USA > New York > Cayuga County > History of Cayuga County, New York > Part 26
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
SEARING, HON. ADOLPHUS H. Born August 25, 1855, in the town of Scipio, Cayuga County; educated in the common schools and at Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the law department of Michigan University at Ann Arbor, in 1882; commenced practice in the City of Auburn that year; elected special county judge in 1889, and county judge in 1901, succeeding Judge Day. He died in office at the City of Auburn, March 26, 1907.
315
BENCH AND BAR
SPECIAL COUNTY JUDGES.
The gentlemen who have filled this office and who now "rest from their labors" are as follows:
Charles J. Hulburt, elected in 1852; Fayette G. Day, elected in 1857; Amzi Wood, elected in 1863; William B. Mills, elected ir 1872 and Reuben F. Hoff, elected in 1874.
Although the office was created in this county by an act of the legislature passed April 10, 1849, the term being three years, I am unable to find that any person was elected prior to 1852.
SURROGATES.
Prior to 1821, surrogates were designated by the council of appointment; from 1821 to 1846 appointed by the governor and senate and since the latter date have been elected.
Moses DeWitt and Thomas Mumford, the latter a resident of Aurora-were surrogates of Onondaga County from 1794 to 1799, when Cayuga County was erected.
CUYLER, HON. GLEN. Was the first surrogate of Cayuga County ; at the time of his designation he was a resident of the village of Aurora, where he had practised from 1794; designated surrogate March 14, 1799, and served until February 5, 1811 ; again designated February 26, 1813, and served until February 28, 1815. He died at Aurora, September 21, 1832.
BURNHAM, HON. ELEAZOR: came to Aurora from Bennington, Vermont, in 1798 and entered the office of Judge Walter Wood, as a student; admitted to the bar and practised in Aurora until he was designated surrogate, which office he held from February 5, 1811 to February 26, 1813 and again from February 28, 1815 to June 7, 1820. He represented this county in the Assembly in 1826.
WOOD, HON. SENECA, who was a son of Judge Walter Wood, held the office from June 7, 1820 to February 14, 182 1.
316
HISTORY OF CAYUGA COUNTY
CUYLER, HON. BENJAMIN L. Born in Aurora, Cayuga County, September 15, 1797 ; self educated; read law with his father, Glen Cuyler, in Aurora where he commenced practice in 1819; appointed surrogate February 14, 1821, and held the office until his death, June 30, 1826.
PORTER, HON. JOHN. Came to Auburn from Massachusetts and commenced practice in 1812; appointed surrogate March 12, 1828, and held office for eight years; he was elected to the State Senate in 1843 and served three years; appointed district-attorney Febru- ary 14, 1821 and served until 1828. In 1834, he formed a co- partnership with Nelson Beardsley, Esq., which continued until 1838 when Benjamin F. Hall was admitted as a third partner. Their practice was very successful and Mr. Porter is recognized by former histories as having been a leading and very successful member of our bar. He died in October, 1873.
How, HON. THOMAS Y. Served from March 18, 1836 to April 14, 1840, when he was succeeded by George H. Wood, who served until February 15, 1844, being succeeded by Charles B. Perry, who served from February 15, 1844 to June of 1847, when he was succeeded by Jacob How.
WOODIN, HON. WILLIAM B. Born in the town of Genoa, Cayuga County, September 25, 1824; graduated from the academy at Homer, Cortland County, in 1841; represented the Second District of Cayuga County in the Assembly in 1855; elected surrogate in 1859 and served until 1871; State Senator in 1871, and was chosen president pro tem of that body; re-elected in 1873, serving as chairman of the committee on cities; again elected in 1879. He was a lawyer of conceded ability and had the reputation of being the most brilliant orator the county had up to that time produced. During his service in the Senate he was the conceded "Nestor" of that body. He died in Auburn, November 1, 1893.
DAVIE, HON. JOHN T. M. Was one of the older practitioners of the city when the writer was admitted. He was a man of con-
317
BENCH AND BAR
ceded legal ability and ranked high as a member of the bar He possessed great judicial ability and all of the time that he could spare from his duties as surrogate was given to the hearing of references sent to him because of his extraordinary and conceded fitness to satisfactorily discharge the duties of a referee. He was elected surrogate in November, 1871, and died in office on October II, 1883.
SPECIAL SURROGATES.
The office of special surrogate, like that of special county judge, was created in this county at the same time (1849) and in the same manner. I am unable to find any record of the election of a special surrogate until 1852, and am therefore led to the belief that the first incumbent of this office was elected in that year.
