USA > New York > Tioga County > Our county and its people : a memorial history of Tioga County, New York > Part 61
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The Sayre Butter Package Co., so named in honor of Robert Sayre, was established in 1882 by Richard D. VanDuzer. Its first location was in the old tannery building, where six men were em- ployed.' This building burned in 1885. The present group of seven commodious buildings was constructed and occupied in 1888, and about the same time a basket department was added, where splint and stave baskets are made. Employment is here given to seventy-five men, who produce 200,000 packages annually. The original proprietors were R. D. VanDuzer and James A. Clark. In April, 1887, Howard C. VanDuzer, son of Richard D., purchased Mr. Clark's interest and formed the present firm of R. D. & H. C. VanDuzer.
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CHARLES DEFOREST, only survivor of the three sons and one daughter of Samuel A. and Mary (Beers) DeForest, was born Decem- ber 16, 1815, in Stratford, Connecticut. He was educated at common schools and while yet a lad his parents removed to New Haven, and when Lafayette, on his last trip to America, 1824, visited that city, Charles had the pleasure of shaking hands with him. Mr. DeForest lost one arm when he was a boy, Most of his life was passed in school teaching, he having taught sixteen years in one school in Connecticut. He has also served as town superintend- ent. In 1830 the family moved to Ithaca, N. Y., where Mr. De Forest taught school, and, after a few years, made his residence in Danby and engaged in farming, About 1835 he purchased a farm in the north part of Barton and made the first clearing and built a log house. In 1842 Mr. DeForest married Janet, daughter of Daniel Hedges. They had three sons and three daughters. Mrs. DeForest died February 20, 1891. Mr. and Mrs. DeForest lived on this farm until their death. Mr. DeForest was a teacher for many years in this county. In 1872 he settled in Waverly. He has held the office of highway commissioner for three years, and for fourteen consecutive years has been superintendent of the poor, and street commissioner for one year. The family are mem- bers of the Methodist church and he has been a trustee of that church over thirty years.
ROBERT SHACKELTON was born near Belvidere, N. J. His wife was Lydia Killpatrick. They had a family of eleven children. In 1826 he came to Barton and for two years was engaged in farming and lumbering, then became a merchant in Factoryville and later was a hotel proprietor. About 1866 he moved to Illinois, where he died. John Shackelton, son of Robert, was born November 23, 1824, in New Jersey, and came to Barton when two years old and has since resided here. He married Sarah, a daughter of William Hanna ; their only daughter Emma is the wife of Charles E. Lane. Mr. and Mrs. Lane have one daughter, Beatrice. Mrs. Shackelton died December 9, 1891. Mr. Shackelton has been a farmer and broker. He owns 900 acres of farming land and numerous house lots in Waverly, and has seen the prosperous growth of the village
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from his youth and has planted and sown corn and wheat where is now the main portion of Waverly.
ABRAM I. DECKER, son of David and Cordelia E. (Shultz) Decker, was born on September 21, 1850, at Summitville, N. Y., and was educated at the Elmira public schools, East Genesee conference seminary and Genesee college of Lima, N. Y. In 1855 his parents removed to Elmira, and his father built the Wellsburg, N. Y. tannery. (He died in 1890). In 1869 Abram went to Wellsburg, where he learned the tanners' trade, acquiring such skill as to be- come foreman of the tannery, and held that position for seven years. He then, in 1879, bought the Decker tannery at Waverly, which he still conducts. His mother, who died in 1872, was a sister of Jackson S. Shultz, a standard authority on tanning, and an author who published a book on this industry. Mr. Decker joined the Methodist Episcopal church in Elmira in 1863, and is now a valued member of the Waverly society. He has been superintendent of its Sunday-school for seventeen consecutive years, has been a delegate to the General Conference of the church, and once or twice an "alternate." He was elected a trustee of the Syracuse university in 1894 for a term of six years, and is now serving huis second term as trustee of Wyoming seminary at Kingston, Pa., to which office he was first elected in 1883. He was the first clerk of Wellsburg village and its police justice. He was also captain of a company of the New York State National Guards organized in Wellsburg, and was for three years captain of the 32d separate company of Wellsburg. Mr. Decker has served about two terms on the Waverly school board, was two years (1887-1888) supervisor of the town of Barton, and was member of assembly from this county in 1889 and 1890. Politically a repub- lican, he takes an active part in politics. In 1871 he was married with Miss Sarah D. Orcutt, daughter of John Orcutt. They have one child, David Orcutt Decker.
