Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York, Part 82

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 82
USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Our county and its people: a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York > Part 82

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).

Gedbaw, Francis, Ogdensburg, was born in Cornwall, Ont., January 6, 1837. He came to Ogdensburg in 1857, and for two years was finishing up and learning the finer branch of carriage and wagon making, which he had been learning for a considerable period in Canada. In 1868 he established himself in business here, which since that

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

time he has conducted. Mr. Gedbaw married in 1860 Sophia Derochie, and they have four children. Some time after her death he married Catherine O'Connor. Mr. Ged- baw is a member of the Royal Arcanum and St. Vincent de Paul society, and is much respected in this city.

Guerin, Amos, Ogdensburg, was born at La Prairie, Canada, December 7, 1840. He came to Ogdensburg when eleven years of age, and some time afterward began to learn the joiner's trade, eventually learning that of ship carpenter also. He was for fourteen years in the employ of the Marine Railway as ship carpenter, and after that started for himself on the west side. He was burned out there and lost everything. He then moved over to the main or business part of the town on the banks of the St. Lawrence river, where he has followed for some time the occupation of boat building. He has built many of the finest boats used here, and is a first class designer and work- man. Mr. Guerin married many years ago Mary Ann McDonald, of Brockville, and has eleven children. Mrs. Guerin died the 18th of January, 1893. He is a staunch Cath- olic, and is much esteemed.

Griswold, Joseph N., Stockholm, was born in Stockholm, September 2, 1833. His father, Jonah B., was a native of Essex county, born March 8, 1802. He was thrice married, first in 1827 to Polly Fuller, by whom he had two children. She died July 25, 1832, and he married second Miranda, daughter of Parley Seaver, a native of Crown Point, born March 14, 1814. By his second wife Mr. Griswold had six sons and one daughter. His wife died June 23, 1843, and he married third Mrs. Lucinda (Chapman) Newton. About 1828 he came to Stockholm and settled on the farm now owned by Joseph N. His death occurred June 18, 1882. Mrs. Griswold resides on the old home- stead farm. Joseph N. was reared on the farm he now owns, and is a general farmer and dairyman. His farm comprises 200 acres, and supports twenty-one cows. Jan- uary 1, 1865, he married Elmina Fenner, a native of Herkimer, born August 27, 1833. She is a daughter of Nathan Fenner, of Providence, R. I., who was born May 28, 1802, and married Nancy Farmer, born February 23, 1810, by whom he had one son and two daughters. In 1849 Nathan settled in Stockholm, and there died April 3, 1892, and his wife March 30, 1882. Joseph N. and wife had three children : Lora M., wife of Byron Dearborn, who was a native of New Hampshire, and is now a farmer of Stockholm ; Minnie A., wife of Dr. Alfred R. Allen, of Parishville, and Freddie M., who died Feb- ruary 17, 1876. Mr. Griswold is a Republican, and a member of Amber Lodge, No. 395, F. & A. M., of Parishville.

Gibson, Jason, Stockholm, was born January 15, 1825, in Vergennes, Vt., and was thirteen years old when he came to Stockholm with his parents, John and Hannah Gibson. He was reared on the farm he owns, and has always followed farming as an occupation. He owns 165 acres in Stockholm and twenty in Lawrence. He keeps a dairy of twenty cows. In 1854 our subject married Malissa Weller, a native of Hop- kinton, N. Y., by whom he had six children : Bertha, wife of Herbert P. Smith, of St. Regis Falls, has one son, George; Elsie, resides in Stockholm; Lois, wife of Fred Adams, of Lawrence, has two children, Elmer and Libbie; Charles married Carrie Adams and has one child, Archie. They reside at Santa Clare, N. Y .; Fred resides in

PERSONAL SKETCHES.

Vermont; and Flora, wife of Samuel Nelson, a farmer of Stockholm. Mr. Gibson is a Republican, and a member of P. of H., Fort Jackson Lodge.

Gates, A. A., Gouverneur, was born in Fowler, November 25, 1850. He was a farmer's son, and remained on the farm until twenty-one years of age, when he went to Wisconsin and thence to Kansas, where he remained ten years. He came to Gou- verneur in 1889, and embarked in the flour and feed business. In 1874 he married Frances C. Bacon. He is a Mason and a Democrat.

