Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 114

Author: Churchill, John Charles, 1821-1905; Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925; Child, W. Stanley
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1410

USA > New York > Oswego County > Landmarks of Oswego County, New York > Part 114

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Jenkins, William, builder and carpenter of Oswego Falls, was born at Ira, Cayuga county, May 10, 1831. His parents, Benjamin and Jane Jenkins, were among the pioneers at Phoenix, the former dying in 1890 aged eighty-four years. William Jen- kins engaged first in the lumber business near Phoenix, but has since become a citi- zen of Oswego Falls, where he takes an active part not only in the business interests of the place, but in temperance and church work. August 18, 1860, he married Sarah, daughter of Mead Hutton, of Yorkshire, England, and has six children living, four having died in their infancy. Mr. Jenkins went to the front with Co. A, 184th N. Y. S. Vols., making an enviable record for personal bravery at Cedar Creek and other important engagements.

Smith, Nelson, is one of Redfield's well known and successful men, born in Steu- ben, Oneida county, 1824, son of Henry Smith, who was a native of Dillenborough, Schoharie county, born April 10, 1793. He was a son of George and Hannah (Hall) Smith, born 1748 and 1758 respectively. They removed to Steuben in 1803, where George cleared a large farm. Henry, the father, and his brother John were soldiers in the war of 1812. Henry was a shoemaker during his early life, and later he fol- lowed coopering and farming. His wife was Harriet, daughter of Charles Weed, who was a Revolutionary soldier. Their children were Sarah, Mary, Charles (de- ceased), Susan, Nelson, and Hannah. In 1863 they came to Redfield, where they lived until their deaths in 1876. Nelson Smith began life as a cooper, and through his industry and integrity has acquired quite a little property. In 1863 he came to Redfield, and purchased a farm of two hundred and fifty acres, on which he has erected large and commodious buildings. During his first years in Redfield he did considerable coopering and lumbering. He now makes dairying his specialty.

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Adsit, Samuel B., is the youngest of nineteen children of Sylvanus Adsit, who was 1 reared in Oneida county, of Dutch parentage, served in the war of 1812, and came to Redfield in 1844. He bought and cleared a farm east of the village, where he lived until 1879, when he came to the village and died in 1881. He married twice, first Catherine Cramer, by whom he had sixteen sons and one daughter. His second wife was Hannah Bronson, who was the widow of J. Reed, by whom she had one son, James, now living in Wisconsin. There were two sons by the second marriage, Sam- tel and Ebenezer C., who died in 1888 from the effects of wounds received in the war of the Rebellion. Samuel married Millie R., daughter of Rolon Fox, who came from Osceola, and they have seven children: Ralph B., Elida E., Minnie M., Delbert S., Effie R., Lura M. and Fern De L. Mr. Adsit has a farm of 200 acres, and a good deal of wood land. He also runs a saw mill. Another line of business is gathering and dealing in spruce gum, of which he has handled no less than three tons in one season. He has been town clerk three years. On the 13th day of January, 1894, he followed three grown black bears, overtook them on still hunt, shot and killed the whole three. They were all kicking at the same time. The three netted him $71.13.

Breed, Oliver, was born in Halifax, Windham county, Vt., in 1810, and in Febru- ary, 1822, his father, Henry G., moved to Litchfield, Herkimer county, with his fam- ily of eight children, where he remained two years. In 1824 they came to the town of Onondaga, Onondaga county, hiring a farm of T. M. Wood, where they remained four years. From there they came to Volney, Oswego county, in 1828, and the father died that year on July 3. He was born March 10, 1781, and married, June 10, 1801. Eleanor Fish, who was born January 15, 1783, and died January 4, 1845. Both were born in Stonington, Conn. Oliver was educated in the common schools, and at first followed farming, then began the milling business, which he has followed for sixty years. He has resided in Schroeppel most of the time, and has served as town clerk and supervisor. Mr. Breed has three sons by his first wife, Juliet Alvord. Clark resides in Fulton, and Frank and Charles live in Phoenix. By his present wife, Cor- delia Bradley, he has had two children, Joseph J. and William, both deceased.

