Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 62

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 62
USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 62
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 62
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 62

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Mrs. Myra M. (Taylor) Younker was born June 27, 1838, in Herrick, Bradford Co., Penn., a daughter of Abraham and Eunice (Gregory) Tay- lor, who were natives of Connecticut and Pennsyl- vania, respectively, and died in Clark county, Wis. Mr. Taylor was a farmer by occupation. He passed away in 1888, at the advanced age of eighty-five, his wife in 1892, reaching the age of ninety-one years. They were members of the Presbyterian Church. Of their children, Mary (Mrs. Daniel Bump) lives in Elmira, N. Y .; Rosella (Mrs. Nel- son Marsh) is deceased; Esther is the wife of J. E. Allen, a retired resident of Spokesville, Wis .; Myra M. is the wife of our subject ; and Polly (de- ceased) was the wife of Fred O. Goodwin, of Phil- adelphia.

AMOS L. GREEN. Among the progressive agriculturists whose enterprise makes this favored region known as a veritable "garden spot," is the subject of this sketch, a well known resident of New Milford township, Susquehanna county. He is a native of the county, having been born in Forest Lake township, July 15, 1843, and belongs to a prominent family, the name being sometimes spelled Greene, as in former times. His father, George Greene, now resides in Dimock township, Susque- hanna county, and his biography, which appears elsewhere, contains a history of the family.

Our subject was reared to farm work, and on leaving home, at the age of twenty-four, spent five years operating rented farms, the first, where he remained one year, being the property of a brother- in-law. He then purchased a place in Jessup town- ship, where he spent eighteen years, but he has since rented different farms, spending one year in New Milford township and one year in Franklin township, before locating in 1895 upon H. C. Mox- ley's farm in New Milford township. This is a fine estate of 155 acres, and under Mr. Green's able management is kept in an excellent state of cultiva- tion. Politically Mr. Green is a Republican, and at one time he served three years as school director at Fairdale. He and his wife are much esteemed in social life, and are active members of the Method- ist Episcopal Church at Fairdale. On July 19, 1869, he was married in Auburn township, Susque- hanna county, to Miss Laura J. Squires, and six children have blessed the union: (I) Flossa mar- ried Lewis Rose, Jr., a farmer and mechanic in Franklin township; their children are Amos L., Ruth L. (who died in childhood), and Cecile. (2) Lyman and (3) Foster died in childhood; (4) Bertha married Earnest Darrow, of New Milford township; (5) Orlin H. and (6) Miss Coral are at home.

Mrs. Laura (Squires) Green, who has proved

herself an able helpmeet to her husband, was born October 15, 1844, at Nicholson, Wyoming Co., Penn. Her paternal grandparents, Stephen and MaGree Squires, were natives of New Jersey. Cyrenus Squires, father of Mrs. Green, was born October 14, 1800, in New Jersey, coming to Penn- sylvania in early life, and for many years resided in Wyoming county, engaging first in lumbering and later in farming. He was an excellent citizen, a member of the Methodist Church, and his death, on June 25, 1875, was mourned by a large circle of friends. He was married in Susquehanna county to Miss Elmira Avery, who was born in that county May 26, 1804, a daughter of Elijah and Elizabeth (Spencer) Avery, later of Wyoming county. She died December 26, 1877, and the remains of both are interred in Stark cemetery, Wyoming county. They had a large family of children, as follows: Maria, deceased ; G. Lyman, a farmer on the home- stead in Wyoming county, who enlisted in the Union army in the first three-years regiment that went from Minnesota, and was wounded in the battle of Gettysburg; Hiram, a farmer on part of the old homestead; Miss Elvira, who resides with her brother Lyman; Elijah, who met a soldier's death at Fairfax, Va., during the Civil war; Rachel, who died at the age of three years; Laura J., wife of our subject; and Eliza, who married Benjamin F. Green, of Lathrop township, Susquehanna county.

A. F. MERRELL, M. D. One of the most exacting of all the higher lines of occupation to which a man may lend his energies is that of the physician. A most scrupulous preliminary training is demanded, and a nicety of judgment little under- stood by the laity. Then again the profession brings its devotees into almost constant association with the sadder side of life-that of pain and suf- fering-so that a mind capable of great self-control and a heart responsive and sympathetic, are essen- tial attributes of him who would essay the practice of the healing art. Thus when professional success is attained, as in the case of Dr. Merrell, of Hall- stead, Penn., it may be taken as certain that such measure of success has been . thoroughly merited.

