Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 248

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 2390

USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 248
USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 248
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 248
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 248

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Arunah Tiffany, son of Noah Tiffany, and the father of Hon. George B. Tiffany, of Gibson, was born Augut 8, 1785, in Attleboro, Mass., and came to what is now Gibson township, Susquehanna county, in 1806, settling on the highest point of "Kentuck" hill, a locality that is said to have taken its name from an incident occurring in the early settlement of the country. As related, an old Ken- tucky hunter came through the western part of Gibson township, and, being struck with the beau- tiful country, said it was "equal to old Kentuck." No one visiting this locality can fail to admire the scenery, so varied and pleasing, and the rich lands which make this section not unworthy its frequent designation-"the garden of the county." All the prominent points of neighboring townships are re- vealed with the distinctness peculiar to a clear atmos- phere. The slopes furnish unsurpassed grazing, as the butter of the township well attests. The farm- houses, with the grounds around them, evince to the passer-by the taste and wealth of the present in- habitants. After a trip, in 1870, through Gibson and Jackson townships, a party thus wrote of them : "They are devoted mainly to dairying. We judge from what we learned during our trip that Gibson sold fully one hundred thousand dollars worth of butter last year, and that Jackson, did about the same. The farmers are thrifty and rapidly accu- mulating wealth. We saw many fine herds of cat- tle, and not one unstabled or poorly cared for." As stated, here on the highest point of "Kentuck" hill Arunah Tiffany settled in 1806, and here amid productive orchards and gardens he remained- with the exception of two years, in about 1818 and 1819, passed in Brooklyn-throughout his long life, which closed in 1863, when he was aged seventy- eight years; and here, too, has dwelt and still re- sides his son, Hon. George B. Tiffany.

On October 1, 1809, Arunah Tiffany married Lucy Follett, born August 29, 1791, daughter of

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Robert Follett, Mr. Follett being one of the "Nine Partners" who, in February, 1792, with his wife and daughter Lucy, accompanied Hosea Tiffany and family to the settlement previously made in what is now Susquehanna county, all traveling by ox-teams; the women were the first white women in that section. Walter Follett, one of the sons of Robert Follett, became coroner of the county in 1836 and sheriff in 1839. In looking over the records of the Harford Congregational Church, which was organized in 1800, we see the names of Lucy Follett and Arunah Tiffany. Lucy (Fol- lett ) Tiffany died May 6, 1836, and in 1841 Mr. Tiffany married Mrs. Clarissa (Lawrence) Bron- son, born in East Windsor, Conn., June 23, 1801, daughter of John and Clarissa ( Higley ) Lawrence, the former being a son of Hon. John Lawrence, who for many years was State treasurer of Con- necticut, and whose wife was formerly Miss Ann Burr. Arunah Tiffany's children were: (I) Ca- lista Caroline, born September 22, 1811, married, January 1, 1835, Ebenezer Leighton, of Franklin township, who died in Honesdale, Penn., May 24, 1847. She then married, November 21, 1848, Frederick Lines, who died at Great Bend in 1888. She died January 23, 1892. (2) Ferdinand Bal- comb, born February 8, 1815, married, July 4, 1840, Chloe H. Dibble, and died August 3, 1840. (3) One died in infancy. (4) Loring Olney, born Oc- tober 11, 1819, married, November 18, 1845, Har- riet N. Hyde, daughter of Rev. Eli Hyde ; she. died in 1847, and on May 28, 1850, he married Susan C. Gregg, of Orange county, N. Y., who died in Harford township, June 17, 1878. On October. 2. 1879, he married Martha Jane Goodman, of Orange county, N. Y., and they live in Thompson town- ship, Susquehanna county. (5) Harriet Newell, born May 29, 1829, married, February 26, 1856. Ambrose F. Brundage, who died May 2, 1896. (6) Newell Schuyler, born November 3, 1833, died January 14, 1852. (7) George B. is referred to farther on.