Barker, Albert S., was born in Albion, February 17, 1846, son of James Barker, a native of Bridgewater, Oneida county, son of Ebenezer Barker, who was a farmer and a native of Massachusetts. James, the father, was engaged in the mercantile business for eight years and for many years in the law practice in Albion. He served as justice of the peace and postmaster. Since 1884 he has resided with his son in Orwell. His wife was Hannah M. Stearns of Camden, Oneida county. Their children are James R., Albert S., Mary E., Helen M., and Edward W. In December, 1863, he enlisted in Co. K, 14th N. Y. Heavy Artillery, and served in the Army of the Potomac until the close of the war. From the fall of 1865 to 1874 he was engaged in the mercantile, coopering and farming business. At the age of twenty-one he was elected collector of Albion. In 1874 he moved to Orwell. The following year he was elected justice of the peace and served eight consecutive years, he also served as jus- tice of sessions two terms, and in 1878 was elected justice and in 1882-84 was super- visor. In 1884 he was admitted to the bar and has since been actively and success- fully engaged in the practice of his profession in Orwell. July 4, 1866, he married Nancy A., daughter of Henry Jones of Albion. Their children are Oscar, Minnie (both deceased), Charles, who is now in the adjutant-general's office in Albany, Mrs.

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Dora Graham, of Oriskany, Oneida county, Cora, Jennie, Albert, Alice M., and Rollo. Mr. Barker is a member of the Olmstead Post, G. A. R., in Orwell, the I. O. O. F. and Knights Templar of Oswego.

Bonner, John F., was born in Orwell in 1846, son of John Bonner, who was a na- tive of Floyd, Oneida county, son of John Bonner, a son of John Bonner, a native of England, who came to America during the Revolution. He was the founder of a numerous posterity in America. John, the grandfather, was a farmer. He came to Orwell about 1835. John, the father, was a blacksmith, and from 1846 to 1863 resided in Redfield, but in 1863 he returned to Orwell and served in many of the town offices, and where he still resides. His wife was Maria Burkett. Their chil- dren were Frances E., Hannah M., Mary E. (deceased wife of Dr. George W. Nel- son, of Orwell), John F. and Ephraim. John F. has always devoted his time to farming. In 1864 he enlisted in Co. E, 189th Regiment Infantry, and served until the close of the war. Mr. Bonner has served his town as commissioner of highways, town auditor and inspector of elections. In 1868 he married Hannah E., daughter of Amos and Betsey M. Beadle, of Orwell. Their children are Mrs. Francis E. Hadley of Sandy Creek, Clarence W., Ephraim, Mamie, and Lucus H., deceased. Mr. Bon- ner is a member of the S. M. Olmstead Post, G. A. R., and of the I. O. O.F.

Brower, Nicholas B., attorney and counsellor at law, was born in the city of New York, February 1, 1823, and settled in Hannibal in 1859. He was educated in the public and grammar schools of his native city, studied law with Weston Bros., New York, and was admitted to the bar in 1847. In 1856 he went to Forrestville, N. Y., and formed a partnership with E. S. Spencer, under the firm name of Spencer & Brower, and remained in practice there until 1859, when he removed to Hannibal, where he has since resided. His great-grandfather was Adolphus Brower, who re- sided at Hackensack, N. J. The grandfather was a captain in the Revolutionary war, living at that time in Fishkill, N. Y., where Nicholas B., father of the subject, was born. At an early age he made New York city his home, entering and continuing in the mercantile business there until his death. Nicholas B. married Lodursky, a daughter of Col. Perry A. Jenks of Erie county, by whom he has two children living, Clarence B., publisher of the News & Reveille, Hannibal, N. Y .; and Mrs. B. N. Hinman of Hannibal.