ALFRED BENNETT, son of Reuben and Mary (Tompkins) Bennett, was born October 17, 1811, in Highland, Ulster county, N. Y. He received a common school education. His father came from Eng-
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land during the revolutionary war and joined the American army. In 1834 Mr. Alfred Bennett came from his eastern home by stage (as no railroads were then in use), viewing for a home, to locate, as it were, in the "far woodsy west." Choosing a location in what is now called the Greatsinger neighborhood, he journeyed back to High- lands, and with his father and other members of the family re- turned to Elmira in the same year, and by the Erie canal. Mr. Bennett, Sr., died in Chemung, aged eighty-three years. His wife died in Waverly, also at the age of eighty-three. In going to Elmira Alfred Bennett purchased a large timber lot, and for three years was engaged in lumbering. He then bought a tannery at Chemung, and, having learned the tanners' trade when a boy, conducted the business for a few years. In 1856 he married Clarissa Beidleman. They had two sons, Jacob and Reuben, both deceased. In 1845 he married for his second wife Esther M. Mc- Dowell, eldest daughter of Hon. J. G. McDowell, of Chemung. They had four children ; only one survives, viz., Laurinda. Mr. Alfred Bennett's second wife died in 1876. In 1864 he moved to Waverly and bought a dry goods store in company with J. B. Floyd, and continued it for three years, and has since resided here. retiring from public life, but enjoying the watch care of a pro- gressive country. Mr. Bennett has always been a valued member of the M. E. church. He joined it in 1851 and has been a trustee of that church over half a century.
CHARLES E. BROWN, born October 4, 1840, in Smithfield, Brad- ford county, Pa., son of Champlain G. and Alice A. (Thomas) Brown, descends from the Rhode Island Browns. The first of that name there was Chadd Brown, who was the ancestor of many of the most distinguished citizens of that state for two centuries. He fled thither from persecution in Massachusetts in 1663, became a member of the Baptist church founded by Roger Williams in 1639, and in 1642 was its associate pastor. He died in 1665. In 1792 the town of Providence voted and erected a monument to his memory. His grandson, James, was minister of the same church. Four of James Brown's grandsons were patrons of Brown univer- sity. Their names were Nicholas, Joseph (LL. D.) died 1785, John
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(an eminent minister) died 1803, and Moses. (The line connecting him with the grandfather of Charles E. Brown, of Waverly, can- not be given without reference to documents in Rhode Island.) Charles Brown, father of Champlain G., and grandfather of Charles E. Brown, lived all his life in Rhode Island, was a shipbuilder and farmer, and by his two marriages was father of twenty children. Champlain G. Brown was born 1799 in Rhode Island. He was an early settler of Bradford county, Pa., and his life was intimately connected with the local events of the community where he re- sided. He died December 26, 1857. His wife was Alice A. Thomas. Of their children Charles E. had common and high school educa- tional advantages, but, before he was of age the civil war broke out, and, in July, 1861, he enlisted in Company F., 6th Pennsyl- vania reserve corps, but his constitution was broken by change of climate and the continued hardships of a soldier's life, and he was "mustered out " within a year of his enlistment. When his health sufficiently recovered he located as a merchant at Strait's Corners. Here he stayed for two years, when his talents for music induced him to give the next three years to acquiring a musical education and he soon became a proficient teacher of instrumental music on various instruments. Returning to the home farm he lived there three years, and then permanently located himself in Waverly, first as an instructor of vocal and instrumental music, and, later, for twenty-five years, as a music dealer in which he is still engaged. July 22, 1861, Mr. Brown married Sarah N., daughter of David and Hannah (Jenks) Straits, of the old pioneer family which gave name to Strait's Corners. She was born August 15, 1841. They have one son, Merle A. J. Brown, born February 17, 1864. He married Jennie Akins, born January 21, 1869. They have four children ; Charles F. B., born October 10, 1889, Sarah Leona, born July 6, 1892, Gertrude Wanita, born March 19, 1895, and Merle Delos, born March 25, 1897.
