USA > New York > Livingston County > History of Livingston County, New York, from its earliest traditions to the present together with early town sketches > Part 121
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Wild animals were numerous, at one time, James the adopted son, went for the cows which frequented this valley; he found them and also discovered seven bears sunning themselves lying on a bank. I well recollect of hearing my father tell of counting twenty-two deer at one time which congregated with the cattle at the stack where they were fed hay, somewhat emaciated by consequence of long continued snow no one molested them under such circum- stances. Hogs would frequently come home badly torn and disabled by bears which would watch until one was found separate and alone and then make his attack. This quickly brought the whole herd to therescue and the bear had to flee for his own safety,
Indians from Squawkie Hill and Mount Morris made yearly hunting excur- sions to the hills south of Dansville. Their principal path led directly past McCoy's house, with whom they became very friendly.
Their mode of traveling was one behind another which in many places had depressed the ground six inches below the surface. On returning home the squaws always carried the burden on their backs with a strap across their fore- heads.
On their path were found resting places so fixed that the loads could be rested without taking them from their backs. The Indians burned those lands every year to make tender and inviting forage for the deer.
SIRENO F. ADAMS, attorney of Dansville, N. Y., was born in the town of Conesus, July 21, 1871. His education was obtained at the district schools and at the Geneseo State Normal School. In 1889 he removed to Chicago
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where he remained three years, and then returned and resumed his studies at Geneseo. In January, 1895, he entered the law office of Fred W. Noyes as a student where he remained ten years.
His father, Philip T. Adams, was born at East Bloomfield, N. Y., April 17. 1832, He married Julia French, oldest daughter of Sireno French, at that time the general agent of the Orient Insurance Company at Chicago.
Five children were born to them, Jennie M., now wife of John H. Egan of Caledonia, N. Y., Richard W., who married Alice B. Grant, and who now re- sides at Dansville, two daughters Jessie F. and Emily L., who died early in life, and the subject of this sketch.
In February 1905, Mr. Adams opened an office in the Kramer Block at Dans- ville and having a large acquaintance in and around Dansville and having had a wide experience in the work of his chosen profession, his success is assured. .
CHARLES A. WORDEN-The firm of Worden Brothers of Dansville, N. J., is a well known firm throughout Western New York, being one of the larg- est and most extensive dealers in monuments and mausoleums in the state. Major Walter Worden, the paternal ancestor, was born in Rhode Island in 1753. He served through the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. His son Captain Walter Worden, who was born in 1775, was also a soldier in the war of 1812 and died from the effects of a wound received at Queenstown. Hiram H., a son of Captain Walter, was born at Manlius, N. Y., in 1801, married Louisa Graves and reared a family of eight children. He was a prominent Mason, having been a member of that order for seventy years. He died at the age of ninety-two. Charles A. Worden, his fourth son and the father of our subject, was born at Oswego in 1829. He learned the trade of marble cutting and became an expert workman and designer. He engaged in the monument business at Manlius and also ran an establishment of the kind in Fayetteville, N. Y., previous to his removing to Dansville. He married Eliza A. Sweeting, daughter of John Sweeting, of Syracuse, N. Y., and five children have been born to them. Ella married L. A. Stevens, Charles A., Fred E., Louisa married Ray Ackerman of Syracuse, and Addison W. £ Mr. Worden died in
February, 1896. Charles A. and Fred E. Worden comprise the firm of Worden Bros. Charles A. was born at Manlius, N. Y., October 10, 1859. Early in life he began learning the trade of marble cutting in his father's establishment. When twenty-one years of age he took charge of the business at Manlius and Fayetteville, which he managed until 1885 when they came to Dansville. They reorganized the business and began work on a larger scale and have since grad- ually extended their field of operations and expanded their works. Their pro- duct is now shipped to all parts of the United States and their weekly pay roll amounts to about one thousand dollars. In 1880 Charles A. Worden married Jennie M. Morley, of Manlius. They have had two children, Leslie who died in 1900 aged sixteen years, and Arthur M., born August 24, 1887. Mr. Worden is a member of Phoenix Lodge, F. and A. M. Fred E. Worden was also born
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at Manlius, N. Y., June 30, 1864. He became a skilled workman under the tuition of his father. He married Grace Clark, a daughter of Ezra W. Clark, of Conesus.
