Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York : including a history of Cornell University, Part 96

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 96

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LANDMARKS OF TOMPKINS COUNTY.

our subject was the second. His occupation until he was twenty-four was farming. At the age of eighteen he lost his father, and the working of the homestead devolved upon him. He worked this five years, then went as a clerk, and later bought the business and the lower mills, running the store from 1848 to 1859. Selling the store he bought the upper mills and operated both mills for twenty years, and then dis- posed of them. He then invested in North Dakota lands, and is also owner of a block of buildings in Newfield. His education was acquired in the common schools. He married first, in 1850, Catharine J. Puff, by whom he had two children, the daugh- ter dying in infancy, the son, George F., being a physician and a graduate of Cornell in 1873. Our subject is a Mason, a member of King Hiram Lodge No. 784, and has held the office of supervisor of his town in 1856, being re-elected in 1860. In politics he is a Republican.

Winton, Samuel Hinman, was born in the town of Catharine, Schuyler county, Oc- tober 17, 1818. Both the paternal and maternal ancestors were from Connecticut, of Scotch descent. Samuel H. was educated in the common schools of his native town, and at the age of eighteen he came to Ithaca and engaged as clerk in the general store of Mack & Ferris, where he remained five years, and in 1841 became a partner with F. M. Camp, and the firm of Camp & Winton existed for seven years. Mr. Camp died in 1848, and Mr. Winton bought of the heir his interest and conducted the business alone for nine years, successfully. About this time he engaged in the lumber business in Canada with his cousin and remained for a number of years, at the same time attending to the commercial business here. After a few years he sold his store and, in partnership with A. Neyhart, engaged in the produce trade, which became very extensive and prosperous, they making a specialty of butter. After the death of Mr. Neyhart our subject continued the business alone for two years, then organized a firm for wholesale dealing in groceries under the name of Winton, De- lano & Co. This firm existed three years, then became Winton & Grant. Upon the death of Mr. Grant, Mr. Stewart became a partner, and they added the manufacture of cigars. In 1889 Mr. Winton sold his interest to his partner, and has since devoted his time to the management of his extensive property. He was for many years a di- rector of the Tompkins County Bank and is a Democrat. In 1845 he married Caro- line A. Ackley, of Ithaca, who died January 3, 1883, leaving two children: Emily A., wife of F. W. Brooks, of Ithaca; and Henry A., with D. B. Stewart & Co.

Webb, Frederick M., was born in Caroline, February 15, 1822. Peter Webb, his father, was born in Virginia, being brought to this county in 1805 by John James Speed at the age of fifteen as a slave. He was placed on a farm between Caroline and Slaterville, and remained with Mr. Speed until he became of age, then he bought his time, paying $384. He was married in 1819 to a slave belonging to Charles Patillo, who was brought here when she was eight years old with twenty other slaves, who procured their freedom through the neglect of their master to register them. They had eleven children, of whom our subject was the second. His mother was living as a slave when he was born. His property comprised part of the farm known as the old Speed place, where his mother worked as a slave. In 1852 he married Lucina Barton, of Union, Broome county, by whom he had two children: Simon Peter and Mabel L., having lost six children. The son follows farming, while the daughter is a successful teacher of music, having attended the conservatory at Ithaca. They are

FAMILY SKETCHES.

members of the Baptist ehurch at Brookton. Mr. Webb was a Republican. He died December 16, 1893, aged seventy-one years, ten months and one day.

Ladd, Daniel, a native of Connecticut, on April 14, 1808, married Abigail Crossman. In 1810 he settled in Locke and theneeforth beeame identified with the early history of this region. The children were as follows: Celia, born No- vember 1, 1809, died in Wiseonsin in 1851; Clarissa, born July 18, 1811, now liv- ing in Cortland; Benjamin F., born Mareh 2, 1814, now living in McLean; William, born January 23, 1816; Sullivan, born October 6, 1819; and Leander, born Deeember 11, 1823. Daniel Ladd, the pioneer, was a farmer and sehool teaeher, and held sev- eral responsible positions in the community ; he died September 2, 1868. Leander Ladd was brought up to farm work, and at an early age he began work for himself, following at various times pail making, painting, eabinet work and earpentry. His mother died when he was four years old. In 1850 he married Mary F. Brown, daugh- ter of John R. Brown, of Groton, and their children were as follows: Abigail E., who died aged fifteen years; Carrie Belle, who married Dana G. Ingalls and lives in Cortland; and Mary, who died aged five years. John R. Brown was a soldier in the War of 1812-14, and was wounded at Fort Erie, and was a son of John Brown, an old revolutionary soldier, who was at one time one of the minute men of Boston. He was a native of Conneetieut and a pioneer of Dryden.

