History of Wyoming County, N.Y., with Illustrations, Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Some Pioneers and Prominent Residents, Part 43

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Publication date: 1880
Publisher: F.W. Beers & Co.
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USA > New York > Wyoming County > History of Wyoming County, N.Y., with Illustrations, Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Some Pioneers and Prominent Residents > Part 43

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WELLINGTON MAXON was born on the farm where he now lives, in Bea- nington, in 1812. He was married in 1833 to Rulla Cooper, daughter of San- ford and Botsey Ann Cooper, of Bennington. He is a farmer and carpenter and joiner. His father, John F. Maxon, was born in 1801, and came to Bon- nington from Schobarie county about 1809. In 1810 he bought the farm where his son now lives. He was married in 1841 to Elmira Sbook, daughter of Benjamin and Catharine Sbook, of Bennington. He died in 1871. He served the town as overseer of the poor.

ROBERT BRUCE MILLAR was born in Bennington, Vt., in 1814. Less than two years later be came with his parents to Pembroke, Genesee county. In 1476 be came to Cowlesville, and was the second man in the town wbo did wagon making and repairing. He retired from business in May, 1863. His son, Robert H. Bruce, is now in the same line of business. Mr. Millar was formerly a captain in the Wyoming county militia, and be has been elected overseer of the poor, highway commissioner and justice of the peace, bav- ing beld the last named omce two terms. He was married in 1810 to Elisa McBain, of Albany, N. Y. The younger Millar was married in 1865 to Olivia Chesebro, of Erie county.

JAMES MONTGOMERY was born near Petico, County Donegal, Ireland, in 1830. In 1824 he married Betsey Page, of Herkimer county, who died in 1879. He has served as overseer of the poor. His father. Thomas Montgomery, was born near Enneskillen, Ireland, about 1763, and married Miss Mary John- son, of his native place. In 1812 the family took passage on an American vee- sel bound for New York, at Warring's Point, in the north of Ireland. Af- ter a voyage of four weeks the vessel reached the coast of Newfoundland, where it was taken in charge by a British man-of-war, and all on board were made prisoners of war and taken to St. Johns, where they were detained four weeks. Upon their release the Montgomerys were obliged to make their way to Quebec, British subjects not being allowed to land on American soll during the continuance of the war; and until 1816 they remained in Cuinada, but came to New York State in the latter year, locating in West- moreland, Oneida county, and removing from there to Beanington two yo urs later, when Mr. Montgomery purchased one hundred and twenty-ave acres of lot 9, section &, where he died in 1830, at the age of seventy-three, and his wife in 1831, aged sevea-one.

HARD MUNS was born in Aver, Cambridgeshire, England, in 1808. In 1833 he married Elizabeth Botting, and the same year came to America. He lived at Lockport, Niagara county, three years; at Niagara Falls fourteen years, and in 1819 came from there to Bennington, where be owns a farm of one hundred and eighty-five acres. He has always been prominent in the Baptist church. He and his wife were among the original members, and be was the first desoon of the first oburob of that denomination organized at Niagara Falls. He was married a second time in 1832, to Nancy Fairbanks, of Yorkshire. Bagland. Mr. Mans's son, Sorgeant John Muns, was a mem- bor of the 187th regiment, and was shot through the heart at Dinwiddie Court-house. George Muns, another son. catered the 49th regiment as a private, and was promoted to be sergeant and second lieutenant, serving until mustered out at the close of war.

LEWIS MUTH. son of Conrad and Mary E. Muth, was born in Hesse Darm- stadt, Germany. in 1837. The next year be accompanied his parents to America. He lived at Rochester. Geneva and Henrietta, N. Y., and in 1850 came to Bennington, where he is a successful farmer. January 2end, 1838, he was married to Kate E. Pardy, daughter of Isaao and Caroline Pardy, of Niagara county.

PETER MUTH, brother of Lewis Muth, was born in Germany in 1832, and the record of his coming to America and sojourn at various places before coming to Bennington, in 1850, is the same as above given. Until 1883 be was

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a farmer. He is now a merobant and deputy postmaster at Bennington Centre. He has beld the office of town clerk three years. In 1855 be married Margaret 8wyers, of Bbeldon.

