USA > New York > Yates County > History of Yates County, N.Y. : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers > Part 54
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Archer, James M., born in Bradford, England, June 27, 1836, came to America in 1842 with his parents, Thomas and Sarah, who settled in Starkey, where they resided until their death. James M. was educated at the Starkey Seminary, and in 1860 married Mary Hathaway. Their only child, Fred, born July 23, 1862, married Florence Allen, of New York City, where he resides, being in the employ of the United States Express Company. James M., in 1857 entered the store of C. W. Barnes of Rock Stream, as clerk, remained until 1862, when he enlisted in the 14th New York Heavy Artillery, and was sergeant, quarter- master-sergeant, second lieutenant, first lieutenant, and was mustered
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out as adjutant at the close of the war. Returning to Rock Stream he entered the store of his old employer as clerk, remaining there until 1876. He then engaged as traveling salesman for four years, then opened a store at Rock Stream, where he now resides. He was elected justice of the peace in 1889. He is a Republican, and takes an active interest in political affairs.
Barnes, Charles W., an extensive business man, and a highly respected citizen, was born January I, 1823, and died in Rock Stream within a quarter of a mile of the place of his birth, on February 5, 1884. His father, Enos, was born in Litchfield, Conn., and his mother in Lansing- burg, N. Y. At the age of sixteen Enos Barnes went Lunenburg, Va., where he remained eight years, studying medicine and commencing practice as a physician. He served as a surgeon in the war of 1812, and afterward returned to the north. June 22, 1814, he married Miss Rebecca Wicks. They came from Hyde Park to what is now Rock Stream, in 1815, the first of the following eight children having been born previous to their removal : Dr. Harry R. Barnes, of Rock Stream ; Woodruff L., who died in Brooklyn ; Morris T., who died in Watkins, and whose two daughters, Mrs. A. C. Pike, and Mrs. R. H. Canfield, and their mother, Mrs. M. S. Phinney, now reside in Corning, N. Y .; Delia M., who married Dr. J. S. Stevens, of Penn Yan, and Charles W .; Edmund F., who died at Folly Island, S. C., during the rebellion ; Emma H., who became the wife of Julius Bancroft and died in New Madrid, Mo .; and Hattie N., wife of Mr. Otis Whitney, of Oswego, Kan. Dr. Enos Barnes was twice married, and two children were born of the second union, Enos W. Barnes, editor of the Allegany County Reporter, who died at Wellsville, N. Y., in 1888, and Rebecca, wife of Rev. J. T. Otis, of La Preston, Dak. Charles W. Barnes, after attend- ing the Penn Yan Academy, at the age of fifteen became a clerk in the store then kept by Alonzo Simmons at Rock Stream. He remained there two years and then entered the employ of L. G. Townsend, at what was then called Big Stream Point, now called Glenora, where he re . mained until going into business for himself, which was nine months previous to his attaining his majority. April 18, 1853, he married Mary S., daughter of Alonzo Simmons. Two children were born to them : Delia M., wife of John D. Goundrey, and Alonzo S. Mr. Barnes
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was a member of the Masonic order, but not of any religious society. He gave freely for charitable purposes, and for years gave liberally to the Presbyterian Church of Rock Stream. At two periods of his life partners were associated with him in business, Mr. Sharp for a term of years, and subsequently his brother-in law, George Simmons. During his long and prosperous business career his dealings were ever honorable and his relations with acquaintances were such that only death could sunder the bonds of friendship formed. Alonzo S. Barnes was born October 22, 1860, and educated at Starkey Seminary and Cook Academy, and in 1888 married Erma L. Miles. He succeeded his father in the mercantile business at Rock Stream.