JOHN D. COFFEE,-Attorney, of Caledonia was born in Medina, N. Y., January 18, 1866. His education was obtained in the public schools of that place and the State Normal School of Geneseo, from which he graduated in 1885. He then entered Williams College and graduated from that institution with the class of '89. The following year he spent as a student in the Albany Law School, and from there entered the law office of Judge Chester, of Albany. with whom he remained one year, and was admitted to the Bar in 1891. He removed to Rochester and for a few months was engaged in practice in the law office of Congressman Perkins, after which he opened an office in the Pow- ers building, and practiced in the courts of Rochester until his removal to Cal- edonia in 1897. He was joined in marriage with Ruth M. Loveridge, of Cuba, N. Y., in 1869, and they have three children, Agnes Loveridge, John Morgan and Buela. Mr. Coffee has held the office of Vice President of the First National Bank, of Caledonia, since its inauguration.
MRS. REBECCA E. WHITEMAN,-Is a member of one of the oldest families in Livingston county. In the early part of the nineteenth century Telemachus Clemons came from Rome, Oneida county, to Sparta to live with his sister who resided at that place. Upon reaching his majority he started out to earn his own livelihood by working for neighboring farmers. By indus- try and the practice of strict economy he was at last able to purchase a small farm to which from time to time he added until his estate finally covered an expanse of four hundred acres. Mr. Clemons was one of the earliest settlers in the town and as the population increased and the country became more set- tled he was recognized as the leading spirit in all matters of a public nature and for many years held the office of Justice of the Peace. He finally sold his farm in Sparta and removed to Dansville where he purchased a home and there- after resided until his death, His wife, whose maiden name was Rhoda Rob- erts, was a daughter of an early settler of Springwater. Twelve children were born to them, seven of whom are now living: Mary, Lydia, Rebecca, Samuel, Abner, George, and Eliza. Mrs. Clemons died in 1884 at 83 years of age. Rebecca Clemons was joined in marriage in 1845 with Reuben Whiteman, a son of Jacob Whiteman, a farmer of the town of Sparta. Jacob Whiteman was of German parentage and a native of Pennsylvania. He came to Sparta in 1824 and purchased a farm on which he always resided. Reuben Whiteman was educated in the district school and upon reaching his majority pur- chased a farm in Wayland, Steuben county, where he lived until 1852, when he came to Dansville and established a lumber yard, which he conducted until his death in 1888. His career as a business man in Dansville was a successful
Norman Seymour.
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one and being a shrewd financier and a careful manager he rapidly accumulated a competence. To Reuben and Rebecca Whiteman were born five children, two of whom are now living, Alonzo J., and Clara J., who married A. Lester Gibbs and bas one child.
NORMAN SEYMOUR.
OBITUARY FROM THE MOUNT MORRIS UNION OF FEBRUARY 25, 1892.
Our community was greatly shocked on Sunday evening to hear of the sud- den death of Norman Seymour, which occurred at seven o'clock, at his resi- dence at the head of State street, where he had lived for thirty years. He had been in perfect and splendid health until Thursday morning, when an attack of bowel difficulty, which was thought only temporary, developed into a condition which prompt and active treatment by his physician failed to alleviate. It was decided on Sunday that his only chance for life lay in an operation, which was performed by Dr. Dodge of this village, and Dr. Lauderdale of Geneseo, assist- ed by Drs. Povall and Earle. When the necessity of the operation was told to
Mr. Seymour, he met the news with the greatest calmness and nerve, and re- plied, without a question, that he was ready. The operation was pronounced a success by the surgeons. The patient's pulse had kept up unusually well through it, and it was generally and immediately felt that his life was saved. but despite this he died in one hour and a half from the shock produced by the operation, never fully recovering his consciousness after the etherization.
Norman Seymour was born in Herkimer, Herkimer county, on the 16th day of December, 1820. He was the son of Norman Seymour of West Hartford, Conn., who was own cousin of Henry Seymour, the old Canal Commissioner, and the father of Governor Seymour. They both went from Connecticut into Herkimer county about the same time. The then Norman Seymour, Sr .. afterwards lived in this village for many years, and died here in 1859, aged seventy-seven years, and it was his intention, being a deeply religious man, to educate his two sons, Norman and McNeil, for missionaries. McNeil who afterwards became a distinguished lawyer of this place, and whose untimely death in 1870 is still remembered, was sent through college; and so would have been Norman but for the state of his health, which absolutely prevented the training and life which his marked literary ability naturally preferred, and towards which, during all the years of his business life, he continually turned.
