Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York : including a history of Cornell University, Part 105

Author: Hewett, Waterman Thomas, 1846-1921; Selkreg, John H
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1194

USA > New York > Tompkins County > Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York : including a history of Cornell University > Part 105

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Stevens, Smith D., was born August 5, 1833, in the town of Caroline, and was the son of Harvey Stevens, who came from Ridgefield, Conn., to the town of Caroline in 1816, was educated in the district schools and finished at the Ithaca Academy, under Professor S. D. Carr. After leaving school returned to his father's farm. At the age of twenty-three he married Lucy M., daughter of D. Marsh, of the town of Danby, and they have one son, Fred A., living at home. Our subject is one of the prominent farmers of the town, owning 200 acres of fine land, which he devotes to the raising of hay, grain and stock, making a specialty of the breeding of pure Berkshire swine and Shropshire sheep. He is a Republican, and has served as assessor six years and as supervisor two years. Both he and his father have always been identified with all the leading movements of the town.

George, David, was born in Monmouth county, N. J., in the year 1768. At the battle of Monmouth, which occurred June 28, 1778, he carried water all day to the wounded soldiers, and at night nearly fell from exhaustion. In 1793 he married Aletta Shepard, and in 1804 or 5 moved with his family into the town of Dryden, settling about three-fourths of a mile east of West Dryden upon a farm of 100 acres. Mr. George and family passed through all the hardships of the earlier settlers of the town, bears, wolves and other wild animals were plentiful at this time. Mr. George lived on the same farm till his death in 1848, aged eighty years. His widow survived him twenty-one years, and died in 1869, aged ninety-six years. She, too, remembered seeing the British soldiers in the Revolutionary war passing her father's house on their way through the Jerseys. Mr. George raised a family of twelve children, of whom two only are living. None of his descendents survive in Tompkins county. His

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brother, Joel George, moved into the town of Dryden about the same time, and settled west of West Dryden, and a number of his descendants are still living in the town.

Silver, Solomon, jr., the subject of this sketch, was born at Chenango Point (now the city of Binghamton), November 5, 1806. His father, Solomon Silver, sr., conducted a tannery at the Point and took trips yearly, spring and fall, through the lake regions, visiting Elmira, Jefferson (now Watkins), thence to Ovid, from there to Cayuga Bridge, crossing the ferry there, then to Ithaca and Owego, and so returning home. About the year 1808, on one of these trips, his father was murdered between Ovid and Cayuga Bridge, and it was supposed his body was thrown into Cayuga Lake, as it was never found, after a protracted search, nor was his murderer ever apprehended, as communi- cation was slow in those days. In 1810 his mother married the second time a Mr. Allen, and the family moved to Tompkins county and settled near North Lansing. His step-father and mother died while he was young, and at the age of eighteen he went and lived with a Mr. Christie for three years at Ludlowville, and learned the tanning and shoe business. While there the temperance movement began, and he and twelve others formed what was known as the "Washington Temperance Society." Mr. Sil- ver at his death was the last one of the original twelve that formed the society. At the age of twenty-one he entered the Homer Academy, and after finishing his studies taught school in Lansing and elsewhere for several terms. He was the first to use a black board in a district school house, adopting this method in Tompkins and Cortland counties. He settled at Peruville, and carried on the boot and shoe business. In July, 1836, he married Hannah George, of West Dryden, a daughter of David George. It was in Mr. Silver's shop that Charles Sanders (author of Sanders' series of school books) and Mr. William Woodbury wrote and compiled Sanders' first spelling book. While living at Peruville Mr. Silver, with Mr. Mount and others, helped to establish a church there. He was also one of the foremost in the abolition movement Mr. Silver died near Jamestown, N. Y., in May, 1886.

Shaffer, Amos D., was born in Monroe county, Pa., November 28, 1824. Adam, his father, was also born in Pennsylvania in 1795, and made a prospective tour to New York State when Amos was two years of age, but returned to Pennsylvania, where he took up farming. Philip, his father, died at the age of ninety-eight years, and he was a son of Matthew Shaffer, who lived to be 102 years of age. Adam married Mary Van Buskirk, born in Pennsylvania of Scotch descent, a daughter of Moses Van Buskirk, and they had nine children, our subject being the fifth. He has always been a farmer from early life. He married, at the age of twenty-four, Elizabeth Walter, of Pike county, Pa., and they had four children. Mrs. Shaffer died at the age of seventy-two years in 1891. Mr. Shaffer has made a specialty of the raising of early lambs, and at present has a flock of 104 sheep. He is a Granger, but has never taken an active part in public affairs.

