History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Part 92

Author:
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Harrisburg : R. C. Brown
Number of Pages: 1454

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farming up to 1884, when he was appointed clerk in the commissioners' office. Removing to Wellsboro, he purchased his present home the following year. He had resigned the office of county auditor to accept that of commissioners' clerk. After retiring from the commissioners' office in 1884, Mr. Beauge resumed the manage- ment of his farm in Charleston, though continuing to reside in Wellsboro. He was again elected county auditor in 1890, and re-elected in 1893 and in 1896. He also served as clerk of Charleston township for ten years, and has been one of the active workers of the Republican party since the war. Mr. Beauge married Lucy Culver, a daughter of Joel and Sarah Culver, of Charleston township, to which union have been born three children, viz: Frank L., manager of the W. W. Brad- bury Company's store, at Landrus; Frederick E., book-keeper for the Union Tan- ning Company, at Hoytville, and A. Naomi. The family attend the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Beauge is a member of George Cook Post, No. 315, G. A. R., and of Encampment No. 105, U. V. L., both of Wellsboro.

FRANK L. BEAUGE, eldest son of Eugene and Lucy Beauge, was born in Charles- ton township, Tioga county, July 28, 1870, and obtained his education in the schools of that township and Wellsboro. On March 2, 1893, he married Eva Wheeler, a daughter of B. F. Wheeler, of Marsh Creek, Tioga county. After serving nearly two years as clerk in the general store of Hoyt Brothers, at Hoytville, he accepted the position of manager of the W. W. Bradbury Company's store, at Landrus, in August, 1893, which he still holds. As a business man, he has proven himself thorough, capable and competent, and is popular with the patrons of the store. In politics, Mr. Beauge is a Republican, and in religion, an adherent of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is also a member of the P. O. S. of A., of Hoyt- ville.

THOMAS T. REES, a son of William T. and Margaret (Roberts) Rees, and grand- son of Thomas Rees, was born in South Wales, December 8, 1852. His parents died when Thomas T. was quite young, leaving him and one brother, Evan, to the care of strangers. The latter is now a land agent in South Wales. Two years after his parents' death, Thomas T. was sent to the United States to his uncles, Robert, Hugh, William and John Roberts, who had immigrated some thirty years before, locating in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania. Soon after his arrival, his five uncles enlisted in the Union army. Four of them were killed in the war, John alone returning. Our subject lived with the latter at Pittston, Luzerne county, up to 1868, and worked in a lumber yard. In 1870 he came to Morris Run, Tioga county, and worked in the mines for eleven years, afterwards serving as a clerk in the post- office at Morris Run two years. He was then appointed to the position of paster and folder in the State printing office at Harrisburg, where he worked for two years, and was then taken sick and returned to Morris Run, where he continued to reside, though unable to do any work for the following three years. In 1888, after re- covering from his serious illness, he was appointed ticket and express agent for the Erie railroad at Morris Run. Resigning this position in January, 1892, he came to Wellsboro to accept the office of deputy sheriff, which he filled during Sheriff Irvin's term. On November 19, 1872, Mr. Rees married Anna Price, of Morris Run, who has borne him six children, viz: Evan, William, Elmer, May, (the last two died in infancy), Margaret and Horace Packer. In politics, Mr. Rees is a Re-

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publican, and the family attend the Baptist church. He is a member of Ossea Lodge, No. 317, F. & A. M., and Tioga Lodge, No. 304, K. of P.

