USA > New York > Genealogical and Family History of Western New York, Volume I > Part 25
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(VII) Sara Dwight, daughter of Walter and Minerva (Abell) Smith, married (first) Hoyt G. Palmer, born in 1839, died in 1870. She married (second) Andrew J. Avery, of Dunkirk, born in 1829, died in 1902. Mrs. Avery is a resident of Dunkirk, where she has many friends and is held in the highest esteem. She has no children.
The progenitor in the United HACKETT States of this branch of the Hackett family, Edward Hack- ett, was born in county Tipperary, Ireland, in 1828, died in Wellington, Ohio, September 24, 1897. He came to the United States at the age of twenty years, having spent the four preceding years in Hamilton, Canada. On coming to the United States he settled in Ohio, first at Cleveland, then Oberlin, making final location at Wellington. He was an expert shoemaker, and followed that occupation in the cities named. Later, in Wellington, he was elected city marshal, and served for many years. About two years before his death, ill health compelled him to resign the office and retire from active life. He was a gallant sol- dier of the civil war, a veteran of Company F, One Hundred and Third Regiment, Ohio Vol-
unteer Infantry, in which he served three and one-half years. At the battle of Resaca, Georgia, he was wounded in the leg, but not seriously. He was honorably discharged at the expiration of his term and returned to Ohio. He married Bridget O'Neil, born in county Derry, Ireland, 1826, came to Hamilton, Can- ada, with her brother when quite young. She died in February, 1900, at Wellington, Ohio. aged seventy-four years. Of their ten chil- dren seven died without issue. The living are: I. Mary A., born in Wellington, Ohio; married Vander Bernard; children: Edward Francis and Mary. 2. Edward Stevens, born in Well- ington ; married Mattie Patton, of Scio, Ohio: children : Patty and Henry. Edward S. is a successful civil engineer, now chief engineer for the National Tube Works. 3. John Matthew. of whom further.
John Matthew, son of Edward and Bridget (O'Neil) Hackett, was born in Wellington. Ohio, February 11, 1865. He was educated in the schools of Wellington and Cleveland. Ohio, qualifying in the latter city for the pro- fession of civil engineer. He has since led a most active and busy life, fulfilling the calls made upon his professional skill. He was first connected with the engineering and surveying corps of the Great Northern railroad in Minne- sota, resigning to accept a professional position with the United States government in northern Minnesota. Returning to Ohio, he was engi- neer engaged for two and one-half years on location and in the construction department of the Wheeling & Lake Erie railroad. For the ensuing two years he was connected with the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad in a similar capacity. He was chief engineer for the Jamestown & Lake Erie railroad during the construction of the extension from Fal- coner to Jamestown, then chief engineer of the Ohio River Junction railroad, was next called to West Virginia, where he was assistant chief engineer of the Meadow Creek railroad, and also engaged in mining operations, going from there to fill the position of chief engineer for the Dunkirk, Allegheny Valley & Pittsburgh railroad. In 1894 he was appointed city engi- neer of the city of Dunkirk, filling that position two years. In 1896 he became engaged in the contracting of public works and improvements. securing several contracts in different places for sewer, paving, bridge and railroad work. In 1906 he went to Virginia and became resi- dent engineer for the Tide Water railroad.
