History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 72

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

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Samuel N. Bronson's father was a learned physician who practiced his profession at Burlington, Conn., and died aged thirty-nine years. He was a man of great promise to the people of his section, and skilled in professional as well as in church life. The grandfather was a soldier of the Revolution, and served under Washington ; he came to Orwell during his old age, and died here. The great-grandfather had served in the French-Indian War. After his parent's death, Samuel N. made his home with his uncle Ira, and came with him to Orwell in 1839, and in 1840 Ira Bronson built the house where H. Champlin now lives, and there resided until his death. Samuel worked on his uncle's farm during boyhood, and secured an academical education. After reaching his majority, he began teaching school and was thus engaged winters,

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

two years : then clerked in a general store at Orwell Hill nearly five years, when he formed a partnership with H. Z. Frisbie under the firm name of Frisbie & Bronson, which continued for two years, when Mr. Frisbie retired, and a firm of four was formed, the style of the firm being Humphrey & Co., which, two years thereafter, was dissolved, Mr. Bronson continuing alone in the building now occupied by Mr. Coburn, and changed to the old stand, now of Mr. Cowles, where he remained until 1871, when he retired from the mercantile trade and devoted his attention to real estate, steam saw and lathe mill, and other business. About 1853, T. Humphrey (or the company) started a tin shop and a cooper shop; in 1856, S. N. Bronson purchased the coopering and tinware business, and soon had on the road one or two peddlers of tinware and notions-two years' peddling by Bronson & Doolittle, and for about ten years he was running it alone.

Mr. Bronson was three times appointed postmaster, holding the office about eighteen years, and has held the position of first lieutenant in the Orwell Artillery Company, first appointed May 4, 1846. He has been a member of the Presbyterian Church all his life, an untiring worker in the same, and an elder many years, filling also the position of chorister, Sunday-school superintendent and treasurer of the church, and of the Sunday-school. He is a Republican in politics, and held numerous township offices ; was town treasurer during the years 1851- 52-53-54-61-62 and 77, and town clerk during the years 1883-84-85- 89 and 90.

B. F. BROWN, farmer, P. O. Athens, was born in Providence, R. I., April 23, 1850, is the son of S. W. and Harriet (Reynolds) Brown, natives of Providence, of whom the former was born July 7, 1801, the latter December 17, 1815 ; they removed to this county in 1852, locat- ing in Athens township, on what is now known as the Sawyer place, and resided there six years ; the mother died July 13, 1858, after which the father sold the property to William Sawyer, removing farther north and west, and purchased a farm. He subsequently traded that for the one now owned by his son, B. F. Brown, and removed thither in 1876 ; he died in 1881, in his eightieth year ; his family consisted of seven children, two sons and five daughters, four of whom are now living. Our subject, who is the seventh of the family, was reared and educated in Athens in the common school, and always confined himself to farm work ; he began business for himself by buying a farm of eighty acres in 1876, on which he has worked faithfully and with effect ; in 1888 he added fifty-eight acres to the above. He was married in 1878 to Miss Eliza, daughter of Warren W. and Anna Wilson, whose parents removed to this county from New York State, and by this union there were five children, viz .: Minnie, May, Harriet E., Anna B., Susan E. and Fred W. Mr. Brown is employed in mixed farming, and is a successful and enterprising man ; his premises are well watered with never-failing springs; his stock is of the finest quality, some of them being registered. He has held various offices of public trust in the town; is a member of the Iron Hall, and politically is a Republican.

CHARLES J. BROWN was born in Towanda, June 9, 1839, and was the adopted son of Jesse E. Brown, who was a farmer, born in

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

Wyalusing in 1797; moved to Sheshequin in 1823, and died in 1882. Charles received his education in the common schools of Sheshequin. His musical instructors were J. G. Towner and F. F. Bliss, and he has taught music twenty-five years. The farm he now occupies is the one his father lived on when he came to the township, and consists of 193 acres, seventy five of which are in the bottoms, all susceptible of cul- tivation. He was married July 16, 1861, to Maryan Seely, daughter of Joseph Seely, of Rome township. He has two children, a son, Han- ford, and a daughter, Ethlin. Mr. Brown's political views are Repub- lican. His grandfather's family were in Wyoming at the time of the battle.

