USA > New York > Ontario County > History of Ontario county, New York : with illustrations and family sketches of some of the prominent men and families > Part 75
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White, Captain George, Phelps, was born in Scotland, May 16, 1803. He early adopted a seafaring life, and at fourteen years began as cabin boy. At the age of twenty . one he became captain, and for forty years followed the sea. At the age of thirty-one he married Euphemia Gibson, sister of John Gibson, one of the noted men of Phelps, who did much for the improvement of the village (the present Gibson block, now owned by the White family, having been built by him). Captain White and wife came to this country thirty-five years ago and settled in Phelps, on the farm where they ever after- wards made their home, and where they celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage in 1884. Captain White died at his home April 29, 1893, as the age of eighty - nine years, leaving a wife and five children, three sons and two daughters. One son died in Phelps in 1866. John Gibson died a bachelor in August, 1864, having been in his life time largely engaged in malting and distilling.
Whitney, Cheney P., Phelps, was born in Seneca June 10, 1836. His father was Cheeney Whitney, born April 27, 1795 (died at the age of ninety). His mother was Olive Colwell of Seneca, and her parents were Daniel and Thankful (Paine) Colwell. Nathan Whitney, the grandfather, came to this State from Conway, Mass., in 1792. Cheney P. married, November 26, 1861, Mary C., daughter of John F. and Margaret
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(Lever) Chapman of East Hampton, Mass., and New Jersey. The grandfather was Daniel Chapman, the family dating back to the Chapmans of Saybrook, Conn. They have four children : Margaret Olive (Mrs. Wm. F. Chapman of Boston) ; Almon C., Minnie M., and John Cheeney. Mr. Whitney came to Phelps in 1873. His farm of 136 acres is used for fruit. He having about twenty-five acres of vineyard, twenty-five of apple orchard, and five acres of berries ; it being one of the noted fruit farms of this section.
Wheelock, Royal, West Bloomfield, was born July 16, 1766, and was among the first settlers of the town of West Bloomfield. He came from Uxbridge, Mass., with his wife, daughter Betsey, son Harry, and in company with Captain Robert Taft, settled in West Bloomfield in 1793. He was a descendant in the sixth generation of Ralph Whee- lock, who was born in Shropshire, Eng., in 1600 and came to this country in 1638 with his wife, a daughter and a son, and settle l in Medfield, Mass. He was one of the first selectmen of that town, and held many offices . f trust. Royal Wheelock married Lydia Taft, daughter of Captain Robert Taft, and died in West Bloomfield November 24, 1856. His wife, born May 22, 1774, died January 13, 1847. Their children were: Betsey, born January 23, 1790, married Otis Thompson and died in West Bloomfield; Harry, born October 20, 1792, married Judith Gillett and died in Leicester, N. Y .; Nancy, born January 16, 1796, married Hon. Reynold Peck in June, 1817, and is now living in West Bloomfield, aged ninety-seven years ; Silas, born May 14, 1799, married Almira Durrant and died in Salem, Mich., March 17, 1869 ; Royal, born April 15, 1801, married Ann Pinckney and died in Salem, Mich., December 22, 1876; Robert T., born March 3, 1803, married Mary J. Murray, and died in Superior, Mich., September 27,1848; Ira T., born September 25, 1805, died unmarried in Leicester, N. Y., June 16, 1829 ; Ann, born September 27, 1811, married Elijah Niles, and is now living at Alfred, N. Y .; John R., born December 5, 1808, married first, Rhoda, and second, Deborah Plimpton, and died in West Bloomfield in 1889 ; Jerry L., born December 13, 1817, married Mary Allen April 27, 1847, and died at Ovid, Mich., November 7, 1890. Mrs. Nancy Peck was among the first white children born in Bloomfield, and is now the oldest inhabitant. She recalls many reminiscences of the pioneer days. For many years after her mar- riage a large portion of the clothing of her family was spun and woven by her hands.
Vanderhoof, Levi, Manchester, was born in Manchester December 22, 1843. His grandfather, Jacob Vanderhoof, ran the old Vanderhoof hotel here for many years. His father, Abram Vanderhoof, followed agricultural pursuits and became possessed of con- siderable land in this vicinity. The family have always been of considerable influence and importance, especially in political affairs and have been strong Democrats. Levi possesses a fine farm of 100 acres besides other property. He married Mary S., daughter of Simon P Robinson. They have no children.
