Genealogical and Family History of Western New York, Volume I, Part 80

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: New York : Lewis Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 680

USA > New York > Genealogical and Family History of Western New York, Volume I > Part 80

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

(III) Joseph H., son of Bernard J. and Frances (Bove) Eilers, was born at Roches- ter, New York, March 19, 1860. He was ed- ucated in the parochial school, and at an early age entered the employ of the Genesee Paper Company, remaining with them four years. For the next seven years he was with the Stein Manufacturing Company, of Rochester. In 1887 he located in Lockport, which has since been his home and place of business. Un- til 1889 he was manager of the pulp mill of the Genesee Paper Mills Company of Lock- port. Then, until 1902, he was with the Lock- port Pulp Company. In the latter year that company was absorbed by the Traders Paper Company, Mr. Eilers becoming superintendent of the Traders. In 1905 he was appointed superintendent of the Ground Wood Mills, and in 1906 he was made manager of their entire plant, a position he most capably fills at the present time (1912) ). He has other im- portant business interests, serving as vice- president of The Lockport Felt Company ; vice-president of the Newfane Electric Com- pany. president of the Lockport Manufac- turers' Association, president of the Lock- port Board of Trade and interested and iden- tified with every movement for furthering the

NEW YORK.

.. St.

. born

Any of

11).

ti, born

cd Box i ... k. 4.

5. loseth.

, born De-

. March 7,

. bred finan-

: arth Ton- k. .. . ch (Van-

Who was

.4. York. re-

ar of 1812.

THE vitV Was

· 30. 1813.

... whools of

.Mi School at

ving sen ol

a viral years

.: Budalo. In:

embly an : ?

1 .

vars. 3ad

rectal the · mition, which has assets Mi. Sweeney

ha . [ ...

ember and ves- the first church

Built in :: in the fall of 18-9

he mar: e: siter of John S.

Canson, for r' ident of the New

York an' Frie air children are:

james, now in c's

. father's estate at Louise W. Mir.

North Fanawaniu.

Sweeney's home is Buffalo.

: :: Summer street.

This family plainly o . e

DUSENBURY from a Holland ane Hendrick Van D. who was in New Amsterdam as early a: :

Ir son. Hendrick Honderdin . after : in 1655 when he married Marinie He .: They had five children baptized in New

He seems to have owned land in I c . Long Island. as early as 1659. .. 10 his children may have been bern chere t ... baptized in New York. The inho; : Hempstead were mostly Engl. h sc people, consequently the "Van' dropped from the name and ;. .: ' fir several changes until it reached it. [5. form. Du-enbury. Hendrick H. \ : . . burg seems to have had only ty. reached maturity: Henry, born 1658, and lax). From them come all of the name. Cantaraugus county branches doce i. John through the Peekskill. New York. A ...

( I) The immediate progenitor cf branch is Henry Dusenbury, who der 1"1. His wife's christian name was .'' Children: 1. John, of whom forth; Phab. married a Mr. Alley. 3 L. married a Mr. Smith 4. Henry, w :. : but a small boy when, in 1700, his in Martha, married a second husband Armstrong. They lived in Hyde Por; York.

. By John. eldest son of Henry Deset was born February 20, 1773, in Di .. (. Anty. N. w York. died August 22 : W wHvor, New York He settled at W :: Br are county. in 1915. and was there are ... in merchandising and lumbering. H. ma .. (first), 1705, Ruth Sands, a des: :: lames Sands who was born in Un'at! 1622; came with his wife and fanii, i Reading. England, to Plymouth. Ma-t. setts, 16:8. He was one of the severa! . chasers of Block Island in ItoI, receive : his share one-sixteenth of the island. Le March 13. 16.5. The family later Cow Neck, Long Island. George Sand- father of Ruth Sands, settled at Long Prin . Westchester county, New York, in 1770. removed to Poughkeepsie. After the rev. tion he settled in Ulster, now Delaware cet . . on the Delaware river, where he died in ! , tober. 1816. Ilis son. Edward was a mai. in the English army after the revolution. : had a land grant in New Brunswick and die. ..

VA Fergusson & Co

423

NEW YORK.

St. Johns. Henry Dusenbury married (second), February 18, 1813, Married (third), July 5, 1832, Hannah Holbrook Lounsbury. Children of Henry and Ruth (Sands) Dusen- bury : Jane Jemima, born April 12, 1796, mar- ried Brundige Merritt; Sallie, May 8, 1799, married Dr. Barber ; Henry V., of whom fur- ther ; Betsey, February 2, 1802, married Hiram Stow; George, January 1, 1805. Children of second wife: John (2), born May 23, 1814; Harper, December 14, 1816.

