Landmarks of Orleans County, New York, Part 109

Author: Signor, Isaac S., ed
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Syracuse : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1084

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Brockway, Isaac W. was born February 28, 1834, and is a son of Nathan, whose father, Joseph Brockway, came from New Hampshire about 1816 and settled in the town of Murray, south of Hindsburg, and engaged in farming and blacksmithing. Joseph Brockway married Chloe Blanchard and to them were born these children : Chloe, born March 1, 1787 ; Isaac, born July 19, 1799, married Esther Thayer, and

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died November 25, 1833; Rosepha, born November 23, 1801, died May 2, 1825 ; Roxey, born March 30, 1803, married Herbert Blanchard ; and Nathan, born March 16, 1806. Joseph Brockway died February 20, 1840, and his wife February 17, 1820. Nathan Brockway settled west of Hulburton, and engaged in farming and the blacksmith busi- ness. He married Rachael Thayer, daughter of Artimus Thayer of Murray, and their children were: Rhodemia M. and Rosepha S. (twins) born February 20 1832, Rhodemia died, July 26, 1833; Isaac W., born in 1834; Rhodemia A., born February 22, 1836 and died August 21, 1859 ; Elenora, born January 11, 1838 and died May 13, 1841; Malvina M., born February 10, 1841 and died February 11, 1858; Artimus, born Feb- ruary 5, 1843, and died March 21, 1844; Washington T., born July 20, 1845, and died August 15, 1845 ; 1845; Charles N., born April 1, 1847. Rosepha S. married John Moore, and Charles N. married Emma Bird and resides at Hulburton. Nathan Brock- way died November 24, 1866. Isaac W. Brockway from 1857 to 1865 was engaged on public works on the canal, and in 1865 he purchased a boat and was engaged in boating on the canal until 1879. In the latter year he went into the coal business at Hulbur- ton and has continued it since. March 15, 1864, Mr. Brockway married Marion C. Peggs, and their children are: Anna C., born February 11, 1865, and died August 14, 1865; Mabel A., born January 2, 1869; Fred W., born June 27, 1872; Archie N., born December 28, 1873. Mrs. Brockway died January 10, 1878, and March 30, 1879, Mr. Brockway married Emma L. Hooker, and they have one child, Edwin H. Fred W. Brockway married Melissa Owen August 20, 1892.

Brennan, Lawrence, was born in Ireland in 1832, and came to America in 1854. He landed in Lockport, went to Niagara Falls, and worked on the old Suspension Bridge. He came to Medina in 1854 and learned the blacksmithing trade which he has success- fully carried on a business in this line adding to it the carriage making and he has also accommodations for 100 horses. These stalls are in the basement of the three story brick building devoted to his extensive business. In 1856 he married Miss Catherine Degnan. They had ten children. Three are living : John D .. the present postmaster ; Mary, an accomplished pianist, and Emma. His first wife died in 1870 and in 1872 he married Miss Margaret Hanlon, who had been a successful teacher for several years in our public schools. Mr. Brennan has also been trustee of the village for several terms.

Burke, Thomas A .. was born in Albany December 15, 1839, and graduated from the Albany Academy. He was assistant reporter for the Associated Press three years, and then in company with A. C. Davis, the then attorney-general of Kansas, he went to Kansas and resided for some time in the then young village of Wyandotte, Kansas. At the outbreak of the rebellion he was in St. Louis, Mo., and was connected with the press there for several years. He returned east and from 1865, until 1868, acted as special traveling agent for the National Insurance Co. of New York. In 1868 he set- tled in Medina. After a short period in the boot and shoe business, he bought stock in the Bignall Mfg. Co., of which he was president and manager thirteen years. In Jan- uary, 1890, he resigned on account of ill health, and spent two and a half years travel- ing in Europe. On his return to Medina he opened a broker's office, to which he now devotes most of his time. Mr. Burke married Adelaide Freeman December 25, 1867, and they have five children, Thomas A. jr., Lillian F., Lena May, Maude H. and, Addie L.

