Landmarks of Monroe County, New York : containing followed by brief historical sketches of the towns of the county with biography and family history, Part 68

Author: Peck, William F. (William Farley), b. 1840; Raines, Thomas; Fairchild, Herman LeRoy
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Boston : Boston History Co.
Number of Pages: 1160

USA > New York > Monroe County > Landmarks of Monroe County, New York : containing followed by brief historical sketches of the towns of the county with biography and family history > Part 68

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FAMILY SKETCHES.

Wilbur, Smith, postmaster of Fairport under President Harrison, was born March 17, 1828, at Amenia, Dutchess county, where his father, the late Brownell Wilbur, was then an extensive farmer and stock dealer. The first American members of this family were Quakers of Rhode Island, and of old English descent. Brownell Wilbur in later life became a resident of Fairport and a justice of the peace. Smith Wilbur was engaged in active business as a dealer in produce from 1851 to 1891, also as a contractor on various public works, and as a merchant. He was appointed postmas- ter in May, 1891. A figure prominent in the First Baptist church, his benevolence and activity have tended towards the advancement of Fairport's best interests in the matters of extensions and new streets, with the consequent improvement of real estate.

Fisk. E. J., was born at Lebanon, Madison county, N. Y., December 4, 1860, where his father, Luman Fisk, was a large land owner, and where his great-grand- father was one of the first settlers, coming from Connecticut in 1800. Mr. Fisk's school days were passed at Clinton Liberal Institute and at Cazenovia Seminary, and in 1878 he entered the office of Judge Prindle at Norwich, N. Y., as a law student. After admission to the bar in December, 1881, he began the practice of his profession at Oriskany Falls, Oneida county, removing to Hamilton in 1885, and five years later to Fairport, where he is already highly esteemed as a citizen and as a man, aside from his legal skill. Immediately upon the attainment of his majority he was made justice of the peace at Lebanon, and in 1892 president of the village of Fairport. At Oriskany Falls, in 1884, he married Eugenie Randall of that place, by whom he had two daughters, Mildred, born in 1888, and Hazel, born in 1890.

Todd, Mrs. Sophia .- The late John Todd, son of Wright Todd, was born in the old home in Westchester county January 22, 1822. He came with his parents to this town in 1826, was educated in the schools of his day, was a farmer by occupation, and married, in 1846, Sophia Joiner of Henrietta, and they have had six children: Sarah A., Emma J., Alta, Carrie A., Charles, and George W. Sarah married Enos Stone of this town, and they have six children: Bryant, Minnie S., Ralph T., Louise J., Arthur, and Harold J. Emma married J. Myron Truesdale (son of Samuel, who settled here in 1823), and their children are Walter and Carrie S. Alta died young. Carrie A. married Rev. W. H. Latourette of Oakland, Cal., and has four children: Ethel A., Beulah S., Ruth and Lyman T. Charles died in his eighth year. George W. married Nellie O. Bryan, and has three children, John, Grace, and Albert; they reside in Arizona. Mr. Todd died May 10, 1892, mourned by a bereaved family. Mrs. Todd's father, Col. Martin Joiner, was born in Vermont in 1771. His second marriage was with Mrs. Hattie Hoyt (nee Taylor) of Litchfield, Conn., and they had two children, Sophia and Amanda M., now Mrs. Johnson. The family came to Henrietta, Monroe county, in 1832, and he was a colonel in the war of 1812, being in the battle of Plattsburg. He died June 9, 1861, and his wife in 1873. The ancestry of this family is French on the paternal side, and English on the maternal.

Newton, William, was born in Henrietta in 1835. He is a son of Thomas Newton, a native of Lincolnshire, England, who was born in 1783, and whose parents were William and Elizabeth Newton of England. Thomas Newton was obliged to work his own way in life at an early age. In 1822 he came America, spent two years in

LANDMARKS OF MONROE COUNTY.

