The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 110

Author: Haddock, John A., b. 1823-
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Albany, N. Y., Weed-Parsons printing company
Number of Pages: 1098

USA > New York > Jefferson County > The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894 > Part 110

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JAMES STEWART was one of the early set- tlers of the town of Champion. His chil- dren are: Rachel (Mrs. Dr. Eli West, of Carthage, deceased); Thomas, who married Lydia Sillick, of Champion; Alfred, who never married ; Orson, who married Sophro- nia M. Clark, of Martin street, deceased ; Sarah (Mrs. Ira Paddock), deceased, and Ab- ner C., who married Clara McNeil, of Great Bend. Abner was born in 1821, and enlisted in August, 1862, serving in Co. C, 35th N. Y. Vol. Infantry. He was injured while going up the banks of Antietam Creek, on the way to the battle ground of Antietam, from the effects of which he has never recovered. He was discharged in 1863. Orson has been a life-long resident of the town of Champion, and now lives at Great Bend, at the age of 86 years. He has been considered good author- ity for years concerning historical facts and data.

EDSON SANDERS, son of Joseph, was born in Champion in 1807, but spent the most of his life in Wilna. He married Phoebe Ivory, and engaged in farming. He was in mer- cantile pursuits for 25 years, and served as assessor for several years. He had four children. His son, Roselle, was born in Wilna, April 27, 1840. He enlisted August 11, 1862, in Company D, 10th N. Y. Heavy Artillery, and served until February 28, 1865. He was wounded in the right leg by a shell, in front of Petersburg, and again July 8, 1864, in the right ankle, from which he has since been disabled, and now draws a pension. He married, first, Louisa, daughter of William Lamb, of Wilna, by whom he had one son. He married, second, Sarah A., daughter of Joseph Hewitt, of Denmark, who died September 12, 1887. Roselle re- sides in West Carthage.

JACOB McNEIL was born in Saratoga county. He was the son of Archibald Mc- Neil, a teacher, and a highly-educated man. Jacob married Clara Scofield, of LeRay, and they raised 13 children, four of whom are now living. Mrs. Jacob McNeil died in 1859, in Champion, aged 70 years. Jacob was a farmer, and was drowned in Black river, between Great Bend and Carthage, in 1845.

JOSEPH PADDOCK was born in Dutchess county in 1771, and came to Champion in 1804. He married Diana Basley, and they had seven children. Ira F., their son, was born in the town of Champion in 1814. He resided in Watertown 17 years, and kept a grocery store and a candy manufactory in the basement of Clark Wilson's store. For the past 25 years he has lived in Great

Bend, and was for several years a com- mercial traveller. In 1839 he married Sarah, daughter of James and Mary Stewart. She died in 1867, aged 63 years. Ira married the second time, Mary M. Main, of North Wilna. At the age of 80, Ira Paddock is an unusually intelligent man, reading the small- est print without glasses. He is one of the trustees of the Baptist Church.

VOLNEY WOOLWORTH, son of Chauncey Woolworth, was born in Denmark, Lewis county, in 1812. He married Betsey, daugh- ter of Levi Moore, of Denmark, and in 1849 settled in Champion Huddle. He was a farmer and dealer in live stock, and well known throughout the county. He had four children: George G., John I. (hoth de- ceased), Seymour A. and Elijah M., of Champion. John married Helen S. Arthur, who survives him, and resides in Water- town. They have been blessed with four children, two of whom are deceased. John served as sergeant in Company I, 94th N. Y. Infantry. He died in Champion in' 1887, aged 48 years. Elijah served in Company H, 186th Regt. N. Y. Volunteer Infantry. Seymour married Martha J., daughter of Col. Elias and Emily Sage, of Champion. He is an extensive farmer, with three daughters. George had six daughters, four of whom are married, and reside in the city of Watertown.

