Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 3, Part 79

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 79
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 3 > Part 79
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 3 > Part 79
USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 3 > Part 79

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After his marriage .Mr. Hillis located upon his present farm of seventy-eight acres, in Rush township, and has since- successfully engaged in its operation. Being a skillful and systematic farmer, he has made it one of the most attractive and desirable places in the locality. Politically he affiliates with the Republican party, and religiously he is connected with the Presbyterian Church. Both he and his wife are genial and hospitable people, and by their pleasant ways have greatly endeared them- selves to the entire neighborhood.

WILLIAM P. DAYTON, a well-known and honored citizen of Great Bend township, Susque- hanna county, where he has most creditably served as justice of the peace for a quarter of a century, was born in that township, in January, 1838, a son of Elias and Julia ( Markham) Dayton.

The father of our subject was born in Connecti- cut, in 1803, a son of Elias Dayton, Sr., a native of Dayton, Ohio, which city was named in honor of the family. In early life the grandfather of our subject went to Connecticut, and after residing there for some years moved to Owego, N. Y., where wife died. In their family were the following he owned 500 acres of land. There both he and his children : (1) Daniel died at an advanced age. (2) William, born in Owego, N. Y., became a large land owner in Susquehanna county, Penn., having quite an extensive tract in Great Bend township and was one of the leading merchants of the village of Great Bend. He never married. (3) Betsy, born in Owego, married Rensselaer Barber, of that place, where they continued to reside for some years, and then moved to Great Bend township, Susquehanna county, where he owned a farm, on which both he

and his wife died. Only one of their children is now living, Emma, wife of George Gray, who re- sides in the West. (4) Cordelia, deceased, was the wife of David Newman, a farmer of Great Bend township, but left no children. (5) Jehio married Harriet Adams, of Susquehanna county, and was one of the leading business men of Hallstead, where both died. (6) Jane married Henry Mckinney, of Susquehanna county, and both died in Great Bend, leaving children-Walton, a resident of Great Bend : Mrs. Jane Odell, of Hallstead; Cora (married) ;

Benton, of California ; Abbie, wife of Abram Du Bois, of Great Bend; and Nellie, who died in Binghamton, N. Y. (7) Sarah married Jolin Dobbs, and after his death wedded Amos Kinner, of Harmony township, Susquehanna county, by whom she had one child, Etta. By her former mar- riage she had three children : Clinton, a business man

of New York City, where he died; Cordelia, wife of Lanse Hazzard, a Methodist Episcopal minister of Dakota; and Jane, wife of Asa Platsley, of Broome county, N. Y. (8) Samuel, born in Owego N. Y., married Emily Case, of Susquehanna county, and located in Great Bend, where he died leaving a daughter, Pauline, now the wife of William Lusk, of Montrose. (9) Daniel died unmarried.

Elias Dayton, father of our subject, completes the family. He was educated in the district schools of Connecticut, and in early manhood married Miss Julia Markham, a representative of one of the pion- eer families of Susquehanna county. They located in Great Bend township, on the river, a mile and a half below Hallstead, where he cleared and im- proved a tarm. He was a Presbyterian in religious taith, and helped to build the first church of that denomination inhis locality. Politically he was identi- fied with the Whig party, and he held a number of local offices. His first wife died in 1840, leaving two sons. William P. and Giles A. The latter was born on the old homestead in Great Bend township, in 1836, and married Miss Emeline Owens, of Rush, Susquehanna county. For some years he engaged in clerking in a store in'Great Bend. and later en- gaged in the real-estate business, at one time own- ing a large amount of land in Virginia, where he is still living. For his second wife the father married Mrs. Macintosh, of Harmony township, and by that union had one daughter, Jane, now the wife of An- drew Buchanan, of Elgin, Ill., by whom she has five children : William, Hattie, Frank, Maud and

Reared upon the old homestead, William P. Dayton is indebted to the public schools of Great Bend township for his educational advantages. As a boy he clerked in the store of his uncle, William Dayton, for seven years, and later superintended the operation of his father's farm. In 1857 he was united in marriage with Miss Lura Sisson, of Owego, N. Y., who was born in 1841, and was educated in the schools of that State. Her parents were Heman and Lucinda (Slater) Sisson, the fa- ther born in Massachusetts, whence he removed at

