Onondaga's centennial. Gleanings of a century, Vol. II, Part 57

Author: Bruce, Dwight H. (Dwight Hall), 1834-1908
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston History Company
Number of Pages: 1094

USA > New York > Onondaga County > Onondaga's centennial. Gleanings of a century, Vol. II > Part 57

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Hubbs, Alexander H., Syracuse, was born in Charleston, N. Y., April 25, 1843. His father, Harvey, died soon afterward, and at the age of five he moved with his mother to Prattsburg, N. Y., where he was educated in the public schools and acad-

ONONDAGA'S CENTENNIAL.

emy. In the autumn of 1861 he came to Syracuse, and in July, 1862, enlisted in Co. B, 122d N. Y. Infantry, in which he served until May 6, 1864, when, at the battle of the Wilderness, he lost a leg and was captured. Confined in the hospitals and prisons at the Wilderness, Gordonsville, Lynchburg, and Libby, he was paroled Sept. 1, 1864, returned to Syracuse, and in 1865 took a business course in the old Ames Commercial College. He was in the battles of Antietam, first and second Fredericksburg Gettysburg, Rappahannock Station, Mine Run, and the Wilderness, and secured his promotion to corporal Jan. 1, 1864. In the fall of 1865 he was ap- pointed weigher of hay. was State salt inspector two years, employee of the Salt Co. of Onondaga three years, and city overseer of the poor in 1873-74. He was then in the grocery business two years, and spent about four years in Kansas, returning to Syracuse in 1882. Since 1883 he has been engaged in the real estate business; Mr. Hubbs and C. A. Crane, his partner, were the first to inaugurate the installment plan of selling lots in the city, the Colvin tract being the first one then offered. Other property which he has handled and developed are the Burt, Sackett, Solvay, Cowles, and Huntly tracts and Sherman Park. In 1883 he was made a member of Root Post, No. 151, G. A. R., of which he has been commander one year, and quar- termaster five years. In April, 1867, he married Emma A., daughter of Robert Bentley, of Syracuse, and they have one son, George H., born in Feb., 1868.

Hawley, Gen. J. Dean, Syracuse, was born in Canastota, N. Y., March 20, 1821. His father, Reuben Hawley, was one of the first merchants in that village and erected the first store there, having as partners at different times John, Daniel, and James Crouse. He moved to Chittenango in 1833 and was associated in business with Dr. Caleb Hubbard of Liverpool, N. Y., with whom he engaged in salt manufacturing in Liverpool, which brought the son to that place. Reuben died in Chittenango in 1835 and in the fall his widow removed to Cazenovia, where young Hawley attended school for two years. He then apprenticed himself to jeweler's trade under W. W. Willard, who sold out in 1841, moved to Syracuse, and established a jewelry store in Hanover Square about where Ryan's drug store now stands. Mr. Hawley then opened a jewelry store in Cazenovia, but in March, 1845, came to Syracuse and formed a partnership with Mr. Willard under the firm name of Willard & Hawley, which continued in the same location for twenty-five years. In 1872 Mr. Valentine, who occupied the present store of C. A. Ball, removed to the White Memorial build- ing and Colonel Hawley purchased his fixtures and conducted business there until 1890, when he took his son William Deau and Frank II. Wells into partnership. In 1893 he sold out and with his son withdrew from the jewelry trade. Colonel Hawley has been especially active in military affairs. He was the first adjutant and one of the organizers of the 51st N. Y. Regiment militia in 1852, was promoted successively major, lieutenant-colonel, and colonel, and continued with that organization until 1859, when he resigned. When the war broke out in 1861 he was appointed a mem- ber of the County War Committee, and the same year, upon the reorganization of the 51st Regiment, he was unanimously elected its colonel, which position he held until the reconstruction of the military districts, when he was elected brigadier-gen- eral of the 10th Brigade, National Guard S. N. Y., comprising the counties of Onon- daga, Cayuga, and Seneca and a part of Cortland, an organization which acted as a sort of school for furnishing men during the remainder of the war. In 1875 he had

