USA > New York > Tioga County > Our county and its people : a memorial history of Tioga County, New York > Part 73
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DR. JOHN EVERITT, born in Sharon, Litchfield county, Conn., was educated in the schools of his birthplace and taught school for some years. Not being satisfied with the education he had ac- quired he took a medical course in the New Haven medical college where he graduated. He then came to Nichols and entered medi- cal practice with Dr. Barstow. In 1818 he married Sally, daugh- ter of Emanuel Coryell. They had eight children, of whom El- more Everitt was born October 5, 1823, and married Alice, the widow of James O. Sherwood, for his second wife. His first wife was Myra A. Johnson, by whom there are two children.
WALTER C. EVERITT, M. D., son of Elmore and Myra A. (John- son) Everitt, was born in Nichols, June 27, 1871. After a prelim- inary education he attended the University of New York and was graduated from the medical department May 1, 1894. He is now in a successful practice at his birth place. He married February 20, 1895, Lizzie V., daughter of Oliver P. Harris.
DR. EDWARD EVERETT PEASE, son of Levi and Betsey (McCarthy) Pease, was born October 24, 1852, in Windham, Bradford county, Pa. He attended the common schools of his birthplace and a select school in Rome, Pa. When sixteen years old he began his medical education in the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he was graduated in March, 1873. After practicing medi- cine for a time in Liverpool, Fulton county, Illinois, he located at Smithboro, and in 1874 formed a partnership with Dr. George P. Cady in Nichols, which continued until in 1882 they dissolved partnership. Dr. Pease is now one of Tioga's veteran physicians. He has practiced medicine in Nichols twenty-three years, has been vice-president of the Tioga county medical society, and was
781
TOWN OF BERKSHIRE.
coroner of the county in 1888, and is at present pension examiner. Dr. Pease was married October 24, 1876 to Laura Elsbree, daugh- ter of Joseph and Sarah (Burgess) Elsbree.
TOWN OF BERKSHIRE.
JAMES DAVIDGE, * superintendent of the Berkshire tannery, of the United States Leather Company, was born October 18, 1840, at Liberty, Sullivan county, N. Y. He is a son of the late John and Eunice (Burr) Davidge. James was educated in the Normal In- stitute at Liberty, graduating there in 1858. He entered his father's tannery at Lake Como, Pa., and remained at that place until 1865 when he entered the firm of Davidge, Horton & Co., and purchased the tannery owned by T. C. Bidwell & Co., at Berkshire, N. Y. In 1893 the company was with others merged in the United States Leather Company. Mr. Davidge, a stockholder in this con- cern, was elected superintendent of the Berkshire tannery. He is vice-president of the Owego National bank and interested in several manufactories. Mr. Davidge is a large holder of wild lands in Wyoming county, Pa., in Braxton county, W. Va., and in the western part of North Carolina. On January 19, 1864, he was married with Rosalia Miller, daughter of John and Sophronia (Gay) Miller, of Uniondale, Pa. Mr. and Mrs. Davidge have three chil- dren : Carrie, Bessie G., and John M. In the spring of 1894 Mr. Davidge removed with his family to Binghamton, N. Y., where they now reside.
DR. RALPH D. EASTMAN was born in Cortland county, August 3, 1849. His father was George W. Eastman, and his mother, Nancy W. Atwater, was a descendant of David Atwater, one of the orig- inal planters of New Haven, Conn. The mother of George W.
* Printed also in Newark Valley by mistake.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
Eastman, Sally Webster, was a cousin of Daniel Webster. Dr. Eastman received his preliminary education at Berkshire and Owego, and he taught school nine years, principally in Chemung county, this state. He was then employed by the state board of regents as an instructor. In the spring of 1878 he came to Berk- shire, having just completed the course of study in the medical de- partment of the university of Buffalo, and received his diploma. In June of the same year he married Helen Stark, of Penn Yan, who died exactly one year later. Dr. Eastman was married the second time with Kate S. VanDuzer, of Horseheads. She is a daughter of the late William Henry and Susan (Sayre) VanDuzer of that town. Dr. Eastman was appointed United States examin -. ing surgeon during Harrison's administration, and is now secre- tary of the medical society of Tioga county, and has previously served the society as president. He is a member of the Congrega- tional church of Berkshire. Dr. Eastman is a progressive citizen and occupies a handsome home on the principal street in the village.
