Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 94

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 94

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Alexander, James, was born in Morris, Otsego county, in 1829. John Alexander, father of James, was born in Ireland, about 1795, came to America when a young man, and settled in Morris, Otsego county, where he spent his life. He engaged in harness making, which business he has always followed. He married Margaret Mc- Dole, of Ireland, by whom he had eight children: Margaret, Helena, William, Jane Ann, Matilda L., John, Emily, and James. After the father's death the family re- moved to Chenango county and purchased a farm. James Alexander was educated in New Berlin, Chenango county, and at fifteen years of age began life's battles for himself by learning the harness maker's trade, which he followed about sixteen years. In 1853 he came to Pulteney where he engaged in the same business until 1856, when he married Celia, daughter of Joel and Nancy (Folwell) Hyatt, and re- moved to his father-in-law's homestead, where he has since erected fine, large com- modious buildings, and is one of the early fruit growers of this section ; he now owns a ten-acre vineyard.

Argus, Philip, was born in Rheinzabern, Germany, in 1836, son of Jacob Argus, who was born in 1800, one of two sons and two daughters born to Leonard. Argus, a farmer and vineyardist. Jacob Argus was a farmer and grape grower. His wife was Philiphena Masel and their children were John, Martin, and Philip, all of whom came to America. John and Martin are deceased. Philip Argus, upon landing in America, went directly to Wisconsin, where he was engaged in farm work for five years. He then came to Urbana, Steuben county N. Y., where he worked in the vineyards for four years, after which time he moved to Kansas, spending eleven years there in farming and grape growing. He then returned to Steuben county and purchased his present farm of forty-seven acres, which he cleared and set out forty acres of vines, the entire product of which he manufactures into the finest qual- ities of wine. ' In 1839 Mr. Argus married Abolonia Beill, of Prairie du Chien, Wis. (formerly of Germany), and their children are Jacob, Martin, Barbara, Anthony,

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Mary, Lizzie, Catherine, John, and Abolonia. Mr. Argus is a Democrat and a mem- ber of the C. M. B. A.

Acomb, Fred D., was born November 5, 1868. His paternal grandfather, was born in England and settled on Sandy Hill, where he died two years later of cholera, which raged in that locality. Thomas Acomb, the father of Fred D., was born in England February 9, 1827, and died March 29, 1893, aged sixty-six years. He came to America with his parents in 1832. He married Elizabeth Florey, by whom he had nine children: William H., Matilda Babcock, Frank, Ann Hall, Minnie Sterner, Jane Flint (M.D.), Daniel G., and Nellie. Mr. Acomb was an energetic man, who began life without a cent and at his death was possessed of 750 acres of land. He was assessor of Dansville for many years. Fred D. was educated in the common schools and attended the Dansville High School for a time. He resides on the old home- stead and does quite an extensive dairy business. At Dansville, N. Y., October 8, 1891, he married Carrie Stone, who was born in Dansville, Livingston county, N. Y., June 19, 1871, by,whom he has one child; John F., born December 19, 1892.

Wheeler, Charles Grattan, was born in the town of Wheeler, N. Y., July 4, 1854. He was educated at the Hammondsport Academy, and his first occupation was with the Hammondsport Wine Company, where he remained until 1886, with five years of the time on the road. In 1886 he engaged with the Lake Keuka Wine Company, owning one-fourth interest, of which he is the secretary and general manager. Oc- tober 27, 1880, he married Adele M. Lozier, of Dansville, N. Y., by whom he had four children: Florence, Munroe, Lozier, and Carrie, who died in infancy. Mr. Wheeler has twenty five acres of vineyard, also a peach orchard and six acres of small fruit.

