USA > New York > Oswego County > History of Oswego County, New York, with illustrations and Biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 63
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At the age of twenty-two-January 12, 1817-he mar- ried Miss Rhoda Stevens, daughter of Reuben Stevens, of New England birth (Connecticut), and a lineal descendant of one of two brothers who emigrated from England and settled in Connecticut about the time of the landing of the Pilgrims.
He followed farming and worked at the harness trade until the year 1837, when he, his wife, and eight chil- dren - viz., Sarah, John, William, Edward, Reuben, Walter T., Mary F., and Christopher C .- removed from Greene county and settled in the town of New Haven, Os- wego County, and after two years located a timber-lot of fifty-three acres, chopped and cleared off the original forest from most of it, and resided there until the year 1869, when he came to the town of Volney, near Volney Centre, where he now resides with his wife,-he in his eighty-third year, and she in her seventy-fifth year. After removing to New Haven township two more children were born, viz., Ira and
Rhoda Ann. All of the children are living except two. John enlisted in the late rebellion, and served two years,- then re-enlisted, and in the battle of Cold Harbor was shot. Rhoda Ann died at the age of three years.
Sarah married Caleb Carr; are farmers; reside in the town of Seriba, and have five children,-Mary Jane, Sarah, Edward, Albert, and Clarence.
William married Miss Orilla Green for his first wife ; resides in the town of Seriba ; have one daughter, named Emma. His wife dying, he married for his second wife Miss Elizabeth Fox.
Edward married Miss Lucina Cook ; have two children, viz., Addie and Walter; and reside in Fulton.
Reuben married Miss Phebe Hartson ; have four chil- dren, viz., Rhoda Ann, Ida, Frederick, and Carrie; and reside in Michigan.
Walter T: married Miss Arville Parkhurst ; have three children, viz., Charles, Jessie, and Bertha ; reside in the town of Volney.
Mary F. married Sceber Keller ; had three children, viz., Walter J., Byron S., and Josie. She is now a widow, and resides in Fulton.
Christopher C. married Miss Rose Lester; have one child, George ; and reside in Jersey City.
Ira married Arville Pollock ; have four children, viz., Nellie, Carrie, Frederick, and Robert. They reside in the city of Syracuse.
Walter Wilber has been a life-long Democrat, and identi- fied with his party as one of its old land-marks.
His wife united with the Christian church when only nineteen years of age, but now is a member of the Congre- gationalist church.
Walter Wilber has always supported church and school interests, and contributed liberally for all interests looking to the advancement of the education of the rising genera- tion, and now, almost at the end of life's journey,-having lived to sce four generations of his own family,-he is able to look back through over three-quarters of a century, and see the various changes in our country's history during that time. He is among the representative pioneers in the State, as well as in the county of Oswego.
248
HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
TIMOTHY PRATT.
MRS. TIMOTHY PRATT.
TIMOTHY PRATT
ranks among the prominent pioneer men of Oswego County, being of Welsh extraction, and descended from one of three brothers who, at a very early day, settled in the State of Vermont. Caleb Pratt, father of Timothy, fought in the battle of Bennington during the Revolutionary war, but being accidentally wounded with a scythe by a man sitting by the roadside, was unable to take further part in his country's cause for freedom. Caleb Pratt, in 1792, re- moved from Vermont, and settled in the town of Manlius, Onondaga County, and engaged in the occupation of farm- ing. He married Miss Loly Lewis, daughter of Nicholas Lewis, of English parentage, about the year 1783. Of a family of eight children, Timothy was the eldest son, and was born in the year 1790, and is, therefore, now in his eighty-seventh year.
In the year 1814 he married Miss Hannah Raynor, daughter of James Raynor, of Pompey, New York, and formerly of Long Island.
