USA > New York > Lewis County > History of Lewis County, New York; with...biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 50
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thage, other roads were projected and completed from that place to the points on the Lake and the St. Lawrence and leased, and the whole brought under the management of the Utica & Black River railroad, during his presidency. The credit of all this is largely due to him. It was a great work, not only providing an outlet for an important and rich sec- tion of the State and Canada too, but opening the way for the tourist and the people to the most beautiful and delight- ful scenery and attractive resorts on the American Continent-immense enough for all the people and beautiful enough for the most fastidious. In 1879, the failure of his health compelled his retire- ment from the presidency of the road, but he continued in the direction until his death. In this year he organized the Black River National Bank at Lowville, and acted as its president the remainder of his life. Mr. West's abilities were of a high order. He was a master of de- tails, and from them made sound and wise deductions. In the perception and application of principles few excelled him. He could maintain with sound ar- gument, the position to which his judg- ment led him. He spoke with clearness and elegance, and was often eloquent. A commanding figure, an expressive and pleasant countenance, and rich, sweet voice, added charm and force to his ora- tory. Like his intimate and life-long friend, Judge Church, "he loved to be among men," among whom he was a natural leader, and the affections and trust of men went out after him and fol- lowed him. The sudden death of Judge Church produced a profound impression
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HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
upon him. He had become aware that he might be called as suddenly. But it was not the fear of death that impressed him so much as that a great and good man should fall so suddenly, while the world yet had need of him. His own death, so similar, and in so short a time after, while yet in the prime of life, 'and in the midst of his greatest usefulness, and foremost in his political party in his State, and on whom many hopes were centered, was an irreparable loss. His death occurred suddenly August 27, 1880, from an affection of the heart.
CARLOS P. SCOVIL.
Elisha Scovil, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in 1743. He came to West Turin, Lewis county, in 1796, and took up a farm on what was afterward known as Cox Hill, just above Collinsville. He was one of the first settlers in that town.
In the fall of that year he returned to Meriden, Connecticut, and in 1798, moved with his family to the new coun- try and farm of his selection.
He was twice married and had eight children by his first wife, and one by his second. These children by the first wife were remarkable for longevity. Of these eight none died under the age of seventy-six, except Oliver, who died of yellow fever in New Orleans while a young man. The oldest died at the age of one hundred, and Lemuel the next oldest, at ninety-seven.
Of these children, Hezekiah, the youngest, and the father of Carlos P. Scovil, was born in Meriden, Connecti-
cut, in 1770. When he came with his father to West Turin, he was about eighteen years of age, and he afterward purchased the homestead of his father and took care of him until his death in 1827, at the age of 84 years. In 1803, he married Catharine Brown, who was of English and Scotch descent-her father being English and her mother Scotch. He had by her thirteen chil- dren, of whom eight only lived to ma- turity. Hezekiah died in 1856, at the age of 76 years.
His wife, Catharine Brown, died in 1850, at the age of 66. In the War of 1812, Hezekiah Scovil and Captain Dem- ing, of Denmark, raised a company of volunteers for four months' service, with Deming as Captain and Hezekiah as First Lieutenant. This company, with one from Jefferson county, was stationed at Sackett's Harbor. Afterwards, dur- ing the same struggle, he served as cap- tain of a company in the regiment of Colonel Cox, and was several times called out with his company to Sackett's Harbor. He was a man of such popu- larity that, although he was very decid- ed in his political convictions, he was nominated and elected by both existing parties in 1828, as sheriff of the county.
Carlos P. Scovil, the subject of this portrait, was born in Collinsville, in the town of West Turin, February 26, 1804; and with the exception of two years' res- idence in the western part of Pennsyl- vania, has always been a resident of the county. He received an academic edu- cation, and entered upon the study of law in the office of Henry Page at Col- linsville and Turin, and the last year
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LOWVILLE.
with Thomas S. Conklin at Harrisburgh, then the county seat. He was admitted to practice in the supreme court at the October term of 1830, and was in prac- tice with Judge Seger at Collinsville during the year 1831.
In the fall of that year he was elected
eight Senatorial districts, with four Senators from each district.