CHARLES L. BROWN, farmer and dairyman, P. O. Towanda, a son of Barker and Elizabeth (Seltzer) Brown, was born in Wyoming county, June 6, 1849. His father was a native of this State, and his mother of Connecticut, whose ancestors were of German and English origin, and were agriculturists. Charles L., who is the third in a family of four children who grew to maturity, was educated in the common schools of Burlington township, and spent his early life on his father's farm. At his majority he became a tiller of the soil, and is now one of the leading and successful farmers of North Towanda, where he has a fine farm of 125 acres. He settled on his present homestead many years ago, where he soon added the dairy and milk business to his other interests. Mr. Brown was married August 20, 1868, to Sophia Morehouse, and there have been born to them six children. He is a genial, agreeable gentleman, and has a wide circle of friends. Mr. Brown votes the Republican ticket, and takes an active interest in the affairs of both township and county.

CLARK M. BROWN, farmer and stock grower, Wyalusing town- ship, P. O. Wyalusing, is among the most prominent of Bradford's farmers, and was born May 14, 1838, on the farm he now owns in Wyalusing township, a direct descendant of Thomas Brown, who was one of the most prominent of the pioneers of Wyalusing, and a son of Mason and Harriet (Harmon) Brown. His father was born at Brown- town, and was one of the prominent farmers of that section ; he had a family of ten children, as follows: Rachel, married to Lorenzo Allen, and after his death was married to Hugh Daugherty ; David ; Eliza (deceased) ; Hannah ; Emma, married to George Jackson and living at Paterson, N. J .; James, a farmer, of Wyalusing; Harriet, residing in Wyalusing ; William, of Washington State; Libbie (deceased); and Clark M. Our subject was born and reared on a farm, and received a limited common-school education, following farming until 1852. For ten years he was engaged in navigating the North Branch canal; then resumed farming, which he has since continued. In 1869 he purchased the old homestead, and proceeded to improve the same, and now has as beautiful a home as the county affords, having added to his original farm until he owns 280 acres. He was united in mar- riage with Jane Woodfield, daughter of James Woodfield, of this county, December 2, 1860. This union has been blessed with nine children : Stella, married to Rev. John Nichols (soon after their mar- riage her husband was sent as a missionary to India, and she accom-

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

panied him there, where after a sojourn of a year he died ; she then returned to her parents, and was married, the second time, to Rev. F. H. Crissman, now residing in Blairsville, Pa.); Charles R., of Syra- cuse; Lewis, of Stillwater, Minn .; Belle, Oscar, Jennie, Harmon, Homer and Clyde. The family are members of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, of Wyalusing. Politically Mr. Brown is a Democrat, and is one of the successful men of the county; has always been a hard worker. Besides the accumulation and improvements of his land he has given his children the advantages of a good education, and has been a liberal supporter of all Christian and benevolent enterprises.

D. K. BROWN, retired, Wyalusing, was born at Browntown, Wyalusing township, this county, February 24, 1826, a son of Ira and. Nancy (King) Brown. His father was also born in Wyalusing town- ship in 1801, a son of Daniel Brown, a survivor of the Wyoming mas- sacre. Ira, who was one of the pioneers of this section, had three children, of whom the subject is the eldest; J. Morgan is the genial proprietor of the " Wyalusing Hotel," and Adaline is married to A. H. Kingsbury, of Towanda. The father was a farmer, and at his death had accumulated quite an extensive body of land, sixty-five acres of which remain in the possession of D. K. Brown. He was born and reared on the farm and educated in the common school. When eight- een years old he started to serve an apprenticeship at the carpenter's and joiner's trade, with his uncle Nelson Brown, of Towanda. And after serving only two years he began for himself. He worked in Towanda two years, and then returned to Wyalusing where he fol- lowed the trade to the present time, having been interested in the building of almost every house in Wyalusing, the bank building and many other buildings in Dushore, besides a great amount of work at Scranton and other points. He has recently remodeled and modernized his residence, making it one of the handsomest homes in Wyalusing ; he has also erected an elegant workshop, which he has supplied with all modern machines for the use of his craft. With the contractors and builders of this county he ranks among the foremost, and besides fol- lowing his trade, he has taken an active interest in farming, and owns a productive little farm on the banks of the Susquehanna. Mr. Brown was united in wedlock, August 14, 1848, with Hettie, daughter of Joseph and Rachel (Birney) Stalford, pioneers of this county ; her parents had the following children, besides her : Catherine, who mar- ried Joseph Baker and removed to Greenville, Ohio, where they both died ; Samuel, who died at Danville, Pa .; John, who died in infancy. To Mr. and Mrs. Brown have been born three children : Anna E., born November 5, 1849, married to C. A. Stowell, of Wyalusing ; Francis A., born June 15, 1851, died September 29, 1852. and Emily A., born May 9, 1854, married to H. J. Lloyd, of Wyalusing. The family worship at the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which Mrs. Brown is an active member. Mr. Brown is a stanch Republican and has held various town and borough offices, being the first burgess in Wyalusing. Besides his other business he has been dealing in lumber, doors, blinds and all carpenter's supplies.

