History of Chautauqua County, New York : from its first settlement to the present time : with numerous biographical and family sketches, Part 45

Author: Young, Andrew W. (Andrew White), 1802-1877; Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation. fmo; Huntington Free Library. fmo
Publication date: 1875
Publisher: Buffalo, N.Y. : Printing House of Matthews & Warren
Number of Pages: 948

USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York : from its first settlement to the present time : with numerous biographical and family sketches > Part 45

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WILLIAM H. FENTON was born in New Haven, Conn., March 7, 1796. He was a son of Jacob Fenton, who, in 1800, removed with his family to Burlington, Otsego, N. Y .; in 1813, to Mayville, and in 1814 to Jamestown, where he kept the first public house, and established a pottery. William H. Fenton was married in April, 1816, to Hannah Tracy, who was born Sept., 1798. He was for a time with Judge Foote in the mercantile business, in Jamestown. He was a deputy sheriff under Jonathan Sprague, and his suc- cessor, sheriff Dewey. He also managed the pottery business for his father, which he assumed after his father's death, which occurred in January, 1822. He established the business at Fluvanna, where, in 1826, Samuel Whittemore became a partner, and the business was continued by them for about 19 years. Mr. Fenton returned to Jamestown in 1839, where he now resides. He was commissioned by Gov. Clinton as ensign and lieutenant of the militia, and as commissioner of deeds. In 1823, he was appointed a justice, which office he held by reelections until 1871-about 48 years in the same town. He was

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for about 15 years a coroner. Wm. H. and Hannah Fenton had 14 children, of whom 3 died in infancy. The others were : 1. Caroline M., who married Humphrey Sherman, who died in Iowa, and had 4 children. She resides in San Francisco, Cal. 2. Erasmus D., who married, first, Amanda Akin, of Kiantone, and had 3 children ; second, Harriet Coy, of Randolph. He removed to Austin, Mower Co., Minn., where he was sheriff of the county. 3. Elias J., who married Mariett McNitt, of Wisconsin. They reside in Iowa, and have 6 children. 4. Sabra, who died at 22. 5. Laura A., wife of John Pickard. 6. Harriet, wife of John H. Harvey, in Iowa ; has 5 chil- dren. 7. Carlos, who married Sarah Dayton, in Wisconsin, and resides at Austin, Minn .; has 5 children. 8. Mariett, wife of Charles L. Jeffords, Jamestown ; has 5 children : Carrie S., Mary E., Jefferson, Gertrude, Kate. 9. Dana B., who married Mary E. Hunt, and lives in Kiantone, and has 4 children : Willie, Eddie, Lewy, Anna. 10. Emery W., who married Louisa Myers ; lives in Jamestown, and has 2 children : Emily L. and Josephine G. II. Emily H., twin sister of Emery W., and wife of James C. Smith, Austin, Minn .; has a son, William F.

ELIAL TODD FOOTE, the son of Deacon Samuel Foote and Sybil Doolittle Foote, was born in Greenfield, now Gill, Mass., May 1, 1796. He removed with his parents to Sherburne, N. Y., in 1798, and received his education in the common school and Oxford academy, and under the private tuition of Rev. W. M. Adams. He read medicine in Sherburne, and attended medical lectures in the city of New York. He was licensed by the Chenango County Medical Society, and subsequently received the honorary degree of M. D. He came to Jamestown, then called The Rapids, seeking a place to settle in the practice of his profession. The prospect there was not an encouraging one. There were but few-perhaps eight or ten-dwellings there, nearly all of them other than frame honses. The population on all sides was sparse and poor; and the roads were extremely bad. There was but one physician in the county, south of the ridge-at Mayville-and none in Warren county, Pa. He was subjected to great hardships and much exposure in storms, and became asthmatic, being compelled to decline rides in storms and nights ; and turned his attention to business of a public nature.

