Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 87

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 87
USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 87
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 87
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 87

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).

During early life our subject assisted in the operation of the home farm, and also worked for neighboring farmers, but he continued to live with his mother until he was married, April 9, 1868, in Herrick township, to Miss Frances Boothroyd. To them were born the following children: George E., who married May Loomis, and follows farming in New York State: Emma E., deceased wife of L. B. Lewis, a carpenter of Richmond Dale, Lacka- wanna county ; Myrta E., wife of Lee Reynolds, a farmer of New York; Linna A., a resident of Binghamton, N. Y .; John C., deceased ; and Wal- ter S., Lora and Lydia, all at home.

Mrs. Ogden was born in Thompson township. Susquehanna county, October 27, 1851, a daughter

of Benjamin and Lydia ( Beaumont) Boothroyd, natives of Yorkshire, England, where they were married in 1841. The following year they emi- grated to America and took up their residence near Montrose, in Bridgewater township, Susquehanna county, a year later removing to Thompson, and finally settling in Uniondale, where the father died in September, 1898, his remains being interred in the Ararat cemetery. He was born in April, 1821, was a carpenter and millwright by trade, a Repub- lican in politics, and a Presbyterian in religious be- lief. The mother was born January 1, 1821, and is still a resident of Uniondale. They had five children: Mary A., now the wife of George H. Burman, a farmer of Ararat township; Martha, wife of Jerome Curtis, a farmer of Uniondale ; John, deceased; Alfred, who was killed in the woods while teaming; and Frances, wife of our subject. Mrs. Ogden's grandparents, John and Susanna (Swift) Boothroyd, and Thomas and Martha (Dryson) Beaumont, spent their entire lives in England.

After his marriage Mr. Ogden purchased a farm in Herrick township, on which he lived for eight years, and then removed to his present farm, to the cultivation and improvement of which he has since given his time and attention with most gratifying results. He is an ardent supporter of the Democratic party, and has most creditably and satisfactorily filled the office of supervisor for the past four years.

OSCAR CHARLES DOWNER, a successful and representative farmer and dairyman of Jessup township, Susquehanna county, has not only pros- pered in his chosen calling, but his life has ever been such as to gain for him the confidence and high regard of all with whom he has come in contact. He was born in Bridgewater township, same coun- tv, September 21, 1856, a son of Richard B. and Betsy E. (Fullerton) Downer, natives of Susque- hanna county, Penn., and Orange county, N. Y., re- spectively. The mother died in Jessup township, in January, 1878, at the age of fifty years, and was laid to rest in the Fairdale cemetery ; the father, who was born in September, 1821, is still living, and now makes his home with his children in Jes- sup township. During his active business life he was engaged in agricultural pursuits, but has now laid aside all business cares. In political sentiment he is a Democrat. A more extended mention of his life is given elsewhere. Of his children, Will- iam is deceased ; Susie is the wife of Peter D. Roe, a farmer of Jessup township; Hettie is deceased ; Oscar C. is our subject ; and Hosea B. is a farmer of Jessup township. The paternal grandfather of our subject was Ezekiel Downer, a native of Con- necticut.

Until twenty-four years of age Oscar C. Down- er remained with his parents, aiding in the work of the farm, and attending the local schools. He then purchased a store in Fairdale, and engaged in

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merchandising for five years, after which he spent one year in. Montrose. At the end of that time he bought what is known as the old Chatfield farm, comprising 130 acres, on which he has since made his home, his time and attention being devoted to agriculture. Besides this property he owns an- other farm, the two aggregating 200 acres, which he has placed under a high state of cultivation and improved wth good and substantial buildings. He is a thorough and skillful farmer, and in his under- takings has met with a fair degree of success. While a resident of Fairdale he acceptably served as postmaster for four years. Politically he follows in the footsteps of his father, always voting the Democratic ticket.