PHILIP HULL, son of William, was born in Norfolk, England, in 1829. He came to this country with his grandfather, William, in 1848, who settled in Oneida county, where he resided until his death. In 1852 Philip married Lucia L. Crosby, of Swan Creek, Ohio, and in 1866 located in the town of Rut- land, and later in the town of Champion. In 1883 he became a resident of West Car- thage, where he now resides. His children are William P., Ella M., who died young ; George E., a physician, who died in Cham- pion, in 1884, aged 25 years ; Fred R., who died in 1882, aged 20 years, and Charles J., who graduated from the Eclectic College, in New York City, in 1881, and is now a prac- ticing physician in West Carthage.

HON. GEORGE E. SPENCER, for two terms United Stater Senator from Alabama, was born in Champion in 1836. He was the son of Dr. Gordon Spencer, a distinguished phy- sician and surgeon, long an active practi- tioner in Champion. He attended a medical college at Des Moines, Iowa, expecting to be- come a physician, like his father. But he was a natural born politician, and in that sphere all his future was to be cast. He was admitted to the bar after acting acting as secretary of the Iowa Senate in 1856. Hav- ing been instrumental in organizing a regi- ment for the Union army, he finally located in Alabama and became one of its most dis- tinguished citizens. This was during the re- construction era, and he was classed among the "carpet-baggers," an imputation he did not for a moment deserve, for he was an able and patriotic citizen and worked zealously

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for the interests of his adopted State. When Alabama concluded to return to its ante-bel- lum traditions and be represented by a pro- slavery Democrat, General Spencer's work was done in that State, and he removed to the mining region of Nevada, where he was extensively and favorably known. While on a visit to the city of Washington, he was stricken down with a fatal illness, dying in 1893. He left a wife and one son.

DANIEL C. CROOK was born in Oneida county and came to Champion in the early settlement of that town, and engaged in farming. He married Polly Gates, of Ant- werp. His sons, Clark, Horace, Ambrose and Reed R., settled in Champion. Reed Crook has kept the hotel at Champion vil- lage for the most of the time during the past 20 years. He kept the large white hotel which stood opposite the Levis House in Carthage, and had just sold it when it was destroyed by fire. Reed Crook married Mary S., daughter of Orlo and Phoebe (Hubbard) Kilborn, of Champion. Mr. Reed Crook at one time kept the Harris House in Water- town.

SILAS FREEMAN was born in Connecticut, in 1806, and came to Champion when but three years of age. He was married to Nancy Colton, of Gouverneur, and their children are : George C., Silas A., Frances M., who married Rev. William Graves, of the town of Watertown, and William P., who resides on the homestead near Champion village. He is an intelligent farmer and lecturer of the Champion Grange. He takes an interest in politics, and his opinions in the newspapers on the issues of the day have been read with interest. He married Miss Lela Miller, of Albany county.

EZRA SAYRE was born in Essex county, New Jersey, in 1781. He married Elizabeth Ball, in 1806, and the same year moved to LeRay. In 1818 he settled about one mile east of Champion Huddle, and engaged in farming and the manufacturing of lime. His wife died in 1824. He moved to New- ark, N. J., where he died in 1874, aged 66 years. His son, George Randolph, who was born in 1811, was the only child who re- mained in Champion, and succeeded his father in the lime business. George married Sarah Jane, daughter of William Rockwood, of Champion, and four children were born to them, two of whom survive: Miss Ellen, the solace of her invalid mother, and George Randolph Sayre, Jr., of Elizabeth, N. J. George Randolph, Sr., died August 22, 1888, aged 77 years. He was a member of the M. E. Church of Champion for over 40 years, and was a respected citizen.

MRS. RACHEL LOOMIS was spoken of for many years as the oldest resident of the town of Champion. She was the widow of Otis Loomis, an early settler, and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Asa Harris, who were originally from Connecticut, and resided on the road be- tween Champion and Watertown. Asa Harris died in 1834 and his wife in 1848.

Mrs. Rachel Loomis had many happy re- unions of her birthday ; when 93, there were present at the celebration 62 children, grand- children and great grandchildren. She died in the autumn of 1889, at the advanced age of 95 years. The last years of her life she resided with her son, Sylvester Loomis, in the town of Champion.

