USA > New York > Steuben County > Landmarks of Steuben County, New York > Part 98
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the county, and its first president, to which office he has several times been re-elected. He has always been active in politics but has never held public office except that he was commissioner of the U. S. Deposit Fund for the county of Steuben for fourteen years, which position is now held by his son, Walter R. In 1861 he married Helen Maria Ganesvoort, a daughter of the late John Roseboom Ganesvoort and Rebecca Irwin. Mr. Ganesvoort was a descendant of John Wessells Von Ganesvoort, born in Gronigen, Hollaud, in the year 1419. His descendants came early to America and settled in New Amsterdam, now the city of New York, and later became residents of Albany, where Conrad Ganesvoort, Mrs. Allen's grandfather was born. He was a Revolutionary patriot and long a ruling elder in the old Dutch church of Albany. His wife was Elizabeth Roseboom, who was also of Holland descent. Mrs. Allen's mother was Rebecca Irwin, only daughter of Jared Irwin and Lucretia Patterson of Dansville, Livingston county, N. Y., both of Scotch descent. The Pattersons are descended from Andrew Patterson, a "Covenanter," who was banished from Scot- land under the reign of King James the Second, came to America on the vessel " Francis," which landed at Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in December, 1685. The children of William W. Allen and Helen M. Ganesvoort are Ganesvoort Irwin, Walter Roseboom and Minerva Elizabeth, wife of Edwin Stewart Underhill; they are all residents of Bath.
Eckler, John, was born in the town of Starks, in 1826. Henry Eckler, his grand- father, was of Mohawk Dutch ancestry, a farmer in Herkimer county, and was a sol- dier in the soldier in the Revolutionary war, and fought at the battle of Bunker Hill. He reared four children, and died aged eighty years. Henry Eckler, father of John, was born February 29, 1800, and spent his whole life as a farmer in Herkimer county. He married Betsey, daughter of Mathias Shaul, by whom he had ten chil- dren: Mathias, Isaac, Abram, Henry, Elizabeth, John, Mary, Betsey, Sarah, and Levi. He died in 1874, and his wife in 1870. John Eckler remained with his father until he was twenty-six years of age, and in 1851 he came to the town of Wheeler, where he spent a year and where he was married, after which he returned to Herki- mer county, where he spent the six years, buying a farm of his father in the mean- time. In 1858 he returned to Wheeler and bought a farm of 140 acres, and in 1866 purchased the farm on which he now resides, having since added to it until he now owns nearly 400 acres of improved land. In the fall of 1864 he enlisted in Co. H, 188th N. Y. Vols., served until the close of the war, and participated in the battles of Hatcher's Run, Five Forks, and Appomattox. He is a member of the G. A. R. at Avoca. In 1851 he married Nancy N., daughter of Isaac and Betsey (Cramer) Short, who came to Wheeler from Herkimer county in 1831, by whom he had these children: Julia, who died at eighteen years of age; Wilmot, wife of George Stryker of Wheeler; and Amelia, wife of Charles Beal of Wheeler.
Ellis, Jerome B., was born in the town of Dryden, Tompkins county, in 1835, son of Jason Ellis, also a native of Dryden, and grandson of Colonel Ellis, who was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and a pioneer of Tompkins county, where he en- gaged successfully in farming, and at his death leaving a large amount of property. Jason came to the town of Bath in 1837, and engaged in farming and lumbering, owning a saw mill, and rafted his lumber down the Conhocton River to Harrisburg. He married Nancy Hart, of Tompkins county, and their children were George
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(deceased), Ella, Chester, Albert, William, Joseph, Sarah, and Jerome B. He died when sixty years of age, and his wife, aged fifty-eight years. Jerome B. received a fair education, and from 1856 until 1890 he taught school during the winter terms, and devoted his time to farming during the summers. In 1880 he removed to the town of Wheeler, where, with the exception of three years he spent in Watkins, N. Y., in the carriage business, he has resided on his farm of 112 acres. In politics he is a Democrat, and has held the office of supervisor for six years. In 1859 he mar- ried Caroline, daughter of Robert La Cross, a blacksmith of that town, and their children are Jay (deceased), Aaron J. (deceased), Cara, wife of Charles Myers, of Wheeler, and Bertha.
