USA > New York > Oswego County > Landmarks of Oswego County, New York > Part 27
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Allen
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degree of LL.D. from Hamilton College, and the same from Union College in 1864. Judge Allen was a man of unflagging industry ; ever faithful to his clients ; possessed great legal learning, in the use of which he was modest and unassuming ; and exhibited all of the quali- ties to be desired in a judge of our highest courts. He was a member and elder of Grace Presbyterian church. He died June 3, 1878.
Robert H. Martin was born in Otsego county in 1807; came to Oswego in 1827 ; studied law with David P. Brewster ; was admitted in 1831; and practiced until just prior to his death, which occurred May 18, 1877. He was master in chancery and at one time post- master of Oswego. Though active and influential in politics he cared little for public office, preferring his profession above all official pre- ferments. He was a good lawyer, well read, and regarded as a reliable legal adviser.
William Duer was born in New York city in 1805, and graduated from Columbia College in 1825. After his admission to the bar he went to New Orleans and practiced for a time, removing to Oswego in 1835. He was elected to the Assembly, taking his seat with Peter Devendorf, in January, 1840, and re-elected in the following year, serving four years. He was elected to the Thirtieth Congress from the Twenty-third District (1848-9) and re-elected for the ensuing term. At the close of his Congressional service he was sent as United States minister to Chili, from which post he returned to San Francisco and later to Oswego in 1859 or 1860. He removed from the city in 1863. While in practice in Oswego he was partner with Leander Babcock, which firm continued until Mr. Duer's election to Congress. William Duer was one of the leading jurists in the State and held in the highest esteem by the bar. Active in politics, in which field he found his chief delight (Democrat or Republican), he took part in several exciting campaigns, in which his trenchant pen and eloquent voice were con- spicuous.
Samuel B. Ludlow was graduated from Hamilton College in 1809, studied law in Albany and was admitted in 1812; practiced in New York city and was an editor for a time in Philadelphia. He settled in Oswego in 1836, as secretary of the Northwestern Insurance Company. He was judge of the Court of Common Pleas six years from 1841; 34
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was one of the founders of the present Congregational church ; was prominent in organizing the Oswego Gas Company, and at his death, April 21, 1882, was the oldest graduate of Hamilton College. He lived to the age of ninety-two years.
John M. Casey was born in Dutchess county, N. Y., in 1812, and received his education in Auburn, N. Y. There also he studied law with William H. Seward, and soon after his admission to the bar he joined with Charles H. Hurlbutt and settled in Oswego. He was superior as an office lawyer, and held the offices of justice of the peace, village clerk, was the first city clerk, which office he held nine years, and was master in chancery. He died April 8, 1892.
Orville Robinson occupied a prominent position not only in the bar of Oswego county, but also in the public affairs of the city. He was born at Richfield, Otsego county, N. Y., October 28, 1801. With very limited opportunity to acquire an education, he took up the study of law after he had reached his majority, finishing with Daniel Gott at Pompey Hill, Onondaga county. At the May term of the Supreme Court in New York city in 1827, Mr. Robinson was admitted to practice in that court, and in the July following opened a law office in Mexico, in this county. He was elected justice of the peace in the first year of his residence in Mexico, and in the following year was chosen town clerk. In 1830 he was appointed surrogate of the county and served eight years. In 1834 and 1836 he represented the county in the Assembly, and was one of the two members elected from this county in 1837. In 1841 he was elected district attorney of the county, serving two years. In 1843 he was elected to Congress, where he achieved distinction. In 1847 he removed to the city of Oswego, and in 1853 was elected re- corder. The duties of this office were distasteful to hin and he resigned the same year. In 1855 he was elected to the Assembly for the fourth time and was chosen speaker. 'In 1858 he was appointed collector of customs at Oswego, which position he resigned at the end of two years. Mr. Robinson died December 1, 1882, after a long life of great useful- ness to the public and honor to himself. He was the father of Col. W. G. Robinson, who is now a prominent lawyer in Oswego.
