Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 264

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 264
USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 264
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 264
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 264

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Robert Gillespie, father of Mrs, Moss, was born June 26, 1822, in Crawford town, Orange Co., N. Y., and accompanied his parents to Sus- quehanna county in 1837. He remained at home until his marriage, when he purchased the farm, a tract of 100 acres, and after operating it for one and one-half years rented it to his brother Isaac. After spending two years at the home of his father- in-law, Rev. Jesse B. Worden, he returned to his own homestead, occupying same until March, 1884, when he sold it and removed to New Milford. For many years he was interested in the cattle busi- ness, being noted for excellent judgment as a dealer, and he has accumulated a handsome competence. He owns one farm, which he rents, but makes his home with our subject. In politics he is a Republi- can, and since 1891 he has been a member of the Presbyterian Church at New Milford. On October 16, 1845, Mr. Gillespie was married, in Jackson township, Susquehanna county, to Miss Martha E. Worden, by whom he has had three children, Har- riet Mary, Mrs. Moss, being the eldest; Theodore P. married Melissa L. Fish, October 7, 1874, and they have one child, Lucia May, born January 9, 1880; they reside in Binghamton, N. Y., where he is' employed as a clerk in a hardware store; Norton Worden died in infancy. Mrs. Gillespie was born January 1, 1822, in Marcellus, N. Y., a daughter of Rev. Jesse B. and Hannah ( Norton) Worden. Her father was born July 18, 1787, in Richmond, Wash- ington Co., R. I., and entered the ministry of the Baptist Church. He preached in Marcellus seven- teen years ; moved to Montrose, Susquehanna Co., Penn., and preached nine years ; and thence to Jack- son, Susquehanna county, where he lived until his

death, August 6, 1855. On December 26, 1813, he married Hannah Norton, who was born February 7, 1797, in Sangerfield, Oneida Co., N. Y., and died in Jackson, July 4, 1849. This worthy couple had five children.

WILLIAM B. BEAUMONT, M. D., who makes his home at West Auburn, Susquehanna county, enjoys an extensive general practice in that region, though he established himself there within the present decade. Dr. Beaumont is a native of the county, born February 4, 1865, at Ararat, son of Thomas and Adelia M. ( Peet) Beaumont.

Thomas Beaumont was born January 3, 1841, in England, and came thence to the United States in 1843 with his parents, John and Jane Beaumont, the former of whom was a woolen manufacturer by occupation. They located first at Montrose, Penn., where they made their home for several years, removing thence, in 1850, to Ararat town- ship, Susquehanna county, where they built a log cabin in the woods. For a number of years John Beaumont went back to Montrose and worked in the factory, while his wife stayed and cared for the children. In 1861 he rented H. B. Ingham's fac- tory, at Camptown, Bradford county, and ran it for five years, doing considerable manufacturing, and then, returning to Ararat, kept a grocery at the Summit, while the Jefferson Branch railroad was being built. At the time he was badly crippled with rheumatism, and he died in 1883. Mrs. Jane Beau- mont, now eighty years old, is living with her daugh- ter, Mrs. Amos Avery, near Ararat.

Thomas Beaumont married Adelia M. Peet, who was born February 4, 1846, in Bradford coun- ty, Penn., daughter of Thomas and Ada ( Baldwin) Peet, the former a native of England, the latter of Susquehanna county, Penn. Thomas Peet came to this country in 1829, when nine years old, with his father, Philip Peet, who was then a widower, and who had left his other child, George, in care of an aunt in England. This was the voyage of the famous shipwreck mentioned elsewhere, and it is said that during the shipwreck, when other passen- gers were greatly alarmed, this boy of nine years was sitting in the cabin quietly reading his Bible. His brother George remained in England twenty years, and on coming to this country settled in the same locality with Thomas, after which the brothers were never separated. Thomas Peet was a man of great force of character, and was respected by all who knew him. He lived first in Susquehanna county, later moving to Bradford county, where he made a permanent home, dying there in 1892; he was a farmer by vocation. His widow is still liv- ing in Bradford county. During the Civil war Thomas Beaumont was drafted, and served for nine months as a member of Company D, 17Ist P. V. I., being with the regiment at Suffolk, Va., Newbern, N. C., Mill Creek, White Oak River, Pollocksville, Blount's Creek, New Hope school house, Swift Creek Village, Little Washington and White House

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Landing. After his return from the army he took up farming, in 1866 settling in Bradford county, where he has ever since made his home. He has also been successful as an apiarist. His family con- sisted of three children, viz .: William B .; Frank, who died at the age of three years; and Mabel, wife of Martin Bramhall, a carpenter of Camptown, Pennsylvania.