Montrose, Mrs. Louisa M., was born on Staten Island, March 25, 1821. Her father George Brown, was born in London, England, August 30, 1788, and died in Barre in 1838. He married Lucy Hebarts, also born in London, who died in Toledo, O. Their children were as follows : George, Charles R., William O., John H., Samuel H., Alfred, Mary Ann, Louisa M., Emma. Of these, Louisa M., our subject, married Abraham A. Montrose March 8, 1843. He was born in Fishkill, Dutchess county, January 30, 1800 and came to West Gaines April 28, 1836, where he lived until his death, October

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20, 1852. He belonged to the Masonic order. The children of our subject are ; Crome- line D., born in Gaines July 29, 1845; Mary L., born February 25, 1847; Lncy II., born June 26, 1851. Cromeline D. marrried Helen Clark, and resides in Detroit, Mich. Lucy H. married Pratt Howes, and they have two children, Jennie B. and John. Our subject came to Orleans county with her father at the age of seventeen. She is a mnem- ber of the Episcopal Church at Albion.

Tuthill, William, was born at Newbury, N. Y., in 1796 and on reaching his ma- jority went to Michigan, where he remamed until 1834. He then settled in Orleans county and purchased of Thomas Plews a farm of 350 acres in the town of Gaines. He was a strong Democrat and one of the leading farmers in that town. In 1858 his build- ings were destroyed by fire and he was a heavy loser. He then sold out and pur- chased a farm in Murray. He married January 12, 1826, Elizabeth Paul, of Rutland, Vt., a very estimable lady, and their children were: William, jr., Elizabeth, Eliza A., Deborah A. (twins), and Daniel, all of whom are living except Eliza and Deborah. William, jr., settled at Binghamton, and married Helen Coswell, of Albion ; Daniel lives in Murray, and married Jennette Davidson, of Indiana. Elizabeth has been a teacher in the public schools of Buffalo, and was afterward a teacher at Joliet, Ill., has also filled other important positions as teacher, numbering in all about twenty -five years in the service, and now lives in the homestead with her brother William. William Tuthill. sr., died in Murray January 17, 1880, at the advanced age of eighty-three years.

Hill, A. L., was born in Saratoga county March 7, 1833, and came to Ridgeway with his parents in 1838. In 1882 he married Sabra Russell, and they have three children : Edward E., Catharine B., and Harvey. Mr. Hill's father was Ephraim Hill, of Sarato- ga, and his mother was Amanda Smith, of Galway, his grandfather was Aaron Hill, born in 1755, who was in the Revolutionary war. Our subject is an active member of the Baptist Church, and long-time member of the Knowlesville Union School Board ; and is also active in reform movements of the day.

Leonard, Jefferson F., was born in Gaines January 26, 1844. His grandfather was Ephraim, sr., who was born in Rome, where he died about 1815. His son, Ephraim, jr., was born in Lansingburg December 24, 1794, and died in Albion, N. Y., December 30, 1868. December 17, 1823, he married Mercy Wickham, born in Ontario, Can., June 25, 1801, and died November 2, 1882. Their children were: Isaac M., born September 4, 1824, married Susan A. Upson, has three children, and resides in Texas; Susan, born February 5, 1826 ; Ephraim C., born January 24, 1828, married Betsey J. Lewis; John H., born December 15, 1829, married Anna Iden November 15, 1865, and has three children; Phoebe, born December 18, 1831, married Richard Ferris, and resides in Gaines, they have two children, Lucy, born February 28, 1837, died March 30, 1891, she married Chauncey Bullard ; Mercy W., born February 21, 1840, died November 5, 1849, and Jefferson F., our subject, who was educated in the common schools and Albion Academy. He has followed general farming and fruit growing.

