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 II > Part 86
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wonderful growth along many lines, especially in population, and at the present time (191I) Chautauqua county has several thousand peo- ple whose native land is Sweden.
(I) Frank A. Peterson, father of Hon. Frederick R. Peterson, was born in Smoland, Sweden, March IO, 1827, died at his late resi- dence, Falconer, New York, October 30, 1903. He was reared and educated in his native land, and in 1850 came to the United States, and after his marriage settled on a farm in the town of Ellicott, Chautauqua county, New York, five miles from the village. He was a very successful farmer, and by energy and thrift rose to a leading position among his countrymen. In 1893 he left the farm and moved to the village of Falconer, but being of too energetic and ambitious a nature to retire from active pursuits, he leased land in the vicinity, which he cultivated and improved to a considerable degree. He erected his late residence in Falconer, which is one of the finest and most completely equipped in that town, and there resided until his death. He was held in the highest esteem for his many sterling characteristics. He was one of the founders of the Swedish Lutheran Church in Jamestown, which he served as trustee, and was also one of the founders of the Gustavus Adolphus Swedish Orphanage, a most useful benevolence, of which he was a member of the board of directors for many years.
Mr. Peterson married, November 10, 1852, Charlotte Johnson, born in Hessleby, Sweden, July 20, 1831, daughter of Erickson and Sa- rah (Bergerson) Jolinson. At the age of seventeen, accompanied by her brother, An- drew Johnson, she emigrated to the United States. They landed in New York City and from there proceeded to Western New York, settling in Hamburg, near the city of Buf- falo, where they joined their two brothers, who had emigrated to this country a few years prior. Having friends residing at Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania, Charlotte Johnson went thither in October, 1848, and for a few months made her home with the Falconer family, the parents of the late Patrick Falconer, and on June 9, 1849, removed to Jamestown, New York, where she secured employment. She is a devoted member of the First Lutheran Church of Jamestown, being one of its char- ter members. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Peterson : I. Ellert M., born July 28, 1853; he was educated for a physician and practiced
his profession in Jamestown; he died in the prime of life, October 24, 1891 ; he was un- married. 2. Frederick R., see forward. 3. Charles L., born April 11, 1859, died April 12, 1881 ; unmarried. 4. Anna A., born Decem- ber 26, 1865; married Emil Peterson; one daughter, Dorothea; he is the present post- master of Falconer.
(II) Frederick Robert, second son of Frank A. and Charlotte (Johnson) Peterson, was born on the farm in the town of Ellicott, Chautauqua county, New York, January 21, 1856. His early education was obtained in the public school, and he completed his studies at Jamestown union school, and Collegiate Institute, from whence he was graduated. He chose a profession and read law with Green, Stevens & Benedict, of Jamestown, and was admitted to the New York bar in 1885. He began practice in Jamestown, continuing alone until 1888, when he formed a partnership with Clark R. Lockwood, which connection was later dissolved. He then became asso- ciated with Frank W. Stevens and practiced law until 1905, since which date Mr. Peter- son has practiced alone. His practice is a general one and has been continuous ever since his admission to the bar. He devotes himself exclusively to his profession, having no other interest excepting his political affairs. He is a staunch Republican, active and prominent in the ranks of his party, and has, been chosen to fill offices of importance. He served the village of Jamestown as its last clerk and the city of Jamestown as its first clerk under the city charter, five years in all, 1883 to 1888. · In 1892 he was elected supervisor, rep- resenting Jamestown on the county board. In 1896-97 he was elected to the state assembly, serving his two terms with credit. He is a member of the Masonic order, belonging to Lodge, Chapter, Commandery and Shrine. He is also a member of the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks. He served in the Fen- ton Guard for seven years and is yet inter- ested in their welfare, although it is now a part of the New York National Guard and known under another name.
Mr. Peterson married Edith S., daughter of Nathan Osgood, of Jamestown, New York. Child, Marguerite G., born May 17, 1891 ; graduate of Jamestown high school, class of 1910; member of the Methodist Episcopal church and a teacher in the Sunday school.
