Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York;, Part 118

Author: Wager, Daniel Elbridge, 1823-1896
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston history co.
Number of Pages: 1612

USA > New York > Oneida County > Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York; > Part 118

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Tibbits, Susan,-The late Truman Tibbits was born in Rome, N. Y., son of Jon- athan Tibbits, who settled in the town of Rome, coming from Rhode Island. Hle was engaged in farming, and also kept a hotel, and was of English parentage. He married Judith Niles of West Hampton, Mass., by whom he had twelve children :

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Mary, Samantha, Sarah, Leife, Hannah, Aylmer, George, Julia, Eliza, Hiram, Cyn- thia, and Truman K. October 10, 1837, Truman K. Tibbits married Susan Car- penter of Kirkland, N. Y., daughter of William and Eunice (Coe) Carpenter, natives of Massachusetts, who were born November 5, 1784, and November 1, 1788, re- spectively.

Warren, Rev. John D., was born at Hoosick, Rensselaer county, N. Y. December 11, 1845, being the youngest of five children. His father, Dr. John Warren, was a leading physician of that town, who practiced medicine in that place fifty years, hav- ing moved from his native place, Ashford, Windham county, Conn., where he be- gan his practice one year previous. He was a graduate of Bowdoin College, Maine. He died in 1882, aged seventy-six years. He was the second of three sons, one of whom died at the age of seventy-five and the other at eighty-seven years. His father, Luther Warren, moved from Massachusetts to Connecticut, where he died at eighty years of age. His father's name was John. The traditions of the family are that their ancestor came over in the Mayflower; it seems probable, however, that there is a relationship to Joseph Warren of Bunker Hill fame, as John is a favorite name in all branches of that family. Their ancestor came over with Governor Winthrop, but claims a relationship to the Warren who came in the Mayflower. October 27, 1830, Dr. John Warren married Susan H. Dimick, of Hoosick, N. Y., only child of Otis and Sarah Dimick, and granddaughter of Henry Schneyder, who, about 1762, settled on the south part of his ten thousand acre grant, which is now part of the boundary line between this State and Vermont. John D. Warren received his early education at a district school and village academy, and later was fitted for college at the Newtonville Classical School, Rev. William Arthur, D. D., father of ex-President Arthur, being principal. After attending this school several terms he left with a companion to enlist in the army, but after a brief service was brought home by his father, much to his displeasure, being under age. He labored as salesman for several years for the wholesale clothing firm of J. B. Wilkinson & Co., of Troy, N. Y., and later bought out and run for several years a dry goods store in the same city. Dur- ing his residence in Troy he was an active member of the Ninth Presbyterian church, which had then been but recently organized, in a part of the city which has since be- come famous as the place where Robert Ross lost his life in defence of a free ballot. At that time the church was surrounded by saloons, to-day it has the largest mem- bership of any church of its denomination in the city. Mr. Warren spent much time in evangelistic work in Troy, and felt called to devote his whole time to the work of the gospel ministry. He was taken under care of the Troy Presbytery and took a special course in theological training under guidance of John Tallock, D.D., Thomas Clark, D.D., and Dr. Beverage. He began immediately to preach under license, and later was ordained at Mechanicsville, April 21, 1885. His charges have been Hoosick, North Gage, Oriskany and Knoxboro; the latter place where he still re- sides. August 3, 1870, he married Harriet J. Haswell, of Hoosick, N. Y. Mr. War- ren has a portrait of his maternal great-great-grandmother, whose maiden name was Jane Hunter, whose father was General Hunter, after whom Fort Hunter was named.

Cooper, Henry H., son of Samuel and Keziah (Nicol) Cooper and senior member of the wholesale clothing firm of H. H. Cooper & Co., was born in London, England,

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April 5, 1840, and came with his parents to Quebec, Canada, in 1845. Later the family moved to Oswego, N. Y., where he completed his education. In 1857 he went to Detroit, Mich., and with Joseph Yates engaged in the clothing business conducted as a branch of the firm of C. A. Yates & Co., of Utica. In 1859 he came to Utica and entered the parent house as a salesman. In 1863 he became bookkeeper and salesman for H. J. Wood & Co., wholesale clothiers, and was admitted to an interest in the business in 1866. In 1871 he organized the firm of which he was the head and which is now continued as H. H. Cooper & Co. This concern employs about 700 hands, manufactures and wholesales clothing, and enjoys a trade extending through- out the Northern States. Mr. Cooper is a trustee of the Utica Savings Bank and vice-president of the board of trustees of the Westminster Presbyterian church.