Dr. Merrell was born in Andes, Delaware Co., N. Y., in 1866, a son of T. R. and Judith A. (Dib- ble) Merrell. The father was born in Chenango county, N. Y., in 1831, and in early life owned and operated a foundry. In 1866 he removed to Wind- sor, Broome Co., N. Y., and purchased a farm, to the improvement and cultivation of which he has since devoted his energies. In his family were three sons, of whom George and Dowie both died in childhood.

Upon the home farm in Broome county, N. Y., our subject grew to manhood, and after attending the public schools for some time he entered Wind- sor Academy, where he was graduated. For sev- eral years he taught in the district schools. In 1884 he commenced the study of medicine under Dr. Hand, of Binghamton, N. Y., and later attended

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lectures at Hahnemann Medical College, Philadel- phia, where he was graduated in June, 1888. As a Homeopathic physician he commenced practice in Franklin Forks, Susquehanna Co., Penn., where he remained for three and one-half years. In the meantime he was married, in 1889, to Miss Lottie Stockholm, a daughter of George and Katie Stock- holm, prominent residents of Franklin Forks. Her father served for four years as one of the defenders of the Union during the Civil war, and when the war broke out between Spain and this country her brother, A. C., enlisted in Company G, 13th P. V. I., but died of fever at Camp Alger, in August, 1898, at the age of twenty-two years. He was a great favorite with his company. The Doctor and his wife have three children, two sons and one daugh- ter : A. L., born in December, 1891; Rena A., born in 1893, and Floyd D., born in 1899.

Dr. Merrell continued his residence in Franklin Forks until 1891, when he purchased a fine residence in Hallstead and removed to this place. His skill and ability were soon widely recognized, and it was not long ere he had built up the excellent practice which he has ever since enjoyed. Through his gen- erous, kindly acts he has endeared himself to the people around him, his patients have been cheered and comforted by his kindly ministrations, and the poor of the town have always found in him a friend, for he readily responds to a call that comes from one from whom he knows he can receive no possi- ble remuneration. Both he and his wife are active and prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, while, socially, he affiliates with the Odd Fellows Lodge No. 1008, of Great Bend; polit- ically he is identified with the Republican party.

SAMUEL L. BUSH, one of the leading and representative farmers of Smithfield township, Mon- roe county, was born on his present farm in January, 1836, and is a son of Dr. Philip M. and Sarah Jane (Labar) Bush. The father was also a native of Monroe county, born near Spragueville, Stroud town- ship, in April, 1811, and was a son of James and Mar- garite (Van Vliet) Bush, who at an early day locat- ed on Brodhead creek, near Spragueville. In their family were eight children: James, who removed to Ohio; Vancuran; Lydia, wife of Jacob Shank, of Ohio; Jane, wife of Dr. Herring, of Lewistown, Penn .; Philip M., father of our subject; Annie, wife of George Ransbury, of East Stroudsburg, Monroe county ; Elijah, who married and located near Stroudsburg, where his death occurred; and Daniel, who married Betsy Smith, and lived on the old homestead in Stroud township.

Dr. Philip M. Bush was educated in the schools of Bloomfield, N. J., and studied medicine with his brother-in-law, Dr. Herring. Prior to his mar- riage, in 1835, he successfully engaged in teaching in the public schools of Monroe county, but after that event he located in Smithfield, and gave his attention to the practice of his chosen profession. In 1838 he purchased the Beckley property at that

place, and for a number of years was agent for the sale of land belonging to Mr. Beckley, an English landholder in Pike and Monroe counties. He bought 580 acres of timber land belonging to that estate, and made a number of improvements thereon in the way of buildings. He became a prosperous business man, owning and operating a sawmill and also a large gristmill, floating his lumber down the Delaware river to the Philadelphia markets. This he carried on in connection with the practice of medicine up to the time of his death in 1889. His wife, who had shared with him the hardships of his early life, passed away in 1885. She was born in Middle Smithfield township, Monroe county, when it formed a part of Northampton county, and was a daughter of George and Sarah Labar, representa- tives of prominent pioneer families of Monroe and Northampton counties. To Dr. Bush and his wife were born eight children, seven sons and one daugh- ter, and the sons were pall-bearers at their moth- er's funeral.

