History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 141

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1340

USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections > Part 141

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).

upon others. He held a captain's commission in the militia, was post- master at Stevensville for some twenty years, and held several town offices. He was a ready writer, as many of his published articles will attest; a Presbyterian by faith and profession; a strong Whig in early life, later a stanch Republican, and after a fairly successful life he died February 12, 1890. Anne married Abel Bolles; Sally married Elkanah Bolles; Philena married Elisha Lewis; Peter went West and died in Kansas. In 1830 Cyrus Stevens married Lydia Ann, daughter of Ebenezer and Zeruah (Northrup) Lacey, of Laceyville, Wyoming county. She was the eldest of ten children, six of whom are now living. Cyrus and Lydia Ann Stevens were the parents of eight children, as follows: Oliver W .; Lucretia and Maria died young ; Lydia Philena was married to Charles Ingham, who died, and she afterward married Ellicott A. Ingham, and lives in Iowa; E. Lacey Stevens remains on the homestead, and is one of the mercantile firm of Ross, Stevens & Jones, of Stevensville; Zeruah is the wife of James Avery; Louisa was married to Dr. Frank Taylor, and died in her thirtieth year; Dr. Cyrus Lee Stevens lives in Athens.

1199

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

Oliver W. Stevens, the subject of this sketch, attended the common school in Stevensville, and the Academy of LeRaysville, also Owego, Academy, and when about twenty years of age began the practice of surveying and civil engineering, teaching school winters for a number of years. In 1852 he purchased a farm near LeRaysville and located there. In 1859 he sold his farm and purchased the Hill Side farm in Herrick, to which he moved and where he has since resided, a few acres of the same being the first improvement made in the township. There are now thrifty bearing apple-trees thereon, which were set out pre- vious to 1805. The house was built by one Sabins, in 1810, being the oldest remaining house in the township. Mr. Stevens was elected county surveyor in 1868, and has held various township offices. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, of Stevensville, and in politics is a Republican. He married, May 22, 1854, Susan E., the youngest of eight children of John and Marinda (Stone) Ingham, and born November 20, 1832. They had five children : Manning R., born May 15, 1855, died in infancy; Susan, born May 11, 1857, died young; Lydia Marinda, born October 14, 1858; Harvey Ingham, born February 1, 1861, and Cyrus Aden, born July 21, 1864. Susan E. (Ingham) Stevens died July 27, 1875, and Mr. Stevens married, March 8, 1881, Uraniah L., the eldest of ten children of Ira L. and Henrietta (Carman) Brown, born at Sugar Hill, Wilmot township, April 15, 1855. They have one child, Susan Uraniah Stevens, born July 18, 1883.

PHILANDER G. STEVENS, retired farmer, Columbia township, P. O. Sylvania, was born in Burlington township, this county, January 1, 1832, a son of Joel and Celestia (Ballard) Stevens; his paternal grandfather was formerly of Massachusetts, and was a pioneer of Troy township, this county, while his maternal grandfather, Nathaniel Ballard, was a native of Vermont, and son of John Ballard, both of whom were pioneers of Burlington township. Nathaniel, with a brother John, made the first clearing in Columbia township in 1796-97. He returned to Burlington township soon after, and in 1833 again located on the farm now owned by our subject, and resided there until his death, which occurred November 1, 1861, when he was aged eighty-three years; he was born December 27, 1787. The father of our subject was a native of Spencer, Tioga Co., N. Y., but was reared in Burlington township, this county, and settled in Columbia township in 1853, where he cleared a large part of the farm now owned by our subject, and died there in 1880, at the age of eighty years ; his children were: Harriet (Mrs. William G. Bradford), Natbaniel, Philander G., Susan (Mrs Alvin Furman), Lydia (Mrs. David Wherler) and Myron. Philander G. Stevens was reared in Columbia township, where he has always resided. In 1853 he married Achsa, daughter of James and Louise (Strait) Parsons, of Columbia township, and has one daughter, Harriet (Mrs. Fred D. Bedford). Mr. Stevens is a prominent and influential citizen of Columbia, a member of the I. O. O. F., and in politics is a Democrat.

