USA > New York > Genesee County > History of the Genesee country (western New York) comprising the counties of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates, Volume III > Part 55
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The vision of Fred Odenbach is well illustrated by a conversation with a friend which took place years ago, and following the opening of the new Coffee Shoppe this conversation was recalled by the friend, whose comment follows in part:
"Occasionally in this world one meets up with a person with an ideal backed by a steadfast determination to bring that ideal into a living reality. Most of us, at some period between the cradle and the grave, are possessed of ideals, but more often than not we are caught in the swirl of circumstances and lack the power to breast the tide and hold to the faith of our dream of something a little bigger or a little better than has been done before. However, now and then one comes in contact with a most likable person with an appealing ideal, and it is a pleasure to observe the birth, growth and realization of a boyhood dream.
"It must be nearly twenty-five years ago that I made the acquaintance of Fred Odenbach. At that time he was assisting his father in the conduct of a place on State street. The younger Odenbach told me something' at that time of his ambitions-of his ideal. He had visions of a place where thousands would come daily to eat and drink, a restaurant that would attract families, a place with an atmosphere of whole- someness and with plenty of good food at moderate prices. There was nothing of the sort in Rochester at that time. The restaurants were small and very ordinary and the hotels in that day were largely used by transients. Dining down town had not yet come into vogue in Rochester and the conviviality of five hundred people all eating and visiting and listening to music was unknown in this city other than at an occasional banquet."
With the opening of the New Odenbach Coffee Shoppe, this writer asks: "Has Fred Odenbach fully realized the ideal of his boyhood?" He alone can answer. Certain it is that he has brought into a splendid success several establishments that would have been deemed impossible in Rochester two decades ago. It is likewise certain that he is the outstanding figure in the history of Rochester restaurateurs and that his genuinely warm spirit has contributed much to the hospitality of that city. Fred Odenbach may have reached his ideal but he has not reached the limit of his growth. Few men in the country are better versed in the technique of the feeding and entertainment of mankind than he is. He is constantly studying and seeking improvements and is not of the type satisfied with "well enough". He is a courteous and gracious host and does credit to Rochester and to the dream of his boyhood.
Fred J. Odenbach has spent almost his entire life in Rochester. As a school- boy he attended the Holy Family parochial school and public school No. 7. Early in his business career he was in Pittsburgh for a short time, then returned to Rochester and in 1904 joined his father in the business whose development and expan- sion have been so largely the result of his enterprise, originality and excellent busi- ness ability. Mr. Odenbach possesses a natural genius for organization, an aptitude for successful management and has established an advanced standard for restaurant and hotel operation in Rochester. Another prominent characteristic of his success- ful business career is that his vision has never been bounded by the exigencies of the moment but has covered as well the possibilities of the future. This has led him
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into extensive undertakings, bringing him into marked prominence in the city's business circles. He is appreciative of the social amenities of life and his due con- sideration thereof constitutes the even balance to his intense business activity. He is a member of the Oak Hill Country Club, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Columbus, the New York Hotel Men's Association, the Rochester Athletic Club and the Chamber of Commerce, of which latter he is a vice president. He is also one of the directors of the Rochester General Hospital.
Mr. Odenbach was married in this city on October 9, 1907, to Miss Margaret T. Ochs, a daughter of August J. Ochs, a well known resident of Rochester. Mr. Oden- bach is not only a successful business man but a man of high ideals whose personal worth is recognized by hosts of friends, many of whom have known him since boy- hood. His activities have been a distinct contribution to the city's commercial prog- ress and have placed him among Rochester's strong and able business men.
WILLIS G. CARMER.
Willis G. Carmer, superintendent of schools at Albion, New York, has held this position since 1899 and in the intervening quarter century has made the educational institutions of the city to rank with the best of their kind. He was the determining exponent of the high school and this secondary school now has four hundred pupils, nearly one-half paying tuition. The fact that so many pupils are willing to enter from outside districts proves the success of the institution more than anything else. Another notable factor in interesting the students of the surrounding territory, which is largely a farming district, is the high school's excellent course in agriculture. There are now twelve hundred pupils in the entire system under Mr. Carmer's con- trol and forty-one teachers serve them. Two-thirds of the graduates of the high school attend college-another record seldom equaled by a high school.