Wheat, Van Buren, Phelps, was born in Phelps on the family homestead December 21, 1834, son of Sidney (born in Phelps December 27, 1809) and Rebecca (Waggoner) Wheat of Mifflinsburg, Pa. Benjamin, the grandfather, was born in Conway, Mass., March 25, 1781, and came to New York when a boy. V. B. Wheat married, May 11, 1865, Ann Janette Stoughtenburg, of Hopewell, daughter of Isaac and Ann Stoughten-
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burg. They had four children : Rollin L., Anna R., Elsie W., and Sidney I. Mr. Wheat and his son, R. L., own a farm of 150 acres, about forty of which are devoted to fruit culture. They have a vineyard of twenty three acres in full bearing and very productive. They are also engaged in breeding and raising horses for the market. Mr. Wheat is one of the representative citizens of the town.
Warner Family, The .- Jesse Warner came to Orleans, town of Hopewell, from Con- way, Mass., in 1796, and settled on the h Il just east of the village of Orleans, where he resided until his death at the age of eighty-six years. His wife was Sarah Warrener, by whom he had seven sons and one daughter, who all settled on farms near him, married and reared large families of children. Their names in the order of their birth were: Elijah, Rufus, Lewis, John, Oliver, Jesse and James, and the daughter Lucinda ; the latter married Elisha Peck, and was the mother of a large family, including the late Prof. Lewis Peck, of Phelps. Jesse Warner, sr., was a rigid Calvanistic Baptist and would argue strongly in favor of his theology ; he was a very positive man, and has been heard to say to his antagonist in argument, shaking his cane at him (usually his oldest son, Elijah, who leaned to Arminianism), "You little 'coon, you! don't you suppose I know;" with no intent to use his cane only as emphasizing his opinion. In 1812 or '13, when an epidemic of fever swept this section of the country, Mr. Warner contracted the disease, and it was believed that he would not recover ; so strong was this belief that his son Lewis measured his father for a shroud and went to Geneva (the only place where it could be obtained) and returned with it to find his father improving, finally recovering. Lewis was soon taken with the disease and died, and the shroud secured for his father was used for him. He left four sons and three daughters, who reached maturity. A notable event in the family history oc- curred during the War of 1812. Under the call for volunteers to repel the enemy at the invasion of Buffalo, Jesse Warner, jr., with Washington Moore, his brother Willian and others, responded. Instead of repelling the invasion the little army was defeated, and made its escape as best it could. During the retreat many of the volunteers were shot by the Indians concealed in the woods along the route. Jesse was shot in the hip, and he carried the ball through life. Being so seriously wounded that he could not escape, he was captured by the Indians, and though the blood was gushing from the wound into his boot he strove to walk without limping, believing that his captors would have killed and scalped him had they known he was so seriously wounded. They took his new hat and coat and gave him in return an old conical hat and an old gray frock coat, both of which he brought home with him, and they were retained many years in the family as mementoes of the event. He was taken to Canada and confined in the upper story of a block-house near the Niagara River. under guard. He and a son of Judge Barker tore their blankets into strips to form a rope, by which they let themselves down to the ground. The alarm was soon given, but they were not pursued, as evidently it was supposed they would not undertake the hazardous crossing of the river. This, however, they did by tying rails together with their strips of blanket, making a frail raft, upon which they floated and paddled down and across the river, through floating cakes of ice, landing two or three miles
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below the point of starting, nearly opposite the British fort on the other side. No grass grew under their feet as they hastened homeward, Jesse to joyfully meet his young wife and two children and rejoicing friends. Washington Moore while running from the battle-ground with his gun in his right hand in a horizontal position, was shot through the wrist, causing him to drop his gun ; he did not stop to pick it up, but hastened on and finally reached his home. Esquire William Moore (father of Wm. A Moore, attorney and counselor-at law, of Detroit, Mich.) escaped without a scratch. He was a member of the first Constitutional Convention of Michigan, and was also a member of the Legislature of that State. Another incident of the family history was the tragic death of Oliver Warner. He started on a visit to his native town of Con- way about 1825. While traveling by stage coach in the vicinity where he was born, a shower came up and the stage halted at a country tavern while the passengers sought the shelter of the hostelry until the shower should pass. During the storm lightning struck the house and instantly killed Oliver Warner and another. The sad event was a severe shock to his wife and family of six sons and two daughters. He was buried there at the time, and the next winter his brothers John and Jesse went with horses and sleigh and brought the body home, and it was buried in Orleans cemetery, where his widow long since was laid by his side. John Warner was bound an apprentice to the tanner's