USA > New York > Jefferson County > Genealogical and family history of the county of Jefferson, New York, Volume I > Part 24
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Hospital in Ogdensburg; he married. December 15, 1903, Miss Bertha Sweet, of Watertown, the occasion being one of the social events of the season: 4, William Henry, a dentist, who graduated in 1902, in Buffalo, New York, and is now practicing in Watertown.
Mrs. Leak is a daughter of William Floeter, who was born in 1819, and was a contractor, carpenter and joiner in Chatham, Canada. He married Eliza Gonne, who was born in 1829, in Montreal, Canada, and the following children were born to them: Jane A., who was born in 1848, in Amherstburg, and became the wife of Henry B. Leak, as mentioned above ; Malisa, who married Dr. James McKarracher, of Bay City, Michigan ; Sidney, who is superintendent of the Cincinnati, Ham- ilton & Dayton Railroad, in Lima, Ohio: George A., who is in business in Toledo, Ohio: Minnie, who is the wife of James Whitman, of De- troit, Michigan: Carrie, who married Minor Weigle, of Toledo, Ohio; and William, who is a merchant and farmer in Michigan. The death of Mr. Floeter, the father of the family, occurred in 1876, and his wife passed away at Christmas, 1893. Both possessed the sincere respect and affection of all who knew them.
MORGAN KLOCK, a highly respected farmer of Watertown, New York, was born near St. Johnsville, Montgomery county, New York, April 13. 1834. His paternal grandfather. George G. I. Klock, was also a native of that county, born in 1770, and his early years were there passed, while in the public schools of the neighborhood he acquired his education. Later he engaged in farming in the old home neighbor- hood for a long period, but his last years were passed in Watertown, where he died after reaching the eightieth milestone on life's journey. His wife bore the maiden name of Harriet Goodale, and they were the parents of four children, of whom but one is now living, Polly, who became the wife of Arlie Klock, and resides in St. Johnsville, New York. Mrs. Harriet Goodale Klock passed away at the age of eighty years.
Stephen Klock, son of George G. I. Klock, who was born in Mont- gomery county in 1802, and was there reared and educated, after- ward removed to Lyme, New York, where he remained until 1859. In that year he settled on a farm of two hundred acres on Washington street, near Watertown, and continued the cultivation of his land until his death, which occurred on the 20th of May. 1878, when he was sixty-five years of age. His political support was given to the Demo-
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cratic party, and he was a member of the Masonic fraternity, with which his father also affiliated. He married Anna Bellinger, who was born in St. Jolinsville. Montgomery county, New York, and was a daughter of John F. Bellinger. Her father was a farmer who spent his entire life in Montgomery county, and died there at the age of eighty years. Mrs. Klock also passed away at the age of four score years, and, like her husband, she was a member of the Presbyterian church. They were the parents of six children, of whom four are now living: Morgan; Lovina, the wife of Albert Peck, of Watertown; Mil- ton R., of Watertown: and Sephanna, who married Joshua Flanders, of Rodman, New York.
Morgan Klock spent his early years in Lyme, and when he had completed a common school course he continued to render assistance to his father in the work on the home farm until twenty-five years of age. Thereafter he engaged in the operation of the old homestead for eight years, and then came to Watertown, where he purchased his present farm, then comprising one hundred and twenty-seven acres, and, with the exception of three years passed in the city, he has resided thereon continuously since. He also owns a farm of two hundred and ten acres in Le Ray. He has an excellent set of buildings upon the farm which he occupies, and for many years he conducted business as a retail milk dealer. His agricultural interests have been capably conducted along modern business lines, and have resulted in bringing to him creditable and gratifying success. He has sold most of the home place for park purposes, and now owns one hundred acres near by, on Washington street. His political support is given to the Democracy, and he attends the First Presbyterian church.
In 1857 Mr. Klock married Catherine J. Baird, who was born in Charlestown, Montgomery county, New York, in 1838. Her father, Robert Baird, was for many years engaged in farming in Lyme, New York, and died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Klock, when seventy- five years of age. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Eunice Mc- Duffee, was born in 1810, and was reared in Charlestown. She died at the age of eighty years. Of her four children only one is now living : Anna E., wife of Lester C. Angell, of Three Mile Bay.
