Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 86

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 86

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).

Stephens, J. D., was born November 9, 1843. His grandfather, Joshua Stephens, was born in Canisteo, N. Y., and was killed by the Indians while hunting for his oxen, at thirty-two years of age. D. C. Stephens, father of J. D., was born in Can- isteo, N. Y., April 25, 1817, and has always followed farming, and now owns a farm of 120 acres. He is a member of the F. & A. M., at Canisteo. He married Amanda, daughter of John Hamilton of Howard, by whom he had five children: J. D., as above; Joshua B .; Emmett L .; Anna, who died at twenty-four years of age; and Henry L. J. D. Stephens was educated in the common schools, after which he en- gaged in the music business and was an agent on the road for about seven years, but farming has been his principal occupation, and he now owns a farm of 125 acres. He has been assessor two years, and is a member of the F. & A. M., No, 65, Can-

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isteo, also a member of Stephens Mills Grange, No. 308. He married Sarah E. Allice, who was born in 1843, and died at forty years of age. He married for his second wife, Rose C., daughter of William White, by whom he had three children: Anna M., who was born March 19, 1887; Lois, who was born March 13, 1888; and Mary, who was born April 11, 1891, and died in infancy.

Taylor, Thomas, was born in the town of Ossian, Wyoming county, N. Y., July 12, 1840. His father, Thomas Taylor, sr., was a native of England and died in 1841. Thomas was the youngest of twelve children. He obtained his education in the common schools, and at the age of twelve years went to work on a farm. He worked as farm hand until twenty-five years of age, when he married Charity, daughter of John Dildane. That year he bought the John Dildane farm of seventy-five acres on Penn Hill where he has since made his home. Mr. Taylor is an ardent supporter of the Democratic party, and in 1890 was elected highway commissioner, which office he filled very satisfactorily. He has six children: George, one of the firm of Taylor Brothers; John (see biog.); Anna, a dressmaker in Arkport; Myra, who is a teacher in the common schools; Jennie, a clerk in Taylor Brothers store, and Mary, a student.

Young, Robard W., was born in Greene, Chenango county, N. Y., June 10, 1821, son of Northrup and Olive (Bly) Young, natives of Rhode Island, who came to Che- nango county, N. Y., thence to Pennsylvania, where they lived and died. The grandfather, Elias Young, lived and died in Rhode Island. Robard W. was edu- cated in the common schools. In 1832 he came to Woodhull, where he now owns 300 acres of land. June 15, 1842, at Greene, N. Y., he married Polly Gould, of Coventry, N. Y., a daughter of Samuel and Hannah (Salisbury) Gould, natives of Vermont. He died in Woodhull, and she, in Greene county, N. Y. The grandfather, Benja- min Gould, died in Coventry, N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. Young have one child, Elias, who married H. Christiana Putnam, by whom he had six children, who have been reared by our subject, Mrs. Young having died when the children were very young: Polly M., Ella, Helen, Robert W., Frank, and Nathan T.

Fulkerson, Dr. William Morgan, was born in Aurora, Cayuga county, N. Y. Joseph H. Fulkerson, his father, was born in Cayuga county. He was a carpenter by trade, but followed farming most of his life. He married Elizabeth S. Fritts, a native of Oneonta, Otsego county, and five children brighten their home. In 1862 they moved to Woodhull and later, in 1886, to Ingleside, making their home with Dr. William M., where Mrs. Fulkerson died March 2, 1888. Dr. Fulkerson's preliminary educa- tion was secured at Woodhull Academy, where he became acquainted and afterward married his wife, to whom he is proud to say he owes very much of his success. He courageously battled his way through school unaided, teaching for three years, after which he spent four years as traveling salesman in the nursery business, taking his medical books with him, studying most of his spare time. He registered with R. P. Brown, sr., of Addison, with whom he studied. In 1876 he married Sarah E. Hopper, who was born in Prattsburg, a daughter of John and Nancy M. (Clark) Hopper, who, during her infancy, removed to Woodhull. The result of this union was three boys: Wm. Terry and Archie Glenn, who died at the age of nineteen months; and Lynn Lyle. Wm. Terry and Lynn Lyle are at present students in Naples academy, where their mother accompanied them to assist them, she being a graduate of Genesee Wesleyan Semi-

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nary, Lima, N. Y., her former vocation having been teaching, which she began in her fourteenth year in Troupsburg. In 1876 the Doctor entered the University Med- ical College, New York city, and in 1878 came to Ingleside and began practice. In 1880 he returned to the University, from which institution he was graduated in 1881, returning to Inglside he resumed his practice which has increased so as to greatly exceed his fondest anticipations. Dr. William M. is also well known in politics, and is now serving his fourth term as Democratic supervisor of his town. Dr. Fulkerson and his wife are both well known in home charities, Mrs. Fulkerson having been a member of the M. E. church since childhood. She delights in music, flowers and picturesque surroundings, has executed some good portraits and landscapes in crayon and oil. She is the eldest of nine children, and, her father dying early in life (1861), she became a self-reliant woman, educating herself. They are admirably adopted to each other, being very energetic and accomplishing whatever they undertake.