HON. GEORGE B. TIFFANY, son of the late Arunah Tiffany, and a colleague of Hon. James W. Adams in the State Legislature from Susquehanna county, is one of the substantial men and farmers of this section. He was born June 14, 1842, on his father's farm on "Kentuck" hill, amid the beau- tiful country pictured above, where he was reared and passed his life in agricultural pursuits. In 1863, on the invasion of Pennsylvania by the Con- federate forces, young Tiffany became a member of Company D (commanded by Capt. C. C. Hal- sey), 35th Regiment of Pennsylvania Militia, an emergency regiment that was mustered into the United States service July 2, 1863, and mustered out August 7 of the same year. Mr. Tiffany has ever taken a deep interest in military matters, and is now the colonel commanding the Eastern Bat- talion of the County Veteran Association. He has been a member of Post No. 452, G. A. R., at South Gibson, since its organization, and is at this time

past commander. Mr. Tiffany has held various local offices of trust and responsibility in Gibson, and in 1898 was one of the nominees of the Repub- lican party for representative in the State Legis- lature, to which office he was elected in November of that year. Of the candidacy of Mr. Tiffany and colleague one of the Montrose papers said : "Adams and Tiffany are honest men, who will support such legislation as they believe to be for the good of the people. No corruption or jobbery will ever be ap- proved by the vote of Adams and Tiffany." Dur- ing the session of 1899 our subject served as sec- retary of the committee on Banks, and also as member of the committee on Agriculture-one of the most important committees of the House. He and his colleague, Mr. Adams, devoted all their energies to the passage of the Erie Bonus Bill, a bill in which Susquehanna county was deeply in- terested, and which finally passed the Legislature and was signed by Gov. Stone. At the Republican convention held at Montrose March 8, 1900, Mr. Tiffany was honored with nomination-by accla- mation-for a second term as legislator.

Mr. Tiffany is a man of the highest integrity, and has the esteem of his fellow citizens to a large degree. He is special correspondent and also statistical agent for the United States Bureau of Agriculture, and has been congratulated by the officials for the accuracy of his reports as to agri- cultural prospects. From a point just west of his beautiful home one can see, with the aid of a field glass, the Presbyterian Churches of Ararat and Harford, the Soldiers Orphans School buildings in Harford, and the Presbyterian Church of Gibson.

On January 7, 1874, Mr. Tiffany was married to Hattie Celinda, daughter of Lafayette and Har- riet (Payne) Wilmarth, natives of Susquehanna county, both now deceased. They were farming people. Capt. Oliver Payne, Mrs. Tiffany's mater- nal grandfather, was a native of Lebanon, Conn., and one of the early settlers of Gibson township, where he ended his days. Mrs. Tiffany has two brothers and two sisters: Walter W., a successful farmer of Harford township, Susquehanna coun- ty ; L. Duane, who has made his home in South Dakota and the West for the past twenty-nine years ; Maria, wife of Andrew J. Adams, of Har- ford; and Ella E., wife of Oscar G. Larrabee, of Susquehanna (he served through the Civil war, being a member of Rickett's Battery). Mrs. Tiffany is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Gibson, and Mr. Tiffany, though not a member, is one of its active workers and liberal supporters, having served as trustee for over twenty years.

EDRICK R. GELATT. The subject of this sketch is a successful agriculturist of Gibson town- ship, Susquehanna county, and a worthy represent- ative of one of the leading families of that section (of which a more complete account appears else- where). He was born in Gibson township, July II, 1860, the son of Richard W. Gelatt, a well-known

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resident of Gibson township, and grew to manhood at the old homestead. On leaving home at the age of twenty-one he rented a farm in Gibson township for a year, but the next two years were spent in as- sisting his father in his wagon works at Gelatt. He then purchased his present farm of one hundred acres from his father and turned his attention to general farming. As a good citizen Mr. Gelatt gives efficient aid to every worthy movement in his locality and he is a leading worker in the Baptist Church, holding the office of treasurer. He belongs to the I. O. O. F. and the local Grange, and in pol- itics is independent, with an inclination toward the Prohibition party. For three years he served as school director.

On March 29, 1883, Mr. Gelatt was married at New Milford to Miss Addie Foster, and they have had five children: Belle A., born April 11, 1884; May E., February 8, 1889; Myron E., July 27, 1891 ; Sue I., March 24, 1894 ; and Hugh G., July 6, 1897. Mrs. Gelatt, who is also of good pioneer stock, was born September 9, 1861, in Jackson township, Sus- quehanna county. Her paternal grandparents, Dan- iel and Betsey ( Miller) Foster, were natives of Ver- mont, but came to Susquehanna county in early life, and were married in Bridgewater township, where they settled upon a farm. Orin Foster, the father of Mrs. Gelatt, was born in Bridgewater township, March 25, 1833, and after many years of successful work as an agriculturist, he is living in retirement upon his farm in Jackson township, Sus- quehanna county, where he located in 1858. He was married in September, 1857, to Nancy Wash- burn, who was born May 5, 1838, in Herrick town- ship, Susquehanna county, the daughter of Dexter and Abby (Doughty) Washburn. Her father died in Jackson township and her mother in Lackawanna county. Of the three children of Orin and Nancy Foster, the eldest, Daniel D., married Miss Rena Foote, and resides at the homestead ; Addie E. is the wife of our subject; and Etta V. married Elbert I. Barnes, a farmer of Gibson township.