Mr. and Mrs. Klock were the parents of three children, of whom two are living. The daughter, Carrie K., is the wife of Sterling A. Sill, of Watertown, New York, and they have five children-Frederick W., Allen P., John M., Kate W., and Carrie E. Percy L .. son of Morgan
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Klock, is a graduate of Hamilton College, and for a number of years engaged in teaching as principal in Richfield and Saratoga. He is now a practicing lawyer of New York city. He married Miss Kate Thom- son, of Oswego, New York. Morgan Klock lost one son, Fred G. Klock, who died in 1897, at the age of thirty-four years. He had been liberally educated, and was general manager of the firm of Farwell & Rhines. He married Miss Grace Becker, of Pulaski, New York, who is now residing in Watertown, with her four children, George, Morgan, Eunice and Catherine. Mr. Klock lost his first wife in 1902, her death occurring on the 20th of July, of that year, when she was sixty-three years of age. She was a member of the First Presbyterian church. Mr. Klock was married November 24, 1903, to Mrs. Celesta Peck, who was born in Ful- ton county, New York, but lived in Montgomery county up to the time of her marriage to Mr. Klock.
PHILIP RILEY. One of Watertown's best known and most respected citizens is Philip Riley, whose father, John Riley, was a native of Dublin, Ireland, and came to the United States about the year 1830, being then eighteen years of age. He settled in Jefferson county, where he obtained work in a Brownville foundry and in the course of time became a farmer in Boylston, Oswego county. He married Annie Nugent and they were the parents of seven children, five of whom are living. Mrs. Riley died in 1881 at the age of seventy years, and her husband survived her but one year, passing away in 1882, aged seventy-four. Both led good and useful lives and were regarded with respect and affection by all who knew them.
Philip Riley, son of John and Annie (Nugent) Riley, was born April 20, 1836, in Brownville, New York, and was educated in the common schools. He learned the miller's trade, beginning at the age of twenty years and continuing eight years, in Brownville and Water- town. For about six years he was employed by Samuel Clark, in the latter place. In May, 1874, he began working for Richard Marcy, a coal dealer, with whom he continued seven years as an employe. In 1891 the present firm of Marcy, Buck & Riley was formed, the third member being R. J. Buck. The business carried on by the firm is both wholesale and retail. Its yearly sales of hard coal amount to 25,000 tons and its soft coal is in demand for consumption in mills to the amount of from 40,000 to 50,000 tons. Mr. Riley is active in the duties of citizenship and possesses the fullest confidence and esteem of his townsmen, who
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have frequently called upon him to represent them in offices of trust and responsibility. In 1874 he was collector for the first ward and has been elected alderman from this ward no fewer than three times. He is a charter member of the Lincoln League, which stamps him as a Repub- lican, and is a member of Watertown City Lodge No. 291, Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Mr. Riley married, in 1859. May Ledger, a native of Oneida county, daughter of George Ledger. They had no children. This union, which was of nearly forty years' duration, was terminated in 1897 by the death of Mrs. Riley, who was greatly beloved by a large circle of friends. In addition to the respect inspired by Mr. Riley's honorable dealing as a business man and conscientious discharge of duty as a citizen the cordial regard called forth by his attractive personality renders him one of our most popular residents.
JUDGE JOSEPH A. McCONNELL, of Watertown, belongs to that large class of successful men, styled self-made, who, having risen from the humblest beginnings to positions of affluence and importance, are the bone and sinew of modern commercial life. But these men almost universally come of a clean and strong ancestry, and are the inheritors of a robust native talent, that is best developed in hard expe- rience.
James A., the father of Judge McConnell, was born in Greece, the son of James McConnell, a Scottish officer in the English army. He came to the United States in early life, and in 1840 he went to Water- town. He was a tailor, a skilled workman, and a thoroughly estimable man. He married Jane Thompson, a native of county Armagh, Ireland, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. Four children, three daughters and a son. were born to the couple, and in 1858, when the son was but two years old, the father died. The support of the young family fell upon Mrs. McConnell, and her unfailing cheer and hopefulness and dignity dur- ing the years of her struggle are the cherished memories of her chil- dren. Through her work as a dressmaker and tailoress she gave her children the necessities and many of the advantages of life, and was to them an example of courage and self-reliance.
