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 49
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Canal street. Afterward he occupied a store on the opposite side of the street where Al- bro's billiard room is now located, and there conducted a canal grocery and barn. About 1856 he bought the grocery business of A. Wayne Sweet, and removed to a store farther down the street, between the dry goods store of John P. Rice and the Joseph Hanchett building. In April, 1860, in partnership with his son, John W. Dygert, he bought the brick building of William Wart, his brother-in-law, and for about six years conducted a canal grocery and barn there. Prices were advanc- ing rapidly during this period, which included the civil war times, and his old friends, John Crouse and Peter Waggoner, wholesale gro- cers of Syracuse, advised him to buy heavily. promising him all the credit he needed, but he was too conservative and missed a great op- portunity for he declined to buy more than necessary to meet the demands of his cus- tomers. He prospered. however, and in part- nership with his son. John W. Dygert, he es- tablished the first coal yard, and sold the first ton of coal in Phoenix. About this time he built a substantial addition to his home. He was fond of his garden, which was always well kept and productive. In 1881 he sold his forty-acre farm and divided the proceeds among his children. In March, 1867, he sold the grocery business to Harrison Love, and his residence to Bonville Fuller, a druggist from Syracuse. and bought of Myron Smith the Youngs farm of fifty-two acres on the corner of Bankrupt street and Fulton road, a short distance west from his old farm. After living two years on this place he rented it and went to live on the old Wart farm in Phoenix. in the eastern part of the village. Two years later he returned to his own farm, but on account of his age he soon afterward decided to retire. and renting his farm in 1876 he went to live in the village. in a house just south of the school house. After the death of his wife he moved in 1882 into the
house now owned by Charles K. Williams, on the northeast corner of Jefferson and Lock street. He bought the William Warner house on Jefferson street. March 15. 1883, and lived there the remainder of his days.
Mr. Dygert was a man of peace, and would have it if he had to fight for it. On one occa- sion, when he was keeping the canal grocery, a negro employed by an unscrupulous com- petitor was sent to take a canal team from
Dygert's barn. Naturally Dygert objected, and when the negro tried to use force, he found himself knocked into the canal from a blow with an iron shovel in the hands of Mr. Dy- gert. He owned a fine garden and objected to having it destroyed by the hens of a careless neighbor. Finding that his words had no ef- fect, he shot several of the visiting hens and threw them into his neighbor's yard as a re- minder. The surviving hens ceased their vis- its in the Dygert vegetable patch. Soon after moving to the town of Schroeppel he united with the Christian (or Disciples) church at Hinmansville. After taking up his residence in Phoenix he and his family attended the Congregational church. He was kind and considerate in his home, but insisted on obedi- ence from his children. He contributed to the extent of his means to every deserving cause, and to every charity that seemed to him worthy. His educational opportunities in youth were limited, but his natural ability was great and he made the most of his schooling. He is said to have spoken the purest German of any of the "Mohawkers" in this vicinity. In politics he was originally a Whig, but when his party broke up he voted for Fre- mont in 1856. In 1860 he voted for Douglas, but after the firing on Fort Sumter he sup- ported the Republican party unreservedly, and aided the government in every way in his power during the rebellion, contributing freely and often. He was a ready and forceful speaker, and having a knowledge of law and a mind of legal bent, seldom met defeat in cases he carried to court. Many who knew him believed he would have made an able lawyer. John H. Dygert was a soldier in the state militia in the old general training days. He was in the Fourteenth Regiment. Eleventh Brigade, enlisting June 1, 1824, in a company of grenadiers under Captain John Baum, and serving ten years, as per Baum's certificate in the possession of his son, H. Amenzo.
He married, January 23. 1829, Mary Ann Wart, who died at Phoenix, New York, Sep- tember 9, 1881. She was a daughter of Cap- tain Adam Wart, who in the war of 1812 commanded a company in the One Hundred and Thirty-eighth New York Regiment. whereof George H. Nellis was lieutenant-col- onel. His commission is signed by Daniel D. Tompkins, governer, and Elisha Jenkins. secretary, and dated April 30, 1811. He died
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in 1859, aged seventy-six years, and is buried in the old cemetery at Phoenix.