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now known as the Virginia railway, built by H. H. Rogers, of the Standard Oil Company, the most expensively built and important pri- vate railroad in the country. In 1908 he re- turned to Dunkirk, where he was appointed assistant chief engineer, and placed in charge of construction work between Dunkirk and Angola for the Buffalo & Lake Erie Traction Company, with headquarters at Silver Creek. In 1909 he was village engineer of Fredonia in charge of the paving work being done by the village. In the fall of 1909 he was elected first to fill that office after it was made elec- tive instead of appointive. He is now (1911) filling that office. During Mr. Hackett's ad- ministration of the office of city engineer for the years 1910-1I, he prepared plans and specifications for public improvements for the city of Dunkirk, laid out and supervised the construction of public works to the value of over $160,000, including several reinforced concrete arches and bridges, and the sewering of fifteen different streets. He also designed a sewer system for the upper Central avenue district, including over two miles of pipe of various sizes and diameters ; this system is now under construction. He also laid out and supervised the construction of three miles of asphalt pavements, together with over one mile of brick, and was the first engineer to design and construct a combination concrete curb and gutter in Western New York, and the first engineer to lay an asphalt pavement, using a combination curb and gutter. Together with his various other duties Mr. Hackett prepared plans and specifications for the improving and beautifying of Washington Park, and super- intended the construction of same, which con- sisted of concrete curbing and gutters for the walks and drives, with the intervening spaces paved with asphaltic macadam. That Mr. Hackett's administration of the office of city engineer during the past two years was emi- nently satisfactory to the citizens, was evi- denced by the fact that he received the unani- mous nomination by his party in open caucus, in October, 1911, and on November 7th, at the general election, he was again elected for an- other two-year term, defeating his opponent by a majority of five hundred and seven, and having the honor of polling the largest vote of any candidate for any office in the city of Dunkirk.
Politically, Mr. Hackett is a Republican, and
a member of many professional, social and fraternal societies. November 29, 1899, he married Cecelia F. Welsh, born in Dunkirk, New York, daughter of Thomas C. and Julia (Clifford) Welsh.
The Hellers of Salamanca, New HELLER York, descend in paternal lines from Christopher Heller, the emigrant ancestor. He was born in Germany in 1688, died 1778. He married and had issue: (II) Simon, son of Christopher Heller, "the city engineer of the city of Dunkirk, being the . emigrant," was born 1721, died 1783. He set-
tled in Northampton county, Pennsylvania. He married Louise and had issue.
(III) John, son of Simon and Louise Heller, was born in Northampton county, Pennsyl- vania, October 29, 1756, died 1823. He was a farmer of Pennsylvania township, same county, where he was living as late as 1818. He served one year and four months as a private in the Third Regiment of the Colonial Line (see Pennsylvania in the Revolution, vol. i, p. 465). On page 766 of the same work, vol. ii., his name appears as a pensioner. He mar- ried Susan Hammond.
(IV) John (2), son of John (1) and Susan (Hammond) Heller, was born in Northamp- ton county, Pennsylvania, in 1782, died No- vember 30, 1863. He lived in Bushkill, Pike county, Pennsylvania; Wayne county, Penn- sylvania ; Rockland county, Ohio, and in Ful- ton county, Illinois. He was twice married. The name of his first wife has not been pre- served. He married (second) Belinda Van Auken, born in New Jersey, died November 23, 1863.
(V) John M., son of John (2) Heller and his first wife, was born in Bushkill, Pennsyl- vania, November 4, 1806, died at Port Jervis, New York, March 30, 1857. He was a car- riage manufacturer, first located at Bushkill, then at Milford, Pennsylvania, finally settling in Port Jervis, where his factory was located on Front street, on the site now occupied by the Peck Hardware Company. He was ener- getic, thrifty, prosperous and a most excellent citizen. He was a charter member of Port Jervis Lodge, No. 328, Free and Accepted Masons. He married (first) Margaret Winfield. Chil- dren : George Potter, born August 22, 1829, died May 10, 1880; Harvey Royce, born No- vember 21. 1830, lost at sea on steamer "San Francisco," December 24, 1853 ; John Wallace, born October 18, 1832, died December 23.
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1871 ; Margaret (twin), born October 18, 1832, died November 8, 1882. He married (second), February 16, 1833, Nancy Newman, born June 9, 1801, died December 13, 1883, daughter of Ira and Mary (Bross) Newman.