Van Housen, Israel A., was born in Howard November 6, 1838. John Van Housen, his father, was a native of Montgomery county and came to Steuben county in 1831, and was identified through life as a farmer. Israel A. was educated at Franklin Acad- emy, Prattsburg, and Wesleyan Seminary, Lima. At the breaking out of the war he enlisted, October 12, 1861, in Co. E, 101st N. Y. Vols., and took part in the battles of Williamsburg, Seven Pines, Fair Oaks, Seven Days' retreat, Malvern Hill, Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and many others. In the winter of 1862 and 1863 his strong constitution gave way under the strain and exposure of active army life. March 14, 1863, he received an honorable discharge and returned to his father's home in Prattsburg, where he remained until 1866. He then engaged with his brother-in-law, W. Stewart, in the grocery business in Bath, remaining two years, when he returned to Prattsburg and took up farming. November 17, 1869, he was united in marriage to Lillian M., daughter of George W. Morgan, by whom he had eight children, Mary W., Charles A., Austin C., George M., John H., Catherine S., Eloise Azalea, and Caroline C. In the spring of 1871 he engaged in the milling business at Savona which he followed for twenty years, when he traded his milling interest with E. C. Allen for the Goodsell farm in Eagle Valley, making a specialty of growing tobacco and sheep.

Wager, Michael, was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, December 6, 1842, and is a son of Frank Joseph Wager who came to America in 1846, and worked in Roches- ter, N. Y., and returned to his native country in 1849. In 1867 Michael Wager came to Cohocton village, where he was employed by the Erie Railroad till 1879; then he purchased a farm in the southwestern part of Cohocton, called Porter Hill, and has since followed that business. He is a member of St. Pius R. C. church of Cohocton and a charter member of C. M. B. A., Branch 102. He married in 1868, Margaret Schults, and they are the parents of seven children: Clara, Frank, George, Lizzie, John, Joseph and Eleonora.

Watkins, James Edward, was born in the town of Prattsburg in 1861, son of Charles Watkins, who is a prosperous farmer in Pulteney. He was born in South Wales, England, in 1824, and is one of six sons and one daughter born to George and Eleanor Williams Watkins. He learned the blacksmith's trade and in 1851 came to America. In 1867 he settled in Pulteney on his present farm of ninety-three acres.

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His wife was Eliza Heden, born in Cayuga, a daughter of Absalom Heden, and their children are Lucy A., Maje E., deceased, Charles W., James Edward, George G., Jeanette, deceased, and Victoria. Mrs. Watkins died in 1886. She was a member of the Methodist church, and he has been class leader in the same church over forty years. James Edward was educated in the district schools and has devoted his time to farming. In 1885 he married Avis Ludencia, the youngest of six children born to Samuel and Julia Ann Covell Depew of Pulteney. She is the only surviving member of her family. Her father was prosperous and left her three hundred acres of land. Her grandfather, Joseph Covell, came to Urbana from Connecticut in 1812, and set- tled in the northwestern part of the town on the farm now owned by his daughter, O. A. Covell, where he spent the remainder of his days. He was born in Thompson, Windham county, Conn., in 1786. He was the son of Ebenezer and Sabrina Childs Covell. He had five brothers and five sisters, William, Willis, Ebenezer, Cyrus and Amasa, Cynthia Covell Partridge of Norwich, Betsy Covell Convas, Theodocia, Sabrina of Thompson, Conn., and Nancy Covell Rider of New York city. Joseph Covell was married in 1810 to Susanna Chamberlain, daughter of Harvey and Betsey Warren Chamberlain, and granddaughter of Dr. Peter Chamberlain of Pomfret, Conn., and grandniece of General Warren who was killed at Bunker Hill, in 1775. She had five brothers and three sisters, Warren, Schuiler, Harvy, George and Charles; Lucinda Chamberlain Smith of Pennsylvania, Lucy Chamberlain Brewster and Betsey Reckord of Danielsonville, Conn. They had ten children, two of whom died in infancy, William H., George C., Julia A., Emeline, M. D. La Fayette, Ocia A., George D. and Joseph E. Her grandfather, Joseph Covell, came to Urbana from Connecticut in 1812. Mr. and Mrs. Watkins are members of the Methodist church and the Y. P. S. C. E. He is a member of K. O. T. M. Hammondsport Lodge, of which he has been Chaplain.

