Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 99

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 99

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LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

family consisted of two sons and five daughters-Achsie (Spencer), died in 1892; Marcia (Ladd) lives in Hastings, N. Y .: Laura (Shields), West Monroe; Frances (In- gerson), West Monroe; John E. Sperry, Madison county; Hattie (Pettit), died in 1889; Arthur W. Sperry lives in Geneva, N. Y.

Stewart, Phineas, of Scotch ancestry, was a grandson of Eathol Stewart, born in Massachusetts, who died in Oswego county, and a son of Benjamin, who died in Sandy Creek, aged seventy-seven. The latter married Patience Look, who died aged seventy-three. Their children were Caroline, born in 1830; Phineas, born in 1832; Benjamin, born in 1834; Abigail, born in 1837; Martha, born in 1840; Eseck, born in 1852. Abigail died in 1882. Our subject married Emily, daughter of David and Sarah Ehle, and they have one adopted son, Herman, who, in December, 1893, married Emma, daughter of Edson and Melissa Deremo of Sandy Creek.

Parkhurst, Wallace B., was born in Hastings June 9, 1844, son of William B. and Alta Parkhurst, was educated in Hastings and Mexico, worked on his father's farm after leaving school, and conducts the farm formerly owned by his father, consisting of about ninety acres, mostly under a high state of cultivation. He was married in March, 1874, to Harriet Perfield.

Perry, Thomas E., was born in Oneida county, of Welsh ancestry, August 11, 1827, a son of John Perry, who was born in Wales and died in Oneida county, aged seventy- six years. He came to America in 1818. He married Mary Thomas, by whom he had these children: John (deceased), Henry, and Thomas E. Mrs. Perry died in this county, aged eighty-eight. She was also a native of Wales. Our subject was edu- cated in Oneida and Herkimer counties, and came to this locality in 1849, where he settled on his present farm. He is a Mason and a Granger. February 16, 1849, he married Ann Thomas of Frankfort, a daughter of Thomas Thomas, and their children are Hattie, George, Mary and Walter. Hattie married Charles Powers, of Pulaski, a hotel keeper, and has one child; George married Ellia Edick, and has two children ; Mary married Fred Wirmer of Holmesville and has one child; Walter married Emma Gangewer and resides in Washington, D. C., being employed in the War Depart- ment. He has one child.

Parsons, H. F., Palermo, was born March 5, 1835. Andrew Parsons, his father, was born September 6, 1790. Andrew Parsons, his grandfather, was a native of Ver- mont. The father married Catherine Rice January 1, 1816, and their children by this marriage were Minerva, Andrew and Emory. Catherine, wife of Andrew Parsons died December 5, 1823. He then married Phoebe Eastwood of Pennsylvania, Feb- ruary 19, 1826, and their children were Marian and H. F., the subject. He died when H. F. was eleven years of age, and the latter, at the age of seventeen, took a half interest with his brother Emory. He married, May 7, 1853, Mary A., daughter of Rev. J. Smedley of Palermo. Their children are Erwin E., Ida A., and Carrie J., all married.

Parker, Peter A., was born in Herkimer county in 1835, son of Archibald and Cas- sandra (Hoxie) Parker, natives of Herkimer and Madison counties, who lived and died in Herkimer county. Mr. Parker was reared on a farm, married in 1858 Marga- ret, the daughter of Peter and Jane (Warburton) Roscoe, and six years later located

FAMILY SKETCHES.

on his present farm in Schroeppel. His wife died in 1893, leaving three daughters, Florence C., wife of Calvin Cory, Fanny L. and Mary Maud Parker.

Phillips, William M., was born in the town of West Monroe in 1856, a son of Elijah H., who is also a native of West Monroe, born in 1828, and a son of Peter, a native of Kinderhook, Columbia county, whose father was Jacob, who came to West Monroe in 1819. Elijah while young followed boating on the canal and later has devoted his time to farming. He has been a resident of the -town of Constantia since 1864, and has always taken an active interest in politics. His wife was Emeline Milton, a na- tive of New Hampshire. The result of this marriage was six children, the names of those surviving being William M., Mrs. Olivia M. Goodwin of Hastings, Eliza J. and Wendell E. The subject began for himself when twenty-three by purchasing a farm. In 1880 he married Emily, daughter of William Merchant of West Monroe. In 1884 they removed to their present farm of forty acres in the southwest corner of the town, where they have a pleasant home in view of Oneida Lake, with five children, namely: Leon E., Leola A., Lester L., Lyle A., and Leland E.

