USA > New York > Jefferson County > Genealogical and family history of the county of Jefferson, New York, Volume II > Part 4
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John Nill
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Mr. Nill has always taken a keen interest in public affairs, dis- charging with assiduity and faithfulness all the duties of a citizen. These traits of character have been highly appreciated by his towns- men, who, in 1881, elected him to the office of supervisor, a position which he held for seven years. In 1889 he was chosen mayor of Water- town and by his administration of the office more than justified the selection of those whose votes called him to discharge the duties of the mayoralty. He was an abolitionist in early life, and joined the Repub- lican party at its organization. He attends the Universalist church. He is a Mason of high standing, having taken the thirty-second degree, and is also a member of the I. O. O. F. and the Knights of Pythias.
Mr. Nill married, in February, 1860, Dorothy Jess, and they are the parents of two daughters: Louisa Caroline and Amelia Paulina, who reside with their parents. Mrs. Nill's father was a cabinet-maker, who lived and died in Mecklenburg, Germany.
LINCOLN GRANT HAWN, supervisor of the town of LeRay, is a native of this county, born May 16, 1866, in the town of Clayton. The earliest ancestor now known was Rev. George Hawn, a German minister, who was located in Connecticut, where his son, John H. Hawn, was born October 9, 1793. The latter was early located in Herkimer county, this state, where he was a popular and influential citizen, and served as sheriff of the county. His last forty years were spent in the town of Clayton, this county, where he died April 27, 1882, in his eighty-ninth year. His wife, Phoebe Morse, was born May 5, 1801, in Skaneateles, New York, and died November 23, 1880. She was a daughter of Dr. Nathan Morse and his wife, Melinda Thompson. Two of the five children of John H. Hawn are now living. The daughter, Rowena, is the wife of Abial Cook, of Clayton.
Cyrus J. Hawn, son of John H. and Phoebe ( Morse) Hawn, was born July 22, 1833, in the town of Ellisburg, where his parents were then residing. About the time of his majority he settled on a farm in Clayton, where he continued farming until his recent retirement. on account of advancing years. His home is now in the town of LeRay, where the majority of his children reside. His wife, Sarah Griswold, was born in Clayton, a daughter of Joseph Griswold, a pioneer farmer of Depauville. He was born January 19, 1796, in Herkimer county, and died April 29, 1874, at Depauville. His wife, Elsie Bushnell, was born in September, 1795, in Saybrook, Connecticut, and died February
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22, 1863. They had four daughters and a son. The last is the only one now living, namely. James H. Griswold, of Watertown.
Mrs. Sarah ( Griswold ) Hawn passed away at her home in Clay- ton, aged fifty-two years. All of her eight children are living, as here noted: Edwin resides at Evans' Mills. Ida. wife of George W. Harter, resides at Lowville. Alice is the wife of M. W. Doxtater. of LeRay. Elbert is a resident of Craig. Montana. Lincoln G. is the fifth. Minnie, Mrs. John Linstruth, has her home in Evans' Mills. George is a resi- dent farmer of Clayton, and Clarence is at Evans' Mills.
Lincoln G. Hawn spent his early years in his native town and pur- sued his education in the public schools of the locality until about twelve years of age, when his inherent industry prompted him to seek a posi- tion in the business world. Subsequently he became connected with the wholesale hay business, in which he continued for five years, and later was proprietor of a flour and feed establishment, which he con- ducted until 1897, when he became proprietor of the Brick Hotel, at Evans' Mills. This is one of the largest rural hostelries of the county, and has excellent accommodations for a transient trade.
Mr. Hawn is a Republican in political views and in 1899 was elected to the office of justice of the peace. He was appointed town clerk of LeRay to fill a vacancy in 1902, and was elected for the suc- cceding year. In 1903 he was elected supervisor of his town to serve during 1904 and 1905. He has frequently been a delegate to the county conventions of his party, and is active and influential in the local ranks of the organization. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and has served as senior warden and secretary of his lodge, and is a member of the Independent Order of Foresters, in which he served as financial secretary for ten years. He is identified through membership relations with the county Grange, and also with the Presbyterian church.
In 1800 Mr. Hawn married Miss Louise Linstruth, who was born in Lewis county. New York, in 1868, a daughter of John Linstruth, one of the early settlers of that county, whence he removed to this county, and died May 13, 1904. in Evans' Mills. Mrs. Hawn was one of a family of six children, three of whom are vet living. the others being : John, who married a sister of Lincoln G. Hawn, as above noted ; and Herman H., of Evans' Mills. Mr. Hawn has two children-Iva Minnie and Hazel Esther.