EDWIN DENN was born in Orange county, N. Y., January 18, 1793. He married Mary Connor. Their children were Alfred, Hannah, Albert, and Almira, the latter now the only survivor. Mr. Denn came to North Chemung about 1832 and purchased a farm, and re-
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sided there. In 1851, he came to Waverly and continued farming. His wife died December 10, 1854. The family were members of the Presbyterian church of Waverly. Mr. Denn was a soldier in the war of 1812, was stationed three months on Staten Island, and received a pension for many years. He died March 13, 1883.
GEORGE H. GRAFFT, son of Isaac H. and Anna (Hummell) Grafft, was born in New York City, January 15, 1840. In 1860, he came to Barton. After a residence in the town of five years he removed to Waverly, and in company with J. Murray bought wool for two years. When the Lehigh Valley railroad was built he furnished oak lumber for the company. Mr. Grafft married, first, Myra Bonnell. They had five children. His second wife was Stella Phillips. Two children were born to them. In politics a demo- crat, he has been elected six times successively justice of the peace. He was justice of sessions one term, and has been a member of the excise commission since 1884, and has been its clerk. He has been a delegate to the democratic state convention, and held other positions of public confidence. He has been chief engineer of the Waverly fire department, and for six consecutive years foreman of Tioga Hose Co. He has been a member of the board of education fifteen years, and is now its president. He has been three times chosen high priest of Cayuta Chapter, F. & A. M. Isaac H. Grafft was born in Lancaster, Pa., in 1809. He was for many years the proprietor of a restaurant on Broad street, corner of South street, New York city. He came to Barton in 1842 and purchased a farm of 400 acres on Tallmadge Hill, now owned by G. H. Grafft. He died in 1859. His wife in 1873.
The Stone family is of English descent, its American residence, however, dating back to the revolution. Luther Stone, son of Luther, was born in Saratoga county in 1794, and came to Broome county in 1819 to establish a tannery. Marrying Mary, daughter of Jotham Rounds, an early settler of Owego, in 1829 he moved to Candor and conducted tanning there until about 1832 when he moved to Flemingville. From 1834, however, he lived at Mill- town, where in company with Isaac Rounds he was long engaged
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in tanning. Their tannery stood on the site now occupied by the butter tub factory. Mr. Stone possessed strong character and was an active man in affairs. He had an extensive acquaintance. A prominent abolitionist, his house was widely known as a station of the "underground railroad." Four of his seven children are living ; Matilda C. (Mrs. William Brooks), of New York city, James R., William P. (married Marietta Shipman, daughter of Horace, and has one son, George P. Stone), and Sarah E., who married William E. Moore, one of the first and most popular mer- chants of Waverly. James R. Stone, who resides in Waverly, and is an interested participant in local matters and has been president of the village for several terms, was a former resident of Cincin- nati, Ohio, and in the wholesale and retail trade in that city.