Sheffer, Charles E., was born in the town of Clermont, Columbia county, N. Y., April 26, 1831, was educated in the common schools and made his home on the farm which had been in the family two generations before him. He assisted his father on the farm till becoming of age, when he learned the carpenter's trade and became a practical

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builder. He made a specialty of bridge work, and at the age of twenty-eight he entered the employ of the H. R. R. Co, with whom he was at the time of its consolida- tion with the N. Y. C. R. R. He was the assistant builder of the first bridge across the Hudson River at Albany in 1866, which has since been replaced with an iron struc- ture. In 1869 he became an employee of the D., L. & W. R. R. Co., and was assigned as assistant superintendent of the shops at Scranton, where he remained but seven months, when he was transferred to Ithaca, and had charge of the car shops, and also attended to the bridge building on the line. He was employed with this company until the change of administration in 1885, and the next year he established a grocery and provision store at the corner of Mill and North Plain streets, where he has ever since been in the business. Mr. Sheffer is a Republican in politics, and a member of Fidelity Lodge, No. 51, F. & A. M .; also of the Knights of Honor. In 1849 he married Hannah A. Shephard, of Hillsdale, Columbia county, and they have three children, Sarah E., Alice P., who is principal of West Hill school, and Reuben W.

Gibbs, James, was born at Windsor, Conn., in 1789, married Almena Colegrove of the same place, was on the frontier service during the war of 1812, and settled at Groton in 1815. He was a man of large intellect and ranked high as a man of business ability, was a successful financier, and in early life had acquired a large competency. But at the age of forty-four he heard the master call to a higher work, and leaving secular affairs to his sons, he entered the ministry of the Baptist denomination as an evangelist, and died December 23, 1863, aged seventy-four years. Their children were: Eliza, James, Oliver, Julia and Norman. Eliza received a liberal education and after teaching several terms, married the Rev. Francisco Dusenbury, Baptist minister, and settled at Etna, N. Y. Three years later they moved to Newfield and afterward settled at Lake Ridge, where she died, April 15, 1868. James Gibbs, jr., was of a very genial, happy disposition, made friends everywhere, devoted his time to teaching, both vocal and instrumental music. He married Nancy Richardson of Freetown, N. Y., and died October 6, 1864, aged forty-eight years, leaving one son, Edgar Gibbs. Oliver graduated from Hamilton Theological College, married Arvilla Hopkins of Ohio, and entered the Baptist ministry at the age of twenty-eight, was a faithful, efficient pastor until failing health drove him from his loved employ. He died at Groton February 1, 1888, leaving one daughter and two sons. Julia, second daughter, received her education at Groton and.in 1844 married Abram J. Stout, born October 14, 1819, a thriving mechanic, own- ing the leading blacksmithing business of Groton. Two years later they removed to Lake Ridge, N. Y., remaining in the same business ten years. They then returned to Groton, bought the Ira Riggs farm east of Groton village, where they have lived con- tinuously with the exception of eight years in Cortland. They had one son, Jerome W., who at the age of twelve years entered the High School at Groton, working on the farm summers and attending school winters, until eighteen, when he commenced teach- ing winters with marked success. He married Mary E. Smith of Pontiac, Mich. After a few years of farm life he graduated from Elmira Business College, and accepted a call from a mercantile house and extensive lumbering business in Tuscola county, Mich., having in charge the entire book accounts and post-office of the place. He was a man of business ability and true moral worth, having the confidence of all who knew

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him, until his sudden death February 14, 1890. He left a wife and daughter, Bertha E. Stout. Norman Gibbs, the youngest son of James Gibbs, was born in Groton in 1829, and was a young man of marked ability, he was a teacher for many years, then entered upon the practice of law, removed to Mount Vernon, Mo., where he has an extensive law practice and is also a large real estate owner, at the present time. The period preceding the war Abram Stout was a Democrat, but a thorough abolitionist and assisted many fugitive slaves who came to him for refuge. Jonathan, father of Abram Stout, was a native of Bordentown, N. J., born January 18, 1782, who married Mary Buckellew, who was born June 3, 1786. They settled in Dryden in 1809, and Mr. Stout participated in the war of 1812. Their children were : Charlotte, Andrew, Mary, Furman, Margaret, Abram J., Ellen, Sarah and Allen. Mr. Stout died March 19, 1846.