To Mr. and Mrs. Pratt were born four children, viz. : Phebe Anu, John W., Charles L., and Maria Jane. The last of these died in the year 1854. He followed the busi- ness of farming while he resided in Onondaga county. In the year 1833 he, with his family, removed to the town of Volney, Oswego County (having during the previous four years lived in Madison county), erected a grist-mill, and
commenced the milling business. The country was new and covered with timber, and business very light in that direction. He first started the manufacture of linseed oil, engaged largely in sawing. and turned out about one million feet of lumber per year. He also carried on an extensive business for an early day in boating and boat- building, transporting flour from Oswego and salt from Syracuse to Albany. He was one of a few of the enter- prising business men of the early days of the county, and generally successful in business, accumulated quite a large property ; after distributing among his children liberally, he has sufficient for his old age. In very early life he, at the age of fifteen years, united with the Methodist Episcopal church, and from that time has contributed liberally, not only to his own, but for other churches. He was one of the leading donors to the Falley seminary, and officiated as its superintendent for six years. Occupying a prominent position in financial circles, he has been connected as director of the Citizens' National bank of Fulton for the last twenty years.
His son, John W. Pratt, is among the most enterprising business men of the day, and resides in Fulton, New York. An engraving of his residence will be seen on the op- posite page of this work, under the portraits of himself and wife.
JOHN W. PRATT.
MRS. JOHN W. PRATT.
RES. of JOHN W. PRATT, 1st ST. FULTON, N.Y.
2.49
HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
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AARON G. FISII.
MRS. AARON G. FISII.
AARON G. FISH.
Still living in the village of Fulton, New York, and among its early pioneers and prominent men, is Aaron G. Fish, now in his eighty-third year, and almost through his entire life so closely associated with the growth and pros- perity of that part of the county that a brief sketch of his history will be welcome to many who will peruse the history of Oswego County after he has gone to his long rest.
He was the son of Aaron and Anna Fish, of English deseent, and boru in Grotou, New London, Connecticut, July 24, 1794. While only seven years of age his father removed to Massachusetts with his family, consisting of himself, wife, and eleven children, he being the sixth child. His father being a poor man, and surrounded by a large family, by his labor as a tailor was very much limited in means to give them an early education, barely struggling along and supplying the necessaries of life.
Remaining in Massachusetts for fifteen years, the mother dying in that State in the year 1814, the father, with one daughter and his son, Aaron G. Fish, came to Fulton, New York, in the year 1817. Afterwards another daughter- Mrs. Eliza Spencer-removed to this county.
Aaron G., upon reaching Fulton, at onee leased the New York S. mills and carried on the business of manufacturing flour for the next five years. Purchasing some machinery, he began manufacturing woolen fabrics, at which business he continued for some twenty-eight years, and a part of this time carried on farming on one hundred acres of land where a part of the village of Fulton is now located. He again engaged in the manufacture of flour, but more extensively, in the Volney mills, wholesaling his flour. In this enter- prise he was unsuccessful at the end of about five years. Having been appointed superintendent of the Oswego canal by the canal board, in the year 1847, he gave the work al- most his entire attention for the two years he held the office. Being rising fifty years of age, the balance of the time he has been able to do business during his life he has engaged in farming and also the manufacture of cloth.
A life-long Democrat, he took an active part in matters 17
of town and county. Held high in the estimation of his party, he was several times elected to offices of responsi- bility and trust, being supervisor for some five years, and justice of the peace and police justice for twenty years. Going to the polls to cast his first vote in the year 1815, he has not neglected this important duty of every Ameri- can citizen, but continued regularly, casting his last vote in the village of Fulton, in the spring of 1877, of which he was the first president. He was appointed loan commis- sioner for Oswego County, for one term, by Governor Marey. Not disregarding the place of the dead, he always took a great interest in beautifying the grounds, and has done very much to add to the interest now to be seen in visiting the Mount Adna cemetery.
Quite.early in life, in 1820, Enoch Ferris, engaged in missionary work in this county, baptized him, and he es- poused the Baptist faith, continuing the balance of his life a member of that body, always assisting liberally to scenre to others what he thought he himself possessed, and always largely interested in the education of the youth of the country. In June, before he removed to Oswego County, he was married to Miss Luey Ann Phelps, of Westfield, Massachusetts, and daughter of Eber Phelps, of English deseent. Of this marriage were born Lucy Aun, Eber Phelps, Lucy Ann, Eliza, Harriet L., and Andrew Jackson Fish. Of these children two have died,-the eldest and youngest,-viz., Lucy Ann and Andrew Jackson.
The mother, having espoused the cause of Christianity at the same time as her husband, remains still a member of the Baptist church, and is now in her eighty-second year. Firmly believing in a future reward, she very carefully taught her children lessons of morality and of the necessity of a life of purity. She still lives to see the fruits of her instruction, and her children respected and prominent members of society, the daughters living in the same village with their parents, administering to their wants as their sun sets in the western horizon, and the only surviving son being a forwarding merchant in New York city and a suc- eessful business man.
