Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 74

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 74

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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child, Thomas E., born September 25, 1890. They also have an adopted daughter, Delia. Mr. Walling has been collector and is a member of Farmers' Alliance, and has been deputy sheriff of Steuben county.

Swarthout, Minor E., was born in Wayne, N. Y., and is the only son of William B. and Helen M. (Ellis) Swarthout, he a native of Wayne, and she of Barrington. The grandparents, Asa and Maria (French) Swarthout, were both natives of Wayne, where he lived and died. In 1857 William B. Swarthout, father of Minor E., located on the farm now owned by his son. In 1858 he married Helen M., daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Ellis. Mr. Ellis was born in in 1795. and Mrs. Ellis, De- cember 31, 1789. Mr. Swarthout died in 1888, aged sixty-one years. Minor E. Swarthout has always followed farming, and now owns 110 acres of land and is en- gaged in general farming and fruit growing. In 1882 he married Frank, daughter of Dr. Allison, of Wayne. She died November 13, 1891, and January 31, 1894, he married for his second wife Lulu, daughter of Marcenus and Elizabeth (Quacken- bush) Mothersell, of Tyrone, by whom he had one son, Minor Swarthout, jr., who was born December 6, 1894. Mr. Swarthout is a Democrat in politics, and has been assessor six years and collector three years.

Zimmerman, Peter H., was born in 1857. His paternal grandfather, Henry Zim- merman, was educated in Trevis, Germany, where he was afterward a teacher in the university for many years, and where he died in 1894. His family consisted of two daughters and three sons, two of whom emigrated to this country: Michael, who was interested in copper mining in Wisconsin, where he died, and Nicholas, Peter's father, who came to the United States in 1848. He settled at Dansville, where he engaged in mercantile business for a time, and then moved to Perkinsville, where he kept a general store for a number of years, and was there elected justice of the peace, and was for a time a teacher in the German school, being a man of fine education, having graduated from the Trevis University in German and Latin. Later he moved to Wayland, where he owned a hotel and continued in office of justice of the peace for a number of years, and was a member of the Catholic church, to which he gave liberally. He married Anna Hoffman, of Perkinsville, and their children were Nicholas, deceased; Peter H., C. Nicholas, who was born in 1859, and was station agent at Perkinsville seven years and now is billing clerk for the D., L. & W. R. R, at Buffalo; and Emanuel, who died January 1, 1885, aged twenty- three. Mr. Zimmerman died at Wayland, in April, 1875. Peter H. was educated under tutorship of his father and in the common schools of the town and the Ger- man school. His first occupation was as a clerk in Wayland, and then went to Car- bondale, Ill., where he was billing clerk in the railroad office of the Illinois Central, and later came to Wayland, and attended school one year, and in 1878 became con- fidential clerk for Capron & Fowler, produce dealers, which place he now holds. He has held the office of justice of the peace since January 1, 1885, and in 1887 was appointed notary, which office he now holds. He took the federal census of Way- land in 1880, and in 1893 was appointed special examiner of mortgage indebtedness of the Twenty-ninth Congressional District, and in 1894 was elected justice of sessions of Steuben county. In 1883 he married Emilia Conrad, who was born in 1861, and they have five children: Victor, born September 17, 1884; Emanuel N.,

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born October 2, 1886; Madge, born September 19, 1888; Beatrice, born February 14, 1892; and Harold, born May 30, 1894.

MacDowell, Sidney Darrin, was born at Bradford, N. Y., in 1858, of Scotch descent, and a son of Mathew D. MacDowell, a wagonmaker, who married Mary D. Darrin, and by whom he had five children. In 1849 Sidney came to Addison, where he re- ceived his education, and in 1887 purchased the furniture and undertaking business with a partner who had only a nominal interest, Mr. MacDowell always conducting the business himself, of which for the last three years he has been sole proprietor. In 1885 he married Mabel, daughter of John Brundage, of Urbana, by whom he had four children: Roy Brundage, born April 2, 1887; Matthew D., born January 27, 1889; Lucy Shepard, born April 28, 1892; and Sidney Monroe, born December 6, 1893. Mr. MacDowell is a member of the Board of Health, is registry clerk, also a member of the Masonic fraternity.