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an early day to Owego, N. Y., and later he became a resident of Great Bend, Susquehanna Co., Penn., where both he and his wife died. They reared a family of eight children, namely: Heman, Lura, Mary, Jolin, Sarah, Edward, Alfred and Louisa. Mr. and Mrs. Dayton have become the parents of eight children, all born in Great Bend township: (1) Elias, born in 1858, died in childhood. (2) Jennie, born in 1861, is now the wife of Daniel Detweter, a business man of Binghamton, N. Y., and they have two children, Nealand D. and Florence. (3) Nellie died at the age of six years. (4) Etta J. died at the age of three years. (5) Lura A. died in childhood. (6) Ella Eva, born in November, 1868, is the widow of Herbert Austin, of Great Bend, and has four children, Freddie, Mabel, Earl and Edith L. (7) William W., born in 1871, mar- ried Mamie Taylor, of Great Bend, and they re- side in the village of that name; they have one son, Evening Page. (8) Paulina, born in July, 1872, is the wife of Wesley Benjamin, of Great Bend, and they have one son, Ernest.

After his marriage Mr. Dayton purchased the old homestead, where he continued to reside for some years. In the meantime he bought his present farm in Great Bend township, two and a half miles up the river from Hallstead, upon which he located in 1876, and to its improvement and cultivation he has since devoted his energies, with most gratifying results. He has erected upon the place a comfortable residence, good barn and other outbuildings. Mr. Dayton comes of old Whig stock and is one of the leading representatives of the Republican party in his locality, doing all in his power to promote its in- terests. He has been roadmaster in his township for twenty years, and, as previously stated, has served as justice of the peace for twenty-five con- secutive years, to the entire satisfaction of the gen- eral public. Early in life he united with the Episco- pal Church, and has always taken an active and prominent part in Church and Sunday-school work, serving as superintendent of the Sunday-school for a number of years, and also filling the pulpit of his own and other Churches on the Sabbath. By his noble, Christian life, he nas gained the confidence and respect of all who know him.

HENRY W. LA BAR. Among the brave men who went from Pennsylvania to fight for the Union during the dark days of the Civil war was the subject of this biography, now a leading agriculturist of New Milford, Susquehanna county, and his honor- able record as a soldier is no less creditable to him than his useful and industrious life as a private citizen. By judicious management, and a persever- ance which was not to be daunted by discouraging circumstances, he has gained a subbstantial success, and his farm of 200 acres is one of the best in the county.

Mr. La Bar was born November 14. 1840, at Wyoming, Luzerne Co., Penn., and is descended in

the paternal line from a well-known family of this section, now numerously represented in Monroe and Pike counties. His grandparents, Jacob and Mar- garet (Fox) La Bar, were born in Monroe county, and the grandfather was a wagon maker by occu- pation ; the greater part of his life was spent in Luzerne county, where he died. Charles La Bar our subject's father, was a native of Luzerne county, and in early manhood resided there following the wagon maker's trade, but his later years were spent in farming near Harford, Susquehanna county, where he settled in 1889. As a citizen he was much esteemed, and while in Luzerne county he held vari- ous offices, serving seven years as constable, two years as tax collector, six years as school director, and for some time as deputy sheriff. He died in April, 1895, at the advanced age of seventy-nine years. His widow, Mrs. Matilda ( Thompson) La Bar, now resides at Pittston, Penn., where her birth occurred in 1819. Her parents. Isaac and Maria ( Wilcox) Thompson, were formerly promi- nent residents of Luzerne county, and her father, who is now living in Lee county. Ill., in his 104th year, owned a large amount of property there. in- cluding valuable coal lands. Mrs. Matilda La Bar's aunt, Nancy Wilcox, left Forty-fort a few days before the Wyoming inassacre, on horse back, and rode to Ohio to warn the people and ask for help. Charles and Matilda La Bar had children as follows: Sylvanus, who died in 1848 ; Henry W., our subject ; James D., a resident in Norwich, N. Y. : Mary J. (deceased), who married George Brown; Maria (deceased), who married Benjamin Tripp; Francis A., residing in Harford township, Susquehanna coun- ty; Matilda, who married George Wildenberger, an insurance agent in Wayne county ; Jacob, deceased ; William, who died in infancy ; and Charles, deceased.

