USA > New York > Jefferson County > Genealogical and family history of the county of Jefferson, New York, Volume II > Part 25
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He is now serving his second term in the legislature, having been re- elected in 1903. In politics he is a Republican.
Mr. Denison was married, September 10. 1873. to Ada I., daugh- ter of Aaron B. Wodell, of the town of Ellisburgh. She was born March 17, 1855. near the village of Ellisburgh. Her father was born in the town. son of William and Sally Wodell, who came from Hoosick Falls to Ellisburgh in 1798. William Wodell built the first mill of Caleb Ellis, a mile below Ellis village. The wife of Aaron B. Wodell was Aurora Curtis, a native of Ellisburgh. Two children of William A. and Ada I. Denison died in infancy.
ESSELSTYN FAMILY. The "Ysselstein" family is a very old family, originally from the Netherlands, which later, however, spread into other countries.
In the " Vienna Table of Noble Families " it appears as a low Dutch family of nobility whose original representative existed in the time of King Clovis, that is, about the year 500 A. D. He lived in a secluded and swampy region, on a rocky place surrounded far and wide by water and morass, called at that day " Ysselstein." i. e. "Insel stein " (island rock). He chose this spot as protection against the Franks, and he was called " Veltin von Ysselstein." Here he built for himself and for his numerous dependents homes and dwellings sur- rounded by bastions and moats, and married " Chlotilda." a Frank of noble birth whom he had taken prisoner in an engagement with her na- tion. His coat-of-arms was a white sea gull, the idea of eager desire for combat. The coat-of-arms was sanctioned and acknowledged by the German Emperor Conrad, as well as later on by Emperor Albrecht of the Hapsburg line. The full particulars are recorded in the Vienna archives. In 1312 they were conferred upon Cornelius von Ysselstein, the second branch of this family. He lived at Gonda, in Holland, on the Ysselstein place, which had, however, by his predecessors been filled up and dyked and converted into a fertile district. Cornelius was judge of this district. His wife was Lucia van der Decken. He died in 1352, very wealthy. Four sons survived him, viz: John. Balthazar, Isaac and Bartholomew. Isaac and Balthazar followed the sea, and probably settled in quite strange countries, or perhaps perished on the high seas, for nothing is left on record about them. John and Barthol- omew became rich land-owners and tradesmen in Gonda. Only John, however, had any sons: at his death in 1401 two sons survived, viz:
.
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Eulagius and Hugo. Enlagius married Hannah Sleiders of East Fries- land and of his descendants there were living about the year 1700 .\1- brecht, William, Daniel, and Casper. They lived, some at Gonda and others at Dordrecht. Their descendants are now to be met in various parts of Holland. Hugo was called by the German Emperor Sigis- mund in 1415 to Prague to develop the resources of that rich empire, Bohemia. Here he settled and married Sylvia Vester, and died 1444. His descendants spread through Bohemia. Silesia and Saxony. There is no further record about the Ysselstein family, as all traces are lost since the stormy war times which soon followed.
The preceding sketch of the Ysselstein (as the name was formerly spelled) family is from records found in Europe. That the family still existed in Holland is evidenced by the fact that Martin Cornelius Esselstyn. as the name was later spelled, came to New Netherlands, now New York, and settled at Claverack, on the Hudson, in 1660. Subsequently he had patents to land granted him by the government in the Mohawk country, where he lived some time, but later returned to Claverack. The time of his death is not known. He had two sons, the eldest of whom was Jacob. He went to Pennsylvania, and all trace of that branch of the family was lost. The younger son, Cornelius, mar- ried Cornelia Vredenburg, and there were born to them eight children, seven of whom were sons, and only one of these, Jacob, left male issne. In 1710 Jacob Esselstyn, the son of Cornelius, settled upon a farm near the center of the town of Claverack, Columbia county. He married Magdalena Broadhead, and had seven children, two sons and five daughters. One of these sons, Richard, was a major in the Continental army, and his commission bearing the signature of Washington is a treasured heirloom of his descendants. Major Richard Esselstyn was married June 27, 1755, to Majeke Bloom, who died in 1767. Of this marriage three daughters and a son were born. December 23. 1767. he married for his second wife Mary Van Alstyne by whom he had nine children. The fourth of these was Richard Morris Esselstyn, born May 12, 1778, grandfather of Sherman Esselstyn, of this sketch. His birthplace was Claverack, then in Albany county. At the age of twelve he moved to Massachusetts, where he resided six years and returned. In 1801 he accompanied Messrs. Smith and Delamater to Chaumont as a surveyor. The next year he returned to Claverack, and in 1806 came back to Cape Vincent and settled with his brother John B. on a farm below Fort Putnam.