Adams, Hon. William W., was born in Otsego county, August 14, 1843, and came to Corning with his parent in 1850. He received his education in the public schools of Corning. He entered the employ of the Fall Brook Railway Company in 1861, continuing in their service since, now filling the position of general storekeeper and chief motive power accountant. He is also vice-president of the Hood Furnace and Supply Company. He was elected mayor in 1894, the third mayor elected under the city charter, He married Francis E. De Wolf, only daughter of Hiram De Wolf, an old resident of Steuben county.

Lloyd, George M., was born in Rathbone, N. Y., April 6, 1853, son of George C. and Margaret (Selleck) Lloyd, natives of Jefferson county and Erie, Pa., respectively. The paternal grandfather, James Lloyd, was a native of Connecticut, removing from Hartford to Watertown, N. Y. George C. Lloyd came from Jefferson county to Cameron, where he engaged in lumbering, but soon moved to Rathbone, where he pursued the same calling in connection with farming. He was one of the first set- tlers of the town, and owned 250 acres of land, clearing a large farm in the dense forest, enduring many hardships and privations while engaged in clearing land, lum- bering and rafting lumber down the Canisteo. He was one of the leading men of the town up to the time of his death, which occurred May 31, 1890. He held nearly all of the town offices and was supervisor for three years during the late war. Mrs. Lloyd still lives, aged seventy-five years. She lives with her daughter Phoebe on

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part of the old homestead. George M. was reared on the farm which he now occu- pies, owning 100 acres of land. In 1878 Mr. Lloyd married Lucinda, daughter of John and Harriet Miles, both deceased, pioneers of Rathbone. Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd have three children; Leroy, Archie and Edna. He and his wife are members of the M. E. church.

Gee, Theodore, was born in Tioga county, Pa., in 1843, son of William Gee. 'Upon the death of his father he came to Tuscarora, and was thrown upon his own re- sources when quite young. During the first three years of his business career he engaged in lumbering at Emporium, Pa., and later he carried on a thriving market business in Addison. Fifteen years ago he purchased a farm of 140 acres near Good- hue Lake, where he still resides. In 1864 he married Sarah, daughter of John B. Swon, and they were the parents of six children, of whom three are still living. Annie, wife of George W. Gray; John; and Grace. In politics Mr. Gee is a Demo- crat.

Collson, J. W .. was born in Chemung county, N. Y., February 20, 1832, son of Anthony and Eunice (Mudge) Collson, she born in Worcester, N. Y., and he in Rut- land, Vt., and in 1845 came to Thurston and located on a tract of land situated one mile south of Merchantsville, where they died. He was a local preacher for several years. He had four sons and two daughters; three of his sons were in the Union army, namely: Daniel M., in the 50th Engineers, Paul, lieutenant and acting cap- tain in the 107th N. Y. Vols., and Ezra, a private in the 12th Artillery. J. W. Coll- son was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools. He began life as an insurance agent, which business he has always followed, and he has also been in the mercantile business in Merchantsville for about ten years. He is a Republican in politics, and has been justice of the peace for eight years and notary public two years. He is a member of Cameron Mills Lodge, F. & A. M., also a member of the I. O. G. T. In 1855 he married Susan Ranger, of Howard, N. Y., by whom he has six children: Emma O., Eunice A., Corelia L., Anthony, a conductor on the electric railroad in Elmira; J. M., lumber and coal dealer at Genesee, N. Y., Alva C., super- intendent of the House of Refuge, Randall's Island, New York,

Wheaton, J. Henry, was born in Hornby in 1867, son of Samuel A. and Eleanor J. Covenhoven Wheaton; the mother is a daughter of Henry Covenhoven, and the father a son of Peter S. Wheaton, representatives of the oldest families in the county. The mother resides in Hornby with her son; the father died in 1875; he twice enlisted in the war of the Rebellion and was twice honorably discharged. Mr. Wheaton has one brother, Grant Wheaton, younger than himself, who resides at Painted Post; he owns the leading meat market of the place and 103 acres of land in Hornby. Mr. Wheaton has 150 acres of land in Hornby and follows general farming, lumbering and sheep busbandry.