Kilbury, Joel .- His grandfather, Robert Kilbury, was born in Vermont in 1765, and moved to the town of Dansville and settled on the farm now owned by William Cridler, and from there went to Indiana, where he died. Joel's father, Robert Kil- bury, who was born in Vermont in 1821, came to Dansville with his father, where he purchased a farm a little north of Fremont Center. In 1821 he married Eunice Car- rington, who was born in Washington county, N. Y. They were members of the Baptist church. He died at the age of eighty-seven, and she, in 1891. They were the parents of ten children, two of whom died in infancy: Sarah Jane Faulkner, born in 1822; Eli C., born in 1823; Edwin R., born in 1825; Robert Smith, born in 1827; Phebe A. Gates, born in 1829; Mary M. Cotton, born in 1831; Joel C., born September 11, 1839; and Andrew, born in 1835. Joel was educated at the Rogers- ville Seminary. In 1862 he went to California, where he remained two years, and when he returned he purchased his father's farm, where he now resides. He has held the offices of supervisor and highway commissioner of the town of Fremont. Mr. Kilbury married Harriet Horten, in 1864, and eight children were born to them: Mary Eugena Lessig, born in 1866; Edwin R., born in 1867; Harriet E., born in 1870; Alfred Horton, born in 1872; Charles S., born in 1875; Guy Mc., born in 1880; Paul- lina May, born in 1883; and Merlin J., born in 1887. David H. Lessig, husband of Mary Eugena Lessig, is a merchant in Indiana. Edwin R. is a merchant at Fremont Center.

Pritting, John .- John Pritting, sr., was the pioneer of the family in Steuben

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county. He was a native of Germany and came to America about 1850 and settled in the eastern part of Cohocton, where he purchased a farm and became a prosper- ous farmer. At the time he took up the land it was heavily timbered and for many years he made large quantities of shaved shingles. He was a prominent member of St. Paul's Lutheran church of Cohocton and one of its trustees. He married Anna Hach, and they were the parents of the following children; Margaret, wife of George Fronk; Mary; Lucy, who married Conrad Fox, of Naples, N. Y .; John, who mar- ried Cora Rouse, and settled in Cohocton, being a successful farmer; Louisa, wife of George Caward of Cohocton; Jacob, who lives on the homestead, and married Eva Blumenthal; Conrad, who married Minnie Hayward, and resides in Cohocton; and Fred. Mr. Pritting died in 1870.

Zeh, Melchor, and Zeh, Kilian .- Kilian Zeh, sr., the first of this family to settle in Steuben county, was a native of Germany and came to America in 1845, and first located in New York city, and two years later removed to Pennsylvania, where he lived until 1857, when he settled in the western part of the town of Cohocton and purchased a farm, where he lived until his death in 1878. He was one of the found- ers of St. Paul's Lutheran church of Cohocton, and was one of the organizers of Zion's Lutheran church. He married Mary Goodheart, and their children were Frederick, who settled in Kalamazoo, Mich .; Melchor; Louis, who resided in Cohoc- ton, where he died; Kilian; and John, who died young. Kilian Zeh, jr., located in Cohocton, is a carpenter by trade and is also engaged in farming. He is a member of St. Paul's Lutheran church. He married Mary, daughter of Henry Schwingle of Cohocton, and their children are John F., Edward F., Catherine L., Martha M., Charles H., Clara, and Otto, living, and Herman M., deceased. Melchor Zeh located in this town, where he is a successful farmer. He is a strong Republican, and was elected poormaster in 1895. He is a member of St. Paul's Lutheran church. He married Mary, daughter of Nicholas Folts, and their children are Mary C., wife of Jacob Link, John F., William J., Henry L., George P., Louise L., Samuel D, Em- ma H., Martin T., living, and Julia M., deceased. Louise has three children, Fred- eric, Spencer and Julia.