Those members of the bar-now dead-who have been elected to and discharged the duties of the office, with the date of their election, are as follows :
Solomon Giles, 1852; Campbell W. Haynes, 1855; John T. M. Davie, 1861; Gardiner C. Gifford, 1867; John T. M. Davie, 1870; Richard C. Steel, 1871.
THE CITY COURT OF THE CITY OF AUBURN.
This court was created by the charter of 1879 and superseded, as to civil jurisdiction in the city, the then existing courts of justices of the peace. Its presiding officer is designated the "city judge. "
WOODIN, HON. EDWIN A., was the first city judge and the only person who has held that office that is now deceased. He was born in the town of Scipio, Cayuga County, February 12, 1865; education common school; read law with his father, Hon. William B. Woodin and was admitted to the bar at Rochester in 1871, in which year he commenced practice in the City of Auburn which he continued until his death on January 20, 1886. He was elected
318
HISTORY OF CAYUGA COUNTY
city judge in 1879 and served one term of four years; he was an active politician and held several minor offices, among them supervisor of the second ward in 1877-8, and chairman of the Republican County Committee; he was a Knight Templar and a charter member of the Wheeler Rifles of which he was president until the amended military code abolished that office and made captains the presiding officers of military companies. Mr. Woodin was a man of great executive ability, absolutely fearless and possessed of good judgment. He enjoyed a very successful prac- tice in his chosen profession and ranked high at the bar. In 1877- associated with the Hon. John D. Teller-he represented the city before the State Board of Assessors on its appeal from the action of the Board of Supervisors in equalizing taxes. He was appointed city attorney in March, 1884, and held that office until his death. All who knew him well admired his ability, trusted his fidelity and honored his integrity.
THE RECORDER'S COURT.
This court was also created by the charter of 1879, and super- seded the then Police Court held by the police justice. Its juris- diction is criminal.
COOTES, CHARLES E., was the first recorder, and the only person who has held that office that is now deceased. He came to Auburn from Cazenovia, N. Y., in 1858, and entered the Theological Sem- inary as a student in 1861. Before the completion of his studies for the ministry, he left the seminary, commenced the study of law and was admitted to the bar. Elected city clerk in 1863 and served one year; subsequently elected police justice and resigned before the expiration of his term on account of impaired health. Appointed chief of police by Mayor Ross and served in 1874, and by Mayor Walley and served in 1878. Elected recorder in March, 1879 and served one term of four years. He died at his residence in the city on April 16, 1883.
319
BENCH AND BAR
DISTRICT-ATTORNEYS.
Those who have filled this office (now dead) with the date of their appointment or election, follow :
William Stuart, March 2, 1802; Daniel W. Lewis, March 9, 1810; William Stuart, February 12, 1811; Vincent Mathews, March 12, 1813; Daniel Conger, April 17, 1815; Joseph L. Richard- son, January 11, 1818; John Porter, February 14, 1821; Theodore Spencer, March 12, 1828; Richard L. Smith, January 21, 1832; Michael S. Myers, January 25, 1838; Dennison Robinson, January 27, 1841; Luman Sherwood, January 3, 1844; Ebenezer W. Arms, January 3, 1847; Theodore M. Pomeroy, November, 1850; Solomon Giles, November, 1856; George I. Post, November, 1859; Richard C. Steel, November, 1862; Charles C. Dwight, March 27, 1866; Willim B. Mills, November, 1866.
ALLEN, WILLIAM. Born in Greenfield, Saratoga County, N. Y., September 25, 1817. The following year his father moved to the old town of Scipio-now Ledyard-this county; self educated; read law in the office of David Wright in the City of Auburn; ad- mitted to the bar in 1837 and formed a partnership that year with Mr. Wright; he was thereafter associated with John Porter, Alonzo G. Beardsley and Theodore M. Pomeroy in the firms of Porter & Allen, Allen & Beardsley and Allen & Pomeroy. He later abandoned general practice and made a specialty of patent law; appointed postmaster in Auburn in 1861 by President Lincoln and held the office until 1869; he was director of the National Exchange Bank; a trustee of the Auburn Water Works Company and of the Auburn Manufacturing Company. During his latter years he travelled extensively seeking relief from asthma from which he was a great sufferer. He died in Auburn, January 7, 1881.
320
HISTORY OF CAYUGA COUNTY
THE BAR-DECEASED MEMBERS.
