History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 82

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

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CORT COOPER, farmer, P. O. Litchfield, was born September 16, 1856, on the farm where his father now resides, a son of J. H. and Eliza (Cranse) Cooper, natives of Vermont and New York, respectively. J. H. Cooper, a farmer by occupation, came to Litchfield township in 1840, where he has since remained; his family consisted of the follow- ing named children: Alvin (deceased), Amanda, Louise (deceased), Cort and William, latter married to Jessie Mckinney and living on the homestead. Cort Cooper was reared on the farm and received his early education in the schools of Litchfield and Rome townships. Leaving school when eighteen years of age, he began farming on the property where he now resides. He married, November 8, 1877, Della

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

S., daughter of Henry and Lucretia (Fitler) Case, and to this union have been born three children : Amanda, Jessie and Bernice. Mr. Cooper is the owner of ninety-five acres of land, fifteen of which are finely improved ; he keeps a dairy for family use, and raises cereal crops; his farm is well stocked, and on it he has a fine, handsome Percheron yearling colt, weighing 1060 pounds. In politics Mr. Cooper is a Republican, and has held the offices of assessor and school treasurer.

JOSEPH F. COOPER, merchant, Warren Centre, was born July 17, 1841, in Warren township, this county, a son of Robert and Anna (Steenburg) Cooper, natives of England and New York, respectively. The father came to this country in 1818, first settling in Susquehanna county, but removed to Bradford about 1822; he was by trade a cabinet-maker, and engaged in farming in connection with his trade. In 1842 he commenced merchandising at Warren Centre, and was in time succeeded by his son, Joseph; the father died in 1869, and his widow departed this world in 1883; they had thirteen children, the second and third of whom died, Charlotte in infancy, and Charles when nine years old ; those who grew to maturity were : Angelina (Mrs. Curtis Bostwick); Charlotte (Mrs. Dr. All'red Pierounet); James E., of Newark valley, N. Y. ; Emma E. (Mrs. John Jones); Betsy (Mrs. Theodore Randell); Charles (died aged twenty-nine, in 1865); Mary (Mrs. Augustus Olmstead, who died, aged twenty-seven, in 1864, leaving a son, Robert, and husband) ; Robert (was killed in the battle of Chancellorsville, in 1863; he enlisted, in 1861, in the One Hundred and Forty-first N. Y. V. I., and participated in all the battles of his regiment); Joseph F .; Rebecca T. (Mrs. Roger B. Howell) and Elizabeth B. (who died in 1871, aged twenty-four). Joseph F., who it will be seen was next but one to the last of this large family, was educated in the common schools and finished in Poughkeepsie (N. Y.) Commercial College in 1863. Soon after leaving school he engaged in merchandising, and was one of the first to commence building up Warren Centre in its present site, in 1882, and to him is mostly due the credit of the business importance of the place. Both his store and residence are among the fine buildings of the county; in his store is a large and varied stock, suitable to a country trade, consisting of dry goods, groceries, drugs, boots and shoes, etc. Mr. Cooper was married in Warren township, to Emma, daughter of William and Abigail (True) Green, the former of whom, an Englishman, came to America in 1817, and settled in Philadelphia with his parents, when he was eight years of age. For eleven years he sailed before the mast, all over the world, before he was thirty years of age, and when he was tired of roaming he came to Susquehanna county, in 1839, and removed to Bradford in 1855; he is a quiet and respectable farmer, and now makes his home in Warren with his son, E. O. Green; his wife came to New Hampshire in 1820, locating first in Springville, but removed to Bradford about 1827 and located in Warren, where she was married in 1841; they had three children, of whom Emma was the eldest. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper have a son, Robert, who is in his father's tore. Mr. Cooper is a Republican; was postmaster nineteen years S

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and went out only when he was not in accord with a new administra- tion; was town clerk and treasurer, two terms each. An incident of his father's life is, that when he reached New York, on his way West, he had but one shilling, but boldly pushed out on foot for his destina- tion, and reached Susquehanna county, went to carpentering and built many houses, and among other experiences walked twelve miles to and from work (once a week) for one hundred days on the old Owego bridge. While living in Warren he built a church, in LeRays- ville, walking eight miles; then built the church in his own township, and no matter where he worked he never spent any time " nooning." His eldest son, who was nine years old, when he was working on the LeRaysysville church, helped to haul lumber. These are lessons in thrift and industry that posterity may well look at.

