Landmarks of Monroe County, New York : containing followed by brief historical sketches of the towns of the county with biography and family history, Part 81

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 81

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Willson, Rev. M. V., was born in Somerset, N. Y., in 1832, son of Rev. R. L. Willson, who was for many years pastor of the Baptist Church of that town. In 1859 M. V. Willson was graduated from the Hamilton Theological Seminary, Ham- ilton. N. Y. In the same year he married Miss Sara E. Cole, of Eaton, N. Y., by whom he had three children: Dr. F. L. Willson, of Sodus; Edwin J., of Denver, Col .; and Helen S., of Penfield. In January, 1860, Mr. Willson was ordained to the ministry at Colosse, N. Y., serving the church five years. He was then with the Pulaski church nine years, the Newark church six years, Manchester church eight years, and is now on the tenth year as pastor of the Baptist church of Penfield. In his thirty-five years as a minister he has preached over five thousand sermons, has received into the several churches over four hundred persons, has married two hun- dred and fifty couples, and has officiated at one thousand funerals. He has been a member of twenty-eight Ordination Councils.

Woodham, James, was born in Sussex, England, December 8, 1828, and in 1849 came to America, locating in the town of Greece, where he engaged in farming and fruit growing. In 1852 he married Martha Langham of this town, formerly of Eng- land, and their children were: Frank, Rachel A., Ira, Edward J., Catharine P., Martha M., Nina J., and Laura D., who died aged seven. Rachel married William Babbage, and has four children: Rachael E., Clara L., Martha E., and J. William; Edward J. married Elzora House, and has five children: Jay, Lewis, Edward J., jr., Zilpha, and -; Ira married Sarah A. Campbell, and has four children: Mabel, Randolph, Edna, and -; Catherine married Lloyd Pierce, and had one son, Elmer. She died in her twenty-seventh year; Martha married the third time J. W. -

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Stewart. She had one daughter by her first marriage, Mina B .; Nina J., married William H. Shaffer. Mrs. James Woodham died in 1880, and he married second in 1883 Elizabeth B. Barnes, of Parma. Mr. Woodham's father was born at the old home in England, in 1806, and he was a farmer by occupation. He married Edith Wren of his native place and they had thirteen children. They came to this country in 1850, locating in Greece. He died in 1890, and his wife February 19, 1895. Morgan L. Barnes, father of Mrs. Woodham, was born in 1805 in this State, married Elizabeth Knowlton, and had six children. He died in 1885 and his wife in 1893. The family is of British descent on both sides.

Macy, Silvanus Jenkins, was born in New York city, July 28, 1833. Was educated there and at Alexandria, Va. In 1853 he became a member of the firm of Josiah Macy's Sons, which membership he retained until 1878 (25 years), when he removed to Rochester. In 1868 he compiled and published the "Macy Genealogy." He has held many positions of honor and trust both in New York and this city, such as trustee in the Seaman's Bank for Savings, trustee in the Rochester City Hospital, receiver of Sodus Point & Southern Railroad, receiver of Rochester & State Line Railroad (now Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh). He is now one of the, trustees and second vice president of the Rochester Savings Bank and one of the governors and president of the Rochester Homeopathic Hospital.

Hannan, John W., was born in Perinton, Monroe county, N, Y., September 19, 1847, son of Cyrus P. Hannan. John W. received a common school education in his native town and in 1865 received the appointment of messenger and superintendent of documents in the State Senate, where he remained until 1875. In July of that year Mr. Hannan was appointed United States gauger and after eight years of faithful service resigned to enter into the wholesale and retail liquor business in Rochester. He made friends with all he came in contact with and when nominated for sheriff of Monroe county in 1884, was elected by a very large majority, which position he faithfully filled for three years. At the expiration of that time he be- came proprietor of the National Hotel, where he remained from 1888 to 1892. In 1893 he was elected sheriff for a second term. March 1, 1876, Mr. Hannan married Mary E. Hommel, of Kingston, Ulster county, N. Y.

Malley, James, born at Rochester, N. Y., January 10, 1849. Was educated at the Academy of the Christian Brothers. Mr. Malley followed the trade of shoemaking, first entering the factory of Pancost, Sage & Co., and subsequently that of A. J. Johnson & Co. He remained with the latter about fifteen years, In 1886, he was appointed Commissioner of Excise by Mayor Parsons and reappointed in 1888. Upon the expiration of his term of office as commissioner in 1891, he was appointed excise clerk, which position he holds at the present time. Mr. Malley is a resident of the 15th Ward and has been elected for two terms as the representative of that ward in the Board of Supervisors of Monroe county. Mr. Malley is associated with John H. Ashton in the business of fire insurance with offices located in the Ellwan- ger & Barry building, the partnership having been formed in 1891.

