Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 110

Author: Hakes, Harlo, 1823- ed; Aldrich, Lewis Cass. cn
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 1180

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Swarts, William O., was born in Barrington, Yates county, September 21, 1830, son of John and Mary Ann Snook Swarts, and grandson of T. Walt Swarts, one of the pioneer settlers of Yates county, who came from New Jersey. Mrs. Swarts's father came from Deckertown, N. J., to Barrington, and was a farmer and inn- keeper. John Swarts was a farmer of Yates county, where he died. Mrs. Swarts still survives, being eighty years of age. William O. is a farmer and now owns 220 acres of land, making a specialty of sheep raising and dairy farming. He has always been a Republican, casting his first vote for Lincoln. He is a member of Sentinel Lodge No. 151, F. & A. M., of Greenwood. In 1861 Mr. Swarts married Mary, a daughter of Peter and Jane Boon of Barrington, by whom he had seven chil- dren: Estella, Ella, Mattie, Hattie, John, Matie, and Glenn.

Townley, Edward L., was born in Corning in 1861, son of William Townley and Harriet C. Lyon Townley, natives of New York, who came to Corning about 1850. The father was a cabinetmaker and died in 1891, aged sixty-seven; the mother re- sides in Corning. Mr. Townley is one of a family of three children raised to maturity, the others being Lauretta, who died in 1866, aged twenty-eight, and William F., jr., who resides in Corning. Mr. Townley married Anna May Oldfield in 1886. He has 220 acres where they reside and 136 adjoining. He follows general farming and small fruit growing.

Swan, Orrin, was born in Addison, December 11, 1827, son of Orrin and Sarah (Allen) Swan, he a native of Connecticut, born December 12, 1798, and she born in 1798. The grandfather was in the Revolutionary war, as was also the maternal grandfather. Orrin Swan, father of Orrin, jr., came to Addison in 1826 and settled on a farm. He died at Tuscarora in 1890, aged ninety-three years, and his wife September 16, 1868, while on a visit to her son. Orrin Swan was reared on a farm · and educated in the common schools. He has staged it considerable, and has also been in the freight business. He was in the mercantile business, and kept hotel at Five Corners for some years. He owned a farm in Tuscarora and July 9, 1848, came to Jasper, and in 1854 bought a farm of seventy acres. He now owns about 200 acres, and also has sixty-three acres in Addison. He has been constable, overseer of the poor, and collector of taxes during the war. He is a member of the Jasper Grange, No. 619, and was a member of the Sons of Temperance. In 1843 he mar- ried Mary A. Marlatt, by whom he had one child, Julia, who died in infancy. Mrs. Swan died July 2, 1854, and March 9, 1856, he married Lovina E. Joy of Chenango county, N. Y., by whom he had these children: Thomas O., born August 22, 1857; Abel D., born February 17, 1861, and died July 13, 1864; Emery F., born De- cember 10, 1863, and died July 10, 1864; Anson, born March 26, 1865, deceased;

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Carrie D. and Cora B., twins, born July 13, 1867, and Carrie died in September, 1874. Thomas O. has been proprietor of a hotel in Jasper and in Green- wood, and is now a farmer in Jasper. He married Sarah Conlin, by whom he had one son, Andrew B. Cora is the wife of W. L. Goodsell, son of Joel S. Goodsell. Mr. Swan has been trustee of Five Corners Cemetery for forty years, the same being deeded to the trustees and their successors in office.

Sharp, Abram V., was born in Amsterdam, St. Lawrence county, March 27, 1828, son of Lawrence Sharp, who was also born in Amsterdam, and came to the town of Howard in 1836, where they cleared a farm of 150 acres. He married Judith O'Con- ner of Amsterdam, and they were the parents of the following children: Burney O., of Howard; Jane M., now Mrs. C. C. Graves; John G., a farmer, now living on the homestead; Thomas E., a farmer in this town; and Abram V., also a farmer in the town of Howard, who owns a farm of 210 acres on the Turnpike. He married Fidelia, daughter of Daniel M. Bennett of Howard, one the descendants of the pioneer family of that name. Mr. and Mrs. Sharp are the parents of two children: Clara, now Mrs. George Edgett of Howard, and Lawrence. The grandchildren are: Lena, Abbie, and Ellen Sharp, Vinnie and Fidelia Edgett. Mr. Sharp has filled the office of as- sessor for six years. In politics he is a Republican.

