Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 2, Part 93

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1098

USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 2 > Part 93
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 2 > Part 93
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 2 > Part 93
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 2 > Part 93

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F. M. BIGELOW. Among the representative farmers of Mt. Pleasant township, Wayne county, there is none more progressive or enterprising than Mr. Bigelow, whose valuable and productive farm is one of the most highly-cultivated and well-improved places of the locality. Upon the place of eighty acres have been erected three good dwellings, besides large barns and other outbuildings, which together with the well-tilled fields indicate the supervision of a careful and painstaking owner, who thoroughly understands his vocation.

Mr. Bigclow was born in Wayne county, De- cember 13, 1841, son of John Bigelow, a native of Massachusetts, who was born about 1790, near Wor- cester. His grandfather, James Bigelow, one of the heroes of the Revolutionary war, married Betsy Graham, a lady of Scotch desecnt, and in 1808 they brought their family to Wayne county, Penn., locat- ing on the farm in Mt. Pleasant township, where their grandson, F. M. Bigelow, now resides. By . trade the grandfather was a blacksmith. His chil- dren were as follows: John, now deceased : Betsy, wife of Seth Yale, of Lebanon township, Wayne county ; Sallic, wife of Jolin Tiffany ; Tryphosa, who married Clayton Rodgers, and died in Wisconsin ; Trypliena, wife of Jonathan Miller, of Mt. Pleasant township, Wayne county ; Pattie, wife of Benjamin Fletcher, of Preston township, same county ; Theres- sa, wife of M. DeLong, of Bradford, Penn .; and James How. who died at Mt. Pleasant at the age of seventy-six years. The parents of these children, died when quite well advanced in years.

John Bigelow, the father of our subject, on reaching manhood married Miss Lydia Yale, a na- tive of Connecticut, and to them was born a family of three sons and five daughters, namely: Zerina, wife of Orin Lester; James, who dicd in Mt. Pleas- ant township, leaving a family ; Catherine, wife of Wilber Kennedy; Sophronia, wife of Bijah Bush; Tryphena, wifc of Horatio Periham; John; Mar- garet, who died when young; and F. M., of this sketch, who is the only one now living. The mother, who was a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church, departed this life at the age of forty-five years, and the father long survived her, dying in 1884, at the extreme old age of ninety-four years All his life he followed the occupation of farming. He was a stanch supporter of the Republican party, and was one of the earliest members of the Presby- terian Church at Mt. Pleasant, in the work of which he took an active part. Upright and honorable in all things, no one in the community was held in higher regard than John Bigelow.

Reared on the home farm, the subject of this sketch received a fair common-school education. and was also given instruction in music, in which he early manifested considerable talent. After reach- ing manhood he successfully engaged in teaching vocal music for some years, but now devotes his energies exclusively to his farming interests. in which he is meeting with marked success.

Mr. Bigelow was married, October 4, 1865, to Miss Eunice Kennedy, a lady of refinement and cult- ure, and they have become the parents of eight chil- dren: Nelson E., a bookkeeper at Honesdale, Penn. ; Clarence K., a clerk at Scranton ; Clara May, a teacher by profession ; Janet, also a teacher, who is now employed in the Honesdale graded schools ; Walter S .; Verna, a student in the Carbondale graded schools; and Herbert and Deloss, who are also attending school. Nelson, Clarence and Walter have cleared and rcclaimed a swamp on the home farm, the place being known as Bigelow's Truck Garden. The soil is very deep and productive, and a lakc one-quarter of a mile distant and eighteen feet higher than the garden furnishes water for irrigation and raising truck, the connection being made with a four-inch pipe. The brothers are large growers of celery, onions and other truck, in 1899 raising one thousand bushels of onions. threc acres of celery, me acre of cabbage and four acres of potatoes.