SILAS W. STEVENS, farmer, Pike township, P. O. Stevensville, was born April 5, 1830, in Pike township, this county, a son of Nathan and Phoebe (Scoville) Stevens, the former a native of Connecticut,

1200

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

and the latter of Pennsylvania. In their family there were nine chil- dren, of whom Silas W. is the fifth. He was educated in the common school, and began life for himself at the age of twenty-one. After one year spent on a farm, he learned the blacksmith's trade, which he followed five years; then resumed farming, which he has since fol- lowed. His present home of two hundred acres was inherited. Mr. Stevens was married, December 15, 1863, to Henrietta A., daughter of George N. and Elizabeth (Lockwood) Stevens, and they have two chil- dren : Harry S., born January 16, 1866, married, December 19, 1888, to Emma Harris (and they have one child, Ina M., born October 18, 1889); Louie, born July 30, 1877. About 1794, Aden and Nathan, Sr., Ste- vens located on the farm now owned by E. Lacey Stevens, and an adjoining farm, and soon thereafter their brother Samuel settled where H. U. Jones now lives, and a half-brother, Jonathan Stevens, where Silas W. now owns. Aden was once tax collector, and went to Wilkes-Barre (then the county-seat) with the taxes of Pike town- ship, amounting to something less than three dollars. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens and their son, Harry S., are members of the Presbyterian Church, and in politics are Democratic. Mr. Stevens was postmaster four years under Cleveland's administration, and is at present a school director, and a member of the Patrons of Industry. Harry S. Stevens is also a member of the Patrons of Industry.

WILLIAM V. STEVENS was born in Orange county, N. Y., June 28, 1819, and died February 4, 1878. He was the fifth of ten children of Jeremiah and Nancy (Smith) Stevens, and he was reared by his aunt, Mrs. Isaac Wells, of Southport, N. Y. He came first to Bradford county in 1846, working as a millwright at Mason's mill ; then lived in Elmira until 1859, when he located on his present home, which he rented until 1867, when he purchased it, and placed the present buildings thereon. Mr. Stevens was married, May 11, 1847, to Miss Julia A., daughter of Joseph and Mary (Mason) Griggs, and this union was blessed with seven children, viz .: Mary E., born May 24, 1848, married to Winfield Scott; Eugene W., born November 21, 1849, liv- ing at home; Joseph F., born July 16, 1853, married to Emma Ennis, of Liberty Corners, by whom he has two children, and resides at Gaines, Pa .; Oscar L., born September 17, 1855, employed in the toy factory at Towanda (he married Elizabeth Allen, of Laddsburg, by whom he has three children), Emily L., born September 19, 1862, is at home; Willis E., born April 19, 1865, is engaged in the toy factory at Monroeton ; and Charles V., born March 21, 1873, died December 6, 1882. The family have always been identified with the Presbyterian Church, and are Republicans in politics.

REV. JOHN STEVENS STEWART, D. D., the present pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Towanda, began his labors in this congregation March 1, 1870, and is therefore in the twenty-second year of his service in this church. Dr. Stewart was born at Jenkintown, Pa., April 1, 1835, the youngest of a family of nine children. His father, Ardemus Stewart, was born in what is now Philadelphia, and came of Scotch ancestry. His mother,. Eliza (Dillion) Stewart, was born at Abington, Pa., of French blood on her paternal, and of German blood

1201

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

on her maternal, side. The farm on which her father and mother began their married life 100 years ago was retained by her until her death, in 1887, and is still, in part, held by her children. The early life of the subject of this sketch was spent in Jenkintown, but when he was fourteen years of age his parents removed to their farm at Abington. He was able here to gratify his predominant tastes for communion with nature, and for books. His early reading was mainly in the line of belles-lettres; and especially did he become acquainted with the great English poets. In the two years of his farm life, he mingled ploughing with poetry, and hay-making with essay-writing. The religious atmosphere of his early years was surcharged with the sober and serious influences of old-time Presbyterianism. The follow- ing realistic poem, written in later life, gathers up his recollections of his youthful environment :

" O, the Sabbaths that are past! How their holy memories last, Like the odor of the violets around our childhood's door! Sure the sky seemed nearer then, And a warmer hand had men,

Aud a brighter aureole the brows of saintly women wore.

"Now the quaint old church is gone, In its stead a Gothic one; And a bell from out the tower calls a younger race to prayer. True; 'tis sweet, but then I think Of the saints across the brink,

And I miss the solemn stillness in the brooding Sabbath air.

" Where the girls who used to be In the queer old gallery, And sing till all the house was filled with clear and joyous sound; All are vanished: now the place Knows no more such maiden grace. One with heavenly light and gladness has her modest forehead crowned.

" But the sweetest thoughts of all Are the Sabbaths I recall, When the banquet-hall was opened and the banner waved of love. Then the elders sang ' Coleshill,' And the preacher's eyes did fill, And we sat and wept together with the Spirit of above.