Willis G. Carmer is a native of Dryden, Tompkins county, New York. The de- gree of Bachelor of Arts was conferred upon him by Hamilton College in 1885, while three years later he received the degree of Master of Arts from the same institution. Prior to coming to Albion, in 1899, he taught, successively, in the schools of Crown Point, Cincinnatus, Lyons, Dolgeville and Dansville. Mr. Carmer is an author of note as well as an educator, making frequent contributions to educational and other magazines. His chief work, however, has been in connection with the schools of Albion and his success here cannot be measured in terms of mere numbers or build- ings. These are the outward signs of his deeds, but the influence of the man on the careers and lives of the many pupils who have been under his fatherly care and direction are the true accomplishments of an able man with a great purpose.
EDWARD W. BARTHOLOMEW.
Edward W. Bartholomew, president and treasurer of the E. W. Bartholomew Lumber company of Rochester, is one of the best known men in the lumber trade in western New York. He is a member of one of the old and prominent families of Erie county and was born in Buffalo, December 25, 1870, a son of Abram and Flor- ence (Cutler) Bartholomew, lifelong residents of that city. The father was one of the prominent members of the Buffalo bar and successfully followed his profession from 1861 until his death in 1909, a period of forty-eight years. He was highly esteemed by his fellow citizens, who called him to public offices of trust and re- sponsibility, which he filled with characteristic fidelity and efficiency. His widow re- sides in Buffalo and the four surviving children are: Mrs. Fred C. Olin, whose home is in Buffalo; A. Glenni and Morey C., prominent attorneys of that city, and Edward W., of this review.
Edward W. Bartholomew obtained his education in the public schools of his native city and his initial experience along business lines was gained with the Haines Lumber Company of Buffalo. He remained with that firm for five years and then be- came associated with one of the old and large retail lumber firms of that city. In 1899 he entered the business on his own account as a wholesale dealer in lumber. Since 1918 he has maintained his headquarters in Rochester, where his wholesale in- terests are located, maintaining a branch office in Buffalo and is also closely con- nected with some of the largest lumbering operations in the states of Arkansas,
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Louisiana and Oregon. He is also the owner of retail lumber and coal yards in Victor and Pittsford, New York. He has a thorough knowledge of the lumber in- dustry, with which he has been identified for a quarter of a century and his opera- tions are conducted on an extensive scale. He is president and treasurer of the business which is known as the E. W. Bartholomew Lumber Company. Maurice E. Preisch is vice president, while A. G. Bartholomew of Buffalo is secretary.
In Cleveland, Ohio, on June 25, 1901, Mr. Bartholomew was married to Miss Clara B. Myers, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Myers of that city. Eliza- beth, the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Bartholomew, was born in Buffalo, in 1905. She was graduated from Columbia Preparatory School in Rochester and is now attending Mt. Holyoke College of Massachusetts.
In religious faith Mr. Bartholomew is a member of the Presbyterian church and his political support is given to the candidates of the democratic party. He is a Ma- son, a member of the Rochester Automobile Club, Rochester Chamber of Commerce, a director of the Pittsford National Bank, Pittsford, New York, and while a resident of Buffalo was a member of the Saturn Club. He takes a deep and helpful interest in all matters relating to municipal progress and has earned the right to the respect and confidence of his fellowmen, for he has never resorted to questionable methods in his efforts to acquire wealth, placing his dependence upon the substantial qualities of industry, integrity and perseverance.
SAMUEL ARTHUR PULFORD.
Samuel Arthur Pulford is serving for the second term as county attorney of Chemung county and also controls important business interests. He is one of El- mira's loyal sons and was born in 1882, of the marriage of Charles A. Pulford and Harriet L. Reed, who are mentioned more particularly in the sketch of Charles Reed Pulford, appearing elsewhere in this work. Samuel Arthur was the second in order of birth in their family.