Ashton, John H., was born at Rochester, N. Y., October 24, 1847, and received his education in the public schools. He followed the business of shoemaking for about twenty years and then engaged in the grocery business; later he formed a partner-

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ship with James Malley, under the firm name of "Ashton & Malley," and engaged in the business of fire insurance. Mr. Ashton has been the representative of the Ninth ward in the Board of Supervisors of Monroe county, having served two terms as such. He has large property interests in the Tenth ward and has done a great deal to improve and increase the value of the property in that locality. Recognizing his services in that direction and the executive ability he displayed while in the Board of Supervisors, he was elected alderman by a large majority and represents the ward in the Common Council at the present time.

Tennison, David, was born one-half of a mile west of Charlotte, September 20, 1822, and received his education in the district schools and has always been a farmer. is also an ingenious machinist. He married Bridget Garrity of this town, by whom he had eight children. Mr. Tennison's father, John, was born in Yorkshire, Eng- land, about the year 1784. He married Sarah Collison, by whom he had eight chil- dren: Ralph, Harriett, Ann, Rachael, David, John, Zilpha and Betsey, who died at Charlotte. The family came to the United States about the year 1820. He died in 1860 and his wife some time before. Mrs. David Tennison's father, Lawrence Gar- rity, was born in Ireland November 1, 1792, and died September, 1872. Catherine, his wife, was born in Ireland about the year 1794, and died March 4, 1894; settled in this town in 1812, directly upon coming to America. Lawrence Garrity married Catherine Rheal of his native place, by whom he had eight children.

Ferguson, Alexander, was born in Oswegatchie, St. Lawrence county, March 8, 1854. He was educated in the common schools and in early life was a farmer. When twenty years old he came to Charlotte and purchased a quarter interest in a hardware business with his cousin, Alexander H. Ferguson, with a joint capital of $600, which continued until 1881 when the partnership was dissolved. He has car- ried on business on his own account up to the present time and the capital is now about $9,000 and first class in all its appointments. Mr. Ferguson first married, in 1878, Sarah, daughter of Alamander Wilder, of Charlotte, by whom he had one son, John W., who died in infancy. Mrs. Ferguson died in 1879, and he then married, in 1881, Emily E., daughter of John D. Allen, of Brockport, by whom he has three sons: Roy L., John G., and Floris Allen Ferguson. Mr. Ferguson's father, John A., was born in St. Lawrence county and was a farmer. He married Jeanett Jameson, by whom he had ten children: Mary, Alexander, Nettie, John, Agnes, Charles, Cora, Margaret, Daniel, and Bertha. Both father and mother reside in Rochester. Mrs. Ferguson's father, John D. Allen, was born in Hamlin. He married, first, Livonia Stickney, of Sweden, by whom he had four children: Floris J., Lewis, Ella, and Emily E. Mrs. Allen died in 1859 and he then married Lettie P. Bragg, of Carleton, Orleans county, by whom he had five children. Mr. Ferguson is a trustee and rul- ing elder of the Presbyterian church, also superintendent of the Sunday school.

Rich, Noah F., was born in 1834, and has always lived on the farm where he was born, and where his father settled when he married, and where he died in 1865. His father, Samuel Rich, was the son of Dr. Noah Rich, who was among the early settlers of Penfield. Noah F. married Maria, daughter of Densmore Graves, and they have one son, Charles, who married a daughter of Linus Keith, and has one son, Francis L. Mr. Rich was overseer of the poor for two years. His mother was

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Minerva, granddaughter of Francis Esget, who was the first settler on the farm where Mr. Rich now lives.

Fellows, John B., a son of William, and a grandson of Nathan Fellows, was born in Penfield in 1839. For many years he was actively engaged in the raising of nursery stock and is now engaged in agriculture. He married Bessie J., daughter of Edward B. and Julia (Johnson) Young, and they have two sons, Harry S. and John L. They are living on the old Fellows place, which his father settled in 1816.

Fleckenstein, George V., was born in Rochester, N. Y., March 22, 1868. His father, Valentine Fleckenstein, was also born here, a son of Valentine, sr., who came from Germany at a very early day. George V. attended Sts. Peter and Paul's parochial school and from 1880 to 1883, the Rochester Free Academy. He then en- tered Canisius College of Buffalo, from which he received the degree of B. A. in 1888, standing the highest in his class and received the gold medal prize for mental and moral philosophy. Leaving college he read law in the office of Bacon, Briggs and Beckley, in Rochester, and finished his legal studies in the Columbia Law School, being admitted to the bar in the First Department in 1890. Immediately after his admission he became managing clerk for Morse & Wensley, of New York city, which position he held for two years. He then returned to Rochester and opened his present office.