Albany, and assisted in the construction of the Erie Canal. In 1824 he married Elizabeth Bladen, who was born in Derbyshire, England, in 1800, and who came to America in 1819. He then came to Henrietta and bought a farm on which he re- sided until his death in 1873. His wife died in 1993 at the home of William Newton. Their children were Thomas, Elizabeth, who died young; William and John, of whom William is the only survivor. He received an academic education and began teaching school. This continued during eight winters, while he worked at farming in the summer. In 1862 he married Emily F., daughter of Benjamin D. and Anna (Sternberg) Schuyler of this town, she also having been a teacher for several years. He then removed to his present farm and for some years was interested in breeding Berkshire swine. In 1865 the Department of Agriculture at Washington sent him some Probsteier oats, the variety having been received from Hamburg, Ger- many. From the small quantity sent him he was in a few years raising large quan- tities, and by advertising and exhibiting them at fairs, he sold and distributed them through nearly every State and territory in the Union. They are now more exten- sively raised than any other variety, having become the common oat in most sections. To him is due the credit of having introduced this celebrated oat throughout the United States. Mr. Newton is now serving his third term as justice of the peace. He has five daughters: Mary F., a teacher of Spring Valley, N. Y .; Carrie D., wife of W. F. Hinds of Rochester; Ella J., wife of F. W. Mellars of San Francisco, Cal. ; Martha, who is a teacher at Flatlands, L. I., and Alice E.

Hiscock, George W., a son of pioneer William Hiscock and his wife, Dorothy. George was born July 4, 1813, and was for many years one of Ogden's prominent and successful farmers, and invariably respected wherever known, having also served his town as assessor. During the war he was an earnest Republican, and one of Lincoln's greatest admirers. He attended the Congregational church, which he also supported, as did his wife, Caroline E., daughter of John Brigham. The latter was a pioneer also in the town. Mr. and Mrs. George W. Hiscock had four children : Franklin, who died in infancy; Emily F., who married James F. Heacock; Alice S., who married Myron H. Davis, of Chili, and is now deceased; and George L., who resides on the old homestead in Ogden. Mr. Hiscock died in Ogden in October, 1879. George L. was born November 8, 1860, and has always lived on the same farm, succeeding his father in its ownership. November 16, 1881, he married Henri- etta M., daughter of Servetus and Margaret Wilmot, of Spencerport, and their two children are Florence Alice, aged twelve years, and Herbert Wilmot, aged seven years, both living.

Lincoln, George W., the last and youngest of a family of five children, a well- known resident of Henrietta, was born in Stillwater in 1823, a son of William and Rachael (Works) Lincoln; William was one of three sons born to William of New Hampshire, the father being a farmer and butcher, who came to Rochester about 1825, where for a time he was in the meat market business. He later removed to Henrietta, settled on a farm, and died here when yet a young man, in 1832, his wife dying in 1840. Our subject has devoted his life to farming business in Henrietta, and since 1848 he has provided and cared for his aunt, Eliza Works, his mother's youngest sister, who in turn has been his housekeeper many years. She is now a re- markable old lady of over 101 years, and one of the most remarkable personages in

FAMILY SKETCHES.

this town, or in fact in the county. The youthful, mental and physical vigor which she has retained make her a person looked to with much attention and pride by the citizens of this section. She was born in Westmoreland, N. H., January 8, 1794, a daughter of Samuel and Susan (Chandler) Works of that State. Her father died when she was an infant and her mother when she was thirteen. She then went to live with a married sister, Mrs. Susan Marsh in Vermont, and later with her young- est brother, James Works, who lived to be nearly 101 years old. In 1814 she came with this brother to Rochester, being nine days on the road, where she lived for a number of years with her oldest brother, Samuel, who was a prominent man of that city. After he removed to Lockport she remained in Rochester and for many years was a tailoress, and she can now remember when there were but two or three stores in the place, and no sidewalks. Incidents of the strife of 1812 are yet fresh in her mind. She has resided in Henrietta since about 1848, where she has ever since kept house for her nephew, George Lincoln, doing all her housework, cooking, etc. She has made several trips to Vermont to visit her friends and relatives. She was edu- cated at Keene, N. H., and while a little girl before 1800, she wonld walk over two miles to school with her oldest brother who would carry her when she became tired. One brother of George W. Lincoln, A. B., was a lieutenant in the U. S. army, a graduate of West Point in 1845, and went through the Mexican war, where he was wounded, and died in Florida in 1852.

