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 87
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91
THEODORE E. PENNOCK
923
THE GENESEE COUNTRY
English ancestry, one of her ancestors, Renault, having been an officer of the French government during the time of the French possession of the country west of the Alleghenies and who for his services in behalf of that colony was given a consider- able grant of land near Peoria, Illinois. William Henry Shepard was born on a farm in the Ohio settlement in Herkimer county, of English and Dutch ancestry, his father having been born in England, while his mother was a descendant of one of the colonists from Holland. In the middle '60s William H. Shepard left his farm in Herkimer county and settled on a farm near Havana, (now Montour Falls) Schuyler county, where in 1880 he became engaged in the manufacture of agricultural imple- ments, castings and highway bridges, founding there the establishment of W. H. Shepard & Sons, which later became the W. H. Shepard & Sons Bridge Company and by subsequent reorganization became the present substantial manufacturing concern, the Shepard Electric Crane & Hoist Company, manufacturers of electric cranes and hoists, and one of the best establishments of its kind in the country.
As will be observed by a comparison of above dates, James A. Shepard was hardly more than a babe in arms when his parents removed from Herkimer county to Montour Falls and he thus was reared in the latter place, receiving his schooling there and busied in the operations of the home farm at that place until in 1880, when he became one of the partners in the establishment of the manufacturing firm of W. H. Shepard & Sons, qualifying in this connection as a mechanical and electrical engineer by serving in all departments of the plant at Montour Falls through the successive stages of molder, pattern maker, machinist, draftsman, sales- man, business manager and machine designer. In 1883 Mr. Shepard was made the chief engineer of this plant, which in that year was reorganized as the W. H. Shepard & Sons Bridge Company, manufacturers of steel bridges and steel building con- struction work. When in 1902 this company again was reorganized, becoming the General Pneumatic Tool Company, manufacturers of pneumatic machinery, he was continued as chief engineer and when in 1921 the company was succeeded by the Shepard Electric Crane & Hoist Company he was elected vice president of the latter company and has continued to serve in that administrative capacity. He serves also as chief consulting engineer in the operations of the great plant, as well as a member of the directorate of the company. Mr. Shepard is widely known in his profession and is the chairman of the materials handling division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He also is an active member of the Society of Terminal Engineers. In addition to his long service as a mechanical and electrical engineer he also has long been recognized as a specialist in the economics of industry and has come to be regarded as an authority along that line, an important factor in the great industry he so long has represented in this highly technical capacity.
On March 18, 1891, at Waterloo, New York, James A. Shepard was united in marriage to Miss Frances Irene Hinman, who was born at Montour Falls (then Havana), and is a daughter of George T. and Irene (Benson) Hinman, both now deceased. Through the line of one of her remote ancestors Mrs. Shepard has descent from one of the barons who at Runnymede in the summer of 1215 forced King John to sign the Magna Charta Libertatum of England. She is at present (1925) presi- dent of the Elmira College Club. Mr. and Mrs. Shepard are members of the Metho- dist Episcopal church and are republicans. Mr. Shepard has rendered local civic service as a school director and as the chairman of the Schuyler County Board of Child Welfare. During the time of this country's participation in the World war he served as county food administrator for Schuyler county. He is a member of the Elmira City Club, and he and Mrs. Shepard are members of the Elmira Golf and Country Club and of the Glen Springs Golf Club.
JOHN PALLACE.
John Pallace was born in Brockport, New York, July 12, 1879, the son of John and Elizabeth (Spellman) Pallace, who emigrated to the United States from Ire- land, June 29, 1863. To Mr. and Mrs. Pallace were born eight children, four of whom are now living, a son and three daughters.
Mr. Pallace was the seventh in order of birth. His public school training was supplemented by a course in the Brockport Normal and Training School, from which he graduated in 1897, and for one year following he taught school at Hamlin, New York. He studied law in the offices of John D. Burns, a well known attorney of
57-Vol. IV
924
THE GENESEE COUNTRY
Brockport and, after a course in the Albany Law School from which he was grad- uated in 1901, he was admitted to the bar and has since practiced in Brockport. He practices in both the federal and state courts and has been very successful in general practice. He has a comprehensive understanding of the principles of jurisprudence, prepares with thoroughness and skill, and the ability with which he presents his work has won him his successful standing at the bar.