Helm, Henry M., was born in Thurston, N. Y., June 15, 1840, son of John P. and Sallie (Dare) Helm, both natives of New Jersey, who came to Bath where they resided for about ten years, and in April, 1840, they came to Thurston where they died. Henry M. was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools, after which he engaged in farming and lumbering, which he followed for eighteen years, and now owns ninety-two acres of land. He is a Republican in politics, and has been com-

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missioner of highways one term. In 1865 he married Mary J. Youmans, of Bath, N. Y., by whom he had three children: Nina, Leroy, and Nellie. January 3, 1864, Mr. Helm enlisted in Co. E, 50th N. Y. Vol. Engineers, and served until the close of the war. He is a member of Knox Post, G. A. R., of Savona, N. Y., also a member of Savona Grange.

Armsted, Charles H., was born in Avon, Livingston county, N. Y., June 27, 1859. Cyrus A. Armsted, the father of Charles, was also a native of that county, and the landlord of the Newman House. Charles is the only son: he was educated in the Avon Academy, and has always been engaged in the dealing in real estate and loans. He came to Hornellsville in 1882 and in 1887 he opened an office in the Ossosski block on Main street, where he remained a few years, then had an office in the Mc- Dougall block, Broad street, until 1892, when he went in partnership with James H. Clancy, esq., in the Opera House block where we now find him. Mr. Armsted was married in 1882, to Miss Carrie Burnham, daughter of Joseph I. Burnham, one of the pioneers of this town. They have no children.

Chapman, James W., was born in New Ipswich, Hillsboro county, New Hampshire, June 17, 1839. He was educated in the common schools and Appleton Academy and his first occupation after leaving school was in the mercantile line. In December, 1862, when twenty-three years of age, he took to railroading, starting as a fireman on the N. Y. & Erie R. R., at that time removing to Dunkirk, N. Y. His brother- in-law, Charles W. Tufte, was an engineer on this road and Mr. Chapman began service with him. He was promoted April, 1865, by H. D. Brooks, to the position of engineer, remaining as an extra at Dunkirk until 1868, when in April he was again promoted to night engineer dispatcher at Hornellsville, and occupied that position until November 1, 1871, when he was made assistant day engineer dispatcher, con- tinuing in that position until April 10, 1872, when he was promoted to engineer dis- patcher in full charge, by E. O. Hill, superintendent of motive power. February 14, 1874, he was promoted to general foreman of Hornellsville machine shop, by Howard Fry, superintendent of motive power, which he held until September 4, 1874, and was then promoted to master mechanic of the Western Division, by the same superintendent. He was master mechanic until June 15, 1878, at which time ' he resigned and resumed the position of engine dispatcher, a duty he had performed while master mechanic, and has ever since continued in this position. Mr. Chapman has been a member of the Masonic fraternity for twenty-five years, Evening Star Lodge, No. 44. He is a Republican in politics and served as trustee of Hornellsville for seven years. He is one of the trustees of the Y. M. C. A., and a member of the Presbyterian church. August 27, 1850, he married Harriet M. Tufte, of New Hamp- shire, who died in 1863, by whom he had one child, Mrs. B. I. Blackmer of Hornells- ville. The present Mrs. Chapman is Carrie E., daughter of Harvey Cooper of Hornellsville.

Bauter, John M., was born in Wheeler, Steuben county, N. Y., in 1843, oldest son of Marcus and Sarah (Ells) Bauter of Wheeler. He was educated in the common schools, and later while yet a young man taught school for a number of terms. In 1867 he married Mercy J. Thompson, who died in 1870, and his second wife was Minerva C. Shults of of Wheeler, by whom he had four children; Burdett, Marion,

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Dewitt and May. He now owns and operates a fine farm of 105 acres on which he has erected large and commodious buildings.