Erickson Johnson (in Sweden the name was
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John Erickson) maternal grandfather of Hon. Frederick R. Peterson, and father of Char- lotte (Johnson) Peterson, referred to in the first paragraph of this sketch, was born in Sweden, 1790, died there in 1867. He was one of the prosperous farmers of his native land, he being the owner of a farm which comprised between one hundred and fifty and two hundred acres, which was considered large for that country and that day, which he improved and cultivated, and on which he resided for the greater part of his life. He was a consistent member of the Lutheran church, to which he devoted his time and sub- stance. As a citizen he was universally es- teemed, and in his home he was an exemplary husband and father. He married, in 1815, Sarah Bergson or Bergerson, born in 1793, died about 1839. Children: 1. John, born 1816, was drowned at the age of eighteen. 2. Frederick, born 1818, died October 25, 1904; was a resident of Chandlers Valley, Pennsyl- vania. 3. Andrew, born 1821, died 1880; was a resident of Minnesota. 4. Sarah C., born 1824, died October 30, 1908; was a resident of Chandlers Valley, Pennsylvania. 5. Charles, born 1826, died April 6, 1892; was a resi- dent of Illinois. 6. August, died at the age of four weeks. 7. Charlotte, born July 20, 1831, aforementioned as the wife of Frank A. Peterson and mother of Hon. Frederick R. Peterson. 8. Philip, born 1833; retired farmer, residing in the state of Minnesota.
The first Manley of whom MANLEY there is record, in the line herein recorded. is William Manley, a resident of Weymouth, Massachu- setts, and a settler in 1694 of the town of Easton, of that state. This was prior to the settlement and incorporation of the town. When the first division of lands was made he did not choose his shares by lot, but like a few other of the earliest settlers, was as- signed the land upon which they had already located. He owned, with his three sons, con- siderable land in Easton. While a resident in Weymouth he served in the colonial army against the Indians. His wife, Rebecca, bore him three sons. William Manley died in Easton, Massachusetts, December 2, 1717. Sons, born in Weymouth: 1. William, of whom further. 2. Thomas, born July 11, 1680, died June 6, 1743, leaving considerable property among which was "a negro boy,
George, valued at 38 pounds." In 1701 he married Lydia Field, of Bridgewater, and in his will did all he could to have her always remain Mrs. Manley. He left generous pro- visions for her "so long as she shall remain my widow" but if "my well beloved wife see cause to change her condition by marriage" she is to be summarily dismissed from the premises with a pittance of ten pounds. They had six sons and seven daughters. 3. Nathan- iel, born May 27, 1684, died April 21, 1753, his wife (name unknown) dying the next day. (II) William (2), eldest son of William (1) and Rebecca Manley, was born in Wey- mouth, Massachusetts, 1679, died in Easton, January 16, 1764. He was one of the early settlers and a land owner in Easton. He married, February 22, 1710, Mercy Howin, born about 1677, in Taunton, Massachusetts, died January 6, 1777, having almost com- pleted her one hundredth year.
(III) John, son of William (2) and Mercy (Howin) Manley, was born in Easton, Mas- sachusetts, September 27, 1715. In April, 1758, he with twenty-four other Easton men enlisted under Captain James Andrews in Colonel Thomas Doty's regiment, for service at Crown Point and Ticonderoga during the French and Indian war. In 1659 he enlisted in Captain Lemuel Bent's company and served thirty-two weeks. His son, John (2), served in the same company. He married, November 27, 1739, Mercy Smith, born in Stoughton, Massachusetts, February 19, 1718. Sons : John, James, Jesse.
(IV) Jesse, son of John and Mercy (Smith) Manley, was born May 28, 1754. He lived in Royalton, Massachusetts, and later re- moved to Dummerstown, Vermont. He mar- ried there, in 1776, Eunice Holmes. Chil- dren: 1. Jesse (2), of whom further. 2. Eu- nice, born 1782 ; married Reuben Newton ; 3. Amasa, born 1789: married Lydia, daughter of Nathaniel French, sister of Betsey French, wife of his brother Jesse. 4. Nathaniel. 5. Hannalı. 6. Betsey. 7. William. 8. Sally. 9. Polly. 10. John. 11. Luke, born October 17, 1800.
(V) Jesse (2), son of Jesse (1) and Eu- nice (Holmes) Manley, was born in Dum- merstown, Vermont, January 26, 1776. He married, April 27, 1801, Betsey, daughter of Nathaniel French, and in 1831 came with his family to the town of Mansfield, Cattaraugus county, New York, where others of the family
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name had preceded him prior to 1828. He was a farmer, and a deacon of the Baptist church.
(VI) Nathaniel, son of Jesse (2) and Bet- sey (French) Manley, was born in Vermont, 1816, died in New Albion, New York, 1895. He was part of the family emigration to Washington county and later to Cattaraugus county, where he became a prominent farmer and public official. He later removed to New Albion, where he died. He married Mary Vosburgh, born 1814, died 1887. Children : I. Martin H., married Celia Ellis and re- moved to Lyons, Nebraska ; son : Emmett N. 2. Wilbur Jesse, of whom further. 3. Em- mett F., married Mary Hughey; resides in Little Valley, New York ; children: Georgi- anna and Cecil. 4. Jennie, married Frank Woodward; son, Nelson, married Mattie Al- len and has Ruth and Gretchen.