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John B. Esselstyn was one of the pioneer settlers who spent his days and strength for the good of the town, and died upon its soil. He settled on Cape Vincent territory, history tells us, in 1803. Six years later he formed a partnership with Richard M., who built a store and commenced trade. The Esselstyn brothers and Henry Ainsworth were the only merchants in Cape Vincent for many of the first years. The name of the firm was J. B. & R. M. Esselstyn and the store stood at the foot of James street. R. M. Esselstyn was postmaster as early as 1822. The brothers also acted as agents for Count Leray de Chau- mont. Goods brought from New York in a month, so late as 1820, made a quick passage. Sometimes R. M. Esselstyn would go in a lumber wagon to Hudson, his wife accompanying him, and bring home such merchandise as had been transported for him to that point on a sloop from the metropolis. During one of these overland trips he carried a heavy bag of specie under some straw on the bottom of his wagon. Whenever he stopped for the night he would carelessly throw his harness over the straw and bag, to disarm suspicion, and this may teach our generation that the former times were better than these. In a letter Mr. Esselstyn wrote home in those days he mentions a trip on the " Clermont," Fulton's first steamboat, that then made the marvelous speed of four miles an hour directly against the wind. He died at Utica, October 2, 1822, of yellow fever, contracted on the trip he was then making.
The business of manufacturing staves was begun in 1809 by R. M. Esselstyn and a Mr. Murray from Augusta, Canada. They bought their lumber and manufactured it into staves and hewn timber, and exported it to Montreal. This traffic gave employment to many men and increased the growth of the village rapidly. The business ex- tended as far as the Genesee and Niagara regions. J. B. Esselstyn seems to have had an interest in this business, for it has been recorded that " The barracks, a store belonging to Henry Ainsworth, another store of J. B. and R. M. Esselstyn, two or three small vessels that had been built here, the house of Major Esselstyn, which stood below Fort Putnam, several barns, and considerable lumber, were burned by the enemy, at different times during the war." .Also, that "Gen. Wilkinson's army, as well as the troops encamped there, burned a large quantity of staves belonging to the Esselstyns to cook their messes and keep themselves warm." For this loss of property con- gress seems to have granted only partial remuneration. In a letter
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written in January, 1821, R. M. Esselstyn complained to congress through Hon. W. D. Ford that the losses should be met, inasmuch as they could not have been averted by him at the time. The claim amounted to $630.25, which was a large sum of money to lose at that day and in that new country. At the outbreak of the War of 1812, Major John B. Esselstyn was directed to assemble a body of inilitia, and three companies were placed under his command. On the 23d of August, 1813, Major Esselstyn was taken prisoner on the State road, near Chaumont, while escorting several relatives and friends to a place of safety. He was removed to Canada, held about two weeks, and then exchanged for a British officer of equal rank. He lived for years after the war was over, and died at a good old age. His memory will long be cherished. At the opening of hostilities Richard M. Essel- styn moved to Watertown, and was appointed county clerk, the duties of which position he performed with much ability.
Richard Morris Esselstyn ( 1) married Charity Van Hoesen and had five sons and four daughters. The sons were Justus, John N., James, Henry and Richard Morris (2). The board of supervisors of which R. M. Esselstyn, senior, was a member, at their meeting soon after his deathi, passed a series of resolutions expressive of their re- spect to his memory. He was a useful member of society and a man of large influence. His wife died at Cape Vincent.
Richard Morris ( 2) was born December 9. 1822, and when of age hecame connected with the firm of Merrick. Fowler & Esselstyn, lum- ber dealers and ship builders, located at Clayton, later at Detroit. Rich- ard MI. Esselstyn was the only member of the family to remain in Clay- ton. He subsequently became deputy collector of customs, president of the village, and supervisor and justice of the peace. He was a Re- publican and took an active part in politics and filled the positions he held with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of his constituency. He was the first Republican elected to the office of supervisor in Clay- ton. He enjoyed the confidence of every one. He married Margaret Reade, a native of Belfast, Ireland, who came to America at sixteen years of age. Her father, Thomas Reade, after the death of his wife, in Ireland. came to America and settled in Clayton, and was subse- quently joined by his daughter. Mr. Reade was a merchant in Clay- ton many years, and died at an advanced age.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Esselstyn are Thomas M., Charles
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H., and Sherman. Mr. Esselstyn died May I. 1903. His wife's death preceded his, occurring April 4. 1898.