trade at the time his father came to this county, consequently he did not come with the rest of the family, but remained to finish his trade, and came four or five years later, about 1800. He married Susan Post, who came from Southampton, near the east end of Long Island. He built a tannery and made leather, boots and shoes for people even miles away, and after twelve years bought the farm where his son Ulysses now lives, and built thereon the two-story brick house now occupied by the latter. There, from about 1812, he kept a tavern, furnishing accommodations to the teamsters who for many years carted goods from Albany to Buffalo with six and eight-horse teams. The Tonawanda and Oneida Indians, in their visits back and forth, often put up at this tavern, sleeping in the bar room, shed and horse barn, and Ulysses remembers having to step over them to get upstairs to bed. In religion most of Jesse Warner's children were Baptists; John and Jesse, however, were Universal- ists. Ulysses Warner, son of John, and who now occupies his father's homestead, in addition to the preceding interesting account of his ancestors, thus speaks of himself : " I dislike to write about myself; besides, I have not had a very eventful life or a very brilliant history. I was born on the 7th of May, 1812, while our nation was struggling with Great Britain to obtain or retain free trade and sailors' rights on the high seas. I had good common school advantages and the benefit of some excellent select schools, with such teachers as Judge Richard Marvin, of Chautauqua, and John L. Moore, old- est son of Esquire William Moore. I married on the 10th of December, 1835, Mary Ann Rice, danghter of Elder Caleb Rice, whose mother was the sister of the eccentric Rev. John Leland of New England fame. She died in 1842, leaving one son, still sur- viving. I married second Eliza Ann Jones, on the 23d of March, 1843, a daughter of the late Thomas C. Jones, of Hopewell, by whom we have seven sons and four daugh- ters, all now living, making twelve for me, my present wife having lost two twin boys. I was brought up on a farm and in a tavern. There used to be martial music and very.
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much patriotism when I was a boy ; many and many company trainings-barefoots (infantry) and independent rifle corps-have met at our house to exercise in military tactics, to show to the world that no people could successfully invade us or tread on our toes unless they expected to be immediately annihilated ; and many roast turkeys and pigs, and rice puddings, etc., have they partaken of without being molested by any foreign or domestic fce. I said above that I was a farmer, but at maturity my brother older had learned the tanning aud currying trade at Medina. I joined with him and erected a tannery and shoe shop in Orleans and run it about fifteen years; following this, I was in the dry goods and grocery business three or four years; then I moved on to the home farm, where I still reside, and have worked hard and long to raise and educate my children, and have taught them, I hope, to be honest and truthful, which would have a tendency to make them respectable. In my younger days I was a Universalist, and think that faith is the nearest right of any. In politics I was a Dem- ocrat until during the great Rebellion, when Lincoln was crossing that boisterous stream, I voted for him the second time he was elected; since then I have supported the Republican policy. As a Democrat I was elected justice of the peace at the age of twenty-one years, and held the office for more than thirty years, to about the close of the war. The majority of the electors being Democratic, and I having committed the ' unpardonable sin,' in their opinion, when I voted to sanction a more vigorous prose- cution of the war and that it was not a failure, I was deemed unfit or incompetent to hold the office any longer, and they gave me the cold shoulder, and with a united push shoved me off their platform-without any regard for past service-although the result of a free ballot and honest count. During the time I held that office I was selected and served three or four years on the bench with circuit and county judges for the trial of criminals in the Oyer and Terminer and Sessions. I was elected to and served in the State Legislature in the year 1859."
Webster, Edward B., Geneva, was born in Geneva, September 2, 1844, and was the son of the late Horace Webster, professor of mathematics in Hobart College, and after- wards president of the College of the City of New York. He died in Geneva in 1870, leaving two children : Margaret W., wife of William Slosson, and Edward B., the sub- ject of this sketch. In April, 1861, Edward enlisted in the second company of the Seventh Regiment of N. Y. thirty day men, and afterward re-enlisted for three years in Company E, of the One Hundred and Sixty-fifth N. Y. Vols. Mr. Webster entered the service as a private, and by promotion was commissioned second lieutenant, first lieu- tenant and eventually captain of his company, and holding the latter was mustered out during the fall of 1865. Returning to Geneva, Captain Webster engaged in farming for several years, and later became connected with the village gas works. In 1881 he was appointed postmaster at Geneva, and served one term. In 1885 he was elected secretary of the Phillips & Clark Stove Company, a position he still holds. In 1867 Mr. Webster was married to Helen Farr, by whom he has had seven children, six of whom are still living.
