Landmarks of Orleans County, New York, Part 99

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

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LANDMARKS OF ORLEANS COUNTY.

ilton county in 1815, and died in 1862. The children of Leander and Elizabeth Bidel- man are two sons, Clayton H. and Howard L. Clayton H., born in Gaines August 11, 1860, married Lily F. Lafler, by whom he had one child, Hazel E., who died in 1887, aged five months. Howard L. was born in Gaines August 29. 1862, married Julia E. Pendry, and they have one child, W. Pendry, born May 15, 1892.

Blanchard, Alva S., was born December 16, 1829, in Barre (now Albion) and is a son of;Willard, whose father Nehemiah, was the first of the family to settle in Orleans county. He came from New Hampshire at an early day and took up 100 acres two miles east of Albion village, which he cleared up and engaged in farming. His ehil- dren were: Cummings, who spent the greater part of his life in the county, later re- moved to Cleveland, O., and died there; Chandler, who settled in Barre and died there ; Lewis, who settled in Michigan and died there; Harbard, who settled in Murray and afterward removed to Michigan; Almond, who settled in Clarendon and later in Mich- igan; William, Orrin and Ira all settled in Michigan; Livonia married Alanson Lud- ington ; Julia married first a Mr. Nichols, and second Rufus Davis ; Willard was a shoe- maker and always followed that business for thirty-five years in Albion. He married Lois Smith and their children were; Harriett, Albert and Electa, who died in child- hood ; Clarissa, who married Franklin Wilson ; Cassius M., who settled in Leavenworth, Kan .; Daniel L., who resides in Albion and married Sarah McGuire; David, who settled in Albion and died there. Six of the sons, Lewis N., Daniel L., Lyman P., Cassius M., George D., and Orrin L., served in the Civil war. Orrin and Lewis were killed at the battle of Cold Harbor. Lyman was killed at Petersburg, and George died in the field of fever. Alva S. Blanchard, with the exception of eight years spent in Kansas, has always lived in Orleans county. He has always been a farmer and settled in Clarendon in 1859. He has been collector and is a member of Holley Lodge I. O. O. F. He married in 1850 Amanda J. Freer, and their children are: Kirk S., who settled in Albion and married Sabina Darrow ; Judd A., who resides in Albion and married Nettie Benton; Alva W., also of Albion, who married Luey G. Stevens ; and Carrie, who married Day Wilcox of Albion.

Beckwith, Edwin K., is a grandson of Allen Beckwith, who was born August 12, 1786, and died in Great Barrington, Mass., in 1835. The father of Edwin K. is Charles G., also born in that town November 3, 1820. He married Emily M. Kuck, born in Kuekville June 14, 1823, and died August ' 8, 1861, her father being an early settler of Kuckville. The children of Charles and Emily Beckwith were: George, born in 1847 died in infancy ; Edwin K., born January 12, 1850; Charles E., who died in 1857; N. Ely, born in 1853 ; Willis F., born in 1859, died in 1872. Our sub- ject began his education in the common sehools, then attended the Albion Academy, the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary at Lima, finishing at the Broekport Normal School. Returning home, he took up farming, which he has followed in connection with sur- veying, etc. November 20, 1878, he married at Warsaw, Julia M. Deer, a native of Millville, this county, born October 6, 1855, and they have had these children : Bertha E., born August 11, 1883 ; George D., born October 26, 1884; and Charles H., born November 10, 1891. George Kuck, maternal grandfather of Mr. Beckwith, was born in London, England, December 23, 1791, where he was educated at King's Col- lege. He crossed the ocean in 1806, settled in Canada, and served in the war of 1812, as lieutenant in the Canadian militia. In 1815 he removed to Carlton, and bought 500 aeres of land part of which now comprises the village of Kuekville. Here he erected a grist mill on Johnson's Creek, opened a store, built a warehouse, and became a man of prominence in the community. He married Electa Fuller in 1819, by whom he had nine children. He served as postmaster at West Carlton (now Kuckville) thirty years.