Charles Rhodes was a native of Oneida county, where he was born in 1810. He graduated from Hamilton College in 1839, studied law in
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Utica, and was admitted to the bar in 1842. He began practice at once in Pulaski and in 1849 removed to Oswego. In the city at that time were many able lawyers, the leading firm being composed of William Duer and Leander Babcock. When Mr. Duer was elected to Congress, Mr. Rhodes with Mr. Babcock formed the firm of Babcock & Rhodes, which existed until the death of Mr. Babcock in August, 1864. Bronson Babcock then became a partner with Mr. Rhodes and so continued until 1872. In 1874 the firm of Rhodes & Richard- son was formed (C. T. Richardson), which continued until the death of the latter in February, 1882. In March of the same year the firm of Rhodes, Coon & Higgins was formed, from which Mr. Rhodes retired in 1890. Mr. Rhodes was a very able lawyer, making a specialty of railway law, and a large part of his business was in that line. He devoted considerable time to hydraulics and engineering; was vice- president of the water works company ; a director of the First National Bank; alderman of the First ward in 1872-3; four years on the Board of Public Charities, and held other minor positions. He was a Demo- crat and not an office-seeker. He possessed the judicial mind, high ideals, and a marked character. Mr. Rhodes died December 17, 1890.
Newton W. Nutting was born in West Monroe, Oswego county, October 22, 1840; studied law in Syracuse, and after his admission to the bar began practice in Parish in 1861. In 1863 he was elected school commissioner, and at the close of his term entered into partner- ship with John C. Churchill in Oswego. In 1868 he was elected dis- trict attorney, and in November, 1877, was chosen county judge. In 1882, in 1886 and again in 1888, he was elected to Congress, and died October 15, 1889, before the beginning of the term to which he was last elected. He was a man of commanding presence and possessed excellent natural and acquired qualifications.
Silas A. Webb came to Oswego about 1850 as a partner of Daniel H. Marsh, and the firm became known as an exceptionally strong one. Mr. Webb was celebrated as a patent lawyer, was a man of remarkable industry, had a good knowledge of science and mechanics, and a large fund of general information. He died in Florida June 5, 1890.
Charles T. Richardson, born in Cayuga county in 1832, settled in Oswego while young and was employed in the Custom-House ; later he
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attended the Albany Law School and was admitted in 1853 ; he prac ticed until 1860, when he went out as quartermaster of the 24th New York Regiment. After the war he was a partner of Delos Gerry, and later was one of the firm of Rhodes & Richardson. He died February 27, 1882.
Leander Babcock was born in Paris, Oneida county, March 1, 18II, educated at Lowville Academy, was graduated from Union College in. 1830, studied law at Bridgewater and Utica, N. Y., and was admitted in 1833. In 1834 he came to Oswego and practiced here until his death August 18, 1864. He was district attorney of Oswego county from 1840 to 1843, mayor of the city in 1850-51, member of congress from the Oswego- Madison district in 1851-53, member and president of the Board of Education of Oswego city in 1855, and alderman in 1856-57. He was in partnership at different times with William Duer, Andrew J. Yates, and Charles Rhodes. He had eight children, three of whom are living, one, Bronson Babcock, being an attorney in Os- wego city.
Edwin W. Clarke was born in Pompey, Onondaga county, Septem- ber 10, 1801. He came with his father, Dr. Deodatus Clark (the first physician resident in Oswego), to Oswego in 1806 and resided here thereafter until his death in August, 1886. He studied law in the office of George Fisher and was admitted to the bar in 1828. For a time he was in partnership with Peter Sken Smith, but in the greater part of his practice he was alone. About 1846 he gave up active practice in law for a connection with the Northwestern Insurance Company, which was continued until about 1856, when a change in his health compelled his retirement from active business. He was the first clerk of the village of Oswego, and was a justice of the peace for a short time. but never held other public office.