William B. Beaumont remained on the home farm up to the age of seventeen years, receiving a good practical education in the schools of the home neighborhood. For five years he taught school during the winter months. Entering the Susque- hanna Collegiate Institute, at Towanda, in 1884, he graduated in the Latin-Scientific course, in 1887, having worked on the farm summers and taught one winter term meantime. In 1888 he began reading medicine under Dr. P. H. Sumner, of Camptown, Penn., after a year of private study entering the College of Physicians & Surgeons, at Baltimore, Md., from which he was graduated in 1891, with honors. He has since been engaged in general practice in Susquehanna county, residing at West Auburn, and he has met with flattering success in his profession, building up a large and lucrative practice by skill and efficiency in his atten- tion to his patients. Dr. Beaumont keeps thorough- ly abreast of the times in his chosen calling, but he has also found time to interest himself in the wel- fare of the community in which he has settled, and he has served as school director since 1896. His political sympathies are with the Republican party.

On August 5, 1892, Dr. Beaumont was mar- ried, at West Auburn. to Miss Iona L. Fuller, and they have two daughters-Ethel and Gladys. Mrs. Beaumont was born in Rush township, Susque- hanna county, daughter of Josiah O. and Emma (Peet) Fuller, prominent residents of West Au- burn, who are mentioned elsewhere. The Doctor has one of the most pleasant homes in Auburn.

THEODORE H. BAKER is one of the most prominent and influential citizens of Dimock town- ship, Susquehanna county, where since early in the present century the family of that name-descend- ants of John Baker, a Quaker, of Chester county, this State-have been among the substantial and useful men and women of their several localities. The family was founded in this country at an early day, by three brothers of Scottish birth.

The great-grandparents of our subject, and the progenitors of the family in Susquehanna county, were John and Hannah Baker, the former a native of Chester county, Penn. ; she was a niece of Daniel Boone. Their son, Joseph Baker, was born June 26, 1768, in Chester county, and on reaching man's estate was married there to Eliza- beth Baldwin, who was born in Chester county May 7, 1769, daughter of William and Deborah Baldwin. The children born of this union were: John, born in 1788, married Emily Johnson, and

resided in Dimock township, living to be over eighty-five years of age; Deborah, born in 1790, married Amos Baldwin, and resided in Chester county, Penn .; Hannah, born in 1791, married Abraham Bailey, of Dimock township; William was born in 1793; Mary, born in 1794, married Levi Bailey, of Chester county, Penn .; Joseph was born in 1797 : Eli was born in 1799; Eliza, born in 1801, married Samuel Woodward, of Brooklyn township; Margaret, born in 1802, married Ezekiel W. Har- lan, of Mauch Chunk, Penn. ; Julia was born in 1804; Elizabeth, born in 1806, married George Gates, of Dimock, who lived to be eighty-nine years of age; Abeline, born in 1810, married Urbane Smith, a justice of the peace in Dimock township; and Isaac P. is referred to farther on. All came to Sus- quehanna county except Deborah, who married and settled in Chester county.

Joseph Baker possessed considerable wealth, owning valuable land on the Brandywine, and was an active, go-ahead and thorough business man, owning and operating on the Brandywine river, in Chester county, a gristmill, sawmill and nail works. In 1815 he was appointed, by Gov. Simon Snyder, justice of the peace for the townships of East Fal- lowfield, West Marlboro and Newlin, Chester county, and he held that office until his removal thence. All his property, with his books, papers, etc., was destroyed in the great floods on the Brandywine, and he came to Susquehanna county in the spring of 1822, bringing his family, with the exception of his eldest daughter. He first located on the Boyd place, in Bridgewater township, shortly afterward removing to Dimock township, where the year previous he had purchased 300 acres of land at Dimock Four Corners. He followed farm- ing here, and made many improvements upon his property, but a stroke of paralysis several years prior to his death disabled him and prevented him from continuing the work. He passed away Janu- ary 10, 1873, his wife March 2, 1843, honored and respected by all who knew them.

Judge Isaac. P. Baker, father of our subject, was born in Chester county, February 7, 1812, the youngest of the family, and came with his parents to Susquehanna county, where he was reared to agriculture on the home farm. He had very limited educational advantages, having to walk sev- eral miles to attend school. At the age of twenty- one he engaged in boating coal for one year, from Mauch Chunk to Philadelphia, and often with the late Judge Asa Parker, who was then similarly occupied. Returning to the old homestead, which comprised 106 acres, he successfully operated same for many years, and in 1837 began his career as a cattle drover, buying in Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York, and driving to the eastern Pennsylva- nia markets. He continued to engage in that busi- ness throughout his active life, always farming, however, in connection therewith, and in 1872 re- tired from the cattle trade to his farm, residing there until 1886, when he removed to Dimock Four

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Corners; he continued to reside there until his death.