Edmunds, William J., was born in Brighton, October 24, 1834. His father, Lewis, was born in Lewis county, and the grandfather, Eliphalet, settled in Brighton in 1824, being a pensioner of the Revolutionary war. He was a direct descendant of James Edmunds, who came from England and settled near Providence, R. I., about 1670. Lewis followed his father to Brighton in 1826, and in 1844 came to Sweden. He married Maria, daughter of Bradford Lisk, and of their five children three sur- vive; Charles and George of Clarkson, and William J., the youngest. He was edu- cated in the district school and the Brockport Collegiate Institute. In 1857 he mar- ried Luania Wadsworth, who died March 3, 1882. Their children are Mrs. Evalyn Chapman, of Gaines, Orleans county, and Joseph W., of Sioux Falls, S. D. For his second wife he married Electa E. Wadsworth in 1883. The subject has held several town offices, was supervisor during the years 1877, '80 and '81, and has taken an interest in all matters tending to the growth of the community.

Smith, Henry, the head of a large and prominent family of Parma, was a native of England, born in 1800, and came to America about 1835 with his family of seven children. He was three times married, and was the father of fourteen children, among them being George, Harriet, Charlotte, Stephen, William, Rebecca, Eliza- beth, Caroline, Lydia, Frank, James, Peter. George Smith married Eliza Berridge when twenty-seven years of age, his wife being twenty. They both came from Eng- land with their parents when about fourteen years of age. They first went to keep- ing house about half a mile west of Braddock's Bay. One year from that time he bought a farm on the southeast corner in Unionville, lived there five years and traded for a farm in North Parma, near the west town line; lived there ten years, traded that for a farm one mile north of Parma Corners; lived there about fifteen years. He then moved on his wife's place on the east side of the road. He lived there until his death, which occurred December 6, 1893. Like his father, he was a hard working

LANDMARKS OF MONROE COUNTY.

man, devoted to the good of the community; a lifelong member of the Freewill Bap- tist church at North Parma, he did all he could for the good of the cause. His chil- dren were William H., Charles R., Mary J., Margaret F., George A., Rosa A., Delos D. and Jessie M. The youngest daughter, Jessie, died when twenty years of age. Charles .R. Smith was born in 1850 at North Parma, and began doing for himself when twenty-one years of age by working out by the month. He was married when twenty-three years of age to Mary E. Diver, of Parma, on the 25th day of Decem- ber, 1873; started for himself on John Van Voorhis's farm, situated one-half mile west of West Greece, and worked it on shares for eight years. He then bought the farm known as the Silas F. Smith farm in the town of Ogden, in 1882, contaning 100 acres. He has made a great many improvements on the farm since. They have had three children: Willie L., Ida E., and Anna R. Willie L., their oldest child, died May 29, 1888, when twelve years and seven months old. The remainder of his family are all members of the M. E' church at Spencerport. He is one of the officers of the church, and is a strong advocate of the cause of temperance.