In the fall of 1863, Mr. Scovil was elected County Judge and Surrogate, to which office he was again elected in 1867, and 1871, serving in all eleven years and serving out but half of his term by
[CARLOS P. SCOVIL. ]
county clerk ; was again elected to that office in the fall of 1834, and again in the fall of 1837-the latter term of office ex- piring on the last day of December, 1840.
In the fall of 1841, he was nominated and elected to the Assembly of the State and in the fall of 1842, was elected to the State Senate for four years-the State at that time being divided into
reason of his age. Since that time he has been engaged in the practice of his profession in Lowville, where he has lived since 1856, with the exception of two or three years at Martinsburgh.
On the 18th of August, 1834, he was married to Mary Rockwell, a daughter of Philo Rockwell. Her mother was a daughter of General Walter Martin.
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HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
RUSSEL J. EASTON.
It is only occasionally that enough of unusual interest and action can be found to make the life of any individual promi- nent above the restless surging of the present age. But there are some, how- ever, who catching the first flood of the tide of our modern life, so well under- stand its direction, and so successfully keep abreast of it, that they fairly epito- mize the movement and become its ex- ponents. It is always a subject of regret when, as is too often the case in our busy world, the lives of such prominent and useful men are permitted to pass into oblivion when the grave closes over their career. A life of useful labor is an ob- ject of contemplation far too fruitful and suggestive to be suffered to pass quickly out of memory. The man may live, may toil, may shape the tendency of his time," and the restless waves of busy human life, despite family tradition and family love, soon erase the most cherished recollections, unless gathered up and crystalized into some more permanent and abiding form. To preserve in some measure from oblivion, the deeds and memory of those whose honorable and useful lives demand our reverence, this history of Lewis county is given to the public. Of the men and families who deserve to be remembered when the dark river shall have swept them forever from our sight, none are more worthy than those mentioned in this sketch.
Of the first of this family name in America, there is no positive record. Tradition says that three Scotch broth- ers left their native land at an early day and emigrated to America, one of whom
went to Canada, one to Pennsylvania, and one to Connecticut. It is also prob- able that the town called Easton, in Pennsylvania, was named for some of the descendants of the brother who set- tled there. Of the one who went to Canada, Storr Star Easton, a prominent man of the Dominion, was undoubtedly a descendant.
The first of whom anything definite is known, was Giles Easton, Ist, grand- father of Russel J., who was born in East Hartford, Conn., April 22, 1766, and who married Anna Haskins, born in Bloom- field, Conn., April 24, 1773. He died June 28, 1829. She died April 24, 1853, aged eighty years. They had three children-Giles, 2d; Sophia ; and Henry R., who died June 22, 1848.
Giles Easton, 2d, was born in Hart- ford, Conn., December 13, 1797, and in 1809, at the age of twelve years, came on foot to Lewis county and located one- half mile north of West Martinsburgh, where he contracted for twenty acres of land, some of which is included in the homestead now owned by his son, Rus- sel J., joining on the south the farm now owned by Rutson Rea. With such help as he could procure, he cleared the trees away, planted some of the land to pota- toes, built a rude log cabin, and in the fall returned to Hartford and came back with his parents, and in that cabin passed the winter.
At that time this country was nearly a wilderness ; Lowville had but a few log houses and a hotel. Jonathan Rog- ers, the veteran pioneer, was then living there. The next season his father, Giles Ist, who was by trade a blacksmith, built
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LOWVILLE.
on that land a blacksmith shop, in which for some years he did the work of his neighborhood. Giles, 2d, added to his farm by additional purchases, first twen- ty acres, then forty, sixty, and so on, as money and opportunity offered, until he had acquired something over 300 acres. On the 22d of February, 1822, he mar- ried Olive Green, daughter of Oliver Green, of Denmark, who was born in Pittsburgh, Mass., March 14, 1802, and lived on this farm until his death, which occurred August 16, 1856. His wife died June 7, 1874, in West Martinsburgh, on the old homestead. The children of Giles 2d, and Olive Green were :- Jason C., born May 12, 1823; Giles C., born November 21, 1824, died in West Mar- tinsburgh, January 26, 1867; Russel J .; Harriet N., born July 28, 1829, married Seymour Shumway ; Francis M., born March 10, 1833, died in Lowville, Febru- ary 13, 1868; Augusta O., born Feb- ruary 19, 1836, married Rev. T. B. Shep- herd, now (1883) living in Ilion, N. Y .; John V., born October 20, 1841, died in West Martinsburgh, February 9, 1874.
