Our county and its people : a memorial history of Tioga County, New York, Part 28

Author: Kingman, Leroy W., ed
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Elmira, N. Y. : W. A. Fergusson and Company
Number of Pages: 932


USA > New York > Tioga County > Our county and its people : a memorial history of Tioga County, New York > Part 28


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).


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name ever since known in local business circles. Mr. Talcott died October 30, 1861. Elizur Talcott came to Owego from Glasten- bury, Conn., in 1802, and soon afterward built a large house on his farm, on what is now McMaster street. He was an old revo- lutionary patriot.


After the yellow store was burned, G. B. Goodrich & Co. tem- porarily occupied the residence of Isaac B. Ogden, in Main street, but afterward bought their present store from the Odd Fellows. In 1864 Mr. Goodrich's son-in-law, William H. Ellis, and his son, James W. Goodrich, were admitted to the firm, and have continued business to the present day under the old firm name.


Latham A. Burrows opened a general store in Owego in 1828, in the old Goodman coffee house, formerly occupied by Col. Martin, but afterward removed to the south side of Front street. In 1839 he removed to the Rollin block. Judge Burrows is mentioned at greater length in the Bench and Bar chapter.


Lorenzo Reeves, a Vermonter, came to Owego on horseback in 1818, and soon opened a country store on the west side of Lake street, near Front, and was thereafter known in local business cireles until his death, January 31, 1839. Deacon Reeves as he was familiarly known, owned the ground on which Wilson opera house stands. On this lot the old Croton house originally stood. It was kept by Col. B. B. Curry, who married Deacon Reeves's widow.


Elisha Bundy, the familiar "Judge " Bundy of early Owego his- tory, was for a time partner with Deacon Reeves, their store being in Lake street, about where Aaron Ogden's cigar store now stands. Judge Bundy came from Vermont about 1815, and in 1826 removed to Schuyler county.


Joseph Berry and Judge Bundy were at one time partners, car- rying on a meat market in Lake street, and they also conducted one of the numerous distilleries of the town. Mr. Berry came to Owego about 1804, and in 1822 was associated with the Elys in mercantile business. In 1826 he bought a farm in Newark Valley and there he died in 1830.


George W. Hollenback was the senior member of the old firm of Wm. H. Bell & Co., and began his career as clerk for his uncle,


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VILLAGE OF OWEGO.


John Hollenback, in the year 1828, although he went to school in tlie village as early as 1816. In the fall of 1847, after John Hol- lenback died, the firm of Wm. H. Bell & Co., was formed, and was continued twenty years. In later years he was actively en- gaged in business, successor to the firm, and associated with his sons, George F. and John G. Hollenback. After 1871 they sold crockery exclusively, and in 1873 sold out their remaining stock to D. C. Tuthill and retired. Mr. Hollenback was village president in 1854, trustee three times and supervisor three terms. He died December 30, 1878.


William H. Bell was the son of William Bell, a farmer residing on West Owego creek, and an early settler north of Owego. When William H. came to Owego village he was clerk in David P. Tink- ham's store, and was afterward employed by John Hollenback and Platt & Ely. In 1837, in company with Daniel G. and W. C. Taylor, he purchased the Platt & Ely stock, and the firm of Tay- lors & Bell became known in the region. Soon afterward Mr. Bell sold out and became teller of the old Bank of Owego, but in 1841 left the bank and succeeded W. C. Taylor in the old store. Mr. Bell became sole proprietor of the business in 1847. Then followed the operations of Wm. H. Bell & Co., lumbermen and merchants. Mr. Bell was stricken with paralysis in 1870, and died April 20, 1876.


The Taylors came to Owego about 1837. After selling to Mr. Bell, Daniel G. kept grocery several years on the corner of Main street and North avenue, where is now Mr. Leahy's store. W. C. Taylor afterward became station agent for the Erie at Jersey City. He died in Brooklyn April 9, 1892, aged 78 years.