Peck, F. S., is a native of Herkimer county, born in 1826. He married there Eliz- abeth Chapman, who died in 1873, leaving two children, Medora J. and Alonzo Adel- bert, who died aged nineteen. Mr. Peck is a carpenter by trade, and in 1826 moved to Lorain county, Ohio, where he resided a few years. He also lived in Jackson county, Mo. In 1879 he married Cordelia Gardner of Schroeppel and located here. He made cheese ten or eleven years, since which time he has farmed. He is an en- thusiastic Prohibitionist, and has attended most of the conventions held in the State.

Phelps, W. B., was born in Eaton, Madison county, September 24, 1817. His early days were spent on a farm. His father died when he was fourteen years of age, when he went to live with an uncle in Springfield, Mass., finally coming to Oswego when twenty-one years old (September 10, 1839). From that date he lived almost uninterruptedly in this city, commencing his business career as a teacher of writing, then clerked in shoe, hat and ship chandlery stores; after which his destiny carried him aboard of some of the largest lake steamers, where he soon became purser, and having the confidence of his managing officers was always appealed to and counseled with in cases of emergency and danger. It was one of the delights of Mr. Phelps's life to relate the experiences of his steamboat career, when steamboating was the great means of transporting the westward bound thousands, before the railroad com- panies laid rails west of Buffalo. Mr. Phelps lived in Buffalo about two years, 1860-61; but as Buffalo was presumably going down hill and Oswego was the prom- ising, growing city, he came back here and engaged with the Ontario Steamboat Company as chief clerk, and was the managing, active man until under his advice the boats were sold to the Canadiansin 1867. At this period the then Oswego and Syra- cuse Railroad Company were looking for an able, executive man. Mr. Phelps was at once offered the superintendency, and that the management made no mistake was illustrated in the history of the road. It passed in perpetual lease in 1869 to the D., L. and W. Railroad Company, and Mr. Phelps was highly appreciated by the man- agment of that powerful corporation. He gave up the laborious duties of the super- intendency in May, 1885, and up to the time of his fourth attack of paralysis, which occurred while he was sitting in his office chair in the D., L. and W. depot, May 14,

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY

1894, filling the position of general agent, he was closely identified with every move of importance in the policy of the handling of this great company in this section. During his long railroad life he declined the superintendency of the Flint and Pere Marquette, Utica and Black River, and Lake Ontario Shore Railroads. He was never in public office except as alderman for two terms from the Third Ward. His ancestors were Puritan stock, and he always referred with great pride to the fact that his grandfather carried a musket at Bunker Hill. He married Caroline Matilda Stone in 1843, with whom he enjoyed forty-six years of happy married life that well might stand as a model for all creation. When Mrs. Phelps was called into eternity, Oswego lost one of its most cherished Christian and philanthropic charac- ters and her husband a companion such as angels only know. She died September 25, 1889, in her sixty-third year. Mr. Phelps's health was gradually failing; he saw and often spoke to his friends "that the purple mists of the eternal city were in sight over the hilltops." Until he was overtaken with his fatal illness he was in a par- tially unconscious state for two months, and on the morning of the 17th of May, 1894, he peacefully fell asleep. Mr. Samuel Bowles, editor of the Springfield Republican, wrote editorially as follows: " William B. Phelps, an interesting and charming char- acter, who spent the early years of his long and happy life in Springfield, died at Oswego, N. Y., on Wednesday (age seventy-six). He came to this town as a boy to live with his uncle, Benjamin Phelps, who we believe kept the Exchange Hotel on Main street in its palmy days. He remained here until 1843, and then went to Oswego, which, with slight interruption, was his home for the rest of his life. Mr. Phelps became a prominent and beloved citizen of Oswego and a well known character among railroad men, with a large circle of friends scattered over the coun- try, including many celebrated personages. He had an exceedingly winning person- ality, in which a quaint humor, sunny disposition and a genuine kindness of heart were the distinguishing traits. His memory of past events and experiences was wonderful, and he reinforced it by a carefully kept diary, which is said to be a treas- ury of the local history of Oswego for fifty years past. Mr. Phelps loved to recall his boyhood days and to visit the scenes amid which they were passed here in Spring- field. He came to the quarter-millennial celebration in 1886, and had been here once or twice since. He was a member of the light infantry company which flourished here in his day, and ever retained the deepest interest in military affairs. Indeed, he was known in Oswego and the surrounding region by the modest title of ' Corporal.' The Oswego papers contain long sketches of his career and warm tributes to his memory." Love of country was one of the marked traits of his char- acter; the "spirit of '76" animated him always. He was in every pulse of his heart a loyal American. Loyalty to the flag was all a man needed, in his estimation, to entitle him to an even start and a clear course in the race for the best prizes in the gift of the republic. In the southwest wall of the old First Presbyterian church in Oswego Mr. Phelps had erected a marble tablet containing the names of the first in- dividuals who organized the society, showing the interest he took in perpetuating the names of those who long ago struggled to form the little band that has left such a rich heritage. Mr. Phelps left four children-Mrs. B. S. Ould, Mrs. C. H. Bond, John P. Phelps and W. B. Phelps, jr.