Mullen, Seth, was born in Waterford, Pa., in 1826, and was a posthumous child of John Mullen. He is a genial, unassuming. self-made man, who never went to school a day in his life, but was taught by his pet daughter to read and write, and is con- sidered a fairly well educated man. Previous to his coming to Addison in 1840 he worked by the month, running lumber down the Susquehanna River, after which for twenty-one years he was employed on the Erie Railroad, as a foreman of construc- tion works, and was afterward engaged in farming, but is now retired from activity. When he came to Addison there were only three houses on the upper side of the river, and he has done much toward the promotion of his town, filling the office of highway commissioner with credit for many years, where he has laid out the princi- pal roads and superintended the building of many fine bridges. He was street com- missioner when the village was first incorporated, and has been town assessor for nine years. In 1845 he married Betsy M., daughter of Thomas Phillips, by whom he had three children, one of whom died in infancy; Alice, who died in 1890, mar- ried Ross Jones of Addison, leaving one son, Ray S. The other daughter, Nellie M. Cowley, resides in Findlay, Ohio, where her husband is United States express agent.

Finch, John M., was born in the town of Hornellsville, January 29, 1841. His father, Nathaniel Finch, was one of the most prominent and widely known citizens of the county. He was born in Greenwich, Conn., in 1798, and for several years prior to moving to Hornellsville, was engaged in surveying public lands in Tennessee and Mississippi. In 1837 he located on a farm just east of the present city of Hornellsville, and in 1845 he moved into the then small village, where he continued to reside until his death in 1866. When it was an open question whether the Erie Railroad should be located through the Cohocton or the Canisteo valley, Nathaniel Finch, with other residents of the Canisteo valley, interested himself to secure its location through the latter valley, and was largely instrumental in bringing about that result. The acquaintance he then formed with the officials of the Erie road led to his being employed by that company, and until his death-for a period of over twenty-five years-he occupied the highly important position of attorney and gen- eral land agent of the company. John M. Finch was educated in the public schools of Hornellsville, and at the old academy in Nunda, N. Y. At the age of eighteen

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years he entered into the service of the Erie Railroad Company, under his father as clerk, and later, as assistant to his father. To fit himself more fully for the particu- lar service that he was engaged in, he studied law and civil engineering, and at the age of twenty-two years was admitted to practice as an attorney. His duties were mostly in connection with the company's real estate and taxes, and upon the death of his father in 1866, he succeeded him as attorney and general land agent. Soon after, the work of the office was divided and Mr. Finch continued as general land agent until 1891, having been in the service of the company for nearly a third of a century. Mr. Finch has engaged in several enterprises, nearly all of which have contributed to the building up and improvement of his native place. The beautiful cemetery, of which Hornellsville is justly proud, is the work chiefly of Mr. Finch, and to him and Andy L. Smith all the credit is due for its present favorable condition. The organ- ization of the Hornell Library was the result of Mr. Finch's suggestion, and he was the first contributor to it, and its first elected member. The first real government the village of Hornellsville had was when Mr. Finch was one of the village trustees, and under a new charter drafted by him, which continued with little change until the city was organized. He has been vice-president of the Citizens' National Bank since its organization, in which he took an active part. He is manager and treasurer of the James Alley Real Estate and Building Company. He is president of the American Illuminating Company, and secretary of the Allegany Gas Company. During the war he was an ardent Republican, but since has shown a leaning toward Democratic principles.

Gillmor, James M., was born in the town of Bath, August 31, 1833, son of William and Eunice (Benedict) Gillmor. William Gillmor was born at North Hector (now Schuyler county) in 1803; his wife in Lodi, Seneca county, 1804. William Gillmor came to Bath in 1824, purchased a farm, cleared the land, built a log house, went went back to Lodi, married and brought his wife to Bath in March, 1825, where they both died. The farm is now owned by his grandson. Mr. Gillmor was one of the founders of the South Bradford Baptist church and was deacon for many years. James M. was reared on the old farm and has always been a farmer. He came to Bradford in 1857, and settled on the farm he now owns of 100 acres. He has all the modern improvements and makes a specialty of raising sheep. January 16, 1856, he married Maria Ann, daughter of David and Anna Dennis of Bradford. Mr. and Mrs. Gillmor have three children: Sarah E., wife of D. L. Walling of Bradford; Arthur W., of Bradford; Albert D., of Weston, N. Y., both farmers. He was super- visor in 1875-76, and has served his town as commissioner of highways, assessor and bond commissioner. He is a member of the Grange at Savona. He, his wife and daughter are members of the Baptist church at South Bradford.

