Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York, Part 25

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 25
USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Our county and its people: a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York > Part 25

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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now circuit judge of the United States Court in the present Milwaukee district, but in December, 1874, went to New York city and became an employee in the district attorney's office of that city, the Hon. Benjamin K. Phelps being at that time district attorney of New York. Mr. Keeler remained in the district attorney's office of New York until the summer of 1877, when he removed to Canton and formed a partner- ship in the practice of law with William C. Cooke, late of Canton, and Hon. Worth Chamberlain, the partnership continuing until the death of Mr. Cooke in 1879. In January, 1882, Mr. Keeler was appointed deputy attorney-general by Hon. Leslie W. Russell, and served the State in that capacity during Mr. Russell's term as attorney general, and had during that time charge of the receiverships of insolvent cor- porations, there being then forty of those trusts in progress of liquida- tion, many of which were finally closed out and final dividends paid during Mr. Russell's incumbency of that office. In January, 1884, at the solicitation of Hon. A. B. Hepburn, late comptroller of the cur- rency, and now president of the Third National Bank of New York city, and who was then the receiver of the Continental Life Insurance Com- pany, and also at the request of Hon. Charles H. Russell, of New York, who was the receiver of the Knickerbocker Life Insurance Company. Mr. Keeler went to New York as counsel for those receivers and assisted in winding up the affairs of those trusts. In the spring of 1885, Mr. Keeler and two of his friends went to Arizona, with the intention of organizing and conducting a cattle ranch in that territory, but found the country too hot for "tender- feet," and in the summer of 1885 resumed the practice of law at Canton, where he has since remained and practiced law, except that in the winters of 1891 and 1892 he represented the Second Assembly District of St. Lawrence county in the Assembly. Mr. Keeler is married and has two children.

George E. Van Kennen was born in Norfolk, September 1I, 1861, of German parentage, his father having immigrated to this country in the year 1842. George received his rudimentary education in the public schools, after which he took a classical course in the Pots- dam Normal School, and graduated from Hamilton College in 1886 with high honors. He then entered the law office of McNaughton & Waterman, where he remained some time. He then went into the

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office of Magone & Spratt, and was admitted to the bar from this office in 1888. In 1890 Mr. Van Kennen married a daughter of R. H. Hous- ton, and they have one son. Mr. Van Kennen has been four times elected upon the Democratic ticket to the office of recorder of the city of Ogdensburg. He is secretary of the Democratic County Committee, which position he has held for the past two years ; is president of the Oswegatchie Club, a Mason and fellow of the Phi Beta Kappa of Hamilton College.

F. N. Cleaveland was born in the town of Russell, March 6, 1855, and received his education in the Canton Union School and the St. Lawrence University, from which he graduated with the degree of A. B. in 1877, and A. M. in 1882. He was admitted to the bar in 1879, and in 1883 was appointed deputy county clerk, which office he held until 1889. He is also one of the trustees of the St. Lawrence University. In 1889 Mr. Cleaveland married Abbie S. Kendall, daugh- ter of Paul R. Kendall, and they have one child: Dorothy K. Mr. Cleaveland's father was Francis, and his mother Harriet (Ellsworth) Cleaveland.

G. W. Hurlbut was born in Depeyster, March 20, 1852. The family is of Revolutionary antecedents, having come from Connecticut. Thomas, great grandfather of G. W. Hurlbut, a native of Roxbury, Conn., participated in the war of that period, and Philo Hurlbut, a son of Thomas, moved from Roxbury to St. Lawrence county and settled at Depeyster in 1805. Here Horace, father of G. W. Hurlbut and son of Philo, was born. He died in 1891. G W. Hurlbut received his education in the Gouverneur Academy, Potsdam Normal School, and graduated in law from the Union University in the spring of 1879, immediately thereafter commencing the practice of his profession in Ogdensburg and Heuvelton. In the spring of 1891 he was elected supervisor upon the Republican ticket, re elected in 1892, and in 1893 was the unanimous candidate of both parties. He married in 1872 Mary J. Smithers, and they have two sons.

