USA > New York > Cattaraugus County > Dayton > Historical and biographical history of the township of Dayton, Cattaraugus County, New York : comprising the villages of Cottage, Wesley, Markham, Dayton, South Dayton, and Fair Plain > Part 9
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THE COTTAGE CEMETARY ASSOCIATION.
The Cottage Cemetary Association was organized in 1850. At that time the cemetary consisted of two and a half acres of land, which plot has been added to from time to time until in now comprises about five acres. This is well laid out and very well kept up. On August 11, 1898, a new corporation was formed and the following officers were elected, and have held from then to the present time. D. S. Alden, Pres .; H. H. Howlett, Vice-Pres .; A. M. Howlett, Sec'y and Treasurer; D. S. Alden, Irving Merrill, E. S. Lafferty, A. M. Howlett, G. A. Newcomb, H. H. Howlett, directors; E. S. Lafferty, Irving Merrill, Geo. A. Newcomb, Ex. Com .; H. H. Howlett, Supt. Many costly monuments have been erected in memory of those who are buried in this cemetary, and many may also be found there which have stood for many years.
GILES N. JOHNSON.
The successful farmer as a rule is a pleasant, intelligent and thoughtful person. As an example of this ideal condition of the farmer is the gentleman whose name heads this article. He is a son of Giles Johnson, a pioneer of the town. He was born October 2, 1840, and his life has been a busy and an influential one. He enlisted as a private in the 154th N. Y. Vols. in July, 1862. He was promoted first to sergeant and later to 2nd Lieutenant. He was honorably discharged on account of wounds in May, 1864. Reared as a farmer he has made this occupation the well-spring from which he has drawn a competence. He now owns and conducts the old homestead near Cottage. He was married July 30, 1862, to Ellen L. Cole, a daughter of another pioneer. Mrs. Johnson is a kind and entertaining woman, a fitting companion for her husband. Their children are Floyd R., born May 30, 1865, and Millie F., born February 27, 1869; she was married October 25, 1893, to G. R. Graves and now resides at Perrysburg. Both Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are members of the M. E. Church and are indefatigable workers. Mr. Johnson is at present one of the town assessors, and has been a Justice of the Peace besides holding various other positions in the church and town. He is a hospitable entertainer and is the friend of all who deserve his friendship.
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GILES N. JOHNSON.
MRS GILES N. JOHNSON.
MR. AND MRS. F. R. JOHNSON.
FLOYD R. JOHNSON.
Floyd R. Johnson, son of G. N. Johnson, was born and reared on the old homestead. He passed an uneventful boyhood and was educated in the common schools and at Chamberlain Institute. Upon stepping out into the arena of life he began improving and tilling the ground. The first calling of the human race and devinely established. "And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed, and the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."-Gen 2: 8 and 15. "And Abel was a keeper of sheep but Cain was a tiller of the ground."-Gen. 4: 2. Thus agriculture was established by the Almighty. Hence it is inferior in dignity and importance to no other and is the basis of all other pursuits. Mr. Johnson has adopted and put into active practice the modern methods of farming and stock raising. He was born May 30, 1865, and married March 10, 1888, Lizzie Young, who was born July 11, 1867. They have two children, Floy M., born March 22, 1890, and Richard G., born February 10, 1897. Mr. Johnson is at present one of the Justices of the town, and an officer of the M. E. church, and numbers his friends by his acquaintances.
DAVID S. ALDEN.
David S. Alden, a retired merchant and one of the substantial citizens of the town of Dayton, was born September 11, 1843, and is a son of Israel and Mary Ann ( Hooker) Alden. He received a common school education, and
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in early life began clerking in his father's store. On December 3, 1862, he purchased the general store of S. P. V. Swan at Cottage. This he successfully conducted for twenty-nine years, and during that time he was postmaster and deputy postmaster for twenty-three years. He has been Notary Public for twelve years, and was the financial man for building both of the churches at Cottage. He has been identified with every interest for the improvement and benefit of Cottage, and her people. He has acted as their banker, their friend, and their counsellor. Mr. Alden married January 11, 1863, Delana E. Hubbard, daughter of Lucius and Harriet Hubbard, who was born April
DAVID S. ALDEN.