Ira Newman was the son of Isaac Newman, born June 3, 1731, died 1808; married, March II, 1756, Abigail Webb, born 1735, died 1786, daughter of Benjamin Webb, of Stamford, Connecticut. Isaac was the son of Nathaniel and Sarah Newman, whose eight children, born between April 4, 1724, and August 3, 1743, were: Nathaniel (2), Samuel, Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Israel. Another child, Lydia, is not recorded in the Stamford records. Isaac Newman was a blacksmith who came from Connecticut and followed his trade in Westchester county, New York. During the revolution he was a private of Captain Gideon Seelev's company, belonging to the Westchester County Regiment of Associated Exempts, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Benedict. He fought at the battle of White Plains, October 28, 1776, and was in other active service with his regiment. After the war he settled in Upper Smithfield town- ship, Northampton county, Pennsylvania, and had the first blacksmith's shop in the township. His wife, Abigail Webb, died there, Septem- ber II, 1786. Isaac Newman, in 1806, re- moved to Saratoga county, New York, where he died in the town of Charlton, March 24, 1808, at the home of his son Eli. He had ten children. One of them, Isaac (2) Newman, was a private of Captain Gilbert Lockwood's company, Fourth Regiment, Westchester Coun- ty Militia, and saw active service during the revolution. Abigail Webb, wife of Isaac New- man, was the daughter of Benjamin Webb, born 1705, and Mary (Cross) Webb. Benja- min was the son of Joseph (2), born 1674, died 1743, and Mary (Hoyt) Webb. Joseph (2) was the son of Joseph (1) Webb, died 1685, and grandson of Richard Webb, died 1676, son of Malcolm Webb, of Dorsetshire, England.
Ira Newman, son of Isaac Newman, was born June 26, 1773 or November 3, 1776, died March 24, 1831, at Milford, Pennsylvania. He married, June 2, 1799, Mary Bross, born September 9, 1777, died 1863, daughter of Hendrick Bross and his wife, Sarah (Cool) Bross, daughter of Johannes Cool and his wife, Pretunella (Van Auken) Cool, daughter of
Cornelius and Zara (Westbrook) Van Auken, of Kingston, New York.
Children of John M. and Nancy (Newman) Heller (his second wife) : Ira Burrell, born July 13, 1834, died at Port Jervis, November 22, 1879; Martin Van Buren, born January II, 1836; Thomas Alonzo, of further mention ; Isaac Labar, born August 25, 1841, died Octo- ber 26, 1856.
(VI) Thomas A., son of John M. and Nancy (Newman) Heller, was born at Bushkill, Penn- sylvania, May 1, 1839, died at Salamanca, New York, December 5, 1910. He was educated in district public schools in Pennsylvania, Eclectic Hall, an academic school conducted by his uncle, Ira Newman, finishing his education in a printing office in Milford, Pennsylvania, working up to and holding for a time the posi- tion of editor. In 1863 he was employed by the United States Express Company as mes- senger, which position he filled until his pro- motion to the agency of the company at Buck- tooth, now West Salamanca, May 1, 1865. In the summer of 1866 the office of the company was moved to Salamanca, which up to that time had been known as Hemlock Crossing, trains stopping only occasionally for the ac- commodation of employees at the Hemlock Mills, the only industry in a practically un- broken wilderness.
With the building of the shops of the Erie railroad and the tannery of C. H. and G. L. Williams the nucleus was formed for the fu- ture village, and the corduroy road at Hem- lock Crossing became the Main street of the present village of Salamanca. During the suc- ceeding years many changes came to the com- munity; the wilderness vanished before the ax of the lumberman, the swamp land was gradually reclaimed and the buildings of the pioneer town gave place to the modern edifice. In the course of time the United States Ex- press Company withdrew from the lines of the Erie railroad and Wells, Fargo & Company succeeded it, with whom Mr. Heller completed forty-seven years of service in the express business, remaining in their employ up to 1908 as agent and from that until the time of his death as solicitor, a position created for him in his declining years.
In the earlier days the problems of govern- ment were many and the trials incident to pro- viding for the safety and welfare of a fast growing community taxed the resources of all
Thon A. Helle.