Bush, W. L .- The pioneer of the Bush family was Conrad Bush, who came from Germany in an early day, and settled at Pompey, Onondaga county, N. Y. He served in the Revolutionary war, and had twelve children, as follows: Susan, Will- iam, Conrad, jr., John, Ellick, Thomas, Jacob, Elias, George, Lyman, Charles, Polly. John Bush, son of Conrad, served in the war of 1812. He was one of the early settlers of Cohocton, and came from Onondaga county and took up 100 acres on the River Road, there being but only one house between there and North Cohocton. He made his first clearing on the corner where the Bush school house now stands, sowed it to wheat, returned to Onondaga county, and the following spring brought back his family. He built the first frame house in the town and brought in the first hay rake, and became a prosperous farmer. He was for several years in the mercantile busi- ness in Cohocton. He married Martha Case for his first wife, by whom he had twelve children: Mary, who married Lewis Kimball, and settled in Cohocton, N. Y. : Martha, who married Simon Smith, and settled in Naples; Aurelia, who married Darwin Kimball, and settled in Cohocton ; Lyman, who married Lucinda Sutton, and settled in Pompey, N.Y .; John, deceased; Morris, in Cohocton; Elias, who settled in

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LANDMARKS OF STEUBEN COUNTY.

Butler county, Iowa; Thomas, deceased; Minerva, wife of William Miller, of Co- hocton; Juliette, who married Robert Perry, and settled in Decatur, Ill. ; Wesley, who served four years in the Rebellion and afterwards married for his first wife Minerva Wilson, and settled on the homestead, and for his second wife he married Mary Lowell; and Jane, who married Ira Stillman, of Onondaga county. For his second wife John Bush married Mrs. William Wing, by whom he had two children: Celeste, who married Hiram W. Hatch, of Cohocton; and Lois, who died unmarried. Norris Bush was born in Cohocton, in 1829, and has always followed farming. In 1865 he settled in the town of Naples, near the Cohocton line. He married Helen Lee, by whom he had three children: Mary J. (Mrs. J. R. Wetmore) of North Cohoc- ton; Wheeler L., a farmer of Cohocton; and Elizabeth (Mrs. Ellwyn Briggs).

Brink, Franklin Johnson, was born on a farm in the town of Urbana, October 8, 1821. His father, Matthew Brink, was one of the first settlers of this section, coming from New Jersey when only a lad. He was a blacksmith and justice of the peace for many years. He was the proprietor of an ashery in the village, and also run the first horse boat on Lake Keuka, and was a captain of the National Guards. He left here in 1830, and died in Michigan, in 1836. He married Harriet Webster, by whom he had four children, of which Franklin Johnson is the only one living. Mrs. Brink died in 1856. Franklin Johnson was given a good common school education, and his first occupation was in the blacksmith shop with his father. He came to this town in 1837 and for a few years worked by the month. In 1862 he bought a farm of fifty acres, where he lived for ten years, and then sold and bought 113 acres where we now find him conducting a general grain farm with a vineyard of five acres and some sheep. In 1863 he returned to the trade of blacksmith and has a shop on his present farm. In 1846 he married Susan Randall, a native of New Jersey, by whom he had five children : Emma, who died in March, 1894, aged twenty-seven years; Harriet Bailey, wife of Frank B., a farmer of this town; Mary, wife of Willard French; and Elbert, who lives on the homestead farm.

Colgrove, Henry, was born on a farm in the town of Hornellsville, August 20, 1835, grandson of Samuel Colgrove, from Rhode Island, and son of Francis Colgrove, a native of Painted Post, born June 20, 1810. He married in 1830, Amanda Pitts, daughter of John Pitts of Hornellsville. He always resided in Steuben county, and through his life was interested in school and church work. He died November 25, 1878. Henry was the second of a family of ten children, of whom eight are still living. He was educated in the common schools and Alfred University, and followed his father on the farm and in stock dealing. In 1877 he added to his farming interests the dealing in produce at Burns. In 1886 Mr. Colgrove moved to Arkport, where he engaged in dealing in farm produce, particularly in potatoes and fruits, in 1895 handling about 100,000 bushels of potatoes alone. Mr. Colgrove is a warm Repub- lican, and was twice (in 1880-81) supervisor of the town of Burns, and in 1889 was elected to the same office in Hornellsville, and again elected in 1891. He also held the office of assessor in both towns. He has been a member of the Masonic fratern- ity for fifteen years, a member of Canaseraga lodge No. 781, he is also a member of Steuben Chapter No. 101, and De Molay Commandery No. 22. He has always taken an active interest in church and school work, and is a member of the board of edu- cation of Arkport. He married, March 15, 1859, Sarah, daughter of James Miller of