General Ansel Goodrich, son of Captain Eliakim Goodrich, was for several years a merchant in Owego, in company with his brother-in-law, Jonathan Platt. Their store was on the south side of Front street, below Lake. He was in business at the time of his death, July 15, 1819.


Charles B. Pixley, son of Col. David Pixley, the pioneer, was born in Tioga in 1792, and when grown to maturity became a manufacturer of wool and fur hats. He kept a hat, book, musi- . cal instrument and stationery store in Owego for many years,


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first on the south side of Front street, east of Lake, but in 1834 removed to the north-east corner of Lake and Front streets. He afterward closed out his business and returned to Tioga where he died in August, 1865.


Hamilton Collier opened a general country store in Owego, May 2, 1824, on the south side of Front street, opposite the old Bates tavern, but later on moved to Judge Drake's building opposite Lake street. He lived in Main street, and in his house Mrs. Collier kept a school for small children. In 1827 Mr. Collier went to Binghamton and became a lawyer.


Gurdon Hewitt was one of the most successful of the early mer- chants of Owego. He was born at New London, Conn., May 5, 1790, and early in life went to Towanda, Penna., where he was for a time a merchant, but in the spring of 1823 came to Owego and entered into partnership with his brother-in-law Jonathan Platt. Their general store stood on the bank of the river, just above the bridge. After a year Mr. Platt retired from the firm and Mr. Hewitt continued business alone until the spring of 1837, when he formed a partnership with John M. Greenleaf. This firm continued until their store was burned in the fire of Septem- ber 25, 1849, after which Mr. Hewitt devoted himself entirely to banking and his private enterprises. He was the first president of the old Bank of Owego, and for many years its cashier. At the time of his death he was the wealthiest man in Owego. His children were Gurdon Hewitt, Jr., Fred C. Hewitt, Mrs. Stephen T. Arnot, of Elmira and Mrs. Frederick H. Pumpelly, of Owego.


John M. Greenleaf came to Owego from Richford in the fall of 1826, and after serving three years as clerk for Colonel Amos Mar- tin and with Gurdon Hewitt six years, he went into business with Lyman Truman, in a brick store in Lake street, where now stands the building occupied by the Owego National bank. This firm dissolved in 1836, and in 1837 Mr. Greenleaf became partner with Gurdon Hewitt, continuing twelve years. After the fire of 1849 the firm did not resume business. Mr. Greenleaf died in Owego, August 23, 1881. His father was John H. Greenleaf, who came from Washington county to Smithboro in 1818, and thence to


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Richford in 1822. John M. Greenleaf was the father of Dr. J. T. Greenleaf, founder of Glenmary Home.


Asa H. Truman, mentioned in town chapter, began business in Owego in 1825, and continued to the time of his death, February 6, 1846. Edward D. and Stephen S. Truman, sons of Asa H., be- came partners with their father about 1840, and after the fire in 1849, they continued the business in the "Diamond store," in North avenue. S. S. Truman retired in 1855, and two years later E. D. Truman removed to Illinois.


Charles and Printice Ransom were sons of Major William Ran- som, the pioneer of Tioga Centre, where Charles was born in 1805 and Printice in 1807. In 1830 they came to Owego and began a general mercantile business with William A. and James Ely, un- der the firm name of Ely & Ransoms, in a brick store, which stood on the south side of Front street, west of Lake street.


Charles Ransom retired from the firm in 1820. In 1833, Charles Ransom purchased the interest of the Ely Brothers, and C. & P. Ransom continued the business until 1851. After the dissolution of the partnership, Charles Ransom returned to Tioga Centre, where he lived until his death, August 12, 1860. From 1851 to 1857, Printice Ransom and his brother-in-law, James S. Thurston, conducted a general mercantile business in Owego, under the firm name of P. Ransom & Co. In 1857 Mr. Ransom removed to Iowa City, Ia., where he died October 16, 1889. Printice Ransom was elected sheriff of Tioga county.


