Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 304

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 304
USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 304
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 304
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 304

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

was married June 5, 1889, to E. A. Sweet, of Gib- son township, and has two children, Ruth and Corrinne. (5) Mabel L., born October 17, 1872, mar- ried, December 24, 1895, to Floyd Rosencrantz, of Binghamton, N. Y. (6) Fred W., born March 21, 1876, is now a merchant and postmaster at Gibson ; he married Myra C. Burdick, April 27, 1898, and has one daughter, Mildred A. (7) Cora E., born August 3, 1882, died in infancy.

Mrs. Barrett is a member of a highly-esteemed family of this section, and was born February 22, 1841, in Jackson township, Susquehanna county, daughter of George W. Tyler, and granddaughter of Simeon and Patty Tyler, of New York State. George W. Tyler was born in Otsego county, N. Y., and came to this section in early manhood, to en- gage in farming. He was married in Wayne coun- ty to Hannah Dix, daughter of John and Hannah (Tanner) Dix, early settlers at Mt. Pleasant. After his marriage he located in Jackson township, Susque- hanna county, where he died March 10, 1897, aged eighty-eight years. His wife died June 15, 1863, aged fifty-two, and both were buried in Lakeview cemetery. They were members of the Free-Will Baptist Church and were much respected among their associates. Of their large family of children, Ellis J., born February 6, 1832, died June 30, 1865 ; Emaline M., born February 25, 1834, married Erastus Bradford, and died May 3, 1868; Henry W., .born August 18, 1835, is a retired farmer at Binghamton, N. Y. ; Laura A., born February 24, 1838, married (first) William W. Tiffany, and ( second) Silas Corwin, of Binghamton, N. Y., now retired ; Juliette, Mrs. Barrett, was next in the order of birth ; Lovisa E., born June 13, 1842, married Tason Wilder, a farmer of Clinton, Mich .; Emily M., born January I, 1844, married Henry Stoddard, and died July 21, 1899; and Harlie A., born May 30, 1848, died January 21, 1852.

JACOB CRONK. This well-known farmer of Rush township, Susquehanna county, is a repre- santative of an old Holland family which was trans- planted to American soil many generations ago. The name was originally spelled Cronkite. Jacob Cronk, the grandfather, was a resident of Putnam county, New York.

William Cronk, the father of our subject, was born in 1796, and served his country as a soldier in the war of 1812. He acquired the trade of stone mason. He married, in Dutchess county, N. Y., about 1818, Miss Sally Myers, who was born in 1796, of Quaker parentage. From Dutchess coun- ty he moved to Seneca county, and in 1844 came to Rush township, Susquehanna county, settling on the farm which his son Jacob, our subject, now occupies. The children of William and Sally Cronk were as follows: Smith, who died in Dutchess county, N. Y., in 1867, aged forty-eight years ; Rensselaer, who died in New York City, aged twenty-four years ; John, who was killed in Jessup township, being thrown out of a wagon by a run away team ; Jacob,

cur subject ; Harriet, widow of William Cronk, of Broome county, N. Y .; Amanda, wife of John Smith, of Jessup township; Mary Ann, who married Leander Lathrop, and, for her second husband, Hiram Osborn, and who is now deceased; and Samuel E., who was a lifelong farmer of Rush township, and died in 1890. William Cronk, the father, was a man of quiet disposition. He followed the trade of stone masonry all his life, devoting little of nis time to farming. On coming to Rush township he bought a tract of 125 acres of wild land for four dollars per acre, and settled in the wilder- ness. He died in 1869; his wife survived until De- cember 2, 1887, reaching the age of ninety-one years and three months. Formerly a Quaker, in later life she was an earnest member of the M. E. Church.

Jacob Cronk, our subject, was born in Staats- burg, Dutchess Co., N. Y., September 13, 1825. He preceded his father to Susquehanna county, made the location, and then returning to the old home in Seneca county brought his father's fam- ily to the wilderness home, in 1844. Upon Jacob and, in later years, his younger brother Samuel de- volved largely the operation of the home farm, our subject remaining with his parents until their death. Then he and his brother Samuel continued to operate the farm jointly until the death of the latter, in 1890. They had purchased an adjoining farm, and it is remarkable that until after the death of Samuel there was no division of the property, though there had been a partnership between them since child- hood. In addition to general farming they conduct- ed a dairy farm, and engaged successfully in vari- ous speculations.