(III) Henry V., eldest son of John Dusen- bury by his first wife, Ruth (Sands) Dusen- bury, was born in Hancock, Delaware county, New York, May 5, 1801, died at Portville, Cat- taraugus county, New York, June, 1860. In 1815 his father with his family moved to Windsor, Broome county. Early in life Henry V. became his father's clerk and en- gaged on his own account in lumbering and merchandising. In 1828 he located in Deposit, New York, and engaged in the same business until 1834. He became senior member of the firm of Dusenbury, Wheeler, May & Com- pany, formed to conduct lumbering operations on the upper Alleghany river. This firm first purchased a tract of fifteen hundred acres on Dodge Creek (Portville), with a sawmill equipped with three upright saws. They be- gan operations with this mill, established a general store, ran their lumber to market down the Alleghany and Ohio rivers, bought other extensive tracts about Portville and in Pennsyl- vania, built modern mills of large capacity and contributed greatly to the prosperity of that section. The important duties devolving upon Mr. Dusenbury were discharged with rare ability, and during his long business career he never failed to safely and prosperously man- age his vast business. No detail escaped him; no contracts were made that were not faith- fully performed and there is no record of his ever allowing the company paper to be pro- tested. He was methodical, accurate, prompt and reliable. His word was indeed "as good as his bond." He took time to investigate, but when a project was decided upon he pushed it forward with energy and zeal. When Messrs. Dusenbury and Wheeler came to Portville there was practically no Sabbath and intoxi- cants were freely used in conducting business. They took their stand as christian men, not to do business on Sunday and not to furnish rum in getting their lumber to market, even if it had to rot on the river banks. This stand

they maintained, difficult as it seemed, and none of their rafts carried liquor and always tied up over the Sabbath day. Mr. Dusen- bury joined with others in organizing a Pres- byterian church in Olean in 1838, was one of the elders and a regular attendant until 1848, when he, with W. F. Wheeler, by their means and influence, succeeded in establishing a Pres- byterian church at Portville, of which he was ruling elder until his death. He was exceed- ingly liberal and gave generously to various benevolences each year. He was an old line Whig and heartily embraced the doctrines of the Republican party upon its organization. He firmly believed in the doctrine of protection, not from sentiment, but by a diligent study of political economy and political history. He was so well informed and so earnest in his opinions that he was an able and dangerous opponent in political discussion. He represented Port- ville on the board of supervisors of Cattarau- gus county for six years, and in numerous party conventions. He trained his sons to habits of business, thus providing for the con- tinuance of his large interests in safe and capa- ble hands. In his younger days he was captain of a militia company in Delaware county and held a commission signed by Governor DeWitt Clinton.

He married, in 1827, Caroline Butler, born in 1811, died 1871, a devoted wife and mother. Children : 1. Catherine, married Allan Shel- don, a one time partner of Senator Zach Chandler, of Michigan, and later a banker of Detroit ; his son, H. D. Sheldon, born June, 1863, married Caroline, daughter of General Alger. 2. Elizabeth, married Rev. John H. Vincent, an eloquent bishop of the Methodist Episcopal church and founder of the Chautau- qua Assembly, out of which has grown that universal college-the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circles. Their son, George E. Vincent, president of the Chautauqua Assem- bly, dean at Chicago University and president of the University of Minnesota; married Louise, daughter of Attorney-General Palmer, M. C., of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania; chil- dren : Isabel, John and Elizabeth. 3. Henry, died at the age of twenty-two years. 4. John E., of whom further. 5. William Addison, of whom further. 6. Edgar Gregory, of whom further. 7. Caroline, unmarried.

(IV) John E., eldest surviving son of Henry V. Dusenbury, was born in Portville, Cattaraugus county, New York, then a part

424

NEW YORK.

of Olean, June 10, 1836. He was educated at Binghamton (New York) Academy, and early in life entered business under his father's di- rection in the store at Portville, and has al- ways been closely associated with the firm of Dusenbury & Wheeler in their large lumbering and mercantile enterprises. Since the death of his father he has been, as the eldest son, the practical head of the Dusenbury interests. The sons of Henry V. Dusenbury and William F. Wheeler now comprise the corporation, Du- senbury & Wheeler, and have continued the extensive operations of the old firm, but hav- ing to extend their sphere of lumbering opera- tions to more remote points. Dusenbury & Wheeler were much hampered in their early operations by the fact that the nearest bank was at Bath, New York, about seventy miles away. But in 1870 the State Bank of Olean was organized and continued until 1871, when it was reorganized under the national banking laws and became known as the First Na- tional Bank of Olean, William F. Wheeler being president until 1892. John E. Dusenbury was vice-president and succeeded Mr. Wheeler as president, a position he yet retains. He is an able financier and as president of the First National Bank of Olean has greatly contrib- uted to the prosperity and high standing of that institution. He has wisely guided his own large interests in merchandising and lumber- ing, tanning, oil production and real estate, and as a banker has won an enviable reputa- tion. He has always been an active Republi- can, and for ten years, at various times, has served as supervisor of Portville. He is a trustee of the Presbyterian church, and a friend of all good causes. His recreation is his farm and the ownership of good trotting horses, of which he has been a successful breeder. He is a courteous and genial gentle- man, a good friend and companion, and holds the esteem of a large circle of acquaintances.

