USA > New York > Genealogical and family history of central New York : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the building of a nation, Volume I > Part 16
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(IV) Oliver, son of Ichabod and Deborah ( Fairbanks) Wickwire, was born in 1745, died August 17, 1829. Gold's "History of Corn- wall" says: "Oliver Wickwire came from New London county before the time of the Revolu- tion. He settled in the old road long since dis- continued, running northeast from near Ches- ter Wickwire's. His nearest neighbor in the south was James Douglas." The house of Ofiver Wickwire was situate 1 on Cream Hill, in the northern part of Cornwall. His son, Newton C., stated, in 1901, that Oliver served in the war of 1812. He married (first) Lois Beckwith, born 1752, died January 28. 1813. She and her husband were both buried at Lime Rock. He married ( second) Widow
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Mary Gibbs Hawley. Children by first mar- riage : 1. Esther, born 1773, at Lyme ; married Luman Howe; children : Alvah and Lucretia. 2. Joseph, born 1775, at Cornwall; died Janu- ary 18, 1813. 3. Joshua, born 1781. 4. Daniel, of further mention. 5. Richard. 6. Ransom. 7. Lois, married James Robb, of Salisbury, Connecticut ; they had several children. 8. Lucretia, born June 4, 1789; married Calvin Butler, and had ten children. 9. Julia D., mar- ried James E. Kellogg. 10. Mary, married Paul Price, born 1782, son of Sergeant Paul and Sarah (Berry) (Viall) Price, of Goshen, and had four children. Children by second marriage : II. Clarissa, married Lucius Foote, born June 22, 1815, son of Colonel Samuel and Lucy (Lord) Foote. 12. Newton C., born August 20, 1818. 13. Jeannette, born 1825 : married Charles Page, of Aurora, Illinois.
(V) Daniel, son of Oliver and Lois ( Beck- with ) Wickwire, was born in 1782, died in 1870. In April, 1825, he was appointed a member of a committee to build a meeting- house for the society of North Cornwall. He was the owner of a large farm of over a thou- sand acres in Cream Hill. He married, at Cornwall, December 30, 1803, Mary Scoville. Children: 1. Irene, born January 12, 1806; married Lewis Dean, and died March 3, 1824, at birth of twins, who died when two years old. 2. Chester, born May 29, 1810. 3. Ray- mond, of further mention. 4. Mary, born De- cember 28, 1817, died July 30, 1850; married Joseph Kinney, of Cortland, New York ; chil- dren : Amelia, married Daniel Smith, after her death he married Sarah Jane Wickwire ; Helen, died unmarried : Edgar, deceased.
(VI) Raymond, son of Daniel and Mary (Scoville) Wickwire, was born January 28, 1816, died at Cortland, New York, September 4. 1866. He married, at McGrawville, New York, February 27, 1840, Elmira, daughter of Homer B. Greenman, born at Stephentown, New York, son of Benjamin Greenman, born at Block Island, Rhode Island. Homer B. Greenman married Rachel, daughter of David Waterbury, born at Nassau, New York. Ray- mond Wickwire resided at Cortland, New York. Children: 1. Mary Celestia, born February 13, 1841 : married, September 18, 1861, Edward Stilson, born July 1, 1839, died October 23. 1868, son of Ansyl Ford and Susan (Dewey) Stilson : children i. Arthur Ford, born Decem- ber 9, 1864, married, January 22, 1890, Carrie Louise, daughter of Henry F. and Carrie (Put-
nam) Benton. Mrs. Stilson is an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution ; children : a. Raymond Putnam, born October 11, 1892, died December 11, 1893; b. Chester Ben- ton, born January 16, 1896; ii. Edward, born March 9, 1867, married, March 4, 1891, Mar- tha, daughter of Frank W. Collins; children : a. Georgia Jennette, born July 22, 1892; b. Mary Wickwire, born July 15, 1894; c. Laura Ford, born November 15, 1895; d. Edward, born November 18, 1899. 2. Chester Franklin, of further mention. 3. Chauncey John, born May 22, 1845, died October 14, 1872, unmar- ried. 4. Ella Adelia, born January 13, 1849; married, August 19, 1868, Charles W. Sanders, M. D., of New York City, son of Charles W. Sanders, the author of "Sander's Series of School Books." He graduated from Columbia College, and from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1878; children : i. Grace Eliz- abeth, born August 18, 1870, graduated at Vassar in 1890 ; married John Hicks Macy (2), November 7, 1894; he died in 1903; children : a. John Hicks (3), born September 22, 1895 : b. Grace Elinor, born August 31, 1897; ii. Mary Noxon, born November 6, 1876, gradu- ated at Vassar in 1896, class president ; mar- ried William Henry Hays, October 19, 1898; he graduated at Columbia in 1896; he is a member of the University Club; children : a. Ethel Sanders, born June 12, 1901 ; b. Will- iam Henry (2), born May 3, 1903; c. Grace. born March 1, 1907; iii. Ethel Blanche, born February 28, 1879, graduated at Miss Brown's school in 1897; married William Stocking Gould, April 20, 1898; children: a. Helen Sanders, born June 18, 1900 ; b. William Stock- ing (2), born September 12, 1903; c. Marian Ethel, born January 18, 1906. 5. Theodore H., of further mention.