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

D. S. BROWN, wagon-maker, Wilawana, was born in Morrison, N. J., October 1, 1814, a son of Aaron and Betsey (Crane) Brown, natives of New Jersey. Aaron Brown migrated from New Jersey to Chemung, N. Y., in 1816, where he resided two years ; thence moved to Wellsburg (then called Southport), where he worked at his trade, wagon making, until his death, which occurred in 1848, when he was at an advanced age ; his children numbered five, all of whom grew to maturity, and two are now living. D. S., who is the second in the family, was reared and educated in Wellsburg, N. Y., and learned the wagon maker's trade of his father. At the age of twenty-three he married Hannah, daughter of James and Margaret Burt, by which marriage there were two children : Martha and Emeline, both now deceased ; his second wife, whom he married December 9, 1843, was Polly, daughter of William and Fanny Seeley, by which union there were four children : Frances L. (was married to Charles Cain, and had two children-Carrie and Minnie-both of whom are married, and have each three children), Alice (married to Charles J. Howard, a mer- chant of Corning, N. Y.), William (married to Eva, daughter of Dr. F. W. Keise, of Wilawana) and F. L. (deceased). William is a skilled mechanic and works with his father, doing the iron work. Mr. Brown removed to Wilawana in 1845, and opened the first tavern in the village, which was then called Orcutt Creek, from which he retired after the lapse of two years. In 1847 he went into partnership with Anson Beidleman in the mercantile business, but after three or four years Mr. Beidleman purchased the entire business, and Mr. Brown confined himself to his trade. In addition to his village property, he has a small farm of forty-five acres, which he works. He is much respected by his fellow-citizens who elected him to various responsible offices ; he was postmaster seven years, and was then succeeded by his son William; was constable, assessor and school director; is a mem- ber of the Christian Church, and is a Democrat.

EDWARD H. BROWN, of the firm of Brown, Rockwell & Co., merchants, New Albany, was born at Laddsburg, Pa., July 6, 1861, a son of John and Catherine (Ladd) Brown. His father, of Irish origin, was born in this State; the grandfather, a farmer, was a native of Ireland. His mother is a native of Albany township, and a granddangh- ter of Horatio Ladd, whose father, Ephraim and himself were of the first settlers in the township of Albany. Our subject was reared on his father's farm and educated in the schools of the township, Towanda, and Starkey Seminary, Yates county, N. Y. At the age of seventeen he commenced teaching school, which he followed some years, continu- ing his studies. In 1886 he engaged as a clerk in the store of Hon. S. D. Sterigere, at New Albany, and after nine months he purchased an interest in the business, which had been successfully established more than twenty-five years, under the firm name of Sterigere & Co. Mr. Brown was married, in 1886, to Ella Sterigere, a daughter of the former owner of the business, Hon. S. D. Sterigere, who was in the State Legislature in 1884-85, being elected by the Republican party. Mr. Brown is a Republican in politics, but devotes his entire time to business, and is one of the substantial and growing men of the county.

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

F. S. BROWN, ticket and Adams Express agent, Sayre, is a native of Addison, N. Y., and was born March 29, 1854, a son of John N. and Sarah C. (Langford) Brown, natives of New York State, the former of whom is a retired merchant, and has been postmaster at Addison, N. Y., fifteen years. F. S. Brown, who is the fourth in a family of six children (of whom the youngest four are now living), received his education in the public schools of his native place, and in 1872 he went to Athens and served a three-years' apprenticeship at telegraphy ; from there he moved to Towanda, and was operator at the upper depot for the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company about three years, and then was station agent for the Barclay Railroad Company about four years, after which he went to Elizabeth, and was in the superintend- ent's office of the New Jersey Central Railroad about a year; then came to Sayre and worked in the offices until April, 1888, when he was appointed ticket agent and Adams Express agent at Sayre. Mr. Brown was married in Athens, October 13, 1875, to Miss Emma A., daughter of Edmund A. and Maria (Jackway) Kenyon, natives of this county, former of whom was a merchant a number of years in Athens. Mrs. Brown is the elder of two children, and was born in Windham township, this county, 1858. To Mr. and Mrs. Brown has been born a daughter, Bessie. Mrs. Brown is a member of the Baptist Church. In politics Mr. Brown is a Republican.