Krum, Landon D., was born near Slaterville Springs in the town of Caroline, Deeember 5, 1882, on the farm now owned by Mr. Darius Sehutt, then belonging to Mathew Krum, father of our subject. Mr. L. D. Krum's early life was passed in the town of Caroline, where he has many relatives who are among the first residents of the town. He was edueated in the distriet sehools there, and then learned the blaek- smith trade with Sawyer & Winfield, who had the largest establishment in the town in those days. After finishing his trade, on Deeember 30, 1844, he married Mary A. Mott, of his native town. April 3, 1845, he eame to the town of Ulysses, loeating in the southeast part, at the plaee named after him, " Krum's Corners," at which place he has conducted business ever sinee. He has four children: one daughter, Amelia A., and three sons, Lafayette, Albert J., and Herbert B., all of whom are living. Mr. Krum's father, Mathew Krum, was born in Ulster county, N. Y., in 1779, where he spent his early life and until he married. His wife's name was Margaret Van De- mark, whose people also were among the first settlers of Ulster eounty, and many of her relatives now reside in the different towns of the State. They had twelve ehil- dren, as follows: Henry, Polly, Catharine, Sylvester, Stephen, Lydia, Jane, Eliza, Sarah, Abram, Landon, and Ruth. In 1806, in company with his wife and two small children, Mr. M. Krum left Ulster county for Slaterville, to found a home there, with a number of other residents of Ulster eounty, who had decided to make their homes in what was then quite a wilderness. Fording the river at Unadilla they eame to Owego, Tioga eounty, and from there eut their way through the woods by following marked trees. Twelve days were consumed on the route from Owego to Slaterville, twenty-eight miles. They arrived at their new home June 12, 1806. Henry, the old- est brother of L. D. Krum, married Harriet Rounseville, who was the first white ehild born in the town of Caroline. Mrs. Mathew Krum died at her home near Slater - ville Springs in Deeember, 1837, and her husband at the same place in April, 1863. Lieut. Gysbert Krum is the founder of the Krum family of Ulster and Tompkins

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county. In an Indian treaty made between the savages and Col. Richard Nicolls, the first English governor of the Province of New York, dated February 23, 1681, his name appears as witness. The Krum family were among the friends of liberty, and their names appear among those who fought in 1775 and 1812. They were originally from Holland and are of Dutch descent, as were many of the early settlers of the State. Mr. L. D. Krum, the subject of our sketch, is one of the oldest resi- dents of that part of the town in which he resides, and is held in the highest esteem by all who know him. He is a member of the Trumansburgh Lodge No. 157, F. & A. M., and Fidelity Chapter No. 77, R. A. M. He is the only one of the large family of twelve children, who were reared near Slaterville Springs, that now resides in Tomp- kins county. In the town of Caroline he has several nephews and many other rela- tives, among whom are the Boices, Bulls, Schutts, and Thomases, all of whom are descendants from the early settlers there.

Winslow, John, A. M., M.D., was born at Lynn, Mass., March 14, 1836, of colonial ancestry, being the sixth in direct descent from Kenelm Winslow, a brother of Ed- ward, the first governor of Plymouth Colony. His early life was spent in his native State and in Maine. He was prepared at Phillips Exeter Academy for Harvard Col- lege, where he was graduated in arts in 1859. After teaching two years he began the study of medicine at the Harvard School in Boston. His course there was inter- rupted in 1862 by the demand for surgical work in our civil war; and to this service the next three years were devoted, he being on duty the most of that time as acting assistant surgeon, U. S. army, at Mount Pleasant General Hospital, Washington, D. C. At the close of the war, refusing an army commission, he resumed medical study in New York, taking the degree of M.D. in 1866, at Bellevue Hospital Medi- cal College, and the next year an ad eundem degree at the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Two years more were spent in the hospitals of Boston and New York. Engaging in practice in the latter city he was for several years attending physician to the out-door department of Bellevue Hospital, assistant sanitary inspector of the City Board of Health, and demonstrator of anatomy at the Woman's Medical College of the New York Infirmary. For the seven years of his residence in the city he was on*the editorial staff of the Medical Record. His health failing from overwork, in 1872 he came to Ithaca, where he has since followed general practice. He has been a number of times elected president of the Tompkins County Medical Society. In 1882 he married Mrs. Elizabeth Hamilton Bishop, who had then a daughter of four years. Two sons have since been born to them.

