Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 3, Part 76

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1000

USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 3 > Part 76
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 3 > Part 76
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 3 > Part 76
USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 3 > Part 76

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).

Mrs. Resseguie belongs to one of the most highly respected families of Gibson township, where she first saw light November 7, 1849. Her paternal grandparents, Richard and Sarah ( Steenback) Dennv, settled upon a farm in Gibson township at an early day, and her father, John Denny, was born and reared there. and became a well-known agri- culturist of the locality. He died June 4, 1864, aged thirty-eight years. His wife, Anna E. Tiffany, was a daughter of Nathan and Nancy ( Pellett) Tiffany, of Lenox township Susquehanna county, and later of Gibson township, the father being a farmer by occupation. She survived him and mar- ried John B. Stecnback, and her death occurred in September, 1897, at the age of sixty-nine, the re- mains being interred in Manzer cemetery, Gibson township. She had three children, all by her first marriage: Clarissa, who married Willard Gillett, contractor and builder at Kearney; Hclen L., wife of our subject; Emma E .. who married Edward Wilmarth, and died in 1889.

JACOB ELLSWORTH. This gentleman oc- cupies no unimportant position among the leading citizens of Manchester township, Wayne county.

He was born October 8, 1823, and is a son of George Ellsworth and grandson of Levi Ellsworth. The father was a native of Dutchess county, N. Y., and was reared to manhood in that State. During the war of 1812 he took up arms, and valiantly aided in the defense of his country. On reaching man- hood he married Martha Cole, also a native of the Empire State, and a daughter of Simon Cole, and they became the parents of sevenchildren : Catherine, deceased wife of E. Brown; Jacob, of this sketch ; Jane, wife of Frederick Hall, who was one of the defenders of the Union during the Civil war and is now a resident of Lordsville, 'Penn .; William, who makes his home in Manchester township; Isa, of the same township; Levi, deceased; and John, a resident of Little Equinunk, Penn. The sons all manifested their patriotism by their service in the Union army during the Rebellion. The father died on the old homestead in Manchester township, at the advanced age of eighty-two years, and the moth- er passed away at the age of sixty-eight.

Jacob Ellsworth was reared on the home farm in Manchester township, and during his boyhood began rafting on the river. Later he chopped wood in the forests, and throughout his active business life has been identified with the farming and lum- ber-interests of this section of the State. In 1863 he donned the blue, and as a member of Company L, 58th N. Y. V. I., was in the service for over two years, during which time his weight was re- duced from 210 pounds to 116 pounds. While in camp he- contracted rheumatism and also a fever which broke down his health. Among the engage- ments in which he participated was the battle of Holly Hill.

In 1855 Mr. Ellsworth married Miss Matilda Tyler, a native of Manchester township. and a daughter of Anson and Deliah (Adams) Tyler, who were among the earliest settlers of that township. Out of a large family, only four of the children born to our subject and his wife are now living, namely: Esther; John, who married Minerva Mogerdge; Miranda, wife of James Coddington ; and Della, wife of Evan Jones. The wife and moth- er was called to her final rest in the fall of 1888. at the age of fifty-five years. She was a good wife, a faithful helpmeet and a careful parent to her chil- dren. Politically Mr. Ellsworth is a Democrat, and socially is a member of the Grand Army Post at Hawkins Creek, N. Y. Following in the footsteps of his father. he is a successful hunter. Although the country has grown from almost a wilderness to an advanced condition, and bcars and panthers are no longer common, Mir. Ellsworth manages to secure game and fish enough to still make good the name of a hunter.

WILLIAM SCHOLL. Wayne county num- bers among her best and most honored residents many citizens who arc of German birth or origin. and among thesc William Scholl, who during his

1224

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

life was regarded as one of the substantial and public-spirited men of Hawley, held a respected place.

Mr. Scholl was a native of Bavaria, Germany, born August 4, 1826, near Ammerbach, and was one of the eight children of Theodore Scholl, of whom we have the following record: Francis died at Hawley, Penn. Mary married Ernest Waddelinz and she and her husband both died at Hawley. Charles enlisted in the Union army during the Civil war, and was never heard from after he entered the service. Theresa, Mrs. Francis Hannig, died in Germany. William is the subject of this memoir. John is a shoemaker and lives in Germany. George is engaged in farming in Kansas. Philip lives in Scranton, Penn., where he is employed by the Penn- sylvania board of health. The parents passed all their lives in the Fatherland.