In 1817, he was appointed assistant justice of the court, and first sat on the bench at the June term. In 1818, the office of assistant justice was abolished ; and the courts were to be held by judges ; and he was appointed associate judge under Judge Cushing. Under the constitution of 1821, he was appointed by the governor and senate first judge, in which office he was continued by reappointments every five years, until he had served twenty years, when he declined another appointment. From the published pro- ceedings of the court, bar and grand jury on his declension and that of his worthy associate, Judge Campbell, [see Supplement to this work ;] and from the remarks of contemporary members of the court and bar, we are war- ranted in saying, that for dispatch of business, impartiality, firmness on moral questions, and clear discernment in matters in general before the court, he

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occupied a high position ; and that during his long services on the bench, he was respected by his associates, members of the bar, and others connected with the court.

In 1819, he was elected, with Oliver Forward, of Buffalo, a member of assembly, from the district comprising the counties of Chautauqua, Cattarau- gus and Niagara, Erie being then a part of Niagara. In 1826, he represent- 'ed, singly, this county in the assembly; and, in 1827, again, with Samuel A. Brown.

Soon after 1820, Judge Foote conceived the idea of collecting materials for the early history of the county and its pioneer settlements and settlers. His position on the bench brought him in contact with the early settlers from every part of the county; and much of the information collected was written in pocket memorandum books. Some of it was published in the county papers, and preserved in scrap books. He collected about one hundred volumes of early newspapers, few of which can be duplicated. He visited the Holland Land Company's offices ; and he searched the public records at Albany, New York, and Washington. Thus, thousands of dollars and much time were expended, without the least probability of pecuniary reward. The author has had the free use of this large historic collection. Judge Foote has willed this collection to the county, if a fire proof apartment shall be furnished for its preservation.

In 1822, he purchased Peacock's "reserved land," now constituting a large portion of the village of Jamestown. This tract, with its valuable water power, was speedily improved, and the growth of the village greatly promoted.

In 1859, having become convinced that the prevalent mode of spelling the name of the county with a terminating e was erroneous, he, with others, petitioned the board of supervisors to change the spelling by ending the name with a. The supervisors sanctioned the proposition. By correspond- ence with geographers, map publishers, and public officers, his views were fully confirmed.

He was appointed a director of the United States branch bank at Buffalo, when established, which office he resigned when elected president of the Chautauqua County Bank.

Judge Foote took an active part in public improvements, and aided them liberally. He was an early supporter of the temperance and antislavery causes. He made a public profession of his faith in Christ, in 1826, and united with the Congregational church, and gave it liberal aid. On the or- ganization of the Presbyterian church, he united with that society, and con- tributed liberally toward the erection of their meeting-house. Other religious societies of Jamestown received his aid. The lands on which three of them stand, were donations from him. He was president of the county Bible society about ten years ; and president of the first county total abstinence temperance society, of which he and Judge Hazeltine are said to be the only surviving members. And it appears from the records, that he constituted

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himself a life member of several national benevolent and religious societies, some of which were not of his denomination. The county almshouse has shared in his fostering care. He gratuitously furnished the board of super- visors their early history, their record having been lost.

This sketch has been written under unfavorable circumstances. On appli- cation to its venerable subject for assistance, he declined taking any part in the preparation of a history of his own life. The material was indeed ample, but it lay scattered through voluminous records. The constant pressure of labor on the writer's hands induced the postponement of the task, from time to time, to the last moment at which this hastily written sketch could find its proper place in this history.

Elial T. Foote was married, in Jamestown, in December, 1817, to Anna, daughter of Ebenezer Cheney, by whom he had five children : Samuel Eras- tus, Mary Ann, Charles Cheney, James Hall, and Horace Allen. Mrs. Anna Foote died in Jamestown, July 7, 1840, as is said, "in the triumph of faith," aged 40 years, a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1841, he married for his second wife, Amelia Stiles Leavitt Jenkins, daughter of Hon. Jonathan Leavitt, of Greenfield, Mass., grand-daughter of President Stiles, of Yale College, and widow of Rev. Charles Jenkins, of Portland, Maine, who had two children by her first husband : Amelia Leavitt, who subsequently married Dr. Charles Cheney Foote ; and Jonathan Leavitt Jen- kins, now pastor of the Congregational church of Amherst, Mass. His second wife, Amelia L. Foote, died in New Haven, Conn., in full confidence in Christ as her Saviour, Nov. 26, 1867, aged 68. He was married to his third wife, Mrs. Emily W. Stockbridge, a native of Whately, Mass., and widow of S. W. Allis, Esq., June 30, 1869. She had three children, who died from 18 to 23 years of age, before her last marriage. Judge Foote still resides in New Haven, Conn.