McNab Rev. William J., was born in New York, February 18, 1844. He received his classical education at St. Francis Xavier College (Jesuit) in New York and his the- ological education in Montreal and Niagara University. He was ordained a priest Jan- uary 20, 1867. He then took the position of first assistant in the Cathedral at Buffalo and was subsequently pastor at Java Center. He then became secretary to Bishop Ryan and with the Bishop went to Rome to the Vatican council held in 1869. He re- mained in Rome till May, 1870, when he returned to America and was appointed pas- tor at Hornellsville, N. Y., where he remained until August, 1873, when he came to Medina where he has since officiated. During his incumbency the Catholic church in Medina has prospered greatly, and now embraces about 350 families, numbering 1400 souls. Of these seventy families are Poles. The cemetery has been beautified and the parochial residence built by Father McNab. The residence was built under his own

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supervision and was completed in 1887. Father McNab is a member of the Board of Education of Medina and has been since 1884, when all the schools came under the management of the Board, and are, it is pleasing to record, all working harmoniously and without any sacrifice of principle on either side. Father McNab is a genial, attractive man, very popular with the public and much beloved by his people.

Bartlett, Charles William, is grandson of James Bartlett of Vermont, his maternal grandfather having been David Bullard, born in Vermont, who was a soldier of the Revolution, going into the army when very young as a musician and afterward carried a musket. The father of Charles was James Bartlett, born in Oneida county, and his mother was Olive Bullard, born in Vermont and died in 1850, at Gaines, aged fifty years. The children of James and Olive Bartlett were born in Oneida county from whence they moved to this town, on the first canal boat making the trip to Buffalo, and they settled in a log house near the five corners three-quarters of a mile north of Albion. Their children were : James, born December 24, 1825, married Sarah Chap- man and by her had four children (William, Nellie, Olive and George) ; Amanda, born in February, 1826, and married Charles Coney and they had two children (Delphine and Emogene) ; Charles W., born February 28, 1828. Charles W. Bartlett was educated in the common schools of Gaines, after which he learned the mason's trade and followed that business for fifteen years. He then purchased a farm in Murray which he still owns. October 3, 1853, he married Lncy A. Warren, daughter of Aaron Warren. Lucy was born in Murray March 24, 1834. The children of Charles W. and Lucy Bartlett are as follows : Charles H., born in Carlton May 10, 1855; Frank, born in Murray June 10, 1858, married Irene McClew, reside at Kendall, and have two children (Lena and Mildredge) ; Olive. born in Murray March 12, 1861, married Norman B. Pike, and have one child (Anna Maude) ; Fred, born in Murray June 21, 1867, who is a boat engineer between New York and Philadelphia.

Breed, Charles H., was born in the town of Barre July 19, 1836, and has been en- gaged in farming all his life. Latterly he has given most of his attention to his brok- ing business. He married Sena Barry of Yates, and they have three children Carl Breed, Mrs. Irving L'Hommedieu and Mrs. Thomas H. Agnew. Mr. Breed's father was William Breed, one of the early settlers in Barre, and his mother Sophia (Hedger) Breed.

Miles, Edmond B., is the grandson of Anthony and the son of Anthony, jr., who was born in Suffolk, England, in 1784, and died June 6, 1883, aged ninety-nine years. His wife was Jane Brown, daughter of Elijah Brown, who was the first actual settler of Orleans county, settling near Two Bridges, town of Carlton, in 1804, and was the father of thirteen children. Mr. Edmond B. Miles traces his genealogy on his mother's side (the Brown family) back to the fourteenth century, he being the thirteenth gener- ation. He has in his possession the portraits of eight English nobles, representing eight generations of Sheffields, the maiden name of his grandmother. The mother of Edmond Miles was Jane Brown, the youngest of the family. The children of An- thony and Jane (Brown) Miles were as follows: Sarah, Edwin, Mary Ann, Edmond B., Cynthia, and Victoria. Edmond B. Miles was born in Carlton September 29, 1835, and was educated in the common schools of Carlton and the Kendall Union School. At the age of seventeen he learned the painter's trade, and has followed that business prin- cipally up to the present time. Mr. Miles has always been a Republican and has held the office of inspector of elections. He is a member of the I. O. G. T. of Lodge No. 374, of Kuckville. November 21, 1866, he married Addie E. Greeley, born in Carlton in 1843. The children of this marriage were: Georgiana, born in Yates February 25, 1870, and died November 25, 1870, and George A., born in Carlton December 20, 1876.