Mr. Pallace has had a successful political career and those who know him and his abilities in this branch of endeavor are agreed his political life is not ended. The day he cast his first vote he was elected to office and this success was followed in 1902 by his election as member of assembly for the fourth assembly district of Monroe county, Mr. Pallace being the second democratic candidate who represented that district in upwards of twenty years. The following year he was reelected to represent his district in the legislature at Albany by an increased majority, this success making a record never before or since attained by a democratic candidate in the district. In 1904 he was the candidate of his party for secretary of state of New York, but with his associates in that campaign was defeated. On March 5, 1919, President Wilson appointed Mr. Pallace collector of customs for the port of the Genesee at Rochester, the district comprising twenty-six counties, a position he continued to fill until March 8, 1924. As a public official he brought to the discharge of his duties the same intelligent ability and skill which characterized his work in private affairs, and his record has won him high approval and commendation.
Mr. Pallace married Mary Bertha Dailey, daughter of William Dailey, on October 22, 1907. Mrs. Pallace died August 11, 1921. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Pallace, John, Jr., who died January 5, 1916, and Mary Bertha, who was born February 28, 1918, and lives with her father and his sisters at the family home- stead in Brockport.
Mr. Pallace is a Roman Catholic and faithfully adheres to the teachings of his church. He is a member of the Rochester Club, the Rochester Bar Association, and other organizations, during the World war being a member of the legal advisory board. He has a high conception of the dignity and responsibility of his profession and citizenship, and his life presents an excellent illustration of what such concep- tion and diligence will bring to one in the professional and political life of the day.
KURT BARTHELMES.
America has been aptly termed "the land of opportunity", for in no other country is there the chance for such direct progress as the result of individual effort, and intelligently directed labor never fails to win its reward. Among the citizens of foreign birth who have bettered their fortunes in the United States is numbered Kurt Barthelmes, a self-made man, who has become an important factor in Rochester's industrial progress and prosperity. He is a native of Germany, born April 28, 1875, a son of Bruno and Rose Barthelmes, who were lifelong residents of the fatherland, and the father was also identified with manufacturing interests.
Kurt Barthelmes obtained his education in the excellent schools of Berlin and afterward turned to mechanical pursuits, which he has always followed. He worked for some time for a large manufacturing concern of Berlin and after his arrival
in the United States went New Britain, Connecticut, where he secured a position with the American Hardware Corporation. Soon afterward he located in Seymour, Connecticut, where he was employed for a time as a machinist, and then made his way westward, becoming general trouble man for the Toledo Machine & Tool Company. Mr. Barthelmes remained with that firm for a number of years and then returned to the east, arriving in Rochester in 1913. In the meantime he had been constantly adding to his store of knowledge and his services were becoming of greater value each year. He was therefore well qualified for the duties of master mechanic, which he discharged for two years as an employe of the Rochester Stamp- ing Company, and in 1915 was in a position to enter the industrial field independently. He organized the Barthelmes Manufacturing Company and in 1922 the business was incorporated. He is president and general manager of the firm, which specializes in the manufacture of aluminum ware, and since its inception the business has grown steadily, keeping pace with the most progressive industries of this character in the east. Mr. Barthelmes is a thorough mechanic and carefully inspects every detail of the work done in his plant, never allowing an inferior article to leave the factory. As a result of this close supervision the name of Barthelmes has become recognized
KURT BARTHELMES
927
THE GENESEE COUNTRY
as a guarantee of perfection in aluminum ware and the output of his plant is widely distributed.
In Toledo, Ohio, on the 4th of November, 1912, Mr. Barthelmes was united in marriage to Miss Ida Eiple, member of a well known family of that city. Mr. Barthelmes is an enthusiastic member of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce and his fraternal connections are with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Benevo- lent Protective Order of Elks. He is loyal to the country of his adoption and his genuine worth is attested by all who have the pleasure of his acquaintance. Mr. Barthelmes resides at No. 232 Chili avenue.