FRANK WATKINS, chief clerk in the commissioners' office, was born in Athens township, Bradford county, Pennsylvania, October 31, 1842, and is a son of John and Mary (Green) Watkins. His paternal grandparents were from Connecticut, where his grandfather, Maj. William Watkins, was born in 1753. He was an officer in the Continental army, and participated in the battle of Bunker Hill. He died in Athens township, Bradford county, whither he had removed from Connecticut, November 17, 1828, in his seventy-sixth year. Major Watkins' wife, Lois, was born in 1760, and died July 30, 1851, at the ripe old age of ninety-one years. They were the parents of five children, John, the father of our subject, being the youngest. He was born in Connecticut, January 6, 1789, married Betsey Green, in Bradford county, April 11, 1813, and reared a family of thirteen children, only five of whom survive. The mother died July 7, 1839, in her forty-seventh year, and her husband was again married, December 22, 1840, to Mrs. Mary Green, a native of Providence, Rhode Island, born July 20, 1797. One son, Frank, the subject of this sketch, was born to this union. The mother died November 26, 1863, in her sixty-seventh year, and the father, March 23, 1869, in the eighty-first year of his age. Frank was reared upon his father's farm, where he spent the first twenty-one years of his life, sharing the common lot of a farmer's son. He obtained such education as he could in the common school, supplemented by two or three terms at the Athens Academy. In 1864 he completed a course of study at Eastman Business College, Poughkeepsie, New York, and for the following year was book-keeper for Gardner & Inslee, produce commission merchants, of New York City. He then learned the paper maker's trade, which he worked at five years, principally in Waverly, New York. On July 6, 1867, he married Miss Nettie Courtright, of Waverly, by whom he has two sons, Willis P. and Albert J., and two daughters, Ina M. and Myrtie D. In the year 1870 he removed to Wellsboro, Tioga county, where he has since resided. His wife, Nettie, died November 2, 1884, in her thirty-fifth year. On October 27, 1885, he married Mrs. Anna C. English, to which union have been born two sons, Francis M. and Leon Erland. In 1882 he entered the office of the county commis- sioners as assistant clerk, and by industry and strict attention to the affairs of the office attained the chief clerkship, which position he is now filling. Mr. Watkins' long period of continual service has proven him to be a faithful official, and an invaluable assistant to the commissioners. He has been borough auditor for three years, which office he has filled with satisfaction and credit to himself. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and the P. of H. In politics, a Republican, he has always given his earnest support to the principles, measures and candidates of that party.

ORRIN BLAIR was born on Russell Mountain, Massachusetts, December 28, 1825, a son of Nathan and Sally (Tyrrell) Blair, natives of Massachusetts and New York, respectively. They were the parents of thirteen children, Orrin being the tenth in the family. The father was a physician, and died in 1849, aged seventy-two years. His widow survived until 1866, and died at the home of her son Orrin, aged seventy-eight years. In 1837 Orrin's brother, James, who was born in Massachu- setts in 1811, came to Tioga county, Pennsylvania, and bought a farm in Delmar

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township. Soon after he contracted consumption, and in 1840 Orrin came on to take care of him. After the death of James, Orrin purchased a farm, and lived upon it up to his death in 1895. He received his early education in his native State, and later attended the Wellsboro Academy. Though he worked a portion of his time as a carpenter, he made farming his principal occupation. He owned 169 acres near the northwest corner of the borough, and made dairying a specialty. On April 2, 1849, Mr. Blair married Louisa Hiltbold, a daughter of Jacob and Abigail (Johnson) Hiltbold. She was born February 1, 1831, and is the mother of five children, viz: Mary Ellen, wife of Alphonso Spencer; James O., a farmer in Delmar; Lewis M., residing on the old homestead; Sherman L., baggage master at the Fall Brook station, and William E., principal of the Tioga graded schools. Mrs. Blair is a member of the Protestant Episcopal church, in which faith Mr. Blair lived and died. In politics, he was a Republican, filled the office of supervisor, and was poormaster of Delmar township the year the poor house was erected. Mr. Blair was one of the successful and prominent farmers of this section.

CHARLES AVERY was born in Eaton, Madison county, New York, in 1800, a son of Constant Avery. He was reared on a farm, and came to Tioga county, Penn- sylvania, in 1824, purchasing a farm of 160 acres in Chatham township, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death, January 14, 1875. He mar- ried Sophia Cloos, a daughter of Newbury Cloos, a pioneer of Deerfield township, Tioga county. Ten children were born to this union, viz: Constant, of Chatham township; Esther, wife of Matt Ashton, of Livingston county, New York; Cyrus W., of Wellsboro; William, deceased; Deruyter, of Chatham township; Miranda, wife of Frank Churchill, of Middlebury; Leonidas, a resident of Ansonia; Albert, deceased; Mary, wife of Jefferson West, of Middlebury, and John, who died in early youth. Mrs. Avery died on January 14, 1875, one hour before her husband, quite a re- markable coincidence, after a married life of nearly half a century. Politically, Mr. Avery was a Democrat in early life, and later a Free Soiler. He served as collector of Chatham township for ten years, and was one of the respected citizens of that locality.

CYRUS W. AVERY, second son of Charles Avery, was born in Chatham township, Tioga county, February 10, 1833, attended the common schools in boyhood, and worked on his father's farm until twenty-five years of age. For the succeeding fifteen years he worked on his own farm in Chatham township in summer time and in the lumber woods in winter. In 1882 he sold his farm in Chatham and bought his present farm in the suburbs of Wellsboro, containing seventy-six acres, where he has since followed agriculture. On February 16, 1859, Mr. Avery married Jane Spencer, a daughter of Aurora and Catherine (Conklin) Spencer. Her father was born in 1808, and died July 14, 1862. Her mother was born in 1810, and died January 29, 1876. Mrs. Avery was born January 30, 1840, and is the mother of two children, viz: Ida R., wife of Francis Andrews, of Wellsboro, and Jennie M., wife of John Fisher, of Marsh Creek. Mr. Avery and wife are members of the Second Advent church, and in politics, he is independent. He served as supervisor of Chatham township one term.