Gregory, A. W., Morristown, was born in Lackawack, Ulster county, Marchi 2, 1856, and began his business career as clerk in a store at Grand Gorge, Delaware county. In 1874 he went to Binghamton, N. Y., in the capacity of book-keeper for a wholesale shoe manufacturing firm. Thinking that this occupation was injuring his health, he went to New York and obtained a position as salesman in the employ of Lord & Tay- lor, dry goods merchants. From there he went to Brier Hill, St. Lawrence county, where he embarked in business for himself in 1881. In 1888 he was president of Og- densburg Dairyman's Board of Trade, and while holding that office went to Europe to study the English butter and cheese markets. Since that time he has been engaged in exporting cheese to Europe, and has developed a large business, which he still con- ducts. May 15, 1890, Mr. Gregory was appointed customs officer at Morristown. He is a high degree Mason, and an Odd Fellow. In 1886 and 1887 was D. D. G. M. of the latter order for the district of St. Lawrence. In 1876 he married Araminta Coonradt, stepdaughter of Charles Fitch, of Brier Hill, and they have three children: James Mer- ton, Edna and Egbert Coonradt.

Goodnough, William H., Fowler, was born in Gouverneur, September 25, 1839, and has followed farming all his life, except while serving in the war. He enlisted in 1863 in Co. H, 20th N. Y. Cav., Captain Spencer commanding, from which he was honora- bly discharged in 1865. In 1861 Mr. Goodnough married Ellen Kitts, and they have three children : Sherman Grant, Ross Earle and Cornie E., now Mrs. R. K. Smith. Mr. Goodhough's father, Abel, was born in 1801 and is still living.

Gagnon, J. L., Ogdensburg, was born in Canada in January, 1838. He has con- ducted a meat business in Ogdensburg for the past twenty-seven years. In 1862 he married Miss D. Cardinal, and they have no children. Mr. Gagnon is a prominent member of St. John the Baptist Society, of which society he is a charter member. He is also a member of the church, and is a thorough reliable and honorable business man and a good citizen.

Graves, James M., Potsdam, was born in Waddington, St. Lawrence county, Novem- ber 27, 1862. The father of our subject, William, is also a native of Waddington, born there in 1832. When a young man he learned the shoemaker's trade, which he fol- lowed but a few years, when he was obliged to give it up, as it was injurious to his health. He has been twice married. His first wife, and mother of our subject, was Mary A. Dowdell She had four children, three of whom are living. Mrs. Graves died October 18, 1878. James M. received his education in the Union School in his native town, and taught for two terms in a district school. In February, 1882, he en- tered Potsdam State Normal School. He was out from time to time teaching in dis-

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

trict schools, and graduated in the classical course in 1888. The last year of his course was devoted principally to teaching in the preparatory department, and in June, 1888, he was elected as a regular teacher of preparatory reading, arithmetic and grammar, and had charge of the intermediate rhetorical work, and did office work. In 1889 he went with Dr. Cook to New Jersey, and taught in the Rutger's College grammar school, returning to Potsdam in the spring of 1890. After being re-elected he has had charge of preparatory subjects,-composition and rhetorical work, and penmanship. He is a member of the Presbyterian church.

Gibson, George N., Stockholm, was born in Stockholm, June 4, 1845. His father, Captain Warren Gibson, was a son of John Gibson, who was born in Massachusetts, and when a young man went to Vergennes, Vt. Here he married Hannah White, by whom he had four sons and two daughters. He was a miller by trade. In 1836 he came to Stockholm and settled the farm now owned by Jason Gibson. Here he lived until his death in 1865, and his wife in 1869. Captain Warren Gibson was born in Vergennes, Vt., October 29, 1818. He was reared a miller and educated in the common schools. He came to Stockholm with his parents and after one year on a farm came to West Stockholm and worked for Hosea Bicknell in the grist mill. After four years he purchased the mill and continued the business until 1860, when he sold and re- bought in 1862, and again sold and rebought in 1863, and carried on business until his death in January, 1887. Mr. Gibson enlisted in the 16th N. Y. Inf'y, Co. H., and was made captain of his company. He was the first man to enlist in the town of Stock- holm. He served until June 27, 1862, when he was wounded in the head at Gaines Mill, and lost both of his eyes. In 1842 Captain Gibson married Mary Westover, born January 6, 1819, in Vermont. Her parents were Samuel and Lydia (Holcomb) West- over, of Vermont, who came to Stockholm in 1825, where the mother died. Mr. Westover went to Ohio and afterwards returned to Stockholm, where he died in 1859 Mr. Gibson and wife had two sons and four daughters. In politics he was a Repub- lican. He died January 18, 1887, and his wife now resides in West Stockholm, aged seventy-four years. George N. Gibson took charge of his father's business and carried it on until the death of his father, at which time our subject purchased the estate and has since carried on a very successful business in West Stockholm. In 1872 he en- gaged in the manufacture of lumber. At present he makes lumber, shingles, butter tubs, furniture, also owns a grist-mill and is engaged in the mercantile business, having a two-story building 25 x 60 feet, which he purchased in 1887 of his father's estate. At present Mr. Gibson employs in his various kinds of business, twenty-five men. In politics he is a Republican. December 17, 1867, he married Mary E. Bur- roughs, a native of Potsdam, and a daughter of Calvin and Adaline (Loverin) Burroughs, of Potsdam, where Mr. Burroughs was born in 1810, and lived until his death. Mr. Gibson and wife have had two sons, George H., who died in infancy, and Leon L., who graduated from Potsdam Normal School in 1893, and at present assists his father. Mrs. Gibson is a member of the M. E. church, which the family attend and support.