Everett, John, was born in the town of Prattsburg, April 25, 1837. David Everett, his father, was born in Vermont, in 1804, and in early life was a shoemaker, after which he engaged in farming and settled in the town of Prattsburg about 1835, where he died in 1854. He had by his first wife two children: Barney and Delilah. He married for his second wife, Mary, daughter of James Upthego, by whom he had three children: John, Sarah J., and James H. John Everett, when but twelve years of age, was obliged to care for himself, and engaged at farm work for an uncle with whom he lived five years. At eighteen years of age he bought fifty acres of land, and has added to it from time to time. In 1866 he removed to the town of Wheeler, where he purchased 111 acres of land, to which he later added sixty-two acres, and which now comprises his Wheeler farm and which he conducts. In 1885 he pur- chased a residence in the village of Avoca, where he has since resided, and in 1887 he purchased a small farm of thirty-five acres in Avoca. He has devoted many years to the successful breeding of fine horses, and during the years 1871-72 he bought cattle and conducted a meat market in Avoca. In 1864 he enlisted in Co. C, 188th N. Y. Vols., and served until the close of the war. He was in the battle of the first Hatcher's Run, and after that was on detail duty. In 1858 he married Emily, daugh- ter of P. and Hannah Horr, early settlers of Prattsburg, by whom he had these chil- dren: Mrs. Minnie Shults of Avoca and Charles W. (twins), Lottie, and Louie and Ada (twins). Louie died when fifteen years of age.
Everett, Charles W., was born in Wheeler, Steuben county, N. Y., in October, 1860. son of John Everett, a prosperous farmer in Wheeler, but a resident of Avoca, who was born in Prattsburg in April, 1837, son of David Everett, a native of Vermont, and born in 1804. Charles W. remained with his father until he was twenty-four years of age, when he purchased his present farm of 150 acres, where he has made a success in stock raising and vegetable growing for a number of years. He served one term as collector, and is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Avoca Lodge. In 1884 he married Nellie E., daughter of Wesley and Johan (Nellis) Calkins, by whom he had one son, Johan, and his wife died in 1885. Mr. Calkins, her father, died and her mother later became the wife of Martin Strait, by whom she and her sister were shot in Elmira, N. Y. Mr. Everett married for his second wife Catherine F., daugh- ter of Isaac Shaut of Wheeler, by whom he had two children.
Derick, Dennis, was born in Rensselaer county in 1848. son of Henry Derick, a native of Rensselaer county, born in 1809, the seventh of nine children, and came to Wheeler, Steuben county, in 1855, where he spent his remaining days. He married
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Catherine Kendall, a native of Columbia county, by whom he had six children: De- borah, David H., Margaret, George E., Dennis S., and E. K. Mr. Derick died in 1879, and his wife in 1881. Dennis Derick remained with his father until he was twenty-three years of age, when he started in business for himself at farming and shoemaking, he having adopted that trade when eighteen years of age and practicing at home. He now owns a farm of ninety acres which takes in one-half of his father's homestead, and has a shop in the village of Wheeler, where he attends to the wants of his boot and shoe customers. He has been a student of law, political economy and science, and is a well educated man. He has been elected to the office of justice four terms, and is now serving in that capacity. In 1871 he married Mary (Simons) Aulls, an adopted daughter of Ephraim Aulls of Wheeler, by whom he had these children: Dennis S., Henry, Frank E., William D., Deborah, who died at three yeurs of age; Catherine C., and Lulu M.
Derick, E. K., is a son of Henry Derick, who was born in Rensselaer county in 1809, and came to Wheeler in 1855, where he spent his remaining days. He married Catherine Kendall of Columbia county, by whom he had six children: Deborah, David H., Margaret, George E., Dennis S., and E. K. He died in 1879, and his wife in 1881. E. K. Derick was educated in the common schools, and at twenty years of age began for himself, working his father's farm for a short time, after which he en- gaged in selling agricultural implements on the road until 1882, when he leased the hotel building in Wheeler, in which he put a stock of general merchandise, and five years later erected a building on his present site, and opened business on a more elaborate plan. In 1890 he added to his business the buying of country produce, hay, potatoes, eggs, etc., and in 1894 doing a $50,000 business, he being the only produce dealer in the town. During the construction of the Kanona & Prattsburg Railroad he took the contract of building the depot and grading for the switch, which he executed during the winter of 1889-90; and was then made station agent, in which capacity he has served to the present time. He was town clerk for fivesuc- cessive years, and held the office of postmaster of Wheeler during the first and sec- ond terms of President Cleveland's administration. In 1882 he married Carrie, daughter of Wood and Olive Benedict.
