History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 54

Author: Durant, Samuel W; Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.)
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 862

USA > New York > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 54

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affairs of the house on an extensive scale down to the pres- ent time, and is to-day one of the most enterprising men of the city of Watertown.

Mr. Streeter is the possessor of one of the finest blocks of the public square of the city, which stands as a monu- ment to the energy of one who, unaided and alone, has contributed largely to the interests, in business circles, of the city of which he is a citizen, and who has, from a poor boy, risen far above the apprehension of want.

Mr. Streeter cast his first vote in the Whig party, but at the close of that party he joined the ranks of the Demo- cratie party, and stands firm to its principles to the present time, and has been connected with the publie interests of his county as sheriff and of his city as trustee.

In 1828, and at the age of twenty-four, he married for his first wife Miss Aurelia A., daughter of Widow Parsons, of Lewis county, New York. From this marriage were born four children, viz. : John C., Cornelia, Aurelia, and Augusta A. Only John C. and Aurelia are living. His wife died in the year 1837, January 19, aged twenty-seven years.

For his second wife he married Miss Eunice H. Burpee, of Jefferson County, town of Lorraine, October 22, 1837. who bore him one son, Henry W., who is now a practicing physician in Watertown city.

208

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

A.LITTLE

HENRY HOPKINS.

The subject of this sketch was born in Stratford, Connecti- cut, February 10, 1804. He was the son of Joseph Hopkins, of Waterbury, Connecticut, and grandson of Joseph Hopkins, a lineal descendant of a family of his ancestors who emigrated from England on the ship Mayflower in the year 1620, and settled in the State of Connecticut. His father and uncles were soldiers in the Revolutionary War. His father was a silversmith by trade, but engaged also in shipping and milling, and being unfortunate in the shipping business, losing his ship, he, about the year 1805, removed to Bridgeport, Connecticut, and in the year of the great eclipse (1808) removed to the town of Rutland, Jefferson County, with his family, consisting of himself, wife, and eleven children, and settled, as it were, in the wilderness, there being very few clearings and log houses. He began clearing off the forest and making the land tillable; was in very moderate circumstances, and unable to do but little for his children beyond their support. When Henry, who was the youngest son of the family, was twenty-six years of age, his father died. The year previous he had purchased his father's farm, consisting of two hundred and twenty-five acres, and the same year of the death of his father (1830) he married Miss Celestia Tyler, daughter of David and Chloe Tyler, of Rutland.

He carried on farming for a few years, and connected with that interest in the year 1837 the produce trade, buying butter, cheese, and pork, and shipping from Sacket's Harbor to Os- wego and New York. He is said to have paid the first money for butter to take to market paid in the county. In the year 1839 he formed a copartnership with John A. Sherman and continued the produce business, and they were the most exten- sive buyers in the county, largely controlling the trade for many years.

Henry Hopkins continued in partnership with Mr. Sherman for a few years, and again engaged alone in the same business, and at times dealing largely in stock.

He continued as a dealer in produce and stock, shipping to Boston and New York, and in his farming, until the year 1871, when he removed to the city of Watertown, and after a year

erected several residences on Winthrop street, in one of which he now resides. Upon coming to the city he engaged in his old business, but his age soon warned him that his business days were fast drawing to a close. He is now in his seventy- third year, and is classed among Jefferson County's pioneer representative men, having by his economy and prudence accumulated a large property.

To Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins were born five children, viz. : Charles, Catherine, Martha, Henry, and Mary.

Catherine lived to the age of thirty, and, while principal of the Mount Holyoke Seminary, Massachusetts, died March 7, 1865.

Martha married H. P. Dunlap, of Rutland ; had one child, and died in the year 1866, December 9.

Charles married Miss Mahala Love, of Norwich, New York; resides in New York. He is general insurance agent of the Equitable Life Insurance Company.

Henry married Miss Mary Parmalee; resides in the town of Rutland, and owns and occupies the farm first purchased by his grandfather in the year 1808. Has two children, Mary C. and Henry T.

Mary married E. H. Thompson, of Watertown city, and re- sides at the same place. He is one of the prominent grocery- men of the city.

In the year 1863, the mother of these children and wife of Henry Hopkins, while visiting friends in Middlebury, Con- necticut, was taken ill with the typhoid fever and died.