Joseph C. Wright was born in Rome, N. Y., January 7, 1821, was graduated from Captain Partridge's celebrated military school in Nor- wich, Vt., read law with Mr. Gay in Rome, married his daughter, and was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-one. He immediately came to Oswego and followed his profession here until about 1856, when he removed to Chicago. While in Oswego he was first a partner of Daniel H. Marsh and later in the law firm of Marsh, Wright &
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Perry. Going to Chicago he became an active member of the Board of Trade, and upon the organization of their regiment-the 72d Illinois -Mr. Wright was made lieutenant-colonel. At the assault on Vicks- burg, on May 22, 1863, while leading his regiment, he was mortally wounded and his left arm was amputated. He was taken to Chicago, where he died July 8. His remains were brought to Oswego and bur- ied in Riverside Cemetery, where the Oswego Board of Trade subse- quently erected a handsome monument. Colonel Wright was a highly respected citizen, an honorable and an upright man, and an eloquent orator.
Other members of the Oswego bar who are now deceased were William G. Adkins, Dewitt C. Bancroft, Wheeler Barnes, Levi Beards- ley (a member of the old Court of Errors from Otsego county, came to Oswego about 1847, was the first city attorney in 1848, and died here), Norman Bennett, James Brown (a great abolitionist and at one time surrogate of the county), Leverett A. Card, Chester O. Case, John Cochrane, H. H. Cozzens, William T. Curtiss (who read law with and became a partner of John C. Churchill, served as city attorney sev- eral years, and died about 1863), Joseph Grant, Orville J. Harmon (a graduate of Union College, recorder of the city in 1848-52 and 1858-65, prominent in Sabbath school and Bible work in the State, and latterly an insurance agent), Lamotte B. Hathaway, Carroll C. Marsh, William F. Mason, John S. Randall, George W. Rathbun, Jacob Richardson (father of Max B. Richardson), William W. Scribner, George Shea (who came from, and after practicing two or three years, returned to New York city, where he became judge of the Marine Court), William H. Shumway, Enoch B. Talcott (State senator in 1845-47 and collector of the port of Oswego in 1853-57), and Joseph G. Treadway.
The following attorneys, now living, were formerly legal practitioners in Oswego : Charles R. Allison, William J. Boggs, Fred A. Card, Samuel H. Wandell, Dennis O'Sullivan, and Albertus Perry, all now of New York city; Benjamin F. Chase, of Chicago ; George W. Parkhurst, of Buffalo ; George E. Saladin, of Milford, Neb .; Hudson C. Tanner, of Washing- ton, D. C .; and Henry D. Baker, Henry A. Balcom, H. S. Davis, Rob- ert P. Fitch, William H. Gillespie, John D. McRae, Fred H. Norton, Galen Oderkirk, Frank Shevlin and T. H. Wentworth, jr.
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The present members of the bar in Oswego city are Edwin Allen, J. B. Alexander, Bronson Babcock, Louis W. Baker, C. W. Barnes, H. C. Benedict, J. E. Blodgett, Charles N. Bulger, B. B Burt, George N. Burt, Fred T. Cahill, Henry R. Carrier, jr., George T. Clark, John C. Churchill, Lawrence W. Churchill, S. Mortimer Coon, P. W. Cullinan, Benard Gallagher, W. H. Gardenier, Alfred B. Getty, William W. Green, De Leon F. Hall, F. E. Hamilton, George W. Harmon, J. A. Hathway, J. D. Higgins, J. B. Higgins, Henry L. Howe, H. Albert Jones, William H. Kenyon, Thomas H. King, John J. Lamoree, David P. Lester, D. P. Morehouse, James R. O'Gorman, G. E. Parsons, Clay- ton R. Parkhurst, William A. Poucher, Elisha B. Powell, Max B. Rich- ardson, Wardwell G. Robinson, L C. Rowe, L. L. Sherman, William H. Steele, Merrick Stowell, William Tiffany, John J. White, Charles F. Whitney, and Maurice L. Wright.
Parish .- Archibald N. Ludington was the first lawyer in Parish. He came in 1848 and remained until 1851, when he removed to Fulton and. subsequently became district attorney of the county. He finally removed to Syracuse.
S. T. Parsons succeeded Mr. Ludington in Parish and eventually moved to Michigan, where he was elected to the Legislature.