(VII) Chester Franklin Wickwire, son of Raymond Wickwire, was born on the home- stead on the hill south of McGrawville, May 31, 1843, and he attended the public schools of Cortlandville. In 1865 he came to Cort- land village and started a grocery store in the north part of the Riley building on the west side of Main street, at what is now 16 Main street. For forty-five years he continued in active and successful business there. He died September 14, 1910, and he was active until a few days before his death. After about a year, however, he sold his grocery stock and continued in the hardware business in the same store, under the firm name of C. F. Wickwire
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& Company, his father being in partnership. When his father died about a year later, his younger brother, Chauncey J., succeeded to his interests. Chauncey J. died October 14, 1872, and was succeeded in the firm by the youngest brother. Theodore H. Wickwire, the name being changed then to Wickwire Brothers, and thus it has continued since. The firm bought the Rose building on the opposite side of Main street. It was destroyed by fire in February, 1884, after which the present four-story brick Wickwire building was erected. The store has been located in this building since its erec- tion. In 1873 an old loom came into the pos- session of the firm in the way of trade, and Chester F. Wickwire, who was gifted with inventive genius and mechanical skill, began to experiment with the loom in wire weaving and succeeded in making it operate perfectly. In 1873, accordingly, the firm began with the old loom to manufacture wire screen and other wire goods in a small building at the rear of the store. More looms were added and the business grew rapidly. The factory was en- larged until it occupied all the available space within the square. In 1876 the hardware store was sold, and in, 1881, the firm began to draw fine wire for use in the business, erecting a large brick factory for the purpose on South Main street. In 1884 the wire weaving and wire goods departments were moved to this location. The business was incorporated in 1892, under the same name, Wickwire Brothers, of which Chester F. Wickwire was president. and Theodore H. Wickwire, treasurer. Other additions were made from time to time. A rod mill, an open-hearth steel plant and other de- partments were added. This industry became the most important in Cortland. The present plant occupies thirty-six acres of land, nearly covered with buildings. It is also known as the largest and best equipped factory for the manufacture of wire goods in this country. The machinery used in weaving, spooling, painting and finishing wire cloth was largely invented by Mr. Wickwire, and nearly all built for the concern. He could operate all the machines and knew every detail of the manu- facture, and he used to spend much time in watching the machinery and making improve- ments in operations, to increase the efficiency or production. He was always respected and liked by his employees. He avoided labor troubles through his fairness and considerate- ness.
He was a director of the First National Bank for many years and previously had been director of other banks. He was interested keenly in public affairs and gave his time free- lv to public duties. He was appointed, June 6, 1892, one of the five sewer commissioners in charge of constructing a sewer system for Cort- land, and, in 1900, the same sewer board be- came under the city charter the board of public works. The same men continued in office afterward and Mr. Wickwire's death brought the first change in a remarkably able and efficient commission. Mr. Wickwire was determined to have public work performed right, and he had peculiar opportunities to carry out his wishes and determination. The slag with which the streets are paved was given by Wickwire Brothers to the city, and even the cost of crushing and preparing this material for the roads was borne by Wickwire Brothers. For many years Mr. Wickwire was a trustee of the Presbyterian church. For all public charities and many private needs he has given freely. His greatest single gift was the handsome new hospital, which was nearly com- pleted at the time of his death, and which he gave to the city and county. For many years he was on the board of trustees of the hospital and always gave liberally of his time as well as his money for this institution. He took the greatest personal interest in superintending the erection of the building. He made various changes from time to time to improve the hospital, bearing cheerfully the added cost, and it is believed that the total value of the gift was fully a hundred thousand dollars. The forenoon before he suffered the fatal stroke of paralysis he had spent at the hospital. The building will be one of the finest memorials to the first citizen of Cortland. Mr. Wickwire was also director of the Wickwire Steel Com- pany, incorporated in 1907, having a large, modern plant on the Niagara river, just north of Buffalo. T. H. Wickwire Jr. is treasurer.
