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 IV > Part 67
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In Jamestown, New York, November 18, 1913, Mr. Gioia married Miss Olga Gus- tafson, a daughter of John and Hulda Gustafson of that city. The children of this union are four in number: Horace, who was born in Jamestown, February 28, 1915; Frederick, born in Rochester, August 11, 1916; Josephine, whose birth occurred in this city on the 5th of December, 1917; and Humbert, who was born in Rochester, Septem- ber 27, 1919.
Mr. Gioia is a Rotarian and along fraternal lines is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He manifests a deep interest in municipal welfare and to this end has become allied with the Chamber of Commerce. At the outset of his career Mr. Gioia realized that there is no royal road to wealth, and intelligently directed in- dustry has constituted the basis of his prosperity. He has accomplished much for one of his years and is everywhere spoken of as a citizen of worth.
ERNEST CHARLES PIERREPONT.
Ernest Charles Pierrepont was long a prominent figure in business circles of Rochester, and his death on November 1, 1920, was a distinct loss to the city, for he was a man of cheerful disposition, possessed of a kindly, sympathetic nature, which drew to him many steadfast friends, and a citizen of worth. He was born in London, England, February 18, 1869, a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Scott) Pierrepont, the former a painter and contractor. He was a child of four when his parents came to Rochester and received a public school education. After completing his studies he learned the art of sign painting in the employ of Lyon & McLean, a well known firm of this city. He found the vocation a congenial one and in 1901 established a business of his own, organizing the E. C. Pierrepont Sign Company, of which he became president and treasurer. His establishment was located at Nos. 47-49 East Main street and he soon became a recognized leader in his line of work, in which he acquired expert skill, while his honesty and reliability also commended him to the confidence and support of the public. He was awarded many contracts for card writing and advertising signs of all kinds and developed a large business, dis- playing keen sagacity in its management.
Mr. Pierrepont was a republican in his political views and never wavered in his
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allegiance to the party. He was an influential factor in its councils and served for a number of years on the Monroe county committee. He was prominent in local Masonic circles, belonging to Yonnondio Lodge, F. & A. M., Hamilton Chapter, R. A. M .; Doric Council, R. & S. M .; Monroe Commandery, K. T .; Rochester Consistory, A. & A. S. R .; Damascus Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of which he was potentate in 1919; and Lallah Rookh Grotto. He worked earnestly, systematically and effectively for the upbuilding of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce, and was also connected with the Ad, Optimists and Automobile Clubs, being a director of the last named organization.
On August 7, 1902, Mr. Pierrepont married Miss Emma Borneman, who survives him. He was a member of Christ Episcopal church and closely adhered to its teach- ings. His good deeds were many, and during the World war he was very active in Red Cross work, providing the victims of the influenza epidemic with nurses, food and supplies. He always resided in Rochester, with the exception of three years, which were spent in Canton, Ohio, and was one of the city's most enthusiastic supporters. Liberal, charitable, wholly unselfish, Mr. Pierrepont had a warm heart and a kindly philosophy which endeared him to all with whom he was associated. He found life well worth the living, making the most of it day by day, and when the final summons came,
"Sustained and soothed by an unfaltering trust, Approached his grave like one who wraps the drapery of his couch About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams."
HON. HORACE W. FITCH.
Hon. Horace W. Fitch, who during the past eight years has made an excellent record on the bench as county judge of Ontario county, in which office he is the in- cumbent for the second term, also enjoys the distinction of having served as judge of county-wide children's court for a longer period than any other jurist . in the state of New York. He was born on a farm in the town of Potter, Yates county, this state; on the 23d of December, 1873, his parents being Walter and Alice S. (Fer- guson) Fitch.