(VII) Wilbur Jesse, second son of Na- thaniel and Mary (Vosburgh) Manley, was born in the town of Mansfield, Cattaraugus county, New York, March 9, 1847. He was educated in the public schools, Randolph In- stitute, Jamestown union free school and Bry- ant & Stratton's Business College, Buffalo. After his school years were finished he worked with his father for one year, then took the management upon the share plan, continuing two years. He then began his long connection with the cheese industry as manufacturer and dealer. In 1870 he began buying and shipping butter and cheese. For two years he operated a cheese factory, and in the pursuit of his business has traveled the whole cheese district, being intimately ac- quainted with every maker and farmer in his line. He is a well-known writer on "Cheese," "The Farmer" and "Reciprocity," taking the ground on the latter question that it is not wise. His articles are lengthy, well written and his points well sustained. He was super- visor of the town of New Albion in 1878-79, president of the village of Cattaraugus two terms, member of the school board three terms. In 1898 he was appointed deputy Uni- ted States marshal for his congressional dis- trict, serving eight years, and in all these positions proved a public official of especial value. He is a successful man of business and holds a high place in the regard of his townsmen. His residence is on Seneca street, Salamanca, New York. He was made a Ma- son on arriving at legal age, in 1868; was a
charter member of Cattaraugus Lodge, now a member of Berean Lodge No. 810, Free and Accepted Masons, and of Gowanda Chapter, Royal Arch Masons. He is interested in the work of the Patrons of Husbandry, and is a member of Elkdale Grange. He is a ready and forceful speaker, and is frequently called on for public speaking. He is liberal in his ideas on all subjects, and a generous supporter of the churches. His political faith is Re- publican.
He married, April 27, 1871, Henrietta Mc- Duffie, born November 30, 1851. Children : I. Robert Elwood, born May 3, 1875 ; gradu- ate of Harvard University; now connected with the office of the district attorney of New York City. 2. Roscoe, born June 8, 1879; married, April 25, 1906, Elizabeth, born De- cember 28, 1878, daughter of Robert C. and Jane C. (Curts) Reed; child, Wilbur Jesse (2), born July 28, 1907.
This family came originally BEACOM from Scotland, where John Beacom lived near Edinburg. He was the first of this branch to come to the United States. He settled in the Scotch-Irish county of Pennsylvania, Westmoreland, which lies west of the Allegheny mountains, and at one time included most of West Pennsylvania. Here came a hardy race of people called Scotch-Irish, but peculiarly Scotch in religion and character. Many were Covenanters and among them were men of high education and the deepest piety. They were very industri- ous and from the rugged hills and fertile val- leys of Westmoreland carried names and for- tunes for themselves that yet exist. To this people belonged John Beacom and his wife Mary. He took up land in Franklin town- ship, much of it fertile meadow, and in time became possessed of a large acreage. His meadows produced grass in abundance, and during haymaking season it required fifty men, with the old-fashioned scythes and rakes, to harvest the crop. Westmoreland was also prolific in distilleries in the early day and the juice of apple and corn was freely distributed among the haymakers of John Beacom, com- ing pure from his own distillery, located on the farm. He prospered abundantly and added to his acres until a large share of the tillable land of the township was owned by him. He had six children, of whom Johns- town was the third.
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(II) Johnstown (or Johnson), son of John and Mary Beacom, was also a prosperous farmer of Westmoreland county, Pennsyl- vania.
He first purchased one hundred acres in Franklin township, and as he prospered added to it by other purchases until he had one of the largest, best improved and well stocked farms in the township. Grain and live stock were the especial lines followed in his farming operations. He was a well- known, influential man in his town and was chief executive of his village. He married Rebecca Miller. Children: John, James Van Buren, Johnson William, Mary.
(III) Johnson William, son of Johnstown (or Johnson) and Rebecca (Miller) Beacom, was born in Franklin township, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. He grew up on the home farm where his early life was spent. He left the farm when oil was discovered in Pennsylvania and went to Oil Creek in Ve- nango county. He was located on the "Stony farm," the point in Venango county where the operations of the Standard Oil Company began. Mr. Beacom drilled many wells and became a large producer. He also discovered a process for extracting a carbon black from the crude petroleum that has proved of great value in electrical conduit work. He estab- lished factories in Pennsylvania and West Vir- ginia, where the carbon black is manufactured and shipped. The product is mixed with other substances and forms a perfect non- conducter and fills an important place in the electrical world. In 1889 Mr. Beacom pur- chased a summer home in Randolph, New York, which he still occupies in summer, spending his winters in the south. He be- longs to lodge, chapter and commandery of the Masonic Order, the Presbyterian church, and is a Democrat in politics. This has been the family political faith from John Beacom, the emigrant, down to the present.