29, 1845. She died October 6, 1891. Their children were Glenn A., born December 20, 1863, (Elswhere). M. Blanche born January 24, 1870, she married July 7, 1891, Clarence G. Hubbard, and they reside in Spokane, Washington. Mr. Alden married second January 1, 1895, M. Belle Whiting of Eden, N. Y. Their children were David S., born December 11, 1896, who died September 20, 1898; Mary A., born February 20, 1898, and Abbie E., born March 30, 1900. Mr. Alden has a fine home and happy surroundings, he is a royal entertainer, and one of those who can afford to survey the strife of life with nonchalance.
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ISRAEL H. ALDEN.
MRS. ISRAEL H. ALDEN.
ISRAEL H. ALDEN.
Israel H. Alden was a man of fine and commanding appearance and with a disposition to attract friends. He was born April 1, 1818, in Windsor, Broome County, N. Y., and came to Dayton in 1840, settling near Wesley, where he resided for a short time when he removed to Cottage. On December 13, 1852, he opened a general store at Cottage which he conducted for a number of years. Mr. Alden was possessed of a good natural ability and was well educated, although the common schools were the fountain source of his knowledge. For years he was a Justice of the Peace of the town, a Justice of the Sessions for two terms, and he was admitted into the Methodist Conference to preach. He came to Dayton with that little which he had tied up in a handkerchief and by his industry accumulated a competency. He
died June 15, 1883. He married October 20, 1842, Mary Ann Hooker who was born April 15, 1820, at Stafford, Genesee County, N. Y. She died July 1, 1887. Their children were David S., born September 11, 1843 (See following pages); Huldah Ann N., born September 25, 1845, she married December 31, 1864, A. P. Waters, and now resides at Cottage; Albert A., born June 1, 1847, he married December 7, 1864, Cora Stillman, and they reside in Minneapolis. Minn .; John B., born October 16, 1852, now a. merchant of Jamestown (elsewhere); Harvey Frank, born December 22, 1854, he married October 11, 1880, Essie E. Tage, and they reside in Cincinnati; Naomi C., born September 30, 1857, she married M. N. Johnson and they reside at Austin, Pa.
THE OLD HOMESTEAD-G. A. ALDEN, Prop.
"I see it now, the same unchanging spot, The flat pale house, the knocker garnished door."
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DEWITT C. NASH.
MRS. DEWITT C. NASH.
DEWITT C. NASH.
DeWitt Nash was born July 10, 1818, and died at Cottage, April 27, 1891. "D", as he was called, was one of the first white children born in the town of Dayton, where he always resided, an upright, honorable citizen. His passtime and pleasure trip was with his gun. He was a great hunter and in company with others he would roam the forests of Pennsylvania in search of game, which they always found. He was not a professed Christian yet he was always greatly interested in the welfare of the Union Free Baptist Church
.
OLD HOMESTEAD FARM
THE OLD HOMESTEAD BARN-G. A. ALDEN, PROP.
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at Cottage, always taking an active part in raising the necessary funds for its maintanance. He was twice elected as supervisor of Dayton, which office he filled in a creditable manner. He married October 5, 1842, Julia H. Smith, daughter of another pioneer resident of the town, who still survives him, and resides on the old homestead at Cottage. They had no children, but adopted four all of which are still living.
JOSEPH N. LEONARD.