A. S. BAILEY, a leading farmer and dairy- man of Dimock township, Susquehanna Co., Penn., was born in Scott township, Lackawanna Co., this State, October 18, 1853, and is a son of Olney Bailey, who followed farming in the latter county and there cleared 160 acres of land, now known as the Scott poor farm. This he sold in 1862, and by trade came into possession of 120 acres in Dimock township, Susquehanna county, much of which was improved. Here he carried on the occupations of farming and dairying up to the time of his death. He departed this life in 1889, aged sixty-eight years, and his wife, who bore the maiden name of Susan Tinkham, died January 12, 1892, aged seventy. He was a Democrat in politics prior to the Civil war, in which struggle he participated for one year, and later sup- ported the Republican party.

During his childhood, A. S. Bailey came with

his parents to Susquehanna county, and was edu- cated in its common schools. After attaining his majority he worked fourteen and one-half years for Dr. W. F. Norris as foreman on his farm in Dimock, and also ran a threshing machine. In 1867 he purchased forty acres of land which he still owns, and in 1884 bought sixty acres, a part of which he has since sold, while the remainder contin- ues to be his home. He also owns a house and lot adjoining this property, and altogether in Dimock and Springville townships has 195 acres of land, mostly improved, and forty acres of wood land. With the exception of his home farm, he rents his land, which is operated on the shares. He is engaged in general farming, but makes a specialty of dairying, and has a fine herd of twenty-one cows for that purpose. He is an energetic and progres- sive business man and due success has not been de- nied him.

In Dimock township, in September, 1885, Mr. Bailey was united in marriage with Miss Mabel S. Tingley, a daughter of Alfred and Sophia ( Thayer) Tingley, who were married April 5, 1863. Her fa- ther spent his entire life in Dimock township, and followed the occupation of farming. He was born in 1844, was a soldier of the Rebellion, and died soon after his return home in 1864. The mother was born in 1843, and died in 1884. She was a daughter of William and Sarah (Tarbell) Thayer. Mrs. Bailey's paternal grandparents were Mason and Lydia (Frink) Tingley. William Thayer was born in New York State and is one of a family of eighteen children. He is now eighty-four years of age and makes his home with our subject. Mrs. Bailey was born February 24, 1864, and is the older of two children, the other being Jay T., who was born in June, 1865, and is a resident of Dimock township. By her marriage to our subject she has become the mother of two children: William, born August 18, 1891; and Lena, born July 19, 1896. The former is now attending school.

Since attaining his majority, Mr. Bailey has been a pronounced Republican in politics, has served on the election board several times, has been town- ship treasurer three years, and is now filling the office of school director for the first time. He at- tends Church and gives liberally to its support, and socially has been identified with the Independent Or- der of Odd Fellows at Montrose for twenty years, and also belongs to the Grange at Springville. As a man and citizen he is worthy the high regard in which he is uniformly held by all who know him.

SILAS HENRY MANZER, a farmer of Gib- son township, Susquehanna county, is a veteran of the Civil war, and as a citizen has shown himself thoroughly in sympathy with the various progres- sive movements of the time.

His ancestors were early settlers in New York State and the family has been identified with agri- cultural interests for several generations. John Man- zer, his great-grandfather, and Christopher Manzer,

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his grandfather, were farmers at Northampton, N. Y., and his father, John G. Manzer, who is now a res- ident of Gibson township, followed agriculture until his retirement in 1895. Christopher Manzer, our subject's grandfather, died at his house near North- ampton, N. Y., in 1868, aged seventy-eight years. His wife, Rachel Draught, who died in 1872, aged sixty-eight, was a daughter of John and Saloma Draught, of Northampton. Christopher Manzer and his wife had the following children: John G., our subject's father ; Catherine, who married Chap- man Gage, a farmer at Macedon, N. Y .; Sabrina, who married P. Austin, of West Burlington, N. Y., who lost an arm while serving in the army ; Albert, a farmer of Westford, N. Y .; Martha, wife of Mr. Ham, a carpenter at Garland, Kans .; Silas, de- ceased ; Edgar, deceased ; Lydia ; Harvey, a farmer, at Brisbon, N. Y .; and Nancy, who resides in Macedon, N. Y.