MARCUS J. FORD was born in the town of Berkshire September 29, 1839. His father Lebbeus Ford came to Berkshire from Massa- chusetts when he was 16 years old, at that time the present towns of Berkshire, Richford and Newark Valley were all Berkshire. Lebbeus Ford and his brother Marcus were the first blacksmiths in the town. Marcus Ford, son of Lebbeus, was one of four child- ren, two of whom are still living, Mrs. Ira Crawford and William W. Ford who lives on the old homestead. Marcus J. Ford and Sarah E. Townley were married January 17, 1866, at New Provi- dence, N. J., her home, and came to Berkshire to live ; they have 10 children. Floride M., married Everett Winfield and lives at South Owego. Ford is unmarried and lives away from home. Lebbeus married Edith Harvey and lives on Wilson Creek. Lena married Lee Lockwood and Harriet married Daniel Scudder, Eliza married Ralph W. Leonard, all live in Berkshire, the rest are at home. The family attend the Methodist church. Mr. Ford is a staunch democrat and his wife a strong temperance wonan, a member of the W. C. T. U.
783
TOWN OF BERKSHIRE.
JOHN REWEY FORD, whose mother's father was one of the first settlers in Berkshire, is the son of Alfred Hyde and Eunice Rewey Ford, and was born August 25, 1840. He received his education at the Berkshire school. February 8, 1871, he married Margaret Shaff, daughter of Joseph and Ann Haselden Ford. One son was born to them, Alfred Hyde Ford, born October 18, 1875. He mar- ried Kate Stewart of Richford, November 18, 1844, and has taken his father's place on the farm in the town of Berkshire the same as John Ford succeeded his father. The subject of this sketch now lives pleasantly in the village of Berkshire. He was postmas- ter of that village during President Cleveland's first administra- tion. Mr. Ford though retired from active farm work is still greatly interested in the tilling of the soil and is an active mem- ber and director of the Northern Tioga agricultural society. He is a member of the Methodist church, the improved order of Red Men and numerous other societies.
CHARLES JOHNSON DEWEY, son of Ezekiel and Lucy Johnson Dewey, was born May 10, 1825, in the town of Richford. In 1834 the family moved to Liste, Broome county, where Ezekiel Dewey conducted a hotel for three years. At the end of that period the family returned to Richford and remained there three years, moving then to Berkshire where Mr. Dewey has since resided. He received his education in the schools of Berkshire and Newark Valley. and, on October 22, 1855, he married Mrs. Lucinda C. Cargill. of Lee, Mass. Three children were born to them ; Clara, born July 29, 1857, married January 9, 1879 with Eugene Lynch of Berkshire ; Flora Lucy, born July 27, 1861, and was married on October 22, 1884 with Alexander Manning of South Owego ; Dwight W., born February 25, 1863, and on June 25, 1890 married with Jessie Taylor of Berkshire. Mrs. Dewey's maiden name was Warren. She married John Cargill on November 21, 1852. He died October 9, 1854. Their only child, Olive M., died in her fifth year. Mr. Dewey was a justice of the peace for the town of Berkshire for twelve years and has at different times been town clerk and overseer of the poor. He is a member of the Methodist church, also trustee.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
JUNIUS COLLINS was born June 12, 1826 in Hartford, Cortland county, N. Y. His father, Horatio Collins, was born July 2, 1799, and died June 28, 1867. His wife, Emily (Ball) Collins, was born August 12, 1804, and died May 14, 1873. Horatio Collins moved to Berkshire in 1806, and his son Junius has lived all of his life in that town except four years when he was employed as a clerk in Canandaigua. His education was acquired in the schools of Berk- shire and at select schools at Lenox, Mass., and at the academy at Homer, N. Y. When his education, which was very liberal for those days, and has since been augmented by careful reading and diligent study, was completed, Mr. Collins came to Berkshire and assisted his father in the management of his large farm. It was at the age of twenty-one that Mr. Collins went to Canandaigua, and, returning from that place, he again took up the work of the farm and remained with his father until the latter's death. Mr. Collins was married on September 20, 1860, at Newark Valley with Helen Augusta, daughter of Lawyer and Savilla (Woodford) Byington. Mrs. Collins was born at Bristol, Hartford county, Conn., October 16, 1827. Her mother, aged 91 years, is now living at Newark Valley. Her father died in 1856. Mr. Collins is a member of and a trustee of the First Congregational church of Berkshire. He is a justice of the peace and has held that office for the past twenty-five years, giving universal satisfaction as a regulator of matters of difference between parties and for the good order of the business interests in the town. Several years ago Mr. Collins relinquished active farming and now occupies a pleasant home in the village of Berkshire.