At Fairdale, Mr. Downer was married, Janu- ary 26, 1881, to Miss Nellie E. Parks, and they have an interesting family of five children, namely : Bessie, Guy, Page, Arthur and Hay. Mrs. Downer was born in Bradford county, Penn., May 4, 1864, a daughter of Hollis S. and Lucy D. ( Pickering) Parks, who are also represented elsewhere. They make their home in Fairdale, where the father is successfully engaged in general farming and dairy- ing, and are numbered among its highly-respected and honored citizens. They are the parents of five children, namely: Mary E., deceased wife of Scott Drake : Nellie E., wife of our subject : Ned L., who married Jane Warner, and is engaged in farming in Jessup township; Mabel C., wife of Jesse E. Whitting, of New Brunswick, N. J .; and Daisy N.

FREDERICK J. HARDY, one of the leading and popular young business men of Rush township, Susquehanna county, was born in Orwell, Bradford Co., Penn., May 18, 1867.

William H. Hardy, father of our subject, was born in Friendsville, Susquehanna county, January 3, 1832, a son of George W. and Eunice (West) Hardy. Our subject's paternal great-grandparents, William and Mary (Wright) Hardy, spent their entire lives in England, where the former died in 1847. He participated in the American Revolu- tion as a soldier in the British army. George W. Hardy, our subject's grandfather, was born March 5, 1805, in Hull, England, and came to America in 1819, first locating in Friendsville. Later he lived in Orwell township, Bradford county, but spent his last days in Prattville, where he died December 24, 1878. He was a blacksmith, having learned his trade in Montrose at the age of nineteen years. He married Eunice West, who was born May 24, 1806, in Connecticut, a daughter of Ezekiel and Mary ( North) West, also natives of Connecticut, who in 1800 removed to Bradford county, Penn., where the latter died in 1827; the former died in Illinois in. 1845. Mrs. Eunice ( West) Hardy died in Or- well township, Bradford county, the remains of both her and her husband being interred in South Hill cemetery, that county. Their children were Ann M., wife of John T. Gardner, of Bradford county ; William H., father of our subject ; George

W, a wood turner of Binghamton, N. Y .; Mary, deceased wife of Charles L. Arnold; Thomas, who died at the age of five years; Elwina, who died at the age of eight years; and N. Lorin, who died at the age of nineteen years.

When fourteen years of age William H. Hardy left home and commenced life for himself as a farm hand. After serving a seven-years' appren- ticeship at the mason's trade, he worked at the same for two years, and then married and located on a farm in Orwell township, Bradford county, which he purchased in 1848 and owned for thirty years. He then bought his present farm of fifty-three acres, in Rush township, Susquehanna county, paying for the same $2,400. During the Civil war, in Decem- ber, 1864, he was drafted and at Troy, Penn., was mustered into the United States service as a mem- ber of Company I, 45th P. V. I., under Charles D. Hart. He participated in the battles of Weldon Railroad, Fort Steadman and Petersburg, and at the last named was wounded in the right hip by a bursting shell and captured, being held by the Rebels until their surrender. After the grand re- view at Washington, D. C., he was taken ill with typhoid fever, and was sent to the field hospital near Alexandria, Va., where he was finally discharged June 29, 1865. For two years after his return home he was an invalid. Fraternally he is a mem- ber of the Grand Army of the Republic, and in re- ligious connection he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has served as stew- ard for two years and as superintendent of the Sun- day-school for one year. In Bradford county he was a school director for about six years. He was a supporter of the Republican party until 1884, since which time he has been an ardent Prohibitionist.