John G. Manzer was born September 28, 1822, at Northampton, N. Y., and came to Susquehanna county in 1872, locating in Gibson township, where he now resides at the age of seventy-seven years. As a citizen he is much respected and he has been elected to various local offices on the Republican ticket. For two years he was supervisor in Gib- son township, but resigned, and while residing in New York State he served two years as pathmaster. He was married first on January 27, 1842, at Oaks- ville, N. Y., to Matilda Bunn, daughter of John Bunn, of Otsego county, N. Y. She died in Bridge- port, N. Y., in December, 1855, and on November 4, 1857, he was married at Westford, N. Y., to Mary Black. On November 8, 1885, he was again mar- ried, this time to Mrs. Catherine Holden Clinton, the ceremony being performed at Orange, N. J. By his first marriage he had three children, viz .: S. Henry, our subject; William, a carpenter at Cooperstown, N. Y .; and Albert, deceased. By the second marriage there were four children, as fol- lows: Mariette married Alvey Allen, a farmer in Dimock township, Susquehanna county; Fred P., a farmer at Banner, Kans .; Emily, who married George Tompkins, of Dimock township; and George W., a farmer at South Montrose.

Our subject was born November 5, 1842, in Otsego Co., N. Y., and his youth passed without. notable incident. On October 6, 1861, he enlisted there in the 152nd N. Y. Vol. Inf., under Capt. Wall, for the term of three years. He was mustered into the service at Camp Schuyler, N. Y., and re- mained one year and ten months, typhoid fever and lung troubles disabling him. He was taken ill while stationed at Camp Marcy, and after six months in the regimental hospital was sent home on a sixty- days' furlough, and later was discharged. The next six months were spent at home, but he then located in Gibson township, Susquehanna county, and passed the first year under the doctor's care, and three years farming on the shares. He next purchased a farm on East Mountain, but this he

sold a year later and for two years he rented a farm at Smiley Hollow, and for seven years he owned and operated another farm in the township, before purchasing his present farm of one hundred and forty acres near Gelatt. In politics he is a Repub- lican, and he is prominently identified with the G. A. R., Myron French Post No. 512, and with the Baptist Church at Jackson, in which he has served as trustee.

On October 5, 1864, he was married, at Har- ford, to Miss Ophelia Howell, who was born in Gibson township, December 1, 1845, the daughter of Henry and Mahaley J. (Pickering) Howell, well known residents of that township. Five children have brightened our subject's home, viz .: William H., born July 12, 1865, married Catherine Thomas, and resides on a farm in Gibson township; Etta, born March 1, 1868, died at the age of one year, ten months and seventeen days; Ida B., born December 19, 1869, married Leslie Warner, a farmer in Ara- rat township, Susquehanna county ; Frankie E., born December 3, 1872, married Ransler Stone, a mer- chant at Gelatt; Lena E., born February 21, 1875, married Harvey Whitney, a farmer in Gibson town- ship

DAVID JAMES HILLIS, one of the success- ful and popular citizens of Rush township, Susque- hanna county, was born there, July 21, 1846, and is a son of David and Mary A. (Pepper) Hillis,. the former a native of County Monaghan, Ireland, the latter of Connecticut. At the age of sixteen. years the father came to America, accompanied by two cousins, Robert and John Hillis, and he locat- ed first in Herrick, Bradford Co., Penn. It was in Susquehanna county, however, that he married Mary A .. Pepper, who, when a child of five years,. had removed thither with her parents. She died January 16, 1877, aged sixty-four years and four months, and he passed away February 20, 1878, aged seventy years, the remains of both being in- terred in Rush township. They were active and consistent members of the Presbyterian Church, and their sterling worth and many excellencies of character gained for them the friendship and high regard of all with whom they came in contact. The father was a farmer by occupation, a Republican in politics, and for some time efficiently served as school director in his district. In the family were the following children: Mary A., who died young ; Elizabeth, now the widow of Edward Owen, of Pike township, Bradford Co., Penn .; Matilda, who died young ; John C., a farmer of Rush township ; Lucy, who married Albert Hitchcock, and died at the age of twenty-six years; George M., a farmer of Rush township; David J., our subject ; Ella, de- ceased wife of Joseph Morris, a merchant of New York City; and Emma, twin sister of Ella, who died in infancy.

At the age of fifteen years David J. Hillis re- moved with his parents to the farm in Rush town- ship that he now owns and occupies. He has made

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his home here continuously since, and until twenty- seven years of age aided in its cultivation. He then went upon the road, buying stock for the New York market, and was thus employed for ten years. After his marriage, however, he settled down upon the home farm, having four years previously pur- chased the interests of the other two heirs in the place. He is a most thorough and practical farmer, and has been remarkably successful in the opera- tion of his farm, which ranks among the best in the community, it being under a high state of cultiva- tion and well improved. In political sentiment he is a stanch Republican.