ADAM A. KLOCK was born in Manheim, Herkimer county, New York, January 28, 1800, a son of Adam Klock, and came to Tioga county, Pennsylvania, about 1835.

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He purchased a farm in Charleston township, on which he resided up to his death, December 13, 1875. He married Nancy, a daughter of John Hart, of Herkimer county, New York, who survived him until March 17, 1884, dying at the age of seventy-nine years. They were the parents of ten children, as follows: Jesse, who recently died in Oregon; Jeremiah, a retired farmer of Wellsboro; Irene, deceased wife of Waldo May; Margaret, widow of Charles Brown; John A., who lives in Illinois; Edwin, a resident of Covington, Tioga county; Henry H., who resides in Kansas; Andrew, of Wellsboro; Hiram, who lives in Elmira, and Lizzie, wife of George D. Brooks, of Charleston township.

JEREMIAH KLOCK, retired farmer, was born in Herkimer county, New York, May 5, 1824, and is the second son of Adam A. Klock. He was reared upon a farm, and when twenty-two years of age purchased 112 acres of land in Charleston town- ship, upon which he settled. He added to his first purchase from time to time until he owned 356 acres in the same township, and continued agricultural pursuits up to 1872, when he was compelled to give up work on account of ill health. He sold his lands in Charleston township, and in the spring of 1875 purchased his present home in Wellsboro, where he has lived since the autumn of 1877. Mr. Klock was married October 30, 1845, to Maria Abrams, daughter of Nelson Abrams. She was born December 8, 1826, and is the mother of five children, viz: Nelson V., a resident of Elmira; Jennie D., wife of Russell Ely, of Charleston township; Milan L., of Wellsboro; Clara E., wife of Sterry E. Kimball, of Charleston township, and Nancy E., deceased wife of William H. Smith, of the same township. Mr. Klock is a member of the Presbyterian church, and his wife of the Christian church. In poli- tics, a Republican, he served as auditor of Charleston township for six years.

MILAN L. KLOCK, stock dealer, was born in Charleston township, Tioga county, March 14, 1852, a son of Jeremiah Klock. He was reared on the homestead farm, and obtained a public school education. When twenty-one years old he commenced working the home farm on his own account, and followed farming four years. He then went to Antrim and carried on a meat market four years, and while there bought a farm of 140 acres in Delmar township, four miles from Wells- boro, which he has since cultivated. In December, 1883, he came to Wellsboro, where he had previously purchased his present home, and engaged in the live stock bus- iness, which he has followed ever since. He later took in as partner E. M. Johnson, which business connection continued up to the spring of 1894, when Mr. Klock withdrew and formed a partnership with J. C. Bradley, under the firm name of Bradley & Klock, contractors in all kinds of stone work. Mr. Klock was married September 18, 1877, to Harriet C. Peake, a daughter of Willis Peake, of Charleston township, and has one son, Leon. The family attend the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. Klock is a member of the K. of P. Politically, a Republican, he was a member of the council from 1888 to 1891, was appointed assessor in February, 1888, was elected to the same office in 1889, and re-elected in 1892 and 1895.

JAMES L. ROBB, youngest child of John C. and Susan Robb, was born in Farm- ington township, Tioga county, Pennsylvania, May 4, 1842. He was reared on the homestead farm and was educated in the common schools and at Iron City Com- mercial College, Pittsburg. On January 16, 1865, he enlisted in Company B, One Hundred and Ninety-fourth New York Volunteers, and served with the rank of

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second lieutenant until mustered out the following June. After leaving the army he went to Omaha, Nebraska, where he entered the employ of the Union Pacific Railroad Company, and for nearly a year had charge of the force engaged in painting and finishing the stations from Omaha to North Platte, a distance of 600 miles. Returning to Farmington township, he purchased the homestead from his father and devoted his attention to farming, shipping hay, live-stock, etc., being for eight years a member of the firm of Mather & Robb. His partner was C. S. Mather, of Elmira, New York, whose interest he purchased in 1892. Mr. Robb resided on his farm until October, 1895, when he purchased his present residence in Wellsboro. He is the owner of a fine farm in Farmington, embracing nearly 400 acres of land, and is one of the largest shippers of hay, live-stock and farm produce in Tioga county, owning seven store-houses on the line of the Fall Brook railroad. On January 3, 1870, Mr. Robb married Helen S. Sheives, a daughter of Albert Sheives, of Job's Corners, Tioga county. Three children have been born to this union, viz: Levi S., Casner J., and Ada, the last of whom died in infancy. Politically, Mr. Robb is an ardent Republican. In religion, he is a member of the Presbyterian church. A man of commendable public spirit, sound business methods and per- sistent industry, he can safely be classed as one of the successful business men of his native county.