Joseph N. Leonard was born in the town of Smithfield, Madison County, N. Y., July 27, 1820. He was one of several children of Isaac R. and Lucy (Manchester) Leonard. About 1830, the family came from the town of Augusta, in Oneida county, to the present town of Perrysburg. This portion of the state was then known as the Holland Purchase and coming here meant going west. The family was poor and experienced all the privations incident to pioneer life. In September, 1847, the subject of this sketch was married to Maryette Edgerton, a daughter of Hiram Edgerton, a native of Vermont, and himself one of the pioneers of the town of Dayton. The young couple, like many others, of those days, started poor but with a strong determination to make their way in the world and to accumulate something for old age. It was no light task; it meant hard work and rigid economy, but both did well their part and reasonable success crowned their efforts. Politics never had any fascina- tion for Mr. Leonard; he never attended a caucus or convention in his life and never sought or held political office. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard have one child, a son, Irving R. Leonard of Gowanda, N. Y. JOSEPH N. LEONARD. At the ages of nearly 81 and 71, respect- ively, they own and occupy, with other lands, the farm which Hiram Edgerton bought of the Farmers' Loan and Trust Co. in 1840, and which has not been out of the family since that time.
ISAAC R. LEONARD.
Isaac R. Leonard, was born in Middlebury, Plymouth County, Mass., April 22, 1794; and was a son of Noah and Mehitible (Richmond) Leonard. Noah Leonard was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and Isaac R. Leonard was for seven years a soldier in the war of 1812, and for several years after that served in the New York State militia. He was married to Lucy Manchester December 8, 1817, and they had seven children as
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ISAAC R. LEONARD.
follows: Joseph N. Leonard, now living in Dayton; Otis W. Leonard, who died at Cario, Mich., in November, 1890; Maria Lafferty, wife of Albert A. Lafferty, and now living at Dayton; Schuyler B. Leonard, who died October 17, 1849; Maryette R. Leonard, who died October 31, 1849; Ellen Lafferty, widow of D. W. Lafferty, and who now lives at Dayton; Lianda Darbee. widow of the late John A. Darbee, and who died in 1870. When the subject of this sketch was a small boy, Noah Leonard moved his family to the town of Smithfield, Madison County, N. Y., where he died at the advanced age of ninety years. Isaac R. Leonard moved to the town of Perrysburg about the year 1830, and about 1838 moved to the town of Dayton, where he died in 1864, at the age of sixty- nine years.
HIRAM EDGERTON.
Hiram Edgerton was born at Wallingford, Rutland County, Vt., in the year 1800. In 1821 he moved to the town of Ellery, Chautauqua County, N. Y., where he was soon after married to Louisa Pomeroy; five children were born to them; one died in infancy and the other four are still living, being Maryette Leonard, wife of Joseph N. Leon- ard of Dayton; Daniel G. Edgerton of Carbondale, Colorado; Cordelia, widow of Robert W. Marshall of North East, Pa .; Lavinia. widow of Martin Merrifield of Corry, Pa. Louisa Edgerton died about 1840 and a few years later the husband was married to Mary Ann Judd, by whom he had three children, one of whom died in infancy; George D. Edgerton, who died a few years ago at Earlville Ill., and Edmund A. Edgerton now living at Lansing, Mich. In 1836, Hiram Edgerton moved to the town of Dayton and settled on lot No. 47, where he continued to reside for upwards of HIRAM EDGERTON. thirty years; later he moved to Nashville, Chautauqua County, where he died in June, 1871.
"How far that little candle throws its beams; so shines a good deed in a naughty world."
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BARZILLAI MERRILL.
MRS. BARZILLAI MERRILL.
HEMAN AND BARZILLAI MERRILL.
