USA > New York > Onondaga County > Spafford > Spafford, Onondaga County, New York > Part 9
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the academy at Homer. In the autumn of 1847, Elliott entered Hamilton College at Clinton, as sophomore. He was graduated in 1850 with high honors.
" In the following year, he and his classmate, Joseph I. Hubbard, had charge of the Clinton Academy, in which Grover Cleveland was then a pupil. Anthony's first experi- ence at the school showed his character and determination. The school had the reputation of being hard to control, and had, previous to Mr. Anthony's advent, sent away in quick succession five or six teachers. When he entered the school-room on the first morning and called for order, there was a violent slamming of books and slates on the desks. He repeated the order, and a like demonstration followed. Without a word he walked through the center aisle to the back of the room, took two of the largest boys by their collars and dragged them to the front, where he knocked their heads together, and sent the lads to separate corners of the room. He again issued his command for order and it was obeyed. From that day on he had no further trouble with his school. A gray-haired man came into his Court room, where he was a Judge on the Chicago bench, and thanked the jurist for that trouncing, saying that he had learned more in that one day than he had in all his previous schooling.
" Young Anthony pursued a course in law under Prof. Theodore W. Dwight, and was admitted to the bar at Oswego at 24 years. A year later, and after pleading his first case into a Court of Record in Sterling, Ill., he returned to the East, married Mary, the sister of Professor Dwight, and a grand-daughter of President Dwight of Yale College, on July 14th, 1852. Returning West he went to Chicago, celebrating his first year of married life by compiling "A digest of the Illinois Reports," which was received with great favor by the legal profession. In 1858 he was elected City Attorney of Chicago, during which administration he became the means of establishing many new points in law, such as, that special assessments cannot be enjoined by a Court of Chancery, and that the City of Chicago cannot be garnisheed to collect salaries or wages of those employed by it.
" Five years after his election he was chosen general solicitor of the greatest railway corporation then in the
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Northwest, the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad Com- pany. He was with it when the great fight over its con- solidation with the Chicago and North Western was on, and led the minority stockholders, in one of the most stub- bornly contested cases in railway law, and enlisted some of the most eminent capitalists of the country, among them Samuel J. Tilden. All the contentions of Mr. Anthony's brief were sustained, and the parties patched up their diffi- culties. Out of this brief grew " The Law Pertaining to the Consolidation of Railroads," which still remains a standard work on that important subject.
" He was one of the leaders of the two great constitutional conventions held in Illinois in 1862 and 1870. In the second he was chairman of the executive committee, and also served upon the committee on judiciary and railroads.
" Mr. Anthony was one of the founders of the Republican party in Illinois, and was a delegate to the first Republican Convention in Cook County. In 1880, when the conflict over the third term idea came up, he was elected chairman of the Cook County Convention, and delegate to the State Convention, where he became contesting delegate to the National Convention, where, in a stormy debate, he answered Green B. Baum, General Logan and Emory Storrs, and was finally admitted to the Convention which nomi- nated General Garfield for President.
In the following Autumn he was elected to the bench of the Superior Court, where he sat for twelve years. While on the bench Mr. Anthony devoted much time to the com- pliation of legal treatises, which included a work entitled "Law of Self Defense," "The Trial by Jury in Criminal Cases," and " New Trials in Criminal Cases." His sketches of the Courts of England, published in "The Legal Adviser" attracted much attention about this time, as also did his treatise on " The Law of Arrest in Civil Cases."
" In 1889 Mr. Anthony was honored by the degree of LL.L., conferred upon him by his Alma Mater, Hamilton College.
" Among other works that have come from his pen are: " The Constitutional History of Illinois," "The Story of the Empire State," " Sanitation and Navigation," a series of articles published in the Western Magazine of History on " Old Virginia."
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Mr. Anthony's first wife died in 1862, and eight years later he married her younger sister. For forty-five years he lived in Chicago, but for the last four years he made his home with his son, Charles E. Anthony, at Evanston. He is survived by two other sons, State Senator George D. Anthony, and Dr. Henry G. Anthony, making three in all."
PROFESSOR SILAS M. BETTS.