On March 14, 1855, in Dimock township, Sus- quehanna county, William H. Hardy married Char- lotte J. Moore, who was born in East Rush, Janu- ary 13, 1838. Her parents, James and Phoebe (Light) Moore, were born, reared and married in Delaware county, N. Y., and from there removed to Susquehanna county, Penn., locating on the farm where Mr. and Mrs. Hardy now reside. Here Mr. Moore purchased 106 acres for $3.50 per acre. He and his wife were faithful members of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church, in which he served as class- leader and Sunday-school superintendent for many years. He was born March 18, 1807, and died June 2, 1888; his wife, born April 9, 1814, died January 12, 1889, both being laid to rest in East Rush cemetery. Their children were Malinda, de- ceased wife of Elisha Osborne; Mary, wife of G. Stanton, of Binghamton, N. Y. : William, who died at the age of one year : Charlotte J., mother of our subject : Sally A., wife of David Vanoven, a farmer of Rush township: Lois, wife of Peter Valentine, a carpenter and builder of Arizona : Andrew J., who had both legs shot off in the Civil war, and died in 1863: and Phoebe MI .. wife of William J. Mulkey, a farmer of Forest Lake township, Susquehanna county. Mrs. Hardy's paternal grandparents, John

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and Jane Moore, were natives of Ireland, and on coming to America located in Delaware county, N. Y., where they spent the remainder of their lives, engaged in farming. Her maternal grandparents, Clois and Malinda (Simmons) Light, were life- long residents of Delaware county, N. Y., and were also agriculturists.

The children of William H. Hardy and wife were as follows : Phobe, born February 12, 1859, is the wife of Andrew Canfield, a printer of Syracuse, N. Y .; Carrie J., born February 2, 1861, died March 15, 1861; Charlotte, born April 12, 1862, died July 12, 1863; Manford G., born March 29, 1865, married Ella Talcott, and is a cigar packer of Binghamton, N. Y .; Frederick J., our subject, is next in the order of birth; Clara B., born March 13, 1871, was a graduate of the Montrose high school, and of the Baptist Mission school of Chicago, and was engaged in missionary work in Mexico at the time of her death, January 9, 1897 ; Lela M., born March 17, 1873, died October 14, 1879; George C. L., born September 6, 1875, is with his father; Erstine W., born October 25, 1878, is a stenographer in Syracuse, N. Y .; and Luther C., born March 2, 1882, is with his parents.

On leaving the parental roof, at the age of nineteen years, Frederick J. Hardy rented his ma- ternal grandfather's farm at East Rush for one year, and then he and his brother-in-law, Ezekiel Main, purchased a large farm in Jessup township, Susquehanna county. After operating it together for one year our subject purchased his partner's in- terest, carrying it on alone for eleven years, when he rented the place, which he still owns, and com- menced working at the stone mason's trade and traveling for the American Woolen Manufacturing Co., with which he is still connected, selling tailor- made clothes manufactured by the firm. He spends the winter months gumming and filing saws. When he left his farm in Jessup township he removed to East Rush, and on December 1, 1898, he located in the town of Rush. He is an enterprising, wide .. awake and progressive business man, of known re- liability, and is meeting with well-deserved success in his undertakings. His political support is given to the Prohibition party, and in religious faith he is a Methodist ; he served as superintendent of the East Rush Sunday-school for two years.

In Binghamton, N. Y., November 29, 1885, Mr. Hardy married Miss Rebecca C. Main, and to them has come one child, Cecil M., born January 21, 1892. Mrs. Hardy was born in Jessup town- ship, February 20, 1867, and is a daughter of Eze- kiel and Mariette (Owens) Main, the former a na- tive of Connecticut, the latter of Bradford county. Penn. The father was one of five brothers, who came to Susquehanna county at an early day and located in Jessup township. He died in 1871, aged seventy-four years, his wife in 1869, aged thirty- six. To them were born two children: Ezekiel, a farmer of Jessup township, who married Eudora

Bunnell; and Rebecca C., wife of our subject. The father was twice married, his first wife being Cathi- erine Shelp, but he had no children by that union.

ALFRED STOLL DINGMAN. The Ding- man family is one of the oldest in this section, and is of Dutch origin, the first of the name in America coming from Holland in 1660 or 1665, and settling at Kinderhook, New York.