Kent, Henry F., was born in Woodhull on the farm he now owns, November 30, 1833, son of Stephen and Caroline Kent, he a native of Jerusalem, N. Y., born May 8, 1803, and she of Middlesex county, born May 11, 1812. The grandfather was John Kent, a native of Tioga county, and a son of John Kent who was drowned in the Chemung River. He came to Woodhull in 1820, from Yates county, and settled on a farm of 190 acres, and he assisted in clearing the farm owned by Henry F. He died in 1879, and his wife died April 28, 1887. He was supervisor four years in suc- cession, and also served as justice of the peace. Mr. and Mrs. Kent were members

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of the Baptist church, and his father was the first to preach the Baptist doctrine in Woodhull. Mr. Kent and son with eighteen others organized the first church there, known as Woodhull Regular Baptist church. Henry F. was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools and Troupsburg Center Academy. He is a farmer by occupation, owning a farm of 228 acres, and makes a specialty of raising tobacco. In 1856 he married Anna M. Reynolds, daughter of Harry B. Reynolds, one of the most prominent men of Troupsburg Center. Mr. Kent enlisted, August 21, 1862, in Co. H, 161st N. Y. Vols., and served three years and two months. He is a member of J. W. Post, No. 565, G. A. R., and was one of the charter members. Mr. and Mrs. Henry F. Kent have had two children: Ida, who died in infancy ; and Willie J., now on his father's farm in the south part of the town, who married Minnie Hober of Troupsburg Center, and they have had two children: Anna, and one who died in infancy. The maternal grandparents were Caleb and Deborah Sylsby Tyler, he born April 15, 1779, and died December 18, 1863; and she was born January 10, 1781, and died March 15, 1847. Harry B. Reynolds was born December 22, 1800, in Massachusetts, and came to Troupsburg with his parents, when nine years of age, Squire and Patty P. Rice Reynolds, he a native of Middlebury, Mass., born February 21, 1767, and died in Troupsburg Center November 29, 1824, and she died August 7, 1853. Mr. Rey- nolds was a miller, and also owned a saw mill, and about 200 acres of land. Politi- cally he was a Democrat, and was justice of the peace. He died April 28, 1884. His wife, whose maiden name was Rebecca Martin, was born June 29, 1801, and died February 8, 1851, Her father, George Martin, was born October 10, 1766, and died June 4, 1834; and his wife, Chloe Martin, was born March 15, 1766, and died Janu- ary 19, 1851.

Orcutt, George N., was born in the town of Troy, Orleans county, Vt., July 13, 1856. The family for many generations both in the paternal and maternal lines were natives of New England. His father, Dr. Hiram C. Orcutt, who died at Hornells- ville, October 25, 1884, was a type and product of the early New England civiliza- tion. Success attended him in all his relations in life, a success due to his energy, self-reliance and Yankee shrewdness, aided by a rigid morality and a mode of life that reflected in simplicity the teachings of his Quakeress mother. Mr. Orcutt's mother, born Helen M. George, has contributed prose and verse to magazines, some of which have been deemed worthy of preservation in published collections. Mr. Orcutt attended the Franciscan College at Allegany, N. Y., and from 1873 to 1877, was a student in the classical course at the University of Michigan, from which he graduated in the latter year, receiving the degree of B. A. He was one of the eight honor graduates in a class of seventy-seven, one of the speakers at the commence- ment exercises, and the historian of his class. He studied law with Horace Bemis at Hornellsville, attended the Columbia College Law School in New York, and was admitted to the bar in June, 1879. He was immediately received in equal partner- ship with Mr. Bemis which continued until the latter's death. In politics Mr. Orcutt is a Democrat, earnest and active in maintaining the principles of his party. He was married in June, 1882, to Fannie Pardee, of Hornellsville. Their children are Helen R. Orcutt and Russell P. Orcutt.

Hall, John H., was born in Pennsylvania, and is the oldest of nine children born to Richard H. and Eliza Jane (Reed) Hall, natives of Tompkins county, N. Y., and

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Pennsylvania, respectively. The paternal grandfather, John W. Reed, was a car- penter in Pennsylvania, who spent his early days in Minnesota. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. Benjamin Hall, the maternal grandfather, was a farmer in Penn- sylvania, where he died. Richard H. Hall came to Wayne in 1847 and engaged in farming, buying a farm of 167 acres. He died in 1893, and Mrs. Hall is still living at the age of seventy-two years. John H. was reared on a farm and has followed farming and lumbering. He began to run a saw mill at the age of thirteen years. He and his brother Charles now own the homestead. In 1866 Mr. Hall married Matilda J. Silvernail, by whom he has one daughter, Ella, wife of Benjamin House, a farmer of Bradford. They have one son, Harrison House. Mr. Hall is a member of North Urbana Lodge, No. 387, K. O. T. M. He and his family attend the M. E. church.