Of these children, Jason C. was edu- cated in the common and select schools of his neighborhood, and attended sev- eral terms in the Lowville Academy. From the latter institution he went to Yale College, where he studied a few years. He then returned and for a year or two worked on the farm, and after- ward purchased a small farm adjacent to that of his father's. This occupation however, was not one for which his tal- ents were fitted. He remained but one year on the farm, and giving up that business, went to Lowville and purchased
with Homer Hunt, the Northern Journal, which he conducted several years. He then went to Chatfield, Minn., where he engaged in a general banking business. He is now (1883) a prosperous banker, and largely interested in railroad man- agement, being director of the Southern Minnesota railroad, and President of the Chippewa Valley & Superior, and the . Chicago & Evanston Railroad Compa- nies.
Russel James Easton was born March 7, 1827. He was educated in the com- mon school at West Martinsburgh, and in a select school kept by John Vary. At the age of seventeen he took up his father's occupation of farming and gen- eral merchandising. His first venture was in the purchase of wool with Aaron Wood for a partner. This experiment, which led them a long distance from home, proved discouraging to Wood, who sold his interest in the business to Mr. Easton and withdrew from the part- nership. His next partner was William Rook, with whom he continued the bus- iness, to which was afterward added the manufacture of potash. Beginning at the lowest round of the commercial lad- der, and "despising not the day of small things," he built up a large and lucra- tive trade, having for his partners at different times, his father and his broth- ers, Francis and Giles.
In 1861, the real active business of his life began. On the 24th of January of that year, he formed a partnership with his brother, Giles, at Lowville, under the firm name of G. C. & R. J. Easton, General Commission Merchants. He continued to live on the old farm until
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HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
the spring of 1863, when he moved his family to Lowville, locating on Dayan street, in what is known as the Bowen house. He there entered actively into the labors which have resulted in the improvement of that village. During the year 1863-'64, he purchased in the central part of Lowville, 33 acres of land, most of which was then a rude cow-pasture, owned by men mostly of no enterprise, and erected thereon, in the same year, five buildings, the first built on Easton street, which thorough- fare he opened and which was named for him. He has been an extensive deal- er in real-estate, and the western part of the village owes its growth to his enter- prise. This once neglected tract of land is now occupied by fine residences and. has become the homes of the solid men of Lowville. His business as commis- sion merchant increased during these years and from the small beginning of the youth of seventeen, has grown to proportions which place him in the front rank of the business men of the county. In this department of the business of his life he has probably done as large a trade, as any man in the county, if not larger, averaging fully a yearly sum of a quarter-million of dollars. On the 12th of February, 1875, he took his son Gil- bert into partnership, and on the Ist of April, 1881, his son Giles was added to the firm. The firm name was then changed to the one it now bears-R. J. Easton & Sons.
In 1869, Mr. Easton was appointed United States Assistant Supervisor of Internal Revenue, under the adminis- tration of President Grant. At the
breaking out of the Rebellion,Mr. Easton furnished a substitute, and at the call of President Lincoln for 500,000 volunteers, was appointed chairman of the War Committee of Lowville, and promptly filled the quota of the town. The quota consisted of forty-six men, which he filled mostly by procuring substitutes in New York City, and the balance by securing volunteers from Lowville and Watertown. In this work of raising soldiers to put down the Rebellion and to secure a united country, Mr. Easton did valuable work which entitles him to the gratitude of the people of Low- ville.
Commencing life under discouraging circumstances; struggling upward with an earnest desire to accomplish some good work in this life, he is emphatically a self-made man, and deserves to rank among those men whose names we should not willingly let die.
In 1840, his father, Giles, 2d, Henry Curtis, and Noah Harger built the Methodist Episcopal church in West Martinsburgh, now standing there. Mr. Easton joined the society of that church in 1838, in which he has been Steward for thirty-one years.
On the 23d of September, 1851, he was married to Jane Rogers, daughter of Jonathan and Elizabeth Rogers of Lowville, one of the pioneers of Lewis county, who was born in Lowville, April 18, 1832. The children of this marriage were :- Gilbert Russel, born in Martins- burgh September 18, 1857; Giles Nel- son, born in Martinsburgh May, 17, 1860; and Frank Rogers, born in Low- ville October 30, 1869.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LOWVILLE.