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prominent citizens. Mr. Heller was among the foremost in these matters; a member of the first school board in 1865 and a signer of the petition for incorporation in 1878 he was . his interest and activity to the last, he lived a identified with the movements which were the stepping stones to local government. These He married, October 22, 1867, Elizabeth P. Hale, born February 19, 1843 (see Hale VIII). Child : Harvey Edgar, born April 16, 1870, who is now superintendent of the Municipal Water and Light Department. Mrs. Heller survives her husband, a resident of Salamanca. matters attended to, the necessity of suitable means for the transaction of business was be- ginning to be realized and a National Bank was organized to which Mr. Heller contributed liberally. A disastrous fire which almost en- tirely destroyed the business section of the (The Hale Line). village in 1880 brought home the need of adequate protection in this line, and the same year Mr. Heller organized and was elected president of the Salamanca Water Works Company which constructed a system of water works that has been ever since a prime fac- tor in the health and prosperity of the town, and eventually passed into the hands of the municipality. At about this time Mr. Heller saw the possibilities in the location and organ- ized an association for the development of Wildwood Cemetery. The position of presi- dent in this association he held for twenty years.
Throughout his long and busy career Mr. Heller was a firm believer in the future of Salamanca and was ever ready to aid in any movement for the advancement and benefit of the community. His activities were varied, and though he led a quiet life socially he will be long remembered by those privileged to known him intimately, for his genial spirit, his kindly wit and humor, and his large fund of information. He was a great reader and a forceful and graceful writer who would have graced an editorial chair, and he was never quite reconciled to the fact that fate led him away from the newspaper office in which he spent some of his younger days. He had a helping hand for those less fortunately situated than himself, and many a man owes to him the timely aid and counsel that meant success.
He was a Unitarian in religious faith, and a Democrat, though never a strong partisan, choosing the best men for all local offices. Often urged to take political office by his con- stituents and accept further promotion by his employers, Mr. Heller preferred to remain among scenes of the earlier days, content in the friendship and respect of all who knew him. He was a member of the Masonic order, belonging to lodge, chapter and commandery, and was honored by the highest offices in the
gift of each. He also belonged to the local lodge, Ancient Order of United Workmen. A familiar figure to all in Salamanca, retaining useful life and died greatly regretted.
The name Hale under the different forms of de la Hale, Hale, and Hales, has been abundant in Hertfordshire, England, since the early days of the thirteenth century. The name also prevailed in a dozen other counties of England. Within the fifty years following the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth at least eight emigrants of the name of Hale settled in Massachusetts and Connecticut, de- scendants of five of whom are traced to the present day. The name is also found among the early settlers of Virginia and Maryland. In New England the name has been brought into prominence by Nathan Hale, "the Patriot," by John P. Hale, the statesman of New Hamp- shire, and Eugene P. Hale, of Maine, and others.
(I) Thomas Hale, the earliest known pro- genitor of the family herein considered, was of the parish of Walton-at-Stone, in Hertford- shire, England. The parish record shows he was buried October 19, 1630. He was a yeo- man and left a small estate. He married Joan Kirby, who survived him and married again. Children : Dionia, Thomas, Mary, Dorothy and Elizabeth.
(II) Thomas (2), son of Thomas (1) and Joan (Kirby) Hale, was born in England, May or June, 1606, and was baptized in the parish of Walton-at-Stone, June 15, 1606. In 1635 he came to America, settling at Newbury, Mas- sachusetts. He brought a letter from his uncle, Francis Kirby, to Governor John Winthrop, asking the latter to interest himself in the young man. He moved to Haverhill in 1646 and his name heads the list of the first board of selectmen. In 1647 he was appointed "to try small causes." In 1649 he was elected constable, the first to be chosen in Haverhill. In 1661 he returned to Newbury, where he died December 21, 1682. He is styled at dif- ferent times in the records "Glover," "Yeo-
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man," and "Leather Dresser." He married Thomasine (or Tamosin) , who sur- vived him forty days. Children: Thomas, John, Samuel and Apphia.