Miles, Henry O., is the grandson of Anthony Miles, who was born and died in En- gland, and a son of Anthony, jr., born in Suffolk, England, August 11, 1784, who came

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to America at the age of twenty-one. He married first, in England, Rebecca Benja- min, who died in Carlton January 2, 1825, aged thirty-seven. By her he had the fol- lowing children : Mary A., Grace, Henry O., Priscilla, Edmund. Mrs. Miles died and lie married a Miss Jane Brown, by whom he had these children : Sarah J., Edwin W .. Mary A., Col. Edmund B., Cynthia C., Victoria J. At the end of eleven years the sec- ond wife died, and Mr. Miles married third Martha Jones. He died June 6, 1883, aged nearly 100 years. Henry O. was born October 31, 1811, has followed farming. and has served as commissioner of highways and school inspector of Carlton. He was a lieu- tenant in the State militia. In 1836 he married, at Palmyra, Hannah Clark, born Feb- ruary 14, 1812, who died January 18, 1892. They had three children : Harlan P., born September 30, 1837, who married first Marietta Greeley, and second Elsenia Bragg, and has one son, Howard C .; Willard Ward, born October 23, 1843, who married Sarah E. Wilson, and has four children : Henry W., Clark. Almina L., and Sanford ; Sarah R., born December 15, 1854, who married Truman Ackerman.

Forbes, Dr. Gilbert, was born in the city of New York in 1773. In his youth he studied medicine and passed seven years of his life in active service as a marine surgeon. He then married Mary Acker Croton, of New York, and engaged in the practice of his profession at Tarrytown, N. Y. In 1855 he abandoned practice and removed to Ken- dall, locating about two and one-half miles northwest from Kendall village, where he followed farming during the rest of his life. He died in 1862; his wife died in 1868. They reared to adult age nine children.

Pratt, B. J., was born in Hartland, Niagara county, October 9, 1862. He has resid- ed in Ridgeway for seven years, and has been engaged in the mercantile business since April, 1891, conducting a wholesale and jobbing business in flours and feeds, Minnesota and Dakota products and manufactures a specialty, also a retail general merchandise store at Ridgeway. He was appointed postmaster of Ridgeway in April, 1892. In 1886 he married Flora Welcher, of Hartland His father was W. L. Pratt, and his mother Leanette (Jennings) Pratt. Mr Pratt is also a notary public. His ancestors came from Connecticut.

Goodwin, Frank E., was born in the town of Ridgeway, Orleans county, N. Y., July 1, 1853. He is son of Elias M. Goodwin, who came to this town in 1840. Frank is next to the youngest of a family of six boys, Ossian D., of the town of Yates; Egbert B., a private in the late civil war, now deceased ; Elbert C., deceased ; George S., who died in 1871, was a member of the junior class of Rochester University at the time of his death, and Charles W., now an engineer of the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Mr. G. spent several terms of school in Medina and Lockport, but completed his education at the Rochester Free Academy. Mr. G. has followed farming and teaching until the last few years he has been engaged in cyclopaedia work.

