USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume III > Part 69
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which he was graduated in June, 1919. He is at pres- ent associated with his father in business in Jamestown. He married, May 20, 1920, Edith D., daughter of Frank Priest, of Jamestown.
JOHN JAMES LANDERS, A. B., LL. B., LL. D., a retired minister of the Episcopal faith, a resident of Fredonia, whose life stands out prominently for God, home and humanity, is a man whose careful prepara- tion, supplemented by unfaltering devotion to his chosen profession, enabled him to pass beyond the point of mediocrity and stand among the successful iew.
John James Landers was born on Clare Island, lo- cated off the west coast of Ireland, County of Mayo, at the entrance of Clew Bay, Aug. 23, 1834. son of William and Mary ( Plunket) Landers, natives of Ire- land, the former named having been engaged in the Eng- lish civil service. The elementary education of John J. Landers was obtained from private tutors, and his collegi- ate and university courses were obtained by attendance at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, from which institution he received the following degrees, A. B., 1864; LL. B., 1865, and LL. D., 18;8. He became an ordained min- ister of the Gospel, following the tenets of the Episcopal church, and his work among his parishioners was ever for their spiritual uplift and to lead them to a better and holier conception of the duties of mankind in every-day affairs, teaching them by example and pre- cept to follow in the footsteps of their great Master in all things. He is an earnest, God-fearing, capable man, who above all things has desired to do good in his day and generation, and his life in the midst of the people who have known and revered him for many years is a silent witness to the fact that he has striven manfully to lead those who were under his charge in the way of truth, holiness and morality. He has ever been an earnest advocate of education, and keeps fully abreast with the spirit of the times. He is still a subject of Great Britain, but he has always taken a keen interest in all that concerns the communities in which he has made his home in this country, his actions an influence for good upon all with whom he is brought in contact.
John James Landers married, in Dublin, Ireland, Dec. 16. 1862. Mary Amanda Bass, horn Nov. 21, 1840, in Everton, Liverpool, England, daughter of Abel and Frances ( Robinson) Bass. Among the children born to Dr. and Mrs. Landers five are living at the present time ( 1921), as follows : William, born Oct. 6, 1863; Charles, born Sept. II, 1871; George, born, June 8, 1877; Frank, born June 27, 1882; and Carrie, born Nov. 14, 1884. The member of the family are all communicants of the Episcopal church, performing well their part in their various walks of life, following in the footsteps of their honored father.
ELLIS WADSWORTH STORMS-The death of D: El. Wad worth Storms, who for many years was reci the leading physicians of the town of Falconer, Cartasiqua count .. N. Y., on Jan. 9. 1910. removed ir. m tli reejen a figure which had occupied a some- .he mai position in the community, and who was krowr : one of the most popular and influential citi- yen of the place. Dr. Storms was a son of Frederick
and Barbara (Smith) Storms, old and highly respected residents of Eden, Erie county, N. Y., where the former was engaged successfully in the occupation of farming.
Dr. Storms was born at Eden, Feb. 16, 1868, and as a child attended the public schools of that place. He later entered the Fredonia Normal School at Fredonia, N. Y., from which he was graduated with the class of 1893 and where he was prepared for college. Dr. Storms, upon completing his studies at the latter insti- tution, entered the profession of teaching, continued for a time, and was elected principal of the Ellington High School at Ellington, Chautauqua county, and reelected to that position each year until 1897. In the meantime the young man determined to follow the profession of medicine as a career in life, and in 1896 matriculated at the medical department of the Uni- versity of Buffalo, from which institution he was graduated with the class of 1900, taking his degree as medical doctor at. the same time. Dr. Storms then removed to Cherry Creek, where he began the practice of his profession and was most successful for a period of about eleven years, during which time he estab- lished a wide reputation as one of the leading physi- cians of the place. In 19II he removed to Falconer, where he opened an office and continued to practice most successfully until 1918. In addition to his pro- fessional activities, Dr. Storms took a keen interest in public affairs, and was for many years prominently identified with the Republican party, being a staunch supporter of its principles and policies and being elected to a number of important local offices on its ticket. He was supervisor of Cherry Creek in 1909, and served as coroner for Chautauqua county for two terms. In Cherry Creek he was also a member of the local School Board and served as treasurer of that body for a considerable period. Upon coming to Falconer, Dr. Storms affiliated himself with the Progressive movement and continned as a staunch supporter of the third party until 1916, when he renewed his allegiance to the Republican party. Two years before his death he was elected to the Falconer Board of Education, and still held that position at the close of his life. Dr. Storms was one of those who was instrumental in establishing the County Tuberculosis Hospital, and served on the first committee of supervisors which took up that important project. He was a prominent figure in the social and fraternal life of the community, and was a member of the Jamestown Medical Society, the Chautanqua County Medical Society, the New York State Medical Society, and the American Medical As- sociation. He was also affiliated with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Cherry Creek, of which he was the worshipful master; and also with the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Order of the Eastern Star, of which he was worthy patron, and Jamestown Lodge, Order of Amaranth. His club was the University, of Jamestown. During the participation of the United States in the great World War, Dr. Storms was active in local war work, and was elected chairman of the Falconer branch of the American Red Cross Society and held that post at the time of his death.