ALONZO PERSONS was born in Sheldon February Ist, 1811. He came to Bennington in 1847, and has since been a well known farmer in the vicinity of Bennington Centre. He was appointed postmaster by President Grant, and is yet in office. His father, Uriah Persons, was born in New Jersey in 1703. In 1806 he took up a section of land in Sheldon. He was one of the first settlers, and built the first frame house and kept the first tavern in that town. He beld several minor town offices. He married Mary Besion, of Connecticut, by wbom be had three children. He had been previously mar- ried, and by that marriage had nine children. He died March 20th, 182; Mrs. Persons in 1856.

ISAAC (son of Imao and Thankful) PIERCE was born December 24th, 1806, in Berkshire county, Massachusetts. In 1807 his parents removed to western New York, and located near Caledonia, Livingston county. In 1880 they came to Bennington, where his father took up fifty acres north of the Centre, where he remained until 1880, when he moved to the Isaac Pierce farm. Mr. Pierce has been supervisor and beld other minor offices. He was married December 18th, 1831, to Laura M., daughter of Roger and Re- becon Rowley, of Bennington.

EUGENE PLUMLEY was born in Attica September 19th, 1841. In 1861 be enlisted in Company D. 19th Ohio volunteers, and was discharged four months later. In 1868 be re-enlisted, in Company L, 8th N. Y. heavy artillery, and served until discharged. December 22nd, 1864, on account of a wound received at the battle of Petersburg, Va. Since the war he has been a farm- er. December 11th, 1865, he married Mary R., daughter of James and Sarah Ann Owen, of Bennington.

WILLIAM B. (son of Joseph and Mary Ann) PERRY was born at Constable, Franklin county, October 2nd, 1828. Up to the age of twenty-seven be divided his time between farming and clerking in his father's store. In 1803 be came from Alexander, Genesee county, to Bennington, and located on a farm belonging to Pomeroy Warren, his father-in-law. In 1863 he engaged in trade in Sheldon. In 1870 he returned to the farm in Bennington, where he lives. He has served as supervisor, town clerk and justice of the peace in Sheldon, and justice of the peace in Bennington. December 21st, 1851, he married Asenath Warren.

GEORGE (son of George and Rickheaney) REDFOOT was born in Ryers- broom. Germany, August 90th, 1834. He came to America in 1855 and lo- cated at Town Line, Erie county. In 1867 be came to Bennington, where he owns a farm of fifty acres. At the time of his arrival in this country be had but il in money. December 28th, 1836, he married Laney Snyder, daugh- ter of Philip and Kate Snyder, of Erie county, formerly from Germany.

SALLY (daughter of Rufus) MUNGER was born in 1814 in Genesee county, where her father, born in Tolland, Conn., in 1781, was an early settler; and was married in 1812 to Richard Richardson, and camo to Cowlesville in 1844. Her husband was the first pastor of the Free Will Baptist church of this village. He died very suddenly, having attended four services the previous day, and was deeply mourned by mapy.

STEPHEN RIKER is a son of Casper and Elizabeth Riner. He was born at Bassibein, Bairen, Germany, in 1822. . He came to America in 1851, and lo- cated in Erie county, having married. the same year, Margaretta, daughter of Nicholas and Margaretta Fetzer. Philip Riner, their son, was born at Williamsville February 8d, 1868. In 1858 Mr. Riner removed to Bennington, and lived in different parts of the town until 1874, when be bought his pres- ent farm of one hundred and eleven acres.

JOHN F. RUDOLPH, son of Louis and Matlina Rudolph, was born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, February 18th, 188. Ho came to America in 1848, and for a time worked by the month for farmers. He is the owner of a farm of one hundred and thirteen acres, a mile north of Bennington Centre. In 1848 he married Catharine Clinker, of Germany, who died in 1866. Two years later Mr. Rudolph married Henrietta Arendt, of Benning- ton.

LEWIS C. RUDOLPH. son of John F. and Catharine Rudolph, above men- tioned, was born in Bennington in 1864. In 1875 be learned the carpenter and joiner's trade, at which he bes since worked in connection with farming. He purchased his farm of thirty-nine acres in J876. November 27th, 1877, be married Maggie Kilion, daughter of William Kilion, of Bennington.