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South Dansville. They have three sons: James Francis, a partner with his father in the produce business and now located in New York city; J. Hervey, a farmer of Dansville; and Henry Miller, an optician and jeweler of Canaseraga.

Conderman, Charles, was born in Fremont, Steuben county, N. Y., January 15, 1864. He was the son of John D. and Aseneth Conderman. In 1884 he graduated from the Hornellsville Free Academy, and in 1886 entered the law office of Fay P. Rathbun, and began the study of law. In 1889 he entered the Albany Law School, from which he graduated in 1890 and was admitted to the New York State bar in the same year. He has successfully practiced hisprofession at Hornellsville, N. Y., ever since. In 1892 he was elected a member of the Common Council of the city of Horn- ellsville, which office he still holds, being re-lected in 1894. Mr. Conderman is a man of sterling qualities, active and incorruptible in the discharge of his duties, and per- severing in his denunciation of ring rule. He has been conspicuous in his exposure of corrupt city politics which has resulted in immense good to the city, so that to-day he is looked upon as one of the staunchest aldermen that the city of Hornellsville has ever had.

Curtis, John S., was born in the town of Campbell, August 9, 1865. Daniel B. Curtis his father, was a native of Connecticut, and came to the town of Campbell among the first settlers, where he engaged in tanning and farming. He married May A. Brown of Campbell, by whom he had five children: Jennie, John S., George H., Uriah B., and May. John S. Curtis was educated in the district schools of Camp- bell. He attended the military school at Cayuga Lake, one year at a preparatory school, and then took charge of his father's farm of 500 acres, which he now owns. Since 1887 he has been agent for the N. Y., I. E. & W. R. R. He married Grace, daughter of C. H. Bemis of Campbell, by whom he had one child, Daniel B. In 1893 Mr. Curtis was elected supervisor of the town, for a three years term, In politics he is a Republican.

Cleveland, Shepard A., was born in Delaware county, August 7, 1842. John P. Cleveland, his father, was a native of the same county, and came to South Post, on the line between Steuben county and Chemung county, where he bought timberland and cleared a farm. He was in the lumber business for many years, and died in the town of Campbell, aged ninety-four years. He married Nancy Cotton of Connecti- cut. Shepard A. Cleveland was educated in Steuben county, and then engaged in farming, and now owns a farm of 270 acres. He married Mary, daughter of Samuel Rumsey of Victor, Ontario county, by whom he had five children: Ida M., Alice G., Nancy D., Ray S., and Mertie M. Mr. Cleveland has held many of the minor offices of the town, and is a member of the M. E. church. Inpolitics he is a Prohibitionist.

Cody, Frank A., was born in Hornellsville, January 21, 1857, son of Levi Cody who came from Connecticut to Hornellsville when quite small, with his father who cleared land for a farm, which at that time was a wilderness. He married Sarah Cobern, by whom he had four children: Frank, Fred, Charles and Howard. Frank A. Cody was educated in this county, after which he engaged in farming and Inmbering, and at present devotes his time to farming, and now owns a farm on the Mead's Creek road, of 130 acres. He married Sarah, daughter of James Hamilton of Ireland, by whom he had one daughter, Mary. He is a member of the M. E. church, and in politics is a Republican.