Mrs. Dygert was a woman of large lieart and warm sympathies, cheerful, amiable and charitable. She never turned away a hungry beggar nor spoke a harsh word in her home. Her mother, Catherine ( Walrradt ) Wart, was a daughter of Adolph and Catherine ( Hel- mar) Walrradt. She had two brothers, War- ner and William. Warner went to California at the time of the gold fever there in 1849. returning after some success to settle in Mis- souri, where he lived during the civil war, and suffered the loss of most of his personal property from raiders on both sides. Her other brother, William, born April 10, 1818, in the town of Canajoharie, Montgomery county, New York, also lost his property. He then removed to Newell, Iowa, where he studied law, and took an active interest in politics. He died July 12. 1901, of paralysis, aged eighty-three years, three months, and two days. at Newell, Iowa, leaving to his heirs a fortune. Catherine, Mrs. Dygert's only sister. married Hiram Fox, and died August 23. 1910, at Phoenix, New York. Catharine ( Walrradt ) Wart, mother of Mrs. Dygert, died in April. 1852, aged sixty-eight years, and is buried in the cemetery at Pennellville. Oswego county, New York. Mr. and Mrs. Dygert had eight children.
(VI) Adam De Witt, son of John H. Dy- gert, was born October 11, 1832, at Oak Hill, town of Canajoharie. Montgomery county, New York. He went with his father's family to Oswego county, and worked on his fath- er's farm until about 1850, when he left home and went to work in Fulton, New York. Later he went west for a time, taught school in the vicinity of Phoenix, and was clerk in various stores there. In 1866 he and his brother John built some canal boats, and from that time until 1884 he was engaged in business as owner of canal boats, accumulating, and then losing a considerable fortune. He then opened an insurance and real estate office in Phoenix and continued in that business the remainder of his life. For many years he was assessor of the town and died in office. The town board offered to appoint his brother, H. A. Dygert. to fill the vacancy, but he declined on account of the lack of time. He married. January 3. 1858, at Phoenix, Algenia M., daughter of Kinne Williams, and died September 26, 1904. at the hospital of the Good Shepherd, Syracuse,
New York, and is buried in Rural cemetery Phoenix. He was a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and of the Congregational church. Children : I. Hor- tense Eloise, born August 22, 1859 ; graduated from the Phoenix high school and the Long Island College Hospital Training School for Nurses; married, September 25. 1888, Dr. Earl W. Smith, of Syracuse, New York, a graduate of the Syracuse University, College of Medicine, class of 1885. They now reside in Syracuse, New York. Children: Carl Dy- gert and Marion Louise Smith: Carl Dygert Smith was employed as instructor in the In- stitution for Feeble Minded at Syracuse, New York. 2. Lincoln Williams, born November 20, 1862; graduate of Phoenix high school ; studied law in the offices of Jenny & Marshall, of Syracuse, New York ; graduated from Cor- nell University in 1893 with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, and is now practicing in Syracuse, New York. Was a candidate for the office of mayor of Syracuse, New York, in 1907. upon the Prohibition ticket, running ahead of the other nominees upon that ticket and polling three and one-half times as many votes as the party candidate at the last pre- ceding municipal election. In July, 1910, Mr. Dygert, by a written communication, pre- sented to the mayor and common council, of- fered to give to the city of Syracuse, ten Bub- bling Cup Street Drinking Fountains with dog troughs at base to be placed at designated locations convenient for public use, upon the streets in various parts of the business dis- trict, conditioned that the city erect and main- tain them. The park commission, having con- trol under the city charter as to the acceptance and location of fountains, approved the plan, but because of the limitation of the city bud- get had no funds which they could use to put the fountains in place. 3. Bertha Eugenia, born August 19, 1868: graduate of Phoenix high school: studied two years in Cornell University, and was preceptress of Lawrence- ville Academy, New York: died March 27, 1890, unmarried. 4. Nancy Mary, born Au- gust 1, 1869: studied in Phoenix high school ; married. July 5, 1908, George Cains, of Syra- cuse : resides at Phoenix. New York.