Bacon, George S., was born in New York, March 21, 1842, where his father, John P., at that time operated a ship chandlery business. The latter removed afterwards to Middletown, Conn., turning his attention to financiering, and is at present vice- president of the Middletown Savings Bank. Our subject was educated at Middle- town High School, and graduated from Daniel H. Chase's Preparatory School, and at an early age became salesman for a dry goods house in Worcester, Mass .. when after six months, an accident obliged him to return to Middletown, when he entered the post-office as clerk. For two years he was employed as book-keeper by a mercan- tile house at Middletown, and at the age of nineteen embarked for Liverpool in a merchant ship, visiting many European ports. Just prior to the outbreak of the war Mr. Bacon was deputy-postmaster at Columbus, Wis., where he enlisted in Co. M, 4th Wis. Cavlary, and served nearly two years. He was at one time shot by an am- bushed enemy, and confined in a hospital at Vicksburg. Mr. Bacon has traveled largely, and is a true cosmopolite. A resident of Pittsford since 1884, he takes a leading place in all local affairs both in business and society: He has served on the village and health boards, as trustee, and is a prominent figure in the Masonic lodge and the Episcopal church. During a residence of six years at Manistee, Mich., where he was engaged in the lumber business, he was elected supervisor twice. He is treas- urer of the local lodge of Knights of Sobriety, Fidelity and Integrity; is a very active member of the G. A. R., and was commander of E. J. Tyler Post No. 288 for two years.

Palmer Family, The .- Among the earliest settlers of the town of Perinton, were Ira Palmer and his wife, Sarah Beilby, who came from Chatham, Columbia county, N. Y., in 1807, and settled on the farm which they cleared and on which they lived until the time of their death, in 1863 and 1865. They were of English descent, his family coming from New England, and hers from Nova Scotia. They reared a fam- ily of twelve children, all of whom, except two, settled in town, bearing no small part in its history and development. There children were Polly, married Locke Moore, seven children, died in 1876; Orin, married Sally Marks, seven children, died in 1875; Betsey, married Lewis Hutchinson, seven children, died in 1849; John, married Euphemia Bishop, two children, died in 1890; Sally, married Ira Johnson, two chil-

FAMILY SKETCHES.

dren, died in 1864; William, married Parmelia Heath, seven children; Myron, mar- ried Margaret Conklin, three children, died in 1884; Seymour, married Hannah Slo- cum, one child; Harvey, married Frances Sands, no children, died in 1877; Lydia, unmarried, living at the old homestead; Andrew, unmarried, died in 1849; Albert, married Sarah Fellows, one child (not living), lives on the old homestead. Of the younger generation, there are but two grandsons living who bear the name of Palmer: Edwin Palmer, Fairport, manufacturer of sash, doors and blinds, and A. Worth Palmer, dealer in farm produce. Formerly a teacher, educated at Cornell Univer- sity, he was in 1893 elected school commissioner of the First Commissioner District of Monroe county. With these two this once large family will disappear from the town, they having no sons living.

Adams, James, was born in England, June 5, 1830, a son of James Adams, a set- ler in Sweden in 1831. The father bought a small piece of land in Brockport, and succeeded in paying for it, but through an error in the title, lost it and was forced to begin anew, eventually accumulating a fair property before his death. His children were Elizabeth, who died aged twenty-four; James; John, who was drowned in Kal- amazoo River; and Mary, who married Myron Colby, and lives in Medina. James, jr., was brought up to farm work, though for a time he taught school in the county. He also learned surveying, and his services were in constant demand for many years, for he was regarded as reliable and accurate. He began his business career at the age of twenty-three, and was very successful, the farm which he owned at the time of his death (June 10, 1888) having been one of the best in the town. This was the old Niles place, purchased by Mr. Adams in 1876, though he remodeled the buildings and otherwise improved the property. He held the offices of assessor, commissioner of highways, inspector of elections, and was also notary In 1854 James Adams mar- ried Ilona Cooley, of Sweden, and their children are Clara, who died aged eighteen ; Minnie, wife of Augustus Fairbanks; Lewis W., of Ogden, a justice of the peace; Milo and Elmer, both of Ogden.

