History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 151

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

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LEVI WELLS, farmer and dairyman, P. O. Spring Hill, was born October 20, 1832, a son of Chester and Rebecca (Hines) Wells, natives of Bradford county, the father born at Merryall. Chester Wells was a farmer by occupation, and a pioneer of the Spring Hill section of Tuscarora, while that country was so dense a wilderness that he was under the necessity of marking the trees so as to find his way back to Merryall settlement; he located on a farm on Spring Hill, built him- self a log cabin and commenced to clear a farm; he was a typical pio- neer and made a competency from the farm and timber; be followed lumbering to a considerable extent, assisting in building the old slide down the hill to Ingham's mill, just above Camptown, and would send his logs down this slide, have them sawed at Ingham's mill, and then float the lumber down Wyalusing creek and raft it down the river. At his death he owned about two hundred acres of well-improved land. His family consisted of five children, viz .: Clara H., married to John Bradford, merchant (deceased), late of Gold's Ferry, Conn .; W. W., merchant tailor and coal dealer, of Webster City, Iowa ; Eleanor J., married to Hiram Taylor, now residing at Cawker City, Kansas ; E. C., residence, Newark, N. J., and Levi, the subject of this sketch.

Levi Wells was born and reared on the farm he now occupies, and was educated in the common schools, LeRaysville Academy and Wyo- ming Seminary. At theage of seventeen he began teaching, and taught ten years during the winter seasons, devoting his attention to farming and stock-growing during the summers; he also became a practical surveyor, and has spent considerable time in the practice of that pro- .fession. He now owns 240 acres of finely improved farm land, 200 acres being the old homestead. He makes a specialty of dairying, having recently completed a commodious stock barn, with a capacity of from fifty to sixty cows, and has it filled with choice Jersey stock. He has been using Jerseys in his dairy since 1871, and is a pioneer of the breeding of that grade of stock in the county ; he ships the cream from his own and several of his neighbors' dairies to New York City and Philadelphia. Mr. Wells was married, January 21, 1861, to Helen S. Jones (deceased September 15, 1887), a daughter of Edward Jones, of Pike township, and this union was blessed with six children : N. J.,

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

now in the Wyalusing Creamery ; Chester, a cadet at the Naval Mili- tary Academy at Annapolis, Md. (he received his appointment to the cadetship in 1887, and will graduate with the class of 1893); Guy and Maud at home ; Fanny T. and Harry B. (deceased). In 1861 Mr. Wells became a member of the Twelfth Reserve band, and went to the front ; after about five months' service he was discharged and returned home ; in 1863, he became captain of Company G, Thirty- sixth Regiment Pennsylvania Militia, and served two months; in 1864, he received a commission as captain United States Volunteers, and served on Gen. Duval's staff during Sheridan's campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. In February, 1865, he was transferred to the Army of the Potomac, and assigned to duty on the staff of Gen. Ramsey, commanding the Fourth Brigade, First Division, Second Army Corps, and was with him until the surrender of Lee, except when, for a short time, a prisoner of war; from that time until his discharge in August, 1865, he was on staff of Gen. Pierce of a provisional corps organized for duty in the South whenever the exigencies of the times might demand their presence; was appointed commissary of subsistence with rank of captain, May 18, 1864, and brevetted major, for efficient and meritorious service, August 9, 1865. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and is an A. Y. M., Franklin Lodge, No. 263, Laceyville; a member of Jackson Post, No. 74, G. A. R., Wyalusing. Politically Mr. Wells is identified with the Republican party, and has always been a promi- nent factor in politics in his section. In the bitter campaign of 1890, he was candidate for sheriff on the straight Republican ticket.

MARKLE C. WELLS, music and sewing-machine dealer, Towanda, was born in Jackson township, Tioga Co., Pa., July 30, 1844, and is a son of Benjamin and Eliza (Updyke) Wells, of English and German descent. His paternal grandfather, Norman Wells, was a pioneer of Wysox, in this county, where he married Elizabeth Cool- baugh. He was many years engaged in lumbering and merchandis- ing at Daggett's Mills, Tioga Co., and in later life removed to Jackson township, in that county, and died there; he was a prominent politi- cian of his day, was a Whig, and a natural orator. The maternal grandfather was Foster Updyke, of Holland-Dutch extraction, and a pioneer of Jackson township, Tioga Co., Pa. The lineage of the Updyke family is traceable back to the Thirteenth century. Benja- min Wells, father of our subject, was a native of Barrington, Yates Co., N. Y., and for eight years was a captain of a militia company. He was for many years engaged in the lumber business in Tioga county, and died in Jackson township, that county. Markle C. Wells was reared in Tioga county, and educated in the common schools and what is now the State Normal School, at Mansfield, and began life as a teacher in the common schools, and later, for four years, was em- ployed in different capacities in the lumber business. During the late Civil War he was a Government sutler two years, and then engaged in the mercantile trade at Lamb's Creek, Tioga Co., and later at Dag- gett's mills. For a time he was a book-keeper for a business house at Owego, N. Y., and spent one year at Corning, N. Y., as local and traveling agent for the Howe Sewing Machine Co., and in 1873 settled