(VI) John Warner, son of John H. Dy- gert, was born February 3, 1835, at Fort Plain, Montgomery county. New York. Like his brother. he worked on his father's farm when a boy and afterward as clerk in his
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father's store. He made some money in the boating business, and built boats in partner- ship with his brother Adam De Witt. In 1860, as told above, he engaged in business with his father. From 1863 to 1865 he acted as deputy sheriff. He was drafted in the draft of 1863. but paid his $300 and staved at home to look after the rebels there. In 1865 he went to the Pennsylvania oil fields, but was eventually unsuccessful and returned to his former home, where he again became in- terested in boats, and accumulated another small fortune. In 1869 he engaged with H. M. Barker and others in the forwarding busi- ness in Buffalo. Since 1889 he has resided in Phoenix and has followed various occupations since then, being now an inspector for the state of New York on the barge canal work. He married, March 22, 1871, at Auburn, New York, Charlotte S. Lee, a widow. She died July 8, 1883, and is buried in the Rural cemetery at Phoenix. They had one child. Harriet Augusta, born December 25. 1878, married, February 7, 1900, at the Methodist Episcopal church, Phoenix, New York, E. Le- Roy Wyckoff, of Groton, New York, now residing at Aurora, New York, where they are conducting a large poultry farm. They have one child, a son, Paul Dygert Wyckoff. Ida Lee, daughter of his wife by her first marriage, married a retired farmer. Alvin Wyckoff, an uncle of E. LeRoy Wyckoff. and resides at Union Springs. New York.
(VI) Anna Maria, daughter of John H. Dygert, was born September 27. 1837. in the town of Lysander, New York. She was edu- cated in the public and private schools and taught several years in Sandy Creek and Phoenix. She also taught elocution and pen- manship. After the death of her mother. she became housekeeper for her father and since 1890 she has performed a similar task for her brother, H. Amenzo, and is unmar- ried. The data for this history, not left in writing by her father, was largely furnished by her, she having visited the old farm in the town of Canajoharie with him, and having been told and shown by him.
(VI) Harriet Noteman, daughter of John H. Dygert, was born June 2, 1840, on the old farm in Schroeppel, and was educated in the Phoenix schools. For a time she was com- positor on the newspaper edited by Mrs. Fran- ces Tucker. She died of consumption. March IO, 1861, unmarried, and was buried in the
old cemetery at Phoenix, but the remains have been removed to the family lot in Rural cemetery.
(\1) Mary A., daughter of John II. Dy- gert, was born November 6, 1842, on the old farm in Schroeppel. After graduating from the public schools she taught several years at Sandy Creek and Schroeppel. After her father's death she made her home in Roches- ter, where after her sister Kittie's death, she remained to care for the children. She died unmarried, April 2, 1903, at Rochester, and is buried in the family lot at Phoenix. She was of a domestic and studious nature, a great reader, and her mind was a storehouse of fact and fiction. If the family or her brothers or sisters wanted any information it was "Aunt Mate" who furnished it.
(VI) H. Amenzo, son of John H. Dygert. was born on his father's farm, near Phoenix, Oswego county, New York, June 17, 1845. His first teacher was Augusta Schenck, who afterward became the wife of Professor Eg- gleston, of Fulton, New York. He was seven years of age when his father removed to the village of Phoenix, and there he attended the district and select schools of the village. Dur- ing a part of this time his attendance was confined to the winter months, as during the summer he was engaged with other boys in the piling of staves for E. F. Gould, where he earned his first shilling, and assisting his father in the latter's grocery store. Later he became a student at the Ames Business Col- lege at Syracuse, from which he was gradu- ated in the spring of 1864. In the fall of the same years he was appointed by the board of education as an assistant teacher at the school in Phoenix. He had studied telegraphy while at the business college, and Dr. Conger. a member of the board of education, induced him to resign his position and assume charge as telegraph operator in the telegraph office. which was located in the drug store conducted by him, and while so employed he took the message announcing the assassination of Presi- dent Lincoln. In connection with this duty he also attended to the work of the drug store. and was thus employed until early in 1868. The summer of this year was spent by Mr. Dygert in assisting Captain James Barnes in making the preliminary survey for what is now the Syracuse Northern Railroad, a branch of the R. W. & O. During 1869) and a portion of 1870 he was employed by H. & M.