The district school education of Horace W. Fitch was supplemented by a high school course in Rushville, while subsequently he continued his studies in Cook Aca- demy of Montour Falls and later attended the New York State Normal School at Geneseo. He began reading law in the office of Clement & Scott and was admitted to the bar in 1902, after which he engaged in the practice of his chosen profession in partnership with the junior member of the firm of Scott & Fitch until 1912, when he became an independent practitioner. In 1907 Judge Fitch was elected village attor- ney of Canandaigua and four years later was chosen district attorney, to which posi- tion he was reelected in 1914. This he resigned on the 22d of February, 1916, to accept the appointment of county judge, which Governor Whitman had made in order to fill a vacancy. Later in the same year he was regularly elected to the office and in 1922 won reelection, so that he is now serving for the second term as county judge. It is noteworthy that in the primaries Judge Fitch had his name written on both the democratic and prohibition tickets, to the extent that he was virtually the candidate of all three parties at one time, the voters of all parties being practically unanimous in their selection of him. In addition to his important and responsible duties in this connection he has also been the presiding officer of the children's court of the county for a longer period than any other judge in the state. The children's court is a notable one, by reason of the amount of work done and the good accomplished. The service of Judge Fitch on the bench has been distinguished by the highest legal ability. To wear the ermine worthily it is not enough that one possess legal acumen, is learned in the principles of jurisprudence, familiar with precedents and thoroughly honest. Many men, even when acting uprightly, are wholly unable to divest them- selves of prejudice and are unconsciously warped in their judgments by their own mental characteristics or educational peculiarities. This unconscious and variable disturbing force enters more or less into the judgments of all men, but in the ideal jurist this factor becomes so small as not to be discernible in results, and loses its potency as a disturbing force. Judge Fitch is exceptionally free from all judicial bias. His varied legal learning and wide experience in the courts, the patient care with which he ascertains all the facts bearing upon every case which comes before him, give his decisions a solidity and an exhaustiveness from which no members of
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the bar can take exception. Judge Fitch belongs to all the bar associations and is also a factor in financial circles as a director of the Ontario County Trust Company. On the 2d of July, 1896, Judge Fitch was united in marriage to Miss Bertha A. Miller of Canton, Ohio. Their two children are: Alice M. and Walter M. Judge Fitch was sent as a delegate from the thirty-sixth congressional district to the Re- publican National convention which was held in Cleveland in 1924. He has been a member of the national convention and law committee of the Modern Woodmen of America for three years and also belongs to the Masons and the Odd Fellows. He was made honorary member of the Rotary Club on account of his work for boys and efforts in behalf of civic betterment. He has been president of the Young Men's Christian Association for five years. Judge Fitch is noted as a speaker on topics of wide range, being particularly well versed on sociological subjects. He is broad in his views, progressive in his standards and high in his ideals, and he ranks among the ablest jurists and most esteemed citizens of the Genesee country.
EMORY WILLIAM FLAGG, D. D. S.
Dr. Emory William Flagg is numbered among the useful and highly respected residents of Wellsville and during the period of his residence in the village has firmly established his position in public regard as an able and progressive representa- tive of the dental profession. He was born in Tunesassa, Cattaraugus county, New York, August 2, 1883. His grandfather, David Flagg, was born in 1818 in Ireland and settled in Cattaraugus county in 1892. By hard work and good management he became the possessor of a substantial competence, and his death occurred in 1892, when he was seventy-four years of age. He had married a Miss Kennealy and they became the parents of a son, David Flagg, Jr., who was born in Prescott, Canada, in 1845, and was a child of four when the family home was established in Cattaraugus county, where he was reared and educated. He became a lumberman and farmer, and death terminated his labors in 1904, at the age of fifty-nine years. He was united in marriage to Nancy Emelia Ferard, and they were the parents of Emory William Flagg.
In the acquirement of an education Dr. Flagg attended the Chamberlain Military Institute at Randolph, New York, and later spent two years as a student in a pre- paratory school at Forestville, New York. His professional training was received in the University of Buffalo, from which he was graduated with the class of 1909, win- ning the degree of D. D. S., and for six months thereafter he was an instructor in that institution. Early in 1910 Dr. Flagg opened an office in Wellsville and in the inter- vening period he has established a large practice by thorough, painstaking effort and skillful work.
On the 18th of October, 1912, Dr. Flagg married Miss Maude Sarah Vincent, a daughter of Charles and Laura (Early) Vincent, the former a prominent attorney and hardware merchant of Wellsville. Her grandfather, Benjamin Vincent, was one of the pioneer settlers of this locality and followed the occupation of farming. Dr. and Mrs. Flagg now have a son, John Ferard, who was born December 30, 1914, and is a public school pupil.