Brackett, Martin E., was born in Clarendon, just west of Manning, April 1, 1842, a son of John, born in Sweden, Monroe county, in 1815. He was a son of Daniel

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Brackett, whose father came in the early days from England, settling in New Eng- land. Daniel, the grandfather, was a native of Maine, born March 14, 1784. About 1830 he came to Orleans county, and took up a farm in Clarendon, where our sub- ject now lives. He was a Christian minister, gave land for the church site, and was one of the prime movers in its erection. He died in 1865. He married Lydia, daugh- ter of Rev. Elias Whitney of Maine, and they had nine children : Levi, Reuben, Polly, Daniel, Lydia, John, Rufus, Betsey and Josiah. John Brackett, father of our subject, was engaged in farming in Niagara county for a time, and later in Clarendon, and about 1864 he engaged in the hardware trade at Holley, which he conducted several years. In 1890 he returned to Clarendon, where he died in 1893. In 1839 he ınar- ried Lucinda Burnham, and their children were: Martin E., William A., Charlotte S., who died yonng ; Ella and Elmer, who died in early manhood. Martin E. was edu- cated in the public schools and Clarendon Academy and Holley Academy later study- ing medicine with Dr. J. L. Curtis, of Pine Hill, Genesee county. He is a graduate of the Buffalo Medical College, and settled in Clarendon in the spring of 1867, where he has since practiced his profession. He has built up a large and remunerative prac- tice, and a reputation of which he may justly feel proud, never refusing his assis- tance to the poor. Dr. Brackett is a Republican, and has served as town clerk several years. He is a member of Holley Lodge I. O. O. F. and the Maccabees. In 1867 he married Almina Ranney, of Niagara county who died October 14, 1872. December . 12, 1889, he married Mary Goodnow.

Billings, Clinton, is a son of Joseplı, who was born in Chenango county (see sketch of J. D. Billings). Clinton was born in Gaines, February 28, 1827, and married, July 4, 1850, Esther W. Murdock, who was born in Carlton July 19, 1829. Her father was John Murdock, a native of Vermont, who died in Gaines in 1866, aged seventy-eight. He settled in Carlton on the farm now owned by Benjamin B. S. Wilson, and here all children were born. His wife was Betsey Wood, who was born in Gaines in 1853, and they had eleven children. Mr. and Mrs. Billings have had three children : Florence C., born July 29, 1891, who married George J. Reed (deceased), and has one child, Burton S., born November 4, 1872; Jennie N., born April 29, 1859, who died February 28, 1861; and Sanford C., born February 16, 1862, who married Lottie Webster, by whom he has two children, Geneveive, born November 2, 1885, and Webster S., born August 19, 1887. Mr. Billings owns a farm of 200 acres.

Bickle, John, was born in Medina April 9, 1875. He is one of the enterprising young men of the place and is much respected. He conducts the leading barber shop in the village, which he opened April 11, 1893. His father is Thomas Bickle, an Englishman by birth, who has been with the Davey Carriage Company twenty-three years. His mother was Martha (Gerry) Bickle. She died July 18, 1893.

Boots, Benjamin, was born in Potter, Yates county, October 1, 1837, son of Joseph, born in 1810, who was a son of Benjamin. The family came from Holland. Benjamin came from Maryland to Seneca county in an early day and afterward settled at Potter, Yates county. He married Susan Bazam. Joseph, his son, came to Barre in 1850, and purchased a farm on the transit. He married Lucy Stebbins, and their children are : Sarah, who married Peter Stottle, of Riga, N. Y .; Emily, who married J. F. Clark, of Clarendon ; Horace died young; Hiram, who died in 1890, he was a farmer and mar- ried Adeline Sanderson ; John settled in Clarendon and was a farmer, removing later to Holley, he married Helen Mead ; Benjamin, who is a farmer in Clarendon ; he married Judith Tipple, and their children are: Lillian O., who married V, J. Hollister ; Lucy E., who married George Barbour; May A., who married Charles Wilson ; Mary A., married Edwin Babbage ; Frank B., and Joseph J.

