USA > New York > Chenango County > Smyrna > Early years in Smyrna and our first Old home week > Part 5
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The ancestor, Thomas Angell, came to America with Roger Williams and received from him a grant of land in 1636. Israel Cleveland was born in Scituate, R. I., November 16, 1792, and while a young man left Rhode Island for New Berlin, N. Y., where he married Sally Alcott Tuttle in 1814, and about the year 1819 moved to Smyrna and settled upon the farm which
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has since been known as the Cleveland farm. Nine children blessed their union, two dying in infancy. Smith Angell was born January 19, 1818; Seth Palmer, March 15, 1820; Alexan- der, March 14, 1822; Washington LaFayette, December 21, 1825; Polly M., January 22, 1828, and Roxana M., August 26, 1830. To the last named we are greatly indebted for the most interesting sketch of the Cleveland family.
Lysander Cleveland was born October 15, 1832. Some of the family were teachers and engaged at different times in the village school and Mrs. Ferguson continued to teach at her new home in Paxton, Ill., until past sixty years of age. Seven of the grandchildren became teachers, thus choosing the occupation in which the grandmothers had been successful years before. The children inherited good constitutions, good habits and in- domitable energy and perseverance. In politics they were patri- otic and in religion they were orthodox. Influence is silent but irresistible; the noblest contribution, the richest bequest which any man can leave to his family or his country, is a good char- acter.
JARED BENNETT and Parthena West, his wife, moved from Saybrook, Ct., to German Flats, Otsego County, about the year 1804; and a few years later moved to Smyrna Hill, set- tling on the farm now owned by Lucy Palmer, where they lived and died. A carpenter by trade, he built a log house a little south of the present Bennett homestead, (on the Cleveland farm) which he also built, and where the late Alonzo Bennett was born and where he lived and died. Towards the close of the Revolu- tionary war Jared Bennett enlisted as a private in the Com- missary Department and remained there until the war ended and peace was declared Of his family of five children, his oldest son, Dudley Bennett settled near his father's home. The latter will be remembered by many of our people as an old-fashioned man with quaint customs and ways, a good neighbor, and a man with many friends. Nancy Bennett married Cyrus Simons, a large number of whose descendants have always resided here.
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Alonzo Bennett married for his first wife Betsey Hyde, by whom he had one daughter, Angeline, now deceased. Mrs. Ben- nett's life was of short duration, and not long after her death he married Julia, a daughter of Edward Briggs, by whom he had nine children. Only one son and three daughters now remain.
A sister of Mrs. Bennett is Mrs. Samantha Willcox, who still resides in our village, where she is passing her remaining days, a faithful member of the Methodist Church. She has many friends in the community. Her husband was Charles Willcox, who died here in the late sixties. Her only daughter is Adellah J., now Mrs. Anthony Volmer, the mother of a large fam- ily of sons and daughters. Robert G., the only son, resides at Whitesboro, Oneida County, with his wife, formerly Anna Sa- bin, of Plymouth. Their son and daughter each married.
Father Bennett, as he was always known both in the church and community, was a most worthy member of the Methodist Church, and a leader as well as a strong supporter of that so- ciety. His children were trained in the way of the faithful, and have all retained their father's and mother's deep regard for the church and its work. Their three daughters are Fannie, the greatly esteemed wife of James P. Knowles; Elizabeth, the re- spected wife of the late Lysander Cleveland, and Nettie A., the wife of C. Sumner Tobey, now of Norwich. The only living son is Warren, whose home is now at Minneapolis, Kansas. Wil- liam, the youngest son, whose wife was Ida E., the only sister of Lynn F. Williams, passed away in the pride of his early man- hood in the winter of 1879, in his 22d year. He was the main support of his aged parents and was greatly missed at the Ben- nett home. Among the sons was Rev. Edgar L. Bennett, born in Smyrna, where he spent his boyhood days. At the commence- ment of hostilities he enlisted in the 5th New York Heavy Ar- tillery in the war of the Rebellion, where he remained until its close, a faithful soldier. He afterwards became a most excel- lent school teacher and later entered the ministry of the Metho- dist Church, where he became a man of prominence. Obliged to baffle with many disappointments and discouragements, he
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finally resigned from the ministry, his last charge being the Che- nango Street Church in Binghamton. His untimely death oc- curred at the Tobey farm on Smyrna Hill, on the 2d of October, 1898. He is survived by his invalid wife, Latie E., a daughter of the late Orlando Bennett, and a young daughter Lois, both of whom have the sympathy of all. There are two sons, Ralph, the older, one of the business managers of the Binghamton Press, and Bert, also engaged in business in that city.
