Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York, Part 100

Author: Curtis, Gates
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1328

USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York > Part 100
USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Our county and its people: a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York > Part 100

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).

McMullin, Paul, Lisbon, was born in Oswegatchie in November, 1857. His parents emigrated from Ireland and settled in this county in 1818. Paul received his education in the public schools, and has always been engaged in agricultural pursuits. He married in 1861 Miss C. Collins, and they have six children. Mr. McMullin has for the past eight years been a tenant, possessing however a fine drove of thirteen head of cattle, four horses, and sixteen sheep, besides all the requisite utensils necessary for the prose- cution of his business. He is an energetic, hardworking and successful man, respected and esteemed by all.

Long, Ransom B., Parishville, was born in Parishville, October 12, 1840. His father was Justin, son of Jonathan, a native of Vermont, who married Matilda Copeland, and

186

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

came to Potsdam about 1809 with an ox-team. Here they cleared a farm and settled, but later went to what is now the town of Colton, where they died. They had four sons and two daughters. Justin Long was born April 4, 1812, at Potsdam, and mar- ried Emily Belding, a native of Pierrepont, by whom he had a son and a daughter, the latter the wife of Edson Perkins. Mr. Long owned 400 acres of land, and was a Re- publican in politics. He died March 16, 1889, and his wife on December 6 of the same year. Ransom B. Long was reared on a farm and received a common school education. He is a general farmer and owns 500 acres of dairy land. March 27, 1890, Nora Whit- taker became his wife, and they have one son, Glenn. Mrs. Long is a native of Parish- ville, and a daughter of Simom Whittaker, of Stockholm. The latter was a son of Alanson Whittaker, one of the earliest settlers of that town. Mr. Long is a Republican in politics.

Martin, Orrin E., Ogdensburg, was born in Westville, Franklin county, December 22, 1847. His father, Hollis S., was a son of Samuel Martin, and was born in Compton, P. Q., in 1822. Samuel was born in Londonderry, N. H., in 1775, and his father, Na- thaniel, served as body guard to General Washington. Hollis S. moved to Westville with his father in 1834, and after receiving his education learned the blacksmith's trade. He married Paulina E. Ellsworth, of Dear River, Fort Covington, Franklin county, in 1845, and in 1853 they moved to Chateaugay, Franklin county, where he carried on carriagemaking and blacksmithing till 1868. He then removed to Norfolk, this county, and began the manufacture of wagon hubs and shingles, this being the first hub factory in Northern New York. In 1872 he moved to Norwood, where he and his son Orrin built a large factory and continued the business till 1877, when he sold out to his son Orrin, though he continues to live at Norwood. He had six children : Sidney A., Or- rin E., Laura A., Hollis L., Charles A. and Herbert D. His wife died May 5, 1887, and Hollis L. died at Monterey, Mexico, August 24, 1891. The latter was a Republican. Orrin E. was educated in the common schools of Chateaugay, and worked at black- smithing with his father till the age of eighteen, then went to Malone and engaged with Whittlesy, Perkins & Co. in the machine shop, remaining there one year, then returned to Chateaugay and engaged in the hub business with his father. In 1877 he bought his father's interest, and in 1878 the factory with all its contents was burned, with a loss of $20,000 and no insurance. The factory was immediately rebuilt and the business continued till 1880, when Mr. Martin moved to Ogdensburg and leased the Craghton's brewery property, building it over into a hub factory and shingle mill. This also was burned a year later with a loss of $9,000, $1,500 insurance. He then leased the Hart pottery property and carried on business till 1887, when he formed a company known as the ,O. E. Martin Hub Company, incorporated, and associated with him Henry F. James and James G. Westbrook, of Ogdensburg. They continued in business a year, and built large buildings on River street in which to carry on the hub business. The next year Mr. Martin sold his business to Henry F. James, and then bought the stock of the Dunkirk Hub Company of Dunkirk, N. Y., which he later disposed of, and in 1889 bought the Norwood Agricultural Works, formerly owned by S. W. Davis. Mr. Martin built a pulp mill on this place with a capacity of 4,200 tons of wood pulp an- nually. He also owns a grist mill and built a butter factory in 1893. February 15,

187

PERSONAL SKETCHES.