SOLOMON HOPKINS was born February 17, 1778. He came from South Kensington, R. I., to Champion in 1803, and located on the farm on Martin Street, afterward owned and occupied by his son, Joel R. He took up a tract of 50 acres, to which he added by pur- chase. He was an upright and well-known citizen, was school commissioner several terms, and also assessor and highway com- missioner His second wife was Levina, sister of Capt. J. P. Rice, by whom he had eight children, five sons and three daughters, two of whom are living, viz : Hiram B. and David W., who reside in Rundells, Pa. Joel R. was born on the Martin Street farm April 9, 1819, where he died July 4, 1892. He married, first, Harriet C., daughter of Oren Brown, who died in 1851. He married, second, Prudence H., daughter of Peter Swinburne, of Denmark, N. Y., by whom he had four children, viz : J. S. D, a law- yer, who is engaged in mining in Colorado;

J. S., a physician in New York city ; J. L., also a physician in New York city, and J. L. (Mrs. W. S. McCollester), of Carthage, N. Y. Mr. Hopkins was a school teacher in his younger days, but spent a greater part of his life time in farming. He was for many years a deacon in the First Baptist Church of Carthage.

MERRITT SMITH is a school trustee, and a respected citizen of Champion, He is the son of Lyman and Clarinda Smith, who came to Champion from Woodbridge, Conn., pre- vious to 1812, and was called out to stand guard against the dreaded approach of the Indians, who were expected from the direc- tion of Great Bend. He was a carpenter by trade, and had seven children: Noyes, Nancy (Mrs. Levi Kibby, of Connecticut); Dorothy (Mrs. George Woodruff, brother of Gilbert Woodruff); Betsey (Mrs. George Burr, of Watertown, who died in Texas); Jenette, who died at the age of 18, and Merritt, the subject of this sketch. He married Almeda M., daughter of Peter Ferguson, of LeRay. They have buried three children.

LEROY WOOD, one of the pioneers of the town of Champion, was born in Herkimer county in 1811, and lived on Martin street for 30 years. His life was one of integrity and strict frugality and honesty. He mar- ried Ann Eliza, daughter of James Mix, of Champion. He died November 23, 1830, and left two children, Miss May and William Wood.

ALONZO SHEDD is the postmaster at Champion village, and also keeps a general store. He was a soldier in the late war, serving three terms in the 10th N. Y. Heavy

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Artillery. He is one of nine children, and came to Champion when but 10 years of age. His parents, Simon and Roxanna (Wood) Shedd, came from Connecticut to this State about 1806, and settled in the town of Orleans, and later in the town of Champion. Alonzo married Helen Ellis, who died in 1887. Their children were: Charles C., Mabel M. and Aroline. He again married Amy C., widow of Walter Smith, who left her with four children.

CAPT. JOEL P. RICE was born in Green- field, Mass., February 11, 1781, and died in Champion, May 7, 1876. When 21 he drove four oxen for his uncle Enos, from Greenfield to Champion in 20 days, stopping twice to re-shoe his sled. He was guided by marked trees from Lowville, and drove the first team ever driven on Martin street. He purchased soon after of his uncle, 83} acres of land, and raised a crop of potatoes. In 1807 he mar- ried Elizabeth Crowner. He served in the War of 1812, and was at the battle of Sackets Harbor. He was a member of the M. E. Church, and held several town offices.