Jamison, D. Stearns, was born in Canisteo, May 9, 1860. Daniel Jamison, his father, was also born in Canisteo, on the farm where they now live. He is a de- scendant of the family of Jamisons who are so widely known in that town, and who were early settlers. He married Rosina, daughter of Benjamin Towner, a Baptist minister, by whom he had six children, Hugh, D. Stearns, Carrie, Mitchell, Anna, and Benjamin. Hugh and Benjamin are in the gold and silver mines in the West. D. Stearns was educated in the district schools of Canisteo, and married Mary, daughter of J. C. Stephens, one of the first families of the town, whose history dates back to the days when the Indians were in possession, and by whom he had two children, Carrie and Marion. Mr. Jamison was elected in 1894 as collector of the town, which office he now holds.

Castle, Eri, was born in Whitestown, N. Y., March 13, 1813, son of Philo and Mary (Lockwood) Castle, she a native of Chatham, N. Y., and he of Connecticut. The grandfather, Abisha Castle, died in Connecticut. The maternal grandfather, James Lockwood, died in Columbia county. Philo Castle, father of Eri, came to Whites- town, N. Y., where he died in 1814, and his wife, in 1836. Eri Castle was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools. He came to Woodhull in 1861, and purchased seventy-five acres of land, where he has since resided. He was a Repub- lican, but is now a Prohibitionist, and was postmaster of East Woodhull for twelve years. He married Olive Gould, daughter of Samuel Gould, mentioned in this work. She died in 1882, and in 1883 Mr. Castle married Mary A. Warn, a native of Chenango county, and daughter of Augustus F. and Lucy A. (Ferris) Warn, by whom he had nine children: Philo S., deceased; Eri H., deceased; Rachel H., deceased; Mary E., deceased ; Philo B., deceased ; Olive A. ; Arnold G , deceased; Mary E., and Charles S., who married Dora Edwards, by whom he had three children: Gertrude, deceased, Fred, and Ina. His wife died in 1889, and he married for his second wife, in 1890, Kittie Olin, by whom he has two children: Nellie and Fannie. Olive A. is the wife of Horatio Parker, and they have four children: Harry, Hattie, Mary, and Amenzo. Mary E. is the wife of James Trenchard. No children.

Deck, Hiram, was born in Jasper, October 26, 1813, son of Urial and Elizabeth Deck. Hiram was reared on a farm, educated in the common schools, after which he followed farming and now owns a farm of eighty-two acres where he resides, also one of fifty-four acres. In 1850 he married Julia U. Robinson, a native of Otsego

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county, N. Y., by whom he had three children: William; Andrew, who married Olive Vanskiver, by whom he had one child, Stella; and Cora, wife of Jerry Davis, they have three children, William, Damon, and Clarence. Mrs. Hiram Deck died December 22, 1894, aged sixty-four years.

Talbot, Lorenzo S., was born in Jasper, April 29, 1856, son of Jarvis and Fidelia (Dennis) Talbot, both natives of New Hampshire, who came to Jasper when quite young. The grandfather, Jedediah Talbot, came to Jasper in 1823, and settled on Talbot Creek, where he died December 25, 1870. Jarvis Talbot, father of Lorenzo Talbot, was a farmer, and died March 12, 1869, and his wife in March, 1994. Lorenzo was reared on a farm, educated in the common schools, after which he engaged in farming, and now owns 105 acres of the old homestead on which he built a good resi- dence in 1894. In 1878 he married Eva Brown of Canisteo, N. Y.

Shults, Mrs R .- Horatio Nellis Shults was born in Avoca, on the farm Mrs. Shults now owns, April 9, 1846. Josiah Shults, his father, was born in Montgomery county, N. ). He was a hotel keeper, also a tanner, and came to the town of Avoca in 1840, where he has since resided. He married Catherine Nellis of Montgomery county, N. Y., by whom he had six children. Horatio Nellis Shults was educated in the town of Avoca, after which he engaged in farming. He married Rebecca, daughter of David Garlock of Tonawanda, N. Y., by whom he had one son, Lee N., who is now fourteen years of age. Mr. Shults died in 1892, with consumption, and for two years before his death was a great sufferer.