The subject of this sketch, a leading merchant of Milford, Pike county, is a direct descendant of Andrew Dingman, the pioneer settler of Delaware township, who was born in Kinderhook, N. Y., in 17II, came hither in 1735, and in the wilderness chose a place for his home which he called "Ding- man's Choice," located in what is now Pike coun- ty, Penn. He cut the first bush, built the first log cabin, and put the first ferry-boat on the Delaware at Dingman's Ferry. He died at the age of eighty- five, and was buried at Wallpack, N. J., as there was no cemetery nearer. It is supposed that he built the ferry chiefly to afford a means of escape in case of an attack by Indians, as the Jersey side of the river was settled somewhat thickly. The ferry re- mained in the possession of the family until 1894, the last of the connection to operate it being John W. Kilsby, who married Mary Dingman, a sister of our subject. Andrew Dingman had two sons, An- drew and Isaac. Isaac was shot by the Indians in 1779, near where the "High Falls Hotel" stands, fell from his horse, and died while they were cross- ing the river with him to a fort on the Jersey side. He was unmarried.

(II) Capt. Andrew Dingman, born at "Ding- man's Choice," September 19, 1753, son of the pio- neer, removed to New Jersey in 1773, and remained on a farm there for three years, on April 1, 1777, returning to Dingman's Ferry, where he died in 1839, at a good old age. He was captain of a com- pany during the Revolutionary war. He married. Jane Westbrook, daughter of Daniel Westbrook, and a native of Wallpack, N. J., and they had two children : Daniel W., our subject's grandfather ; and Cornelia, wife of John Van Etten, of Conashaugh. The mother died in 1838.

(III) Hon. Daniel W. Dingman, born July 28, 1774, died April 12, 1862. He was nearly three years old when he came to Pike county. Inherit- ing his father's estate at the Ferry, he for many years carried on lumbering and mercantile business there. He was a Democrat, of the Jacksonian type, and as he had the qualities of leadership he held a prominent place in the political activities of his time. In 1801 he was elected sheriff of Wayne county, be- ing the second to hold that office, and from 1808 to 1814 he served in the State Legislature. During that period Pike county was separated from Wayne, and he named the new division in honor of Gen. Pike, a hero of the war of 1812, while the name of Dingman township was naturally bestowed in recognition of the part played by himself and his family in its set- tlement and development. For twenty-six consec-

Alfred Stall Dingman

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

utive years he served as associate judge of Pike county, and he was one of the electors of President Monroe. He also took much interest in military mat- ters, and at one time was lieutenant-colonel of a militia regiment. His wife, Mary ( Westbrook ), was born in October, 1774, a daughter of Martin Westbrook, of Sussex county, N. J. They had the following children: Cornelia, wife of Garret Brodhead, ot Dingman's Ferry; Margaret, wife of Abrams Coolbaugh, of Shawnee, Monroe county ; Martin W., who married Berlinda Hornbeck; An- drew ; Jane, Mrs. Franklin Brodhead ; and Daniel W., Jr., the first Whig prothonotary of Pike county, who married Elizabeth B. Fecart. Mrs. Dingman (lied in 1852.

(IV) Andrew Dingman, our subject's father, was born at the homestead December 25, 1804, and followed farming and lumbering throughout his active life, being also in charge of the old ferry for many years. On retiring from business he removed to the Fairchild farm, in Delaware township, a mile west of the ferry, and his death occurred there March 22, 1889. He maintained good health to an advanced age, and his temperate habits and quiet disposition, together with his unswerving integrity, won him the respect and confidence of all who knew him. In his younger days he was a Whig, later be- coming a Republican, and at times he held town- ship offices. His remains rest in Delaware cemetery, at Dingman's Ferry, where his wife and parents and grandparents were also buried. He was married, Jan- uary 31, 1825, at Montague, Sussex Co., N. J., to Caroline Eliza Sayre, born October 6, 1804, daughter of Jedediah Sayre, a wealthy real-estate owner of Deckertown, N. J., and his wife Elizabeth ( Ralph- snyder ), of the same place. To Andrew and Caroline E. Dingman the following children were born : Mary, widow of J. W. Kilsby, mentioned above: Susan, widow of John McGeenis, of Columbus, Ohio; Evi Sayre, a retired mechanic, of Scranton, who married Elizabeth Myers : Jane, deceased, who married John J. Case, a dentist at Newton, N. J. ; Margaret A., wife of John Lattimore, a retired blacksmith at Dingman's Ferry ; Daniel W., a miller at Shawnee. Monroe county, who married Priscilla Puterbaugh ; Alfred S., our subject: William H., a blacksmith at Columbus, Ohio, who married Gertrude Steele ; Abram C., deceased, formerly a physician at Haw- ley, Wayne county, who married Josephine Dow : and Isaac, a farmer in Delaware township, Pike county, who married Charlotte Conklin. Four of the sons, Evi S., Daniel W., William H., and Alfred S., served in the Union army during the Civil war. The mother died May 6, 1885.