Our subject resided with his parents until his enlistment at Pittston in August, 1862, in Company MI. 2nd Penn. Heavy Artillery. under Capt. Schooley. He served as long as there was any fighting to be done. and among the important battles in which he participated were those of the Wilder- ness, Cold Harbor, and Chapman's Hill, while he also took part in a number of skirmishes. Although never wounded, he was at one time obliged to spend six weeks in a hospital at Point of Rocks near Old Point Comfort. on account of illness. At the close of the war he was mustered out of the United States service at Petersburg, Va .. and on June 22, 1865, he received his discharge at Harrisburg from the State service. For one season he engaged in the brick business at Scranton. Penn., having worked three years at that trade before leaving home. and later he became interested in farming at Green- field, Lackawanna county, continuing two years. He then spent seven years in the lumber business in that county, and in February, 1877. settled in New Milford township. Susquehanna county. where hc rented a farm for two years and then purchased a homestead. In 1896 hie removed to the village of

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New Milford, his farmi being rented to his adopted son, Edward. In politics Mr. La Bar is a Republi- can, but he has not sought official honors. On July 15, 1868, he was married, at Peckville, Lackawanna county, to Miss Anna E. Wise, daughter of Hiram H. Wise. They have no children, but have adopted a son, who was born November 16, 1864, and was taken by them when he was five years old.

HIRAM H. WISE, a military veteran, and a high- ly-esteemer resident of New Milford, was for many years engaged in farming and carpentering, but he is now living in retirement, at the advanced age of eighty years. He was born September 30, 1820, 011 a farm near Washingtonville, N. Y., a son of Will- iam and Mary (Humphrey) Wise, and comes of patriotic stock, his father having been a soldier in the war of 1812, while his maternal grandfather, Robert Humphrey, served in the Revolutionary army. Mr. Wise enlisted. in 1864, in Company F, 107th P. V. I., and served fourteen months, receiv- ing no wounds. On April 24, 1846, he was married at Olyphant, Penn., to Miss Lucinda Ferris, a na- tive of that locality, and a daughter of John and Mary Ferris. For some time he resided in Lacka- wanna county, thence in 1881 removing to New Milford township, Susquehanna county. In 1896 he settled in New Milford, and six weeks later (May 28, 1896) his beloved wife died, at the age of sixty-eight years. They had the following chil- dren : Mary E., wife of James Fisher, a farmer at Great Bend, Penn .; Anna E. (Mrs. La Bar), who was born November 15, 1848, at Peckville, Penn .; Lillian, now Mrs. W. S. Rook, of California ; Serua, wife of George Moffat, a carpenter and contractor at Binghamton, N. Y .; and James, who died at the age of six years.

SAMUEL A. PETTIS, of Montrose, Susque- hanna county, whose erect form and ruddy face are seen daily upon the streets, though the years of his life are but ten short of a century, sixty years of which have been passed in the vicinity of the county seat of Susquehanna county, is one of the venerable landmarks of the place.

Born February 15, ISII, Mr. Pettis is the son of Joshua and Polly ( Bryant) Pettis, who were na- tives of the town of Montgomery, in Hampden Co., Mass., where their ancestors had lived for several generations. They were married about 1807, and about 1810 moved to what was then the town of Delhi, Delaware Co., N. Y., our subject's birtli- place. Joshua Pettis was by trade a carpenter and used to make the old wooden moldboard plows. He also carried on farming. He and his wife were plain, industrious people, kind neighbors, and earnest mem- bers of the Christian Church. In his political views Mr. Pettis was an old-time Whig. He lived to be about seventy-three years of age, and his wife to the age of ninety-six, she dying some ten or fifteen years ago. Their children. all but two of whom were born in Delaware county, N. Y., were : Paulina

married Edward Robinson, and died in Sidney Plains, N. Y. : Caroline married William McAdanis, a Scotchman, and died at Aurora, Ill. ; Samuel A. is our subject : Electa A. married Erastus King, and resided in Springfield, Mass., where she died : Philander, a farmer, married Barbara Chase, and is resident of Hamden, Delaware Co., N. Y .: Orrill (now deceased ) married Edward Bagley, a carriage- manufacturer and farmer ; Abial married Elizabeth Graham, and lived in Nebraska, where he died ; Betsy married Elias Kise, and is a resident of Springfield, Mass .; and Parmelia married, and lived and died in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Samuel A. Pettis was reared on his father's farnı. His school privileges were limited to those afforded by the neighboring district, and he attend- ed at intervals, when not assisting in work. For a time he was in attendance at the village school in Hamden, but his school days were few, as his fa- thier became a cripple early in the son's boyhood, and the latter's services were therefore required to aid in rearing the family. He remained at home until twenty-four years of age, and had a number of times rafted up and down the Delaware river throughout its length -- from source to the mouth at Philadelphia. On leaving the homestead he worked for a time in a sawmill at Binghamton, N. Y. Returning to his home, he married and settled down on a part of the home place, having come into the possession of eighty acres through his father, and later another eighty through a brother. Here he began his life work, and farmed these tracts of land some four years. In December, 1839, having contemplated removal farther West, he rode on horseback to Montrose, prospecting, and having friends in that vicinity he decided on locating in Susquehanna county, Penn. He finally bought 100 acres of land in the vicinity of Montrose from Dr. Rose, and in April, 1840, after having previously arranged for his family and closed up matters in New York State. he with three teams moved his family and household effects to the new home in Susquehanna county, Penn. Here he had a beautiful farm, to which he subsequently added 130 acres, making a nice tract of 235 acres in all, conveniently located within one and one-eighth miles from the county seat. He carried on farming operations here with great suc- cess until along in the early 'sixties, during the Civil war, when he moved to a ten-acre tract, on the plank road in Montrose, on which were good im- provements, and here and in other property of his own, in the village, he has since resided. At times, while on the farm. Mr. Pettis was quite largely engaged in peddling produce, notably during the building of the Erie railroad through the county along in 1847-48-49. supplying those engaged in that work. He has beeen a very industrious, thrifty and frugal farmer, and a good manager, and through these habits he lias made and saved a competence and is now living in case and comfort. He has been a successful man. In his political views he has tol-