250
HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
REA SC
LYMAN PATTERSON.
The subject of this sketch was born at Castleton, Rut- land county, Vermont, on March 28, 1794, being the seventh son of a family of eleven children. His father, David Patterson, was a lineal descendant of Shubael Patter- son, who emigrated from England about four years before the commencement of the Revolutionary war, and served seven years in that war. His mother was of Irish descent, from the Heath family, who emigrated to this country in an early day. His father was a tinner by trade, and on account of having so large a family was obliged to leave his children to depend upon themselves at early ages.
Lyman Patterson, at the age of twenty-one years, mar- ried Miss Almira Tuttle, daughter of Joseph Tuttle, of English descent. The next year he, with his wife and one child, removed from Vermont and settled in the town of Volney, Oswego County, having been eighteen days on the road, traveling with an ox-team, and when he arrived had eighteen cents in money.
Coming here in the year 1816, he settled near Fulton village, where he purchased seventy acres of timber-land, and began clearing off the forest.
When a boy he learned the art of painting, and as soon as the people became sufficiently able to have buildings put up good enough, he resumed his old trade, painting the first house in the now thriving village of Fulton.
In the year 1834, having sold his farm, he removed to Fulton, where he has since resided, following the business of a painter, and at the same time carrying on farming as long as his age would permit.
He is now in his eighty-fifth year, and still possesses the activity of a much younger man. Always temperate in his habits, by judieions management and economy he accumu- lated property sufficient for his support and comfort through
life. He stands among the living pioneers of Oswego County.
In the year 1826 he and his wife united with the Methodist Episcopal church of Fulton. His wife, two years after, died. He has continued a member of that body to the present time, always contributing for the build- ing of churches and the support of education ; willing to assist others to receive what he could only obtain by priva- tion and endurance.
In the year 1830 he married Miss Graty Perkins, and of this marriage was born one son, Sylvanus, who lived to be about thirty-seven years of age, and died 1872. This wife died in the year 1836. In the year 1838 he again married, taking for his third wife Miss Polly Jeffers. Of this mar- riage was born one son, Orson, who was drowned at the age of six years, in the year 1848.
The children of the first family were Almira, George H., and William D. Patterson. All of them are now living. Almira resides in Jersey City, having married Mr. Ellis Eddy, and has three children. George H. resides in Fu]- ton, and has three children ; and William D. Patterson, who married Miss Adelia L. Keeler, has three children, Hattie A., Helen L., and William H., all residing at home, in the village of Fulton, and whose residence is shown upon the opposite page.
In politics Lyman Patterson is a Democrat, and always stood firm to the principles of his party. Coming into the county as one of its first settlers, he has lived to see the original forests cleared off, the improvement in agriculture, and the rude log cabins supplanted with fine residences surrounded with lawn and shrub, and now resides with his son, William D. Patterson, whose family contributes to his happiness and comfort in his old age.
HOLSEY HUBBARD.
MRS. HOLSEY HUBBARD.
AMONG the pioneers of Oswego County was Holsey Hubbard, ninth child of a family of twelve children of Rev. Thomas Hubbard, of Connecticut. He was born in Pitts- field, Massachusetts, December 4, 1801, his father having removed to that State previous to Holsey's birth, and after having spent some time in New Durham, New York. His father followed the business of a tanner and currier, spend- ing the most of his time during the winter months as a minister of the gospel.
In the year 1818, Rev. Thomas Hubbard, with the balance of his family (not already removed), came and settled in Oswego County, in the town of Volney, settling first near Hubbard's Corners. Lived in Fulton until the completion of the canal in 1830, and then settled on a farm near Ful- ton with his son Holsey. The farm is now owned by his granddaughter, Mrs. Julia B. Nichols, who bought the shares of the heirs of her father's estate.
Holsey Hubbard was seventeen years old when he came to the town of Volney; learned shoemaking from his father, and worked at his trade until the year 1830.
At the age of twenty-four, and in the year 1826, he married Miss Rachel Hugunin, daughter of Abram Hugu- nin, of Montgomery county, town of Root, whose wife was own cousin of Martin Van Buren, one of the presidents of the United States.