Baker, John H., was born in Sand Lake, Rensselaer county, and is a descendant from Clark Baker of Rhode Island. The father of our subject was John, born in Petersburg, N. Y., who died in 1839, aged sixty-four years. He married Rebecca Bristol of Sand Lake, a Methodist minister of some note. She died in Carlton in 1854. aged sixty-four years. After the death of her husband she moved in 1840, to Carlton with her six children and settled on the farm just north of where John H. now lives. The children were Edward C., who married Eliza Warner of Albion, and died in 1890. Sarah M. who married Samuel H. Wood, of Sand Lake, and died in 1887. Mar- garet A., who married Lewis Warner of Albion and died in 1874. Inson, who mar- ried Orin Holman and died in 1874, and Elizabeth, who died in 1852. John H. was educated in the public schools of Sand Lake and Carlton, until about twenty years of age, when he began working land on shares and subsequently bought a log house, and two acres of land, later purchasing 45 acres where Carlton Station now stands, sold this and bought 100 acres, sold again, and in 1855 bought 150 acres, where he now re-

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sides. Mr. Baker has filled various town offices with credit, is a member of the I. O. G. T., Fair Haven Lodge, No. 984. In 1852 he married at Albion Hannah Ette Lake, born in Portland, N. Y., daughter of Nicholas Lake, who died in Albion in 1854. Mr. and Mrs. Baker have had four children : Edward W., who married Kate Mccullough, of Lima, Ohio, where he now resides. Harriet J., who married Myron E. Eggleston ; Rose M. who married Harry B. Lattin, and John L. who is now in business in Chicago.

Moore, Charles Henry, was born in Manlius, Onondaga county, N.Y., September 5, 1818, was the son of Dr. Henry B. and Nancy (Ewers) Moore. At an early age he left home to live with his grandfather, Elihu Ewers, a prominent contractor of public works. He began his business life with his grandfather, on the Genesee Valley Canal, Home to Albion in 1843, and for a short time, with his brother-in-law, Charles A. Harrington, was engaged in a mercantile business, but soon resumed his former occupa- tion with public works, and with such enterprise was afterward identified during a long and successful business career. He built the Central railroad through Orleans county, a part of the Great Western of Canada, and many others, in several of which he associated with John B. Lee and Orson Tousley, also of Albion. He also twice widened the Erie Canal through the county. In 1859 he, with George M. Pullman, who had been associated with him in moving buildings necessary to widening the canal, went to Chicago, where for some time they were engaged in the raising of the city, much of the work being the raising of entire blocks of brick dwellings. In 1862 they engaged in extensive mining operations in Colorado, in which he was interested for many years. He had been is no active business for some twenty-five years before his death, which occurred in Albion August 4, 1893. Mr. Moore in former years held many village offices; was one of the founders of the Albion Union School, and from its foundation to his death one of the Board of Education. He was over thirty years a commissioner of Mt. Albion Cemetery, in which work he took intense interest and pride : and to his unceasing work we are indebted for the buildings and the buying and laying out of the larger part of the grounds. For many years he was secretary and treas- urer of the Board of Directors of the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge, which offices he still held at the time of his death. He was a man of the soundest judgment and of unusual business ability. He was a conservative Democrat and a regular attendant and supporter of the Episcopal church. In 1841 he married Miss Marcia Harrington, daughter of Micah Harrington, by whom he he had two children: Julia Louise, who married Lorenzo Burrows, jr., October 11, 1864; and Alice Kidder, who died in 1842. Lorenzo Burrows and wife have had four children: Charles Moore, a physician of Chicago; Lorenzo, jr., a physician of Saginaw, Mich .; Henry Lord, who died at the age of four; and Lynn Moore.

Florey, James, was born in England in 1844, and came to America when twenty- one years of age. He settled in Medina, where he has since resided. He first engaged in farming, but twenty years ago started his green-house and floral business, in which he has been very successful. He invariably carries off prizes at the shows, and has a large patronage in Buffalo and Rochester. In 1874 he married Esther Hagarman. Her ancestors were of Dutch descent and were old settlers in Orleans county. Mr. Florey is an enterprising and successful man, and his splendid green-houses are among the best features of Medina.