Sabin, Jefferson L., was born in Ithaca, November 27, 1838. His father was born in Lewis county and came to Ithaca in 1835, bought what was known as the David D. Spencer property, and where our subject was born. He was educated in the common schools, and finished at the old Ithaca Academy, under Professors Carr and Williams. At the age of twenty-five he married Miranda Van Order, daughter of Henry Van Order of Ithaca, and they have two children, Burritt and Charles. In 1869 he bought what is known as the Stephen Bucklin property and in 1884 he bought the Ireland farm, having 156 acres of some of the most productive farm land in the town, raising large amounts of hay, grain and stock, making a specialty of hay crop. He is recognized in his town as a practiced and successful farmer, a man of conservative and independant ideas, taking an active and intelligent interest in educational and religious matters.

Smith, Wheeler H. and Earl V., are sons of Hugh H. Smith, who canie to this town with his father, Joseph Smith, when twenty-two years of age. Joseph Smith was born in Susquehanna, Pa., December 23, 1787, and died February 12, 1875. He served six months at Black Rock during the latter part of the war of 1812 and afterward drew a pension. His wife, Folly Van Tyle, was born in Minnisink, Orange county, June 19, 1787, and died December 2, 1822. Their children were Rebecca, born November 4, 1809, died August 2, 1823; Sally A., born October 13, 1810, died August 10, 1830 ; Hugh H., born November 24, 1815, died October 10, 1845. Joseph married second in Jan- uary, 1824, Sally Polly, born February 15, 1803, in Minnisink, died September 17, 1837, by whom he had these children : Mary Ann (Mrs. W. C. Douglass), born October 26, 1824; Lewis W., born December 25, 1826 ; Jane, born May 20, 1829 ; Jacob, born December 22, 1832; George V., born March 13, 1837 ; the last four are dead. His third wife was Abigail Carpenter, of Carmel, Putnam county, born October 27, 1802, whom he married July 22, 1838, and who died February 14, 1875. She bore him these children : Hannah, born April 17, 1839; William, born February 10, 1841 (deceased) ; Caroline, born October 13, 1842 ; William, born December 9, 1844 (deceased); Fannie, born April 15, 1850. Joseph Smith settled in Enfield on what is known as the Andrew Brown farm in 1837, where he died as above stated. He was a good farmer and for thirty years was a deacon in the Baptist church in Mecklenburg. He and Colonel Brewer brought the first shorthorn Durham cattle into Tompkins county. Hugh H. Smith was also a representative farmer. In 1839 he married Marinda Hawey (born July 2, 1809,

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died in 1884), by whom he had these children: Elizabeth, born June 21, 1841, died February 2, 1865; Earl V. and Wheeler H. He was a man of more than ordinary ability and was entrusted with the settlement of numerous estates. Earl V. Smith was born September 19, 1843, and married Olive N. Kirby. He has been postmaster at Mecklenburg four years, and is a farmer in the west part of the town. Wheeler H. Smith, who owns and occupies a large tract of land near the southwest corner of Enfield, was born June 26, 1846. He has been twice married, first to Miss Frank Williams, and second to Miss Ella A. Spencer. He has had three children: Elizabeth, born May 21, 1880, died August, 1, 1892; Roxana M., born August 3, 1883; and Hugli H., born September 23, 1888.

Saylor, Samuel, was born in the town of Lansing, August 27, 1811, was educated in the town of Hector, Schuyler county, where he was taken by his parents when six months old, and he has always followed farming, until his retirement about thirteen years ago. November 8, 1832, he married Lydia Payne, of Hector, born May 18, 1813, and they had five children : Hannah, Clarinda, Charles, Frances and Schuyler. Frances died October 10, 1865; Clarinda died September 11, 1892. John, father of our subject, was born in New Jersey in 1786, and came to this country when a young man, marry- ing Mary Bowers, born near Easton, Pa., in 1788, her parents moved to Lansing about 1800, and are buried at New Millford, Ill., by whom he had nine children : Samuel, Daniel, Sarah M., John, Mary, Harriet, Alma, Cynthia and William. He died April 2, 1842, and his wife May 9, 1857. Ira Payne, father of Mrs. Saylor, was born in Scipio, Cayuga county, N. Y., and married Hannah Harvey, by whom he had three daughters and one son : Cynthia, Electa, Lydia and Silas, who died in infancy. Mr. Payne was a soldier in the war of 1812, and died from the effects of exposure in that war. Mr. Saylor came to reside in Trumansburgh in 1879. Clarrinda (Saylor) Hillock died the 11th day of September last, aged fifty-eight years, less eleven days, and is buried in the North-side Cemetery above Rockford, Ills.