Shuart, Hon. William Dean, was born in the town of Mendon, Monroe county, August 11, 1827, received an academic education, and attended Genesee Wesleyan Seminary at Lima, N.Y. He read law with D. G. Shuart, George P. Townsend and Smith & Cornwell, of Lyons, N. Y., and afterwards entered the Law School at Ballston, Spa, from which place he was graduated and was admitted to practice in Schenectady, N. Y., in 1850. The following year he opened a law office in Rochester, and in 1863 was elected city attorney by the Common Council. In June, 1864, he was commissioned in the army as paymaster, with rank of major, served until the close, and mustered out at Louisville, Ky., in November, 1865. He returned to Rochester and resumed his practice, and in 1867 was nominated and elected surrogate of Mon- roe county, twice re-elected, and served in all sixteen years. January 1, 1884, he formed a partnership with Hon. William A. Sutherland, under the firm name of Shuart & Sutherland, to which Hon. Arthur E. Sutherland was subsequently ad- mitted but has since withdrawn. Mr. Shuart is a very successful practitioner, is authority on all cases involving the settlement of estates, and his decisions while surrogate were seldom reversed by higher courts, and is one of the most popular men and promising lawyers in Western New York.

Herrick, C. Elbert, was born in Penfield in 1854, and was the son of Jerome B., and grandson of Rufus N. His mother was a daughter of Calvin Allen. In 1877 Mr. Herrick married Carrie L., daughter of N. S. Perkins and they live on the Calvin Allen homestead. They have three sons, Clinton S., Lloyd W., and Carl B .; also one daughter, Bessie M. One son, Ora E., died at the age of thirteen.

Gaston, Joseph H., was born in Penfield in 1847, son of Joseph who came from New Jersey to Wayne county in 1825 and later to Penfield, where he died March 22, 1879, aged seventy-four years, leaving two sons, Joseph and Daniel. In 1870 Joseph H. married Nira H., daughter of Niram H. Peet, and lived on the old homestead

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until 1876, when he bought the farm where he now lives. Mr. Gaston is one of the leading farmers in Penfield and since 1884 has been assessor. Mr. and Mrs. Gaston have two sons, Arthur H. and Harry L., also four daughters.

Eldridge, Irving B., son of Erastus and Anna (Watson) Eldridge, was born in Pen- field in 1839 and he is the grandson of William Eldridge, who fought in the Revolu- tionary war. Erastus Eldridge fought in the war of 1812, and in 1815 came to Penfield from Washington county. He married Anna, daughter of Samuel Watson, who came from New England and settled here in 1816. Irving B. was one of eight sons, three of whom now reside in Wayne county. He followed farming till 1886, when he moved into the village, and for two years conducted a store. He served as justice of the peace eight years, and in 1884 was elected supervisor. He married Marian E., daughter of James Lovett, who came here from Rhode Island in 1825.

Fuller, C. Lacy, is the only son of Giles T. and Kate L. (Lacy) Fuller. His mother was a daughter of Charles Lacy, of Dutchess county, and his father, Giles, was the son of Harvey Fuller, and grandson of Joseph, the latter one of the early settlers of Penfield. Lacy Fuller, with his father, moved to Penfield in 1888, where his father died in 1889. He was engaged in life insurance for some time, but is now engaged in produce shipping, having bought a large warehouse in connection with Bown Bros. under the firm name of Bown Bros. & Fuller.

Cutler, James G., appointed by Governor Morton as charter commissioner for Rochester, was born in Albany in 1848, and has been a resident of Rochester since 1872. He is an architect by profession, a fellow of the American Institute of Archi- tects and an ex-president of the Western New York Chapter of the same; a member of the Architectural League of New York; for the past seven years a trustee of the the Rochester Chamber of Commerce, and now its first vice-president ; vice-president of the Alliance Bank; president of the board of trustees of St. Peter's Presbyterian church; a director of the James Goold Company, of Albany: a trustee of the Post Express Printing Company ; and has considerable real estate and manufacturing in- terests, in which he is associated with his brother, J. Warren Cutler. He is a Repub- lican and active in public matters. He served four years as secretary of the joint water supply committee of the Common Council and Chamber of Commerce and is now serving on a similar committee on public markets. He was chairman of the Monroe county delegation at the Republican State Convention of 1894.