FAMILY SKETCHES.

the second largest regiment inspected in the State, having 885 muskets. He re- signed this commission and was succeeded by Gen. D. H. Bruce. Colonel Hawley has long been a trustee of the Onondaga County Savings Bank, was one of the founders of the old Franklin Institute and at one time its president, has served for over thirty years as a vestryman of St. Paul's church and as clerk of the vestry during that period. and was one of the founders and at present a director of the Onondaga Historical Association. He was appointed first clerk of the registry department of the Syracuse post-office in 1894 and still holds that position. He has been prominently and ac- tively identified with various business interests in the city in which he has passed nearly all his life, and has ever been honored as an earnest, conscientious, upright citizen. In 1844 he was married to Miss Cornelia, daughter of William H. Seymour, of Cazenovia. They have had five children, of whom three died young and two are living, viz. : Jennie Cornelia (Mrs. Duncan W. Peck), and William Dean, both of Syracuse.

Hill, William R., Syracuse, civil engineer, son of John J., was born in New York city, June 21, 1854. Educated at Tremount Seminary at Norristown, Pa., and at St. John's College in Fordham, N. Y., he finished his studies in 1872, and immediately engaged in the work in which he has since been so prominently identified, that of civil engineering. His first employment was on the boulevards in Westchester Co. whence he went to Brooklyn, where he was engaged on the survey for an elevated railroad at a time before such roads were being built. He was then employed on the harbor soundings at Point Norris, N. Y., then in locating the New York, Housatonic & Northern Railroad from New York to Danbury, Conn., and in 1874 was in charge of the construction of the tunneled portion of the Harlem division of the N. Y. C. & H. R. R. R., from 115th street to Harlem River. Afterwards he was engaged on the construction of the New York & Manhattan Beach Railroad from Bay Ridge to Coney Island, then as engineer for the contractors in constructing the Riverside Drive in New York city, and later had charge of the location and construction of the foundation of the 3d and 9th avenue lines of the New York Elevated Railroad. He was draftsman and division engineer for the Boston, Hoosae Tunnel & Western Rail- road Co., in charge of the general equipment of the road, engine houses, machine shops, car sheds, water sheds, etc., and supervised the construction of the Saratoga branch of that line. During the next three years he was engaged in locating the Southern Pennsylvania Railroad in Westmoreland and Fayette counties, Pa., making extensive topographical surveys of the Chestnut Ridge of the Allegany Mountains. Returning to New York city he had charge of the building of the elevated tracks, car sheds, etc., for the Suburban Rapid Transit Co,, and later was employed for a short time on the topographical survey of the Croton River watershed. Ife was for three years with J. J. R. Croes, C. E., hydraulic engineer, in New York city, who made the report for the water commissioners of Syracuse, recommending the waters of Skaneateles Lake for the city. This was in 1888, and Mr. Hill was principal as- sistant on that work. He then returned to Brooklyn and had charge of the erection of the superstructure of the 5th avenue line of the Union Elevated Railroad. In July, 1889, he came to Syracuse and has since been chief engineer of the Water Board, and on Aug. 1, 1894, was appointed also superintendent of the system. Mr. Hill has had entire charge of the construction of the present plant from its inception to its

ONONDAGA'S CENTENNIAL.

completion-a work of great magnitude and of vast importance to the city, and one of which any man may well be proud. His services in this connection have been in- estimably valuable, and the excellent water system of to-day is a lasting monument to his ability. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and of the New England Water Works Association. In July, 1874, he married Miss Bella S., daughter of Edward Baxter, of White Plains, N. Y., and they have six children : Mary, John J., Joseph, Alice, Edward, and William.