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

in Towanda, where he has since been engaged as a dealer in sewing machines and musical merchandise. He married, October 23, 1872, Mable, daughter of Asher and Betsey (Silvernail) Armstrong, of Owego, N. Y., and had three children, as follows: Nellie, Harry B. and Fred B. Mr. Wells is trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is a member of Owego Lodge, F. & A. M., No. 587, Owego, N. Y. Politically he is Independent.

S. M. WELLS, farmer and mechanic, Orwell township, P. O. Herrickville, was born in Orwell, November 11, 1834, and is a son of Henry and Betsie (Baily) Wells, the former of whom was born in this county, was a mechanic and a noted singing teacher, having taught many years; he removed to Illinois, where he died in 1850; he had seven children, viz .: Elmira, married to Allen Brown, and died several years ago; Mary C., married to B. F. Walker, and died in 1890; S. M .; Chester, in Dakota; Charles, deceased; Henry, in Florida; Abagail, married to Fred Newcome, of Iowa. S. M. passed his boyhood attending the common schools ; he learned the carpenter's and joiner's trade, which he followed until May 13, 1861, when he enlisted in Com- pany F, Fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Reserves, and served until June 11, 1864, when he was discharged. He was in nearly every engagement in which the Army of the Potomac was involved during the time of his service, except the battle of Antietam, being in the hospital at that time, and was in the battle of Dranesville, the Penin- sular Campaign, the battles of Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and in numerous minor engagements. During the battle of the Wilderness (fifth day) he received a shell wound in the calf of the leg, and at Bethesda Church he received a shell wound in the head, which fractured the skull and which still gives him great trouble. Leaving the army, he resumed his trade until 1882, when his health became impaired, and he was obliged to retire; he owns a small farm. Mr. Wells has been twice married, the first time to Anna Matilda, daughter of John Murphy, and to them were born the following children : Charles, married to Josephine Warner ; Grove, married to Flora Allis; Alonzo, married to Flora Coggswell Burton ; John, and Ora. The mother of these children died August 8, 1889, and July 5, 1890, Mr. Wells married Susanna Roberts, widow of Joshua Roberts. Mr. Wells is a member of the Baptist Church, and of the I. O. O. F., Rome Lodge, having passed all the chairs; he was a charter member of the G. A. R. Post at Herrickville, and is a Republican. Mr. Wells saw as much hard service while in the army as almost any one, and returned suffering from the effects of his wounds and exposure. The Government granted him a pension of twelve dollars a month.

JOHN S. WESTBROOK, farmer, P. O. Macedonia, was born in Standing Stone, May 10, 1835, and is a son of Isaac and Deborah (Smith) Westbrook, natives of the county, of German ancestry ; he was reared on his father's farm and educated in the schools of his native township, and then taught some time, and when yet a young man commenced contracting on public works, and was about sixteen years engaged in building railroads, and among other jobs was one on the Union Pacific Railroad. August 26, 1866, he married Mary E., daughter

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of Philip and Hannah(Sherry) Henry, natives of this State, and who was born in September, 1845. There have been born to them three children, two of whom are living: William H., born August 16, 1871, and Robert A., born October 12, 1878. Mr. Westbrook came to Asylum township, in 1854, commenced farming, and is now the owner of several farms, of a total of 250 acres, and by economy and industry is rated as one of the solid and substantial citizens. He has been a Democrat many years, but is at present Independent, and votes for the best man ; has held positions of public trust, and is now a school director and the town commissioner.