For his first wife Jacob Cronk married, in Au- gust, 1848, in Rush township, Miss Abbie Light, daughter of Elisha and Vina (Robinson) Light, of Broome county, N. Y. She died in June, 1861, leaving four children: Gaetie, wife of George P. Stockholm, of Franklin township; Montgomery, who married Lizzie Shay and is now deceased ; John E., who married (first) Anna Shay, and ( sec- ond) Triphena Warner, of Jessup township; and Ella, wife of Theron Palmer, a farmer of Rush township. For his second wife our subject married, in Auburn township, February 5, 1876. Miss Mary Case, who was born in Sussex county, N. J., daugh- ter of David and Susan A. (Coursen) Case, who in 1847 removed from Sussex county, N. J., to Auburn township, Susquehanna county. Three years later Mr. Case removed to Rush township, where he remained, engaged in farming, until his death in 1873, at the age of sixty-six years. His wife died in 1883, aged seventy-two years. The children of David and Susan Case were: Jane, who married Henry Dowdney; Anna, who married George Newton ; Mary, wife of our subject ; Henry, who married Lavina Lake; Emma, wife of Henry Dunmore, a farmer of Rush township; Margaret, who married Charles Pierson : Zilla; Winfield F., of Chicago, Ill .; Alice, wife of Sidney Phillips, a retired merchant of Denver, Colo .; George, who

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died unmarried; and Benton O., who died in in- fancy. From 1862 until her marriage to our sub- ject, in 1876, Mary Case was a successful school teacher.

In politics Mr. Cronk is a Republican. Mrs. Cronk is an active member of the M. E. Church. Our subject has invariably declined local offices, preferring to devote his time and attention exclu- sively to business.

SAMUEL BUTLER ROGERS, proprietor of one of the leading meat markets of Montrose, Sus- quehanna couny, has the distinction of having won the proud American title of a self-made man. His great determination and energy have enabled him to over- come all the difficulties and obstacles in his path, and work his way steadily upward to prosperity. He is known among his fellow townsmen for his reliability in all trade transactions, and justly merits their confidence and regard.

A native of Susquehanna county, Mr. Rogers was born in Bridgewater township, September 20, 1824, a son of Samuel and Anna ( Butler) Rogers, who were born in Hartford, Conn., and came to Sus- quehanna county about 1818, locating first in Brook- lyn township, and later removing to Bridgewater township, where they spent the remainder of their lives, engaged in farming. The father died in 1892, at the age of ninety-seven years, and the mother, who was a consistent member of the Baptist Church, departed this life in 1887, at the age of eighty-four, both being laid to rest in Bridgewater township. Their children were George W., who died in 1895 : Irene, widow of John Barron, and a resident of Binghamton, N. Y .; Samuel B., our subject ; Ex- perience, wife of William Barron, of Jessup town- ship, Susquehanna county; and Anna, who is the widow of John Wheeler, and makes her home with our subject.

Until he attained his majority our subject re- mained upon the home farm with his parents, and then worked by the month as a farm hand for seven years. Subsequently he engaged in speculating in cattle, which he shipped to Scranton, but the first $1,000 which he earned was made in farming and teaming. In 1884 he embarked in the retail meat business, in Montrose, and when his store was de- stroyed by fire, on April 1, 1892, he promptly rebuilt, and has continued in the business with marked suc- cess. He has a first-class market in every par- ticular, and enjoys an excellent trade.

In December, 1857, in Bridgewater township, Mr. Rogers married Miss Marilla Avery, a native of Auburn township, and a daughter of Deacon David and Dianthia ( Meacham) Avery, of Susque- hanna county. She died in October, 1879, and was laid to rest in the Montrose cemetery. To this union the following children were born: Della, who died at the age of two years; Addie, at home; Hattie, wife of N. C. Warner, a merchant of Montrose ; Eva, at home ; Anna, wife of Arthur C. Harris, who is engaged in the lithographing business in New

York City, his home being in Montclair, N. J .; Samuel J., at home ; and Clarence, who died in in- fancy.

Mr. Rogers' political support is given to the men and measures of the Republican party, and he has served as poormaster in Bridgewater township and Montrose ( for twelve years), school director ( three years), and a member of the town council ( three years ), with credit to himself, and to the en- tire satisfaction of all concerned.

ELIZUR FESSENDEN, who for fifty years has operated a carding machine in Salem township, Wayne county, and who, yet, though past man's allotted three-score and ten years, is found at his post of duty, is a native of the State of Connecticut.