1876, he married Mary J. Butler, only daughter of the late William Butler, of Pots- dam, and they have three children : Edith L., Hollis W., and Arthur H. Mr. Martin lives in Ogdensburg and is a Republican in politics, and he and his wife are members of the M. E. Church.

Curtis, Lafayette, Brasher, of Brasher Falls, was born February 10, 1834, a son of Stephen and Hannah (Powers) Curtis, natives of Hardwich, Vt., who came to St. Law- rence county about 1826. They had five children : Otis, William, Martha, Lafayette, and Mary. Our subject was a soldier in the late war, having enlisted in Company M, Sixth N. Y. Heavy Artillery in December, 1863, and served nearly two years. He was at the battle of the Wilderness and in front of Petersburg, under Sheridan in the Shen- andoah, etc. Since the war he has followed farming, now owning two fine farms, one of 150 and one of 114 acres. The homestead is the old Wright farm, owned by his wife's father. February 8, 1863, he married Lucinda Wright, born on the farm where she now lives July 7, 1842, a daughter of Ira B. and Jerusha (Hilliard) Wright, of Con- necticut and Canada, respectively. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis have had five children : Silas, born September 10, 1870, died in March, 1871; Lemuel, born June 11, 1872; Abbie, born August 20, 1875, died November 1, 1889; Hosea, born January 27, 1878; and May, born May 18, 1880. Mr. Curtis is a Republican, a member of the G. A. R., of the Grangers, and also of the Masons, belonging to Lodge 441 of Brasher Falls. He and wife are members of the M. E. Church.

Clark, Edmund, Russell, was born in Russell, April 25, 1815. His father was Ed- mund, son of Samuel, a native of Blandford, Mass., who came to this town in 1807 and here spent the remainder of his days. Edmund, sr., was born in Blandford, Mass., on March 19, 1780, and died August 14, 1860. His wife was Chloe Brainard, born in Blandford, June 6, 1779, and died August 19, 1860. Our subject was educated in the public schools and has always been a farmer. He now owns a place of 180 acres and keeps a dairy of twenty-three cows. He married, May 11, 1845, Janet Smith, daugh- ter of Rollin Smith, and they have had these sons and daughters : C. Rollin, Frank E., Myron B., Cyrus F., and Silas W. and Flora A. (twins).

Gilman, Alman, Russell, was born in Colchester, Vt., October 24, 1827, a son of Antapath and Theodora (Hudson) Gilman, natives of New Hampshire, from whence they emigrated to Vermont. Mr. Gilman was an engineer and farmer, but followed farming the greater part of his life. Of their eight children two survive : Sophrona, wife of J. L. Fish, a farmer of Mt. Gilead, O., and Alman, our subject. The latter came to New York State in 1852 and settled on wild land in Pierrepont. In 1847 he mar- ried Celia Caswell, of Vermont, by whom he had eight children, three now living : George, an engineer in the pump works in Chicago, who married Lucinda Brooks, and has one son, Arthur ; Betsey, wife of William Matthew, a farmer of Canton; and L. H. Gilman, now engaged in farming in Russell. The latter married Ella, daughter of Aus- tin Clark of this town. The names of those deceased are as follows : Luther, Herbert, Solomon, Miley, and Eugene. Mrs. Gilman died in 1875 (June 19), and he married second Fannie, daughter of Zerah Burdic, of Pierrepont, by whom he had one daugh- ter, born February 3, 1880, who died October 13, 1887. Mr. Gilman remained on the