Mrs. Bigclow's parents, Robert H. and Char- lotte ( Wheateraft) Kennedy. were natives of Con- necticut and Lebanon township, Wayne county, rc- spectively, while the latter is a daughter of Nelson Wheatcraft, a native of England. In the Kennedy family were five children, namely : Nelson, dcceascd ; Nathan, of Pleasant Mount: Eunice, wife of our subject : Rebecca, wife of John Giles, of Mt. Plcas- ant township: and Wellington, who resides on the old homestead. The father, a farmer by occupation, dicd at the age of eighty-three years, and the mothicr departed this life at the age of cighty. For fifty

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ycars she had been a devout member of the Methodist Church, and she and her husband were widely and favorably known throughout Wayne county.

Mr. Bigelow exercises his right of franchise in support of the principles of the Republican party, and for several years has acceptably served as a member of the school board of his district. Fra- ternally he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and, being a man of social, frank and genial nature, he makes friends wherever he goes. His support is never withheld from any ob- ject which he believes calculated to advance the edu- cational, moral or material welfare of his com- munity.

RICHARD HAM, a wide-awake and pro- gressive agriculturist residing in Berlin town- ship, Wayne county, was born in Cornwall, Eng- land, in 1849, and is a son of John and Mary (Wicket) Ham, both also natives of Cornwall, where they were married, and where they continued to reside until after the birth of seven of their four- teen children. The father .came to the New World in the spring of 1852, and the mother in the fall of the same year, and they first located in Damas- cus township, Wayne county, a few years later re- moving to Berlin township, the father having pur- chased a tract of wild land near Honesdale, on the Narrowsburg pike, from which he cleared and im- proved a good farm. There his wife died in 1897, and he passed away in the following year. The children born to this worthy couple were as fol- lows: (1) William, a blacksmith by trade, died when a young man. (2) Lewis grew to manhood, but is now deceased. (3) John married Isabel Taylor, of Oregon township, Wayne county, and lived in Berlin township, where he died in April, 1897, leaving a wife and five children-George, Lewis, Vernie, Pearl and Earl. (4) Betsy A. married Richard Neal, of England, and they made their home in Berlin township, Wayne county, where both died some years ago, leaving two daughters-Rosy (now the wife of W. H. Mar- shall), and Mary (wife of J. B. Marshall). (5) Mary J. is the wife of William P. Budd, of Beach Lake, and they have four children: Julia, Nettie. Frances and Horace. (6) Richard is the next of the family. 7) James died in boyhood. (8) One died in infancy. (9) Eliza W. married George Taylor, of Wayne county, and they now reside on his farm in Torrey. They have two sons. Horace and Forest. (10) Selina is the wife of Lyman Garrett. of Berlin, and they have one son, Chester. ( II) Thomas J., born in Berlin township. in Au- gust, 1850, was cducated in the public schools, and on September 20, 1886, married Hattic Marshall, of Berlin township. a daughter of Simon and Eliza Marshall, natives of England. She died in Janu- ary, 1807. leaving four children, Nettie. Bertha, Ada and Irma: Maud, the eldest child. died at the age of two years. After his marriage Thomas J. located at White's Mills, and was in the employ of

the Dorflinger Glass Works for fifteen years. In April, 1896, he accepted the superintendeney of the Honesdale and Texas Home, and is now accepta- bly filling that position. He is a Republican in polities, is a member of the Episcopal Church, and belongs to Freedom Lodge No. 88, I. O. O. F., at Honesdale. (12) Amanda H. is the wife of Will- iam Cowell, a farmer of Oregon township, Wayne county, and has four children, Florence E., Edna M .. Lester J. and Clarence W. (13) Samuel G. died when young. ( 14) William H. (2) married Jennie Demorest, of Wayne county, and they re- side at No. 3, White's Mills, Texas township, where he is employed as bookkeeper for the Dor- flinger Cut Glass Company.