Bowen, Samuel C., was born in the town of Yates, March 27, 1828. He grew up on a farm and after a three years clerkship started a general store in Lyndonville in 1854. He came to Medina and after three years in the dry goods business embarked in the produce trade, and has been engaged in it ever since. His fine stone warehouse is one of the most substantial buildings in the village, and was erected in 1890. Mr. Bowen has been trustee of the village, police justice, collector, town supervisor and county treasurer, and held a seat on the School Board. He married Catherine Jackson

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December 30, 1852, and they have three children living : Wilbur A., Lena G.,. and Mrs. F. J. Squires. Wilbur A. has been prominently connected with the Y. M. C. A. He was for eight years assistant State secretary of the order for Pennsylvania, aud one year State secretary for the order in Maine. (For ancestors of Bowen family see Judge Thomas's History.)

Page, Frank E., born in Lockport August 23, 1871, son of Frank J. Page, a respected farmer. The son was educated in the Lockport schools, worked on his father's farm until he was nineteen years old, when he came to Medina and learned the moulder's trade with A. L. Swett. From 1891 to 1893 he was with S. A Cook, wholesale tobacco and confectionery, as shipping clerk. In 1893 he established his present machine shop, and has made a specialty of bicycle work.

O'Grady, Bros. - This enterprising young business firm is made up of William P. O'Grady. born in Medina April 5, 1865, and Frank M. O'Grady, born in 1867. They are sons of Patrick and Kate O'Grady, who came to this country from Ireland about 1860 and located in Medina. Patrick O'Grady was a mason and builder, and to his handiwork very many of the business blocks, churches, etc .. of Albion and Medina are due to him. He was much respected by all with whom he had business relations. William P. O'Grady received a business education in Rochester and Buffalo, and with his brother opened, first, a liquor store, and in August, 1892, established their present tobacco and confectionery business. They are among the enterprising and successful business men of Medina.

Skinner, Ezra Delano, was born in Barre, July 21, 1845, one of ten children of Jarvis M. and Mary (Delano) Skinner, pioneers of the town. The young life of the subject was spent on his father's farm, and he was educated chiefly at the Lima Seminary ; and before his course was fully completed he taught winter school. After leaving the seminary he taught eight years in Albion and elsewhere ; at Gaines, Millville, Waterport and Knowlesville. For about thirteen years he was more or less engaged in business operations, and was in a great measure entrusted with his father's affairs, the latter having practically retired from active work. The homestead, purchased in 1822, came to him, and he is still its owner, although principally occupied with an extensive produce and coal business at Albion, in which he first became interested in 1878. February 14, 1877, he married Josephine M., daughter of Alonzo Porter, of Holley, and they have one child, Ethel M. Mr. Skinner is an active Republican, and a member of the Albion M. E. church, being one of its trustees and stewards.

Dietsch, William H., was born in 1860 at Newark, Wayne county, N. Y. He is a son of Frederick Dietsch, who was a native of Germany. He married Dortha Heitz. William H. came to Holley in 1884, and purchased the bakery of Walter Brockway, and has since carried on that business. He is a member of Holley Lodge, I. O. O. F. In 1885 he married Ella Winegard, of Holley, and they have two daughters, Viola and Grace.

Jones, Seth .- The Jones family in Kendall traces its ancestry to one John Jones, originally named Shon David Shon Thomas Shon Roderick, who was born in Wales early in the eighteenth century, was a lineal descendant of that celebrated Welchman, Roderick Dhu. Possessed of sterling patriotism and great ancestral pride he keenly felt the humiliation of his race when Wales, through treachery and oppression, was per- manently united to the British crown, and with characteristic loyalty to native tradi- tions he petitioned for a legal change of name, which was granted, and ever since he and his descendants have borne the surname of Jones. The family spring from brave, honest ancestors, whose allegiance to their country was defended and upheld in deeds of blood. Large in stature and strong in physique, pursuing quiet but respected call- ings, they always evinced a strong public spirit, great intellectual development, and

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Landmarks of Orleans County, New York, Part 109

Author: Signor, Isaac S., ed Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Syracuse : D. Mason Number of Pages: 1084

Author: Signor, Isaac S., ed
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Syracuse : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1084