Samuel Arthur Pulford supplemented his training in the public schools of Elmira by a course in the Mercersburg Academy of Pennsylvania, afterward attending Le- high University at Bethlehem, that state, where he was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity. He was graduated from the law department of Syracuse University in 1905, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Phi law fraternity, and in the same year was admitted to the bar. He began his professional career in this city and a large clientele attests the confidence reposed in his ability. He was appointed county attorney in 1922 and was reappointed in January, 1924. He has won an enviable reputation as a corporation lawyer and is well versed in all branches of the law. He is a successful business man, capable of directing diversified interests, and is president of the Fells Ice Company, secretary of the Pulford & Dempsey Construction Company, president of the Banfield-Jennings Corporation, dealers in seeds and pro- duce, and also operates in real estate.
On June 28, 1910, Mr. Pulford was united in marriage to Miss Daysey Best, who was born in Kinderhook, New York, and completed her education at Claverack, this state, and Syracuse University, where she was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. Mrs. Pulford belongs to the Daughters of American Revolution, and attends the Baptist church, of which Mr. Pulford is a member, and he also be- longs to the City and Country Clubs, is a York Rite Mason and a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He is also connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and his political support is given to the republican party.
EDGAR S. BARNES.
From the position of an educator to that of editor is a perfectly natural transi- tion, and in the case of Edgar S. Barnes of Geneseo, Livingston county, New York, the change has proved a most successful one. Mr. Barnes is editor of The Livingston Republican, a weekly paper which circulates all over that county and in some of the adjacent ones, and which faithfully records the happenings that are of absorbing in- terest to the community-the local gossip about society and personal items, church, lodge and political news. The paper fills acceptably a field that the more pretentious
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metropolitan journals do not even attempt to skim, and in consequence is found in practically every home in the county.
Edgar S. Barnes was born at Newburgh, New York, on September 25, 1890, the son of Arthur and Lottie (Merritt) Barnes. His education took the course usual with the average American boy through the public schools, after which he took a course at Newburgh Academy, and then entered Colgate University, at Hamilton, New York, received his A. B. degree and was graduated in the class of 1911. For the ensuing five years Mr. Barnes was employed as a teacher in the Geneseo Normal School. In 1914 he accepted the position of editor of The Livingston Republican, published weekly at Geneseo, and has filled the position acceptably ever since.
Mr. Barnes was married on August 14, 1912, to Katherine Crowell of Wallkill, New York, and four children were born to them: Arthur, James, Barbara and Edgar. Mr. Barnes and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church. Fraternally he belongs to the Masonic order, being past master of Geneseo Lodge, No. 214, F. & A. M .; and he also belongs to Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at Colgate University.
MARSHALL DUNHAM BROWNLOW.
No Elmiran entering the business world in recent years has met with more pronounced success than has Marshall Dunham Brownlow, one of the city's progressive young realtors and a native son whose record is a credit to his community. He was born November 27, 1893, and is one of ten children in the family of James and Mary E. (West) Brownlow, the former a native of Dublin, Ireland, and the latter of Chemung county, in which they were married. The father migrated to Canada, where he learned the blacksmith's trade, and subsequently came to the States and settled in Chemung county. For many years he engaged in business in Elmira as a blacksmith and wagon-maker and became a master craftsman. He made the finest carriages in the state and followed his trade in Elmira for over half a century. He has been a resident of the city for sixty years and is now living retired in the enjoy- ment of a well-earned rest. Mr. and Mrs. Brownlow are faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church and she is very active in its work. She has served as president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union and is also a very capable business woman, being a member of the firm of Brownlow & Company, Incorporated.
Marshall Dunham Brownlow attended the Elmira Free Academy and laid aside his studies to enter the real estate business, in which he has found a field for which he is exceptionally well qualified. He has met with notable success in his undertak- ings and through wise management, foresight and unremitting application has built up the largest real estate business in the city. The firm also writes a large amount of insurance annually and is a close corporation. Mr. Brownlow originally began in the real estate business in Elmira in April, 1911, simply as Brownlow & Company. This arrangement continued until he went into the service and until 1919, when the firm name became Brownlow & Company, Incorporated. Marshall D. Brownlow owns all the stock in the organization, of which he is the president and treasurer, while his mother is filling the office of secretary. The business was first housed in the Robinson building, but in October, 1922, moved to its present location at No. 406 East Church street. Mr. Brownlow personally owns several of the landmarks in the city. The Brownlow building, in which his offices are located, stands on land formerly in possession of the Arnots, pioneer settlers of Elmira, and he recently purchased the Steel Memorial building, another old townsite. His residence at No. 653 Park place, built by the late Platt Bryan, for years the assistant of Matthias Arnot when the Chemung Canal Bank was in its infancy, has been converted by Mr. Brownlow into one of the best equipped and attractive homes of the city.