ALFRED B. CORBIN, a leading farmer of Warren township, P. O. Warren Centre, is a native of Warren township, this county, having been born May 5,1840, a son of Alonzo D. and Mary Ann (Prince) Corbin, natives of that township. On both sides they were farmers and early pioneers of Bradford county, who endured the severe trials and hard experiences of those advance couriers of civilization, who helped to hew away the deep forests ; the mother died April 28, 1871, and the father was laid by her side September 15, 1889. They had three children, viz .: Alfred B .; Elmira (Mrs. Jonathan Ross) of Susquehanna county, and Mary Jane (Mrs. John M. Dowley), of Binghamton, who has three children: Steven, Ella and Mamie. Alfred B. Corbin received his educa- tional training at the neighboring schools, and learned to use the axe, hoe and plow, and to plant and cultivate the usual farm crops of this locality. He became a successful and prominent farmer, and now owns thirty- three acres of land-a choice farming spot well cared for. He has been thrice married; his first wife was Olive, daughter of Joseph Sleeper, and by her there was one child, Frecklie, who died in infancy. This wife dying April 3, 1863, Mr. Corbin married, November 24, 1864, Romanda M., daughter of Abel Prince, and by her had one child, Manson E., whose mother died December 23, 1870, and in 1872 Mr. Corbin was married to Dorcas A., daughter of Edward T. and Maria (Haner) Cornell, who was of English extraction, former a native of Rhode Island, latter of New York State. To this union have been born two children: Harriet (Mrs. Edmund W. Chaffee, who has two children, Frank L. and Fred) and Dorcas. In his political preferences Mr. Corbin is a Republican, but he is more of an honest farmer than an active politician, and he loves his country, his family and his friends.

G. G. CORBIN, merchant, Potterville, was born in Warren town- ship, this county, January 6, 1837, and is a son of Ira W. and Betsie (Shurts) Corbin, the former of whom was born in Warren township, February 15, 1811, and is now living on a farm near to Potterville; he is a son of Oliver and Lucy (Hill) Corbin, the former born in Connecti- cut, removed to Nichols, N. Y., and afterward to Warren township, about 1810. Ira W. Corbin followed teaching over thirty years; he had several brothers who were teachers and met with great success in that profession; he was married March 5, 1835, and had seven children,

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

viz .: George G., Pamelia (deceased), Jacob B. (deceased), LeRoy, Emma A. (married to James Lewis, of Towanda), Amanda (married to Frederick Wells, of Elmira, N. Y.) and Frank (married to George Chamberlain, of Towanda). G. G. Corbin passed his boyhood in Warren township, and was educated in the common schools and at Camptown Academy. After attaining his majority be began teaching, and followed it about sixteen years. In 1863 or '64 he purchased a farm on which he made his home until June, 1877, when he removed to Potterville, and embarked in merchandising with A. C. Frisbie, but after one and a half years Mr. Frisbie retired, and Mr. Corbin has con- tinued in the business to the present time, conducting a general store, on July, 3, 1861, he was united in marriage with Ellen E. Newell, and to them have been born six children, as follows: Mary (born June 23, 1863, married to Wilbur Gorham, a farmer of Orwell), Newell G. (born November 9, 1865), Dewitt G. (born July 28, 1874), Cora St. Leon (born December 6, 1875, died in infancy), Georgiana (born October 8, 1878), Winnie L. (born November 4, 1884). Mr. Corbin is a Repub- lican, is a school director and for the last twelve years has been justice of the peace.