Graham, John, Waddington, was born in Lisbon, St. Lawrence county, August 8, 1849. His father James, was born in Ireland, in 1798, and was eighteen years of age

PERSONAL SKETCHES.

when he came to Lisbon with his parents, they being among the first settlers of that town. Mr. Graham was reared on a farm and followed farming as a life occupation, having in Lisbon 225 acres of land. He married Jane Graham, of Ireland, by whom he had a family of eight sons and two daughters. Mr. Graham was a Republican in politics. He and wife were members of the United Presbyterian church of Lisbon Centre. Mr. Graham died in 1881, and his wife resides in Lisbon. John Graham was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools of Lisbon. He built a butter factory and carried on a successful business for three years in connection with farming, having purchased a farm of fifty-four acres. This he sold and in 1890 came to Wad- dington and purchased a 100 acres, known as the McDowell farm, where he now resides. April 18, 1878, he married Phoebe, daughter of James Randles of Lisbon, and they have one daughter, Maud J. Mr. Graham is a Republican in politics, and he and family attend and support the Presbyterian church of Waddington.

Griffith, D. C., Ogdensburg, was born December 3, 1849, in Vermont. He came to Ogdensburg, when seventeen years of age and entered the employ of the American Express Company. This corporation recognizing his sterling worth gradually promoted him until the entire business was eventually placed under his control for this district and Prescott. He has now been in the employ of this company twenty-seven years. In 1874 Mr. Griffith married Miss L. M. Butts, who was a graduate of the Oswego Nor- mal School, and afterwards a successful teacher. They have two sons and a daughter. Mr. Griffith is a Mason, a member of the R. A., treasurer of the Presbyterian church, treasurer of the Ogdensburg Savings and Loan Association, treasurer of the Burns Curling Club, treasurer of the Public Library Association, one of the members of the Ogdensburg Club, etc., and has an interest in a group of beautiful islands in the St. Lawrence river, upon which he spends the summer months with his family. Mrs. Griffith is an attractive and influential church woman.

Gage, John C., Madrid, was born in South East, Putnam county, December 12, 1832, the oldest son of Samuel D. Gage. His parents moved to Salisbury, Herkimer county, when he was an infant; it was there his boyhood was spent. In 1844 they moved to Madrid, St. Lawrence county. At twelve years of age our subject engaged as clerk in the store of his uncle, Alden S. Gage, in Salisbury. After coming to St. Lawrence county he entered the employ of Seth J. Dewey in his general store at Wad- dington, and remained with him about ten years. In 1854-55, he was a commercial traveler, and from 1856-59, was in Buffalo. The year of 1860 he spent in Waddington and September, 1861, he established a general store in Madrid, where he has since continued. He was alone in business for five years, and in 1866 was joined in partnership by his brother, Silvanus D. The firm of J. C. Gage & Bro. existed until 1883, since which time our subject has been alone. He now has a large double store at the corner of Main and Bridge streets, carrying a complete line of dry goods, boots and shoes, crockery, groceries and general merchandise. In March, 1877, Mr. Gage's store was burned by burglars, who succeeded in exploding and robbing the safe, and setting fire to the store. His loss was about $18,000. An attempt to repeat this out- rage was made May 29, 1893, which resulted only in the destruction of the safe and h

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

loss of a small amount of silver. Mr. Gage has always been a Democrat. He has at different times been a candidate on the minority ticket for member of assembly for second district, and has served on county committees and has been delegate to nu- merous State conventions for thirty years. He is really the leader of his party in this town. Mr. Gage has married twice, first in September, 1861, Minerva, daughter of Jesse Cogswell, of Madrid, who died in 1863, leaving one son, Jesse, who died in infancy. He married second, in 1864, Minerva, daughter of Robert Pierce, of Potsdam, and they have two children: Vinnie B., a student of the New England Conservatory of Music at Boston; and William C., a clerk in his father's store.

