Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 128

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 128

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Gridley, Louis T., was born in New Haven in 1846, and is a son of C. L. and Sarah C. (Cummings) Gridley, natives of Oneida county and New Haven respectively. For several years after the close of the war Mr. Gridley was in the lumber trade in Michigan but he is now devoting his attention to farming. In 1870 he married Eliza G. Zones, and they have a son, Ernest F., and one daughter, Eva, who died aged nineteen. C. L. Gridley was a lumberman and farmer, served as a lieutenant in the war, and died in 1881 aged sixty-seven. His wife died in 1863 aged forty-six. Theodore, grandfather of subject, came from Oneida county, locating at Little Hole, where he carried on an extensive tanning, carding and saw milling business till his

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death. Abram Zones, the father of Mrs. Gridley, lives with them and has resided on the same farm over fifty years. He came from Washington county and was born in 1809. His wife, who died in 1892 aged eighty-five, was a daughter of Cornelius H. Schemerhorn, a tanner, who came to New Haven from the Mohawk Valley at a very early date.

Guthrie, A. S., was born in 1839 in Argyle, Washington county, was educated in the schools of that town, and graduated at Eastman's Business College. He came to this town in 1869, and was with E. P. Barrett three years. He was at Jackson, Mich., three years, was a railroad conductor four years, and built eighteen miles of the Lake Shore Railroad. He went into the furniture and undertaking business in 1878, which he still continues. Mr. Guthrie is a son of John and Eliza Guthrie. He married Ellen Mackintosh in 1887, and in 1893 was elected county superintendent of the poor for Oswego county.

Graves, Solomon, born in Vienna, Oneida county, in 1840, is a son of Sanford Graves, one of eight children of Martin and Hannah (Jefferson) Graves of Massachu- setts. Martin conducted a ferry boat for many years in Massachusetts, and after coming to Oneida county boated on the canals. He died in 1837 aged eighty-four years. Sanford has always followed farming, and came to West Monroe in 1866 His wife was Polly Harter, and their children are Susan, Mary, Helen, Abbie A., and Solomon. He now resides with our subject, aged eighty-five years. His wife died in 1881. Subject when twenty-one bought a canal boat which he run four years, when he came to West Monroe, where he owns 295 acres. Mr. Graves served as as- sessor nine years, town auditor three years, in 1893 as supervisor, and is a member of the Masonic order and Central Square Grange. In 1866 he married Eliza Vander- burg, who died in 1880, and in 1882 he married Almina Hall of West Monroe. Their children are Carl, born in April, 1884; Beulah, born in 1886; John, born in 1888; Otis, born in 1890; and Lulu, born in 1892. Martin Graves, the grandfather, was the son of Martin, who sprang from the family of Thomas Graves, who came from England and settled in Hartford, Conn., in 1645.

Gault, William A., highway commissioner of this town, was born in Ira, Cayuga county, in 1847, and settled in Hannibal in 1863. He is a veteran of the late war and a member of the G. A. R., Hannibal Post. He enlisted in 1864, in Co. I, of the 193d Regiment, and was honorably discharged at the close of the war. He is a son of John Gault, and a grandson of John, sr., one of the first settlers of Cato. In 1876 our subject married Catherine Smith, and they have three children: James, Mabel and Charles. The family is of Yankee origin.

Guenther, Adolph, was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, June 14, 1829, son of John and Margaret Guenther, who died when subject was three years of age, and he was bound out and later learned the wagon trade. At the age of seventeen he came to Syracuse, where he followed his trade two years. The following five years was spent in different States working at his trade, hislast place being St. Louis. Hethen came to Hastings and with his brother-in-law purchased the farm he now owns. From 1858 to 1870 he was engaged in the manufacture of lumber, since which time he has conducted his farm of 270 acres. In 1862 he married Caroline Ganc, and their children are Augusta, wife of Edward Clark of Hastings; Charles, Fred and Emma.

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Subject is a member of the Central Square Grange. He was the youngest of nine children, and the only male representative of the family who came to America.

Green, Edward, was born in West Monroe in August, 1859, son of Silas Green, a native of Onondaga county, born in 1829, whose father was Gardner Green of the same county and of New England ancestry, who came to West Monroe in 1831 and settled. He was a great hunter and chose this place as wild game was very abund- ant. Silas was reared on the homestead, of which he came in possession later, and where he has since lived. His wife was Malica Clapp, and their children were Ed- ward, Henry, Emery and Nancy. Subject began by working at the lumber business, later learned the mason's trade, which he followed nine years. In 1885 he came to Hastings and purchased his present farm, making a specialty of hop-growing. He married the same year Katie daughter of George Lienhart of West Monroe, and they have two children, Lynford, born in 1886, and Floyd, born in 1899. Subject is a member of the Central Square Grange.