Born January II, 1824, at Glastonbury, our subject is the son of Jeremiah Fessenden, who was born January 15, 1804, in Connecticut, and there married Almira Bell, also a native of that State, born June 18, 1805. They resided there until 1845, when they located in Salem township, Wayne Co., Penn., on a farm of some fifty-six acres which Mr. Fessen- den had purchased. In his earlier life he had learned the business of cloth-making, and for years in his native State, and for a year or two after settling in Wayne county, Penn., he operated a carding- machine. Subsequently he followed agricultural pursuits. He was a man of good sense, practical in his ideas, and bore the esteem and respect of the community. He was identified with the I. O. O. F., and he and his wife were members of the Episcopal Church. He died in 1874, his wife passing away in 1854, and both were buried in the Hollisterville cemetery. Their marriage was blessed by children as follows: Elizur, our subject; and Mary, born July 20, 1830, who married E. B. Hollister, a clothier of Salem township, now deceased.

Elizur Fessenden until twenty-three years of age remained with his parents. From the time he was fifteen until the family removed to Salem he drove team in a stone quarry, after which he worked with his father, both in the line of carding wool and in farming. For twenty-five years after leaving home he worked at carding wool on a machine rented from Alpheus Hollister, at Hollisterville, then pur- chased the machine and moved it to his present stand, where he has ever since conducted that busi- ness. Years ago he added a sawmill to his business and now, in addition to carding rolls, he manufac- tures shingles, and operates a grist and feed mill, all propelled by water power. Seldom do we find a man who has been so long at one place in one line of business. At one time he was burned out, sustaining a loss of one thousand dollars,after which he gave up the manufacture of cloth and built his present card- ing mill. Mr. Fessenden has established a reputation for integrity and honest work second to no other man in Wayne county, and this has won for him a prosperous business. During his long period of active business life in one community, he has been a close observer of passing events, and is well versed

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in the history of Wayne county, and of the men who were conspicuous characters of the locality in his earlier career, but who have long since been called to their reward. During the Civil war circumstances were such that he could not go himself, but he sent a substitute, to whom he paid $700. He is a Republi- can in politics, but takes no active part in party management. Years ago he was a member of the I. O. O. F., and for a long period he has been iden- tified with the Baptist Church.

On November 3, 1847, at Salem, Mr. Fessenden was married, by Rev. Edward Mendenhall, an Epis- copal clergyman, to Lovisa Chapman, a daughter of Ralph and Laura (Taylor) Chapman, the former of whom died February 9, 1869, at the age of sixty-sev- en years, and the latter on March 12, 1867, aged sev- enty years. This marriage has been blessed by the birth of the following children : George, born March 27, 1849, married Mary J. Curtis, and has one child, Leroy ; he is a farmer of Salem township. Frank died July 9, 1863, when aged twelve years, eight months and twenty-two days. Fred died August 28, 1862, when aged six years and twenty-three days. Floyd married Orra Megargell, and is a part- ner of our subject in business; they have two chil- dren-Charles W. and Homer R. The mother of this family, who has now shared her husband's joys and sorrows for over half a century, and who has been to him in every sense a true helpmeet, is one of the best of women, a kind and indulgent mother, a faithful wife, and a good friend. May their lives be spared many years yet.

S. E. WARNER. Only those lives are worthy of record that have been potential factors in the pub- lic progress, in promoting the general welfare or advancing the educational or moral interests of the community. The friends of Mr. Warner will see in his years of faithful work for the cause of Chris- tianity a source of present good to the community, and long after he has entered into his final rest his influence will continue to live on.

This worthy citizen of Liberty township, Sus- quehanna county, was born in Windsor township. Broome Co., N. Y., July 20, 1833, a son of Henry and Sallie (Cole) Warner. The father was born in Bridgeport, Conn., December 12, 1799, a son of Benjamin Warner, a native of Hartford, Conn., who was among the early settlers of Windsor township, Broome Co., N. Y., where he purchased land and improved a farm, remaining there until his death. In his family were six children, two sons and four daughters, namely: (1) Axie, born in Windsor, N. Y., married Enos Rexford, a merchant of that place, and there both died, leaving one daughter, Fimelia, who married a Mr. Woodward, and lived in Windsor; she died, leaving one daughter, Vir- ginia F. (2) Abigail first married William Salmon. of Liberty township, Susquehanna Co., Penn., and after his death married Stephen Wolverton, whose home was in Windsor, N. Y. Her three children, all by her first union, were William, a lawyer of

Williamsport, Penn .; Herman, who died in New Mexico; and Lavernia, who died in Liberty town- ship, Susquehanna county. (3) Ethel married a: Miss Russell, and located near the village of Wind- sor, N. Y., on land given him by his father. They left no family. (4) Phobe married Squire Semour, of Binghamton, N. Y., where they died leaving one daughter, Hannah, who married Salmon Young, and died in Hallstead, Penn. (5) Annie married and settled in New York State.