He married Charlotte Amanda Capen. Children : I. William Johnson, married Louisa Bignell, and resides in Medford, Cali- fornia ; six children. 2. Jessie Estella, mar- ried Julian Van Dusen; child, Paul B. 3. Mary Ella, married Frederick Rich ; children : Marian, Beacom, Charlotte Amanda. 4. Orl- tia Rebecca, married Juan Parrell; children : Paul and Edith. 5. Henry Clay, married Emma Zimmerman; children: Harold and Donald (twins), Charlotte, Orltia. 6. Paul,
unmarried; manager of the West Virginia carbon factory.
HORTON The surname Horton, origi- nally from a place name, is one of the oldest in England. The name was formerly spelled Orton also. Thomas Orton or Horton was an early set- tler of Charlestown, Massachusetts, a ship carpenter by trade, appointed to ring the church bell, April 3, 1674, by the selectmen. He married Mary Eddy, who was admitted to the Charlestown church, April 12, 1650, and died September 13, 1693. Thomas lived on Bow street and sold land in Charlestown in 1678 to B. Mirick. He died May 19, 1687, at Charlestown. Children, born at Charles- town: Mary, August 22, 1648; Sarah; Ben- jamin Mirick; Thomas, January 9, 1654-55, died young; John, March 23, 1656-57; William, January 13, died January 21, 1658- 59: William, baptized February 5, 1660; Samuel, November 10, 1661 ; Ebenezer, Jan- uary 14. 1663; Thomas, May 1, 1665; Ann, July 31, 1666.
The Horton Genealogy makes Thomas Hor- ton, of Rehoboth, a descendant of Barnabas Horton, of New York, but there is no reason to support the claim.
(I) Thomas Horton, of Welsh ancestry, according to tradition, and, judging from the location of their homes and the similarity of the names of their children, a near relative of Thomas Horton, of Charlestown, men- tioned above, was at Milton, Massachusetts, as early as 1669. He married (first) Sarah He married (second), at Milton, December 25, 1693, Susannah Keney. Prob- ably married (third), at Rehoboth, Massa- chusetts, June 8, 1700, Katherine Harrison. His sons settled at Rehoboth and he was doubtless the ancestor of all the Rhode Island and Rehoboth families of Horton. Children, born at Milton: 1. Rachel, August 6, 1669. 2. John, mentioned below. 3. Thomas, Oc- tober 3, 1677 ; married, June 7, 1700, at Reho- both, Hannah Garnsey and had David, Han- nah, Rachel, Elijah, Experience and perhaps others, at Rehoboth. 4. David. October 14. 1679. 5. Solomon, January 11, 1682; lived at Milton and Rehoboth. 6. Esther, married, at Rehoboth, April 10, 1701, Benjamin Viall. Perhaps others.
(II) John, son of Thomas Horton, was born at Milton, June 6, 1672. He and his
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brothers and father removed to Rehoboth. The names of his children are not recorded, but his son John located in Scituate, Rhode Island. The census of 1774 shows the heads of family in Scituate to be John, Nathaniel, Hezekiah, Patience and Stafford, all doubt- less his grandchildren's families. Hezekiah and Stafford went to Guilford, Vermont, about 1775.
(III) John (2), son of John (I) Horton, was born before 1700. He married Mary and settled at Rehoboth, removing probably about 1730 to Scituate, Rhode Island. Children, born at Rehoboth: Ruth, July 19, 1720; Mary, October 27, 1725 ; Jolin, mentioned below. Probably others. .
(IV) John (3), son of John (2) Horton, was born in Scituate, Rhode Island, January 27, 1727-28. In 1774 the census shows all of this family, as mentioned above, at Scitu- ate. The only other Horton in the province was Amos Horton, of Providence. He was also a native of Rehoboth. In 1790 some had left the state. Nathaniel was living at Foster ; Benjamin at Scituate (Benjamin had Mary, born August 6, 1757; Jesse, January 28, 1760) ; Amos, Samuel at Johnston, for- merly Providence. John was not in the state of Rhode Island. John (3) Horton married, at Rehoboth, April 6, 1756, Sarah Hix, of Swansea, Massachusetts. Among their chil- dren were: Isaac, mentioned below; Asel, who resided near Whitesboro; Thomas, who lived for some time at Castleton, Vermont.