Brackett, William H., resides at Hannibal Centre, Oswego county, is a farmer and owns sixty-five acres of land, which is one of the representative farms of Hannibal. He has held the office of commissioner of highways for that town, and was a soldier, enlisted in the 81st Regiment N. Y. Vols. in 1861 and served until the close of the war. He was born in Hannibal in 1841, and is a son of William W. Brackett, who came from Cortland county to this town, and was for forty years one of the leading business men of the town. He was engaged in the fulling mill and cloth manufacturing busi- ness, and after that was a merchant at Hannibal Centre for about forty years. He married first Julia Flower; they had one daughter, Rebecca, wife of the late A. Hulett of Brooklyn, N. Y .; for his second wife he married Sally Ann, daughter of the Rev. Isaac Teller, a Methodist minister of some note. They had six children: Isaac T., William H., James W., Franklin T., Anna E. and C. H. Our subject married Mary E., a daughter of P. Sherman, and they have three children: Eva M., Lynn S. and Lucy Belle.

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Bennett, Roswell W., was born October 20, 1823, in the town of Richland. He was the youngest son of a family of ten children, of whom only three are living: Philo S. Bennett of Appleton, Wis., Mrs. Nancy Trumble of Pulaski, N, Y. His parents, Reuben and Elizabeth Bennett, came to this county about the year 1800 and settled in the town of Richland, then a wilderness, and cleared off the farm now owned by William Woods. He also fought in the war of 1812; also his father, Roswell Bennett, fought in the Revolutionary war, in the battle of Bunker Hill and also other battles. He died at the home of his son in the town of Richland at the age of eighty years. Reuben Bennett died in March, 1859, at the age of seventy-eight years. Roswell W. in his early life followed boating, but for many years has devoted his attention solely to his farm, which consists of seventy-five acres under good cultivation. On April 5, 1865, he was married to Luretta White, by whom he had two children, George W., an engineer at Norwich, N. Y., and Charles W., who is in a wholesale grocery in Chicago, Ill. He was drafted as a soldier on the 28th day of February, 1865, but was never called out for service. His wife died February 23, 1886, at the age of fifty-three years. On the 23d day of January, 1889, he was married to Mrs. Jane Letts, daugh- ter of Ansel H. and Keziah Morse of the town of Hastings, and a member of an old and prominent family.

Douglas, Rev. James, of the ancient Douglas family of Scotland, descended from the New London family, was a son of Amos, born in Stephentown, N. Y., June 21, 1779, and died March 19, 1857. Amos graduated from Williams College and was ad- mitted to the bar in Albany in 1801. He commenced practice in Franklin, N. Y., and held the offices of surrogate and county judge. James Douglas was born May 7, 1823, in Franklin. He graduated from Hamilton College in 1845, and from Auburn Theological Seminary in 1850. For three years following he was professor of Latin and Greek in Genesee College, Lima, N. Y. He resigned this position and was ordained August 15, 1853, and installed in Rutland, N. Y. In 1864 he accepted a call to Pulaski. He entered upon his labor here in the prime of life, and with great en- thusiasm the society at once commenced the erection of a new house of worship, which stands as a monument to his memory and to his enterprise, perseverance and fidelity. He was zealous in the cause of temperance and education. He was an ardent supporter of the Union cause in the war of the Rebellion, exerting his influ- ence by voice and purse for the cause of freedom. The returning soldier always re- ceived his heartiest welcome, and the soldiers' widows and fatherless children received his kindliest attention. He delivered the orations on the occasions of obsequies of Presidents Lincoln and Garfield in this town. When he resigned, January 9, 1883, he left a church united and free from debt. In 1886 he accepted a lectureship in the theological seminary of Oberlin College. Here his lectures were upon Divine Imma- nence and Comparative Religions, and he found a most congenial field of labor in speaking on the most profound and vital questions of life to students who were soon to go forth as the world's religious teachers. He also wrote articles for the Bibli- otheca Sacrae and Methodist Review. His manner was earnest and sympathetic, winning the convictions and hearts of his audience. As a pastor he was devotedly attached to his people, which devotion was fully returned by them. His death occurred April 11, 1891, at Oberlin, O. September 14, 1853, at Ithaca, he married Mary J. Burt. Their children were George William, born January 1, 1856, and Ellen,

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born December 22, 1861. George William married, January 6, 1880, Mary Curry. Ellen married, November 1, 1883, Sylvanus C. Huntington.