AIKEN, LEONARD O. Born at Antrim, New Hampshire, Sep- tember 14, 1805; read law with Jonathan Hussey at Moravia and later with the Hon. Freeborn G. Jewett at Skaneateles, Augustus Donnelly, and Judge C. Edward Reed of Homer, Cortland County; admitted to the Court of Common Pleas in 1828 and to the Supreme Court July 30th of that year; commenced practice in Moravia in 1831, retired in 1875, and died in the late 70's.
AUSTIN, MORTIMER V. Born in Moravia, this county, in 1842; common school education; read law with E. C. Brown in Moravia and later with Cox & Avery in Auburn; admitted to the bar in 1868, from which time until his death on June 24, 1899, he prac- tised his profession in the city ; elected police commissioner in 1886 and mayor of the city in 1887, which office he filled for two years.
BARKER, HON. GEORGE. Born in the town of Venice, Cayuga County, November 6, 1823; graduated from the Aurora Academy in 1843; read law with David Wright in Auburn; admitted to the bar in 1847 and practised in Auburn until the following January when he removed to Fredonia, Chautauqua County ; elected district- attorney of that county in 1853; in 1867 a member of the consti- tutional convention; elected a justice of the Supreme Court in November, 1867 and re-elected in 1876. During the greater part of his last fourteen years on the bench he was a member of the General Term, Fourth Judicial Department, and for several years its presiding justice.
BAKER, CHARLES M., was an active and successful practitioner in the City of Auburn from the time of his admission in the late 70's until the year 1901, when he suffered a stroke of paralysis which incapacitated him from further work. For five years he was a patient at the Auburn City Hospital and Geneva Sanitarium, in the former of which he died on September 19, 1906.
321
BENCH AND BAR
BRADFORD, THOMAS J. Read law with N. Lansing Zabriskie in Aurora and later with Milo Goodrich in Auburn; graduated from the law department of Union College and was admitted to the bar in 1876, in which year he commenced practice in Aurora and continued it for several years after which he removed from the county. The place and date of his death I am unable to ascertain.
BEARDSLEY, ALONZO G. Born in the present town of Venice, this county, on July 11, 1820, and came with his parents to Auburn in 1836; read law with John Porter, Esq., with whom he formed a co-partnership on being admitted to the bar; practised until 1848, from which year he gave his entire time to the interests of cor- porations with which he had become identified. In that year he was one of the incorporators of the Oswego Starch Factory and was elected its secretary and later its treasurer which dual position he filled for more than fifty years. In 1858 he formed a co-partnership with Cary S. Burtis and Franklin Sheldon for the manufacture of mowers and reapers which business was later incorporated as the Cayuga Chief Manufacturing Company and was later consolidated with the D. M .- Osborne Company upon which consolidation Mr. Beardsley became the first treasurer of the new company. He was one of the organizers of the Auburn Water Works Company and its president until the plant was pur- chased by the city. For more than forty years he was a director and vice-president of the Cayuga County National Bank and its first cashier. He was a director of the Exchange Bank and for many years was associated with George Casey in the manufacture of planes. He died at Auburn, August 14, 1906.
BEARDSLEY, NELSON. Born in Oxford, Conn., May 30, 1807; graduated from Yale College in 1827 and immediately thereafter removed to Auburn and commenced the reading of law with John W. Hurlburt, Esq., finishing his studies in the office of Honorable William H. Seward; admitted to the bar in 1830; practised until 1843, when he abandoned practice to accept the position of presi-
21
322
HISTORY OF CAYUGA COUNTY
dent of the Cayuga County National Bank, which position he held until his death in 1894. He was a director and officer in several other banks in the city for many years.
BEARDSLEY, WILLIAM C. Born at Stewart's Corners in the old town of Scipio, this county, March 27, 1816; educated in the common schools and academies at Aurora, Cayuga County, and Homer, Cortland County; read law with his brother Nelson Beardsley and Honorable William H. Seward. After his admission to the bar he was appointed a Master in Chancery the duties of which position he discharged for several years, but preferred an active business life to that of practising law. For many years he held the positions of cashier and president of the Auburn Exchange Bank; he was trustee of the Auburn Savings Bank from 1878 until his death; one of the original stockholders of the Cayuga County National Bank, and treasurer of the Merchants Union Express Company until its consolidation with the American; he was promi- nent in the reorganization of the Grand Trunk Railway in Michigan, and a director of the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada; he was one of the first trustees of the Fort Hill Cemetery Association and filled such office until his death, serving a portion of such time as its president ; postmaster 1841 to 1845; in 1852 he was a presi- dential elector. He died at his residence in the City of Auburn, where he had lived for sixty years continuously, on January 25, 1900.