J. T. CORBIN, physician and surgeon, Athens, is a native of Warren township, this county, and was born July 26, 1819; his par- ents were Oliver C. and Lucy B. (Hill) Corbin, farmers, natives of Connecticut ; the father came from Connecticut to this county in 1801, and with five brothers went to work to clear up homes in the forest. His mother, with her family came to Owego in 1796, and they were married in Owego and removed to Warren, Pa. Oliver C. Corbin died in Athens in March, 1870, in his eighty-seventh year; Mrs. Corbin died in 1880, in her ninety-fourth year. Dr. Corbin is the sixth in a family of nine children, who grew to maturity, six sons and three daughters. He completed his medical education and began to practice his profession in Athens, in February, 1848. The doctor was married in Athens, in 1850, to Miss Mary A. Tozer, daughter of Julius and Meribah Tozer, the former a native of this county, and the latter of Otsego, N. Y. Mrs. Corbin was born in Chemung county, N. Y., July 22, 1826. To Dr. and Mrs. Corbin were born the following chil- dren : One that died in infancy; Mary (deceased); Annadell (wife of Prof. William H. Benedict, of Elmira, N. Y.); Julius T., an attorney at law; John E. (deceased); and Ida W.

ALVAH M. CORNELL, farmer, P. O. Altus, was born at Swan- sea, Mass., August 22, 1825, a son of Levi and Fannie (Luther) Cor- nell, natives of Bristol county, Mass., who settled in 1827, in Columbia township, this county, on a farm now occupied by our subject, which his father had cleared and improved and resided on many years; the last twelve years of Levi's life were spent in Austinville, where he died July 19, 1874, aged seventy-seven years. He was a son of Asa and Martha (Mason) Cornell, and his wife was a daughter of Rev. Childes and Lucy (Kelton) Luther, all of Bristol county, Mass .; they had seven children who grew to maturity as follows: Frederick P., Level M., Alvah M., William C., Sally M. (Mrs. John Howland), Lucy L. (Mrs. Hosea C. Wolfe) and Mary J. Alvah M. Cornell was reared on the

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

old homestead in Columbia township from two years of age, and, with the exception of one year, he was superintendent of the County Poor Farm, has since resided there. On June 7, 1849, he married Betsey, daughter of Nathan and Nancy (Rockwell) Bullock, of LeRoy town- ship, this county, and by her had three children: Fannie (Mrs. Uel C. Porter), Edith (Mrs. Merville Sweet) and Albert M., the latter of whom resides on the old homestead farm, married to Emma, daughter of Charles and Hannah (Andrews) Talbot, of Bristol county, Mass., and they have one daughter, Eva M. Mr. Cornell is a prominent citizen and one of the leading and enterprising farmers of Columbia township. He is a member of the Universalist Church, and of the Patrons of Husbandry; in politics he is an Independent.

JAMES W. CORRELL, of Dobbins & Correll, general hardware dealers, Troy, was born in Northampton county, Pa., June 27, 1849, a son of Philip and Maria (Dutt) Correll, and of German descent. He was reared in his native county and educated at the State Normal School at Millersville ; he served a three years' apprenticeship at the carriage-maker's trade in Tunkhannock, Pa., and afterward worked as a mechanic six years at Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Towanda and Troy, locating in Troy in 1875, where he followed his trade three years. In 1878 he removed to Canton township, and in the fall of same year embarked in general merchandising at East Canton, in which he con- tinued four years as a member of the firm of Beardsley & Correll. In 1883 he returned to Troy and formed a partnership with Mr. John E. Dobbins, in the hardware business, under the firm name of Dobbins & Correll, in which he still successfully continues. Mr. Correll was married October 24, 1877, to Mary L., daughter of Myron H. and Harriet L. (Lamkin) Annable, of LeRoy township, and has one daughter. Ella G. Mrs. Correll's father served three years as a soldier in the Civil War with credit, and was honorably discharged. A younger brother of Mr. Correll, Rev. Irvin H. Correll, has been a mis- sionary of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Japan seventeen years. Mr. Correll is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in politics is a Republican.