(\') Alfred Stoll Dingman was born August 12, 1837, at the homestead at Dingman's Ferry, where he remained until he reached the age of nine- teen, assisting his father with the work of the farm and ferry. He then took a position as clerk in a general store at Dingman's Ferry, owned by Thom- as Cortright, and in 1859 he accepted a similar po- sition with C. McCarty, of the same place. On Oc- 24

tober 16, 1862, he became a member, at Philadelphia, of Company B, 179th P. V. 1., becoming first lieu- tenant under Capt. John B. Frazier. He went first to Newport News, and later to Yorktown, where he remained until June, 1863, doing guard duty at the Fort, and he then marched up the Peninsula ' to Whitehouse Landing, Va., participating in an en- gagement near that place in June, 1863. On July 27, 1863, he was discharged at Harrisburg, on ac- count of expiration of term of service, and after his return home he assisted his father for some time. In the spring of 1864 he entered into mercantile business at Dingman's Ferry with Evert Hornbeck, and one year later bought his partner's interest, con- tinuing alone until 1869, when he formed a part- nership with Henry P. Beardsley. After two years Mr. Beardsley died, and for one year Jacob B. Westbrook was in partnership with our subject, who then sold out to Mr. Westbrook and retired. In. 1880 Mr. Dingman removed to Milford, being employed as a clerk for John F. Pinchot, a mer- chant, until 1889, when he became a traveling sales- man for Thomas E. Grecian, a shoe dealer in New York City.

Mr. Dingman has always taken keen interest in politics, being an ardent Republican, and in 1890 he was elected commissioner of Pike county for the term of three years. In 1893 he was again chosen to the office, and on retiring he engaged, in Febru- ary, 1896, in his present business. He is an able official, and previous to his election as commissioner he had served three years ( 1884-1887) as county auditor, and three years as school director in Dela- ware township. Socially he and his family are prom- inent, and he is identified with the G. A. R., the I. O. O. F., the Rebekahs, and the F. & A. M. ( Blue Lodge No. 344), at Milford.

On May 18, 1889, Mr. Dingman was married, - at Port Jervis, N. Y., to Miss Kate Van Auken, and one son, Walter V., born March 14, 1890, brightens their home. Mrs. Dingman was born April 13. 1857, at Dingman's Ferry, a daughter of the late John B. Van Auken, and is a member of an old and highly-esteemed family of Wallpack, N. J., where her paternal great-grandfather, Bodawine Van Au- ken (who married a Miss Westbrook), was a prominent citizen in the early days. Abraham Van Auken, Mrs. Dingman's grandfather, was born at Wallpack, came to Pike county in early manhood, and engaged in farming. By his first wife, Kate ( Bevan ), he had five children: Jacob: Mary, wife of Caleb Slate: Emeline, wife of Joshua Depew ; John B., Mrs. Dingman's father ; and Sarah, who married George Mollineaux. By his second mar- riage, to Eleanor Steele, he had two children : Ly- dia, wife of Nathan Emery, Jr. ; and Henry B.