Father Bennett was an invalid for many years, many months bereft of reason, but was most faithfully cared for by his es- teemed wife, daughters and grandchildren, and when the sum- mons came for this worthy couple to "come up higher," they were ready to go, though greatly missed by all.
WYRAM BARTLETT came from Connecticut very early in the century. The place where he settled was probably not far from where his sons were afterwards located. His wife was Phoebe Palmer, and there were twelve children, all born pre- vious to 1800. Among them were Diana, who married Daniel, the father of Gilbert Tuttle; Oliver W., who lived on the pres- ent Clayton Bartlett farm, with two sons, James and Devolson; Patrick W.,who lived in a log house a little south of the above named farm, blessed also with twelve children as follows: Henry O., now living on the Earlville road, father of our townsman Ervin H. Bartlett; Sanford, once well known here; Ezra, Willis, whose wife was Emma Close, a daughter of our former citizen, the late Lewis Close; Albert, Clinton, Julia, who married Wes- ley Tallett; Caroline, the respected wife of the late Levi Rickard, mother of our friend and citizen, Frank D. Rickard; Delina, the wife of Ambrose Parker; Serepta, wife of George Stewart, and Elizabeth the wife of our former citizen, Cortland L. Ferris, re- siding at Oriskany Falls.
Patrick W. Bartlett and family later occupied the present Randt farm.
George C. settled and lived for many years with his family on the present Eugene Gibson farm. His wife was Mirandi, a
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daughter of the late Alfred Miles of Otselic, to whom were born nine children. Among them were LaFayette, now deceased, father of Emerton 1 .; Homer and Clayton, the latter of whom has purchased the Bartlett farm; Alfred now deceased; Nathaniel now of Sherburne; Clark W., of Oxford, also deceased; George C., of Otselic, and Nathan whose death recently occurred at the home of his sister, Abbie D., the wife of the late Lawrence B. Cleveland, whose home is now in Smyrna, and who is the only member of the family left in town. She has one son, Herbert B., and one daughter Mabel, now the wife of John E. Widger.
HEZEKIAH BIDWELL was a native of Connecticut, coming early to the farm later known as the Henry H. Willcox farm, moving from there to the farm owned by the late Pomeroy Wood, when Eleazur, so long a respected resident of our town, was but six months of age. In later years he moved to West Smyrna, where the family has since resided, and where his death occurred in 1848.
Eleazur married Sally Partridge, a native of Wilburham, Mass., the Partridge home being the present Tuttle homestead.
Mr. Bidwell was a kind-hearted old gentleman and had a warm place in the hearts of his townsmen. He was a Democrat of the old school, interested in his party and faithful to its prin- ciples. His death occurred at his home a number of years since, at a ripe old age.
The only remaining member of the family now in the town, is Alfred T., who still resides at West Smyrna. Hosea, many years a respected citizen of the town, is not far away, but lives in the neighboring town of Lebanon. His son Charles, now a useful citizen of that part of the town, still resides at the Bidwell homestead with his family.
In 1816 and 1818 a number of Boss families came from Rhode Island to Smyrna.
JABEZ BOSS married Sarah Brayton, of South Kingston, R. I., in 1780. He served in the 2d Regiment of Rhode Island
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Infantry in the Revolution and was at the battle of Trenton and Princeton. Their union was blessed with ten children, as fol- lows: David, Charles, Perry, Jesse, Solomon, Benjamin, Jere- miah, Mary, Fannie and Waty. David bought land in the town of Catherines, Chemung County, and wrote home he was going to join Commodore Perry's forces on Lake Erie. He was never heard from afterwards. Charles fell from the mast of an ice sloop on the Hudson River and was killed. Perry and Jesse went to sea when young and did not return. Solomon studied tor the ministry in the Baptist Church but falling in love with a handsome young Quakeress, Catherine Knowles, he united with the Friends and married her in 1813. In 1816 they came to Smyrna, bringing one child. He bought land near the center of the town and lived there twenty years, clearing up the farm and living in prudence and prosperity. The same farm is now owned by Hugh Knowles. Eight children were born to them, of whom only one, Thomas G. Boss, of Sherburne, survives. Thomas spent his boyhood in Smyrna. When the war of the Rebellion broke out he enlisted in the 16th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry. He was twice severely wounded; once in the battle near Atlanta, Ga., when he was reported killed. His wound was caused by a bullet through his face, above the roof of his mouth, from which he has suffered ever since. He still survives in his 73d year, and desires us to say for him:
"It beats all how these old veterans hold out when they get a large pension, and live on toast and tea."