In 1849 William Scholl came to try his fortune in America, and for one year after his arrival he lived at Honesdale, Penn., where he followed his trade, that of baker, thence coming to Hawley, where he spent the remainder of his life. For a time he worked at his trade with Mrs. Mary Schla- ger, his wife's sister, afterward renting the store for a year, and at the end of that period purchased the business, which he continued successfully up to his death, on July 6, 1883. He managed his affairs with characteristic German thrift, and by industry and economy acquired a comfortable property and became one of the most respected members of the community in which he had settled. Strict hon- esty and a desire to please marked his dealings with all, and his custom increased yearly from the time he entered business. Mr. Scholl took a loyal inter- est in the welfare of his adopted town, but he was not an office-seeker and took no active part in public affairs, though he served faithfully as poormaster at Hawley. His political sympathies were with the Democratic party.

Mr. Scholl was married, at Honesdale, on June 29, 1851, to Miss Margaret Ferber, and their union was blessed with eleven children, of whom only four are living, namely: William, Margaret, Eliza- beth, August, all four deccascd: Lena, the wife of Edward Gardner, a blacksmith of Scranton, Penn .; Charles and Emma, deceased; Sophia, who mar- ried Ed Goldback, a shoemaker, of Hawley ; George, living with his mother and employed in the silk mill; Peter, living with his mother; and Barbara, de- ceased. The family are Catholics in religious faith. Fraternally Mr. Scholl belonged to the I. O. O. F.

Mrs. Margaret ( Ferber) Scholl now makes her home above the store formerly kept by her hus- band, on the east side of Hawley, and at the age of seventy years is a bright, active and well-preserved woman, respected and loved by all who have the pleasure of her acquaintance. She proved a faith- ful and competent helpmeet to her husband in his business as well as in the home, doing her full share

in accumulating the competence which she now en- joys, and it is hoped that she still has many peace- ful years before her. She was born October 8, 1827, in Baden, Germany, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Sterra ) Ferber. The mother died in 1843, at the age of forty-three, and in 1847 the father came to America, for the first six months after his arrival living in Greene county, Penn., with his daughter, Mrs. Schlager. He then made his home in Hones- dale for a while, subsequently lived in Hawley at different times, and spent his years among all his children in their various homes, dying November 23, 1889, at Hawley, while staying with his daugh- ter, Mrs. Scholl. He was ninety-five years of age at the time of his death, which was due to an acci- dent, he having fallen down stairs. His fam- consisted of six children, all of whom but Mar- garet and Barbara are now deceased, viz .: Eliza- beth, wife of Anthony Hickman, who is also de- ceased; Jacob; Mary, wife of John Schlager, wilo is dead; Margaret, Mrs. Scholl; Abraham; and Barbara, widow of John Reif, residing at Honesdale.

HENRY C. AMES. In every community there are individuals whose lives are so intimately woven into the woof and warp of their contempor- ary history that the union seems inseparable. It is of such that the loss, when the threads once break asunder, is said to be irreparable. The wounds of nature heal quickly, perhaps, but the influence ot forceful lives is transmitted by invisible yet potent strands through future generations. Currents of human activities, once created, change slowly. They oftener expand in the direction of initial momentuin. Usually the magic power of leaders among men is underestimated. It is like the flow of an under- ground stream, unperceived at the surface, yet fate- ful in the summing up of total resultants. There are men whose lives are passed in seeming tran- quility, without the accompaniment of stirring in- cident, whose lives are imperishably linked to the onward destinies of their fellow mortals.

Henry C. Ames, retired farmer and banker of Waymart, Wayne county, has contributed far be- yond his reasonable quota to the development of his native county. His father, Joseph Ames, was one of the honored and influential pioneers of the same portion of Pennsylvania. The family traces its history back to Colonial times. Joseph Ames, the grandfather, a native of Stonington, Conn., engaged in farming in the vicinity of that village, and in 1777 married Hannah Tyler. He enlisted as a sol- dier in the Continental army, and served through- out the memorable struggle for independence. Re- turning to Stonington, he spent the remainder of his life there, though after the death of his wife he for some time visited his son Joseph in Wayne county, Penn. The five children of Joseph and Hannah Ames were William, Erastus, Hannah, Elijah, and Joseph. Wiliam settled at Rockford, Ill., and his son, Judge E. B. Ames, was minister to Germany during the administration of President Pierce.