188

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

farm about seven years, then moved to Pierrepont and engaged in the saw-milling busi- ness, continuing until 1868, with the exception of his war service. September 30, 1862, he enlisted in Company K, Ninety-second N. Y. Infantry and remained about seven months, being discharged on account of sickness. He returned to the service as soon as he could be accepted and remained till the close of the war. He participated in the battles of Kingston and other engagements. Returning home he sold the mill and built another in Russell, which was burned February 1, 1891, he losing about $3,000. He had always had a large patronage, and was able to replace the mill promptly, it be- ing in readiness for business just one month from the time of the fire. He is now carrying on a successful business of manufacturing lumber at the rate of about 200,000 feet annually, and has a feed mill with which he grinds from 3,000 to 5,000 bushels of grain per year. He also makes about 200 barrels of cider yearly.

Risley, Hubbard, Russell, was born in Greenfield, Mass., October 25, 1818, a son of Asel Risley, whose father, Asel, sr., was a native of England, who came with his two brothers to America and settled in Greenfield, Mass., buying two townships, and here they lived and died, Asel leaving four children. Asel, jr., was born in 1777, and was twice married, his first wife being a Miss Grant, by whom he had seven children. He came to Canton at an early day, and after the death of his wife returned to Massachu- setts and married Sophia Griswold, by whom he had seven children. He returned to Canton, where he lived for a time, but died in Hermon in 1843, and his wife in 1841 in Massachusetts. Our subject was reared on the farm and educated in the public schools. He came to Canton in infancy with his parents and here he has spent most of his life. He was for three years in Onondaga county in the manufacture of salt, but returned to St. Lawrence county. In 1839 he married Susan, died April, 1884, daugh- ter of James Beard, one of the early settlers of Jefferson county, who died in Canton. Mr. and Mrs. Risley have had eight children : Sarahette, wife of James K. Hale, of Hermon, who has one child, Morse G. ; Charles, who married Mary Varsen, and had one child, George V., died April, 1877 ; Marion, wife of Charles Risley, by whom she has one son, Manley ; Louisa, deceased wife of Robert Davidson ; Sylvester H., born in Russell, October 6, 1848, who married Alice, daughter of Philander Chapin, of Og- densburg, who married Harriet Jarvis, of Canton, and had seven children. Mr. and Mrs. Risley have had one son, Bruce C., born April 7, 1881; Augustus W., who mar- ried Mariette Nickerson, and has one child, George N .; Eliza, deceased wife of Horace Chapin, who left one child, A. Bernice; and Vinnie E., wife of George Lewis. Mr. Risley was a Democrat in early life, but has many years been a Republican. He bought his present farm of 200 acres in 1848, and keeps a large dairy.

Buck, Epaphroditus, Russell, was born in Heath, Franklin county, Mass., December 9, 1820, a son of Hiram Buck, a son of John, also of Heath, Mass., where he spent most of his life. The latter was in the Revolutionary War, for which he drew a pension. He married a Miss Smith, and had ten children. He came to Pitcairn, this county, where he died in 1844 at the age of nearly one hundred years. Hiram, father of our subject, was born in Heath, Mass., and when a young man came to Massena with two yoke of cattle for one Smith, which he drove about 300 hundred miles. He worked a

189

PERSONAL SKETCHES.

year or two, then returned to Massachusetts, where he married Harriet Blodgett, a daughter of Samuel Blodgett, who came to Jefferson county, and later went to Albany, where he died. Mr. and Mrs. Buck had five sons and four daughters. In 1821 he and wife went to Antwerp, where they remained till 1837, then came to Russell, and later went to Hermon, where they died, the father at the age of eighty-eight, and the mother aged eighty-two. Our subject was seventeen years of age when he came to Russell. He was educated in the common schools and the academy at Gouverneur. He started in business on a farm of a few acres, to which he has since added until he now he has a valuable farm of 200 acres, where he now resides. In 1848 Mr. Buck married Phobe Russ, a native of Onondaga county, born in 1828, a daughter of Russell and Anna (Hall) Russ, natives of Onondaga county, who removed to Wilna and from there to Russell about 1822, where they died. Mr. and Mrs. Buck have had eleven children : Harriet, Wyman L., Eugene (deceased), Duane, Arthur (deceased), Ella A., Charles W., Edwin E., Addie E., Elton E., Carrie E. Mr. Buck has always been a Republican since the organization. He and wife are members of the M. E. Church.