Baskin, Lyman J., farmer and attorney at law, is a native of Yates County, born June 16, 1853 .. He is a son of William R. Baskin, and grandson of William Baskin, who settled here at a very early day. The latter was born about 1777 and died January 7, 1866. The father of Lyman J., was born February 14, 1817, a farmer and stock dealer. He married Eliza A. Graves, a native of Ireland, by whom he hadsix children, five surviving in order of birth, Lyman J., Herman C., Estella A., Wini- fred E. and Mabel A., all of whom received their education at Starkey Seminary. The mother was a very earnest churchwoman. The children are all Episcopalians, as also is the family of Lyman J. In 1872-73-74, the latter having read law with Hart & Tomlinson, attorneys at law at El- mira, for one year attended the law department of Michigan University, Ann Arbor, Mich., receiving the degree of LL.B. in 1874. He located at Jackson, Mich , where he had a large and paying practice, while there. In 1876 he was elected Court Commissioner of Jackson County on the Democratic ticket, by about 1,000 majority, the highest vote accorded to any Democrat on the ticket in that usually Republican county. June 7, 1877, his father, William R. Baskin, died, and the subject of this sketch returned to his old home in Yates County, resigning the office of court commissioner to which he had been previously elected, not having served out the official term. Since that time Mr. Baskin has traveled through the greater portion of the west, and has been engaged in speculations in the west, where he now has investments. He has also practiced law more or less in Yates and Schuyler Counties, and is particularly interested in grape growing, giving it his personal attention.
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His law and business office is at Watkins, N. Y., where he also has val- uable real estate interests. In June, 1878, he married Miss Ella Ingalls, of Watkins, N. Y., by whom he has one daughter, born November 18, 1879. The old homestead, comprising 200 acres, one-half mile north of Starkey Station, is operated by Lyman J. Baskin, his brother and sisters, who, excepting the elder, are also engaged in breeding standard bred trotters in connection with farming and grape growing. Lyman J. is in politics a zealous, though conservative Democrat, a man of pos- itive and strong convictions, and a Knight of Pythias.
Captain Joseph Bellis, a native of Pennsylvania, came to Barrington about 1816, and was a captain in the War of 1812. He was a cooper by trade and carried on the business for many years, at Barrington and Eddytown. He married Sarah Fox, of Easton, Pa., and they had seven children, three of whom survive, Charles, who resides in Starkey ; J. Lewis, who resides at Berlin, Wis .; and George F., who was born at Barrington, April 21, 1829. He married Mary J. Young, of Central Square, Oswego County, N. Y., a direct descendant of Charles Pelton, of Ithaca, N. Y. They have three children, Louille, Mark G., and Newman. In 1871 he settled in Warsaw, Wis., he is owner and builder of three blocks there, besides two hotels, of which he is also the propri- etor, The Arlington and Hotel Bellis.
Benedict, Jewett, a farmer and fruit grower of Starkey, and a native of Steuben County, N. Y., born June 19, 1843, is a son of Lewis and Catherine (Hendricks) Benedict, both natives of Sullivan County, N. Y. The father was born in 1805. Of their nine children four sur . vive : Mary J., wife of Harrison Horton; Harriet M., widow of Marcus J. Hilton, of Bradford County, Pa ; Delia M., wife of J. M. Shoemaker. The father learned the blacksmith trade and followed the same for thirty years, after which he engaged in farming and stock raising. He died in 1878. The mother makes her home with her son Jewett, and is eighty -six years of age. Jewett Benedict was educated at the Dundee Academy. In 185 1 he came with his parents to the farm where he now lives. In 1862 he joined the Union army, enlisting in the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth New York Infantry, serving but a short time, when he was discharged for disability. In 1863 he was drafted, re-enlisted and served until the close of the war in 1865. November 13, of the
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same year, he married Julia E. Rogers, a native of Illinois, born July 12, 1844. Her father built the first steam saw-mill in Chicago, Ill., and made the first set of chairs manufactured there. Mr. and Mrs. Bene- dict have three children, Lewis H., Millie M., and Fernwood. In 1855 he formed a partnership in the grocery business with his brother Wes- ley, at Dundee, where he continued until the fall of 1862 when he sold out before entering the army. After the war he engaged in farming until 1867, when he moved to Caldwell County, Mo., remaining until 1870, when he returned to New York to his old home and commenced fruit farming.