THE ancestors of Hon. Eliada S. Mer- rell were among the early settlers of New England. His great-grandparents were Caleb Merrell and Susannah Tomp- kins, a relative of Gov. Daniel D. Tomp- kins, of this State. They lived and died in Waterbury, Conn. The great-grand- father on his mother's side was a San- ford and his wife was an Ives.
They were English people and settled at North Haven, Connecticut, at an early day. His grandfather on his pa- ternal side was Nathaniel Merrell, who
emigrated with his family to Jefferson, Schoharie county, N. Y., where he died in 1823. He was a soldier of the Revo- lutionary war, and was the father of eight sons and one daughter-Caleb, Chester, Seth, Jared, Erastus, Mark, Eb- enezer P., John, and Chloe. His mater- nal grandparents were John Sanford and Susannah Thorp, daughter of Capt. Amos Thorp, who fell in the old French war.
These grandparents lived and died at North Haven, Connecticut. The parents of Eliada Sanford Merrell were Seth
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HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
Merrell and Mabel (Sanford) Merrell. They had four sons and one daughter, Lorenzo D., who died at Richmond, Ky., September 18, 1852; Jared Lewis, who died at Copenhagen, November 17, 1877 ; Mrs. Chloe M. Robb, and Hon. Nathan- iel A. Merrell, who reside at De Witt, Clinton county, Iowa. Seth Merrell died at Copenhagen, December 31, 1852, and his wife died at Lowville, Septem- ber 1, 1862.
The subject of this sketch, the third son of Seth Merrell and Mabel (Sanford) Merrell, was born at Jefferson, Schoharie county, N. Y., November 21, 1820, and removed with his parents to Copenha- gen, in this county, in 1826. His early life, when not at school, was passed on the farm and as a teacher in the common schools, to which latter employment he devoted six winters. His education was obtained in the common schools, in select schools, in Denmark High School, Low- ville Academy, and the Black River Literary and Religious Institute, at Wa- tertown, N. Y. He read law in the of- -fice of Ruger & Moore, at Watertown, N. Y., with Dayan & Parish, at Lowville, N. Y., and with Hon. Francis Seger, at Lyons Falls. He was admitted to the Bar in May, 1846, as an attorney at law and Solicitor in Chancery. His father gave him such advantages at school as his limited pecuniary circumstances would permit, but he was dependent for education mainly upon his own efforts.
He was married June 17, 1850, to Em- eline A. Clark, daughter of the late John Clark, 2d, and Phebe (Keene) Clark, of Copenhagen. Their children were two sons, viz :- Lorenzo Eliada, born at Co-
penhagen, June 9, 1851, died at Lowville, May 20, 1862 ; and Edgar Sanford Keene, born at Lowville, May 21, 1865. He was elected District Attorney in 1852, was re-elected in 1855, and was again elected in 1867. He was elected County Judge and Surrogate in 1874, and re- elected in 1880, which office he now holds. Since he arrived at his majority, he has ever been identified with the Democratic party, and from the time of the organization of the Republican par- ty, in 1855, for many years, in common with other young and energetic men of the county, he took an active part in the struggle for political ascendency, and the nearly equal division of parties at the present time, is illustrative of the energy and determination with which political contests have been maintained in the county.
Since his admission to the Bar, he has always practiced his profession in this locality, with the varied success which usually meets the country practitioner, whose efforts are necessarily confined to the humbler walks of professional life.
HENRY ELLIS TURNER.
Henry E. Turner was born in the town of Winchester, Cheshire county, New Hampshire, in April, 1832. His father's name is Robert Turner. He was born in Glastonbury, Connecticut, his ancestors having resided in New Eng- land for several generations, although they were of English descent, on the paternal side and Scotch on the mater- nal.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LOWVILLE.