Gaylord, L. A., was born October 9, 1822, at Florence, Oneida county, a son of Miles H., who was born February 6, 1796, and settled in Florence where he was pastor of the M. E. Church. He died in 1886 aged ninety years. His father, Elijah, was born March 5, 1770, and his mother January 24, 1768. Miles H. married first Minerva Kellogg, and second, Jane Dustin, who was a descendant of one of the first families in the county, and of the Dustins who went into an Indian camp, returning with the scalps of several of the Indians, the sword being now in our subject's pos- session. His father was assessor in various towns of the county for over thirty years, and was justice of the peace for seventeen years. L. A. Gaylord spent his early days on the farm, and later carried on a flourishing jewelry business in Pulaski. Fifteen years ago he came to his present abode in Albion and bought a farm of 234 acres, most of which is under cultivation, Mr. Gaylord being thoroughly up to the times in the farmer business. He married Matilda J. Wyman and they have nine children, several of whom are in business in Lockport. Mr. Gaylord is a Mason of Pulaski Lodge No. 415.

Gray, Charles C., farmer and proprietor of a saw mill near Colosse, was born in 1851 at Colosse, son of Peter Gray, one of the early settlers of France. He does cus- tom sawing of all kinds, cutting annually 200,000 feet of lumber. He also manufac- tures about 5,000 bushels of apples into cider annually, custom work. In 1875 he married Eugenia Vigneron, who is also of French parentage, and has three children: Edward, Harietta and Grace.

Getty, Alfred B., was born in Madison county March 13, 1824. His grandfather was Robert of Massachusetts, who died in Madison county aged sixty; his father was Isaac, a soldier of the war of 1812, who was born in Washington county and died in thiscounty aged seventy-three. The latter married Asenath Cook of Onondaga county, who died aged eighty-three, her father having been a Revolutionary soldier. Our subject was educated in Oneida county, read law, was admitted to the bar in 1848, and has practiced ever since. In 1857 he was appointed clerk in the Oswego custom house, later serving as department collector, then alderman, then member of the Board of Education, and was postmaster under President Buchanan. He was a member of the Military Committee of Oswego county during the war, and was also

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city attorney, assessor, collector of internal revenue of the 22d district, and was ap- pointed United States circuit court commissioner for the State of New York, which office he has held twenty-six years. Mr. Getty has also served as recorder and city judge of Oswego. September 6, 1849, he married Mary E., daughter of Waitman Lyon of Syracuse, and their children are Alice, born August 20, 1850, died October 31, 1866; Addison B., born February 9, 1852; Frederick W., born November 3, 1853; Charles R., born January 10, 1857, died January 1, 1860. Addison resides in Omaha, Neb. His wife was Martha A. Conger of Cayuga county. Fred W. married Eva May Williams of Chicago, where they reside.

Matteson, A. M., was born in the town of Albion May 5, 1856, son of Charles and Julia Matteson. The parents were originally from Vermont. The father came to Albion about forty-six years ago and cleared a tract of land of one hundred and fifty acres. The occupation of the family has always been farming. He worked for sev- eral years at grafting, taking a gang of men into Canada for that purpose. He mar- ried Julia D. Saders, who was of Dutch parentage. They became the parents of eight children. A year ago the parents celebrated their fiftieth anniversary. The children are Frederick, Frank A., Loretta, Ada, Adam, Gemane and A. M. Our subject owns at present a farm of sixty-seven acres, all under cultivation, and is looked upon as a first class farmer in this locality. He married Allie, daughter of Nicholas Mead, December 6, 1879. They have three children now living, Bessie, fourteen years old; Etta, tweve years old; and Harold, six years old. Our subject is a mem- ber of the Grange.

Matteson, Z. T., was born in the town of Albion on the farm he now owns, Novem- ber 28, 1847. He is the son of Burton and Lydia (Bowen) Matteson, who were both born in Vermont. They came to Otsego county and settled in Richfield. In 1847 they came to Albion. The father was a farmer. Our subject is also a farmer and owns a fine farm of 156 acres. Mr. Matteson was educated in the district schools. In 1872 he married his first wife, Sarah E. West of Albion. His second wife was Ella E. Reese, also of Albion. Our subject is a member of the Grange.