The following editorial from the Cortland Daily Standard shows the appreciation of Mr. Wickwire's character and service to the com- munity :
It is only the simple truth to say that the death of no other citizen of Cortland could cause the wide- spread and deeply-felt loss which follows upon the death of Chester F. Wickwire. No other citizen has done so much for the place in so many ways, or has shown such interest and pride in its progress and welfare. More than any one else he has con- tributed to make Cortland what it is, not only by
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laying the foundations of the great business of which he was head and lending his remarkable mechanical genius and sound judgment to building it up to its present proportions, but by years of faithful, intelli- gent and self-sacrificing service on its board of pub- lic works, and last of all by the splendid gift which he recently made the city in the hospital building which is not yet completed. He was quiet and mod- est, simple and sincere, kindly and genuine. His word was never given to be broken, and his sym- pathies and acts were always on the side of that which was straight and square and right. Careful in reaching his conclusions, he stood like a rock when his mind was made up. And there was throughout his whole career an unwavering faithfulness and perseverence and loyalty in whatever his hands found to do which won admiration and commanded success. The story of the great mills which grew up from the seed of an old hand-wire loom under the touch of the genius of the man reads like a fairy tale of American business. Opportunity knocked at his door and did not knock in vain. But not one man in a million would have made of the opportunity what he did, and even he had no vision of what it would bring in its train. He simply saw a piece of machin- ery to be put in order and then improved, and he did the work and did it well. And so it was with every demand which increasing business and enlarg- ing outlook put upon him. He did the day's duties to the best of his ability, without self-consciousness or greed, and he grew and things about him grew with him.
Those who worked with him and under him liked him and respected him. He had done work and the hardest kind of work himself, he knew what a fair day's work was, and he was never unreasonable or exacting, but always appreciative of intelligent and efficient effort. Few employers have commanded to a greater degree the sineere affection and confidence of their employees.
As he was in business, so he was in his social and domestic life. He was a true friend, a kind and gen- erous husband and father, a public-spirited and right- minded citizen. Friends who were closest to him believe that what he had already done for his city in the gift of a hospital building by no means repre- sented all that he had in mind. While few men as busy as he was give the public more and better serv- ice than he gave to Cortland by his years of member- ship on its board of public works, his modesty led him to think that he had done little where he might have done much, and had his life been spared it would undoubtedly have been still richer in labors and benefits for his fellow townsmen.
His death means a loss to Cortland which no one can estimate. He was its most honored and valued citizen. He leaves a vacancy in the community which cannot be filled. And there is a universal and heart- felt sympathy with those to whom he stood in the closest relations and upon whom his death falls with a weight all the harder to hear hecause he was stricken down in apparent health and with the pros- pect of years of usefulness before him.
He married, October 2, 1866, Ardell L .. (laughter of Simeon and Sabrina ( Rowley) Rouse, of Cortland. Chiklren: 1. Raymond Chester, born August 2, 1872, died January
15. t878. 2. Charles Chester, born June 23, 1879. mentioned below. 3. Frederic Ross, born January 16, 1883, graduated from Andover, 1902: graduated from Yale, 1905: a director and secretary of Wickwire Brothers; also di- rector in Wickwire Steel Company, and suc- ceeded his father on the hospital board.
(VIII ) Charles Chester, second son of Ches- ter Franklin and Ardell L. ( Rouse ) Wick- wire, was born in Cortland, New York, June 23. 1879. He was educated at Cortland Normal School and Phillips Academy, at Andover, Mas- sachusetts. being graduated from the latter class of 1898. Immediately upon the comple- tion of his studies, he entered upon an active business life, becoming associated with his father in the manufacturing plant of "Wick- wire Brothers," in Cortland. He rapidly de- veloped fine executive qualities, and, in 1907, was elected vice-president of the corporation, an office he now fills ( 1911). He holds other positions of trust and is interested in other enterprises, including membership on the board of directors of the National Bank, of Cortland ; director of Wickwire Steel Company, near Buffalo. He is a member of the Presbyterian church. In 1904 he was presidential elector, and succeeded his father on the board of public works. Politically he is a Republican. He married, October 9, 19C2, Mabel Louise, daugh- ter of Hon. Lawrence Fitzgerald, ex-state treasurer of New York. She was educated in the Cortland schools, and at Smith College, where she was graduated in class of 1901. Children : Helen Ardell, born September 18. 1904: Charlotte Rouse, March 20, 1909.