JAMES MIX, one of the pioneer settlers of the town of Champion, was born in Walling- ford, Conn .. August 24, 1797. His parents were Joel and Eleanor (Merriam) Mix. James was the fourth child of a family of 10 chil- dren. Mrs. Sally Cutler, who resides on Martin street, is the only surviving member. Joel came from Connecticut to the Black River country as a surveyor, proceeding down the river on a raft, and nearly lost his life by drowning. He built a log house on the site of the William Coburn house in

West Carthage, where Laura Mix, the first white child was born soon afterward. Being a carpenter, he also erected the first frame house in the town, on the Taskett farm, which has been recently taken down. Farm- ing was his principal occupation. In early life he was a Whig, but afterward an ardent Democrat. He was a member of the Con- gregational Church of Champion. Joel died in Champion, January 28, 1813. James Mix married a granddaughter of Captain Martin, after whom Martin street was named. She died October 31, 1825. His second wife was Eliza, daughter of Asher Wilmot, who died March 4, 1847, leaving a family of four chil- dren : Mrs. LeRoy Wood, of Martin street; Mrs. Melvin Rice and Harrison Mix, of West Carthage, and Mrs. Edward Smith, of LeRay, who adopted 10 poor and friendless children. They constituted a most happy family, and truly called her "blessed." She died in 1886, and the scene at her funeral was most touching. This pioneer Mix family has always been highly respected. James kept for years a diary, which became of value to the historical student.

JOEL MANCHESTER has left many lasting monuments to his skillful workmanship in Carthage and the immediate vicinity. The old and substantial McCollum block, the foundation of which is built on the native rock, he built in company with Edward Met-

calf, another experienced stone mason. They also laid the foundation of the Gallagher block. The old land office of Patrick Somerville Stewart, and several private resi- dences, and the locks of the Black River canal show the work of his hands. Previous to coming to Jefferson county, Mr. Man- chester worked on the State capitol at Mont- pelier, Vt. He was born in Caledonia county, Vt., in 1803, and married, in 1837, Sarah Gerry, the daughter of Ephriam Gerry, descendant of Elbridge Gerry, one of the signers of the Declaration of Indepen- dence. Immediately afterward they came to Champion, and built a frame house at the Huddle, and, in 1848, the residence now occupied by Orrin Phillips, at the head of the Draper hill in Champion, where he died October 1, 1889. They reared two children, Immogene (Mrs. Harrison Mix), and Julia I. (Mrs. Orrin Phillips). The latter have two daughters and one son. Mrs. Manchester died in 1889.

PRESERVED PIERCE, the son of Nathaniel Pierce, one of the earliest settlers of the town of Rutland, was born January 14, 1798, in Halifax, Vt. In 1825 he married Lina Ran- dall, of Lorraine, and settled in Rutland Hollow, where he resided until he came to Champion, in 1839. He served in the War of 1812. His children are: Benjamin (who died in 1859); Cordelia (wife of Hubbard Whitney, of Chicago); Obed (who married Althea Babcock, of Champion, and resides in Champion village); and Nancy (Mrs. Judson Case, of Champion). The children of Obed Pierce are: Albert (who married Jennie Byrne, of New York, September 17, 1884), and Lina Pierce, who resides at home.

MERRILL COBURN was born in New Hampshire in 1792, and came to Jefferson county in 1816, and was married the follow- ing year. In 1822 he engaged in wool-card- ing and cloth manufacturing at Felts Mills, where he was justice of the peace for many years. He was also extensively interested in the lumber trade, and successful, as he was in everything he undertook. He was one of the first directors of the Union Bank of Watertown, and at one time its president, and a director of the Jefferson County Bank for 16 years. In 1851 he was a member of the Assembly. He was a just, respected and accommodating neighbor and citizen. He died in August, 1871. His children are: Mrs. Charles Follensbe, of Chicago; Mrs. Clancy, also of Chicago, and William Coburn, late of Carthage.

WILLIAM M. COBURN, son of Merrill Coburn, was born at Felts Mills, January 26, 1825. On reaching manhood he became a partner with his father in the lumber busi- uess at Felts Mills and at Huntingtonville. In 1860 he moved to Carthage, and owned and managed a saw mill in West Carthage, which was afterwards swept away by high water. He was a director in the Carthage & Watertown Railroad ; a director of the Jeffer- son County National Bank, and also in the

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National Union Bank, Mr. Coburn was eminently public spirited, and always an enterprising citizen. His first wife was Mary Middleton, who died before he took up his residence in Carthage. Mr. Coburn died in 1876. Mrs. Harriet Coburn, his widow, married Dr. Frank Bruce, a respected phy- sician of Carthage, William Coburn's chil- dren are as follows: Fred W., a member of the firm of J. Rogers & Co .; and a director of the Carthage National Bank; John, a hookkeeper in the same store; Arthur, of Michigan; Marcia (Mrs. C. E. Follensbe, of Chicago), aud Mabel (Mrs. Dr. Lord, of Carthage.)

