USA > New York > Genealogical and family history of western New York; a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the building of a nation, Volume III > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92
From Connecticut many of the family went to Vermont in later generations. Eleazer, Jacob, Jedediah and John Edgerton were in the revolution from Vermont, and in 1790 Asa, Ezra, Jacob, Jedediah, Oliver, Simeon, William and Roswell were the heads of Ed- gerton families in Vermont.
(1) Captain Daniel Edgerton, a descendant of Richard Edgerton, came with his family from Saybrook, Connecticut, and settled in Tinmouth, Vermont, about 1780. He died in Tinmouth, February 24, 1783, of small-pox, and was buried there, his headstone being moved to Wallingford cemetery about one hundred years after he died. The family moved to Wallingford, Vermont, soon after his death. He married, November 8, 1764, Mary Douglas, who was an aunt of Senator Stephen A. Douglas. Children: Phebe, born December 6. 1765, married Samuel MeClure ; Daniel. April 12, 1768, married Betsey Fargo ; Robert, April 15, 1770, married Anna Bull; Isaac, July II, 1772, unmarried ; Philip, men- tioned below ; Mary : Sarah.
( 11) Philip, son of Captain Daniel Edger- ton, was born October 1, 1774, and doubt- less died about 1863. He married (first) Mary Hall, whose brother, Mosely Hall, mar- ried Mary Edgerton, Philip's sister. He mar- ried (second) Narcissa Osborne. Children : Isaac, born December 4, 1797 : Hiram, men- tioned below : Philip Jr. : Edmund. July 28, 1804: Edwin, February 26, 1808; Benjamin,
1078
NEW YORK.
December 28, 1811; Laura, August 28, 1815; Julius, June 29, 1819.
(III) Hiram, son of Philip and Mary (Hall) Edgerton, was born at Wallingford, Vermont, July 28, 1800, died May, 1871. He married (first) Louisa Pomeroy, (second) Mary Ann Judd. Children by first wife: Maryette, born 1830, died June 4, 1905, mar- ried Joseph Nelson Leonard (see Leonard XIV) ; Cordelia, married Robert W. Marshall, now living at North East, Pennsylvania ; La- vinia, married Martin Merrifield, died about 1906: Daniel G., lived at Carbondale, Colo- rado. Children by second wife: Dexter, died in infancy ; George D .; Edmund A., all de- ceased.
MILLER This branch of the Miller fam- ily descends from John Miller, who came from Stroudsburg, Germany, in 1747, settling in Northumber- land county, Pennsylvania. He served in the revolutionary war under the command of General Washington, and was engaged at the battle of Trenton and Monmouth. He mar- ried and had a son John, mentioned below.
(II) John (2) son of John (1) Miller, was born in Northumberland county, Pennsyl- vania, and was killed by a falling horse, in 1818. He was a farmer and a lumberman. In the war of 1812 he served with Pennsyl- vania troops. He married and reared nine children : Peter, James, John, Frederick, Mary, Abraham, Susanna, Polly, Mary.
(III) Abraham, son of John (2) Miller, was born in Hamilton township, Northum- berland county, Pennsylvania, died in Hins- dale, New York, August, 1906. He settled in Hinsdale, New York, in 1824, where he followed farming and lumbering. He was captain of an independent rifle company, a Whig in politics and a member of the Bap- tist church. He married, December, 1842, Vesta Ann, daughter of Julian and Sarah (Pitt) Underwood, of Massachusetts. Chil- dren: 1. Laurentius Yates, of whom further. 2. Lorentus, deceased, married and had issue. 3. Henry C., died at the age of twenty-eight years. 4. Sarah Helen, married (first) Ed- gar Norton ; children : Frederick and Clair ; married (second) Merritt A. Guile. 5. Vesta, married Nelson Marsh; children: Sarah and Vesta.
(IV) Laurentius Yates, eldest son of Abra- ham Miller, was born December 9, 1843.