Sloan, Samuel, son af Timothy Sloan, was born in the North of Ireland, near Belfast, in 1828, where he received his education. In 1848 he emigrated to the United States and upon arriving in New York secured a position with the first wholesale dry goods house on Broadway, and engaged in the Australian shipping business. He remained in New York until it became necessary for him, in the interests of his firm, to go to Melbourne, Australia, where he remained for six years. In 1860 he returned to America and came to Rochester and embarked in the steam and gas fitting busi- ness, as a partner of R. E. Sherlock, and continued under the firm name of Sherlock & Sloan until 1880, when, upon the death of Mr. Sherlock, Mr. Sloan became sole proprietor, and is now conducting an extensive wholesale business in plumbers', steamfitters' and engineers' supplies. Mr. Sloan is one of the original trustees of the Reynolds Library, and is president of the Mechanics' Savings Bank. .

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Watkins, George B .- The successful establishment and management of such a business as that of W. H. Glenny & Co. in this city is a task requiring so much com- mercial ability that the guiding mind in control must be possessed of rare qualifica- tions; and a sketch of George Benton Watkins's career supports that view. Born in Utica, N. Y., August 12, 1852, of sturdy English descent, the youngest of ten chil- dren, his mother having died in his early infancy, he lived with an uncle on a farm until twelve years old. It was now that the elements of his future success began to manifest themselves. The farm could not hold him, aad with the two-fold pur- pose of taking advantage of the more advantageous educational facilities and opportunities afforded in the city for making his own way in the world, he re- turned to his father's home. He attended the Utica High School, graduating there- from at sixteen. While at school, in the early mornings he delivered papers, and in the afternoons worked in the newspaper office. Having secured a position in the leading crockery store of the place, with characteristic energy he applied himself to master the details of the business. His advancement in five years to the leading position in the store is an index of his success. His ambition still unsatisfied he looked for a position offering larger opportunities. This was secured with the firm of W. H. Glenny, Sons & Co., of Buffalo, N.Y., one of the largest importing houses in the country, their receiving, packing and shipping departments with its force of twenty men and ten boys being placed under his supervision. Strict attention to business and untiring energy brought further preferment, and soon he was in charge of their wholesale department. In 1876 the financial embarrassment of a Rochester house, largely indebted to Glenny, Sons & Co., necessitated the sending of a repre- sentative here to look after their interests. Mr. Watkins was chosen, and so well did he fulfill his trust, the local firm was enabled to pay all their indebtedness and continue their business. While attending to the company's interests here, Mr. Wat- kins was impressed with the desirability of Rochester as a point for the establishment of a permanent business. He suggested the idea to Mr. Glenny, who, after mature deliberation, decided to open a store and did so under the style of W. H. Glenny & Co., with Mr Watkins as manager. From its earliest inception the business here has been under the entire control of Mr. Watkins. Established on the broad basis of equity and integrity its growth has been one continuous success. In 1886 the elegant commercial building which the firm at present occupies at 190, 192 and 194 East Main street, was erected, and its seven floors are required for their constantly increasing trade. In 1891 Mr. Watkins was admitted to partnership, a well merited reward for his faithfulness and success. Of a retiring disposition, he is seldom identified with public interests, though often sought after. He is a charter member of the Chamber of Commerce, was five years director of the Y. M. C. A., and for ten years has been trustee and treasurer of the First Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Watkins was married at the age of twenty-one to Carrie, daughter of Sanford Peckham, Madison, Oneida county, N. Y. He is a Republican, and resides at 626 East Main street.

Kinney, Hon. John F., was born in Ogden, Monroe county, N.Y., June 20, 1860. He received his elementary education in the Union School at Spencerport, after which he took a collegiate course at St. Joseph's College, Buffalo. After graduating he began the study of law in the office of William H. Bowman. He afterwards graduated from the Albany Law School and was admitted to the bar in 1881. In

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January, 1890, a vacancy was created in the office of special county judge by the resignation of Judge Werner, and Governor Hill appointed Mr. Kinney to that posi- tion. Judge Kinney occupied the county bench so acceptably that in the ensuing election, when he was nominated by the Democratic party for special county judge, he was elected by a majority of 798 and was the only one on the ticket to escape de- feat. As a lawyer he has conducted many important litigations and is regarded as one of the most able members of the Rochester bar, while as a judge he has dis- tinguished himself by his able, comprehensive and impartial decisions. In 1883 Judge Kinney married Elizabeth J. Hanlon, of Albany, by whom he has two sons and two daughters. He resides at No. 64 Lorimer street.