The Doctor is an enthusiastic devotee of golf and also enjoys the sport of fishing. He is a member of the Wellsville Country Club and the Brookland Club, and his political support is given to the republican party. He is connected with the Allegany County and Tri-County Dental Societies and subordinates all other interests to the demands of his profession, utilizing every opportunity to keep himself up to a high standard of efficiency in practice.
FRANK G. FANG.
Genial, frank and open-hearted, with an optimistic belief in his fellowmen, Frank G. Fang drew to himself a large and ever-widening circle of steadfast friends, and his death on October 30, 1923, at the age of forty years, deprived Rochester of one of its enterprising and substantial business men as well as one of its most public-spirited and highly respected citizens. He was born in 1883 at Irondequoit, New York, a son of Leopold and Lena (Barthelmess) Fang, and attended the Holy Redeemer school, in which he was taught both German and English. He earned his first money by making
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popcorn fritters and later secured employment in the Genesee Blast Furnace, where he learned the trade of a machinist. He remained there for about six years and then established a business of his own, opening a grocery store at No. 2 River street about 1905. He continued at that location for five years and next purchased property at No. 4000 Lake avenue, acquiring the entire corner. He afterward removed to Broad- way in the village of Charlotte, now the twenty-third ward of the city of Rochester, and erected the Fang block, one of the substantial buildings of that neighborhood. There he engaged in the grocery business for several years, also operating a popcorn stand, and built up a good trade. During the World war he worked as a machinist in the gun department of the Symington plant, remaining there for a year, and then started a confectionery store, of which his wife took charge, while he entered the service of the Hancock Insurance Company. After two years he was obliged to resign his position with the insurance firm owing to ill health, and later rented a barber shop. In the conduct of his business affairs he employed the most progressive methods and was quick to perceive and utilize an opportunity for advancement. He was thoroughly familiar with the principles of merchandising and in his dealings with the public was conscientious, straightforward and reliable. He was guided by the Golden Rule and never refused credit to those who were in financial difficulties, frequently cancelling notes that were due him.
On March 3, 1908, Mr. Fang was united in marriage to Miss Margaret B. Bough- ton, of Charlotte, and is survived by his widow, his parents, a sister, Miss Lillian Fang, and two brothers, John and Albert Fang. Mr. Fang was a Roman Catholic in relig- ious faith and a faithful communicant of Holy Cross church. He was a stanch adherent of the republican party and was long a leader in political circles of the twenty-third ward. He was deeply interested in civic advancement, cooperating heartily in all movements which he believed conducive to the welfare of his com- munity, and for twenty years was a member of the volunteer fire department of Charlotte, while for two years he served as collector for the village. He was a man of many friends, big-hearted, and generous to a fault. He was an indefatigable worker, ever striving to perform his duty according to the best of his ability, and his life was an active and useful one, governed by those principles which invariably excite admiration and respect and constitute the basis of all honorable and desirable pros- perity.
RAYMOND GEORGE PHILLIPS.
Raymond George Phillips, a representative citizen of Rochester, has demonstrated his ability to manage successfully interests of importance, and his activities as secre- tary of the International Apple Shippers Association have brought him a wide acquaint- ance. He comes of colonial ancestry and was born on a farm, November 25, 1873, in the town of Hume, Allegany County, New York, a son of John L. and Mary F. (Hop- kins) Phillips, both representatives of families who were numbered among the earliest settlers of New England. The father first followed the occupation of farming and later engaged in the manufacture of cheese, establishing several factories in Alle- gany county, New York. His enterprising spirit led him into other business chan- nels and he later conducted a general store at Castile, New York, and founded the wholesale fruit and produce business of Phillips Brothers, a firm which operated for over thirty years throughout western New York. He has made substantial contribu- tion to the agricultural and horticultural development of his state, owning a large farm and apple orchards in Monroe county, and is now a resident of Rochester. The mother is also living.