Hessler, Hollister E., Syracuse, was born in Cazenovia, N. Y., Feb. 22, 1854, and finished his education at the Chittenango Polytechnic Institute. His parents were farmers and he remained with them until reaching the age of seventeen, when, feel- ing that the world was full of opportunities, he came to Syracuse with little capital, but plenty of pluck and courage, and apprenticed himself to W. H. Colebrook, tinner, serving three years. He followed that occupation until July 1, 1879, when he formed a partnership with G. Frederick Schafer, as Hessler & Schafer, and established a hardware and furnishing goods store, which has developed into one of the largest concerns of the kind in Central New York. On Feb. 1, 1894, he purchased Mr. Schafer's interest and now conducts the business alone, which consists of hardware, house furnishing goods, stoves, tin work, gas-fitting, plumbing, etc. He is of Ger- man descent, a Republican in politics, and both prominent and influential in public affairs. Oct. 11, 1854, Mr. Hessler married Miss Delia H. Wise, by whom he has one son and two daughters.

Ide, Charles E., Syracuse, was born at Oaks Corners, Ontario Co., May 31, 1853. His father was a blacksmith, and his mother came from Canandaigua, where her father was a builder and identified with the erection of a number of the leading pub- lic and private buildings of that place. He finished his studies in the Geneva Class- ical school in 1871, and commenced reading law in Syracuse in the office of Ruger; Wallace & Jenney, and continued with Fuller & Vann, in whose office he remained three years as a clerk: after his admission to the bar in June, 1874. In 1877 he be- bame a member of the firm of Costello & Ide, which continued until 1887, after which he was successively connected with the firms of Ide & Hubbard, Ide & Newell, Bal- dwin & Ide, Baldwin, Ide & Ryan, and Ide & Ryan. The business of the firm is largely that of commercial and corporation law. During the past four and a half years Mr. Ide has officiated as corporation counsel of Syracuse and is now serving his third term in that office. In this capacity he has had a great deal of practice in the defense of negligence cases and is justly regarded as an expert in this line of work. He has represented his ward repeatedly in the Republican County Committee, and now represents Onondaga county in the Republican Fifth Judicial District

Committee ; frequently he has been a delegate to county, judicial and State conven- tions. He is also an able public speaker and has done a great deal of speaking both in Syracuse and other places. Mr. Ide is one of the most eminent Masons in the State. He is past master of Central City Lodge No. 305, F. & A. M., which he joined in July, 1878; is a member of Central City Chapter No. 80, R. A. M. ; and past com- mander of Central City Commandery No. 25, K. T. He is also past commander of Central City Lodge of Perfection; past master of Central City Council of Princes of Jerusalem ; past master of Central City Chapter, Rose Croix; and is now commander-in-chief of Central City Consistory, A. & A. S. Rite, Northern Masonic

FAMILY SKETCHES.

Jurisdiction U. S. A. Mr. Ide is senior grand warden of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of New York State, and is grand senior warden of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of New York. He is a 33d degree Mason and is an active member of the Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction U. S. A., and deputy for the State of New York. Mr. Ide is a man who is known all'over the United States through his connection with the Masonic fraternity. He has been an acting and moving spirit in every body with which he has been connected, and nat- urally a leader, he has been almost constantly in office since becoming a member in 1878. In 1885 he married Miss Etta, daughter of Wesley Cary, of Webster City, Iowa, by whom he has one child.