O. T. WILSON.
For more than two decades O. T. Wilson has been engaged in important develop- ment work in the states of Kansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, purchasing extensive tracts of available land which he has transformed into thriving towns by the erection of stores and elevators and the cultivation of farms. He is the president of the Wilson Land & Grain Company of Arcade and is at the head of various other cor- porate enterprises in the state of New York as well as in the west. His birth occurred in Arcade, Wyoming county, New York, on the 11th of April, 1875, his parents being W. H. and Ann S. (Clough) Wilson. The father, a man of varied and im- portant business connections, was among the largest cheese manufacturers of western New York before becoming identified with the woolen mills at Arcade.
O. T. Wilson obtained his early education in the grade and high schools of his native town and continued his studies in Colgate University of Hamilton, New York, after which he pursued a law course in the University of Buffalo, from which he was graduated with the degree of LL. B. in 1899. He began the practice of law in Arcade the same year but later became interested in insurance, to which he devoted his attention with considerable success. Subsequently he began the develop- ment of land in the states of Kansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma and his activities in this connection have been attended with splendid results. The plan he has fol- lowed has been to purchase a large tract of land near a railroad line, divide the property into farms and import men to care for these. To stimulate the growth of the town he also erected a general store and bank together with a grain elevator. When he began operations at Plains, Kansas, in 1902 the town contained but one building. It now has more than two thousand inhabitants, boasts one of the largest elevators in the southern part of Kansas and also has a large general store. In ten years Mr. Wilson has developed Mills, New Mexico, from nothing into a thriving town containing a population of over four hundred, a general store which carries a stock of goods valued at more than fifty thousand dollars, a flour mill, an elevator with a capacity of more than fifty thousand bushels of grain, a large lumber yard and wholesale oil storage tanks. He is at present engaged in the development of Abbott, New Mexico, and he has purchased more than twenty-seven thousand acres, covering more than six square miles, adjoining the town of Mosquero, New Mexico, the county seat of Harding county. Mr. Wilson has likewise begun development work at Solano, New Mexico, and Guymon, Oklahoma, and is the owner of general stores, elevators and real estate at all of the above named places. Some idea of the extent and importance of his interests may be gained from the fact that he is the president of the Wilson Land & Grain Company of Arcade, New York, the Wilson Company of New Mexico, the Wilson Land Corporation of New Mexico, the Citizens State Bank of Mills, New Mexico, the Pierce-Reede Company of the state of New York and the Rucra Loan Company of New Mexico. He is also a director of the Citizens Bank of Arcade and the Oak Knitting Company of Arcade, New York.
On the 8th of June, 1899, at Arcade, New York, Mr. Wilson was united in mar- riage to Miss Lotta B. Hurrington, daughter of William Hurrington, of Gainesville, this state. They have become the parents of two children. Charlotte M., who was born on the 2nd of March, 1905, and who is a graduate of Dana Hall of Wellesley, Massachusetts, is now a student in Oberlin College of Ohio, where she is pursuing a course in the collegiate department and also in the Conservatory of Music. Kenneth A., whose natal day was June 18, 1912, is a student in the schools of Buffalo. A niece of Mr. Wilson, Dorothy Heath, who was born in 1906, has made her home with her uncle since the death of her parents in 1919. She was graduated from Lima Seminary with high honors in 1923.
Mr. Wilson is an active worker in the local ranks of the republican party, the
928
THE GENESEE COUNTRY
platform and principles of which he enthusiastically champions. He has member- ship in the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce, the Buffalo Athletic Club, the Arcade Chamber of Commerce, the Business Men's Club, the Arcade Club, the Automobile Club and the Silver Lake Country Club. Fraternally he has attained the thirty- second degree of the Scottish Rite in Masonry and has passed through all of the chairs in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is one of the most valued mem- bers, earnest workers and generous supporters of the First Baptist church, which he has aided at every opportunity. His life has been one of activity and usefulness and his many admirable qualities of heart and mind have won for him the high and enduring regard of all with whom he has been associated.
HENRY MCFARLAND.