FESTUS A. WRIGHT, son of Robert and Sylvia (Stout) Wright, was born in Minisink, Orange county, August 10, 1822. He ac- companied Benjamin Sawyer on his journey to Barton when he became a resident here, and has been in the employ of the Sawyer family the most of the time since he came. Mr. Wright's first wife was Julia G. Hollensworth, with whom he was married on Sep- tember 16, 1847. She died on May 29, 1853, leaving three children, Mary E., James R., and Julia A. His second wife was Elizabeth Burrell, whom he married on October 5, 1860, and who died April 11, 1879. Their children were Mary E. (married Augustus Mill- bury, and resides in Passaic, N. J .; Mr. Millbury served during the civil war in Company K., 54th Massachusetts), Julia A., of Chicago, Ill., and James R., who died on September 24, 1871. Mr. Wright is a valued member of the Methodist church of Waverly, and for thirty-five years he has been an usher at its services.
ROBERT H. SCOTT was born in Athens township, Pa., in 1842, one of a family of eleven children. He attended school at the Genesee Wesleyan seminary, Lima, N. Y. (now known as the Syracuse university) for five years, taking afterward a thorough business course in Buffalo, N. Y. Most of his life was passed in Waverly, and he was closely identified with its principal business interests, although early in his business life he spent two years in Arkansas
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attending to a large railroad contract. His business enterprises were in grain, coal and agricultural implements, with real estate operations in Waverly and Tennessee. Throughont his life he was a shrewd business gentleman, quiet but charitable, and had many warm personal friends.
CAPT. GEORGE H. POWERS, son of David, was born in Virgil, Cortland county. He learned the trade of marble cutting, came to Waverly about 1852 and worked for F. H. Baldwin in his marble shop. He was captain in the old state militia, and in May, 1861, he raised a company of volunteers, and was commissioned on May 5, 1861, as captain of Co. E, 23d New York Vols. He, with his regiment, participated in its numerous engagements up to March, 1863, when he resigned his commission, came home and went to work again at his trade. He was a partner in the marble busi- ness with William Stone for a few years. About 1873 he moved to Marshall, Mich., where he died in 1878. He was more than ordinarily intelligent and had an extensive acquaintance. He married Nancy M. Bingham, daughter of an early settler, who died in 1890. They had four children, Frank B. Powers (also known as captain), who has been in the employ of the Erie rail- road for many years ; Ella (Mrs. Emmett Brink, of Towanda, Pa. ); Jennie (Mrs. William Cornell, of Chicago) ; LaPitt (Mrs. Charles Harlow, of Albion, Mich.)
CHARLES F. POOLE established the East Waverly steam granite works on September 1, 1894. He employs from twelve to fifteen men, doing all kinds of marble and granite work. This is the only shop in this part of the state and northern Pennsylvania that cuts and polishes granite. Mr. Poole was born June 1, 1851, in Wyoming county, Pa. He received a common school education. In 1865, his father, Edward V. Poole, came to Smithboro and re- sided there. He died in 1886. Charles F. Poole married Eliza Van Nostrand and has three children. He engaged ir farming for three years in Delaware, then returned to Tioga Center and bought Samuel Schoonover's farm of 240 acres in 1877. He man- ufactured "buff" brick at Newfield, Tompkins county, for a year
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and a half. In 1894 he located at Waverly. He is a member of these Masonic bodies, Westbrook Lodge, No. 333, Nichols, Cayuta Chapter, Waverly, and St. Omer's Commandery of Elmira, and of Nemoka Lodge, 219, and Spanish Hill Encampment, I. O. O. F., both of Waverly. Mr. Poole was the democratic nominee for assembly from this county in 1896, but of course was only the standard bearer, with no possibility of election in this stronghold of republicanism.
JAMES A. CLARK was born at Deposit, N. Y., April 18, 1855. When he was eighteen years of age he went to Rochester, N. Y., and entered the hardware store of Pollock, Weaver & Co., as clerk. After a stay of five years, in 1879, he came to Waverly, purchased a hardware store and conducted the business for thirteen years. He then passed two years in Colorado, engaged in real estate and electric light business. In 1873 he returned to Waverly, and, in company with Romain C. Cole, formed the Waverly Stamping Co .. for dealing in aluminum-lined cooking utensils. Mr. Clark has been a member of the board of education three terms, and a mem- ber of Waverly Lodge, No. 401, F. & A. M. In 1894 he was ap- pointed postmaster of Waverly. In 1878, he married with Ida Townsend of Seneca county. They have one son, James A.