Richard Ham is indebted to the public schools of Berlin township for his education, and his busi- ness training was obtained upon the home farm. In 1867 he married Miss Elizabeth T. Spry, of Ber- lin township, and later he purchased the Andrew Davy farm, where he made his home for four years. There his wife died in 1873, leaving one daughter, Tamzon E., who died at the age of fif- teen years. In 1879 he wedded Miss Sarah P. Compton, of Berlin township, a daughter of Mark and Elizabeth (Garrett) Compton, and for three years they made their home in Oregon township. Mr. Ham then removed to Berlin township. where he rented the Richard Neal farm at $200 per year for four years, and in 1885 purchased the Shepherd S. Garrett farm, in the same township, on the State road between White's Mills and Beach Lake. He has erected thereon a good two-story residence, a frame barn and other outbuildings, ard still devotes his attention to the cultivation and improvement of that farm. He has prospcred in his life work, and is to-day one of the well-to-do citizens of his community. In 1897 he purchased the property known as the Lewis Rineing estate in Berlin town- ship, which is a well-cultivated farm, supplied with a good house, barn and other improvements.

Mr. Ham's second wife died at his present home in 1887. leaving three daughters: Minnie S., who is now visiting in Brooklyn, N. Y. : Bessie A .. who is a student in the Honesdale High School ; and Cora P., who is attending the home school. They are bright. intelligent young ladies, who have a host of friends. In 1889 Mr. Ham married Miss Gertrude Munger, of Brooklyn, a daughter of Henry and Anna Munger. natives of Germany, who at one time made their home in Berlin town- ship. Wayne county, where the father died some years ago. The mother is now Mrs. Frederick Greybone, of Cohocton. N. Y. By his third mar- riage our subject has three chilrden: Ethel L .. Jes- sie R. and Laura Isabel.

Politically Mr. Ham is an ardent Republican, and three times he has been elected on that ticket to the office of poormaster. He and his wife are both earnest and consistent members of the Berlin Baptist Church. His energy, thrifty habits and good business ability have secured for himself and

844

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

- family a good home and placed him in very com- fortable circunstances, and his career has ever been such as to commend him to the confidence and es- teem of the entire community.

ARTHUR TAYLOR, a prosperous merchant of Mt. Pocono, is one of the substantial and well- known business men of Monroe county. It is per- haps no less true in the business than in the mechan- ical world that a thorough apprenticeship best fits for a subsequent career. The qualifications of. a clerk or a salesman do not cover the wider duties or responsible cares of a merchant, but it is never- theless true that the thorough familiarity with trade gained by a careful and varied experience as sales- man proves of inestimable value to the future mer- chant. It was so with our subject. Adopting business as his career in life, Mr. Taylor gave due heed to the foundations of his success, and when the structure was reared it proved permanent and im- posing.

Mr. Taylor is a descendant of an old New Jer- sey family. His great-grandfather, Benjamin Tay- lor, was a citizen of New Jersey in her Colonial days. He married a Miss Abbot, of the same Colony, and his children were: Moses, who died wealthy, leav- ing no children ; John, who left a large family ; Rob- ert, one of whose children was Jonathan Taylor ; Ruth, who married a Mr. Anderson; Mary, who married a Mr. Lee; and Benjamin, the grandfather of our subject. The last-named was born in Amwell township, Hunterdon Co., N. J., June 10, 1781. On July 3, 1804, he married Mary Vankirk, who was born April 17, 1787, in Alexandria township, Hun- terdon Co., N. J., and died April 8, 1868. To Ben- jamin and Mary Taylor were born fifteen children, as follows: (1) Ruth, born December 9, 1805, in 'Alexandria township, Hunterdon Co., N. J., mar- ried a Mr. Shoup. (2), Sally Ann, born August 2, 1807, in Greenwich township, Sussex Co., N. J., mar- ried Rev. Jacob Albert. (3) Esther, born Febru- ary 3, 1809, in Paine township, married James Mc- Fall, of Northampton county, Penn. (4) Peter, born December 1, 1810, in the same township, died young. (5) John Q. was born October 2, 1812, in the same township. (6) William S., born April 2, 1814, married Nancy Dewitt. (7) Jane K., born November 1, 1815, same township, married Michael Miller. (8) Robert K. was born July 23, 1817, same township. (9) Clarissa, born September 10, 1819, same township, married Philip Bartholomew. (10) Moses was born February 19, 1821, same township. ( II) Conrad S. was born January 5, 1823, at Harmony, Warren Co., N. J. (12) Enoch was born September 25, 1824, at Harmony, Warren Co., N. J. (13) Benjamin J., father of our sub- ject, was born May 10, 1826, at the same place. ( 14) Samuel L. was born May 28, 1828, at Lower Mt. Betliel, Northampton county, Penn. ( 15) Theo- dore I'. was born July 22, 1831, also at Lower Mt. Bethel.