Watson, Grove R., Geneva, was born in the town of Seneca, Ontario county, No- vember 26, 1868, was educated in the common schools of Geneva, and is associated
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with William Wilson in the nursery business, under the firm name of William Wilson & Co., of Geneva. Mr. Watson's father, John, was born in the town of Benton, Yates county, was a farmer by occupation, and married Mary Whedon of the town of Seneca. They had two children : Grove R. and Margaret E., who died at the age of seven years. Mr. Watson's father died in 1874, and his mother in 1882. Mr. Watson is a member of the Knights of Pythias, also of the Algonquin Club. Some of his ancestors were in the Revolutionary war.
Williams, George N., Canandaigua, was born in Canandaigua, March 11, 1837, a son of Dr. Thomas Williams, a native of New Hampshire, where he was born March 27, 1787. He was a graduate of Dartmouth College class of 1814, and of Dartmonth Med- ieal College in 1818. He emigrated that year to Ontario county and located in Canan- daigua, following the practice of his profession until his death, January 9, 1860. He married November 27, 1823, Lucinda Barlow, daughter of Col. Thomas Remington of Canandaigua, and they had eleven children, of whom four are living: Mrs. Charles P. Johnson of Wisner, Mich., Mrs. L. C. Loomis of Washington, D. C., Mrs. W. L. Gor- don of Topeka, and George N. He was educated at East Bloomfield Academy and Lima Seminary, and after leaving school taught for a short time, then studied law until November, 1861, when he enlisted as a private, and was elected first lieutenant of Com- pany K, Ninety- eighth Regiment N. Y. Volunteers; he was afterwards promoted to a captaincy, and was mustered out of the service in June, 1863. Mr. Williams is now a member of the military order of the Loyal Legion of the United Stated. Returning to Canandaigua he resumed the study of law, and was admitted to practice in Decem- ber, 1864. He followed his profession for four years, then engaged in the business of banking, which is still his occupation. He was twice elected treasurer of Ontario county, and for six years was cashier of the First National Bank of Canandaigua. In the year 1866 Mr. Williams married Abigail Stanley, daughter of ex-Governor Myron H. Clark, and they have two children, a daughter, Mary Clark Williams of Canandai- gua, and a son, Clark Williams of New York city.
Wilder, Charles J., Canandaigua, was born in Canandaigua, November 27, 1852, a son of Austin H., a native also, born in 1809, and died in 1872. He was a man of con- siderable prominence in Canandaigua, and during the early days of the N. Y. C. R. R. held the office of station agent here. Of his seven children four survive: Mrs. Frank Cooley of Jackson, Mich , I. Hart. Wilder of Flint, Mich., Mrs. H. L. Hart of Canan- daigua, and Charles J. The latter was educated in the common schools and at the academy here. After leaving school he followed farming a short time. He then went as clerk in the jewelry store of W. H. Ellis. Here he remained six years, then en- gaged as bookkeeper with Torrey & Son, coal dealers, where he has been for nine years. The office is now conducted by T. M Emerick. In the spring of 1884 Mr. Wilder was nominated on the Republican ticket for town clerk, and elected by a major- ity of about 150, and was re-elected to the same position for five years. He is a mem- ber of Kanandarque Lodge, K. of P., No. 245.
Woodin, Benjamin P., Geneva, was born on the old homestead, March 12, 1840; was educated in the publie schools, and has always followed farming. September 27, 1871,
aa
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he married Mary E Reed of Geneva, and they had four daughters and a son, the latter dying in extreme infancy. The others were: Julia G., Naomi R., Lizzie R. and Elsa M. Mr. Woodin's father, Benjamin, was born in Newburg, Orange county, in 1787, and came to the White Spring farm with his parents when an infant. He married Julia A. Condit of Junius, Seneca county, and they had twelve children, ten of whom grew to maturity : Moses C., Matilda, Elsa, Mary, Electa C., Julia A., Justin G., Har- riet M., Byron G. and Benjamin P. Mr. Woodin's grandfather, James, was a soldier in the Revolutionary, and also in the French and Indian war. The musket, cartridge- box and belts that he carried are in the possession of Mr. Woodin.