Sanford, Silas H., Hopkinton, was born March 9, 1849, a son of Jonah Sanford (see biography of C. K. Sanford). His birthplace was the farm on the old turnpike in the town of Hopkinton, where his father settled soon after his marriage. He was educated in the common schools and the Lawrenceville Academy, and worked with his father on the farm until the latter's death, October 18, 1886, when he fell heir to considerable property, including the old homestead of 320 acres, where our subject at present re- sides. By careful management and good business tact and sagacity, he has added largely to his property. Recently he bought 174 acres adjoining his farm, known as the Judge Sanford homestead. His dairy consists of upwards of eighty cows, being the largest in the town. He is now erecting a butter factory. Mr. Sanford is a genial, social man ; knows every one within a radius of several miles of his home, and is re- spected and liked by all. In politics he is an ardent Republican and has held the office of justice of the peace several years. He is a member of Amber Lodge No. 375, F. and A. M.

Brush, Charles H., Hopkinton, was born in Hopkinton on the farm he now occupies, November 4, 1866, and traces his ancestry to one Robert Brush, whose father came from Wales and settled on Long Island in 1666. Reuben, a son of Robert, was born on Long Island in 1711, and married Ruth Wood, born in 1715. Elkanah Brush, young- est son of Reuben, was born in Connecticut March 9, 1762, and married Althea Fink, who was born in 1764. They had nine children, the oldest of whom, Eliphalet, was born in Bennington, Vt., November 12, 1781. His parents soon moved to Vergennes, Vt., from whence he came in 1802, with the first company of white men, to what is now Hopkinton. He selected 100 acres and paid for them by working for Mr. Hopkins summers, and teaching school in Vermont winters. In 1805 he drove in the first ox team and cart for Mr. Hopkins. February 22, 1810, he married Linda Pier, born in New Haven, Vt., May 21, 1790. They had six children. He was a Whig and a Re- publican, voting at every election for sixty-five consecutive years from 1807. Mrs. Brush died September 15, 1862, and the death of Mr. Brush occurred January 11, 1873.

190

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

Their lives had been spent in steady, honest toil, and both were early and valued mem- bers of the Congregational church. Jason C., their third child, was born January 22, 1822. January 1, 1856, he married Olivia Chittenden, who died September 7, 1858, leaving one daughter, Ella O., now wife of Arthur L. Bonney of Potsdam. Novem- ber 6, 1862, he married Annice P. Ayers of Lawrence, by whom he had two children, our subject and Grace L., wife of W. L. Pert of Potsdam. Mr. Brush was remarkably energetic and industrious, a valued member of the Congregational church, a Whig in early life and a staunch Republican later. His death occurred May 25, 1891, at the farm where he was born and had always labored. Charles H. Brush was educated at the Potsdam Normal School, but by reason of his father's ill health, the care of the farm early devolved upon him, and he did not graduate. He has purchased the Mead farm of about 140 acres, and with his mother owns the homestead of 200 acres. In politics he is a Republican, and he and his mother are members of the Congregational church. He has in his possession the ox cart which his grandfather drove through the woods from Vermont, and a gun taken from the British in the Revolution and handed down from his great-grandfather.