Henry Warner, our subject's father, completes the above family. He received a common-school education, and when a young man worked in the lumber woods during the winter, and rafted on the Delaware river in the spring. He married Miss Sallie Cole, a daughter of John and Catherine Cole, who were reared on the Hudson, near the Catskill river, and after his marriage lived for several years at Windsor, N. Y., finally coming to Susquehanna county, Penn., where he purchased land one mile north of Lawsville. From the wild land he devel- oped a good farm, of considerable size, near which our subject now resides, and the latter part of his life was devoted exclusively to agricultural pur- suits. In the log house which he erected upon his place he continued to make his home until called from this life, November 12, 1871. He survived his wife a number of years, her death having oc- curred in 1857. Both were faithful and consistent members of the Presbyterian Church, but also as- sisted in the support of the Methodist Episcopal Church, whose services they often attended. In politics the father was first a Whig, and later a stanch Republican, but never an aspirant for office. In their family were six children: (I) Benjamin, born in Windsor, N. Y., was reared on the home farm, and educated in the district schools. He married Olive Smith, and has six children, Bertha, George, Laura, Julia, Percy and Maud. He was a soldier in the Civil war, and is now a resident of Summersville, New Milford township, Susquehanna county. (2) Catherine died in childhood. (3) Mary first married Cyrus Warner, of Bridgewater township, Susquehanna county, and after his death wedded Robert Folmsbee, who died a short time ago, leaving two children, Robert and William. (4) Andrew, born in Liberty township, Susque- hanna county, married Elsie McLoyd, of that town- ship, and resided in Lawsville, where he died leav- ing two children-Allice Vernette, now the wife of Ralph Blowers, of Franklin township; and Adel- bert, who is married, and resides in Lawsville. (5) Lura, born in Liberty township, married Harrison Smith, of the same township, and lived in Laws- ville, where she died leaving four children, Fred, Lizzie, Edson and Allison.

Of this family, S. E. Warner, our subject, was reared on the home farm, and remained with his father until reaching man's estate. In 1854 he was united in marriage with Miss Mary A. Wilson, who was born on the Atlantic Ocean in 1835, while her parents, Benjamin and Priscilla Wilson, were

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emigrating from their old home in England to America. They took up their residence in Liberty township, Susquehanna Co., Penn., where Mrs. Warner was reared and educated. After his mar- riage Mr. Warner moved to Fairfax county, Va., and purchased fifty acres of land where Camp Alger now stands. There he engaged in building charcoal furnaces, and after the death of his mother he re- turned to the old homestead in Liberty township, Susquehanna county, to look after his father's in- terests. He purchased land adjoining the old home, erected thereon substantial buildings, and has since made that place his home, his time and attention being devoted to agricultural pursuits. With him his father continued to reside until called from this life. Mr. and Mrs. Warner have three children, namely: (1) Frank, residing upon the home farm with his parents, was born in 1858, and married May Wandell, by whom he has one son, Almon. and two daughters, Myra and Mary A. (2) Ed- gar, born in 1871, resides on his farm in Liberty township. He married Flora Luce, of that town- ship, and they have three children, Hermon, Nor- man and Clara. (3) Henry, born in 1873, has been well educated in the home schools, and is still under the parental roof.

In his political views Mr. Warner is a stanch Republican, coming from good old Whig stock. His fellow citizens, recognizing his worth and ability, have called upon him to fill a number of local offices, and he has most acceptably served as township collector (seven years), constable ( seven years), township clerk (six years), auditor (three years) and inspector and judge of elections. Re- ligiously both he and his wife are active and in- fluential members of the Baptist Church at Stan- fordville, of which he was elected clerk in 1866, having since served in that capacity, a period of thirty-three years-and he has also been a deacon of the Church since 1876. Mr. Warner took an active part in the removal of the Church from Rina Creek to its present location, and it was mainly through his efforts and those of L. W. Howard that the house of worship was erected. He gave liberally of his means as well as his labor to the building of the church, devoting one hundred and and five days out of one year to its construction. He has also taken an active and prominent part in Sabbath-school work, and for seventeen consecti- tive years has served as its superintendent. His has been an upright, honorable life, devoted to the best interests of those around him, and he is certainly deserving of prominent mention in a work of this character.

JOHN H. CUNNINGHAM. 'In every thriv- ing community there are men who possess that busi- ness energy and sagacity essential to the progress and growth of the place. They stand ready to make the public improvements that are demanded, and, often by their sagacity anticipating those needs, they thereby make themselves the foremost men of

the community. The subject of this sketch is a resi- dent of Forest City who possesses business ability of a high order. He is proprietor of the "Forest House," the leading hotel of that place.