Nelson, Dr. George W., was born in Rome, Oneida county, April 8, 1836, a son of Elijah P., a native of Plainfield, N. Y., born in 1806, whose father was Moses Nelson, born in 1760. At the terrible Cherry Valley massacre of 1778, Moses and his mother were taken captives by the Indians, who set out for Canada with their prisoners, and finding that his poor mother was unable to keep up with the march, they scalped and killed her in his presence. After reaching their destination, they compelled him to "run the gauntlet." Along the path were ranged warriors, squaws, and children, armed with clubs and goads and various weapons of offense. Nelson acquitted him- self so bravely as to win applause of his captors and was released. He enlisted in the Revolutionary army and died in 1844, leaving ten children. Elijah resided the greater part of his life in Westmoreland, Oneida county. He married Mary Wallace, born in Albany county in 1806. He died in 1855 and she died in 1865. They had three children, Dr. William H., of Taberg, George W. and Mary E. (deceased). George W. was educated at Rome Academy and Whitestown Seminary, and taught school a number of terms in Rome, Taberg and Florence. He studied medicine and surgery with Drs. J. B Cobb, of Rome, and W. H. Nelson, of Taberg, finishing at if

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Castleton Medical College in Vermont in 1861. The following year he practiced with his brother in Taberg, and in October, 1862, located in Orwell, where he has since enjoyed a large and extensive practice, often being called into adjoining townships. He is a member of the Oswego County Medical Society, the Medical Association of Central New York and the State Medical Association He has served as county cor- oner, town clerk, etc., and is a member of the I. O. O. F. and the Royal Templars of Temperance. In April, 1865, he married Mary E., daughter of John and Maria Bonner of Orwell. She died in September, 1884, leaving one son, George, now a merchant in Orwell. Dr. Nelson married second Lilian Milkins of Skaneateles, Onondaga county.

Nye, Eugene F., was born in Madison county February 15, 1850, a grandson of Ebenezer of Connecticut, who died in Madison county aged seventy-four, and a son of Ebenezer L., who married Rebecca Pruyn, born in Herkimer county, who died aged sixty-three. Their children were Eugene F., Irving M., Mary A., Hattie and Maude E., all deceased but subject. The grandfather was a soldier in the war of 1812. The father of our subject, who is still living aged seventy-two, was for eighteen years a dealer in furnishing and undertaking. Eugene F. was educated in Oneida Seminary and Sandy Creek High School, finishing at Poughkeepsie Business College, after which he engaged with the R. W. & O. Railroad as clerk. He was afterward six years in the marble and granite business in Sandy Creek, and in 1880 started in the general furnishing and undertaking business, under the firm name of E. L. Nye & Son, which still continues. This firm is the only one of the kind in the town, and uses the latest process of embalming, in which our subject is an expert. March 7, 1877, he married Susan A. Caswell of Oswego county, daughter of Charles and Mary (Fowler) Caswell. They have adopted one child, Lulu, who lived to be six years of age, dying August 15, 1888. Mr. Nye was for four years a member of the Sandy Creek Band.

Norton, Hiram, was born in Schroeppel in 1830. His parents, Lumon and Melinda (Thompson) Norton, were born, reared and married in Oneida county. In 1819 Lu- mon Norton took up lot No. 6, built a log house, and moved here with his wife in the spring of 1820. He died in 1870 aged seventy four, and his wife in 1864 aged sixty- seven. They reared three children: Zenas, born in 1822 who died in 1864, a prisoner in the late war; Mary, born in 1826, who married Gilbert Brundridge and died in 1889; and Hiram, our subject. The latter resides on the old homestead where he was born. When twenty-three years old he spent one year in California, then re- turned and married Henrietta Thompson, who died in 1857. He afterward married Eliza Ann Miller, and they have two children, Irving S. and Earl S. Mr. Norton served two terms as assessor, and was elected the third term.

Nelson, Brainard, is a son of Ebenezer J. and Charity (Dunbar) Nelson, and was born in Camden, Oneida county, December 14, 1833. Ebenezer J., a native of Am- herst, Mass., settled in Camden about 1830. He was a stone mason by trade and worked on various public contracts, and was also farmer, in which occupation the son was reared. Educated in the common schools and Cortlandville Academy, he began life at the age of twenty as an apprentice at the mason's trade, which he thoroughly mastered in allits branches, and which he followed till about the close of the year