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THOMAS JOHNSON ACHESON, supervisor of Philadelphia, who is now living retired after many years of active connection with agricultural pursuits, was born in New York city, September 18, 1852. His paternal grandfather, Thomas Acheson, was a native of Scotland. born in 1760. He became a farmer by occupation and spent his entire life in his native land, passing away at the advanced age of ninety years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Jane Williams, was born in Scotland in 1768 and died at the age of eighty-nine.
George Acheson, father of Thomas J. Acheson, was born in Edin- burg, Scotland, in 1800, and was one of a family of five children. He had a brother who was killed in the American Civil war. George Acheson was reared and educated in Scotland, and came to America in 1830 accompanied by his family. He first located in Carmel, Putnam county, New York, where he purchased a farm, making his home thereon for a number of years. He afterward removed to New York city, in the year 1850, and there engaged in milling business, spending his re- maining days in the metropolis. His death occurred in 1860, while his wife passed away at the age of sixty-four years. She bore the maiden name of Catherine Johnson, and was born in Scotland in 1810. Her father, John Johnson, also a native of that country, died there a very aged man. Mrs. Acheson had four children, namely: Thomas J. : Mary Jane, who is the wife of John Simmonds, of Minnesota: Susan, who died in Colorado: and AAnna, who died young.
Thomas J. Acheson spent the first sixteen years of his life in New York city and acquired his education in its public schools. He then took up his abode upon a farm in Putnam county, where he remained until 1876, when he settled upon a farm in Philadelphia, Jefferson county, working by the month as a farm laborer. When his industry and economy had brought to him sufficient capital, he purchased a tract of land, upon which he resided until 1883. He then removed to the village of Philadelphia, and has since made it his home.
Mr. Acheson's fitness for leadership has led to his selection for many public offices. He has been street commissioner for sixteen years and justice of the peace for eighteen years. He was superintendent of the water works for three years, and in 1899 was elected supervisor. In the last named office he discharged his duties with such ability that in 1901 he was re-elected and again in 1903, so that he will remain as the incumbent in that position until the 31st of December. 1905. He has frequently been a delegate to the county and district conventions
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of the Republican party, and his official service has ever been charac- terized by the utmost promptness and fidelity in the discharge of his duties, so that over the record of his public career there falls no shadow of wrong. He is a prominent member of the Lincoln League of Water- town, belongs to the Knights of the Maccabees and the Improved Order of Red Men. In both of these orders he has filled all the chairs and of the latter he is a charter member. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, in the work of which he takes an active and helpful part. He is now serving as a trustee and steward of the church, and is also superintendent of the Sunday school. His family is likewise connected with this denomina- tion.
December 7. 1877, Mr. Acheson was married to Miss Minnie Phelps, who was born August 21. 1859, and is a daughter of Butler and Marib C. (Williams) Phelps. Her father was born November 28, 1830, and became a mechanic of Philadelphia. He died in 1878, and his widow is still living. Mrs. Acheson was one of their two children, and by her marriage has become the mother of five children: Ena, who is the wife of William J. Smith, of Great Bend, New York, and has one child, Wilma; Addie, who is the wife of William Conway, and re- sides in Camden, New York; Clarence, who is occupying a position as salesman in a store in Philadelphia : Ola, at home; and Ruth, who is attending school.
KINNE FAMILY. In the year 1624 there was born in Leyden, Holland, one Henry Kene. His parents were Puritans from the central or northern part of England, the native land of the Pilgrim Fathers, who, like many others of their sect, were obliged to leave their homes on account of an unholy persecution, and sought religious freedom in Holiand.
In 1651 Henry Kene located at Salem Village (now Danvers), Essex county, Massachusetts. In a deed of Henry Kene he spells his name in four different ways, with one "n." with two "n's," and twice with a "y" on the end. The name is found in several forms in the church records in Danvers, in the records of Salem, and in the docu- ments in the State House in Boston. The second generation, in Salem and Topsfield ( Massachusetts ) records, always spelled their name "Kenney." In the third generation the name appears as "Kinny." Af- ter the arrival of the two brothers, Thomas and Joseph. in Preston,
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Connecticut, they invariably wrote their name "Kinne," although their two brothers, Daniel and Jonathan, who remained in Massachusetts, re- tained the "Kenney; ' so also do many of their descendants today, while others have adopted the "i" and write it "Kinney."