BLATCHFORD, HON. SAMUEL. Born in the City of New York, March 9, 1820; graduated from Columbia College in 1837; admitted to the bar as attorney in 1842 and as counselor in 1845 in which year he came to Auburn and formed a co-partnership with William H. Seward and Christopher Morgan; removed to New York City in 1854; appointed United States district judge for the Southern District of New York in 1867; promoted in 1878 to Federal Circuit judge and appointed in 1882 associate judge of the United States Supreme Court. He died in Newport, Rhode Island, July 7, 1893.
323
BENCH AND BAR
BRONSON, PARLIMENT, came to Auburn from Vernon, Oneida county, N. Y., about 1825 and formed a co-partnership with Richard L. Smith. He is said to have been a highly educated and profound lawyer and to have enjoyed an extensive and remunerative practice. He died June 20, 1857.
BROWN, ERASTUS, E. Born in Jordan, Onondaga County, October 26, 1836; read law in Auburn; graduated from the law school at Poughkeepsie in 1860, and was admitted to the bar in 1861 in which year he commenced practice at Moravia; removed to Lincoln, Nebraska, in the spring of 1870, where he enjoyed a suc- cessful practice until his death.
BROWN, WILLIAM. Read law while a minister of the Gospel, was admitted, came to Auburn in 1813, and engaged in active practice until 1830, when he removed to Brooklyn where he died in 1860.
BYRNE, WALTER ALOYSIUS. Born in Auburn November 22, 1869; educated in the common schools of the city and St. Mary's parochial school; graduated from the High School in 1887, and entered the law department of Cornell University at Ithaca in the fall of that year, graduating in 1889 ; he continued his studies in the office of Payne & O'Brien at Auburn until his admission to the bar in April, 1891 ; practised his profession in our city for seven years, then entered the office of Justice William H. Kelly in New York City where he remained until failing health compelled his retirement from active practice. He died in the city of New York, October 28, 1901.
CAPRON, A. B. Came to Union Springs from Cortland County in 1860 and practised there until 1862 when he enlisted and died in the service.
CONVERSE, HOWELL B. Born in the town of Mentz, Cayuga County, June 17, 1838; common school and academic education ; read law with Finlay W. King in Port Byron, and was admitted to
324
HISTORY OF CAYUGA COUNTY
the bar in 1860; elected and served as coroner in 1866-7 ; justice of the peace, 1868-9 ; served some years as justice for sessions ; elected to the Assembly and served one term. In 1899, elected supervisor and served until his death in 1901.
COLLINS, NOYES S. Born in Camden, Oneida County, N. Y., in 1851; graduated from the Albany Law School and was admitted to the bar in 1875, during which year he commenced practice in Union Springs removing from there a few years later. The date and place of his death I am unable to ascertain.
COOK, HORACE T. Born in the town of Aurelius, this county, July 22, 1822; educated in the common schools; read law with George Rathbun and later with William H. Seward; admitted to the bar in 1844; he practised in Auburn and served as justice of the peace until elected county treasurer in 1848, the duties of which office prevented further active practice. Mr. Cook filled the office of county treasurer continuously from 1848 until his death in 1897, discharging its many and arduous duties with rare ability and fidelity.
CORNWELL, WILLIAM I., came from Dutchess County to Weeds- port in 1830 and commenced practice in 1836; he was a member of Assembly in 1846-7 and state senator in 1848-9; canal appraiser from 1852 to 1856 and auditor of the Canal Department from April, 1855 to January, 1856. He died at Weedsport in 1897.
CROPSEY, JOHN E. Born at Marlboro-on-the-Hudson, New York, December 2, 1826, and came with his father's family to the town of Locke, this county, in 1829; educated at the village school in Milan-now Locke-and at the Cortland Academy; read law with Orlem White at Milan ; admitted to the bar at Ithaca, Tompkins County, in 1855; he practised in the villages of Milan and Moravia and was a justice of the peace of the town of Locke for sixteen years and a supervisor in 1863-4. He died in the town of Sennett on October 19, 1903.
1
325
BENCH AND BAR
DURSTON, CHARLES F. Born in England in 1836; educated in the common schools and at the Cazenovia Academy from which he graduated and studied for the ministry; commenced the study of law in the office of David Wright, Esq., in the City of Auburn in 1861, and completed his reading in the office of Warren T. Worden, Esq., with whom after his admission to the bar he formed a co-part- nership which continued until 1872; later formed a co-partnership with Charles L. Adams and was a member later of the legal firms of Durston & Pingree and Durston & Warren; city clerk in 1864. Appointed agent and warden of Auburn State Prison in July, 1875, and served two years. Again appointed July 1, 1887, and served until May 1, 1893, when he was transferred to Sing Sing Prison, as agent and warden, which position he held until his death on October 12, 1894.