Webster, William and John, came from Massachusetts and settled in Parma, their father, John, following soon after. He had five children, and of these Hannah Will- iam, John and Thomas came to this county, and Jesse settled in Ohio. Thomas married first, Julia Webster, and had three children who reached maturity: Cynthia S., Philetus, and Sarah Diantha; his second wife was Charlotte Webster, and she bore him one child, Josephine; his third wife was Mary Lawrence, who had no chil- dren. Cynthia S. married Elon Baldwin, and had five children, Thomas, Henry, Cordelia, Frank and Annette; she lived and died on part of the old homestead in 1892, aged seventy-four. Sarah Diantha married B. L. Nutt, and they are both living in Plymouth, Wis. Josephine married Frank French, and removed to Mich- igan, where both died in 188; since that time their daughter Minnie died, leaving two children; their son, Charles, is still living. Thomas Webster settled on the town line of Parma and Ogden, where died in 1868, aged seventy-six. William Webster married Sarah Snow, and had these children: James S., Roxana, Marvin, Lorenzo, Eli, Henry, Horatio, and Sarah; the latter is the only one living. William died in 1862. John Webster married Polly Webster, and had six childten: Freeman, Sal- mina, Riley, Otis, James, and Milo, the latter only surviving. John Webster died in 1853. Philetus Webster was born in Parma, January 11, 1843, and married Arvilla .

LANDMARKS OF MONROE COUNTY

Webster, by whom he had one child, Julia, wife of George H. Davis, of Parma. His second wife, whom he married in 1854, was Annette E. Webster, and of their two children, one survives, George T. of Parma. Both Philetus and his wife are mem- bers of long standing in the M. E. church, where he has served as trustee, steward, treasurer, etc. Leon P. is a son of George H. and Julia (Webster) Davis. George T., son of Philetus Webster, married Alice Wood, and lives on a part of the old farm.

Olney, Harrison, was born in Victor in 1822. His parents were Joseph and Mercy (Noble) Olney, the former having come from Chenango county in 1819. He was a native of Rhode Island; his mother, also, came from Chenango county. In 1823 the family moved to Mendon, where they reared seven children, of whom the oldest son, Jonathan F., died in Pittsford, in 1891, and the youngest daughter, Mrs. Sarah Gib- son, wife of Zorton H. Gibson, died in 1892. Franklin resides in Fairport; Cyrus in Spokane Falls; John in Victor; Mrs. Wm. H. Armstrong in Pittsford. Harrison Olney has lived on the homestead since 1823. He was educated in the Mendon Academy and in Rochester Collegiate Institute. His father died in 1868.

Beedle, Zenas. Paine, was born in the town of Sweden, January 26, 1822, a son of John Beedle, who was born in Bath, Grafton county, N. H., April 30, 1798, and re- moved with his parents to Oneida county, N. Y., soon after. In 1807 he, with an older brother, came to the Genesee country, near what is now the village of Perry, and in September, 1809, he with his brother Robert, came to this town and settled on a farm at Sweden Center, later known as the Mark Genne farm. In December, 1817, he married Abigail Bentley, daughter of Samuel Bentley, also of New England birth, with whom he lived for more than fifty-three years. There were born to them eleven children, of whom nine attained adult age, and seven of the latter still survive, and are settled in different sections of the country; he was a prominent and success- ful farmer and a local preacher of the M. E. church; he died in Sweden in 1872, in the seventy-third year of his age, enabled to look back upon a life well spent in labors of love and benevolence in the interest of his fellow men. Zenas Paine Beedle was educated in the common schools of his native town, and in February, 1854, mar- ried Emily O., daughter of Horatio Davis, of Riga, N. Y. Four children were born to them, namely: Walter D., of Pavilion, N. Y .: Carrie L. Day, of Buffalo; John Edward, of Sweden; and Emily A., who died in December, 1874. Choosing farming as an occupation, by industry and frugality has acquired a farm of over 200 hundred acres of fertile land, the management of which he has given over to his son, John Ed- ward, and upon which they now reside, which furnishes a competence and comfort in declining years. In 1860 he was elected to the office of justice of the peace, which office he held for twenty-eight years consecutively. He has always taken a lively interest in all enterprises pertaining to good order and improvement in the community, and liberally contributed to all benevolent objects in society, and enjoys the respect and esteem of the community in which he lives.