Benton Family, The, .- The first of this name to settle in Orleans county was Thomas, son of Isaac Benton, who came from England in 1836. Thomas settled in Byron, and

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about 1856 removed to Clarendon, where he bought a farm and resided until his death in 1886. He was a devoted churchman and a member of the Free Will Baptist church of Sweden. He married Sarah Shipp, and their children were: Rebecca, Phoebe, Sarah, Hannah, Thomas H., Mary, Elizabeth, and Louise. Of these children, Rebecca married Walter Holt; Phoebe married John Brown; Sarah married John Miller ; Hannah married William Brown ; Mary married Charles Brown, and all reside in Byron. Elizabeth married John Coward, of Sweden, and Louise is unmarried. Thomas H. re- inoved from Byron to Clarendon in 1856, where, with the exception of a year spent in Colorado and two years in Byron, he has ever since lived, and follows farming. In 1862 he married Elvira Mann, and they have two children : Maurice H., and Nellie S. Maurice resides on the old homestead, and married Minnie Warboy, by whom he has one child, Helen E. Nellie became the wife of J. A. Blanchard, of Albion.

Bromley, Daniel D., was born in Attica, Wyoming county, a grandson of John, a native of Maryland, who died there about 1805. The father of Daniel D. was John, born in Maryland about 1800, and died in Bennington, Wyoming county, aged sixty - five years. He participated in the war of 1812-15, driving from Batavia to Lewiston with ammunition and provisions for the union troops. Our subject's mother was Laura Weaver, who was born in Wilmington, Conn., and died in Bennington, Wyoming county, October 23, 1892, aged eighty-seven years. Her father was Thomas Weaver, and she was the grandchild of Gen. Thomas Lee, of Revolutionary fame. The children of John and Laura Bromley were: John, jr. ( deceased ); William, Mary ( deceased ) ; Almira L., Sarah, Emily E., Daniel D., born in Attica October 28, 1836; Cynthia (de- ceased ) ; Charles, Fanny and Thomas. Our subject attended the common schools of Darien, Genesee county, and later the Alexander Academy, where he completed his studies at the age of nineteen. His boyhood days were spent on the farm. After working a farm on shares for five years he bought the Warren farm of 166 acres, which he still owns, and in 1887 purchased the Waterport foundry, which he has since con- ducted, manufacturing the Waterport chilled plow, cultivators, harrows, etc., etc. Mr. Bromley is a Democrat and a member of East Carlton Lodge No. 187, I. O. G. T. Oc- tober 23, 1866, he married Adelphia Warren, born in Carlton September 24, 1849, a daughter of Renben Warren, whose father Silas settled in Carlton in an early day, clearing the place now owned by Daniel D. The children of our subject are : Estella, born April 9, 1869, married Albery M. Ives, by whom she has two children, Eunice and Roy D .; Warren T. Bromley, born December 19, 1871; and Arthur Ward, born April 11, 1879.

Bamber, Benjamin A., traces his ancestry back four generations. His grandfather, Robert Bamber, was born in Ireland and died about 1840 at Grand Rapids, O., near Toledo. He settled with four brothers in Boonville, Oneida county, about 1812. His son Thomas, father of our subject, was born in Boonville in 1817, and settled in Carlton in 1862. He practiced medicine in this county for over forty years, and died in Carl- ton January 14, 1892. He married Raneveline Ward, born in Stark, Herkimer county, in 1820, and now resides with Benjamin A., her son. Her father was Richard Wood, born in Kinderhook, Albany county. He died at Stark. The children of Thomas and Raneveline Bamber were: Benjamin A., born in Boonville April 10, 1859 ; Richard W., born November 6, 1853; D. Wallace, born in 1856, died in 1881; Ella, born December 2, 1857, died in 1868; Neddie, born in 1863, died in 1868. Benjamin A. was educated in the district schools and attended the Albion Academy under Oliver Morehouse three terms, and he earned the money for his own tuition. He taught school three terms, and was agent for Gould Brothers, of Rochester, and traveled extensively in Pennsyl- vania, Maryland and Virginia four years, after which he bought a stereopticon and traveled four more years, giving views of the Centennial Exposition and lecturing 1,000 times. From 1880 to1890 he dealt in evaporated fruits, and since 1890 has been engaged in the mercantile business at Two Bridges. Our subject is a Republican, and

