USA > New York > Tioga County > Owego > Owego. Some account of the early settlement of the village in Tioga County, N.Y., called Ah-wa-ga by the Indians, which name was corrupted by gradual evolution into Owago, Owego, Owegy and finally Owego > Part 13
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
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Columbian inn, and other buildings at Ithaca. He owned 1,400 acres of land near Ithaca, and in one year he had 800 acres of wheat in harvest. He was president of the old bank of Ithaca, and was twice a judge of the court of common pleas. A. B. Gere was his only son. After his marriage A. B. Gere came to Owego and lived here all the rest of his life.
Edward Raynsford was born in 1812 at Montrose, Pa. At the age of seven- teen years he came to Owego and en- tered judge Latham A. Burrows's store as a clerk. He was afterward employed in David P. Tinkham's store. In company with Edward R. Warner he later conducted a general mercantile business in a store on the south side of Front street, nearly op- posite Lake street. This partnership was dissolved July 27, 1836, when Mr. Raynsford and his father-in-law, judge Drake, formed a partnership and con- ducted a store just above the bridge on the same side of the street, remov- ing a few years afterward to the store opposite Lake street. When the New York and Erie railroad was completed to Owego in 1849 he built a large store at the southwest corner of North ave- nue and the railroad property, with a large storehouse in the rear, and con- ducted business there several years. I .e store was later converted into a public house and known as the Cort- right house, later as the Birdsall house, and is now called the Lenox hotel. Mr. Raynsford died at Sayre, Pa., Nov. 28, 1881.
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DR. JEDEDIAH FAY.
Dr. Jedediah Fay canie to Owego in 1811. He was born at Hardwick, Mass., Jan. 30, 1786. He was a de- scendant in the fifth generation of John Fay, who was born in England in 1648 and embarked from Grave- send in the "Speedwell." He died at Marlboro, Mass., Dec. 15, 1690. He was one of the proprietors of the Ockoocangensett plantation, which was purchased of the Indians in 1684. Dr. Jedediah Fay was a son of Daniel Fay who was born at Hardwick. Mass., in 1752 and died at Randolph, Vt., in 1810.
December 7, 1811, soon after his coming to Owego, Dr. Fay formed a partnership with Dr. Samuel Barclay and practised medicine. Dr. Barclay was an early resident here. In June, 1805, he bought of John Hollenback the lot at the northwest corner of Front and Ross streets and built thereon the house which still stands there. It was afterward successively owned by Major Horatio Ross, judge Thomas Farrington, and Lieut. B. W. Loring. When Dr. Barclay bought the property he gave a mortgage on it, and as he did not pay the claim the property was sold at mortgage foreclosure in October, 1807. Dr Fay's partnership with Dr. Barclay was dissolved Aug. 12, 1812.
Dr. Barclay was clerk of the town of Owego from 1811 to 1814, inclusive. Little is known of his history. Dr. Lucius H. Allen once informed the writer that when he (Allen) came to Owego in 1832, Dr. Barclay was still living here, old and broken down through intemperance, and he died here not long afterward.
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In December. 1812. Dr. Fay, in com- company with Joseph L. Lynde began a general mercantile business under the firm name of J. Fay & Co. in a frame building which stood on the northwest corner of Front and Lake streets. This store was afterward burned and on its site Dr. Fay built another store, which was later occu- pied by David P. Tinkham.
Dr. Fay continued in business with Mr. Lynde until 1815, when Lemuel Brown became his partner. They con- ducted an extensive business and opened a branch store at Spencer. which was then the county seat of Tioga county. Mr. Brown's son, Richard Brown, had charge of the Spencer store. They failed in busi- ness. While in the mercantile busi- ness Dr. Fay was elected clerk of the town of Owego in 1814 and served three years thereafter by re-election.
Dr. Fay afterward took charge of judge John R. Drake's business and conducted it for several years in a store which stood on the south side of Front street, opposite Lake street. In 1830 he purchased judge Drake's stock of drugs, medicines, paints, etc., and removed to the store adjoining judge Drake's on the east, on ground now occupied by Goodrich & Co.'s store. It was at that time the only drug store in Tioga county.