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Campbell, William H., was born in Seneca county, May 19, 1832, the third son of four born to Luther and Sally (Townsend) Campbell, both of Seneca county. Elijah and Pattie Townsend were pioneers of Townsville, Seneca county, for whom the town was named. The grandfather, John Campbell, was a farmer of Seneca county and died in Greenwood. Luther Campbell came to Greenwood about 1835 and cleared considerable land and died in 1850. Mrs. Campbell died March 10, 1840. William H. Campbell was with his father until twenty years of age and helped to clear several farms. He then started in business for himself and now owns a good farm of 122 acres which he rents and resides on a farm of ten acres. March 13, 1857, he mar- ried Sophronia Petre, of Herkimer county, N. Y., by whom he had three children: Alice, wife of J. Rogers, a farmer of Greenwood; Lottie, wife of Wiiliam Rowland, also a farmer of Greenwood; and Hayden, who died in October, 1888, aged twenty- one years.

Crawford Bros .- Lewis Crawford was born in Lycoming county, Pa., in 1881, son of David and Margaret Sarah Crawford, who came to Rathbone about 1825, where they lived and died. He married Elizabeth Mullison, a native of Luzerne county, Pa., born December 23, 1824, daughter of John and Margaret Phoenix Mullison, he a native of Pennsylvania, and she of Delaware county, N. Y. They came to Rath- bone in 1832, where he died July 23, 1864, and she, September 15, 1885. Lewis

Crawford was educated in the common schools, and was a farmer and lumberman, owning about 250 acres of land. In politics he was a Democrat and was assessor and commissioner. Mr. and Mrs. Crawford were the parents of nine children, seven of whom are living; William, who is now engaged in the hay and grain business; Charles, David, Martha, wife of Dewitt Northrup; George, who resides on the home- stead; Eugene, born April 7, 1856; and James, born February 28, 1864. Eugene was educated in the common schools, and the Poughkeepsie Business College. from which he graduated in 1879. He clerked for his brother William several years and then entered into partnership with him in 1879. They continued in business until 1891 when they dissolved partnership, his younger brother, James, buying out Will- iam, and they have since continued under the firm name of Crawford Bros. Eugene married Mary, daughter of Finley Goff of Rathbone, and they have two children: Lewis and Finley. James was educated in the common schools, and was graduated from the Poughkeepsie Business College in 1886, and clerked for his brother until he formed a partnership, as above stated. October 28, 1890, he married Lottie Rich- myer, daughter of John Richmyer, and two children have been born to them: William and Ruth. James Crawford was appointed postmaster in 1890. Mr. Lewis Crawford died in 1881.

Campbell, George, was born in Island, August 18, 1842, son of Thomas and Mary (Wilson) Campbell, natives of Island, who came to Cameron in 1849, where Mrs. Campbell died about 1850, and where Mr. Campbell now resides. George Camp- bell was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools. He owns 178 acres of land in Cameron, and in 1884 bought 127 acres in Rathbone, N. Y., and follows general farming. He is a member of Cameron Mills Lodge, No. 547, F. and A. M., and is also a member of the Farmers' Alliance. He was a justice of the peace and highway commissioner in Cameron. His grandfather, Alexander Campbell, was a native of Island and came to Steuben county at an early day, and was a well-read

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man for his time, prominent politically, and was postmaster for a number of years in Cameron, N. Y.

Cole, Jesse F., was born in Rathbone, N. Y., July 8, 1868. His grandfather, Jacob Cole, lived on the south side of the river and afterwards removed to the south part of the town, where he cleared a large farm and became quite wealthy. Albert Cole, father of Jesse F., was born in Rathbone, N. Y. He was a farmer and spent his life in Rathbone. He married Sarah Warner, who was born in Sussex county, N. J., daughter of Henry and Arvilla (Rubert) Warner; he died in New Jersey in 1893, and she in Rathbone, while on a visit. Mr. Cole died October 27, 1893, and his widow lives with her son. Jesse F. Cole was reared on a farm and educated at Woodhull Academy, after which he learned the barber's trade, and in 1891 came to Rathbone, where he has since resided. In politics he is a Republican, and is now serving his second term as town clerk. April 7, 1895, he married Satie Crawford, daughter of James Crawford, of Rathbone.