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has served as justice of the peace, town clerk, etc. He is a member of Renovation Lodge No. 97, F. & A. M. April 11, 1893, he married Edith Ferdun, born in Carlton in 1860, and they have one son, Ward, born March 28, 1894.

Bragg, Leonard, was a native of Massachusetts, born September 21, 1788, and came from Parma, Monroe county, to Orleans county in 1833. He purchased a farm three- fourths of a mile square in East Carlton and other property in the vicinity. He after- ward sold this property and bought a farm of 100 acres one-half mile south of Carlton station, where he lived until his death February 1, 1860. He was a brickmaker, a ma- son, and contractor and builder of considerable note. He built the brick church on the Ridge road in Greece, Monroe county, known as the Baptist Church, the brick church at Parma Center, and several other buildings. His wife was Philinda Gidmore, born in Cambridge, N. Y., May 28, 1892, and died in Brockport, N. Y. They were married July 13, 1809, and their children were as follows: Charlotte, born May 12, 1810, at Saratoga; Harmon, born June 23, 1812, in Monroe county, and died December 13, 1813 ; Justin, born November 13, 1814. and died November 29, 1814; Phoebe, born January 16, 1816, at Livingston county ; John, born May 17, 1818, in Monroe county ; Phabritus, born October 29, 1820; Polly, born November 16, 1822, in Monroe county ; Leonard, born August 19, 1829, in Parma, Monroe county ; Philinda, born March 20, 1832. John Bragg, our subject, was educated in the common schools of Parma and Carlton. His first business was making brick and clearing land in the eastern part of Carlton and finally purchased the farm one-half mile south of Carlton Station in 1844, on which he now resides, only ten acres being cleared at that time. December 30, 1841, John Bragg married Mary Jane Phillips, of Carlton, who was born September 4, 1824, and died February 14, 1878. They had two children, Theda V., born January 4, 1846, married Lewis Jordan ( and they have one son, Warren B., born June -, 1877), and Celestia V., born February 16, 1848. Mr. Bragg married for his second wife, No- vember 19, 1879, Olive H. Gray, born November 19, 1842, in Barre Orleans county. Lewis J. Jordan is descended from Isaac Jordan, his grandfather, who was born in Hartford, Conn., and died in 1872, at Carlton Station, aged sixty-two years. Philo M. Jordan, father of Lewis, was born February 15, 1823, at Newtown, Conn. He came to Murray in 1854 and purchased a place and remained until 1875, thence to Kendall, where he purchased a place and remained until 1886, then moved to Carlton Station, where he remained five years, and finally returned to Falls Village, Conn., where he now resides. His wife was Julia Chase, born on Quaker Hill, Dutchess county, in 1827, and they are the parents of Lewis J. Jordan, who was born in Sharon, Litchfield county, April 29, 1848, and came to Carlton when eight years of age. He was edu- cated in the common schools of Murray, and since then has followed farming and pro- duce business, and has sold nursery stock and dry goods for Frank D. La Sanna, of Philadelphia. February 17, 1869, Mr. Jordan married Theda V. Bragg, born January 4, 1846. They have one son, Warren B., born June, 1877.

