardware business with his father, but later engaged in forwarding freight on the canal, owning a fleet of boats at Oswego. He is now an expert accountant

at Syracuse. On August 22, 1848, he was married in that city to Marcelia Wood. daugh- ter of Noah and Pauline (Holmes) Wood. Her father was a well-known business man at Buffalo and Chicago. Mrs. Hall died Decem- ber 6, 1890, leaving three children, viz .: (1) Florence Elizabeth, born June 4, 1849, mar- ried Henry Cory, of New York City, and has one daughter Florence Pauline. (2) Irene Virginia, born April 17, 1853, married John Clark Howe, of St. Louis, and has one child- Guy La Fayette.

E. J. Hall, the third and youngest member of this family, wasborn at Oswego, N. Y., March 6, 1855, and after attending the public schools of that city for some years he studied at St. John's Military School in Manlius, N. Y. He then entered the business world, spending five years with the St. Paul's Harvester Works at St. Paul, Minn., six years in a drug store at Syracuse, and twelve years in a hardware store at St. Louis, Mo. During this time the desire to follow his present profession became too strong to be overcome by his unpromising cir- cumstances, and he began his preparation by private study. Three years of reading fitted him to undertake practical work in anatomy with profit, and he spent two years in dissect- ing at night at St. Louis Medical College. To this preliminary work he added three full

years of study at the Homeopathic College of Missouri, graduating in the spring of 1894. April 17, 1895, he passed the Regent's exami- nation in this State, and December 16, 1895, he located at Moores Mill, purchasing the prac- tice of Dr. Warren C. McFarland. He is the fourth physician to occupy his present residence in Moores Mill.

Dr. Hall was married at St. Louis to Miss Ellen Frances Cooper, daughter of the late William Fenimore Cooper, who was formerly a well- known hosier at Watertown, N. Y., and a member of the Masonic fraternity. He en- listed in the 100th N. Y. V. I., and lost his life in the Union cause.

J HYATT LYKE, D. D. S., a leading den- tist of the town of Millerton, Dutchess county, was born September 9, 1864, in Copake, Columbia Co., N. Y. He is a son of John Lyke, now a prominent resident of Pough- keepsie, who retired from business some years ago, and his academic education was obtained there, with the exception of two years at Wil- bur, Mass. During the last year of his course in the Poughkeepsie high school he left, only a month or two before the graduation day, to begin the study of dentistry in the office of Dr. Mills, and, after seven months of preparation, he entered the New York College of Dentistry. After one year there he went to the Philadel- phia Dental College, where he also remained a year and was graduated, the youngest mem- ber of the class.

Immediately after his graduation he began the practice of his profession at Pine Plains, succeeding Dr. Seaman. He remained there several years, and enjoyed a lucrative practice; but seeing an opportunity for more rapid ad- vancement and a larger business, he moved to Millerton, in May, 1891, taking the practice of Dr. C. I. Bailey. He has been more than ordinarily successful, his practice including many of the best people of Millerton and vicin- ity, and extending for some distance up and down the Harlem railroad. He was married in 1889 to Miss Georgia Rowe, daughter of Clinton Rowe, a well-known resident of Pine Plains, and has had two children-Clinton and Stewart.

While he is an earnest advocate of local im- provement, and a stanch believer in the princi- ples of the Republican party, the Doctor has never taken an active part in public affairs.

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

He is much interested in the breeding of the English greyhound, and owns two famous speci- inens-" Southern Rhymes " and " Bestwood Daisy." The former has won ten first prizes in England and seven in this country three in the challenge class and four in the open class. He has defeated the " Gem of the Sea- son," owned in Toronto, Canada, the winner of 175 first prizes, and without doubt is the best of his breed to-day in America. "Best- wood Daisy" is the winner of fifty-one first premiums in this country and is the best of three well-known dogs, "Southern Beauty " and .. Spinaway" being the other members of the trio.

H ENRY M. SWIFT, a highly esteemed resident of the town of Unionvale, Dutch- ess county, residing near Verbank, is a man of liberal education who, preferring a country life to the more exciting scenes of a profes- sional career, has devoted his time to agricult- ural pursuits.

He is a descendant of William Swift. a na- tive of the County of Essex, England, who came to Boston during the immigration of 1630- 1631. On his arrival in Massachusetts, he lo- cated at Watertown, but he sold his posses- sions there in 1637, and removed to Sandwich, Mass., on the Cape, purchasing the largest farm in that vicinity, which is still in the pos- session of his lineal descendants. He had three children: William (2), Hannah and Esther. William Swift (2) was born in England, and came to this country with his father. He married, and became the father of eleven chil- dren: Hannah, William, Jireh, Josiah, Tem- perance, Esther, Dinah, Ephraim, Samuel, Ruth and Mary. Ephraim was born at the old homestead in Sandwich, Mass., June 6, 1656, and became a carpenter and cooper by occupation. He died in January, 1742. Their seven children were: Elizabeth, Joham, Sam- uel, Ephraim, Sarah, Hannah and Moses. Samuel Swift was born at Sandwich April 9, 1686, and died in December, 1757. By trade he was a carpenter and blacksmith. He was married December 24, 1712, at Falmouth, Mass., to Miss Ruth Hatch and they reared a family of nine children: Ephraim, Manassa, Judah, Reuben, Moses, Mary, Joanna, Joan and Lydia. Judah Swift, the great-grand- father of our subject, was born September 3. 1716, at the old home on Cape Cod, and in

