USA > New York > Livingston County > History of Livingston County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 35
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Bleeker L. Hovey was practicing here in 1842 and for some years thereafter. He is now a noted phy- sician in Rochester. Asahel Yale and Alonzo Cressy were practicing here in 1829; and O. S. Pratt, C. T. Dildine and George M. Blake, at a later day. A Dr. Davis and his nephew, named George Davis, were practicing here in 1846. The former was a Thompsonian physician and had an extensive practice all over this section of country ; the latter was an eclectic physician, and had a good professional reputation. Dr. Ripley succeeded George Davis and practiced two or three years. Louis Velder, a native of the town of Heibach, Austria, who had studied medicine in the best schools in Vienna, came to this country about 1850, and located at Dansville. He removed to Elmira about 1867. George H. Preston was born in Dansville, Sept. 1, 1819. In 1854 he located in Dansville, and in 1855 he removed to Rochester. From there he went to Brantford, l'rovince of On- tario, from whence, in 1864, he returned to Dans- ville, where he practiced till his death, Nov. 14, 1872. Dr. Blakesley located in Dansville in 1859, but how long he remained here we are not advised.
The present physicians are G. W. Shepherd, Zara H. Blake, Francis M. Perine, Wooster B. Preston, James E. Crisfield, Ben P. Andrews and Charles W. Brown.
G. W. Shepherd was born in Albany, Sept. 28, 1816, and received an academic education at Al-
bany and Hamilton. He commenced the study of medicine in 1835, with Dr. Guasque, in George- town, S. C., subsequently pursuing his medical studies with Dr. T. T. Everet, of Batavia, and Dr. Morgan Snyder, of Fort Plain. He attended medi- cal lectures at the South Carolina Medical College in Charleston, and was licensed by the Genesee County Medical Society, August 6, 1842. He con- menced practice in the fall of 1842 in New York, continuing there some six months, when he removed to Orleans, Ontario county, and thence, in 1846, to Dansville.
Zara H. Blake was born in Livonia in this county Oct. 23, 1821, and educated in the semi- naries at Dansville and Herkimer. He commenced the study of medicine in 1840, with Dr. S. L. En- dress, of Dansville, and attended medical lectures at the University of Buffalo, where he graduated in 1847, in which year he established himself in practice in Dansville.
Francis MI. Perine, a grandson of William Perine, one of the pioneer settlers of this town, was born in Dansville, March 27, 1831, and received an academic education in his native village. He com- menced the study of medicine in 1851, with Dr. S. L. Endress, of Dansville, and graduated from the Buffalo Medical College in February, 1855. He entered upon the practice of his profession at Byersville, in West Sparta, in the spring of 1855, and removed there after six years to Dansville, where he has since practiced.
Wooster B. Preston was born in Wellsboro, N. Y'., March 3, 1845, and educated at the High and Grammar School of Brantford, Ontario, where his father, Dr. Geo. H. Preston, with whom he com- menced the study of medicine in 1863, was then practicing. He attended lectures at the Eclectic Medical College of Cincinnati, Ohio, where he graduated Feb. 12, 1867, in which year he engaged in practice in Dansville, in company with his father, till the death of the latter, Nov. 14, 1872.
James E. Crisfield was born in Lodi, N. Y., August 6, 1851, and educated at Genesee College and Genesee Wesleyan Seminary at Lima. He studied medicine with Dr. John W. Gray, of Won. and attended lectures at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, where he graduated in the spring of 1872. He practiced four months of that year in the town of York and then removed to Dansville, where he has since practiced.
Ben P. Andrews was born in Preston, N. Y .. August 19, 1855, and commenced the study of medicine in 1873 with Dr. R. E. Miller, of Oxford.
* His biography and portrait appear at the close of the chapter.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
He attended a full course of lectures at the New York Homeopathic Medical College, where he graduated in March, 1877. He established himself in practice at Dansville in August of that year.
Charles W. Brown was born in Caton, N. Y., Sept. 5, 1848. He commenced the study of med- icine in 1870, with Dr. Seeley, of Elmira, and attended lectures at the Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago, where he graduated in 1873. He commenced to practice that year at Hornells- ville, removed to Hammondsport in 1875, and to Dansville in 1877.
LAWYERS .-- The first lawyers to locate in Dans- ville of whom we have any information were James Smith and John Proudfit, who were practicing here prior to 1840. Both were regarded as good law- yers, but the latter was somewhat dissipated. He was a man of considerable ability, and died in New York City. His father was a Presbyterian clergyman at Salem, Washington county. Ben- jamin C. Cook was practicing here in 1842, and continued some fifteen years. He devoted him- self more to other business than to his profession, in which he was not regarded very proficient.