CHARLES CHENEY FOOTE, second son of Hon. E. T. Foote, was born in Jamestown, Sept. 5, 1825. His studies preparatory to his college course, were pursued in Jamestown academy and Williston seminary, Massachu- setts. He was graduated in arts at Union College, N. Y., and in medicine at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. He commenced practice in the city of New Haven. He devoted his entire attention to the business of his profession, and soon acquired an extensive practice, and became one of the most popular physicians in New Haven. He was married at New Haven, April 22, 1852, by Rev. Leonard Bacon, to Amelia L. Jenkins, daughter of Rev. Charles Jenkins, of Portland, Maine. He had 6 children : Anna Eliza, who died at 9 ; Amelia Leavitt ; Mary Louisa, died in infancy; Sarah Wells; Charles Jenkins ; Horace Knevals, who died at 4. Dr. Foote died suddenly at his residence in New Haven, Conn., November 9, 1871, aged 46 years. His widow and the three surviving children reside at the homestead, in New Haven.

ADOLPHUS FLETCHER was born in Croydon, N. H., Sept. 3, 1796. His parents were from Worcester Co., Mass., whither they returned after a short

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sojourn in the granite state. The boyhood of Adolphus was passed on his father's farm. He served an apprenticeship at printing in the office of the Massachusetts Spy, established by Isaiah Thomas prior to the American Rev- olution. Soon after he had become of age, he married Sarah Stow, of Wor- cester. In 1818, he accompanied his father's family to Ashville, where an elder brother and a sister had settled, who had purchased of Reuben Slayton, the first occupant, the site of the present village of Ashville. During his residence at Ashville, Mr. Fletcher was engaged at farming, keeping tavern, and, for a time, in connection with Dr. Fenn Deming, of Westfield, a store. At the solicitation of friends at Jamestown, he removed thither in 1824, and established the Jamestown Journal, which he published about 20 years, and sold out to his son. He subsequently became proprietor of the Northern Citizen, a paper which grew out of the free-soil movement in 1848. He afterwards transferred the press and materials to the gentlemen who started the Chautauqua Democrat, and became interested in its publication, but took no part in its editorial management. After the death of his first wife, he married Caroline E. Brooks, of Westminster, Mass. He assisted in the for- mation of the Congregational church at Ashville, and, on his removal to Jamestown, transferred his church relations to the Congregational church there.

GEN. THOMAS W. HARVEY was an early settler in Jamestown, and for many years one of its most active citizens. He was noted for his inventive genius. He was born in Wardsborough, Vt., July 22, 1795. At the age of about 12 years, his father died. At 14, he became an apprentice at the blacksmith trade ; and, after two or three years, he commenced the trade of a machinist, and assisted in building machinery. for cotton mills in Brattlebor- ough, Vt., and in Lexington, Ky. In 1816, after his marriage, he removed to Jamestown, to superintend the building of the machinery for a cotton factory there, which, however, was not built. He subsequently removed to Searsburg, [now in Kiantone, ] and returned to Jamestown about 1819. His shop was on the rear end of the lot lying on the corner of Main and Third streets. In 1820, he built his house on the corner of Pine and Third streets. Early this year, he was joined by his brother, Charles R. ; and they built a shop on the west end of the same lot, and worked together three or four years. Thomas then started the machine business in a room in Daniel Hazeltine's woolen factory, building a carding machine for Blanchar & Willard, and woolen machinery for Hazeltine. In June, 1828, he resumed blacksmithing in the old shop ; Charles having built a new shop on or near the corner of Spring and Second streets. In 1832, he again turned his at- tention to machinery. Chautauqua county never had a citizen more fruitful of invention. Among the numerous inventions were, a machine for making steam engine boiler rivets ; one for heading wood screws ; a rotary cam tog- gle joint press ; a loom for weaving hog's bristles and cloth for stocks ; a machine for pressing bricks and hay ; machines for making railroad spikes, and sawing down trees. It is said he was the first to make pins with solid