Raymond George Phillips was a student in the grammar and high schools of Castile, New York, and also attended the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary at Lima, New York, afterward matriculating in the University of Rochester, from which he was graduated in 1897, with the Bachelor of Arts degree. He next read law in the office of Hubbell & McGuire and in 1900 was admitted to the bar. He practiced for six years in Rochester, and in 1906 entered business as a member of the wholesale fruit and produce firm of Phillips Brothers Fruit Company. In 1911 he was elected sec- retary of the International Apple Shippers Association, the largest trade association of its kind in the fresh fruit and vegetable world, representing the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, Denmark, Germany and Australia. In the dis- charge of his duties Mr. Phillips travels approximately thirty thousand miles an- nually, visiting all of the large apple-growing districts and distributing markets of the United States and Canada, with Rochester as his headquarters. He is thus
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afforded the opportunity of observing conditions in various sections of the country and close study has made him well informed on matters pertaining to the apple in- dustry. The national transportation, legislative and publicity questions are also handled through the Rochester office. During the World war his knowledge was of much value to the government officials, who appointed him a member of the Federal Food Administration at Washington, D. C., in which connection he had charge for the United States as a whole, of the fresh fruit and vegetable section of the perishable foods division.
On June 10, 1903, Mr. Phillips was married to Miss Bessie P. Pond, member of a prominent family of Rochester, and they have a daughter: Helen Pond, who is attending Mount Holyoke College, a member of the class of 1927. Mr. Phillips is a Knights Templar Mason and a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He belongs to the Rochester Chamber of Commerce, the University Club of Rochester, the Monroe Golf Club, the Rochester Tennis and Automobile Clubs, and the Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Delta Phi fraternities. His religious views are indicated by his affiliation with the West Avenue Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Phillips' residence is at No. 136 Chili avenue.
WILLIAM HUDSON BISHOP.
Proven ability has placed William Hudson Bishop in the responsible position of cashier of the Bank of Le Roy, one of the strong financial institutions of Genesee county, and he has many friends in the village, which has always been his home. Mr. Bishop represents the third generation of the family in Le Roy, in which his grand- father, Le Roy Bishop, settled about 1830. He had been a resident of the state of Connecticut and lived in Le Roy for many years, subsequently removing to Seattle, Washington, where he passed away. His son, Theron C. Bishop, was a lifelong resi- dent of the village. He married Miss Emily O. Gillett, and his attention was given to the cultivation of the soil.
They became the parents of William H. Bishop, who was born October 8, 1883, and completed his education in the Le Roy high school. His first business experi- ence was obtained with the firm of N. B. Keeney & Son, with which he remained for two years, and then became a member of the clerical force of the Genesee Pure Food Company. He was thus engaged for five years and on the expiration of that period entered the employ of the Le Roy National Bank in the capacity of clerk and assistant cashier, filling those positions from 1911 until 1918. He has since filled the office of cashier of the Bank of Le Roy, promoting the success of the bank by efficient, careful and painstaking work and doing all in his power to safeguard the interests of the institution.
On October 15, 1906, Mr. Bishop married Miss Clara Hartwell, a daughter of Ben- jamin W. Hartwell, who was connected with the Le Roy Cold Storage Company. The children of this union are: Benjamin, who was born August 26, 1912; and Mary Jane, born April 13, 1914. Both are students in the local high school.
Mr. Bishop is a republican in politics and uses his influence to promote the suc- cess of the party but has never aspired to public office. He is an earnest member of the Methodist Episcopal church and serves on its board of trustees. He belongs to the Oatka Hose Club and the Stafford Country Club and finds diversion in golf and out- door life. He is faithful to the trust reposed in him, and his support can always be relied upon to further every measure destined to prove of benefit to Le Roy and its citizens.
HENRY C. BRAINARD.
Henry C. Brainard, a member of one of the old and highly respected families of Monroe county, has made insurance the ladder by which he has mounted to success, and Spencerport numbers him among its leading business men and valued citizens. He was born in Chili, New York, July 27, 1875, a son of Chauncey Brainard and a grandson of Claudius Brainard, the latter of whom migrated from Addison, Connecti- cut, to Monroe county, New York, in 1830. His life was devoted to the acquirement and dissemination of knowledge and he was recognized as an able and progressive educator. For thirteen years he filled the important office of superintendent of schools of Monroe county, which he placed upon a high plane, thus advancing the standards of education in this section of the state. His son, Chauncey Brainard, was a native of
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Gates, New York, and in Churchville, this state, married Emily Cummings, who was born in Byron, Genesee county, New York. Her parents removed from Pennsylvania to New York, establishing their home in the Empire state in 1827. Chauncey Brain- ard served for many years as town historian of Spencerport and in that connection compiled a record of the township of Ogden in the World war.