In 1835. Dr. Fay built a handsome three-story brick building on the north side of Front street, the fourth brick building built in Owego, which occupied the ground now covered by the Ahwaga hall block. The upper portion was occupied by him as a resi- dence. One of the stores below was
THE NEM ORK PULLI CLEARY
Astor, Le D) . Fou : tons. 1909
BOOKS
DR. FAY'S DRUG STORE.
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used by the old bank of Owego and into the other Dr. Fay moved his drug store in January, 1836. There he con- tinued in the drug business until his death. He died April 23, 1848.
The cut of Dr. Fay's drug store illus- trating this article is from a daguerro- type taken soon after the building was erected in 1835. The daguerreotype was photographed by Mr. Cortwright and the cut made from the photo- graph. It is, probably, the only pic- ture of any of the buildings taken be- fare the great fire of 1849 now in ex- istence.
While with judge Drake, in May, 1820, Dr. Fay was appointed postmas- ter of Owego, and he held the office by reappointment twenty-two conse- cutive years. Judge Stephen Mack was for some time his deputy. At the time of Dr. Fay's appointment he lived with his family in a little red house, one and one-half stories high. which stood near the sidewalk on the north side of Front street, east of Church street. Judge Mack owned the lot which then comprised the two lots now owned by Mrs. Henry Young and Dr. E. E. Bauer. The house stood near the west part of the lot, and in a part of it judge Mack had his printing office. The post office was afterward removed to judge Drake's store, and when Dr. Fay built his brick block where Ahwaga hall now is, the office was removed thereto and was kept there until he was succeeded by Daniel Ely as postmaster in 1841.
Dr. Fay was for several years in the state military service. July 15. 1815, he was appointed captain of a troop in the 8th regiment of cavalry by Gov. Tompkins. Hle subsequently
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resigned his commission and Gov. Clinton appointed him surgeon of the 53d regiment of infantry, 41st brigade. 19th division, Feb. 14, 1820. He held this position until June 15, 1822, when he resigned from the service.
In his centennial history of Tioga county William F. Warner thus speaks of Dr. Fay:
"Methodical in his habits, he kept for many years a record of atmos- pheric changes, which is, probably. still preserved by his family. He was a man of wide intelligence and of re- fined and agreeable manners, and was held in high esteem by the people of Owego."
Dr. Fay's wife was Caroline Roberts. a sister of Mrs. John R. Drake. They were married July 2, 1812, the year after Dr. Fay came to Owego. She was born May 30. 1794. in Connecticut and died at Owego March 1, 1879.
The children of Dr. Jedediah and Caroline (Roberts) Fay were as fol- lows:
1. Mary Ann Augustina Fay. born December, 1813. Died June. 1814.
2. George W. Fay, born 10 Aug., 1815. He was unmarried.
3. Charles Pumpelly Fay, born 13 June, 1818. Married Sarah H. John- son. of Albany, Sept. 20, 1845. She was born 25 Dec., 1823, and died in 1863. He married second the widow Caroline Lawrence, daughter of Louis C. Constantine. He had ten children by the first marriage.
4. Frances Delphine Fay, born 12 April, 1821. Died at Owego 23 Sept .. 1895. She was unmarried.
5. Frederick J. Fay, born 12 May. 1824.
6. Theodore M. Fay, born January. 1828, and died March, 1828.
7. Caroline E. Fay, born 28 May. 1829. Married Augustus B. Brown, of Geneva, N. Y., 21 July, 1858.
8. Mary J. Fay, born 16 Feb., 1833. She is still living.
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After Dr. Fay's death two of his sons, George W. Fay, who had been a clerk in the store, and Frederick ). Fay, continued the drug business in the brick block. When this block was burned in the fire of September, 1819. they temporarily occupied part of a wooden building on the north side of Main street, opposite Lake street. They immediately built the brick building which still stands on the north side of Front street the second door east of Lake street, in the third story of which they had a public hall. known as Fay's hall. This was the first brick building erected after the fire and in the hall all the shows and public entertainments were given un- til T. P. Patch built his brick block and hall in Lake street.