Proctor, Thomas Redfield, was born in Proctorsville, Vt., May 25, 1844, his father being a merchant. His great-grandfather was an officer in the Revolutionary war and the founder of the town of Proctorsville. His mother was Saloma Redfield, sister of one of the chief justices of Vermont, Isaac F. Redfield. Some of his ances- tors took part in the Boston tea party, and many of them have been prominent in civil and commercial life. Mr. Proctor was educated in Boston, and in 1862 went into the U. S. Navy as paymaster's clerk on the ship Brandywine of the North At- lantic squadron. Later he became admiral's secretary on the Pacific squadron and was aboard the ship Lancaster. He was secretary to Admiral Pierson, saw con- siderable service in the Rebellion, and took part in the capture of confederates on steamer San Salvadore. He was offered the position of paymaster in the regular navy, but declined, and returning to Vermont he took charge of the manufacturing interests left by his father. He first engaged in the hotel business as proprietor of the Tappanzee House in Nyack, N. Y. December 1, 1869, he came to Utica and purchased Bagg's Hotel and in 1879 became proprietor of the Butterfield House in Utica. In 1875 he became he became proprietor of the Spring House at Richfield Springs, which under him has been very successful. He is a director of the First National Bank of Utica and in January, 1896, became its president; is president of the board of trustees of the House of Good Shepherd, was for several years an officer of the New York Agricultural Association ; a director and the first and only vice- president of the Utica Press Company. He is a trustee of the Savings Bank of Utica ; a trustee of the Utica Steam Cotton Mills; a trustee of the Soldier's Monument As- sociation, a director of the Utica and Mohawk Street Railroad; he is also a member of the Sons of the Revolution and also a member of the Society of Colonial Wars; he is a member of the G. A. R. and of the Loyal Legion. He is a Knight Templar in the Masonic order. April 9, 1891, he married Miss Maria Watson Williams, of Utica. Their only son died in infancy.

Heath, William, was born in Corsham, Wiltshire, England, September 4, 1818, came to America in 1842, and settled in Rome, Oneida county, where he entered the employ of Merrill & Hayden, druggists and grocers. In the spring of 1845 he came to Utica and was employed in the soap and candle establishment of Thorn & May- nard. In the fall of 1849 he went to Oswego and engaged in business under the firm name of Heath & Powers, which later became Heath, Powers & Co. They carried on a large soap and candle business which was four years later sold to W. K. Powers. Mr. Heath returned to Utica and joined the firm of Maynard & Wright. Mr. Wright

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subsequently retired and the firm continued as Maynard, Heath & Co., for four years. He then joined in business with J. Touender & Co., under the firm name of Heath & Touender, which continued until about 1885, when he retired to private life. He is a director in the Utica City National Bank and was a ruling elder of the First Presbyterian church and for several years has been one of its trustees. In June, 1851, he married Mary Cornelia Husted, of Clyde, N. Y., who bore him one child, Mary Louisa, wife of Dr. Earl D. Fuller, of Utica. Mrs. Heath died October 20, 1856, and he married second, July 26, 1859, Julia Northrop, daughter of Clark Northrop, of Utica, a descendant of an old New England family of Rhode Island. They have two children: Julia M. (Mrs. John Heath), of Leadville, Col., and Florence A. of Utica.

White Co , N. E., was incorporated in September, 1865, with a capital of $25,000 with T. H. Ferris, president, and N. E. White, secretary, treasurer, and manager. The business was started in 1884 by John Ellis, one of the oldest cheese and butter buyers in Utica, who commenced when cheese was first bought here for the New York and export market. In March, 1892, N. E. White became his successor and successfully continued until September, 1895, when, for the purpose of enlarging the business, the company was organized. The concern are wholesale and commission dealers in grocers' and bakers' sundries, flour, feed, grain, baled hay and straw, and are large shippers of butter, cheese and eggs.

McCall, Thomas A , was born in Utica, November 25, 1867, and is a son of Francis B. McCall, one of the oldest clothing dealers in the city. He was graduated from the Utica Academy in 1885 and since then has been associated with his father in business. In April, 1888, he became a member of the firm of McCall & Co.

Jones, J. Whitfield, was born in Wales, England, May 6, 1857, and received a thorough education in his native country, where he also became an expert account- ant. In 1881 he came to America and settled in Utica, where he first became accountant for General Sylvester Dering, a wholesale and retail lumber dealer, with whom he remained about five years, since then he has followed his profession on his own account, being often appointed to examine the books of large corporations, the various city offices, etc. He is one of the leading accountants in Utica.