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Wandell, dealers in dry goods and groceries ; the remainder of the latter year he worked for Kenyon Potter & Company, druggists of Syracuse ; a year and a quarter was then spent in the employ of C. E. Hutchinson, who com- bined a drug store with the telgraph office and the postoffice. In 1872 and 1873 Mr. Dygert held the office of head clerk in the office of F. David, canal collector, and in April. 1874, he was appointed postmaster at Phoenix, succeeding C. E. Hutchinson, who resigned. He ·purchased the postoffice fix- tures, which at that time were the personal property of the postmaster. and the telegraph line running from Phoenix to Lamson's on the Delaware. Lackawanna & Western rail- road, which had originally been built by pri- vate subscription, but had passed into the possession of Mr. Hutchinson. Mr. Dygert served as postmaster until September, 1885, when he was succeeded by a Democrat ap- pointed by President Grover Cleveland. The campaign of this year, 1885, in Oswego coun- ty. was a hotly contested one, there being four candidates for the nomination for county clerk. Every one of them asked Mr. Dygert for his support, promising him the position of deputy if successful at the polls. This is inside history, but shows what was thought of Mr. Dygert's influence. In the campaign of 1883 for member of assembly. Mr. Dygert canvassed the second assembly district with and for G. M. Sweet who was elected that and the following year. January 1. 1886, he entered upon the duties of a searcher. or abstract clerk in the Oswego county clerk's office under county clerk John Oli- phant : the latter died when his term was about half expired, and David B. Hill, the Democratic governor, appointed John H. Mackin to the vacancy, Mr. Dygert being the only Republican whom Mr. Mackin retained in office. T. M. Costello, the next head of this office and who was afterwards member of assembly for Oswego county, also retained Mr. Dygert in office, and the latter held this post altogether for a period of six years. In 1892 he became associated in a business part- nership with his cousin. F. H. Fox, and they opened the Yates Hotel Pharmacy, adjoining the Yates Hotel in Syracuse on the west. This business was conducted very successfully until the spring of 1896, when they sold out to George E. Thrope. For three years Mr. Dy- gert served as relief clerk in various drug
stores, and June 12, 1899, bought from the heirs of Dr. Conger the drug store which had been conducted by him for so many years, and with whom Mr. Dygert had first entered this business. Since that time he has carried on the business at the old location, Canal street. Phoenix, and from a small store, which had been allowed to run down, he has de- veloped it into a first class county store, with a large stock of goods.
As a leader in various directions, Mr. Dy- gert early showed decided qualifications. In the campaign of 1860 he was captain of a Little Giant Club and took his company to Little Utica, where they had charge of a pole raising for Mr. Dunham. In the summer of 1863 he accompanied the supervisor of the town on a canal boat to Oswego with a num- ber of drafted and enlisted men.
As a very young lad he had learned to set type, and worked for a time as printer's devil on the Phoenix newspaper, of which W. W. Stericker was editor. In the sum- mer of 1863 he was clerk in the dry goods store of Hart & Fish, in Phoenix. Soon after the Central Knife Company was organized. he was elected as president of the corporation, and was chairman of the committee which drew up the by-laws under which it was op- erated. He has served as the president of a number of local political clubs, between 1876 and 1884. He was a member of the county committee in the hotly contested campaign of the latter year, and was alternate delegate to the National convention held at Chicago, which nominated James G. Blaine for presi- dent. He would have been a delegate to the Republican National convention of 1888, which nominated Benjamin Harrison, but gave way for an older man who was a large con- tributor to the campaign fund. It was re- gretted that Mr. Dygert was not named, as the man who was named failed to attend. Mr. Dygert was also a delegate to the Re- publican state convention, which assembled at Saratoga, New York, September 14, 1887. at which General, then Colonel. F. D. Grant. was nominated for secretary of state. For many years he was chairman of the town com- mittee and delegate to almost all of the dis- trict and county conventions between 1870 and 1892, acting very frequently as secre- tary. In the county convention at Pulaski, 1891. he was a candidate for county clerk but withdrew in favor of Mr. Pentelaw who was
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nominated. Mr. Dygert, with another gentle- man, was appointed to escort the nominee be- fore the convention. After the nominee for county clerk had accepted the nomination tendered him, Mr. Dygert was asked to address the convention, which he did and earned well merited applause. He was the leading candidate for the deputy clerkship, but finding that his political opponents were de- laying this matter, he withdrew from the field. This was the reason of his leaving the town and engaging in business in Syracuse.