Widman, William A., Canandaigua, was born in Canandaigua, April 17, 1860, a son of John, one of the first shoe dealers of the town, born in Germany in 1823. He came to this country when about twenty-five years old, first locating at Rochester, where he remained a short time, then at West Bloomfield. He came to Canandaigua next and followed shoemaking. He was a partner with Latta & Orr, and in 1867 entered into partnership with Matthew O'Brien in the shoe business. After abont four months the building where the Hubbell block now stands was burned, and Mr. Widman lost very heavily. In 1868 he established a business alone, which he conducted until his death (1886), with the exception of about eighteen months, when John A. Ming was with him. In 1852 lie married Mary B. Drexler, by whom he had eleven children, of whom ten survive. William A., the second son, is now conducting the store where his father was proprietor so long, located at 220 Main street, where he carries a complete stock of boots and shoes, rubbers, etc., also conducting a manufacturing department in connec- tion. He is assisted in the store by his brother Charles, who is at the head of the cus- tom department, ard his sister Louise is also an assistant in the store. They employ James Hughes and Herman Knaier in the custom and repair department.
Washburn, Charles W., Gorham, was born in Gorham on the farm now owned by the Joshua Washburn estate. He is a son of Joshua, a son of Isaac, a native of Herkimer county and one of the pioneers of Gorbam, settling near Rushville in an early day, where he lived and died. Joshua was born in Gorham in 1802. His first wife was Christine Wagner, and they had three children. His second wife was Phoebe Ketchim of Pittstown, Rensselaer county, born in 1815. She was one of twelve children of Joseph and Ollie (Venesse) Ketehim. By the second marriage Mr. Washburn had five sons and two daughters. He was poormaster and assessor many years, and owned 124 acres at his death, April 11, 1879. Charles W. was reared on a farm, and educated in the common schools. Farming has been his life occupation. He is a Democrat, and a member of Reed's Corners Grange and Rushville Masonic Lodge, also a member of Reed's Corners Agricultural Society and Rushville Agricultural Society.
Wheeler, Robert H , East Bloomfield, was born June 3, 1837, a son of Addison H., a son of Major George A. Wheeler, who was a son of Joshua and Rebecca (Snow) Wheeler, natives of Connecticut. Major George A. was a native of Connecticut, born April 21, 1777. About 1800 he came to East Bloomfield, and there married Phoebe, daughter ยท f Benjamin Wheeler, and had twelve children, nine survive. Mr. Wheeler was in the war of 1812, and once kept a tavern in Lakeville, Livingston county, but in
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1826 settled on a farm of 180 acres in East Bloomfield. He died in 1835, and his wife in 1849. Addison H. was born in Livingston county in 1806, and married Lucy P. Remington of Canandaigua, born in 1810, a daughter of Thaddeus and Betsey (Root) Remington, early settlers there. Mr. Wheeler and wife had six sons and three daugh- ters, all living except one daughter, who died young. Mr. Wheeler was a farmer, and at one time owned 500 acres of land. He was a Republican, and died in East Bloomfield February 29, 1872, and his wife April 5, 1884. Robert H. Wheeler re- ceived a common school education, and has made farming his life occupation. In 1865 he bought the farm he now owis of 242 acres, on which he has erected buildings and made other improvements at a cost of $5,000. He is a Republican, and through his efforts a post-office was established, in 1892, known as "Wheeler's Station." Mr. Wheeler has been highway commissioner three years, and was elected sheriff of Ontario county in 1886. He is a member of Canandaigua Lodge No. 294, F. & A. M. January 28, 1858, he married Elizabeth A. Miller of East Bloomfield, one of two daughters of Spencer C. and Ann C. (Cater) Miller, he a native of Canandaigua, born May, 1815, and she was born in Ulster county, May 15, 1815, and came to East Bloomfield with her parents, Peter and Mary Jansen Cater, to live when five years old. Mary Jansen Cater was a descendant of Roeloff and Anneka Webber Jansen, of which quite a history is given in Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. 420, May, 1885. Spencer C. was a son of Jesse and Eunice Morley Miller, natives of Connecticut, who came to Canandaigua. Eunice Morley Miller was a daughter of Timothy and Eunice Bissel Morley of Connecticut. To subject and wife were born three children : Marcia R., Lizzie J. and Horace G. Marcia R. is the wife of Willis E. Lee of East Bloomfield. In 1885 Mr. Lee put up a cider mill at Wheeler Station, and has since done an ex- tensive business as a produce dealer. Lizzie Jansen Wheeler is the wife of Charles B. Green of Red Creek, Wayne county. They had one son, Avery W., who died April 10, 1893, aged ten months. Horace G. is also a member of Canandaigua Lodge No. 294, F. & A. M., also of Canandaigua Lodge No. 245, K. of P. His occupation is that of a locomotive engineer. In the fall of 1892 he married Maude S. Benham, a native of East Bloomfield, and daughter of Chester Benham, of Canandaigua.
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