Deecke, Theodore, was born in the "Free City of Luebeck" in North Germany, October 1, 1836, was educated at the Gymnasium or High classical school of that city ; later in the " Free City of Bremen." and finally at the University of Berlin from 1854 to 1858. In the latter institution " in the philosophic and medical faculty " pur- sued mathematics, natural history, physics, comparative anatomy of the vegetable and animal kingdoms, physiology, chemistry, and took special courses in general medicine, pharmacognosy, medical diagnosis and pathological anatomy, physiology and chemistry. He at the time published essays on anatomy and embryology, 1854-60 of the Acta of the " Halle Society of Naturalists," in the " Halle Botanical Botanical Gazette," the "Acta of the Royal Academy of Sciences" in Berlin, some of which were translated and published in the " British Philosophical Magazine," in the French " Annales des Sciences," etc., besides numerous more or less popular papers in various periodicals. While in New York city from 1866 to 1873 among other publications he composed in 1871-71 the German edition of " Appleton's Illus-

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trated New York." In 1873 he was called to Utica, N. Y., and on the 1st of April appointed special pathologist to the N. Y. State Lunatic Asylum, then under the superintendency of Dr. John P. Gray. He was associate editor of the " American Journal of Insanity," published at that institution, in the pages of which he laid down the results of most of his scientific researches, and and also reviews from Ger- man, French, Italian and Spanish professional literature. He remained in that position for about seventeen years. He was frequently called upon to serve as expert in coroner's and court cases for the people. Among these latter were about two dozen of capital cases in the central counties of the State, of which five occurred in the county of Oneida. He is at present engaged privately, in medical, chemical and technological examinations and analyses and in literary work. In 1890 at the 25th Anniversary of the German " Utica Männerchor" he was elected chief editor of the "Festzeitung" a paper then published in eight numbers in honor of the event. Besides the editorials and other articles, he published in that paper for the benefit of our German citizens and their guests a "History and Description of the City of Utica." His wife, Mrs. Anna Deecke, was the first who, in 1885, established a " Froebel Kindergarten" in Utica which, as a private institution, still exists and flourishes.

Illingworth, Joseph J., was born May 4, 1827, in Blackburn, England, and came to America in 1845, settling in Providence, R. I. Having just completed his appren- ticeship as machinist, he entered what is now the Corliss Steam Engine Company's works in that city and remained there in all about ten years setting up engines and running them. In 1854 he entered the employ of the Wamsutta Mills in New Bed- ford, Mass., as chief engineer. In 1855 he came to Utica and accepted a similar position in the Utica Steam Cotton Mills. Their engine, made by the Corliss Com- pany, had never given satisfaction, but he successfully placed it in operation and continued until the war broke out. In 1862 he built the Burden Iron Works in Troy, N. Y., then ran the United States steamship Blackstone as chief engineer, re- maining until the boat was wrecked near Cape Cod. In 1866 he returned to Utica and resumed charge as chief engineer of the Utica Steam Cotton Mills, with which he has ever since continued. In 1867 he was appointed by Gov. R. E. Fenton in- spector of boilers for this revenue district, serving one year. He is a member and ex-president of the National Association of Stationary Engineers, a charter member for eight and one-half years, the first president of the local body of that order, and a member and past master of Oriental Lodge No. 224, F. & A. M. May 18, 1846, he was married in Dover, N. H., to Mary Byrne, and of their six children two are living: John J., associate engineer with his father, and Harry R., chief engineer of the Mohawk Valley Mills.

Watkins, Thomas D., was born in Plainfield, Otsego county, September 4, 1870, was graduated from West Winfield Academy in 1889 and in the spring of 1890 won a free scholarship to Cornell University, which he entered in the fall of the same year. He was graduated with high honors and received the degree of LL. B. from that university in 1892. He took a post-graduate course in law at that institu- tion in 1893 and received the degree of LL. M. therefrom in June of the same year. In the spring of 1896 the American Temperance University of Tennessee conferred upon him pro merito the degree of Ph. B. He was admitted to the bar at Syracuse

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in April, 1893, and in the fall of that year he entered into partnership with Josiah Perry, of Utica, N. Y., and began the practice of his profession in that city. On April 1, 1894, he formed with Albert T. Wilkinson the firm of Watkins & Wilkinson, which was dissolved at the end of one year and since then Mr. Watkins has prac- ticed alone. In the fall of 1894 he was the Democratic nominee for member of as sembly in his district, but was defeated, although he polled several hundred more votes than his regular party. He was appointed corporation counsel for the city of Utica on January 7, 1896. He is a member of Samuel Read Lodge, K. P., and the Cornell University Chapter of Delta Chi Fraternity. He is especially active in religious and political circles, never missing a chance to say a word in favor of the betterment of humanity and the elevation of citizenship.