On June 18, 1921, Mr. Brownlow was united in marriage to Miss Nora Botsford, who was born in Caro, Michigan, and was there educated. Her parents, Andrew and Anna Botsford, were pioneer settlers of Chemung county and her grandmother was a member of the first class graduated from Elmira College. Mrs. Brownlow's great-great-grandfather, John S. Botsford, was the founder of the city of Suffern, New York, and one of its early judges. The Botsford family was established in Chemung county in 1794 and ranks with the oldest in the valley. Mr. and Mrs. Brownlow have a son: Marshall Dunham, Jr.
At the time of the World war Marshall D. Brownlow was one of the first men in this part of the state to enter the service. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve on August 15, 1916, and was discharged September 30, 1921. He was assigned to transport
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duty, with the rank of chief storekeeper, and the number of his war certificate was 51,803. Mr. Brownlow is a republican in politics and takes a keen interest in civic affairs. He is a Scottish Rite Mason and belongs to the Kiwanis Club, the Elmira Golf and Country Club, the American Legion and the "Forty and Eight" Club. He considers Elmira a most desirable place of residence and does all in his power to exploit its advantages and attractions. He is thoroughly en rapport with the pro- gressive spirit of the age, and judging by his past accomplishments, the future holds much in store for him.
HALSEY SAYLES.
Born of a family distinguished for legal ability of a high order, Halsey Sayles is worthily sustaining its traditions. He was born in Elmira, on the 15th of Novem- ber, 1876, a son of Henry Halsey and Ellen Boardman (Smith) Sayles, the former a native of Ithaca, New York, and the latter of Elmira. They were married in this city and became the parents of three children, namely: Halsey, of this review; Eleanor, who is the wife of Jervis Langdon of Elmira; and Henry B., also a resident of Elmira. The father was a civil engineer, having received his education in the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of Troy, New York, and after following his pro- fession for some time he engaged in the wholesale grocery business in Elmira. His wife is the daughter of the late Horace Boardman Smith, whose career is sketched upon a following page.
In the acquirement of an education Halsey Sayles attended the public schools and the Elmira Free Academy, afterward entering Princeton University, from which he was graduated in 1898, with the Bachelor of Arts degree. He studied law in the office of his uncle, Judge Walter Lloyd Smith, and was admitted to the bar in No- vember, 1901. In the same year he obtained a clerical position in the office of Reyn- olds, Stanchfield & Collin and since 1907, has been a member of the same firm, which is now known as Stanchfield, Collin, Lovell & Sayles.
On the 25th of October, 1910, Mr. Sayles was married to Julia Ingersoll Day of Horseheads, New York, who was educated in Elmira College. They have two chil- dren: Henry H. and Ellen B. Both Mr. and Mrs. Sayles are members of the Presbyterian church and he also belongs to the City, Masonic, Rotary and Country Clubs of Elmira, the Corning City Club, and the University Club of New York city. He is a republican in politics and his professional connections are with the American Bar Association, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the State Bar Association, and the Chemung County Bar Association. He is a York and Scot- tish Rite Mason and a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. Mr. Sayles is a member of the committee to examine the character of candidates for admission to the bar in the sixth judicial district. He is a director of the Chemung Canal Trust Company, a di- rector of the Children's Reconstruction Home, and a trustee of Elmira College.
HORACE BOARDMAN SMITH.
Horace Boardman Smith, a distinguished jurist and statesman and for many years one of Elmira's foremost citizens was born in Whitingham, Vermont, August 18, 1826, and his father, Dr. Nathaniel Smith, engaged in the practice of medicine in the Green Mountain state. The mother was a member of the Boardman family of Connecticut. Dr. Smith subsequently removed with his family to Pennsylvania, set- tling at Columbia Cross Roads, south of Elmira and just over the state line.