Bunce, Loomis, was born in Massachusetts, in 1840, and when nine- teen years of age came with his father and settled in Barrington, Conn., His father, Peter Bunce, was a farmer, and had eleven children. Loomis was a millwright by trade, and in company with John Spicer carried on that business, building many mills in this and adjacent counties, also carrying on farming extensively. He married Mary, daughter of Will- iam Holmes, of Steuben County, N. Y., by whom he had two children, Melvin N., who was killed at the battle of Gettysburg in 1863, and Eliza, wife of Hon. Geo. P. Lord, who resides in Dundee. Loomis Bunce died in March, 1878. He was twice married, his first wife dying in 1867, and his second wife, Eunice C. Olney, widow of Rev. D. B. Olney, in 1880.
Conklin, Thomas J., one of the wealthiest farmers of Starkey, and a native of Yates County, was born in Barrington, February 20, 1826, a son of Samuel and Esther (Ferrier) Conklin. The parents settled in this county in 1823 and had six children, three surviving: Mary A., wife of John H. Shannon ; Sarah, wife of William T. Beaumont; and Thomas J. The parents were members of the Baptist Church of Him- rods. The father, who was a stone mason in early life, afterwards a farmer, died in 1868, aged sixty-eight. The mother died in 1890, aged ninety-two. Thomas J. married, in Starkey, April 17, 1853, Mary A., daughter of Martha Titsworth, by whom he had one daughter, Charity, born July 22, 1855. She married December 21, 1876, B. F. Allen, a native of Buffalo, son of Ralph and Sephonia (Jenney) Allen. He was born March 9, 1848. Mr. Allen is largely engaged in the oil and lum- ber business in Pennsylvania. Mr. Conklin is one of the prominent
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farmers of Yates County, and owns 320 acres of land adjoining Dundee. Mr. and Mrs. Conklin make their home with their daughter, Mrs. Allen.
Cook, Samuel, proprietor of the European Hotel at Dundee, is a na- tive of Yates County, born June 16, 1851, son of James and Betsey (Kinney) Cook. He received a common business education at the Dundee district school. In 1875 he learned the miller's trade, with John Richardson, of Dundee, worked at his trade until 1888, after which he was clerk at the Wilson Hotel, of Dundee, until 1890, when he opened a hotel of his own. He has conducted a nice and neat little house, and received his share of the trade. Mr. Cook married on June 16, 1875, Emma A. Burns, a native of Dundee, born May 5, 1853, and daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Wilson) Burns.
Curtis, Thomas B., son of Roswell and Jerusha Curtis, who were born respectively August 1, 1795, and November 3, 1794, were married October 13, 1816. To their union eight children were born: Thomas B .; Charles, a resident of Howell, Mich .; Eliza, wife of William D. Doty, of South Lyon, Oakland County, Mich .; Lester, of Prairie, Ark .; Samuel, living in Illinois; Isabella, wife of J J. Hooper (deceased) ; Esther, wife of Dr. E. Mosier, of Ann Arbor, Mich .; Caroline M. (deceased), wife of John T. Williams. Agar, the grandfather of Thomas B., moved to New York in 1796 with ox team and cart, the wheels of which, with an ancient clock, are now in the possession of Damon, a nephew of Roswell Curtis, of Exeter. He also owns the farm that belonged to his grandfather. Roswell, father of Thomas, learned the carpenter and joiner's trade, which he followed during the early part of his life, afterwards turning his atten- tion to farming. He died October 29, 1869, his wife died July 24, 1869. Thomas B. Curtis was born on the farm where he now lives, July 28, 1817, and married September 10, 1842, Alvira, daughter of William B. and Martha (Wilson) Briggs. She was born April 7, 1820. Two chil- dren have been born to them, Lydia, wife of J. E. Teno; Frances, wife of Byron H. Disbrow. Mr. Curtis has served three terms as justice of the peace of this town; two terms as master of service, and several years as master of the poor. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Starkey.