He was educated in the public schools, and during his boy and early manhood worked on the farm, in a saw mill and on lumber rafts. When the civil war broke out he was anxious to enlist and offered his services to the recruiting officer of the Ninth Regiment, New York Cavalry. His size decided against him. He then tried to enlist in the One Hun- dred and Twenty-ninth New York Infantry, but was again refused enlistment on account of his small stature. One of his uncles had served in the United States navy during the Mexican war and he was told that he could enlist in the navy if he would go to the Brooklyn navy yard. Laurentius Y. then worked for his father during the days and for others until midnight, saving every cent toward fare to Brooklyn, then $12.50. He finally secured the required amount, and hav- ing obtained his mother's permission made the journey to Brooklyn, where he enlisted in the navy, August 18, 1863, being then under twenty years of age. He was rated as "lands- man" and assigned to the barque "Circas- sian," propelled by both steam and sails. She was a cruiser, employed between New York and the West Indies. His next ship was the frigate "New Hampshire," on which he served as "ordinary seaman." The "New Hamp- shire" was stationed at Port Royal, South Carolina. His next assignment was to the double end gunboat "Commodore McDon- ough" that later sank in a storm off Cape Hatteras. On her he saw active service at Stone river, Fort Prendell, Secessionville, James Island, and was in action three days and nights on the Kiawa river. At Light House inlet she narrowly escaped capture. He was then transferred to the "Philadel- phia" and was finally honorably discharged at the Washington navy yard, August 31, 1865, with the rating of "ordinary seaman."
After the war he returned home, worked in a saw mill until March 19, 1866, on which date he left New York harbor on a converted man-of-war, the "Santiago de Cuba," bound for the gold fields of Montana by way of the .Isthmus and San Francisco. In June, 1866, he reached San Francisco, going from there to Portland, Oregon, thence to Walla Walla, Oregon, thence by pack train over the moun- tains to the Blackfoot gold field. In August, 1866, he arrived at Bear Gulch without a cent. From there he forded the Missouri river and reached Henderson Gulch, where he remained
1079
NEW YORK.
1
one month, working at four dollars per day. He then started to reach Helena, one hundred and fifty miles away, the road an Indian trail and he alone. The second day out he ran into a camp of Flat Head Indians who fortunately proved friendly and gave him buffalo meat. He spent the next five years at Confederate Gulch, mining during the summers, hunting and trapping in the winters. He experienced much trouble from the liostile Blackfeet and Sioux Indians, who would steal his traps and game. The settlers had several severe skir- miishes and once were entirely surrounded.
In 1871 Mr. Miller returned home and was married. The following April he re- turned to Montana, remaining two years. He again returned to New York where he had left his wife, and for the first time saw his son, Thornton A., then over a year old. He again returned to Confederate Gulch, going thence to Phillipsburg, and to the Race Track diggings, where he trapped and mined. He had encounters with the Indians and with the beasts of the mountains, but always came off safely. After time spent in Colorado and the Black Hills, quartz mining, he returned again to his family. In 1884 he took an extended trip up the Yellowstone river as far as Fort Benton, buying furs and buffalo skins of the Indians and traders, shipping his purchases to New York City. The following year he made the same trip. In 1885 he went to Bill- ings and Livingston, Montana, purchasing land in both places along the route of the Northern Pacific railroad, disposing of the same after a few years, at a fair profit. In 1886 he returned east, still engaging in fur buying. In 1892 he located in Olean, New York, where he purchased property and estab- lished the firm of L. Y. Miller & Sons, deal- ers in fruit and all kinds of country produce, hides, furs, skins, wool, etc. His sons, Henry C. and Elmer W., were admitted on attain- ing their majority. Mr. Miller's years of western experience cover the period, 1866-86, during which conditions existed which have now passed away forever. Where then roved the Indians and the buffalo are now railroads, villages and cultivated fields. A later devel- opment brought the cow boy and the desper- ado, now also almost a thing of the past. These years of toil, hardship and danger left him with undaunted courage and a rich fund of interesting recollection. His fur purchas- ing expeditions took him through not only
personal danger but brought him in contact with the wily, unscrupulous white trader and his not less wily red brother, always on the lookout for the best end of the bargain. This school of training developed all his powers and left him the strong, fearless, energetic man found in active business to-day, carrying his sixty-eight years, erect and vigorous. He belongs to lodge, chapter and commandery of the Masonic Order ; was commander of G. D. Bayard Post, No. 222, Grand Army of the Republic; for fifteen years has been on the staff of the national commander and for six years a delegate to the national encampment. He is president of the Republican Club of Olean, and while living in Hinsdale served seven successive terms as supervisor. He is president of the Cattaraugus County Veter- ans' Association; member of the Park Club and of the Presbyterian church of Olean.