H. Boardman Smith was graduated with honors from Williams College in 1847 and began reading law under the supervision of Governor Robinson of Vermont. He completed his studies in the office of Judge Aaron Konkle at Elmira and was admitted to the bar in 1850. He at once formed a partnership with John Murdock and this relationship was maintained until 1859, when Mr. Smith was appointed to fill the office left vacant by the death of Judge Theodore North. A month later he was elected to the position but filled it only until May of the following year, when he be- came a member of the firm of Smith, Robertson & Fassett, continuing thus for nearly twenty years. As an orator he had few equals and in forensic combat he was regarded as a formidable adversary. He served as a member of congress for two terms, from 1871 until 1875, and in 1882 was elected judge of the state supreme
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court, with jurisdiction over the sixth district of New York. He retired from the bench in 1885 because of ill health and passed away in 1888, when fifty-nine years of age. The firmness and integrity with which he held the scales of justice won for him high encomiums and the record of no public official of the state has been more faultless in honor, fearless in conduct or stainless in reputation than that of Judge Smith. His son, Walter Lloyd Smith, was appointed to succeed him on the bench, being elected to the office in the fall of 1886, and is still serving as judge of the state supreme court, his long retention in the position being proof of the quality of his service.
FREDERICK S. ELAM.
The manufacture of shoes has been one of the chief sources of Rochester's growth and in the development of this industry Frederick S. Elam has played a conspicuous part. He was born in Bergen, New York, July 20, 1879, and his parents, Jabez and Emma (Mason) Elam, were natives of England. They came to the United States in the early '50s and the father first engaged in the contracting business, later becom- ing one of the leading shoe manufacturers of Rochester. He was connected with that industry until his demise and success attended his operations. He passed away in 1905 and the mother's demise occurred in this city five years later.
Frederick S. Elam received a common school education and entered the business world at an early age. In his father's plant he gained a practical knowledge of the various processes connected with the making of shoes and subsequently became super- intendent of the Napa (Cal.) Shoe Manufacturing Company. In 1907 he began the manufacture of soft-soled shoes in Rochester, specializing in that line until 1913, and in 1916 the F. S. Elam Company was incorporated. He is president of the firm and the executive head of the Elam-Buckland Shoe Company, makers of large sized shoes with flexible welts. He likewise serves as vice president of the Faust Shoe Company of Chicago and his business interests are extensive and important. He combines a capacity for detail with the ability to think in large terms and keeps his hand steadily upon the helm of his affairs, manifesting at all times strong administrative power.
In Rochester, on November 19, 1903, Mr. Elam was married to Miss Ella Mattle, a daughter of James Mattle of this city. Mr. and Mrs. Elam have a son: Byron M., who was born in Napa, California, on December 31, 1906. Mr. Elam is affiliated with the Episcopal church and conforms his life to its teachings. He is a member of the Ascension Club and also belongs to the Automobile and Ad Clubs. He is identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and is numbered among the progressive members of the Chamber of Commerce. He possesses the qualities of the leader and his constantly broadening activities have made him one of the foremost figures in indus- trial circles of western New York, while his integrity is above question. Mr. Elam's residence is at No. 31 Ridge road.
SAXON B. GAVITT.
The banking institutions of a city are a fair index of its commercial character and financial strength through the successive stages of its history. They are the centers around which all the movements of trade gravitate and by which they are regulated. To this end it is necessary not only to have substantial capital and valu- able assets, but wise, efficient and dependable officials, whose administration and character strengthen public confidence. In this connection the Gavitt family is de- serving of prominent mention, as its members for three generations have concentrated their attention upon financial affairs, and the work instituted by the grandfather fifty-eight years ago is now carried forward by Saxon B. Gavitt, president of the Gavitt National Bank of Lyons, a pioneer institution in this field. He was born in Lyons, January 19, 1882, a son of William S. and Gertrude Jewel Gavitt, also natives of that town, in which they were also married. They were the parents of three children, a son and two daughters. The father died January 11, 1921. The mother still resides in Lyons and is one of the vice presidents of the bank. Mr. Gavitt was a loyal, patriotic American and during the World war was prominent in Red Cross work in Wayne county.
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