Davis, N. D., of Caton, was born in Franklin county, Massachusetts, in 1820, son of Dexter and Emily (Holden) Davis, natives of Massachusetts. The paternal grandfather, John D., was in the Revolutionary war. In 1842 Mr. Davis came to Caton, locating on the pail factory place, now owned by Daniel Davis. At the age of eighteen he embarked in the grocery trade in Corning, continuing five years, and then purchased sixty-five acres where he now lives. In 1852 he married, and in 1853 moved to the place. He had added to his farm till it now contains 233 acres. His first wife was Adelaide Westcott, who died in 1862, leaving four sons: Horace, Henry, Charles H., and Edgar M. He afterward married Julia E. Baker, his present wife. They have one child, Emma, wife of John Rowe. Mr. Davis follows general farm- ing and makes a specialty of breeding horses, bringing the first Percheron intro- duced in this section in 1887. He also raises thoroughbred Jersey cattle.
Davison, C. A., was born in Caton in 1843, son of James Davison, jr., and Mary (Thompson) Davison, natives of Schuyler and Chenango counties. The parents
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were married in Caton, and died in 1894 and 1888, aged seventy-six and seventy- seven, father and mother respectively. In 1865 Mr. Davis married Therissa A. Tobey, and they have resided on their present farm in Caton since 1867. He fol- lows general farming, making a specialty of dairying. He was highway commis- sioner in 1821.
Eddy, J. F , was born in Thurston, N. Y., December 14, 1845, son of Fenner and Celia (Taft) Eddy, natives of the town of Burleigh, R. I., who came to Thurston about 1836, where they died. The grandfather of our subject, Eli Eddy, lived and died in Rhode Island, at 100 years of age. Fenner Eddy, father of J. F., was a tan- ner and currier by trade, and owned a tannery on the farm now owned by J. F. Eddy. He was a member of the F. & A. M. J. F. Eddy was reared on a farm he now owns, and educated in the common schools, after which he engaged in farming and lumbering, but at present works at the carpenter's trade. He owns eighty-six acres of land, the old homestead. Mr. Eddy is a Republican in politics, and has been com- missioner of the town for one year, and is now serving his second term as justice of the peace. He is a member of Lodge No. 168, F. & A. M., and Merchantsville Grange, also a member of Loga Post No. 469, G. A. R. July 3, 1869, he married Emily Congden, of Addison, by whom he had nine children: Vina L., Josie L., Belle (deceased), Archie B. (deceased) Jessie C., Fenner, Thomas, Ralph (deceased), and Ward B. In 1864 Mr. Eddy enlisted in Co. A, 189th N. Y. Vols., and served until the close of the war.
Dickinson, Francis A., was born in Thurston, N. Y., November 5, 1834, son of David and Judith (Story) Dickinson, he was born in New York, and she in Middle- bury, Conn. The grandfather of our subject, Amos Dickinson, was one of the first settlers of Thurston. He went to Michigan where he died. David Dickinson, father of Francis A., was a farmer, and at one time owned 146 acres of land. He died in 1871, and his wife in 1890. Francis A. was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools. He is a farmer and owns 118 acres of land. He married Minerva, daughter of James Jack, one of the first settlers of Thurston, by whom he had four children: Allen B., born April 2, 1868. and educated in the common schools. He is a farmer and owns sixty acres of land; Leon F., born October 29, 1872, educated in the common schools, and resides at home; Zaide M., born September 4, 1875, edu- cated in Bath, and is the wife of Elmer Granger, and they have one child: Clayton L., and Elvie, born January 23, 1880, educated in the common schools, and resides at home. Mr. Dickinson enlisted May 16, 1861, in Co. A, 3d N. Y. Vols., and served two years, and re-enlisted in Co. C, 16th N Y. Heavy Artillery, and served until the close of the war. He was at Antietam, South Mountain, Chantilly, Fredericksburg, second Bull Run, and many skirmishes. He is a member of Loga Post, No. 465, G. A. R.
Longwell, Randall, was born in the town of Vernon, Sussex county, N. J., April 4, 1837, son of William Longwell, who was also a native of New Jersey, born January 1, 1796, and died November 30, 1843. In 1839 he came to Steuben county and settled in the town of Bath on a farm, and his principal occupation was dealing in stock. Mr. Longwell married Elizabeth Sprague, who was also a native of New Jersey, and they were the parents of eleven children, six of whom are now living, and Randall
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was the youngest of seven sons that reached adult age. Mrs. Longwell died October 1, 1876, aged seventy-eight years. Randall was educated in the common schools and his first occupation was as a clerk in a wholesale and retail store in Paterson, N. J., where he remained two years, and then spent one year on a farm in that State. In 1857 he returned to New York State and engaged in farming on shares and on leased farms until 1874. In 1873 he bought a farm of 115 acres in Urbana, and in 1874 traded for the farm of 154 acres, upon which he has made many valuable improvements, among them being the setting out of a thirty-five acre vineyard, the erection of a fruit house, and a fine residence. In politics he is a Democrat and has held some of the minor town offices, and in 1876 was the representative of his town on the Board of Supervisors. He is identified with the Presbyterian church, of which he is a trustee. In 1860 he was married to Eliza O. Brundage, daughter of George S. Brun- dage, and they were the parents of two children: George B., who died in 1865, aged four months; and Harry B., who is an insurance agent of Hammondsport. Randall has been a member of the Masonic fraternity since 1865.