CHARLES TALCOTT LEONARD is a grandson of Asa Leonard, who was among the first settlers in Berkshire, and son of Louis G. and Hannah (Royce) Leonard. His father, Louis Gigget Leonard, was born in West Stockbridge, Mass., in 1796, and came to Berkshire when a very young lad. He married Hannah Royce in Berkshire on February 28, 1821. She died in New Haven, Conn., April 14, 1889, aged 90. Mr. Leonard died November 1, 1830, aged 36. Their second son, Julius Yale Leonard, born in June, 1827, married in June, 1857, devoted twenty years of his life to services as missionary
Jamies Collins
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TOWN OF BERKSHIRE.
of the A. B. C. F. M., in Asiatic Turkey. He returned to the United States with greatly impaired health and died at Clifton Springs, N. Y., October 29, 1894. Harriet Sabrina Leonard, a daughter born November 1, 1830, married Ruel P. Cowles, of New Haven, Conn., in September, 1855, and is still living. Charles Talcott Leonard was born January 21, 1825, within half a mile of his present home, just outside the village of Berkshire. December 17, 1874, he married Mrs. Adelia (Miller) Watrous of Berkshire. One son was born to them, Theodore Miller Leonard, born December 22, 1876, now a student of Oberlin university. Mrs. Leonard's daughter, Hattie Watrous, is a teacher at White Plains, N. Y. Mr. Leonard is a member of the Congregational church of Berk- shire, in which he is at present a deacon, and in which he was for years a trustee. He has passed his entire life in the town of Berk- shire, managing the large farm where he is peacefully passing the latter days of an useful and well-spent life.
FREDERIC WILLIS WITTER, son of Asa and Delia (Torrey) Witter, was born in Richford, October 19, 1861. He was educated in Rich- ford, and, in 1881, moved to Berkshire, where he learned the trade of a tinner, afterward going to South Dakota. He soon returned, and, with his brother, Frank, purchased a hardware store in the village, where he has since been located. February 18, 1884, he married Flora, daughter of Grant W. Barnes, of Richford. They have one daughter, Mildred D., born February 26, 1885, and now living at home. Mr. Witter is a member of Newark Valley lodge, No. 614, F. & A. M. In politics he is a republican and was town clerk of Berkshire for six years.
ROBERT CHARLES BROWN was born September 30, 1841, near his present home just outside the village of Berkshire. His father was Charles Brown, who married Eliza M. Ball, of Berkshire. Isaac Brown, a great uncle, and Daniel Ball were the first two set- tlers in Berkshire. Isaac Brown was the first person buried in the cemetery in Berkshire, his death having occurred in 1797. On the same day, Joseph Waldo and Mr. Brown's grandfather each built a frame house, the first to be erected in the town. Mr. Brown has
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
resided in Berkshire all his life. On January 5, 1865, he married Louise S. Cross, daughter of William Cross, of Richford. Five children were born to them : Josephine Anne, born December 14, 1866 ; Julia Louise, born March 27, 1870, married Orson E. Rock- well in June, 1889, and has two children (Clara Louise and Edith Lucile); Lucile, born December 25, 1871 ; Charles Henry, October 12, 1874 ; George, December 29, 1879 ; all living. Mr. Brown is a member of the Congregational church. He was a few years ago elected tax collector on the democratic ticket (the town being almost unanimously republican) by a large plurality.