1769 came to Dutchess county, with his wife. Elizabeth Morton, of Falmouth, Mass., to whom he was wedded December 14, 1738. They were accompanied by their children, and made the journey with an ox-team. Mr Swift settled in the town of Amenia, purchas- ing first the property now known as the Bar- low farm, but later he exchanged it for a larg- er tract, now owned by N. W. Smith. At the time of his death, January 17, 1807, he was one of the most extensive land holders of Dutchess county, owning 1800 acres. In poli- tics he was a Tory. His wife died in 1802 at the age of eighty-two. They had eight chil- dren : Lois, Samuel, Nathaniel, Moses, Re- becca, Seth, Elizabeth and Moses (2).

Samuel Swift went west, and bought the land where the city of Auburn, N. Y .. now stands. Elizabeth married ( first) Sam Jarvis, and (second) a Mr. Hawkins. Seth Swift, our subject's grandfather, was born at Falmouth, Mass., March 16, 1757, and on arriving at manhood's estate he engaged in farming upon a portion of his father's property. In 1782 he married Mary Wells, by whom he had six children: Henry, who married Rebecca War- ner; Moses, who married Hannah Payne; E. Morton, our subject's father; Thomas, who married Emma Gront; Ann, the wife of William T. Hobson; and Maria, Mrs. Allen Cline.

E. Morton Swift. the father of our subject, was born in the town of Amenia, in 1790, and after acquiring a common-school education in the local schools studied law, engaging in the practice of the profession at Poughkeepsie and Dover Plains. He married Miss Belinda Bar- low, daughter of Thomas Barlow, a well-known farmer of Amenia. Our subject wasthe eldest of seven children, the names of the others with dates of birth being as follows: Ann, December 18, 1814; Rebecca, February 28, 1818; Maria, July 4, 1820;, Harriet, November 13. 1822; Amie, December 13, 1825; and Mary, August 25. 1829. The father passed to his eternal rest May 10, 1859, at the age of sixty-nine.

Capt. Swift first saw the light July 17, 1810, at the old farm in Amenia. His literary education was completed by a course at Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., and he then studied law, but he never practiced his pro- fession. He is one of the prosperous agri- culturists of his locality, and is prominent in local affairs. Although he has not aspired to office for himself, he has always been influen- tial in political movements in his section, as is

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

well shown by the history of the nomination of Killian Miller for Congress. During the Civil war our subject was appointed on the staff of General Clark, the Commissary General of the Army of the Potomac, with the rank of Cav- alry Captain, and he still has in his possession the original commission signed by Edwin M. Stanton and President Abraham Lincoln. Capt. Swift enlisted April 14. 1862, and served until 1864. He reported for his first duty at the White House. He participated in many engagements, and his reminiscences of the war are very interesting. At the time of the battle of Fair Oaks he was at the White House, where he met Gen. Clark, and was ordered to the scene of battle, and after remaining there one week he joined the forces on the Potomac.

In 1834 Capt. Swift was married to Miss Sarah Coffin, daughter of Robert and Magda- line (Bently) Coffin, and they have had six children: (1) Belinda, born January 22, 1836, died in infancy. (2) Robert, born June 16, 1837, was educated in the common schools of Amenia township, and is now a trusted employe of the Harlem R. R. He married Miss Mag- gie Elliot, and has two children: Samuel E. and Sarah. (4) Morton, born April 14, 1840. received a common-school education, and is now engaged in the postal service. He mar- ried Miss Francesca Cooke, and has three children : Lucy, Belinda and Harriet. (4) Henry and (5) JANE have never married.

H ARVEY J. FRENCH, a prominent and successful merchant tailor of Poughkeep- sie, Dutchess county, is a native of New York State, born in the city of Albany, August 12, 1862.

The family of which our subject is a mem- ber is of English origin, and his grandfather, Samuel French, was a merchant tailor in Lon- don, England, during the early part of the present century, and died there. He had but one child, Samuel (the father of our subject ), who was born in 1825, learned of his father the trade of tailor in the Mother Country, and in 1857 came to the United States, settling in Albany, N. Y., where he commenced business as a merchant tailor, continuing in that line some thirty-five years, or until 1892, when he retired from active work, and now makes his home in Syracuse, N. Y. In England he had married Miss Ann Barnett, who survives him.

and nine children (all living) were born of this union, to wit: Samuel H .. a merchant tailor in Albany, N. Y. ; Kate, the wife of Dr. W. HI. Todd, of Dobbs Ferry, N. Y .; Annie, wife of George Barnhart, of Columbus, Ohio; Mabel, the wife of Fred L. Geer, a well-known mer- chant of Albany; Harvey J., our subject; Har- riet, the wife of T. Rockwood Cutler, a prom- inent architect in New York City; Grace, the wife of Frederick Hemning, a merchant of Syracuse, N. Y .; Bertha, at home; and Clar- ence, living in Syracuse.

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Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 154

Author: J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1354

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1354