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lowed in the footsteps of his father, affiliating with the old Whig party in its day, and on the organiza- tion of the Republican party in 1856 was active in the advocacy of its principles and was one of the first in line for the new party in his county. He has voted at every Presidential election since he be- came of age. For many years he has been a consist- ent member of the Baptist Church, to which his wife also belonged in her lifetime. Mr. Pettis, at the age of nearly ninety, is in almost perfect health and possesses all of his faculties almost unimpaired. Tall, erect, and of large frame, he is genial and pleasant, and will attract attention anywhere. Time has dealt gently with him, and to the casual observer he is but the usual mian of seventy years.

On February 15, 1836, Mr. Pettis was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Peter Slocum, of the old town of Delhi, Delaware Co., N. Y. She was a good woman, and made him a most excellent wife. Her death occurred February 1, 1874, when she was in her fifty-ninth year. To them were born children as follows: William married Frances Herkimer, of Bridgewater, and is an engineer in the employ of the Erie railroad, with residence in Susquehanna, Penn .; Joshua married Temperance Fancher. of Bridge- water township, and is a resident of Montrose; Erastus E. died in 1842, in the third year of his age ; Charles married Rosie Vantuyle, and is also an engineer in the employ of the Erie road and re- sides in Susquehanna, Penn .; Erastus (2) mar- ried Alice Baldwin, was for many years an engineer in the employ of the same railroad wth his older brothers, and resided in Susquehanna, until his death, November 15, 1899; Pauline married Crandall Hawley, a dealer in meats at Montrose ; and Augusta is the wife of W. C. Cruser, editor of the Mont- rose Democrat.

PAUL MAROLD. Germany has furnished to the New World many of its best and most patriotic citizens, who have not only become valued and use- ful members of the communities where they made their homes, but during the dark days of the Civil war also aided their adopted country in her success- tul struggle to preserve the Union. Prominent among these is Paul Marold. now a leading agricul- turist and highly-respected citizen. of Damascus township, Wayne county.

Mr. Marold was born June 29. 1834, in the Kingdom of Wurtemberg, a son of John and Anna (Veil) Marold, in whose family were six children, namely: John, Mary, Joseph ( formerly a resident of Dyersville, Iowa. but now deceased). Sabina, Paul, and Robert (who during the war of the Re- bellion was a member of the same company and regiment as our subject, and is now a resident of Narrowsburg, Sullivan Co., N. Y.). The subject of this sketch came to this country June 18, 1852. and found work at his trade as a cooper in Hunter, Greene Co., N. Y., and in August, 1854. removed to Coelicc- ton, N. Y. In 1855 he was united in mariage with

Miss Eleanor J. Conklin, a daughter of J. B. and Permelia (Keesler ) Conklin. of Damascus, Wayne Co., Penn., and seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Marold, namely: Mary Annie, now the wife of M. S. Tyler, of Damascus; Louis Th., who married Alice Avcry, of Susquehanna, Penn. ; Dorcas A., married to B. E. Fowler, of Ohio, now residing at Orcas Island. San Juan Co., Wash .; John B., who married Mina Hills, of Binghamton, N. Y., and lives on the home farm ; Mattie, deceased wife of Thomas Moore, of Damascus township: Lillie A., residing in Orcas Island, Wash. ; and Wes- ley, at home.