Elliott, Edwin L., of Starkey, a fruit grower and nurseryman, was
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born in Auburn, February 22, 1855, a son of Smith D. and Clarinda (Leavenworth) Elliott. The father followed the machinist's trade in early life, but for the past thirty years has been a farmer, being now in his seventy-sixth year, and his wife in her seventieth. They make their home with their son Hiram. Edwin L. married, August 20, 1890, Ab- bie, danghter of John and Catherine (Maroney) Fordham. She was born November 16, 1869, in Schuyler County, N. Y., and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Elliott owns a farm of forty- two acres with thirty acres of fruit. He shipped 1,000 bushels of peaches this year, one and one-half tons of grapes, 1,500 pounds of raspberries, and forty baskets of currants.
Elliott, Hiram, a fruit grower of Starkey, born September 19, 1857, in Yates County, is a son of Smith D. and Clarinda (Leavenworth) El- liott. (See sketch of parents elsewhere.) He owns a farm of sixty- three acres, with seven acres of peach orchard, sixteen acres of vine- yard, eleven acres of raspberries, one of plums and pears. His farm produced this year $2,440 worth of fruit, and $470 worth of hay, grain, etc. During the six years that he has been the owner of this place he has made many improvements, the last of which was the erection of a fine, large grape-packing house at his vineyard.
French, Benjamin, of Eddytown, this county, is a farmer, residing on the farm of his great- grandfather, David, who was born in New Jersey, February 6, 1747. His wife, Sarah Wilcox, of New Jersey, was born October 8, 1755. David French settled on this farm about 1794. Ben- jamin, son of David, was born November 7, 1776, and received title of his farm June 8, 1803. He married Mary Conklin. He died on his farm November 7, 1808, and his wife February 9, 1811. They had two sons, David, who died in infancy, and Levi, born January 17, 1805. The latter married, in this county, December 17, 1826, Elizabeth Schenck. He died November 26, 1868, and his wife March 5, 1879. Levi French was the first to set grapes in Yates County, on his farm on the west bank of Seneca Lake. He was noted for his interest in fruit growing. Benjamin French, son of Levi, was born January 22, 1830, and married at Framingham, Mass., August 6, 1860, Catherine H. Galla- gher. They have three children, Eliza H., Hattie B., wife of M. Wix- son, of Washington, D. C., and Grace. Mr. French has been trustee of
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Starkey Seminary for the past twenty years. The family are members of the Presbyterian Church of Dundee.
Gabriel, Spencer Bartlett (son of Lewis), was born July 27, 1835, and married Mary Marvin, of Waterloo, Seneca County, N. Y., by whom he had two children, Carrie and Marvin S. (both deceased). Lewis Ga- briel was a carpenter by trade. Leverett, a brother of Lewis, married Harriet Booth, by whom he had three children.
Gulick, D. E., of Starkey Station, was born in Prattsburg, Steuben County, August 2, 1850, a son of Egbert and Livonia (Doubleday) Gu- lick. Previous to 1888 he had been engaged in farming, at which time he purchased the " Starkey Hotel," where he has a nicely arranged and comfortable hostelry, situated opposite Seneca Lake, from which it commands a fair view. Mr. Gulick is a genial host, and takes pleasure in catering to the wants of his guests. He has a well appointed livery stable which he runs in connection with his hotel. He married in this county, December 5, 1872, Ada C., daughter of George S. and Lydia E. Bailey. Two children have been born to them, Celia and Emma, the latter deceased.