Neel, James, was born in the town of Holland, Erie county, N. Y., May 11, 1837, the second son of a family of thirteen children born to Robert Neel, a merchant of the town of his birth, who is now a resident of Livonia, N. Y., and is in his eighty- fourth year. James Neel was educated in the common schools, after which he en- gaged as agent for the N. Y. C. R. R. Co., at Chili, where he remained for thirteen years. In 1875 he located at Kanona, N. Y., and established a general store, which he conducted for seven years. In 1882 he entered the employ of the Urbana Wine Company, which position he has since held. He has been postmaster of the village of Urbana since its establishment in November, 1883, and has always been a Repub- lican in politics, but never an office seeker. He has been a member of the Masonic fraternity since he was twenty-one years of age, and is now a member of Urbana Lodge, No. 459. In 1858 he married Mary Day, of Scottsville, N. Y., by whom he had one daughter, Minnie, wife of Charles Larrowe, of Cohocton, N. Y. Mrs. Day died at the home of her daughter, October 16, 1895. She was born in Milton, Eng- land, in 1836, and was one of a lage family of children, but one of whom, a brother in the West, survives. She lived a happy Christian life, devoted to her home, family, and friends.
Sick, Philip, 3d, was born in Germany, October 25, 1845, and is a son of Philip and Catherine (Fogle) Sick, who came to America in 1845, and settled in the town of Wayland, where he became a prominent farmer, and was a leading member of the Perkinsville Lutheran church. Their children were Fred, William, Philip, Cath- erine, Louise, Electa, and Caroline. Fred settled on the homestead, and married Mary Lander, William is a farmer and settled in Wayland, Catherine married Godfrey Fleishman of Cohocton. Louise married Philip Sick, 2d, of Cohocton. Electa married William Lander, of Wayland. Caroline married Fred Biehl, of Co- hocton. Philip Sick, 3d, settled first in Wayland and afterward in Cohocton, and is one of the substantial men of the town. He is a prominent member of St. Paul's Lutheran church of Cohocton. Mr. Sick has been twice married, first to Louisa, daughter of the late Philip Barts, of Cohocton, by whom he had four children: Henry, Rose, George, and Aurelia. Henry married Ann Link. Rose married Louis Shultice. For his second wife Mr. Sick married Margaret Link, of Cohocton.
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Eygabroat, Jacob, was born in Herkimer county, N. Y., December 29, 1828, son of John and Matilda Eygabroat. John was born in 1800, near St. Johnsville, was a farmer by occupation, and came to the town of Campbell about thirty-three years ago, where he continued to live until his death on February 18, 1887. Mr. and Mrs. Eygabroat were the parents of seven children: John H., Jacob, Betsey A., William, Martha, Rosilla, and William, the second. Jacob has been a shingle maker, which business he followed in connection with farming and lumbering. At present he is devoting his time to farming, and is the owner of five farms. He married Fannie, daughter of Isaiah Austin, of Caton, and they have had five children: William, de. ceased, Harriet Amy, Charlie, John, and Jacob.
France, James H., was born in Otsego county, N. Y., October 13, 1826, son of Da- vid H., and Eliza (Farquharson) France, he a native of Seward, Schoharie county, N. Y., and she of Cherry Valley, Otsego county, N. Y. The grandfather, Henry France, was captured by the Indians in Tryon county, N. Y., with his brother, John, who was killed, while Henry escaped; their father, Sebastian France, was a native of Germany, and one of the first settlers of Tryon county, where he died. David H., father of James H., went to Otsego county and then to Herkimer county, and in 1856 came to the town of Jasper and settled on the farm now owned by his son, where he lived until his death, which occurred October 26, 1883, while with his daughter in Canisteo. He was a local M. E. preacher. His wife died in 1845. James H. was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools, after which he engaged in farming, and in 1861 moved on to the farm of 140 acres he now owns, and follows general farming. He is a member of the Jasper Grange. October 15, 1846, he mar- ried Charity Valkenburgh, of Cherry Valley, Otsego county, N. Y., by whom he had six children: David deceased, Jacob deceased, Willard deceased, Abigail, and Mag- gie deceased. Mrs. France died March 20, 1866, and July 4, 1866, he married Lo- vina, daughter of George R. June, who settled in Jasper in 1832, where he died. Mr. and Mrs. France have three children: George R. of Belmont, N. Y .; Charles W., who was educated in Cook's Academy, Canisteo Academy, and Bryant & Stratton's Business College of Buffalo, and is now a farmer at home; in 1890 he married Bertha Lent of Jasper, N. Y. ; and Jason H., who was educated in the common schools, and at home.