Sherman Esselstyn, son of R. M. and Margaret ( Reade) Essel- styn, was born at Clayton, January 8, 1860. He attended the public schools of Clayton until fourteen years of age, and then went to Trin- ity school at Tivoli-on-the-Hudson, and later to Columbia college. leaving there at the end of his sophomore year on account of illness. Later he secured a position with the Commercial Union Assurance Company of London, first being employed in the main office in Wall street, New York, where he was a clerk. In 1886 he was transferred to Brooklyn and became assistant to the manager of the Brooklyn of- fice, and finally manager. He also was made manager of the Brook- lyn branch of the Hartford Insurance Company. Mr. Esselstyn now directs the business of both in Brooklyn, a profitable position which he has filled with much ability. He is a Republican in politics, but active only for the benefit of the party. He is a member of the Hol- land Society and of the Underwriters Club of New York.
In 1888 Mr. Esselstyn married Jessie McCombs, daughter of Herkimer S. and Sarah (Savage) McCombs, of New York. Mr. Mc- Combs was formerly a woolen merchant of Manhattan. His wife was a native of Geneva. New York. Mr. and Mrs. Esselstyn have one child. Richard Herkimer.
CURTIS WILLIAM CORY. Few residents of Jefferson county have been more widely or more deservedly respected and beloved than was Curtis W. Cory, of LeRay. On the paternal side he was of New England lineage. the branch of the family to which he belonged having its home among the snow-capped mountains of the "old Granite State."
Joseph Cory was born in 1789 in Keene, New Hampshire, and in 1809 settled in Le Ray, Jefferson county, where he took up a tract of land. As a farmer he was very successful. not only in the cultiva- tion of his land, but in the advantageous manner in which he was en- abled to dispose of several of his farms. His chief occupation for nearly forty years was the manufacture of lime. He built the first patent lime kiln in this county. During the war of 1812 he served in the army and participated in the battle of Ogdensburg. He married, about 1816, Jane McMullen, of Rodman, by whom he was the father of seven sons and two daughters: George C .. Sarah W., Mary, Curtis W., Charles B., Josiah C., Ifenry S., Albert P. and Daniel M. Joseph Cory was a man
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who in all his dealings adhered to the strictest principles of rectitude, thereby earning the respect of all. His death occurred when he had reached the age of fitty-nine.
Curtis W. Cory, son of Joseph and Jane ( McMullen) Cory, was born February 15, 1820, in LeRay, and passed his early life on the pa- ternal faim, receiving his education in the common schools. After com- pleting his course of study he assisted his father for some years in the care and management of the homestead, after which he spent some time in the west. On his return he decided to make agriculture the business of his life, and thenceforth was numbered among the most en- terprising and successful of the county. In 1873 he purchased the estate which was his home for the remainder of his life and is now in the possession of his descendants. It comprised two fine farms of three hundred acres, which he maintained in a high state of cultivation and devoted to the purposes of general farming. About thirty years ago he built the brick house on his farm, where his widow resided until her death in 1904. Mr. Cory was a director in the Merchants' Bank, of Watertown. He was an influential citizen, using his influence always in the cause of right and with a view to the promotion of the welfare of the community. For forty years he was a regular attendant of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he and his wife were members. An ardent Republican, he always supported his principles, but did not take an active part in political movements, and shunned official honors.
Mr. Cory married, January 20, 1845, Charlotte Waters, and of the six children born to them two died in infancy, four reached ma- turity, and two are now living: A daughter. Caroline E., who became the wife of George Fisk, died May 4, 1904, leaving two children, George and Charlotte; Oscar E. married Della, daughter of Henry Sharp, of Antwerp, and had three children-Edith C., Frank C. and Maud E .- the second now deceased ; George F. married Jennie Ide, and has one child, Bertha. The elder son lives in Watertown, and the home of the other is situated not far from the late residence of their mother.
The death of Mr. Cory, which occurred July 16, 1883, when he had reached the age of sixty-three, while an irreparable loss to his family and near friends, was mourned by the whole community as that ot so good a man and upright a citizen deserved to be.