IRA A. BROWN, farmer and stock grower, Wyalusing, was born in this county, August 13, 1854, and is a son of J. M. Brown (proprie- tor of the "Wyalusing Hotel") and Sarah A. (Jennings) Brown, who had two children, Ira A. and Carrie, the latter of whom married Richard McCann, a mechanic working in the Pullman Car Shops, Chicago. The mother dying while our subject was quite young, he made his home with his grandfather, Ira Brown, one of the pioneers of this section, was educated in the common schools of Wyalusing, and worked the farm of his grandfather, who left the same to him at his death. He followed farming on the old homestead until 1884, when he went to Wyalusing borough and assisted his father in conducting the "Wyalus- ing Hotel," remaining there four years ; then returned to the old farm in Wyalusing township, where he has since resided, and which con tains 150 acres of as fine land as the county affords, all under cultiva- tion and well improved. In 1890 he began extensive lumber oper- ations, as the farm comprises a timber lot containing 200,000 feet of lumber, which he is now engaged in getting ready for market ; has his farm well stocked with cattle and horses. Mr. Brown was united in wedlock, September 25, 1877, with Frances Cox, daughter of Corne- lius Cox, of Vaughn Hill, this county, and they have had three chil- dren, all now deceased. Mr. Brown is an active member of and class- leader in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in politics he is a Republican.

JAMES R. BROWN (deceased) was a native of Vermont, born February 19, 1838, his parents being Christopher and Mary Brown, also natives of Vermont; the father died in 1882, the mother died several years ago; they were the parents of five children, of whom James R. was the third. James R. Brown spent his young life in

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

Massachusetts, and in 1870 came to Bradford county, first locating in Orwell township, and thence went to Windham township, where he spent the remainder of his days, and died possessed of a highly im- proved farm of fifty-two acres. He married, in Massachusetts, Lydia A. Stetson, daughter of Leonard and Sophia P. (Alger) Stetson, natives of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, respectively, of which marriage were born seven children, as follows: Mary (married Elmer Cole, of Litchfield), Alice M. (wife of Francis Strope, of Windham), Jennie, Arthur M., Stetson, Harry and Howard. James R. Brown departed this life in Windham township in 1885, greatly regretted by everyone, and profoundly mourned by his family and friends ; he was known in life as a good man, a good and true friend, affectionate father and a loving and devoted husband ; he served his country as a soldier, enlisting in 1864, in Company K, One Hundred and Ninth N. Y. I., serving until the close of the war, enduring many hardships, exposures and sickness, which eventually caused his death. He was a member of the K. of H.

JOHN H. BROWN, farmer and stock-grower, of Wyalusing township, P. O. Merryall, was born at Standing Stone this county, December 30, 1832, a son of Benjamin and Jane (Houk) Brown, and a lineal descendant of Thomas Brown, the first of the name to settle in the county. The father was born at Browntown, April 27, 1782, and died April 14, 1834; the mother was born at Standing Stone, May 24, 1792, and died October 28, 1872. Their family comprised the follow- ing named children : Guy (deceased), Septer, Lloyd, Blondine (married to John Tewillayen, whom she survives, and resides at Standing Stone), Ellen (married to Harry Clark), Collins L., Allen, Charles, Sarah (mar- ried to Austin Frost), and John H., the youngest in the family. Our subject was educated in the common schools of his day, and upon reaching his majority adopted farming as an occupation, which he has since followed. He was drafted September 27, 1864, and served in Company I, Fifty-first Regiment Pennsylvania Drafted Infantry, sery- ing until June 2, 1865, when he was discharged. He was before Peters- burg four months, and at the attack on Fort Steadman. After the close of the war he returned to Bradford county, and in 1857 purchased a farm in Herrick township, where he resided until 1887, when he pur- chased his present farm in Wyalusing township. He now owns sixty- one acres of fine farm land, beautifully located and well improved and stocked, where he does a general farming business. Mr. Brown was married November 11, 1857, to Roxanna Coleman, who was born March 23, 1840, a daughter of Nathan Coleman (deceased), of Herrick, and this union was blessed with six children : Sarah J., born Septem- ber 29, 1860, married to J. Baxter, a farmer of Sheshequin ; Nelson, born October 28, 1866, died October 5, 1869 ; Nellie M., born July 18, 1869, married to Jobn Shooks, a farmer of Herrick township; Anna M., born September 10, 1871, died July 25, 1878 ; Myrtella, born June 3, 1874, and Frances S., born April 3, 1880. Mr. Brown is a charter member of Hurst Post, No. 86 G. A. R., and in his political views he is a Democrat.