He married (first), February, 1860, Har- riet Foster, of Monroe county, New York. Child, Elizabeth D., married Herman L. Matz ; children, Carl and John. He married (sec- ond) Dell V. Mather : children : Donald, mar- ried Marie Page, and Kathryn.

(IV) William Addison, son of Henry V. Dusenbury, was born in Portville, Cattaraugus county, New York, August 1, 1840, died in August, 1890. He obtained a practical educa- tion in the public schools of his native town, and after completing his studies engaged in

the lumber business, in which he attained a large degree of success. In 1867 he was sent to Newtown Mills, Pennsylvania, to assume charge of lumber mills there, and he remained there until 1888, a period of twenty-one years, and then removed to Tidioute, Pennsylvania, where he remained two years. He was an in- defatigable worker, energetic and persevering, and his well-directed efforts were crowned with abundant reward. He was a Presby- terian in religion, and a Republican in poli- tics. He married, in August, 1878, Helen, daughter of Hiram and Helen (Cameron) Truesdell, granddaughter of Jacob and Alice (Yates) Truesdell, and of Duncan and Mar- garet (Griffing) Cameron, and great-grand- daughter of Richard and Rachel (Keeler) Truesdell. Richard Truesdell and his brother Jeremiah came from Bristol, England, to Con- necticut, settling in Danbury. Richard Trues- dell was born in 1734, died 1839, and his wife died in 1838. Jacob Truesdell was born June 17, 1769, died in September, 1853; married in 1794. Hiram Truesdell was born July 19, 1813, died September 20, 1855; married in 1840. Hiram and Helen (Cameron) Trues- dell had five children, namely : Mary, William, married Lillian Wright, two children, William and Clara; Helen, wife of William A. Dusen- bury ; Ida, married Albert Winsor; John. Chil- dren of William A. and Helen (Truesdell) Dusenbury : William A., born 1879, engaged in lumber business in California; Edgar T., 1884, resides in Portville; is vice-president of the First National Bank of Olean; Duncan C., 1890, at home.

(IV) Edgar Gregory, youngest son of Henry V. Dusenbury, was born in Portville, Cattaraugus county, New York, October 31, 1841. He was educated in the public school, finishing his studies at the academy at De- posit, New York. After leaving school he entered the store of J. E. Dusenbury, con- tinuing with his brothers, John E. and William A., in its management until 1885, when it was destroyed by fire. During these years he had been active in the lumber operations, tanneries, oil production and various interests in New York and Pennsylvania. He still retains his interests but allows the burdens to fall on younger shoulders. In 1900 he began the operation of a three hundred acre farm, where he now takes his greatest delight. The farm is well stocked with choice cattle, in which Mr. Dusenbury takes the greatest pride. He

425

NEW YORK.

exhibits at the local fairs, always collecting an assortment of blue ribbons. His farm is his recreation and its well tilled, productive fields, its ample, well filled buildings, the stables of well bred stock, the herds of blooded cattle, are to him what clubs, yachts, elegant mansions and all the accessories of wealth are to other men of his means. He has been a director of the First National Bank of Olean for many years, his brother, John E., being president, having succeeded William F. Wheeler, the first president. This bank was established in 1870, operated one year as a state bank, known as the State Bank of Olean, then organized un- der the national banking laws as the First Na- tional Bank of Olean. Mr. Dusenbury has been an active and influential Republican all his life, but never accepted office for himself. Mr. Dusenbury presented to the village of Portville its present fine public library and grounds in 1909. He has been an elder of the Presbyterian church for many years, and for twenty years has been a trustee of the Chau- tauqua Assembly, being now the oldest mem- ber. He served three terms, nine years, as a member of the board of control of the State Experimental Station at Geneva, New York, and is a faithful friend of that and similar in- stitutions. He married, October 3, 1866, Eloise F. Fowler, born May 1, 1843.