Dr. Ellis Wadsworth Storms was united in marriage, Oct. 12, 1004, at Eden, Erie county, N. Y., with Pearl M. Zittel, a daughter of Peter and Louisa J. (Zittel)
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Zittel, and they were the parents of one child, Robert Ellis, born Oct. 31, 1914. At the time of his death the local press and many of his personal friends united in a chorus of praise for his past work, which had been so abruptly terminated, and of regret for the great loss which the community had suffered in his demise. It will be appropriate to quote from the Jamestown "Journal," which, in a long obituary article on Dr. Storms, included the following :
Those who knew Dr. Storms well, thoroughly re- spected him for his integrity, his independence in thought and action, and his sincere devotion to high ideals of citizenship, and professional character. The rural physician has no easy life, and for seventeen years Dr. Storms spent his vitality in that trying work. Now that he has gone from us so suddenly, his friends will recall his life as one of constant labor and high endeavor, and will keenly sympathize with his wife and little son. The portals of another life opened quickly for him, but he was ready.
WILLIAM ELY AINGE-Trained in his native England in the profession of accountancy, Mr. Ainge, president of the W. Ely Ainge Accounting Company, of Youngstown, Ohio., has devoted his life to that calling and is widely known in his chosen field. His associa- tion with Chautauqua county is by residence, while his business interests, since the incorporation of the com- pany bearing his name in 1916, have been largely in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Mr. Ainge is a son of W. Ely Robins and Mary Ainge, his father a gentleman farmer and owner of an estate of 800 acres at Warwick, England. Mr. Ainge was born in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, and after attending the Alcester Grammar School, of Warwick- shire, was for several years employed in the general offices of John Crossley & Sons, Ltd., of England. Sub- sequently he was associated with the firm of J. D. Taylor & Company, chartered accountants, of Halifax and Bradford, Yorkshire, and in this employ mastered his profession. In 1883 he went to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and from that year until 1890 practiced ac- countancy in Canada. In the latter year he came to the United States and for a number of years filled the office of auditor of the Ohio Steel Company. Reenter- ing the field of public accounting, he has since been active in that line, and since 1916 has been president of the W. Ely Ainge Accounting Company. The officials of the company at the time of formation were Mr. Ainge, president and treasurer ; J. E. Parker, vice-presi- dent; and C. D. Ainge, secretary, and the members of the board of directors were J. E. Parker, of the Brier Hill Steel Company; J. J. Brant, of the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company; WV. I. Davies, of the Ma- honing National Bank; W. Ely Ainge and C. D. Ainge. The company makes its headquarters in the Stambaugh building, of Youngstown, O., its work all forms of public accounting, the installation of accounting sys- tems, auditing and investigating. Its clients include industrial and commercial houses of national reputa- tion, and under Mr. Ainge's capable direction its business has increased to an impressive size, employing a con- siderable force of highly trained specialists.
Mr. Ainge is a member of the Masonic order, having been affiliated with lodges in England, Canada, and the United States. In Liverpool, England, he was a mem- ber of the Liverpool Liberal Club, and is now a mem-
ber of the Youngstown Club. He and his family are communicants of the Church of England.