Smith, Rev. William A., who for seventeen years has held the pastorate of the Con- gregational church at Groton, is a native of Scotland, born in Aberdeen, November 10, 1834. His parents were William and Jean (Raffin) Smith, and of their four children he was the youngest. He was educated in Scotland, and in 1853 was graduated from the King's College University. Although educated for the ministry Mr. Smithi did not at once enter upon that calling, but engaged in mercantile pursuits. After several years thus employed he resumed theological study, and in 1860 entered the ministry. His first pastorate was at Douglass, England, where he remained twelve years. His work there, which was largely of a missionary character, was marked with wonderful success. In September, 1860, he married for his first wife Ann Creer of Douglass, who died in December, 1869. In August, 1873, he married Annie Caley, likewise of Douglass, by whom he had five children. After leaving his first charge, he accepted a call to a church in the North of London, England; here he remained nearly four years. In the spring of 1877 he came to the United States, and was at once called to the Congregational church at Groton, and has since been its pastor and lcader. Mr. Smith's pastorate of this church has been marked by a degree of success never before attained in its history. He is an advocate of the "new theology " and his views have met with the hearty ap-

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proval of the greater part of his parishioners. More than this, Mr. Smith has built up the church numerically as well as spiritually, and during his pastorate the present beautiful edifice has been erected. Its membership now reaches 200, with a like num- ber in the Sunday school, while the various societies connected with the church give abundant proof of an excellent pastoral head.

Stone, Richard H., was born in Trumansburgh, July 16, 1842, was educated in the public schools and old Academy. He then clerked in his father's store, was afterwards engaged by the Ithaca, Geneva & Sayre Railroad Company as station agent, and was in the employ of the road through its various changes for fifteen years. In the mean time he established an extensive general produce business, has built an elevator with a capacity of 25,000 bushels, coal trestle, warehouses, fruit cellars and hay barns, all pro- vided with machinery for handling produce, pressing hay, etc. The coal trestle has a capacity of 3,000 tons. His shipments last year were over one thousand car loads of produce, and he received about 900 cars of coal, etc. This year indicates an increase of ten per cent. and his average cash payments are about $1,000 per day. He resigned his position as station agent in May, 1893. June 29, 1864, he married Nancy, daughter of Stephen Lamport, of Trumansburgh, and they have nire children: Stephen L., who married Fannie Howe of Knowlesville, Orleans county, N. Y., and has two children, Ruth and Margarete ; Albert G., Le Pine, Louise M., R. Harry, Edward C., Charlotte L., Nancy L., and Estelle D. Mr. Stone's father, Albert G., was born in Litchfield county, Conn., and came to Tompkins county at an early day. March 21, 1833, he married Ann E. Camp of this village, and they had ten children, six of whom survive : James L., Louise C., Richard H., Hermon C., Albertine and George, of Washington, who is chief clerk to the second assistant postmaster general; two sisters reside with him. Mr. Stone's father was postmaster here about twelve years, and died April 12, 1870.

Stewart, David B., the first mayor of the city of Ithaca, was born in the town of Newfield, second son of Horace S. Stewart, who was a native of Delaware county and came to Tompkins county in 1808 with his parents and has resided in the town of New- field ever since, now living about half a mile from Newfield village. The early life of our subject was spent in the town of his birth, attending common school and assisting on the farm. He was also a student of the old Ithaca Academy and Cazenovia Semi- nary. He followed various employments, but mostly in mercantile and manufacturing business until 1867, whan ne moved to Ithaca and established at No. 7 East State street, a wholesale and retail grocery, bakery, confectionery and cigar manufactory, which he conducted for fourteen years. In 1882 he sold this business, and with Mr. S. H. Winton engaged in wholesale grocery business and cigar manufacturing exclusively. The firm of Winton & Stewart continued until 1889, when the firm of D. B. Stewart & Company was established, and is now being conducted at 15, 17 and 19 South Tioga street. He is a member of Hobasco Lodge F. & A. M., Eagle Chapter, St. Augustine Cominandery, Ithaca Lodge No. 71, I.O.O.F., Protective Police, director of the Ithaca Trust Company, and trustee of the Ithaca Savings Bank. He married in 1856, A. Louisa Crowell of Newfield, and they have one son, Edwin C. Stewart, with his father in business.