JOHNSON The Johnson family of Cat- taraugus county, New York, herein recorded, is of Eng- lish ancestry. The history of the county and the history of the family covers almost the same period of time. A child of the second generation was the first white child born within the confines of the present city of Olean. Rep- resentatives of the family have sat in the state legislature, fought in the armies of the nation, guided town affairs in the county board of supervisors, been eminent in the law, jour- nalism and in business. It is not a family of the past alone, but has men of today who are leaders in their towns.

(I) James G. Johnson, of English parent- age, was the first of this line to settle in Cat- taraugus county. He was one of the early settlers of Olean (then known as Hamilton), and began the first settlement within the limits of the present city. He was immediately joined by Sylvanus Russell and Bibbins Follett. He died in 1811. His widow, Sophia (Stone) Johnson, of Scotch parentage, and on her

mother's side a descendant of the Dudley fam- ily, returned to her father's house in Bloom- field, Ontario county, where her son, James G., was born. She remained with her father until 1819, when she returned to Olean, ac- companied by her children. Her eldest son, Marcus H., was born in Olean, October 21, 1809. He is said to have been the first white child born within the present corporate limits of Olean. He was a merchant of Ellicottville and of Randolph. He was treasurer of Cat- taraugus county, 1841-42, and in 1843 he was elected to the state assembly and again in 1847. He was a Democrat and his district strongly Whig, at the same time his brother, James G., a Whig, was elected to the assembly from Olean, a strongly Democratic district. Marcus H. was Indian agent four years. He married, February 12, 1833, Sophronia Willoughby ; child, James G.

(II) James G. (2), posthumous son of James G. (1) Johnson, was born at Bloomfield, Ontario county, New York, September II, 1811. He attended school for two years, after which he attended only through the winter months, and after reaching the age of thir- teen all school attendance was discontinued. At the age of fourteen he left home and for eight months was clerk in a store at Center- ville. For the next two years he was clerk in the store of Ebenezer Lockwood, at Olean; later a clerk with William Bagley. In 1831 he entered the employ of Judge Martin, as clerk in his store, remaining five years, when he was admitted a partner under the firm name of Martin & Johnson, continuing as such nine years. In 1846 he moved to the town of Allegany, where he owned a sawmill and a tract of timber land. There he manu- factured and sold lumber, also maintaining a general store. In company with Eleazer Har- mon he platted into lots and sold the ground on which the village of Allegany has since been built. In 1854, in company with Gilbert Palen, he built and operated the sole leather tannery, afterward owned by J. B. Strong. In 1862 his friend, Congressman Robert E. Fenton, obtained for him from President Lincoln a commission as captain and assistant quarter- master. He was assigned to duty with the Army of the Potomac; saw the battles of South Mountain and Antietam; was with the army under General McClellan and General Burnside before and during the march against Fredericksburg; was on duty at Aquia Creek

426

NEW YORK.

during the winter of 1863-64, as chief quar- termaster, Departments of Susquehanna ; later was stationed at Chambersburg, Harrisburg, then Philadelphia, until the close of the war. At Gettysburg, while on his way to join the staff of General Reynolds, he was caught with his command in one of the fierce Confederate charges and taken prisoner, but the enemy had no time to care for prisoners, so he was re- leased. For "meritorious service" he was com- missioned colonel of volunteers. He returned to Olean with health impaired, but again es- tablished an extensive mercantile business, which after several years he resigned to his sons. He was one of the active organizers. of the First National Bank of Olean, which he served as director. He was so impressed with the conviction that Olean and Allegany lay within the Bradford oil belt that he im- pressed others with his belief, formed a com- pany and drilled the first oil wells on land leased by him to the company. He was a Whig in politics, and in 1848 was elected to the state assembly in a Democratic district. He sat in the assembly with his brother, Marcus H. Johnson, a Democrat, elected from a Whig district. No better eulogy on the character of the two men could be written. In the fall of 1849 James G. Johnson was elected clerk of Cattaraugus county. In 1871 he was appointed postmaster of Olean, holding that position un- til 1877. He was also supervisor from Olean, 1840-43-44-45, and from Allegany, 1855. He was a member of the Presbyterian church and of the Grand Army of the Republic.

He married Clarissa, daughter of Pascal Gaylord, of Whitehall, New York. Children : Twins, died in infancy; Marcus H., deceased; Elisha M., of whom further.