The late John B. Van Auken was born at Wall- pack in 1825, and came to Pike county about 1830. He was a farmer by occupation, owning a large tract of land, and he was held in high esteem for his excellent qualities of character. He died July 9, 1897, aged seventy-two, and his wife, Sallie A.

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

(Gardner), to whom he was married March 4, 1848, died April 10, 1894, at the age of seventy-two. She was a native of Warren county, N. J., and a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Linderberry) Gardner, and came in childhood to Pike county. Mr. and Mrs. Van Auken had a large family of children, as follows: Hezekiah N. (deceased), who married Emma Van Horn, and had three daughters, May, Maud and Laura : Mary L., wife of J. P. Noack, a farmer in Monroe county ; John G. and Guelma, who died in childhood; Kate, Mrs. Dingman; Capitola, deceased ; George B., a merchant at Dingman's Fer- ry, who married Emily Whitaker, and has one daughter, Marilla ; and Jacob, deceased.

H. E. BIRTCH. The life of this gentleman is a striking example of what can be accomplished by perseverance and industry. When a mere boy he began the battle of life for himself empty-handed, and the success that he has achieved is due entirely to his own well-directed efforts and good manage- ment. He makes his home in Dimock township, Susquehanna Co., Penn., and is closely identified with the business interests of that community.

George Birtch, father of our subject, was a na- tive of Cortland county, N. Y., where he grew to manhood and married Miss Sarah Castle. Shortly after their marriage they came to Susquehanna county, Penn., first locating in Rush township, and later living in both Jessup and Dimock townships, the father owning property in the last named. Bv occupation he was a farmer. He died in Dimock township January 3, 1873, aged sixty-five years, and the mother departed this life during the child- hood of our subject. To them were born children as follows: Harry and Philo, who both died during their service in the Civil war, the latter being killed in the battle of the Wilderness; Mary, deceased wife of Philander Pierson, of Dimock township; Wilson, a resident of Harford, Susquehanna coun- ty : James, of Dimock township ; H. E., our subject ; Eliza, wife of James Martin, of Scranton, Penn .; and George, of Lackawanna county, Pennsylvania.

The subject of this review was born in Dimock township, July 25, 1840, and his education was obtained in the common schools there. When a mere boy he left home and commenced working as a farm hand by the month, being employed in vari- ous portions of the county. Having saved some of his wages, he was able to purchase thirty-five acres of land in Dimock township on attaining his majority, but after operating the place a short time he sold it, and subsequently, at different times. owned several farms, on which he lived for a few years before disposing of same. In 1868 he bought fifty-seven acres of land in the eastern part of Dimock township, to which he has since added seventy acres. and besides this property now owns another farm of eighty acres, and twenty-eight acres of wood land. He has followed general farm- ing, dairving, carpentering and blacksmithing, and in his undertakings has met with well-deserved suc-

cess. Upon his farm he built a new barn in 1898, and has made many other improvements which add to its valuable and attractive appearance.

In Dimock township Mr. Birtch married Miss Laura J. Reynolds, who was born April 2, 1840, a daughter of John and Laura (Lindsey ) Reynolds. The father was born in Cortland, N. Y., and was married in Dimock township, Susquehanna Co., Penn., where he followed farming for a number of years. He died January 5, 1884, at the age of eighty-six years, and the mother departed this life October 3, 1886, at the age of eighty-three years, five months and twenty days. In their family were six children, namely : Franklin, deceased ; Almyra, widow of Reuben Reynolds, of Dimock township; Betsey, wife of Charles Reynolds, a farmer of the same township; Clark, deceased ; Laura J., wife of our subject; and William Andrew, who died young. To Mr. and Mrs. Birtch have been born seven children: Myrtle, deceased wife of Gilbert Hover; Milan R. and Harris, both residents of Dimock township: Clema, wife of Edward Casey, of Binghamton, N. Y .; Florence and Llewellyn, both at home; and Daisy, in school.

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Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 87

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