The following is an abridged extract, taken from Prof. Edward Smith's History of Syracuse Schools:
" Silas M. Betts was born in Borodino in 1828. When a child he moved with his parents to Memphis, in this county, where he attended the public school. He also attended school at Warners, Onondaga Academy, and Homer Academy when Samuel Woolworth was principal. His first teaching was at Belle Isle in the winter of 1844-5. After this he attended the Normal School at Albany and graduated in 1849.
Soon after, he became principal of School Number Nine in this city. In 1851 he was principal of Number Eleven, where he remained until his transfer to School Number Seven, in 1855. He taught in the latter school until his appointment as principal of a High School at Niles, Michi- gan, in 1859; and was instrumental in making the schools free in that State. While teaching in Michigan he held teachers' institutes in that State during vacation time. His health being impaired by overwork, he resigned the prin- cipalship of the Niles High School about 1860. After a rest for about a year, he accepted the Vice Principalship of the Normal School in the State of New Jersey. He con- tinued in this work for about three years, and then resigned to accept the Presidency of the American Guernsey Cattle Club at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Writing Mr. Smith from that Club, he said: " I have lived to see the schools made free in the State of New York, Michigan and New Jersey, and I trust they have all been made better by my labors. My most pleasant memories are connected with the schools of Syracuse."
DR. JOHN COLLINS.
Dr. John Collins came to Spafford Corners from Brook- field, Madison County, New York, where he was born, about
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1830. His father and mother were of New England origin and came from Stonington, Connecticut, on or before 1796. He was educated in Hamilton Academy (now Colgate Uni- versity), and in the Medical College in Castleton, Vermont, where he graduated in 1829. He came to Spafford Corners the next year, joined the Onondaga Medical Society, June 14, 1831, and remained here in active practice of his pro- fession until about the time of his decease, August 15, 1853; he was buried in Spafford Cemetery. He first opened an office in Roundy's Tavern, where he boarded, but soon pur- chased a lot adjoining the hotel property on the south, where he erected an office. In 1831 he married Miss Mary Ann Roundy, daughter of Captain Asahel Roundy, and soon after remodeled his office into a dwelling house, where three of his first children, including the author of this sketch, were born. He then purchased a farm of fifty acres on the opposite side of the highway, which, prior to that, had successively been owned by Peleg Babcock, John Babcock, Silas Cox and Joseph Cole. He continued to reside on this farm until a short time before his decease, when he moved into a new house built by him just south, and adjoining the Union Meeting House lot; this he sold to a Dr. Davidson, preliminary to moving to Syracuse, but died prior to the transfer of his family to the latter place.
In Bruce's History of Onondaga County appears the following: "Dr. John Collins came to Spafford about 1830, and practiced medicine until his decease, August 15, 1853. He was a descendant of Henry Collins, starchmaker, who came to America from Stepney Parish, London, England, in 1635, and settled in Lynn, Mass. Dr. Collins was of the seventh generation, in an unbroken line of Johns from Henry his emigrant ancestor. He was graduated from Castleton, Vermont Mediacl College in 1829, settled first in Madison County, but soon removed to this town, where he acquired a wide professional business. He was one of the leading physicians in the County during his career, and a prominent member of the County Medical Society. He was a fine botanist, knew the medical properties of almost all varieties of plants, held several important town offices, and was one of the first to espouse the cause of temperance.
" Owing to the intermarriage of his ancestors with well known families of Washington County, Rhode Island, a full
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account of his lineage would involve the recital of nearly every tradition, and nearly every early transaction of the State of Rhode Island, which is not within the province of this article; but of him it can be truthfully said, every drop of blood in his veins was English, pure and simple, in the strictest sense of the word. His boyhood was spent on the farm of his father in Brookfield, and was subject to all the hardships and deprivations of pioneer life; yet, with indomitable pluck and perseverance, he was able to acquire an excellent education for his time, and far above the average of the community in which he lived. Like many other young men he taught school several winters, to obtain the means to meet the expenses for a higher education. Soon after settling in Spafford he acquired an extensive practice in his chosen profession of medicine, and ever led an active life; commanding respect from all, and by merit alone was able to retain possession of his chosen field of labor, against the encroachment of all new comers. He was never an aspirant for office, yet for several years acted as School Commissioner and Postmaster, because the first was congenial to his tastes, and the latter involved no part of his personal attention, its duties being performed by his wife. He was one of the founders of the Methodist Epis- copal Church at Spafford, and generally supported any good and worthy cause, which he believed would advance the moral interests and material welfare of his townspeople.