Benjamin J. Taylor, father of our subject, was

an infant when his father removed with his large family from New Jersey to Pennsylvania. He was reared in Northampton and Monroe counties, and followed farming and lumbering through life. He married Miss Susanna Workhciser, daughter of Valentine and Mary (Kunkel) Workheiser, the Workheisers being among the early and prominent settlers of Pennsylvania. The family of which Val- entine Workheiser was a member included Henry, Charles and John, and his sisters, Mesdames Will- iams. Learn, Vanbuskirk and Houser. Valentine Workheiser was born December II, 1798, and died December 5, 1857. His wife, Mary ( Kunkel), was born February 4, 1800. Their children were as fol- lows : Elizabeth, born October 22, 1817, who mar- ried George Swartwood, and died October 17, 1874: Johanna, who married Charles Smith; Lavina, who died at the age of seventeen years; Mary Ann, who : married Jonathan Taylor; Christiana, who married Warren Bush; Reuben, who married Julia. Carey; Eastburn, who married Jerusha Angle; Susannah. mother of our subject, born July 31, 1833; William, born December 4. 1835. who married Van Smith; Eliza, born December 6, 1838, who married Orvis Beecher ; and Eleanor, born December 10, 1840, who married William Butts.

-After his marriage to Susanna Workheiser Benjamin J. Taylor, the father of our subject, pur- chased . the farm of his father-in-law, near East Stroudsburg, where he remained through life. He was a progressive and well-to-do farmer, and was prominently identified with the interests of Monroe county. In religious faith he was a Presbyterian, and was active in Church work. He died February 15, 1894, leaving his worthy wife, who still survives, and a large family. The children of Benjamin J. and Susanna Taylor were as follows: (1) E. W., born October 6. 1852, in Northampton county, was educated in the high schools of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and Millersville. He followed teaching for many years, and is now an active business man of New York City, residing at Ludlow, on the Hudson river. He married Miss Anna Conkey, of New York City, and has one daughter, Florence. (2) William S., born October 16, 1854, also received a good education, and is now engaged in business at East Stroudsburg. He married Miss Anna Griffin, and has two chil- dren, May and Radia. (3) Bloomfield L., born Octo- ber 26, 1856, died at East Stroudsburg January 27. 1889. (4) Ida May, 'born May 20, 1860. married Henry A. Bell. of Stroudsburg, and has three chil- dren, Emma, Bertha, and Archie, students in the Philadelphia schools. (5) Arthur, born August 12, 1862, is the subject of this sketch. (6) Minnie E., born September 6, 1865, is the wife of Charles Hes- ter, a carriage manufacturer of Easton. (7) Clara Belle, born October 17, 1867, is the wife of Newton Featherman. of Stroudsburg. (8) Robert C., born August 4, 1860, married Mrs. Alice - -, of Cam- den, N. J., and has two children, Joseph and Reba. He resides in Philadelphia, and is connected in a business way with the Philadelphia Transfer Co.