REVEREND CHARLES C. CORSS, a resident of East Smith- field, was born May 22, 1803, at Greenfield, Mass., a son of Asher and Lucy (Grennell) Corss, of English descent, originally of French ; the ancestors are supposed to have come from France to England at the time of the persecutions of the Huguenots; his grandfather, Grennell, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Mr. Corss was fitted for college at Leicester Academy, also Hopkins Academy, and was grad- uated from Amherst College and at Princeton Theological Seminary; he was preceptor of Deerfield Academy in 1831 to 1832, and a teacher at West Springfield, 1832 to 1833 ; was first located as a pastor at Kingston, Pa., December, 1834, and in 1836 came to Athens, Pa. He was twice married, first at Kingston, September, 1836, to Ann, eldest sister of Ex- Governor Hoyt; they had born to them five children, of whom four are living, as follows : Charles, a lawyer at Lock Haven, Pa .; Nancy; Fred- erick, physician, at Kingston, Pa., and Ann H., wife of William F. Church. Mrs. Corss died in 1851. He located at East Smithfield in 1847,

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

and has now continued in the ministry sixty-seven years. He married his present wife, Lucelia Phelps, of East Smithfield, June 6, 1866; she was born July 27, 1821. Mr. Corss is the author of "A cake not turned," and " Presbytery of Susquehanna," also an abridgement of Haly burton's "Great Concern of Salvation." He is much respected by all who know him.

JOHN H. CORY, physician, Springfield, was born in Springfield township, Bradford Co., Pa., January 17, 1852, a son of Dr. William and Maria (Mattocks) Cory. William Cory was born in Connecticut, and moved to Springfield township, this county, when twenty-two years of age ; he studied medicine under Dr. Wilder, at Springfield Centre, and commenced practice in 1845, continuing thirty-five years ; he had a large and lucrative business and accumulated a fortune. He was a prominent Freemason, and died at the age of sixty-seven years. The mother of John H. Cory was of a family of old settlers of the county ; her grandfather, "Squire " Mattocks, moved to Springfield township when there were only five families here ; her father lived to be ninety-one years old. Dr. Cory was educated in the schools of the township and at the Elmira Academy; he studied medicine with his father, and attended lectures at the New York Eclectic Medical Col- lege, graduating from there in the spring of 1878, and commenced practice with his father at Springfield Centre, where he has since con- tinned ; he has a large and lucrative practice, and is much respected by a large circle of friends. The doctor was married December 5, 1881, to Hattie, daughter of Phillip and Harriet (Chrittenden) Sweet, of Ulster (she was born in June, 1855). There have been born to Dr. and Mrs. Cory three children, as follows: William S., born in August, 1883; Edwina D., born April 10, 1885 ; and Vere A., born May 9, 1887. Dr. Cory is a member of the F. & A. M .; is a Democrat in politics, and takes great interest in political matters.

ALBERT COVELL, farmer, in Springfield township, P. O. Big Pond, was born March 5, 1834, in Springfield township, this county, a son of William and Perlina (Cooper) Covell, former of whom, a farmer by occupation, was a native of New York State, whence, when a young man, he removed to this county, and settled in Ridgebury town- ship. He reared a family of six children-three sons and three daugh- ters-the subject of this sketch being the fifth. The youngest son, Platt, was a soldier in the Civil War. The father died in 1874 at the age of seventy-four years, and the mother died at the age of sixty-nine. Mr. Covell's paternal grandfather was in the War of 1812, and expe- rienced all the hardships incident to those stirring times. Albert Covell was educated in the schools of his township, and reared to farming and lumbering, the former of which he has continued to follow, and he has acquired a fine property, being now the owner of a farm of 235 acres of well-improved land. He was married, October 4, 1860, to Lovina Alfred, who was born November 3, 1840, second youngest in a family of three daughters born to Andrew and Hannah (Carr) Alfred, of Tioga county, Pa., farmers and natives of Connecticut. Mr. and Mrs. Covell have had born to them six chil- dren, as follows: Grant A., born August 30, 1862, was graduated from