IRA CRAWFORD came to Berkshire from Ithaca, N. Y., in 1840. He was born in the latter place March 22, 1821. His entire life, since leaving Ithaca, has been spent in Berkshire. He was the blacksmith in the village until 1859, then engaged in lumbering and in farming. He has conducted the Crawford House since 1870 and also managed a large farm just outside the village. Mr. Crawford has been an industrious man and is now reaping the fruits of his labors. He was married in 1844 with Julia A. Right- mire, who died April 1, 1879. Mr. Crawford was married, the second time, to Harriet H. Ford, on October 22, 1879. Of the eight children of the first marriage four are now living : Eugene, of Freeville ; Ira O. and Mrs. Abbey Gay, of Berkshire, and James H., of Newark, N. J. Mr. Crawford is a member of Newark Valley lodge, No. 614, F. & A. M., and was a prominent member of the Odd Fellows before the local lodge disbanded.
JAMES W. SHERMAN was born in Middlefield, Otsego county, and came to the town of Berkshire, locating at Wilson creek, thirty-two years ago, and has resided there ever since. He mar- ried Elizabeth Hardy, who came from England. Two boys and two girls were born to them : Sarah, married George Lane, of Candor ; Anna, who lives at home ; Edward, married Elizabeth Clark, and lives in the town of Berkshire, and Hiram, who also lives in the town of Berkshire.
WILLIAM P. RIGHTMIRE, son of Squire and Perciss J. (Raymond) Rightmire, was born in the town of Berkshire, October 9, 1838.
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TOWN OF BERKSHIRE.
He was educated in the Berkshire school, and February 12, 1862, married Mary L., daughter of Beriah Bishop, of Binghamton, Broome county. The children born to them were Louise Jeanette, born January 23, 1863, married in 1893, to Homer Spoon, of Bing- hamton ; Marian Avaleen, born June 24, 1864, died May 1, 1885 ; Eugene S., born March 9, 1867, married Julia Monell, of Newark Valley, and has two children (Floyd, aged ten years, and May, aged eight years); Ralph Dewitt, born July 24, 1881 ; Daisy Eliza- beth, born July 2, 1884. Mr. Rightmire has been superintendent of the United States Leather company's tannery at Berkshire for twenty-three years. He is a republican in politics, and, while he has never held office, his influence has always been manifested on election day. Mr. Rightmire is a member of Newark Valley lodge, 263, F. & A. M., and also of the Congregational church of Berk- shire.
CHARLES HENRY DORWIN, was born April 20, 1842, in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, Orrin (Gunson) Dorwin, married Arrilla Bet- sey Cook (now living), grand-daughter of Ashael Royce, one of the earliest settlers in Berkshire. Mr. Dorwin was educated in the Brookside boarding school at Berkshire, and a private school in Chicago. He enlisted November 21, 1862 at Union Point, Col., in the third Colorado infantry, which was mounted at Benton bar- racks, Mo., and designated 2d Colorado Cavalry, and at the close of his service, on July 14, 1865, was discharged at Milwaukee, Wis. In 1881 he became cashier and bookkeeper at the Davidge, Hor- ton & Co. tannery in Berkshire, now the United States Leather Co., a position which he still fills. Mr. Dorwin was married April 23, 1879, with Ellen Merrell of Massachusetts. Three children were born to them : Ralph, June 9, 1880; Amy, January 24, 1883 ; Philip, October 22, 1885 ; all now living at home.