Piguet, Francis, was born in Cicero in July, 1857, son of John Peter Piguet, a

FAMILY SKETCHES.

native of France, born in 1818, one of eight children of Xavier and Frances Piguet of the same place, who came to the United States in 1828 direct to Hastings and set- tled on a farm. John P., the father of subject, has always been a farmer, and now resides in Mallory with his daughter. His wife was Mary Ann Mohat, and their children are Mrs. Mary Ann Courbat of Mallory; Mrs. Adaline Hepp of Cicero; Frank of Syracuse; Mrs. Elizabeth Maurer of Long Branch; George and Anthony of Mallory; Mrs. Margaret Robinson of West Monroe; Mrs. Jane Kramer of Syra- cuse; John of Mallory; Mathew, and our subject. The latter began life for himself at the age of twenty-one as a farmer in Cicero. In 1887 he moved to West Monroe, where he has since been engaged in farming. In 1893 in connection with farming he engaged in the manufacture of shingles and barrel headings. He has served as commissioner of highways two terms and other minor offices. In 1880 he married Elizabeth Pattit of Little France, and they have two children, Florence L. and Alfred L. Mr. Piguet is a member of Little France cornet band, and he and wife are mem- bers of the Grange.

Piguet, John, was born in Cicero, Onondaga county, in May, 1855, son of John P. Piguet, a native of France, born in 1818, whose parents were Xavier and Frances Piguet of the same place. John P., father of our subject, resides with his daughter in Mallory. His wife was Mary Ann Mohat, by whom he had ten children, Mrs. Joseph Courbat of Mallory; Mrs. Adaline Hepp of Cicero; Frank, Mrs. Elizabeth Maurer of Long Branch; George, Anthony, Mrs. Margaret Robinson of West Mon- roe ; Mrs. Jane Kramer of Syracuse; John and Francis. Subject remained with his parents until twenty-one, then worked on a farm two years, later engaged in black- smithing in Mallory for two years. In 1880 he began farming for himself in Hast- ings, and was for some years interested in threshing grain. He now acts as miller in a grist mill for his brother-in-law, Joseph Courbat in Mallory. In November, 1880, he married Mary, daughter of Anthony Courbat of Hastings, and their children are Clarence A., born in 1882; and Clara A., born in 1892. Mr. Piguet has served as highway commissioner and collector several terms, and he and wife are members of the Central Square Grange.

Piguet, George, was born in Little France, West Monroe, in July, 1844, son of John P. Piguet a native of France, born in 1818, one of eight children of Xavier and Frances Piguet of the same place. Subject's father now resides with his daughter, Mrs. Joseph Courbat. His wife was Mary Ann Mohat, and their children were Mrs. Adaline Hepp of Cicero; Mrs. Mary A. Courbat of Mallory; Frank, Mrs. Elizabeth Maurer of Long branch; George, Anthony, Mrs. Margaret Robinson of West Mon- roe; Mrs. Jane Kramer of Syracuse; John and Francis. Subject was reared on a farm, and when eighteen went to Syracuse and clerked for some years. In 1879 he established a general mercantile store in Mallory, which he now conducts. In 1872 he married Katie, daughter of Peter Germain, a native of France, and they have one child, George Albert, born in 1873. Mr. Piguet has always taken an active interest in politics, has been notary public eight years, served on county committee, has been deputy postmaster fifteen years, and is trustee of the Catholic Church at Little France. He also conducts a farm of 100 acres.