Isaac Lewis Endress, brother to Dr. Samuel L. Endress of this village, was born at Easton, Pa., Sept. 14, 1810, and a graduate of Dickinson Col- lege, at Carlisle, Pa. His father, who was a dis- tinguished Lutheran clergyman, designed him for the ministry ; but the bar presented superior attrac- tions, and in 1827 he entered the office of Judge Ewing at Trenton, N. J. In the fall of 1828 he removed to Rochester, where he pursued his legal studies with Daniel D. Barnard and Isaac Hill, of that city. He was admitted to the bar in October, 1831, and in February, 1832, opened an office in Dansville, where he practiced till 1856, when he went South for the health of his wife, visiting Havana, Cuba and Key West. He returned in 1857. He was appointed Associate Judge of the Court of Common Pleas about 1839; was Presi- dential Elector and Secretary of the Electoral Col- lege in 1856; and a Delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1867. He died here Jan. 22, 1870.
John A. Van Derlip was born in Jackson, Wash- ington county, N. Y., Jan. 27, 1818, and was edu- cated at Washington Academy, in Salem, in that county, and at Union College, graduating at the latter institution in 1838, in which year he com- menced the study of law with Pearson & Davis, in Troy. He afterwards pursued his legal studies about six months in Cherry Valley with David H.
Little, afterwards State Senator, and completed them in Rochester, with Judge Moses Chapin. He was admitted at Rochester in October, 1841, and the following January established himself in practice in Dansville, where he has since continued. In 1846, he was appointed Associate Judge of the Common Pleas Court by Silas Wright and per- formed the duties of that office till the Constitu- tion of that year took effect. Judge Van Derlip is an able lawyer, and stands to-day at the head of the Livingston County Bar.
Benjamin F. Harwood was born in Hornby, Steuben county, N. Y., August 10, 1819. He was admitted to practice in the State courts in July, 1839, and in the fall of that year located at Dans- ville, where he acquired some prominence, but more by his political affiliations than by his law practice, though he was not wanting in professional talent. In 1848 he was a Presidential Elector ; and in 1855, was elected Clerk of the Court of Appeals. He died at Albany, March 30, 1856, while in discharge of the duties of that office.
John R. Hickox was practicing here in 1842. He was a Justice, and did pretty much all the Justice's business during the four or five years he subsequently remained here.
Endress Faulkner, son of Hon. James Faulkner, was born in Dansville, March 25, 1818. He pre- pared for college at Canandaigua Academy, and in July, 1837, entered Yale, where he graduated in 1841. He immediately engaged in the study of law, was admitted to the bar in January, 1843, and in that year entered upon a brief but brilliant professional career in Dansville, associated for a time with the late Hon. Cyrus Sweet of Syracuse, and subsequently with Judge Solomon Hubbard, now of Geneseo. He died of consumption Nov. 12, 1852. He possessed a keen intellect and unusual forensic powers.
Solomon Hubbard practiced here from 1844 to 1864, when, having been elected County Judge the previous year, he removed to Geneseo, to perform the duties of that office .*
John Wilkinson was born in Sparta, Nov. 24. ISO8. His father, Gawen Wilkinson, emigrated from Shulthwaite, Cumberland county, England, to North Dansville, about ISoo, and about 1804 removed to the present town of Sparta, where he resided till his death. John Wilkinson was admitted in 1834, and in that year entered upon a practice in Dansville which he has since continued.
. For further mention of Judge Hubbard, see the subject of lawyers in connection with the village of Genesen.
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VILLAGE OF DANSVILLE-LAWYERS.
Lucian B. Proctor * was born at Hanover, N. H., March 6, 1823, and removed with his parents when about ten years old to Auburn. He was ad- mitted to the bar of the Supreme Court in October, 1843.
Joseph W. Smith f was born near Bath, Steuben county, in 1821.
Adoniram J. Abbott practiced here ten years from 1848 to 1858, immediately after his admis- sion, when he removed to Geneseo, where he is now practicing, and in connection with which town further mention of him is made.
Job C. Hedges # was born in New York city in June, 1835.