The family to which Mrs. Cory belonged is one which has been for three-quarters of a century well known in Jefferson county. Cor- nelius Waters was a native of Russia, New York, whence he moved to
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this vicinity, took up land in what was then a wilderness, and had a farm of two hundred and fifty acres. He married Sarah Fletcher, a native of Antwerp, and they were the parents of six children, two of whom are living : Charlotte, who was born in 1822, in the town of Russia, and became the wife of Curtis W. Cory, as mentioned above, died May 18, 1904: Emeline, who is the widow of Lucius Treadway, resides near Sac City, lowa ; and sons, John and David, the latter now a resident of Black River. The mother of these children died at the early age of twenty-nine.
George Francis Cory was born August 4. 1853, on his father's farm, and has always lived here. He was married, May 7, 1879, to Jen- nie Ide, daughter of Harvey and Lucinda ( Swan) Ide, of Fowler, St. Lawrence county, New York. Bertha, daughter of George F. Cory, was born July 5, 1884.
CHARLES EDWARD BESHA, a successful business man of West Carthage, is a desendant of Jefferson county pioneers, and may take a just pride in his ancestry, as can also his wife. The first record now attainable regarding Mr. Besha's paternal forebears is found in the passport of his grandparents, Francis and Mary Jane Bichet, who left Mozer, Maine, de la Commune de Rouchamp, France, in 1828, the pass- port bearing date March 15. They were among the people induced by Le Ray de Chaumont to come to this country and settle on his lands in the town of Le Ray, and here they died, the wife dying January 15. 1859. and Mr. Bichet subsequently married Susan
Joseph Victor Bichet, son of Francis and Mary Jane, was born June 8, 1815, in France, and came with his parents to Le Ray. They first located in the northern part of the town, known as the "Dutch Set- tlement," where Joseph found occupation in helping to make a home. He engaged in farming, renting land, and had just purchased the farm on which his widow and son and daughter now live two weeks before his death, November 24, 1883. This is located northeast of the village of Evans Mills, and north of the ancient village of Slocumville, and in- cludes one hundred acres of fine farming land. That he was a successful farmer is evidenced by the fact that he was able to purchase this prop- erty out of his savings. He was an active Democrat and a leading member of St. Mary's ( Roman Catholic) church, at Evans Mills, which he was instrumental in organizing, and in which he was a trustee and one of the builders of its house of worship.
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He was married, February 4, 1841, to Almira, daughter of Robert Sixbury, who is mentioned further at the close of this sketch. She was born December 16, 1817, in Le Ray, and is still living in that town. Mr. and Mrs. Bichet were the parents of ten children, noted as follows : Mary Victorine became the wife of Nicholas Crouch, and died in Crog- han. Lewis county. Sarah Jane married Theodore Favret, and died in Evans Mills. Melinda, wife of John Fraley, lives in the town of Le Ray, near the Philadelphia line. Joseph Louis went west, and died in Detroit, Michigan. Charles is the fifth. Ferdinand is a resident of Co- penhagen. Julia Annette lives, unmarried, with her mother and young- est brother, in Le Ray. Peter Joseph died in Detroit. George went west, and was last heard of in Blackhawk county, Iowa. William oc- cupies the homestead farm, and is unmarried.
Charles E. Besha was born July 17. 1850, near Evans Mills, in the town of Le Ray, where he grew to manhood. (During his time the English spelling of the name has been adopted by the family. ) During five years of his boyhood the family lived at Cape Vincent, and he had the advantage of the schools of that place, spending one term in the high school. In his seventeenth year he bade farewell to the schoolroom. and for the next two years assisted his father in the tillage of the farm. He then went to De Kalb Junction, in St. Lawrence county, and began work in a cheese factory to learn the art of making cheese, of which he soon became master. For eighteen years he made cheese at the Deer River factory, in Lewis county, on contract, which fact testifies to his industry, integrity and skill in his line of business. In 1895 he pur- chased the factory at West Carthage, and has since made his home there and continued to operate the plant. He built an addition for his dwell- ing and has remodeled the factory until it is practically a new one. His output is now over one hundred and twenty-five thousand pounds of cheese, and is steadily increasing. On the first day 'of November, 1902, Mr. Besha also took charge of the shipping station at Carthage. His genial and sunny nature, together with a disposition to treat every one fairly, makes him popular with the public, as well as the receivers of milk in New York, and his business and importance in the community seem to be on the increase. He is the owner of the homestead in Le Ray, and is one of the substantial citizens of the county. Mr. Besha still retains membership in the church where he was christened. St. Mary's, at Evans Mills, and also adheres to the political teachings of his father. He has
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never been ambitious for public station, and continues along his quiet way, attending to the exacting details of his vocation.