Gunderman, William A., was born August 30, 1815, at Vernon, Sussex county, N. J., about twenty-eight miles from New York city. His father had been a soldier in the Revolution and belonged to the New Jersey line of the Continental army. Mr. Gunderman when a young man went to Chemung county, N. Y., where he was en- ployed about four years as a farm laborer. Having in that time accumulated a few hundred dollars he bought with it a small drove of cattle and drove them to New York in connection with a visit to his home. This was the beginning of his career as a successful drover in Central New York, and which he followed actively for the next ten years and to a less extent during his business life. In 1851 he married Lucy, daughter of Reuben Woodford, of Danby, and the same year purchased of Luther Smith the farm in Danby, upon which he resided till his death October 24, 1893. His

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FAMILY SKETCHES.

wife died August 18, 1872. Mr. Gunderman had four children, two sons and two daughters: Elizabeth is the widow of Carlton S. Wattles, of Ithaca; Delphine is the wife of Willis S. Hall, a farmer of Danby; Frank D. Gunderman resides on the old homestead; William R., the other son, was for about ten years the proprietor of the Elm Tree Mills of Danby, destroyed by fire September 8, 1889. He then removed to Ithaca, and has since been the proprietor of the Esty Grain Elevator at the Inlet. This elevator is one of the landmarks of old Ithaca. It was built about the middle of the twenties, and contemporaneously with the completion of the Erie Canal, by two brothers, Levi and Harry Leonard, and has since been conducted by various parties, among the best known being Timothy S. Williams and his brothers, Henry W. Sage, who had at different times a number of partners in his business, Barnard & Wood, Wood & Esty, William W. Esty, and lastly W. R. Gunderman, the present proprietor, who has carried on business since October, 1889.

Whitney, M. C., was born in Steuben county, September 17, 1828. John, his father, was a native of Pawling, N. Y., born February 3, 1802, who came to this county in 1818 with his father, Daniel Whitney. His mother was Lydia Newbury, who lived to be 103 years old. John Whitney married, November 22, 1827, Lucinda, daughter of Moses Lovell, her father being a pioneer settler of Tompkins county. They had ten children, of whom our subject was the oldest. He was educated in the public schools at Newfield and Enfield, and married October 13, 1850, Eliza Durand, of this county, daughter of Samuel Durand, and they have three children: Frank C. is a graduate of Cornell University, and taught for four years. He taught language in the Ithaca High School and was principal for two years in a school in Skaneateles, Onondaga connty, when he entered the Theological Seminary and fitted himself for the minis- try, being now a Baptist preacher in Minnesota. The two daughters have both taught school, and both are now married.

Weatherell, William H., was born in England, May 14, 1833, and came to this country in 1853, settling in Elmira. He married Miss Park, of England, before coming to this country, and in 1879 he settled in this county, town of Newfield, buy- ing the two mills of the place, both of which he operated for some time, now owning the lower one. This mill has a capacity of twenty barrels of wheat flour and 300 bushels of buckwheat, making twenty-five pounds to the bushel. Mr. Weatherell has had six children, three surviving. One son and one daughter live at home. In con- nection with his mill Mr. Weatherell has a machine for cutting and making shingles, which is proving a good departure. They have a capacity for making about 15,000 every ten hours.

Bishop, Asa, came in the year 1810 from Marbletown, Ulster county, to what is now called Tompkins county, and purchased several hundred acres of land. A por- tion of said purchase passed into the hands of his son, John Bishop. The latter moved from Ulster county to occupy the land (something over a hundred acres) now lying in the vicinity of Caroline Depot, Tompkins county, then called the town of Catharine, County of Tioga. John Bishop and his family made the trip by means of an ox team and wagon. The farm which had come into their possession was in the midst of a pine forest. There, on the banks of a small stream, they immediately set about building a log cabin (the ruins of which may still be seen). There they lived about two years when a new and more commodious log house was built on another