Willis J. Fletcher was born in the town of Stockholm, September 18, 1855, a son of William, who was a native of New Hampshire, born in Walpole in 1818. He immigrated to St. Lawrence county

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HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

when about twenty one years of age and took up a tract of land in Stockholm, where he reared a family of four sons and one daugh- ter, and spent the balance of his days. He died July 11, 1877. The mother of our subject, Fidelia Grandy, he married in Stockholm, where she died April 1I, 1880. The boyhood of our subject was spent on the homestead farm and he attended the common schools, Norwood High School, Lawrenceville Academy and Potsdam State Nor - mal School, graduating in the class of 1877. After teaching a while he commenced the study of law in the office of L. C. Lang at Brasher Falls. He remained with him three years and was admitted to the bar May 6, 1881. He commenced practice in June, 1881, at Nor- wood, in company with N. M. Claflin. This partnership existed six years and since the dissolution of the firm, Mr. Fletcher has had a very successful practice alone. He has always been a Republican and has been active in every campaign since 1880. He was a member of the Board of Education of Norwood Free School for years, and is now a member of the Republican Town Committee and has been such mem- ber for the past six years. He married October 8, 1879, Esther A., daughter of O. H. Hale, supervisor of the town of Norfolk at the present time, and had two daughters : Grace Louise and Margaret Gage.

Fred J. Merriman was born in Somerville, St. Lawrence county, July 9, 1856, a son of Lyman Merriman, a farmer of Gouverneur. The boyhood of the subject was spent in the towns of Rossie and Gouver- neur. His parents moved on the farm in the latter town when Fred was seven years of age. His first education was received in the com- mon schools, and when he was seventeen years of age he was sent to the Wesleyan Seminary at Gouverneur. His first occupation was a teacher, which he began in his nineteenth year. The year he was twenty-one he went to Watertown, where he began the study of law in the office of McCartin & Williams. He was in the office as student and clerk about four and one half years, and was admitted to the bar January 9, 1880. He was in the office of H. M. Wilbur as clerk and practicing for himself about a year and a half, and with Henry Purcell, then city recorder, a year and a half. In 1884 he moved to the village of Madrid, where he opened an office and established a practice that has since occupied his attention, The winter of 1879 he was clerk to

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the Committee on Printing and Committee on Militia in the Assembly chambers at Albany. September 1, 1890, Mr. Merriman was ap- pointed by A. Von Landburg deputy collector of internal revenue for the third division of the Twenty-first District, consisting of the counties of Franklin, St. Lawrence, Jefferson and Lewis, an office he filled with satisfaction to his superiors and credit to himself. He is a retired member of the State militia, serving five years in the 39th Separate Company, and retired as corporal. He married September 2, 1886, Edith T., daughter of the late O. C. Robinson, of Madrid. They have one daughter, Jessie Viles.

Robert Emmet Waterman, was born in Ogdensburg in 1850. He received his education in the Ogdensburg Institute and at St. Law- rence University, Canton, from which institution he graduated in 1872. He then entered the law office of Mr. McNaughton, and was admitted to the bar in 1875. He entered into a law partnership with Mr. Mc- Naughton in 1877 which continued until 1887, when Mr. McNaughton retired from active practice, since which period he has conducted his business separate. Mr. Waterman married Miss Blodgett, daughter of Dr. Blodgett. He is a member of the Civil Service Board, the Og- densburg Club, the Oswegatchie Democratic Club, the State Bar Association and one of the executive committee of the Anglers' As- sociation of the St. Lawrence River, and was for many years a member of the City Board of Health. He was city attorney in 1891, and is the nominee of the Democratic party for district delegate to the State Con- stitutional Convention. He never has held a public office to which any pay was attached.

David R. P. Parker was born in Greene, Androscoggin county, Maine, October 10, 1848, and was educated in Monmouth Academy, Monmouth, Maine, and in Nichols Latin School and Bates College, Lewiston, Maine. He came to Northern New York in 1873. He studied law one year with J. H. Moore, of Potsdam, and two years with L. M. and L. K. Soper of Ogdensburg, being admitted to the bar at Albany in 1879. He began practice in Hermon the same year. In 1880 he married Mary E., daughter of the late William Pickens, of Heuvelton, N. Y. The father of our subject was David R. Parker, and the family dates back to one John Parker, who came over in the May-

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HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

flower and early settled on the Kennebec River in the now town of Arrowsic, and of whom Mr Parker is a lineal descendant. By his mother, Jane Cummings, Mr. Parker is descended from the Scottish family Cummings, which was represented by three brothers, who settled in Massachusetts in the early history of New England.