Arthur Taylor

845

.COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

(9) Edgar and (10) Frederick, twins, were born March 18, 1872. Edward married Miss Ellen Eilen- berger, and has two children; he is engaged in the laundry business at East Stroudsburg. Frederick married Miss Laura Leap, of Minsi, and is now a weaver in the woolen mills at Stroudsburg. ( II) Jay Benjamin, born February 4, 1875, is now engaged in. business in Philadelphia.

Arthur Taylor was born in Smithfield, grew to manhood in Monroe county, and received a finished education at the Stroudsburg Academy. At the age of twenty-one, in August, 1883, he left the farm and began his mercantile career as salesman in the gen- eral store of A. W. Loder, at East Stroudsburg. Four years later, on account of failing health, he gave up his position, and for a time was engaged as shipping clerk in a shingle mill at Pellston, Mich. He then removed to East Stroudsburg, where for about one year he was head clerk in the store of Frank Kistler, and he was then bookkeeper with George L. Adams & Co., tanners, at the same place. He was also engaged for some time with the East Stroudsburg Lumber Company.

In 1891 Mr. Taylor married Miss Emma Brown, only daughter of Frank and Ellen Depuy Brown, and a member of an old and prominent fam- ily of Monroe county. Mrs. Taylor was born in 1869, and was educated in East Stroudsburg. After his marriage our subject settled in East Stroudsburg and was there employed until 1893, when he pur- chased the general merchandise stock of Lewis T. Smith, at Mt. Pocono, and began a mercantile busi- ness of his own. His store was burned in 1895, but he at once rebuilt, and has continued in the trade up to the present time. He conducts a large store, well stocked with a full line of merchandise adapted to the trade of his locality.

To Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have come two chil- dren : Benjamin F., born February 14, 1892, and Ruth, born June 25, 1895. The family are attend- ants of the Presbyterian Church. Politically Mr. Taylor has always been identified with the Demo- cratic party, and at present he is assistant to Post- master E. E. Hooker at Mt. Pocono. He is a mem- ber of Oniskassett Tribe No. 354. Order of Red Men. As a business man he is held in high estecm, and as a citizen is devoted to the best interests of the community in which he lives.

W. W. WOOD. Versatility does not always lead to success in life, but the subject of this biog- raphy, a leading resident of Honesdale. Wayne county, seems to be cqual to every position in which he may find himself. As a business man he is en- terprising, able and far-sighted; as a soldier he proved himself to be brave and energetic, while in political and social life he has displayed qualities which have gained for him popularity and influ- ence.

Mr. Wood is of English ancestry in both pa- ternal and maternal lines. Rev. Francis Wood, his grandfather, a minister in one of the Evan-

gelical Churches in England, had three sons, T. W., John W. and Charles. T. W. Wood, our sub- ject's father, was born in 1810, in Yorkshire, Eng- land, and when a boy came to America, locating first in Canada and later in New York City. For some time he was engaged in glass-cutting, but he afterward became a mechanical engineer and fol- lowed that business until his death in 1870. His wife, whose maiden name was Anna Owens, was born in Birmingham, England, in 1812, and died in 1869. Her father, Robert Owens, was a junior partner of the firm of Boulton & Watts, the latter being the renowned inventor of the steam engine, and through his mother our subject is also related to the Wolfes, a well-known English family, to which Wolfe, of Quebec, belonged. Of the chil- dren born to T. W. and Anna Wood, William died at the age of forty-five; Henry dicd from injuries received while silver mining in Montana; E. J. is a mechanical engineer in New York City; Charles B. is a resident of New York; Walter Wolfe is our subject.