Henry Kene and others of his name lie buried in an old ground in Danvers, not far from the house in which General Israel Putnam was born in 1718. This ground is in part, at least, made up of land once owned by Hemy Kene.
The descendants of Henry Kene are now to be found in every state and territory in the Union. They also represent nearly all of the trades and professions. Those of the earlier generations were farm- ers, tanners, carpenters, ship-builders, blacksmiths, or mechanics of some sort, while among the later generations are included machinists, engravers, surveyors, mechanical and civil engineers, bankers, lawyers, merchants, ministers and doctors. In times of war they were always found ready to do their duty in defense of home and country ; the name is found among the colonial records of the French and Indian war. In the Revolutionary war record of the state of Connecticut appear the names of twenty-two persons bearing the name of Kinne, and the rec- ords of Massachusetts show a large enlistment. In the records of the war of 1812, the Mexican war and the Civil war, there are many of the name who fought in them.
(I) Henry Kene, born in Leyden, Holland, 1624, died in Salem (now Danvers), Massachusetts, 1712. Anne, his wife, bore him five daughters and three sons, born at Danvers and Topsfield, Massachu- setts.
(II) Thomas Kene, second son of Henry Kene, born January I. 1656, died June, 1687. He married Elizabeth Knight, May 23, 1077, and they had four sons. The will of Thomas Kenny was dated May 30, 1687, and the estate was inventoried June 14, 1687.
(III) Thomas, eldest son of Thomas Kene (I), was born July 27, 1678. He married Martha Cox, and they had a family of ten sons and six daughters. In December, 1715, Thomas Kinne sold his lands in Salem, and bought one hundred and fifty acres in Preston ( now Gris- wold), Connecticut, adjoining the land of his brother Joseph, who had removed thither from Salem in 1706. This was on the south side of the Pachaug river, including the site of the present Glasgo post- office. Thomas Kinne was one of the founders and one of the first deacons of the "Second Church of Christ in Preston," now the First
45
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Congregational church of Griswold, and known as the "Pachaug Church." He died October 1, 1756, and was buried on his own land, where were subsequently interred many of his descendants, in the old Kinne burying ground, on the banks of the Pachaug.
(IV) Amos, fifth child of Thomas and Martha Kinne, was born September 3, 1708. 11 Danvers, Massachusetts, and was baptized on the tenth of the following month, in the "First Church" of that place. Ile died September 19. 1775. in Pomfret. Connecticut. He was mar- ried November 15. 1732, to Sarah Palmer, of Stonington, same state, and had a family of five sons and three daughters. His land comprised a large tract of what is now Elliott station, in the southwest part of Pomfret.
The Connecticut colonial records, volume 9. page 515, say : "This assembly do establish and confirm Mr. Amos Kinne to be lieutenant of the Thirteenth Company, or trainband, in the 11th Regiment in this Colony, and order that he be commissioned immediately."
Amos Kinne was a man of much wealth and influence for those days. Deeds dated from 1741 to 1755 show that he dealt extensively in lands, and at his death his estate was valued at nine hundred pounds sterling. The following extracts from his will are quaint and inter- esting : "Item-I give to my son. Roger Kinne, the one-half of the farm on which I now live, with one-half of the buildings, after my debts are paid, he paying to my son, Robert Kinne, the sum of thirty pounds, lawful money, the one half in one year after my decease, and the other half in two years after my decease." "Item-I give to my son, Nathan Kinne, the other half of my home farm, on which I now live, with one-half of the buildings. *
* * he, the same Nathan Kinne, paying out unto the aforesaid Robert Kinne, the sum of thirty pounds, lawful money." "Imprimis-I give and bequeath unto Sarah Kinne, my dearly beloved wife, the improvement of one-third part of my home farm. * and also the improvement of one-third of buildings thereon standing, during her natural life, she keeping the same in good tenantable repair, and also my will is that my wife have one good cow set off to her, and * * all my indoor moveables during her natural life: and after her decease. to be equally divided among her daughters, except Anne Trowbridge to have ten shillings less than either of her sisters." "Item-To my son, Amos Kinne, I give and bequeath twenty acres of land. * * To him I also give miy silver shoe buckles." "Item-I hereby instruct my sons. Roger and
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Nathan, to provide a good horse for my wife to ride upon at all times when she requires." His children were: Simeon, Elizabeth, Robert. Roger, Amos. Anne. Nathan and Freelove. The first died at Fort Edward while serving in the French and Indian war, under Sir William John- son, in the winter of 1755-6. Amos, the fourth son, served as a soldier through the greater part of the Revolutionary war.