(Respectfully Yours HC. Ahner

1225

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Joseph Ames, father of our subject, was born at Stonington, Conn., October 28, 1790. When he attained his majority he resolved to go West, and made the journey to the wilderness land on a horse, which was his sole possession. For three years he taught school on the Wallenpaupack, and he there became acquainted with Miss Gertrude Schenck, who soon after became his wife. She was born in 1793 in Hunterdon county, N. J., daughter of Col. John H. Schenck, a native of Monmouth, N. J., and a nian of large wealth and influence, who during the Revolutionary war, raised and equipped at his own expense the regiment of soldiers which he com- manded. At the close of the war Col. Schenck en- tered political life and filled many offices of trust and importance. He became one of the early set- tlers of Wayne county, and died at Canaan Corners.

Soon after his marriage to Miss Schenck, Jo- seph Ames purchased 125 acres of wild land on the site of Canaan Corners. He partially cleared the land, and lived there many years. He then sold the property and purchased another farm of 150 acres, and began anew the work of preparation for culti- vation. This farm, now owned by his son Henry C., he occupied through life, and lived to see one hundred acres of it under improvement, with large and substantial buildings. Joseph Ames died in August, 1849, at the age of fifty-eight years. In politics he had been an ardent Whig. He was a man of prominence in the community and was frequently called upon by the franchises of his friends and neighbors to fill the more important local offices of responsibility and trust. Socially he was a mein- ber of Waymart Lodge, F. & A. M.

The children of Joseph and Gertrude Ames were as follows: (1) Erasmus D. married Jane Clawson, and has five children, Agnes, Tyler, Katie, Mary and Harriet; (2) Nelson M. first married Nancy Hoadley, by whom he had three children, Oliver, George and Rutzer, and for his second wife he wedded Susan Crammer, by whom he had four children, Louise, Susan, Newton and Fred .; (3) Eliza married Alexander Andrews, by whom she had four children, Alexander, Mary, Charles and William, and for her second husband she wedded William Annan, by whom she had one child, Gertrude; (4) Tyler died in boyhood; (5) George R. had three children by his first wife, Catherine ( McClain), and by his second wife had one child, Edward; (6) Clarissa, wife of John Clawson, was the mother of three children, Agnes, Jennie and Louise; (7) Henry C. is the subject of this sketch ; (8) Jacob S. married Harriet N. Woodward, and has three chil- dren, Gaston, Helen and Hattie; (9) John H. mar- ried Melissa Woodward, and had three children, William, Homer and Erasmus: . (10) Reuben T. married Helen Thorp, and had five children, Susan, Howard, James, Eliza and Lucy; ( 11) Sarah D. married John Stryker, and had three children, Mary, William and John.

Henry C. Ames was born in Canaan township, Wayne Co., Penn., Oct. 28, 1828. He received his

education in the schools of industry, aided by a few short terms in the district schools. The work of the home farm devolved largely upon his young should- ers. He was only twenty years of age when his ia- ther died, and he immediately purchased and con- tinued to improve the farm by clearing the remainder of its fertile acres, and by adding commodious and substantial buildings. From that early day when the responsibilities of active lite were thus thrust upon him by circumstances down to the present time, or until quite recently, Henry C. Ames has been an earnest and energetic factor to the material development of Wayne county, gaining in strength, experience and wisdom year by year, and engaging in various leading enterprises. He has always had an admiration for the freedom and nobility of farm life, and perhaps has bestowed upon it more of his time and attention than his mercantile and other pur- suits. In 1866 he purchased, from Edward Carr. a farin of 150 acres, partially cleared, which he brought to a high state of cultivation and improve- ment. In 1871 he bought forty-one acres of new land, and cleared and improved that addition to his property. For forty years he dealt extensively in cattle, reaching markets as far distant as Ken- tucky and New York. For four years, beginning in 1870, he conducted a mercantile business at Way- mart, but when his store was destroyed by fire he re- tired to his farm. In 1879 he erected at Waymart the store which was conducted by his son Earl T. until the latter's death in 1885. In 1893 the bank- ing firm of H. C. Ames & Co. was established at Forest City, the junior partner being Ellsworth F. Ames, the son of our subject. Mr. Ames stilll gives the banking business his general supervision.

The marriage of Henry C. Ames to Miss Julia Ann Enslin was solemnized September 5, 1848. She was the daughter of Frederick and Nancy (Quick) Enslin, and was born in South Canaan June 20, 1826. Seven children were born to thiem, as follows : ( 1) Orrin E., born May 4, 1849, died September 28, 1854; (2) Hannah, born November 25, 1851, married Orrin Shaffer, a carpenter of South Canaan township, and has one child, Gert- rude; (3) Annie Eliza, born January 17, 1853, mar- ried William J. Pentecost, a lumberman of Forest City, Penn., and had six children, Rena May, Ar- chie E .. Edna P. ( deceased ), Earl T., Inez D .. and Hazel M. (4) Gertrude A., born October 27, 1855, is the wife of Warren S. Bryant, a merchant at Mayfield, Penn .; (5) Sarah H., born October 21, 1857, died June 25, 1858; (6) Earl T., born May 16, 1859, a bright and promising young business man, died of consumption. February 7, 1885: (7) Ellsworth F., a sketch of whom follows. Mrs. Henry C. Ames died October 21, 1881.