" On the 4th day of April, 1831, he was united in mar- riage with Mary Ann Roundy, daughter of Captain Asahel Roundy, and sister of Prof. Charles O. Roundy, first prin- cipal of the Syracuse High School, and by her had eight children ; two only of whom are still surviving. One of his sons, Captain George Knapp Collins, is a prominent attorney and counselor at law, in practice in the City of Syracuse, and during the War of the Rebellion served as Captain in the 149th New York Volunteers Infantry, with distinction. Dr. Collins was generally respected by his brethren of the medical profession, for his social and professional attain- ments. After a lapse of near half a century since his decease, his memory is treasured in nearly every household embraced with the scope of his labors, with affectionate regard."
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CAPTAIN GEORGE KNAPP COLLINS.
Captain George K. Collins, author of this work, and son of Dr. John Collins and Mary Ann Roundy, his wife, was born at Spafford Corners, April 15, 1837. As President of the Collins Family Re-Union, which holds its annual meet- ings in Madison County, New York, Captain Collins in 1901 prepared and published a short genealogy of his branch of that family, by which it appears that his ancestors were originally Rhode Island Quakers, descended from Henry Collins, who came to this country in 1635, from Stepney Parish, London, England, and settled in Lynn, Mass. On both sides his family are of New England origin and patriotic stock; all four of his great grand-fathers having served in the patriot cause in the War of the Revolution, and his grandfather, on his mother's side, having com- manded a Company as Captain, during a tour of duty in the War of 1812; it was only following natural impulses of the blood that flowed in his veins, that he gave his services to the cause of his country, in the great War of the Rebellion.
The following extract is taken from a recent publication concerning the subject of this sketch: " Captain Collins was mustered into the service of the United States, Septem- ber 18, 1862, as First Lieutenant in Company I, 149th Regt., N. Y. Vol. Inft., in the War of 1861, served for a period of near two years, and was brevetted Captain at the close of the war for meritorious services. He participated in all the battles, skirmishes and marches of the regiment, both in the Army of the Potomac and the Army of the Cumber- land, up to the time of his discharge, excepting the battle of Ringgold, from which he was prevented by injuries received in battle a few days previous. Among the engagements and campaigns in which he saw service were Chancellors- ville, Gettysburg, Wauhatchie, and Lookout Mountain. He was twice wounded, first at Chancellorsville and again at Lookout Mountain; the latter was the occasion of his dis- charge, which occurred April 24, 1864. He was admitted to the bar of the State of New York soon after his discharge from the Army of the United States, and soon after to the District Court of the United States and Department of the Interior. He is now engaged in active practice of his pro- fession at Syracuse, N. Y. He is Past Commander of Root
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Post, G. A. R .; Past President of Central N. Y. Micro- scopical Club; Member of the National Microscopical Society ; for fifteen or sixteen years he was Grand Treas- urer of the Royal Arcanum for the State of New York; he is a Companion of the Loyal Legion, New York Com- mandery; he is the author of the history of his regiment, entitled " Memoirs of the 149th Regt. N. Y. Vol. Inft., 3d Brig., 2 Div., 12th and 20th A. C .; " is a member of the Central New York Genealogical Society, and a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.
" Captain Collins' father, who was a physician and sur- geon, died while residing in Spafford, a small country village, when the subject of this sketch was sixteen years of age, and a country boy living on a farm. A few months afterward Captain Collins, accompanied by his mother and two infant brothers, moved to the City of Syarcuse, and commenced the struggle of life under very discouraging circumstances, working alternately at whatever he could find to do, and going to school until the Spring of 1858, when he was graduated from the Syracuse High School, then considered an excellent educational institutinn. He then entered the law office of the well known firm of D. and D. F. Gott, at Syracuse, as a student, but his labors were soon interrupted by the event of the Civil War, and his admission to the bar was delayed until about 1866 .. Whatever success the Captain may have achieved at the bar, or otherwise, he owes to himself and the indomitable pluck and perseverance inherited from an excellent father and mother. He has never professed religion in the general accepted interpretation of that term, still he has generally attended the M. E. Church, of which his parents were members, and among other church offices was at one time Superintendent of the Sabbath School connected with that society. In habits of mind in relation to religious subjects, Captain Collins has a strong penchant to many of the characteristic tenets believed in and adhered to by his Quaker ancestors, for whom he cherishes a devout attach- ment."