" To the past a pensive sigh! Morrow-duties call hard by,

And God's angels walk around us truly as in days of yore. Blessed Sabbaths that are past, May your memory always last, And the languid pulse of duty quicken ever more and more!"

Out of these sober and stimulating influences at the age of sixteen, a shy and dreamy boy passed into the severe discipline and eager com- petitions of school-life. For two years he pursued the studies prepara- tory to college at the Tennent School, Hartsville, Pa .- named after the famous William Tennent, who founded the Log College near by- and in August, 1853, entered the Sophomore Class in Princeton College, and graduated in 1856. He was the first class-day poet in that insti- tution : the class-day exercises of that time consisting of merely an oration, a poem and a class song. The newly-fledged A. B. sighed for

1202

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

some larger and more definite knowledge of the world, before entering upon a course of professional study, and so, for two years, he presided over one of those family-schools, which were a striking feature of the South in the days before the Civil War. It was " simplex " without the " munditiis." A log cabin formed the school-house, and the fur- niture was any thing but spruce or elegant. But the grace and elegance were found outside the school-room in the manners and conversation of the cultivated men and women who kept up well the old traditions of Virginian courtesy and hospitality. In September, 1858, Dr. Stewart returned to Princeton and entered the Theological Seminary ; whence, after a full course, he was graduated in 1861. During a part of this time he served as tutor of rhetoric in Princeton College. During the War summer of 1861 Dr. Stewart supplied the Presbyterian Church of Silver Spring, Cumberland Co., Pa., and in November of the same year was called to the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church at Greenwich, Cumberland Co., N. J. He was ordained and installed February 11, 1862, and remained as pastor until he removed to Towanda.

His entire ministerial life has been spent in these two congregations, and has been quiet and uneventful. The church at Greenwich was blessed with a powerful revival during his ininistry, the fruit of which is apparent to this day ; and several revivals of greater or less power have marked his labors in Towanda. This church numbered 150 mem- bers when he became pastor'March 8, 1870, and now it numbers 392. During his ministry of twenty years, about 500 persons have been added to the church, and in every way the congregation has prospered and grown. In 1875 Hamilton College conferred upon Dr. Stewart the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity.

Dr. Stewart was married, May 1, 1862, to Miss Anna M. Ellies, of Shippensburg, Pa., who has been his active helper in all good works. Their family consists of four children.

H. A. STILES, dealer in drugs. books, stationery, tobaccos, paints, oils, etc., Ulster, is a son of Dr. O. D. and Mary E. (Chubbuck) Stiles, who reside in Elmira, N. Y., and was born April 21, 1869, at Rome, Pa. His father was a native of Michigan, and his mother of Pennsyl- vania, both of English descent. His maternal grandparents, L. S. and Phoebe Chubbuck, reside in North Orwell, this county. His father's family consisted of eight children, seven of whom survive. H. A. is the only one of the children who resides in this county ; he was reared in Elmira, N. Y., and attended the public school during school-time, and clerked in his father's drug store during vacations. He graduated, with honors, from the Elmira schools, June 27, 1884, and, having learned the drug business in his father's store, on leaving school, he accepted a position in an Elmira drug store, owned by Dr. J. L. Everitt, and was here a short time, then worked in Gerity Brothers' wholesale drug store for one and one-half years, after which he returned to his former place with Dr. J. L. Everitt, where he remained until August, 1889, when he came to Ulster, and purchased the drug store he now owns. He was united in marriage with Jennie M., daughter of L. J. and Martha J. (Blakeslee) Ballard, of Troy, Pa., September 26, 1889. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church ; he is a member

1203

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

of the Order of Aegis, of which he is secretary, and is one of the leading successful business men of his locality.

JAMES STIRTON, farmer, P. O. Bentley Creek, was born April 4, 1833, on the farm where he now resides, a son of John and Ellison (Elder) Stirton, the former born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and the latter in London, England. The father, who was a baker, and carried on an extensive business in London several years, came, in 1828, to America, and was one of the first settlers in the western part of Ridgebury, this county; he was a prominent member of the Presbyterian Church, and his influence was always that of the best of men; he died at the age of seventy-nine years, and the mother when aged sixty-eight years. There were eight children in their family, seven of whom are now living ; one son, John, was in the Civil War. Mr. Stirton, the subject of these lines, has a fine farm of 130 acres in a beautiful location in the township of Ridgebury. He was married, May 25, 1868, to Mrs. Sarah E. (Brown) Raynor; she was born in South Creek township, July 25, 1837, a daughter of Elijah and Lucetta (Burnham) Brown, and to them was born one daughter, who died at the age of seven years. Mrs. Stirton has two children by her first husband: Eva, M., wife of Frank Swartwood, and Ettie B., wife of John L. Wilcox. Mr. Stirton is a Republican in politics, but takes no active part in the affairs of the party, and is one of the substantial and highly respected citizens of the town; his wife is a consistent member of the Baptist Church of Wellsburg.