(III) Elisha M., youngest son of Colonel James G. (2) Johnson was born in Olean, June 13, 1844. He was educated in the public school and is a lifelong resident of Olean. He succeeded his father in business. He also has large oil and gas interests and was a potent factor in the development of the oil and gas belt. He is secretary, treasurer and manager of the Producers' Gas Company, and holds similar offices in the Acme Milling Company. He is a director of the First National Bank of Olean; president of the Masonic Temple As- sociation and largely responsible for the erec- tion of the Masonic Temple; member of the Chamber of Commerce and interested in many other Olean activities. He is a Republican in

politics, and in 1880 was elected to the state assembly by a large majority. In 1883-84 he was a member of the executive committee of the Republican state committee ; was appointed by Governor Higgins a member of the state commission on new prisons. He is a member of the Masonic order; a thirty-second degree Mason of the Scottish Rite, Corning Consis- tory : Master Mason, Royal Arch Masons: Knight Templar of the York Rite, Olean; a Noble of the Mystic Shrine, Ismailia Temple, Buffalo. He is a member and ex-president of the City Club of Olean, and interested in all that is for the improvement of his city.

He married, 1874, Harriet Cornelia Jack- son, born June 22, 1852, died June 19, 1906. Children : 1. Harriet C., born July 1, 1875, died March 26, 1911 ; married, in 1904, Joseph Lowell Page; children: Jane Elizabeth, born January 10, 1906; James Richmond, July 19. 1907. 2. James Henry, born August 6, 1877, died August 10, 1909. 3. Anna Wadsworth, born March 4, 1879; married, 1900, R. M. Shearer; children: Elisha M., born October 13, 1902; Mary Elizabeth, May 8, 1905; Har- riet Ann, January 12, 1911. 4. Beulah Emily, born March 26, 1880; married Elmer W., son of L. G. Miller ; children : Josephine, born No- vember 9, 1904; Eveline Mason, born January 28, 1912. 5. Elisha M., born August 19. 1883 ; graduate of Cornell University, class of 1906, degree of Electrical Engineer. 6. Louise, born April 9, 1889: married, 1910, Francis Joseph Hill; child, Rosanna, born July 13. 1911.

BIXLER The Bixlers of Newfane, New York, descend from a Pennsyl- vania family, the earliest record being of Jacob Bixler, a native of Pennsyl- vania, who, in 1821, settled in Seneca county. New York, where he lived for several years. He was a prosperous man and at different times owned several farms in Seneca county. Quite late in life he came to the town of Newfane, Niagara county, where he pur- chased and cleared a small farm of sixty- five acres lying on "Hatter road." Here he followed general farming until his death in 1874, aged eighty-four years. He married and had children : Joseph, Jacob, of whom further ; John, Moses, Loisette, Cornelia, Julia.

(II) Jacob (2), son of Jacob (1) Bixler, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1809, died in Newfane, Niagara county, New York, August

Edward Troy

427

NEW YORK.

16, 1890. He came to New York state with his parents and was educated in the public schools. He remained with his father and as- sisted him in the farm labor until his own mar- riage, then purchased a farm in Newfane con- taining one hundred and eight acres which he devoted to fruit and general farming. He prospered and purchased a second farm of ninety acres lying in the "Dale road." He was a deacon and trustee of the Baptist church for twenty-five years, and held the good opin- ion of his neighbors. In politics he always supported the Republican party. He married Jeanette Coulter, born January 5, 1825, in Schenectady county, New York, daughter of James and Polly (Stickles) Coulter, who were married in Schenectady county, February 20, 1820, and came to Niagara county in 1840, father and eldest son driving a loaded team, the mother and other children coming by canal boat to Lockport. Children of Jacob and Jeanette C. Bixler : Mary Jane, married George Dale; Ann, married George Sinsel; William B. (deceased), married Amelia Finch; Adelaide (deceased), married William T. Follett; Alzina (deceased), married Charles Worden; Charles, married Hannah Crusse ; Harriet, married Robert Acker ; Jessie, unmar- ried ; Nellie, married Thomas Richards; Burt, of whom further.

(III) Burt, youngest child of Jacob (2) and Jeanette C. (Coulter) Bixler, was born in the old Bixler homestead in Newfane, Niagara county, New York, January 25, 1869. He was educated in the village school of Newfane, and remained his father's valued assistant on the farm until the death of the latter in 1890. He then came into possession of the farm, which has been his lifelong home. Of its one hundred and eight acres of fertile soil, thirty- five are devoted to fruit culture. He has de- voted his entire attention to farming in the village of Newfane. He is one of the substan- tial farmers of his town and a man held in good repute. He is a Republican in politics. He belongs also to Cataract Lodge, Indepen- dent Order of Odd Fellows, of Lockport.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Genealogical and Family History of Western New York, Volume I, Part 80

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918 Publication date: 1912 Publisher: New York : Lewis Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 680

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: New York : Lewis Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 680