Larabee, Willis, of New England ancestry, was born in this county May 9, 1857, a grandson of John of Vermont, who was drowned in Lake Ontario in 1840. The father, John, was born in Oswego county, where he died aged sixty-seven. He mar- ried Margaret Leslie, who died aged thirty-three, and their children were John H., born May 11, 1855, died September 10, 1883, and our subject. The father was a car- riage manufacturer by trade. Willis was educated in Pulaski Academy and has always followed farming. He married Sarah Battles of New Haven, this county. She was a daughter of Lincoln and Amy Battles, and they have these children : Charles, who was born February 18, 1880; Fred, born May 16, 1883, died November 15, 1883; Ida E., born June 21, 1878, died April 14, 1879; Johnnie, born October 14, 1884, died April 26, 1885.

Moody, Delano G., of New England ancestry, was born in Jefferson county August 31, 1841, a grandson of Anson, who died in this county aged eighty-six. The father of our subject, Harry O., was born in Jefferson county, and died aged seventy-four. He married Caroline Biffins of Saratoga county, who is now living aged ninety. Their children are Anson, Arthur, Henry, Seymour, Ellen, Carrie, Pamelia, Arolas- man, Candice, Delano G., Eliza M. Of these Seymour, Anson, Pamelia and Candice are deceased. The father was a Royal Arch Mason. Our subject was educated in Oswego county, and in 1864 enlisted in the 184th N. Y. Vols., serving in the army of the Potomac. His brothers Anson, Henry and Seymour also served in the war, and Anson was killed at the battle of Fair Oaks. The grandfather, Anson Moody, was a soldier in the war of 1812. Delano G. married Annie Burk May 17, 1882, and their children are May, Delano and Lena.

Matteson, G. L., was born in the town of Albion, December 29, 1863. Like the other members of his family, he is a first class farmer and owns a well stocked farm of one hundred and forty acres. September 14, 1884, he married Myrtie, daughter of Alonzo Thorp, of Albion, and to them were born five children, three now living: Lulu M., Ada L., and Reba L. Our subject is a member of the Grange.

Ferris, Thomas, has been for twenty three years a resident of Fulton, and for the same length of time connected with the mill of Gardner & Seymour as bookkeeper. His father was Peter Ferris, of Carlisle, Schoharie county, long a deacon of the Dutch Reformed Church, and a colonel of militia. Born in 1883, Thomas was thoroughly educated in Carlisle Seminary and East Bloomfield Academy, completing his knowl- edge of bookkeeping under a private tutor. In 1859 he entered the employ of Breed, Sprague & Co., afterward changed to Glass, Breed & Co., of Phoenix as bookkeeper, remaining with them most of the time for thirteen years, removing permanently to Fulton in 1871. In 1861 Mr. Ferris united with the Presbyterian Church of Lima, N. Y., evincing a special talent for Sunday school work, being superintendent of the Congregational Church, Phoenix, for over five years. E. Louise Ferris, his daugh- ter, is also interested in the same line and is corresponding secretary of the Y. P. S. C. E. of Fulton Presbyterian Church.

Fancher, Isaac M., was born in Winfield, Herkimer county, May 25, 1844, son of George R. and Elizabeth Enos Fancher. The grandfather was from Connecticut.

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The father was a blacksmith and farmer. As far back as can be traced all the family have been blacksmiths. He came to Albion from Herkimer county in 1845 and car- ried on his trade; he also run a saw mill and a cooper shop. He married Elizabeth, daughter of David McLaughlin, of Herkimer county. Her father was originally from Ireland. They had seven children. Isaac learned the blacksmith trade, but on account of a wound received in the war can not follow that trade. He is now a farmer. He enlisted August 6, 1862, in the 110th N. Y. under Colonel Littlejohn and Captain Garrett, and served three years. In September, 1866, he married Arabella J., daughter of John Downes of Vermont. They had two children, George D. and Oneretta M., both deceased. Mr. Fancher is commander of Bentley Post No. 265 at Sand Bank, and has filled the office of adjutant and commander; he has also been commissioner of highways and is now justice of the peace. He is a member of Pulaski Lodge No. 415, F. & A. M.