Goss, Hon. George A., one of the foremost figures in the political and social life of Pittsford, and at present its representative in the county legislature, was born here in 1836. Ephraim Goss, his father, was also a man of much note, and by profession a lawyer. He was a justice for thirty years, county clerk in 1836, justice of sessions,

FAMILY SKETCHES.

and senator in 1860-61. George was educated at Rochester with the intent of enter- ing his father's profession, but decided upon a mercantile life, and in 1870 he en- gaged in the coal and lumber trade in Fairport, the firm being Vanderhoof, Goss & Co. ; later he sold out his interest to his partners, but continued in business at Fair- port for several years on his own account, dealing largely in farm produce. In 1872-3-4 Mr. Goss represented his district in the Assembly, where he was recognized not only as an able legislator, but as a gentleman of sterling character and worth. In 1876-77 he was sergeant-at-arms of the Assembly, and held the same position in the State Senate in 1884-85. Mr. Goss has acceptably and repeatedly filled nearly all the offices within the gift of his townsmen and has been supervisor for twelve years, and chairman of the board in 1876-7-8-9. It is needless to say he is a staunch Republican. In 1880 he married Kate, daughter of Henry Billinghurst of Pittsford.

Boyd, Andrew, was born in Ireland August 23, 1838, of Scottish descent, a son of Thomas C., who came to Port Hope, Canada, in 1845 and later to Brockport, where he engaged in lumbering. Andrew was educated in the common schools, and is a self made man. In May, 1862, he engaged in the flour and feed business and the same year, August 6, enlisted in Co. H, 108th N. Y. Vols., participating in the bat- tles of Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, etc., and was wounded on May 10, 1864. He rejoined his regiment in July, receiving the rank of second lieutenant, and of first lieutenant December 9, 1864. February 9, 1865, he was commissioned captain and appointed aid-de-camp on General Smythe's staff April 3, 1865. He was in all the battles with the regiment from July, 1864, to the surrender at Appomattox. He was honorably discharged May 28, 1865, and re- turned to Brockport, where he entered the employ of George R. Ward; in 1874, establishing himself in the grocery business, where he has since remained. In 1865 he married Mariette Webster, and their children are George R., Grace P., and Mabel W.

Root, Frederick P., was born in Saratoga county, N. Y., October 23, 1814. His father, Aaron, was a native of Hebron, Conn., and the family trace their descent to William Root, who came from England in 1640, settled first in Massachusetts, but removed at an early day to Hartford, Conn. Aaron married Salinda Phelps of Hebron, where both were born and reared. They removed to Carlton, Saratoga county, early in life, but subsequently to Monroe county, where they settled on a farm in the town of Sweden, where their descendants now reside. He died in 1832, at the age of forty-five, leaving a family of eight children. Frederick P., the eldest son and the subject of this sketch, was educated in the common schools, and at the age of eighteen years assumed the management of the farm of 300 acres, which by the will of his father was shared equally by his children at maturity. He married, in 1839, Marion E. Phelps, at New London, Conn., who died in 1892, leaving two daughters. He married second Harriet A., daughter of Deacon Wm. White, who settled in the town of Bergen in 1808. Of Frederick P. Root, it may be said that he has been a successful farmer; his farm contains about 700 acres. His experience in farming has given him the reputation of an authority in agricultural matters, as many articles over his name in agricultural papers go to prove. He has also been quite prominent in public affairs of town and State, having been justice of the peace, supervisor five years, assemblyman two years, assessor of internal revenue five years h

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Landmarks of Monroe County, New York : containing followed by brief historical sketches of the towns of the county with biography and family history, Part 68

Author: Peck, William F. (William Farley), b. 1840; Raines, Thomas; Fairchild, Herman LeRoy Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Boston : Boston History Co. Number of Pages: 1160

Author: Peck, William F. (William Farley), b. 1840; Raines, Thomas; Fairchild, Herman LeRoy
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Boston : Boston History Co.
Number of Pages: 1160