EZRA POTTER, a native of Rhode Island, born in 1800, came to Tioga county, Pennsylvania, in company with a party of settlers from his State, among them being his older brother, Stephen Potter, in 1817, and later assisted in cutting a road through the forest from the site of Westfield borough. to that of Potter Brook, where the family purchased land and located in 1818. Ezra Potter married Eunice Swede, and reared a family of seven children by this marriage, viz: Stephen A., John W., deceased; Almon A., a resident of Brookfield; Hiram E., of Wellsboro; Matilda A., wife of George W. Peckham; Adeline, wife of Hiram W. Dartt, and Ezra H., a publisher of Nyack, New York. Mrs. Potter died in 1835, aged thirty-four years, and he was again married to Eunice Stebbins, who bore him two children. viz: Eunice, wife of King Towner, of Elmira, New York, and Nancy, wife of Noah Close, of Westfield, Tioga county. Mr. Potter died in 1883.

HIRAM E. POTTER was born in Chatham township, Tioga county, January 9, 1828, and is the fourth child of Ezra and Eunice (Swede) Potter. He was reared on a farm, attended the district schools in boyhood, and when seventeen years of age began working out as a farm hand. The next year he went to learn the car- penter's trade, which business he followed ten years. He then purchased a farm of 320 acres in Deerfield township, upon which he lived seventeen years. Removing to Middlebury township he resided there eight years, and in 1876 bought his present home in Wellsboro, where he has since lived, though unable to work because of rheumatism. Mr. Potter was married May 28, 1856, to Angela D. Potter, who died in May, 1884. In March, 1885, he married Mrs, Mary Westbrook, nee Butler. He is a member of the Baptist church, and his wife of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics, he is a Republican, and is also connected with the I. O. O. F. society.

LOUIS BRILL, a native of Germany, came with his parents to the United States about 1835, being then about five years old. He afterwards worked for a period in Philadelphia, and came to Tioga county in 1848, locating on the site of the present

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village of Morris, near the mouth of Wilson creek. He followed lumbering there for a few years and then removed to Brown township, Lycoming county. In 1864 he re- turned to Tioga county and located on the land now occupied by the Brunswick Tannery, at Hoytville. Here he remained until 1874, when he removed into Delmar township, four miles south of Wellsboro. In 1878 he went to Kansas, remaining until 1880, when he and his family returned to Tioga county and settled three miles south of Wellsboro, where he died July 22, 1881, aged fifty-two years. Mr. Brill was married in June, 1854, to Elizabeth Harrison, a daughter of John Harrison, an early settler of Lycoming county. Eight children were the fruits of this union, viz: Sarah J., who died in infancy; Louis, who was drowned when eight years old; George, Mary A., deceased; John F., Emma, deceased; Cora E., wife of John W. Lloyd, of Wellsboro, and Catherine H., wife of J. W. Smith, of Galeton, Potter county. George was born in Delmar township, Tioga county, February 21, 1859, and John F. in Lycoming county, January 24, 1863, but were reared in Tioga county until 1878, when they went to Kansas with their parents, whence the family returned to Tioga county two years later. In 1884 the Brill brothers purchased their present farm of 100 acres in the northwestern part of Wellsboro, where they have since resided with their mother. They rank among the reputable farmers of the county. In politics, they are Republicans.

LYMAN COLES was born June 1, 1806, in Chenango county, New York, received a common school education, and became a farmer and lumberman. He married Electa Sellick, in Smithville, Chenango county, New York. She was a daughter of Capt. James Sellick, a soldier of the War of 1812, the canteen carried by him during that conflict being now the treasured possession of his grandson, W. R. Coles, of Wellsboro. Mr. and Mrs. Coles were the parents of three children: James S., deceased; Mandeville S., a merchant of Stony Fork, and W. R., of Wellsboro. Mr. Coles came to Tioga county, Pennsylvania, in 1864, whither he had been preceded by his sons, then in business at Stony Fork. Here he located and lived retired, having previously accumulated a competence by years of active industry. He died December 25, 1886. His wife, who was born December 29, 1814, died November 2, 1885.