Mr. Dygert is gifted musically and was for a long time a member of the local musical association known as the Strauss Club. While not a professional in this art, he took part in a double quartette which sang the "Soldier's Farewell" at a musical convention held in the rink in Oswego conducted by the celebrated conductor, Carl Zehran, of Boston. He also sang a part in the cantata of "Esther," and has sung in the chorus of many musical pro- ductions. His literary ability is undoubted. He has written some poetry and has served as correspondent for a number of papers. He resides with his sister in an unassuming house in Phoenix. He is a member of the Congre- gational church, with which he affiliated while living in Oswego. For many years he has been chairman of the board of trustees of the Phoenix church. He was chairman of the building committee that erected the parson- age, to which purpose he was a liberal dona- tor and contributed the last one hundred dol- lars necessary to pay off the mortgage. He has served as clerk of the Church Society connected with the church, has long been a member of the executive committee and for two years president of The Independent Helpers. the largest, and most helpful society connected with the church. As vice-president of the Business Men's Association, he has rendered excellent service. Mr. Dygert is a Knight Templar and a thirty-second degree Mason. His fraternal affiliations are as follows: Cal- limachus Lodge, No. 369, Free and Accepted Masons, Phoenix, New York ; Oswego River Chapter, No. 270, R. A. M., Phoenix. New York : Lake Ontario Commandery, No. 32. K. T., Oswego, New York : Lake Ontario Consis- tory. No. 12, S. P. R. S., Oswego, New York; Phoenix Chapter, No. 172, Order Eastern Star. Phoenix, New York. He also had conferred upon him the ninety degrees of the "Egyptian Masonic Rite of Memphis" and
has a certificate signed by Darius Wilson, ninety-six degree grand master. He was sec- retary of both lodge and chapter for many years, and has now served as treasurer of the lodge for a long period. As worthy chief templar of the Phoenix Lodge of Good Temp- lars and as delegate to the county lodge, and other meetings of the order. he has been highly honored. On his way to the Republi- can national convention at Chicago in 1884. which nominated James G. Blaine for presi- dent. Mr. Dygert had the unique experience of a train all to himself from Syracuse to Suspension Bridge, sleeper, buffet car, colored waiter, etc., etc. Few private persons have such an experience. On Saturday, Septem- ber 16, 1911, he was an honored gitest at a breakfast given to the Hon. William Howard Taft, president of the United States, given by the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, at the Onondaga, the leading hotel of Syracuse. New York. Mr. Dygert has never married. (VI) Catharine (or Kittie, as she was mostly known ), daughter of John H. Dygert, was born February 18, 1848, on the old farm in the town of Schroeppel. She also attended the public and select schools of Phoenix. She was a young lady of attractive face and pleas- ant manners and was a favorite with the young people of her acquaintance. She mar- ried, October 18, 1870, George Herbert Butts. son of Milton T. Butts, a farmer of Phoenix. New York. She lived quite a number of vears at Rochester. New York, where her husband was an express messenger, also sec- retary of a large building and loan associa- tion. She died April 29, 1893, at her home in Rochester, and is buried in the Dygert family lot at Phoenix, New York. She left two children : Irma and Vance Helmer. Irma was born August 18, 1872, on the Butts river farm, town of Schroeppel, and was married December 25, 1895, at Brockport, New York. to William Speck, an employee of the Roch- ester street railway. They now live on a farm near Lyons, New York. She has two children : Catharine Dygert and Elinor Starin Speck. Vance Helmer Butts was born Oc- tober 18. 1878, at Syracuse, New York. He is employed at the knife works, at Perry, New York, as superintendent of a room. He mar- ried, Angust 30, 1903, at Castile, New York. Maude J. Coleman. They have one child. Herbert Coleman Butts, born September 15. 1905. They live at Perry, New York.
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(VI) William Henry, son of John H. Dy- ert, was born October 12, 1850, on the old farm, died September 16, 1852, buried on the old farm.
In early New England records
MOSS there are many of the name of Moss, Morss and Morse, with va- riations of spelling, the most prominent being William, Anthony, Joseph, Samuel and John, who immigrated early in the seventeenth cen- tury, and their descendants. The name Moss was early found among the Jews, the Celtic Irish and the Saxon Nations of the Continent, and the name De Mors was known in Ger- many as early as the year 1200. Hugo de Mors, who lived in England in 1358, and was honored by George III. with a diplo- matic commission, was probably descended from the German family. The name ap- peared in the records of Suffolk county, Eng- land, in 1589, about the same time in Essex county, and also became common in Nor- folk county. Of those who emigrated to New England in early days none were more highly honored by their fellows than John Moss, who is believed to have been a member of a family of high standing in England, on ac- count of his high attainments and evident cul- ture. The family has included many educa- tors, ministers and men of the learned pro- fessions. and the name has always stood for good citizenship.
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