Newton W. Nutting, a grandson of the pioneer, Thomas Nutting, commenced his legal practice in Parish in 1861. He afterward removed to Oswego, as elsewhere noticed. His brother, Harmon D. Nutting, is now practicing his profession in the village, where he has resided many years. For a time he was a resident of Virginia, where he was elected to the State Senate. Edwin G. Lynch is also a legal practitioner in Parish, and has resided there several years. Lorenzo W. Robinson was admitted in 1861, practiced there for a short time, and removed to Phoenix. Other lawyers have been I. S. Aiken, Edwin Baker, and W. W. Ludington.
Phoenix .- It is impossible to ascertain any reliable information re- specting the pioneer attorneys in Phoenix. Henry W. Wheeden was admitted in April, 1853, and at once opened an office there. He is now deceased. William Gilbert, now of Syracuse, was one of his earlier con- temporaries. D. D. McKoon came about 1855 and is now practicing in New York city. Lorenzo W. Robinson, now deceased, was admitted
Ile Huntington 6
1
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in 1861, practiced in Parish a short time, and settled in Phoenix. Henry A. Brainard studied with David & McKoon, served in the Civil war from 1864 until its close, and was admitted in April, 1866. At one time he was special county judge. J. B. Powers was admitted while in Phoenix, practiced there for a time, and now resides in Dubuque, Iowa. Alfred Morton came about 1858 or '59 and now lives in Iowa. A. B. Getty, now of Oswego, was formerly a lawyer there.
The present legal practitioners are Charles W. Avery, Francis David, Addison D. Merry, and O. M Reilly.
Pulaski .- Abram P. Vosburg settled in Pulaski from the Mohawk valley, and was admitted to the bar at the first term of court held for Oswego county in 1816. James A. Davis, James J. Petitt, and Harvey J. Harmon were other early lawyers of Pulaski.
Chester Hayden obtained his legal education in Rome, N. Y., where he became a partner of Wheeler Barnes. In 1817 he removed to Pulaski and engaged in practice. Later he was a partner in mercantile business with Milton Harmon in Oswego, but finally resumed his pro- fession. He was master in chancery, surrogate in 1821-23, and mem- ber of assembly in 1825. In 1828 he removed to Oneida county and was elected judge. He subsequently had charge of a law school in Saratoga. He died February 6, 1863.
Andrew Zimmerman McCarty was born in Dutchess county, N. Y., in July, 1808, came to Pulaski in 1829, and died April 23, 1879. He studied law and was admitted July 15, 1831, and during forty-eight years occupied a prominent position in the county bar. He served as loan commissioner, bank examiner, assemblyman in 1848, county clerk in 1841-43, member of congress for two years, register in bankruptcy, and in other minor positions. He was an able man and much respected in the community.
Sylvanus C. Huntington, son of Joseph, was a native of Vermont and a graduate of Dartmouth College in 1845. In 1846 he married a sister of Andrew S. Warner and entered the law office of A. Z. McCarty in Pulaski. He was admitted in 1847 and at once began practice in Belleville, N. Y., whence he removed to Pulaski in 1849, where he passed the remainder of his life. He was county judge from 1856 to 1859 inclusive, and was elected district attorney in 1865, but soon re-
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signed the office. May 23, 1888, his wife died and in December, 1890, he married the widow of James W. Fenton. Judge Huntington's only partner was his son, in 1882, who continues in practice in his father's old office. Judge Huntington was an able, industrious lawyer, a leader of the bar of Oswego county, and a highly respected citizen. As a judge he was impartial and gained the confidence and esteem of the bar of the county. His long and persistent connection with the celebrated Greenfield murder case gave him a wide reputation. He died in 1894. A fuller account is elsewhere given.
Other lawyers who have practiced in Pulaski were Vosburg & Miller. J. W. Helm, Marinus W. Mathews, Charles Rhodes (noticed in Oswego), Benjamin F. Rhodes, John A. Rhodes, John B. Watson, Joseph T. Stevens, Daniel McCarty, James W. Fenton, Andrew Z. McCarty, jr., Daniel L. Wilder, Charles B. King, J. R. Brown, and Samuel H. Wan- dell.