JULIA 4. SARGENT was born in Oneida county in 1810. 8be moved with ber parents to Alexander. Genesee county ; thence to Erie county ; thence to Bennington in 1849. She bas been twice married-in 1832 to Osman B. Wood, of Alexander, Genesee county, and in 1849 to John Sargent, a native of New Hampshire. Sbe bas bad two children ; one, Miss Julla D., born in 1850, is living. Mrs. and Miss Sargent are members of the Free Will Baptist church at Cowicaville. Mr. Sargent came to Bennington from his native State in 1820, and purchased the farm where his widow resides. He was married three times-to Miss Mudgett, of Bennington, to Harriet Fairbanks and to the surviving Mrs. Sargent. He was a member of the Free Will Baptist church, and was baptized on his seventy-ninth birthday ; he died in 1874. He was a ceopen by trade, and worked as such until within a few years of his death. Ris son, James, served in the army in the late war, and died of congestion of the lungs.

JOSEPH SELMAN, whose father's name was the same as bis, was born in Germany in 1887. He came to America at the age of ten, and located in Lancaster, Erie county. In 1861 be removed to Bennington, where he bes been town clerk four years and bes beld the office of collector. He was married January 21st, 1879, to Elizabeth Denz, of Buffalo.

JOHN SHADBOLE was born in Bennington in 182%, and was married to Sarah Bromley, of this town, in 1860. He has served as overseer of the poor, and was elected justice of the peace in 1877 and still holds the office. In 1872, in company with Burton French, be built the East Bennington cheese factory, which they still own and manage. Bowland Shadbolt, his father, was, as was also his mother, a native of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. They came to the Genesee country in 1818, and stopping north of Portage until the fall of 1819, they came to Bennington, where Mr. Sbadbolt purchased sixty acres of lot 12, section 7, and added to his possessions until he had the farm of one hundred and ninety-seven acres now owned by his son. He died in 1865; his wife in 1874.

JOHN SNYDER, son of George and Elizabeth Snyder, was born in Wellesley, Waterloo county, Canada, March 20th, 1819. He learned the manufacture of woolen goods, and worked at his trade until 1868, since which time be has been a farmer. March 10th, 1874, he married Mary, daughter of Barnard and Margaret Welker, of Bennington, and during the same spring located on the farm where he now lives.

FATHER JAMES SCHNEIDER, pastor of the Church of the Sacred Heart. Bennington, and of the Roman Catholic church at Old Bennington, was born in Prussia, June 11th, 1845; was there ordained to the priesthood, and came to America in 1875, locating at Buffalo. From Buffalo he went to Al- den, Erie county, and from there came to Bennington.

DANIEL P. STEADMAN was born in Tirringham, Mass., December ast, 1804. and came with his parents to Geneseo, Livingston county, in 1806. They were married about 1798, and removed from Rhode Island, their native State, to Massachusetts soon after. At Geneseo Mrs. Steadman died, and ber husband, William Steadman, soon re-married and removed to Riga, Monroe county, later to Wheatland, and from Wheatland to Bennington in 1817. Here be purchased one hundred and fifty acres of lot 8, section 7, where to lived until bis death, in 1848, when he was almost seventy-three years old. He was a volunteer soldier in the war of 1812-14, and in civil lite be held a number of town offices. Daniel P. Steadman married in 1827 Miss Phebe Latson, of Dutobees county, and in 1842 Miss Juliette Fuller, of Bennington. He has served in Bennington more than thirty years as magistrate, as asses- sor fifteen years, and has held other offices.

NELSON STONE was born at Sand Lake, Rensselaer county, in 1834, and af- ter residing for longer or shorter periods in various localities, came to Ren- nington in 1875. He was married to Anne Morris, of Gainesville, Wyoming county. in 182. They have one son, Emmett, born in 1830, who has pesved the regent's examination and is now teaching. The family are Free Will Baptists. Mr. Stone's father was born in Vermont. He was twice married, to Hannah Sheppard, and to Mary King, of Oneida county.