Heman Merrill came the town of Dayton about the year 1815, and settled on lot 31, where he continued to reside until his death which occurred June 1, 1871. His wife's name before her marriage was Amelia Hawkins and she died Jan. 16, 1865. They had a large family of childern all but three of whom are deceased. Mrs. Norman M. Allen was his youngest daughter. He was a farmer by occupation and followed that calling as long as he was able to work. He and his wife were both members of the Baptist Church and did as much as any others in the town to sustain the preaching of the gospel and the upbuilding of the Christian religion. He was an honest consciencious man, respected by all his neighbors and acquaintances. Poor people always found in him one who was willing to assist them in their struggles with poverty. He invariably acted what he thought and believed to be right and was respected for it. Many positions of trust were conferred upon him by the town among which was the office of Supervisor which he held for two years. His son Silas H. was at one time Superintendent of the Poor of Cattaraugus County, and was killed at the Ashtabula Bridge disaster December 29, 1876. Another son Barzillai, was born March 29, 1818, and was killed May 2, 1863, at Chancellorsville, Va. He married February 26, 1839, Ruba Cole, who died November 1, 1897, at Cottage. Their children were Eber W., born May 24, 1840, died June 14, 1841; Asa E., born October 8, 1841, died in infancy; Nancy A., born October 12, 1843, resides at Cottage; Alva C., born March 18, 1845, killed at Chancellorsville, Va., May 5, 1865; Irving, born October 20, 1850, married October 3, 1871, Eva Shults of West Perrysburg, and they reside on the homestead at Cottage.
Heman Merrill was loved, respected and honored by his neighbors.
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Peaceful himself he was at all times ready to make sacrifices to keep peace and good will among others. He lived and died esteemed beyond most men for his fidelity and integrity.
WM. HOWLETT.
MRS WM. HOWLETT.
WILLIM HOWLETT.
William Howlett, son of Sir Francis Howlett, was born January 30, 1779, in Birmingham, England, and came to America when a young man. He had two brothers, John and Thomas, and three sisters, Mary, Sarah, and Hannah. He lived in Rupert, Vt .; married Sarah Hays and their children were William, Laura, Thomas, Sarah, Alice, Francis and Deliah. Francis- married Patience Cleveland; Alice married Ebenezer Haven and they have had three children Julia, Mary, and Ellen. William Howlett son of Sarah and William Howlett was born July 11, 1806, in Rupert, Vt. He married October 6, 1829, Betsey Phelps, daughter of Abel and Betsey (Moses) Phelps of Rutland, Vt. In 1833 he came from Castleton, Vt., to Dayton, settling at Cottage. Their children were Sarah, born November 17, 1830, she married Luther Landon and they reside at Cottage; Francis, born September 5, she died May 15, 1835; Horace H., born .January 26, 1836; Moses W., born November 16, 1839, both prosperous farmers at Cottage; William Howlett died at Cottage, June 25, 1879, and his wife Betsey, March 12, 1887. Both Mr. and Mrs. Howlett were very hospitable and liberal in their help to the needy. They were friends to the friendless and good to all.
THE actual increase of population in this country in the last ten years is
1 about 13,225,000. The rate of increase in the period from 1880 to 1890 averaged about 2} per cent. each year.
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WESLEY.
They were a genial, social people ; They entertained, they made one feel at home.
I N THE southeastern part of the town, about 1830, a hamlet began to form at the junction of the Jamestown Road with several cross roads. This hamlet was called Socialty, probably on account of the social character of its people. That name was also applied to the postoffice, which was established before 1833 with Ephraim Dutton, as postmaster. This was the first office in the town and was continued until the completion of the Erie Railroad and the establishment of other offices in 1852 when the business became so meager that it was discontinued. Nelson Hillebert was the last postmaster. The Wesley post-office was established, March 6, 1884, with Charles W. Hall as postmaster. The present postmaster is E. K. Parke. At this place in 1833, William H. Leland opened the first store in town. He also conducted a public house and continued both for about ten years. Later Franklin Philbrick kept a store, and Harry Howard the tavern, and as Howard's Corners the place was called until 1884, when in honor of Charles Wesley Hall the name was changed to Wesley. Just why the change was not made back to the original name is not known. It would have been very appropriate for a more social class of people is not to be found. After Harry Howard's retirement from the hotel Leander Bacon became the proprietor and others followed for short periods. E. K. Parke & Son are the only merchants there now. There is a cheese factory, a blacksmith shop, a school, a very neat Methodist church, and among the dwellings that of A. G. Parke, one of the finest in the whole town.