Mr. Ainge married, at Halifax, Yorkshire, England, Sept. 1, 1871, Susannah Taylor, daughter of Jonas Darnley and Martha Taylor. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Ainge : Frederick William, born June 11, 1872, at Brad- ford, England; Edith Mary, born Sept. 10, 1873, at Bradford, England; Jessie Louise, born Nov. 8, 1874, at Brighouse, England; Annie Maud, born Nov. 26, 1876, at Halifax, England; Winifred Ellen, born Feb. 23, 1878, at Halifax, England; Harold Darnley, born Jan. 15, 1880, at Berkenhead, Cheshire, England; Percy Taylor, born Feb. 24, 1884, at Toronto, Canada; Louis Gilbert, born Oct. 16, 1885, at Parkdale, Ontario, Canada ; Clifford Douglass, born April 14, 1893, at Salem, Va.
HENRY ARCHBOLD CLARK, for a number of years one of the members of the bar in Western New York, and a prominent figure in the affairs of the flour- ishing community of Fredonia, is a native of that town, born Oct. 2, 1871, a son of J. Henry and Mary ( Mor- gan) Clark, old and highly respected residents there. The elder Mr. Clark was engaged in the dry goods business at Fredonia for a time, but afterwards became a nurseryman and conducted a prosperous enterprise here until the close of his life. He was one of the early settlers at Fredonia, and his business interests grew up with the town. He came here in early days with his parents, Harmanus C. and Mehitable Clark, who were among the pioneers of Chautauqua county.
Henry Archbold Clark attended as a lad the local public schools, and later the Fredonia State Normal School, where his general education was completed. He was a young man of great ambition, and in youth de- termined upon a professional career, his choice being the law. Accordingly, in 1891, he entered the law of- fice of Lorenzo Morris, one of the leading attorneys of his day in Fredonia, and there took up the study of his chosen subject. This he pursued to such good pur- pose that in 1896 he was admitted to the New York bar, and immediately afterwards formed a co-partnership with Arthur R. Moore and began the practice of his profession at Fredonia. The firm of Moore & Clark continued in existence until Jan. 1, 1898, when it was dissolved by the mutual consent of the partners, and Mr. Clark has continued in practice by himself ever since. From the outset of his active career, Mr. Clark has enjoyed the entire confidence and esteem of both his fellow attorneys and the community-at-large for his legal ability and the high standard of professional eth- ics he has consistently maintained. His character is preeminently fitted for success at the bar, his naturally alert and trenchant intellect and strong personality hav- ing been supplemented by a profound knowledge of jurisprudence and a wide experience in legal matters. Mr. Clark has always been keenly interested in outdoor pastimes, and has participated in them largely from early youth, especially in hunting and fishing, having spent much of his leisure time in the pursuit of these sports. He is also a devoted automobilist, and was one of the first men in Fredonia to own a motor car. He is well known in social circles at Fredonia, and is much esteemed by his fellow-citizens.
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THOMAS WALTER MOSHER-Succeeding his father as secretary of the Westfield Lumber and Coal Company, Thomas W. Mosher has also followed him in many relations to the life of his town, civic, fraternal and religious. The elder Mosher was Francis Reed Mosher, who was born near the village of Ripley, Feb. 20. 1843. He attended the schools of his birthplace, and in 1862 became a resident of Westfield, where his after life was spent. In 1878 he began the operation of a shingle mill at Skinner's Glen, afterwards moving to Chestnut street, where a planing mill was established. In 1890 the business was incorporated with W. J. Madigan, president : James Madigan, vice-president ; Dennis Madigan, treasurer, and Mr. Mosher, secretary ; and its operations have been conducted successfully and along expanding lines to the present time. In 18,8 Mr. Mosher purchased some timber on the west side of Chautauqua creek, and four years later he purchased the coal business of R. L. Adams, his yards on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad, and subsequently his coal and lumber interests were merged as the West- field Lumber and Coal Company.
Francis R. Mosher occupied an important place in his community. He was four times elected to the Board of Trustees of Westfield, was twice elected a member of the Water Board, and in 1901 was elected president of the village of Westfield. He was a capable, dependable public officer, and discharged his official duties efficiently and well. Until his death he was a member of the Presbyterian church, and his Masonic bodies were Summit Lodge, No. 219, Free and Accepted Masons, of which he was master; Westfield Chapter, No. 239, Royal Arch Masons; and Dunkirk Comman- dery, No. 40. Knights Templar. He was chief of the Westfield Fire Department and one of the oldest mem- bers of that body. He was respected for the position he won for himself through his own unaided efforts, and he held the affectionate regard of a wide circle of friends through admirable qualities of mind and heart. His death occurred July 12, 1912.