(III) Thomas (3), eldest son of Thomas (2) and Thomasine Hale, was born in Eng- land, November 18, 1633, and came to Amer- ica with his parents. He died in Newbury, October 22, 1688. He was a man of local prominence, filled numerous places in the pub- lic service and left a handsome estate for his day. He married, May 26, 1657, Mary Hutch- inson, baptized at North Muskham, county of Nolts, England, December 28, 1630, daughter of Richard and Alice ( Bosworth) Hutchinson. She survived him and married (second) Will- iam Watson, whom she also survived five years, dying December 8, 1715. Children : Thomas, Mary, Abigail, Hannah, Lydia, Eliza- beth, Joseph and Samuel.
(IV) Captain Joseph Hale, son of Thomas (3) and Mary (Hutchinson) Hale, was born at Newbury, February 20, 1671, died at Box- ford, Massachusetts, February 13, 1761. He was a man of means, active, ambitious and highly regarded as shown by the public offices he held. He was selectman of Boxford in 1702; as "Ensign Joseph Hale" he represented Boxford in the general court four terms; as "Lieutenant Joseph Hale," six terms ; as "Cap- tain Joseph Hale," five terms, and as Joseph Hale, one term, 1735. He married (first) No- vember 15, 1693, Mary, daughter of William and Sarah ( Perley) Watson, of Boxford. He married (second) Mrs. Joanna Dodge, a widow (published September 19, 1708). Chil- dren: Joseph, Jacob, Mary, Ambrose, Abner, Moses, Sarah. By second wife: Hepsibah, Lydia, Margaret, Thomas, John, Hannah and Benjamin.
(V) Captain Thomas (4) Hale, son of Cap- tain Joseph and Joanna (Dodge) Hale, was born at Boxford or Newbury, Massachusetts, January 8, 1714-15, died September 18, 1796. He was one of the earliest settlers of North Brookfield, Massachusetts, and built a tempor- ary log hut in the midst of the woods two miles south. Here he cut the timber for his house on the Hale place, where he and several gen- erations of his descendants lived and died. The "Hale House" was destroyed by fire sev- eral years ago with the grand old elm that stood in front. He served in the revolution as second and first lieutenant under two enlist- ments, but was always called "Captain," per-
haps a later militia title. He married, Febru- ary 17, 1740, Mary Kimball, of Bradford. Children : William, Thomas, Mary, Joanna, Eunice, Anna, Joanna (2), Mercy, Joseph, Abigail; Mordicai, a surgeon in the revolu- tionary army; Amy, Elizabeth and Lydia.
(VI) Hon. Thomas (5) Hale, son of Cap- tain Thomas (4) and Mary (Kimball) Hale, was born at Brookfield, Massachusetts, Janu -. ary 22, 1744, died January 2, 1834. He was a farmer ; was selectman and assessor several years ; representative nine years ; senator from Worcester county twelve years. He was much engaged in the settlement of estates and in other judiciary matters, having the deserved respect and confidence of the entire commu- nity. He married, October 1, 1768, Ruth Hardy, born May 25, 1744, died October 3. 1828. Children : Perley, married Hannah Ed- munds ; Ruth, married Nathaniel Goddard, and died at Littleton, New Hampshire, November 17, 1872, aged one hundred years and six months : Thomas (6), married "Widow Spauld- ing ;" Lucy, married Rufus Dodge; Daniel, of further mention; Mary, married Francis Car- ruth; Anna, married Asaph Olds.
(VII) Daniel, son of Hon. Thomas (5) and Ruth (Hardy) Hale, was born February 27, 1780, died at Florence, New York, 1844. He settled in the town of Tabor, Oneida county. New York. He married, September 2, 1804, Polly Bartlett, of Brookfield, Massachusetts. Children : Fannie, Ruth, Harriet, Ebenezer and Daniel.