Holmes, Adam J., Gouverneur, was born in Vermont, March, 9, 1844, and came to St. Lawrence county when an infant. He was a carpenter and joiner by trade, and at the age of twenty-two took up milling and contractimg and has been superintendent of mills ever since. He is at present superintendent of Dean & Aldrich's mills at Natural Dam, does the sawing of the vast amount of lumber turned out by this firm. Mr. Holmes is a thorough and most successful businesss man and has occupied his present position since 1872. In 1878 he married Edith Fuller, and they have two children : Herbert and Marion. Mr. Holmes is a Mason, passed to the commandery.

Holmes, Charles R., Potsdam, was born in Westford, Vt., April 24, 1842, a son of Jonathan Holmes, a farmer of Westford and Milton. In 1846 his parents moved to St. Lawrence county, locating in Lawrence. Later he went to Stockholm, where he lives, aged eighty-three years, and his wife, seventy-six years old. The mother of our sub- ject was also a native of Westford. Her maiden name was Sarah K. Bates. They were the parents of six sons and two daughters, of whom Charles R. was the third son. He was only a lad when he began to learn the carpenter's trade and followed this until the war broke out. He enlisted in the navy in 1864 and spent one year in service with the North Atlantic squadron. He returned in 1865 and engaged in milling at Norwood with Loveless & Fonda, who at that time were building the steammill. The first year he was second hand and the balance of the time, about seven years, he was foreman, and during the time re-built the water mill and put in the improved machinery. He was one year a partner with William Kemp in the American House at Norwood and then sold his interest to Kemp and bought the Elm street restaurant in Potsdam of H. L. & M. B. V. Ives. After one year there he spent a year with his brother, A. J. Holmes, in Gouverneur in the mills of Dean, Aldrich & Weston. In 1877 he went to Muske- gan, Mich., where he engaged in the mill business about three years. Returning in August, 1880, in partnership with his brother, A. J. Holmes, he refitted the old Elm street restaurant and opened it as a hotel under the name of "The Albion," and while conducting the hotel built and operated the A. Sherman lumber mill at Sissonville. The restaurant was a new four story building, thirty-three feet front, with an annex of a two-story building. This annex was destroyed by fire in the fall of 1883 and the firm of C. R. & A. J. Holmes rebuilt from the office east, adding a four-story building for dining room, kitchen, sample rooms and out-kitchen, with about forty sleeping rooms. Later they bought the Tupper property to the east of the hotel, where the Potsdam reading room is located, and still later Mrs. C. R. Holmes bought the McChesney prop- eity used in connection with the hotel as a park. Mr. Holmes is a member of Rac-

PERSONAL SKETCHES

quette River Lodge No. 213, F. & A. M .; St. Lawrence Lodge of Perfection ; Central City Consistory, and is a member of the Mystic Shrine and Media Temple, Watertown. He married April 11, 1882, Adelaide A. Eastman of Potsdam, and they have one child, Mildred, a student in the Normal School.

Hall, Erastus F., Postdam, was born in Raymondville, St. Lawrence county, Decem- ber 25, 1854, son of Abel A., who was the fifth son of Erastus and Elizabeth (Jackson) Hall. Abel was born in Norfolk October 19, 1821, was educated in the common schools and his first business ventures were in the mercantile business. The later years of his life he was a farmer. He was always a Democrat and he held the office of justice of the peace for some years. He died October 11, 1885. The mother of of our subject, Eliza S. Winslow, was also a native of Norfolk, born September 4, 1822, and she had two children : Elizabeth J., married Edgar T. Phelps, died August 3, 1890, aged forty-three years; and our subject. His early life was spent in Norfolk. He was educated in the common schools, Clinton Grammar School and Canandaigua Academy, under Prof. Noah T. Clarke. After leaving school he was a commercial trav- eler five years and in 1884 bought, in parinership with C. C. Nightengale, a grocery and crockery store in Norwood. This firm existed until July, 1, 1889, when Mr. Hall bought out the interests of his partner and has since conducted the business. This is the leading grocery in this place and Mr. Hall has built up a trade here second to none in the town. He is a Democrat, is a member of What Cheer Lodge No. 689, F. & A. M., St. Lawrence Chapter No. 24, R. A. M., and St. Lawrence Commandery No. 28, K. T. He is a director and one of the founders of the Norwood Savings, Loan and Build- ing Association. He married, October 15, 1884, Lilla ,A., daughter of Allan D. Calkins, a native of Clinton county, and they have one son, Allan Atwood Hall, now in his eighth year.