An old European family is the Venette one. The name is now spelled VanAtta. The first one we can trace in this country is Thomas Venette, born April 5, 1717, in New Jersey. His children were Joanna, Anna, Bridget, Benjamin, and Lydia. Benjamin, born in New Jersey also, on April 12, 1753, married Margaret Mid- daugh, born June 23, 1755. Their children were Peter, Marietta, Thomas, Johannes M., Elizabeth, and Isaac. Johannes M., born November 1, 1782, married Elizabeth Albright, born August 16, 1787, came to Barton in 1823, took up a lot of wild land, built a log house, and by industry and thrift developed a fine farm and acquired competence. Of their ten children were Peter, Margaret A., Adam, William, Caroline, Benjamin, Sarah, Isaac, Azariah J., and Rebecca M. Mr. VanAtta (as the name now began to be known) died March 7, 1861, his wife surviving him until Septem-
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ber 1, 1870. Azariah J. VanAtta, born on the new home in Bar- ton, December 15, 1827, was brought up on the farm. He then married Carlista E., daughter of Calvin and Sarah Ames, and lo- cated in Waverly as a carpenter. He has been an active figure in Waverly for many years and the degree of respect in which he is held is derived from his uniform walk and conduct. Since 1880 he has been the superintendent of the Waverly water works. Mr. and Mrs. VanAtta's surviving children are E. Clair, a dealer in coal of Waverly ; John C., a leading druggist, and Edwin H., also a druggist.
JAMES SWARTWOOD, a soldier of the revolution, came from New Jersey to Barton among the early settlers with his family and made his home at Ellistown. He was a farmer. His son, Ben- jamin, married Catharine Williams, and lived at Tallmadge Hill. Ezekiel, his son, born July 15, 1807, married Margaret M., daughter of John M. VanAtta, and settled on the farm now owned by John King where he was a farmer. His two children were John M. (deceased), and Nancy (Mrs. John Harding).
DEACON GEORGE F. WALDO was born in Newark Valley, the son of Lyman L. and Grace A. (Andrews) Waldo, early settlers of Newark Valley, coming thither from Connecticut in 1806. The name Waldo indicates Huguenot origin. George F. Waldo mar- ried Hannah, daughter of William Richardson, and settled in Rush- ford, Allegany county, at first, where he was for four years super- intendent of a woolen factory. Coming from there to VanEtten he was in charge of a factory there for five years and then came to Waverly. After a three years superintendency of the Brooks factory here and a nine years stay with Moses Wheelock in Sayre, Mr. Waldo engaged in the drug business in Waverly in company with E. G. Tracy, to whom he sold his interest when, after several years, his health demanded his retirement. Mr. Waldo was an earnest christian whose life gladdened all around him. He was a deacon of the Presbyterian church, active in its support, and was the dearly beloved superintendent of its Sunday school for twenty-
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five years. He died in 1891. Mrs. Waldo is now living in Wa- verly. Only one of their children is living, Mrs. Lizzie C. Taylor.