Francis R. Mosher married, Dec. 11, 1872, Grace Harper. of Westfield, and they were the parents of : Elizabeth R., died in 1906, bookkeeper in the employ of her father's firm and very active in church work; Agnes F., died in 1915: and Thomas Walter, of whom fur- ther mention is made.
Thomas Walter Mosher, son of Francis R. and Grace ( Harper ) Mosher, was born in Westfield, N. Y., April 13. 1883. He attended the grammar and high school of Westfield. and began his active career in his father's employ. learning the details of the business and gain- ing a thorough and exact knowledge of lumber. Upon the death of Francis R. Mosher he became secretary of the Westfield Lumber and Coal Company, an office he has since filled. In mon the company built a two-story planing mill, sixty feet square, with a separate engine room. Stram power is used in the mill, where dressed lumber for all uses is prepared for the trade. Their equipment includes a dry kiln, sixty by sixteen fect, with a capacity of one car or twenty thousand feet of fum- ber, and the company carries a full stock of lumber, coal, cement, lime, wall board and roofing. Mr. Mosher, as a Republican. is serving in his second term (1919) as a village trustee. His religious faith is Presbyterian.
He is a member of the local Chamber of Commerce, the Citizens' Club, the Masonic Club, and his fraternal associations are with the Masonic order and the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a well known citizen of Westfield, interested and active in all that promises good for the town.
Mr. Mosher married, Sept. 1, 1909, at Hoosic Falls, Marcia Jones, of that place, and they are the parents of Francis W., Jeanne Marea, Allen Reed, and Lois Elizabeth.
ROBERT EBENEZER JONES, secretary of the Elite Furniture Company, was born in Jamestown, N. Y., Jan. 14, 1881, the son of Ebenezer and Harriet (Warren) Jones, the former named born in Jamestown, N. Y., May 4, 1837, died April 7, 1896, and the latter named born in Trenton, N. Y., Jan. 23, 1848, died in Jamestown. Oct. 31, 1889. Ebenezer Jones was a sergeant in Company H, 2nd Colorado Cavalry during the Civil War, and for several years previous to his death was the president of the Jamestown Furniture Company. To Mr. and Mrs. Ebenezer Jones were born three children: Warren Charles, died at the age of twenty years; Robert Ebenezer, of whom further; Mabel Rosina, now with the James Prendergast Free Public Library, Jamestown.
After leaving the Jamestown High School, Robert Ebenezer Jones entered the Jamestown National Bank as messenger, which bank consolidated with the Chau- tauqua County Trust Company, now the National Chan- tauqua County Bank. Here he was advanced to paying teller, but later was forced to give up this position owing to his impaired health. In 1910, after having spent a year and a half in recuperating, he became as- sociated with the Elite Furniture Company and was placed in charge of the office, subsequently being elected secretary of the organization, which position he still holds. Mr. Jones is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and has been secretary of Mt. Tabor Lodge, No. 780, since 1910. Mr. Jones has con- tributed for this historical work the Independent Order of Odd Fellows section. He is a member of the First Congregational Church of Jamestown. In politics he is a Republican.
On June 21, 1906, Mr. Jones was united in marriage with Mary Elizabeth Giles, daughter of Joseph H. and Nancy Irene Giles, well known residents of Elmira, N. Y., and later of Jamestown, N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. Jones are the parents of one child, Harriet Irene.
ALEXANDER A. CASTLE-Among the honored citizens of Jamestown must be numbered Alexander A. Castle, who is now living a retired life in that city. He is a native of Buffalo, N. Y., born Dec. 19, 1853. He is the son of John and Mary ( Garden ) Castle, well known residents of that city.
His early education was received in the public and higher schools of Jamestown, N. Y., and after gradu- ation he entered into the business world and followed the cement business. In this occupation he remained until he retired. By his ballot Mr. Castle supports the men and measures of the Republican party, but he has never sought for office, though he served as street
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commissioner for a number of years. He is financially connected with the Farmers and Mechanics Bank of Jamestown, N. Y., and as a public-spirited citizen gives his support to all enterprises for the public good. The family are members of the Congregational church, and are highly respected by all who know them.
On May 16, 1888, in Jamestown, N. Y., Mr. Castle was united in marriage with Marie Godfred, born March 4, 1859, a daughter of John H. Godfrey, who was born in Rhode Island, and Harriet (Thomas) God- frey, who was born in Warren, Warren county, Pa. To this union has been born one child, Don. W. Castle, born July 3, 1890. He was superintendent of the Fiber Plant at Tonawanda for a number of years, but later went to the Mckinsey Chain Factory as superintendent and remained with them seven years. However, he resigned in order to accept the position of superinten- dent of Spaldings Fiber Factory, which he now holds.
ROY W. KENT-The W. L. Kent Creamery, founded by W. L. Kent, who is of extended mention elsewhere in this work, was a family business, and after the death of the founder was continued by Mrs. Maude E. Kent, his widow, assisted by her sons and daugh- ters. Mrs. Kent later retired from the business.
Roy W. Kent, son of William L. and Maude E. (Polley) Kent, was born at Watts Flats, town of Har- mony, Chautauqua county, N. Y., Sept. 22, 1886. He was educated in the public schools, and since leaving school has been engaged as a farmer and milk dealer. For a time he was associated with his father in the op- eration of the W. L. Kent Creamery in Jamestown, and in that city he is engaged at the present time (1920) as a milk dealer. He has prospered in business and has acquired residence property in Jamestown, the house wherein he resides at No. 127 Pennsylvania avenue and another at No. 101 Connecticut avenue. He is a mem- ber of the Presbyterian church, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and in political affiliations is a Republican.
Mr. Kent married, in Jamestown, N. Y., July 5, 1905, Sadie Elizabeth Parsons, born in Jamestown, May 23, 1886, daughter of John A. and Sarah Elizabeth (Jacobs) Parsons, her father born in Yorkshire, England, her mother in Boston, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Kent are the parents of three children: Roy Parsons, born Aug. 7, 1907; Earl Henry, born March 28, 1909; Pearl Alice, born Oct. 2, 1917.
ERNEST ADDISON WILLIAMS, a respected and prosperous. farmer of Ellington, Chautauqua county, N. Y., a lifelong resident in the county, and whose life is a record of honest, industrious and suc- cessful production, good neighborliness and unselfish community service, was born in Gerry, Oct. 29, 1874, the son of Volney Murray and Frances Marilla (Thomas) Williams. His mother was a native of the State of Missouri, but his father was born in Gerry, and thus he comes of a family which for at least three generations have been resident in Chautauqua county, N. Y.
Ernest Addison Williams passed the usual years of elementary study in the public schools and eventually became a student at the Ellington High School.
Mr. Williams is not a member of any fraternal or benevolent orders, neither does he belong to any clubs, but in politics he is a loyal Republican, and in his quiet way had done what he could to further the cause of the party in his district, although he has never held nor sought political office. He is an earnest churchman, member of the Congregational church, and a substantial supporter of the church he and his family attend.
Mr. Williams married, March 11, 1897, at Ellington, N. Y., Hattie Julia Davis, born Feb. 1, 1878, daughter of Leroy W. Davis, born Feb. 27, 1843, at Ellington, N. Y., and Julia A. (Bush) Davis, born Aug. 29, 1841, at Conewango, N. Y. Her ancestry, in the maternal line, connects with the Bush family of Colonial record, her maternal ancestors including Enos Bush, a worthy soldier of known record during the War of 1812. To Ernest Addison and Hattie Julia (Davis) Williams have been born two children: I. Doris Ernestine, born Feb. 10, 1904. 2. Harold Murray, born Nov. 10, 1909.
CLAUD D. HASKIN, a successful contractor in stone and brick works in Maple Springs, Chautauqua county, N. Y., was born in Ellery township, Nov. 4, 1868, a son of Warren and Rhoda (Vanderwark) Has- kin, old and highly respected residents of that place, where the Haskin family had made its home for some time prior to the birth of the elder Mr. Haskin. War- ren Haskin followed the occupation of farming all his life, and it was in the healthful, rural environment of the farm that Claud D. Haskin was reared.
During the winter months he attended the local com- mon schools and there gained his education. Upon completing his studies, he was apprenticed to S. S. Haskin, his uncle, a mason, and he learned the trade that he has ever since followed. Eventually he set by enough capital from his earnings to engage in business on his own account, and since 1892 has done a large and constantly growing business so that he is now well known, not only in Maple Springs, but in the entire re- gion surrounding it and has handled many building jobs. Mr. Haskin is not known only as a contractor, but as a man who is always actively interested in the general affairs of Maple Springs. In politics he is a member of the Democratic party, while his fraternal affiliation is with Bemus Point Lodge, No. 585, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Chautauqua Encampment, No. 54, at Jamestown.
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