Phelps, W. B., jr., was born in Buffalo, N. Y., April 21, 1859, receiving his educa- tion in the public schools of Oswego, where his family moved for the second time in

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

1860, and finishing in the Boy's English and Classical School (Prof. E. J. Hamilton's) after which a winter was spent in the Eastman Commercial College at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Mr. Phelps entered the freight office of the Delaware, Lackawanna and West- ere Railroad Company in April, 1877, and after following a clerkship for two years, was promoted to the joint ticket agency of the D. L. & W. and R. W. & O. Railroads, in the then Union Depot. During the thirteen years that he held this responsible po- sition, he was five times elected vice-commodore of the flourishing Oswego Yacht Club, and one year commodore. Joining the Masonic fraternity in May, 1889, he rapidly filled the different chairs, and was master of Frontier City Lodge in 1891-92. During the seasons (1887-91 inclusive) that the steamer Ontario ran between Oswego and Alexandria Bay, Mr. Phelps filled the positions of agent, general agent, and gen- eral passenger and freight agent of the line. While in the latter capacity he was delegated by a party of capitalists to go to Europe in the interest of placing a line of boats on Lake Ontario; Mr. Phelps performed his errand to the entire satisfaction of his friends, but too high a premium was demanded on the other side, and the scheme was not closed. Mr. Phelps was a member of the American Association of General Passenger and Ticket Agents, and with that body of representative passen- ger men, enjoyed a three weeks' trip through old Mexico in 1890: this magnificent train of thirteen Pullmans, entertained by the government of Mexico, had a great in- fluence in bringing closer together the relations of the two governments. In June, 1892, Mr. Phelps was appointed agent for the freight and ticket departments of the D. L. & W. Railroad at Oswego, having charge of the Oswego end of the line. In 1881 he purchased the coal and insurance business of Mr. J. B. Donnelly, and erect- ing a coal trestle in rear of the D. L. & W. station, soon became an important factor in the retail coal business in the city. For many years he was treasurer of the R. R. Y. M. C. A. If in any one of his numerous positions in life outside of his business Mr. Phelps was the possessor of friends and fame, it was as owner and skipper of his famous old sloop, the Katie Gray; she was known in every port on the lakes, and stood up to her high standard for speed and sharp sailing; long after her sister ships had been bleaching on the sands, her owner delighted in keeping her in good form, and no yacht probably before or since has gained her reputation. Mr. Phelps's coal office in the City Savings Bank building is one of the oldest coal stands in the city.

Peck, S. E., was born in Lenox, Mass., March 8, 1811, and came to Scriba with his father in 1822, making seventy-two years that he has lived in the town. In 1836 he married Betsey Morgan, who died in 1886. Two children are living, Shubel Peck and Evaline, now Mrs. Almon Tiffany. S. E. Peck was formerly connected with a rifle company, and is greatly respected in this section for his long and honorable life. His son, Shubel, sails from Buffalo to Chicago. He married Emily Christman, and his son, F. Peck, married Alice Coon and they have two children. His daughter, Ella, married W. Marshall and has one child. There are four generations of the Peck family now living.

Prentiss, J. C., was born in Oneida county May 12, 1832. He learned the trade of joiner and followed it thirty years, when he took up farming in connection with his trade. Mr. Prentiss married first Adeline Barnes, and they had one son, Frank H., of Boston. His second wife was Amelia (Worden) Bates. Mr. Prentiss's father was Samuel Prentiss and his mother Almira (Brewster) Prentiss. Frank H. married El- len Crook of Nova Scotia.

FAMILY SKETCHES.

Place, Andrew G., was born in New Haven in 1819. His father was Andrew Place, a powerful man, physically and mentally, of good talents, a fine speaker, a great politician, and a Jacksonian Democrat. He was a captain in the war of 1812. He married Viotte Anderson, of Paris, Oneida county, and died in this town in 1852, aged sixty-five, and his wife in 1870, aged eighty-three. Andrew G. lived a few years in Oneida county, then spent ten or twelve years in Sandy Creek. He then spent three years in Jefferson county, one year at Port Ontario, and in 1837 returned to his native town. In 1841 he married Cornelia, daughter of Hirm Taylor, of Ellisburg, Jefferson county, and their family consists of these children: Immogene; Ada Jose- phine, who died in 1864, aged eighteen ; Gertrude, who died in 1851, aged two years ; Eveline and Ellistine, who are now living.

Pulver, Walter H., general manager of the T. Kingsford Family Supply Stores of Oswego, was born in this town September 16, 1852. His grandfather, George B., was born in Germany, came to this conntry and died in New Jersey, aged eighty- seven. The father, William W., was born in this State and is now living, aged sev- enty-two. He married Charlotte A. Cook, who is now living, aged sixty-eight. Our subject clerked for his father in a general store, and in 1874 was taken into partner- ship. In 1877 he engaged with T. Kingsford as clerk, it then being a single store, carrying a stock of about $30,000. Two years later he was made general manager of the entire store, which has grown under his management to an annual business of $200,000, employing over thirty people. Mr. Pulver is a Mason of the Mystic Shrine, Commander of Lake Ontario Commandery, No. 32 K. T., Oswego Lodge, No. 127, Damascus Temple. In 1878 he married Laura W., daughter of Hon. Charles North and Harriet N. White of Oswego, and their children are Harriet, born June 19, 1881; Helen C., born October 19, 1883; Harold N., born August 9, 1890, all living.