Kline, Eugene J., was born in Stockbridge, Mass., Nov. 13, 1828. His father, John B. Kline, soon afterward moved with his family to Greenbush, N. Y., where he was engaged in teaching school. He came to Pompey, this county, about 1837, where he followed farming, the boys attending school winters. He removed thence in 1844 to Syracuse, locating in West street on the Johnson farm. He died in 1875 at the age of 77 years. His wife's, Parley Stoddard Kline, death occurred in 1875, aged 74 years. They had two children, Foster S. and Eugene J. Foster S. Kline became a jeweler and was engaged for a number of years with Willard and Hawley, who were the leading firm of that day, afterwards establishing himself in business in the village of Lyons, N. Y., where his health failed and he removed to Michigan where he en- gaged in farming, but becoming no better, went to St. Paul, Minn., where in 1867 at the age of 40 years, he died, leaving a widow and one daughter who became Mrs. Frank Kline Schurmeier. Eugene J. Kline's education ended in what was then known as public school No. 7 of this city. His father having received an injury which in- capacitated him for business, he was compelled to put his shoulder to the wheel in support of the family and engaged in jobbing of various kinds about the city for a time, and finally in transportation of grain from the West to Eastern markets. This he continued until 1856, when he went to Kansas, locating at GrasshopperFalls, now Valley Falls, where he took a lively interest in the free state cause, arriving just in time to join a company on a forced march of thirty-five miles, which was accomplished between 6 P. M. and 9 A. M., across wild prairie, fording streams, etc., to the defense of Lawrence, which was threatened by border ruffians; after which he located a claim, building cabin, breaking prairie, etc., and again on July 4, marched to Topeka, and was at the assembly of the Free State Legislature and witnessed its dissolution by Colonel Sumner (afterwards General Sumner) who, with a battalion of dismounted dragoons, marched into the state house, ordering a roll call of members and with a little speech that will never be forgotten, dispersed them, and lastly joining General Lane with the company at the battle of Hickory Point, where in obedience to proc- lamation issued by Governor Geary, ordering all armed bodies, residents of the terri- tory, to disband and return to their homes, he returned to Syracuse and engaged largely in real estate, in which he has ever since continued, in 1870 building the Kline Building on West Railroad and Clinton streets, also the west half of the Shirley Block in Genesee street, the east half being purchased by him some years before. In 1876 he made another trip to Kansas, purchasing a tract of land and engaged in stock raising, wheat and corn growing, shipping many car loads of both stock and grain annually, continuing for eleven years, keeping his residence, however, in Syr-

ONONDAGA'S CENTENNIAL.

acuse. He also had a farm of 400 acres in Volney, Oswego Co., where he raises a number of fine carriage and trotting horses. He was married in 1879 to Mary, daugh- ter of Albert Hinman of Syracuse, and they have had three children, Karl Jerome, (born March 5, 1881, died Feb. 16, 1884), Jessie May, born Jan. 10, 1883, and Howard Eugene, born June 4, 1886.

Kenyon, George G., is a native of Fulton, Oswego Co .. and was graduated from Falley Seminary in 1871. The same year he came to Syracuse and engaged in busi- ness with his brother, Ganzevoort M. Kenyon, of the firm of Kenyon, Potter & Co., wholesale druggists, where he remained for seven years, having charge of the office. In 1868 he engaged in the retail and wholesale lumber business with Thomas Shaw, as Kenyon & Shaw, in East Water street, which continued until the death of Mr. Shaw, in 1880, when the firm became Kenyon & Stevens, the junior being Walter Stevens. The latter died in 1887 and since then Mr. Kenyon has conducted the busi- ness alone. He is a member of St. Paul's church, and is actively interested in the material prosperity of the city. In 1880 he married Miss Florence A., daughter of the Rev. Thomas G. Meachem, of Auburn, N. Y., and has two children . Florence Meachem and Helen Grosvenor.

Kelley, William, Syracuse, born in Philadelphia, Pa., July 4, 1850, son of Charles Kelley, a machinist, was educated at the State Normal School at Oswego and in Alexandria, Va., and took a course in mathematics under the tutorship of a Presby- terian minister, after which he taught school for several years. He was for one year with Charles Fisher, who was afterward chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad, and for three years was connected with the engineering department of the West Shore Railroad. In 1884 he took up his residence in Syracuse, and for four years and a half was engaged in newspaper work. In 1888 he was employed by the Syracuse Water Board, with which he has since been identified, first as leveler, and afterwards during the location and preliminary surveys as transitman. He bought the right of way for the conduit from Syracuse to Skaneateles, and later acquired the rights for dredging the Skaneateles outlet. During the construction he was the engineer in charge of sections 2 and 3 of the conduit line, and since the completion of that part of the system he has been engaged on the city work. During the exten- sion of the Lehigh Valley Railroad to Buffalo he was employed as an engineer on that part of the work between the Genesee River and Grimesville. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Royal Arcanum. In 1887 he was a committee clerk of the Assembly at Albany. In Jan. 1878, he married Ida F., daughter of John Legg, of Syracuse. They have four children: Edna A., Austin, Blaine and Mildred.