The Fays moved their drug store in- to their new building in May, 1850. They afterward built the Ahwaga hall block on the site of their father's drug store, and when it was com- pleted in May, 1853, they moved their drug store into the east part of it.
The firm of G. W. Fay & Co. was dissolved March 31, 1855, and Geo. W. Fay continued the business alone un- til the following December when he sold the business to Angell & Mackey. of Cooperstown, who subsequently failed in business. Geo. W. Fay was engaged until 1899 in the manage- ment of Ahwaga hall and the insur- ance business. He died May 14, 1902.
Frederick J. Fay studied law in Farrington & Avery's office. After the death of his father he engaged in the drug business. In 1853 he sold his interest in the business to his brother, Geo. W. Fay, and removed to Columbus, Ohio, where he engaged in
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the real estate business and where he died Nov. 19, 1890.
Charles P. Fay was in early life a clerk in his father's store. In 1842 he removed to Albany to take the posi- tion of deputy clerk in the office of Thomas Farrington, of Owego, who was then state treasurer. He went in 1844 to New York city, where he was employed as cashier in Peter Loril- lard's tobacco works. In 1872 he was stricken with paralysis and was un- able to do any work thereafter. He was retired on a pension of $1,000 a year. He died in Brooklyn October 29, 1SS2.
ELIAKIM AND NOAH GOODRICH.
Eliakim Goodrich and judge Noah Goodrich, cousins, came in 1802 from Glastenbury, Conn., and settled in what has ever since been known as Goodrich settlement, in the town of Tioga. Some of their sons and grand- sons were business men at Owego and many of their descendants still live here.
Eliakim and Noah Goodrich were descendants of William Goodrich, who with his brother. John Goodrich, came to this country from near Bury St .- Edmunds, county Suffolk, England, where they were born, and settled at Wethersfield, Conn., about the year 1643. One of William Goodrich's sons, Ephraim Goodrich, was born in 1663. Ephraim's son, William Good- rich, born in 1697 at Rocky Hill, Conn., was the grandfather of Eliakim and Noah Goodrich. Eliakim Goodrich's father was Elisha Goodrich, of Glas- tenbury, and Noah's father was Elisha's brother, Ephraim, also of Glastenbury. Ephraim married Pene-
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lope Tryon, of Glastonbury. She died at Goodrich settlement Nov. 15, 1826, aged 87 years.
Eliakim Goodrich was born Nov. 28, 1762, at Glastenbury. He married Sarah Leland Jan. 13, 1781. She died in Goodrich settlement Sept. 11, 1824.
Noah Goodrich was born Aug. 30. 1764, also at Glastenbury. He was twice married. His first wife was Prudence Goodrich, daughter of David Goodrich. She was born April 14. 1754, and died Jan. 30, 1813. They were married Nov. 23, 1786. His sec- ond wife was Ruth Goodrich daugh- ter of Jeremiah Goodrich. She was born Sept. 5, 1771, and married Wil- liam Stratton June 11, 1788. Her hus- band died and she married Asa Good- rich. He died and she was married to Noah Goodrich Oct. 31, 1813. She died Aug. 22, 1846.
Eliakim and Noah Goodrich came with ox teams and sleds through the wilderness, arriving here July 2, 1802. and settled on the property they had bought of Col. David Pixley. This property they purchased March 17, 1802. It consisted of 451 acres of land, and the purchase price was $5,000. The land was covered with woods, which they cleared, owning all their farming tools in partnership. As fast as the trees were made into lumber. the lumber was taken in rafts down the river to market, the rafts- men walking back.
Noah Goodrich lived in the Pixley homestead, a small house which was for many years known as the Pixley tavern and which is the only one of the early houses in the settlement still standing. It is at the right hand
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side of the road as oue goes front Owego toward "Glenmary" and a few rods north of the highway as it turns westward toward the Erie railroad.
Eliakim Goodrich built a large frame house with a wide hall .in the middle, similar to most of the other farm houses built in this vicinity at that time. It stood on the north side of the highway, a short distance east of where the railroad now runs. It was torn down a few years ago. Dr. Samuel Tinkham lived in a house which stood between this house and the Pixley house. This house was also torn down about the year 1863.