Aaron P. Storrs began business with Dr. Lucius H. Allen in 1835, at the west corner of Front and Lake streets, but in the next year removed to the south side of Front street. In 1838 the firm became Allen, Storrs & Ball, and continued one year. Soon after- ward Mr. Storrs became sole proprietor and so remained until burned out in 1849. In April, 1852, Mr. Storrs and John R. Chat- field established the firm of Storrs & Chatfield, which soon after- ward became Storrs, Chatfield & Co., by Frank L. Jones coming into the firm. In 1855 they bought the stock of R. Woodford & Co., and moved to the corner of Front and Lake streets, where is now the large hardware store of A. P. Storrs & Co. In February 1860, Mr. Jones withdrew from the firm, after which Storrs &


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Chatfield conducted the business until 1886, when A. P. Storrs, Jr., and George S. Chatfield became partners, the name of which then changed to Storrs, Chatfield & Co. Aaron P. Storrs died September 9, 1888, and in July, 1894, A. P. Storrs & Co., the present proprietors, purchased the interests of the other partners. In July, 1895, John R. and Geo. S. Chatfield sold their inter- est in the business and withdrew from the firm, which is still known as A. P. Storrs & Co.


The old business firm of L. Truman & Brothers was well known throughout the southern tier, and in all the lumber markets down the Susquehanna, for many years. The partnership was formed in 1836, and the old sign is still conspicuously displayed on the front of George Truman & Son's store. Lyman Park Truman, the senior member of the firm, was born at Park Settlement, March 2, 1806. He came to Owego in 1830, and became clerk in the store of his uncle, Asa H. Truman. In 1833 he began business for him- self, and in 1836 the firm of L. Truman & Brothers was formed, and was thereafter known in business circles for a period of more than thirty years. The partners in this firm were Lyman P., Orin, Francis W. and George Truman. In 1836 Lyman Truman became president of the old Bank of Owego, and of its successor, the First National bank, which position he held until a short time previous to his death. In public affairs he was an interested and prominent factor, holding several town offices, from constable to supervisor. He was elected to the state senate in 1857, and was re-elected in 1859 and 1861. In January, 1838, Mr. Truman mar- ried with Emily, the daughter of Anor Goodrich, by whom he had four children: Adeline who married with Dr. John B. Stanbrough; Emily, wife of Eugene B. Gere; Dora, wife of Clarence A. Thompson, and Anor B., who died October 2, 1848. Mr. Truman died in Owego, March 24, 1881.


Charles E. Truman was born at Park Settlement, November 1, 1807, and has spent most of his life in the town of Owego, at Flemingville, where for more than thirty years he was justice of the peace. His sons are Aaron B., Lyman B .. Elias W. and Charles F. Truman. His daughters were Adeline, Adelaide, Helen, Lucy and Lydia.


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VILLAGE OF OWEGO.


Dorinda Truman was born February 24, 1809; married with . Captain John Gorman, and died September 12, 1895.


Orin Truman was born February 17, 1811, and was one of the well known firm of L. Truman & Brothers. He never married. He died September 30, 1885.


Francis W. Truman was born December 13, 1812, and was for many years connected with the firm of L. Truman & Brothers, and also with the manufacturing firm of Gere, Truman, Platt & Co. He died January 20, 1893.


Charlotte Truman, daughter of Aaron, died young.


George Truman was born in Owego, June 16, 1816, and was the junior member of the firm of L. Truman & Brothers. He is now senior member of the firm of G. Truman & Son, and also president of the First National bank. He married with Eunice Ann Goodrich, and to them five children were born, four of whom are still living, viz : William S., Sarah F. (Mrs. A. Chase Thomp- son), George, Jr., and Gilbert Truman.


Fanny Truman was born April 1, 1818, married David Good- rich and had three children-Mary, Charles F., and Lyman T. Goodrich. Fanny Truman Goodrich died in 1892; David Goodrich died in 1896.


Mary E. Truman was born June 18, 1820; married January 9, 1859, with Alfred Dodge, and now lives in Owego.


Adeline Truman was born June 17, 1822, and died February 13, 1823.


Asa H. Truman, brother to Aaron, the pioneer, was an early school teacher at Park Settlement, and from 1816 to 1825, kept store and tavern at Flemingville. In 1825 he came to Owego vil- lage and was in mercantile business until his death, February 6, 1848. His sons were Lucius, William H., Charles and Edward D. Truman.


The Camerons, James, John and Robert, are also to be men- tioned among the early and prominent merchants of Owego. James began business here about 1835, and John became his part- ner in 1838. Robert began on his own account in 1840 but his store was burned in 1849. He rebuilt and resumed business and


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' thereafter was one of the most successful merchants of the village. He died in Owego in 1896. James died May 31, 1865.


David Beers began business in Owego about 1820, buying and selling fish, but soon afterward had saved enough money to pur- chase a stock of goods and open a store in Cauldwell row. Later on he had a store in Apalachin, which he sold to Squire Steele, and then returned to this village and began livery business. Still later he started a mercantile business, his partner being Frederick Brown, and afterward Albert R. Thomas. Mr. Beers was in busi- ness here until 1866. He died in Brooklyn Dec. 27, 1889.


Franklin Slosson, the pioneer of the book business in Owego, was a native of Newark Valley, born in 1805. He opened a gen- eral store in the village in 1838, and one year later became partner with George Williams, and then put in a good stock of books and stationery. In 1845 the firm dissolved, Mr. Williams retiring, and Mr. Slosson thereafter continued in business until 1857. He died April 2, 1867.


Joshua L. Pinney, and his son Egbert R., opened the "Owego Arcade," a drug store, in 1835, in Judge Drake's building in Front street, south side. This was the first "open front " store in the village. Later on other members of the family became interested in the firm, which changed location and style occasionally, but was known in local business circles many years. The senior mem- ber, J. L. Pinney, died in Owego, October 15, 1855. After his death the business was continued some years by his sons, Ham- mon D. and P. Henry Pinney.


William P. Stone came from Flemingville to Owego in 1834, and began a general mercantile business with Sheldon Osborn in a building on the site now of George Truman & Son's seed and pro- duce store, in Front street ; and from 1834 to 1874 Mr. Stone was closely identified with mercantile life in the village, and was, withal, one of the prominent men of liis time. Briefly, we may note his several partners in business : Sheldon Osborn (Osborn & Stone) ; Lucius Truman (Truman & Stone, proprietors of the "Empire Store ") ; Charles L. Truman (Truman, Stone & Co.) ; Ezra S. Buckbee. In 1851 the firms of Truman & Stone, and Tru- man, Stone & Co. were dissolved and Stone & Buckbee formed


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the new firm of Stone & Co., builders of the Empire block, which was burned in 1860. In the meantime the firm comprised Messrs. Stone, Buckbee, Stephen L. and B. L. Truman, but the Trumans had withdrawn before the fire. Stone & Co. continued in business until 1874, when the senior partner retired.


Thomas I. Chatfield came to Owego in March, 1839, and found employment in Gad Worthington's bake shop in Lake street. In October following he purchased the business, and for the next forty-five years was one of the most active merchants and public men in the village. During the long period of his business life, as baker, grocer and miller, Mr. Chatfield had as partners John S. Martin, Moses Stevens, Michael Bergin, Charles P. Skinner, Henry Campbell, and Anthony Freeman. Mr. Chatfield died May 2, 1884. (See personal chronology department for further mention).


Frank L. Jones is well remembered among the former business men of the village. He came here in 1837 and was clerk for Al- len & Storrs, but from 1840 to 1865 his active business operations were in other localities. In 1865 he became partner with Storrs & Chatfield, in 1868 was appointed sheriff of the county, and was later under sheriff ; was partner with B. M. Stebbins from 1865 to 1880;was appointed postmaster at Owego Feb. 17, 1871, and served to 1879; was village president in 1869. In July, 1880, he was appointed agent and warden of Auburn state prison. He died November 8, 1883.


John Carmichael came to Owego from Johnstown, N. Y., in 1819, and opened a jewelry store, and was in business until 1849. He was the first village collector in 1827 and held that office to 1834 ; was village assessor four years, and county treasurer from 1837 to 1843. He died in Owego, April 24, 1878.


Timothy P. Patch opened a meat market in 1834 and conducted that and a grocery business until 1855. In 1860 he removed to Towanda, Penna. In 1850 he built "Patch's hall," at that time the largest public hall in the village. He died at Corning N. Y., June 30, 1882.


Among other early business men in the village may be men- tioned Alanson Dean, George Bacon, Edward W. Warner and Frederick E. Platt.


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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.


The foregoing sketches are intended to bring to the attention of the reader the names of as many as possible of the early merchants of Owego, whose period of business life was previous to 1840. However, the claim is not made that every merchant of the village has been mentioned, for such a record at this late day would be impossible. There were others, representing various other occu- pations in village history, whose names are also entitled to be re- corded in these pages, for they, too, by their efforts and their pres- ence contributed in a greater or less degree to the early building up and establishing of Owego as the first town in Tioga county. In the chapters of this work devoted to the professions will be found mention of the lawyers and the physicians, and in the press chapter will be found reference to all persons who were identified with journalism in the village. In the special department devoted to personal chronology will also be found more extended sketches, biographical and geneological, of the old and prominent families and persons who have been factors in the past and present history of the village.


Among the early residents of Owego whose names are not else- where mentioned, may be recalled Isaac B. Ogden, familiarly known as General Ogden, who learned the trade of cabinet mak- ing in the village and afterward carried on the business here with Dana and Kingsbury. He was greatly interested in village af- fairs, was trustee of the village eleven years, and president four years. He died in Owego, April 14, 1868.


Isaac Lillie was a land surveyor and school teacher. He came to Owego in 1814, and died here September 23, 1864.


John Ripley, a native of Coventry, Conn., born in 1792, came to Owego in 1814, and from 1823 to 1832 was deputy sheriff of the county. He was justice of the peace, except for one year, from 1853 to the time of his death, January 2, 1860.


Col. Henry McCormick, a soldier of the war of 1812, came to Owego in 1814, and was the first gunsmith in the village. He afterward removed to a farm in the town. He was sheriff from 1828 to 1831, and village trustee in 1832 and 1833. He died at St .- Peter, Minn., May 22, 1874.


James and John W. L'Amoureux, harness makers, came to Owego, James in 1835 and John in 1839.


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In the same manner may be recalled the names and some brief mention of the lives of other early characters of the village. One of them was Capt. Luke Bates, an old sea captain, who is said to have been the first settler west of Union, and who was supervisor of that town in 1791. He secured from James McMaster a deed conveying much of the land whereon Owego now stands, and on the site of the Ahwaga house, in 1795, he built a tavern, a fa- mous hostelry in early history. Later on Capt. Bates moved two miles up the river, to a house on Little Nanticoke creek, where he kept a distillery. He died in 1813.


Abner Beers, was one of the four brothers who founded Beers's Settlement, in Danby. He came to Owego in 1818, was a carpen- ter, and in 1828 built the first bridge across the Susquehanna in this village. Ephraim Leach, of Tioga, was the engineer. Mr. Beers's wife was sister to James Pumpelly. He died Sept. 7, 1828.


Caleb Leach was a native of Plymouth, Mass., a clockmaker by trade, and a man of scientific attainments. He came here from New York city in 1806, and built a saw and grist mill in Tioga, at the place afterward known as Leach's Mills. Ephraim Leach, son of Caleb, built the present mills across the creek, but he gained early prominence through the construction of the bridge across the river in 1828, which was planned by him and of which he had charge as engineer.


Capt. Isaac Bartlett came from Salisbury, Conn., to Owego in 1813, with his sons Joseph, Isaac L., and Robert S. Bartlett, all of whom removed to Binghamton in 1829. Capt. Bartlett was a blacksmith ; his sons were gunsmiths.


Jared Huntington was a harnessmaker, a native of Hebron, Conn., and an early resident in Owego; was county superintend- ent of the poor from 1832 to 1837. He died July 2, 1861.


James Conklin is remembered as a carriage maker in early days. He died January 6, 1855, age 92 years.


Richard E. Cushman, carpenter, came to Owego in 1812. He was born at Stafford, Conn., June 2, 1782, and died August 18, 1863, aged 81 years.


John Dodd, carpenter, came from Goshen, N. Y., in 1829 ; died September 3, 1854.


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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.


Ezra S. Madan, cabinet maker, was born at Sing Sing, N. Y., Sept. 20, 1785, and died at Owego, Oct. 11, 1868. He came to the village in 1825.


Asa Dearborn was a shoemaker, of whom little is remembered. He died March 23, 1873, aged 74 years.


David Thurston, the pioneer of a large and respected family in this county, several of whom are in active business to-day, came from New Hampshire in 1805.


Deacon Francis Armstrong was born in Orange county in 1788, and came to Owego in 1829. He was deputy sheriff and under sheriff nine years, and was justice of the peace eight years. He died Nov. 25, 1881.


Samuel Hull came from Mannyunck, near Philadelphia, in 1827, and was village collector much of the time from 1845 to 1872. He died Sept. 19, 1877. Frederick K. Hull, son of Samuel was village trustee five years ; president in 1873, and town supervisor from 1870 to 1874. He died in Owego, May 29, 1896.


Erastus Meacham, blacksmith, a native of Cornwall, Conn., born in 1798, came to Owego in 1820. He died in the village Jan. 25, 1890.


Col Benoni B. Curry, was a tailor who came from Orange county in 1840. He died at Baleville, N. J., January 19, 1875.


Capt. Sylvanus Fox, carpenter, was born at North Glastonbury, Conn., May 6, 1797, and came to Owego in 1803. He was promi- nent in early village history ; was trustee eleven years, and presi- dent in 1840. He died Aug. 24, 1871.


Charles R. Barstow was born at Gt. Barrington, Mass., in March, 1804, and came to live with Dr. Gamaliel H. Barstow, his uncle, at Nichols, in 1816. He was a merchant at that village ; was loan commissioner from 1840 to 1842 ; elected sheriff in 1843 ; elected to the assembly in 1846, and postmaster at Owego from 1849 to 1853. Later on he was connected with the Erie railroad, and in April, 1868, was appointed port warden at New York. He died at Big Rapids, Mich., Dec. 10, 1880.


Arba Campbell was a tanner and one of the most prominent business men in the village. He was born in Madison county in 1809, and came to Owego 1842. He bought and sold wool, cattle,


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and sheep, and manufactured wagons until 1852, when he pur- chased a tannery, and was for many years one of the largest wool- pullers in the state. He was also greatly interested in agricul- ture, owning four farms. He died in Owego February, 1895.


Referring briefly to one of the earliest industries of Owego, it has been said that the tannery built by Lemuel Brown in 1795, was a log structure and stood well down on the river bank, about in rear of Goodrich & Co.'s dry goods store, and that the grad- ual washing away of the bank resulted in the destruction of the tannery, in 1801. Then the other tannery was built in the north part of the village, and was in operation until about 1819. The next tannery was built about 1825, and although the original structure long ago ceased to exist, its successor is still in active operation and will be mentioned among the present industries of the village.


In 1838 Samuel Archibald built a tannery on the site of the later known Owego tannery. The building was burned January 31, 1860, but was soon replaced with a larger and more modern struc- ture, located on the south side of the river, west of the bridge. The construction of the railroad in 1881-2 took this property, but a part of the old building still stands. The Arba Campbell tannery was built in 1871, and put in operation the next year by A. Camp- bell & Co.




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