His sister, Mary Seymour, having just become the wife of the late Judge Hastings, he came here as a young man of eighteen to visit her, and this led to his life residence in Mount Morris.
In 1843 he married Miss Francis H. Metcalf, a daughter of Henry Metcalf, of Keene, N. H., who, after her father's early death, had lived with her uncle, the late James R. Bond, in his residence on State street, from which she was married, and which for the past fifteen years has been the home of Mr. Sey- mour's son, Norman A. Next year he would, therefore, have celebrated his
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golden wedding. He was also a brother-in-law of the late Edward. Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury in Lincoln's Cabinet.
It was interesting to hear Mr. Seymour describe his first coming to Mount Morris in a stage from Canandaigua. From that year until this, he has been an active, interested, go-ahead business man of Mount Morris. For the last twenty-five years, and until he retired from business three years ago, he had been a hardware merchant, and when he left the store, which he purchased forty- six years ago, and owned at his death, he had been man and boy fifty years under the same roof. But during all this time the real interest of his life was in that literary work which could be presented to the public by an oration or an historical address. He was an eloquent speaker, and he had the faculty of only touching upon interesting topics, and struck at once to the key note of the sub- ject. For this reason, in the old days, though the Mount Morris bar had strong men, he was selected often to make addresses. He gave the oration at the time of Lincoln's funeral services here, also the oration on the return of the soldiers from the war, and the historical address at the opening of Living- ston Hall. He gave once the annual address before the pioneer picnic at Silver Lake, and as recently as 1890 he gave one before the same society on Mary Jemison, the white woman. Ile gave an annual address once before the Genesee County Ilistorical Association and a great many others before various associations of a pioneer and historical character. He was a member of the Albany Institute, a life member of the New York Historical Society, and honorary member of many others. He was one of the chief promoters of the Livingston County Historical Society, was once its president and for many years its secretary, never missed its annual meetings and made numerous ad- dresses before it. among others, one on the late John R. Murray of Murray Hill, who was a man he admired and prized, and who reciprocated his friend- ship. The last address delivered by Mr. Seymour was at the meeting of the County Historical Society in this village last month, at the Seymour Opera House, when he read an article upon the late Dr. Ames.
Not many now, save old residents, can recall, nor perhaps have ever heard of the old Mount Morris days-the days of the canal, the old toll bridge across the river, of riding down to the second lock on the packets, as they left here at seven p. m. on the ringing of the bell on the old Howard Athenaeum. Of those days, when Mr. Seymour was an ardent, keenly-observing man, he had innumerable anecdotes and recollections that would have filled a volume. He was, too, a witty man, saw the ludicrous side of things, as well as the ser- ious, a capital judge of character, sized men up in an instant, though never say- ing much about them, and with a wonderful memory that retained until his last day, the impression of every incident of his life; he could talk for hours' until one saw vividly again the old characters and the old days.
During all the years, over thirty, when Mr. Hugh Harding was the editor of this paper. Mr. Seymour contributed to it constantly. He wrote for it and for the Rochester Democrat, under the pen name of Robert Morris, the obitu- aries of his friends and acquaintances and historical articles, year in and year
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out, until the memory of man runneth not to the contrary. It was a standing joke with his friends that he had the obituaries written and pigeon-holed of every one, ready to be drawn at sight. He once prepared a long one of his wife, which he used to read in her presence, with great merriment, to his friends. He probably was the best posted man in the county on all matters of its historical lore; an authority and a reference on all such topics, and his interest in them was undying and never flagged.
He was an ardent Republican from the birth of that party until he died, and attended, as a delegate from this county, the first State convention at which it came forth. He greatly admired Horace Greeley, and took the Log Cabin and Tribune for forty years. He knew Mr. Greeley, and used to tell the story of once when riding from here to Perry with him in the dead of winter, very cold, and snow filling the cross-roads. how, when half way over, Mr. Greeley started up with, "Good God! Mr. Seymour, I have left my lecture," and they had to return here for his satchel.