(V) Isaac, son of John (3) Horton, was born probably at Scituate, Rhode Island, or Rehoboth, about 1760. He removed during the revolution to Lanesborough, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, afterward Cheshire. He served in the revolution in Captain Daniel Brown's company, Colonel Benjamin Simonds' regiment, six days on the alarm at Berkshire, October 13, 1780. Squire Horton, a brother or near relative, went to the same town and was in the same company in the revolution, and he was also in this same company from Lanesborough, marching to Meloomscuyck, August 14, 1777. In the previous year Squire Horton was in Captain Stephen Bullock's company, Colonel Thomas Carpenter's regi- ment, from Rehoboth to Rhode Island, De- cember 8, 1776. Hence Squire and Isaac probably came to Lanesborough in 1777 (see "Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolution," vol. xiii, p. 276). In 1790 the
first federal census shows that the only Hor- tons of Berkshire county were Isaac, who had one son under sixteen and four females in his family, and Squire, who had two sons under sixteen and four females.
There was an Isaac Horton, of Bridge- water, in the revolution, aged seventeen, year not given, from Bridgewater, and another in 1783 aged twenty-three, residence given as England, but this record does not appear to belong to Isaac of this family, who was in Berkshire county in 1780. Squire Horton married, at Rehoboth, January 23, 1769, Lydia Peirce, of Swansea. Isaac Horton is said to have lived in Providence prior to removing to Berkshire county, but if he was born in 1760 he did not marry until after coming to Lanesborough. Cheshire was incorporated from Lanesborough and other adjacent towns in 1793. Isaac Horton resided in Cheshire, on the Hawley or Holly road, and it is said that he used to teach the children of the town during the long winter evenings in his somewhat pretentious red cottage, without compensation, sometimes reading to them from his books or the newspaper. It is said that the first prayer meeting in Cheshire was held at his house.
Isaac Horton married Lovisa Brown, born in Providence, Rhode Island. The record of her birth is not found on the town records. Daniel Brown was the first representative to the general court from Cheshire. James Brown, son of Caleb and Ann Brown, came from Rhode Island to Cheshire. She is de- scribed as being "short and stout," very ener- getic, somewhat sharp of tongue, and often very impatient over her husband's love for reading and study, but devoted entirely to the interests of her home and religion. She was doubtless of the Rehoboth family, whose ancestry is traced to the "Mayflower." She was a "school dame" in Rhode Island before her marriage and received the modest salary of twenty-three dollars a year. She died at Marcy, New York, about 1857. They re- moved to Whitesborough, New York, from Cheshire, in 1818, to reside with their daugh- ter, Polly Crane, and he died at Whitesbor- ough in 1840. Both are buried at Marcy, New York. Children: Lucy, Polly (Mary), Jesse, Asel, Benjamin, mentioned below ; Isaac, Lovisa, Achsah, Amanda.
(VI) Benjamin, son of Isaac Horton, was born in Cheshire, Massachusetts, March 29,
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1793. After his marriage he lived for some years in different towns: Pownal, Vermont ; Lenox and Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He had accumulated some money, owned a team of horses and a yoke of oxen. With this equip- ment he started west with wife and two young children, Jeannette and Albert. He started in the winter in order to take advantage of frozen roads and streams. His objective point was Chautauqua county, by way of Buffalo. The journey was a most fatiguing one, but they often had company at their night campfires, other parties like themselves who were seeking home and fortune in Western New York and Ohio. They passed through Buffalo about March 1, 1818, unmolested by the Indians, and on arriving at the mouth of Cattaraugus creek found to their great joy that it was still frozen and passable. When the big red house of Nebediah Angell, in Han- over Center, Chautauqua county, came in sight, and Nebediah's children came running down the road to meet them, their happiness was complete: Jordan had been crossed and Canaan, the promised land, was reached. They remained about three weeks with the family of Nebediah Angell (who was a brother of Benjamin Horton's wife, Adah) then Benjamin Horton purchased of the Hol- land Land Company eighty-seven acres of land, which is still owned in the Horton family (1911), and began housekeeping in a little log cabin situated about where the present farm house stands. When the log cabin was finished and home life again resumed, both Benjamin and his wife declared those to be "the happiest days of their life," although all around their little home lurked the wild things of the forest. Adah Horton brought from her Cheshire home a wardrobe that for the time and place was more elegant than useful, for in that new country the silk gown, the scarlet dress and pretty muslins were gener- ally loaned either to the young people to wear at the "husking bees" and "barn dances," or to some neighbor to attend a funeral. Ben- jamin prospered, and in the course of time built a more modern home to replace the log cabin. This house is still standing and in it many of their children were born. The par- ents lived to see all their children married and settled in life.
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