Noah Goodrich was a member of the board of supervisors in 1810-12. He was also one of the members of the first masonic lodge organized in Owego, of which he was the master in 1811 and 1812. In 1816 he was appointed a justice of the peace. He died in the Pixley house July 19, 1834. Eliakimı Goodrich was also ap- pointed a justice of the peace in 1819. He died Oct. 11, 1824. The children of Eliakim and Sarah (Leland) Good- rich were as follows:
1. Gen. Ansel Goodrich, born 27 Oct., 1782, at Glastenbury, Conn. Mar- ried Mary Strickland 14 Oct., 1804. He died 15 July, 1819, at Owego, and she 18 Aug., 1860, at Athens, Pa.
2. Ira Goodrich, born 18 April, 1784, at Glastenbury. Married Fear Potter. They lived at Rochester, N. Y. He died in 1825.
3. Cyprian Goodrich, born 21 May, 1786. at Glastenbury. Married Abigail Giles.
4. Lucy Goodrich, born 10 June, 1778, at Glastenbury. Married Joseph Berry, of Owego. She died 7 May, 1829.
5. Alanson Goodrich, born 4 Sept .. 1790, at Glastenbury. Married Mary
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Pixley, daughter of David Pixley, Jr. He died 6 Nov., 18544, and she 23 April, 1875.
6. Silas Goodrich, born 15 Jan., 1793, at Glastonbury. Married Mary Ann Goodrich, daughter of Jeremiah Goodrich, 11 March, 1828. He died 11 July, 1863, and she 4 May, 1871.
7. Sarah Goodrich, born 9 Oct., 1795, at Glastenbury.
8. Betsy Goodrich, born 13 Ang., 1797, at Glastenbury. Married Jona-
than Platt, of Owego. He died 16 Jan., 1857, at Owego, and she 27 Nov., 1878.
9. Anna Goodrich, born 27 May, 1799. Died young.
10. Jasper Goodrich, born 5 Sept.,
1801, at Glastenbury. Marrier Betsy Thorn.
11. William Warren Goodrich, born 26 Jan., 1804, at Goodrich settlement. Married Mary Fox, of Towanda, Pa., 25 Oct., 1830. He died at Wysox, Pa., 27 May, 1872.
12. Fanny Goodrich, born 9 June, 1806, at Goodrich settlement. She was unmarried.
Gen. Ansel Goodrich derived his military title from his service in the state militia. In 1807 he was commis- sioned first lieutenant of a company in lieutenant-colonel Asa Camp's regi- ment of infantry, and in 1809 he was promoted to captain. The next year he was second major in Col. Oliver Huntington's regiment, and in 1811 first major. In 1812 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel commandant of the 53d regiment, succeeding Col. Huntington, who was promoted to brigadier-general of the 41st brigade of infantry. Gen. Huntington was ap- pointed sheriff of Broome county in 1816, and Col. Goodrich succeeded him as brigadier-general. In June, 1818, he was promoted to major general of the 19th division of infantry, 36th and 41st brigades, and held that rank at
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the time of his death in the following year.
When a young man Gen. Goodrich became a partner of his brother-in- law. Jonathan Platt. in the general mercantile business at Owego. Their store was on the south side of Front street, below Lake street, and he was engaged in business there at the time of his death in 1819. He built and lived in a house now standing in Goodrich settlement, where Ephraim Goodrich afterward lived. Later he lived in a house on the north side of Front street west of Park street. where his mother, Mrs. Eliakim Good- rich, also lived. After his death the property was owned by Jonathan Platt. wno tore down the house and erected in its place the house now owned and occupied by Mrs. A. Chase Thompson.
The children of Noah and Prudence Goodrich were as follows:
1. Erastus Goodrich, born 15 June. 1788, at Glastenbury, Conn. Married Hope Talcott, daughter of Elizur Tal- cott, of Owego, 27 Feb., 1812. He died 27 June. 1854. at Buffalo. N. Y., and she 13 Feb., 1865, at Owego.