Every successful business enterprise adds to the growth and prosperity of the community in which it is operated, and through his activities as a plumbing and heat= ing contractor Henry McFarland has contributed his quota toward Rochester's up- building and improvement. He is one of the city's loyal sons and was born October 13, 1871, of the marriage of Francis McFarland and Elizabeth Newell, natives of Ire- land. They came to the New World in their youth, locating in Rochester, and the father's skill as a carpenter was utilized in promoting the development and growth of the city.
Henry McFarland received a public school education and afterward served an ap- prenticeship to the plumber's and steamfitter's trades, which he has followed from the age of sixteen. He is an expert in these lines and has installed plumbing and heat- ing systems in public buildings, apartment houses and many private homes in Roches- ter. He is president of the firm of Natt, Bareham & McFarland, which was incor- porated in 1906 and began business as plumbing and heating contractors in the Cen- tennial building. Their work represents the highest degree of efficiency in their line and the following is a partial list of the more important installations made by the firm: The Vassar, Buckingham, Wilsonia, Stanwood, Cohen, Elizabeth, Alexandria, Kilbourn, East Avenue Court, Algonquin and Ambassador apartments; the Y. W. C. A. dormi- tory, the Piccadilly Theater, the Sergeant & Greenleaf factory, the Seneca Hotel Annex, the building of the Addison Lithographing Company, the National Bank of Rochester, the Baptist Temple, and the Lincoln building. The firm also carries a line of high grade accessories, including the Chambers Fireless Gas Ranges, the Humphrey Automatic Water Heaters, the Glow Gasteam Radiators and Estate Gas Ranges and Heatrolas, large numbers of which have been placed in Rochester homes, factories and office buildings. Their operations are conducted on an extensive scale and the rapid increase in the business made it necessary for the firm to double its showroom capacity by taking over the store at No. 368 Main street, east.
On February 25, 1892, Mr. McFarland was married to Miss Margaret Buehler, a daughter of Fred Buehler of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. McFarland have three children: Florence, the wife of John W. Rohlin, who was born in 1893, and resides in this city; Harry William, who was born in 1899 and married Miss Irene Gray of Rochester; and Russell, who was born in 1907 and is attending high school. All are natives of Rochester and the elder son is associated in business with his father.
Mr. McFarland is a member of the Master Plumbers Association and along fra- ternal lines is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is an en- thusiastic champion of his city and works earnestly and systematically for its ad- vancement as a member of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce. He has won success through industry, perseverance and intelligently directed effort and measures up to the highest standards of personal honor and present-day business ethics. His residence is at No. 62 Colgate street.
ROBERT A. WILBUR, D. D. S.
Dr. Robert A. Wilbur has made the practice of dentistry his life work and for thirty-six years has successfully followed his profession in Elmira. He was born in Charleston, South Carolina, November 7, 1866, and his parents, Theodore and Mary (Cuttino) Wilbur, were also natives of that city. The father was a veteran of the Civil war, in which he served for two years, gallantly defending the cause of the Confederacy. He was a successful merchant and engaged in the wholesale dry goods
-
HENRY MCFARLAND
931
THE GENESEE COUNTRY
business for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur were members of the Baptist church and in politics he was a stanch democrat. He held to high ideals in matters of citizenship and served as school commissioner. He was also a member of the board of managers of the Orphans Home and along fraternal lines was connected with the Masonic order. Robert A. of this review was the fifth in order of birth in a family of seven children.
Robert A. Wilbur attended the State Military Academy at Charleston, South Caro- lina, and afterward entered the dental department of the University of Maryland, from which he was graduated in March, 1888, when twenty-two years of age. He decided to locate in Elmira and is thoroughly satisfied with his choice, for he has found here an excellent field for his talents. His office, which is situated at No. 313 East Water street, is equipped with the most modern appliances used in dental surgery.
On February 2, 1892, Dr. Wilbur was married to Miss Caroline G. McClave, who was born in the Empire state and received her higher education in Elmira College. They have become the parents of three children, of whom Robert A. Wilbur, Jr., is the oldest. In 1917 he enlisted in the United States navy and was assigned to the aviation department. He was stationed at Miami and Pensacola, Florida, and received an ensign's commission. He is connected with A. Wyckoff & Son Company and resides in Elmira; Alida was married to Julian L. Watkins of Philadelphia, who also enlisted for service in the World war and is now connected with the well known advertising firm of N. W. Ayer & Son; Gordon, the youngest member of the family, is attending Cornell University.