788
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
TOWN OF RICHFORD.
ELIJAH POWELL, M. D., one of the most noted early physicians of Tioga county, and one of its best educated and influential citi- zens, was born at Pharsalia, Chenango county, October 3, 1800. After he was graduated from Hamilton college, he studied medi- cine and surgery and in 1823 established his residence and practice in Richford. His tireless devotion to his patients and his skillful treatment of recondite cases soon gave him eminence in his pro- fession, and he successfully maintained a high reputation and a large practice for nearly half-a-century. He married first, Lydia Wells, who died childless. His second wife was Jane Anderson, who survived him, dying February 4, 1884. Their children were : Elizabeth J. (Mrs. C. D. Rich), born December 12, 1834 ; Captain William H., born October 14, 1836; Lydia E., born September 8, 1838, married, first, James Pumpelly Lovejoy, Esq., of Owego. Their surviving children are Lydia Mary and Anna Frederica, wife of Robert W. Eastman, M. D., of New York city. (Mrs. Lovejoy married, second, her present husband, Mr. Silas Ford- ham); Helen Louise, born March 29, 1840, married Rev. J. S. Hanna of Chicago, Ill., and died April 1, 1890; Mary A. (Mrs. Junius Rogers), born February 7, 1842, now resides in Groton, N. Y .; Lieutenant Sanford M. (deceased) ; Susan C. (deceased). Dr. Powell took active interest in public affairs and especially in edu- cation throughout his life. In 1844 he was elected the first county superintendent of schools of this county and in 1854 was elected county commissioner of schools. While holding these offices, eight years, he made his home in Owego, removing to Richford again at the close of his official life. He largely aided the devel- opment of the village of Richford, and erected some of its finest business blocks and residences. With strong convictions of his own he was tolerant of those of others and he numbered the lead- ing citizens of the county among his personal friends. His nature was kind and sympathetic, his generosity broad and unsectarian and his actions were ever dominated by unswerving christian principle.
6.L. Rich
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TOWN OF RICHFORD.
Although peculiarly modest and unassuming, the influence of his life and character was far-reaching for good. His death occurred January 12, 1876, and the funeral services were impressively con- ducted by the Masonic fraternity, of which he had been a " worthy brother " for many years.
CHAUNCEY LEROY RICH, son of Ezekiel and Caroline (Slosson) Rich, was born in the town of Newark Valley, January 29, 1815. His family moved to Richford in April, 1821, the town taking its name from his father. He was educated at Richford, and later employed as clerk in the store of J. W. Robbins, formerly of Lenox, Mass. In 1845 he purchased the store, and in connection with his business he associated himself with every public and private en- terprise that was for the welfare of his town. He was postmaster nearly twenty years, serving in that capacity through both demo- cratic and republican administrations. He was elected supervisor of his town several times. In 1868 and 1869 he took a very active part in the construction of the Southern Central railroad and de- voted the greater part of his time to that enterprise. In 1872 he left the mercantile business and became treasurer of the Southern Central railroad and continued in that position for sixteen years, until the road was leased by the Lehigh Valley company. Mr. Rich was again appointed postmaster at Richford by President Cleveland and held office until August, 1897. Mr. Rich was first married July 4, 1836, with Eunice Deming of Great Barrington, Mass., a daughter of Abram and Lovisa Deming, later residents of Richford. Three children were born to them : Chauncey Deming Rich, now living in Auburn this state ; George Leroy Rich and Edward Harris Rich, both now bankers of Fort Dodge, Iowa. Mrs. Rich died December 27, 1866. Mr. Rich was married the second time June 6, 1868, with Jane Morenus, daughter of John and Winifred Morenus of Richford, where she was born in 1851. Four children were born to them : Frederic Lee, born March 1, 1869, died August 1, 1883 ; Frances Augusta, born August 7, 1872, married June 3, 1896, with Joseph Leonard McEntee of Albany, N. Y .; Winifred, born February 23, 1879, at present attending
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
school in Auburn ; Lucile Frederika, born March 12, 1889. Mr. Rich owns much real estate in the village of Richford and lives in a pretty home in the central portion.