Ford, James P., was born in Oneida county, September 3, 1846, a grandson of William, born in England, where he died aged sixty, and a son of William, a native England, who died in this country aged seventy-six. The latter married Susanna Hedge, also of England, who died here aged sixty-two. Their children were Will- iam, John, Ebenezer, Henry G., Jabez, Mary C., John H., James P., Susanna F., and Smith T., of whom John, Ebenezer and John H. are deceased. Their father was a Baptist clergyman for forty years. Our subject was educated at Camden, N. Y. He is a member of the Board of Education, and has taught school for several years, having also been a farmer. He was a traveling salesman four years in the in- terest of school supplies, covering five States. Later he formed a partnership with D. R. Fritts of Parish in the hardware business. Selling his interest in this, he bought of C. D. Rounds his stock of hardware in Lacona in 1891, and in 1892 erected the store now occupied by him, carrying the largest stock of hardware in this section of the county, embracing stoves, cutlery, wood and hollow ware, tools, agricultural implements, etc. May 5, 1871, he married Maria L., daughter of John and Julia (Curtis) Whiffin of Utica, and their children are Mary E., Flora G., and Uridge W. Minnie E. is employed in the millinery business, and Flora G. and Uridge W. are in attendance at Sandy Creek High School at this writing.

Hutchins, F. F., was born in Franklin county, July 19, 1859. He was engaged in the dry goods business two years in Lawrenceville, St. Lawrence county, and in the town of Moira, Franklin county, for five years. He then traveled a year for a New York grocery house, then came to Oswego and conducted a restaurant for three years. Then he opened a hotel in Fruit Valley in 1892. Mr. Hutchins was formerly very active in political affairs, and was supervisor at the age of twenty-six. In 1881 he married Jennie M. Dow, and they have one daughter, Ethel M. His parents were Erastus and Lois (Drake) Hutchins.

Newell, Charles S., was born in Oswego county November 5, 1844. At the age of seventeen he took up the trade of bricklaying and masonry, which he followed till the age of twenty-five. In 1864 he enlisted in Co. C, 184th Regiment, and served till the close of the war. In 1865 he married Addie E., daughter of Madison J. Blodgett. and they have one daughter, Cora E. Mr. Newell's father was George S., and his mother Catherine McCoy. His grandfather was one of the first settlers in this county. Mr. Newell has been superintendent of the poor in Oswego since 1880. He

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represented the 4th Ward of Oswego as alderman for the years 1875-76. He was first lieutenant in Separate Troop Cavalry, 24th Brigade, 6th Division, National Guard, State N. Y., from December 7, 1874, until the troop was disbanded by order of Adjutant-General in 1882.

Emens, Dr. George V., is a native of Seneca county, where he was born October 14, 1838, the son of William I. Emens, whose grandfather, also William Emens, was a noted captain in the Revolution. In Freehold, Monmouth county, N. J., Dr. Emens's ancestors were born for three generations back. In 1857 he entered the office of Dr. La Boyteaux, and the practical knowledge of dentistry acquired during three years spent there was of great service towards the future prosecution of more techni- cal studies. He afterwards received the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery and Master of Dental Surgery. In 1860 he opened an office at Hannibal, where his pro- fessional skill soon gained a large patronage, and in 1879 he located in Fulton where he stands at the front as a master of dental surgery. He is a member of the Fifth District Dental Society, and for the past eight years has represented that body in the State Dental Society. Prominent both in society and church, he is also of high de- gree in the Masonic order, being master of Hannibal Lodge during the latter years of his residence there. Of Fulton Chapter, Knights Templar, Ontario Consistory of Scottish Rites, and Ziyara Temple of Utica, he is an honored member. He is a member of Post Schenck No. 271, G. A. R., and was recently made an aide-de-camp on the staff of General Alger, commander-in-chief. It is worthy of mention as illus- trative of his versatile talent and scholarship, that in 1868 he established at Hannibal the Reveille, continuing the practice of his profession in conjunction with editorial duties, for seven years until his removal to Fulton.