He was once collector of the port in the old canal days, and once postmaster, member of the Board of Education, trustee of the Presbyterian church, of the village, of the Cemetery Association from its organization, and member of its executive board. He was one of the three commissioners who selected its present beautiful location, and threw all his influence to have that site chosen instead of enlarging the old cemetery, as was talked.
Mr. Seymour was fond of his home, fond of the country, fond of this beauti- ful valley of the Genesee, and he seldom went away from it. In 1882 he spent the summer in Europe, which he greatly enjoyed, and he made several public addresses, after his return, on his travels, for the benefit of local organizations, and had he lived he would have gone again.
He had a broad mind and generous heart; in business honest; among friends sincere, a citizen of pure conscience, reverencing law, and devoted to the public weal; a thorough gentleman, bearing himself gently to every man, whether of high or low estate. He filled a useful and distinguished place among the people in whose midst his life was spent, and by his death they have suffered a great loss, socially as well as in a public sense.
He was a religious man by temperament, though not caring much about theology, but early united with the Presbyterian church. He was a man utterly without any nonsense about him. No fad or freak ever could get any ludge- ment in his mind, and society, which he enjoyed greatly, had no gradations for him. His tastes were simple and elementary. He attached a proper value to money, but that was all. He enjoyed life immensely in that true and elementary way through which real and lasting pleasure can only come. No one ever saw him look bored or tired of life. He was honesty itself. The idea of taking advantage of any one, or advancing himself at the expense of any one, never entered his mind. He was always ready to do more for any one else than himself, and gentle and simple things gave him pleasure.
During nearly fifty years of his married life no human being ever heard him say one harsh or unkind word to his family; no, not one!
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Ile never gossiped; never said an unkind word of any one in his long life; never gave a thought to the schemes and bickerings of men no more than if on some other planet they rose and fell; but he was nevertheless ambitious, and considering his gentle and literary temperament, and his early assuming all the responsibilities of life, he was a successful and a happy man. His perfect health contributed also to this. He was a great walker, fond of tramping with his grand-children; of a nervous, quick temperament, and to within one week his step was as active, and his figure, if you did not see the gray hair and face, like a man of twenty-five.
Mr. Seymour was greatly saddened by the sudden death in March, 1891, of his only grandson, George Seymour Howell, who was a junior in Harvard Col- lege, and between whom there was great sympathy and affection. Ile bowed his head to let the terrible grief roll over him, and he used often to say that it seemed as if the great waves would bear him down. £ During all this past year, two or three times each week, he could be seen walking alone up the hillside to the cemetery, where he would sit down and mourn for one whose gentleness was akin to his own, and who saw with him the tender and ludicrous side of life. Here on the seat he would sit while far away rose up the mighty hillsides of our beautiful valley-signs to him of the eternal, immutable, silent majesty of nature, that knows not that it exists itself, or is a part of any beauty.
Spring is nigh at hand, but
"His share of all the pomp that fills The circuit of the summer hills Is, that his grave is green."
Still the honest, manly, gentle, unasking heart has hot beat in vain. Its in- fluence will not be lost; and let us, in concluding, quote his old, favorite obit- uary couplet-quote it, alas! for him, now in turn:
"Sow with a generous hand, Pause not for toil or pain;
Weary not through the summer heat, Weary not through the cold spring rain,
But wait 'till the autumn comes For the sheaves of golden grain.''
Mr. Seymour's wife and his four children survive him, Mary S. Howell of Albany, wife of George R. Howell, State Librarian; Henry H. Seymour, at - torney, of Buffalo; Norman A, and Edward C., of this village. Also two sis- ters, Mrs. Lydia Hinman and Miss Catherine M. Seymour of Mount Morris.
His funeral was held on this (Thursday) afternoon at the Presbyterian church, where Rev. Dr. Parsons gave a feeling and admirable funeral address.
The honorary pall bearers were: Hon. O. D. Lake, H. E. Brown and Lyman Carr of Mount Morris; Chas. Shepard of Dansville; Archibald McLean and Hon. Wm. Hamilton of Caledonia, and Theodore Swan of Groveland.