Our subject is the eldest of the family, and all were born on the homestead in Smithfield township, Monroe county. Albina, the only daughter, at- tended the public schools and Stroudsburg Sem- inary, and is still living on the old homestead. She has been a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church for many years, and takes an active part in all Church work. (3) Francis died at the age of four years. (4) Robert B. married Susan Elin- berger, of Middle Smithfield township, and located in Scranton, Penn., where he engaged in business for some years. After his return to Smithfield township his wife died, leaving three children: Lorenzo, Clinton and Harvey. Later he became a resident of Trenton, N. J., where he has married again, and still resides. (5) Edwin received a good common-school education in the local schools and at Stroudsburg. He married Sarah Turn, of Middle Smithfield township, and resides on the old homestead, which he and his sister own. He has twin daughters, Maggie and Mattie, bright young ladies who are attending the normal school at East. Stroudsburg. (6) Dr. Lewis Bush received a fine education in the schools of Stroudsburg and Kingston, Penn., and subsequently was graduated from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, after which he engaged in the practice of his profession at Delaware Water Gap, and, later, at East Strouds- burg, Penn. He died at the latter place in 1892, leaving a widow, who in her maidenhood was Louisa Hunchberger, of Centerville, Northampton county. (7) Dr. Horace Bush married Laura Loder, of East Stroudsburg, and engaged in the practice of medicine at Marshall Creek, Monroe county, and later at Wyalusing, Bradford Co., Penn., for a few years, but now resides in East Stroudsburg, where he owns and conducts a large drug store. (8) Van Bush, a carpenter of East Stroudsburg, married Aurilla Rockefeller, daugh- ter of Abram Rockefeller, of that place, and they have two children, George Labar and Lula.

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Samuel L. Bush, of this review, grew to man- hood on the home farm in Smithfield township, Monroe county, and had charge of the same until his marriage, when he located upon another of his father's farms, comprising 124 acres which he pur- chased in 1887. This he has placed under excel- lent cultivation and improved with good buildings, making it one of the most attractive country homes in Monroe county. In 1862 he was united in mar- riage with Miss Minerva Eilenberger, of Smith- field township, a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Eilenberger, old and prominent citizens of the town- ship. Six children blessed this union, all born on the present home in Smithfield township. Bertha J., born in 1863, was a very promising young girl ( she died at the age of twelve years). Hattie C., born in 1865, is now the wife of Harry Fisher, of Stroudsburg, proprietor of "Monroe Cottage." Austin E., born in 1867, married May Suttee, of New York City, and is engaged in agricultural pur- suits upon a part of his father's farm, having pur- chased one of the houses on the same. Henrietta died in childhood. Edith May, born in 1877, is a graduate of the East Stroudsburg Normal School, and is now one of the successful teachers of Smith- field township. She is an accomplished young lady, and a great favorite among her friends.

Politically Mr. Bush is a Jacksonian Democrat, as was also his father, who took quite an active and prominent part in local politics, and for one term represented Monroe county in the State Legislature. Religiously our subject and his family are lead- ing members of the Presbyterian Church of Middle Smithfield township, of which he is one of the elders, and they are also quite prominent socially, being among the most highly respected citizens of the community in which they make their home.

EZRA PATRICK, M. D., whose death oc- curred in Great Bend, Susquehanna county, in 1874, after a long and successful practice, was a son of Ezra and Rhoda (Casey) Patrick, and was born in 1815, at New Lebanon, New York.

Robert Patrick, of Connecticut, our subject's grandfather, was a soldier in the war of the Revo- lution. Our subject received a good education, and at twenty-one began the study of medicine, reading one year with Dr. Harvey Barnes, of his native county, and then for a period under Prof. H. H. Childs, of the Berkshire Medical College, Pittsfield, Mass., where he attended his first and third courses of lectures, and from which college he was gradu- ated in 1839; he attended his second course of lec- tures at the Vermont Medical College, Woodstock. In 1840, after having passed some time in one of the hospitals in New York City, the Doctor located at Montrose, where for twenty-five years he con- tinted in the practice of medicine and surgery, re- moving in 1866 to Great Bend. He was the leading surgeon of Susquehanna county. He was a man of keen perception and good memory, and his judg- ment of human nature was rarely equaled or sur-

passed. He possessed great wit and humor, com- bined with brilliancy, and enjoyed wide popularity. He was colonel of militia of Susquehanna county.

In 1846 Dr. Patrick married Elizabeth J., daughter of Henry K. Niven, of Great Bend. She died in 1877. They had two children, a son of great promise, who died in 1861, and Jennie.