At Le Raysville, Bradford Co., Penn., Mr. Hillis was married, March II, 1883, to Miss Linnie Coleman, and they now have one daughter, Mary A., a very talented child, who was born May 10, 1887. As an elocutionist she early displayed re- markable ability, and at the age of six years began addressing public gatherings, reading at Sunday- school exhibitions, and meetings of the Grange, where she gave a humorous description of members of each of the political parties. She also recited the "Blue and Gray" before the old soldiers on Dec- oration Day, and has received most complimentary notices from the county papers on various occasions. She has an excellent voice, and is now taking elo- cution lessons.

Mrs. Hillis was born in Middletown township, Susquehanna county, May 19, 1855, daughter of Amos and Harriet ( McClure) Coleman, the former a native of the same county, the latter of Broome county, N. Y. They were married in Susquehanna county and for some years made their home in Mid- dletown township, where the father engaged in ag- ricultural pursuits until called from this life De- cember 19, 1885, at the age of seventy-two years, his remains being interred in a private burying- ground upon his farm. The mother, who was born November 7, 1825, still resides on the old home- stead. To them were born four children, namely: Oscar, who lives on the home farm; Augusta, de- ceased wife of Ransford Jones ; Linnie, wife of our subject ; and Morris, who also lives on the home farm. Mrs. Hillis' paternal grandparents, Darius and Sally (Lathrop) Coleman, were natives of Con- necticut and early settlers of Middletown township, Susquehanna county, where they made their home upon a farm until death. The maternal grandpar- ents, William and Lorinda McClure, were lifelong residents of New York, where the former owned and operated a farm and sawmill.

THOMAS MILLER, a representative and prominent citizen of Tobyhanna township, Monroe county, was born there May 7, 1855, and is able to trace his ancestry back for several generations, his great-grandfather being Frederick Miller. His grandfather, who also bore the name of Frederick Miller, came at an early day from Northampton county, Penn., to Monroe county, and took up his

residence in Jackson township, where he purchased land and engaged in lumbering and farming. Subse- quently he located in Tobyhanna township, being one of the first settlers in the northern portion of the county, and there he owned a large tract of land which he purchased at fifty cents per acre. He built the first sawmill in the township, and in con- nection with the manufacture of lumber he cleared some of his land and followed farming. As a Demo- crat he took quitean active interest in political affairs, served as school director in his district and in fact filled nearly all of the local offices. Both he and his wife were identified with the Reformed Church. In Jackson township, Monroe county, he married Miss Catherine Long, and to them were born the following children : Phineas, deceased; Hiram, who was a soldier of the Civil war and is now living in Iowa; Timothy, father of our subject ; Alexander, a resident of Easton, Penn .; Josiah, a resident of Wilkes Barre, Penn .; Sarah, deceased wife of Jacob Bonser, of Tobyhanna township, Monroe county ; Ann, widow of William Custard, of Tunkhannock township, Monroe county ; Margaret, deceased wife of John Knecht; and Emanuel, who was killed at the battle of Antietam during the Civil war. The mother of these children, Catherine (Long) Miller, was of English parentage but her father was drowned shortly before her birth, and from child- hood she was brought up in a German family.

Timothy Miller, our subject's father, was born in Jackson township, and passed his boyhood and youth in that and Tobyhanna townships, but had no opportunities for acquiring an education. In the latter township he married Miss Catherine Bonser, a native of Tunkhannock township, Monroe coun- ty, and a daughter of Peter Bonser, who was one of the pioneer farmers and lumbermen of that sec- tion of the county. In political sentiment Timothy Miller was a Democrat, and he was honored with an election to nearly all of the township offices. Re- ligiously he was a consistent member of the Re- formed Church, to which his wife also belongs. She is still living at Pocono Summit, Penn., but he passed away November 28, 1892. Of their children, the oldest daughter died in infancy unnamed; Thomas is the next in order of birth; Emanuel died at the age of twenty-one years ; Lucinda died in childhood ; Emma is the wife of Ephraim Hay, of Houser Mills, Monroe county ; Lewis is a resident of Tunkhannock township; Isaac and Frederick are both living in Pocono Summit; and Augusta is the wife of Pat- rick Foley, of Barrett township, Monroe county.

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Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 248

Author: Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 2390

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 2390