Lanigan, Daniel M., Syracuse .- The subject of this sketch first saw the light No- vember 11, 1855, in a picturesque town in the south of Ireland named Templemore, County Tipperary. His father, James Lanigan, was a merchant in the town, and held the post-office under the British government for a great many years. He was an intelligent, honorable man of good family, and like the majority of his country- men, an ardent lover of liberty and a great admirer of the American form of gov- ernment. In 1867 he came to this country with his five children, and settled in that part of the old town of Geddes now the Tenth ward of Syracuse. Daniel M. was then twelve years old, and being a strong, sturdy boy, he immediately went to work

FAMILY SKETCHES.

in the stave mill and added his earnings toward the support of the family. By work- ing mornings and nights, he pieked up the cooper's trade and worked at it four years during the summer, attending Meads's Business College winters. He entered the employ of D. McCarthy & Sons, wholesale dry goods, when eighteen years old, and continued with them until six years ago, when he engaged in the real estate busi- ness, with an office at 87 Wieting block. He is a hustling, energetic business man, with courage and perseverance to surmount difficulties and overcome obstacles; his motto is, "Never desert the ship until she is surely sinking, and then swim ashore." Eight years ago he married Margaret, eldest daughter of George McGowan, of the Tenth ward, and has three children, two sons aud one daughter. In politics he is a firm Democrat, and at one time was quite active therein. He was elected school trustee of the old town of Geddes by an overwhelming majority in the fall of 1883, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Henry Watkey, but through some technicality the Republican board succeeded in keeping him from taking his seat. The following spring he defeated Colonel Chamberlain for supervisor of Geddes by a handsome majority; he was elected supervisor of the Ninth ward in 1887; at the end of his term he moved out of the ward, and now resides at 1320 James street in the Fourth ward, and though as consistent a Democrat as ever, has practically given up polities, his business requiring all his time and attention.

Lyman, Frederic A., Syracuse, was born in the town of Otisco, Sept. 3, 1833. His father, Thomas Lyman, settled there in 1822, coming from Northampton, Mass., and moved thence to the town of Onondaga, where he died Oct. 24, 1850. He was a farmer and had twelve children, all of whom attained maturity. Educated in the common schools, at the Onondaga Academy, the State and National Law School at Poughkeepsie, and the Albany Law School, and reading law with George N. Kennedy and with Edmund Aiken and James S. Webster at Marcellus, he was ad- mitted to the bar while attending law school at Albany in 1856, and began the prac- tice of law the same year at Marcellus. A strong Republican he took an active part in the canvass of Gen. John C. Fremont for the presidency, and has always con- tinued to be active in the support of the party of his choice and its candidates. At the election in the fall of 1861 Mr. Lyman was elected member of the Assembly for his district and served as such in the Legislature of 1862; his associates from Onon- daga Co. were Hon. Thomas G. Alvord and R. Nelson Geer, esq. After the close of the term Mr. Lyman devoted his attention to the practice of his profession at Marcellus until the fall of 1868, when he was elected to the office of district attorney of Onondaga Co. and in Dec. of that year returned to Syracuse, where he has since resided. During his term of office as district attorney many important criminal trials occurred. One of the most important was that of George D. Cary, who was tried for the murder of one Johnson, convicted and sentenced to death, but the sen- tence was commuted by Governor Iloffman to imprisonment for life. He also pro- cured the indictment of the notorious criminal, John Sims, but who, to prevent the trial of his ease, took laudanum, from the effects of which he died. After his term of district attorney expired Mr. Lyman resumed the active practice of his profession, and has been associated with William James, Hon. William E. Lansing, Charles A. Hitchcock, and others. He was for four years supervisor of Marcellus, a part of that time as chairman of the board, and while serving in that capacity was asso-