Baxter, Frank K., was born in Utica, October 13, 1854, has followed civil engi- neering since 1871, and has been in charge of a very great variety of important work. He began with his brother as assistant city engineer and for seven years experienced municipal engineering in Utica in its various branches-paving, sewerage, grading, etc. In 1878 he was appointed to a position in the New York State Canal Engineer- ing Department, Middle Division, of Syracuse, where he remained until the winter of 1879, when he was promoted and changed to the Western Division with head- quarters in Rochester. Here he was assistant engineer under Thomas Evershed, the designer of the Niagara Falls Water Power scheme and an old canal engineer of wide reputation. Mr Baxter's schooling here was varied and of the best. Return- ing to Utica in 1882, owing to change of State politics, he was immediately employed by the villages of Little Falls, Herkimer, and Clinton and the city of Utica until 1889. During these years Mr. Baxter designed and erected the Clinton water works, the Herkimer water works, stone arch bridges for the town of Herkimer, and rail- road work for private and public corporations from preliminary work to final construction. In fact he had considerable experience in railroad construction. Be- side the above, much important professional work was performed by him in survey- ing large and valuable tracts of land in the central part of this State; estimates, plans, etc., for various corporations, including Richfield Springs, Waterville, Little Falls, Herkimer, Hamilton, Ilion, Mohawk, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. In 1889 he served with great credit as city engineer of Utica. In 1889 and 1890 he made many very important surveys for towns and counties, surveys of the Masonic Home property, etc. During these years important canal surveys, railroad work, and much of the land outlying Utica was also laid out by Mr. Baxter. Railroad surveys in Syracuse were also made. In 1891 he served again as city engineer of Utica. The excellent separate system of sewers in Herkimer, N. Y., were designed at this time by Mr. Baxter and completed by him in 1893 and 1894. In 1892 much of his time was taken up in consultations with various corporations in water and sewerage work. Mr. Baxter has been retained in many important law suits as expert engineer in railroad, water, sewer and municipal work. He was employed by the sewer com- missioners of Ilion as consulting engineer in the construction of its system of sewers. In 1892 he was appointed inspector of the State Board of Railroad Commissioners and which office he now holds. All of the railroads in this State are under his supervision as regards the proper maintenance of permanent way and safety to the traveling public. Mr. Baxter has always been a close student; he graduated from

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the public schools of Utica, Williams's Private school and the Utica Business Col. lege, and it is no doubt true, as he puts it, that civil engineering necessitates con- stant daily study, and close application if success is desired. His knowledge of modern railroad construction and maintenance is considered most excellent in all its various phases. Seldom one meets a civil engineer who has successfully practiced in so many branches of this grand profession. Mr. Baxter is a self-made man and certainly merits the success which his useful life has attained'

Aldridge, Willard C., was born in Whitesboro, Oneida county, February 27, 1859, and is the son of Charles Aldridge, who came here from Horsham, England, about 1850. Charles is a tailor by trade. He was village clerk some fifteen years, town and village collector for several years, and a prominent Odd Fellow. Willard C. was deputy postmaster at Whitesboro for about ten years, and was appointed postmaster under Cleveland's first administration, being the first appointed under Cleveland in Oneida county and the third in the State. After serving four years he resigned and engaged in manufacturing cigars in Utica, where he has since continued. He resides in Whitesboro, where he was for one year town collector, and where he is now serv- ing his second term as excise commissioner. He is active in Democratic politics and has been delegate to local and State conventions and also county committeeman. He is a member of Schuyler Lodge, No. 147, I. O. O. F., in which he has held all the chairs, and of which he is now a trustee. Ile is chairman of the building com- mittee of the Odd Fellows Temple in Utica, and is worshipful master of Utica Lodge, No. 47, F. & A. M .. and a member of the Scottish Rite bodies, 32d degree. Decem- ber 11, 1890, he married Anna M., daughter of Dr. Charles E. Smith, of Whitesboro, and they have one daughter, Theresa.