He married, March 15, 1871, Eveline A. Wasson, born March 23, 1850. Children : I. Thornton A., born December 7, 1871; mar- ried Mable Crawford ; children : Harold W., Genella, Guynett, Marion. 2. Henry C., born March 23, 1876; married, May 23, 1898, Grace Howard, born August 18, 1876; chil- dren: S. Howard, born September 23, 1900; Faith, December 24, 1902. 3. Elmer W., born July 22, 1878; married Beulah Johnson, born March 26, 1880; child, Josephine, born No- vember 9, 1904. 4. Arthur G.
COYLE
Charles Bemis Coyle, an enter- prising and energetic citizen of Jamestown, noted for his busi-
ness sagacity and acumen, is a worthy de- scendant (on the paternal side) of an English and Irish ancestry, and (on the maternal side) of a New England ancestry, members of this family settling there in the early part of its history and bearing well their part in the vari- ous walks of life.
(I) Cornelius T. Coyle, father of Charles B. Coyle, was a resident of North Carolina. He enlisted in the civil war and was wounded at the battle of Gettysburg. After the close of the war he followed the occupation of farming, deriving therefrom a goodly livelihood. He married Rosalie R., daughter of Charles F. and Minnie (Roberts) Bemis.
(II) Charles Bemis, son of Cornelius T. and Rosalie R. (Bemis) Coyle, was born in Greenville, Madison county, Florida, October
1080
NEW YORK.
14. 1876. He was reared on his father's farm, and attended the schools in the neigh- borhood of his home. Being left an orphan at the age of twelve, he went to live with an uncle, John J. Coyle, D.D.S., who was for- merly dean of the Baltimore Medical College, and during the one and one-half years he remained with him he attended school for one year. He then went to West Virginia and worked for another uncle, George F. Coyle, proprietor of a dry goods store in Charles- ton, remaining with him for a period of five years, after which he entered the employ of a grocery firm, but this was of short duration. At the age of eighteen he came to New York City and engaged in the real estate business on his own account, along general lines, and after considerable perseverance and persistent labor attained the position of city appraiser. In 1901 he took a short vacation, spending the time in the south, during which time he met the lady who became his wife and whom he married after an acquaintance of ten days, and upon his return to New York, accom- panied by his wife, again engaged in the real estate business and was eminently successful until the panic of 1907 when, like so many other business men, he lost everything he had accumulated. Upon the reorganization of the Borough Bank of Brooklyn, Mr. Coyle was given charge of the real estate and apprais- ing departments of the institution, which had charge of about one million and a half dol- lars' worth of real estate, and this Mr. Coyle tried to liquidate for them. The bank failed again in 1910, and Mr. Coyle then organized the Crescent Mortgage Company, a New York corporation, but shortly afterward, tir- ing of the strenuous life of the metropolis. he removed to Jamestown, New York, where he opened a branch office, which he conducted successfully up to 1912, when he purchased the interests of the other members of the Crescent Mortgage Company and is now re- organizing as a local company. Mr. Coyle's life has been an active one, and his special line of work has added to the general wealth and welfare of his adopted city. He is a Re- publican in politics, and in 1912 was elected as a delegate to the Republican state conven- tion at Rochester, New York.