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portion of the farm. In about the year 1834 they erected a large frame dwelling house, which still stands but a few rods from the ruins of the old log cabin built in 1811. The family of John Bishop then consisted of John Bishop, wife and three chil- dren. Seven others were afterwards born to those two early settlers of Tompkins county. Emeline Bishop, one of the ten children of John Bishop, has given us many an interesting incident of the early years of the present century. She could distinctly remember when Ithaca was almost in the heart of a huge pine forest. I well remem- ber hearing her tell of the one little store the town of Ithaca possessed in the year 1816. Can remember her telling how she walked from her home through the forest. some six miles, in order to make some purchases from Ithaca's only store. This daughter of John Bishop finally came into possession of the old homestead, where she lived until about two years since, dying at the advanced age of eighty-five years. Her life was a most industrious one. It might be said of her "that she knew no rest." She was often found at break of day busy about some household care, having toiled the whole night through. She was ever busy weaving or spinning, baking and brewing, yet ever ready to lend a helping hand to the sick and needy. As she com- menced in the pioneer days, so she toiled on active and energetic till almost the last day of her life. She married James Miller in the year of 1840, and widowed by his death in 1885, she continued to live at the old homestead until her death two years since. Two sons survive her, one, Dr. C. D. Miller, now living in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. ; the other, H. L. Miller, into whose possession has fallen what remains of the old homestead, which entered the family some eighty-four years ago. Of John Bishop's large family but one remains, Mrs. Delight Schutt, nearly eighty-four years of age.

Warner, Frank A., was born in the village of Ithaca, September 4, 1843, the second son of Seth Warner, a native of Vermont, who came to this village in 1829 and en- gaged in the boot and shoe business, in which he continued the most of his life. He died May 1, 1882, aged seventy-five years. Frank A. was educated in the old Ithaca Academy under Professor Carr. After leaving school he engaged in the boot and shoe business, being located where C. M. Stanley now is. He married in 1864 Ar- villa Kellogg, daughter of Joseph Kellogg, and joined the firm of W. H. Kellogg & Co., manufacturers of tobacco and cigars, selling out to Farrand & Platts in 1866. He then removed to Jamestown, N. Y., and engaged in the same business, returning to Ithaca in 1868. Soon after he established a grocery at 56 and 58 West State street, which has been gradually changed to a general dry goods and wall paper store, and is doing a large and prosperous trade, They have six children, the son (who is the eldest) is in the store with his father; Maie, the eldest daughter was married in 1891 to L. L. Spafford, of Tampa, Fla., where they now reside; leaving four daughters at home.

Williams, George O., was born February 25, 1870, on the farm where he now lives. He was educated in the city of Ithaca and finished in the academy at that place un- der Prof. L. C. Foster, superintendent of schools. At the age of twenty-one our sub- ject married Mary E., daughter of Joseph Allen, of the town of Newfield, Mr. Will- iams is one of the largest farmers in the town of Ithaca, raising hay and grain, but making a specialty of tobacco, and also supplying a large number of people in Ithaca with sweet cream, the product being about forty quarts per day. In politics he is a

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Republican. The father of our subject was born on the same farm where he now resides in 1825, and with George O. (who now carries on both his own and his fath- er's farms), has always taken a prominent position in the town.

Wood, Charles, was born in New York, 10th mo. 2nd, 1824. He was educated in that city, and also at the Friends' Boarding School at Westtown, Pa. For one year he lived in New Jersey, then came, in 1847, to Ulysses. He married first, in 11th mo., 1846, Deborah L. Owen, of this town. They had three children: Rachael, who mar- ried Samuel B. Hussey, formerly of Nantucket, Mass., had two daughters, Edith L. and Charlotte M. ; Charlotte, who married John C. Maule, of Philadelphia, Pa. (now of Bristol, Pa.), had four children, Alice D., Eleanor, who died young, Mary W., and Sarah; Edward, who married Marianne Valentine, formerly of Canada, has one daughter, Sarah W. Deborah L. Wood died 6th mo. 13, 1853, and Charles Wood married for second wife, 11th mo. 22nd, 1854, Hannah W. Otis, of Sherwood, N. Y., have two children living, Arthur H. and Mary E., both of whom live at home. Han- nah W. Wood died 8th mo. 2nd, 1890. Charles Wood's father, John, was born in Westchester covnty, N. Y., 9th mo. 23rd, 1787. He married Martha Arnold, they had ten children: Daniel, Henry, Stephen, David, John, Elizabeth, Edward H., Charles, George F., and Mary. Charles Wood and family are members of the Ortho- dox Friends.