CHRISTOPHER J. (son of George and Mary) SWYERS, farmer and butcher, was born in Bennington in 1858. March 8th, 1836, be married Lane R. Red- foot, daughter of George Bedfoot, of Bennington. He has been in business for himself since he was nineteen.

WILLIAM SWYERS, hotel keeper, was born in Wales, Erie county, in 1848, and married November 12th, 1871, to Mary, daughter of Nicholas and Catharine Hoffman, He came to Bennington in 1660 from his native place.

JOHN J. TARNIEE was born in Mussle, Prussia, in 1819. He came to Amer- ica in 1840, and lived in Sheldon until his removal to Bennington in 1800, when he bought the farm where he lived until his death, October 18th, 1879. In 1840 be married Caroline, daughter of Plater and Mary Myer, formerly of Prussia, who survives him.

ROSE, widow of Ithia S. THOMSON, whom she married in 1878, was born in Clayton, Jefferson county, in 1833, and at the age of twelve removed to Erie county, and from there to Bennington. She is a farmer and bee keeper. Her deceased husband was born in Oneida county in 1809. He was the first postmaster at Dale, and beld many important offices in Middlebury, where he occupied a prominent position.

JAMES S. TOLLES Was born in Orwell, Vt., in 1800. He has been three times married-in 1824 to Nancy H. Doty, of Bennington, who died in 1844; in 1846 to Armedia L. Hamferton, of Darien, who died in 1868, and in 1854 to Mrs. Susan Brown, of Buffalo. His parents were John and Catharine Tolles, born respectively in Connecticut in 1770, and in Massachusetts in 1777. Mr. Tolles came on foot from Vermont to Bennington in 1802, and took up two hundred acres of lots 4 and 6, section 8. He cleared some land, planted a crop and erected a cabin that year, and in the fall returned on foot to Ver- mont. bringing back his family with a team of horses as far as Avon, Liv- ingston county, and the rest of the way with oxen. He died in 1847; his wife in 1850. James S. Tolles has beld the office of justice of the peace eight years, and as a military man bas beld every office from ensign to lieutenant- colonel.

JOHN B., son of Barnard and Margaret WELKER, was born in Baden, Germany, in 1835. In 1847 be came to America with his parents and located

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at Bennington. In 1800 he bought one hundred and thirty-atbe acres be- tween two and three miles east of the Centre, where be now lives, He was married in 1800 to Catharthe Snyder, who died in 1872. During that year Mr. Welker married her sister, Margaret Snyder.

LEONARD WELKER, brother of the above mentioned, was born in 1887, and came to this country with the rest of his father's family, and has since lived in Bennington. In 1806 be married Mary, daughter of David and Ross Thaler. Mr. Welker was a native of Germany ; Mise Thaler of Switzerland.

Jouw WERNER, farmer, was born at Baline, Germany, in 1819. He came to Bennington in 1849, and purobased the farm upon which he resides. H. has been overeser of the poor four years and a trustee in the Presbyterian churob. He married Mise Witherspan, a native of Germany, in 1819.

SAMUEL A. WILLARD, postmaster and dealer in dry goods and general merobandise at Folsomdale, was born in Bennington in 1888, in the first frame house erected (by his father) in Folsomdale; in which village be bes since resided, except during six or seven years spent in Erie and Cattaraugus counties. He was married in 1865 to ! Nancy Newkirk, and in 1800 to Julia Moore, of Cattaraugus county. R. M. Willard, father of Samuel A. Willard, was born in Boston, Mass., in 1806, and came to Folsomdale in 1881.

where he worked at his trade, that of carpenter and joiner. He spent a number of years in Indiana, Michigan and Missouri, and returned to Fol- somdale in 1879. He was married in 1888 to Julia Olger. and in 1826 to Sopb- ronia Berry.

MAKINDRA N. WILLIAMS was born in Burlington, Otsego county, in 1836- He lived for a timein Darien, and came from that town to Bennington in 1864 (in which year be married Abagall Austin) and engaged in mercantile pursuits. Two years later be purchased the farm where be bas since lived. He also owns property in Marilia. His father was born in Rhode Island in 1786 and settled in Darien in 1810. He was a soldier in the war of 1818-14, and was wounded at Lewiston. His wife was Lucy Bardeen, of Burlington, Otsego county.