(V) Robert, third child and second son of Amos and Sarah Kinne, was born in 1738, and married Abigail Brown, May 6. 1766. She was a daughter of James Brown and Abigail Watty, his wife. In 1767 Robert Kinne was one of the committee for bridge-building over the Quinnebang river, of Plainfield, Connecticut. He was also a soldier in the Revolutionary war. as a private in Lieutenant Con- stant Webster's company, enlisted August 15, 1777, discharged Au- gust 23, same year. His service amounted to twelve days, including ninety miles travel to his home. This service was on an expedition from Worthington, Massachusetts, to reinforce General Stark, and conducting prisoners from Bennington, Vermont. About 1785, or soon after the close of the war, Robert Kinne moved, with his family, from Worthington to the town of Florida, Montgomery county, New York, where he died October 24. 1831. His children were: Roger, Percy. Polly. Rufns, Robert, James, Amos, Nathan, Anne, Esther, David, Stephen, John and Oliver.
(VI) Oliver, youngest of the fourteen children of Robert and Abigail Kinne, was born March 2, 1795, in Florida, this state, and died March 24. 1846, near Lockport, New York. He was married in 1823, at Franklin Springs, New York, to Oleva Angeline Amelia Pond, who was born in 1801 (probably at that place ) and died May 18, 1826. In 1828 he moved from Clinton to Camden. New York, where three of his brothers had preceded him. He was a wagonmaker, and carried on a large business, and dealt in land extensively, becoming quite wealthy. He built a large frame house, which is still standing on Main street in Camden. In January, 1833, he married Diana Dodge. and six children were born to them, the first five at Camden. About 1840 he met with reverses in business, and lost the greater portion of his property. He then decided to move to Genesee county, where some of his brothers were located. hoping to regain his lost fortunes in that new part of the country. In June, 1841, he made the removal to Ala- bama Center. New York, and soon afterward to "The Rapids." on Tonawanda creek, in Niagara county. Here he engaged in operating
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a sawmill with his nephew, Ebenezer Silliman Kinne. Soon after this his wife was taken ill, and died in March, 1843. His own health gave out, and after two years of sickness he died March 24, 1846. They were buried in Lockport, but the removal of the cemetery caused the subsequent location of their bodies to be lost. Their children were: George Alfred, Oleva A. E., Angeline E., Helen E., Orlando Wood- ruff and Oliver E. P. The first of these was a soldier during the last year of the Civil war, and now resides at North Bay, Oneida county. The second son enlisted June 30, 1861, served in the Fourteenth Heavy Artillery and re-enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-sixth Regiment Volunteer Infantry, and now resides in Denver, Colorado.
(VII) Oliver Evelyn Pond Kinne, youngest child of Oliver and Diana Kinne, born January 5, 1842, at Alabama Center, was left an orphan when very young, and his uncle, Amos Kinne, of Camden, New York, gave him a home until eight years old. He then went to live with the children of his uncle Nathan Kinne at Clinton, and resided there until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he enlisted in Battery A, Captain Bates' First New York Light Artillery. This battery was lost at the battle of Fair Oaks, which was the second engagement in which it took part. Its members were transferred to other companies, and Mr. Kinne became a member of Company H. This was known as "Mink's Battery," under command of Captain Charles E. Mink, and was engaged in some of the most severe battles of the war. Mr. Kinne was soon promoted. first to corporal, then sergeant, and became second lieutenant of Battery L, First Artillery. This was commanded by Cap- tain John Reynolds. Just before the close of the war Mr. Kinne was promoted to first lieutenant, and was assigned to Battery E, same regi- ment. After being discharged from the service, he returned to his home in Clinton, and soon after received a commission as captain by brevet. In 1865 he moved to Utica, where, on March 15, 1866, he was married to Miss Margaret Anna Cessford.