BENJAMIN T. CASE was born about 1786 . in Newburg, N. Y., where he received an academic education. He read law in the same office with Martin Van Buren and William H. Seward, and at the age of about twenty was admitted to the Bar, in 1816 locating at Montrose, Susquehanna county. He had previously, in 1808, come with his father's family to Great Bend, but later moved to Warren, Penn. He was admitted to the Montrose Bar in 1817. He was a practical surveyor, and looked after the possessions of several of the large land owners in Susquehanna county. Judge McCollum's impressions of Mr. Case on his coming to the Bar in 1858 were that "he was then the oldest lawyer in the county, having been in practice here thirty-eight years, and at that time occasionally appeared in court to advise and assist in ejectments and other causes where the title to lands was involved. His learning and skill in such contests were well known and ap- preciated by the general public and his legal breth- ren. In that branch of the law relating to land titles he had no superior and perhaps no equal in this section of the State." Mr. Case died in 1862, aged seventy-six years.

Frederick A. Case, late of Montrose, Susque- hanna county, son of Benjamin T. Case, read law under the direction of his father at Montrose, where he was admitted to the Bar in 1854. There he es- tablished himself in the practice of law, and there died, in February, 1880. He was a modest, retir- ing man, of many eccentricities. He was well read in his profession, possessed a remarkable memory, and excelled in his preparation of cases. It is said that he could write deeds without printed forms, entirely from memory.

AMES FAMILY. The great State of Penn- sylvania abounds in prominent families whose rec- ord may well be perused by those to come, and who therein cannot fail to find noble examples of thrift, progress and honesty well worthy of emulation. To the citizens of Wayne county the mere mention of the name Ames suggests almost invariably the idea of respectability, intelligence, enterprise and patriotism, for all of which the family are noted, as well, in some conspicuous instances, as agricult- urists, bankers, merchants and millers.

The family is of English origin, and the first of whom we have mention was Joseph Ames, who was born in Stonington, Conn., where he passed his entire life. In 1777 he married Hannah Tyler, and children as follows were born to them: Will- iam, Erastus, Hannah, Elijah and Joseph, Jr. The father of this family was a farmer, as was his father

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before him, and owned a place ncar Stonington, where he died. He was a soldier in the Revolu- tionary war, and for his services he enjoyed a pen- sion up to the time of his death. In politics he was a Whig, and at various times during his busy life he held different minor township offices.

Joseph Ames, Jr., the youngest in the family. above mentioned, was born in Stonington, Conn., October 28, 1790, and died in Canaan township, · Wayne Co., Penn., in August, 1849. When twen- ty-one years old he came on horseback to Wayne county, Penn. (the animal he rode being his own property ), and during the three years following the date of his arrival he taught school in the Wallenpaupack. Here he met and married Miss Gertrude Schenck, a native of Monmouth county, N. J., who was a daughter of Col. John H. Schenck, a patriot of the Revolution. Col. Schenck was born in Monmouth county, N. J., of Holland extraction, was a man of considerable wealth and no little in- fluence in his day, and raised and equipped at his own expense a regiment which he commanded in person. The struggle for independence happily over, he retired from military service, and once more entered the arena of civil life, serving also in vari- ous political offices of honor and trust. Soon after his marriage Mr. Ames bought, at what is now Canaan Corners, 125 acres of wild land, part of which he cleared and improved, and for many years made his home thereon. This farm he subsequently sold to Mr. Starkweather, and then bought the 150- acre tract which is now in the possession of his son Henry C., and which was also wild land at the time of purchase. To clear and improve another farm, at his time of life, would seem a great undertaking, but nothing daunted, and with the indomitable courage and pluck characteristic of the family, he commenced work, and lived to see one hundred acres under improvement, and a comfortable house to- gether with commodious outbuildings erected. Like his father before him, he was a Whig in politics. Socially he was affiliated with the F. & A. M., Beth- any Lodge.

In writing the biographies of men of such calibre as was possessed by Joseph Ames, Jr., it is a pleasure to meet with such striking examples of industry and integrity. A particularly noticeable trait of Mr. Ames' character, generally inherited by his children, was modesty. He was of a retir- ing disposition, and shrank from notoriety. Any- thing like ostentation in charity he studiously avoided. Though he contributed freely to worthy objects, he had pronounced views on the subject of giving, and was careful not to go to the extreme of indiscriminate benevolence, which often does more harm than good.