Henry Hopkins was married a second time to Mrs. Chloe E. Burnham, widow of the late Dexter M. Burnham, and daughter of Otis Andrus, of Rutland, a native of New Hamp- shire.

He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and since his connection with that body has contributed at times largely for building churches and the support of educational and re- ligious interests in his vicinity.

In politics he was originally a Whig, and upon the forma- tion of the Republican party united with it, and has since stood firm to its principles.

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

209

SOLOMON O. GALE.

MRS. SOLOMON O. GALE.

SOLOMON O. GALE.

The subject of this sketch was born in the town of Cham- pion, Jefferson County, October 25, 1812. He was the son of Nehemiah Gale and Lucy Parker. His father was a lineal descendant in the seventh generation from Richard Gale, who cmigrated from England in the year 1640, and settled in Watertown, Massachusetts. The old homestead originally oc- cupied by Richard Gale has remained in the family until about the year 1860, and was sold to General Banks, who has refitted it for a fine residence. His father was born in Ver- mont, and his grandfather, Deacon Solomon Gale, was born in Massachusetts, and removed to Vermont in the early part of his life, and owned the farm upon which the battle of Ben- nington was fought. In the year 1810 his father came to Jef- ferson County from his native State and settled in Champion, this county, as a farmer ; but having opened an extensive ore bed for his father before leaving Vermont, he quite largely explored parts of this and adjoining counties in search of ore, and was successful in some places, as the Wicks bed in Ant- werp.

His father, being born August 24, 1788, was twenty-four years of age upon the breaking out of the war of 1812, and was engaged in the service ; was on board the " Julia" when the attack on Prescott was made. At the close of the war he settled in Hounsfield.

In his father's family there were six children, all sons, of which the subject of this memoir was second son, and until he was thirty years of age remained with his father on the farm, going to school some winters in the old log school-house, and receiving only a limited knowledge from books, but sufficient to enable him to teach school, and was engaged as a teacher for some six terms.

While Solomon was a small boy an instance of characteristic integrity occurred, widely known in Jefferson County, known as the Whittlesey affair, and which proved fatal to the United States paymaster Whittlesey, who claimned to have been robbed of some thirty thousand dollars. Whittlesey marked a package of the inoney and dropped it in the road, expecting some one would pick it up and put it in circulation, when he would have

a prima facie case against him of the robbery, and by hard swearing by Whittlesey could be sent to State's prison. Ne- hemiah Gale found it, and, instead of putting it in circulation, advertised it. The circumstances raised a suspicion of fraud. Whittlesey and his wife were scarched, and the amount less the money found by Gale was found in the possession of the wife of Whittlesey. The wife drowned herself in Black river to cover her shame, and the husband was taken in charge by the government.

Solomon, in the year 1842, December 22, married Miss Jane Griffin, daughter of John Griffin, a native of Dutchess county. He then purchased the old homestead in Le Ray of the heirs of his father, and remained upon it until he removed to Water- town city, 1862. While in Le Ray he was connected with the most important interests of his town, and by economy and judicious management owned at one time in the town some three hundred acres of land. He has been one of the assessors of the city for the last six years.

Originally a Whig, upon the formation of the Republican party joined its ranks, and has stood firin to the principles of the party since.

His wife wa- in early life connected with the Christian church, and has remained a faithful member of that body until the present.

His father was killed by the effects of a kick from a horse, in the year 1844. His mother died in the year 1859.

Solomon Gale is classed among the active business men of his day.

He had two adopted >ister-, Lucy Guernsey and Sarah Mott, both of whom are now married and settled in life, and, by the lessons of morality and virtue impressed upon their minds by their adopted mother, are examples of representative woman- hood.

He is strictly temperate in his habits, which is only charac- teristic of his forefathers, and it is said that of the nine genera- tions who have been in this country no one of the family has ever been convicted of crime, or drunk from the use of intoxi- cating liquor -.

210 .

IIISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

MILTON CARPENTER.

MRS. MILTON CARPENTER.

MILTON CARPENTER.

The subject of this sketch was born in Huntington, Fairfield county, Connecticut, February 17, 1801.