Holsey's father lived with him on the farm until his death, on January 7, 1850, having lived to be eighty-six years of age, and was ordained a deacon in the Methodist Episcopal church, in the year 1805, by Francis Asbury, the first American Methodist bishop.
To Mr. and Mrs. Holsey Hubbard were born six children, viz., Horace Holsey, Lucretia K., Thomas J., Leonard H.,
Eber G., and Julia B. Hubbard. All are living except Leonard H., who died in 1863, aged thirty years.
Horace H. resides in San Francisco, is unmarried, and is a practicing physician, standing high in his profession.
Lucretia K. married George V. Wolvin ; resides in the town of Hannibal; has one child, named George Holsey.
Thomas J. is in charge of a mine in California, and is unmarried.
Eber G. married Miss Grace Newman for his second wife, having previously married Mrs. Mary Ann Birdseye, who died in 1874. He resides in the village of Fulton.
Julia B. married Clark Nichols, of Madison county, New York, son of William Nichols, of American birth, April, 1873. They are farmers, and in remembrance of kind parents place an engraving of the father and a biography of his life upon the pages of history, in remembrance of one of Oswego County's representative pioneer men.
Holsey Hubbard united with the Methodist Episcopal church in 1853. His wife united with the same church in 1820, when she was only nineteen years of age. She was very careful in the religious instruction of her children, was an example of pure, intelligent womanhood, and seemed to live a life unspotted before the world, honored and respected. She died in her seventy-fourth year, in the year 1875.
In politics he was originally a Democrat, but upon the formation of the Republican party joined its ranks, remaining firm to its principles until his death. He was a warm sup- porter of school and church interests, and contributed lib- erally for its support. Being denied the advantages of a common-school education while young, he gave his children as good an opportunity as his means would afford.
He died May 5, 1875, being in his seventy-third year.
HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
251
REA
WILLIAM INGELL.
MRS. WM. INGELL.
WILLIAM INGELL.
The subject of this sketch was born in the town of Chester, Hampden county, Massachusetts, September 16, 1792. He was the son of Seth Ingell, of English descent, and his great-grandfather was of English birth, having emigrated from England, in the year 1620, on board the " May flower."
William was the sixth child and fourth son of a family of seven children, and lived at home with his father, who was a farmer by occupation, until he was twenty-three years of age. At the age of twenty-one he married Miss Esther Whittemore, of New England birth and of English and Scotch descent, in the year 1813, April 20, with whom he lived in wedded life upwards of sixty years. In the year 1815 he came alone to the town of Volney, Oswego Connty, bonght one hundred and fifty acres of timber- land, cut the first stick of timber, built a log house, and cleared a small piece of land. In the fall of that year he returned to Massachusetts, and remained with his wife until spring, when he, his wife, and infant daughter came and settled permanently upon his new farm, itself being and surrounded by an almost trackless wilderness. For a number of years subsequent to this, and during his early life, he was active in the administration of the affairs of his town, and held successively nearly all the offices in the gift of the people.
All these responsibilities were discharged with unwaver- ing fidelity, and during all his long and active life the confidence of his tellow-citizens was never betrayed by a single intentional wrong act.
There were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ingell seven children, viz. : Sophia, William F., Mary C., Isaac Newton, Egbert N., Edson D., and Lydia A. Ingell.
Sophia married Hiram Parker, of Herkimer county, New York. They have three children,-Theodore H., Edward N., and Minerva S. Parker. All are living. The mother died 1844, April 20.
William F. married Miss Minerva Parker, daughter of Patten and Sarah Parker, of Oswego Connty, in the year 1840. Her great-grandfather was of Scottish birth, and, emigrating from Scotland, settled in the town of Argyle, Washington county, New York.
They have one daughter, named Florence Adell, who
married W. H. Garlock, of Monroe county, and now resides in Dayton, Ohio.
William F. resides upon the farm first settled upon by his father, and has erected fine buildings, and it is now one of the oldest-settled places in the town, with ornamental trees of large growth, and fruit-bearing trees of over half a century's growth, placed there by the hands of his father.
Mary C. married James M. Chesbro, of the town of Volney, in the year 1836. He was son of Joseph Chesbro, of Connecticut, who came to Oswego County about 1816, and was among the pioneers of this town. They followed the occupation of farming for a while, and removed to the village of Fulton, where they now reside.