Margaret A. Cessford was the daughter of George and Anna Isa- bel Cessford. The former was born at Lauder, near Edinburg, Scot- land, in the year 1802, and was descended from a very old Scotch family. He was educated at Melrose Abbey, to be a Presbyterian minister, but about the time he was to be ordained he concluded that he was too well fitted for a mechanic to become a preacher. Accord- ingly, upon attaining his majority, he entered upon an apprenticeship of seven years to learn the trades of machinist and millwright. About
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1838 he came to America and located in Utica, where he made a spe- cialty of pattern-making. He perfected many inventions and took out numerous patents pertaining to heating furnaces. Ile was a man of high attainments, being an excellent Latin scholar, and a wide reader. His family included seven children, two of his sons being machinists. He died, aged ninety-three years, at Utica, September 5, 1895. His wife was Anna Isabel Stephenson, a grandniece of George Stephenson, whose engine, the "Rocket." was the forerunner of our modern locomo- tives. She was born in Chester-le-Street, Northumberland county, England, in 1805, and died February 1. 1899, aged ninety-four years. in Utica. She was a large-hearted, Christian woman, and her kind deeds and charities were numberless.
In the year 1876 Oliver E. P. Kinne and his family removed from Utica to Florence, this state, where he was engaged in the lumber busi- ness with his next older brother, Orlando. He remained there until 1879, when the family removed to Camden, where he followed his trade of a woodworker. He died May 5, 1892, after a sickness of four years. His wife removed, in 1894, with her two younger sons, Edwin and Harry, to Watertown, where she has since resided with them. Ed- win J. Kinne is a machinist, and Harry C. Kinne is a mechanical draughtsman with the Bagley & Sewall Company. The children of Oliver E. P. and Margaret Cessford Kinne were: Clarence Evelyn, born April 16, 1869, at Utica : George Cessford, born April 4. 1873, at Utica, died February 1, 1878, at Florence : Charles Alfred, born August 26, 1875, at Utica, died July 2, 1892, at Camden : Edwin Johnson, born June 11, 1879, at Florence : Harry Cessford, born June 8, 1882, at Cam- den.
(VIII) Clarence Evelyn Kinne attended the Camden union high school, but at the age of fourteen years was obliged to leave school on account of poor health. For a part of two years he was employed in a large dry goods store at Utica, and resided with his grandfather. George Cessford. As he was always of a studious and mechanical turn of mind, his grandfather urged upon him to follow some mechanical pursuit, al- though his father wished him to follow the profession of law. On May 28, 1885, he began to learn the machinist's trade with the firm of Wood & Percival, at Camden. After finishing his apprenticeship of three years he worked at various shops in Rome, Schenectady and Little Falls, and came to Watertown on june 20, 1889, where he began work as a ma- chinist for the Watertown Steam Engine Company. During the years
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of his apprenticeship and while he was a machinist, he studied mechani- cal drawing and mathematics at night, and while many of his companions were enjoying their leisure hours he was burning the "midnight oil." In 1892 he took a position as mechanical draughtsman with the Eames Vacuum Brake Company, of Watertown. A year later he left this con- cern and took a position as mechanical draughtsman with the Bagley & Sewall Company of the same city. Five years later he became designer and mechanical engineer for this company, a position which he still holds. He has been very successful and has made and developed several inventions pertaining to the manufacture of paper-making machines. The Bagley & Sewall Company has been in business over fifty years, and has built some of the fastest running paper-making machines in use.
He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and a member of Corona Lodge No. 705. Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
On June 18, 1890, he was married to Miss Della L. Brewster, of Camden. She was a daughter of George J. and Sarah (Schott) Brew- ster, and a descendant, of the ninth generation, of Eider William Brew- ster, who came over with the Pilgrims on the Mayflower. They have one daughter, Margaret Cessford Kinne, born September 12, 1895.
FRANK MARCELLUS PARKER, an active and prominent citizen of Watertown, for the past eight years treasurer of the county, is a worthy representative of a family whose members have been identified with Jefferson county through four generations, and with this country from the earliest period of its occupation by white people.
(I) William Parker, was a member of Rev. Thomas Hooker's Hartford congregation, and was early in Saybrook, Connecticut. He was the father of three sons-William, Ralph and John.
(II) The last-named settled in New Haven, and had a consider- able family, born as follows: John, in 1648: Mary. April 27. 1649, married John Hall in 1666; Hope, May 25, 1650, married Samuel Cook, May 2, 1677: Lydia, May 26, 1652-3, married John Thomas, January 12. 1671 : Joseph, married Hannah Gilbert, 1673.
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