Samuel Dorr Faulkner, son of Judge James Faulkner and brother of Endress Faulkner, was born in Dansville, November 14, 1835. He con- menced his classical education at home under the instruction of an accomplished private tutor, and completed his preparation for college at Berkshire, N. Y. He entered Yale in 1855 and was gradu- ated in the class of 1859 with distinguished honors. Soon after leaving college he entered the Albany Law School, where he chiefly prepared for the bar, and was admitted to all the courts in the State in 1860. He immediately commenced the practice of his profession in his native village, and his abilities soon won for him a place among the lead- ers of the Livingston county bar. In 1865, he was elected to the Assembly; "and was the first Democrat ever elected by his party in Livingston county to the Assembly." The following year he was tendered, but declined a re-nomination. In 1871, he was elected County Judge, and re-elected at the expiration of his first term of six years. But he, like his brother, was stricken down with con- sumption soon after entering upon the second term of his Judgeship, a position he had filled with distinguished ability and acceptance.
John G. Wilkinson, son of John Wilkinson, was born in Dansville, October 15, 1849, and educa- ted at Dansville Seminary. About 1870, he com- menced the study of law with his father, and was admitted in 1872, in which year he entered upon the practice of his profession in Dansville, contin- uing till his death, December 6, 1875.
The other lawyers now practicing in Dansville, are I). W. Noyes, Seth N. Hedges, Charles J. Bissell, Byron T. Squires, John M. McNair, Lester B. Faulkner, Frederick W. Noyes, Charles H. Rowe, Andrew J. Shafer and Robt. G. Dorr.
* For Mr. Proctor's biography and portrait see another portion of this chapter.
t For a memoir and portrait of Mr. Smith see the close of this chapter. # For further mention of Mr. Hedges see the close of this chapter.
D. W. Noyes was born in Winchendon, Mass., September 30, 1824, prepared for college at the academies of Amsterdam and Galway, and gradu- ated from Union College in 1847. He was ad- mitted at the General Term at Ballston Spa, in January, 1850, and on the roth of June of that year commenced practice in Dansville, where he has since continued. He was elected District Attorney of Livingston county in 1875 and in August, 1878, on the death of Judge Samuel D. Faulkner, resigned that office to accept the office of County Judge tendered him by Governor Rob- inson.
Seth N. Hedges was born in Dansville, March 7, 1839, and received an academic education at the seminaries at Dansville and Lima. In 1862, he entered the army as private in the 13th New York Volunteers; was afterwards transferred to the 140th Regiment, from which he was promoted to First Lieutenant in the 14th New York Heavy Artillery. He was afterwards promoted Captain, and subsequently Major in the same regiment, and was mustered out in September, 1865. In 1866, he entered the law office of D. W. Noyes, of Dans- ville, and was admitted to the bar in June, 1868. Mr. Hedges was postmaster of Dansville from October, 1869, to January 1, 1874.
Charles J. Bissell was born in Penn Yan, Aug. 21st, 1847, and educated in Temple Hill Acad- emy, Geneseo. He commenced the study of law while pursuing his literary studies, and in January, 1871, entered the office of Judge S. D. Faulkner, of Dansville. He was admitted in September of that year, and commenced practice in Dansville.
Byron T. Squires was born in Dansville, August 19, 1836, and received an academic education in Dansville Seminary. In 1861, he entered the law office of Hubbard & Faulkner, of Dansville, as a stu- dent, and was admitted at Rochester, in Decem- ber, 1862. He commenced practice in 1863, at Livonia Station with Almond A. Hoyt. In 1865, he went to Pennsylvania to take charge of his fa- ther's lumber business. About 1874, after having been variously employed, he resumed practice in Dansville.
John M. McNair was born in West Sparta, December 24, 1848, and received an academic ed- ucation at Dansville Seminary. In 1866, he com- menced the study of law with Judge S. D. Faulk- ner, of Dansville. He entered Cornell University in 1868, and graduated in 1871. In 1872, he went to Minnesota, where he completed his legal studies, and was admitted in 1873. He com-
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
menced practice at St. Cloud, Minn., and after practicing there a year and a half, removed to Cannon Falls, Minn., from whence, in 1876, he re- moved to Dansville.
Lester B. Faulkner, brother of Judge S. D. Faulkner, graduated at Yale in 1859, and entered the Albany Law School. Immediately after his admission, he entered the army, joining the 136th Regiment, and was mustered out at the close of the war as Lieut .- Colonel of that regiment. Janu- ary 1, 1879, he formed a law partnership with Charles J. Bissell, which still continues under the name of Faulkner & Bissell.
Frederic W. Noyes, son of Hon. D. W. Noyes, is a native of Dansville, and read law with Messrs. Noyes & Hedges. He was admitted in 1878. and formed a co-partnership with his father in the spring of 1880.