The present practitioners are Irving G. Hubbs, Sylvanus C. Hunt- ington, jr., Don A. King (one of the oldest lawyers in the county), Burnside E. Parkhurst, John Preston, John W. Shea, Nathan B. Smith, Frederick G. Whitney, and Frank E. Jones.
Sand Bank .- Irving W. Eastman, now deceased, practiced law in Sand Bank from 1868 to 1878. John Preston was a practitioner there from 1882 to 1884, when he removed to Pulaski, where he now resides. W. T. Eastman and B. N. Brainard were also practicing lawyers there for a time. John M. Brown, the present only attorney in that village, has followed his profession there several years.
Sandy Creek .- Henry L. Howe, now the attorney for the Kingsford Starch Factory in Oswego, practiced law in Sandy Creek from 1860 to 1878. He was surrogate of Oswego county from 1868 to 1872.
Azariah Wart was born in Boylston, March 4, 1822, the fifth child of John and Rachel Wart, pioneers of that town. Mr. Wart tried his first case in justice's court at the age of twenty-one, and from then until 1853 his services as a counselor and advocate were frequently sought. In that year he left the farm and began the study of law, being admitted in 1859. He settled in Sandy Creek, where he has since resided, having retired from active life a few years ago. He was supervisor in 1851-52, 1854, and 1856, and in 1853 was elected to the
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Assembly. For several years he served as clerk and attorney of the Board of Supervisors. He was married twice and had seven children, of whom a son is postmaster at Sandy Creek.
John C. Babcock, deceased, practiced there from 1873 to 1875 in- clusive, and W. D. Baker in 1879 and 1880. Udelle Bartlett has fol- lowed the legal profession at Sandy Creek since 1878, at which time he was admitted.
Danforth E. Ainsworth read law with Henry L. Howe, was ad- mitted in April, 1873, and immediately thereafter formed a partnership with his preceptor, which continued until Mr. Howe's removal to Oswego in 1878, since which time he has practiced alone. Mr. Ains- worth has been actively identified with the politics of Northern New York and has filled with honor many responsible positions. A more extended sketch of him appears elsewhere in this volume.
West Amboy .- Henry Garber began his practice in West Amboy, but soon removed to Cleveland. E. C. Lowell is the only legal practitioner there at the present time.
Williamstown .- The first resident lawyer in Williamstown was Stephen Cromwell, who removed to Camden, where he still resides. The second legal practitioner was James S. Dode, and the third was Egbert Moore, who moved to Camden and thence to Denver, Col. William H. Steele was a lawyer in Williamstown from about 1868 to 1887. Robert Carter who practiced here from 1875 to 1880, finally went west and abandoned his profession. Owen M. Riley came in 1886 and removed to Phoenix in 1888. Edward Dixon, who came in 1878, is the only attorney now in the town.
The following list constitutes the present bar of Oswego county :
Constantia-Wm. H. Baker, Wm. B. Baker, Frederick W. Lander.
Cleveland-James Gallagher.
Central Square -- Charles R. Coville (recently opened an office in New York), Henry D. Coville.
Fulton -- Chas. F. Boyd, Chas. H. David, E. B. McCully, S. B. Mead, Henry E. Nichols, Giles S. Piper, Arvin Rice, F. G. Spencer, Wm. C. Stephens, Melvin F. Stevens, N. N. Stranahan, F. J. Van Wagenen, jr.
Hannibal-H. M. Barrett, N. B. Brower, D. D. Metcalf, D. J. Van Auken.
Mexico -- Geo. W. Bradner, Geo. G. French, Fred E. French, Geo. H. Goodwin, John D. Hartson, J. A. Johnson, C. I. Miller, Wm. C. Shumway, T. W. Skinner. 35
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Orwell-A. S. Barker, Edward L. Lyons.