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Smiley, Joseph, came with his wife from Bloomingburgh, Sullivan county, his birth place, to the town of Ulysses about 1824. A year later he moved to the town of Groton and settled at Peruville, where for many years he was a successful tanner and farmer. He died September 1, 1879, His wife, Hannah Dickison Smiley, dicd several years earlier. Four children, of the five born to them, are still living, two sons and two daughters. Everett Smiley, the older son, was born in Peruville, January 29, 1828, where he lived until twenty-six years of age, assisting his father on the farm and in the tannery. A year later, he, with his brother, bought a farm near West Dryden. He occupied this farm until 1863, when he exchanged it for the Smiley homestead, which is still in his possession. Here he conducted a highly successful farming busi- ness until 1879, when he removed to Groton village, where he still resides. In 1855, he was married to Nancy Halladay, daughter of Lyman Halladay of West Groton. They have one child, Mary, wife of Charles O. Rhodes. Mr. Smiley has been a con- servative Republican. He supported Mr. Greeley for the presidency in 1872 and in later years has favored the Prohibition party. He is not a man who ever sought public office, yet has held many positions of trust, always retaining the confidence of his fel- low-men in his business ability, honor and integrity. He was a member of the Groton village Board of Education for several terms, and declined a re-election in August, 1893, preferring complete retirement from public and business affairs, nevertheless taking a deep interest in the welfare of his native town.

Smith, Clarence L., was born in Ulysses February 5, 1851. His father, Minor T. Smith, was a native of the town of Hector. He has been a farmer all his life, but is now a resident of Trumansburgh village. The mother of our subject, Maria King, was a native of Hector and is still living. Clarence is the only child. He was educated in the common schools, prepared for college at Trumansburgh, and entered Cornell in 1869, graduating in 1873. He went at once as a student in the law office of S. D, Hal- liday and the fall of 1874 entered Albany Law School, being admitted to the bar in 1875. His first practice was in Ithaca for two years a partner with Mr. Halliday, and since alone. He is a Republican in politics and in 1879 was elected justice of the peace, being re-elected in 1882. He resigned that fall to take the office of district attorney, which he held six years. One of the important cases during his service was the celc- brated Barber murder trial. In 1890 he was elected to a four year term as recorder of the city of Ithaca. He married in 1879 Evelyn D. Spaulding of Caroline, and they have two children, a son and a daughter.

Smith, Elias, was born in Ulysses, December 10, 1828, was educated in the public schools and taught during winters for seventeen years. September 21, 1852, he married Camilla Iredell of this town by whom he had three children: Amanda E., Will I., and Anna R. Amanda is principal of the school at Jacksonville ; Will I. married Ella A. Williams of Ithaca, where they reside. Anna R .. married Edwin S. Johnson, of Jacksonville. The father of our subject, John H., was born in New Jersey, April 20, 1806, and married Catharine Longstreet, of this State, by whom he had three children, two sons and a daughter, Elias, Amos, and Margaret. He died in March, 1893, and his wife in 1876. Mrs. Smith's father, Joseph L. Iredell, was born in Montgomery county, Pa., December 9, 1797, and married Letitia Quinby, formerly of New Jersey.

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They came here and located on the farm on which Mr. and Mrs. Smith reside. Their nine children were: Hannah, Camilla, Sarah, Hester, Mary Elizabeth, Martha Q., Helen, and Susanna. He died April 15, 1891, and his wife April 23, 1891. Mr. and Mrs. Iredell were both greatly respected in the neighborhood. Mr. Smith has been county superintendent for the past six years. The ancestry of the family is English, Welsh and Irish.

Pease, Augustine R., was born in Ulysses, November 19, 1817, was educated in the public schools of that day, aud reared on his father's farm until he attained his ma- jority. He then entered Union College, where Dr. Nott was president, graduating in July, 1843. In 1853 he received the degree of A. M., and taught in the west and also in the south, as well as at his own home and in Canton, Madison county, Miss. He was principal of Trumansburgh Academy two years, and afterward took up farming. In 1867 he purchased twenty-four acres of land in the village of Trumansburgh, the greater part of which he covered with buildings, sold to working people. April 8, 1846, he married Rebecca A., daughter of Samuel Hopkins, one of the first settlers in Covert, Seneca county, and they have two daughters, ladies of culture and refinement : Ida and Lucy S. Mr. Pease's father, Simeon, was born in Enfield, Conn., May 29, 1790, and January 8, 1815, he married Cynthia Markham. About 1814 he moved to this town, where he bought fifty acres, and upon his marriage came to live. Of his thir- teen children, ten grew to maturity : Augustine H., Cynthia D., Sarah, Simeon G., Harriet, Annis, Minerva, Antoinette, Emily and Benjamin F. Mr. Pease died in 1867, and his wife, September 2, 1869. Both of our subject's grandfathers served in the Revolutionary war, where they were non commissioned officers. The ancestors of the family were English.

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Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York : including a history of Cornell University, Part 105

Author: Hewett, Waterman Thomas, 1846-1921; Selkreg, John H Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 1194

Author: Hewett, Waterman Thomas, 1846-1921; Selkreg, John H
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1194