He was fourthi son in a family of nine children of William Carpenter and Charity Hawley. His father was a native of Rhode Island, and of English deseent ; the grandfather, Calvin, was supposed to be descended from one of three brothers who came to America about 1620. Milton lived with his father until he was fifteen years of age, and then served an apprenticeship of six years learning the tanner and eurrier's trade,-three years in New Milford, Conneeti- eut, and the other three years in Oxford, New York.

Soon after the elose of his apprenticeship he came to Watertown, this county, but, not being able to get work, went to Kingston, Canada, and remained there three years, working at his trade, returning to Watertown in the year 1826. After two years he entered into partnership with Mr. Kitts in the manufacture of morocco, and continued with him until 1834. The firm was burned out in 1833. It may be said here that in connection with their morocco business they dealt quite largely in wool, making their principal sales in Albany and Providenee.

Mr. Carpenter, after the dissolution of the partnership with Mr. Kitts, carried on business alone for some two years, and, competition being so great, he relinquished the business, except to occasionally work at his trade by jobs or by the day.

In the year 1856 he went to Warsaw, Wisconsin, and

for the most part engaged in carpenter and joiner business. Only remaining four years, returned to Watertown, and the most of the time sinee, when able to work, has been with his son in St. Lawrence county, who is a tanner and eurrier by trade. He, at the age of twenty-eight, in the year 1829, married Miss Rachel Nash, of Albany, New York.

To Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter were born nine children : Cyrus, Caroline, John M., Mary, Milton, George, Sidney, Horace, and Hattie. Of these only four are living, viz. : John M. is one of the successful and active dry goods and grocery merchants of his native town and city of Water- town. Mary is married, and resides in Macomb, Illinois. George resides in Hillsborough, New York. Hattie is married, and resides also in the town and eity of her birth.

Mr. Carpenter has been a life-long Demoerat, never seeking notoriety, a plain, unassuming man, moving in the unostentatious circles of society, honored and respeeted by all who know him. His wife was spared to enjoy his so- ciety until she was sixty-five years of age, and died in 1874. He is now in his seventy-seventh year, looking down life's journey as only a little way, but eared for by his son, John M., and daughter-in-law, Mrs. John M. Carpenter.

His son, John M., was married January 17, 1856, to Miss Amanda Jane, daughter of Samuel Graves, of Water- town, New York, and have three children living, viz. : Rachel May, Fred. M., and John M. Carpenter, Jr.

211

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

EVELYN F. CARTER.

The subject of this sketch was born in the town of Clin- ton (formerly Killingsworth), Connecticut, March 14, 1811. He was fourth child and second son of a family of five children of Hubbel Carter and Eunice Parmalee, of New England birth (Connecticut). His father was said to be a lineal descendant of one of five brothers who emigrated from England and settled in Connecticut during the first days of the settlement of that State.

His father died when he was ten years old, and his mother died when he was only two years of age. Evelyn was adopted by Peter Farnham, a sea-captain, upon the death of his mother. The captain was unfortunate in his business operations, and Evelyn was again left without a guardian. Thrown upon the world unaided and alone, and with his adopted mother to care for at an early age, he worked in the factory and in the shop, struggling with pov- erty, until about twenty-eight years of age, and in the year 1838 he removed and settled at Evans' Mills, in the town of Le Ray, this county. Previous to coming to this county, and in the year 1836, he married Miss Emogene Pratt, of Durham, Greene county, New York, daughter of Abijah Pratt and Polly Post, originally of Connecticut, and of English descent.

Upon coming to Jefferson County, he settled as a farmer upon one hundred and sixty-seven acres in the town of Le Ray, considerable of which he cleared of its original for- est, carried on dairying and grain-raising, and became one of the representative farmers of his town.

In 1853, Mr. Carter, with several others, became the

incorporators of the Agricultural Mutual Insurance Com- pany, of Watertown, New York, which name was soon after changed to the Agricultural Insurance Company, of Watertown, New York. This enterprise started with a very small beginning, but has become one of the largest insurance companies of the State.

Mr. Carter being one of the charter members of the company, has been connected with it ever since, and in the year 1875 gave up his farming interest to his son, Revilo Carter, and came to Watertown city, and directly connected himself with the operations of the company, and upon the death of Mr. Cooper, president of the company, he was elected vice-president, with John A. Sherman as president.

Mr. Carter, in politics, is a Republican, never seeking political preferment.

He has been connected with the Presbyterian church for some twenty years, and at the same time he united with that body his wife, son, and two daughters, Catharine E. and Celia A., all connected themselves with the same church.

He has enjoyed the office of elder of the church since 1860, and has always contributed largely to both the inter- ests of church and school.

To Mr. and Mrs. Carter were born four children, viz. : three previously mentioned in this sketeli, and one died in infancy. Kate E. married Rev. E. H. Pratt, a Presby- terian clergyman, of Durham, New York, 1871.

Revilo Carter married Miss Martha Avery, of Chelsea, Massachusetts, 1875.

212

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK. .

WINSLOW PATTRIDGE.

The subject of this sketch was born in Chesterfield, Cheshire county, New Hampshire, July 1, 1791. He was of a family of twelve children, being the fourth son of Joseph and Sarah Pattridge, both of whom were of New England birth. His father was of Scotch descent; but his mother, Sarah Warren, was a daughter of Captain War- ren, and a ncar relation of General Warren of the Revolu- tionary War, and supposed to be of English descent. His father was a farmer by occupation. He lived at home until he was of age, and then went for himself, and for the first few ycars learned the cloth-dressing and wool-carding busi- ness. Entered a partnership with Jonathan Wood in the same business, in Otsego county, and remained there for two years, and in the year 1818 removed to Jefferson County and settled where the city of Watertown now is.

Previous to leaving Otsego county he married Miss Le- vina Wood, daughter of Jonathan Wood, of Massachusetts, and of English descent. This was in the year 1816.

On coming to Watertown he at once commenced his business of cloth-dressing and wool-carding, and after a few years erected a building for the purpose of and began the manufacture of cloth. This business lic continued until about the year 1846, meeting during his business career with success, and accumulated a fine property. He rented his mill and retired from active business, but the next year his mill was burned, which resulted in a total loss to him.

To Mr. and Mrs. Pattridge were born ten children, five of whom died while young.

The eldest son, Joseph Curtis Pattridge, received the best advantages the schools of Watertown could afford, and then graduated at Union college, took up the study of law,

which he practiced for a few ycars, and entered the service of the United States in their war with Mexico as pay- master, and at the close of the war, 1849, he returned home, engaged in the milling business and speculating in land in Minnesota ; but his life was cut short, and he died 1857.

Julia Ann married Luther J. Darwin, Esq., an attorney of Watertown, and resides in that city.

Robert Kirkwood married Miss Catherine Seaver, and resides in California.

Levina E. and Caroline M. reside at home. Winslow Pattridge died June 2, 1864, in his seventy-third year. His wife and widow is now in her eighty-second year, re- taining apparently actively all the faculties of her mind, and now in her declining years cared for by two kind daughters. She is numbered among the living representa- tive pioneer women of Jefferson County.

Mr. Pattridge's education was necessarily restricted to the rudiments taught in the common schools of his youth, and which he was able to acquire by the best use of his opportunities in the winter months of his boyhood years, while his summer months were long vacations with severe labor on the farm. He had a fine constitution, and during his life was a man of great activity, and, besides his other business, he erected a large number of first-class dwellings on Arsenal, Clinton, Massey, and Ten Eyck streets, by which he carried the reputation as one of the best builders in town.

He was a kind husband, father, and friend, and a use- ful and much-csteemed citizen, and left with his family a more valuable legacy than money, " the example and influ- ence of a pure life."

ABNER W. PECK.

PROMINENTLY identified with the pioneer history of the town of Brownville was Deacon Eliphalet Peck, one of the earliest settlers of that town. He was a native of Connecticut, and we find, by reference to the genealogical record of the family, that the first American stock arrived in New England cotemporary with the pilgrim fathers, and have since been conspicuous in the history of this country as eminent churchmen, soldiers, and citizens. Two of the descendants of the Peck family arc now bishops of the Methodist Episcopal church, notably, Jesse T. Peck, of this State. The mother of the subject of this sketch, Lois Webb, was also a native of Connecticut, and came of a good old New Eng- land ancestry. Eliphalet Peck served at Sacket's Harbor during the War of 1812. Ile was a man universally respected for his general good qualities of head and heart. Ile died in Clayton, in 1868, in the eighty-fourth year of his age, deeply lamented by all who knew him.

Abner W. Peck was born in the town of Brownville, Jefferson County, New York, on the 8th of February, 1822. His father was a farmer, and he followed the same avocation during his boyhood, working on the farm during the summer months, and attending the district school of his native town winters. At the age of seventeen he commenced teaching sehool, and for several consecutive summers he continued in that laudable field of use- fulness, alternating teaching and working on the farm. When quito young he was elected to the responsible position of super- intendent of schools for the town of Clayton, whither he and his father's family had removed in the year 1825. In the fall of 1856 he was chosen to represent the Third assembly district (now the Second) in the State legislature, and in 1875 was made sheriff of his native county, which position he at present (1877) occupies. In these various offices Mr. Peck has given general satisfaction, alike to his constituents and the people at large. Faithful to every trust in him reposed, careful of the interests committed to his charge, and honest in the administration of his

official duties, there exists no wonder his official career has been crowned with honor, success, and distinction.

In 1852 he was united in marriage with Miss Laura Pearsons, daughter of Esquire Chesterfield Pearsons, an old and worthy citizen of the town of Orleans, and especially identified with the history of La Fargeville. Five children-two daughters and three sons-have blessed this union, namely : Florence, Flora, Frank HI., Carlton C., and Fremont, in whose education their parents have expended much money and care, and, we may add, with the most gratifying results. Both daughters were honorably graduated from the Hungerford Collegiate Institute, of Adams, and the two elder sons received their education at the University of Canton, this State. Frank H. has particularly distinguished himself by his scholastic attainments, as evinced by his success- ful competition in a class of twenty-one for admission as a cadet to West Point. IIe has there eminently sustained his reputation as a diligent scholar, and now, after about a year's study, stands third in his class in mathematics, which is an almost unpre- cedented record in that institution.

The rest of Mr. Peck's family have been faithful scholars, and will doubtless distinguish themselves in the various stations in life which they are destined to occupy.

For the past two years Mr. Peck and family have resided in Watertown, the seat of his official capacity. Their place of per- manent residence, however, is on the old homestead in the town of Clayton, towards the purchase of which he paid his early earnings. The good, old spot, with its sacred memories of carly toil and care, hope and success, and with the additions which by industry and careful management Mr. Peck has been enabled to make to it, occupies a place in the hearts of the family which no other place on earth could fill. The portrait of this gentleman, together with this brief family sketch, is inserted at the solic- itation of his many friends, as a token of respectful regard.

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

213

Hur Mafscy

In writing out anything like a full history of this county, tradi- tional or otherwise, the name placed at the head of this article is among the few that would occur so often as to satisfy the most casual observer that, "for weal or woe," he must have had very much to do in the affairs of the people of Jefferson County, in moulding the ehar- acter of their eivil and religious institutions, and in shaping the destinies of the generations that should follow.

From the very nature of the ease, the early men of any given community are men of character; and as they stand out in the fore front of the battle of life, they not only scem conspicuous as actors, but, as they are in very deed, directors in all the evolutions which take place in the ever-varying scenes of pioneer life. Yankee born and Yankee bred, he was one of the first to "ealeulate" the ehanees which were beginning to be presented at the commencement of the present century, of winning fame and fortune by plunging into the profoundest depths of the great forests lying stretched along the river St. Lawrence and the great lakes.

Hart Massey, the third son of Deacon Jonathan Massey, and one of a family of eight sons and three daughters, was born in Salem, New Hampshire, December 5, 1771. In 1792 he removed with the family to Windsor, Vermont, and in 1795 married the daughter of Deacon Nathaniel Swain, youngest of a family of seven children, three sons and four daughters. She was a native of Reading, Massa- chusetts, was born in the year 1771, and had removed to Reading, Vermont, with her father's family, as pioneers in that State. After their marriage they removed to a new town ealled Saltash, now Plymouth, whero they endurod all the hardships of pioncer life. In this wilderness home, four miles from human habitation, were born to them threo children, Mary, Solon, and Stillman.

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History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 54

Author: Durant, Samuel W; Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.) Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 862

Author: Durant, Samuel W; Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.)
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 862