Mr. Coyle married. September 19, 1901. Blanche E. Stansbury, of Richmond, Virginia, daughter of George A. and Georgina (Grimes) Stansbury. Children : Blanche
Evelyn, born July 22, 1904: Kenyon Bemis, May 22, 1906; Charles Bemis Jr., April 3, 19II.
QUIRIN J. George Quirin, father of William C. A. Quirin, was born in Westhoffen, Alsace, then France, now in Germany, and died at Olean, New York, April 1, 1907. He came to the United States in 1852. and became an appren- tice in the calf skin shop of Mercer in Cam- bridge, Massachusetts. He then removed to Iowa, where he was engaged in the business of tanning until 1867. He returned to the east with his brothers, Philip and Jacob, and in June, 1869, together with them, purchased the tannery of the late Colonel William Ran- som at Tioga Center, New York, and con- verted it into an upper leather tannery under the firm name of J. G. Quirin & Company. They gave employment to from one hundred to one hundred and fifty men in the tanning of wax calf, and were connected with Will- iam C. Quirin & Company, of Boston. The latter firm had a currying shop on Longwood avenue, Roxbury, Massachusetts, where two hundred men were employed in finishing the product of the tannery. At that time they were the largest manufacturers of wax calf skins in the country and produced skins of as superior quality to the French calf skins then in such demand. In 1887 both firms went into liquidation. J. George Quirin retired from active business life. and spent the re- mainder of his life on his farm in summer and with his sons at Olean in winter. The other members of the firm had all died be- fore, Philip in 1871, Jacob in 1880, and Will- iam, of Boston, in 1901. Mr. Quirin wrote a number of articles on the manufacture of leather, which appeared in the Shoe and Leather Reporter. 1867-69. principally on "mill stuffing." He had been one of the first operators of a stuffing mill when in the em- ployment of Mr. Hoffman in Somerville or Cambridge, between 1852 and 1858.
He married Madeline Bernhardt. Chil- dren: William C. A., mentioned below : Emill J. F., born February 21, 1855 : George L. A., married Celia F. Sewell: Frederick, died young : Edward N .. married Edna L. Earle : Charles N., unmarried : Lydia E., mar- ried Edward Muller : Albert, deceased : Frank J., married Elma Brimdage: Carrie L., de- ceased ; Angelica F., unmarried : John.
108 I
NEW YORK.
(II) William C. A., son of J. George Quirin, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, March 11, 1854. His early education was received in the public schools of that city and in Owego, New York, after which he spent two years in study in France and Germany. On his return to this country he entered the employ of his father in the large tannery at Tioga Center, New York. He mastered the business and laid the foundation of his future business success in this line of work. He is the owner of one of the largest and best equipped tanneries in the United States. It occupies sixteen acres at Olean, New York, and the plant comprises some twenty build- ings having the most modern machinery and employing one hundred and fifty skilled la- borers. A railroad siding facilitates the ship- ment of freight over the Pennsylvania rail- road, and another connects with the Pittsburg. Shawmut & Northern railroad. At the Quirin tannery the finest grade of glove and satin grade leather, kangaroo calf, dongola, enameled leather, vegetable and chrome tan- nage for fine shoes. The business was es- tablished in 1887, and at the outset the tan- nery used about fifty hides a day. At the present time ( 1912) twelve hundred hides are used daily. The product is shipped to Boston and thence distributed to customers in all parts of the world. The disposal of the by-pro- ducts of the factory are interesting. The tan bark after it has been used to make leather is used for fuel: the hair for manufacturing blankets ; warps for ingrain carpet, and the scraps of leather are sold for shoe stock.