(\'Il) Theodore H., youngest child of Ray- mond and Elmira ( Greenman ) Wickwire, was born in Cortland, New York, March 29, 1851. In 1873, in association with his brother. Ches- ter Franklin Wickwire (now deceased ). he engaged in the manufacture of wire cloth and wire goods, under the firm name "Wickwire Brothers." The business steadily increased in volume, and, in 1892, was incorporated under the same name, with Chester F. Wickwire, president, and Theodore H. Wickwire, treas- urer. The plant is very large and is well equipped with special machinery invented by members of the company. Mr. Wickwire has numerous other business activities. He is presi- dent of the Wickwire Steel Company, with plant on the Niagara river, just north of Buf- falo: vice-president of First National Bank. of Cortland: director of the Second National
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Bank, of Cortland; chairman of the board of trustees of the First Presbyterian Church, of Cortland ; secretary of the local board of the Cortland State Normal School ; director of the Albany Theological Seminary, and other minor interests. In 1896 he was presidential elector for the state of New York, on the ticket of the Republican party. He married, June 12, 1878, Enima V. Woodmansee. Children: I. Theo- dore Harry, born at Cortland, New York, April 6, 1879: prepared for college at Phillips An- dover Academy, whence he was graduated 1898; entered Yale University, being gradu- ated in 1903, with the degree of A. B .; mar- ried, at Brooklyn, New York, October, 1903. Sophie Bremmer, daughter of Charles Gor- ham Hedge, and has sons, Theodore Harry (2), born September 27. 1906. and Hedge W .. born February, 1910. 2. Jere Raymond, born July 3, 1883 : graduated at Phillips Andover Academy, 1902: Yale University, 1906, degree of A. B .; married, April 21, 1908, Constant Lounsberry, daughter of Isaac Bradley John- son, of New York City : one child, Jere R. Jr., born March 31. 1911. 3. Ward Allington, born March 31, 1885 ; entered Yale University, class of 1909. 4. Harriet Allington.
The Kinney family of Cortland. KINNEY New York, trace their ancestry in unbroken male line to the emigrant who landed in New England more than two and one-half centuries ago. He was of English birth, son of a titled Englishman, and was doubtless reared in affluence. Like many of his day he demanded for himself en- tire freedom in matters of religion, and being «lenied in his native land. he joined the tide of emigration flowing to Holland, the one bright spot in Europe where religion was conceded to be a matter of personal adjustment and not to be governed by dictate of prince or church potentate.
(II) Henry Kinney, born in England, in 1642, was the son of Sir Thomas Kinney, of Norfolk, England, who had been knighted for valuable service rendered his king. Henry Kinney came to America from Holland, in 1653, and settled on a farm at Salem, Massa- chusetts, where he died in 1712. He served in King Philip's war ; was a prosperous farmer, ind a most religious man, often officiating at public service endeavoring by precept and ex- umple to advance the cause of his Master. Ie held public office in Salem, where his name
is found as Keyney, Kenney, Kenny, Kinney Chil- and Kinne. He married Anna -. dren: John, born 1651; Thomas, of further mention : Hannah, born 1658; Mary, 1659; Sarah, 1661; Elizabeth, 1662; Lydia, 1666; Henry, 1669.
(III) Thomas, second son of Henry Kin- ney, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, 1656. died in that town, 1687. His name appears in the "First Booke of record of ye proprietors of ye common lands in Salem and of their first meeting which was ye 29 day of June, 1713, in a list of ye proprietors," as Thomas Kenney He was also a farmer and a religious man. He married. 1677. Elizabeth Knight, who bore him four sons.
(IV) Thomas (2), eldest son of Thomas (1) and Elizabeth (Knight) Kinney, was born at Salem, Massachusetts, 1678, died at Preston, Connecticut, October 1, 1756. In 1715 he sold his Salem property and removed to Preston (now Griswold), Connecticut. When he made deeds for his Salem property he signed his name Kinne and carried that spelling to Con- necticut with him. His gravestone on the banks of the Tackany bore the same form which is still adhered to by some branches of his descendants. He was one of the founders and a deacon of the "Second Church of Christ" in Preston, now the First Congregational Church, of Griswold. He married Martha Cox, who bore him, between 1702 and 1727, ten sons and six daughters. His eldest son, Jeremiah, died in Voluntown, Connecticut ; married Mary Strackweather and had thir- teen children: another son, David, married Eunice Cogswell, who bore him twelve chil- dren, of whom the eighth, Elizabeth, was the mother of eleven children. Amos, fifth child, married Sarah Palmer, and had eight children. His son served in the revolution, as did twenty- two others of the name Kinne from Connecti- cut.