ANDREW G. PARKE.
Among the best of the descendants coming from English settlers who made America their home more than two centuries ago, the Parke family of Dayton contains several representatives and stands prominently to view, is recognized as containing the leading citizens, business men, and farmers of their locality. Andrew G. Parke is a son of Sidney and Cornelia Elizabeth (Kibbe) Parke and was born August, 6, 1839 on the Gile Johnson farm, located between Wesley and Markham, now owned by William Greiner. His father was born
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MRS. ANDREW G. PARKE.
ANDREW G. PARKE.
in 1805, in Sherburne, Chenango County, N. Y., and came to Dayton about 1826. He was a brother to Avery Parke (see following pages) and was well known in Dayton. Sidney was a son of Ephriam Parke, born at Preston, Conn., in 1770. He was a son of Elisha Parke, born at Preston in 1746. He was a son of Rev. Paul Parke, born at Preston in 1720. He was a son of Hezikiah Parke, born at Preston, in 1680. He was son of Robert Parke, born at Preston, in 1650. He was a son of Thomas Parke, born at Preston, in England, in about 1620, and came to America with his father, Robert Parke, who was born at Preston, Lancashire, England, in 1580, and who came to America on the Arabella, as secretary to Governor Winthrop and landed at Boston, June 17, 1630.
LESTER A. PARKE. ALZINA C. (PARKE) JONES. EARLE S. PARKE.
His mother was the daughter of Joseph Stanton Kibbe, who was descended from Israel Kibbe, who came from Sommersetshire, England, and settled at Sommers, Conn., (named after their old home) in 1731.
Andrew G. Parke and his sister, Betsey Elizabeth, now Mrs. Milo D. Cole, were the only ones of five who survived childhood. Early opportunities were poor, owing to inadequate facilities in those days and the poor health of his parents made it necessary for him as a boy to assume the duty of running the farm in the town of Leon, to which they had removed in the year 1854. He early showed signs of wonderful ability and endurance. When 23 years of age he enlisted in Co. B. 154th N. Y. Vols. and served three years. During that time he was engaged in many of the fiercest battles of the war. He went "Marching through Georgia," with Sherman to the sea. He was captured and entertained in Salisbury prison and suffered many hardships. On his return, his parents having passed away, he took up the farm where he had
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LOG HOUSE OF SIDNEY PARKE.
"Give me the old time cabin home Where first I saw the light o' day."
left it. January 1, 1866, he married Mary D. Hall, daughter of William G. Hall (see pioneers). She was born in the town of New Albion, September 15, 1845, and received her education in the district schools and the Cattaraugus High School. From marriage her history has been contemporaneous with
RESIDENCE OF ANDREW G. PARKE.
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that of her husband, having at all times acted well her part, being a loyal wife and a noble Christian mother. They began life together in the log house, a picture of which is here shown, but the Leon hills were too steep for them and they removed to Wesley. He bought from William G. Hall, the Leander Bacon farm, upon which stood the old tavern, a familiar land mark to the old settlers, which, like the Irishman's jacknife, has been several times made over but is still the same old house. Here they lived most of the time until 1894, since which time they have occupied their new home. He has cleared, underdrained and improved the 300 acres of his farm until it is now one of the finest in Western New York. He has also a 250 acre farm on Nash hill under good cul- tivation and with good buildings. He
SIDNEY PARKE.
has long attended to doing things on a large scale and a scientific basis. Practically all the farm work is done by machinery and he is very successful in scientific fertilizing. All his stock drink warmed water in the winter. Last fall he added a silo to his accumulations and is continually adding all modern improvements. His methods of
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BARNS OF ANDREW G. PARKE.