Mr. Quirin is progressive, enterprising and practical, and enjoys the confidence and es- teem of the entire community. He is a direc- tor and president of the Olean Building and Loan Association : trustee of Olean Public Library nine years; chairman of the building committee of the present fine building ; one of the water commissioners, appointed in 1907 and reappointed since ; treasurer of the Olean Water Board ; treasurer of the Buck- hannon Chemical Company of West Virginia : treasurer of the Quirin Leather Press Com- pany of Olean. He is also popular in social life, and is a member of a number of clubs. In religion he is a Baptist, and in politics is a Republican.
Mr. Quirin married, June 3, 1880, Libbie Dean, of Walworth, New York, born March 4, 1858, died September 12, 1889, daughter
of Franklyn S. Dean. Children : Madeline, born December 1, 1884; Ezela, July 27, 1887.
Rev. Truman Horton Perkins PERKINS was born December 30, 1835, died April 11, 1884. He had a brother, Spicer M. Perkins, of Buffalo, New York. His brother, Alfred D. Perkins, died at Minden, Minnesota. Two sisters died young. His mother, Eliza Ann (Horton) Perkins, was a daughter of Truman and Bet- sey (Carr) Horton. Truman Horton Perkins was educated for the ministry and received his degree from the Northwestern Univer- sity at Evanston, Illinois. He spent his youth in Erie county, New York, and taught school there to aid in paying for his education. He was for a time a student at Griffiths Institute, Springville, New York, where he completed his preparation for college. After graduat- ing from college he joined the Genesee Con- ference of the Methodist Episcopal church and had pastorates at Utica, Marilla, Alex- ander and Groveland, New York. He was a member of the lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Attica, New York. In politics he was a Republican. He was a gifted preacher, a kindly, gentle, attractive personality, up- right and conscientious, faithful to every duty of his great profession.
He married at Evanston, Illinois, Septem- ber 24, 1871, Carrie Ione Andrews, born at Bennington, Vermont, November 21, 1852, daughter of Dr. David and Betsey (Wait) Andrews. Her father resided at Lunenburg, Vermont, where he was in general practice, and afterward at Brant, Erie county, Western New York, where he practiced for many years and where he died at the age of sixty years ; he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church; had a son, Dr. Joseph Andrews, a physician at Winfield, Kansas, where he died in 1877; Dr. David Andrews married (first ) (second) Betsey (Wait) Spencer, wi- dow of Osborn Spencer : she was born De- cember II, 1823, in Hebron. Washington county, New York, daughter of Lee and Lydia (Stearns) Wait. Mrs. Perkins was the only child. Rev. Truman Horton Perkins had one son, Darwin Clure, mentioned below.
(II) Dr. Darwin Clure Perkins, son of Rev. Truman Horton Perkins, was born at Alexander, Genesee county, New York, July 28. 1879. He attended the public schools of his native town, and graduated from the Alex-
1082
NEW YORK.
ander high school in the class of 1895. He entered Cornell University and was gradu- ated in 1895 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He was a student in the Homeopathic College and Flower Hospital, New York, from 1904 to 1906, and he received degree of Doc- tor of Medicine from the Homeopathic Col- lege. He began to practice at Jamestown in 1906, opening offices at 405-407 Chadakoin Building, and has continued in practice there to the present time. He has taken a position of leadership in his profession in his city. He is a member of the Chautauqua County Medical Society and the New York State Medical Society. He purchased the house at 803 Lafayette street, where he resided, and in 1911-12 he erected the "Dorion," a large and commodious brick apartment house, three stories high, containing seven apartments, one of which he occupies. His family attends the Presbyterian church. In politics he is a Re- publican.
He married, at Penbrook, New York, No- vember 17, 1901, Margaret Zwetsch, born June 27, 1878, daughter of Philip and Sarah Margaret (Weimer) Zwetsch. Children, born in Jamestown, New York: Dorothy Evelyn, June 27, 1907: Margaret Ione, October 22, 1910.