O. B. WESTGATE, carriage manufacturer, Canton, is a native of West Burlington township, near the Troy township line, this county, having been born May 4, 1833, a son of Wanton and Betsey (Headley) Westgate, natives of Massachusetts and New Jersey, respectively. Wanton Westgate was a blacksmith by trade, and also followed farming, having settled in West Burlington about the year 1815; was born Octo- ber 15, 1789, and died in Granville township, March 17, 1839. Mrs. Westgate, a daughter of James Headley, was born November 21, 18-, and died May 27, 1873. She was a cousin of J. T. Headley, author of the " History of the Rebellion," and also a cousin of P. C. Headley, an author, both of whom were educated for the ministry. Our subject, who is the younger of two sons (his brother, who was the elder, died at the age of fifteen), was reared in West Burlington, attended school three months, but received the principal part of his education from his mother who taught school over fifteen years. He served an appren- ticeship at the house painters' trade in Troy, and during the winter taught singing schools through the western part of the county, and also played the clarionet in bands. He removed to Monroeton, and was engaged in the manufacture of wagons five years; thence went to Troy, and was there engaged in the grocery business one year; then moved to Towanda, and worked at carriage painting one year; returning to Monroeton, he worked at house painting one year; then was again in Towanda for a short time. and thence returned to West Burlington, where he still owns the old homestead. At the end of two years (in 1870), he removed to Canton and began the manufacture of carriages, which has since been his occupation. In the spring of 1886 he started a harness shop, which he still carries on. Mr. Westgate was married April 26, 1865, to Emma, daughter of Benjamin H. and Lucy (Crippen) Steevens, natives of New York; her father, a farmer by occupation, was born April 20, 1805, settled in Troy township in early life; was married (the second time) in Vermont, in 1842, and died March 22, 1887. Mrs. Steevens was born May 21, 1810. The paternal grand- father, Joel Steevens, settled also at Troy in early life, and the mater- nal grandfather, Amos Crippen, who was a native of Vermont, and resided in Rutland county until advanced in years, removed to Troy borough, this county, and died in 1864 in his eighty-seventh year. Mrs. Westgate is the third in order of birth in a family of three daughters, and one son, and was born in East Troy, September 29, 1844. To Mr. and Mrs. Westgate were born two children: Benjamin H., married to Ora Andrews, and Lucy Helen. The family are members of the Pres-

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

byterian Church. Mr. Westgate has served as justice of the peace, assessor and school director; is leader of the Canton Cornet Band, and a member of Westgate's Orchestra; is also a member of the I. O. O. F., Canton Lodge, No. 321, and has passed all the chairs of the Order; polit- ically he is a Republican.

G. W. WETHERBEE, blacksmith, Grover, is a native of Tioga county, Pa., and was born August 28, 1838, a son of M. W. and Olive (Houghton) Wetherbee, natives of New Hampshire, former of whom is a farmer and resides in Tioga county, Pa., now in his eightieth year; the latter died in 1888, in her seventy-fourth year. The grand- fathers, Edmond Wetherbee and Simeon Houghton, were among the first settlers of Delmar township, Tioga Co., Pa. Our subject, who is the second in order of birth in a family of eight sons and one daughter, was reared on his father's farm in Tioga county, and received his education in the common-schools. After he became of age he farmed four years, and then served an apprenticeship at the blacksmith trade, which occupation he has since followed. On July 7, 1865, he removed from Tioga county to Canton, Pa., where he remained four years, then came to Grover, where he has since resided. He purchased the first building lot sold in Grover. He was married in Union township, Tioga Co., Pa., December 23, 1858, to Emeline, daughter of Hubbard and Eliza (Kilburn) Spencer, natives of Connecticut. Hubbard Spencer was a farmer, and resided in Tioga county, near Grover, where he died, September 30, 1888, in his seventy-fifth year; Mrs. Spencer died March 28, 1884. Mrs. Wetherbee is the eldest in a family of eight children, and was born in Tioga county, May 30, 1839. To Mr. and Mrs. Wetherbee have been born two children: Carrie E. (wife of Frank Fitzwater) and George D., who is a partner with his father. The family are members of the Disciple Church. Politically Mr. Wetherbee is a Republican, and served four years as school director, and three years as constable.

WILLIAM WHEATLEY, farmer, Franklin township, P. O. West Franklin, was born in Durham county, England, November 2, 1841, the son of William and Jane (Hall) Wheatley, both of whom are natives of England. His father came to this country in 1845, locat- ing in Franklin, on the south side of Towanda creek, near where David Smiley now resides; he died in January, 1876, aged eighty-seven years, his wife following him September, 1877, aged sixty-six. Their family consisted of ten children, eight of whom grew to maturity, and are now living; five of them were born in England. Our subject is the fourth of the family, and was reared and educated in Franklin, and spent his life at general farming. At the age of twenty-five he married Miss H. Geraldine, daughter of Hiram and Sarah (Allen) Fairchild, of Franklin township. Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild removed to this county from Glens Falls, N. Y., when Hiram was a boy of seven- teen. To Mr. and Mrs. Wheatley were born children as follows: Fred L., Leon F. and William H. Fred has embarked in the mercan- tile business, under the firm name of Mason & Wheatley, with every indication of success. Mr. Wheatly is a general farmer and a success- ful man of business ; his farm consists of seventy-five acres of very

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

fertile land along the Towanda creek, twenty acres of which is creek flat, the remainder is upland. He has held the office of township treasurer one term. In 1864 he joined Company B, Two Hundred and Seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, in the Civil War, serving until the close ; he now enjoys a pension, and is a member of the G. A. R.