At Somerville, N. J., January 22, 1891, Mr. Ames was married to Miss Sara F. Wheeler, a na - tive of Clinton township, Wayne Co .. Penn., the only child of Anson and Harriet C. ( Norton) Wheeler. Her paternal great-grandparents were Benjamin and Lowella ( Mallory ) Wheeler, of Winsted, Conn.

1226

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Benjamin Wheeler was a Revolutionary soldier, who later in life migrated from Connecticut and settled in Mt. Pleasant township, Wayne county. His son, Nathan, grandfather of Mrs. Ames, came to Wayne county when a boy and here married Emily Tanner, a native of New York State. Anson was the eldest of their five children. He was born March 4, 1829, and in his youth learned the black- smith's trade. He was married October 21, 1852, to Miss Harriet C. Norton, granddaughter of Levi and Olive ( Wheeler) Norton, who came to Wayne county from Winsted, Conn., in 1812, with the Wheelers. Levi Norton had served for seven years in the Revolutionary war, and was a member of the staff of Gen. Israel Putnam. In 1810, with the "Pay certificates" for his military services, he pur- chased nine tracts of land in what is now Clinton township, Wayne county. On Christmas Day, 1811, his- son Alva W. arrived at the newly acquired prop- erty, and in the following spring a number of fam- ilies from Connecticut followed. Alva W. Norton had received an excellent education in Connecticut, and after his arrival in Wayne county became a prominent and skillful surveyor. He married Miss Sallie Freeman November 21, 1816, and Harriet C., who became the wife of Anson Wheeler, was the youngest of their five children. Anson Wheeler enlisted in Company D, 97th P. V. I., a regiment known as "Martin's Guerrillas," and served cred- itably throughout the Civil war. He is now a resi- dent of Clinton township, Wayne county. Mrs. Ames, his only daughter, has received a good edu- cation, and maintained an unusually active intellect- ual interest in many departments of human thought and achievement.

Mr. Ames has often been called upon to fill civil offices. He has been elected justice of the peace for several terms, and is now serving in that capacity in Canaan township. Frequently he has been chosed school director, also poormaster and to other official positions. For the past forty years he has been a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and has held most of the offices in the Church. In politics he is a Republican. He has practically retired from active life. but his ripe wisdom and counsel are often sought by his many friends and acquaintances, and even by strangers. The security and harmony of his present days are the fitting culmination of the many active years he has contributed with success to the material, moral and social advancement of the community in which his life has been spent.

ELLSWORTH FREDERICK AMES, of For- est City, Susquehanna county, is a member of the well-known banking firm of H. C. Amies & Co., or- ganized by his father in February, 1893. The in- stitution of which our subject is cashier, is in a most prosperous condition, the high standing of its founders in business circles having insured its success from the start, which was made in a small franie building built by the firm for the purpose.

In 1895 it was removed to the present building, a handsome structure of white stone and brick, costing $8,000 and fitted up with all modern im- provements. The inside finish is of liard oak, and the vault, upon which there is a time lock, is oi brick and stone with a concrete floor, 8x10 feet in size. The safe was manufactured by Herring & Hall, and altogether the office equipment cost $1.500. In addition to the banking business the firm carries on extensive operations in other lines, notably in farming and stock raising, H. C. Ames being the owner of three farms comprising 600 acres, and since June, 1899, they have conducted a store at Way- mart.

The Ames family is of good old Massachusetts stock, and many of the name have won success as merchants, financiers and professional workers. Ellsworth F. Ames was born June 29, 1863, in Canaan township, Wayne county, son of Henry C. and Julia Ann ( Enslin) Ames, and his boyhood was mainly spent upon his father's farm. He at- tended school at Waymart for a time, and at fifteen years of age entered Wyoming Seminary at Kings- ton, where he remained one year ; later he attended the graded schools at Hawley. On completing his course there he engaged in mercantile business at Waymart in partnership with his brother. Earl T. Ames ; but after two years the latter was compelled to go West on account of his health, and his death occurred only two months after his return. Our subject continued the business alone until the spring of 1892, when he retired, taking a year for rest, and prospecting for a suitable location for his present enterprise. He has always taken an active interest in political work, being one of the leading Republicans of his locality, and while at Wayinait he served three years as councilman and three as auditor. He is a Master Mason, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and socially he and his accomplished wife are leaders.