Gustave S. Dorwin was born in Hammond, St. Lawrence county, June 26, 1862. He received his education in the Potsdam Normal School and Union College, after which he entered the law office of Ma- gone & Spratt, and graduated from the Albany Law School in 1886. In 1888 he commenced the practice of his profession in Ogdensburg. In 1889 Mr. Dorwin married Mary L. Allen. Mr. Dorwin has served two terms as city recorder on the Republican ticket. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, one of the managers of the Ogdensburg Club, a fellow of the Delta Upsilon of Union College, and is a direct descend- ant of a New England family of Revolutionary ancestry.

Theodore H. Swift was born in Potsdam June 14, 1850, a son of Hiram Swift, also a native of the town. The mother of Mr. Swift was Aurilla, daughter of Shadrach Foster, a native of Vermont. At the time of her marriage she was a resident of Massena. Theodore H. was educated in the common schools and the old St. Lawrence Academy, and after leaving school in 1868, he went into the law office of Dart & Tappan. He graduated in June, 1871, from the law department of St. Lawrence University, Canton. He was employed in the office of Tappan & Erwin for two years, and in the fall of 1873 opened an office in Potsdam, where he conducted practice about two years and then formed a co-partnership with C. E. Sandford, which lasted about three years. He was engaged there until 1880, and in June of that year he removed to New York, where he conducted a very successful practice for eight years. In 1885 he was employed on the most remarkable case ever tried in the New York county Surrogate's Court, the Paine will case, where he was engaged as attorney and counsel for the admin- istrators of the James H. Paine estate. The decision in this case was rendered in favor of the administrators, December 31, 1887, the last day of Daniel G. Rollins's term of surrogate of New York. He re- turned to Potsdam in May, 1888, and entered into practice with his old partner, C. E. Sandford, which existed until May, 1892. In Decem-

win .

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ber, 1892, he was joined by Frank L. Bell, who is still with him. Mr. Smith is a director of the People's National Bank. He has always taken an active interest in politics, and has acquired a reputation as an orator second to none in this section. He married in 1871, Mary A., daughter of John L. Perkins, of Parishville, and they have one son, Hiram H., who lives at home.

Geo. B. Shepard was born September 23, 1847. He received his rudimentary education in the public schools of Ogdensburg, and at private institutions here, and in 1862 he entered the law office of Foote & James, as a student. He was admitted to the bar at Ballston Spa, November 10, 1869; since which time he has never discontinued practice; though his other undertakings have interfered with active litigation.

From 1873 he served two terms as clerk of Surrogate's Court of St. Lawrence county, and December 17, 1879, was appointed United States deputy collector of Internal Revenue for St. Lawrence and Frank- lin counties, serving as such until the office was filled by Democratic administration ; he having always been a staunch Republican.

Mr. Shepard's paternal grandfather, Bohan Shepard, then a merchant of St. Albans, Vt, in 1810 built the first saw-mill on the Raquette river in St. Lawrence county, N. Y., then in the midst of the wilder- ness; but since developed to an immense industry. In 1827 his son Charles (Mr. Shepard's father), after being engaged a few years in mer- cantile pursuits at New York and Albany, came to Ogdensburg and went into the business of general merchandising and manufacturing lumber; sending rafts of timber down the St. Lawrence River rapids, and lumber and produce by Durham boats to Montreal; and through Erie Canal to Albany and New York. On the return trip these would bring foreign and manufactured goods to supply the interior towns of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, whose place of supply was then Ogdensburg, there being no railroads. For a number of years preced- ing the War of the Rebellion, and until the boats were sold, he was superintendent of the American Express line of steamers plying between Lewiston and Montreal; of which line the New York and Northern were sold to the United States government, and used as transport steamers during the war. He was a Republican from the

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HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

formation of that party, and after the election of Lincoln was appointed United States internal revenue assessor in this district, and afterwards to a position in the United States Customs, which he held at the time of his death. His son. Lieut. Chas. W. Shepard of Co. I, 106th Regi- ment New York Volunteers, was killed in the battle of Cold Harbor June 1, 1864.

Rijles

Mr. Shepard's maternal grandfather, Capt. Christopher Riley, 37th Regiment United States Infantry, War of 1812, was born at Windham, Conn, and settled in Ogdensburg in 1828, as land agent for Thomas Denny of New York.