Smith, Alonzo, was born in the town of Hornellsville, March 3, 1848, son of Abra- ham T. Smith, who was born in Schuyler county, N. Y., May, 1817. This family was originally from Schuyler county, but came to Howard and settled on a farm, and now resides in Hornellsville. He married Elmira Nicholson from the vicinity of Scranton, Pa. They were the parents of eight children: Ira, George, deceased, Lucinda, Alonzo, Malissa, Flora, Hubert, and Thaddeus, now a doctor in Cameron. Alonzo is a farmer by occupation and owns a farm of 117 acres. First, he married Electa, daughter of Henry Formon of Howard, and they have four children: Ada, Nellie, Flora, and Ella. Flora died at the age of sixteen. The second time he mar- ried Sarah, daughter of John R. Southerly of Hornellsville, and three children were born to them: Rosco S., Alonzo, jr., and Bertha. They are members of the M. E. church.

Stowell, Marcus, was born in the town of Afton, Chenango county, March 1, 1847, a son of Richard S. and Almira (Vinton) Stowell, who settled here in 1871. They had four children: Emily J., Mary Young, Marcus, and Henry. Marcus Stowell married Helen, a daughter of Sterling Hart, by whom he has four children: Floyd, Arthur, Guy, and Frank. Mr. Stowell has been supervisor of the town for seven terms. He is a member of the Lawrenceville I. O. O. F., Lodge. No. 913. He is a farmer and owns 105 acres of land. He also carries on the merchandise business and was appointed postmaster of Lindley in 1893.

Toby, Benjamin F., was born in the town of Addison (now Tuscarora), March 6, 1846. He is a son of Alonzo and Margaret (Boyer) Toby, who settled in Addison in 1840. They had five children: Benjamin F., Adeline Hoff, Libbie, Katherine, Frances, and William A., of whom the four latter are deceased. Benjamin married Jennie A., a daughter of James L. and Samantha A. Lemunyan, residents of this county. They have four children; Will, Maud, Harry, and Fannie. Mr. Toby is a member of the Maccabees Lodge of Lindley and wascommander for two terms. He was sent as delegate to the State Grand Lodge at Niagara Falls in 1893.

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LANDMARKS OF STEUBEN COUNTY.

Sherwood, Henry F., was born in Tioga county, Pa., in 1849. Orrin Sherwood, father of Henry F., was born in Cameron, Steuben county in 1822, and is one of five children born to Benjamin Sherwood, who was also a native of Cameron, born in the latter part of the eighteenth century, and was a farmer and preacher of the Freewill Baptist doctrine, and would often walk ten miles through the woods to preach on Sundays. He died in Pennsylvania, at the home of his son, Orrin. His wife was Hannah Rice, who died in June, 1895, aged ninety-eight years. At twenty-one years of age Orrin Sherwood went to Tioga county, Pa., where he purchased 130 acres of timber land, which he cleared. He later added seventy acres, the homestead of his wife's parents, where she was born, where they now reside. He married Lucy, daughter of Harvey and Fannie Seeley, by whom he had five children: William H., of Hornellsville; Camelia; Henry; George; and Cassie. Henry F. Sherwood re- mained with his parents until he was twenty-one years of years, when he engaged in the meat business in Bath, and two years later he embarked in the hotel business which he followed two years. In 1875 he removed to Pulteney and purchased his farm of eighty acres, where he has since resided, doing a general farming business. He is a member of the K. O. T. M., Pulteney Lodge, of which he is chaplain. In 1874 he married Mary, daughter of Nathaniel and Lydia (Brush) Rice, of Pulteney.

Sullivan, John W., was born in Pulteney, N. Y., February 11, 1860. His grand- father, John Sullivan, was a native of Ireland, who came to the United States with his brother Peter about 1820, coming direct to Pulteney, where he located on wild timber land and lived under a bridge the first month while he built his log cabin. He cleared two lage farms, raised and dealt in stock, and became wealthy, and lived to be over eighty years old. His brother Peter was 101 years old when he died. Henry Sullivan, father of John W., was born in Pulteney, N. Y., in 1824. He began life as a farmer, but later owned and operated a flour and grist mill in Prattsburg for ten years, after which he removed to Pulteney and engaged in grape culture, in which business he spent his remaining days. He married Laura J. Cole, by whom he had four children: Laura, wife of William H. Taylor, of Pulteney; Sarah, wife of Frank Miller, of Pulteney; John W. ; and Fred M. His wife died in 1864, and he died in 1888. John W. Sullivan, when fourteen years of age, engaged in the flour and grist mill with his uncle, with whom he remained until he learned the trade. In 1881 he returned to Pulteney and engaged in farming for a year, and from 1882 to 1885 was interested in the grape culture. In 1885 he purchased his present farm of 160 acres, with four acres of vineyard, which he has successfully operated sinoe. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., Pulteney Lodge, No. 573, and has filled several of the offices. In 1881 he married Alice, daughter of Ira Brownell, by whom he had two children : Floyd and Jennie.

Selleck, John H., was born in Rathbone, N. Y., son of Zeno C. and Wealthy (Baker) Selleck, both natives of New York. The maternal grandfather, Samuel Baker, fought in the Revolution. He spent his last days in Cameron. Zeno Selleck was a farmer and lumberman. John H. Selleck is engaged in farming and lumbering and owns a farm of 350 acres, eighty acres of which is known as "Rathbone Flats." He began life poor but is now the second largest tax payer in the town. In 1855 he married Martha, daughter of Jonathan Pierce, of Westfield, Pa., by whom he had three children: Silva, wife of Moses Allen, of Cameron, and mother of four children,

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FAMILY SKETCHES.

Alvah, Ida, Ray, and Earnest; James E., educated in Woodhull Academy and Hav- erling Union school,, and now in partnership with his father; and Norman, who died at the age of twenty-three years. The family attend the M. E. church.

Saunders, Isaac M., was born on a farm where his widow now resides, son of Row- land and Laura (Miles) Saunders, who were among the very first of the town, and died on the farm which Mrs. Saunders now owns. Isaac M. Saunders was a farmer. He was a Republican in politics, and was postmaster at West Addison for many years. In 1853 he married Kate, daughter of Rosannah (Duesler) Burlingame, of Montgomery county, N. Y. Her father was in the war of 1812, was wounded, and his widow received a land warrant. He died in 1846, and his wife in 1867. Mr. and Mrs. Saunders have five children: Elma, wife of Charles H. Peterson, of Savona; Eveline B., wife of John S. Wright, of Scio, N. Y .; Mary, wife of John Kelley, of Harpersville, N. Y .; John Saunders, of Hornellsville, an engineer on the Erie rail- road; and Thomas, who was killed June 29, 1885.

Seager, William S., was born in Bath, Steuben county, N. Y., June 12, 1834, son of Jacob and Mary (Hide) Seager ; he was born in Orange county, N. Y., and came to Bath in 1830, where he lived until his death in 1876. His wife died in 1843. William S. was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools, going to school only three years, after which he engaged in farming, and now owns ninety acres of land. In 1866 he married Elinore Creveling, of Thurston, who died in 1877, and in 1878 he married Elizabeth Trumbull, by whom he had six children: Willie L., Irving J., Mary E., Ellen A., Bertie A., and Satie E. In 1862 Mr. Seager enlisted in Co. G, 107th N. Y. Vols., and served three years. He was engaged in the battles of Antie- tam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Resaca, Peach Tree Creek, Dallas, Buzzard Roost, Lookout Mountain, and Atlanta. He was wagonmaster for eighteen months. Mrs. Seager died March 20, 1892. Mr. Seager is a member of Loga Post, G. A. R., No. 469, of Merchantville, N. Y.

Sutton, Oscar W., was born in Cameron, N. Y., October 22, 1850, son of Alex and Mary (Richtmyer) Sutton, he born in Pulteney, N. Y., January 29, 1826, and she in Tompkins county, N. Y., September 15, 1832. The gradfather of our subject was Peter Sutton, who early came to Pulteney, and later to Cameron, where he cleared a farm. He married Mary Decker, of Mohawk Valley. Alex Sutton, father of Oscar W., was a farmer and lumberman in Steuben county. He died January 21, 1868, and his widow lives in the town of Bath, the wife of E. V. Look. Oscar W. was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools and Bath Union School. He is a farmer and a teacher of instrumental and vocal music, and is the leader of Sutton's Cornet Band of Cameron Mills. He is also a teacher of band music. He has eighty acres of land, on which he located in October, 1884, coming from Cam- eron. Mr. Sutton is a Republican in politics, and was constable for a number of years and deputy sheriff for eight years in succession. He is a member of the Cameron Mills Lodge, No. 547, F. & A. M., and Bath Chapter, No. 95, R. A. M., also a member of the De Molay Com., No. 22, Knights Templar, one of the highest orders of Masonry. He has been a member of Red Jacket Tribe, No. 13, I. O. R. M., and is also a member of the Good Templars of Risingville and Farmers' Alliance of Risingville and Merchantville Grange. June 7, 1872, he married Frances, daughter

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LANDMARKS OF STEUBEN COUNTY.

of Bradley Rumsey, who was born in Schuyler county, N. Y., by whom he had two children: Hattie M., born April 28, 1875, was educated in the common schools, and is a teacher of instrumental music; and Maud B., born July 4, 1883.

Smith, Z. C., was born in Tuscarora, N. Y., on the farm he now owns, February 26, 1855, son of Charles O. and Jane A. (Haight) Smith, natives of Oxford and Delhi, N. Y., respectively. The family is of English descent, and the grandfather, Zalmon Smith, died in Chenango county, N. Y. Charles O. Smith, father of Z. C., came to Tuscarora in 1845 and settled on the farm now owned by his son, where he died in 1894. He was a great hunter and killed 1,164 deer and thousands of foxes and coons. Z. C. Smith was educated in the common schools. He has been dealing in nursery stock and horses, but his principal occupation is farming, and he now owns 120 acres of land. He is a Democrat in politics and has been trustee three terms. In 1884 he married Alice, daughter of George Manley, one of the early settlers of Tuscarora, by whom he had five children: Lena, Homer, Girard, Anna, and Henmen.

Smith, Oscar D., was born in Tuscarora, N. Y., June 7, 1848, son of Charles C., mentioned elsewhere in this work. Oscar D. was reared on a farm and educated in Knoxville Academy, from which institution he was graduated in 1867. He has been engaged in selling nursery stock and wagons, but his principal occupation is farming, aud he owns sixty acres of land and a village lot in Addison. He is a Democrat in politics and has been a member of the county committee about twenty years, and has also been inspector for several terms. He is a member of K. of H., No. 2415, and Angle Post, No. 372, of Addison, N. Y. July 2, 1870, he married Sophronia Whitley of Candor, N. Y., by whom he had four children: Ola R., Guy A., Claude D., and Lee. Mrs. Smith died September 29, 1864. February 3, 1863, Mr. Smith enlisted in the 2d N. Y. Vet. Cavalry, and served three months. He re-enlisted September 25, 1864, in Co. G, and afterward in Company C, and served until July 25, 1865. He was at Bentonville, Averysborough, Atlanta, and many skirmishes and was with Sherman on his march to the sea. He was transferred from the 141st to Co. E, 60th N. Y. Vols., and was discharged. Andrew J., a brother, was in 34th N. Y. Vols., and was afterward in the 141st and served until close of the war. Sam- uel A., a brother, enlisted in Co. G, 141st N. Y. Vols., and died at Savannah, Ga., January 6, 1865. Clark D. Smith married Maggie, daughter of Luke, and grand- daughter of Daniel Strait, one of the early settlers of Tuscarora. Guy A. Smith mar- ried Erva, daughter of Emmett, and granddaughter of Daniel Schoonover, who was also one of the early settlers of Tuscarora.

Stid, Calvin, was born in Delaware county, N. Y., November 26, 1817, son of Fred- erick and Lydia Price Stid, he a native of Delaware county, N. Y., and she of New Jersey, and they came to Cayuga county, N. Y., at an early date, and in 1854 located in Tuscarora, where he died in 1855, and his wife in May, 1874. Calvin Stid was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools, and followed farming in Cayuga county until 1854, when he removed to Tuscarora and purchased the farm of 100 acres, where he now resides. He has added to this purchase until he now has 184 acres. In politics he is a Democrat. June 27, 1875, he married Elizabeth New- man, daughter of Archibald and Polly Baxter Manley. The grandfather of Mrs. Stid, George Manley, was one of the first settlers coming from England. The ma-

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ternal grandfather of Mrs. Stid was William Baxter, who was born in Otsego county, and came to Tuscarora at an early day, where he died. Archibald Manley died July 28, 1879, and his wife in December, 1871. To Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Stid have been born one daughter, Beatrice, who is the wife of Alfred Oakden, and they have two children: Leo S., and Luretta M.

Stickney, Carl C., was born in Shoreham, Vt., May 1, 1837. Dr. Tyler Stickney, his grandfather, was a practicing physician in Shoreham, Vt., for many years, and was of the sixth generation from William Stickney of England, who was the founder of the family in America in 1640. Tyler Stickney, father of Carl C., was an only son and a good farmer, but as a breeder of merino sheep he was most successful. He was a pioneer in this business, beginning in 1834, making it his life work, and in 1876 was awarded first premium at the Centennial at Philadelphia, exhibited there by his son. Carl C. Stickney, for many years in partnership with his brother Jacob, carried on his father's farm, continuing extensively in the sheep raising, and in 1867 came to the town of Wheeler and purchased his present farm of 169 acres, bringing with him his share of the sheep from his father's farm, where he has still continued to grow and improve his fine brand of sheep. He has always exhibited specimens of his stock at the town and county fairs, where he has been awarded many of the first premiums, and his flock generally numbers about 150. For some years he was inter- ested in the breeding of fast horses, having imported from Vermont, Lambert Chief, a son of Daniel Lambert, Vermont's greatest horse. Mr. Stickney is a member of the Prattsburg and Steuben County Agricultural Associations, and was for some years vice-president of the latter association. In 1881 he married Julia, daughter of Henry and Mary E. Squires of Bath, by whom he had eight children: Dora, Madge, Charles, Mallory, John, Grace, Wesley, and Elden. Henry Squires was a soldier in the late war, participated in many of the hardest battles, was taken prisoner while guarding property and died in Libby Prison in 1864.

Thompson, Joel, was born in Wheeler, in 1833. Daniel Thompson, his grand- father, was a native of Rensselaer county, a farmer by occupation, and came to the town of Wheeler, where his sons had preceded him several years, and where he died. He reared nine children. Jacob, father of Joel, was born in Rensselaer county, in 1792, and came to Wheeler in 1820, settled in the forest, cleared two farms which contained 250 acres. In connection with his farming he manufactured large quanti- ties of lumber and filled many orders by contract. He filled the office of highway commissioner many years, assessor, collector, etc., and laid out many of the new roads through the town. He married Susan Wheeler, by whom he had three chil- dren: William N., Elenore J., and George. He married for his second wife, Han- nah, daughter of Joel Raymond, a pioneer in Wheeler, by whom he had six children . Lydia, Calvin L., Orval, Joel, John W., and Catherine. He died in May, 1868, and his wife survived him five years. Joel Thompson began for himself when twenty- one years of age, and after a few years at farm work by the month, he purchased a farm on which he lived ten years. In[1869, after the death of his father, he moved on to the farm of 150 acres, where he has since made it his home, doing general farming and raising many sheep. In politics he has always been an ardent Democrat, and served as assessor four years, also collector. In 1858 he married Deborah A., daugh- ter of Henry Derick of Brunswick, Rensselaer county, by whom he had one child,

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Henry. His wife died in 1869. Henry Thompson married Cora D., daughter of -William Foster of Avoca, by whom he had three children: Murton J., Ethel, and Edna.