Daniels, P. C .- Prominent among the familiar personal landmarks of this vicinity is Mr. P. C. Daniels, a resident of Addison since 1863, and for more than a quarter of a century local representative of standard and reliable insurance companies. Mr. Daniels was born March 2, 1820, at Gorham, Ontario county. His years rest lightly upon him, so correct has been his life, and so pure the blood bequeathed him from his English ancestry. He is one of a family which once comprised thirteen children, of whom but two survive. The ancestors of Mr. Daniels, especially on the paternal side, were somewhat noted for longevity, and his own father, Amasa Daniels, reached the age of ninety-three. Mr. Daniels received but a common school educa- tion, but has by close observation and personal research acquired wide range of in- formation, and has kept wholly in touch with men and events. His first wife was Sarah Wolverton of Owego, and at her death in 1853 she left two children: Mrs. Catherine Dawson, of Toledo, O .; and Sarah, who died in infancy. In 1854 he mar- ried his present wife, Mrs. Jane True. Mr. Daniels early gave his allegiance to the Republican party and holds it unshaken and with unswerving fidelity. He is now filling his second term as justice of the peace. He is a pillar of the local Baptist church, having been a member of that society from its organization, and a member of the denomination for fifty-four years, and for twelve years a member of the board of directors of the Baptist Missionary Convention of the State of New York.

Cotton, Samuel S., was born September 20, 1831. His grandfather, Daniel Cotton, was born in Washington county, N. Y., where he died while quite a young man. Henry Cotton, father of Samuel S., was born in Washington county, N. Y., June 22, 1802. He married Elmira Martin, who was born in Washington county, N. Y., in 1804, by whom he had five children: Silas; Lydia Ann Collins, who was born in

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1837; Samuel, as above; Daniel, of Rochester; and Julia Bowen, who was born in 1843. He came to the town of Howard (now Fremont) in 1819, and engaged in farming and buying stock. He has held the office of assessor in the town of Howard for three years. He died in the town of Fremont, March 4, 1884, and his wife died in March, 1854. Samuel S. Cotton was educated in Alfred Academy, after which he engaged in farming and has bought a great many cattle and sheep. He owns 166 acres of land in the town of Fremont and 250 acres in Indiana. He has been super- visor of the town of Fremont for five years. He is a member of the Hornellsville chapter No. 101, F. and A. M., also a member of the I. O. O. F. No. 144, of Wallace. At Beachville, in April, 1851, he married Sarah Carrington, who was born in South Dansville, May 22, 1832. She has been a teacher in the common schools. Her father, Joel Carrington, was born in Washington county, N. Y., and died in Avoca. He was a member of the Legislature two years. Mr. and Mrs. Cotton have two children: Cameron, who was born September 8, 1852. He married Cornelia Miller, and they are living in Bath, where he is running a machine shop, and has held the office of game protector; and Josephine Hamilton, who was born October 3, 1854, and lives in Howard.

Bronson, James S., was born November 14, 1822. His grandfather, Solomon Bronson, was born in Oneida county, and came to Wayland and settled near Loon Lake, where he took up 1,200 acres. He was a Methodist minister, and also followed farming some. He died at sixty-five years of age. James Bronson, father of James S., was born in Oneida county, and came to Steuben county with his father when nineteen years of age. He was a member of the M. E. Conference about forty years, and in connection with his ministry, he farmed it and dealt in lumber, and also was the owner of a store. He was a member of the F. and A. M. He married Lida Pierce, who was born in Otsego county, and died at seventy-five years of age, by whom he had six children: Maria, Lida Ann, Jane, James S., Levi C., and Julyann. Mr. Bronson died at eighty-four years of age. James S. Bronson was educated at Dansville. He has owned two saw mills and followed farming on a farm located near Haskinville; he has been a correspondent to seventeen different editors' papers, and has been justice of the peace. He married Hannah, daughter of Hon. William C. Rogers of South Dansville. She was a teacher in the public school, and died November 18, 1889.

Hathaway, James V., was born in Chemung county in 1833. He married there and about 1858 came to Corning and has since resided in Steuben county. He fol- lowed canal boating for eighteen years and in 1880 located on his present farm in Hornby. He has 110 acres and follows general farming. In politics he is a Re- publican. In September, 1856, he married Sophia Hoffman, of Millport, Chemung county.

Easterbrooks, Samuel, of Painted Post, was born in Otsego county in 1816, and came to his present farm in 1821 with his parents, William and Mary Amy Easter- brooks, natives of Rhode Island and New York. The parents died here in 1854. Mr. Easterbrooks has always resided here since 1821. In 1842 he married Catherine Stanton, who died the same year. In 1844 he married Polly Underwood, his present wife. They have two children: Edwin J., and Samuel M. Mr. Easterbrooks has

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filled the offices of assessor and supervisor, the former office six years, the latter four years. He has the original home place of forty-nine acres, to which he has added eighty-nine acres.

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Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 74

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