MILTON C. MAPES, son of David B. and Frances (Day) Mapes, was born January 22, 1848. He was married April 22, 1883, with Mary, daughter of Frank and Lovina (Foster) Everett, born De- cember 5, 1861. They have three children ; Maud, born February 6, 1884, died March 7, 1889 ; Edith, born December 22, 1887 ; David B., born February 28, 1891. Mr. Mapes has followed blacksmith- ing as a business all his life and at present he owns and conducts a shop at East Waverly. He enlisted as a soldier in the late war at Scranton, Pa., March 8, 1863, in Company G., 50th Pennsylvania regiment, under Capt. Charles Forbes and Col. William H. Telford. The regiment was assigned to Stephens' brigade, Wilcox's division of the 9th corps of the army of the Potomac, and participated in the historic engagements at Potomac, S. C., May 29, 1862; second Bull Run, August 30, 1862 ; Chantilly, September 1, 1862 ; South Mountain, September 14, 1862 ; Antietam, September 17, 1862 ; Jackson, July 19, 1863 ; Blue Springs, October 10, 1863 ; Campbell's Station, November 17 to December 5, 1863 ; Wilderness May 5 and 7, 1864 ; North Anna, May 23 to 27, 1864; Cold Harbor, June 1 and 12, 1864 ; Petersburg, June 15, 1864, and April 2, 1865 ; Mine ex- plosion, June 30, 1864 ; Weldon railroad, August 19 to 21, 1864 ; Preble farm, September 30 and October 1, 1864. By order of the secretary of war, on the recommendation of General Grant, this regiment was ordered to represent the infantry service of the army in the service of laying the corner stone of the national monument at Gettysburg, Pa., July 4, 1865. Mr. Mapes was honorably dis- charged near Georgetown, D. C., August 1, 1865.
WESLEY H. BROUGHAM, son of Aaron Brougham, was born in Waverly, May 5, 1848. He was educated in the common schools of Waverly and began business life when sixteen years old as a clerk in the general merchandising store of D. G. Manning. He was next clerk in the hardware store of S. F. Mack, and later, in the hardware store of Luce & McCormick in Ithaca. Remaining three years in Ithaca, Mr. Brougham returned to Waverly and for five years was in trade for himself as a grocer. The next five
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years he was engineer at the Cooley & Hemstreet tannery. He then accepted his present position of shipping clerk for the Hall & Lyon Furniture Co. and has held it for eleven years. Mr. Brough- am is prominently connected with Waverly's fire department ; was a volunteer for seven years in the Neptune company, No. 1, was the first foreman (for two years) of Cayuta Hose Co., No. 4, and for three years has been its treasurer. For two years he was a member of the Eureka Hose Co., of Ithaca. In March, 1872, Mr. Brougham was married with Laura Lyon, daughter of Jona- than C. Lyon. Mr. Brougham joined the Odd Fellows in 1871 and is active in their work. He has held all of the offices in his lodge and now is its treasurer. He was deputy of the county for two years, district deputy of the encampment for seven years and deputy of the Daughters of Rebecca one year. He was chosen representative to the grand lodge of Odd Fellows of the state, and was a delegate to the encampment held in Binghamton. Aaron Brougham came from Schoharie county many years ago to Newark Valley, lived there and at Owego until about 1842, then came to Factoryville, where he lived until his death, on February 20, 1862, and here Mr. W. H. Brougham resided until 1894.
JOHN OSBORN, son of William and Elizabeth (Madge) Osborn, was born October 14, 1846, in Devonshire, England. He was edu- cated at Kingsteignton, Devonshire, England, and learned engi- neering in the mammoth tanneries of William Vickery & Sons at Newton Abbott. On October 29, 1865, Mr. Osborn was married with Elizabeth, daughter of William and Mary (Coysh) Lethbridge. She was born January 27, 1848. They have had twelve children: William, born March 7, 1866, died May 22, 1866 ; William T., born December 25, 1867, died September 8, 1868; Jolin, born March 18. 1869, died January 1, 1870 ; William, born May 6, 1870, died July 27, 1870; Mary E. (Mrs. E. G. Whitley), born October 6, 1871 ; William L., born December 6, 1872, married Miss Birdie May Decker, of Owego ; Jane L., born August 31, 1874; Pauline A., born March 12, 1876 ; Rebekah E., born February 11, 1878 ; Thomas C., born May 16, 1879, died same day ; Thomas B., born June 11, 1881, died August 13, 1881 ; Blanche R .. born June 9, 1882, died
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