The descendants of Solomon and Catherine Boss were nine children, twenty-three grandchildren, and forty-four great-grand- children, of whom about sixty are still living, dotting the conti- nent in an almost direct line from Brooklyn, N. Y., to Portland, Oregon. Solomon was for many years Overseer of the Poor, but finally refused to vote or hold any office because the Consti- tution recognized slavery.
Benjamin Boss with his wife and one child, (James R. Boss) his father and mother and brother, Jeremiah, and their sisters
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came to Smyrna in 1818. A few years later Benjamin bought a farm a little west of his brother Solomon on which for many years stood a beech tree, said to be the exact center of the town. Adding to his first purchase twice or thrice, he was finally the owner of 195 acres of land. Benjamin was a very exemplary member of the Friends Society and a highly respectable citizen. In politics he was a strong Whig and a great admirer of Henry Clay, voting for that noted Statesman in the election of 1844, and as he walked away from the polls remarking: "I will never vote for another slaveholder."
Following his father, his son, James R. Boss, occupied the farm for many years. He was a man of excellence, and with decided opinions and was an exemplary member of the Friends Society, in which he was always interested. He was chosen Railroad Commissioner of the town, which office he held until his death. The farm is now owned by his son, Charles E. Boss, a teacher of prominence in Hackensack, N. J. The farm has been greatly improved and has now a thrifty appearance.
Jeremiah M. Boss was almost fifteen years of age when he came to Smyrna. He worked many years as a farm hand on the Willcox flats, later buying land west of his brother Benja- min and then selling the same to his brother and locating in West Smyrna where he united with the Free Will Baptist Church. He again sold out and moved to St. Lawrence county, and finally made his home in Hudson, Mich. One of his sons was a railroad engineer; another, James, died in Chattanooga of pneumonia, while a member of the First Michigan Engineers, in the war of the Rebellion.
Waty Boss was well known in Smyrna and vicinity many years, as a most capable and successful nurse. She will be re- membered by many of the present generation. It will be seen that the history of the Boss family in Smyrna forms a very in- teresting part of this volume.
THE BROOKS FAMILY came from Connecticut to Otsego County, N. Y., but the family records have been destroyed and
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neither the name of the father or the date of their immigration is at present known. Thomas Brooks, the oldest son, the first judge of Otsego County, was a graduate of Dartmouth College in the year 1787, and a number of his descendants were also graduates of that institution.
John Brooks located on the farm east of Smyrna, once the Hammond farm, now owned by Walter Gardner, in the year 1820. He was a conscientious man of excellent character, liv- ing a long and useful life and raising a family of two sons and one daughter.
Seneca Brooks moved to Brookfield, where some of his de- scendants still remain, and Horace, not many years ago well known in this vicinity, lived on the old homestead till middle life, when he moved to Smyrna village, carrying on the cooper business, his home being the present Towner homestead which he built. He lived to a good old age leaving his wife, a sister of the wife of the late Leman H. Talcott, and an adopted daughter, Icie, who became the wife of Frank J. Stanton. A young daughter, Jennie L., passed away early in the sixties, loved and missed by all who knew her.
Clarissa Brooks married Henry Bailey of Otselic, the father of Henry Bailey our former citizen. The latter, with his most excellent wife, Angeline Sprague, are making their home at Norwich, N. Y., with their youngest daughter, Nellie, now the wife of Horace L. Short, a prosperous business man of that en- terprising village.
With John Brooks came also his brother James, with his family of four sons and three daughters. He brought his house- hold goods, two yoke of oxen, six yearling heifers, one ox cart and one covered wagon, settling and living a number of years on the farm next west of the old Bliven farm, now known as the Calkins farm. At the time of the great tornado which swept through that part of the town, all of the trees on the place were blown down, which discouraged the family so much that they left the farm and moved to the farm in Sherburne, now
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owned by Henry Lathrop. Not long after they moved to the hill farm still in possession of a grandson, Deloss C. Brooks.