Mr. Cunningham was born at Cochecton, N. Y., October 25, 1862. the eldest son of Frank and Mary (Rooney) Cunningham, who emigrated from the Emerald Isle to America, and won success in the new country. The father was a native of County Leitrim, born in 1831 ; the mother was born in Sligo. After crossing the ocean Frank Cunningham lived for about fifteen years at Cochecton, N. Y., and then removed to Herrick Center, Susquehanna Co., Penn., where for a time he was section foreman on the rail- road. Later he embarked in the hotel business at Thompson, and afterward became a wholesale liquor dealer at Forest City. In politics he was a Democrat and his religious faith was that of the Roman Catho- lic Church. He died at Forest City in 1896, his wife preceding him to the grave many years, at the age of about sixty years. Nine children of Frank and Mary Cunningham grew to maturity: John H,; Thomas W., wholesale liquor dealer at Forest City, and successor to the business of his father; Mary, now Mrs. John H. Conally, of Starrucca; Frank, ex-postmaster of Forest City, later a prominent shoe dealer, and now in the real-estate and brokerage "business at Newport News, Va .; Kate, wife of Henry O'Neil, of Forest City, a contractor and build- er; James, telegraph agent at Forest City ; Alice, wife of John Lumbart, of Forest City; Jennie, wife of William Murphy, of Forest City ; and Peter, a telegraph operator at the same place.

When a boy John H. Cunningham attended the public schools of New York and Philadelphia. He began his career in early life in the modest capacity of water boy on the Erie railroad, remaining in the service of the Jefferson branch of the road for 2 number of years, finally becoming foreman. After five years' experience in that position he retired from railroad life to enter the hotel business at Thompson Center, continuing thus about two years. During the years 1875 and 1876 he acted as chief clerk in the general store of R. P. Patterson & Co., in the city of Carbondale. In 1889 he exchanged his property for the site of his present hotel in Forest City, and here he has since erected the fine hotel he now conducts. Mr. Cunningham owns other property in the city. In politics he is a Demo- crat, but though active in party affairs could never be induced to accept office ; in religion he is a Roman Catholic.

Mr. Cunningham married Miss Mary Shanley, who was born in Honesdale, Wayne county, October 13, 1861, and children as follows were born to this union : Regina, born April 5, 1890; Mary, born September 21, 1892, died aged four years and seven months ; Francis, born May 19, 1893 ; Bernetta, born May 30, 1895, died aged one year and three months ; Irene, born February 28, 1897; and Mildred, born August 28, 1898. Mr. Cunningham is not only a man of fine business qualities, but possesses also

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traits of geniality and generosity which combine to make him a most prosperous and popular host, and he has taken a prominent part in the upbuilding of his adopted city. For several years he was a mem- ber of the fire department.

A. E. CARLIN. A man of progressive ideas, sound judgment and good executive ability, this gentleman has through his own efforts become one of the substantial and prosperous citizens of Dimock township, Susquehanna county. His word in busi- ness transactions is considered as good as his bond, and he is justly recognized as one of the energetic and representative agriculturists of the community.

Mr. Carlin's grandfather, Samuel Carlin, a native of Warren county, N. J., came to Susque- hanna county as early as 1818, and in Dimock town- ship bought a tract of land from Spencer Lathrop, the original owner. Throughout life he followed farming, and engaged in speculating in real estate. During the war of 1812 he enlisted in the army, but hostilities ceased before he was called into active service. In his native State he wedded Miss Mary Freemon, who was born in 1782, and died September 19, 1862. He passed away September 15, 1863, in his eighty-third year, and the remains of both were interred on the old homestead, as were also those of their daughter, Rebecca, who died in 1836, in her thirtieth year; she was highly es- teemed during her short life by all who knew her. Mr. and Mrs. Carlin were active and consistent members of the Baptist Church of Auburn town- ship, Susquehanna county, and in his political views he was a Democrat. Their children were as fol- lows: Joseph, who died in Susquehanna county June 14, 1874, aged seventy years; David, who be- came quite wealthy during nine years spent in Cali- fornia, and died in Wyoming county, Penn., March 2, 1892, aged seventy-nine years (he was a Free- mason) ; Asa, father of our subject; Peter, a re- tired carpenter of Tunkhannock, Penn., now ( 1900) aged seventy-seven years (he served three years in the Civil war) ; Samuel, who died in Potter county, Penn., January 9, 1858, aged forty-eight years ; Rebecca, mentioned above; Diana, deceased wife of Joseph Bailey, of Pennsylvania ; and Mary, who wedded William Garretson, of Dimock township, and died in 1898, at the age of seventy years.

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Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 304

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