Garlock, James S., was born in Parma, N. Y., January 4, 1836. He attended the public schools and later became a student at the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary at Lima, N. Y., then entered the Genesee College, and later attended the Satterlee & Dexter Collegiate Institute in Rochester. Upon choosing law as his profession he entered the office of Joseph A. Stull, and was admitted the the bar in 1860, at which time he began to practice in Rochester. In 1863 Mr. Garlock raised a company of cavalry for the 24th Regiment New York State Vols., and was mustered in as first lieutenant and commissary of the regiment. In 1864 he resigned his office and re- sumed the practice of his profession. He is regarded as one of the leading attorneys of the county.

Spahn, Jacob, was born in the city of Wartzburg, kingdom of Bavaria, Germany, February 24, 1849, of military stock and the second son of Andrew Spahn, soldier and revolutionist, who was compelled to flee from his native land the same year and who was himself the son of a veteran under Napoleon who survived the retreat from Moscow. He received his primary education in the public schools of New York city. The elder Spahn was for many years a manufacturer of mouldings, in business with the late overseer of the poor, Joseph Schutte, on State and Water streets, prior to 1875. He settled in Rochester in 1862, where Jacob Spahn entered college and graduated from its university in 1870, having made his mark to some extent in litera- ture, for in his junior year a sketch, "The Prince Suwarow," which he had written, appeared in the Galaxy Magazine. Like his brother, Louis Spahn, of the Chicago bar, he secured the first Davis Medal of his year for oratory in his class on com- mencement day. During his college course he joined the Theta Delta Chi Fratern- ity and was its orator twice in 1873 and 1883. He was appointed major and engineer of the 25th Brigade National Guard April 21, 1877, by Governor Lucius Robinson. Upon leaving college he became a journalist, working successfully upon the staffs of the Union and Advertiser and the old Chronicle, whose city editor he became and remained until that paper's consolidation with the Democrat in 1872. He was ad- mitted to the bar in Buffalo, N. Y, June 21, 1871, after reading law with Hon. Francis A. Macomber, afterward a justice of the Supreme Court. In 1878 he became one of the organizers and secretary of the big Genesee Brewing Company at Roch- ester. At about the same time he began to take an interest in local politics and was nominated unanimously for member of Assembly by the city convention, but de- clined the honor. The same year he was appointed to write and deliver the poem before the associate Alumni of the University of Rochester. From 1878 to 1881 he officiated as military editor of the Sunday edition of the Democrat and Chronicle.

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As such he allowed many criticisms upon the local military to appear and was in con- sequence court-martialed and cashiered from military rank after a long trial, cover- ing thirty sessions of the court, prosecuted against him by Hon. George Raines, then the judge advocate; but he secured a review of the case by writ of certiorari from the Supreme Court, which reversed the sentence and reinstated him. From this de- cision an unsuccessful appeal was taken by the adjutant-general. Major Spahn had for a short period theretofore officiated as temporary judge advocate of the local mili- tary and is still an officer in the National Guard S. N. Y., having been honorably re- tired from active service by order of Adjutant-General Josiah Porter in 1886. His court-martial case now constitutes a precedent in military law. He has a commis- sion as colonel. Since his retirement from journalism he has written many sketches and done general literary work for the magazines, among others the Galaxy, Harp- er's, Green Bag, Albany Law Journal, &c., besides the local papers. His law prac- tice is general and mainly confined to Germans, among whom it is very extensive and must have been successful because he is a large tax-payer. As the oldest prac- titioner of German extraction in Monroe county he is the dean of that nationality among the lawyers. One of his principal cases was to defeat the Rochester and Glen Haven Railroad Company from condemning the premises of Ferdinand Grisbel under the right of eminent domain in a proceeding begun in the Supreme Court, which is always a rare victory under the railroad law. The case is reported in 14 N. Y. Supplement 848. He also established the pioneer precedent in the State with reference to the police powers of cities as to shade trees on streets and their removal under city ordinance, in the case of Ellison vs. Allen reported in the 67 State Re- porter 274. For many years he has been a discriminating book buyer, and now pos- sesses not only a law library containing with one exception every decision published in the State; but one of the largest collections of standard miscellaneous literature in the city. As a tax-payer his frequent denunciation of alleged municipal extrava- gance and mismanagement have furnished him quite a political following. Nomina- tions to office are from time to time tendered him by his friends and neighbors, but up to date he has shown no inclination for public life. At present he figures as chairman of a permanent good government club irrespective of party, formed from among the leading citizens in the 6th, 8th and 16th wards, and as such he was author- ized to call a meeting any time for action at the election polls in these wards.

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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 81

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