CHARLES R. STONE, merchant, Wyalusing, was born in Camp- town, this county, August 27, 1849, a son of Philemon and Theresa (Homet) Stone, the former of whom was a farmer, and had a family of five children, viz .: Charles R .; Thomas B., a farmer on the old home- stead ; a daughter that died in infancy; Ulysses P., a farmer on the old homestead, and Lucy. The parents are both living. Charles R. Stone was born and reared on a farm, and educated at Camptown Academy. When eighteen years old he began clerking for C. S. Laf- ferty, with whom he remained seven years; then came to Wyalusing and entered the employ as clerk for Bosworth, Stone & Co., where he remained until August 27, 1889, when he became a member of the firm. He is unmarried. Politically he is a Republican, and has held various township offices ; was assessor three terms, and elected first treasurer of the borough.

WESLEY B. STONE, farmer, LeRoy township, P. O. West LeRoy, was born in LeRoy township, on the old homestead, Decem- ber 17, 1838, a son of Horace and Cynthia (Lindly) Stone, natives of Connecticut and Vermont, respectively. They moved to this county in 1820, locating in West LeRoy, where he continued farming until his death, which occurred May 11, 1861; his wife died March 22, 1867. Their family consisted of ten children, nine of whom grew to maturity, and six are now living. Our subject, who is the eighth member of the family, was reared in his native town and educated at the common school, has always followed farming, and is now the owner of eighty- five acres of fertile land. He married, March. 11. 1863, Mary R., daughter of Rev. E. H. and Permelia (Griggs) Cranmer, the former

1204

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

of whom was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and for a number of years presiding elder over the old Troy (now the Elmira) district. To Mr. and Mrs. Stone was born, October 16, 1865, one son, Horace L., who married Bertha, daughter of Oakly and Anna Lewis; he is a young man of promise, now engaged in the mercantile busi- ness in LeRoy. Mr. Stone is a prosperous farmer, raising stock, wool, butter and grain. He has been elected to various offices in the town; is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church; also a member of the Grange, and in politics he is a Republican.

JONAS F. STORRS, farmer, P. O. LeRoy, was born in Delaware county, N. Y., a son of Isaac C. and Emily (Owens) Storrs, also natives of Delaware county. Isaac C. Storrs, who was a son of Oliver Storrs, removed to Liberty, Tioga Co., Pa., where he remained seven years; then came to Bradford county, first locating in Canton, afterward in Granville, where he remained until his death, which occurred November 13, 1889. He was an industrious farmer. His family consisted of three sons, all of whom grew to maturity. Jonas F., who is the eldest in the family. was reared and educated in Granville, this county, and in his early life he learned the blacksmith's trade. He was twice married, his first wife being Mrs. Eleanor Gifford, the widow of Stephen Gifford, and a daughter of John and Sallie Coon; his second wife was Alice M., daughter of Dr. W. H. and Polly (Bullock) Holcomb, of LeRoy; by this marriage there was one child, Iona B., born June 4, 1879. Dr. Hol- comb, the father of Mrs. Storrs, was born in LeRoy, and is the son of Eli Holcomb, one of the early settlers of LeRoy township, this county. He was a successful physician and had a large practice; he died at the age of sixty-one years; his widow and eight children still survive him. Mr. Storrs was one of the first volunteers to answer to his country's call, enlisting April 22, 1861, and serving his first term. He was hon- orably discharged and again enlisted, this time July 22, 1861, in Com- pany G, Sixth Pennsylvania Reserves, for a term of three years; after a service of nine months he was honorably discharged on account of disability, and is now drawing a pension. He engaged in general farm- ing, paying some attention to blooded horses; he is living with Mrs. Dr. Holcomb, whose farm he works in connection with his own in Gran- ville; he is a member of the G. A. R., the Patrons of Husbandry and politically he is a Republican.