Conterman, Dr. William Henry, one of Constantia's prominent physicians, was born in West Monroe February 20, 1862, a son of William and Hannah (Leonard) Conterman of West Monroe, and grandson of Rev. W. Leonard, who was born in Shrewsbury, Vt., in 1800, and graduated from Williams College for the ministry. He was highly esteemed and prominent in church affairs. He dedicated the first Presbyterian church in Cleveland, also established the Presbyterian church in West Monroe and in Constantia, and at his death in 1886 was the oldest Mason in Oswego county. Our subject was reared on a farm and educated in Central Square. He then followed teaching until he entered the Albany College to study medicine in 1883. In the spring of 1885 he entered the medical department of the University of Vermont (Burlington) from which he graduated with honors in the class of '86. In the spring of 1887 he located in the village of Cleveland, where his success as a physician and surgeon has established him a lucrative and extensive practice. In April, 1888, he married Florence, daughter of Henry C. Beeby of Central Square, by whom he has two children, Frankie and Fred. Mr. Conterman was elected president of the village in the spring of 1894, and is a member of the Masonic order.

Cobb, Charles H., was born in Orleans, Jefferson county, July 16, 1838. His grand- father, William, was born in Oneida county, where he died aged eighty-five; he was a soldier in the Revolution. His father, Stevenson, was born in Lee, Oneida county, June 18, 1800, and died in Richland, Oswego county, June 6, 1881. He married Zoa Pennyman of Barre, Vt., who was an excellent weaver of linen in her day. She died in Richland, January 17, 1884, aged seventy-eight. Their children were Charles H.,

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FAMILY SKETCHES.

William B. and Mary M. Charles was educated in Jefferson county, and in 1862 en- listed in the 147th N. Y. Vols., serving in the Army of the Potomac. He participated in the following battles: Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, North Anna, Petersburg, South Side Railroad, and was wounded in three battles. He returned in 1865 and began farming. July 4, 1866, he married Mary C., only daughter of William and Elizabeth (Steele) Easton of Sandy Creek, and they had one child, Lovina C., who married William D. Bootle, and they have two children, Julia C. and Dayton C. William B., in 1864, enlisted in the 184th N. Y. Vols. He returned in 1865, and soon began farming. In October, 1869, he married Emma R., daughter of Spencer and Jane (Weed) Bentley of Richland, and they have two chil- dren, Anna D. and John W. The maiden sister lives with William. He is a mem- ber of the G. A. R., as also is Charles.

Cooper, James F .- His father, Peter, came from Scotland to this country in 1836 and to Redfield twelve years later, having lived that time in New York. He married Jeanette Petrie, born in the Orkney Islands. Taking up some wild land in the west part of the town, they cut out a farm of 175 acres. Selling in 1866, they bought again on the Orwell road the farm now owned by their son, Charles. They reared seven sons, three of whom enlisted in the New York Artillery. William died at Annapolis from the effects of six months in a southern prison; David was wounded in Pied- mont, was taken prisoner and died; Robert was wounded in the same battle, was also taken prisoner and was nine months in Andersonville prison. He is now living in Camden. John died in 1877, aged twenty-nine. His widow and two sons live in Rome. Peter is a farmer in Williamstown. James was born in 1850, and has always lived in Redfield, a farmer, but later a carpenter and builder. He married Lizzie, daughter of David and Mary J. Lewis, formerly of Boonville, N. Y., and has two children, Jesse B. and Fanny M. He was elected commissioner of highways in 1889, re-elected in 1891, and was one of the highway commissioners who bought the first iron bridge for the town of the Groton Bridge and Manufacturing Co. of Gro- ton, N. Y.

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Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 114

Author: Churchill, John Charles, 1821-1905; Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925; Child, W. Stanley Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 1410

Author: Churchill, John Charles, 1821-1905; Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925; Child, W. Stanley
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1410