After attaining his majority Mr. Baker united with the Whigs, and on the organization of the Republican party he became one of its stanch sup- porters, being one of the founders of the same in his locality, and heartily entering into the work of setting it out on its mission. Being one of the leading and prominent citizens of his community, he was honored with several township offices, and in 1861 he was one of the nominees of his party for the office of Associate Judge, was elected, and most creditably and satisfactorily filled that office for five years, serving with the late Judge Charles F. Read, of Montrose. For four years Judge Baker sat on the Bench with Judge Mercur, afterward one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of the State, and for one year with the late Judge Farris B. Streeter. Like his father before him, Judge Baker was a most thorough and successful business man, of integrity and high character. He was self-made, influential, and highly respected in the county.

In 1839 Judge Baker was married, in Sus- quehanna county, to Miss Annis H., daughter of William Gaylord and Elizabeth (Carrington) Handrick, of Middletown, Susquehanna county, originally from Woodbridge, Conn., who had a family of thirteen children; the father died in For- est Lake. She was born August 15, 1814, and was a woman of intelligence, character and many virtues. Both the Judge and his wife were mem- bers of the Baptist Church, he having united with same in 1841, under the preaching of the late Rev. A. L. Post. Judge Baker died May 3, 1888, and his widow survived two years, passing away in 1890. Their children were: (I) Elizabeth, born in 1842, married L. W. Hamlin, of Hollisterville, Wayne Co., Penn., and died in 1868, at the age of twenty-six years, leaving three children-Euzelia, who married Milton Biesecker, and has one child, Elizabeth : Harry B., an attorney of Wilkes Barre, who married Lillia Pabst; and Edward, an insur- ance agent at Wilkes Barre, who married Bessie Allen, and has one child, Harris. (2) Theodore H., born August 9, 1844, is the subject of this re- view. (3) Lillie A., born in 1847, is the wife of Dr. F. L. Hollister, of Wilkes Barre, and to them have been born two children, Elizabeth and F. P. (4) Isabella E., born in 1851, died in 1864. (5) William J., ex-prothonotary of Susquehanna coun- ty, lives in Montrose.

Theodore H. Baker was born in Dimock town- ship, where he was reared, his education being ac- quired in the district schools. He remained at home, assisting in the work of the farm, until of age, and then went to Hollisterville, Penn., where he conducted a store for thirteen years, being alone for twelve years, and in partnership with his brother-in-law for the remainder of the time. Sell- ing his property there, he returned to the old home- stead, and turned his attention to agricultural pur- suits. In the past years he has given considerable

attention to the raising of sheep and dairying, but he now makes a specialty of dairying, keeping eighteen cows for that purpose. Besides the old homestead, comprising 106 acres, he has twenty- five acres elsewhere in Dimock township. He is an ardent supporter of the Republican party and its principles, and most efficiently served as school director for six years, and while a resident of Hol- listerville filled the office of postmaster at that place for six years, resigning the incumbency when he left the place. At one time he was a member of the Grange, and he has affiliated with the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows for many years, and with the Masonic lodge at Montrose for fifteen years. He is one of the enterprising and public-spirited citizens of his community, and has ever cheerfully given his support to any object that tends to pub- lic development. His name is a synonym for hon- orable business dealing, and he is always men- tioned as one of the invaluable citizens of the com- munity.

In Dimock township Mr. Baker was united in marriage with Miss Eugenia B. Brush, who was born August 6, 1844, and they have one son, Isaac P., born June 21, 1872, who on December 16, 1897, married Maud Miles, daughter of Handrick C. and Mary (Allen) Miles, and follows farming in Dimock township.