2. Aner Goodrich, born 30 Sept .. 1789. at Glastenbury. Married Ruth Stratton 1 Oct., 1813. He died 15 July, 1871.
3. Norman Goodrich, born 30 Dec .. 1792, at Glastenbury. Married Eliza True 20 Jan., 1820. He died 9 Feb., 1861, and she 10 March, 1872. Norman Goodrich was a commissioned officer in the state militia. In 1816 he was ensign of a company in the 53d regi- ment of infantry, and was promoted to lieutenant the next year. He re- signed from the service in 1822.
4. Roxa Goodrich, born 16 Sept .. 1798, at Glastenbury. Married David Nealy 3 Sept., 1824. He died 8 March, 1871, and she 21 Dec., 1824.
5. Prudence Goodrich, born 25 Jan ..
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1805, at Goodrich settlement. Died March 31, 1805.
6. Anna Goodrich, born 30 Apr., 1807, at Goodrich settlement. Died 13 Jan., 1808.
7. Penelope Goodrich, born 3 Jan., 1812. Died 6 Jan., 1812.
Erastus Goodrich was a prominent member of the family. He was super- visor of the town of Tioga in 1828, 1841. and 1843, and represented Tioga county in the assembly in 1848. He was the father of George B. and David Good- rich, both of whom were Owego mer- chants. Three of his sons-in-law, Daniel G. Taylor, George Truman, and Thomas I. Chatfield, were also mer- chants here. Hle died June 29, 1854. at Buffalo, while on his return from a visit to his son, Erastus, at DeKalb, Illinois.
David Goodrich the eldest son of Erastus Goodrich, was born Jan. 3. 1813, in the town of Tioga. At about 15 years of age he entered the employ of John Hollenback, the Owego mer- chant. In 1837 he entered L. Truman & Brothers' store as a clerk. Four years later he and George Truman en- gaged in the dry goods business, and in July, 1841, he married Mrs. Tru- man's sister. Frances A. Truman. From 1863 to 1872 he was in the mer- cantile business with various partners. Later he engaged in farming. He died at Owego July 3, 1896.
George B. Goodrich, another son of Erastus Goodrich, was during all his business life a dry goods merchant at Owego. Mention has already been made of him in an account of the Tal- cott family.
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STEPHEN B. LEONARD.
Through the accurate care and in- dustry of Mr. Lansing, of Rochester, the genealogy of the Leonard family from the year 580 A. D., has been carefully prepared. It was an old and interesting race, and its sons and daughters held high office and rank in England. Sufficient for this article to indicate that Lady Margaret Fienes married Sampson Leonard, eleventh baron Dacre, in 1605. Their son was Sir Henry Leonard, whose younger brother, Henry, was the father of Thomas Leonard, of Pontipool, Wales, and brother of Francis, fourteenth baron Dacre.
About 1623 James and Henry Leon- ard, younger sons of Thomas Leonard, of Pontipool, settled in Massachusetts. first at Lynn, and later at Taunton. To them belongs the great honor of having established the first iron works in America, at Saugus, near Lynn. They were the founders, there- fore, of the great steel and iron in- dustry of this country.
The following is the exact geneal- ogy of the Owego Leonards:
James Leonard, of Taunton, died in 1691.
His second son was captain James Leonard, born about 1643, died No- vember 1, 1726.
His son was Stephen Leonard, judge of court of common pleas at Taunton.
His son was Joshua Leonard, who emigrated to New Jersey, living at Parsippiney. He died in 1760.
His son was Silas Leonard, born in 1756 at Parsippiney, and died at Owego in 1832. He married Johanna Gregory. of Bridgeport, Ct. He removed from
STEPHEN B. LEONARD.
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New Jersey to the city of New York early in his young manhood, and was engaged in the leather business in what is now designated "the swamp"; and which, probably, was known by the same name in that day. His resi- dence was in Wall street, and occu- pied the place where the United States custom house has stood for so many years. Immediately opposite his house was the city hall. The sons of Silas and Johanna (Gregory) Leonard were as follows:
1. Seth G. Leonard, Havana, Now York.
2. Milton Leonard, of Marlborough. died unmarried.
3. General Harry C. Leonard, of Reading, New York. He died at Friendsville, Pa., 20 Feb., 1844, aged 44 years.
4. Stephen Banks Leonard, born in Wall street, New York city, 15 April. 1793.
Silas Leonard removed to Owego with his family in 1803. He was blind during the last part of his life. He died at Owego Sept. 29, 1832, aged 76 years. His wife died also at Owego Sept. 27, 1816, aged 55 years.