ALVIN STRAUSS, foreman, L. V. R. R. repair shops, Sayre, is a native of Lehigh county, Pa., and was born August 15, 1834, a son of Reuben and Sarah (Edelman) Strauss, natives of Lehigh county, the former of whom was a contractor. Grandfather John Strauss was a soldier in the War of 1812. Alvin, who is the second in a family of seven children, received a common-school education, and when a young man served an apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade. at which he worked in his native county until 1862, when he went to Mauch Chunk, in the employ of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, and after about three years moved to Wilkes-Barre and was in the employ of the company until October, 1869, when he went to Waverly, where he remained until the shops were removed to Sayre, where he has been in the employ of the company since. He enlisted in the State Militia

1205

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

on the Sunday preceding the battle of Gettysburg, but was mustered out after being out six weeks. Mr. Strauss was married in Allentown, Pa., in 1861, to Miss Mary (Shelley) Thomas, the eldest of two chil- dren, and born in Bucks county, Pa., October 12, 1836. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Strauss were born six children, as follows: Charles, Carrie, William T., Gertie, John and Eva E. The family are members of the Lutheran Church, of which Mr. Strauss holds the office of councilman; he is a member of the A. O. U. W., the Knights of Honor and the Empire Order Mutual Aid. In politics he is a Democrat, and is treasurer of Sayre borough.

FRANK I. STREBY, carriage manufacturer, Overton, is a native in Sullivan county, Pa., born April 5, 1860, and is a son of Thomas and Caroline (Bleiler) Streby, natives of Pennsylvania and of German extraction. The ancestors who came to America were Isaac Streby and Betsey Ann Ruth, the former of whom died in Overton in 1880, and the latter in 1886; these were grandparents of the subject of this brief sketch. In the father's family were John, Fyann and Edward, of whom Fyann died in 1865. Thomas Streby removed to Sullivan county, where he reared a family of five children, of whom Frank I. is the third. Our subject grew to manhood in his native place, and came to Overton in 1881. He had learned the carriage-maker's trade, and engaged at same in his new home, and he now owns and operates an extensive factory, turning out carriages, wagons and sleighs, and in all his work he has his own blacksmith shop. He was married, April 30, 1884, to Ellen, daughter of John and Hannah Heverly Molyneux, Pennsylvanians, of English and German extraction. Of this union there are three children, as follows : Herman C., and Thomas R. and Carrie E. (twins). Mr. Streby has a taste for fine horses, and has raised and handled many in his time, and has done much for the improvement of the horse in this county. In his barn at this time is the thoroughbred French imported coach stallion, "Rattler, Jr.," born at La Prairie, Canada, June 12, 1884, and which he imported at great expense. The Streby family worship at the German Reformed Church. He is a Democrat, has been school director, and is constable.

CHARLES B. STRICKLAND, farmer, Wysox township, P. O. Towanda, was born in Wysox, this county, January 6, 1864, and is a son of Stephen and Caroline (Holmes) Strickland, who are descendants of pioneer families in Bradford county. The father was born October 5, 1822, and died February 20, 1888; the mother was born May 30, 1830, and is now living with him on the old homestead. The grand- parents were Stephen Strickland (born January 1, 1791, died April 12, 1874) and Mary Dewitt (born December 16, 1793, died February 27, 1860). The great grandparents were Stephen Strickland (born in 1763, died in 1800, and Nancy Wilcox, born 1768, died in 1841). In the father's family there were four children : Frances H., born December 15, 1859, died December 28, 1862; Mary E., born October 20, 1861, married to James W. Shiner, Charles Bradford, the subject of this sketch, married January 9. 1889, to Miss Ethel Elizabeth, daughter of Hiram S. and Lydia M. (Graves), of Towanda (they have one child, Stephen, born April 22, 1890). The youngest child in Stephen

1206

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

Strickland's family is Ella Lucile, born October 24, 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Strickland are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Towanda, and in politics he is a Republican.

DANIEL STRONG, farmer, proprietor of feed, cider and saw- mills, P. O. Wells, was born in Wells township, this county, January 19, 1861 ; his parents were Daniel and Lucretia (Sherman) Strong, natives of Otsego county, N. Y., where the former was a tanner and lumberman, and died in 1861. Mrs. Strong still survives him, and resides on the farm with her son. Daniel was reared on the farm and educated in the common schools; his father erected the sawmill in which he placed new machinery; he added the cider-mill in 1883, and erected the feed-mill in 1884; he owns a farm containing 152 acres, which is in a good state of cultivation. He married, in Troy, in 1887, Nettie, daughter of James and Mary (Salsberry) Sawyer. James Salsberry is a farmer, and resides in Troy township, and Mrs. Strong, who was born in Troy township, in August, 1866, is the sec- ond in order of birth in his family of three children. To Mr. and Mrs. Strong were born two children : Harry and Claude. Mr. Strong is a member of Wells Grange, No. 528; politically he is a Democrat, and is serving his second year as a constable and collector.

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.

History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 141

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.) Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, S. B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1340

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1340