Lewis Brush, Mrs. Baker's father, was born in Hanover, Penn., June 6, 1801, and in early life lived for a time in Great Bend and Harmony town- ships, Susquehanna county, removing to Dimock township in 1838. There he bought a tract of land. and followed farming during the remainder of his life. In political sentiment he was a Democrat, and in 1843-44 served as a member of the Legislature; he was also justice of the peace. In Montrose he married Miss Lucy Ann Williams, who was born June 19, 1806, and died February 22, 1861, and his death occurred July 22, 1866. In their family were nine children, namely: Maria, who died in infancy; Dennison, deceased; Platt Ed- ward, a surgeon in the Union army during the Civil war, who is now deceased ; Bruce L., a farmer of Elk Lake, Penn. ; Helen M., wife of T. B. Will- iams ; Cornelia, deceased; Eugenia B., wife of our subject ; Moselle, wife of H. A. Willman, of Jermyn, Penn .; and Jefferson, deceased. Mrs. Baker's paternal grandparents, Jonas and Tamar (Rug- gles) Brush, were natives of Connecticut and Rhode Island, respectively. Jonas Brush, who was a man of wide experience and a lover of truth and justice. died January 30, 1831, aged seventy-six years. During the Revolutionary war he enlisted, May 9, 1775, in the Ninth Regiment, under Capt. Nehe- miah Beardsley, and was honorably discharged December 1I, of the same year. His wife was born in 1763, and died March 12, 1837. Mrs. Baker's maternal grandfather, John Williams, was a native of Groton, Conn., and a son of John and Theoda (Perkins) Williams, the former born April 5, 1739, and the latter December 6, 1730. Their children

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were Amey, Elizabeth, John, Michel, Martha, Latham, Tabitha and Lydia. On April II, 1790, in Groton, Conn., John Williams married Prudence Palmer, who was born July 21, 1770, and they be- came the parents of thirteen children: Fannie, wife of Nathan Morgan ; Eunice, wife of Dr. A. B. Dennison ; Andrew, who died in infancy; Maria, wife of Isaac H. Ross; John and Angelina, both of whom died in infancy; John, who died young ; Palmer, who married, and lived in Pennsylvania ; Luke Anson, deceased ; Lucy Ann, mother of Mrs. Baker; Gurdon D., who lived in Pennsylvania, as his father came to this State in 1811 ; Asa, who died young; and George Denes, who lived in Corning, N. Y., and died in Missouri.

CHARLES BOYDEN. who has efficiently served as treasurer of Susquehanna county, and is one of the leading business men of Susquehanna borough, is descended from Thomas Boyden, one of the Pilgrim fathers, who came from Scotland to America in 1634, as one of the Massachusetts Col- ony. From this first American ancestor, who re- mained in Massachusetts, came the Boydens of this country, many of whom remained in New England, where yet reside the posterity of Thomas Boy- den to the seventh and eighth generations.

Treasurer Charles Boyden is in the fourth gen- eration from Elijah Boyden, the line of descent being through Joshua Boyden and Alonzo Bovden. Elijah Boyden, a soldier of the war of the Revolu- tion, was a resident of Buckland, Mass., where he owned a farm, and in connection with agricultural pursuits he was employed in the manufacture of shoes. He married Polly Grout. Joshua Boyden, their son, was born, reared and died at the old home- stead in Buckland, Mass. He married Laura Tay- lor. Alonzo Boyden, son of Joshua Boyden, and the father of the subject of this sketch, is now, at the advanced age of nearly ninety, venerable and grand, along with his aged wife, formerly Miss Delilia Tillman, passing the evening of life on the farm in Oakland township, surrounded by their many chil- dren. A sketch of their lives, with that of the fam- ily history, appears elsewhere.

Charles Boyden is a native of Pennsylvania. born June 17, 1850, at Milford, in Pike county. He was there reared on his father's farm, and received a common-school education, attending the schools of Milford, In 1870, at the age of twenty years, young Boyden accompanied the family on their re- moval to the farm in Oakland, Susquehanna coun- ty, upon which the parents have since lived, and for a period aided in conducting the farm. Later he associated himself with his brother George in the lumber business which they established on the home- stead, there operating a sawmill, manufacturing all kinds of lumber. In addition to this enterprise, which is yet a live plant, Charles Boyden established in Susquehanna, along in the early eighties, a hard- ware store, in connection with which business he has an extensive lumber yard, handling sash, doors,

blinds, glass and all kinds of building material. By his energy, enterprise, and "snap," coupled with good judgment and business ability, he has rapidly come to the front, and has taken rank with the younger successful and substantial men of Susque- hanna county. A stanch Republican in political views, and an influential worker in the party, he was in 1893 a formidable candidate before the Re- publican county convention for the nomination for county treasurer. In 1896 he was made the nom- inee of the party for that office, and his election by a handsome majority followed in November of the same year. In referring to his nomination at the time the Independent Republican spoke of Mr. Boy- den in very complimentary terms, and we extract the following: "Charles Boyden, of Susquehanna, the next treasurer, is a prominent and popular busi- ness man. He is known among his neighbors to be an honest and upright man, and they have shown their confidence in him on numerous occasions when he has been elected to positions of trust in a Demo- cratic town. Mr. Boyden is well qualified for the office of treasurer and the voters of this county will make no mistake in polling an old-fashioned ma- jority for Charles Boyden." He has most efficiently and satisfactorily filled that office, his term expir- ing December 31, 1899.