Woodford, Frank D., was born in the town of Danby, October 14, 1847, the young- est son and only one living of the five children of Reuben Woodford, a native of Con- necticut, who came to this county in 1830 and engaged in farming in Danby. Hc clied May 22, 1879, at seventy-two years of age. The mother of our subject, Anna Clark, was also a native of Connecticut, and resides in Ithaca at eighty-one years of age. Frank D. Woodford was educated at the common schools and Genesee Wes- leyan Seminary, and pursued a three years undergraduate course in Cornell Univer- sity, from 1868 to 1871. He followed teaching for about twelve years, and was prin- cipal of East Setauket Union School on Long Island for five years. He was one year principal of Trumansburgh Academy and Union School. In 1881 he was appointed agent for the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, and conducted an office in Trumansburgh until 1886. In 1889 he removed to Ithaca, where he has ever since been the representative of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York. He married in 1871 Mary A, Woodruff, of Ithaca, and they have three children living. Mrs. Anna Clarke Woodford died at her son's residence January 24, 1894. She was converted at the age of twelve, joined the M. E. Church, and has always proved a faithful and efficient Christian.

Wolf, Reinhold, was born in New York, December 27, 1846. His ancestors were natives of Germany. Conrad, his father, was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, and came to this country about 1830, and died on Staten Island in 1877. Our subject had little advantages of education after he was fourteen years of age. He was an errand boy in New York, and also worked with a surveyor as chain bearer. At the age of six- teen he went to learn the cigarmaker's trade on Staten Island. After serving three years' apprenticeship he worked two years as a journeymen cigarmaker in New York. November 10, 1865, he came to Ithaca, where he was employed by Henry Hoffman as cigarmaker for six months, then made foreman and afterwards general salesman. In 1869 he became a partner in Mr. Hoffman's business, and the firm of Hoffman &

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Wolf existed six years, and then Mr. Wolf traveled three years, and in 1878 he bought out Mr. Hoffman and has since been alone. In politics Mr. Wolf is Democratic, and for two terms, 1890 and '91, was supervisor of the city. He was a leading factor in the building of the new poorhouse of the county. He worked hard for this enter- prise and, though fought by a majority, succeeded in getting a very good county house. Mr. Wolf is a member of I. O. O. F. and also of the Knights of Pythias. In 1870 he married Alice Hoffman, of Ithaca, and they have one son, Rennold Wolf, a graduate of Cornell University, class of 1892, and is now a senior in the law school,

Wood, Dr. Annette, whose comfortable home and place of business is situated in the eastern part of Groton, was born in Cortland county, a daughter of Perry and Prudence Woods, and the fourth of their ten children. At the age of about twenty- five Miss Woods discovered that she had powers of divination, commonly called clair- voyant powers, though she did not begin their use and practical development till some years later. In 1854 Miss Woods married Franklin Wood, and in 1861 they came to live in Groton, purchasing the old Tiffany farm. The family comprises Mr. and Mrs. Wood and three children. Mrs. Wood is what is generally known as a clair- voyant physician, and was induced to begin practice in the hope of doing good and healing and alleviating some of the ills that afflict humanity. In her special field she has been abundantly successful, and her patients may be counted in all parts of the county, also in most parts throughout the State. She possesses remarkable powers, and some of her cures have been almost marvelous. She diagnoses cases accurately, and treats them rationally and in accordance with established usages. She is not infrequently consulted by men in high standing in business and professional life.

Williams, De Forest, was born in Ithaca, August 5, 1832, the youngest of three children of Levi Williams, a native of Saratoga county, who came to this country in in 1806, when he was but seven years of age. His father, Thomas Williams, was a millwright, and erected the earliest mills in this section. Levi Williams was a man of considerable prominence in his town, and commanded the respect and esteem of his neighbors. At the time of his death he owned about 600 acres of land. The old homestead is now occupied by Thomas J., the brother of De Forest. Levi W. died January 25, 1884. Our subject's early education was derived at the common schools and Ithaca Academy, and began farming at an early age. The years of 1856-57 he spent in Minnesota, and in 1885 he accepted the position of superintendent of the Ithaca Glass Company, which he filled for two years, Mr. Williams has always been a Republican, but would never become an aspirant for political office. He is a mem- ber of Fidelity Lodge, F. & A. M., Eagle Chapter No. 58, St. Augustine Command- ery No. 38, and Mystic Shrine of Syracuse, taking his thirty-second degree in 1877. Mr. Williams married in 1870 Ann Eliza, daughter of Andrew Wilson, of Ulysses.

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Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York : including a history of Cornell University, Part 96

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