(VIII) Daniel (2), son of Daniel (1) and Polly (Bartlett ) Hale, was born September 14, 1814, died September 1, 1884. He married, December 20, 1839, Emily Chidsey (or Chad- sey), born October 17, 1822, died September 9, 1890, daughter of Timothy and Sally (Thrall) Chidsey (or Chadsey), of Cazenovia, Madison county, New York. Children : Marion Josephine, Elizabeth P. (Mrs. Heller), Lucy Amelia, Emily Frances, Sarah Delphine. Thomas Fremont, Daniel Trumbull.
The Murrays of Dunkirk, New MURRAY York, descend from Scotch an- cestors who had long been prominently connected with the stirring his- tory of that country. The American ancestor was William Murray, born in Scotland, about 1690, died in Amherst, Massachusetts, about 1784. He came to America in 1720, settling first at Londonderry, New Hampshire, and
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later removed to Amherst, Massachusetts, where he died. He married, February 20, 1723, Hannah, daughter of John Dickinson, of Hatfield (died aged ninety-four), and Hep- zibah Wells, granddaughter of Nathaniel Dick- inson and his wife Hannah, and great-grand- daughter of Nathaniel Dickinson, who came in 1635, was of Wethersfield, Connecticut, 1637; town clerk, 1645; representative, 1646-56; re- moved to Hadley, Massachusetts, 1659; deacon and first recorder ; died in Hadley, June 16, 1676. Wife, Annie - Children of Will- iam and Hannah Murray: Elijah, born No- vember 28, 1723, died March, 1742; William, see forward; Dorothy, born August 4, 1729, married, May 9, 1754, Abner Williams ; David, born November 3, 1735; Seth, May 21, 1736; Hannah, 1744, married, November 22, 1764, Timothy Abbott, of Bennington, Vermont.
(II) William (2), son of William ( I) and Hannah (Dickinson) Murray, was born July 30, 1726, died about 1762. He married Mercy Scott, a descendant of Samuel Chapin, a found- er of Springfield, Massachusetts; of John Hitchcock, lieutenant in King Philip's war : of Samuel Belden, who was in the Deerfield massacre ; of Hugh Wells, who came in 1635; of William Allis, of King Philip's war; of William Scott, a soldier in the great Falls fight, and of Francis Ball, who came before 1635. Children: Elihu, of further mention ; Elijah, born June 6, 1756; Mercy, September 16. 1758; Martha, July 14, 1761.
(III) Elihu, eldest child of William (2) and Mercy (Scott) Murray, was born in Hat- field, Massachusetts, October 12, 1753, died in Guilford, Chenango county, New York, June 16, 1835. He enlisted in the revolutionary army as a private of Captain Israel Chapin's company, Colonel John Fellow's regiment, April 27, 1775. He fought at Bunker Hill, Long Island, Throgg's Neck, Bennington and Saratoga; was commissioned captain before 1780, and afterward served in the quarter- master's department until the close of the war. He resided in Hatfield and Deerfield, Massa- chusetts, and in Guilford, New York. where he followed farming. He married, May 4, 1782, Lydia Strong, a descendant of Elder John Strong, who came in 1630; of Henry Woodward, who came in 1635; of John Inger- soll. who came in 1629, and of Thomas Bron- son, who came in 1633.
(IV) Dauphin, son of Elihu and Lydia (Strong) Murray, was born in Guilford, New
York, April 24, 1793, died in Cattaraugus county, New York, October 31, 1855. He was a farmer of Chenango for many years, later removed to Steuben county, where he was elected and served a term as sheriff of that county. He later became engaged as a con- tractor on public works, and met his death by a railroad accident at Hinsdale, New York. He served in the war of 1812, and held the rank of colonel of militia. He married Sarah Seymour, a descendant of General Robert Sedgwick, who came in 1635, founder of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston, and governor of Jamaica, 1656; of Rev. Samuel Stone, of Hartford, Connecticut, a chaplain in the Pequot war; of John Hop- kins, of Hartford, and of Richard Bronson. Colonel Murray had issue, including two sons -Henry Kennedy, born in Bath, New York, died in Ridgewood, New Jersey, married Abbie Shelden Billings; and Charles D., of further mention.
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