Charles W. Rowe was born in Springwater, in this county, May 17th, 1856, and received an aca- demic education at Dansville Seminary and Cook Academy at Havana, N. Y. In 1874, he entered the law office of Judge John A. VanDerlip, of Dansville, and subsequently pursued his legal studies with Messrs. Noyes & Hedges. He was admitted in January, 1879, and commenced prac- tice that year in Dansville.
Andrew J. Shafer was born in Sparta, December 12, 1855, and educated at Dansville Seminary. He read law in Dansville with John Wilkinson and Faulkner & Bissell, and was admitted in January, 1 880.
Robert G. Dorr was born in Dansville, March 21, 1856, and educated at Dansville Seminary. In January, 1877, he commenced the study of medi- cine with his father, Robert L. Dorr, who was born at White creek, Washington county, August 7, 1816, and admitted to the bar June 29, 1843 ; Robert G. Dorr was admitted April 10, 1880.
MANUFACTURES .- With the splendid and abun- dant hydraulic facilities which the streams uniting in and near this village afford, it is not surprising that manufacturing enterprises should be the pre- dominant element in its industries. The manu- facture of paper and paper stock is not only the most important, but among the earliest of these in- dustries, for the pure waters of these streams early invited this branch of manufactures. The pioneer paper-mill in Western New York was, as we have seen, built here in 1809-10, by Nathaniel Roches- ter, and the old building is still standing adjacent to the Faulkner grist-mill, though long since appro- priated to other uses. From this single enterprise
the business increased, until in 1844 there were four large paper- mills manufacturing over $100,000 worth of paper per annum .* There are at present four mills of this class, but, though adjacent to the village, only two are within the corporation limits.
In 1820, Amos Bradley came here with his family from Hartford, Conn., and commenced the manufacture of writing and print paper on a large scale, renting for that purpose the "old Faulkner paper-mill," which he occupied until 1825, when he formed a copartnership with his two oldest sons, Javin and Chester, under the well-known name of A. Bradley & Sons, and in the spring of that year erected a fine mill on the ground now occupied by the pulp-mill of the Woodruff Paper Co. In 1837, the company met their first great reverse by the destruction of their mill by fire. It was imme- diately rebuilt. Two years elapsed and then the fiery element again reduced their mill to ashes. They immediately erected what is known as the "lower paper-mill." Scarcely was this mill got in operation, when they commenced rebuilding the one destroyed by fire, which was superior in size, machinery and facilities of all kinds to its pre- decessors and to the lower mill. In 1841, the upper mill was again destroyed by fire. Phoenix- like another soon raised from its ashes, to be in its turn destroyed four years later by the same ele- ment ; but again it was rebuilt.
About this time the firm divided, Amos and his sons Javin and Lucius, who had also acquired an interest, remaining here, while Chester and Ben- jamin removed to Niagara Falls, and commenced the manufacture of paper there. For five years Lucius and Javin continued the business, prin- cipally at the upper mill, which, in 1854, was again destroyed by fire, and was never rebuilt by any of the Bradley family.
In 1852, Chester and Benjamin separated, and the former returned to Dansville and erected the Livingston mill, which is still in active operation, but under a different management. Chester Brad- ley, who was born July 18, 1802, died suddenly in New York city, Nov. 1, 1853, while transacting business connected with his paper mill. Few men stood higher in public estimation than he. In 18.42, with the late Gardner Arnold, of Conesus, he represented this county in the Assembly.
Lucius Bradley, who is still engaged in the man- ufacture of paper in Dansville, is the only repre- sentative left of this family, to which Dansville owes so much of its prosperity.
ยป Pioneer History of Phelps and Gorham's Purchase, 361 (note.)
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VILLAGE OF DANSVILLE-MANUFACTURES.
The Woodruff Paper Co., the present represen- tatives of the Bradleys' manufacturing interests in Dansville, was incorporated Nov. 1, 1866, with a capital of $40,000, and was composed of the fol- lowing well-known gentlemen: L. C. Woodruff, Alonzo Bradner, D. 1). McNair and Thomas Brown, the latter of whom retired Dec. 7, 1869, his stock being purchased by the remaining part- ners. No other change has occurred in the stock- holders. There has been no change to the present time in the official management, which is as fol- lows: 1. C. Woodruff, of Buffalo, President ; Alonzo Bradner, of Dansville, Vice-President ; and D. D. McNair, of Dansville, Secretary and Treas- urer. The latter gentleman is also the efficient General Superintendent.