Mr. Geo. B. Shepard introduced the electric telephone in St. Law- rence county, established all the local exchanges and built the con- necting county lines; which undertaking, after proving a business success, was consolidated with the Central New York Telephone Com- pany of Utica. In 1878 he built the brick block facing Ford, Catherine and Water streets, in which his office is still located. He was one of the promoters of the Ogdensburg street railway, a charter member of the Ogdensburg Club, and is a stockholder in several local enterprises. He is a member of St. John's Episcopal Church here, and served as treasurer for that society a number of years. His business attention, at present, is mostly given to patent law and promotion of patents ; though he has several estates under his charge and the business inci- dental to the care and rental of eleven stores in the city.

On June 16, 1874. he married Jane E. Krüger, granddaughter of Christian Krüger, a banker of Hamburg, Germany, and of Louis Has- brouck, an attorney of Ogdensburg, N. Y. ; and has four daughters, only children living.

Thomas Newton Murphy was born in the town of Stockholm, December 20, 1844, a son of John, who was a native of Ireland, emigrating to this country in 1828, when he was only eighteen years of age. He took up a tract of 200 acres in the town of Stockholm, where he reared a family of eight children and spent the balance of his days. He died December 18, 1855. The mother of our subject, Betsey Egerton, was also a native of Ireland, born in 1811 and is still living, now a resident of Hesperia, Mich. The boyhood of our subject was spent on the homestead farm. He was educated in the common

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schools, old St. Lawrence Academy, Lawrenceville Academy, and Fort Edward Collegiate Institute. September 24, 1861, he enlisted in Com- pany I, 6th Regiment New York Volunteer Infantry, and served with them until the war closed, at the expiration of the three year term re- enlisting December 24, 1863. He was in the great battles of Second Bull Run, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, with the Army of the Potomac and Southwest, was at Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge, Ringgold, Resaca, Dallas, New Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain and Pine Knob. At the latter battle Mr. Murphy lost his left arm, but five months later, at the battle of Nashville, he was fighting with one arm. After his return home he finished his education in 1868, and commenced the study of law in the office of John R. Brinkerhoff at Norfolk, and in 1871 entered the Albany Law School, from which he graduated May 3, 1872. He began the practice of law at Plattsburg in company with Beckwith & Doby, which partnership existed but a short time, and November 1, 1872, Mr. Murphy moved to Norwood, where he formed a partnership with S. N. Judd. He was with him two years and since that time has had a very successful practice alone. He is a staunch Republican and is now one of the trustees of Norwood village, assessor and justice of the peace for the town of Potsdam. He is a member of Luther Priest Post, No. 167, G. A R., past commander and now quartermaster. He married, May 6, :873, Adellie, daughter of Wright Lansing of Plattsburg, and they have seven children : Charles F., Henry R., Jessie M., Daisy D., Gertrude, Thomas N. and Mable E.

Henry E. Seaver was born in Jamaica Plain, Mass., April 30, 1860. He was educated at Harvard College, from which he graduated in 1881. In 1884 he began the study of law in Canton, being admitted to the bar in Albany in 1886, in which year he opened his office in Canton. In 1891 Mr. Seaver married Charlotte E. Dezell, daughter of Robert Dezell of Waddington. Our subject has been town clerk one year and has served as police justice seven years. He has also been secretary of the county fair for five years.

D. B. Lucey was born in Boston, Mass., August 17, 1858, of Irish- American parentage. He received his elementary education in the schools of this county, and finished at Oswego and Potsdam Normal Schools. In 1883 he accepted the position of principal of the Ogdens-

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burg Normal School, and after one year received the appointment to the class of natural and physical sciences in the academy. During this time he continued the study of law, and was admitted to the bar September 16, 1887. In the following June (1888) he retired from the academy and formed a law partnership with Judge Kellogg, which continued until 1890, when he retired from this firm to form a co- partnership with George R. Malby, who is the present speaker of the Assembly of this State. Mr. Lucey married, June 30, 1891, Mary A. Tuck, daughter of Andrew Tuck of Lisbon. Mr. Lucey is a member of the Board of Education, and has for several years past been second lieutenant in the 35th Separate Company New York National Guards.

Joseph George was born in Madrid, St. Lawrence county, in 1850,. and was educated at Ogdensburg. He studied law with Judge Abbott and Judge Neary, was admitted to the bar in 1877, and began practice in Richville. where he is still located. His father was Henry George. In 1877 Mr. George married Cornelia A. Graves, daughter of Will- iam Graves, of Gouverneur. He is one of the leading members of the bar in St. Lawrence county.