JOSEPH WILLIAMSON, farmer, was born in Stockport, Cheshire, England. in 1818, and was married to Martha Howard, of his native place, in 1889. He came to America in 1889 and for a time resided in Buttalo. In 1854 be came to Bennington, where be bes since lived. Mrs. Williamson died in 1842.

JOHN ZIENVERS, Son of Michael and Anns Zieevers, was born at Biers- dorf, Prussia, January 8d, 1864, and came to Bennington in 1874. October 80th, 1874, he married Barbara Meyer. Mr. Zieevers is a teacher.

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THE TOWN OF CASTILE.

ASTILE was set off from Perry February 27th, 1821, and has an area of twenty-two thousand eight hundred acres. The land was originally timbered with oak and chestnut, intermixed with pine along the banks of Wolf creek, once employing fourteen saw-mills to cut out lumber for the Rochester market.

The portion of country now embraced in Castile was not settled, except in part, as early as most of the surrounding towns, for the reason that about one-half the town, and the best, was occupied by that part of the Indian reservation called the " White Woman's Tract " which was not opened for sale and settlement until 1823, and some one thousand two hundred and eighty acres lying on the Genesee river, called the "White Woman's Reserve," was not on sale until 1830.

As early as 1809 some white families began to build log shanties and log houses in the territory now called Castile. Foremost among these squatters were two Scotch pioneers from Caledonia, on the Genesee river, near Rochester- Robert Whaley and his brother-in-law, Daniel Mckay. Whaley built a log tavern about a mile northeast of the site of Castile village, where he continued to keep a tavern until he died, in 1817. Mckay built a saw-mill on Wolf creek, near the west line of the Indian reservation, with the inten- tion of getting pine logs from the reservation to stock his mill, intending to raft the boards down the Genesee river. About this time some men from Caledonia or Rochester cut and drew to the river bank from a splendid white pine grove on the reservation of some two hundred acres, near the river, several thousand pine logs, intending, when there came a freshet, to roll them in and run them to Rochester. For some reason they remained there awhile, and in a dry time some one (supposed to be Indians) set fire to them and destroyed them all. Mckay soon abandoned his saw-mill. This seemed to check any further extensive depredations. "

In 1817 occurred the great land slide near the Indian burying grouuds. About twelve or fifteen acres of the West hill, some two hundred feet high, and composed of white clay, after a long rain slid down into the bed of the river and half across the flats, covering twenty-five or thirty acres of land, filling up the river bed and turning the stream across the flats, above the slide and around it to the east bank. A raft of saw logs moored under the slide lies there still.

Conspicuous among the early settlers of Castile west of Silver lake were Rescom Tallman and his three sons (two of them married and with families), Giles, Charles and David. Rescom settled on lot 58 and Giles on lot 59.

David remained on the homestead, lot 58 Ogden tract, and Charles located on lot No. 1 Cotringer tract. These men were hardy, energetic and persevering of mind as well as mus- cle, and they not only made fine farms and residences for themselves and their children, but their moral and religious example has left its impress and influence on the population of that part of the town, including their descendants, to the present time, though over sixty years have passed. They settled on what was then called Oak hill, and were soon fol- lowed by Captain William Tripp, Captain Ebenezer Sey- mour, Eliakim Bottsford, Joseph Abbott and his sons, James and Gurley, Jeremiah Matteson and others. .

Prominent among the early settlers in the east part of Castile were Clark Sanford, Esq., and his brother Freeman, who came in 1816, articled wild lands, and made for themselves and families beautiful farms and homes. They distinguished themselves as industrious, exemplary Christian citizens, serving the town many years as magistrate and supervisor.

They were followed and assisted by Dow I. Clute, John W. Boughton, John Bowers, Esq., Captain Rockwood, Gilbert Crist, Aaron D. Truesdell and others, who, having a rich soil to cultivate, soon made the northeast part of the town a beautiful and prosperous settlement of intelligent, moral and Christian people.