Henry C. Brainard, his only child, supplemented his public school training by at- tendance at the State Normal School at Geneseo, New York, and afterward spent two years as a student at the University of Denver, Colorado, taking a scientific course. In 1897, when a young man of twenty-two years, he opened an insurance office in Spencerport, and his attention has since been concentrated upon this line of business, in which he has been continuously engaged for a period of twenty-seven years. He represents the Hartford Insurance Company of Connecticut, the Aetna Insurance Company of North America, as well as other old and reliable corporations of this nature, and years of experience and study have made him thoroughly familiar with details of the insurance business. He is known as an able business man, whose word is always to be relied upon, and his success has been commensurate with his industry and enterprise.
At Springwater, New York, Mr. Brainard married Miss Anne E. Connor, a daugh- ter of Dr. T. D. Connor, a prominent physician of Spencerport, and they have become the parents of three children: Dwight C., a young man of twenty years and associated with his father in the insurance business; Harry G., aged seventeen years and a junior in the Spencerport high school; and Laura G., who has reached the age of thirteen and is also a public school pupil. Mrs. Brainard's maternal grandfather, Dr. Gray, was one of the pioneer physicians of Livingston county and learned in the science of his profession.
Mr. Brainard is a republican in his political views and takes the interest of a good citizen in public affairs. He is particularly interested in the progress of the local schools and as chairman of the board of education has done much to improve their equipment and standards of scholarship. He is not unmindful of the moral welfare of his community and is one of the trustees and zealous members of the Congregational church of Spencerport. He is discharging the duties of town historian, proving a worthy successor of his father in that office. Mr. Brainard is a member of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce and the Spencerport Grange and is also active in fraternal affairs. He belongs to the Etolian Lodge of Masons; is a past grand of the Parma Lodge of Odd Fellows. He is broad in his views, progressive in his standards and high in his ideals-a man whom to know is to esteem and admire.
THE McDOWELL FAMILY.
From colonial times members of the McDowell family have figured prominently in events which have shaped American history. The name is inseparably associated with the development of southern New York. This branch of the McDowell family was founded in America by John MacDowel, son of Robert MacDowel and Hannah O'Neil. Robert MacDowel had fled out of Scotland in 1688 and settled near London- derry, Ireland, where John MacDowel was born May 20, 1714. John MacDowel and his sister Jane came to America together when quite young. John married Hannah Depui and Jane married Nicholas Depui. They lived near each other, not far from Shawnee and Stroudsburg, Monroe county, Pennsylvania, where John MacDowel bought a farm in 1744. He is described in Miner's History of Wyoming as "a wealthy, high-toned Cameronian Scotchman, who was a true friend of the Yankee settlers in Wyoming", and also as a member of the "Forty Town" (Kingston). In April, 1775, immediately upon receipt of the alarm from Lexington, John MacDowel joined a "Flying Squadron" of infantry and became an ensign or lieutenant. Later he joined a regiment of "Frontier Rangers", which was commanded by Colonel Jacob Strouds, founder of Stroudsburg, one of his sons-in-law. In this regiment appear the names of John MacDowel's three sons, Robert, John and Daniel, and seven of his sons-in-law. He died September 25, 1779, at the age of sixty-five. One of his sons, Robert McDowell, married Margaret McCormick and moved to Ithaca, New York, being the first white settlers in that lake region and parents of a large family. Another son of John MacDowel, Sr., was John, who was killed in 1779, in an Indian attack upon Shawnee, Pennsylvania. A third son, Daniel McDowell, was born in Cherry Valley, Pennsylvania, November 23, 1763. In 1779 he was captured by the Indians at Shawnee and taken as a prisoner to Niagara, where he ran the gauntlet, being the only one of
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