Fenton, Ira S., was born in Tuscarora, N. Y., September 25, 1856, son of Jesse W. and Harriet (Bouldman) Fenton, he born in Jasper, July 23, 1835, and she in Wood- hull, July 10, 1835. The grandfather, Lewis Fenton, was born in 1802, and early came to Jasper but died in Addison. His wife, Jemima Rowley, was the first white child born in Addison, and was born February 6, 1866. The maternal grandfather, James Bouldman, was also one of the early settlers of Woodhull. Jesse W. Fenton, father of Ira S., has spent most of his life in Tuscarora as a farmer. He has also been collector, constable and justice. Ira S. followed farming until 1891, since which time he has been engaged in the mercantile business. He is a member of Borden Tent, No. 259, K. O. T. M. January 27, 1884, he married Sophronia More- house, who was born in South Pulteney, October 21, 1853, daughter of Joseph and Amanda (Drew) Morehouse, both natives of South Pulteney, he born in 1834, and she in 1832. He died in 1880, and his widow lives in Bath. The grandfather of Mrs.
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Fenton, Henry Morehouse, was born in South Pulteney, and his father was one of the first settlers at that place, and was 100 years of age when he died.
Frank, Henry M., was born in the town of Allegany, Cattaraugus county, N. Y., June 21, 1862. Henry was the youngest of a family of seven children of Daniel Frank, who died when Henry was but three years old; but the mother who was a school teacher was very earnest in her endeavors to have each of her children well educated; she survived her husband until 1889. His first employment was as a tele- graph operator, beginning with the Erie Company before he was ten years of age. He was located at Carlton until 1878, when he went to Dunkirk as operator, May 28, 1878, and February 11, 1881, was made train dispatcher, occupying that position until still further promoted to the position of train master, February 12, 1893, which position he occupied until the time of his death, which occurred November 10, 1893. He was a prominent member of the Train Masters' Association, and a trustworthy employee of the company, as the prominent position he occupied proved. He was supervisor of the Fourth and Fifth wards, and also supervisor of the Fifth and Sixth wards. He was for two years a partner with David E. Fleming in the mercantile business. July 2, 1883, he married Mary R. Welch, of Hornellsville, who still sur- vives him with one daughter, Helen Margaret Frank, now in her fifth year. Mr. Frank was one of the real estate benefactors of this city, having built three of the most beautiful residences of the city.
Fleming, David E., was born in the town of Indiana, Indiana county, Pa., Octo- ber 23, 1863. He was educated in the common school and at the Pennsylvania State Normal School, from which he graduated in 1884. He then went to the West on a prospecting tour, visiting the leading portions of that section. Returning east in 1887, he located in Hornellsville, May 28, 1887, and was for one year employed as a bookkeeper in the master mechanic's office of the Erie Railroad. In 1888 he estab- lished a gents' furnishing goods and boot and shoe store on Loder street, which he conducted for six years, and March 23, 1895, he opened a general store at 111 Main street, which for its beauty and convenience is the pride of the city. In June, 1894, he was appointed by Mayor Willott and the council to the position of police commis- sioner, which office he now holds. The spring of 1895 he was elected a member of the Republican City Committee, and at the same time made a chairman of the com- mittee. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., Hornellsville Lodge 331, Encampment 117, and Canton Loyal of Hornellsville; is accountant of the latter division, of which he was a charter member. He was married October 1, 1891, to Miss Lutia B. Mack of this city.
Flynn, Thomas T., was born in Prattsburg, Steuben county, N. Y. Timothy Flynn, his father, was born in County Kerry, Ireland, in 1835, one of four brothers, three of whom came to America. He came to Prattsburg in 1850, where he com- menced at farm work by the month, and later purchased the farm on which he now resides. He married Ellen Flannery of County Kerry, Ireland, by whom he had three children: Thomas T., Mary, who died at nineteen years of age, and John. Thomas T. was reared on the farm and educated in the Franklin Academy, and at sixteen years of age he started in business for himself, at farm work during the sum- mer and teaching school in the winter, and at twenty years of age he learned the
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