Jones, J. Lewis, born in Orange, N. J., November 19, 1835, is a son of C. F. D. Jones, a shoemaker by trade, who was born in Caldwell. N. J., September 22, 1808. In October, 1838, the family came to Utica, where the father opened a shoe store and also engaged at his trade. In 1844 they moved to Middle Settlement in the town of New Hartford, where C. F. D. Jones still resides. He was active in Democratic politics for many years and served as superintendent of the poor of Oneida county two terms. He was for ten years agent for the State Board of Commissioners of Immigration with office located at Utica, and has been justice of peace, town excise commissioner, etc. February 26, 1829, he married Elizabeth Hollum, of Orange, N. J., who was born April 14, 1810 and died October 20 1895, having lived as hus- band and wife nearly sixty seven years. They had six children: Adelia, who died young; Antoinette, of New Hartford; J. Lewis, of Utica; Clarissa (Mrs. Elias H. Palmer), of New Hartford; C. F. D., jr., deceased; and Martha Ehzabeth (Mrs. Stephen B. Latham), of Clinton, N. Y. J. Lewis Jones was educated in the district schools of New Hartford and remained on the farm till abont nineteen years of age. He learned the trade of patternmaker in Newark, N. J., and for many years followed it in various capacities. In January, 1882, he started business for himself on Blan- dina street and in January, 1893, moved to his present location in Jay street. He is a member of Oriental Lodge, No. 224 of F. & A. M., and Oneida Chapter, No. 57, R. A. M., and is vice-president of the Cornhill Building and Loan Association of Utica, which he assisted in organizing. May 18, 1864, he married Cornelia G. Black- stone, of New Hartford. They have two children: Frederick B., of Warren, Mass.,

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and Clarence A., of Utica. Mr. Jones came from old New England and Revolution- ary stock, his great-grandfather, Joseph Jones, sr., having been born at Stamford, Conn., June 3, 1750.

Stearns, Eugene, born in Utica, August 14, 1830, is a grandson of Dr. Calvin Stearns, from Pittsfield Mass., one of the earliest settlers of Utica, who died here in 1848. Gordis L. Stearns, son of Dr. Calvin, was born here in 1805, read law here with Thomas E. Clark, was admitted to the bar as attorney about 1826 and very soon afterward as solicitor, and practiced his profession for a time in New York city. He died in Utica in 1835. He was appointed notary public by Governor De Witt Clinton in 1826. He married Agnes, daughter of John B. Langworthy, of Utica, and had two children: Eugene and Emily (Mrs. Herman Koehler) deceased. The ancestor of the family was Lieut. Nathaniel Stearns, who came from England to Massachusetts, in 1649. Eugene Stearns was educated in the Utica public and private schools and academy and taught in the Advanced school about one year. He read law with Spencer & Kernan, with William Tracy, and with Clark & Richardson, and was ad- mitted to the bar at Utica in 1855. He began practice in this city, and spent the years 1860-61 in St. Louis in partnership with Edward R. Bates. He returned to Utica at the breaking out of the war, and resumed the practice of his profession. He was special surrogate of Oneida county from 1867 to 1870, and while performing the duties of that office conceived and later published a table showing the present value of a wife's "Inchoate Right of Dower," which has met with large success. The work was first published in July. 1888 He was in the law office of Edmunds & Miller about ten years, was president of the Utica Citizens' Corps and for several years its vice-president, and waschief of staff of the Republican Continentals during the political campaigns of 1888 and 1892. In 1877 he was appointed librarian of the Utica Law Association, which position he still holds, being the first and only librarian of that institution. In September, 1853. he married Julia A., daughter of Charles Storrs, of Utica, who bore him two children: Emily E. and Harriet Louise (Mrs. Henry P. Crouse), both of this city. Mrs. Stearns died May 16, 1887, and he married second, Sarah E. Mayo, of New York city, formerly of Utica.

White, N. Curtis, was born in Torrington, Conn., September 24, 1822. His ances- tor, Elder John White, came from England, sailing June 22, 1632, and arriving in Boston in September, and in 1633 settled with Hocker's congregation in Hartford, Conn. Later the congregation divided and Elder White went with his party in 1659 to Hadley, Mass. His eldest son was Captain Nathaniel White, of Middletown, Conn., and the latter's fifth son was Jacob, whose son Thomas was the father of Silas, of Torrington, Conn. Brainard White, son of Silas, was born in 1786 and died at Winsted, Conn., in 1833. He was the father of N. Curtis White. Mr. White re- ceived his education at the Winsted, Conn .. common schools and academy. In 1838 he came to Oneida county, and finished his studies at Vernon Academy and Clinton Collegiate Institute, where prepared for college. While studying he taught school, being for a time principal of the old Whitestown Academy. Leaving Clinton Col- legiate Institute he entered the law office of Kirkland & Bacon in Utica and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1847, being one of the first to be admitted under the new State Constitution. He began practice in the office of his preceptors, and when Judge Kirkland went to New York city he became a partner in the firm of Bacon & White,

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Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York;, Part 118

Author: Wager, Daniel Elbridge, 1823-1896 Publication date: 1896 Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston history co. Number of Pages: 1612

Author: Wager, Daniel Elbridge, 1823-1896
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston history co.
Number of Pages: 1612