Joseph A. McConnell was born in Watertown, January 14. 1856. His early education in the public schools of Watertown, where he was graduated from the high school, fitted him to enter Hamilton College. He was graduated from Hamilton in 1878, and began to read law with
ti cheBride
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Charles A. Sherman, continuing with the firm of Sherman and Purcell. He was admitted to the bar in 1881, and soon began practice in Water- town. From 1887 to 1889 he was associated with Frank H. Peck. He has a general law practice, and has gained a large clientage. In 1885 he was elected recorder of the city, and was re-elected at the expiration of the term of four years. In 1892 he refused a renomina- tion for the office. In 1897 the city charter was changed, abolishing the offices of recorder and justices of the peace, and establishing a city court, having civil and criminal jurisdiction. Mr. McConnell was nom- inated for city judge in that year on the Democratic ticket, and elected by a large majority. He is a member of the Union and Jeffersonian clubs, and has attained high degrees in the Masonic order. He is past potentate of Media Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and has juris- diction over the six hundred seventy-five nobles of Lewis, St. Lawrence, Oswego and Jefferson counties. He is a member of Watertown Lodge No. 496 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and is past exalted ruler.
His wife was Sarah A. Davis, daughter of Norman Davis of Watertown. They were married April 26, 1891, and are the parents of three children : Florence L., Josephine A .. and James A.
AI McBRIDE. A story of most pathetic interest is that attach- ing to the name of Ai McBride, of Jefferson county, New York, who gave up his life for his country during the great Civil war. Nor can the narrative be written without paying tribute to the devoted woman who was the bride of his youth, and who, with undying affection for him, was for forty years an anxious searcher for his far distant grave, a search which, it is wonderful to relate, was finally rewarded with suc- cess.
Ai MeBride was born at Black River, Jefferson county, October 25, 1836, a son of James and Keziah (Royce) McBride. both natives of Lewis county, New York, the former born in Saratoga, August 29, 1801, and the latter in Champion, March 13, 1806. James McBride was a farmer, and during the latter part of his life lived near Watertown, where he died September 8, 1877; his wife died June 11, 1889, at the age of eighty-three years. They were the parents of eight children, of whom three are living: Erastus; Joel; Ai, subject of this stretch; Mary A .; Henry; William, a farmer, of Watertown Center, New York: Cornelia, wife of George Shaw, also a farmer, and of the same place: Julia Ann,
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wife of Albert Woodard, of Stockton, Chautauqua county, New York. James McBride, father of James McBride, the emigrant. was born in Ireland, and came to this country, locating in Lewis county, New York, where he lived the life of a farmer, and died when over eighty years of age.
.Ai McBride was reared on the parental farm at Black River, and was educated in common and select schools. He married, October 12, 1854. Miss Ellen Johnston. Mr. McBride was a farmer, and followed this occupation with industry and enthusiasm, and was held in high esteem for his manly character. In the first year of the rebellion ( 1861) his ardent patriotism moved him to offer his services to his country, and he enlisted in Captain Lafayette Little's Company ( I) of the Thirty- fifth Regiment New York Volunteers. This was known as the Jefferson County Regiment, and, to quote an annalist of that day, was a notable command, containing "the flower and youth" of the county. To judge from Ai McBride, the encomium was well merited. He was in the prime of his life, twenty-five years of age, and he made great sacrifices in the discharge of his patriotic duty, for he must leave behind him a wife and two children of tender age. In the arduous service to which the regiment was called, Ai McBride performed the full duty of a soldier, with courage, punctuality, and unmurmuringly. At Arlington Heights, Virginia, under the direction of the regular army engineering officers, the regiment performed severe labor in the construction of forts, of abattis in its front, and the connecting rifle pits. Later the regiment was posted at Taylor's Tavern, where it performed similar work, besides doing in- cessant picket duty. From March to August, 1862, the regiment partici- pated in a series of wearisome marches over almost impassable roads, and in numerous skirmishes, and sustaining severe losses from exhaus- tion. At Rappahannock Station, August 21, 1862, it supported Battery L, First New York Artillery, and was subjected to a galling fire, and at the battle of Warrenton Springs, August 26th, it was under the fire of both artillery and musketry. It fought at Gainesville, August 28th, and at Groveton, August 29th. In the memorable second battle of Bull Run, on the first day it lost nine men killed and thirteen wounded, and suffered a further loss of five killed and eight wounded from the guns of the Twenty-third Regiment, which fired into it by mistake. On the second day the regiment lost seventy-two men killed and wounded. The regiment also took part in the battle of Chantilly, the battle of South
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Mountain, September 14th, in which it lost nineteen men killed and wounded, and the terrible battle of Antietam.