This is one of the surnames GARDNER derived from an occupation and is found in many forms of spelling. Gardiner and Gardner being the most frequent. The name is characteristic of the middle counties of England and oc- curs in both forms in southern and central Scotland, especially in Perthshire. The fam- ily is exceedingly numerous in the United States. They have been prominent in the history of New York from an early period. George Gardner was an assistant justice of the court, 1771. Powell Gardner held the same office from 1802 to 1815. Stow Gard- ner was attorney general, 1853. They have had representatives in the state legislature and on the field and staff. Joshua Gardner was "one of the first settlers of the town of Ste- phentown, then Albany county."
The family was founded in America by Thomas Gardner, who came to Salem. Massa- chusetts. 1624. from Dorsetshire, England. He is known as the founder of the Salem branch. George Gardner was among the first settlers of Rhode Island as early as 1638. He
came from England and is believed to be the founder of the New York family. He mar- ried (first) Herodias, widow of John Hicks, who died in Kingstown, Rhode Island, 1679; (second) Lydia Ballou. Each wife bore him seven children. The connection is not plain between the Rhode Island ancestor and the Cattaraugus county family on account of breaks in the family records.
(I) William Gardner was a resident of Wayne county, New York, where others of his family had settled. He was later a set- tler in Cattaraugus county. New York, where he engaged in farming. He married a first wife who bore him eight children. He mar- ried (second) Susan Smith. Children by sec- ond marriage: George, William, James, Su- san, Caleb Smith.
(II) Caleb Smith, son of William and Su- san (Smith) Gardner, was born October 3, 1822, died June, 1904. He married, July 25, 1861, Rachel Ann Maybee, born April 4, 1840, daughter of Harmon Maybee, born 1818, died 1901, married Elizabeth Rowland; children : Nicholas, married Abbie Dow : Rachel Ann, married Caleb Smith Gardner : John T., mar- ried Louise Luke ; Clementina, married Red- mond Thomas, and Hiram, married Anna Elizabeth was a daughter of Anderson Rowland. Harmon was a son of Jeremiah and Rachel Maybee. Children of Caleb Smith Gardner: 1. Frank Harmon, born February 3. 1862, died June 6, 1902; married, October 28. 1884. Anna Coyle, born June 3, 1864; children: Edna May, born October 9. 1885 ; Stella A., June 21, 1888; Frances E., Novem- ber 29, 1891 : Fred C., November 28, 1893. 2. Susan Elizabeth, born January 7. 1864; married, June 26, 1895, William A. Sprague, born December 5. 1856. 3. Fred Wesley, of whom further. 4. Edith May, born March 6, 1876, died 1885. 5. Edward Smith, born March 27. 1882.
(III) Fred Wesley, son of Caleb Smith and Rachel Ann ( Maybee) Gardner, was born August 29, 1867. He was educated in the public schools, and began business life as a cash boy in the store of William J. Fish, at Salamanca. He was only in that position for a short time when he decided to learn the trade of printer. He entered in January, 1882, the office of Perrin & Webber, where he thor- oughly mastered the printers art. He received several promotions in pay and rank, continu- ing in their employ until 1890. He then went
1083
NEW YORK.
to Washington where he was appointed to a position in the government printing office. He remained two years, resigned and went to Rochester, New York, where he was chief proofreader on the Democrat and Chronicle. In 1900 he resigned and settled in Salamanca, New York, where he purchased the mercan- tile business of Mr. Ellsworth. He later formed a partnership with Eugene B. Se- near, and as Senear & Gardner, opened "The Fair," a mercantile house devoted to general merchandise, except groceries and provisions. The firm has been a very successful one and commands a generous patronage. Mr. Gard- ner is a member of Cattaraugus Lodge, No. 239, Free and Accepted Masons ; Salamanca Chapter, No. 266, Royal Arch Masons; Sala- manca Commandery, No. 62, Knights Temp- lar, in which he holds the office of captain general. Is also a Knight of Pythias. He is very popular among his townsmen and has a host of warm friends. He is a Republican in politics ; was president of the village cor- poration one year and town clerk four terms of two years each. He belongs to the Bap- tist church.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.