SAMUEL A. WHEATON, farmer and stockman, Warren, was born in South Warren, April 30, 1830, and is a son of Samuel and Mary (Abell) Wheaton, natives of Rhode Island, and of old English stock ; the family were farmers from generation to generation. The family removed to Bradford county about 1820, and settled in the, then, wild wilderness of Warren township; Samuel Wheaton died in 1875, and was followed to the grave by his widow in 1876; they reared eight children, of whom Samuel, the subject of this sketch, is the sixth; he spent his childhood and youth on his father's farm, learning to work and giving some little time to the chance of winter schools of the neighborhood of his day and time. He launched himself upon this busy world as a young farmer, with no other fortune than his bare hands and stout heart, and is now the owner of ninety acres all in a fine state of cultivation. and all with suitable and modern buildings. He is one of the leading, prosperous farmers of this part of the county. He was married in LeRaysville, in 1860, to Rachel Willson, daughter of Harry and Lydia (Johnson) Willson, and to them have been born two children, namely : Frank M., a printer, and who is now editor and publisher of the LeRaysville Advertiser, and Fred L., who is a success- ful young farmer, and bids fair to soon be among the leaders in the county in that line. Mr. Wheaton is a Republican in politics.

FRANK MERTON WHEATON, Pike township, P. O. LeRays- ville, was born on May 29, 1862, in Warren township, a son of Samuel Abell and Rachel (Wilson) Wheaton, now living in Warren township. Frank M. spent his early childhood on the farm, and at nineteen began life for himself, teaching the Beecher school in Pike township; he taught two years and then attended the Mansfield Commercial College, where he was graduated in 1883, was then engaged with Bosworth & Lyon one year in the mercantile business, and three years with John- son & Son in the furniture and undertaking business; afterward pur- chasing a half-interest in the LeRaysville Advertiser, and is now one of its editors. He was married, September 16, 1885, to Beulah Bostwick, a daughter of Willis G. and Martha (Chaffee) Bostwick ; they have one child, Aruna A., born January 15, 1889. In politics Mr. Wheaton is a Republican.

SEYMOUR M. WHEATON (deceased) was a native of Warren township, this county, born March 26, 1852, a son of Frederick and Susan (Humphrey) Wheaton, natives of Pennsylvania and Connecticut, respec- tively, and of English descent. Frederick Wheaton was the son of John and Sally (French) Wheaton, natives of Rhode Island, who came to Brad- ford county about 1820, and located in Warren township; they had eight children, of whom Frederick was the youngest of the sons, and the seventh child ; he died in 1854; his widow survives ; they had but one child, Seymour M., subject of this sketch. Seymour M. Wheaton grew to manhood where he was born, and, like his ancestors, has always

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carried on farming, except during two years of his life, when he was engaged in a tub factory. He was married in 1875 to Augusta Bowen, daughter of William C. and Susan (Tibbetts) Bowen, natives of Rhode Island, who came to this county and township in 1832; they had four children: Mary (Mrs. David Brink), of Orwell; Augusta (Mrs. Seymour M. Wheaton); Wheaton (married to Mary Cordis and residing at Ann Arbor, Mich.); John (married to Adelaide McCrery, and who died in 1876). The father, William C. Bowen, died November 12, 1886, and the mother died October 22, 1889. Mr. Seymour M. Wheaton died June 12, 1889, leaving a widow and seven children. The children are as follows: Frederick, born July 23, 1876 ; Rena, born September 28, 1877; Clara, born November 18, 1878; Susan, born July 17, 1880; Harry, born September 9, 1882; William, born December 26, 1883, and Guy, born May 31, 1887. Mr. Wheaton left his family a fine farm of 110 acres; he was one of the eminently respectable farmers of the county.