Of the sons. John and Gates lived and died in Sherburne; William in Hamilton, and Thomas, so many years well and most favorably known in the town, lived on the homestead with his father until they bought of John Tefft, the farm below, where Deloss Brooks now resides. Thomas married Melissa R., a granddaughter of Judge Thomas Brooks of Otsego County, a most excellent woman, respected by all who ever knew her. Mr. Brooks was an upright citizen and a successful farmer, and both he and his wife were faithful members of the Congrega- tional Church of Smyrna, and among the strongest supporters of that organization. Both are now deceased, but are survived by three sons, Floyd W. and Deloss C., well known residents of Smyrna, and Dealton S., who now resides at Newton Falls, N. Y. The former has one son, Chauncey D., now in the insur- ance business in Sherburne, and two daughters, May M., who became the wife of Dr. H. S. Turner, of Pittsburg, Pa., and Florence A., a most successful High School teacher.
Deloss married Mary Miller, of Sherburne, and they have two children, Gertrude E., now the wife of Willard C. Bradley, of Babylon, L. I., and Bessie J., who remains with her parents. Paulina Brooks married Abijah Allen, and moved to Chautau- qua County; and Lydia married Nehemiah Squires, and soon after died, leaving one son, James P. Squires, many years a worthy citizen of the town, recently deceased. Lucy married a gentleman named Beach, and also moved to Chautauqua Coun- ty, returning a few years after. Some of her descendants are still living in Poolville and Lebanon, Madison County.
HENRY KNOWLES and family of South Kingston, R. I., moved from Oriskany in the spring of 1821, into a small log house on the site of the old homestead on Smyrna Hill, now owned by his grandson, Henry K. Peckham. Here he raised a large family and became well known for his generosity, respect-
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ability, and rare integrity of character. He was also widely known as an able preacher in the Society of Friends.
Later in April 1826, his younger brother Benjamin R. Knowles with his mother and two sisters moved up from Rhode Island in a one horse wagon, with Paris G. Holley, who drove an ox team with a horse for a leader. He settled in a log house where now stands the home of his granddaughter, Mrs. Marga- ret Tracy. He was known as a man of quiet, peaceable dispo- sition, honest in business and upright in character, a most wor- thy example of the sturdy quaker stock from which he sprang. His oldest son is still a resident of our town and adheres strictly to the principles taught him by his worthy ancestors. We refer to our respected townsman, James P. Knowles. The younger son, Joseph, became an honorable minister of the Friends Church, his death occurring in the prime of his life, a loss to the church and community which was deeply mourned by all. His faithful wife who survived him for a number of years, took up the work of her devoted husband and became a faithful and in- teresting preacher.
She was called to her reward on the 26th of April, 1904, and is survived by one daughter, Priscilla, now the wife of Herbert P. Smith.
Daniel Knowles came to Smyrna from Rhode Island pre- sumably in the early twenties, but it is not known where he first settled. His wife was one Polly Hoxie of Rhode Island. They had three children, as follows : Roxie, who became the second wife of the late Harlow Billings; Eliza, the wife of George Sherman, and John Hoxie, who married Polly Kenyon, once well and favorably known by all our citizens of thirty or more years ago, occupying for many years the present Knowles home- stead on the Earlville road, whose son, Robert H. Knowles, a well-to-do farmer and one of our best citizens, still remains at the homestead, the only descendant of this family now residing in the town. We very much regret we have no more data re- garding this well known and respected family.
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PARIS G. HOLLEY, an honored and useful citizen, settled early in the south part of the town on the farm known long af- terwards as the Holley farm. Among his children were Ann, an invalid who for a long time was a resident of this village; Lyn- dall, whose first wife was Charlotte Nearing, and his second wife Celia Foreman, of Delhi, N. Y .; Alanson, who moved from Smyrna with his family early in the sixties, Benjamin, whose home was at Momence, Ill., and Stephen, father of Susan, wife of the late Thomas Mowers. All the family are now de- ceased, except Burt W., a son of Henry, who now resides at Norwich.