Rogers, John, son of Bernard, was born in Ireland in 1840, and came to America when a young man. After working several years at his trade as a tanner, he came to Williamstown in 1870 and started in business, where he has since been one of the successful merchants. He married Elizabeth Macken, and their children were Ber- nard, who died in 1891, aged twenty-four, and Anna Rogers, who is bookkeeper with her father.

Robinson, John H., of Irish and English descent, was born in Richland January 23, 1860. His grandfather, James, died in Oswego county, aged eighty-eight, and his father, Dennis, died in Oswego county, aged sixty-four. The latter married Harriet E. Gates, and their children were John H., Myra B. and Nellie M. John H. was educated at Pulaski Academy and has always followed farming. November 24, 1880, he married Kittie M. McChesney, daughter of Dwight and Medora McChesney of Pulaski. Her father spent his life on the lakes and later as a mechanic. The children of our subject are Lizzie L., Dorr D., and Hattie M. One of the ancestors of both Mr. and Mrs. Robinson served in the British army in the War of 1812. Mr. Robinson now owns the homestead of Daniel Pratt, on which is standing and in use to-day one of the most unique houses in the county, having been built by Daniel Pratt about 1845 and is composed entirely of cobble stones, none of which is larger than a turkey's egg.

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

Ramsey, John, a native of Mexico, was born in 1834, and married Esther Parker in 1857, after which he located on his present farm in Texas, where he follows dairy farming, He was postmaster of Texas during Harrison's administration, and has been assessor for the past eleven years. He has four children, Adelia, William Ward and Spencer. His father, William, was born in Scotland in 1800, and when about seventeen years of age came to Oneida county, and there married Agony Steele, also a native of Scotland, who died in New Jersey in 1873. William died in Mexico in 1879.

Reid, Edward, was born March 3, 1849, in Albion, son of James and Rebecca (Robinson) Reid. James Reid was born in Ireland in 1803, and came to Kirkland, Oneida county, worked at farming six years, then bought a farm in Albion, on which he lived until he died. He was one of the oldest settlers in Albion, and had four- teen children, ten of whom are now living. Subject was educated in Albion, also at Whitestown Seminary, then went to work on his father's farm, and later bought a farm of his own, which he worked one year. He sold this farm and went into the livery business, and subsequently added the hotel business, both of which he con- ducted three years. He then went to Pennsylvania where he remained ten years, returned to Parish in 1884 and soon became identified with the livery business, also owns a farm. Mr. Reid has made Parish the headquarters for commercial travelers who come to that point by rail, and there hire teams to visit a large radius of sur- rounding territory, He married, February 3, 1871, Mary J. Rugg, and has one son, William B., born October 16, 1874, now studying for a physician.

Rood, Horace J., was born June 9, 1844, in Pittsfield, Oswego county, son of Wel- come and Roby Rood. His father moved from New England to Mt. Upton, built there a large factory, which was destroyed by fire, occasioning him a large loss, as there was no insurance. From Mt. Upton he moved to Pittsfield, where he cleared a farm and built and operated a rope factory, and here the subject of the present sketch was born. He was educated in Clayville and Pittsfield. His father then left Pittsfield and moved to Edmeston, where he operated a fulling mill, also a saw mill and conducted a farm. From there the family moved to Parish. Here they bought a farm and Horace cleared it up, put up the buildings and operated the farm. Hor- ace J. now owns this farm and also the adjoining one, conducting both. Mr. Rood has been assessor of Parish sixteen years and has two years more of an unexpired term to serve. Mr. Rood's long term as assessor attests the high estimation in which he is held by his townsmen. He was married April 9, 1870, to Mary Jane Horning of Dugway, Albion, N. Y. He has eight children: Edna, Myrtle, Rosie, Clinton, Pearly, Gladys, Iva and Bessie.

Robbins, Wilfred A., the postmaster of Mexico, was born in Herkimer county in 1853, lived there till thirteen years old, then came to Mexico with his parents, Lyman and Jane (Beebe) Robbins, he a native of Herkimer county, born in 1815, and she of Oswego county, born in 1817. They were married in 1838. The mother died in 1888, and the father is a resident of Mexico. He was an assessor seven or eight years in Herkimer county, and for eighteen years in Mexico. Wilfred A. was edu- cated at the Mexico Academy, and engaged in grist milling with his father till he was appointed postmaster of Mexico under President Harrison's administration, June 18,

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Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 99

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