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

J. H. BROWN, farmer, P. O. Canton, is a native of Southport, Chemung Co., N. Y., and was born June 18, 1857, a son of John and Martha C. (Wier) Brown, natives of Chemung county, N. Y. John Brown was in early life a lumberman, and is now president and general superintendent of the Elmira Silver Mining Co.'s mines in Banner, Idaho, a position he has held for eleven years ; was five years a mem- ber of the Elmira Board of Supervisors and was chairman of the board for sometime. The subject of this memoir is the fifth in order of birth in a family of two sons and four daughters ; his brother William D. Brown organized the State Bank of Lisbon, Dak., and has held the office of president since the organization. J. H. Brown was reared in Southport, N. Y., and received an academic education at Cook Academy, Havanna, N. Y., where he attended two years. His father was the owner of Webb's Mills, consisting of one gristmill, two sawmills and timber land, and worked for his father two years; then he and his brother, William D., purchased the business from their father, and they operated the mills together about three years, when J. H. pur- chased his brother's interest, and in a short time sold and removed to Grover, Pa. In 1884 he was associated in the lumber business with W. J. Roy, three years, under the firm name of Brown & Roy, and they had one of the largest mills outside of Williamsport. This they sold to Mial E. Lilley, and Mr. Brown purchased a farm where Ezra Spaulding settled in 1796 and built the first hotel in this part of the county ; the farm contains one hundred and sixty acres, fine buildings, and is under a good state of cultivation. Mr. Brown was first mar- ried in Elmira, N. Y., in 1879, to Miss Ida, daughter of Oscar W. and Mary Ann (Nichols) Streeter, natives of Connecticut. Oscar W. Streeter was a mine operator in California. Mrs. Streeter is a daugh- ter of Draper Nichols, who was a prominent lumberman, of Southport N. Y., and helped build the Northern Central Railroad. Mrs. Brown who was the only child, was born in Southport, August 10, 1858, and died at Hinesville, Ga., while there for her health, April 4, 1889. To Mr. and Mrs. Brown were born two children : Fanny May and Nellie Louise. Mr. Brown was married (the second time) in Canton, August 11, 1890, to Miss Belle C., daughter of Hon. B. S. and Achsah E. (Man- ley) Dartt.

[Hon. B. S. Dartt was born September 8, 1826, in Charleston town- ship, Tioga Co., Pa., and there lived until he was seventeen years of age, when he removed to Canton, and was apprenticed to Seneca Kendall to learn the carriage-maker's trade, where he remained three years ; then taught school one year. At the age of twenty-one he was united in marriage with Miss Achsah E., daughter of Thomas and Betsey Manley, of East Canton. To this happy union were born five children-one son and four daughters-namely : Thomas M. (deceased); Clara (deceased); Ida I., married to R. A. Hazleton ; Fannie P., mar- ried to Charles D. Derrah ; and Belle C. (Mrs. J. H. Brown). Mr. Dartt enlisted in Company C, Seventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, where he went to the front as lieutenant. He remained in active service until "the last rebel laid down his arms, earning his successive promotions by his personal bravery and good and faithful soldiership,

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

and when peace returned to our country, the lieutenant returned to his home with a major's straps on his worthy shoulders." In 1866 Maj. Dartt removed with his family to Canton, and in partnership with Aaron Spaulding, engaged in the hardware business many years under the firm name of Spaulding & Dartt. After Mr. Spaulding's death, in 1874, Mr. Dartt carried on the business alone. He was a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church, and organized the first Sunday-school in Canton, of which he was superintendent many years; was a member of the order of Good Templars, of which he was Grand Chief Templar of the State during the years 1875-76 ; a member of the G. A. R. Post and of the Masonic Fraternity. In 1871 he was elected to the lower house of the State Legislature to represent Bradford county, and served two successive terms with honor and credit to his party. He suffered sev- eral years from heart disease, and died at his residence in Canton, February 12, 1886, in the sixtieth year of his age.]

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 72

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