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1858. . In January, 1859, he became a resident of Oswego, and miscellaneous clerk in the county clerk's office under Samuel R. Taylor. Since then, exepting eight years, he has been continuously connected with that office. January 1, 1862, he was appointed deputy clerk by Edward R. Rathbun, and in January, 1865, became also acting court clerk, holding both positions until January 1, 1874. In the fall of 1873 he was elected county clerk by a majority of 1,650 over Morgan L. Marshall, the Democratic nominee, and served a term of three years. He was then for one year (1877) special deputy clerk under his successor, Daniel R. Taylor, and from then until December, 1885, was engaged in business in Oswego. In January, 1886, he again became special deputy clerk under John Oliphant, and in January, 1892, was appointed to his present position of deputy clerk under Mr. Pentelow. During all this time, excepting the years from 1878 to 1885 inclusive, Mr. Nelson has also served as court clerk, discharging all the duties with rare fidelity and eminent executive ability. He has always been a staunch Republican and has scarcely missed an election since attaining his majority. He has ever been prominently identified with his party, though never aggressively active in partisan affairs. During his term as county clerk he was instrumental in introducing the present Lusk system of indexing, which simplifies the labor of research and condenses the old voluminous method previously employed. As a result the records in the office from 1791 to the present year have been wholly re-indexed and made convenient as well as accessible. He was a charter member of the People's Mutual Benefit Insurance Association of Oswego in 1879 and for some time one of its executive committee. In November, 1861, Mr. Nelson mar- ried Mary S., daughter of Orson Norton, a merchant of Camden. She died March 3, 1892.

Nacey William, was born in Oswego June 24, 1863, a son of William, born in Ire- land, now living aged sixty-five. Our subject was educated in Oswego at St. Paul's school, and in 1879 began to learn the sash and blind manufacturing trade, at which he worked eleven years. In 1889 he bought the livery stables at 140 East First street of Levi Brown, which he now conducts, doing a general livery business with board- ing and sale of horses. He also keeps trotting horses, and the stable has a capacity of thirty horses. Our subject is a member of the Catholic church, and of the A. O. U. H. June 5, 1889, he married Nellie Glinn, daughter of Michael and Ellen Berri- gan of Oswego, and their children are William J., born June 2, 1891, and Mary Alice, born February 8, 1893.

Nacey & Flanigan, 14 East Cayuga street, are manufacturers of ginger ale, birch beer, sarsaparilla, lemon soda, lemon sour, cream soda, strawberry soda, etc. They organized in April, 1885, on East Second street, but in 1891 removed to the above number, where they do an extensive business. They manufacture every kind of bot- tled liquor, their bottling all being done by machinery, for which they have the best facilities and the latest improved works. John Flanigan was born in Ireland, March 13, 1847, a son of John, who was also born in Ireland, where he died aged fifty-three. He married Catharine Guartlin, who died in Oswego aged sixty-five. John came to Oswego at the age of four, and here was educated. He first engaged at work in a cotton factory, then at lumbering, and next engaged on the canal, which occupation he followed twenty years, owning three vessels at one time. In 1885 he joined John Nacey and organized the firm of Nacey & Flanigan, which still continues. Mr. Flan-

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igan married in 1881 Nellie, daughter of Thomas and Mary Otis of Oswego, and they have had these children: Catharine, born February 11, 1882, George, born August 4, 1883, Loretta, born in September, 1888, and Frederick, born in October, 1891.

Olin, William. was born in Mara, Oneida county, in 1833, son of Benjamin Olin, a native of Norwich, Conn., born 1794, the oldest of eleven children born to Benjamin F., who came to the United States and served in the Revolutionary war with credit, being promoted to major. After the war Benjamin took up farming and became wealthy. Benjamin, the father of William, was always a farmer, a thrifty and suc- cessful man. He came to Albion in 1825 and settled near Sand Bank, where he spent his remaining days. He served as justice of the peace four years. His wife was Susan Partlow of Connecticut, by whom he had ten children: Eliza A., Ezra, Susan, Emeline, William, Harriet, Daniel, Russell, Benjamin F. and George W. Mr. and Mrs. Olin both died in 1862. · William began for himself when eighteen years of age, working in a saw mill, and through his industry and integrity he soon owned saw mills of his own and manufactured lumber and shingles. He followed this business for forty years in Albion. In 1891 he retired from this business and bought a farm in Centreville. In 1893 he removed to his wife's farm in Orwell where he now resides. In 1854 he married Lydia Lyons of Albion. Their children are Franklin, Mrs. Libbie Bates of West Amboy, Mrs. Hattie Powers of Sand Bank, Mrs. Nettie Thorp of Bridgeport, and Mrs. Kittie Ackley of Albion. His wife died in 1865, and in 1880 he married his second wife, Sarah (Tyron), widow of Jere Mattison. Mr. Olin and his wife are both members of the Grange.