One of the participants in the long marches, the dreary night watches and the dreadful battle fields, told of in the preceding narrative, who suc- cumbed to the fearful physical and mental strain, was Ai McBride. Tak- en with typhoid fever, he was sent to Emery Hospital, at Alexandria. For a time he was hopeful of recovery, and he wrote cheering letters to his anxious wife. The sad end came on October 6, 1862, when he passed away, holding in his hand, its seal unbroken, the last letter from his wife, and which came too late for liis glazing eyes to decipher. The fateful news was conveyed to the stricken family with all possible gentle- ness by Chaplain J. S. Morgan, and the sorrow stricken widow set her- self tearfully and with crushed heart but with resolute courage to the task of providing for her little ones.
Mrs. McBride addressed the hospital authorities, seeking more ex- plicit information, especially as to the burial place of her husband, but without avail. The hospitals were filled to overflowing with the wounded from many great battle fields, and interments were made with such liaste and in such great numbers that records became confused, and hospital attendants were too overpressed with work to give answer to enquiries, and Mrs. McBride could gain no information as to that which she sought. After a time there was sent to Black River the body of a dead soldier who was a stranger to all in the village, and which was sent as that of Hewlit Comins, who had been there reared and was known to all. Thus led to conjecture that the body of her husband had been sent by mistake to some other part of the country, Mrs. McBride redoubled her efforts to discover its resting place. At last, in the summer of 1902, her pathetic search was rewarded. Being present at the national encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic in Washington City. she paid visits to vari- ous military cemeteries and industriously searched their records. Final- ly, on the books in the War and Navy departments in Washington, she found what she sought-the name of Ai McBride, his personal descrip- tion, and the number of his grave in the cemetery of the National Sol- diers' Home. She soon found the spot, only a few feet from the grave of General Logan, where had lain for forty years the body of her young husband and the father of hier children. The little headstone bore his name and the date of his death. It were too solemn a scene to attempt to depict, that of the long widowed woman kneeling at the little mound, and yet it may not go unspoken of, for it is eloquent in its suggestion of
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the lieroic sacrifices made by the loyal women of America during the dread days of the nation's struggle, albeit no other such supreme example has ever come to the knowledge of the writer of this narrative.
Mrs. NicBride next sought the property room of the cemetery, where she found carefully preserved every article of the last belongings of hier soldier husband, including the letters which she had written to hin during his long absence from home, down to her very last, which his dimming eyes could not read.
Mrs. Ai McBride was in her maidenhood Miss Ellen Johnston. She was born in Copenhagen, New York, October II, 1836. Her parents, Archibald and Ellen ( Potter) Johnston, were natives of Scotland, who immediately after their marriage came to Montreal, Canada, but soon left that city on account of cholera there raging, and came to Copenhagen. Mr. Johnston was a rope maker, and after working at his trade for a time he built a rope walk of his own which he successfully conducted until his death, at the age of seventy-seven years, his wife surviving him and dying at the age of eighty years. They were an estimable pair, and exemplary Christians, members of the Congregational church. They were the parents of four daughters and two sons, the latter being Mrs. Charles Read, of Copenhagen, and Mrs. Ai McBride.
Mrs. McBride as a girl received her education in common and select schools in her native village. For two years prior to her marriage she was a teacher in Black River, and rendered most useful service. She be- came the mother of three children, two of whom are living: C. I. Clin- ton, foreman in the Howard Furance and Hot Water Heater establish- ment, of Syracuse, New York ; he married Mary A. Gardinier, and their children are Arthur R., Lizzie A., Florence E., and Floyd R. McBride; Jennie E., who became the wife of William Reddick and who make their home with Mrs. McBride. Mr. Reddick was born in Greenville, and came to Watertown in 1899; he is a machine tender in a paper mill, and is a member of the Knights of Pythias. A daughter of Mrs. Mc- Bride, Clara A., became the wife of John F. Mitchell, of Copenhagen, and died in 1886 at the age of twenty-eight years.