E. P. Kingsbury was born in Westfield, N. Y., November 21, 1862. He was prepared for college by a private tutor, after which he attended Hamilton College for three years. After leaving college he com- menced the study of law in the office of Harrison Hoyt, of Syracuse, with whom he remained one year, then with W. Chapman, of Bingham- ton. He was admitted to the bar in 1883, at the General Term in Buffalo, N. Y. He afterward entered the law office of Camp & Dun- nells, Lyons, N. Y., with whom he remained until 1885. In 1886 he entered the office of Magone & Spratt, of Ogdensburg. Mr. Kings- bury married Miss Josephine Fuller. They have no children. Mr. Kingsbury is a staunch Democrat.

Lawrence Russell was born in Malden, Mass., July 27, 1867. He was educated at Canton Union School till fourteen years of age, then attended St. John's School for one year, and later went to St. Paul's School, at Concord, N. H., for three years. He was then a year in the law office of his father, Judge Leslie W. Russell, in New York. Entering Williams College he withdrew to go to Columbia Law School, from

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which he graduated in the spring of 1889 and was admitted to the bar in February, 1890. In October of that year he came to Canton and opened his present office, being the third generation of lawyers in the same place, his father and grandfather having preceded him. Mr. Rus sell married Mabel Bostwick, of New York, daughter of Col. C. B. Bostwick, in April. 1893. He was elected justice of the peace in 1892.

J. McNaughton was born in the town of Essex, Chittenden county, Vt., July 3, 1823. He received an academic education and commenced the study of law in 1846 with Ransom H. Gillett, continuing his studies later with Bishop Perkins, from whose office he was admitted to the bar in 1853. In 1869 Mr. McNaughton formed a copartnership with J. S. Grinnell, now of Chicago, which continued one year. Later he formed one with R. E. Waterman, which continued several years, after which he retired from actual practice. Mr. McNaughton has never accepted public office, although in his younger days he served as deputy collector of customs and deputy postmaster (about 1847). He is a staunch Democrat and a member of the Ogdensburg Club.

Charles Nathanial Bixby was born in the town of Norfolk, Febru- ary 14, 1836. The grandfather of our subject, Solomon, was a native of Vermont and immigrated to this country at a very early day, bring- ing his family consisting of wife and seven children. The family first settled in the town of Madrid, but remained there only a short time and moved to Parishville. where he was afterwards drowned in the St. Regis river. Nathaniel Healy Bixby, father of our subject, was born in Dudley, Mass, December 17, 1798 When six months old he moved with his parents to Underhill, Vt., thence in 1811 to Madrid, N. Y., where he settled in the Haskell neighborhood. About the year 1819 he bought land in Norfolk, and there established a home. In Febru- ary, 1828, he married Marcia Haskell. Charles N. Bixby, esquire, a lawyer and register in bankruptcy, residing at Norwood, is his only son and child. His first wife died in May, 1847, and in 1849 he married Harriet Wilson of Canton, who survives him. He resided on his farm in Norfolk until the fall of 1870, when he sold it and purchased a house in the village of Morley. where he remained till the time of his death, July 11, 1881, aged eighty two years, seven months and twenty-five days. He was a man of generous impulses, a kind husband, father and

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neighbor, and honest in his dealings with all. His education was limit- ed, but he possessed solid character, accumulated a competence of this world's goods, and exerted a benign and wide influence in the com- munity in which he lived. The boyhood of our subject was spent on the homestead in Norfolk, and was educated in the common schools and old St. Lawrence Academy at Potsdam. He taught school for a number of winters. He commenced the study of law in the office of Brown & Spencer at Ogdensburg, in the spring of 1861, at the same time that Louis Hasbrouck was studying in the same office. In 1865 he entered Albany Law School, and completing his course was admitted to practice as attorney and counsellor in May, 1866. In the fall of 1867 he was admitted to practice in the United States Courts. He was for six months after admittance a clerk in the office of Knowles & Bicknall of Potsdam, and in April, 1867, opened an office in Norwood, where he has since been engaged in practice. In 1869 he was appoint- ed register in bankruptcy for this congressional district, and still holds the office. He has been justice of the peace for ten years and a mem- ber of the Board of Education of Norwood Union School and Academy fifteen years, ten years of that time president of the board. He has served as a member of the Board of Village Trustees and has held many minor offices. He married, June 21, 1869, Mary Ann Lamphire, niece of Mrs. B. G. Baldwin, and they have one daughter, Mary Eliza- beth, now a musical student of the State Normal School. Mrs. Bixby died October 29, 1884.

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Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York, Part 25

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