Cook, Andrew W., was born in Dansville, N. Y., September 14, 1828. His father, Andrew Cook, was born in East Haddam, Conn., and died in June, 1857, aged sev- enty-one years. He came from Connecticut in 1808 and settled in Geneseo, and in 1809 built a saw mill on the site of Sweet's foundry. In 1814 he purchased the farm in Dansville, now owned by his son. He married Elizabeth McWhorter, who was born in Northumberland, Pa., and died in 1869, aged seventy-eight years. They had twelve children: Frances, born September 18, 1813, and died July 22, 1816; Sarah Sylvester. born June 23, 1815, and died in 1892; Gideon, born March 18, 1817, and died March 26, 1821; Thomas, born April 4, 1819, deceased; Marion, born May 15, 1821, and died August 21, 1824; Huldah L., born April 17, 1823, and died October 1, 1887; Lucretia, born March 6, 1825, and died April 2, 1825; William, born Septem- ber 9, 1826, and died March 21, 1828; Andrew W., born September 14, 1828; Caro- line E. Gould, born October 20, 1830; and John C. and James O., twins, born April 1, 1833. Andrew W. received a common school education and subsequently took a course at the Rogersville Seminary, after which he engaged in farming, and has also worked at the carpenter's trade for sixteen years. He has held the office of justice of the peace of Dansville, and was elected superintendent of the poor for Steuben county in 1872 and served three years. He is a member of Dansville Ledge, No. 478, F. and A. M. In October, 1856, he married Mary J. Wellington, who was born in 1827 and died in 1874, by whom he had three children: Adah Bell Sponable, born July 27, 1857; Julia E. Wood, born October 12, 1859; and William S., born June 8, 1864. Mr. Cook married for his second wife, Ellen M. Howard, who was born in Albany, Vt., September 10, 1839.

Curray, Charles O., was born on Oak Hill, on the place where he now resides, in 1836. His father, James B. Curray, was born in Tompkins county, N. Y., and died in Dansville, N. Y., on the place where his son now resides, in 1888, aged eighty- six years. He settled on Oak Hill about 1835. He married Nancy Miller, who was born in Tompkins county, N. Y., and died on Oak Hill, aged sixty-six years. They had ten children: Eveline Coe; Angeline Hendy, deceased; William W., deceased; Mary A. Burdette; Fanny Newcomb, deceased; Emma Jane Miller, deceased; Mil- ton S., deceased; Charles O., as above; Olivia Crow, and Emerdette Cane, deceased,

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Charles O. attended the common schools and took a course in the Rogersville Semi- nary. He has always followed farming, and now owns a farm of 150 acres. In Oc- tober, 1861, he enlisted in the 104th N. Y. Wadsworth Guards, and was discharged in February, 1863. He took part in Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam and Fredericksburg. He is a member of Dansville Lodge, No. 478, F. and A.M. He married Mary A. Levers, who was born in Pennsylvania, July 22, 1836, by whom he had three children: Lillie M., born in January, 1872; John B., born in April, 1873, and Susan, born July 14, 1878.

Cooper, John E., was born on the farm where he now resides, September 27, 1852, son of Charles J., and grandson of Dr. John Cooper. John E. Cooper married Mary Friesleder, and they have three children: Hippolyt, John, jr., and Mary. Mr. Cooper is a farmer, having a farm which consists of 140 acres, and has been assessor of the town of Erwin.

Campbell, George W., was born in the town of Campbell, August 2, 1818, son of Archibald Campbell, one of the first settlers of that town, which was named after his family. George W. settled in the town of Erwin in 1885, and married Elizabeth Burrill, and they have three children: Sarah Louise, of Painted Post; Solomon A., of Oneida, Madison county, and Archibald W., of Elkland, Pa. Mr. Campbell has been supervisor of the town of Erwin for five years, and held that office in the town of Campbell four years during the war. He has been county superintendent of the poor of Steuben county for three years.

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Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 94

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