Baker, Calvin, who settled in Carlton about 1849, was a native of Massachusetts, and before coming to this county had lived for a time in Onondaga and later in Genesee county. In his family were four daughters and two sons, and of these children John Baker, was the oldest. He was born in 1828, and was a farmer by occupation. He be- gan with small means, but industry and preseverance were rewarded, and he died the owner of a good and well earned property. He died March 16, 1890. His wife, whom he married in 1851, was Sarah E. Crane, of Carlton, and their children were as follows: John C., of Albion; Adella, who died at twenty-nine; Emma, who died at five, and Charles L., who died at one year of age. During the last year of his life John Baker was justice of the peace in Albion, to which town he removed from Carlton. He was a strong Republican, and was also interested in temperance work. He was a member, trustee and steward of the M. E. Church. John Baker, jr., was born in Carlton, June 10, 1852, and came to Albion with his father in 1862. In May, 1890, he married Mena A. Bateman, of Carlton, and they have two children.

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LANDMARKS OF ORLEANS COUNTY.

Bidwell, C. H., was born in the town of Albion, Orleans county, April 10, 1848, and after spending the earlier years of his life in farming finally took up manufacturing and designing. He started in a modest way in Albion, but came to Medina in 1889 and formed a stock company. He has since, however, bought out all the other share holders, and is now sole proprietor. He manufactures bean threshers extensively, and sells them all over the bean growing districts of this country, employing from fifteen to twenty-five workmen. In 1873 Mr. Bidwell married Lewella Albin, and they have four children, one son and three daughters. Mr. Bidwell's machines are sold under a warranty to he well made, finished, stronger and capable of doing more work well, on all kinds of beans, than any other thresher.

Butler, Frederick W., was born on the Isle of Wight (England), June 21, 1844, and was the second of six children of John and Anna Butler. The father, who was a shoe- maker by trade, came with his family to the United States in 1852 and settled at Brock- port, where he died a year or two afterward. Upon the death of the father the family became somewhat scattered, Fred working on a farm in Clarkson until he attained his majority. In 1863 he came to Albion and found employment in the store of Hiram W. Preston, and with him learned the jeweler's trade and became a practical and ef- ficient workman. Mr. Butler was in Mr. Preston's employ for seventeen years, after which, in 1882, he came proprietor of a jewelry store in Albion, succeeding in business J. T Brown. From then until the present time Mr. Butler has been numbered among the substantial merchants of the county seat, and one whose business life has been de- servedly successful. In May, 1882 Frederick W. Butler was married to Sarah, daugh- ter of the late Andrew Wall. Three children have been born of this marriage. In politics Mr. Butler is a Democrat, yet takes no active part therein. He and his family are members of Christ's Church.

Barrett, James Edwin, was born in county Limerick (Ireland), October 4, 1837, and was the son of James and Ellen (Bagley) Barrett. The father died when James was four years old, and in 1849 the mother came with her family to this country and located at Medina. James E. Barrett learned the trade of carriage blacksmith and then went west. At the outbreak of the civil war returned home, thence came to Albion, and has since been a resident of that village. For a period of seven years Mr. Barrett was a faithful employee of Mr. Sears, once well known in the wagon trade at the county seat, and was also an employee of Mr. Curtis, and still later with the"Curtis Manufacturing Com- pany. In February, 1873, in company with Edward Wilson, Mr. Barrett purchased a wholesale liquor business, and after the death of Mr. Wilson a similar partnership was formed with Horan Flanders, which continued till 1891, when Mr. Barrett retired from the firm. In April, 1891, he was appointed to the charge of canal repairs between Medina and Brockport, and the following May was made general patrolman of the same section. Both of these positions he still holds. Mr. Barrett is a strong Democrat, and as such was one of the first village trustees elected under the new charter, and served in that capacity three years; was one of the original sewer commissioners of the vil- lage, and is still a member of that body. He has also been for seventeen years one of the assessors of Albion. In 1862 James E. Barrett married Maggie Lyons, of which union two daughters have been born : Ella T. and Anna F., both graduates of Cornell Uni- versity. The latter is now a teacher of languages in a noted private institution near Wheeling, W. Va. Ellen Bagley Barrett. mother of James E., died in Albion.