This company was organized for the manufacture of pulp from straw, by the process patented and owned by the Hydrostatic Paper Co., the Woodruff Paper Co. having the exclusive right for this vicin- ity. In 1866 the company purchased the upper mill property of the Bradleys, located on upper Main street, near the junction of Big and Little Mill creeks, which had been unoccupied since the fire of 1854. The walls of 100 by 40 feet of the present mill were erected by the Bradleys, and have withstood at least three fires. The building, which was then a mere shell, was fitted up and enlarged by an addition of 40 by 40 feet, of brick and stone, the character of the original building, the whole being two stories high. The works were got in readiness and operations were begun January I, I868.
The works give employment to about twenty persons, and consume annually about 1, 200 tons of straw-rye straw being used almost exclusively ---- about forty per cent. of which is converted into pulp. About one-fourth of this product is manu- factured into paper at the Livingston paper-mill, which is also the property of this company, and the remainder is shipped to the New England states, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Straw alone is used in its production.
The manufacture of print and book papers from straw is of comparatively recent origin, the use of that article having originally been confined to the manufacture of coarse wrapping paper. But the art of manipulating straw has been brought to such perfection that pulp is now produced perfectly white and with a texture almost as silken as bank note paper. This was the first straw pulp-mill in the United States, and is now the only one in this State. For ten years there was no competition in
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the country ; and to-day there are only three others in this country, one each in Ohio, Michigan and California.
The Livingston Paper Mill, which has been referred to as being the property of the Woodruff Paper Co., was built in 1852, by Chester, Javin, Lucius and Benjamin Bradley, brothers. It soon after passed into the hands of L. C. Woodruff, who sold it Dec. 30. 1862, to Isaac Butts, Joseph Cur- tis and John E. Morey, publishers of the Rochester Union and Advertiser. Oct. 3, 1872, Mr. Butts sold his interest to G. Cooper, Lorenzo Kelly and Wm. Purcell, and the name, which, front 1862, was Curtis, Butts & Co., was changed to Curtis, Morey & Co., and the business conducted under the name of the Daily Union and Advertiser Co., of Rochester. In February, 1874, it was sold by these parties to the Woodruff Paper Co. The mill gives employment to about twenty-five per- sons, about one-fourth of whom are females, in the manufacture of about a ton of printing and book paper per day.
The Hollingsworth Paper Mill, situated a half mile south of Dansville, was built-the larger and rear portion of it-about eight years ago, by Capt. Henry Henry. About 1876, Capt. Henry's widow sold the building to Henry Hollingsworth, who, in the spring of ISSo, built a front addition, raised the rear part one story, and put in machinery for the manufacture of paper.
Mrs. Knowlton owns a mill for the manufacture of brown wrapping paper, which is located about two miles southwest of Dansville. It was built some sixty to sixty-five years ago by Matthew Porter.
O. B. Johnson's carding-mill was built about 1826, by Samuel and Jonathan Fisk, cousins, and operated by them until about 1838, when Samuel acquired Jonathan's interest and continued the business till his death in 1841, when O. B. John- son purchased the machinery. In the spring of 1868, he in company with W. L. Stewart, bought a building which stood on the site of the Dansville Woolen Mills, and removed the machinery to that building, which was burned March 24, 1868. They rebuilt on the same site, within sixty days, the Dansville Woolen Mills, where they continued business till the spring of 1876, when Mr. Johnson sold his interest to John F. Phillips. Messrs. Stewart & Phillips did business two years, till 1878, when the latter sold his interest to Peter Craig, who, in company with Stewart, operated the mills till the fall of 1879, since which time they
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
have not been in operation. In 1876, Mr. John- son resumed the wool carding and cloth exchange business in the building originally erected by the Fisks, and has since continued it. He has two sets of custoin cards, operated by water from Little Mill creek, which has a fall of about twelve feet.
The grist-mill owned by Benjamin F. Readshaw, on the corner of Gibson and Main streets, to which reference has been made in connection with the early settlement of the town, occupies the site of the grist-mill built in 1796 by David Sholl for the Pultney estate. It was soon after burned and rebuilt by Sholl, who eventually became its owner, and was succeeded in possession of the property by Col. Nathaniel Rochester, the founder of the city of Rochester. In January, 1814, Mr. Roch- ester sold it to Jacob Opp, who owned it till about 1840. The mill contains three runs of stones, which are propelled by water from Little Mill creek, with a fall of thirteen and a half feet.
The Faulkner grist-mill. on South street, was built in 1830, by Dr. James Faulkner, who has since owned it. It occupies the site of the saw mill built by David Sholl for Nathaniel Rochester, which was torn down by Mr. Faulkner about the time the grist-mill was built. It contains four runs of stones, which are propelled by water from Mill creek, with a head and fall of twenty-nine feet. The mill has been rented for the last thirty odd years to John C. Williams, and is often called the Williams mill.
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