Stephen B. Leonard was ten years old when the family removed from New York city to Owego. Three years later, in 1806, he entered judge Stephen Mack's printing office as an apprentice to learn the printer's trade. Judge Mack was publishing "The American Farmer." His office was in the second story of his house in Front street. When the term of his appren- ticeship expired Mr. Leonard pur- chased an interest in the office and soon afterward went, in 1811, to Al- bany, to perfect himself as a job prin- ter in the office of Solomon South- wick.
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Mr. Southwick was a man of con- siderable prominence in political life in this state for several years. He visited Owego in 1834 and wrote a his- tory of the village, which he published in pamphlet form, but no copy of this pamphlet is known to be in existence now. While Mr. Leonard was em- ployed in Southwick's printing office Thurlow Weed was also a journeyman printer there.
From Albany Mr. Leonard went in 1813 to New York city, where he worked in the book printing establish- ment of the Messrs. Wood. While there, in April, 1814, he picked up a piece torn from a newspaper, in which mention was made of judge Mack's death. He returned at once to Owego and assumed possession of the news- paper establishment. Two months afterward he changed the name of the paper to "The Owego Gazette." Mr. Leonard was editor and publisher of the paper, some of the time with va- rious business partners and the . rest of the time alone, until 1835, when he was elected to congress, and then the office was sold to Shurtleff & Bull.
As editor of the Gazette Mr. Leon- ard was naturally brought into politi- cal affairs, and he became active and prominent, not only in local politics but in state politics also. In 1832 and 1833 he was a member of the village board of trustees and was supervisor of the town of Owego in 1854 and 1856. He was elected to congress in 1835 from the district then composed of Chemung, Cortland, Tompkins, and Tioga counties. He was appointed postmaster of Owego in 1816 and held that office four years. He was again appointed postmaster in 1844 and
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served four years more. During presi dent Buchannan's administration he was a United States marshal. Mr. Leonard was one of the original trus- tees of the old Owego academy and remained a member of the board forty-one years and until the institu- tion was merged in the free school system in 1864.
While publishing the Gazette Mr. Leonard was a member of the state militia. In 1815 he was appointed sec- ond lieutenant of a company of the Eighth regiment of cavalry. In 1821 he was appointed quartermaster of the Forty-first brigade of infantry.
When Mr. Leonard began the publi- cation of the Gazette he at first de - livered his papers by carrying them on horseback to various points. Later, while postmaster, he estab- lished post-routes about the country and afterward secured contracts for carrying the mails, which mails were delivered by post-riders, who rode on horseback and carried them. It was by these post-riders that Mr. Leonard delivered his newspaper to his sub- scribers. His routes extended to Binghamton, Penn Yan. Bath, and other points. In 1816 Mr. Leonard also established the first stage route from Owego to Bath, and a few years later he established an- other stage route from Owego to Montrose, Pa., which he conducted until 1823, when he sold it to a stage company.
Mr. Leonard married Esther Hen rietta Sperry, daughter of Jared and Esther (Bostwick) Sperry, who was born Sept. 6. 1798, at New Milford, Conn. She was a half-sister of Wil-
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liam, Anson. and Nathan Camp. She was a woman of fine education, a graduate of Mrs. Pearce's celebrated school at Litchfield, Conn., and taught a select school at Owego. She was married to Mr. Leonard Feb. 22, 1816.
After his marriage Mr. Leonard lived several years in a large house which had been occupied as a tavern by Ira Deforest and which stood at the northeast corner of Front and Paige streets. When Arba Campbell purchased the property he built a brick house which stands there now. He moved a part of the old tavern building back and used it for the kitchen part of his new house. There was a large double house on the lot between the tavern building and Mrs. Betsy Truman's house. This house Mr. Campbell moved back on the east side of Paige street where it remained until 1900, when it was torn down and Lyman T. Stanbrough built a double house in its place.
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