Oyer, Charles H., was born in Sandy Creek, October 7, 1853, the oldest of two children born to Ira and Elizabeth (Howe) Oyer, the former a native of Frankfort, Her- kimer county, born November 16, 1820, and the latter of Sandy Creek, born in 1820. The father of our subject started in life for himself at the age of fourteen, and at his death owned 336 acres of land. His wife died in 1860, and he married Lorett Howe, a sister of his first wife, and they had three children. He was a Free Mason, and a member of Sandy Creek Lodge. He died February 28, 1892, and his wife died in June, 1885. Our subject was educated in Pulaski Academy, and graduated from the Watertown Business College in 1872. He is a farmer and owns 115 acres, keeping a dairy of fifteen cows. In 1881 he married Hattie R. White of Adams, Jefferson county, daughter of Herman and Caroline (Green) White, and they have one daugh- ter, Cecile E., born January 29, 1884. The grandparents of Charles H. had a family of ten children, of whom seven survive, the youngest being now fifty. The maternal grandfather, Newell Howe, was one of the first settlers in this town.

Oderkirk, John Andrew, was born in Boylston July 20, 1831. He is a son of Nelson Oderkirk who was born in Hoosick, Rensselaer county, in 1811, son of Jacob Oder- kirk. The Oderkirk family had its origin in The Hague, Holland. Jacob was a far- mer and came to Oswego county about 1820 and settled in Sandy Creek. A few years later he removed to Boylston, where he and his wife, Catherine Wyant, spent their remaining days. Nelson was a farmer. He married Maria, daughter of George and Sally (Shoecraft) Hostater, born in Schuyler, Herkimer county, in 1810. Their chil- dren were John, David and Almira. Nelson died in 1883. His wife now resides on the homestead with our subject, who has devoted most of his life to farming. From

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1879 to 1882 he was engaged in the manufacture of cheese in this town. He has served as supervisor and assessor of the town and is at present postmaster at North Boylston. In 1850 he married Susan, daughter of John Etherage of Massachusetts who were of Puritan stock. Their children are Mrs. Jennie Woodard, of Ellisburg, Jefferson county, Mrs. Mary Reamer, of Savannah, Wayne county, and Mrs. Betsey Eggleston of Boylston. Mr. Oderkirk is a member of the I. O. O F. and he and his wife are members of the M. P. church at N. Boylston.

Oderkirk, Jacob J., was born in Sandy Creek in 1819. His family remained there two years, then one year in Ellisburg, and moved into Boylston, settling on the north side of the town, Mr. Oderkirk being the oldest settler of the town. He lived on the north road until 1856, then moved to the center of the town and bought a farm of fifty acres but now has ninety-six acres. He married in 1848 Rachael Shoecraft, who died in 1867. Her children are Adaline, Mrs. Newell Lermonth; Antoinette, Mrs. Anthony Mackey of Olean; Martha T., Mary, Mrs. Darius Yerdon of Dexter; Richard M., Claudius T., and Harriet, Mrs. Brown of Olean. He married second Helen Clark of Richland, by whom he had three children, Benjamin, Don T. and Helen M. The second Mrs. Oderkirk died in 1880. Subject's father, Jacob, a native of Rensselaer county, died in Boylston in 1854. His mother was Catherine Wygant.

O'Brien, John, was born in Ireland in 1840, and came to America in 1853, and lo- cated in Oswego county in 1864. After spending some time in New York, Pennsyl- vania and Syracuse, he learned the harnessmaker's trade at the latter place, and fol- lowed it till 1868. In 1867 he married Josephine Bailey, a native of Hastings, and followed farming in Schroeppel till 1884, when he removed to Phoenix. He was in the government employ four years during the war, spending the last two years at the Washington City Arsenal. He was postmaster at Caughdenoy eight years, justice of the peace four years, and supervisor five years. He is one of three partners own- ing the Oswego River Paper Mill, and is also proprietor of the Phoenix Foundry. He has one son, Robert E. Mrs. O'Brien is a granddaughter of Henry Waterbury, who came from Rensselaer county to Hastings among the very earliest settlers of that town. Her father, Erastus W. Bailey, was one of the pioneers of Schroeppel

O'Connor, James, was born in Scriba May 30, 1851. In 1890 he married Catherine L. Healey, and they have two children, Edward Nelson and Ella Mary. Mr. O'Connor's father was Michael, and his mother Mary (Fineron) O'Connor. His father came to America from Ireland in 1834. Mrs. O'Connor's father was Patrick Healey of New York, and her mother Elizabeth (Nevens) Healey. Mr. Healey entered the navy during the late war and died shortly after from injuries received while in the service.

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Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 128

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