WILLIAM HUTCHINSON was born in Ham- mond, St. Lawrence county, New York, in 1828. He attended the common schools of that period, academic education being much harder to obtain then than now. In 1838 he came to Natural Bridge, where he learned to he a miller. Remaining there six years, he removed to Watertown, finding employment in the Checkered mill. There he remained a year, removing thence to Copenhagen, where he was in charge for six years. At Deer River he purchased the first grist-mill he ever owned, and there he remained five years. Then he purchased the Carthage mills from Noyes Tuttle, in West Carthage, and has been in the milling business at Carthage continuously for 34 years. For the past 22 years Mr. William Clark, or his son, C. J. Clark, has been in business with Mr. Hutch- inson in the milling business. Mr. Hutchin- son has been twice married. He has raised three children, and is a resident of West Carthage. He is respected for his business integrity and personal worth-a hard worker and a shrewd manager.

JEROME STEVENS, for several years a well- known resident of West Carthage, was the son of Norman and Sophia (Patten) Stevens, and was born in LeRay, February 2, 1826. He came to Wilna in 1849, and for 15 years con- ducted a grist-mill at Wood's Mills. He married Laura, daughter of Jonathan and Betsey (Davidson) Wood. Their only daugh- ter, Rosalia, died in April, 1876, aged 25 years. For nearly six years she was precep- tress of the Carthage Union Free School. After Mr. Stevens removed to Champion he was overseer of the poor and a prominent member of the M. E. Church at Carthage. He died in January, 1892, much respected as an honorable, intelligent and conscientious citizen. His widow survives him, residing at West Carthage.

WILLIAM JASON BENTLEY was the son of William Bentley, Jr., and Abiah Bakeman, who were born in Montgomery (now Fulton) county, New York. Their ancestry came from Rhode Island. William J. was born in Montgomery county, April 2, 1811. Losing both his parents when an infant, he was given over to the care of his grand parents, who raised him. He had the benefit of the common schools of that era, working upon his grand parents' farm until his marriage

in 1831, to Lavina Hopkins, when he estab- lished himself at the head of his grand- father's establishment, and thenceforward he began his course as a successful farmer. He has been supervisor of Champion. and has held all the offices in that town. Now in his 83rd year, he is remarkably well preserved, his mind as bright as when 50, and bears his years with a courage that is almost sublime. He is probably one of the oldest persons in West Carthage.

RICHARD GIBBS was born in West Farn- ham, Lower Canada, in 1834; he came to this State in 1860, and settled in Deer River in 1879, where he built his present residence. He is the son of Hiram Gibbs, who died in California in 1857, and grandson of Isaac Gibbs, who was a Revolutionary soldier and participated in the battle of Saratoga. Six brothers served under Washington and La- Fayette. Richard Gibbs has been one of the leading business men of West Carthage for several years. He had a new shop nearly completed and ready for the machinery when the great fire of 1884 occurred. After being burned out, he again built on the site of the William Coburn grist-mill, in West Carthage, where the business is conducted by his son, Scott M. Gibbs, in manufacturing doors, blinds, mouldings, etc. He is also a heavy contractor and builder.