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heads, though others have since made improvements in making heads. About 1850, he made improvements in the manufacture of cast-steel, and formed a company, and put up works ; but the enterprise was arrested by financial difficulties. His machines were constructed in several different places : in New York, Poughkeepsie, Motthaven, N. Y., and Salisbury, Conn.

' Gen. Thomas W. Harvey was married to Melinda Hayward, of Dover, Vt., sister of Mrs. Solomon Jones, of Jamestown, and Mrs. Samuel Gar- field, of Busti. He was married three times : the names of his second and third wives, not found. His children were : Sarah Artemesia, wife of Rev. Amos P. Hawley, a Presbyterian clergyman ; Rufus Vespasian ; Hayward Augustus ; Olive Melinda ; and Mary Charlotte. His third wife was the widow of Alphens Hawley, Sr., and was killed in the memorable railroad disaster at Norwalk, Conn., many years ago.

CHARLES R. HARVEY, brother of Thomas W., came to Jamestown in March, 1820, and brought his family in February, 1821. He was a black- smith, and worked at his trade for several years. [See sketch of T. W. Harvey.] In 1831, he bought the store of Alvin Plumb & Co., and went into the mercantile business with J. J. Leonard. His subsequent career was not very unlike that of his brother, though his inventions and patents were not numerous. In 1836, he engaged in making railroad spikes at Pough- keepsie, and got up and patented a machine to scour and clean rice; and the next year a power loom to weave hair cloth. He afterwards superintend- ed a wood-screw manufactory at Summerville, N. J. He also got up and patented a hot-air furnace, and one for a hot-air register border. He resided about this time in New York, and in February, 1871, he was still in the fur- nace business. He was born January 19, 1799. His first wife was Olive Willard, who died in 1829; his second, Rebecca Hayward, who died in 1857. He had 12 children, of whom, in 1871, only 5 were living.

ALPHEUS HAWLEY, born in Farmington, Conn., about 1786, removed to the vicinity of Sandy Hill, N. Y., and married Kezia, daughter of Col. John M. Berry. He removed to Warren, Pa., and thence to Jamestown, where he was for many years engaged in mercantile and lumbering business. He was senior partner of Hawley & Dean, and of A. Hawley & Son, [John B.] He resided on the corner of Main and Fifth streets, subsequently the resi- dence of Adolphus Fletcher. He also owned the store and lot, south-west corner of Main and Third streets, afterwards owned by his son, Fenn Haw- ley, and since by Col. William Hall. He was at one time estimated to be quite wealthy. He was one of the purchasers, from the state, of the lands south of the Allegany river in Cattaraugus county, with Benj. Chamberlain, James Hall, and others, which had been given by the Holland Land Com- pany towards the construction of the Erie canal. Col. Hawley died in James- town, May 5, 1844, aged 58 years. He had sons : Rev. Amos P .; John B .; Alphens Fenn, once sheriff of the county ; and Alexander ; and a daughter, the wife of Rev. Hiram Eddy. She died young, leaving one or two children. Amos P. was married to Artemesia, daughter of Thomas W. Harvey ; John

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B., to a daughter of Wm. Breed ; Alpheus F., to a daughter of Adolphus Fletcher. Col. Hawley's widow married Gen. Thomas W. Harvey, and was mortally wounded at the tragical accident and railroad disaster at Norwalk, Connecticut.

ABNER HAZELTINE, son of Daniel and Susanna (Jones) Hazeltine, was born in Wardsborough, Vt., [now Dover,] June 10, 1793 ; graduated at Williams College in 1815 ; came to Jamestown Nov. 2d, of the same year, and engaged for a time in teaching. In July, 1816, he commenced the study of law with Jacob Houghton, Esq., at Mayville, and spent a portion of his time in the office of Samuel A. Brown, Esq., in Jamestown. In August, 1819, he was admitted as an attorney in the supreme court of this state, and in November, in the common pleas of Chautauqua county. In Nov., 1819, he opened an office in Warren, Pa., and in March, 1820, was admitted as attorney in the court of common pleas of Warren Co., Pa. In 1823, he removed to Jamestown, and opened an office in the front part of the build- ing occupied by Joseph Waite, Esq., and afterwards by Dr. Rhodes. After several removals, he removed, in 1845, to his present office, on the north side of Third street, near Main. In 1828, and again in 1829, he was elected to the assembly of this state. In 1832, he was elected a member of Congress, and reelected in 1834. In June, 1847, he was elected district attorney of Chautauqua county. From 1833, he practiced, successively, with Judge Abner Lewis and Patrick Falconer, both having been students in his office ; and from 1841, five years with Emory F. Warren. In 1855, he went into partnership with Charles G. Clark, with whom he was connected several years. He has continued in the regular practice of his profession to the present time. He married Polly Kidder, a native of Wardsborough, Sept. 21, 1819, who was born April 1, 1798, and who died Oct. 14, 1832. He married, second, July 21, 1834, Matilda Hayward, who was born in Pomfret, Conn., July 22, 1799. His children are : 1. Charles G., who is a teacher, and resides at Morristown, N. J. 2. Harriet Newell, who resides with her father at Jamestown. 3. Lydia Kidder, died in infancy. 4. Henry Martyn, who is a Presbyterian minister, and resides at North Salem, Westchester Co., N. Y. 5. Abner, who is a lawyer, in Jamestown. 6. Lewis Hayward, who is a physician, at present in Jamestown. 7. Mary Matilda, wife of De Forest Weld, merchant, Jamestown.

DANIEL HAZELTINE, third son of Daniel and Susanna (Jones) Hazeltine, was born at Wardsborough, Vt., March 9, 1795. He received a fair English education in the common schools of his native town. At the age of 17, he became an apprentice to the manufacture of woolen goods. In the spring of 1816, he came to Jamestown, and started a small establishment for dyeing and dressing home manufactured woolen cloths. [For a detailed account of his industrial labors, see p. 346.] During a large portion of his business life, Mr. Hazeltine was alone, and in the whole of it, was the responsible head of the establishment. For a time, Robert Falconer was associated with him, but took little share in the management. Afterwards, Taber Wood, now of

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Elyria, Ohio, was a partner for a time ; and after his retirement, his oldest son, Wm. B. Hazeltine, was a partner for a short period. In January, 1865, Mr. Hazeltine sold to his sons, and discontinued business. His sons, not long afterwards, transferred the establishment, which has since been operated by the well known firm of Allen, Preston & Co. So long as the business was managed by Mr. Hazeltine, he made constant additions to it, introducing new improvements, and keeping fully abreast of progress in his department. His reputation as a man of business and a manufacturer, stood high. His mark attached to his goods, was considered a full guarantee that they were properly manufactured from good materials, and had the prime quality of durability. Mr. Hazeltine was also known as a man of strict integrity, and a public spirited citizen. In early life, he became a professing Christian, and connected himself with the first religious denomination in Jamestown, and continued in that communion until his death, August 3, 1867; In 1818, he married Mehetabel Bemus, youngest daughter of William and Mary (Prendergast) Bemus, who were among the earliest settlers of the county. They had five children, two sons and three daughters. Two of the daugh- ters died young. 'The others are : William B., who married, first, Cornelia Stowe; second, Mrs. Phebe (Strong) Judd, and resides in Jamestown ; George, who married Adeline Hastings, has a numerous family, and resides at North Warren, Pa. ; and Susanna, who married William Post, of James- town, and is deceased, leaving a son, Daniel H. Post, a recent graduate of Williams College, and a journalist.

CORYDON HITCHCOCK, son of Oliver Hitchcock, an early settler in the town of Chautauqua, was born Sept. 16, 1823. After a residence in the towns of Chautauqua, Ripley, and Ellicott, he removed in 1873 to the village of Jamestown, where he now resides. He was married to Mariett Trow- bridge. They have two sons, James Frank and Henry C. Prior to his re- moval to Jamestown, his business was farming ; and he was for four years president of the Chautauqua County Agricultural Society. In 1874, he was elected sheriff of Chautauqua county, which office he now holds.

SOLOMON JONES, son of Abraham Jones, was born in Milford, Mass., Aug. 7, 1775. He was of Welsh descent; his grandfather having emigrated from Wales about 1690, and settled in Nantucket, Mass. He removed with his father's family to Vermont in 1785. In April, 1810, he set out for the West, and came to Cazenovia on horseback, and thence to Chautauqua county on foot, and purchased land on Stillwater creek in Kiantone, and returned. In - October, 1810, he left Vermont with his family and effects, having one four- horse team and a two-horse team ; and was accompanied by Ebenezer and Benjamin Jones. In 18r6, he moved to the outlet farm, and in 1820, to Jamestown. Mr. Jones was married at Wardsborough, Vt., Nov. 8, 1798, to Clarissa Hayward, who was born in Upton, Mass., Nov. 28, 1781. He died at Jamestown, Aug. 2, 1862 ; Mrs. Jones, Nov. 28, 1867. They had 14 children, 7 sons and 7 daughters : 1. Ellick, [see sketch below.] 2. Laura, who married Wm. Knight, and removed to Panama, where he died. She

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resides in Jamestown. 3. Clara, wife of Wm. Breed, Jamestown. 4. Julia, wife of William Hall, a proprietor of the alpaca works in Jamestown. 5. Olive, wife of John C. Breed, Jamestown. 6. Abram, who married Re- becca Fenton, daughter of Jacob Fenton, and resides in Jamestown. 7. Rufus, who married Emily J. Tew, sister of Wm. H. Tew, and is a hard- ware merchant, Jamestown. 8. Selina, wife of John S. Yates, deceased ; she resides in Jamestown. 9. Louisa, who married Rev. James E. Chapin ; resides in Westfield. 10. Whitney, who married Louisa Stimpson, and re- sides in Lansing, Mich. 11. Ezra, who married Marcia Peet, and resides in Lansing, Mich. 12. Solomon, who married Elizabeth"T. Cowing, deceased ; he lives in Jamestown. 13. Mary, who died in infancy. 14. Sidney, who married Anna S. Dickey, and is a merchant in Jamestown. He was county clerk in 1861, '62, '63. All attained to mature age, and were married, ex- cept one ; and all but two are still living.

ELLICK JONES, son of Solomon Jones, was born at Dover, Vt., May 1, 1800. In 1810, he removed with his parents to Chautauqua county, who settled in the Stillwater valley, in Kiantone. As roads can hardly be said to have had an existence in southern Chautauqua, the family and goods came down the lake from Mayville in a boat. A mere boy as he was, he drove a team over the land route, and came safely through. This and other expe- riences of a like nature were the schools in which he was trained. As might be expected, he grew up an energetic man, well fitted for pioneer life, and to battle with its hardships. Early in life he married Lonisa Walkup, by whom he had five children, and after her decease, Harriet De Jean. His first set- tlement was on the Chautauqua outlet, just above Jamestown, where he was engaged in farming and lumbering. After a few years he removed to James- town, and rented a hotel on Second street, which he kept several years. Afterwards he had a grocery store, and was one of the first who kept a regular meat market in Jamestown. When quite a young man, he was a captain in the militia, and was a natural leader in all enterprises. He died in December, 1866.

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