Bullard, George, was born in Gaines, April 26, 1828, and was the oldest of six chil- dren of David and Eliza (Merwin) Bullard, the parents being pioneers in this county. George was brought up on the farm and educated at the Yates and Albion academies. He read law with Cole Sawyer, and was admitted to practice in 1857. He began prac- tice as partner to the late Judge Bessac, which was followed by partnerships with Henry A. Glidden and Judge Sawyer in succession. Recently, however, Mr. Bullard has retired from active practice and devotes his attention to farming interests. In 1859 Mr. Bul-

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lard married Janette, daughter of Amos Clift, of Gaines. Two children have been born to them, Daniel and Frederick, both of Rochester. Hezikiah, Oliver, Amos, and Wells Clift, natives of Vermont, settled at Gaines about 1816, hence were among the pioneers of that town. Hezikiah married Betsey Hutchinson, and both died in the town. Oliver never married and also died in Gaines. Wells married and had a family of six children, three of whom are now living. Amos married Charlotte Cross and had seven children, viz: Harriet, now Mrs Cox; Jasper, of Oregon; Janette, wife of George Bullard, of Albion ; and Mary, widow of John Anderson, late of Gaines. Amos, the pioneer, lived and died in Gaines. He was was a successful farmer, a good citizen, and a man much respected in the county. Of the Bullard family in Gaines, William and Brigadier were the pioneers in this region and the others came later on. David Bullard, father of George, the lawyer, was one of ten children, viz. : William, Brigadier, David, Betsey, Nancy, Polly, Sally, Ransom, and one other now forgotten. David married Eliza Merwin and had six children as follows : George, Gilbert, Huldah, Judah, Levi, and one who died in infancy.

Burch, Theodore, was born in Lyons, Wayne county, August 23, 1833, and was the youngest but one of the seven children of William and Zilpha Burch. The father died when Theodore was a child, and after a widowhood of twelve years, his mother married Asa Paine, and soon after settled in Barre. Theodore was sent to learn the blacksmith trade when he was but sixteen years old. He continued this business for eleven years, then became a farmer, and this is his present occupation, although he practices as a veterinary surgeon somewhat extensively in Barre. On March 1, 1865, he married Laura Wolcott, and after seven years she died, and he married Maria H., daughter of the late Rev. Trenck Mason. They had two children, Jerome, who died at two years of age, and Harriet M.

Bedell, George W., was born at Marcellus, January . 26, 1813, and was the son of John and Polly Bedell. Norman Bedell, one of the children in the family, was an early resident in this region, and one of the organizers of the village of Albion. He came here in 1827 and started a furnace opposite the present Bordwell block, and later was one of the firm of "Bedell & Berry," stove founders of Albion. George W. Bedell first came to Albion in 1831 and finished learning the hat making trade with Hiram Sickles, whom he succeeded in business. He was unfortunate, however, and afterward worked for Deacon Goodrich, cutting and selling hats and caps. He continued in this employment until 1850 when he was appointed collector of canal tolls at Albion, hold- ing that position two years. In 1847 Mr. Bedell was elected superintendent of the poor for the county and served three years. In 1854 he was appointed P. M. of the Assembly, and the following year sergeant at arms and P. M. of the Senate. In 1856 he was nominated and elected sheriff of Orleans county. At the outbreak of the war he went to Washington and was appointed special inspector of customs at Suspension Bridge, serving until 1863. During the period of drafts he was appointed provost mar- shal, but resigned and was appointed inspector for Monroe and Niagara counties. Mr. Bedell was also at one time special agent for the treasury department. In 1834 he married Betsey Townsend, of Attica, and to them one child was born, Copeland Town- send Bedell. In politics, Mr. Bedell is a Republican, and in religion, a Methodist. Mrs. Bedell died in Albion in 1891. Copeland Bedell was born May 14, 1846, and with the exception of one year in Buffalo, has always been in business in Albion. In 1893 he bought the Main street bakery and is now its proprietor. In 1891 Mr. Bedell mar- ried Pruella E. Helligass. They have one child.

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Landmarks of Orleans County, New York, Part 99

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