ROBERT WILSON was born in England, coming to America when a young man, and settled in the town of Vernon, Oneida county. He married Harriet King, who came from England but a short time previously. They had five children, James J., Lucy M., Ma- tilda, Robert W. and Esther E, The two younger are deceased. James J. came to Jefferson county in 1874, settling near Car- thage, and in 1879 married Miss Camillia M. Passenger, daughter of James Passenger, a prosperous farmer of Wilna. Mr. Wilson has two children, Robert E. and Carrie. Mr. Wilson is proprietor of a blacksmith shop in West Carthage, and is an upright, industrious young man, now in the prime of life, and of the sort from which our best citizens are made. His brother Robert served in the late civil war, was taken prisoner and died in prison.

HENRY G POTTER, for many years a well- known and highly respected citizen of West Carthage, was born in Norway, Herkimer county, May 13, 1803, and was united in marriage February 17, 1833, to Thankful E., daughter of Nathan and Anna Potter, of Gloversville, N. Y. Soon after he came to Great Bend, where he kept a hotel for seven years : also a store, a grist-mill, a plow manufactory and a cheese-box factory dur- ing the 20 years he was closely identified with the business interests of that village. His wife died, leaving six children, Amelia M., widow of Edward Woodard, of Evans Mills; James G., of West Carthage; Wil- liam H., of Chicago; Harriet C. (deceased); Emily T., of Evans Mills, and Mary R. (de- ceased). Henry G. Potter was married the

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second time May 29, 1849, to Susan C., daughter of Hannah and James Smith, of Carthage, and their family is as follows : Fannie S., wife of Jay A. Loomis ; Eva S., wife of Fred A. Southwick, of Carthage ; Fred A., who died at Whitesboro, aged 33 years, (after commencing a successful pas- torate of the First Baptist Church of that place), and George W., a resident of Clayton, N. Y. Mr. Potter died September 21, 1882, aged 79 years, and his widow survives him, and is still a resident of Carthage.

JOHN A. POTTER, for many years the only merchant in West Carthage, was born in Fairfield, Herkimer county, September 7, 1811. He was married February 22, 1842, to Miss Betsey Haze, of Champion, who died July 29, 1849. Their children were Daniel J. and Henry C., both of whom served in the late war. The latter lost an arm and died. Daniel died in Orange, N. J., in 1875, aged 31 years. John A. was again married to Miss Mary Green, of Car- thage, who still survives him, a resident of Syracuse. Their family are: Almira R., wife of H. H. Mills, now of Syracuse, and Sarah A., of Syracuse. George L. Potter, a son of Daniel J., has resided, since a small child, with his grand parents, and has been for several years a trusted employe of the Electric Light Company, of Carthage, and is the champion bicycle rider of Northern New York. John A. Potter died December 8, 1884.

NELSON RULISON was a widely known and respected citizen of Carthage. His birth- place was Florida, Montgomery county, whence he came to Jefferson county in 1819. For several years he taught school in Alex- andria and LeRay, and in 1837 came to Car- thage, being in the employ of LeRay de Chaumont, which position he held for more than a quarter of a century. For a time he was employed by the State in charge of the work upon the canal, and for a long time was United States assessor. He also repre- sented his town for several terms as its supervisor. His marriage with Sophia Van Antwerp took place in 1830, and four sons and one daughter were born to them. One son, Rev. N. Somerville Rulison, is a dis- tinguished clergyman of the Episcopal Church, and another son, Winchell D. V. Rulison, was for many years the trusted clerk in the county clerk's office, at Water- town. Nelson Rulison united with the M. E. Church in 1824, and held most of the offices of responsibility in the church of his choice. His death, in 1876, left a place in the community long to be remembered. With Christian fortitude he looked forward to a blessed immortality.

FRANK C. KNEPLER is of French descent, born in the Province of Lorraine, France, in 1857. He is the son of Peter and Anna (Nicholas) Knepler. His father was a cabinet-maker, and Frank learned the same trade. He came to America in 1880, and married Miss Emma Hanno, of New Bremen,

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The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 110

Author: Haddock, John A., b. 1823- Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Albany, N. Y., Weed-Parsons printing company Number of Pages: 1098

Author: Haddock, John A., b. 1823-
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Albany, N. Y., Weed-Parsons printing company
Number of Pages: 1098