On October 13, 1883, Mr. Boyden was mar- ried, to Jennie, daughter of William Miles, of Sus- quehanna. Mrs. Boyden died in 1896, leaving two daughters, Eva and Laura. In 1898 Mr. Boyden was married to Ada, daughter of George Miller, who is master mechanic in the railroad shops at Elmira, New York.

MORGAN SHUTTS (deceased) was a well- known mason and farmer of Oakland township, Susquehanna county, and through the many years of his identification with that county enjoyed the highest respect of his fellow citizens by reason of his strict integrity and true manhood.

Mr. Shutts was born in Maryland, Otsego Co., N. Y., in October, 1808, a son of Fayette and Mar- garet Shutts, of Otsego county, where they were married and made their home for many years. The father finally came to Susquehanna county, Penn., and spent his last days with his sons, dying here in 1878. By his first marriage he had five children, three sons and two daughters, namely: (1) Harry was a physician of Lanesboro, Penn., where he was engaged in practice for a number of years and there died, leaving two children-John B., still a resi- dent of Lanesboro; and Pauline, wife of John Dodge, of the same place. (2) Hannah married Charles Cross, of Illinois, where both died, leaving four children. (3) Edward B. went to Peoria, Ill., where he married and made his home until his death. His only child, Maria, married William Cottom, of Illinois. (4) Elsie married Rev. Joseph Lewis, of Illinois, and they died leaving two sons, now resi- dents of Peoria, Ill. (5) Morgan, our subject, com- pletes this family. For his second wife the father

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married Phobe Tyler, by whom he had two chil- dren : (1) Ruth first married a Mr. Hoyt, by whom she had one daughter, now deceased, and for her second husband she wedded Allen Fenn, of Wor- cester, N. Y., where he died leaving a daughter, now Mrs. Anna E. Jones. (2) Nelson F. is a resident of Starrucca, Wayne Co., Penn., and has four chil- dren-Burton, a resident of Iowa; Tyler ; Edward, who was killed by the cars in Missouri, while work- ing in that State; and Angelia, wife of George Lowrie, a merchant of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Morgan Shutts was indebted to the public schools of Otsego county, N. Y., for his education, and during his youth he learned the mason's trade there. In 1831 he was united in marriage with Miss Esther Cromwell, a daughter of Thomas and Eliza- beth (Vandalenda) Cromwell, of Otsego county. Her father spent his last days in Canada. For some years after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Shutts continued to reside in Otsego county, N. Y., but in 1839 they came to Susquehanna county, Penn., lo- cating on the farm in Oakland township where their daughter, Mrs. Andrews, now resides. Here our subject owned a large tract, part of which he sold, and he transformed 100 acres of wild land into a rich and productive farm. Throughout life he continued to work at his trade in connection with agricultural pursuits, and in his labors met with ex- cellent success. He died upon his farm in March, 1894, and his wife passed away in April, 1891, hon- ored and respected by all who knew them. They led consistent Christian lives, and were devout members of the Baptist Church. In politics Mr. Shutts was a Democrat, and he held a number of local offices, serving as justice of the peace and township assessor for a number of years.

Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Shutts namely: (I) Lewis E., born in Otsego county, N. Y., in 1831, was reared upon his father's farm, and now resides in Windsor, N. Y. He married Lucy Bushnell, of Susquehanna, and they have two chil- dren-Albert M., a resident of the same place; and Hattie L., wife of Samuel Banker, of Nineveh, N. Y. (2) Margaret J., born in Otsego county, in October, 1833, is the widow of John Barnes, of Susquehanna, and has two children, Eugene and Acie Phine ( widow of William Payne, of Colorado). (3) Elmera, born in Otsego county, N. Y., in Janu- ary, 1838, received a good education in the dis- trict schools, and in 1859 married Lauren Norton, of Susquehanna county, where they made their home for some years. He died in Colorado, leaving one son, Morgan Norton, who was born in 1860, edu- cated in the local schools and has always resided on the old Shutts homestead, successfully operating the place. In 1884 he married Miss Verna L. Buck- lin, who was born and reared in Yates county, N. Y. She was a true and devout Christian, a member of the Baptist Church, and a most estimable lady. She died in 1895, leaving three sons, Raymond A., born in 1887, Ralph B., born in 1890, and Max E.,

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Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 264

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