Charles Edward Besha was married, April 19, 1898, to Miss Alice Hathaway Milier, who was born February 4, 1862, in West Turin, Lewis county, a daughter of John Almer and Mary Eliza ( Hathaway) Miller, both of whom were natives of West Turin.
John Almer Miller was born April 1, 1831, and died July 12, 1902, at Leyden Hill. He came of sturdy old Revolutionary stock, and was a credit to his ancestry, a man universally respected and loved. His father, Jeremiah Miller, died in 1857, in West Turin, and was prob- ably a native oi Dutchess county, this state. His wife, Sarah Rea, was born December 13, 1804, in that county, a daughter of Peter Rea, who was born December 25, 1776, in Dutchess county. He was married, February II, 1798, to Elizabeth Hoysradt, of old Dutch stock. and lived in Hillsdale, Columbia county, previous to 1822. In that year he moved to Turin, Lewis county, New York, where he passed away July 22, 1862. His wife died April 14, 1843, and they were buried on his farm. He served as highway commissioner, supervisor, assessor and justice of the peace, and kept a hotel on the west road. Of his fourteen children, Sarah, wife of Jeremiah Miller, was the third.
Peter Rea was a son of Hugh Rea, who was born November 17, 1741, in northern Ireland, and came to America in 1764. He was mar- ried, March 22, 1767, to Margaret Knickerbocker. He was a farmer and also kept a store near Jackson Corners, and enjoyed a large trade with the armies during the Revolution. One day, while plowing in his field he was seized and bound by a body of British soldiery, who then proceeded to ransack the store in alleged search of contrabrand goods. His wife, who was in charge of the store, was also tied, and much of the goods was carried off. At the same time the spring nearby, on which the family depended for water supply, was filled up with refuse. This illustrates the hardships endured by the brave spirits who struggled through eight years of war in order that we, they and their posterity might enjoy the blessings of freedom.
Almer J. Miller was married, in 1849, to Mary E. Hathaway, who was born July 8, 1831, and now resides with her children in New York. Mr. Miller was many years a cheesemaker and farmer. He was a lover of fine horses, and known as a very good judge of horseflesh. His last days were spent in Deer River and Lowville, where he lived retired from active business, until he was over seventy-one years old.
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John Wesley Hathaway, father of Mrs. Mary E. Miller, was born March 9, 1800, in Herkimer county. He was married, November 17, 1818, to Sally Mitchell Lyman, who was born June 13, 1802, a daugh- ter of Ezekiel and Mabel ( Mitchell) Lyman, of Connecticut. Mr. and Mrs. Lyman were pioneer residents of Le Ray, this county. John W. Hathaway died March 21, 1862. His wife died December 6, 1848. They were the parents of six children, of whom Mrs. Miller is the fifth.
ROBERT SIXBURY, father of Mrs. Joseph V. Besha, was a most remarkable man, and lived to be almost one hundred and ten years old. From a local journal is taken the following account of his life, which is the best now attainable :
"In the town of Le Ray, about five miles from Theresa, on the road to Evans Mills, in a little house by the roadside, last week, Thursday, Robert Sixbury died. A large majority of the readers of the Post never before heard of this remarkable man. Few of our people would have believed that there was a man in Jefferson county who had lived here for ninety-five years; yet such was really the case. In 1778, at the age of fourteen years, Robert Sixbury came to this section of the country from Amsterdam, Montgomery county, where he was born on the 6th day of March, 1763. His favorite hunting and fishing ground was in what was afterward LeRay and finally divided and now com- poses the towns of Alexandria, Theresa, and LeRay. Upon the banks of Indian river all kinds of game did then abound for trappers and hunters, and its waters were filled with fish and covered with Indian canoes, while the dense forests swarmed with the treacherous savages and no permanent white habitation was known nearer than the Mohawk Valley. After spending a number of years in this wilderness, with no local habitation and no companion but his musket and traps, he went to Herkimer county, where he married Miss Betsey Hoover, and the loving couple returned to his lodge in the vast wilderness and doubtless enjoyed the contiguity of shade. He became the companion of Foster the Indian hunter, and many an Indian has gone to his "happy hunting ground" as the penalty for stealing their traps. Six- bury built a log house about two miles north of Evans Mills and there for years he supported his family by hunting and fishing. For over sixty years he lived at this place, outliving two log houses which rotted down, and then he moved into his shop, where he has lived until the past few months. He had eight children, four boys and four girls, who
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