Isaac Newton, Egbert N., and Edson D. died in infancy. Lydia A. married E. N. Carrier, of Oswego County, in the year 1850. He was the son of Harvey Carrier, a native of Massachusetts, and settled in the town of Volney about 1817, and was numbered among the representative men of his town. Have two children,-William H. and Leman J. They are farmers, and now live in Phoenix.
About the year 1835, William Ingell united with the Methodist Episcopal church at Fulton, his wife connecting herself with the church at the same time. He remained a steadfast member of that body, contributing for its sup- port up to the time of his death, which took place at his old homestead June 19, 1873, aged eighty-one years. The wife and mother is still living, having been spared to see four generations of her own family, and is now in her eighty-sixth year, quite strong and healthy, looking down life's journey almost to the end. She resides with her children, who desire to remember their father and mother as among the pioneers of the connty, by engravings of their portraits on the pages of the history of the county to which they so much contributed.
In politics, William Ingell was originally a Whig, but subsequently became a Democrat opposed to slavery, and stood firm for the Union during its years of peril. His son, William F., enlisted in the service in 1861, and con- tinued until its close.
Those who knew William Ingell best will cherish his memory as a faithful husband, a kind father, and a worthy, useful, and highly-esteemed citizen.
252
HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
ISAAC MARKHAM.
JASON S. MARKHAM.
The subject of this sketch was born in the town of Mad- ison, in Madison county, May 6, 1814. He was the son of Isaac Markham, who was born in Great Barrington, Connecti- cut, in the year 1780, and was a lineal descendant of Abijah Markham, who emigrated with his brother William from England (he coming from Liverpool and the brother from Sheffield), and settled in Boston in the year 1627, and en- gaged largely in the shipping business, and assisted in building the first wharf and first storehouse in that eity.
Isaac Markham was a farmer by occupation, and at the age of seventeen removed to Oneida county, and after a few years removed to Madison county, and remained until the year 1816, when he removed to the town of Volney, Os- wego County, and settled on lot 63, buying the entire lot. He was married in Madison county to Miss Susan Howard, daughter of Ebenezer Howard, whose forefathers settled in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, in the year 1632, being of English birth. She was born in the year 1776. There were thirteen children of this family, of whom the subject of this sketch was the eighth child. He was only two years old when his father removed to Oswego County, and remained at home with his father until he was sixteen years old, and went to Oswego and learned the trade of blacksmithing, working on the first steamboat (" United States") run on Lake Ontario, which upon its completion on its first trip went on a pleasure or trial trip. Jason S., being entitled to ten berths as second engineer of the boat, invited ten of the oldest men of the town of Volney to accompany him on the excursion. He, at the age of twenty-four, re- turned to Madison county, working at his trade there for some ten years, and in 1848 came back to Oswego County, bought three hundred acres of timber-land and built a saw- mill, cleared a large part of it, and has since that time dealt largely in real estate. His father was one of the pioneers of the town. Always active in business, very few have such a record of labor as he, having chopped and cleared over three hundred acres of land. He died January 9, 1859. His wife died in 1832. Catching the spirit and energy of the father, Jason S. has been numbered among the representative men of his town. Beginning with no as- sistance but his own hands, he now ranks financially among the first men of his town. An incident of his early life which may be interesting to his offspring is related by him-
self, as follows : when eight years old he went after the cows, was lost in the woods, and remained all night, and during the night was surrounded by the wolves as he cud- dled down by the side of one of the cows. Fortunately, a bear came and drove away the wolves, but seemed bound to secure the prey for himself; but the daring of Jason, by breaking stieks around trees and rattling the cow-bell, some- how intimidated the bear, until he finally reached home safely about ten o'clock next day.
A second incident related by him is as follows : while a boy he started on a horse with a bag of corn through the woods to Oswego Falls to Falley's mill to get it ground, find- ing his way only by marked trees. While at the mill he saw a school of salmon in the race, and notifying Mr. Falley and Mr. Clute (an old fisherman) of the fact, they all proceeded to the spot and caught twelve barrels of fish, Jason getting for his share one large salmon, weighing some twenty-five pounds, which he carried home in one end of his bag and his meal in the other.
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