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

Cornell University and is now a professor in the State Agricultural College, of Oregon ; Effie D., born August 20, 1864, wife of Fred May; Carrie, born August 8, 1866 ; Jessie, a teacher, born September 30, 1868; Blanche, born July 13, 1870; Florence, born June 10, 1886. Mr. Covell is a Democrat in politics, and takes an active interest in the affairs of his party; is a Freemason, and is much respected by his neighbors and a wide circle of friends. Dairving and stock-raising, chiefly Shorthorn Durhams, comprise the principal business on the farm.

GEORGE L. COVERT, P. O. Covert, was born in Ward town- ship, Tioga Co., Pa., July 22, 1842, and is a son of Harry and Orthia (Field) Covert. His paternal grandfather, William Covert, formerly of Delaware county, N. Y., was among the pioneers of Armenia town- ship, this county, settling on what is now known as the Burnham farm, and resided in the township until his death. His children were Harry, Erastus, Elizabeth, Ann (Mrs. De Witt), Esther (Mrs. William Kinch), Malvina, Diana (Mrs. Simon Congdon). Of these, Harry, the father of subject, has spent most of his life in Armenia township, where he has cleared several farms. His wife was a daughter of Abizer Field, of Armenia, and by ber he had four children, as follows: Henry, George L., Edwin and Frances (Mrs. Arthur Youmans). Our subject enlisted September 12, 1861, in Company C, Seventh Penn- sylvania Cavalry, and was taken prisoner at Gallatin, Tenn., August 21, 1862. After four months he was exchanged, and he then joined his company at Nashville, Tenn. On November 28, 1863, he re-enlisted, this time at Huntsville, Ala., as a veteran volunteer. On June 20, 1864, he was wounded in battle near Kenesaw Mountain, Ga., being shot through the left lung and left wrist, and September 5, 1865, he was honorably discharged from the service. About two vears thereafter he attended the State Normal School at Mansfield, Pa., one year, or four terms, and afterward taught school one term in Tioga county, two in Bradford and one in Clinton, all in this State. On January 18, 1871, he purchased a membership in the Williamsport Commercial College, then under the management of Davis & Mitch- ell, and was in attendance four months. Subsequently he took up telegraphy, working for the American Union Telegraph Company about one year, and for the Western Union Telegraph Company three years. On January 8, 1884, Mr. Covert married Mary J., daughter of Albert Merriam, of Wellsburg, N. Y. In the fall of 1885 be built the first store in Armenia township, and here he carried on mercan- tile business two years. In the meantime he circulated petitions and worked for the establishment of a mail route from Troy to Fall Brook, and succeeded in getting it as far as Covert's, five miles from Troy, the name of which postoffice is "Covert," established in July, 1886; Mr. Covert was appointed postmaster, July 8, 1886; and in Octo- ber, 1887, he rented his store to Field Brothers, and May 11, 1891, he resigned the office of postmaster in favor of O. D. Field, who is now acting as postmaster. Mr. Covert has been successful in busi- ness as far as he has been able to attend to it, but he has been in poor health ever since he was wounded, and has been unable to perform manual labor. Prior to his enlistment in the army, his occupation

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

was farming, but he has had to give up all business on account of his impaired health, and he is at present living on the old homestead in Armenia township. Mr. Covert is a member of the G. A. R., and in politics he is a Republican.