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farming have proven very profitable and pleasant. His tendency to manage well, showed even as a boy and later in camp; his "bump" for making a good "deal" was well developed. For twenty years he has been engaged in the wholesale hay and grain trade, shipping to all large eastern cities, thus making a market for his own and for much of the surplus produce in his vicinity of Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties. His home is a model one. The home farm lies all level or rolling, is well drained and under good cultivation and produces a handsome income. His buildings are up-to date all on stone walls and are kept well painted. The house is finished in natural wood, sets on little hill at Wesley, is sewered, has running water-hot and cold, furnace, bath, and all the conveniences of a modern city home but is still a convenient farm house in all respects. He has a family of four children, one having passed away; Fenton Marion, residing in Buffalo; Alzina Cornelia, wife of Earl D. Jones of Wellsville; Lester Anson, now in Cornell University; and Earle Sidney in the Cattaraugus High School.
We love to see a farmer toil, No coat, no vest, nor e'en a hat; We love to see him buy and sell, " A man's a man for a' of that."
AVERY PARKE.
Avery Parke, son of Ephriam (see A. G. Parke) was born in Sherburne, Chenango County, N. Y., in 1800, and came to Dayton in 1826, cleared a farm in the eastern part of the town, now owned by E. K. Parke. He was the first Justice of the Peace in the town of Dayton, which office he held for many years. He was a very public spirited citizen and was well and favorably known. He died at Dayton, November 8, 1876. He married Lodema Ann, daughter of Alexander Nash of Dayton, December 31, 1828; she died June 30, 1844. Their children were Esek Kimball, born September 6, 1830; Elisha F , born July 22,-died July 14, 1834; Electa Ann, born August 15, 1834, married Dr. M. P. Roberts, who for many years practiced his profession in the town of Dayton; Achsah M., born August 1, 1836, married P. S. Allen, and resides at Wesley ; Porter A., born June 27, 1839, married Amelia English and resides at Wesley; Anson N., born June 24, 1844, was a member of Co. B., 154th N. Y. S V., and died at Lookout Valley, Tenn., March 24, 1864; Hudson H., born June 3, 1849, died January 20, 1894; Hudson H. was a lawyer by profession and dealt in Buffalo real estate extensively. Avery Parke was an old time Methodist and his barn was used as a place of worship in the early days.
ESEK K. PARKE.
Esek K. Parke, a gentleman largely identified with the agricultural and business interests of the town of Dayton, is a son of Avery and Lodema (Nash) Parke and was born in the town of Dayton, September 6, 1830. The Parke family are descended from a long line of noble English ancestry who came to America as early as 1630. Mr. Parke secured the usual education acquired by boys of his time at the district school, and he was reared as a
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.5
AVERY PARKE.
ESEK K. PARKE.
LINCOLN A. PARKE.
THREE GENERATIONS OF JUSTICES.
farmer and always followed farming besides buying and selling live-stock and kindred work. He owns a fertile farm of nearly 400 acres which is thoroughly tilled. He farms it to make money, which he does, and is thoroughly up to date in all his methods. His buildings are good and are kept in excellent condition. His barn a picture of which is here shown is one of the best in Cattaraugus County. It is well built.
He has a round silo made of Red Gulph Cypress matched and lined with porcelain cement a capacity of 160 tons and he will erect another of the same capacity this year. This is some evidence of the utility of the silo. Besides his landed interests in company with his son, L. A. Parke, he owns and conducts a general store. Politically, Mr. Parke is a Republican and was Justice of the Peace for several terms. He is held in respect by his neighbors and those with whom he comes in contact, not only for his sterling qualities but by reason of his honesty and integrity as well. He married December 25, 1852, Emeline O. Wade, daughter of William D. and Eugenia Wade, who was born in Wayne County, December 8, 1832. Their children are Roselia A., born October 6, 1852, she married July 3, 1871, Rowland Hall, and they have one son, Olin, born April 14, 1885, they reside at Wesley; Lincoln A. E. K. Parke was appointed Postmaster April 10, 1900, and the office is conducted by his son, L. A., as Assistant Postmaster. Mr. Parke has at present the finest herd of Holstein cattle in Cattaraugus County. They number about 100 head.
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