On January 16, 1889, Mr. Ames was married at Waymart, to Miss Anna E. Battan, and they have one child, Hylia M., born March 15, 1894. Mrs. Ames is a native of South Canaan, Wayne county. born January 27, 1868, and her parents, Robert and Mary ( Wagner) Battan, are well known residents of Waymart, Pennsylvania.

WILLIAM HENRY BATES, a retired mer- chant of Forest City, Susquehanna county, belongs to that class of men whom the world terms seli- made, for, commencing life for himself empty- handled, he has conquered all obstacles in the path to success, and has not only secured for himself a handsome competence. but by his efforts has mate- rially advanced the interests of the community with which he is associated. He has been a very promi- nent figure in business circles, and ranks among thie leading citizens of Susquehanna county.'

Mr. Bates was born in Dyberry township, Wayne county, January 4, 1843, a son of Robert and Prudence (Arthur) Bates, who were born,

---

٠ ٠٠,%

E-4 Ans

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1227

reared and married in England, and on their emigra- tion to America, in 1842, settled one mile from Bethany, in Wayne county, Penn, The father was born in July, 1823, and is still living with his son David on the farm in Dyberry township which has been his home for the past half century. The wife and mother died in 1867, at the age of forty-seven years, and was buried at Bethany. She was a con- sistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which the father also belongs. William H., our subject, is the eldest of their children; Elizabeth is the wife of George Trevethan, of Wayne county ; Thomas is deceased; Joseph is a resident of Way- mart, Wayne county ; Martha is the wife of Albert Snyder, of Wilkes Barre, Penn .; Jolin is a con- tractor and builder of Rockford, Ill .: Laura is the wife of John Beere, a farmer of Wayne county ; Harriet is the wife of John Balban, of Wilkes Barre; David lives on the old homestead in Wayne county ; and Mary is the wife of Michael Balban, of Wilkes Barre. The name is spelled Bate by some members of the family.

On leaving the parental roof, at the age of twenty years, William H. Bates went West, and spent two and a half years in Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, being employed principally in the lum- ber woods. On his return to Pennsylvania he was married, January 6, 1866, at the home of the bride. to Miss Harriet M. Lawrence, who was born in Bethany, Wayne county, August 3, 1845. Her par- ents were John and Maria E. (Sloat) Lawrence, the former a native of Sheldrake, N. Y., the latter of Sullivan county, that State. After their mar- riage they remained in New York until 1831, when they removed to Bethany, Penn. The father, who was a blacksmith by trade, died in January, 1874, at the age of sixty-seven years. the mother in 1863, at the age of fifty-six, and both were laid to rest in Bethany cemetery. Their children were Horatio N., a retired farmer, living with our subject; Milton, a blacksmith, living on the old homestead in Dyberry township; Dency C., who died young ; and Harriet M., wife of our subject. On the paternal side Mrs. Bates is of English extraction. Her great-great- grandfather eloped with Mary Townley, a sister of Lord Townley, and came to America. Her mater- nal grandparents were John and Gertrude ( Elton) Sloat, the former born in Connecticut, in June, 1769, and died in Sullivan county, N. Y., in August, 1832; the latter was born in that county in January, 1771, and died in Bethany, Penn., in 1843, having come to this State in 1835. Their children were Charles, born in 1791: Jonas, in 1794: Alexander C., in 1797 : Henry E., May 7, 1802 ; Hirani, in July, 1806; and Maria E., June 26, 1809.

After his marriage Mr. Batcs followed farm- ing in Wayne county until 1870, when he went to Bergen county, N. J., and for five years operated three farms for his wife's cousin, Jenkin S. Sloat. The following four years were spent upon the old homestead, and at the end of that time he sold his

stock and moved to Forest City, which then con- tained but eight shanties. He opened the first store in the place, in a dwelling-house, 22 x 9 feet, and the first year only sold $3,600 worth of merchan- dise, but his business steadily increased, and soon amounted to that each month. He finally sold his store to D. G. Allen, in 1889, but after living re- tired for three years, while attending to his real- estate interests, he again embarked in merchandising, and conducted a store for five years. He is now liv- ing practically retired, enjoying the fruits of for- mer toil, and his well-spent and honorable lite com- mands the respect of all who know him. He is a consistent and faithful member of the Presbyterian Church, and a stanch Republican in politics, but has never cared for political honors; in fact he has de- clined office, though he has served as overseer of the poor two terms, and is at present a member of the board of health.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 3, Part 76

Author: Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1000

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1000