Captain Collins married early in life Catherine Sager, daughter of Jacob Sager and Rebecca Groot his wife, a member of a typical New York Knickerbocker family, by whom he had seven children, five of whom survive: Kath-
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arine Mary, Grace Virginia; Helen; Flora Belle, wife of William W. Wiard, and Clara Bessie, wife of William S. Teall, all of Syracuse, New York.
PROFESSOR EZRA BABCOCK KNAPP.
Ezra Babcock Knapp, son of Peter, Jr., was born in the town of Scott, Cortland County, N. Y., February 26, 1830, where he resided until three years of age. He then moved with his parents to Spafford, where he was brought up a farmer boy, on a farm near Spafford Corners, and received a common school education. He then attended the Cortland Academy at Homer and prepared himself for a teacher, an occupation which he followed from 1848 for twenty- three terms, and then entered the service of the well known school book publishing house of A. S. Barnes and Burr, and later with Taintor Bros. and Company. His field was mainly the New England and Middle States. Mr. Knapp has been closely identified with the Public Library in Skan- eateles, his place of residence since 1870, and donated to that institution a geological collection. In 1884 he was elected School Commissioner, and was re-elected in 1887, but declined the nomination for a third term, three years later. The honorary degree of Master of Arts was con- ferred upon him by Colgate University in 1887. He was elected President of the Village of Skaneateles in 1892, but, after having served in that capacity about six months, resigned on account of ill health. He married in 1857 Miss Loretta E. Wilson of Skaneateles, where they now reside. Mr. Knapp has been an ardent Republican since the organ- ization of that party, and takes a lively interest in State and National questions, and in all local matters which affect the community in which he resides. He has a well stored mind on scientific subjects, and particularly in matters relating to local geology. He has spent much time and research in the prosecution of the latter study, and in refer- ence to it his knowledge and opinions are deemed of great value.
HON. MARTIN AUGUSTUS KNAPP.
Hon. Martin Augustus Knapp, son of Justus N. and Polly P. (McKay) Knapp, was born in Cold Brook in this town, and educated in Homer and Cazenovia Academies,
ยท
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and the Wesleyan University at Middletown, Connecticut. After his graduation and the completion of his college course, he entered the law office of Oliver Porter, Esq., at Homer, N. Y., as a student, and afterwards accepted a clerkship in the law office of Hall and Chamberlin in Syra- cuse, N. Y., where he remained until he was admitted to the Bar of the State of New York in the year 18 -. Soon after Mr. Knapp was admitted to the Bar the latter firm was dissolved, and by the retirement of the senior member, and a new one organized, of which he was the junior and Mr. Chamberlin the senior member; the latter firm con- tinued for several years, doing a prosperous business, when Mr. Knapp withdrew, and for seven or eight years continued in business alone. The new firm of Knapp, Nottingham and Andrews was then formed and has continued without interrupation and with signal prosperity to the present day.
During Mr. Knapp's business career in Syracuse, he has been City Attorney for one or two terms, has been School Commissioner of the Ward in which he resided, has once been a candidate for Mayor on the Republican ticket, but defeated, and is now Interstate Commissioner, by appointment under the General Government, an office which he has held for upwards of eight or ten years.
Mr. Knapp possesses all the elements of busienss success, being a fine scholar, a good lawyer, a fluent speaker, affable in manner, and possessed of great industry and unexcep- tionable habits. He was united in marriage, many years ago, with Marion H. Hotchkiss, of Middletown, Conn., whose acquaintance he made when attending the University at that place, but by her has had no issue.
DR. JONATHAN KNEELAND.