The first settlers of Castile, in addition to the difficulties of settling a new country, found themselves almost destitute of a market for their produce or their cattle at remunera- tive prices. Their wheat would barter for about thirty.one cents per bushel, corn and rye for twelve and a half cents, but there was no cash market. A few individuals went to Canandaigua and prevailed on Mr. Greig, the land agent, to open a lumber yard at Rochester, appoint an agent to re- ceive the lumber there and sell it, giving them lumber re- ceipts to apply on their land. This very favorable arrange- ment favored all the settlers, for those who chose to remain on their farms could find a market for their wheat, beef, cattle, pork, hay or vegetables, and take lumber receipts, which enabled the holder to pay for his land. We should think it a hard, slow way to pay for land that trebled the cost by adding interest every year to the principal, in lumber, at Rochester, first rate at Sio per thousand, $8 for second rate, and $6 for third rate. Of course those who bought the pro- duce could not afford to pay much for it, and those who made the lumber did not get much for their labor; but a way was opened, and many availed themselves of it who other- wise could never have paid for their land. Some who had labored for years, and found themselves unable to pay even

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the back interest, and the interest on that, which doubled or trebled the original price of the land, sold out for little or nothing and left the country. But most of the settlers came in the prime of life, with a determination to stay and over- come all obstacles.

In the autumn of 1825 the canal was opened, and that relieved the settlers greatly; since after drawing their grain to York Landing, on the Genesee river, a distance of from sixteen to eighteen miles, it could be boated down the river to the canal, thus enabling the farmer to obtain from eight to ten or twelve shillings per bushel.

The land when the settlers came had for a great many years been burned over by the Indians in autumn and spring, in order to facilitate still hunting. This destroyed all the leaves and vegetable accumulation, and left the land naked and barren. In 1818 the settlers determined to stop this forest burning, and in three or four years they succeeded. The first crop of wheat or grass would be light, but by ex- perimenting with gypsum or plaster the growth of clover would be greatly increased, and the clover in blossom plow- ed under greatly increased the wheat and other crops.

Dairying is now an important industry. Apples are be- coming a staple product. The growers export about sixteen thousand barrels annually, and dry and manufacture into cider about as many more.

In 1814 Robert Whaley rented his tavern to Lemuel El- dridge, and removed his family to his saw-mill on Wolf creek. In 1816 the tavern took fire in the night and burned down, killing two travelers from Leroy.

In 1816 the Cotringer tract in Castile was put in the mar- ket, and in 1817 Whaley returned, rebuilt his tavern, and bought lot 38 of that tract, on which it stood. The same year he died, of apoplexy, but his widow continued to keep a tavern there for many years. She sold to C. Needham, and the farm is now owned by George Needham, of Perry.

In the early settlement of Castile grain was plenty, and there being no cash market the distillery offered the best market, paying in whiskey. There were three distilleries in the village of Castile, then called Wolf Creek, and six tav- erns in the town. A large part of the population consisted of lumbermen, and many of them bought whiskey by the barrel. Every one drank, temperately at first but drunkards multiplied alarmingly. Some few philanthropic men, sec- onded by a noble band of patriotic temperance women, united in a call for a temperance meeting, and formed a society and circulated a pledge. This was about the year 1825. Many inebriates were reclaimed and young men trained to abstinence from alcoholic drinks, and, as light increased. from all intoxicating beverages. Revivals of religion fol- lowed, churches were formed, meeting-houses were built, and general prosperity followed. Although intemperance has not been entirely banished, there are now in the town no liquor dealers and no licenses to sell for any purpose, and the inhabitants seem to be practically temperance men from necessity, if not all from principle. In former years there were needed in the town four magistrates and four constables, nearly all actively engaged in their official capacity, to pre- serve the peace. Now there is very little litigation, and scarcely any use for constables, and poor families have the money they might otherwise pay for intoxicating beverages to buy the necessary comforts of life.

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History of Wyoming County, N.Y., with Illustrations, Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Some Pioneers and Prominent Residents, Part 43

Author: Publication date: 1880 Publisher: F.W. Beers & Co. Number of Pages:

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: F.W. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: