Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 70

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

USA > New York > Steuben County > Landmarks of Steuben County, New York > Part 70

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Shults, Gertrude .- Philetta Jane Bush, widow of the late Ira Bush, was born in Prattsburg, N Y., April 3, 1826. Ira Bush was born at Milton, Saratoga county, N. Y., October 1, 1818, and died at Wayland, September 9, 1876. He was of Dutch and French descent, and settled in Wayland in December, 1866, where he carried on a mercantile business for about three years, when he retired from business. He was a broker for several years before his death. At Prattsburg, N. Y., November 12, 1845, he married Philetta Jane, one of a family of five daughters and one son of Rogers and Lydia Abel Smith. Mr. and Mrs. Bush had four children: Gertrude, who was born at Wheeler, Steuben county, N. Y., December 14, 1846, and married Alonzo Shults, January 15, 1868. They have two children: I. J., who was born May 25, 1870, school secretary of the New York State Reformatory at Elmira, and is a graduate of Buffalo Normal School; Clyde E., who was born April 12, 1876, a grad- uate of Geneseo Normal School, and is engaged in Alley's store in Hornellsville. Anna Amelia, who was born at Wheeler, N. Y., July 23, 1849, and September 26, 1871, married Everett M. Fowler, who died February 24, 1894; Ira Eugene, who was born at Prattsburg, N. Y., February 21, 1859, and died December 9, 1863; and Frank Adsit, who was born at Bath, October 1, 1860, and died June 14, 1866. Peter Bush, father of Ira Bush, was born July 19, 1785. He is of French and Dutch descent. In Dutchess county, N. Y., June 29, 1806, he married Elizabeth Dubois, who was born in Dutchess county, September 24, 1788, and died March 3, 1871, by whom he had eleven children: Abram, born September 22, 1808, and died in Illinois in 1889; Amelia, born September 22, 1810, and died January 18, 1818; Jane Ann, born July 14, 1812, and died September 15, 1841; Gideon, born June 3, 1814, and died in Bath March 15, 1840; Mary, born July 1, 1816, and resides at Cohocton, wife of Levi Mallette; Ira, as above; Elizabeth, born February 2, 1820, and resides in Hazelton, Iowa; Margaret, born January 6, 1823, and died January 9, 1823; Abigail, born January 30, 1824, and resides in Warsaw, Ind .; Alfonzo, born March 15, 1826, and resides at Beatrice, Neb. ; and Elenore Ann, born August 25, 1828, and died April 29, 1848. Mr. Bush died at Avoca, N. Y., August 19, 1866. Elizabeth Dubois, grand- mother of Ira Bush, was born March 10, 1759.

Stewart, Richard F., was born in Pulteney in 1819. Joseph and Lydia (Stuart) Stewart, his grandparents, were born in Litchfield county, Conn., of Scotch parents from the North of Ireland, where they grew to maturity and were married, thence they removed to Whitestown, N. Y., and in 1810 came to Pulteney and settled at what is now known as Stewart's Corners, and cleared a large farm. . They had fifteen children; Joseph, William, John, Lyman, Spencer (who died at twenty-two years of age), Selden, Lydia, Eliza, Hannah, Betsey, Rhoda, Polly, Statira, Harriet, and Arnold, who died at two years of age. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and lived to be over eighty years of age. Selden Stewart, father of Richard F., was born in Whitestown, N. Y., in September, 1782. He came to Pulteney in 1811 and took a 100-acre farm adjoining his father's farm, which he cleared of the timber,

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where he spent his life. He married Polly Parker, by whom he had eight children: Julia Ann, Melinda, Louisa, Elsie, Richard F., Lyman, George, and Jane. He died in September, 1843. Richard F. remained with his father until he was twenty-one years of age, and at twenty-two years of age he began lumbering and farming sum- mers, and for several winters was engaged by contract in hewing ship timbers. In 1860 he engaged in the grape culture, which business he has successfully followed to the present time. He was a member of the State militia, first elected as fourth corporal, and promoted along the line to that of captain, which office he held when it dis- banded. In politics Mr. Stewart is a Republican, and has held the office of constable ten years, collector two years, and overseer of the poor fourteen years. In 1845 he married Sarah Ann, daughter of John Francisco, who was born in Middlesex, Mass., by whom he had two children: Olive who died at four years of age; Viola, wife of Farcelles Mothersell, of Urbana. His wife died in 1885, and he married for his second wife Mrs. Charlotte (Nichols) Camp, of Seneca Falls.

Horton, Menzo L., was born in Pulteney, December 16, 1873, son of Philetus O., who was born in Pulteney in 1852. Philetus O. was a son of Richard F., born in Pultney in October, 1825, son of William, who was born in Orange county, N. Y., in 1795, one of six sons and two daughters born to Thomas Horton, who was of English descent, a descendant of a Horton who settled on Long Island in the latter part of the sixteenth century. He came to Pulteney in the early days, settled in the forest, and cleared a 300 acre farm. William, great-grandfather of Menzo L., devoted his life to farming in Pulteney, and was school superintendent, assessor of the town, etc. His wife, Eliza, was a daughter of Joseph and Lydia Stewart, of Pulteney, and they reared six sons and two daughters. He died in 1888 and his wife died in 1878. Richard F., grandfather of Menzo L., has devoted his life to farming in Pulteney and from 1883 to 1887 ran a mail route from Hammondsport to Penn Yan. His wife was Philena Lincoln, of South Bristol, Ontario county, whom he married in 1849, and their children are Lucius, Philetus, and Ada. He has served as assessor, collector, and commissioner of highways. Philetus O. at the age of eighteen learned the painter's trade, which he has since followed. He has a pleasant home in Pulteney and conducts a five acre vineyard. He has served as collector for two terms and has been one of the Town Board since he was twenty-one years of age. At the age of twenty he married Irene, daughter of James Brush, of Pulteney, and their children are Menzo L., Le Verne, Linn D., and Claire. Menzo L. was educated in Pulteney and at the age of seventeen began teaching school. The year 1892-93 he spent in teaching near Lincoln, Nebraska, and from 1883 to 1895 he taught at Catawba. Mr. Horton is a young man of enterprise and public spirit, with indications of a bright and successful future.

Merring, Henry C., was born in New Jersey, November 28, 1852, son of Peter and Elizabeth (Crossman) Merring, natives of Sussex county, N. J., who came to Rath- bone and settled the farm Henry C. now owns. Here they lived until 1886, when Mrs. Merring died and he went to Arnot, Tioga county, Pa., to live with his daugh- ter, where he died January 12, 1887. Henry C. was educated in the Woodhull Acad- emy, then taught school for five terms. He has also followed lumbering and is now engaged in farming, owning ninety-one and one-half acres of land. He has served his town as constable, inspector of elections, and collector. He is a member of

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Hedgesville Tent No. 277 K. O. T. M. April 5, 1887, Mr. Merring married Addie, daughter of George C. Lloyd, of Rathbone, by whom he has had two children: Har- rison L. and one who died in infancy. Mr Merring is interested in breeding Berk- shire hogs and Bronze turkeys.

Faulkner, Robert K., the son of William and Sarah J. Faulkner, was born October 6, 1842, at South Dansville, Steuben county, N. Y. William Faulkner, the father, was a native of Steuben county and was born October 1, 1813, at South Dansville, and died January 12, 1875. Sarah J. Killbury, his wife, a native of South Dansville, is living at the age of seventy-four, a woman of decided character, and, from her, the subject of this sketch inherited his rare force and executive ability. They were the parents of nine children, eight of whom are still living. Robert K., the oldest son, was educated in the common schools and at Ames's Business College at Syracuse; he followed farming for about two years in South Dansville, and in 1867 removed to Hornellsvills where he engaged in the flour and feed business. He soon after became associated with W. H. Willett, under the firm name of Faulkner & Willett, in the wholesale and retail grocery business; the firm having a wide and favor- able reputation in this business and as proprietors of an extensive creamery establish- ment. Mr. Faulkner also owned and managed, during the latter years of his life, a valuable farm, and dealt in live stock. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, and for several years chief of the Hornellsville fire department. He took a decided interest in public affairs and was prominent in local and county politics, and wasone of the acknowledged leaders of the Republican party in his section. In 1883 and 1884 he was president of the then village of Hornellsville, and in 1886 he was elected county clerk and served for three years, and at his death he was president of the Hornellsville city sewer commission. He died April 23, 1892, leaving his forceful stamp on these offices. In 1865 he married Celia E., daughter of J. B. and Eliza J. Phelps. Mr. Phelps was a native of South Dansville and was a farmer by occupation. He was born June 27, 1815, and died February 13, 1887. Eliza J. Haskins, wife of J. B. Phelps, was born in the town of Galway, Saratoga county, N. Y. Her father, Samuel Haskins, came to Steuben county in 1827. Mrs. Robert K. Faulkner, who is now living in Hornellsville, is the only surviving child of this union, a son, Joseph W. Phelps, having died October 27, 1886, at thirty-four years of age, leaving a widow and one child, Gertrude.

Fults, Henry, was born in Chenango county, N. Y., January 7, 1849, a son of Nel- son and Mary E. (Brown) Fults, natives of Herkimer county, N. Y., and Connecticut, town of Brookline, respectively. The grandfather, Jacob Fults, was a native of Ger- many and came to Herkimer county in the early days, where remained until 1829, when he removed to Morris, Otsego county, where he died. The maternal grand- father, Rufus Brown was a native of Connecticut and died in Otsego county, N. Y. His wife, Mary Williams, was also born in Connecticut. The maternal grandfather of Mary E. Fults, William Williams, was one of the signers of the Declaration of In- dependence. Nelson Fults settled and cleared the farm, where Henry now lives, dying there June 27, 1885. Henry Fults was educated in the Woodhull Academy. His first wife was Rachel Sanford, who died in January, 1880, leaving one child, May C., born in 1876. In November, 1883, Mr. Fults married Bertha Anna Dorathy, of Wayne, Steuben county, N. Y. She was a daughter of M. J. and Mary (Sullivan)

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Dorathy, natives of Canada and Ireland, respectively. Mr. Dorathy served three years in the late war and was wounded; and died in a few weeks after being dis- charged from disease in 1864. His widow now resides in Canisteo.

Bill, Christian C., was born August 1, 1859. John Bill, his paternal grandfather, was born in Germany, emigrated to this country in 1834, and settled in Rochester, N. Y., where he remained two years. In 1836 he moved to Wayland and purchased ninety acres of land. He was one of the pioneers of the town of Wayland. He had but one son, John N., who died April 17, 1893, father of Christian C., who was born in Germany in 1831, and emigrated to this country at three years of age. He sub- sequently owned his father's farm. In March, 1864, he enlisted in Co. C, 179th N.Y. Vols., and was discharged in June, 1865. In Dansville, N. Y., in 1849 he married Louisa Bauer, who was born in Germany in 1833, and emigrated to this country when thirteen years of age. They had seven children: Catherine, Louisa M., John, deceased, Christian C., Henry J., Julia M., and William, deceased. Christian C. was educated in the common schools of Wayland, and was graduated with the Ham- ilton College law class of May 27, 1881. He studied with W. W. Clark and was ad- mitted to the bar in the spring term of 1881. He has an office in Wayland where he has practiced for fourteen years. He has been village treasurer of Wayland for one year, and has been delegate to the Republican nominating convention, district and county, numerous times. He is a member of the J. F. Little Camp Sons of Veter- ans, No. 195, of which he was one of the organizers. At North Cohocton, September 23, 1883, he married Ida L. Wilson, who was born in Naples, April 2, 1863, by whom he has one child, Florence Pearl, who was born December 31, 1884.

Souerbier, Albert .- His father, Casper J., was born in Hesse, Germany. He mar- ried Elizabeth Lam, a native of Germany, in 1834; to them were born two sons, Albert, in 1836, and Julius, in 1838. Albert's mother died in Germany in 1839, and his father, Casper J., married again in 1841, Elizabeth B. Greg, also a native of Ger- many, to whom were born nine children: Sawbinnia, Theresa, Adam, Joseph, Mary, Frederick B., George, John, and Clara. Casper J. emigrated to this country with his family in 1846, and settled in the town of Dansville on ninety acres of land that he purchased. He sold his farm in 1866, and moved to the town of Cohocton, where he died November 5, 1875, at the age of sixty-nine years. His second wife now resides at Rochester, N. Y., at the age of eighty-two. Albert commenced life for himself when but seventeen years of age by working in the lumber woods, till the war of the Rebellion in 1861, when he enlisted December 13, 1861, in Co. D, 104th N. Y. Vols., known as General Wadsworth Guards, for the term of three years. He was discharged December 9, 1864, on account of a gun shot wound in the right foot re- ceived at the battle of Gettysburg, July 2, 1863. After his return home from the service he located at the village of Wallace, Steuben county, N. Y., where he married Anna Mary Myers, daughter of John and Helen Myers, January 3, 1865, who was born in Bavaria, June 30, 1844, by whom he has seven children: Frank G., born February 9, 1867; John B., January 28, 1869; Lewis J., October 3, 1870; Frederick K., August 1, 1873, who died April 1, 1874; William A., born February 8, 1872; Helen T., January 17, 1876; and Julia A., March 21, 1880. Albert moved to the village of Wayland in 1869, where he engaged in the business of keeping a saloon and restaurant, which business he has followed ever since in the village of Wayland.

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He has held the office of village treasurer for two years, treasurer of the Champion Hook and Ladder Company for seven years, and quartermaster of Theo. Schlick Post, No. 314, G. A. R., for the last eight years, of which he is a member. His son, Frank G., is employed by the Wells, Fargo Express of Jersey City, N. J., and has been for the last eight years, and his son, Lewis J., is employed by the same com- pany and in the same office, and has been for the last five years. His son, John B., is now and has been for the last eight years, assistant train dispatcher on the Erie Railroad at Rochester, N. Y., and his son, W. A., has been for the last two years and now is employed by the same company as telegraph operator at Kanona, N. Y.

Angst, Lorenz, was born in Tioga county, Pa., February 28, 1858, son of Charles and Catherine (Weber) Angst, both natives of Germany, who came to Tioga county, Pa., he in 1855 and she in 1852, where they were married July 4, 1855, and came to Campbell in 1859. He worked in the tannery for J. D. Hamilton & Co. twenty-one years. He moved his family to the town of Thurston in 1875, where his widow and family have a farm of eighty-four acres. Lorenz Angst was reared in Campbell and educated in the common schools and the Union Graded school of Campbell. He has clerked in Risingville and has also clerked in Campbell for some years, and is also engaged in farming ; he is a Populist in politics, and in 1894 was elected on the Dem- ocratic ticket for town clerk.

White, Royal S., was born in Cayuta, Schuyler county, April 30, 1832, son of Hiram and Cornelia White, who had eleven children, six daughters and five sons, Royal S. being the youngest except one daughter, Adelia. Hiram White emigrated from Connecticut, and was one of the first settlers in Cayuta, then known as Pony Hollow, which derived its name from being a wind-fall where General Sullivan, in his march from Ithaca to Elmira, pastured his horses. Cayuta at that time was in Tioga county, afterwards Chemung county, now Schuyler county. The parents of Cornelia Van Etten, mother of R. S. White, came from Germany and were the first settlersin Van Ettenville, Chemung county, from whom Van Ettenville takes its name. Royal S. in early life was a lumber inspector at Albany, N. Y., but since 1865 has been en- gaged in farming. He enlisted in Chicago, Il1., September 16, 1861, under Capt. Wm. Medill, brother of Joe Medill, editor of the Chicago Tribune, in Co. G, 8th Ill. Cavalry, and was in the following engagements: Rappahannock Station, Beverly Ford, Williamsburg, Hanover Court House, Mechanicsville, Beaver Dam Creek, Cold Harbor, White Oak Swamp, St. Charles Court House, Malvern Hill, South Moun- tain, Antietam, Gettysburg, Snicker's Gap, besides a great many skirmishes. He was taken prisoner in the fall of 1861 near Snicker's Gap on the Shenandoah River, taken to Libby prison, where he remained most of the winter of 1861-62 until ex- changed. He was mustered out of service in June, 1865. He married Margaret, daughter of Thomas and Mary (Wilson) Campbell of the town of Cameron, by whom he had four children, two sons and two daughters, now living. He has been super- visor of Cameron three terms and assessor for twelve consecutive years. He is a member of Hallett Post of Cameron, and the F. & A. M. lodge at Cameron Mills.

Coston, N. E., was born December 26, 1851, in the town of Greenwood, and lived on a farm until 1883, when he opened a store in the village of Greenwood, where he is now located. Mr. Coston's paternal grandfather, John G. Coston, was a native of

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Tompkins county, but in later life removed to Greenwood, where he died; his son, Hiram A., was a farmer by occupation, and was married to Mary E. Jameson, of Livingston county. He died April 27, 1875, leaving five children surviving him. Mrs. F. A. Robinson, N. Emmet, Mrs. Mary Williamson, Charles A., and Hart A. N. E. Coston was married in 1882 to Addie, daughter of Elias and Olive (Miner) Williamson of Greenwood; they have three children: Glen M., Pitt V., and Mary. Mr. Coston has always been a Democrat; he was supervisor two terms, from 1888 to 1890, and has served as postmaster several years under President Cleveland's ad- ministration.

Murray, William H., was born in the city of Hornellsville, July 26, 1854. John F. Murray, the father of William, was a native of Ireland and came to this city about 1851 at the building of the Erie Railway. He was formerly a resident of Massa- chusetts and came with the contractors who were building the railroad, and was the superintendent of pile driving for all bridges between here and Attica. He died December 8, 1868. William was the eldest of a family of eight children. His ad- vantages of securing an education were limited, but he attended the city schools and the parochial school. The death of his father placed the burden of the support of the large family on him, and at the age of fifteen he went on the railroad, rapidly rising in the shops and yard, becoming yard master, which position he occupied for three years. January 1, 1883, he was appointed deputy sheriff under Sheriff Page, which he occupied for six years, being reappointed by Baldwin. In 1888 and 1891 he was the Democratic nominee for sheriff of Steuben county. On the erection of the city of Hornellsville, March 1, 1889, he was appointed chief of police, which office he resigned to accept the position of postmaster, to which he was appointed by President Cleveland October 1, 1894, and which position he still holds. Mr. Murray was one of the founders of the Fire Department of this city, was for several terms its chief engineer, and is still on the active roll of his company. He was married in 1876 to Miss Catherine Magnor of this city. They have five children.

Pipe, James B., was born in Seneca, Ontario county, in 1853. James Pipe, his grandfather, was a laboring man and reared two sons and two daughters. Samuel Pipe, father of James B., was the eldest child, a farmer by occupation, who came from England to the United States in the spring of 1851, and landed in Castle Gar- den, coming direct to Geneva, N. Y., where he lived for twenty years, and in 1871 came to Prattsburg, where he purchased 600 acres of land. Ten years later he moved to Ingleside, and in 1894 he came to Waterloo, where he has for many years devoted his time to the practice of veterinary medicine. He married Lois Mamby, who died in August, 1894, by whom he had four children: Maria, wife of Uriah F. Probasco of Ingleside; Samuel W., James B., and Mrs. Emma L. Castor of Pratts- burg. He is the only one of the family who came to America. James B. Pipe was educated in the common schools, and remained with his father until 1873, when he purchased 190 acres of his father's farm, on which he has since resided, and where he has been actively and successfully engaged in farming and potato growing. He is a member of the Lynn M. E. church in Prattsburg. He served the M. E. church of Wallace as pastor two years, receiving his license as local preacher in 1881, and also served the Wheeler charge one year. In February, 1873, he married Harriet Carhart, a well-known teacher in the Prattsburg district schools, who was born in

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Syracuse, a daughter of Hachaliah and Elizabeth (Shults) Carhart (both deceased), by whom he had five children: Alnara, wife of L. C. Cook of Avoca; Hart C., Elma, Frank B., and Inez. Mrs. Pipe is a member of the M. E. church, and the W.C.T.U. Mr. Carhart was a carpenter and cooper, and the last twenty years of his life was spent in farming, and he came to Prattsburg in 1857.

Capron, W. W., son of Sylvester Capron, was born at Springwater, February 6, 1839, where he attended school, and afterward took a course of instruction at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary at Lima, N. Y., for two years. He commenced business for himself when twenty-one years of age, and engaged in farming for three years, and then became a partner with George A. Pierce in the dry goods business at Spring- water, where he remained one year. He then traded the stock of goods for a half interest in two flour mills at Springwater, and later traded the same for the Perkins- ville flour mill and timber lot of fifty acres, but afterward sold the latter and moved to Wayland and in 1868 became a produce dealer. Mr. Capron was elected super- visor of Wayland in 1889, and has been trustee of the village for two years. Febru- ary 27 he was appointed port warden of the port of New York by Governor Morton and entered upon his duties March 16, 1895. He married Emily, daughter of John Wiley, a member of the State Legislature of New York State during the Civil war. Her mother was Julia B. Hyde, born in Granville county, North Carolina. They have one son, W. W. Capron, jr., born October 31, 1869. He attended Lima Sem- inary one year, aad Aurora Military Academy for three years, where he was grad- uated. Mr. Capron is a member of the Phoenix Lodge No. 115, and of F. & A. M. of Dansville.

Wolfe, Anton, was born in Germany, January 2, 1854. John J. Wolfe, father of Anton, was born in Germany, and died in Wayland, N. Y., October 14, 1878, aged sixty-five years. He emigrated to this country in 1856, and settled at Buffalo, N. Y., where he remained for over two years, when he moved to Savona, N. Y., where he remained for seven years. In 1867 he moved to Wayland, where he was employed by the Erie Railroad, for whom he worked twenty-one years. While in Germany he married Mary Ann Dassing, who was born in Germany and died in Wayland, N. Y., March 22, 1883, aged fifty-four years. They had these children: Anton. as above, and three who were born in this country: Frank L., who was born May 25, 1857, and resides in Wayland; Mary Christina, who was born October 14, 1860, wife of William Mead, and resides at East Aurora, N Y. ; and Helen Frances, who was born in 1863, wife of Otta F. Leader, and resides at Wayland. Anton Wolfe was educated in the public schools of Wayland, and attended the German school at Perkinsville one year. He worked at farming in his younger days after which he was engaged as engineer of stationary engines for seven years. He worked at Baltimore, Md., one year, after which he returned to Wayland and run the engine in the Kimmel & Morris mill for seven years. He worked in the sash, door and blind fac- tory of George Deitzel for three years, after which he bought a half interest in the Kimmel & Morris mill, Jacob Shafer owning the other half, which they run under the firm name of Shafer & Wolfe, doing custom sawing, planing and matching, and re- tail lumber, shingles, lath, paints and oils. He has been village collector two terms. At Wayland, June. 27, 1876, he married Caroline Barbrich, who was born in Ger- many, October 29, 1852, by whom he has six children: John A., who was born in

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Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 70

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