On the occsion of Dr. Jonathan Kneeland (son of Warren) attaining his 50th year in the Onondaga Medical Society, at a banquet held in the City of Syracuse, Dr. H. D. Didama of Syracuse, N. Y., in speaking of the guest of honor, said : " Dr. Jonathan Kneeland was born February 20, 1812, in a log cabin in Marcellus Township, between Skaneateles and Otisco Lakes. His father, Warren Kneeland, was an accomplished Yankee Schoolmaster, who taught in district schools for 30 years in Saratoga and Onondaga Counties- training, in 1798-9, the twigs which grew into sturdy trees
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on Pompey Hill. When but eleven years of age he (Jona- than) was apprenticed to learn the art of healing to Jere- miah Bumbus Whiting of Sempronius. Bumbus was a college graduate, and agreed to reward Kneeland for faithful services in ten years, with a horse and saddle-bags. This delightful experience and prospect was rudely ended, by the relapse of the learned Whiting to his old but relinquished habit of quaffing the flowing bowl. Jonathan returned to his father's log house, left home without leave when but fifteen years old, attended district, select, and academic schools, and taught for two winters at the encouraging remuneration of $10 and $18 per month. After this he went to Lane Seminary, where he taught for a while, and then entered the Collegiate Department a year in advance, under the old Presidency of Dr. Lyman Beecher. Prepar- ing about this time to go as a medical missionary to Persia, China, or Burmah, he attended medical lectures at the Ohio Medical College. This was in 1832, the year when the great epidemic of Asiatic Cholera devastated the country. Jona- than was sent to Cincinnati to study the disease, and came back to care for his fellow students at Lane Seminary, working day and night without undressing, and witnessing the death of ten of his associates. Then he was attacked himself by the dire disease, and under the eminent treatment of the learned Doctors Eberle and Drake, he became an altered man, his shrinking nature manifesting itself to such an extent, that his weight came down from 140 to 71 pounds. The doctor was brought home to Marcellus, a distance of nine hundred miles, to die. For nine long years he was an invalid. His intellect during all this time, and ever after, remained clear and unclouded. He regained health, and with four relapses, has exercised delightfully ever since his faculty of fluent speech. In 1841 he gave up his life plans to the practice of medicine in his native land. He open an office in Vesper, then removed to Thorn Hill, where he remained twelve years.
" Dr. Kneeland has received the honorary degree of M. D. from the Regents of the University of New York,, and also from the Ohio Medical College. These were con- ferred for well known merit, and were unsought by the deserving doctor. Dr. Kneeland faithfully attended at the various county, State and National Medical Societies to
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which he belonged. He was a delegate to the State Medical Society for four years, and an active member for twenty years, serving many times as censor. He has been for thirty-five years a member of the American Medical Asso- ciation. Bright, witty, humorous, learned and instructive, he has often awakened a dull and prosy meeting into one of vigorous activity. He has written many papers on various diseases and medical subjects. He held the office of Coroner eighteen years, Superintendent of Onondaga Indians twenty-five years, and for ten years was their physician. He has many friends. He has observed strictly the golden rule, and is generally loved for his affectionate disposition.
" Dr. Kneeland married Mariam Dwelle, February 7, 1845, and to whom were born three children: Frank Joel, born December 10, 1845, married Etta Edwards at White- hall, Wisconsin, December 5, 1883, died October 15, 1898; Martin Dwelle, born September 24, 1848, married Sarah A. Lord, and resides at Roxbury, Mass .; and Stella, born February 20, 1854, graduated at Holyoke Seminary, teacher in Syracuse High School five years, married Fred- erick Colburn Eddy, Cashier of the Bank of Syracuse, and resides at Syracuse, N. Y."
Dr. Kneeland died and was buried at South Onondaga, N. Y., where he had been physician and surgeon for many years.
COLONEL WILLIAM W. LEGG.
The following is an abstract from a published obituary notice, appearing in the public press at the time of his decease :
" Col. William W. Legg died at the residence of his son- in-law, William H. Bass, near Borodino, on Sunday last, in the 79th year of his age. He was born in Spafford, February 18, 1814, and continued to reside in his native town until his decease. He married Minerva A. Prindle, daughter of Hon. Joseph Prindle, formerly of this town, with whom he lived in happy marital relations for over fifty years, her death preceding his own by about four years. In politics he was originally a Whig, and subsequently accepted the nomination of Sheriff on the Know-Nothing Ticket, but on the breaking out of the Civil War joined the
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