Bauter, Marcus, now of the village of Avoca, but formerly an old and prominent resident in Wheeler, was born in Herkimer county, in 1814, and there received a good education. His grandfather, Uriah Bauter, was a native of Germany, born in 1754. He, with two brothers, came to America while young men, and he and one brother engaged in farming, while the other brother became a blacksmith, and became wealthy and died a bachelor. Uriah also became prosperous and owned a large tract of land. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and during his absence from home his wife and five children were taken prisoners by the Indians and tories; the wife and four children were released, but the oldest son a boy of nine years, was taken to Canada and held for twelve years, when he was escorted back to his own home by a tory, who was one of the capturing party, and who returned before his identity became known. The young man was accidentally killed at a raising soon after his return home. Adam Bauter, father of Marcus, was born in Montgomery county, in 1779. He went to the town of Stark, N. Y., where he spent his life at farming. He married Catherine Wagoner, a native of Herkimer county, by whom he had ten children. When twelve years of age Marcus Bauter engaged as clerk in a store, and in 1835 he came to Wheeler and purchased a tract of timber land, on which he devoted most of his time. His first twelve winters and three summers were spent in teaching, beginning with ten dollars per month, and with money thus earned he hired his land cleared of the timber, and added from time to time until he owned 500 acres. In politics he was first a Democrat, but changed to the Republican party when his party endeavored to force slavery into Kansas. In early days he was school commissioner in Wheeler, and was later elected town superintendent of the schools for several years, and was commissioner of highways, inspector of election, etc. In 1885 he retired to the village of Avoca, where he purchased a residence, but retains 100 acres of his farm for his own use. He married Sarah, daughter of Pittkin Eells, of Wheeler, by whom he had seven children: John M., Mrs. Hannah Webb, Dewitt C., Mrs. Margeia Shaut, Sarah, deceased, Nettie and George W. His wife died in December, 1888, and he is now an active, well-preserved old gentleman of eighty- one years.

Wixson, Solomon R., was born in 1835 on the farm he now owns in Wayne, and which was settled when a wilderness, in 1791, by his grandparents, Solomon and Mary Randall Wixson; there they lived and died. The father of Solomon R., Elijah Wixson, was born on the homestead December, 1800. He married Martha Hastinges by whom he had seven children, of whom Solomon R. is the youngest. He was a farmer by occupation, and died in 1878. Mrs. Wixson, died in 1878. Solomon R. has always resided on the homestead and carried on farming, and in 1875 he built a saw mill on the farm and in 1888 commenced manufacturing baskets and grape packages of various kinds. They also have a vineyard. In 1856 he married Matilda J. Conklin of Tyrone, and they are the parents of four children: Elijah, who died at the age of ten years; Martha, deceased; Nellie, who died in infancy; and Edgar M., born in 1874, who now resides at home. Mr. Wixson is a Republican, and has served two terms as supervisor, and a number of terms as road commissioner.

Younglove, O. H .- Timothy Meggs Younglove was born on a farm in the town of

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Urbana, March 5, 1814. The first record we have of this family was Rev. John Younglove, a Presbyterian minister, who came from England and settled in Suffield, Conn., where he died in 1690. Now follows Joseph Younglove, and his son was Isaiah, who was born in 1717, and when a young man emigrated to New Jersey, where Joseph who was the father of Cornelius, was born. Cornelius was born in New Jersey, in 1772, and came to Vermont, where he was occupied in stone cutting and farming until 1807. In June of that year he removed to Steuben county and settled on the farm, where his descendants now reside. He married Hannah Bart- lett of Sunderland, Vt., and they were the parents of eight children, of whom only one, Cornelius S. of California, is now living. Timothy, the fifth son, was given a good common school education, and at the age of nineteen years took up surveying, which he followed until 1889. He lived with his parents until their death occurred, when he inherited the farm which his father deeded to him while living. The father's business was farming in a general way with wool growing a specialty, which Timothy continued until grape growing became an important business, when he embarked in that and reduced the number of sheep until in 1882 when he disposed of the last of them. In 1880 he began raising tobacco. In 1859 he built the fine residence where he lived until his death, which occurred March 10, 1892. In politics he was a Dem- ocrat, and in religion, an Episcopalian, and at the time of his death was warden of St. James church. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity-Urbana Lodge and Bath Chapter. He was one of the founders of the Pleasant Valley Wine Company. September 29, 1839, he married Matilda Hoyt of Reading, Schuyler county, daughter of Oliver Hoyt, and they had three daughters and one son: Myra, who is the wife of L. I. Rose of Hammondsport; Ellen and Emma, twins; and Oliver Hoyt. Ellen died in infancy, and Emma is the wife of H. R. Ainsworth, a physician of Addison. Oliver Hoyt was born November 29, 1846, and is the successor to the old homestead and the business, which his father established. September 13, 1868, he married Margaret, daughter of Benjamin Myrtle, and they have three children: Belle Myrtle, Margaret May, and Charles Myrtle, who is a student of Cornell University, Class of '96. The last born, Timothy Knox, died January 5, 1895, aged eight years. Mr. Younglove's farm consists of 160 acres, on fifty acres of which is a grape vineyard, and he is also engaged in the manufacture of baskets, and the output in 1894 was six hundred thousand. He employs about thirty women and sixteen men during the season. From 1882 to 1888 he was in partnership with George H. Keeler in the hardware business.

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Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 86

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