CALVIN J. ROBINSON, son of Zelotus and Abigail (Sawyer) Robin- son, was born November 14, 1819, at Jenksville, Tioga county, N. Y. He was educated in the common schools. When seven- teen years old he entered the law office of Sweet & Davis, in Owego, and was with them two years, and then returned to carry on farming with his father a few years. He was commissioned by Governor Marcy in 1838 second lieutenant in the Owego com- pany of the state militia. In 1847 he married Amanda Moore. They had twelve children, five of the boys and one girl now living. In 1847 also he settled in Richford, and a few years later was elect- ed justice of the peace, and held the office a second time, and at the expiration thereof he commenced practicing law. He has since followed that business, and has tried one side of nearly every suit that has been tried in town during four decades, besides act- ing as attorney in suits tried in each of the adjoining counties, and has held the office of notary public continuously since 1858. He has also kept a hardware store and engaged in farming and wool- growing. Politically he was a whig, but at the close of that fol- lowing he became identified with the democrats. His wife is a near kin of Dr. Eliphalet Nott, the late distinguished president of Union college, and also of the former prominent U. S. senator, Lyman Trumbull recently deceased.
GRANT W. BARNES, son of Guy C. and Mary (Nichols) Barnes, was born in Virgil, N. Y., November 4, 1824, and when thirteen years old he was crippled for life by having a leg cut off by a thresh- ing machine. He came to Richford January 21, 1841, where he was a clerk for two years in the hotel kept by his brother, Miles R. Barnes. Samuel Cobb then purchased the hotel and Grant clerked for him a few years and also learned the harness-makers' trade. In 1846 he married Betsey Brown, who died in 1854. In 1856 he married Mary, daughter of Julius Smith, and has two children, Arba P. and Flora B., wife of Frederick Witter. Since 1856 Mr. Barnes has been manufacturing harness in Richford and
.
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TOWN OF RICHFORD.
probably has been in that business for a longer term of years than any other man in the United States. He was county superintend- ent of the poor nine years, town clerk several years, and while in this office, in 1855, had the first republican tickets of the town printed. He was the "father" of the republican party in Rich- ford.
HOTCHKISS S. FINCH, son of Elam and Hannah ( Reynolds ) Finch was born May 12, 1831, at Windham, Greene county, N. Y. Ten years later the family moved to Tioga county. Mr. Finch lived on a farm three miles north of Richford until 1863, and then moved to Lisle, Broome county, N. Y., and engaged in the milling and lumber business. In 1866 he returned to Rich- ford and has been there ever since. In 1869 he built a steam saw mill in connection with his nephew, Clarence W. Finch, and con- tinues its operation at the present time. In 1875 he engaged in the mercantile business also and has continued a merchant almost continuously since. In 1873 Mr. Finch was elected supervisor for the town of Richford on the republican ticket and served eleven years. It is a fact that during his continuance in that office the taxes were lower than ever before. Mr. Finch has been for years prominently identified with his political party, and was appointed by Governor Black in February, 1897, one of the managers of the Soldiers and Sailors Home, and is now in office. He is a member and has been trustee and deacon of the Congregational church of Richford. March 2, 1853, Mr. Finch married Charlotte Esther Ketchum of Lisle, Broome county, a daughter of Robert J. and Eliza Ketchum. They have one child, Charles Robert, born . November 22, 1866, and who married Katie Hull of Owego in August, 1885.
GEORGE MORTIMER GEER, son of Ichabod H. and Ann Eliza ( Jessup) Geer, was born in Somers, Westchester county, N. Y., June 28, 1837. Two years later the family moved to New York city and remained until 1859, when they came to Richford having previously spent two years in the town. November 23, 1870, Mr. Geer and Laura E., daughter of Ezra S. and Catherine Barden, were married. They have two children : Jessup B., born Novem-
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