To Joseph Ames, Jr., and his wife were born children as follows: (1) Erasmus D. died in Somerset county, N. J., in 1873; he married Jane Clawson. (2) Nelson W. died at Mattoon, Ill., in 1883; he married Nancy Hoadley. (3) Eliza H. makes her home in Somerset, N. J .; she has

been twice married, first time to A. G. Anderson, of Dundee, Scotland, and after his death, at Du- buque, Iowa, she wedded William Annon, of Lib- erty Corners, Somerset Co., N. J., who is also de- ceased. (4) Caleb T. died at the age of fourteen years. (5) George R. is a land agent and farmer at Moline, Kans .; he married (first) Catherine Mc- Clain, and (second) a Miss Kuntz. (6) Clarissa K. married John Clawson, a retired farmer and ex- merchant of Somerville, N. J. (7) Henry C. is a banker and farmer, and his sketch appears else- where. (8) Jacob S., who is a wealthy banker at Hawley, will be more fully spoken of farther on. (9) John H. is a farmer and ex-merchant, and re- sides at Hawley. (10) Reuben T., whose sketch appears elsewhere, is a farmer, ex-banker and ex- merchant at Hawley, Penn .; he married Ellen Thorpe. (II) Sarah D. is the widow of John Stry- ker, who was killed on the New Jersey Central rail- road (on which he was employed) at Dunellen, New Jersey.

JACOB S. AMES, merchant and banker, Hawley. A history of the growth and spread of the commer- cial interests of Wayne county could not well be written without containing considerable account of the enterprises with which this gentleman has so long and prominently been identified. He is a native of Pennsylvania, born June 26, 1830, in Canaan town- ship, Wayne county, and he passed his boyhood on the home farm, during the winter months attending the district school. At the age of seventeen, with the view of carving out for himself a competence and a home, he began work for the Delaware & Hudson Canal Co., for the daily wages of eighty- one cents. After some nine months thus employed he went to Hawley, where he was engaged on the Gravity railroad until its completion. For three years following that he ran a stationary water- wheel for drawing the car up the inclined plane at Station No. 15, on that railroad, and for the next three years he was employed to run the stationary power at Hawley. By this time, by economy and prudence, he had saved from his earnings sufficient to enable him to embark in business for himself, and for five years he engaged in buying cattle and sheep in Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania, at first driving them to Eastern markets, but subsequently shipping them by rail to New York and Boston. In 1861 he gave up droving and opened a general mercantile house at Hawley, in which he continued until the spring of 1886, his brother R. T. entering into partnership with him in 1865, and two years later another brother, John H., was admitted to the firm. The last named withdrew in 1882, but the business was still carried on under the firm style of J. S. Ames & Co., until the year above named when the property was divided and part of it sold. The firm did an extensive business as lumbermen, millers, stockmen and farmers, in the agricultural line ranking among the foremost in Wayne coun- ty, and our subject is still the owner of 800 acres of improved land in Paupack township. In 1872 he

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had his steam gristmill built in the borough, where the farmers in the surrounding country found ready sale for their grain, or had it prepared for home consumption. Mr. Ames has dealt in hay and grain for over thirty years, buying, selling and bal- ing, and during the past year paid out $11,000 for rye straw alone, besides purchasing hay, etc. In 1890 he started in the dairy business on his prop- erty in Paupack township, where he operates what is known as the Long Pond Creamery, and where he keeps a herd of 100 fine cows. During the last two years he has raised seven tons of pork there, as well as many head of cattle.

On July 28, 1885, Mr. Ames established a pri- vate bank (the first of any bank being located at Hawley), which he is still conducting. About 1870 he engaged largely in the lumber business, in which he has had extensive interests up to the present day ; rebuilt one steam sawmill and one water-power saw- mill in Paupack township, Wayne county ; and pur- chased large tracts of timber land in Palmyra, Pau- pack, Lake and Salem townships. After clearing off large quantities of timber and manufacturing it into lumber, he sold several hundred acres of this land for farming purposes, and he still retains some 2,500 acres to himself, 500 of which are in second growth pine timber. His annual sales have averaged three million feet of lumber, which has been marketed mostly in Philadelphia, New York and Newark. In addition to all these enterprises Mr. Ames has, for about twenty-five years, success- fully conducted a blacksmithing and wagon-manu- facturing business.

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Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 62

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