As the result of almost superhuman effort, Mrs. McBride reared her children in comfort, and afforded them suitable education, and finally purchased a comfortable home. This was in larger degree altogether through her own work. During the military service of her husband, his wage of thirteen dollars a month could not go far in those days, when every article of food and clothing commanded extravagant prices.
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and the value of the greenback dollar was only one-half the amount expressed upon its face. Later she was placed upon the pension rolls, to receive the meagre stipend provided for the widow of a soldier.
Mrs. McBride has always taken an active and influential interest in the affairs of the Woman's Relief Corps, auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic, having been one of the organizers of Julia Dent Grant Cirele, and for two terms junior vice-president, has temporarily occu- pied both the higher chairs, and is now a member of the executive committee. She has rendered zealous and intelligent aid in furthering the purposes of the order, and in increasing its membership. In religion she is a Presbyterian.
ORLO B. RHODES, for many years an honored and successful teacher, and for ten years editor of the Watertown Daily Standard, was a native of the state of New York, born in Seriba, Oswego county, January 14, 1849, the only child of Schuyler and Amanda (Sherman) Rhodes.
Mr. Rhodes was reared upon the parental farm and began his education in the district school. Studious from the first, he embraced every opportunity to advance himself in his studies. At the age of thirteen he entered a ward school at Oswego, and the following year went into the high school in order to prepare for college. At the age of seventeen he entered Brown University, where he pursued a four years' course, graduating in 1870, the year of his coming of age. He was inclined to schoolroom work, and in September following accepted an election to the vice principalship of Hungerford Collegiate Institute at Adams, then just opened under Albert B. Watkins, Ph. D., as prin- cipal. Mr. Rhodes served in his position until 1876. and for two years afterward was joint principal with Dr. Watkins. He retired from the institution in 1878 to take a position in the Military Academy at Mor- gan Park, Illinois, in which he served one year. In 1882 he was recalled to Hungerford Collegiate Institute, of which he became principal a year later, in succession to his friend and former chief, Dr. Watkins. During his administration an institute debt of some standing was liqui- dated and a small endowment was founded. Besides discharging the duties as principal, Mr. Rhodes devoted much time to the preparation of lads for college, teaching principally Latin and Greek. While he was industrious in his schoolroom work, in which he made for himself an excellent reputation, he was at the same time known throughout a
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large portion of the state as an effective advocate of general education, and exerted a marked influence by means of his lectures before teachers' bodies, and educational papers in school and other journals.
In 1894 Mr. Rhodes retired from the principalship of the institute to accept the position of editor of the Watertown Daily Standard, which had then been in existence a few months. This journal has become widely known as one of the leading newspapers of northern New York, distinguished for its high moral tone and able advocacy of Republican principles and local interests. The intellectual ability of Mr. Rhodes was discernible in a special manner in his treatment of educational sub- jects and book reviews. His death occurred June 23, 1904, at Water- town.
The esteem in which Mr. Rhodes was held by his contemporaries and the general public is shown by the following, out of many similar notices :
Professor Orlo B. Rhodes, editor of the Watertown Standard, shot and killed himself in his sanctum Thursday afternoon, while suffering from nervous dyspepsia. It is believed that he was suffering from tem- porary insanity at the time, as he had been a victim of the disease for years, and at times his sufferings were intense. He had just been elected principal of the Adams school, and his death came as a great shock to all. He committed the act while alone at the noon hour. and huis body was found on the return of the employes to the office.
He had been editor of the Standard for ten years and had given the best years of his life to the work. He was a scholar and a man well liked by all. His suffering deterred him from mingling in society, but . on a few occasions he had responded to toasts and had become some- what celebrated in that respect.
As an editor he had stood for the right. He was impartial and his writings showed him a scholar. He was just and avoided contro- versies. He had a warm place in the esteem of all newspaper men and his death is a loss to the fraternity he so well adorned .- The Canton Plaindcaler.
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