Mrs. Wilbur is a Baptist and the Doctor is an influential member of the Park Congregational church of Elmira. Mrs. Wilbur is active in missionary societies, also conducting a kindergarten at one time in the Baptist church. Dr. Wilbur is a York and Scottish Rite Mason and a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He has held high offices in the order and is a past master of the lodge and past thrice illustrious master of the council, a past high priest of the chapter, and past eminent commander of the commandery. He is also a member of the Masonic Club and his political support is given to the republican party.
CHARLES A. LOWE.
Big Flats owes much of its prosperity to the loyalty, enterprise and public spirit of its native sons, whose business acumen and ability insure the continued progress of the village. In this connection Charles A. Lowe is deserving of prominent mention, for he represents one of the pioneer families of this locality and occupies a position of leadership in commercial circles of his native village.
Mr. Lowe was born in 1871, a son of Joseph R. and Cynthia (Lowe) Lowe, the latter of whom was also born in Big Flats and always lived on the farm on which her grandfather settled in 1792. She was a granddaughter of Cornelius Lowe, who was killed during the Wyoming massacre. Joseph R. Lowe was a native of Man- chester, England, and when a boy of eight came to the United States with an aunt, who died three months after reaching this country, leaving him alone and friendless in a strange land. At the age of nine he became driver of a canal-boat and when a youth of sixteen arrived in Big Flats. For some time he worked for the father of his future wife and after his marriage followed the occupation of farming. Mr. and Mrs. Lowe were members of the Baptist church and participated in its various activities. He was a stanch supporter of the democratic party and a close friend of David Ben- nett Hill. Mr. Lowe conscientiously discharged the duties of citizenship and served for a number of years in the office of supervisor. His fraternal connections were with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He enjoyed the esteem of all with whom he was associated and his death occurred in Elmira in 1896. He was the father of six children, four of whom survive: Nathan J., principal of a school in New York city; Mary, who married Oscar Kahler, a resident of Big Flats and a member of the New York general assembly in 1922; Charles A., of this review; and Harriet C., of New York city.
Charles A. Lowe was reared on the old homestead, which was the birthplace of his mother and has always resided on the property, which has been in possession of the family for more than a century. He attended the public schools and after com- pleting his studies devoted his attention exclusively to agricultural pursuits until 1906, when he embarked in the leaf tobacco business, in which he has continued, in
932
THE GENESEE COUNTRY
addition to his farming operations. In 1909 he formed a partnership with Matt. H. Welles, with whom he is still associated, and the business is conducted under the name of Lowe & Welles. They have two warehouses in Big Flats and handle as much tobacco as any firm between Buffalo and New York city. The business has grown steadily as a result of the united efforts and carefully formulated plans of the men at its head and the operations of the firm are now conducted on an extensive scale.
On March 25, 1896, Mr. Lowe was united in marriage to Miss Alice Monks, a native daughter of Big Flats. Both are charter members of Big Flats Grange. She is a member of the Baptist church and a consistent follower of its teachings. Mr. Lowe is a democrat in his political views and has been called to public office, serving as supervisor. Along fraternal lines he is connected with the Improved Order of Red Men and the Masons, and belongs to the Grotto at Elmira.
LOUIS ELISHA FULLER.
Louis Elisha Fuller is a prominent representative of the legal profession in Rochester, where he has been actively engaged in practice for almost thirty years. He was born in Onondaga county, New York, on the 17th of March, 1862, his parents being Truman K. and Minerva (Darrow) Fuller, who were also natives of that county. The father, long a well known and successful attorney of central New York, passed away in 1901, when sixty-six years of age. The mother was called to her final rest in 1880. During the period of the Civil war Truman K. Fuller organized a company of the Seventy-fifth New York Cavalry and was commissioned its captain. He was at that time giving private instruction to thirty-three pupils, thirty-one of whom joined his company as volunteers. When hostilities had ceased, only three of the number answered the roll call, all of the others having made the supreme sacrifice.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.