Honeycomb, John Symons. The town of Gouverneur is widely known because of its talc and marble. One of the best known and most enterprising men of the mineral regions is John S. Honeycomb, who has been identified with talc mining since its incip- iency and was one of the first to discover the great marble beds which abound in this locality. Besides this he has built a great part of the village and has identified himself with the best interests and development of the town. Mr. Honeycomb was born in St. Cleer, Cornwall, England, January 8, 1833, and learned the trade of mason in that country. In 1855 he left England and came to the United States; but not realizing his expectations in Gouverneur, he left St. Lawrence county and went to Canada, where he remained four years, serving in that time as captain of a company of militia. In 1860 he returned to Gouverneur, where he married Fidelia Washburn, and they have four children : Virgil F., Emma E., Ida L. and John W. John W. married Nellie Enos and they have one son, John Howard. During the war period our subject was identi- fied with the lead mining interests of the county and built most of the mine buildings. He also built the blast furnaces and steel works at Clifton. He has also been promi- nently identified with railroad building, having superintended the widening of the New York Central railroad from Schenectady to Fort Plain, the first four track road in the world. He was also the contractor for building the Montreal, Portland and Boston railroad, and was associated with the construction of the Quebec and Gosford railway,

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

also the Levis and Kennebec railway. In building the fine bridge over the Oswegat- chie in 1876, Mr. Honeycomb discovered the marble beds of Gouverneur, while seeking stone for abutments and piers. In 1878 Mr. Honeycomb was mainly instrumental in forming the Gouverneur Pulp Company, with Col. Henry Palmer and S. B. Van Duzee, Mr. Honeycomb being secretary of the company, and he is now joint owner with Col. Henry Palmer, of the talc property in the town of Edwards, whence they drew their supplies of talc, under lease. Mr. Honeycomb was also mainly instrumental in forming the first organized marble company in Gouverneur-the Whitney, now the Gouverneur Marble Company-and was its first secretary. Mr. Honeycomb's father and mother are both dead and lie in the cemetery at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, while his father's pa- rents both lie in Riverside cemetery, Gouverneur. Mr. Honeycomb's grandmother re- ferred to and Sir Humphrey Davy were brothers' children ( first cousins ), and through marriage she was aunt to George Borrow, the eminent philologist, traveler and author. The history of the Honeycomb family runs back to Norman times and the fam- ily were always Royalists. Members of the family fought for Charles I., suffering un- der the Protectorate of Cromwell, and joined in the fetes in honor of the restoration. The old ancestral mansion of the family still stands near "Tamar's banks," amid "the stately homes of England."

Haven, J. M., Canton, was born in Dummerston, Vt., May 13, 1822, and began his business career as a clerk in Cleveland, O., in 1836. In 1839 he returned to Putney, Vt., and continued clerking for two years, then clerked for eight years at Brattleboro. In 1850 he embarked in business for himself in Brattleboro and Rutland, having a store in each place. In 1861 he left Rutland and bought a farm in Lincoln, Ill., and remained there until 1864, when he went into business in St. Louis. Almost immediately he was called to take the position of treasurer of the Rutland and Burlington Railway Com- pany, which he filled for nineteen years. In 1879 he bought the Bates House in Rut- land, which he made a temperance house. He was also interested in several other en- terprises at the time. In 1883 he sold the Bates House, resigned his position as treas- urer and moved to Albany to take charge of several refrigerators for Armour & Com- pany. In 1886 he moved to Brooklyn and assisted in closing up the Knickerbocker Life Insurance Company. In 1888 he came to Canton and bought the Hodgkin House (now the Haven House), and has conducted it ever since. Mr. Haven married, first, Harriet M. Dickerman, daughter of Dr. J. L. Dickerman of Brattleboro, Vt., in 1848, and they had one son, Franklin A., now in the Highland National Bank of Newburg. Mrs. Haven died in 1878 and in 1881 he married, second, Mrs. Charlotte L. Cooke, When the National W. C. T. U. was organized in 1874, Mrs. Harriet M. Haven was made vice-president for Vermont. She also organized a State union in Vermont, and was elected president of it. She also was president of the Woman's Missionary Society of Vermont and of the Christian Temperance Union of Rutland, Vt., taking an active part in church work of all kinds.

Holmes, S. W., Stockholm, was born in St. Albans, Vt., October 1, 1815. His father was Sheveric Holmes, a native of Bennington, born April 24, 1784. He married in Georgia, Vt., Jerusha Baker, by whom he had seven children, six of whom grew to maturity. In 1826 he and his family came to Stockholm and settled on a farm

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Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York, Part 82

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