ENSIGN W. WHEELER, merchant, Luther's Mills, was born at Luther's Mills, Burlington township, Bradford Co., Pa., November 11, 1856, a son of Clark and Susan (Rundell) Wheeler, farmers, of Irish and French origin, respectively, natives of this county. The father is living at the age of sixty-three years. Ensign W., who is the second in a family of four children-three daughters and one son-was reared on the farm and educated in the common schools of the township. He followed farming successfully until the spring of 1888, when he embarked in mercantile business at Luther's Mills, where he is doing a large and increasing business, keeping a large and general line of country merchandise. He was married, November 25, 1879, to Hattie Marvin, of Smithfield, who was born January 18, 1859, a daughter of Charles and Olive (Walker) Marvin, natives of Tioga county, Pa., now of Smithfield. To Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler have been born two children : Charles Clark, born May 8, 1886, and Fayette Ensign, born May 25, 1889. Mr. Wheeler is a Republican in politics, and has held the offices of collector, assessor, auditor and constable, also several other positions of public trust; he is a Freemason, a member of the I. O. O. F., and one of the growing and substantial men to the town. His father is a pensioner, having been a soldier in the Civil War, when he participated in many hard-fought battles, and was present at the surrender of Gen. Lee.

HARRISON L. WHITAKER, farmer and stockman, Warren township, P. O. Warren Centre, is a native of Susquehanna county, Pa., born October 12, 1823, a son of Abraham and Catherine (Sleeper) Whitaker, natives of Vermont, and of English extraction. His father was a farmer, who came to this State, in 1811, and settled in Warren township, where he passed the remainder of his days, and died Feb)- ruary 4, 1869. Harrison L. Whitaker was born and reared where he now resides, a pioneer farmer's boy, and is now a leading farmer of the county, owning 112 acres of land, with all necessary buildings, which are modern and commodious, the farm being in an excellent state of cultivation. He was married, in Warren township, February 25, 1853, to Hannah A. Chaffee, daughter of William and Martha (Bowen)

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Chaffee, natives of Providence, R. I., who came in the early part of the century to Bradford county, and settled in Warren township ; they had thirteen children, of whom Mrs. Hannah A. Whitaker was the sixth, and was reared and educated in Warren township; she died February 2, 1889, mourned by her husband and a wide circle of friends. Mr. Whitaker is one of our most prominent citizens, a leading farmer, and a Republican in politics.

CHARLES E. WHITE, justice, P. O. North Towanda, was born in Hillsdale, Columbia Co., N. Y., July 26, 1820, and is a son of Peter and Catherine (Sharts) White, natives of Otsego and Columbia county, N. Y., respectively. He was reared in his native county, and educated in the common schools; in early manhood he removed to Delaware county, N. Y., where he engaged in farming five years. In 1846 he settled in Bradford county, cleared a farm of sixty acres in Asylum township, and one of forty acres in Franklin township. In the spring of 1865 he settled in North Towanda, where he has since resided, and where he was engaged in farming up to 1880. He married, November 24, 1838, Lavina, daughter of Alanson and Lorany (Elliott) David, of Delaware county, N. Y., and by her had ten children, as follows : Ann J. (Mrs. Samuel Schrader, deceased), James, George, Mary (Mrs. Solomon Talada), Elisha, John, Emma (Mrs. John Place), Ida (Mrs. Hiram Granger), Charles and Chester. Mr. White is a prominent and well-known citizen of Bradford county ; he is a member of the I. O. O. F. and Good Templars, and has held many of the local offices in the township in which he has resided, in Bradford county, and is now serving his third term as justice of the peace of North Towanda township; politically he is an advocate of Prohibition.

ANDREW J. WHITNEY, civil engineer, P.O. Rome, was born in Wysox, this county, January 2, 1830, and is a son of Alvin and Mary (Woodburn) Whitney, the former of whom, a native of Massachusetts, and a farmer, came to the Wyoming Valley in 1811, and to Wysox in 1816; the latter was born in Rhode Island, and was the first school teacher in this section, and was conducting the school in a house that was destroyed by a tornado. The father had a family of children, as fol- lows : John D., died in his third year; Alvin, died in infancy; Asa Clark, born 1819, died in 1890; Sarah, died, aged twelve; Ellen ; AndrewJ .; Mary H .; Charles ; Carrol, married to Maggie Vought, and resides on the old homestead ; Carrie, died in infancy; Allen Dorrance ; Emma V., married to Dr. William Rice. The early life of Andrew J. was spent on the old homestead farm in Wysox township, and he was educated in the district school and the academy at Wysox, then at the academy of Towanda, and at the Harford University, Susquehanna county. He studied civil engineering, and began its practice in 1852, when he was employed on the surveys and construction of the old Junction Canal, from Elmira to the State line, which occupied him until 1854; then was on the construction of the Barclay Railroad from 1854 to 1856; was mining engineer and superintendent of the coal mines at Peru, Ills., where he sank the first shaft to the lower seam of coal in that now famous coal field. He was engaged from 1859 to 1880 by the Pennsylvania Canal Company, widening and improving

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 151

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