Oswego City -- Edwin Allen, J. B. Alexander, Bronson Babcock, Louis W. Baker, C. W. Barnes, H. C. Benedict, J. E. Blodgett, C. N. Bulger, B. B. Burt, G. N. Burt, Fred T. Cahill, Henry R. Carrier, jr., Geo. T. Clark, John C. Churchill, Lawrence W. Churchill, S. M. Coon, P. W. Cullinan, Bernard Gallagher, W. H. Gardenier, Alfred B. Getty, Will- iam W. Green, De Leon F. Hall, F. E. Hamilton, Geo. W. Harman, J. A. Hathway, J. D. Higgins, J. B. Higgins, Henry L. Howe, H. Albert Jones, Wm. H. Kenyon, Thos. H. King, John J. Lamoree, David P. Lester, Andrew Z. McCarty, D. P. Morehouse, James, R. O'Gorman, G. E. Parsons, Clayton R. Parkhurst, Wm. A. Poucher, Elisha B. Powell, Max B. Richardson, W. G. Robinson, L. C. Rowe, L. L. Sherman, Wm. H. Steele, Merrick Stowell, Wm. Tiffany, John J. White, Chas. F. Whitney, Maurice L. Wright.
Parish -- Edwin G. Lynch, Harmon D. Nutting.
Pulaski -- Irving G. Hubbs, S. C. Huntington, jr., Frank E. Jones, Don A. King, B. E. Parkhurst, John Preston, John W. Shea, N. B. Smith, Fred G. Whitney.
Phoenix -- C. W. Avery, Francis David, A. D. Merry, O. M. Reilly.
Sand Bank -- J. M. Brown.
Sandy Creek-D. E. Ainsworth, Udelle Bartlett, Azariah Wart.
West Amboy -- E. C. Lowell.
Williamson -- Edward Dixon.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
Medical Organizations-The Medical Society of the County of Oswego-Its Members and Principal Officers- Homoeopathic Medical Society-Eclectic Medical Society- Early Physicians-Biographical Sketches.
The pioneers to any locality have always been closely followed by " the Good Physician." This is one of the unpleasant necessities of human experience. In the early years of the present century the State of New York, unlike Pennsylvania and the New England States, had done very little to encourage science, and there was no school of medi- cine worthy of the name nearer than Boston and Philadelphia. Few young men could then afford to go so far to qualify themselves for a profession, whatever the inducements offered by the future. This led to the prevailing custom among young aspirants for medical practice to enter the office of a neighboring physician, study his books two or three
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years, at the same time accompanying him on professional visits. At the end of such a term the young doctor felt qualified to begin his pro- fessional career.
Laws then governing the admission and practice of physicians were substantially worthless; but in 1806 the Legislature passed an act re- pealing former laws applying to this profession, and authorizing a gen- eral State Medical Society and County Societies. Under the provisions of this act the Medical Society of the County of Oswego was organized June 9, 1821, at the school-house in Oswego village, with Benjamin Coe in the chair, and Luther Cowan, secretary. The early records of this society were twice destroyed by fire, rendering it impossible to present more than a mere reminiscence of the early proceedings of what is now one of the oldest organizations in this county. Among its origi- nal members were Anson Fay and Luther Cowan, of Volney; Allen Andrews, of Pulaski; Stephen F. Kinney, of New Haven ; Sardius Brewster, of Mexico ; Benjamin Coe, of Oswego; J. Gurnsey, Dr. Grid- ley, and possibly others.
The first officers of the society were Benjamin Coe, president ; Stephen F. Kinney, vice-president ; Luther Cowan, secretary ; Anson Fay, treasurer ; J. Gurnsey, Luther Cowan, and Anson Fay, censors. The second meeting was held at the house of Ezra May on the first Tuesday in June, 1822. The following is a complete list of physicians and sur- geons who have joined the society from its organization to the present time :
1821-Anson Fay, Volney ; S. F. Kinney, New Haven ; Allen Andrews, Pulaski ; Gridley, Sardius Brewster, Mexico; Benjamin Coe, Oswego ; L. Cowan, Volney. 1822 -- S. Dunlop, Samuel Torbutt, Williamstown; H. G. Torbutt, Williamstown ; Samuel Freeman, Williamstown.
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