(V) Moses, sixth son of Thomas (2) and Martha (Cox) Kinney, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, May 8, 1710, died in Volun- town, Connecticut. 1798. He married Abigail Read. Among their children was Ira.
(VI) Ira, son of Moses and Abigail ( Read) Kinney, was born in Voluntown, Connecticut. Angust 7, 1740. He married Miriam and had a son Moses.
(VII) Moses (2), son of Ira and Miriam Kinney, was born June 7, 1768, died at Cort- land, New York, 1853. In the year 1800 he
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was living in Preston, Connecticut, from whence he departed on this long overland jour- ney to Cortland county, New York, where he had selected a farm in the town of Homer, one and one-half miles east of the village of Cort- land. His journey took him through an un- broken wilderness filled with the wild things of the forest, ever ready to do him harm. The journey, however, was safely made. He im- proved his farm to such an extent that it was considered one of the very best in Cortland county. In the spring of 1836 he sold this farm to his son Gilmore, realizing $6,000 for it. He then settled in the village of Cortland, where he resided until his death. In early life he united with the Presbyterian church and lived according to the strict tenets of that faith. His punctuality and regularity at church serv- ices were proverbial and the story is told of his horses running or walking away, going to the church where they stopped long enough for the family to alight ( had they been there), then proceeding to the church sheds and stand- ing orderly until Moses came after them. He was very positive in his opinions and exceed- ingly loath to admit himself in the wrong, but so sturdy and inflexible in his integrity that he held the respect of all. He was appointed lieutenant of militia, April 8, and ensign, April 29. 1805, his commission bearing the signature of Governor Morgan Lewis, of New York. He married (first) Adalı -- , who died in Homer, New York, February 23, 1810, only surviving the burdens of a pioneer's wife ten years. In 1811 he married (second) Polly Forbes, who died in Cortland, New York, April 13, 1838. Children by first wife : I. Bet- sey. born September 10, 1789, died at Delevan, Wisconsin ; ten children. 2. Moses, born March II, 1792, died June 1, 1849, without issue. 3. Lorin, born September 18, 1794, died July 29, 1815, without issue. 4. Gilmore, of further mention. 5. Clarissa, born August 27, 1799, died July 11, 1815. 6. Azor, born October 13. 1803. 7. Olinda, born January 28, 1806. 8. Giles, born February 9, 1808. Children by second marriage : 9. Norman, born January 25, 1812, died May 22, 1875. 10. Adah, born No- vember 22, 1813, died January 28, 1819. 1I. Anna, born February 23, 1816. 12. Frances A., born July 10, 1818. 13. Esther A., born February 14, 1822. 14. Romelia F., born June 20, 1829.
(\'III) Gilmore, fourth child of Moses (2) and his first wife, Adah Kinney, was born July
22, 1796, at Preston, Connecticut, died at Mc- Grawville, Cortland county, New York, De- cember 16, 1856. He came to Cortland county with his parents in 1800. He assisted in wrest- ing the farm from its wild uncultivated state. obtaining his education at a school three miles distant, taking turns with his two other brothers, during the three winter months of school. He remained with his father until his marriage, then rented a farm on the share plan, meeting with indifferent success. About 1828 he was elected constable and was reelected seven suc- cessive years. During his last three years of office he was also under-sheriff and lived in the Cortland county jail, then located at the west end of Court street, in Cortland Village. In 1836 he purchased the homestead farm of his father, moved there, where he continued his residence until the spring of 1840, when he sold the entire property of one hundred and seventy-five acres and removed to Cortland Village, remaining until the following Decem- ber. For the next seven years he was owner and proprietor of the McGrawville Hotel ; dis- posing of that property he purchased a home just west of the hotel, where he lived until his death. He was a successful man of business and left his family a competence. He joined the Presbyterian church when young, but in later life adopted more liberal views and firm- ly believed in future happiness for all. He was a Whig in politics. He married, February 23, 1819, Lois Noble. Children : 1. Lorin A., born January 20, 1820, died May 17, 1836. 2. Orson Alonzo, of further mention. 3. Minerva A., born January 9. 1823. died June 7, 1843. 4. Selina, born February 1, 1824; married, February 1, 1866, Alanson Pike. 5. Clarissa M., born April 28, 1827; married, June 13, 1850, Lucius Babcock. 6. Edwin R., born January 13, 1831 ; married, January 14. 1852. Eleanor Decker ; children: Arthur, Emma, Mary, Edwin, who died June 4, 1857.
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