On September 3, 1862, Mr. Marold laid aside all personal interests and joined the boys in blue as a member of Company K, 143rd N. Y. S. V., for three years' service. He served one year in the Army of the Potomac, participating in the battle of Suffolk, Va., in the campaign of West Point, White House Landing, and Gettysburg. In September, 1863, he was transferred to the Army of the Cum- berland, and participated in the battles of Look- out Mountain and Missionary Ridge, at Knoxville, Tenn. On May 2, 1864, the command formed part of the 3rd Brigade. Ist Division, 20th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Gen. Jo- seph Hooker, and participated in the campaign against Atlanta, Ga., under command of Gen. W. T. Sherman and in the battles of Resaca, Ga., May 14 and 15: Cassville, May 17: New Hope Church or Dallas, May 25; Lost Mountain, June 16; Kene- saw Mountain, June 26; Peach Tree Creek, July 20; Atlanta, July 22; siege of Atlanta, until Sep- tember 2, when the city fell, 9,000 prisoners being taken.

Later on our subject participated in Sherman's memorable march to the sea, leaving Atlanta No- vember 14, 1864, and reaching the walls of Savan- nah, Ga., December 18. He was in the capture of Savannah, December 21, and left that city January 25. starting on the campaign through the North and South Carolinas, during which the troops en- dured many hardships ; was engaged in the capture of Charleston and Columbia, the battles of Averys- boro, March 16: Bentonville, March 19: capture of Goldsboro and Raleigh : and was present at the surrender of Gen. Joe Johnston, at Jones Cross Roads, April 26: then marched to Washington. ar- riving May 19. took part in the Grand Review May 24. and was discharged July 20, with the rank of second sergeant, having arisen from the ranks. At the battle of New Hope Church Mr. Marold had his hearing impaired by fighting at close quarters and heavy cannonading and musketry, and after constant exposure. he has been totally deaf since 1883. At Kenesaw Mountain he was wounded in the right shoulder by a fragment of a shell, and carried said fragment in his shoulder for fourteen vears. He was never confined to hospital during his long term of service.

Our subject's farm of sixty acres is one of the

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most pleasant places in Damascus township, being under excellent cultivation and improved with good buildings, and to the cultivation of his land he has devoted his time and attention since the war. He is now an honored member of the Grand Army of the Republic; politically he is an ardent Repub- lican; and in religious belief is a Presbyterian. His private life has ever been above reproach, and his army record is one of which he may justly be proud.

B. F. MOREY, editor and proprietor of The Monroe Democrat, a leading newspaper of Strouds- burg, is one of that county's best known citizens. While he is an able and progressive exponent of mod- ern journalisni he has a brilliant record as an edu- cator and has also attained prominence in the polit- ical circles of this section.

Mr. Morey's family is of English origin and the first to cross the Atlantic was William Morey, who settled in Lehigh county, Penn., or on its borders, prior to 1700. The family is noted for longevity, and Jacob Morey, our subject's great-grandfather. who settled near Portland, Northampton county, prior to 1780, was more than ninety years old at the time of his death. Tobias Morey, the grandfather of our subject, was one of several children and was probably born in Richmond, Northampton county. He married 'Miss Margaret Weidman, and died at the age of ninety-three after seventy-one years of wedded life, his wife surviving him and passing away when within a few weeks of her ninety-ninth birthday anniversary. This worthy couple had thirteen children : Jacob, Daniel, John, Peter, Reu- ben, Philip, Saralı, Elizabeth, Margaret, Mary, Catherine, Judith and Susan.

Jacob Morey, our subject's father, was born January 1, 1812, in Northampton county, and is still ( 1899) living at his homestead, Mt. Bethel, Northampton county, where he has been engaged for many years in farming and carpentering. Politically he is a Democrat and he and his cstimable wife are devout members of the Reformed Church. In 1846, he married Miss Mary A. Hester, a native of Northampton county, born in 1816, and they have had three children, of whom our subject is the eld- est. (2) Catherine married T. Sterner, of Allentown, Penn. (3) Ellen married W. W. Felker, of Portland, this State.

Our subject was born January 19. 1848, at the old home in Northampton county, and on complet- ing the course of study afforded by the local schools he entered the State Normal School at Millersville, where he pursued the general and scientific courses, graduating in 1869 and 1871. In the latter year he went to Stroudsburg to take charge of the public schools. and this position he retained until 1875 when he was elected superintendent of public in- struction for Monroe county. In 1877 the leading people of Stroudsburg, including the directors of the schools, urged him to resign and again take charge of the city schools. He did so and remained in control until 1882 when he entered upon editorial

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Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 3, Part 79

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