ELLIS, ELIAS M. Born at Aurora, this county, September I, 1846 and educated at the Cayuga Lake Academy in that village; read law with Oliver Wood and was admitted to the bar June 7, 1869 ; practised in Moravia two years when he removed to Levanna, this county, and continued his practice until July 1, 1874, when he entered the employ of the Cayuga Railroad Company with headquarters at Ithaca and later died there as I am informed.
FOSGATE, WILLIAM. Born in the town of Florida, Montgomery County, N. Y., April 3, 1812, removing to Auburn with his parents in 1822; educated in the public schools of the city; read law with Hon. William H. Seward and after being admitted to the bar was an active practitioner in the city until his health became impaired to such an extent as to compel his retirement; he filled the position of master in chancery acceptably for several years and was clerk of the village of Auburn in 1838. When in practice he had the reputation of being one of the most brilliant lawyers in Central New York. He died at his residence in this city, August 19, 1897.
GOODRICH, HON. MILO. Born in Homer, Cortland County, N Y., January 3, 1822; educated at the academy in that village and at
326
HISTORY OF CAYUGA COUNTY
Oberlin College, Ohio; read law with Judge Barton at Worcester, Mass., and was admitted to the bar of this state in 1844, commen- cing practice at Dryden, Tompkins County ; removed to Auburn in the spring of 1875, where he continued active practice until his death in 1876. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1867-8, and of the Forty-Second Congress. He was a lawyer of eminent ability and an acknowledged leader of the bar of this county.
HALL, HON. BENJAMIN F. Born in the town of Whitehall, Washington, County, N. Y., on July 23, 1814, and came to Auburn in the fall of 1835; he had completed three years of law study in Washington County and finished his reading in the offices of Judge Elijah Miller and his successors in practice, Seward & Beardsley, being admitted to the bar in 1837; the following year he became the junior partner in the law firm of Porter, Beardsley & Hall in which he remained until the close of the year 1841 when he formed a partnership with John P. Hurlbert; in 1846 the firm was dissolved and Mr. Hall practised alone until March of 1861, when he was appointed chief justice of the Territory of Colorado and discharged the duties of that responsible and high judicial office in such a com- mendable manner that upon his retirement he was presented with a resolution adopted by the bar and entered in the minutes of the court containing the following clause best evidencing their respect and admiration for him as a jurist and the extraordinary success of his administration.
"The results of your administration of the law here for nearly four years fully vindicate your policy and judgment. It devolved upon you when you came here to lay the foundation of a future civilization and to erect upon it the edifice of a systematic and enlightened judiciary. That you have succeeded in this to a remarkable extent the records of this court attest. You leave behind you the evidence of unusual foresight, untiring industry,
327
BENCH AND BAR
great legal ability, purity of intention and of an inflexible purpose to be faithful to your trust."
In 1840, he was appointed an examiner in chancery serving for three years; in 1844 he represented the county in the legislature; in 1852 he served one year as mayor of the city. After his return from Colorado he was tendered the office of consul-general to Valparaiso, which he declined, but later accepted the position and served as superintendent to commercial statistics in the state department under Secretary Seward. He died at his residence in Auburn, September 6, 1891.
HILLS, HAROLD E. Born in Auburn in 1859; education com- mon school and Cornell University; read law with Charles F. Dur- ston and later with Richard C. Steel and was admitted to the bar in 1882 ; elected city clerk in 1881 and served one term after which he practised in the city until his death on May 13, 1893.
HOFF, HON. REUBEN F. Born in Union Springs, this county, on December 6, 1840; graduated at the University of Rochester ; read law with John T. Pingree, Esq., at Auburn and was admitted to the bar December 6, 1866; commenced the practice of his profession at Union Springs, in 1870; elected justice of the peace in 1871 and served four years; elected special county judge in 1874 and served until January 1, 1878; was appointed postmaster in Union Springs by President Mckinley, in 1896 and filled that office until his death on March 27, 1908.
HOWLAND, HORACE V. Born in Foster, Providence County, Rhode Island, March 8, 1820; self educated; came to Auburn in March, 1849 and began the study of law in the office of Seward, Blatchford & Morgan; admitted to the bar November, 9, 1849. In April following he commenced practice in the village of Port Byron; he was a member of the convention for the revision of the State Constitution in 1873. In 1880, he removed to Auburn and formed a co-partnership with Mr. E. O. Wheeler which continued until the death of the latter in 1889. In 1894 he formed a partner-
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.