ONONDAGA'S CENTENNIAL.

ciated with Gen. D. H. Bruce, and others, in drafting a new (the present) tax law for Onondaga Co. He was supervisor for the Fourth ward of Syracuse three terms. Dec. 25, 1862, he married Eliza J., daughter of Dr. Michael Phillips, of Syracuse, who died Feb. 10, 1864. His second wife, whom he married Oct. 5, 1865, was Mrs. Mary J. (Phillips) Woodford, daughter of Joseph Phillips, of Marcellus, and a sister of Dr. E. B. Phillips. Of their two children one, Edwin P. Lyman, now his father's law partner, is living. Of Mr. Lyman's brothers and sisters, one brother, John Lyman, of 308 Hawley street, and three sisters-Mrs. Helen Hall and Mrs. Harriet L. Wells of Syracuse, and Mrs. Margaret Calton of Newark, N. Y., are living.

Loomis, Newell E., Syracuse, son of William A., who at the time of his death in Jan., 1868, was assistant superintendent of the White Line Transit Co., was born in Watertown, N. Y., July 27, 1858, and at the age of seven moved with his parents to Buffalo, whence they returned to Watertown in 1869. The father dying, however, the widowed mother removed with her family to Mexico, Oswego Co., where young Loomis was educated and where he learned telegraphy, having charge of the office at that village. In 1872 they came to Syracuse, where Mrs. Loomis died in April, 1889. At the age of fifteen Newell E. entered the First National Bank and rose to the position of bookkeeper, remaining there nearly ten years. He then entered the employ of Francis & Co., marble and granite dealers, and after one year became a member of the firm, taking charge of the mantel department. In Jan., 1892, he started his present business, dealing in mantels, fireplaces, and interior marble work, which has grown from practically nothing to one of the largest houses in this country. Mr. Loomis is the executor of his father-in-law's estate, comprising exten- sive salt interests and real estate; is a director of the Onondaga Coarse Salt Asso- ciation, treasurer of the Commercial Publishing Co., a trustee of Woodlawn Cemetery member of the Masonic fraternity, and for several years has served as president of the board of trustees of Westminster Presbyterian church. He married in 1880 Miss Grace K., daughter of the late Hon. Lyman Stevens, by whom he has six children. Mr. Stevens was long a very prominent citizen of Syracuse and died in Oct., 1891, aged 72.

Listman, Adam C., is a native and resident of Syracuse, born July 1, 1859, and is a son of Adam Listman, a native of Germany, who came here in 1842, followed the business of hotel keeping, contracting, salt manufacturing, and grocery dealer, served as alderman, was a prominent Republican in what is now the Sixteenth ward, had eleven children, of whom eight are living, and died here in 1867, aged 56. His wife died while Adam C. was yet a lad, and after completing his studies in Prescott School the boy engaged as a clerk in a drug store and in other business concerns, spending also about twelve years as a clothing cutter. In 1881-82 he was in Balti- more, Md., where in July of the first year he married Miss Martha W. Bowling. He has been an active Republican and prominent in the councils of his party, and in the fall of 1891 was elected to the State Legislature, where he served one year, being a member of the Committees on Commerce and Navigation and on Excise. He has often been a delegate to the local and State conventions, and in various other capacities has served with credit and distinction. He has been especially prominent in the clothing cutters' organization of Syracuse, of which he was one of the founders. Ile has continuously held office in this body, including that of president four terms,

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Onondaga's centennial. Gleanings of a century, Vol. II, Part 57

Author: Bruce, Dwight H. (Dwight Hall), 1834-1908 Publication date: 1896 Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston History Company Number of Pages: 1094

Author: Bruce, Dwight H. (Dwight Hall), 1834-1908
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston History Company
Number of Pages: 1094