NATHANIEL P. SMITH, in March, 1821, with only a little change in his pocket, took his ax upon his shoulder, and with a yoke of oxen and a log chain, walked from Brookfield to Smyrna, a distance of eighteen miles, leaving his wife and fam- ily at home. Hearing of a tract of land for sale near the pres- ent site of the little settlement of Upperville, he invested his small amount of money in securing a claim on fifty acres of land, on which was a dense forest. With the assistance of neighbors he built a small log house on the newly acquired premises and lived there for two months alone, feeding his oxen on browse and a little poor hay he had secured from a neighboring settler. He began by burning charcoal in pits and later made potash, and having cleared a small patch of land, planted corn and potatoes. In June he was joined by his wife and children and in a few months purchased fifty acres more, and later fifty acres more on which he built a handsome frame house. The family then con- sisted of the husband, wife and eight children. Harriet married Alexis Hemenway, and both of them will be pleasantly remem- bered as old-fashioned kindly neighbors and most excellent peo- ple, greatly esteemed by all who ever knew them. Susannah married William Northup, also well and favorably known in the community, and later at her husband's decease became the sec- ond wife of the late Yale Northup. Jane A. spent the most of her life in teaching, but her latter years were spent in Smyrna,
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where her death occurred in the fall of 1862. Henry G. mar- ried Sarah J. Hunt, of Lansingburg. Both passed away at Mus- catine, lowa, where nearly all their lives had been spent. Charles married Eliza Bourne and lived for many years at Smyrna. The latter years of their lives were spent at Otselic, where they died at a ripe old age. Mary H. married Joseph S. Porter, and their home was at Troy, N. Y., until the decease of Mr. Porter, when she returned to Smyrna, and not long after mar- ried Hoxie Collins of Brookfield, and has since resided there. John C. married G. Latie Carpenter and their home was in New York city, until his death June 29, 1862. George married Mar- tha Briggs, and both are still with us, and our citizens, one and all, will hope for a long and pleasant life for each. Both are worthy of the esteem in which they are held by their many friends and their pleasant home, on Smyrna Hill, is always a most hospitable one for all.
Nathaniel P. Smith, the father, passed away at his home on Smyrna Hill on June 13, 1880.
EZEKIEL TEFFT and Amy Willcox Tefft, his wife, came to Smyrna January 1, 1822, the former having been born in Rhode Island about the middle of the eighteenth century, and the latter in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1764, coming to America with her parents. Their children were Susan, who died while very young; Stephen; Nathan, who followed a sea-faring life and was a mate on a privateer in the war of 1812, the last ever heard of him when he sailed for the British coast in 1815; Huldah, who became the wife of Gardner James, spending the most of her life in Smyrna, where she died at an advanced age in the early seventies, and Ezekiel, who came up country about the year 1822, but moved to Ohio in 1830.
Rowland B. Tefft was born in Richmond, Washington County, this State, May 25, 1807. He was married March 13, 1834, to Lucy Bills, who was born in Smyrna, March 14, 1810. Mr. Tefft became a prominent citizen, a thorough business man, a speculator in cattle and sheep and later in lumber. He pur-
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chased a tract of timber land at St. Charles, Mich., and with his family moved there in the summer of 1871. There he spent his remaining days, passing away on the 16th of April, 1891, his wife following him November 12th of the same year. As old residents of Smyrna, they will be remembered as most kindly neighbors, winning the highest regard of all who made their acquaintance. The family consisted of three sons and two daughters. Arethusa became the wife of Alonzo Faucett, now of Waterloo, Ind. Emily, the younger, is the wife of Orlando M. Record, of Thayer, Kan. Henry C., a twin brother of Emily, is a prosperous citizen of St. Charles, Mich. Charles B., now liv- ing in Swan Creek township, Mich., is engaged in farming but was formerly in the lumber business. He served in the war of the Rebellion from August 13, 1862, to June 10, 1865, as a member of Company F, 114th Regiment, made up mostly of Chenango County soldiers, and was wounded six times during his three years of service. R. Dexter Tefft, a bright student, was in early years a successful teacher in Smyrna Union School, later an attorney at law in Auburn, Ind., where his death occurred November 20, 1902. John G., the youngest, now lives with his family in St. Charles, his occupation being that of a civil engineer. All the children were born in Smyrna.
Samuel Tefft, a son of Ezekiel and Amy Tefft, came to Smyrna in 1820, his wife being Ann Brown, a sister of the wife of the late Alfred Willcox. He reared a large family and fol- lowed various occupations at one time having charge of a canal boat on the Chenango canal. Later he was a well known stage driver whom many old residents will remember, as well as the old coach which brought the only mail to Smyrna, arriving at about one o'clock in the morning, leaving Utica at about four o'clock on the afternoon before. Mr. Tefft's stage formerly con- nected with the main stage at Waterville, later at East Hamilton, and when the railroad reached our neighboring village of Sher- burne, he made that trip until the opening of the New York & Oswego Midland railroad brought the mail to our own door, which was November, 1869, thirty-six years ago.
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