Trenchard, William H., was born in the town of Waterloo, Albany county, N. Y., in 1819, son of John Trenchard, who was one of three children, John, William and Charity, born to John Trenchard, who was a farmer near Albany, and a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and who died in Albany county. John Trenchard, father of William H., was born in Albany county, in 1796. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and came to the town of Wheeler in 1822, and settled in the forest on wild, unbroken land. He hauled his few household goods and implements on an oxcart a mile and a half from the main road, and carried them a half mile farther into the woods on his back, where he erected him a log cabin and began to clear him a farm, and at that time wild game, such as bear, wolves, deer and panther, abounded. In 1863 he sold this farm to his son William and went to Michigan, but returned and located in Hornellsville, where he died. He married Margaret, daughter of John Arnold, a wealthy farmer of Albany county, by whom he had these children: Esther M., William, Cornelia, Henrietta, Grattan H., Harriett, James R. and Margaret. William H. Trenchard has spent his life since three years of age in the town of Wheeler, and when twenty-two years of age began for himself at farm work by the month. In 1863 he purchased his father's farm and added to it until he owned 230 acres, and for many years was extensively and successfully engaged in breeding Durham cattle, thoroughbred merino sheep, some of the latter he sold for eight dol- lars a head, and also bought and sold large numbers of cattle for beef. He was one of the original promoters and contributors to the Steuben County Fair at Bath, and has exhibited horses, cattle and sheep, never failing to exhibit but one year since its organization, and on his stock exhibits he has secured many first prizes and diplomas. He is also an active worker and stockholder in the Prattsburg Union Fair, and was one of its promoters. For many years he was purchasing agent for wool buyers, and in connection with his farming he was for forty winters engaged in logging, in 1863 getting out one million feet of lumber. He has served as inspector and justice of the peace for many years. In 1846 he married Mary Ann Peck, a na- tive of Bridgeport, Conn., by whom he had these children: Franklin, Delos, Will- iam H. and Mrs. Ida Houpt of Fergus Falls, Minn. His wife died in September, 1862, and in April, 1863, he married Mary Peck, a cousin of his first wife and daugh- ter of John Peck. Mr. Trenchard is now assisted in operating his large farm by his son, Delos.

Eydt, Louis, was born in Hershen, Germany, March 17, 1851, and came to this country with his parents when eighteen years of age. They settled in Canada, and his father, who was a brewer in his native land, started a brewery, which he has con- ducted until 1894, when he gave up the business on account of old age. Louis was given a good education, and, his father being a brewer, he was really reared in a brewery and followed the business all his life. He was in this country three years before his people came, and was employed as superintendent of Beck's brewery in Buffalo for nine years. He was employed seven months in Zeiglen's brewery, and in 1879 he started a brewery, which he conducted for one year alone, and then formed a stock company, of which he was superintendent for one year, and was then fore-

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man in Manning's brewery in Colden for one year. In 1891 he located in Hornells- ville and leased the Leach brewery on River street, which he conducted for four years, and is now employed as sales agent for Camperinor Bros. Mr. Eydt devotes his whole time and attention to his business and family. In May, 1878, he married Anna, daughter of George Klein, the mason contractor of Buffalo. They have these children: Louis, John George, Martha and Fred H.

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Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 110

Author: Hakes, Harlo, 1823- ed; Aldrich, Lewis Cass. cn Publication date: 1896 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co. Number of Pages: 1180

Author: Hakes, Harlo, 1823- ed; Aldrich, Lewis Cass. cn
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 1180