Dixon, William Henry, Madrid, was born near Yorkshire, England, July 1, 1824, and was six years old when his parents came to this country. His father, Robert, took up land on the Ogden tract in the town of Potsdam, where he reared a family of five children and spent the balance of his days. He died in October, 1854. The mother of our subject, Ann Allenby, also a native of England, died in April, 1858. The early life of our subject was spent in Potsdam. He was educated in the common schools and took up farming, which he followed with his father until after marriage when he bought a farm of 120 acres in Potsdam and lived on it until April 1, 1852, when he sold and bought a farm in Madrid, which he cultivated and increased, until at the time of his death. November 19, 1875, he owned 330 acres. He also owned village property in Madrid village. Mr. Dixon was always a Republican. He was many years a trustee of the school, and was a member of the Congregational church of Madrid, and a trustee for a number of years. He always lived a very quiet and retired life, and maintained a great influence among his townspeople. He married April 23, 1846, Mary L., daugh- ter of Israel P. Haskell, one of the earliest settlers in Madrid. They have had eleven children, only three of whom are living: Julia A., wife of James Fox, a commercial traveler of Potsdam; M. Christene, who lives with her mother ; Mabel Katherine, a student of Potsdam State Normal School. Mary Louisa Haskell Dixon was born and brought up in the town of Madrid, and was the daughter of Israel Putnam Haskell and Pollie Williams Haskell of Vermont, her parents being among the early settlers, and her father a descendant of Israel Putnam of Revolutionary fame. She received her education in the Madrid school and the district school in her father's neighborhood, and united with the Congregational church in Madrid village, May 28, 1841. She led a quiet life, loved by all who knew her, was the means of bringing a great many to Christ by the pure life she led, as she was a person who would not have an enemy, and was a thorough Christian lady. She married William H. Dixon April 23, 1846. She lived in the village of Madrid after her husband's death, until the time of her death, December 6, 1893, and was sixty-four years old. The cause of her death was congestion of the

191

PERSONAL SKETCHES.

lungs, or pneumonia, and she was sick four days. Below are the resolutions drawn up after her death by the Ladies' Aid Society of which she was a member :

As God in His providence has seen fit to remove by death from our midst one of our old and faithful members, Mrs. Dixon, we would offer our deepest sympathy to the afflicted friends, and assure them of our regret that so useful a life has been brought to its earthly close. Believing that a better world has opened to her its joys, we submit to this sad providence with chastened hearts, and would express our gratitude for the influence of her Christian life, which in its peace and serenity breathed forth the spirit of the Master. And since we mourn our loss-not as those without hope for the future-we can safely and trustfully commend her sorrowing daughters to the " God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to com- fort them which are in trouble, by the comfort whereby we ourselves are comforted of God."

Lathrop, Mrs. Serepta S. Merrill, Lawrence, was born in Vermont in 1811, a daughter of John Merrill, who during the War of 1812-15 was captain of a Vermont militia company and participated in the battle of Plattsburg, and granddaughter of John Mer- rill, who served seven years in the Revolution. In 1837 she married Rial Lathrop of Chelsea, Vt., and they had two children : Hiram, who died at the age of six years ; and Clarinda, who resided with her mother until her death, aged fifty years. Mr. Lathrop and family came in 1867 to Nicholville, where he engaged in the meat business. He was a man of means, and generosity in all public works. In politics he was a Whig, and later a Republican, and served in various offices in his native town. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lathrop were life-long members of the Methodist church, of which the former was a liberal supporter, and Mrs. Lathrop has willed the church $4,000, having also given liberally to all public enterprises, no one in need being ever turned away from her door. She has always been a great reader, and although eighty-three years of age she is well informed on the leading topics of the day, and especially takes a great inter- est in politics, being a strong advocate of the principles of the Republican party. Since her husband's death in 1884 she has resided in Nicholville.