EDWARD M. COWELL, physician, East Smithfield, was born in East Smithfield township, this county, January 29, 1864, a son of Dr. Selden S. and Sarah A. (McCracken) Cowell, natives of Bradford county, born in Asylum, the former of whom is still in the practice at Scranton, Pa. Our subject's grandmother was a cousin of. President John Q. Adams, and grandfather Cowell was a pioneer settler in Wysox. Dr. Edward M. Cowell is an only son ; he has one sister, who is the wife of Wilson F. Voorhis, of East Smithfield. The subject of this memoir was educated at the Collegiate Institute, Towanda, and Hiram College, Ohio, three years; was graduated at the Chicago Homoeopathic Medical College in the spring of 1885, and commenced practicing in East Smithfield the fall of that year. He was married, September 16, 1885, to Lillian H., daughter of Charles and Lydia (Dunn) Huntington, of Athens, Pa., born January 19, 1866, and there have been born to them three children, only one of whom is now liv- ing, Margaret E., born July 20, 1890. The Cowells are a race of physicians; the Doctor's father had four brothers who were of the same profession, and each of them have two and three children who are physicians ; for several generations back there have been members of the family who have followed this profession. The Cowells are of Welsh extraction, and the Doctor's mother's family are of Scotch- Irish descent. Dr. Cowell enjoys an extensive and lucrative practice, and a wide circle of friends. He is a Democrat in politics, and takes an interest in the affairs of the township and county; Mrs. Cowell is a member of the Presbyterian Church.

GEORGE H. COX, florist, Towanda, was born in Warwickshire, England, and is a son of George H. and Mary (Walker) Cox. He was reared and educated in his native place, where he served a three years' apprenticeship at the gardener's and florist's business. In 1870 he came to America, locating in Canada for a time, and, after travel- ing considerably to see the country, he settled in 1877 in Sayre, this county, where he was engaged in business up to 1884, when he removed to Towanda and established himself in business. He has here since remained, has built up a successful trade, and is the only florist in Towanda, his place of business being on North Main street, where he has three spacious green-houses, two of which are 50 x 20 feet in size, the other being 40 x 20. Mr. Cox was married, in 1870, to Elizabeth, daughter of William and Margaret (Mclaughlin) McMurray, of County Armagh, Ireland, and has three children, George H., Emilie P. and Charles A. Mr. Cox is a member of the Episcopal Church, and in politics is Independent.

REV. DAVID CRAFT is a lineal descendant of Lieut. Griffin Craft, who, with his family, was an immigrant in the first company that came to Boston in July, 1630, and settled in Roxbury, now Boston, on a piece of land which has been in the possession of his descendants, and in the Craft name until now. David Craft was born

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

in Carmel, Putnamn Co., N. Y., October 3, 1832. He is a graduate of Lafayette College; studied theology at Princeton, N. J .; taught in the Susquehanna Collegiate Institute at Towanda, in 1857 and '58; was licensed to preach by the Susquehanna Presbytery, March, 1860, and in the following September began preaching at Wyalusing. In August, 1862, the congregation having granted him leave of absence, he accepted the appointment of chaplain of the One Hundred and Forty-first Regiment, P. V. I., but resigned the following spring on account of continued ill health, and resumed work in Wyalusing, which he continued until January, 1891. In 1866, Mr. Craft published his "Wyalusing," which included a history of his church and of the early settlement of the town. This was received with so much favor that the Bradford County Historical Society prevailed upon him to under- take the history of the county, which was begun with great reluctance, and published in 1877. In 1879 he delivered the historical address at each of the celebrations of the one hundreth anniversary of the "Sul- livan expedition against the Western Indians," held at Elmira, Water- loo, Geneseo and Aurora, in the State of New York. These were com- bined in a continuous narrative, and published by the Seneca County Historical Society in 1880; rewritten and enriched with numerous geo- graphical and biographical notes, was published by the State of New York in 1885. This has received the unqualified approbation of eminent military men and historians, such as Gen. W. T. Sherman, Sidney Howard Gay, W. C. Bryant and others.

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 82

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