Hair, Uriah, a farmer and fruit grower, born in 1825, now lives on and operates the same farm that was settled by his grandfather in 1806. Great-grandfather came from Massachusetts after grandfather had been here a few years and built him a log house on the farm and lived here until his death. He never owned any part of it. Mr. Hair married in 1845 Julia Smith, of which union a daughter was born, Mary, wife of William R. Stanton. Mrs. Hair died in 1849. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He married second, Emeline Huson. To their marriage one son was born, Luther M. In the fall of 1873. Mr. Hair moved to Rochester, N. Y., where he engaged in the grocery business, remaining but a short time. He returned to his farm near Dundee, where he now resides. He is an extensive fruit grower, has twenty acres of grape vineyard, forty acres of raspberries, 2,600 peach trees, fourteen acres of apple orchard, 1,200 plum trees, five and a half acres of strawberries and two acres of blackberries. In the fall of 1890. he shipped thirty tons of grapes. Mr. Hair is a member of the Masonic order, Dundee Lodge, No. 123, and both himself and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church.
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Harpending, Andrew (son of Samuel), born February 24, 1819, has been a resident of Dundee since his birth. He married in 1877, Elida (daughter of Charles Hoyt), born in Reading, Schuyler. County, De- cember 17, 1848, by whom he had one son, Andrew, who died in in- fancy. He kept the old Harpending House from 1846 to 1849. In 1859, after the death of his brother Samuel, he took possession of the Harpending House and kept it until 1880. The house burned March I, 1861, and the following year he rebuilt it on the site of the original house. He was the first president of the Dundee State Bank, and held that position until 1891, when he resigned on account of failing health. He has been one of the directors of the bank since its organization.
A. A. Harpending, proprietor of the Harpending House, is a son of Anthony C. and Mary R. (Sutphen) Harpending, and was born in Dun- dee, Yates County, January 17, 1851. He married July 11, 1869, Oc- tavo Griswould, born in 1851. By this union two children were born, Anthony S. and John. Mr. Harpending engaged in the hotel business in 1880.
Harpending, Samuel, son of Peter, was born at Perth Amboy, N. J., April 17, 1778. His father was a soldier in the war of the Revolution and his mother died when he was young, in consequence of which he went to reside with his Grandfather Compton. At the age of thirteen years and six months he was bound out to Godfrey Bartels, a hatter of Germantown, N. J., having been to school only three months. He re- mained with Mr. Bartels until 1795 when he was released from his inden- tures, and having acquired a fair knowledge of the business, he returned to his father, who carried on the hatting business. There he remained a short time, when his father gave him a severe flogging, which he consid- ered unjust, and being high-spirited and self-willed he determined to seek his fortune as a journeyman hatter. He stopped in several towns in New Jersey and in the winter of 1798 he reached Auburn, N. Y., intending to secure work on the old Cayuga bridge which was then being built. He became acquainted with Walter Wood, a wealthy lawyer of Aurora, N. Y., who was engaged in manufacturing hats, and there found en- ployment for a few weeks. He was offered an acre of land for every beaver hat he could make, and he could make twelve a week. . That year he returned to his native town and his father sent for him to come
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and see him. After working at his trade in different places he married, December 6, 1806, Hannah Cosad, of Somerset County, N. J., and the following spring he came to Genoa, N. Y. He remained there five years, carrying on the hatting business, and in 181I came to Dundee. They took possession of a log cabin and slept there that night, and dur- ing the night a large snake crawled in their bed. Mr. Harpending purchased one acre of land and built a house, which is still standing in Dundee. He then kept a public house and carried on the hatting busi- ness. That business he carried on for six years, employing four men. About 1818 he built a hotel on the ground where the Harpending House now stands. He carried on the hotel till 1834. Of his family of eight children (two daughters and six sons), Anthony C., Asbury, Abram, Andrew, and Samuel, all of whom are dead save Andrew. Asbury died April 3, 1853; Samuel died in April, 1859; Abram died April 23, 1871 ; Anthony C. died in September, 1880. Two died in infancy-May A. and Elizabeth. Mr. Harpending died June 30, 1852, and his wife in 1880, aged ninety-seven years and six months.