Glazier, Ward, was born in the town of Oakham, Worcester county, Mass., Septem- ber 22, 1818. His father Jabez, immigrated to the then wilderness township of Fow- ler, St. Lawrence county, N. Y., the following year and soon became one of the leading business men of the town. Appointed by Theodocius O. Fowler, the owner of the township, as his agent, for the sale of his lands and the general management of his business affairs, was postmaster, justice of the peace, for many years, and held various other town offices. Ward's minority was spent in assisting clearing land and running a saw mill built by his father in the wilderness on his farm. His early opportunity for procuring an education was very limited, and having a strong desire for one, he, at the age of 21 commenced a two years' course at the Gouverneur Academy and at the ex- piration of said time while on a visit to his relatives in Massachusetts he married Miss Mehitable C. Bolton, daughter of William Bolton, of the town of West Boylston, Mass., and returning to Fowler settled on a farm near the village of Little York since known as Maple Grove or the Glazier homestead. Was engaged in farming and mercantile pursuits. At the breaking out of the civil war, he in company with others in August, 1861, re- cruited and organized Co. I, 92d N. Y. Regt. of Inft., then being organized by Col. Jonah Sanford, served with his regiment in Penensular Campaign under General Mcclellan, wounded in action at the battle of Fair Oaks, Va., and on account of said wound and fail-

192

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

ing health he was forced to leave the service and was honorably discharged. An incident of Mr. Glazier's career was his going over to Ottawa, Canada, for recruits ; as this was a serious breach of international law, Glazier had a narrow escape from arrest by the Canadian authorities, but guessing their intent he cleverly made his escape, at the same time drawing forty men into the service of the United States. After the war he re- turned to the farm where he remained until 1885, when he took up the pension and claim agency, removed to Gouverneur and opened an office. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Glazier were eight in number, namely ; Willard, Elvira, Marjory, Caroline, Ar- thur, Lina, George H. and Arthur W. (Caroline and Arthur died in infancy). Willard the eldest has distinguished himself as soldier, author and explorer. As a soldier he served with credit in the Harris Light or 2d N. Y. Cavalry, under Generals Bayard, Stoneman, Pleasanton, Gregg, Custer and Kilpatrick, earning his various promotions on battlefields, from a private to a brevet captaincy. Since the war he has published several works relating to his army experiences, travels and explorations. Capt. Glazier explored the head waters of the Mississippi and located the true source in a fine lake beyond Itasca which geographers now recognize as the principal reservoir. Elvira graduated from the State Normal School at Albany, N. Y., taught several terms of school and died at the age of twenty. Marjory was a graduate from Miss Willard's Female Seminary at Troy, N. Y., taught several terms of school, married Madison Buck, of Wheaton, Ill., and died at the age of twenty-six years. Lina J. married Simeon Smith and resides at Fowler, N. Y. George H. is in business in Chicago, Ill., and Arthur W. is on the homestead in Fowler engaged in farming and pension attor- ney. The ancestors of the subject of this sketch were natives of Massachusetts for several generations and came originally from England. His grandfather, Oliver Glazier, was a soldier of the Revolution and a pensioner. They came originally from England.

Flood, J. Q., M. D., Hopkinton, was born April 29, 1845, in the town of Montague, County of Lanark, Ontario, Canada. His parents were of Scotch-Irish descent; he taught school for many years, until he came to Canton in 1870. He received his medical education in the universities of New York city and Burlington, Vt., and graduated in 1880. He practiced his profession in Norwood until February, 1881, then located in Hopkinton, where he has secured a very large and lucrative practice. He is a member of the St. Lawrence County Medical Society, of the Medical Association of Northern New York, and is an active member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Elk Lodge No. 577 and Elk Chapter No. 197 of Nicholville, N. Y., also of St. Lawrence Commandery No. 28, of Canton. He is an active, aggressive Democrat, and served as postmaster in this town during Cleveland's first administration, from 1885 to 1889, resigning on the 4th of March, 1889, when his party went out. His family consists of his wife, Lillie L. Shannon, and son, Armand Ault, born October 26, 1890. They are members of the Protestant Episcopal Church.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York, Part 100

Author: Curtis, Gates Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 1328

Author: Curtis, Gates
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1328