The parents of Judge Turner are yet living. His mother, Caroline Ellis, was born in Orange, Franklin county, Mas- sachusetts, and her family for genera- tions were also residents of New Eng- land, although her maternal great-grand- father was a Huguenot who fled from France to New England to escape re- ligious persecutions. The ancestors of Mr. Turner, both paternal and mater- nal, served in the army during the Rev- olution. Henry E. Turner's parents re- sided in New England until 1840, when they moved to the State of New York, settling in the town of Vienna, Oneida
county, and removing to the town of Stockbridge, Madison county, in 1843, where his father became the proprietor and manager of a woolen factory. Here the son was employed during the sum- mer months and attended the district school in the winter terms. In 1849- '50-'51, he attended a select school at Munnsville, New York, and the Clinton Liberal Institute at Clinton, New York.
The summers following, he worked at manual labor and taught school during the winter months, then was called to take charge of the village school in Munnsville, having the care of two de-
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HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
partments for three successive terms; his former course there as a pupil hav- ing been observed, his services were afterwards sought for as a teacher. Dur- ing the year 1853, he was employed as a clerk in the office of Captain E. B. Ward, the noted steamboat proprietor, at Detroit, Michigan. In 1854, he en- tered a hardware store at Lockport, New York, as clerk, and January I, 1855, became a student in the law-office of the late Judge Hiram Gardner, at Lockport, having previously pursued law studies while teaching. The follow- ing September, he entered the Albany Law School, and at the same time be- came a student in the law-office of the late Otis Allen, a prominent lawyer in Albany, and pursued a course of legal studies in addition to the course at the Law School, and in December of that year he was admitted to the Bar on an examination at the general term of the Supreme Court, then sitting in Albany. He remained at the Law School and in the Albany office till the last of March, 1856, when he came to Lowville, where he has ever since resided. The young la w yer came to Lowville to reside among strangers, without means, and not even having any law books for a library. He was employed for a few months by the late Judge Brown as a clerk, and in ad- dition to those duties, he began prac- tice in a Justice Court. At the June term of the Lewis county Oyer and Terminer of 1856, he tried his first case in a court of record, when, with the late eminent Judge Mullin of Watertown New York, as his associate, he defended one Jacob Schoff, who was then tried
on an indictment for murder, the trial resulting in an acquittal of the prisoner. This result was highly advantageous to the young man, and brought him clients and business, causing him in September of that year to open an office as an at- torney and counselor at law. During the Fremont campaign, prior to Octo- ber, 1856, he had taken quite an active part in behalf of the Republican party, and in that month, was nominated at the Republican County Convention, for the office of District Attorney. This nomination, though unexpected and un- sought, was accepted, and until the close of the campaign, he was constantly ad- dressing public meetings in support of the Republican ticket. He was elected, and entered upon the performance of his duties, which were discharged faith- fully, satisfactorily, and creditably for the whole term of three years.
Steadily growing in his profession, he was nominated in the autumn of 1859, for County Judge, was elected at the an- nual election in that year, and at the close of his official term as District At- torney, entered upon the discharge of the duties of County Judge, which office he held until January 1, 1864. Kind and courteous to all, industrious, having a strong sense of justice, and with mental gifts and qualities, peculiarly fitting him for judicial duties, he was successful on the Bench, and won the confidence and respect of the Bar, its members on his retirement from office, presenting him with flattering resolutions expressive of their regard and respect.
He then resumed the practice of his profession, and in 1870, was again elect-
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LOWVILLE.
ed District Attorney, the nomination having come to him unsought and con- trary to his wishes. January 1, 1871, he again entered upon the performance of the duties of that office; and during that term he tried successfully, and ob- tained convictions in an unusually large number of indictments, many of them being for the highest crimes in law.
In 1877, he was elected to the State Senate from the 18th Senatorial District, then comprising the counties of Jeffer- son and Lewis; in the Senate of 1878, and '79, he served as a member of the Judiciary committee, and committee on Game Laws, and was chairman of the committees on Privileges and Elections, and Military affairs, and took a promi- nent and influential part in the deliber- ations of that body during both sessions.
The appropriation for the better equipment of the National Guard in 1879, the successful passage of the Tax commission Bill and the proposed "Bien- nial Sessions " amendment to the Con- stitution, of the same year, were mainly due to his efforts and speeches in their behalf. Every measure tending to econ- omy in public expenditures, and in favor of reduced Legislative expenses found in him an earnest supporter. In the spring of 1879, the New York Chamber of Commerce, sent him complementary resolutions of thanks for his services in Senate in behalf of the merchants of that city, upon the question of railway dis- crimination on freight rates as against New York City.
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