WILLIAM RILEY COLES, youngest son of Lyman and Electa (Sellick) Coles, was born in Smithville, Chenango county, New York, November 11, 1841, where he received a common school education. He came to Delmar township, Tioga county, in 1862, but did not take up his residence here until the following year, when he became a partner with his brothers in a store at Stony Fork. They continued together until 1865, when the subject of this sketch took charge of the hotel at Stony Fork, which he conducted until 1868. He then engaged in lumbering and in 1871 built a steam saw-mill, the first in that section, just below Stony Fork. This he operated until August, 1872, when he came to Wellsboro and purchased the livery stable on Pearl street, now owned by Samuel E. Smith. He was actively connected with the stable for five years, and retained an interest in it until 1888. In 1877 he became a partner with his brother, James S., in the management of the Coles House, previously known as the Bunnell House, the firm being J. S. & W. R. Coles. Here he remained until 1882, when he went to Tioga and took charge of the Park Hotel, which he managed for nearly five years. In 1887 he went to Los Angeles, Cali- fornia, where he remained for a short time. After keeping hotel for a year in Gilroy,

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and spending about a year in San Francisco, in business, he returned to Tioga county in 1890 and leased the hotel in Elkland, now known as the Sandbach House, which he conducted until November, 1893. He then came to Wellsboro, and succeeded his brother, James S.,-who died two months later-as landlord of the Coles House, for- merly known as the Parkhurst House. On August 1, 1896, Mr. Coles bought this property of the estate of the late Charles L. Pattison, and has since spent considerable money in repairing and improving it. Mr. Coles was married February 14, 1861, to Lydia A. Knickerbocker, a daughter of Jared Knickerbocker, of Smithville. She became the mother of two children, viz: Dora E., widow of William H. Roberts, of Wellsboro, and Flora D., wife of Mark Wetherbee, of Brocton, Chautauqua county, New York. Mrs. Coles died October 5, 1876, aged thirty-seven years. On Sep- tember 22, 1892, he married Miss Nellie Manning. In politics, Mr. Coles is a Republi- can. He is a member of Ossea Lodge, No. 317, F. & A. M .; Tyagaghton Com- mandery, No. 28, K. T., and Elkland Lodge, No. 800, I. O. O. F.

HENRY SMITH was born in Orange county, New York, January 18, 1834, and died in Wellsboro, Tioga county, Pennsylvania, May 2, 1896. He was a son of Samuel B. and Hiley (Caskey) Smith, natives of New York state, where both died. Henry was reared in his native county, there attended the common schools, and when eighteen years of age became a member of the firm of Masterson & Smith, and en- gaged in the manufacture of wheelbarrows. At the end of eighteen months he en- tered the employ of the New York, Lake Erie and Western railroad as an oil man, but after six weeks was promoted to assistant conductor, which position he filled two years. He was then made conductor of a freight train and worked as such up to 1865 when he was promoted to the conductorship of a passenger train, which he held con- tinuously until 1886. In that year he went to Danville, Illinois, ran a railroad res- taurant for eight months, and then located in Horseheads, New York, where he operated a brickyard four years. On January 8, 1891, he came to Wellsboro, Tioga county, and in partnership with a Mr. Austin purchased the livery stables of M. L. Klock. The firm of Smith & Austin carried on the business up to April, 1893, when Mr. Smith bought out his partner and conducted the business alone until the time of his death. In 1862 he married Helen M. Everett, a daughter of Bennett Everett, of Orange county, New York. She is the mother of two children, Alice E., wife of W. D. Reynolds, of Horseheads, New York, and Samuel E., who has had charge of the livery stables since the death of his father. Mr. Smith was a member of the Order of Railway Conductors, and also of the Knights of Honor. Of a quiet, retiring dis- position, he mixed very little in public affairs, devoting his whole attention to the prosecution of his business. His life was one of steady, persistent industry, and was marked by strict integrity and a high sense of business honor.

FRANK S. DUNKLE, proprietor of the Wilcox House, was born in Hublersburg, Centre county, Pennsylvania, September 3, 1855, a son of Michael and Julia (Carner) Dunkle, natives of this State. His father was a blacksmith, and followed that trade the greater portion of his life. Michael Dunkle's family consisted of eleven children, seven of whom are living, viz: John, a hotel-keeper in Ridgway; Julia, widow of John W. Bailey, of Wellsboro; William, a hotel clerk at Jersey Shore; Fremont, a res- ident of Beech Creek; Frank S., of Wellsboro; Forest, a hotel-keeper of Jersey Shore, and Annie, who resides at Beech Creek. Frank S. was reared and educated in his

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History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Part 92

Author: Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Harrisburg : R. C. Brown Number of Pages: 1454

Author:
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Harrisburg : R. C. Brown
Number of Pages: 1454