W. W. Wood was born February 2, 1848, in New York City, in the Seventh ward. He was educated in ward school No. 31, a school of which Boss Tweed was one of the trustees, and John J. Anderson principal, and on leaving school he be- gan to learn the machinist's trade. When the Civil war broke out he was much too young to en- list, but his patriotic spirit chafed under the re- straint, and at the age of sixteen he ran away from home and managed to gain a place in Gen. Kear- ney's old brigade, the 4th New Jersey. He took part in some severe battles, and was at Cedar Creek, Winchester (where he witnessed Sheridan's famous ride), Petersburg (where he participated in the noted charge), Hatcher's Run, Appomat- tox, and other places made historical by our brave soldiers, and he was present at the surrender of Lee. He marched in the Grand Review at Wash- ington, and in June, 1865, was mustered out of the service. On his return home he resumed work at his trade, and remained in New York until 1885. with the exception of a short time while engaged in business in the oil regions of West Virginia. about 1867. In 1885 he came to Honesdale to take charge of the works of the National Elevator & Machine Company, in which he is now a stock- holder and general manager. They manufacture high-grade elevators, and under his management the establishment turns out a large amount of first- class work. Politically he is a stanch Republican. and since coming to Honesdale he has been a leader in the local organization. In 1894. 1895 and 1896 hic was chairman of the central committee of Wayne county, and no candidate failed of election who had the good fortune to be nominated while Mr. Wood occupied the chair.

In 1867 Mr. Wood married Miss Elizabeth Jane Kirkpatrick, of New York, and six children have blessed the union: ( 1) Laura S. died when one year old. (2) Charles B. married Miss Allie

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

B. Miller, and has two children, Mignon and Alice. (3) Blanehe is at home. (4) Ralph C. was killed in Texas, while engaged in putting up machinery. (5) Walter Wolfe, Jr., and (6) May are at home. The family is prominent in social life, and Mr. Wood is a member of Daniel Carpenter Lodge, No. 843, F. & A. M,. Standard Chapter No. 262, of New York City. He is active in religious work as a member of the Presbyterian Church, and at one time was chairman of the Christian Endeavor Society in Wayne county.

KINDARUS SHUPP, a prominent and rep- resentative farmer of Brodheadsville, was born in Chestnut Hill township, Monroe county, Novem- ber 28, 1841, a son of Joseph and Ellen (Sax) Shupp, of that township. There the father died October 9, 1894, at the age of eighty-one years, two months and nine days, and was laid to rest in the Pleasant Valley cemetery. He was one of the leading farmers of his community, and was ealled upon to serve his fellow citizens as poormaster, school director and in other township offices. The mother died Mareh 22, 1899, at the age of seventy- nine years, eight months and nine days, and is buried beside her husband. In their family were the following children: Eliza, now the widow of John H. Weiss, of Carbon county, Penn .; Kin- darus, our subjeet ; Josiah, who died young; Cath- erine, wife of William Andrews, of White Hall, . Penn .; Fanny, wife of Michael Martin, of Mauch Chunk, Penn .; John and Ellen, who both died young ; Franklin P., who married Sarah J. Shaffer, and lives on the old homestead; Milton, who died young; and Zenus, who married Lizzie Geissell, and is engaged in clerking in Mauch Chunk. The paternal grandparents of our subjeet, Peter and Margaret (Hawk) Shupp, were natives of North- ampton county (now Monroe county), Penn., where as farming people they spent the remainder of their lives. The maternal grandparents, John and Catharine Sax, died in Chestnut Hill town- ship, Monroe county, the former on February 23. 1863, aged ninety-four years, eight months and twenty-nine days, the latter on November 25, 1823, aged forty-eight years, one month, sixteen days.

Until he was twenty-nine years of age Kin- darus Shupp remained under the parental roof, and by assisting in the work of the farm obtained a good practical knowledge of farming, which he has made his life work. On leaving home he removed to his present place, which he purchased from George WV. Altimost, and to its improvement and cultivation has devoted his energies with good re- sults, for he is now one of the prosperous and sub- stantial farmers of Chestnut Hill township.

At Pleasant Valley. December 8. 1868. Mr. Shupp was united in marriage with .Miss Catherine Ruth, and to them have been born three children : Eugene A., a physician : Joseph .A., who married Katie Green, and is engaged in farming and school teaching in Chestnut Hill township: and Ella J.,

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Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 2, Part 93

Author: Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1098

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1098