Harvey, C. C., M.D., was born in Enfield, Tompkins County, N. Y., March 28, 1848, was educated at the common schools, and was gradu- ated from the University of Buffalo, in 1877. He immediately com- menced the practice of medicine in Dundee, where he has since been located. Dr. Harvey was president of the Yates County Medical Soci- ety in 1885, secretary four years, and has held the office of county coroner since 1882, and surgeon for the Fall Brook Coal Company Railroad. He is also a member of the State Medical Society. He married Sarah M., daughter of Joseph Horton, of Starkey, in 1870.
Hays, David, a native of Essex County, N. J., came to Starkey about 1804 and settled on the farm now owned by his son David F. The farm never has passed out of the Hays family since. David H. was born June 16, 1816, and married Emeline Belcher, by whom he had five children, three living. One resides in Penn Yan, Gay ; Janette, wife of Alvin T., resides in Dundee; and Washington D. The latter was born March 18, 1851, and has been a resident of the town ever since. He married Louise Henderson, by whom he had three children, one surviving, Fred D. He married second, Mary Westcott. In the spring of 1879 he opened a livery stable in Dundee, where he has been en-
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gaged ever since. He has been constable ten years and deputy sheriff six years, also collector for two years.
Holden, Nelson, son of Roswell Holden, was born in Reading, Schuy- ler County, N. Y., September 26, 1822. In 1844 he was united in marriage with Martha C. Heggie, of Newark Valley, Tioga County, and in 1845 they settled on the farm in Starkey where he has since resided. They have two children, Theodore F. and Carrie H. Mr. Holden has held the office of highway commissioner for five years. He has always been a farmer and fruit grower. Theodore F., born in 1845, married Alice E. Hatch, and has three children. Carrie H. is the wife of Theron T. Dunn.
Horton, Theodore M., born in Wayne, Steuben County, N. Y., on August II, 1845, is the youngest child of Dea. Thomas Horton, who was born at North Hector, Schuyler County, N. Y., in March, 1800, and who in 1805 came with his father Thomas to Wayne. Shortly after the family removed to Pultney, N. Y., where in 1810 was erected their old house near Pultney village, where the family resided for many years. Thomas, jr., married Rachel, daughter of David Lee, who early settled on land now a portion of the village of Penn Yan. Rachel Lee was born in Kent, Dutchess County, N. Y., on November 17, 1802, and married, February 27, 1822, in Pultney, where her father had removed some years before. Five.sons and four daughters were born to them, all of whom are dead, except William E., who lives in Pultney ; Delia M. (Mrs. Rev. A. B. Chace), of Corning, N. Y .; Joseph R., who lives near Keuka Lake, in Barrington; and Theodore M., a commercial traveler living in Dundee. T. M. Horton was for some years a mer- chant at Weston, N. Y., and selling his stock of goods took charge of the road work of the Elmira Advertiser. Afterward he became con- nected with Moser & Lyon and still later with Lyon, Milliard & Co., of Syracuse, N. Y., wholesale stationers, where he still remains. October 13, 1868, he was married by Rev. Philitus Olney, to Mary E., only daughter of William M. Jordan, of Crystal Springs, N. Y. Their two children are, Vern M., born August 25, 1871, now with Wall & Mur- dock, Dundee, and Grace Lillian, born June 4, 1879, who died at Dun- dee, June 20, 1885. Mr. Horton received his education in the district schools of his native town, and at Franklin Academy at Prattsburgh,
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N. Y., graduating from Eastman College at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., in 1863. He is a Baptist in religious belief and a Democrat in politics. Mr. Horton was made a Mason in March, 1867, and in 1868 was elected secretary of Weston Lodge, No. 463, serving in that capacity two years. He has been elected junior warden, master, senior deacon, and senior warden. About eight years ago he affiliated with Dundee Lodge, No. 123, F. and A. M., and for four years served as senior deacon. In 1887 and '88 he was master of the lodge. The Hortons are of Puritan de- scent, being descendants of Barnabas Horton, who was born in Leices- tershire, England, and came to Southold, L. I., in 1635. In 1638-40 he put up the first frame building erected on the east end of the island. Six generations were born, have lived and died in this old house.
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