USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume II > Part 31
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Henry W. Odell was a descendant of a very old and distinguished family of Bedfordshire, England, which bore arms, as follows:
Arms-Argent, three crescents gules.
Crest-An eagle displayed gules. Motto-Fac et spera.
(I) William Odell, the emigrant to America, was at Concord, Massachusetts, in 1639, removed to South-
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Henry Il. Call
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BIOGRAPHICAL
ampton, Long Island, in 1642, and was of Fairfield, Connecticut, in 1644, where his will, dated June 6, 1676, was proved June 12, 1676. He married, in Eng- land, and brought his wife and children with him to America. His will mentions sons, William and John, and daughter, Rebecca Morehouse, wife of Samuel Morehouse. A son James, born January 2, 1640, died in infancy. He mentions also grandchildren, Samuel and Thomas Morehouse, son of John Odell.
(II) William (2) Odell, son of William (1) Odell, was born in England about 1634, and was one of the first settlers of Rye, New York, where he owned a large estate, and died about 1700. In 1681, he appears on a list of inhabitants of Fairfield, Connecticut, as the owner of three hundred and sixty-two acres. In 1684, he gave a deed of land to his "son Samuel, living in the same county." In 1697, as a resident of Rye, he gave deed to Stephen Sherwood. While an in- habitant of Rye, he signed a petition as William Woodhull. He married a daughter of Richard Vowles, of Fairfield, representative, 1665-68-69.
(III) John Odell, son of William (2) Odell, married Johanna Turner, and was the founder of the Tarrytown branch.
(IV) Jonathan Odell, known as the "Patriot," son of John Odell, was a soldier of the Revolution, and was taken prisoner and confined in New York City. He lived at the "Old Stone Inn," which was used as headquarters by the French general, Rocham- beau, and was the place where Washington first met the French commander. The old "Inn" yet stands, and has been suitably inscribed and marked by the Sons of the Revolution. This old Odell Inn at Abbotts- ford, just below Irvington, was erected by Captain John Harmes probably as early as 1693. It is noted as having been the building in which a session of the Provincial Assembly was held, August 31, 1776. Jona- than Odell served in Samuel Drake's regiment, West- chester county militia, as did many of his sons and nephews. He was held a prisoner in the Old Sugar House in New York City, and suffered much loss of property from the depredations of the British general, Vaugh, and his troops. Jackson Odell, also a soldier - then went to work contracting for Brooks & McCor- of the Revolution, was probably a brother of Jonathan Odell, and to this line of descent Henry W. Odell traces his ancestry.
The birth of Henry W. Odell occurred in the town of Busti, Chautauqua county, New York, July 6, 1852. He was the son of John P. Odell, who was born in 1818, and removed to Cattaraugus county, New York, where he engaged for many years in the grocery, oil and lumber business. In politics, Mr. Odell for some time supported the Republican party, but later joined the Prohibition party, to which he gave his support until his death. He married, September 30, 1847, Kezia Hodges, born in Vermont, April 11, 1828, daughter of John Hodges, born September 5, 1787, and Theodosia (Alford) Hodges, born January 3, 1790. She was a granddaughter of James Hodges, born November 1, 1757, and Abigail (Coble) Hodges, born April 28, 1766, who were married in November, 1785. John and Theodosia (Alford) Hodges were the parents of twelve children: 1. John Orville, born April 5, 1809, married, February 16, 1837, Louise Rockwell.
2. Theodosia Lorraine, born December 11, 1810, mar- ried, September 15, 1835, Cooper Mitchell. 3. James Marshall, born January 19, 1813, married, May 5, 1842, Lucinda M. Nichols. 4. Harriet Lovina, born April 22, 1816. 5. Loyal Oliver, born December 11, 1818. 6. Royal Freeman, born February 15, 1821. 7. Mary Letitia, born March 18, 1823, married, November 12, 1844, James B. H. Jones. 8. Platt Delavan, born March 26, 1826, married, February 22, 1849, Eunice Henry. 9. Kezia, previously mentioned. 10. Lucia, born November 21, 1830, married, December 26, 1848, Seth C. Peck. 11. Wells Bushnell, born March 8, 1833, married, October 25, 1854, Adaline Gray. 12. Matthew Stanley, born October 4, 1838, married, Sep- tember 17, 1868, Jennie Hodges. John P. and Kezia (Hodges) Odell were the parents of three children: 1. Alfred, married, and was survived by three children. 2. Henry W., of whom further. 3. Theodosia, who is the wife of Eugene Pearce, a merchant and coal dealer of Olean, New York.
Henry W. Odell received his early education in the public schools of Busti, and also attended the Normal School of Edinboro, Pennsylvania, and Oberlin Col- lege, at Oberlin, Ohio. Upon leaving college, he en- gaged in carrying mails from the Tar farm to Plum- mer, the penny post, receiving remuneration of five cents per letter and paper. He then went to work for Charles Devoe on Tar farm, boating on Oil creek, for which he was paid five dollars per week. At this he con- tinued two years, and then engaged in pumping, at which he received three dollars per day. After con- tinning in this for two years, he accepted a position with Isaac Reinman, a producer at Oil City, and con- tinued with him for three and one-half years. He then, with Mr. Reinman's aid, started in contracting for him- self, taking as a partner George Selby, and under the firm name of Odell & Selby began contracting and pro- ducing in Butler, Clarion, and Mckean counties, tak- ing leases and interests with other people, the firm doing the contracting. In 1880, Mr. Odell went to McKean county, Bradford, and was engaged in drill- ing a well, in which he had a one-fourth interest. He mack. Later he became interested with T. J. Vander- grift and Frank Wright at the State Line, drilling nine wells on the property, all of which were good pro- ducers. In 1884, Mr. Odell interested himself with T. M. Barnsdall, George Sill, and Peter M. Smith, purchasing the Johnson tract in Warren county, upon which property they operated and drilled seventeen wells, from which they had a production of twelve hun- dred barrels per day. When the "shut-down" move- ment was inaugurated, Mr. Odell went to Wood county, Ohio, where he was interested in the Ama- zon Oil Company, the first company to open oil fields in Ohio, and of which he was general manager. At the time of his demise, Mr. Odell, in conjunction with Charles O'Day, of New York, owned and operated the holdings of the Cairo Oil Company of West Vir- ginia. For some years prior to his oil operations in West Virginia, Mr. Odell owned and operated a stock farm near Lakewood, and made a specialty of breeding racing horses. He had a well equipped stable filled with blooded stock that was well known throughout
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the country. In politics, Mr. Odell was a Republican and had always been a staunch supporter and con- tributor of the party, but never cared for the emolu- ments of office. Fraternally, he was a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and a mem- ber of the Jamestown Club.
On January 29, 1889, Mr. Odell was united in mar- riage in Portage township, Wood county, Ohio, with Lenna Carr, a daughter of Thomas and Louisa (Os- born) Carr, her family of Scotch origin, early settlers in Wood county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Odell are the parents of a son, Henry L. Odell.
In concluding this review of Mr. Odell's life it should be stated that he was a man of much force of character and a very winning personality, a man who at once inspired respect and affection on the part of all with whom he came in contact. He was possessed of a broad and tolerant outlook upon life, and entered readily and with sympathy into the feelings and beliefs of others. His public spirit was most notable, and no pains or efforts were too great for him to take in the interest of the community or the welfare of those about him. The same feeling of sympathy with them made him also a delight in intercourse with his fellows, and he was always quick to enter into the informal social gatherings of his friends. Mr. Odell was a man of noble and commanding presence, and exhibited in his bearing and manner a graciousness and dignity combined that both won affection and inspired respect. Strength, culture, and intellect were written on his face. He was a man of unyielding determination and an immense capacity for accomplishing what he set out to do. Mr. Odell was a man of no pretensions, and one who suffered none to go unchallenged on the part of others; charitable in the best sense of the word, he never withheld aid from such as needed it, and the memory of him as a benefactor is cherished by many who alone are aware of the assistance rendered. De- voted to his own family, he spent as much time as possible in its circle. He was a definite force for good in the community, and one whose life story is insepara- bly interwoven with the history of its development.
GLENN RUSSELL FISH-The twentieth century is reaping the benefit of many new scientific ideas which were formulated in the closing years of the nine- teenth century. Among them is optometry, the present method of examining the eyes and the proper grinding of lenses. The office of an optometrist presents some- what the appearance of a doctor's office in the matter of instruments and other paraphernalia, and a certain amount of medical training is a part of their course. The subject of this sketch, Glenn Russell Fish, is an optometrist of Dunkirk, New York, and his office is one of the best in the country in that line, his stock being large enough to supply the optical needs of an entire community.
Glenn Russell Fish was born in West Valley, Cat- taragus county, New York, July 18, 1882. He is the son of Dr. Elbert L. Fish, a practicing physician of West Valley, where he has followed his profession for forty years. Though not a native of that town (having been born in Centerville, New York), Dr. Fish is one of the leading citizens. He is a graduate of the
Medical College of Cincinnati. The mother of Glenn Russell Fish was, before her marriage, Mary Stewart, born in Hume, Allegany county, New York. Both parents are living at the present time.
Mr. Fish, when a boy, was a pupil in the district school of West Valley, and after exhausting the studies provided there, went to the Springville High School; after graduating from this institution he took a course at the Bryant & Stratton Business School of Buffalo, New York. He then decided to become an optometrist and entered the School of Optometry at Rochester, New York, graduating in the class of 1903, in May of that year. At this time the young man was only twenty-one years of age, very young to start upon his career. He returned to Buffalo, opened an office, and began the practice of his profession; he remained in that city for about five years, when he determined to make a change of location, Dunkirk being the town selected. He has been in active practice there for the last eleven years, is a leading resident of the town, is married, and has his home there. In politics Mr. Fish and his father, Dr. E. L. Fish, are of one mind, both being Republicans, though not caring to hold any pub- lic office. In the matter of religion they differ, the younger man being a member of Grace English Lu- theran Church, serving on the church council: the elder man belongs to the Methodist church. Mr. Fish is a Free Mason, having attained the thirty-second degree, and is a member of the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is affiliated with several societies in connection with his profession, the New York State Optical Association, the American Optical Association, and the Buffalo Optometrical As- sociation. Dr. Fish is also a Free Mason and a mem- ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The mental trend in the case of Dr. Fish and his son must be nearly identical, as both have made their life work the relief of ailing and distressed humanity. Heredity is after all a very potent factor in every man's life.
Mr. Fish married Dena Westfall, in Buffalo, June 27, 1909. She was born in Machias, New York, the daughter of German parents, Joseph C. Westfall and his wife Dora, who emigrated to the United States many years ago, settling in Machias, New York, some time later moving to West Valley, New York, where they now reside, engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Fish have no children.
ALLEN A. GOULD, owner of a good farming prop- erty of about one hundred and sixty-five acres in Kiantone township, Chautauqua county, New York, author of a reliable history of that township, and for many years prominent in the public affairs of that place, and in the administration of justice thereat, is representative of a worthy generation of Chautauqua county agriculturists and public men. He has made himself a man of monetary substance by his own individual efforts, by hard work, and intelligent enter- prise; he has reached a wealth of respect among the people of his native place by his upright mode of life; and he has unselfishly given much of his time to the administration of those public affairs which demanded the close attention of a man of reliability, impartiality,
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Prendergast MM. A.
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and sincere public interest. And he has been promi- nent in many other activities; he is the oldest director of the Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank of Jamestown; was justice of the peace at Kiantone for thirteen years, resigning that judicial responsibility to take office as supervisor of the township; he is a prominent Mason; and is the only living charter member of the Union Grange of Jamestown, which was organized in James- town, October 19, 1874. Altogether, Mr. Gould has reached a definite place in the history of his generation in Chautauqua county.
Mr. Gould was born in Kiantone township, April 11, 1848, the son of Otis S. and Julia E. (Seymour) Gould. His father was a farmer in the township, and the family has had long associations with the town- ship, as the very interesting history written by Allen A. Gould records. Part of his schooling was obtained in Ohio, for it is on record that Allen A. Gould graduated from Bartlett's Commercial College, Saman- tha, Ohio, in 1867. He engaged in the gas producing business near Pittsburgh, and also traded the produce from his own farm. He is a stockholder of the Em- pire Worsted Mills in Jamestown, New York. He has been a staunch Democrat in politics, and has closely followed the activities of the party through many presidential and minor elections. In his dis- trict, and in local affairs, generally, his influence has been a factor of consequence, and his opinions upon certain questions have more than once been sought. And his moral standing among his fellows gained him preference for the judicial office of the township, and maintained him in office as justice of the peace for thirteen years, or until such time as he resigned to take another public responsibility, that of supervisor. His record as justice of the peace is a good one, such as one would expect from a man of the type and stabil- ity of Mr. Gould. His findings, as justice, were based upon a clear understanding of the fundamentals of law, and were rendered with fearless impartiality. In Ma- sonic affiliations, Mr. Gould belongs to Jamestown lodge, chapter, and commandery, and is well known to prominent Masons throughout the county.
Allen A. Gould married (first) Amaretta A. Weisz, in Richwood, Ohio, December 9, 1869. She was the daughter of Reuben W. and Amanda (Abbott) Weisz, and was born on March 1I, 1850. She died February 3, 1888, having borne to her husband two children: Ransford Ray, born October 27, 1882, and Neata W., born January 27, 1888. Mr. Gould married (second) April 6, 1892, Mary E. Weisz, a half-sister of his first wife.
The Goulds have been associated with prominent affairs in Kiantone township for so long that refer- ence to it could hardly be made without making note of Mr. Gould's part in its affairs.
WILLIAM PRENDERGAST, M. D .- The his- toric spirit, faithful to the record, the discerning judg- ment, unmoved by prejudice and uncolored by undue enthusiasm, are as essential in giving the life of the individual person as in writing the history of the people. "Lest we forget," it is important that we gather up the fleeting memories of the past and give them permanent record in the well chosen words of biography. The
State of New York has been the scene of events of vast importance, and the home of some of the most illustrious men of the Nation, and what is true of the Nation is especially true of the county of Chautauqua. Her sons have shed luster on her name in every pro- fession and calling. Their achievements constitute an inheritance upon which the present generation has entered, and the advantages secured from so great a bequeathment depend largely upon the fidelity with which is conducted the study of lives of those who have transmitted so precious a legacy.
There are no traditions of which this county has more just reason to be proud than the Prendergast family, with its long list of illustrious names, its bril- liant record of high achievement and lofty service ren- dered to humanity. Typical of these men who have collectively written this magnificent record, none are more worthy of mention in a work of this character than he whose name is the caption of this article.
(I) The Prendergasts of to-day can trace their de- scent from one Thomas Prendergast, who resided in County Waterford, Ireland, and was of mixed Scottish and Irish parentage. Here Thomas Prendergast was known as Lord Gort. He and his wife Mary were parents of a number of children, one of whom, William Prendergast, who was born in Waterford, February 2, 1727, was the founder of the family in America.
(II) William Prendergast was a man of great en- terprise, and upon coming to this country settled at Pawling, Dutchess county, New York, where he re- sided for many years and followed the occupation of farming. Some of his sons moved to Rensselaer and Washington counties, and to the former region he fol- lowed them, when at an advanced age. Yet later, when seventy-eight years of age, he went to Chautauqua county, being even then energetic enough to be a pio- neer, and settled in the town of Chautauqua. he and other members of his family taking up in the aggregate some thirty-five hundred acres of heavy timber land in separate grants, all contiguous to one another. Wil- liam Prendergast had not originally intended settling in this region when he left Rensselaer county in 1805, Nashville, Tennessee, being the proposed destination. How extraordinary was the feat accomplished by Wil- liam Prendergast for a man of seventy-eight may be faintly realized when we consider that he led a party of twenty-nine persons, traveling in canvas-covered wagons, across the unbroken wilderness of Western New York, through Pennsylvania to Wheeling, West Virginia, and thence by flat-boat on the Ohio river to Louisville, Kentucky, from which point they again proceeded overland to Nashville. In the party were six of his sons, five daughters with their husbands, several grandchildren and a slave. They were all well provided for, the old people riding in a covered wagon, which was the first ever seen in Chautauqua. How- ever, on one occasion, an accident occurred which very nearly culminated in disaster. En route, one of the sons walking behind the wagons found several silver dollars strewn along the road, and upon investigation it was shown that a box in which they had kept their money had broken open and had been leaking dollars. Mr. Prendergast's courage upon this occasion was marked, but it was even more conspicuously shown in
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his behavior upon reaching the place where he had in- tended to locate, the conditions being other than he had in any way anticipated. He determined at once upon further journey, and in spite of the weariness of the entire party they started North again. The follow- ing winter was spent by him and his sons in Canada, from which country they returned, however, and finally settled in Chautauqua.
William Prendergast was united in marriage with Mehitabel Wing, born March 20, 1738, died September 4, 1812, a daughter of Jediah and Elizabeth Wing, of Beekman, New York, and they were the parents of the following children: Matthew, mentioned below; Thomas, born September 15, 1758, died June 3, 1842; Mary, married William Bemus, of Ellery, Chautauqua county, New York; Elizabeth, died unmarried, August 20, 1824; James, the founder of Jamestown, New York; Dr. Jediah, born May 13, 1766; Martin, born April 12, 1769; John Jeffrey; Susanna, married Oliver Whitside; Eleanor, died aged thirteen; Martha, died unmarried; William, a major in the War of 1812; and -- , who married Elisha Marvin.
In the spring of 1806, James and William Prender- gast went from Canada to the land office at Batavia, bought the Mayville tract and then proceeded thither to put up a log house. The remaining members of the family followed soon and joined the work of clearing np a farm. A span of horses which had accompanied all their wanderings, and which had been turned loose to shift in the woods that year, failed to return to the clearing. It was not until the season's work was done in the fall, that any effort was made to find them. James then went after their trail, equipped with a bridle, and a knapsack of provisions. Following down the west side of the lake to the outlet, he traversed the present site of Jamestown, the first white man's visit of which we have any record. Following the outlet to the Conewango he turned down stream until he met Kiantone creek and saw the heavily timbered bottom lands there. His quest then took him up the Cone- wango and he finally captured the runaways in Rut- ledge, in (now) Cattaraugus county. Thus again chance led these settlers in the choice of location.
On that memorable search James Prendergast found not only his beasts, but his fortune and fame. All his acts from that time indicate that the inspiring idea of founding a city was then born in his brain. He had traversed unbroken miles of as magnificent pine forests as ever stood. He reasoned that the first and for many years the only remunerative industry of the settlers on these headwaters must be lumbering; that the first mills and best water privilege would inevitably be the center of trade and population for this entire section. He therefore selected Chautauqua Lake as his mill pond, the nearest point to the lake, where the outlet broke into a ripple, as the site of his mills and city. The prophetic sagacity of this location, as well as the subsequent management of the enterprise, stamps James Prendergast as the most marked character of this family of able men.
At that time James Prendergast did not have the means to begin such extensive operations, but he had good prospects in a double sense. There was a thrifty Scotch lassie waiting for him back in Old Rensselaer.
In order to secure the first power on the outlet ahead of all comers his brother Matthew took up for him one thousand acres of land at the Upper Rapids, as it was called. This done, James Prendergast returned to Pittstown, and in the spring of 1807 was married to Agnes Thompson, and the shamrock and thistle were again crossed on the family escutcheon.
More than a casual reference should be made to this lady, who in an unpretentious, but important, manner aided all her husband's enterprises, and established the fortunes of Jamestown. She was born in Galloway, Scotland, November 18, 1771, and came to this country with her parents, who settled in Rensselaer. By Scotch thrift they were enabled to leave her a hand- some fortune, and she brought as her dower about $17,000 in property. With this and their joint efforts, all the Prendergast undertakings became a success. She was a lady of literary tastes and a notahle house- wife. When their home burned at Jamestown in 1812, among their most serious losses were the stores of linen of her spinning and a large library which she had taken with her to the settlement. People yet living remembered her for her kindness and hospitality. It was her custom to have the family of every newcomer take their first meal in Jamestown with her, and she always sent them a loaf of bread and a pail of soft soap as the first requisites to beginning pioneer house- keeping.
It is not within the purview of this sketch to closely follow the career of this remarkable pioneer and his family, that would be to write a history of Jamestown, it is merely to recall such incidents as illustrate his character and perhaps serve to recall the personal in- fluences that gave Jamestown its early bent as well as its name, and laid the foundations of its moral char- acteristics and material advantages. After the death of James Prendergast, grandson of the pioneer, James Prendergast, that founded Jamestown, there were found among his papers brief memoranda regarding his affairs, with directions to aid those upon whom might fall the settlement of his estate. He left no will; he once began the preparation of one, but never completed it. Among these directions was a request that the property at the corner of Main and Third streets, the Prendergast block, might be made available as an endowment for a free public library for the benefit of Jamestown. This wish was immediately acted on by his father, Alexander Prendergast, the son of the pioneer, James Prendergast, in whom was the title of the property in question. They secured, by special act of Legislature, passed January 29, 1880, the incorporation of "The James Prendergast Library Association of Jamestown, New York." This asso- ciation was duly organized under its charter, Janu- ary 31, 1880, and on the same day the Prendergast block was deeded to them, and their successors in office, in trust for the Association and the people. At this time Alexander Prendergast concluded to precipi- tate matters, and so bought a lot and built the library, donating it to the Library Association. After the death of Mrs. Alexander Prendergast, her will dis- closed that she had made provision for the building of a beautiful memorial Episcopal church. This was done at an expense of $130,000.
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