The active pall bearers were: M. B. McNair, George S. Ellicott, J. M. Proph- et, Jerome A. Lake, Frank H. Sleeper and M. B. Turpin.
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FROM THE NEW YORK SUN, FEBRUARY 23, 1892.
Norman Seymour of Mount Morris, Livingston county, New York, died at his home on Sunday, after a surgical operation. He was in his seventy-first year. Few men in Western New York were as widely known among the old residents as was Mr. Seymour. He had made a special study of the history of the Genesee Valley, including the region from Glen Iris to the Rochester Falls and Charlotte. He was the author of numerous papers concerning Mary Jem- ison, "The White Woman"; Red Jacket, and the Six Nations and their treaties and warfare in Western New York; and in the last twenty-five years few meetings of historical societies in Livingston and adjacent counties have taken place without addresses from him on the early history of the towns in which they were held. At the time of his death he was secretary of the Liv- ingston county Historical Society, and had almost completed a voluminous his- tory of Livingston County, for which he had gathered a rare collection of pam- phlets, prints and original manuscripts of the eighteenth century. Mr. Sey- mour was native of Herkimer, in this state, and went to Mount Morris early in life. He retired from business some time ago and devoted his time to his historical work.
ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE, FEBRUARY 23, 1892.
Norman Seymour died at Mount Morris on Sunday evening, at the age of sev- enty-one years. He had been a resident of Mount Morris more than half a century, and was one of the most prominent and widely-known citizens of the place. His illness lasted only four days, he having enjoyed perfect health up to Wednesday of last week. He was engaged in the hardware business in Mount Morris for many years, retiring about three years ago. He was a man gifted with rare literary ability, and distinguished himself as an eloquent pub- lic speaker and fine writer. He was regarded as authority on all matters of local history, and for many years had been gathering material for a county history, which he intended to publish. Ile wasone of the promoters of the Livingston County Historical Society, in which he had always taken a deep in- terest. Mr. Seymour was a man of broad mind and generous heart; in busi- ness honest; among friends sincere; a citizen of pure conscience, reverencing law, and devoted to the public weal: a thorough gentleman, bearing himself gently to every man. whether of high or low estate. He filled a useful and distinguished place among the people in whose midst his life was spent, and by his death they have suffered a great loss, socially as well as in a public sense.
t
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JOHN ROGERS MURRAY.
BY NORMAN SEYMOUR.
The civilization of this far-famed Genesee Valley has reached a turning point, and already the thoughtful enquirer can look upon its new era. From being the once wild frontier of western progress, it has become a wealthy and reposeful land within the borders of a rich and progressive state. The splen- did type of men produced by that early pioneer civilization on this and other frontiers, bas passed or is fast passing away. This valley will never again bring forth such men as appear on the necrology of this society. The causes that produced them and influenced them to pass their lives here, no longer exist, and their prototypes are only found either in our large cities whither the best ef- forts tend, or in the far west on what is now the frontier of this irresistible tide of human progress. The same scenes that were enacted in the Genesee Valley in the early part of this century are now being enacted, with little differences in Kansas, Nebraska and Dakota, and with but slight variations the same type of men, whose lives we meet from time to time to commemorate here, will be produced there. They, in time, will pass away, and then the cities or the re- gions around about will absorb the ambitious and best of the country, as they are doing here in this generation. If any one doubts this statement, let him compare the past of the country with its present. We are richer, now, we have more conveniences, more comforts, more labor saving machines, but where are the successors to the famous men of the necrology of this society ?
Of all the talented and spirited men that were first attracted to this valley in its early days, one of the most famous and well-known was the late john R. Murray of Murray Hill, Mount Morris, who died, beloved and universally la- mented, at Mount Morris, November 1, 1881, after a short and painful illness of Bright's disease, aged seventy years. Mr. Murray was born in the city of New York, October 15, 1811, and was the son of the late John Murray of that city. the owner of that portion of the city known as Murray Hill, and also one of the original owners of the "Mount Morris tract." and also one of the most extensive landholders in the state. His grandfather, Robert Murray, was an early resident of New York, receiving his deeds on parchment almost directly from George III., and was one of the largest ship owners in America. His residence was the headquarters of General Washington in that city in 1776.
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